Considering a PC build

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-19 04:10:54 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-19 03:53:00 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:32:58 am

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:29:11 am

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:24:42 am

Youkai: 2015-09-18 03:46:15 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-18 03:39:12 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-18 12:01:11 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-17 10:33:55 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-17 10:08:22 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-17 02:47:54 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-16 09:36:02 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-16 09:28:47 pm

2015-09-16 07:01:08 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

I'm considering building a gaming/streaming PC. I'd like it to not be too expensive but I'd also like it to be able to play current games and games that are likely to come out for a couple years without needing upgrades. ~~I also would like it to be a small case unless there is a significant reason for it to not be~~. It's been a while since I built a PC so I'm not up to date on the current components and I want to make sure I don't miss anything important. I did a little looking on newegg and came up with this so far. If anyone would be willing to look at the list and provide suggestions or comments. Thank you.

EDIT: Updated: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/fcvs3C

Thread title:

MLSTRM

2015-09-16 07:55:50 pm

You can never run enough games

That graphic card can support at least 2 monitors, possibly up to 3/4 (not sure how the ports work on the 970, I have a 750Ti and run 3 screens fine off it though)

The motherboard has 4 PCI slots. One of which will hold your graphics card. One of the others can be used for an internal capture card, and you have the slots on the back of the case to have port access for both.

I'm not really sure on power supply sizes, but you want one that will power everything, the main variable in this is the gpu, so see how much power it needs and try and find a power supply wattage calculator somewhere online, there are a couple around.

You have 6 SATA ports on the motherboard, so you definitely have enough for one SSD (usually around 80gb or so is a good size) for your OS and fast access programs (system data etc), and then a HDD for most other things (1TB drives are cheap nowadays, WD caviar blue is a good range for that). RAID is nice, but not really necessary in a consumer build unless you really /really/ want to keep your data safe on your computer, and even then something like a NAS for backup would probably be a better solution.

Using a USB drive is fine, but you can also get cheap combo R/RW DVD drives for like $15 now, so its worth considering possibly.

Hopefully some of this helps.

That graphic card can support at least 2 monitors, possibly up to 3/4 (not sure how the ports work on the 970, I have a 750Ti and run 3 screens fine off it though)

The motherboard has 4 PCI slots. One of which will hold your graphics card. One of the others can be used for an internal capture card, and you have the slots on the back of the case to have port access for both.

I'm not really sure on power supply sizes, but you want one that will power everything, the main variable in this is the gpu, so see how much power it needs and try and find a power supply wattage calculator somewhere online, there are a couple around.

You have 6 SATA ports on the motherboard, so you definitely have enough for one SSD (usually around 80gb or so is a good size) for your OS and fast access programs (system data etc), and then a HDD for most other things (1TB drives are cheap nowadays, WD caviar blue is a good range for that). RAID is nice, but not really necessary in a consumer build unless you really /really/ want to keep your data safe on your computer, and even then something like a NAS for backup would probably be a better solution.

Using a USB drive is fine, but you can also get cheap combo R/RW DVD drives for like $15 now, so its worth considering possibly.

Hopefully some of this helps.

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-16 09:58:26 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-16 09:42:33 pm

2015-09-16 09:13:28 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

Thanks a lot MLSTRM. Like I said it's been a LONG time since I built a computer and everything I know about video cards is 1 card per monitor.

So I could theoretically use all 3 of the DisplayPort 1.2 as video output at the same time and run 3 monitors?

As far as the hard drives go you recommend a SSD for the OS. Are you including games in that category? I remember when SSD drives were first a thing they were big about games because of the fast read access.

EDIT: also if I were looking at SSD drives what form factor do I want? Would a 2.5 inch drive fit in the standard 3.5 inch slot? Sorry for my ignorance.

EDIT 2: I really don't understand SSD drives. Can someone please explain to me why the prices are so different between these two. I can't see any major differences in the specs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=100008120%20600038510%20600038519%20600038506%20600038495%20600038484%20600038478%204814%20600038463&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=636|9SIA2W02DV8165^9SIA2W02DV8165%2C9SIA0AJ11X8243^9SIA0AJ11X8243&percm=9SIA2W02DV8165%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B9SIA0AJ11X8243%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24

Thanks a lot MLSTRM. Like I said it's been a LONG time since I built a computer and everything I know about video cards is 1 card per monitor.

So I could theoretically use all 3 of the DisplayPort 1.2 as video output at the same time and run 3 monitors?

As far as the hard drives go you recommend a SSD for the OS. Are you including games in that category? I remember when SSD drives were first a thing they were big about games because of the fast read access.

EDIT: also if I were looking at SSD drives what form factor do I want? Would a 2.5 inch drive fit in the standard 3.5 inch slot? Sorry for my ignorance.

EDIT 2: I really don't understand SSD drives. Can someone please explain to me why the prices are so different between these two. I can't see any major differences in the specs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=100008120%20600038510%20600038519%20600038506%20600038495%20600038484%20600038478%204814%20600038463&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=636|9SIA2W02DV8165^9SIA2W02DV8165%2C9SIA0AJ11X8243^9SIA0AJ11X8243&percm=9SIA2W02DV8165%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B9SIA0AJ11X8243%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24

RazorDoesGames

2015-09-16 10:29:28 pm

Quote from Youkai:

Thanks a lot MLSTRM. Like I said it's been a LONG time since I built a computer and everything I know about video cards is 1 card per monitor.

So I could theoretically use all 3 of the DisplayPort 1.2 as video output at the same time and run 3 monitors?

Yeah man, you wouldn't have any issues. Unless you're trying to run high end games on all three at the same time lol

I use this card myself in my rig, I highly refer it Smiley

Sir VG

2015-09-16 10:38:58 pm

Fucking Weeaboo

I have the Nvidia GTX 960 4GB and Displayport works a lot like HDMI. In fact, I use Displayport to HDMI cables and run a triple screen via Nvidia's "Surround" setting. If you're worried about cost, this will run around $200 or so and is still pretty beefy. (I run FFXIV at usually 40FPS at maximum quality on my triple screen setup in busy areas and more private areas I can get 50-60FPS).

With that motherboard setup, you'll be able to run that video card (which you want on the PCI-e x16 slot, which will cover the PCI slot next to it, so consider it lost) and a PCI-e based capture card, and that's about it.

One other thing I'd suggest is getting a non-stock CPU heatsink/fan. I recommend Cooler Master stuff. They're a bit of a pain to set up (at least the one I got), but it does a fantastic job. This is what I put in both my computer and my wife's computer. We have 8-core CPUs, which is why we really needed a good cooler. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

And on a final note, I recommend for giggles using the site pcpartpicker.com and putting your build in there. It checks compatibility and does price comparison with various places, like Newegg, Amazon, and other places. I saved a bunch that way, so it may help you out too.

I have the Nvidia GTX 960 4GB and Displayport works a lot like HDMI. In fact, I use Displayport to HDMI cables and run a triple screen via Nvidia's "Surround" setting. If you're worried about cost, this will run around $200 or so and is still pretty beefy. (I run FFXIV at usually 40FPS at maximum quality on my triple screen setup in busy areas and more private areas I can get 50-60FPS).

With that motherboard setup, you'll be able to run that video card (which you want on the PCI-e x16 slot, which will cover the PCI slot next to it, so consider it lost) and a PCI-e based capture card, and that's about it.

One other thing I'd suggest is getting a non-stock CPU heatsink/fan. I recommend Cooler Master stuff. They're a bit of a pain to set up (at least the one I got), but it does a fantastic job. This is what I put in both my computer and my wife's computer. We have 8-core CPUs, which is why we really needed a good cooler. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

And on a final note, I recommend for giggles using the site pcpartpicker.com and putting your build in there. It checks compatibility and does price comparison with various places, like Newegg, Amazon, and other places. I saved a bunch that way, so it may help you out too.

PX_

Edit history:

PX_: 2015-09-17 01:52:36 am

PX_: 2015-09-17 01:50:37 am

2015-09-17 01:48:51 am

twitch.tv/pxmacaiah

Quote from Youkai:

EDIT: also if I were looking at SSD drives what form factor do I want? Would a 2.5 inch drive fit in the standard 3.5 inch slot? Sorry for my ignorance.

EDIT 2: I really don't understand SSD drives. Can someone please explain to me why the prices are so different between these two. I can't see any major differences in the specs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=100008120%20600038510%20600038519%20600038506%20600038495%20600038484%20600038478%204814%20600038463&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=636|9SIA2W02DV8165^9SIA2W02DV8165%2C9SIA0AJ11X8243^9SIA0AJ11X8243&percm=9SIA2W02DV8165%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B9SIA0AJ11X8243%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24

~~SSDs are all 2.5, but most cages are designed to fit both HDDs and SSDs nowadays, and if they don't the SSD should come with something to make it fit in there~~ The case you posted has a combo cage to fit SSDs in, so you're fine

Uhhh, no idea why Kingston is so high. For SSDs, you basically want either Samsung or Intel. They're the most reliable ones to get.

[quote="Youkai"]
EDIT: also if I were looking at SSD drives what form factor do I want? Would a 2.5 inch drive fit in the standard 3.5 inch slot? Sorry for my ignorance.

EDIT 2: I really don't understand SSD drives. Can someone please explain to me why the prices are so different between these two. I can't see any major differences in the specs: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=Property&N=100008120%20600038510%20600038519%20600038506%20600038495%20600038484%20600038478%204814%20600038463&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&CompareItemList=636|9SIA2W02DV8165^9SIA2W02DV8165%2C9SIA0AJ11X8243^9SIA0AJ11X8243&percm=9SIA2W02DV8165%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24%3B9SIA0AJ11X8243%3A%24%24%24%24%24%24%24[/quote]

[s]SSDs are all 2.5, but most cages are designed to fit both HDDs and SSDs nowadays, and if they don't the SSD should come with something to make it fit in there[/s] The case you posted has a combo cage to fit SSDs in, so you're fine

Uhhh, no idea why Kingston is so high. For SSDs, you basically want either Samsung or Intel. They're the most reliable ones to get.

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-17 02:55:12 pm

2015-09-17 02:49:45 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

I used PC part picker to do a build and updated the first link. I realized by doing that that I'm going to need a wireless networking card too. So with that motherboard I can't do the memory card, capture card, and networking card. Correct VG? Does that mean that I need to move up to the next size of motherboard to get them all to fit?

If anybody is so inclined please feel free to make adjustments to the build that will make it better or equivalent but cheaper and provide the new permalink. Thank you.

Sir VG

2015-09-18 12:17:58 am

Fucking Weeaboo

If you wanted to do an internal card, yes, because you only have 2 PCI-e slots on that motherboard (the other two slots are PCI, which is a different type of slot) and would have 3 different components that would require a slot. If you are willing do either do wired or get a USB based adapter, then you could be fine with your current setup.

Sir VG

2015-09-19 05:49:23 am

Fucking Weeaboo

I'm looking over your new ATX layout and here's my thoughts.

Case: I love that case brand. I have the next step up (R5) but I see similar things with the R4 you have listed. The hard drive layout (going left to right instead of front to back) makes it super easy to install the drives. Cable management is fantastic, as there's plenty of places to poke through the cables on 3 sides of the motherboard. The R4 is similar to the R5, which from what I'm seeing there's still the 2 2.5" hard drive slots on the underside of the motherboard plate. If I knew about this brand before I built my computer, I would have used that instead of what I presently have (mine is an NZXT, and hard drive installation was a bit of a pain, due to the front to back layout of the hard drive cages).

Power Supply: 750W seems to me to be a bit of overkill. I've got a 500W handling 4 hard drives, the video card, capture card, and I even have a 8-core processor. I really don't think you need 750W. The site rates your setup at 356W so you can bring down the power supply down to 500W and you'll be fine. (My latest build for my wife's computer, which has 2 standard hard drives and no capture device is 358W).

As for the motherboard/processor, while a quad-core is the minimum I'd put in, given what you have for the amount you're spending, you can go 8-core and actually spend less. I put in a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard with a AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor in my last build. 8-core CPUs are amazing, especially for video encoding.

Here's my last build I did, just to show you most of what I did. There's a few external components not there (wireless adapter, keyboard, mouse, display) but this is all the internals. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JJRw4D

I'm looking over your new ATX layout and here's my thoughts.

Case: I love that case brand. I have the next step up (R5) but I see similar things with the R4 you have listed. The hard drive layout (going left to right instead of front to back) makes it super easy to install the drives. Cable management is fantastic, as there's plenty of places to poke through the cables on 3 sides of the motherboard. The R4 is similar to the R5, which from what I'm seeing there's still the 2 2.5" hard drive slots on the underside of the motherboard plate. If I knew about this brand before I built my computer, I would have used that instead of what I presently have (mine is an NZXT, and hard drive installation was a bit of a pain, due to the front to back layout of the hard drive cages).

Power Supply: 750W seems to me to be a bit of overkill. I've got a 500W handling 4 hard drives, the video card, capture card, and I even have a 8-core processor. I really don't think you need 750W. The site rates your setup at 356W so you can bring down the power supply down to 500W and you'll be fine. (My latest build for my wife's computer, which has 2 standard hard drives and no capture device is 358W).

As for the motherboard/processor, while a quad-core is the minimum I'd put in, given what you have for the amount you're spending, you can go 8-core and actually spend less. I put in a Gigabyte GA-990FXA-UD3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard with a AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor in my last build. 8-core CPUs are amazing, especially for video encoding.

Here's my last build I did, just to show you most of what I did. There's a few external components not there (wireless adapter, keyboard, mouse, display) but this is all the internals. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/JJRw4D

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:32:50 am

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:30:08 am

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:29:02 am

Youkai: 2015-09-19 11:25:01 am

2015-09-19 10:24:34 am

Don't know what to speedrun :(

I did a little research on the R4 v R5 and decided to go with the R5? Thanks for the note on the power supply. I did one calculator that said almost 700 watts. Maybe it was off. I chose the I5 because some reviews said it was really good for the price. But for the price difference I think I'll go with AMD.

Ok I updated the list. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/yyDQHx

Sir VG

2015-09-19 01:21:51 pm

Fucking Weeaboo

Looks like a great build now. The choice between the GTX 960 and 970 is up to you, but I think you'll have a great PC that'll last you for a while.

The hard part of the installation will be the CPU heatsink and fan. It's a bit tricky because it's 4 spring loaded screws balanced in an X formation. Read the directions on that carefully so you get the position correctly for both the bottom brace (which you'll swap out the one on the underside of the motherboard brace and the one included with the cooler. Also, make sure you get the CPU fan going the correct way. I think the included fan is meant to be on the front side (as it blows to the back), but double check the arrows before you put it on. It is removable and you'll be taking it off while you install the heatsink anyways.

One last tip that I can think of right now, which is not hard, but something not explained well with the case manual. When installing the 3.5" drive, you'll need the designated screws and there's a package of bumpers. Put the bumper on the screw first, then screw it into the underside of the hard drive cradle/hard drive. This is really the only badly explained thing and I'm giving you a heads up right now. If you don't put the bumper piece on the screw, the hard drive will side right out.

Also, my personal recommendation is to install the 3.5" hard drive with the connectors to the right (as you face the computer from the front) so that the cables will be tucked underneath the motherboard panel. Or in other words, as you slide the drive cradle in, the connectors are away from you.

Good luck and happy building!

Looks like a great build now. The choice between the GTX 960 and 970 is up to you, but I think you'll have a great PC that'll last you for a while.

The hard part of the installation will be the CPU heatsink and fan. It's a bit tricky because it's 4 spring loaded screws balanced in an X formation.  Read the directions on that carefully so you get the position correctly for both the bottom brace (which you'll swap out the one on the underside of the motherboard brace and the one included with the cooler. Also, make sure you get the CPU fan going the correct way. I think the included fan is meant to be on the front side (as it blows to the back), but double check the arrows before you put it on. It is removable and you'll be taking it off while you install the heatsink anyways.

One last tip that I can think of right now, which is not hard, but something not explained well with the case manual. When installing the 3.5" drive, you'll need the designated screws and there's a package of bumpers. Put the bumper on the screw first, then screw it into the underside of the hard drive cradle/hard drive. This is really the only badly explained thing and I'm giving you a heads up right now. If you don't put the bumper piece on the screw, the hard drive will side right out.

Also, my personal recommendation is to install the 3.5" hard drive with the connectors to the right (as you face the computer from the front) so that the cables will be tucked underneath the motherboard panel. Or in other words, as you slide the drive cradle in, the connectors are away from you.

Good luck and happy building!

PX_

2015-09-19 01:35:25 pm

twitch.tv/pxmacaiah

Advice is to find a friend who knows how to build computers and ask for help doing it.

Youkai

2015-09-19 01:49:19 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

Ok great. Thanks for the help everyone Smiley

Mystery

Edit history:

Mystery: 2015-09-19 02:23:02 pm

2015-09-19 02:20:16 pm

EDIT: Delete me

Mystery

Edit history:

Mystery: 2015-09-19 02:22:48 pm

2015-09-19 02:22:10 pm

I thought I'd add a few things of my own...

AMD's 8 core chips are pretty much the same as Intel's Quad Core chips. Sir VG, you mention 8-core as if it clearly outclasses quad cores, but that's not true unless you look purely at the number of cores from the same manufacturer. AMD's chips are cheaper, but they're really only good at multi-threading. If you've got single-threaded applications (hint: most of your system), then it's going to be much worse than Intel. Unfortunately, even games will suffer because they tend to use 2-4 threads as far as I know, which means performance is still going to suffer versus Intel. It's unfortunately, and I really do hope AMD makes a comeback, but at this point in time, I don't like them.

120 GB for an SSD is very little. If you want to store games on your disk, then consider adding more. The sweetspot for SSDs are around 250 GB. SSDs are better at everything. The only downside is that they're much more expensive per GB.

I'm going to disagree that an after-market cooler is necessary. Maybe if you're overclocking or reduce the noise levels a bit (but the noise from the graphics card is going to pretty high during gaming anyway, so why bother?). I don't know if it will help extend the lifespan of the CPU, though.

If you want to future proof your system, go for a motherboard with SATA Express ports and a lot of PCI Express, if possible. Motherboards are a pain to replace and new tech generally requires a new motherboard, so get one with as much new tech as possible. SSDs that are hitting soon are going to have drastically improved speeds, but will require PCI Express or SATA Express. We'll see how the market goes, but grab those SATA Express ports (Because you DO want fast load times, right? Future drives can increase read speeds by up to 8X compared to current SATA6 interfaces)!

Not sure if you should grab an OEM edition of Windows. They are tied to the system you're building, so for every new system or upgrade, you have to purchase a new copy. Not cool. Buy a retail edition and you can transfer it to new PCs. You only need to buy it ONCE.

EDIT: Erm, why did it post twice?

I thought I'd add a few things of my own...

AMD's 8 core chips are pretty much the same as Intel's Quad Core chips. Sir VG, you mention 8-core as if it clearly outclasses quad cores, but that's not true unless you look purely at the number of cores from the same manufacturer. AMD's chips are cheaper, but they're really only good at multi-threading. If you've got single-threaded applications (hint: most of your system), then it's going to be much worse than Intel. Unfortunately, even games will suffer because they tend to use 2-4 threads as far as I know, which means performance is still going to suffer versus Intel. It's unfortunately, and I really do hope AMD makes a comeback, but at this point in time, I don't like them.

120 GB for an SSD is very little. If you want to store games on your disk, then consider adding more. The sweetspot for SSDs are around 250 GB. SSDs are better at [i]everything[/i]. The only downside is that they're much more expensive per GB.

I'm going to disagree that an after-market cooler is necessary. Maybe if you're overclocking or reduce the noise levels a bit (but the noise from the graphics card is going to pretty high during gaming anyway, so why bother?). I don't know if it will help extend the lifespan of the CPU, though.

If you want to future proof your system, go for a motherboard with SATA Express ports and a lot of PCI Express, if possible. Motherboards are a pain to replace and new tech generally requires a new motherboard, so get one with as much new tech as possible. SSDs that are hitting soon are going to have drastically improved speeds, but will require PCI Express or SATA Express. We'll see how the market goes, but grab those SATA Express ports (Because you DO want fast load times, right? Future drives can increase read speeds by up to 8X compared to current SATA6 interfaces)!

Not sure if you should grab an OEM edition of Windows. They are tied to the system you're building, so for every new system or upgrade, you have to purchase a new copy. Not cool. Buy a retail edition and you can transfer it to new PCs. You only need to buy it ONCE.

EDIT: Erm, why did it post twice?

Youkai

2015-09-19 02:30:50 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

Mystery, I thought I read similar stuff about that and the i5. I don't really plan on doing much video processing but I do plan on streaming while gaming. So I'll have the game running and whatever software/hardware is necessary for the stream. I would assume all of that would work fine on the i5 correct? I'll consider getting a bigger SSD drive.

Do you have a suggestion for the motherboard if I go with the i5? Do you see any reason to get the i7 instead?

Yeah I'll definitely buy a full version of windows. Probably just from best buy but I don't have one already so I put it on the list to help with the cost estimate.

Mystery

Edit history:

Mystery: 2015-09-19 03:41:40 pm

Mystery: 2015-09-19 03:17:37 pm

Mystery: 2015-09-19 02:42:42 pm

Mystery: 2015-09-19 02:41:27 pm

2015-09-19 02:41:06 pm

As for the recording... the (nvidia) graphics card will do that for you! Of course, the CPU will do the actual streaming if you want that. But I'm pretty sure that won't be a bottleneck, so to speak. I assume this would all work on an AMD processor too. Ultimately it's up to you to look up if an Intel processor is worth the extra cost. I'm guessing it may speed up games, but again, check benchmarks to be sure. I've always gone with Intel nowadays.

Not sure of a specific model. I haven't built my own new PC... yet. But perhaps this list might be of help: ~~http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=16384,1048576&N=4,16&y=3&s=24,30,28&h=3,8&a=1,4~~ (reduce the number of SATA Express ports and PCIe slots if you want a cheaper motherboard). The current filtering may be a little extreme.
As for i5 vs i7, I wouldn't suggest an i7. Frankly, they're very expensive and I don't they add much to gaming from what I recall. They may help if you're working with heavy programs like photoshop.

EDIT: Whops. Forgot to ensure they supported DDR3 memory. New link: ~~http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=16384,1048576&N=4,16&y=2,3&s=24,30,28&h=2,8&a=1,4&L=3~~
Since you're going with a Haswell processor (in your original post), you need DDR3 and not DDR4.

EDIT: New list to filter only on socket 1150 (that excludes Skylake). Allows for Broadwell and Haswell.
Link: http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=24576,1048576&N=4,16&y=2,3&s=24&h=2,8&a=1,4&L=3

As for the recording... the (nvidia) graphics card will do that for you! Of course, the CPU will do the actual streaming if you want that. But I'm pretty sure that won't be a bottleneck, so to speak. I assume this would all work on an AMD processor too. Ultimately it's up to you to look up if an Intel processor is worth the extra cost. I'm guessing it may speed up games, but again, check benchmarks to be sure. I've always gone with Intel nowadays.

Not sure of a specific model. I haven't built my own new PC... yet. But perhaps this list might be of help: [s]http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=16384,1048576&N=4,16&y=3&s=24,30,28&h=3,8&a=1,4[/s] (reduce the number of SATA Express ports and PCIe slots if you want a cheaper motherboard). The current filtering may be a little extreme.
As for i5 vs i7, I wouldn't suggest an i7. Frankly, they're very expensive and I don't they add much to gaming from what I recall. They may help if you're working with heavy programs like photoshop.

EDIT: Whops. Forgot to ensure they supported DDR3 memory. New link:[s] http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=16384,1048576&N=4,16&y=2,3&s=24,30,28&h=2,8&a=1,4&L=3[/s]
Since you're going with a Haswell processor (in your original post), you need DDR3 and not DDR4.

EDIT: New list to filter only on socket 1150 (that excludes Skylake). Allows for Broadwell and Haswell.
Link: http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/motherboard/#T=24576,1048576&N=4,16&y=2,3&s=24&h=2,8&a=1,4&L=3

Youkai

2015-09-19 03:31:50 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

All i5 are Halswell right? What would be a processor that supports DDR4? I'm not sure that's necessary since I don't think I'll notice any difference under normal usage.

Mystery

2015-09-19 03:36:58 pm

No, you have two dimensions:
First the generation: 1st generation up to 4th generation (haswell), up to the 6th generation (skylake). This simply means when the processor was designed. Intel improves its processors continually. Each generation adds ~10-20% more performance over the last.
Then you have the model: each processor comes in three models: i3, i5 and i7. The higher the number, the higher the performance and the higher the cost. i5 is the middle ground and is good most things.
The latest generation (skylake) supports DDR4. I know at least generation 4 (haswell) supports only DDR3. DDR3 is much cheaper than DDR4.

I don't think you'll notice a difference between going for Skylake and DDR4 over, say, Haswell and DDR3. But if unsure, check benchmarks.

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-19 03:58:59 pm

Youkai: 2015-09-19 03:53:26 pm

2015-09-19 03:51:46 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

Do you see any reason to go with the Samsung 840 pro instead of the evo? I guess the pro has slightly better read/write but I imagine for half the price I won't notice the difference.

My current motherboard has: 2x PCI x16; 2x PCI x4; and 2x PCIx1. The motherboards from your filters are almost 3x the cost. I don't think I can justify the cost of the i5 and more expensive motherboard considering I probably won't be able to tell the difference.

So here is the current bulid. I added the bigger SSD per Mystery's recommendation. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/FG62sY

EDIT: Oh. hmm does my motherboard have no SATA express ports? That might be an issue.

Mystery

2015-09-19 03:58:41 pm

Pro isn't worth it IMO.
Also apparently there's no love for AMD boards since there are no SATA Express motherboards for AMD (at least on PC Parts Picker). That's a shame.
Also, you know, you could scale back on number of PCI Express and/or SATA express (but I'd go with at least two) to lower the cost.

Youkai

2015-09-19 03:59:56 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

Yeah I just realized that. I may have to go with Intel after all even though it's more expensive. Arg.

Mystery

2015-09-19 04:01:37 pm

Good thing is that you can probably reuse the processor for future builds, at least. I hope, at least.

Youkai

Edit history:

Youkai: 2015-09-19 04:13:28 pm

2015-09-19 04:10:42 pm

Don't know what to speedrun :(

I keep going back and forth. I think this is good then :/ From what I read previously I think the i5 will slightly out preform the AMD for what I'll be using it for and the motherboard has 2 SATA Express ports so that will be good for my SSD.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/bvFCRB

EDIT: Oh and the motherboard has onboard wifi so I don't need the adapter.

Mystery

2015-09-19 04:16:03 pm

Whoa, that is an expensive motherboard. I don't think you quite need to spend that much on it.