Comments/advice requested on this game orientated build, please

[Bandred]

I have had a mixed experience with Windows 8 and I'm putting together a Windows 7 based upgrade, with some longevity, while I see how Windows 10 shapes up. Although gaming will be the main use it will be used for other activities as well.

A GTX 970 sli build seemed the best option at the start, but opinions regarding sli in practice are mixed and I would prefer a hassle free option. I'm not interested in going above a 1440p resolution and the build is based on the GTX 980. However, I have chosen other components to support adding a second gpu at some future date, if the need arises.

I've chosen the Fractal Design case because it looks as though it should provide the best cooling in the mid tower range. I have used the Coolermaster HAF 922 in the past, but it's not in the PCS list anymore. Any thoughts, or experience, with the Fractal Design case would be appreciated.

I don't currently own a 1440p monitor and advice on that subject would be welcome. I notice there is another separate monitor thread but any thoughts here won't be rejected. I'm currently using a 1080p monitor, EIZO S2243W, and I've been very pleased with it. I want to stick with an IPS ( or equivalent technology ) monitor for preference and the EIZO EV2736W got a 'good all-round 27" screen' from TFT Central ( http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/eizo_ev2736w.htm ) I had more or less made up my mind to go with that until along came the .... Acer Predator XB270HU .... with its G-Sync and maximum 144Hz refresh rate ( http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/acer_xb270hu.htm ) Benchmarks suggest that GTX 980 will straddle the 60fps mark for the more demanding games, with a bias towards the higher side. If my understanding is correct, this could make the higher refresh rate and G-Sync desirable features. So I guess the question is, are they desirable enough for the extra £300 they will cost ?

Thanks in advance for any comments,

Mike



Case
FRACTAL DESIGN ARC MIDI R2 MID-TOWER CASE
Processor (CPU)
Intel® Core™i7 Quad Core Processor i7-4790k (4.0GHz) 8MB Cache
Motherboard
ASUS® Z97-PRO GAMER: ATX, USB3.0, SATA 6GB/S, SLi, XFIRE
Memory (RAM)
16GB KINGSTON HYPER-X BEAST DUAL-DDR3 2133MHz X.M.P (2 x 8GB)
Graphics Card
4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 980 - 1 DVI, 1 mHDMI, 3 mDP - 3D Vision Ready
1st Hard Disk
500GB Samsung 850 EVO SSD, SATA 6Gb/s (upto 540MB/sR | 520MB/sW)
2nd Hard Disk
3TB WD CAVIAR BLACK WD3003FZEX, SATA 6 Gb/s, 64MB CACHE (7200rpm)
1st DVD/BLU-RAY Drive
24x DUAL LAYER DVD WRITER ±R/±RW/RAM
Power Supply
CORSAIR 1000W RM SERIES™ MODULAR 80 PLUS® GOLD, ULTRA QUIET
Processor Cooling
CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO (120mm) Fan CPU Cooler
Thermal Paste
ARCTIC MX-4 EXTREME THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY COMPOUND
Sound Card
ONBOARD 6 CHANNEL (5.1) HIGH DEF AUDIO (AS STANDARD)
Wireless/Wired Networking
10/100/1000 GIGABIT LAN PORT (Wi-Fi NOT INCLUDED)
USB Options
MIN. 2 x USB 3.0 & 4 x USB 2.0 PORTS @ BACK PANEL + MIN. 2 FRONT PORTS
Power Cable
1 x 1 Metre UK Power Cable (Kettle Lead)
Operating System
Genuine Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit w/SP1 - inc DVD & Licence
Windows 10 Upgrade
FREE Upgrade to Windows 10 with all Windows 7 & Windows 8.1 Purchases*
DVD Recovery Media
Windows 7 Professional (64-bit) DVD with paper sleeve
Office Software
NO OFFICE SOFTWARE
Anti-Virus
NO ANTI-VIRUS SOFTWARE
External Hard Drive
WD 4TB My Book USB 3.0 External HDD WDBFJK0040HBK
Warranty
3 Year Silver Warranty (1 Year Collect & Return, 1 Year Parts, 3 Year Labour)
Delivery

 

[Utilize]

I'm not too hot on monitor specifics but I'd say the 980 is basically the sweet spot for 1440p. It'll basically max anything at 1080p. As for making use of a 144Hz monitor, I doubt you'd be able to make full use of it without turning down quite a lot of settings, and by this point it may not have been worth it. You will feel a difference compared to 60Hz though (if your FPS reaches above 60 of course). Not sure if this helped too much, gonna need someone else to fill in on the monitor specifics side of things.

 

[Fantana]

I'd avoid the 970 just because it doesn't really enable access to the full 4 GB of vram, maybe you're aware of the 3.5 GB vram scandal.
The 980 is a great card, I myself ordered a build with a 980 from PCS and then added a second 980 myself. It handles 1080p seamlessly. The 980 is also great with Nvidia's DSR technology, look into it, it renders a game at a higher, more detailed resolution and intelligently shrinks the result back down to the resolution of your monitor, giving you up to 4K, 3840x2160-quality graphics on any screen. I'm playing The Witcher 3 rendered at 4K and downsampled to my 1080p monitor, running steady at 60fps and it looks breathtaking. I considered getting a 4k monitor but with DSR technology I don't feel the need.
With regard to a 144Hz monitor, I've used one before, and honestly I don't think they really give much for what they're worth. 60fps is perfect for gaming and the human eye can't really notice a higher refresh rate most of the time. 144Hz will also be taxing on your GPU, better to get 60Hz and have all graphics settings set to ultra than 144Hz and mediocre to substandard graphics.
The 980 is also a great card for overclocking and runs stable with zero to minimal voltage increase.

 

[SpyderTracks]

I would agree about 144hz monitors being a little redundant. As an alternative apparently the g sync monitors offer a much better experience.

 

[Bandred]

Thanks all for the responses, they have helped to clarify my thoughts.

Sorry if my comments about a 144HZ monitor were misleading. All G-Sync monitors sold by Overclockers UK are described as having a refresh rate of 144Hz, but, if my understanding of G-Sync is correct, 144Hz is the maximum rate that G-Sync will work at. So, whatever frame rate your GPU is producing at any one time, if it is less than 144 fps the monitor refresh rate will be adjusted downwards to match that frame rate. G-Sync might be a nice thing to have if you get stuttering with V-Sync on, but I haven't seen anything to justify the cost so far. The big thing about the Predator XB270HU is that it is, I believe, the first 'IPS' monitor with G-Sync.

At this point I'm going to forget about upgrading my monitor for now and play around with the existing one some more. Since there is now no monitor cost to allow for, I'm going to spec for a GTX980 sli build. It will give me some experience with sli, and if it's too much hassle, one of them can replace the GTX760 in my Windows 8 PC, ready for checking out Windows 10.

 

[Fantana]

I'm going to spec for a GTX980 sli build. It will give me some experience with sli, and if it's too much hassle, one of them can replace the GTX760 in my Windows 8 PC, ready for checking out Windows 10.

I would consider waiting a week or two before ordering. The GTX 980ti is about to be released and that should/could result in somewhat of a price drop for the 980s.
You can still create a build on the site and save the quote.

And sli really is no hassle at all. Very simple to set up and gives a great performance boost.