The $1000 Fallout 4 build
The $1000 Fallout 4 build
By Besle
What's up everyone, this is Besle with a new build compilation.
This time around i've been focusing on getting a good build going for some Fallout 4 gaming, and found parts that according to various benchmarks and gaming websites should be able to run the game at Ultra 1080, while averaging on the much wanted 60fps.
This build is not intended to get the most value of the money, but rather to get a decent all-round build in which you get good performance, and good components as well. Through the compilation i'll try and note which components you're able to switch out with a cheaper alternative, without reducing performance too much.
On to the first component
The CPU
Intel I5 4690K
I chose the slightly more expensive 4690K model in this particular build, as it just about caps the performance at 60FPS stable while running at stock clocks. At the price it's a great CPU, that offers great overclockability if you run it with a custom cooler. You wouldn't have much problems running other programs with this CPU as well, as it is an overall good model for gaming.
It's possible to switch the 4690K out with a 4460 instead, however you'd lose overclockability, and the lower standard clock on the 4460 might result in a lower average framerate, meaning you'd dip just below the wanted 60FPS. This is however easy to fix if you play with lowered graphical settings.
**
WARNING! Overclock at your own risk. Overclocking a CPU can void your warranty and cause other problems!
No peripherals, accesories or operative systems have been used in the total price. Note that prices are prone to vary, due to sales and rebates being offered at the time of writing.**
The CPU cooler
Cryorig H7
Cryorig is a somewhat new cooling company on the market, but have already pushed out some great performance coolers, that look great as well. The H7 is a rather low priced cooler, which performs pretty good on a overall scale, while being a lot more silent than even more expensive alternatives.
In terms of temperatures it's close to the Cooler Master 212 while running stock speeds, but it does distance itself during overclocking, while being a lot more silent as well.
It's quite possibly to switch the cooler out with a cheaper model, or just stick with the stock cooler all together. I recommend this cooler however, due to low noise levels, and decent headroom for overclocking.
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The Motherboard
MSI Z97S Sli Krait
The Sli Krait Edition by MSI is the mid-end model put out by MSI, targetted towards people who want decent a decent amount of features and good quality, without paying too much. It offers support for Sli, good overclockability, and average sound and netcard. All in all a great motherboard for the price, which also fits the general color theme for the build.
It's very much possible to switch this motherboard out with a cheaper model, and even go for a H97 or B85 if needed. You will, however, lose a lot of features in comparison with this model, although none that afffects your performance directly.
The RAM
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
Pretty much the most average RAM you can get, of good quality. The Corsair Vengeance RAM has been a popular set for a long while, and for good reasons. Low price, good speed, and decent looks makes these RAM well known and liked in the PC building community, and with 16GB of RAM you'll be able to run Chrome as well.
If you feel the need to save money in this scenario, go with a single set of 2x4GB of RAM instead, the performance impact will be miniscule if you don't run a lot of program or mods while playing Fallout.
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The Storage
Storage 1 - BX100 250GB SSD
Every good build needs an SSD, and this one is no different. The chosen SSD, the BX100, is a great bang-for-the-buck model, that offers great performance at a somewhat low price. I recommend using it for your operative system, and a couple of games that you play the most.
Storage 2 - WD Blue 1TB
Having only 250GB available space in your computer might become a bit tedious, so i've added the WD Blue 1TB drive as well. Great all-round drive, that offers a lot of performance at a decent price.
If you want to save money in this scenario, i'd recommend either dropping the SSD or HDD depending on your needs, or switch either one for a cheaper model.
The GPU
Asus Strix GTX 970
The GTX 970 should be well known around know, for better or worse. A lot of controversies has been raised around this card, but as it is it still stands as one of the better cards on the market. This particular model by Asus, the STRIX model, allows for a zero-fan mode. This means running the card while doing nothing, like browsing or watching netflix, effectively turns the fan on the card off. The fan will automatically start up again when it hits a certain temperature level, but untill then you can enjoy the sweet bliss of silence from this card.
I do not recommend switching this card with a cheaper one, if you want to get the minimum of 60FPS in Fallout 4. I do not recommend switching to a AMD either in this particular case, as Nvidia Gameworks, a technology used in Fallout 4, punishes AMD badly. For now Nvidia is the way to go, untill new AMD drivers hits the market.
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The Case
NZXT S340 White
The chosen case not only looks stylish, it also offers decent airflow and features. The front consists of pretty much nothing, as NZXT chose to ditch all 5.25" drive bays, in favor of getting a much sleeker design. If you own or need an optical drive, this case wouldn't be the best choice.
The case offers native support for SSD's, meaning you won't have to deal with unnecessary brackets, and comes with a total of 2 fans by default. It is possible to expand the amount of fans with 2 more, or switch them out with a 120/240mm rad instead for you watercooling guys out there.
There's a lot of cheaper options than the S340 out there, and most offer the same amount of features as this one do. I chose the S340 based on my subjective taste of the design.
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The Power Supply Unit
EVGA SuperNOVA 110 B2 750w
The B2 SuperNOVA by EVGA is a great value power supply, and even more so as it is on sale at the time of writing. It offers great quality components made by Superflower, and is a semi-modular unit allowing for easier cable wiring.
It is possible to save a bit on the power supply, but while the savings are still active i honestly wouldn't recommend it as this is the best bang-for-the-buck you can get right now.
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Conclusion & Price
And that brings us to the end of this build. While it certainly isn't the most price effective build i've ever done, it does come with a lot of features that would be absent in a cheaper build.
Total price: $1004.70
If you use Mail-In rebates as well.
Link for the parts: pcpartpicker.com/p/ghsLGX
I hope you've enjoyed the build. Feel free to discuss, or provide constructive criticism in the comment section below. You're free to request a different kind of build.
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