[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Without knowing what form factor (size) you are interested in as well as whether you need wifi or will solely be using ethernet, doing a rudimentary filter brought up the following non-overclockable but still M.2 + other featured-boards that would save you coin but perform admirably with the right CPU and GPU.


If you want to overclock, look at these mobo options


I am of course assuming you go Intel but there are fine X370 mobos out there for Ryzen R5 series chips as well. Just do a similar search if you prefer Team Red.


But yeah, for an intel CPU I would go with i5-7500 if you're not overclocking and i5-7600k if you are going to (and then get a water cooler like the Kraken).

You really only need 16 gigs of RAM so just get a quality brand with low timings. Corsair, Mushkin, Geil, etc. Just pick with suits your visual needs.

For drives, I would recommend the largest NVMe you can afford, but only a good model that meets the throughput specs of NVMe, like Samsung or Toshiba. Do your research here because some new NVMe M.2 drives don't perform any better than their SATA counterparts (but still cost more).

For a second drive if you want more capacity, get yourself a 1 or 2 TB SATA SSD. It's expensive but it's going to be the second most influential part for perceived performance.

And get whatever 1080 Ti brand you like. They're all the same thing, really. Just don't get a founder's edition card bc they're noisy - go with an aftermarket board.

Power supply, again pick a reputable brand but go with a high wattage that places you at around 50% power draw per the rating (so if your system is going to draw 400 watts at full tilt, get an 800 watt power supply). Most mid to high end PS's these days will run on silent if you keep them in the 50% power draw range, while also being more efficient while they're at it.

Case is obviously a personal choice so I won't advise anything there. Just remember to choose your case FIRST because that dictates form factor for the motherboard, which constrains features, etc etc.

GOod luck

Thanks for the tips

One thing with the ram, for the Z270 boards anyhow, is you want to go with 4x4GB. good ol' toms hardware has a great write up on that.

[ashmostro]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Thanks for the tips

One thing with the ram, for the Z270 boards anyhow, is you want to go with 4x4GB. good ol' toms hardware has a great write up on that.

yeah generally you want to fill up the DIMM slots if you can. that's a good point. Since I have a mini-ITX board I wasn't thinking about 4 DIMMS

[R3dliner]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

The size of those CPUs make me giggle.

i7 or nothing LOL.
granted i can get away with a i5 but to me its a lot cheaper than M parts

[ashmostro]

Originally Posted by R3dliner

i7 or nothing LOL.
granted i can get away with a i5 but to me its a lot cheaper than M parts

Word. It was reaaally hard for me not to rip out my 6700k and get a 7700k for no other reason than I am an idiot. Somehow I held myself back. Oh yeah, it's because I needed car parts.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Word. It was reaaally hard for me not to rip out my 6700k and get a 7700k for no other reason than I am an idiot. Somehow I held myself back. Oh yeah, it's because I needed car parts.

[Nihilation]

After years of Quake and Action Quake 2 as a teenager I got around to building a PC last summer for DOOM and Battlefield 1. Current specs are below.

Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD (dated but cheap)
Processor: Intel i7-6700k (overkill for the mobo, I know)
CPU Fan: Frio Silent 12
Memory: Crucial Ballistic 16GB kit (2x8)
PSU: EVGA 500W (cheap and it works)
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 1070 G1 Gaming
Network: TP Link Archer T8E
Storage: Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD
Case: Roswell Galaxy-02 Mid Tower
Display: LG 27" 4K IPS 27UD68

I LOVE the LG 27" 4k IPS display.

The original build had an i3-6100 CPU and a R9 270x.

I upgraded the GPU first which made a massive improvement in gaming FPS and quality. The 270x would play the latest DOOM at 1080p and medium to graphics quality but I have this sick 4k display and wanted to take full advantage. With the GTX 1070 I run Doom at 4k with Ultra settings and it's brilliant.

Swapping to the i7 has an enormous impact on my video editing. The i3 would struggle to render 4k video. Exporting video with layered 1080p videos would take forever. The i7 must have sped things up by 4x and no more stuttering with 4k files.

If you guys want to play BF1, I'm JoshTaylorUSA on Origin.

[theriz]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Word. I heart my 960 M.2!

+1 its wicked fast

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Nihilation

After years of Quake and Action Quake 2 as a teenager I got around to building a PC last summer for DOOM and Battlefield 1. Current specs are below.

Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD (dated but cheap)
Processor: Intel i7-6700k (overkill for the mobo, I know)
CPU Fan: Frio Silent 12
Memory: Crucial Ballistic 16GB kit (2x8)
PSU: EVGA 500W (cheap and it works)
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 1070 G1 Gaming
Network: TP Link Archer T8E
Storage: Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD
Case: Roswell Galaxy-02 Mid Tower
Display: LG 27" 4K IPS 27UD68

I LOVE the LG 27" 4k IPS display.

The original build had an i3-6100 CPU and a R9 270x.

I upgraded the GPU first which made a massive improvement in gaming FPS and quality. The 270x would play the latest DOOM at 1080p and medium to graphics quality but I have this sick 4k display and wanted to take full advantage. With the GTX 1070 I run Doom at 4k with Ultra settings and it's brilliant.

Swapping to the i7 has an enormous impact on my video editing. The i3 would struggle to render 4k video. Exporting video with layered 1080p videos would take forever. The i7 must have sped things up by 4x and no more stuttering with 4k files.

If you guys want to play BF1, I'm JoshTaylorUSA on Origin.

Are you on the beta for Quake Champions? I can't wait until it is released!

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Are you on the beta for Quake Champions? I can't wait until it is released!

Oh yea I just got my beta code! And it opens at 10:00 tomorrow morning!

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Oh yea I just got my beta code! And it opens at 10:00 tomorrow morning!

Download @ 85%! Who is going to join me tomorrow morning???

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Download @ 85%! Who is going to join me tomorrow morning???

Quake Champions is legit. Sooooo fast! I'm shocked my gtx 670 can play at high/medium settings @ 3440x1440. Maybe i can majorly reconsider my build since this will be the only game ill most likely be playing for the next couple of years.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Quake Champions is legit. Sooooo fast! I'm shocked my gtx 670 can play at high/medium settings @ 3440x1440. Maybe i can majorly reconsider my build since this will be the only game ill most likely be playing for the next couple of years.

Whelp it looks like I'm taking to myself here but I'll share my final build anyhow lol

On a quick side note I am LOVING QC. PM me if you need a key to get into the beta. I have six as of right now.

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Xtabi/saved/Fz2wP6

I went with the Zotac based on multiple trusted reviews vs its peers. I have always went with EVGA in the past. The almost three slot cooling solution really sets it apart. Build quality and materials are top notch too.

If anyone is still reading this thread I'm open to feedback on the build before I start buying the parts within a week or so.

[ashmostro]

I think that's a great build! I have a few of those components so I can opine on them...

The Kraken X62 is a beautifully designed AIO cooler and the infinity mirror thing is purdy. Cooling is also great. My only complaint is CAM SUCKS. In case you are unfamiliar, CAM is the software that you use to control the features (lighting, pump and fan speed) of the device. It's buggy, inconsistent, and not intuitive to use. It won't break your rig or anything, but it can be annoying so be aware of that. If you must have the pretty lights (I did) then go forth. If all you're looking for is really good AIO cooling there are other simpler and cheaper choices from Corsair and EVGA I would recommend you consider.

I've already said the Samsung 960 EVO is awesome. The pro is that much better! That's a good price too, wow.

I also have the same power supply - great unit, super quiet and efficient. If you want the fans to not spin even when gaming, you may want to consider the 1000W but even with the fans spinning, this PS is pretty quiet.

ZOTAC is a great manufacturer. For your needs I think that's a good call, as would be MSI or Aorus. Pick whichever one has the design you like the most. To me, thermals and noise are the most important since all Ti cards will perform pretty much the same in real life.

[ashmostro]

Oh, the other thing you may want to consider if you are going for a silent build is the evga hybrid watercooled 1080 Ti. With that case you probably have the room to mount both coolers. it's not a sexy card by any means, but it will run cooler and quieter than any solely air cooled variety.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Oh, the other thing you may want to consider if you are going for a silent build is the evga hybrid watercooled 1080 Ti. With that case you probably have the room to mount both coolers. it's not a sexy card by any means, but it will run cooler and quieter than any solely air cooled variety.

Thank you for taking the time to give the feedback in both posts! Greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to get to Micro Center this weekend to pick up the proc and mobo. I can't stand playing this Quake Champions demo on my 670 any longer! Tooooo slooooow.

[Z K]

Originally Posted by Nihilation

After years of Quake and Action Quake 2 as a teenager I got around to building a PC last summer for DOOM and Battlefield 1. Current specs are below.

Motherboard: MSI B150M Pro-VD (dated but cheap)
Processor: Intel i7-6700k (overkill for the mobo, I know)
CPU Fan: Frio Silent 12
Memory: Crucial Ballistic 16GB kit (2x8)
PSU: EVGA 500W (cheap and it works)
GPU: Gigabyte Nvidia GTX 1070 G1 Gaming
Network: TP Link Archer T8E
Storage: Samsung 850 Evo 1TB SSD
Case: Roswell Galaxy-02 Mid Tower
Display: LG 27" 4K IPS 27UD68

I LOVE the LG 27" 4k IPS display.

The original build had an i3-6100 CPU and a R9 270x.

I upgraded the GPU first which made a massive improvement in gaming FPS and quality. The 270x would play the latest DOOM at 1080p and medium to graphics quality but I have this sick 4k display and wanted to take full advantage. With the GTX 1070 I run Doom at 4k with Ultra settings and it's brilliant.

Swapping to the i7 has an enormous impact on my video editing. The i3 would struggle to render 4k video. Exporting video with layered 1080p videos would take forever. The i7 must have sped things up by 4x and no more stuttering with 4k files.

If you guys want to play BF1, I'm JoshTaylorUSA on Origin.

I have the same LG display. Love it! I don't think I can go back to 1080p after 4K. Everything is so detailed. I got it on sale for Black Friday.

I have a 6600k that I overclocked to 4.5ghz on air. With a GTX 1060, I can't play games in 4k unless its really old. I usually settle for 1440p which is still much better than 1080p. 1080p looks terrible on a 4K monitor for some reason.

[ToddinTN]

Originally Posted by ashmostro

Oh, the other thing you may want to consider if you are going for a silent build is the evga hybrid watercooled 1080 Ti. With that case you probably have the room to mount both coolers. it's not a sexy card by any means, but it will run cooler and quieter than any solely air cooled variety.

Agreed on this card recommendation, I have it in my latest build and it's fantastic and silent to boot...

[ashmostro]

Originally Posted by ToddinTN

Agreed on this card recommendation, I have it in my latest build and it's fantastic and silent to boot...

Would love to see detailed installed pics! I am considering one for my Manta.

Thanks!

[1MOREMOD]

Originally Posted by UncleWede

How can u all be playing games when there is Bimmerpost trolling to be done??

Last PC game I played was Doom. Loaded from those newfangled 3.5 floppy discs

Does minesweeper or solitaire count? What kind of rig should I build to get most out of those.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by 1MOREMOD

Does minesweeper or solitaire count? What kind of rig should I build to get most out of those.

:

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

Thank you for taking the time to give the feedback in both posts! Greatly appreciated! I'm hoping to get to Micro Center this weekend to pick up the proc and mobo. I can't stand playing this Quake Champions demo on my 670 any longer! Tooooo slooooow.

I need your help one final time!

I picked up most of my parts this evening from Micro Center. Ordered the CPU cooler and vid card from Amazon (will both be here Wednesday).

I discovered the gamersnexus.com site. Those guys are awesome in their objective detail!

Because of that I switched some components around. Current list and what I have purchased:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Xtabi/saved/Fz2wP6

The only thing I am not solid on is the case. I am now avoiding the nzxt s340 elite due to thermal issues discussed on that site. And also due to the placement of the case in my desk.

I brought home that corsair case listed on my build w/o doing any research on it. I'll need to check GM.com for that. Any ~$100 or so cases you guys recommend??? I like the smaller form factor and minimalist designs.

[Xtabi]

Originally Posted by Xtabi

I need your help one final time!

I picked up most of my parts this evening from Micro Center. Ordered the CPU cooler and vid card from Amazon (will both be here Wednesday).

I discovered the gamersnexus.com site. Those guys are awesome in their objective detail!

Because of that I switched some components around. Current list and what I have purchased:

https://pcpartpicker.com/user/Xtabi/saved/Fz2wP6

The only thing I am not solid on is the case. I am now avoiding the nzxt s340 elite due to thermal issues discussed on that site. And also due to the placement of the case in my desk.

I brought home that corsair case listed on my build w/o doing any research on it. I'll need to check GM.com for that. Any ~$100 or so cases you guys recommend??? I like the smaller form factor and minimalist designs.

I think I may go with this one...

Phanteks Enthoo EVOLV ATX Mid Tower Chassis