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New desktop build purchased through NewEgg (carrying over my HD and DVD-burner)
Case: Antec One Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$49.99
Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TW3X4G1333C9
$29.99
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$69.99
CPU Cooling: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler
$32.98
Motherboard ASUS P8H67-M LE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
$104.99
Processor Intel Core i5-2300 Sandy Bridge 2.8GHz (3.1GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52300
$179.99
Video Card EVGA 01G-P3-1370-TR GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$159.99
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Total ~$630
My last desktop build was like 6 years ago. That desktop was running well for a few years, but with the amount of programming classes I was taking at RIT, I really could use a laptop for working with my groups and such. Got a decent performing laptop, but it's not a gaming laptop by any means. Within like 20 minutes of playing SC2 at lowest settings, it starts getting pretty hot, so I just stop playing after a few games. Nothing else drives up the temperature - just SC2. I really want to be able to play games longer without worrying about heating issues, so back to desktop builds I go! I'll keep my laptop for hooking up to my TV and taking to class and whatever.
I built the desktop based off of recommendations in the Tech Support forum as well as a link in some thread to some magazine I forget that posts a monthly recommended build (vague I know).
I miss having a nice gaming desktop and don't really want to waste my time and money on getting a big clunky heavy laptop that might just end up with heating issues too.
Some other recent upgrades of note... for maybe 9 years I've been using Sennheiser HD 202 headphones. Best headphones I ever had - just recently one of the headphone wires freyed and stopped producing sound though. I searched a bunch of reviews online, especially on HeadRoom, for new recommendations. I now have Grado SR 60i ($80) and Sony MDR-XB300 ($40). The only things I don't like about them...
Grado's leak sound like CRAZY. I know they are "open" headphones, but it's pretty ridiculous. I was tempted to return the headphones because of it - but it really doesn't get in the way of anything. I just don't use them in public.
Sony's default cord is much too short. I had to buy a headphone extension cord. This is the one that I use in public - mostly at work.
Can't wait til I get my new build...
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Why didn't you ask for advice before purchasing? You could have saved at least $60 since you the Antec Earthwatts 650w is overpriced and is absolute overkill for such a configuration considering how you won't even reach 50% of 650w with it. The H67 motherboard is $105... you might as well get a P67 or Z68 at this price point and overclock by 400MHz or you could have stepped down to a less expensive board. Why an aftermarket heatsink when you can't even overclock? Why pay for cas8 memory (I can only assume a $30 kit is cas8 ...) when there is any negligible benefits in gaming?
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I do not want to overclock my stuff.
The heatsink was just cuz well it was recommended somewhere lol. May not be needed, but cannot hurt.
And really $30 for 4 GB of DDR3 memory... I don't need to nickel and dime that. A few months ago DDR3 memory was like $90. I haven't been following the price trends lately.
About the PSU - I never know how much watts I should get. I didn't feel wasting my time going through whatever crazy formulas to estimate it, so I overshot it. I based my estimation on a similar build through IBuyPower . It recommended a 700 watter, but I knew that was too much. I didn't want to go cheap on the PSU like I usually do.
About the motherboard... it was just recommended and I didn't think anything of it.
The way I look at computer builds... over the 3+ years I use it, will I regret not spending another $50-100 for something better? And over the course of 3 years, or 36 months, that $100 is only another $3 a month. I may not be rich, but I can afford that luxury for something I use all the damn time!
Next build I'll ask for advice to try to save some money. Thanks for the feedback.
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why not use your old computer case? and 600 watt psu is more than enough and you can get radeon 6870 for the same price :|
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My old computer case is pretty crappy. Not happy with working inside it, part of the front panel is busted, and some of the usb connections in the front end short out stuff plugged into it for too long (like if I left usb controllers plugged into it for multiple days).
Screw Radeon lol. Everywhere I read had this Geforce recommended over the lot by far.
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On September 21 2011 13:18 Assault_1 wrote:
why not use your old computer case? and 600 watt psu is more than enough and you can get radeon 6870 for the same price :|
why would he downgrade his GPU like that :p
But no its really sad you can't compare GPU's anymore with video games these days having such crazy differences between the 2 companies. EVE had an update I remember that killed a whole bunch of radion cards because they died trying to play the same graphics that a 30% cheaper nividia card did just fine with.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130661
you could have bought that with the money you saved with the cheaper psu. If you want to upgrade you computer later on then that extra psu will be really good for you.
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On September 21 2011 13:25 sermokala wrote:Show nested quote +On September 21 2011 13:18 Assault_1 wrote:
why not use your old computer case? and 600 watt psu is more than enough and you can get radeon 6870 for the same price :| why would he downgrade his GPU like that :p But no its really sad you can't compare GPU's anymore with video games these days having such crazy differences between the 2 companies. EVE had an update I remember that killed a whole bunch of radion cards because they died trying to play the same graphics that a 30% cheaper nividia card did just fine with. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130661you could have bought that with the money you saved with the cheaper psu. If you want to upgrade you computer later on then that extra psu will be really good for you.
Both the Radeon HD6850 and HD6870 is better than the GTX 460 in performance and consumes less power as well... Unless you're a fanboy (I guess you are), purchasing a GTX 460 is a poor choice and so is purchasing a GTX 560.
EVE heavily favors Nvidia, everyone who played the game knows this. It's unfortunate garbage developers favor one over the other.
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I never would have imagined how HUGE a change the new build is. Instead of having slowdown and eventual heat issues on lowest settings playing SC2, I now play at Extreme settings with absolutely no slowdowns!
I forgot how much a pain in the ass it is putting in the IO shield and hooking up everything on the motherboard though. Next time I'll either just go through iBuyPower or buy a case with a separate motherboard tray. At least I only cut myself once during the build - I swore like 500 times though.
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EPT
