Rekenq's first build!

[Rekenq]

Hi everybody! I'm Rekenq and I'm starting my first build ever. I've always been a PC gamer but never had a desktop gaming PC (Only laptops). However I got my first job just a year ago and I've been wanting to move away from my Asus gaming laptop, a G750JX that has been with me for almost 5 years. It is great but it's not up to my gaming needs and workload anymore D: and I've always wanted to build a PC myself, but the one thing that actually pushed me into actually doing this was that I was able to get my hands on a beautiful I7-8700K for half the retail price ^o^. A friend of a friend that works at Intel offered to get one for me and I just couldn't say no, so here I am.

Since I am a newbie at this, gathering all the input possible seems like the best idea, so please feel free to critique everything I post here! I want to learn as much as possible >

Without further ado here's the part list:

Case: NZXT - S340
CPU: I7-8700K
Cooling: CM - MasterLiquid Lite 240mm Corsair - H115i 280mm (AIO)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-P
RAM: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-24003200 (Thanks to EarthDog for the suggestion!)
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB SSD & Seagate - Barracuda 2TB HDD
Graphics: Asus - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB Zotac - GTX 1070 Ti
PSU: Corsair - CXM 750W 80+ Bronze EVGA - SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold

Link to the list in PCPartPicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Rekenq/saved/NN8nnQ

Now, I must say that the only stuff that I already got from the list are the CPU, the SSD and the case. Everything else is tentative (I'm still on the grind to get them), so any ideas or suggestions are welcome. PCPartPicker says there are no compatibility issues in the list but I've read that it is not infallible so if anybody sees an issue with this build please tell me!

My plans for this PC is to use it for gaming and as a workstation. I'm a game programmer so I usually work with CPU/RAM intensive software like game engines, modeling software, etc.

I do not have a fixed budget for this but I'm hopping the cost doesn't go too much above $1,000. I picked every part here because reviews say they're the best bang for the buck. I'm not looking for anything fancy or stylish just sheer performance (except maybe for the case, I could've gotten something cheaper but I just loved the way it looked and it was on Blaylock's thread of recommended cases )

How far do you think I could take the I7 in this build in terms of OC?
My goal is to eventually get to a stable 5ghz, but maybe I'll need a cooling upgrade for that?

I'll be posting pictures of the parts as I get them and when the day comes I'll post pictures of the building process as well. I'm eager to share the journey with you guys !

Thank you for your time, have a nice day!

 

[blazenarrow]

Hi everybody! I'm Rekenq and I'm starting my first build ever. I've always been a PC gamer but never had a desktop gaming PC (Only laptops). However I got my first job just a year ago and I've been wanting to move away from my Asus gaming laptop, a G750JX that has been with me for almost 5 years. It is great but it's not up to my gaming needs and workload anymore D: and I've always wanted to build a PC myself, but the one thing that actually pushed me into actually doing this was that I was able to get my hands on a beautiful I7-8700K for half the retail price ^o^. A friend of a friend that works at Intel offered to get one for me and I just couldn't say no, so here I am.

Since I am a newbie at this, gathering all the input possible seems like the best idea, so please feel free to critique everything I post here! I want to learn as much as possible >

Without further ado here's the part list:

Case: NZXT - S340
CPU: I7-8700K
Cooling: CM - MasterLiquid Lite 240mm (AIO)
Motherboard: Asus - Prime Z370-P
RAM: Corsair - Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400
Storage: Kingston - A400 120GB SSD & Seagate - Barracuda 2TB HDD
Graphics: Asus - GeForce GTX 1060 6GB
PSU: Corsair - CXM 750W 80+ Bronze

Link to the list in PCPartPicker: https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Rekenq/saved/NN8nnQ

Now, I must say that the only stuff that I already got from the list are the CPU, the SSD and the case. Everything else is tentative (I'm still on the grind to get them), so any ideas or suggestions are welcome. PCPartPicker says there are no compatibility issues in the list but I've read that it is not infallible so if anybody sees an issue with this build please tell me!

My plans for this PC is to use it for gaming and as a workstation. I'm a game programmer so I usually work with CPU/RAM intensive software like game engines, modeling software, etc.

I do not have a fixed budget for this but I'm hopping the cost doesn't go too much above $1,000. I picked every part here because reviews say they're the best bang for the buck. I'm not looking for anything fancy or stylish just sheer performance (except maybe for the case, I could've gotten something cheaper but I just loved the way it looked and it was on Blaylock's thread of recommended cases )

How far do you think I could take the I7 in this build in terms of OC?
My goal is to eventually get to a stable 5ghz, but maybe I'll need a cooling upgrade for that?

I'll be posting pictures of the parts as I get them and when the day comes I'll post pictures of the building process as well. I'm eager to share the journey with you guys !

Thank you for your time, have a nice day!

Congrats on the CPU deal!

Nothing seams incompatible on your list. A few recommendations, first I just got that CPU, and I don't think you need the water cooler, and I wouldn't buy one unless you can get the ultra high-end ones. A Noctua NH-U12S will get you a 5 ghz OC, if your chip will make it, and still be plenty cool and possible quieter than your liquid cooler.

Second, I would MAKE sure to get a PSU that's on the 'recommended PUS' list here on the forums. I think the PSU is something people underestimate in terms of performance.

 

[Rekenq]

Ahh I see. I don't know why I just assumed air cooling wasn't gonna give me that much OC so I went straight to AIO coolers. I'll be sure to take a look at that Noctua fan. And you are right about the PSU, I didn't pay a lot of attention to it when picking it >_< My inexperience shines through.

Thanks for the input!

 

[EarthDog]

Id stick to water if 5 ghz is your goal. Many will make it on air, many will not. It depends on the sample and if you want to delid (good air would be ok in most cases then). Ive got an average or slightly better 8700k and running under a corsair h115i, it tops out at 5.1 ghz.

Two things i would change....

1. The gpu. 1060 is ok for now, not great, for 1080p gaming. Out of the gate it wont run some titles in ultra with AA. 1070 or greater... youll thank me later.
2. Id up the RAM speed to 3200 mhz if the price difference isnt too big.

 

[trents]

I just deployed the Cooler Master Liquid Lite 240 you put on your list to cool my overclocked 7700k. I must say, though it meets my needs and gives me acceptable temps I am not that impressed with it. I expected it to do better. But with rebate it was less than $50. I also have the fans in pull position instead of push in order to take advantage of my case's built in dust filter so that may be contributing to a loss in efficiency.

 

[blazenarrow]

Id stick to water if 5 ghz is your goal. Many will make it on air, many will not. It depends on the sample and if you want to delid (good air would be ok in most cases then). Ive got an average or slightly better 8700k and running under a corsair h115i, it tops out at 5.1 ghz.

Two things i would change....

1. The gpu. 1060 is ok for now, not great, for 1080p gaming. Out of the gate it wont run some titles in ultra with AA. 1070 or greater... youll thank me later.
2. Id up the RAM speed to 3200 mhz if the price difference isnt too big.

Why the faster ram? Does it make a big difference?

 

[EarthDog]

In most cases, no. Some, yes. But typically the price difference between 2400 amd 3200 isnt much. But if it means NOT going 1070... id get the 1070 hands down.

 

[blazenarrow]

In most cases, no. Some, yes. But typically the price difference between 2400 amd 3200 isnt much. But if it means NOT going 1070... id get the 1070 hands down.

That makes sense, especially if someone is only getting 16 gb. Since I needed 64 GB, I really had to look for the cheapest. I was able to find 2 sets of 2x16 for $322 each, at 2666mhz. Actually, that's one reason I went with the intel over ryzen, because to get at least 3200mhz ram 64gb would be quite a bit more than the 2600 I got.

 

[Rekenq]

Id stick to water if 5 ghz is your goal. Many will make it on air, many will not. It depends on the sample and if you want to delid (good air would be ok in most cases then). Ive got an average or slightly better 8700k and running under a corsair h115i, it tops out at 5.1 ghz.

Two things i would change....

1. The gpu. 1060 is ok for now, not great, for 1080p gaming. Out of the gate it wont run some titles in ultra with AA. 1070 or greater... youll thank me later.
2. Id up the RAM speed to 3200 mhz if the price difference isnt too big.

Going up to 3200 RAM is a great idea, just like you said the price difference isn't that much. If I can find a good sale it'd probably cost me almost the same as the 2400. I'll go for it.
About the 1070, that is basically a $200 difference from a 1060 D: With that being said, I do want a high end gaming experience and upgrading the video card later seems like a waste. Maybe I'll delay this a bit so I can save up for a 1070.

I just deployed the Cooler Master Liquid Lite 240 you put on your list to cool my overclocked 7700k. I must say, though it meets my needs and gives me acceptable temps I am not that impressed with it. I expected it to do better. But with rebate it was less than $50. I also have the fans in pull position instead of push in order to take advantage of my case's built in dust filter so that may be contributing to a loss in efficiency.

As for the cooling, I guess I'll have to take a look at it again. I want to be on the safe side so water it is.

Any suggestions for a good AIO cooler that isn't too pricey? (I don't feel confident enough to try a custom water cooling rig)

 

[Rekenq]

Update: RAM and case are here!!

The case is actually black. For some reason the box only has pictures of the white version >.<

 

[trents]

Did you specifically order the white version? You have to pay close attention when you are placing an online order because something may come in various colors and you have to click on the right button on the order page. Where are you ordering these things from?

 

[maxfly]

trents is right the pic usually matches whats in the box. white looks cool tho does the case come with the aio or is it just the pic (bit of irony)?
for aio id go with corsair, evga, nzxt or a noctua aircooled heatsink. the reason i didnt list anything specific aio wise is we need your budget.

 

[Blaylock]

Subbing to see how this turns out. Great choice in components, especially the changes made via suggestions.

 

[Rekenq]

Did you specifically order the white version? You have to pay close attention when you are placing an online order because something may come in various colors and you have to click on the right button on the order page. Where are you ordering these things from?

Nope, I ordered the black version, the box just happens to have pictures of the white version for some reason, but I've already checked and it does have the black version I ordered inside. The box also has a label on top that mentions the correct version, so no worries.

trents is right the pic usually matches whats in the box. white looks cool tho does the case come with the aio or is it just the pic (bit of irony)?
for aio id go with corsair, evga, nzxt or a noctua aircooled heatsink. the reason i didnt list anything specific aio wise is we need your budget.

For aio I was thinking a maximum of $70, but I'm open to ideas

 

[maxfly]

well your probably looking at something like this in that price range
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16835103234
this one isnt too bad
https://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Liquid-...8&qid=1528136678&sr=1-1&keywords=EVGA+CLC+240
altho if you arent in a hurry you may find something better on sale. most of the higher end models are $100+ and up
https://www.amazon.com/Corsair-CW-9060025-WW-Radiator-Advanced-Lighting/dp/B019EXSSBG?th=1

the evga is the same price pretty much everywhere. there are reviews for all of them all over.

 

[trents]

I'm sure I'll get some disagreement with this idea but one "cooling strategy" to consider is delidding the CPU. Doing so will cause it to run 10c to almost 20c cooler under load. The reason I mention this is because it reduces the need for expensive and noisy cooking solutions. With the neat little tools now available for delidding and with the uncluttered CPU PCB designs seen in recent Intel processors, delidding is quite safe and easily accomplished by even the first timer. But you need to reckon with the fact that it would void your warranty if you ever need to RMA the CPU. IMO however, there is rarely a need to do that. I routinely delid my Intel K CPUs these days, not because it necessarily gives me a higher overclock but for the reduction in cooling expense and noise that accrues from it.

 

[maxfly]

not sure if you can fit a 280mm but the https://www.corsair.com/us/en/Categ...d-CPU-Cooler-(Refurbished)/p/CW-9060027-WW/RF
is refurbished and a really good price. no idea what it carries for a warranty tho.

 

[Rekenq]

Hey everybody, sorry for the long absence. I have some updates tho ! Ultimately I followed EarthDog's and maxfly's suggestions. I went for a 1070 instead of a 1060 and I got the Corsair H115i cooler instead of the one I picked originally.



Now I just need the motherboard and PSU and I'm good to go

 

[Vishera]

Awesome choices! I would've gone eight cores if you're doing programming, either Ryzen or Skylake-X, but the 8700k should do you fine. We need those sweet pics once everything's put together!

 

[Rekenq]

Awesome choices! I would've gone eight cores if you're doing programming, either Ryzen or Skylake-X, but the 8700k should do you fine. We need those sweet pics once everything's put together!

You bet I'll post those pics I'll also take some of the building process