Need some input for a friends first pc.

[Suppressor1137]

My friend just informed me of wanting to build a gaming pc for the first time. This is the case he chose(All on his own! I'm proud of him!)

https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811854042

Is there any difference between this case and the acryllic window version other than the window material? Is everything else the same?

I don't think he cares if its acryllic or Tempered glass. I'm trying to shave off some cash to fit under his 2k budget. He has said he has a little bit of wiggle room.

His budget is $2000; He eventually wants to get into 4k gaming.

Here is the list I put together:

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/kn27Fd

Primary purpose for system is gaming, and eventual 4k.

I'm aware the 1080ti is overkill for the temporary monitor, But since he expressed interest in 4k, I immediately went to it. And I'm guessing the first place to shave off is the I7.

He will be using the wireless on the strixx, He has no wires run in his house atm. He already has a mouse, And he needs a Windows 10 key too. I'l ask him tomorrow if he has a Win 7 or 8.1 key.

Updated list. Shaved off a lot by going with a FE 1080 ti

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nWPnhq

 

[Alaric]

The rig in my sig hit just under the $2k mark (by$8). 4k gaming is tough. The 1080Ti will do it, but a Titan X does it better. I'm wondering if waiting for Volta/Vega wouldn't be a better option and just go with a 8 GB RX 480 for now.

 

[Suppressor1137]

I'll run it by him tomorrow.

 

[Suppressor1137]

any major benefits for the luxe over the one he chose? that's a big bump up in the budget lol

 

[Alaric]

Oh, I was just offering a comparison, not necessarily a recommendation. LOL My case and GPU were chosen with color in mind as a major factor, certainly not a budget factor. I also have an extra SSD he won't need (dual boot) and the red fans on the AIO were a plus. It was going to be a red and white build, but when I turn on the red lighting the red lettering on the mobo wahes out along with the red on the pump, so I went with blue. I spent money I didn't have to for sure. A $2k 1080Ti build should be an attainable goal, I was just thinking that for 4k there might be better options coming. Vega should be out next month.

 

[Suppressor1137]

Okay, I'll let him know that info As well, thanks for the heads up

I'll stick with the tempered glass variant, it's what he picked. how fragile would you say the panel is?

 

[Alaric]

You probably shouldn't hit it with anything you wouldn't hit the rest of the case with. I think the biggest advantage is it won't scratch like the plastic will, so it should look good longer. Dry wiping dust off the plexiglass can scratch it.

 

[knoober]

I can't really speak directly for a smaller panel but in my younger years before I knew better I tried trimming a tempered glass shower panel to fit a decorative windows and found it to be VERY durable (I gave it some pretty good kicks/whacks). Tempered glass is not only shatter resistant but tough. On the other side of the coin, if you do break it, it is designed to shatter into small pieces that will hopefully not be sharp enough to cut a person.

 

[Suppressor1137]

So, an update that I forgot to pass on.

He was literally blown away; thanked me up and down on the GTX 1080 ti being fit into the budget. I showed him the varients you suggested, but he seemed starstruck with the first one

I told him to get a cheap 1080P monitor until budget permitting a 4k monitor, and he was okay with that. Hes going from a 5 yr old laptop to a near top of the line setup haha.

I also said to save some budget for games, cause If you got this system with nothing to use it on...Well...

Finally, He hasn't bought it yet, so I will remind him about vega and volta, because I agree, for 4k, it would be wise to go for the newest generation.

 

[Kenrou]

Why not go Ryzen and trade the 1080ti for the Titan Alaric suggested with the $$$ you will save ? if the aim is 4K a Ryzen 1600/1700 will do it just as well if not better then the 7700k

 

[Suppressor1137]

When i talked to him about the pc, I actually recommended going ryzen first; His response was, "Yeah, I know, but I don't want to go amd. I like Intel."

Was pretty clear cut his position on AMD

Either way, I think his pc will be more than capable, and then when the 1080 ti becomes obsolete, to upgrade to whatever is the best card is at the time.

 

[rayraysfunhouse]

1080ti probably won't be obsolete for quite a while. My 980ti still runs games great. But I don't game on 4k either.

 

[Suppressor1137]

1080ti probably won't be obsolete for quite a while. My 980ti still runs games great. But I don't game on 4k either.

Considering I ran my gtx 770 from 2013 to 2017 without issue(could have kept it longer, but I wanted to keep settings at max ) I'd say a GTX 1080 ti will have a really healty life.

 

[rayraysfunhouse]

Yea I usually try to stay within a generation or two. I'm already planning a new build for me and letting my wife take over my current gaming pc.

 

[lawrenerc]

To be honest, if your friend is a beginner to pc building. I would recommend you shave some cost by going with a H270 motherboard and a non k 7700, unless he wants to go with an sli setup or want to overclock in the near future. A wifi dongle will be just fine for a much lower cost. The cost savings can then help him get a nice monitor. I know you mentioned his interest in 4k gaming, but in my experience I would rather find a 144hz 1080p monitor than a 4k Uhd . The difference of smoothness going from a 60 hz to 144hz is just so much smoother and easy on the eyes. After 1440p, higher resolutions seem to be a diminishing return for monitors less than 32''.

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry for double posting, but I would also add that going with a good monitor is very crucial. The monitor is most likely the component that will give you the longest utilization across multiple builds in the future. Whereas graphics cards and cpus fizzle out very quickly when more demanding applications appear. A good monitor can last you for a long time. In essence, don't try to save on your PSU and monitor.

 

[Suppressor1137]

Didn't compromise on the PSU. EVGA G3 is the top psu to go for his level of power needs without the extravagant cost of Platinum/Titanium rated psus, Which are only useful for servers, Mining rigs, and other 24/7 pc load operations.

While I agree on the monitor, He actually might go beyond his budget and nab a 4k monitor immediately. He mentioned something of the sort a few days ago.