The PC Build Thread

[saa044]

So I've decided to go for the Dell 2515H from my monitor thread. Now for the PC...

Been out of the loop when it comes to PC gear so not sure what's good or not. I was thinking of getting something like this:

http://www.evetech.co.za/core-i5-gtx-1060-gaming-pc/best-pc-deal/2068.aspx

I would probably change some things like bigger SSD on the above, but other than that I'm not sure if it's a good build or if I can get better value elsewhere?

Other option is to build a PC (probably though Wootware), so need some recommendations on what to get. PC to be used for general browsing, Excel (financial modeling), Photoshop/Lightroom, and not so serious gaming.

Would like a Skylake i5, and least 8gb ram, and SSD and a secondary drive for storage, and I need an OS. Would really like a GTX 1070, but will settle for a 1060. Haven't a clue when it comes to motherboards. Don't plan to overclock (is that a good idea?). Budget around R15k.

What can I get?

I don't see any problem with that Evetech build. But maybe shop around between Evetech, Wootware, Raru, Takealot etc for individual parts. You might end up saving a grand or two. I personally like Gigabyte boards and GPU's. On a case I would go for a M-Atx. Alternatively you can pick up a new bundle on carbonite.co.za if you shop around there. But if you don't know carbonite you might walk yourself into a scammer waiting for new members.

 

[Neoprod]

Any suggestions? Anyone?

forgot about this

from a longevity point of view, I would get a Z170 + 6500k. You may not want to overclock now but in 3-4 years time when your PC is getting long in the tooth, you could squeeze a few extra years out of it with a decent overclock.

unfortunately, that's going to strain the budget a bit - probably around 8k for a budget Z170 (like the P version from Asus) + CPU + 8gb DDR4 + CPU cooler (air). A decent PSU and SSD and you're going to be squeezing the graphics card budget.

That's what I would do though...apologies for complicating your buying decision

 

[Gtx Gaming]

So I've decided to go for the Dell 2515H from my monitor thread. Now for the PC...

Been out of the loop when it comes to PC gear so not sure what's good or not. I was thinking of getting something like this:

http://www.evetech.co.za/core-i5-gtx-1060-gaming-pc/best-pc-deal/2068.aspx

I would probably change some things like bigger SSD on the above, but other than that I'm not sure if it's a good build or if I can get better value elsewhere?

Other option is to build a PC (probably though Wootware), so need some recommendations on what to get. PC to be used for general browsing, Excel (financial modeling), Photoshop/Lightroom, and not so serious gaming.

Would like a Skylake i5, and least 8gb ram, and SSD and a secondary drive for storage, and I need an OS. Would really like a GTX 1070, but will settle for a 1060. Haven't a clue when it comes to motherboards. Don't plan to overclock (is that a good idea?). Budget around R15k.

What can I get?

Let me see what I can build for 15k ,should be decent rig based on I7-6700.

I can building following rig for R14600.

Intel i7-6700 with basic zalman cooler
MSI B150M GAMING PRO
G.Skill F4-2400C15D-16GVS Ripjaws 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 2400MHz CL15 1.20V Desktop Memory
128GB samsung EVO SSD
2tb Seagate desktop Drive
LG DVD WRITER
Zotac gtx 1060 mini 6GB
Bitfenix Nova chassis
Corsair VS550 PSU

 

[ponder]

Any suggestions? Anyone?

R3300 - Intel Core i7 6700 You might wanna place an order now as there are only 10 for sale.
R1459 - Gigabyte GA-B150M-D3H DDR4 LGA1151
R710 - 2 x Corsair CMV4GX4M1A2133C15 Value Select 4GB DDR4 2133MHz
R4899 - Zotac ZT-P10600B-10M GeForce GTX 1060 AMP 6GB
R999 - Super Flower SF-550P14XE(HX) Golden Green HX 550W 80 Plus Gold
R910 - Coolermaster NSE-400-KKN2 N400 Series
R899 - Western-Digital WD10EZEX Blue 1TB 7200rpm SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive
R1699 - Samsung MZ-75E250BW 850 EVO 250GB SATA6Gb/s 3D V-NAND 2.5" Solid State Drive

R14 875 - TOTAL


This is a much better build than the Evetech one, bigger SSD, extra 1TB HDD and a pukka PSU!

I only looked at Wootware prices, you could probably save a buck here or there if you shop around but I prefer to buy from a single supplier in case you might have issues with a component it's just easier than dealing with multiple vendors.

EDIT: Feck I forgot about the CPU cooler as the CPUs PotterH sells are tray units and they come without a cooler so you will have to get one of those.

 

[Cochise]

Thanks guys, great suggestions!

My monitor arrived this morning, Dell U2515H. Just wondering if the 1060 is going to be enough to get the best out of the monitor?

What's the main difference between the B150 and Z170 boards? Would the Z170 be better for future-proofing, even if it's M-ATX? Am thinking maybe I should stretch the budget, but not sure where to rather spend: CPU, MB, or GPU?

That i7 is a really good price!

 

[The Voice]

Thanks guys, great suggestions!

My monitor arrived this morning, Dell U2515H. Just wondering if the 1060 is going to be enough to get the best out of the monitor?

What's the main difference between the B150 and Z170 boards? Would the Z170 be better for future-proofing, even if it's M-ATX? Am thinking maybe I should stretch the budget, but not sure where to rather spend: CPU, MB, or GPU?

That i7 is a really good price!

1060 should be fine for 1080 - you may find yourself thinking about upgrading in 2-3 years when newer games come out, though - nVidia tends to forget about their older cards with regards to driver optimisation, while AMD cards tend to get better.

Differences between B & Z boards? Overclocking can only be done on Z boards. Most B boards can't support anything quicker than 2133 DDR. I think Z boards have 20 PCI lanes compared to B's 8. Basically, B chipset is aimed at business systems, while Z is more enthusiast grade.

 

[Rouxenator]

Just got my 4TB 2.5" drive from Makro and took it apart. Going to add the drive to my PC tonight

 

[Cochise]

1060 should be fine for 1080

Monitor is 1440, that's what I'm concerned about.

 

[The Voice]

Monitor is 1440, that's what I'm concerned about.

Ah right. It's not going to be great for 1440p. It will definitely run it, but not at ultra/very high settings - that's 1070 territory. The 1060's sweet spot is 1080p.

 

[Soul Assassin]

Monitor is 1440, that's what I'm concerned about.

If you can add another ~R3000 to your budget you're good to go with a pretty sweet build.

 

[ponder]

Thanks guys, great suggestions!

My monitor arrived this morning, Dell U2515H. Just wondering if the 1060 is going to be enough to get the best out of the monitor?

What's the main difference between the B150 and Z170 boards? Would the Z170 be better for future-proofing, even if it's M-ATX? Am thinking maybe I should stretch the budget, but not sure where to rather spend: CPU, MB, or GPU?

That i7 is a really good price!

1070 would be better for 1440p but it's gonna cost you about R3k more.

Z170 you need for Overclocking & the Z series boards also cost a lot more, you would also need a K series CPU. i5 6600k = R4300, i7-6700k = R6200 and if you are going to overclock you also gonna need a decent cpu cooler.

As you can see it all adds up quickly so you will be looking at R20-25k.

I would not go the OC route, if you want more performance just get a gtx 1070.

If you want that i7 at R3300 you better jump on it now as they will sell out quickly! I dunno if you are registered on carbonite (registration can take a while as the admin/mods manually enable your account) so I'm gonna PM you PotterH's contact number just in case.

 

[The Voice]

Yeah the K chips are much of a muchness. I'd go K with a Z board if I intend to keep the same setup for many years without any intention of an upgrade. The ability to overclock will come in handy later on when the chip starts getting a bit sluggish as more demanding software comes out. Being able to pump out an extra few hz will help prolong your system even more.

 

[Neoprod]

Yeah the K chips are much of a muchness. I'd go K with a Z board if I intend to keep the same setup for many years without any intention of an upgrade. The ability to overclock will come in handy later on when the chip starts getting a bit sluggish as more demanding software comes out. Being able to pump out an extra few hz will help prolong your system even more.

Pretty much my experience with Sandy Bridge...I'm using a 2500K (3.3Ghz stock speed) with a Z68 board and after a mild overclock (4.2Ghz on air), the machine is still a solid performer. The set-up has lasted 5 years so far and I'll probably keep it for at least another 18-24 months. That's about as long as I kept the Q6600 running (though that was getting plenty hot towards the end).

So, ye old Hobson's choice...invest a bit more in the platform and you can keep current for a long time versus allocating more budget towards the graphics card. OP did mention he was semi-serious about gaming so I wouldn't be investing overly much in the graphics card.

Edit: just noticed the bit about the 1440p monitor. That's a spanner in the budget.

 

[Cochise]

Ok think I'll bite the bullet and go 1070. I do a fair bit of photo editing so I think it'll help there as well.

If I can still get my hands on that i7, don't think I'll be overclocking.

 

[Urist]

Ok think I'll bite the bullet and go 1070. I do a fair bit of photo editing so I think it'll help there as well.
If I can still get my hands on that i7, don't think I'll be overclocking.

1070 for photo editing... the things we tell ourselves

 

[Thor]

1070 for photo editing... the things we tell ourselves

Rep incoming

 

[Urist]

Rep incoming

Just making fun of the excuses we sometimes make to ourselves to buy cool stuff.

 

[ponder]

1070 for photo editing... the things we tell ourselves

He's lying, 4K 120fps porn incoming.

 

[The Voice]

He's lying, 4K 120fps porn incoming.

120 faps per second?

 

[Gtx Gaming]

Yeah the K chips are much of a muchness. I'd go K with a Z board if I intend to keep the same setup for many years without any intention of an upgrade. The ability to overclock will come in handy later on when the chip starts getting a bit sluggish as more demanding software comes out. Being able to pump out an extra few hz will help prolong your system even more.

None K can OC on the right bios and Z board ,thats why i7-6700 is such a good buy

Intel just locked it newer bios ,so that you have to buy K cpu. Manufactures still have old bios on their website that you can flash.