[DIY] $1500 Gaming PC Build. Need Help

[Olivarius]

Hi,

I am looking to build a gaming PC with options to future proof. My budget is set at $1500 (able to go over if really needed)

Games that I would like to play at 120fps(or higher) would be:

1) PUBG
2) Fortnite
3) Dead by Daylight
4) CSGO
5) Fallout 4
6) GTA 5
- And other future releases that are graphic intensive.

Also, I would like to livestream the games that I play. So the build has to be able to livestream and game at 120fps smoothly.

Some other functions that I need would be:

a) Able to have bluebooth. As I would like to connect to my JBL bluetooth speaker.

b) A chassis that is able to have its panels removed so that it is easy to remove any dust. My current 'Headway X810 Black Mid Tower' chassis' front panel cannot be removed. So when I need to remove the dust from the front part of the chassis, I am not able to do so.

c) I would like to have 12gb of RAM or more (Not sure if 12gb is possible. See questions below)

d) Dual monitors would be nice. To be able to game on one monitor and watch a livestream(video) on the other. Currently I have a 'Viewsonic 22" LED VX2270SMH' monitor. And the refresh rate is 60hz if I remember correctly. So that will definitely be the secondary monitor as I would like to game at 120fps. The primary monitor should be 120hz? Or is there an even higher refresh rate for a monitor?


Some questions that I have are:

1) Is it possible to get 12gb in a rig? Or is it only 8gb then a jump to 16gb?

2) In my current rig, with a 'Headway X810 Black Mid Tower' chassis, about half of the time when I turn my PC on, there is this very noisy and loud fan spinning. I'm not sure if it's the chassis fan or one of the other hardware. Could someone advise me on this?

3) Currently I have a 'Western Digital Blue 1TB'. I bought it in January 2014 and have been using it since. Is it possible to bring it over to be used in the new rig? Or better to just buy a new HDD? (And how much space does an average gamer need for his HDD? Is 2TB enough?)


Lastly, this is my current rig that I built in January 2014. Not sure if I can bring anything over to the new build.

CPU: Intel® Core™ i3-3220 Processor (3M Cache, 3.30 GHz)

Motherboard: ASRock B75M-DGS

RAM: ADATA Premier DDR3-1600 CL11 4GB.

GPU: PowerColor HD7770 GHz Edition 1GB GDDR5.

Chassis: Headway X810 Black Mid Tower

PSU: Corsair CX500M 80 Plus Bronze.

HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB.

ODD: Samsung 24X CD/DVD Writer [OEM].

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit [OEM].

Monitor: Viewsonic 22" Full HD LED VX2270SMH


Thanks in advance.

 

[Koenig168]

It's possible to have 12GB with 4+8GB. However, your RAM will be running at a lower single channel speed. It's better to have matching RAM i.e. 2X8GB so that the RAM can run at dual channel speed.

In any case, you can't bring the DDR3 over as current systems all use DDR4.

Fan noise can be any fan. Just open the case and use your ears. Probably one of the fans is clogged with dust ....

By all means bring the existing HDD over. Just make sure you have a backup in case the HDD fail. How much HDD capacity you require depend on your own needs. If your existing HDD is near to full, then get a new 2GB or 4GB HDD.

 

[Olivarius]

It's possible to have 12GB with 4+8GB. However, your RAM will be running at a lower single channel speed. It's better to have matching RAM i.e. 2X8GB so that the RAM can run at dual channel speed.

What do you mean by lower channel speed? Is it like the transfer rate or something?

Fan noise can be any fan. Just open the case and use your ears. Probably one of the fans is clogged with dust ....

It could be the PSU/CPU/GPU fan?

By all means bring the existing HDD over. Just make sure you have a backup in case the HDD fail. How much HDD capacity you require depend on your own needs. If your existing HDD is near to full, then get a new 2GB or 4GB HDD.

Do you happen to know the chance of a HDD failing? I have been using it for 4 years already. Coming 5 years next January. Not sure if that is taking a big risk?

 

[Koenig168]

What do you mean by lower channel speed? Is it like the transfer rate or something?

Yes, data transfer speed.

It could be the PSU/CPU/GPU fan?



Do you happen to know the chance of a HDD failing? I have been using it for 4 years already. Coming 5 years next January. Not sure if that is taking a big risk?

Sure, 100%. Just a matter of when. Backup and you'll be fine.

.............

 

[Olivarius]

I'll be sure to change the HDD and back it up. Thanks!

 

[Peabody123]

I'll be sure to change the HDD and back it up. Thanks!

If you dont mind to stretch your budget, you can consider the below Aftershock Zeal PC specs at $1629 (promo price until tomorrow):


Warranty (Desktop) : 3 Years Parts Warranty (1st Year ONSITE)
Case Option (Zeal) : NZXT H500 Minimalist Stealth Black Red Chassis

CPU options : Intel® Core™ i5-8400 Coffee Lake 6 Core Processor (9M Cache, up to 4.00 GHZ)
DESKTOP MOTHERBOARD (BOLT, ZEAL) : ASROCK B360 Motherboard (Includes WIFI and Bluetooth)
GRAPHICS : ZEAL : NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1060 6GB GDDR5
Thermal Compound : IC Diamond Thermal Compound CPU (Free Lifetime Thermal Compound Re-pasting)
Memory (RAM) : 16GB DDR4 2666mhz (8GB x 2)
CPU Cooling System (Desktop) : AIR COOLING : AFTERSHOCK F10 Premium CPU cooling fan
Solid State Drive Primary Bay (Desktop) : 256GB PCIE M.2 SSD (Over 1.1 GB/s Read Speed)
First Hard Drive (Desktop) : TOSHIBA 1TB 3.5 INCH HDD (Buffer Size 32MB)
Chassis Fans : Standard Chassis Fans
Wireless Lan (Desktop) : Intel 9260 AC WIFI+BT
Custom Cable Sleeves : Standard Cable Setup
Operating System(OS) : Windows 10 Home 64 Bit

 

[_DeS__]

Let me know when AS is not running a promotion, i will buy 1 immediately

 

[lifeishard]

I doubt 1060 6gb is good enough...he mentioned he wants to have 120fps and also future proof for any other games in future that are graphics intensive.

 

[Olivarius]

Good morning. Anyone out there able to recommend a build other than the aftershock one?

 

[singupingu]

Be realistic. Low budget and future proof and high hz gaming don't come in a single line. Here's the best compromise I think is good for you to build.

- Fractal Design Focus ATX G ($75)
- MSI B450 Gaming Plus + AMD Ryzen 6 2600X ($495)
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3000MHz ($254)
- Cooler Master Masterwatt 550W 80+ Bronze ($79)
- Crucial BX500 240GB ($65 from Lazada, sold by Convergent)
- Toshiba 2TB ($77)
- GTX 1070 or 1070 TI, used set from Carousell (~$400-450) (Alternatively, GTX 1060 6gb brand new is about $400+ too, but performance is lower, 60fps gaming is achievable, but 120fps only for esports title, not including PUBG)
- Windows 10 (unactivated, FOC)

Total: ~$1495

Prices from PC Themes or otherwise stated, before any discounts.

Save up for a monitor later as your current monitor is still relevant. Can consider getting Prism+ X240, 1080p 144hz monitor. It's selling for $289 from Aftershock/Prism+ website.

Sent from OnePlus ONEPLUS A3003 using GAGT

 

[Olivarius]

Be realistic. Low budget and future proof and high hz gaming don't come in a single line. Here's the best compromise I think is good for you to build.

- Fractal Design Focus ATX G ($75)
- MSI B450 Gaming Plus + AMD Ryzen 6 2600X ($495)
- Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3000MHz ($254)
- Cooler Master Masterwatt 550W 80+ Bronze ($79)
- Crucial BX500 240GB ($65 from Lazada, sold by Convergent)
- Toshiba 2TB ($77)
- GTX 1070 or 1070 TI, used set from Carousell (~$400-450) (Alternatively, GTX 1060 6gb brand new is about $400+ too, but performance is lower, 60fps gaming is achievable, but 120fps only for esports title, not including PUBG)
- Windows 10 (unactivated, FOC)

Total: ~$1495

Prices from PC Themes or otherwise stated, before any discounts.

Save up for a monitor later as your current monitor is still relevant. Can consider getting Prism+ X240, 1080p 144hz monitor. It's selling for $289 from Aftershock/Prism+ website.

Sent from OnePlus ONEPLUS A3003 using GAGT

What if I increase the budget to $1800-$2200? What changes can be made?

- Am I able to bring over my current HDD and use it as a secondary HDD? Or will that compromise the system when it fails?

 

[Phen8210]

A few points

- Frankly speaking, for 1.5k build should at least have at least a tier 1/2 PSU from seasonic or superflower. Good to spend another $30-$50 on PSU. I recommend Seasonic M12ii and Superflower Leadex II Gold series.

- Used 1070s on carousell can be pick below $400, it's a good improvement over 1060 6GB.

 

[singupingu]

What if I increase the budget to $1800-$2200? What changes can be made?

- Am I able to bring over my current HDD and use it as a secondary HDD? Or will that compromise the system when it fails?

Better power supply (Superflower Leadex series, Seasonic Focus series or EVGA G+ Series, better PSU prolong PC life as the power supplied is cleaner, more efficient can save you some electricity bills and less heaty) is the first thing I'll change. Getting first hand gpu for peace of mind is another. Then get a better/bigger SSD (Crucial MX500), or even NVMe SSD (Adata XPG SX8200) for better speed of loading for most stuff (not counting games that's installed to HDD).

Lastly, depending whether you want or not, spend a bit on fans to improve airflow and maybe a little more for chassis and some aesthetic features like LED strips.

Just bring your old HDD over, but store unimportant stuff will do. You wouldn't want a system compromise due to bad HDD. Hence, best to not install anything there. But put stuff you can sacrifice there like movies, unimportant files, etc.

Sent from OnePlus ONEPLUS A3003 using GAGT

 

[Phen8210]

Have you done a bad sector and speed test on your old HDD?

 

[Olivarius]

A few points

- Frankly speaking, for 1.5k build should at least have at least a tier 1/2 PSU from seasonic or superflower. Good to spend another $30-$50 on PSU. I recommend Seasonic M12ii and Superflower Leadex II Gold series.

- Used 1070s on carousell can be pick below $400, it's a good improvement over 1060 6GB.

I would prefer to get a 1st hand GPU. With my budget increased to $2400(No longer $1.5k or $2.2k), which GPU should I go for, in order to game at 120fps; dual monitor (other monitor to watch Twitch/Youtube); and livestream the games I play?

Also, should I keep in mind to be able to have 2 or more GPUs in my rig? (In case the single GPU is not able to perform the above tasks. Or are all up-to-date gaming systems able to have 2 or more GPUs?)

- Is the CPU able to handle the games and functions that I mentioned? Or those tasks are mostly handled by the GPU? (Not too sure about this)

 

[Olivarius]

Better power supply (Superflower Leadex series, Seasonic Focus series or EVGA G+ Series, better PSU prolong PC life as the power supplied is cleaner, more efficient can save you some electricity bills and less heaty) is the first thing I'll change. Getting first hand gpu for peace of mind is another. Then get a better/bigger SSD (Crucial MX500), or even NVMe SSD (Adata XPG SX8200) for better speed of loading for most stuff (not counting games that's installed to HDD).

Lastly, depending whether you want or not, spend a bit on fans to improve airflow and maybe a little more for chassis and some aesthetic features like LED strips.

Just bring your old HDD over, but store unimportant stuff will do. You wouldn't want a system compromise due to bad HDD. Hence, best to not install anything there. But put stuff you can sacrifice there like movies, unimportant files, etc.

Sent from OnePlus ONEPLUS A3003 using GAGT

I think the airflow and aesthetic features are not important for me? I feel that the below issues are more important. So I'll focus on the below functions before thinking about the chassis? Is that alright?

I would prefer to get a 1st hand GPU. With my budget increased to $2400(No longer $1.5k or $2.2k), which GPU should I go for, in order to game at 120fps; dual monitor (other monitor to watch Twitch/Youtube); and livestream the games I play?

Also, should I keep in mind to be able to have 2 or more GPUs in my rig? (In case the single GPU is not able to perform the above tasks. Or are all up-to-date gaming systems able to have 2 or more GPUs?)

- Is the CPU able to handle the games and functions that I mentioned? Or those tasks are mostly handled by the GPU? (Not too sure about this)

 

[Olivarius]

Have you done a bad sector and speed test on your old HDD?

I have not. Could you kindly recommend a software/website that I can do a test with?

 

[Phen8210]

I have not. Could you kindly recommend a software/website that I can do a test with?

you can do it with hdtune free version

 

[Phen8210]

I would prefer to get a 1st hand GPU. With my budget increased to $2400(No longer $1.5k or $2.2k), which GPU should I go for, in order to game at 120fps; dual monitor (other monitor to watch Twitch/Youtube); and livestream the games I play?

Also, should I keep in mind to be able to have 2 or more GPUs in my rig? (In case the single GPU is not able to perform the above tasks. Or are all up-to-date gaming systems able to have 2 or more GPUs?)

- Is the CPU able to handle the games and functions that I mentioned? Or those tasks are mostly handled by the GPU? (Not too sure about this)

i7-8700K + MSI Z370 GAMING PLUS @ $754
CM HYPER 212 RED LED @ $39
Corsair Vengeance LPX 2x8GB 3000MHz @ $254
MSI GTX 1080 8GB GAMING X @ $809
SUPER FLOWER LEADEX II 650W 80+ GOLD @ $145
TECWARE VERGE RGB T-GLASS CASE @ $119
TOSHIBA 2TB 7200RPM @ $79
SAMSUNG EVO 860 500GB 2.5" @ $179

Total = $2378
QUOTED FROM PC THEMES PRICELIST, DO ASK FOR DISCOUNTS.

Note:
Ideally u may want to go for 1080ti which is $300+ more as your budget of $2400 may fit after discounts.
You could get lower prices and discount codes from other shops, or by using online codes/coupons.
You may want to consider opting for other cheaper SSDs as some of them perform similarly.
You may want to opt for a case of your choice as this is highly preference.


1. The i7-8700K is ideal for high refresh rate gaming + streaming.
It is able to achieve 120fps while streaming @ 1080p 60fps, do take note this wasn't 100% of the time since the test bench is using a 1080 non-ti. Do get a 1080ti if budget permits.

Spoiler

https://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/game-streaming-encoding-coffee-lake-ryzen,5326-4.html

2. MSI Z370 Gaming Plus is one of the cheaper Z series boards, it allows for overclocking of the 8700K if you ever consider it.

3. The H212 is the best value for your buck as a CPU Cooler, it is required to keep your temps checked. Any AIO solution will burst your budget anyway.

4. The MSI 1080 GPU cooling solution is one of the best out there, the prices do not differentiate much compared to other brands.

5. Superflower Leadex II Gold are tier one PSUs, at an affordable price.

6. This build has a red/black theme, just by coincidence.

 

[Phen8210]

Just saw on other thread that evga 1080ti going for S$987.60 on amazon prime