Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Hi,
I love the website, found it looking for info on silent builds.
I am currently gaming with a pretty quiet Fortress 2 case that I built in 2011. Upgraded the video card 2 years ago but now I plan to retire this and let my wife and kids minecraft on it.
I have ordered a Fortress 5 case but everything else is still up in the air.
I made this build from reviews here and some other places, wanting to be fast and silent.
I welcome and thoughts and advice. This came out more expensive than I wanted but my last build did last a long time so this is better than buying a prebuilt in my opinion.
I am near a microcenter and bought some components there last time. They were pretty helpful, especially with making sure I had all the cables and making sure everything fit. That is where I bought my old Fortress case.
That is one thing I am nervous about, making sure everything is compatible.
I was going to go with a MSI mobo but this asrock was heavily advertised on newegg and looks amazing. I am not sure about fan control though.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 OC Formula ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 10 600W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($129.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1917.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-09 17:34 EST-0500
I love the website, found it looking for info on silent builds.
I am currently gaming with a pretty quiet Fortress 2 case that I built in 2011. Upgraded the video card 2 years ago but now I plan to retire this and let my wife and kids minecraft on it.
I have ordered a Fortress 5 case but everything else is still up in the air.
I made this build from reviews here and some other places, wanting to be fast and silent.
I welcome and thoughts and advice. This came out more expensive than I wanted but my last build did last a long time so this is better than buying a prebuilt in my opinion.
I am near a microcenter and bought some components there last time. They were pretty helpful, especially with making sure I had all the cables and making sure everything fit. That is where I bought my old Fortress case.
That is one thing I am nervous about, making sure everything is compatible.
I was going to go with a MSI mobo but this asrock was heavily advertised on newegg and looks amazing. I am not sure about fan control though.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.89 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 OC Formula ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 10 600W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($129.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($89.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1917.70
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-09 17:34 EST-0500
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Welcome to SPCR.
Three big questions that will help tune the build:
- is this solely for gaming or are there other demanding applications (and what are they)?
- what's your monitor resolution?
- what's on your game list?
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
- cheaper and effective alternative is the i5-6600 as few games make effective use of more than 4 physical cores
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.89 @ OutletPC)
- yep
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 OC Formula ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.99 @ SuperBiiz)
- $245 is about $100 more than I like to spend on a mobo
What features drive you to this board?
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
- the Kotetsu's pretty thin, so these should work..but these three are all lower profile, have better specs, and are cheaper or similarly priced.
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
- Unless you have a demanding application (and it's not gaming), you won't see less performance with the 850 EVO and it's a LOT cheaper. I'm still recommending the 2.5" drives over the M.2 for same reasons, plus it's cheaper, less likely to have thermal issues (although in your FT windtunnel, maybe not a concern).
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
- waiting for monitor resolution and games list.
Power Supply: be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 10 600W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($129.99)
- a great supply. There's also the EVGA Supernova P2 650W.
Three big questions that will help tune the build:
- is this solely for gaming or are there other demanding applications (and what are they)?
- what's your monitor resolution?
- what's on your game list?
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Micro Center)
- cheaper and effective alternative is the i5-6600 as few games make effective use of more than 4 physical cores
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($39.89 @ OutletPC)
- yep
Motherboard: ASRock Z170 OC Formula ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($245.99 @ SuperBiiz)
- $245 is about $100 more than I like to spend on a mobo
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($96.99 @ Newegg)
- the Kotetsu's pretty thin, so these should work..but these three are all lower profile, have better specs, and are cheaper or similarly priced.
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
- Unless you have a demanding application (and it's not gaming), you won't see less performance with the 850 EVO and it's a LOT cheaper. I'm still recommending the 2.5" drives over the M.2 for same reasons, plus it's cheaper, less likely to have thermal issues (although in your FT windtunnel, maybe not a concern).
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
- waiting for monitor resolution and games list.
Power Supply: be quiet! STRAIGHT POWER 10 600W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply ($129.99)
- a great supply. There's also the EVGA Supernova P2 650W.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
The only taxing thing should be gaming. Pretty much just web surfing outside of that. Although someday I need to edit all the videos of my kids.CA_Steve wrote:Welcome to SPCR.
Three big questions that will help tune the build:
- is this solely for gaming or are there other demanding applications (and what are they)?
- what's your monitor resolution?
- what's on your game list?
I am still using a monitor from 2008! Viewsonic VX2835wm 1920x1200
I notice that 28" monitors aren't common anymore.
I am also going to replace the monitor, although not necessarily right away.
One of the games I play the most is an MMO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, it is older and the UI is not scalable so my hotbars will be very very tiny if I got to a 4K monitor unless I don't run in native resolution.
One of the reasons I have held onto this old monitor. I am starting to play that game less though , it is going to be 10 years old this spring. So time to move on to a new monitor or monitors.
Three seems excessive, two would be a nice amount of real estate but I don't like the line in the center. The ultra wide monitors are cool but not that tall.
So the monitor area is one that I want to improve but am very undecided about.
My other games:
Pillars of Eternity
Wasteland 2
Sword Coast Legends
Neverwinter Nights
The Witcher series
Dragon Age series
Fallout series
So no FPS, I don't think any of these have really tough system requirements (the series ones I am one behind on mostly) and my current machine plays them fine.
However when I built my current rig in October 2011 my philosophy was to go as high end as I could and make it stand the test of time. I only did one upgrade in 2013 when I replaced the video card.
Here is my current machine:
Code: Select all
Western Digital 1TB WD Caviar Black SATA 6Gb s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Mfg. Part #: WD1002FAEX 1 $97.37 (Installing two, I had one already)
Intel Processor, Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, LGA1155, Box
Mfg. Part #: BX80623I72600K $325.00
Asus Motherboard, Intel Z68, Core i7, ATX, Max 32GB DDR3, 3PCIEX16, 2PCIEX, 2PCI, GBE FW BT,Vid,Aud,SATA3
Mfg. Part #: P8Z68-V PRO $205.00
Crucial 128GB Crucial M4 SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gb s
Mfg. Part #: CT128M4SSD2 $190.65
Silverstone FT02 Fortress Case $229
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $54.99 x 2 (16GB Total)
Coolermaster GeminII S CPU cooler
Seasonic X 760W 80+ Gold Hybrid Silent Fan
Asus 12X Blu-Ray burner
Miscellaneous stuff like, compressed air, sata extension cable, extra sata cable, anti-static strap, cable ties, SSD adaptor tray etc. $397.39
Total spent: $1554.39 without tax or shipping.
On top of that resusing the Gefore 465 GTX (was in my old computer and only a year old) and one WD Black 1TB, monitor, mouse, keyboard etc.
Geforce 465 GTX replaced in 2013 with GeForce GTX 770 2GB
Honestly it is still very acceptable but I need another pc in the house and this has been the best pc I have ever had so I would rather shuffle it to the family and build a new gaming rig than building a middle of the road one for them.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Given the game list I'm guessing you were/are an old school paper and pencil D&D player
Ok, your post mostly confirms what I said above. Here's some additional thoughts:
- Go with the i5-6600K or the I5-6600, depending on whether you want to OC or not. I think the $20 increase is worth it even if you don't OC for the 200MHz faster baseclock.
- look into the features you want on a mobo and decide whether you really want to spend $250 on them or less.
- Asrock makes decent boards and their bios level fan control is first rate. Asus moved a lot of their Fan Xpert functionality into the bios, which, I think, makes them slightly better.
- decide whether or not you want to overclock the CPU now or in the future. If not, then an H170 chipset mobo would do just as well as the Z170.
- RAM: Other than one poorly coded game on the market now, 2 x 4GB RAM is good enough. You can always add another set later.
- gfx card: The only games that will push a gfx card are Witcher 3...and to a lesser extent, Fallout 4. The GTX 970 will give you >60 fps for Fallout 4 in Ultra settings. Witcher 3 is a bit more of a pig. With the 1920 x 1200 monitor, you'd probably see 40-60fps in Ultra and 70+ with High settings. Next generation of gfx cards (2016) should provide a decent bump in performance. Instead of spending the extra bucks for the 980 now, I'd suggest getting a ~$300 GTX 970 4GB instead. Then, if the 2016 cards look good, you could move the 970 over to the family PC, extending it's life a couple more years.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
Ok, your post mostly confirms what I said above. Here's some additional thoughts:
- Go with the i5-6600K or the I5-6600, depending on whether you want to OC or not. I think the $20 increase is worth it even if you don't OC for the 200MHz faster baseclock.
- look into the features you want on a mobo and decide whether you really want to spend $250 on them or less.
- Asrock makes decent boards and their bios level fan control is first rate. Asus moved a lot of their Fan Xpert functionality into the bios, which, I think, makes them slightly better.
- decide whether or not you want to overclock the CPU now or in the future. If not, then an H170 chipset mobo would do just as well as the Z170.
- RAM: Other than one poorly coded game on the market now, 2 x 4GB RAM is good enough. You can always add another set later.
- gfx card: The only games that will push a gfx card are Witcher 3...and to a lesser extent, Fallout 4. The GTX 970 will give you >60 fps for Fallout 4 in Ultra settings. Witcher 3 is a bit more of a pig. With the 1920 x 1200 monitor, you'd probably see 40-60fps in Ultra and 70+ with High settings. Next generation of gfx cards (2016) should provide a decent bump in performance. Instead of spending the extra bucks for the 980 now, I'd suggest getting a ~$300 GTX 970 4GB instead. Then, if the 2016 cards look good, you could move the 970 over to the family PC, extending it's life a couple more years.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
I agree with most things said, except I would stick with 2*8GB, and I'd go further in saying avoid 2133Mhz DDR4, as you will lose a few fps with it. Even more important than you think, as it mostly affects Mimimum FPS. 2400-2800Mhz is the sweet spot for DDR4, and for gaming, 2400Mhz is probably enough. I would also stick with CAS 15 if going 2400Mhz, CAS 16 if going 2666Mhz or 2800Mhz. The price difference is really small between 2133Mhz and 2400Mhz anyways
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
I'd stick with 2x4Gb. DDR4 is still young and prices will keep falling on so upgrading to 2x16Gb (the biggest sticks you can get) a year or two down the line when you need more RAM is money better spent.nster wrote:I agree with most things said, except I would stick with 2*8GB
If you use onboard graphics, yes. If you don't use onboard graphics, no. Here is the a recent SPCR DDR4 memory scaling test:nster wrote:and I'd go further in saying avoid 2133Mhz DDR4, as you will lose a few fps with it.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1478-page1.html
2400MHz stuff sometimes is cheaper than comparable 2133MHz RAM (I just saved 7p!) which makes it worthwhile but at the higher speeds, RAM is not good value. If it was genuinely better don't you think that all of the memory intensive datacentre servers would be running 3000MHz RAM with LED heatspreaders? No, they run plain green, headspreaderless, ECC memory.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Yes on the D&D PnP
I am going to stick with 16GB ram, I have that now, useless or not, would feel weird going backwards.
I was not sure about the speed, G Skill had so many types so this RAM discussion is very helpful.
My case just arrived and also many Black Friday emails, need to see what kind of deals are out there.
I really want to go Skylake and Z170, it has been 4 years since my last build, and want to make this one last too.
Since Asus has good fan control, how about this mobo:
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII HERO LGA1151 DDR4 M.2 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 Type A Type C Intel Z170 ATX Motherboard
If I economize, I like the idea of going down on the video card as replacing those are easy and might plan on that in two years.
![Very Happy :D](./images/smilies/icon_biggrin.gif)
I am going to stick with 16GB ram, I have that now, useless or not, would feel weird going backwards.
I was not sure about the speed, G Skill had so many types so this RAM discussion is very helpful.
My case just arrived and also many Black Friday emails, need to see what kind of deals are out there.
I really want to go Skylake and Z170, it has been 4 years since my last build, and want to make this one last too.
Since Asus has good fan control, how about this mobo:
ASUS ROG MAXIMUS VIII HERO LGA1151 DDR4 M.2 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.1 Type A Type C Intel Z170 ATX Motherboard
If I economize, I like the idea of going down on the video card as replacing those are easy and might plan on that in two years.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
The FT05 is one of the best air cooling cases imo, but its not the quietest, you do have to work with it, specially the fans, the AP181 biggest strength are their specs 180mmx32mm makes it a massive fan, a single fan is capable of cooling a complete setup, thus how the TJ08-E was design, but at the same time the AP181 isn't the quietest fan around, you have to drop it below 500rpms to be quiet (still noticeable), but to do the dropping you will need to switch it to low and then to undervolt it, you will better off using a motherboard that can undervolt 3pin fan on CHA_FAN headers, thus i would recommend to look into an Asus motherboard, personally im not a big fan of them because it requires to use AI Suite, but seems on skylake they implemented some of the FanXpert functionality on the bios.
That said, for a single gpu, with quiet computing in mind, i would recommend the Fractal Design Define R5, you will have a much easier time doing the build, the case is well though with very good cable management, the fans it uses are 140mm, even the ones it comes are decent and easily to brought down to quiet levels either undervolting with a motherboard or using the built in fan controller, still therer are more options of fans available if you desire to change them like Antec True Quiet 140 or Noctuan NF-P14R Redux. Without much hazzle the R5 would end up quieter than FT05, now if you put a lot of effort on the FT05 chosing the right motherboard and tweaking the fans, you can achieve a quiet build also.
Now about the PSU, on the FT05 if you plan on using the 3.5 hdd mount, try to stay with a PSU that is 160mm like Seasonic Platinum 660/760/860, all of them are 160mm, my second suggestion would be the EVGA P2 650 which is 165mm (might be fine, but its 5mm you will have a tighter spot), avoid 170mm PSU, and if you decide to go with bequiet, be sure to check its length if you are going to use the 3.5 hdd mount, if you are not using 3.5 drives, disregard all this comments, as you can place whatever PSU you like.
Video card, Im more a fan of MSI and thier bigger fans and not so aggressive fan profiles, so thats what im going to recommend. I would probably invest less here, into a GTX970 or GTX960, thinking that Pascal is hitting 2016 and i would upgrade there.
That said, for a single gpu, with quiet computing in mind, i would recommend the Fractal Design Define R5, you will have a much easier time doing the build, the case is well though with very good cable management, the fans it uses are 140mm, even the ones it comes are decent and easily to brought down to quiet levels either undervolting with a motherboard or using the built in fan controller, still therer are more options of fans available if you desire to change them like Antec True Quiet 140 or Noctuan NF-P14R Redux. Without much hazzle the R5 would end up quieter than FT05, now if you put a lot of effort on the FT05 chosing the right motherboard and tweaking the fans, you can achieve a quiet build also.
Now about the PSU, on the FT05 if you plan on using the 3.5 hdd mount, try to stay with a PSU that is 160mm like Seasonic Platinum 660/760/860, all of them are 160mm, my second suggestion would be the EVGA P2 650 which is 165mm (might be fine, but its 5mm you will have a tighter spot), avoid 170mm PSU, and if you decide to go with bequiet, be sure to check its length if you are going to use the 3.5 hdd mount, if you are not using 3.5 drives, disregard all this comments, as you can place whatever PSU you like.
Video card, Im more a fan of MSI and thier bigger fans and not so aggressive fan profiles, so thats what im going to recommend. I would probably invest less here, into a GTX970 or GTX960, thinking that Pascal is hitting 2016 and i would upgrade there.
Frequency has very little impact on dedicated GPU builds, Skylake Memory Scaling with Kingston Predator DDR4-3000, if you want more FPS, get a better gpu.nster wrote:I agree with most things said, except I would stick with 2*8GB, and I'd go further in saying avoid 2133Mhz DDR4, as you will lose a few fps with it. Even more important than you think, as it mostly affects Mimimum FPS. 2400-2800Mhz is the sweet spot for DDR4, and for gaming, 2400Mhz is probably enough. I would also stick with CAS 15 if going 2400Mhz, CAS 16 if going 2666Mhz or 2800Mhz. The price difference is really small between 2133Mhz and 2400Mhz anyways
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
I agree on maybe waiting out the high end GFX section a bit if your plans & money allow. A decent GTX960 will serve you nicely until you get a new monitor, even for Witcher 3 if you reduce the settings a bit.
I'm also a fan of getting a good monitor which will then live trough several PC's (I usually upgrade every other generation CPU). I've been smiling every day since august 2013 at my 27" Eizo EV2736W 2560x1440. I will wait out the 4k hype possibly a few years more, depends not only on resolution.
But I really like (literally drooling over) those 34" 3440x1440 IPS high refresh curved monsters you can get these days. Maybe have a look at ACER Predators for example, or similars. Start to save up for that and a spanking new GFX card in 2016.
You'd do well to see if the refresh wars pan out (G-/ FREESYNC) before you buy AMD or Nvidia. Refresh is important!! Moar refresh!!
I'm also a fan of getting a good monitor which will then live trough several PC's (I usually upgrade every other generation CPU). I've been smiling every day since august 2013 at my 27" Eizo EV2736W 2560x1440. I will wait out the 4k hype possibly a few years more, depends not only on resolution.
But I really like (literally drooling over) those 34" 3440x1440 IPS high refresh curved monsters you can get these days. Maybe have a look at ACER Predators for example, or similars. Start to save up for that and a spanking new GFX card in 2016.
You'd do well to see if the refresh wars pan out (G-/ FREESYNC) before you buy AMD or Nvidia. Refresh is important!! Moar refresh!!
Last edited by khaakon on Thu Nov 26, 2015 1:23 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Well the FT05 arrived today, I did contemplate the Fractal R5 but I like my Fortress 02 so much I stuck with the Fortress line.Abula wrote:The FT05 is one of the best air cooling cases imo, but its not the quietest, you do have to work with it, specially the fans, the AP181 biggest strength are their specs 180mmx32mm makes it a massive fan, a single fan is capable of cooling a complete setup, thus how the TJ08-E was design, but at the same time the AP181 isn't the quietest fan around, you have to drop it below 500rpms to be quiet (still noticeable), but to do the dropping you will need to switch it to low and then to undervolt it, you will better off using a motherboard that can undervolt 3pin fan on CHA_FAN headers, thus i would recommend to look into an Asus motherboard, personally im not a big fan of them because it requires to use AI Suite, but seems on skylake they implemented some of the FanXpert functionality on the bios.
How do you think the FT05 compares with the FT02 for quietness?
I would say I want a quiet machine, I don't need a totally silent one.
I did my FT02 build in 2011 because the machine before that (2008) I bought a prebuilt Cyberpower. It was a beast but loud as a jet engine. It was really ridiculous it was so loud. It if was just idling in my home office you could hear it down the hall.
So I vowed to make noise level a part of my planning from then on. I have been happy with the FT02 noise level.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
idk if it was a good representation though. Honestly, I would like a test with an i7 6700K + GTX 970 at max settings on 1080p or 1440p on CPU intensive games, as that is where I feel there might be a difference.edh wrote:I'd stick with 2x4Gb. DDR4 is still young and prices will keep falling on so upgrading to 2x16Gb (the biggest sticks you can get) a year or two down the line when you need more RAM is money better spent.nster wrote:I agree with most things said, except I would stick with 2*8GB
If you use onboard graphics, yes. If you don't use onboard graphics, no. Here is the a recent SPCR DDR4 memory scaling test:nster wrote:and I'd go further in saying avoid 2133Mhz DDR4, as you will lose a few fps with it.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article1478-page1.html
2400MHz stuff sometimes is cheaper than comparable 2133MHz RAM (I just saved 7p!) which makes it worthwhile but at the higher speeds, RAM is not good value. If it was genuinely better don't you think that all of the memory intensive datacentre servers would be running 3000MHz RAM with LED heatspreaders? No, they run plain green, headspreaderless, ECC memory.
I mean if I cherry pick one benchmark on one game, there's Dirt 3's minimum FPS for example that benefits from faster RAM, though this is on X99:
![Image](http://images.anandtech.com/graphs/graph8959/28.png)
There's also TPUs RAM testing with Metro LL:
![Image](https://tpucdn.com/reviews/GSkill/F4-3200C16D-16GTZ/images/metro_lastlight.gif)
But here the performance look like a small difference only, 1.5~2.5FPS only: http://www.legitreviews.com/ddr4-memory ... d_170340/5
Here their testing methodology is a bit stupid to compare 8GB of 2133 to 16GB of 3200, but nonetheless, it can either make my point of more RAM or faster:
![Image](http://hexus.net/media/uploaded/2015/8/04182a44-dc1a-4f15-be8b-a130195563d9.png)
Thing with 8GB vs 16GB is that you'll be populating your slots with 4GB sticks instead of 8GB, which are going to be a waste eventually perhaps. 8GB sticks lets you upgrade to 32GB at about half the price, and lets you use 16GB without populating all the slots. I don't think we are far off games being able to use 6+GB of RAM.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Well made some commitments
Ordered the EVGA Supernova 750 P2 and the Scythe Kotetsu from Amazon (used the link from here)
Also have the Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz and Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 in my wish list at Microcenter and may go pick them up at lunch tomorrow. Micro center had the Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz on sale for $329.99 (plus take another $20 off when I buy it with the mobo), how can I pass that up?
Still need to decide on the video card, the ram and storage.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($347.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($91.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1947.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-10 19:50 EST-0500
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Nw6X8d
Ordered the EVGA Supernova 750 P2 and the Scythe Kotetsu from Amazon (used the link from here)
Also have the Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz and Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 in my wish list at Microcenter and may go pick them up at lunch tomorrow. Micro center had the Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz on sale for $329.99 (plus take another $20 off when I buy it with the mobo), how can I pass that up?
Still need to decide on the video card, the ram and storage.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($94.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($347.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 980 4GB Superclocked ACX 2.0 Video Card ($489.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($91.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1947.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-10 19:50 EST-0500
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Nw6X8d
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
OK
Pretty sure I will go with a 970
It is a little cheaper at Amazon but I am going to go to my local microcenter and hopefully come home with an EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC GAMING Video Card w/ ACX 2.0 Silent Cooling 04G-P4-3975-KR
Maybe they do price matching.
Might leave the ram and ssd decisions until I get to the store but I will have a few potentials in mind.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4428 ... nt_Cooling
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($347.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($339.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($91.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1792.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 00:27 EST-0500
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XdZ8GX
Pretty sure I will go with a 970
It is a little cheaper at Amazon but I am going to go to my local microcenter and hopefully come home with an EVGA GeForce GTX 970 SSC GAMING Video Card w/ ACX 2.0 Silent Cooling 04G-P4-3975-KR
Maybe they do price matching.
Might leave the ram and ssd decisions until I get to the store but I will have a few potentials in mind.
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4428 ... nt_Cooling
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Micro Center)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard ($229.99 @ Micro Center)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($347.99 @ Adorama)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 970 4GB SSC ACX 2.0+ Video Card ($339.99 @ Micro Center)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) ($91.88 @ OutletPC)
Total: $1792.43
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 00:27 EST-0500
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/XdZ8GX
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
EVGA isn't a quiet card choice. MSI Gaming is a better alternative.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
CA_Steve wrote:EVGA isn't a quiet card choice. MSI Gaming is a better alternative.
http://www.microcenter.com/endeca/Compa ... kmcGFnZT0x
Stats looks the best on this one of the four:
GTX 970 GAMING 100ME
http://www.microcenter.com/product/4454 ... Video_Card
http://us.msi.com/product/vga/GTX-970-G ... o-overview
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
The 100ME versions are the same as the standard Gaming Red Twn Frozr, just green and with a backplate, noise wise should be the same.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Went to Microcenter , did some buying.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cwXvrH
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $329.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $209.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($346.78 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive OEM WDBSLA0040HNC-N really (Purchased For $169.99)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB 100 Million Edition Video Card (Purchased For $359.99)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $99.99)
Total: $1969.32
Now just to finalize the ram and ssd on Amazon.
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 16:33 EST-0500
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cwXvrH
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $329.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $209.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws V Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2133 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive ($346.78 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive OEM WDBSLA0040HNC-N really (Purchased For $169.99)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB 100 Million Edition Video Card (Purchased For $359.99)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $99.99)
Total: $1969.32
Now just to finalize the ram and ssd on Amazon.
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 16:33 EST-0500
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Why did you went with the black? WD Red or greeen would been better picks (noise wise) for storage.Nedzzo wrote:Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive OEM WDBSLA0040HNC-N really (Purchased For $169.99)
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
I was going to buy the blue featured here
http://www.silentpcreview.com/WD_Blue_SSHD
But it was out of stock when I went to the store, could have ordered it online but I let myself get talked into buying this one.
He claimed it was only 1dba louder than the blue.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/WD_Blue_SSHD
But it was out of stock when I went to the store, could have ordered it online but I let myself get talked into buying this one.
He claimed it was only 1dba louder than the blue.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Pull this finger...Nedzzo wrote:He claimed it was only 1dba louder than the blue.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
So how bad is it? I haven't opened it yet.
I could get the blue one online.
I ordered the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory in black.
I could get the blue one online.
I ordered the Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory in black.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
The WD Blacks are pretty darn loud. 2 heads, 7200rpm makes for a lot of seek noise. Get the Red or the green-renamed-blue 5400rpm and it'll be a lot quieter.
As for RAM, take a look again at the link in my first reply.
As for RAM, take a look again at the link in my first reply.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
BTW, WD specs for 4TB 3.5" are:
Model, Idle, Seek (ave)
Black, 29dB, 34dB
Red/Green(and 5400 "Blue"), 25dB, 28dB
So, 1dB my ass.
Model, Idle, Seek (ave)
Black, 29dB, 34dB
Red/Green(and 5400 "Blue"), 25dB, 28dB
So, 1dB my ass.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
I bought the Black version of the first ram you linked.
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz (PC4-19200) C14 Memory Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2A2400C14)
CMK16GX4M2A2400C14 instead of the Red CMK16GX4M2A2400C14R
Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2x8GB) DDR4 DRAM 2400MHz (PC4-19200) C14 Memory Kit - Black (CMK16GX4M2A2400C14)
CMK16GX4M2A2400C14 instead of the Red CMK16GX4M2A2400C14R
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Well everything is purchased !
I just have to think about that Black drive. I am not going to open it just yet, might return it tomorrow.
I did go with the big SSD, going to have my OS and steam library and other games on there. The regular hard drive will be for pictures, video, music and various files collected over the years. So I expect it to be idle most of the time.
My current system has two 1 TB WD Black ( WD1002FAEX) so I probably won't notice the difference.
Acoustics
Idle Mode 28 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 0 33 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 3 29 dBA (average)
What I might do is put it all together without the spinning HD and see what it sounds like, if the whole package is way quieter than my current rig (which seems very quiet to me) then I will return the black and get a red.
It does seem like the black is faster though?
Thanks for all the help, I feel like the build was optimized by coming here. The basic plan is the same but I ended up with different brands of mobo, ram, psu and gpu, and that is not counting the reading I did here before I posted.
![Image](http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DMRkYJ)
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $329.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $209.99)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (Purchased For $114.32)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Purchased For $359.99)
Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $169.99)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB 100 Million Edition Video Card (Purchased For $359.99)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Optical Drive: Panasonic UJ-265 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $64.98)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $99.99)
Total: $2071.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 18:35 EST-0500
I just have to think about that Black drive. I am not going to open it just yet, might return it tomorrow.
I did go with the big SSD, going to have my OS and steam library and other games on there. The regular hard drive will be for pictures, video, music and various files collected over the years. So I expect it to be idle most of the time.
My current system has two 1 TB WD Black ( WD1002FAEX) so I probably won't notice the difference.
Acoustics
Idle Mode 28 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 0 33 dBA (average)
Seek Mode 3 29 dBA (average)
What I might do is put it all together without the spinning HD and see what it sounds like, if the whole package is way quieter than my current rig (which seems very quiet to me) then I will return the black and get a red.
It does seem like the black is faster though?
Thanks for all the help, I feel like the build was optimized by coming here. The basic plan is the same but I ended up with different brands of mobo, ram, psu and gpu, and that is not counting the reading I did here before I posted.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant
CPU: Intel Core i7-6700K 4.0GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $329.99)
CPU Cooler: Scythe Kotetsu 79.0 CFM CPU Cooler (Purchased For $47.62)
Motherboard: Asus MAXIMUS VIII HERO ATX LGA1151 Motherboard (Purchased For $209.99)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-2400 Memory (Purchased For $114.32)
Storage: Samsung 950 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive (Purchased For $359.99)
Storage: Western Digital WD Black 4TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (Purchased For $169.99)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 970 4GB 100 Million Edition Video Card (Purchased For $359.99)
Case: Silverstone FT05B ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $174.99)
Power Supply: EVGA SuperNOVA P2 750W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply (Purchased For $139.99)
Optical Drive: Panasonic UJ-265 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $64.98)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Home OEM (64-bit) (Purchased For $99.99)
Total: $2071.84
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2015-11-11 18:35 EST-0500
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
The FT05 doesnt have much space to suspend the drive, to me its a no brainer, black = noise, no 5.25 slots to enlcose it nor to suspend it.... better not mess with it. WD Red and Green have very good transfer rate, where they suffer is in their latency over blacks, also some sequantials but really not something that matters much. Unless you got the black for editing and willing to put up with the noise, you better of with WD Red or Green, either its a good storage drive, you can look into my singature, thats how i have my FT05.Nedzzo wrote:I just have to think about that Black drive. I am not going to open it just yet, might return it tomorrow.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Well I opened the case last night and there is a hdd frame but it is optional and having it kind of blocks some air flow.
So the more I think about it maybe a secondary SSD would be the best.
Also I really don't even need to add that today, my old machine is staying in the house, I don't need to move photos and videos to the new one, I have a NAS in the basement. I think I just was in the mindset "must have regular HHD too" and got carried away with 4TB being relatively cheap. My current machine only have about 700GB used between my 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD (2 in a Raid 1, I didn't have the NAS back then for easy backup).
So I will leave the black in the wrapping until I can get back to the store.
So the more I think about it maybe a secondary SSD would be the best.
Also I really don't even need to add that today, my old machine is staying in the house, I don't need to move photos and videos to the new one, I have a NAS in the basement. I think I just was in the mindset "must have regular HHD too" and got carried away with 4TB being relatively cheap. My current machine only have about 700GB used between my 128GB SSD and 1TB HDD (2 in a Raid 1, I didn't have the NAS back then for easy backup).
So I will leave the black in the wrapping until I can get back to the store.
On the subject of non-scaling UIs...
Normally, when you run a monitor at non-native resolutions, the image needs to be scaled and, as a result, you end up with blurry edges and hard-to-read text. This doesn't happen, however, if you scale at an exact multiple of 2. When the scaling is an exact multiple of 2, every pixel of data is converted into a precise 2x2 block of pixels on the screen — so no interpolation and no blurriness.Nedzzo wrote:I am still using a monitor from 2008! Viewsonic VX2835wm 1920x1200
I notice that 28" monitors aren't common anymore.
I am also going to replace the monitor, although not necessarily right away.
One of the games I play the most is an MMO, Dungeons and Dragons Online, it is older and the UI is not scalable so my hotbars will be very very tiny if I got to a 4K monitor unless I don't run in native resolution.
One of the reasons I have held onto this old monitor. I am starting to play that game less though , it is going to be 10 years old this spring. So time to move on to a new monitor or monitors.
Three seems excessive, two would be a nice amount of real estate but I don't like the line in the center. The ultra wide monitors are cool but not that tall.
So the monitor area is one that I want to improve but am very undecided about.
Since a 16:9 aspect ratio 4K display (3840x2160, aka 2160p) is exactly a 2x2 grid of 1K (1920x1080, aka 1080p) displays, what that means is that every pixel of 1080p graphics output will get scaled up to exactly a 2x2pixel block of screen — no blurriness.
So, for anyone out there who is happy gaming or otherwise viewing a 1920x1080p display, realise that you can upgrade to a 4k display and, if the size of the screen is exactly the same as what you currently have now, then you can force the display into 1080p mode and everything will look exactly the same as it does on your current monitor. There won't be any blurriness. Non-scaling UI elements (like toolbars, hotbars, minimaps, chat windows, etc.) won't get any smaller.
Put another way, a 28" 4K (2160p) display, forced into non-native 1080p mode, will look exactly the same as a 28" 1K display, running in native 1080p mode.
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
But how will it look at 1920x1200? ![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Re: Gaming Build Fortress FT05B
Well I didn't stick with the old 2008 monitor for long. About two weeks after my I got my computer built (so December 2015) I bought a Dell U3415W , hotbar icons are small in the game I still play the most but it is an awesome monitor.
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accesso ... u=210-ADTR
https://www.dell.com/en-us/shop/accesso ... u=210-ADTR