LDG-Gaming

Thank you for the posts! I decided to look into your suggestions a bit further and came to some conclusions.

First off, the PSU argument is a valid reason to change. Seasonic G-Series G-550W with cable management seems like a good deal.

Now the graphics and mainboard choice. A GTX 980 is already expensive and powerful enough in my opinion. Going for a GTX 980 Ti would be just overkill. Aside from higher power consumption, I'd probably risk CPU bottlenecking because the CPU clocks actually slower than its K-variant. I will most likely not go any further than 1920x1040, because for now I will still use my 1280x1024 monitor. With "higher settings" I didn't meant going full force. I'd rather have low settings with a stable framerate to stay competitive than blinding myself with ultra graphics that only affects the performance negatively.

As for the mainboard, I don't see any reason to pick a full-size ATX over a µATX. From my point of view, H170 boards don't differ much at all in their pricings and features. I am not planning to expand or modify the system (except replacing faulty/broken hardware), so a µATX board is sufficient.

As for the thermal concerns, I don't think there will be much of an issue with the chosen hardware. The CPU doesn't have much of heat to produce because it clocks at 3.400 MHz @ 65 watt TDP and cannot be overlclocked, PSU and storage will be located below the mainboard. The only concern would be the graphics card, but even that one has the feature to shut its fans off when not under load.

The chosen case comes with a 200mm fan at the front and a 120mm fan at the rear. They can be replaced with more powerful ones if needed. If there should be any thermal issues, you can remove the top plate and mount two additional fans there. Or better yet: mount a watercooler.

I am very excited how it will turn out once I have everything ready.

iZumo wrote:Good choice. Nobody likes AMD these days, rite?

I wouldn't say AMD is bad. I only want some variety, and after this Intel/Nvidia rig has lived out its lifetime, I will go full AMD again

CPU bottle-necking is a myth.

As Skaldy said, you really should add an SSD to your config, be it only for the OS. Having all these "top" components and no SSD is a shame. You won't regret it, your system will start in 5-10 seconds, you will wonder how you could live without it
Personally I have a small SSD for Windows and a few programs, and a big HDD for storage. When I want to play a game with a lot of "loadings", I transfer it to the SSD and I feel the difference. So use the extra money for this instead of buying the graphic card Izumo is suggesting. A GTX 980 is already too much imo, but if you plan not upgrading your pc before some time, it will last a couple of years. Let alone at 1280x1024 resolution

Yes, I never use system Sleep on my desktop any more - I can Shutdown because full Start is just a few seconds anyway.

The "value" (performance divided by cost) of a GTX 970 is still much better than a GTX 980:
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Also, click on "Video Card Description" here (http://store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey) and you'll see that 3.38% of Steam gamers are currently using the 970, while only 0.81% have paid the extra for the 980.

Unless you use something CPU intensive like rendering videos or encoding, I wouldn't bother with an i7, but that is just me.

Additionally, if you're not going to overclock at all, spending money on an aftermarket CPU cooler is just throwing money away. The stock intel cooler is perfectly fine for the stock frequency, even under use.

Also you really should get with the times and use an SSD. The benefits are immense. Only when you purchase a budget one will you suffer issues. What's not to love about apps and programs opening in milliseconds and bootup times being sub 5 seconds? Not to mention any games you play will have load times of mere seconds. I understand the hesitancy, I was the same, but I went with it and wouldn't go back. Keep the 1TB for storage though, unless you invest in a good size SSD. If you're still concerned, go with a manufacturer that has a long warranty.

Hey guys, thanks again for the advices!

The graphics card will be:
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti Gaming 6G (~760€)

During work, I thought long about it. A GTX 980 Ti would be a wiser choice after all even though it'll hurt my wallet. 6GBs of memory are just more future proof. Plus, it is a behemoth in performance after the Titan-X. I think I'll be able to play about every single game in existance and beyond at high settings for a long time with this card.

The system now amounts to around 1700€, wow. I'll need to include my fallback money on this one. I hope I can pay all of that at once without having to wait another month. The SSD has to wait for sure, but I'll give it a try. I took off the CPU cooler for a bit better pricing.

But the current config looks very good so far, far better than I expected. My father couldn't believe the price when I announced him my plans for a new PC, he said "that PC from ALDi for 500 bucks is already good enough for any game" Again, thanks alot guys!

It's a nice setup. Think I prefer having 2x graphics cards though.

Just want to make a Hardware comment:
Your system will run as fast as the slowest part of it. In this case your HHD. My advise: GET an SSD!!! its worth the extra 100€. Get a 256Gb-320Gb for the OS and games!
2 notes more for you to take in count:
HHD >2Tb will not be recognized by windows easily, you have to make a config that makes speed slower and depends on the BIOS of your machine.
The windows 7 "PRO" does not have language package. That means you can only have it in the language you bought it! Home is better for this reason, the additional tools PRO brings are not often used IMO.

Mecha wrote:Hey guys, thanks again for the advices!

The graphics card will be:
MSI GeForce GTX 980 Ti Gaming 6G (~760€)

[..]

Then u might look in to a higher rated PSU 530W should work fine. But can stress out the PSU

Thermal and Power Specs:
92 CMaximum GPU Tempurature (in C)
250 W Graphics Card Power (W)
600 W Minimum System Power Requirement (W)
6-pin + 8-pinSupplementary Power Connectors

Mecha, not sure if you understand on the mainboard: uATX or standard ATX are not "tiers", its only about the size. Yes, standard ATX H170 board costs a little bit more (usually has more peripherals), but the main reason you need it for is the size. uATX is not made for gaming machines.