How is this build?

For gaming which is still primarily a single core task, maybe more for a select few but not over quad core needed, the Intel 7700k beats the 1600x partly due to its faster clock.     For multi-tasking, streaming while you game, the added cores of the 1600 put it ahead of the 7700k.     For gaming get the 7700k.

I would change the 750 watt B1 for the G1 for another $39.   It’s Gold vs Bronze and a fully modular box.

Your monitor resolution determines the video card.    Gtx 1070 for 1080p and most 1440p.   The 1080 is for higher 1440p.     

Hope this helps.

Edited by bprat22 - 23 Sep 2017 at 2:28pm

If you go for the 7700k then it Turbos to 4.5 so you don’t need the extra overclock unless you went to the stage 2 to 4.8 and I wouldn’t do it myself.     The gpu overclock also isn’t needed with DS not giving it much of a boost.    

If you stay with AMD 1600 then I’m not sure what clock overclocking would give you.    

I would go 7700k, no overclocks and your cooler is good.   

I would stick with basic oc and then oc the cpu yourself if you feel like you need it, for gpu i don't recommend ocing that here either, I would do that one myself, as the guys pointed it out that is very easy to do.

The guys pretty much covered it lol didn't leave me much to say.

Edited by DST4ME - 23 Sep 2017 at 6:00pm

Lol touchy subject, we only have msi or asus here

well, since i can't seem to find a config anywhere that offers the I5-7600K, i guess my entire point was moot.  you can always build it yourself and get exactly the parts you want. 

just change your original build to include 16GB of ram, upgrade the cooler to the DS 240mm AIO LC, the 600W psu is fine, downgrade the mobo to the standard B350M since you;ll only be using 1 pcie slot and from what i hear they oc the Ryzen procs fine.  the upgraded cooler will allow you to oc better.  from what i can tell fiddling with the configurator those changes come to $1,882.  but in all honesty if you go with that, it's a better value to just buy the top of the line Vanquish.

if you drop down to 1080p you can save money with the GTX 1060 and also find feature rich, fast monitors under $300.  entry level for just basic 1440p starts at $300 and that's for slow models with bare bones features.  if you want a comparable 1440p experience you'd have to realistically look at twice the cost, so $600 and up. 


Edited by db188 - 23 Sep 2017 at 7:15pm

For the motherboard, for the majority of gamers without special needs, any mobo will do.   When helping with builds I tend to skip the cheapest, ignore the most expensive unless one needs multi graphics cards or high overclocking, and pick a mid board.    The middle of the road usually has better components like heat sinks, caps, etc for just another $30-50.    

The Asus Tuff has reinforced slots, etc and comes with a 5 year warranty, much more than the typical 3 year warranty because of its construction.    Would you need the extra warranty or actually use it ? Never know.

The MSI Pro Carbon is another mid choice.    

Very nice and all excellent choices.  

I personally would opt for the 7700k.  Even though the K is unlocked for overclocking and you won't be oc'ing, it does have the faster Turbo clock, 4.2 vs 4.5.  It's not a big difference, but does help if you upgraded the video card in 3 years and wanted less likely bottle-necking.   Bottle-necking can be over emphasized, not usually a game changer,  so really up to each.

As is, the rig is right on.  I would just tweak the cpu but not needed if the budget is screaming at you.  

Good luck and keep us posted. 

You don’t need the Maximus Hero for overclocking. The MSI would be just fine. The Maximus does make it easier and I think it’s audio is also better.    Nothing wrong going with a high end mobo.   You do get more.   For the average user, a mid level is all that’s needed.

It is a good idea going for a better cpu cooler if you want to overclock.    

If you’re thinking maybe a 1440p Monitor then the gtx 1080 is the right pick.

Got me there.     I don’t oc myself, but leave it to DS and their moderate amount.

It’s not that much more for their work, even though it is easy thru Bios, etc, and they cover it if something goes wrong.     

i'm not really sure why you won't go with the $1,800 Vanquish, it's got everything (w/the exception of the cpu cooler) you need.  you could just order the $85 Noctua D15 or be Quiet Dark Pro 3 air cooler from Amazon or Newegg; or for LC the Corsair H100i V2 240mm AIO for $110 and install it yourself.  saves you money for that monitor upgrade and you get almost same performance (smaller ssd in the 240GB drive that comes with the Vanquish). 

you can also buy a 1TB M.2 NVMe ssd from either Samsung (960 EVO) or Plextor (M9Pe 2280) for around $450 if you want extra large ssd storage.  both offer excellent price>performance value.  both have half the capacity/half the price variants as well. 

Originally posted by rai-zero thanks I am totally niave regarding OC of processor is there a good resource to walk me through it?

first thing you'll want to do is dl/install the mobo vendor's software (MSI's Click Bios or Asus' AI Suite) that allows you to changes settings from the desktop instead of having to go into the UEFI/bios. 

next, you'll want to dl/intsall Core Temp or HWMonitor to monitor your temps, voltages, power readings, clocks, utilizations, etc. having 2 monitors really helps with your testing/monitoring.  also, dl/install Prime95 to stress and benchmark your cpu. 

once you're all setup with the apps, you're ready to get your baseline performance numbers prior to oc.  you'll want to run Prime95's blend test for about 5 mins or so to get your cpu stressed enough (the system will automatically boost all of its power settings) to evaluate how it's performing at stock speeds/voltage.  if you blue screen/crash at this stage things don't bode well for you and i'd consider returning the cpu as defective. 

once you have your stock vcore, clocks, and thermal numbers (i suggest keeping a journal handy to record), you're ready to proceed with the actual oc process.

you'll want to adjust the cpu core(s) multiplier ONLY at this stage.  set all cores to the same multiplier.  they will already be set to their default (record this as well).  you can start by either increasing it incrementally by 1 each time and then stress test it, or you can select a max multiplier you think your proc should be able to handle with your cooling capacity and then stress test it.  if you do the latter, you're almost certain to BSOD if the multiplier is high enough.  it's probably best to increase it incrementally over stock by 1 until you BSOD.

once you reach the max multiplier with stock voltage that doesn't cause you to BSOD, you will now begin to increase the vcore (voltage).  start off increasing vcore by .01-.05mV and then stress test with Prime95 each increment change.  run the test until you BSOD.  the idea is to keep increasing the vcore until you no longer crash due to instability.  just don't exceed the recommended max vcore for your proc (probably 1.4V).  once you think you have a stable combination of multiplier and vcore, you'll want to stress test with Prime95 for much longer (probably run it for 24 hours) to insure stability.  quick and sloppy oc'ing can cause corruption and instability as well as decrease the lifetime of your proc. 

if you're lucky with the silicon lottery, you'll have a chip that requires less voltage to hit higher clock speeds.  if you're cursed you'll get a lemon that requires too much voltage to hit any real speed benefits.  most of us fall in between and we have to settle for moderate gains with acceptable voltages.  of course, the more superior cooling you have will offset some of the silicon's short comings.  good luck with it.  please also reference more in depth guides for your specific proc from around the web. 

you'll notice i didn't touch on memory in this little guide.  memory should be left alone/set to run at its rated speed while overclocking the proc.  you can set the memory to run at its XMP profile after you overclock the cpu, or you can manually overclock the memory as well.  the internet guides cover this more in depth and i refer you to them.   

the 7700k is a beast at stock (turbo up to 4.5GHz), but you can still squeeze another 300MHz out of it even with average silicon relatively easy.  if you have good silicon and superior LC you might even push it over 5GHz!

Fan noise is easy to deal with, replace fans with quiet ones. But as mentioned most times the loudest fan is the gpu fan, make sure you set the fan speed yourself so its not max speed 24/7, also depending on your case you want to decide what type air cooling style you want on gpu, blower or multi style, as db mentioned.

Edited by DST4ME - 24 Sep 2017 at 5:49pm

Digital Storm usually has new products in their builds the day of release.    Gotta stay on top and competitive.  

Coffee Lake is still just Sky Lake cores coupled with Kaby Lake integrated graphic cores, they're just unlocking the additional core counts throughout their lineup.  the real chip to wait for (for anyone upgrading) is their 10nm Cannon Lake (now pushed back even futher to late 2018/early 2019).  Coffee Lake is really what should've been offered before AMD launched Ryzen, but in typical Intel fashion they held it back just so they could trump AMD.