I've decided to post my completed build log for my computer here in hopes that I will convert more people to the glorious PC master race. The entire thing can be found here.



Where to start... at first I wanted a next generation console around September of last year, and then I started thinking about building my first gaming PC. The first part list I used was from someone recommending a good starter build for Battlefield 4. I quickly realized that my thirst for excellence led me from AMD, to Intel and nVidia. All in all, building computers is a very fun past time, unless some of the holes are too small (the CPU power hole on this case). I actually got everything working in mid January, and today I added some of the finishing touches. Since I had so many problems with the CPU hole, I decided to route the cable over the ones coming from the block of the H100i. It actually worked out very well, and you can't see any ugly wires! Another difficulty I had was with the LED strip. I quickly found out when I tried to install it that it wouldn't fit in a slot on the back of the I/O, so I had to improvise and place it inside the case which isn't a huge problem. The games I will be playing are almost all the FPS's, a few RPG's, and some indie games. Now for the parts rationale, and sorry for the poor quality images.


CPU - At first, I had an FX 6300 from AMD, and then it was an 8350, next a 4670k, and now a 4770k. The deal at Microcenter was great at only $249, and I figured I could use the hyperthreading later down the road.


CPU cooler - It was extremely easy to set up, and I don't even need the Corsair link. It's also very quiet.


Motherboard - I started with an MSI board at ~$80 and went to the Asus M5A99FX, then to the Z87 Pro, and finally to this bad boy. The only unfortunate circumstance with the motherboard was one of the assist fans that was supposed to go at the back of the I/O. The screws to fasten the lid on it did not actually twist into the fans themselves.


RAM - Ram is ram, no problems with it at all, and I love the low profile heat sinks.


SSD - This thing is blazing fast. My OS is at the desktop within 8 seconds and everything I load on it comes up like a dream.


HDD - No complaints whatsoever. Plenty fast for music, and most games (large too).


Video Card - I think I started with a 7970 Ghz edition, which was at a fairly good price when I first started this adventure. I then started leaning toward the R9 280x but by the time I was ready to order, the litecoin miners hit and I decided to go with nVidia's near equivalent. I'll also be purchasing an 880 or higher when they release.


Case - Stuck with this case from the beginning, I originally wanted to go with red, but I decided that this would be a better color. Cable management isn't too bad at all (except for the CPU power) and everything looks very clean.


Fans - I arranged the 2 front fans in intake, to blow on the SSD and HDD, the side fan in an intake toward the video card, the top 2 fans attached to the H100i in an intake, and the rear as an exhaust. The 140mm fan listed is not the one in the build, but I bought the FZ non-led that I couldn't find in the selection. The price and CFM rating is still the same.


Power supply - I know I overspent for what I have now, but I will be upgrading to 2x 880's soon. There is some slight coil whine every once in a while (not every time I turn on my computer), but it doesn't bother me much, as my monitor blocks the sound, and I always have headphones on.


Optical Drive - Only used once, then unplugged the SATA and Power cables to save clutter.


Monitor - Plenty large for what I am used to. Everything looks great, and I'll be upgrading to a 144 Hz possibly with g-sync when I get my second card.


Keyboard and mouse - The perfect combination, I've never used a mechanical keyboard before this, and it is possibly the best thing my fingers have ever felt (red switches), and the build quality is excellent. After taking all the weights out of the mouse it glides like butter, and is perfect for what I play mostly (FPS).


If you have any questions, feel free to ask!





PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100i 77.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($109.99)
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth Z87 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($234.99)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.99)
Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($134.41)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.99)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Superclocked ACX Video Card ($349.99)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 850W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($149.99)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24F1ST DVD/CD Writer ($19.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($98.99)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($159.99)
Case Fan: NZXT FX-140LB 98.3 CFM 140mm Fan ($13.99)
Case Fan: NZXT FN-120RB 47.3 CFM 120mm Fan ($7.99)
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K70 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($119.99)
Keyboard: Vortex POKER PBT Wired Mini Keyboard ($117.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 25-1 II Headphones (Purchased For $0.00)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 598 Headphones (Purchased For $0.00)
Headphones: Sennheiser HD 650 Headphones (Purchased For $0.00)
Headphones: AKG Q701B Headphones (Purchased For $0.00)
Other: CPU Extension Cable ($5.99)
Other: PCI-e 6+2 Pin Extension ($6.49)
Other: Motherboard 24 Pin Extension ($10.99)
Other: PCI-e 6 Pin Extension ($5.49)
Other: Magnetic Dust Filters ($54.99)
Other: NZXT Ribbon LED's (White) ($17.54)
Other: Feenix Nascita ($97.00)
Other: Maverick Audio Tubemagic D1
Other: Yamaha YH-100 (Purchased)
Other: Violectric DAC V800 (Purchased)
Other: Violectric HPA V200 (Purchased)
Total: $2192.76