2200$ Gaming/Workstation Build (Need Opinions)

JarloRS192

37 months ago

Hey! I a managed to save up a good amount of money to finally build myself a powerful desktop. This is the first time I will be building a pc. I am planning to complete some overclocking. I will be using this desktop a good amount of gaming and tons of work (not much video/photo editing though). I will be going for a dark green/ black build.

I have a few questions: Where can I find a good/detailed overclocking guide for both gpu and cpu? I have looked at many different guides, but they sometimes contradict each other and/or are not very clear. Where can I find/what are some overclocking benchmarks for my equipment?

I am not sure about the case (I really need help for this one), my ideal one would be a big, optical driver compatible case, with front facing rgb fans, and a left window. I have opted for the 460X which should be coming out late November (with a back Corsair SP or HD RGB fan, which one? how do I control these, extra controller? corsair software?) but it is not compatible with an optical drive(i'd need to get an external one). I could go for a corsair 760T and swap the front facing fans.... but I really like the look of the phanteks evolv atx....

For the building, are other instruments or things needed apart from the screwdriver, thermal compound, LEDS (which I will buy later), cable managment things..., electric tape? Do the fans of the PSU push air out? What about the AIO liquid cooler, out or in?

This is the link: http://pcpartpicker.com/list/KLhnd6

Please answer the questions and suggest additional improvements, tips or variations.

Thanks.

Carrier_Taihou

37 months ago
1 point

I made a few changes to the build that will give quieter operation, improve quality, and reduce cost without sacrificing performance. Explanations will be after the suggested list

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor	$328.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler	be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 3 67.8 CFM Fluid Dynamic Bearing CPU Cooler	$59.90 @ Newegg
Motherboard	Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$121.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$93.99 @ Newegg
Storage	PNY CS1311 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$104.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card	$598.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case	Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case	$159.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$73.98 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$59.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1838.96
	Mail-in rebates	-$55.00
	Total	$1783.96
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-17 13:14 EST-0500

CPU Cooler - I switched out the AIO as the larger air coolers usually outperform them, are quieter, and are more affordable. The issue that pops up with them is they can interfere with the RAM modules if they're too tall. The Vengeance RAM you chose is low profile though so there won't be issues

SSD - The Samsung is a fantastic drive (I have that exact one), but it is overcosted. You can get similar performance for less money going with other brands. The PNY I replaced it with will perform just as well in real world applications, and keeps the black look.

GPU - I replaced the EVGA 1080 with a Gigabyte model. EVGA cards have been having heat issues with all the 10 series cards (you'll find out more if you google it) It also doesn't match the aesthetic of the rest of the build. This card is just as good, runs cooler, has RGB lighting you can set yourself, and costs less.

PSU - I changed the NEX unit to a G2 unit, which is outright a higher quality unit. You also don't need 750 watts unless you plan on SLI'ing in the future.

To answer your other questions, the PSU fan intakes from the case and exhausts out the back. I left the case since you are exactly right about the Phanteks case not having an optical drive slot. All you will need will be a screwdriver and the thermal paste. Zip ties are handy for cable management as well.

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JarloRS192
submitter

37 months ago
1 point

Thanks. I think I'll definately consider all of these. I dont think I ll go with an air cooler simply because I dont think it looks as good as an AIO. How do you change the lighting on the video card, you need to install the drives and tweak around?

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Carrier_Taihou

37 months ago
1 point

It's included on a disc with the GPU. Install a control software program, and it will let you fiddle with the lighting, fan speed, overclock settings and all that good stuff. If you are set on going with an AIO, I would get a better one than the H100. The Cyrorig A80 is a phenomenal cooler, and would be what I would be running if I could get one in Canada.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor	$328.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG A80 128.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$104.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$121.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$93.99 @ Newegg
Storage	PNY CS1311 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$104.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card	$598.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case	Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case	$159.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA G2 650W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$73.98 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$59.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1883.95
	Mail-in rebates	-$55.00
	Total	$1828.95
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-17 13:40 EST-0500

I should mention as well that the reduction in cost leaves lots of room for more fans, RGB lighting, custom sleeved cables, and other visual tweaks

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JarloRS192
submitter

37 months ago
1 point

Perfect! In case in the future I'd want to add another video card, would the motherboard support it/ have reasonable speeds?

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Carrier_Taihou

37 months ago
1 point

I don't see any issues occurring. If you do plan on running a second GPU, I would suggest bumping up the PSU to a 750 just to have a little headroom. The EVGA 750P2 is an incredibly good unit that's on sale right now, and can easily support 2 1080's

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor	$328.99 @ SuperBiiz
CPU Cooler	CRYORIG A80 128.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$104.89 @ OutletPC
Motherboard	Asus Z170 PRO GAMING ATX LGA1151 Motherboard	$121.99 @ Newegg
Memory	Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3200 Memory	$93.99 @ Newegg
Storage	PNY CS1311 480GB 2.5" Solid State Drive	$104.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Storage	Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive	$90.58 @ NCIX US
Video Card	Gigabyte GeForce GTX 1080 8GB G1 Gaming Video Card	$598.99 @ SuperBiiz
Case	Corsair 760T Black ATX Full Tower Case	$159.99 @ NCIX US
Power Supply	EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply	$99.99 @ Newegg
Optical Drive	Asus BW-16D1HT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer	$59.98 @ Newegg
	Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
	Total (before mail-in rebates)	$1909.96
	Mail-in rebates	-$55.00
	Total	$1854.96
	Generated by PCPartPicker 2016-11-17 13:48 EST-0500