|
When using this resource, please read FragKrag's opening post. The Tech Support forum regulars have helped create countless of desktop systems without any compensation. The least you can do is provide all of the information required for them to help you properly. |
On January 22 2013 01:41 Coil1 wrote:
What is your budget?
800$-1000$
What is your resolution?
1600x900
What are you using it for?
Mostly gaming. I don't do photoshop or similar things. Streaming is a possibility but not a concern.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I plan to order the parts as soon as the list is finalized.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg but this is mostly because I'm not sure what other good hardware sites are out there. If there's other stores you guy recommend I'm all for it.
I'd like to thank you all in advance for this. I've been stuck on this horrible little mini-computer for a while now and it'll feel good to have a good machine again.
I'm building a computer right now, around this budget. And let me say, you can definitely include a 1920x1080 display in your build, within budget. But if you're intent on keeping the 1600 resolution for a while. Then a 800 dollar budget is definitely overkill imo.
Just a quick overview of what you should think about buying.
i5-3570k for ~230
z77 mobo ~100-150
2x4gb ddr3 1600 ~40
HDD 1tb ~100
geforce 660gtx~250 or amd 7850 for ~200
case ~100
monitor~150
psu~40
Yeah, this pretty "general", but it's more to show where your budget is being allocated.
|
On January 21 2013 21:00 Rollin wrote:
Closed loop coolers are objectively bad unless you can't fit a tower air cooler in your case.
How are they "objectively bad" when the top closed loop coolers outperform the top air coolers?
|
On January 22 2013 03:54 Craton wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2013 21:00 Rollin wrote:
Closed loop coolers are objectively bad unless you can't fit a tower air cooler in your case. How are they "objectively bad" when the top closed loop coolers outperform the top air coolers?
Because, if you're really overclocking to the levels where you need that performance, you probably ought to be going custom loop for your 3-way SLI/CFX flagship cards. High end air is all you need for any OC that isn't slamming face first into the inefficient voltage wall.
Closed loop is best for small cases and frequently transported rigs.
|
On January 22 2013 03:42 wei2coolman wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2013 01:41 Coil1 wrote:
What is your budget?
800$-1000$
What is your resolution?
1600x900
What are you using it for?
Mostly gaming. I don't do photoshop or similar things. Streaming is a possibility but not a concern.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I plan to order the parts as soon as the list is finalized.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg but this is mostly because I'm not sure what other good hardware sites are out there. If there's other stores you guy recommend I'm all for it.
I'd like to thank you all in advance for this. I've been stuck on this horrible little mini-computer for a while now and it'll feel good to have a good machine again. I'm building a computer right now, around this budget. And let me say, you can definitely include a 1920x1080 display in your build, within budget. But if you're intent on keeping the 1600 resolution for a while. Then a 800 dollar budget is definitely overkill imo. Just a quick overview of what you should think about buying. i5-3570k for ~230 z77 mobo ~100-150 2x4gb ddr3 1600 ~40 HDD 1tb ~100 geforce 660gtx~250 or amd 7850 for ~200 case ~100 monitor~150 psu~40 Yeah, this pretty "general", but it's more to show where your budget is being allocated.
I'm pretty nooby when it comes to computers. Are most monitors 1920x1080 now?
Also, thanks misterfred! Though, you seemed to have forgotten the link for the psu.
Is this what you're talking about?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013
In which case, they're out of stock.
I took a cursory glance at PSUs of similar wattage and price and got this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016
Is that any good?
|
On January 22 2013 03:30 wei2coolman wrote:
Hmmmm, alrighty, you guys convinced me. Building i5 rig, with i5-2500k (only 150bucks at microcenter, fucking STEAL). Getting matx mobo, any suggestions? (would like it to have 4 memory slots).
Also, since 2500k is sandy bridge, and I would like to OC it, is it necessary to get the z77?
Overclocking requires a Z chipset so yes you need a Z77, Z75, or older Z68.
mATX boards that come to mind are the Asrock Z77 Pro4-M, MSI Z77MA-G45, and ASUS P8Z77-M. Not sure why you're limiting yourself to mATX when you were considering a Corsair Carbide 200R a few pages ago. There are lots of sales on Newegg right now for ATX boards, the Gigabyte Z77X-D3H, MSI Z77 G55, ASUS P8Z77 LK are all something like $130, $115 after mail in rebate. Microcenter also has some board discounts such as the Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H, Asrock Z77 Extreme4, ASUS P8Z77-V LK for about $100 when purchased with a 3570k (not sure if it applies to the 2500k so you may want to ask before committing to anything)
On January 22 2013 03:54 Craton wrote:Show nested quote +On January 21 2013 21:00 Rollin wrote:
Closed loop coolers are objectively bad unless you can't fit a tower air cooler in your case. How are they "objectively bad" when the top closed loop coolers outperform the top air coolers?
The difference between flagship radiator heatsinks such as the Noctua NH-D14 and the Corsair H80i or H100i is only a few degrees. Many individuals don't consider the jump to be worth the extra money (like $40) and the trouble of potential pump failure.
On January 22 2013 04:04 Coil1 wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On January 22 2013 03:42 wei2coolman wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2013 01:41 Coil1 wrote:
What is your budget?
800$-1000$
What is your resolution?
1600x900
What are you using it for?
Mostly gaming. I don't do photoshop or similar things. Streaming is a possibility but not a concern.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I plan to order the parts as soon as the list is finalized.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg but this is mostly because I'm not sure what other good hardware sites are out there. If there's other stores you guy recommend I'm all for it.
I'd like to thank you all in advance for this. I've been stuck on this horrible little mini-computer for a while now and it'll feel good to have a good machine again. I'm building a computer right now, around this budget. And let me say, you can definitely include a 1920x1080 display in your build, within budget. But if you're intent on keeping the 1600 resolution for a while. Then a 800 dollar budget is definitely overkill imo. Just a quick overview of what you should think about buying. i5-3570k for ~230 z77 mobo ~100-150 2x4gb ddr3 1600 ~40 HDD 1tb ~100 geforce 660gtx~250 or amd 7850 for ~200 case ~100 monitor~150 psu~40 Yeah, this pretty "general", but it's more to show where your budget is being allocated. I'm pretty nooby when it comes to computers. Are most monitors 1920x1080 now? Also, thanks misterfred! Though, you seemed to have forgotten the link for the psu. Is this what you're talking about? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013In which case, they're out of stock. I took a cursory glance at PSUs of similar wattage and price and got this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016Is that any good?
No that is not good. You want a Rosewill Capstone 450 for $65: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 If you want to go cheaper then you have the Corsair CX430 for $40 ($20 after mail in rebate): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139026
|
Thanks! I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be good. Thanks for the recommendation.
On a further note, is there anything that can potentially shaved off of MisterFred's list to make room for a new keyboard and mouse?
|
On January 22 2013 04:18 Coil1 wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Thanks! I was pretty sure it wasn't going to be good. Thanks for the recommendation. On a further note, is there anything that can potentially shaved off of MisterFred's list to make room for a new keyboard and mouse?
The Corsair Carbide 200R is $40, you can get that instead of the Bitfenix Outlaw to take off about $8.
You can get a 1TB or even 500GB HDD if you don't need that much disk space.
You can get a $50-$60 B75 or H77 board as well.
You can get a 7850 instead of a 7870 as well. Will still be enough for most games at reasonably high settings at 1080p.
On January 22 2013 02:49 TheSwamp wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On January 18 2013 07:23 TheSwamp wrote:
Hi guys. I really have no clue when it comes to pricing or parts. I opened a thread about upgrading my CPU and motherboard not too long ago, but unexpected expenses came up and I was unable to buy what was suggested. I now have enough money for a completely new build. I live right by a microcenter, but if it's better to buy online that's fine too.
What is your budget?
$1100
What is your resolution?
1920 x 1080
What are you using it for?
Mostly SC2 some CSGO and hopefully Planetside 2 (My current PC can't handle its awesomeness.)
What is your upgrade cycle?
2-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
Sometime this month.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes, but that's included in my budget.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Microcenter
Edit: Spelling
Edit #2: I forgot to mention that I'm going to keep my current hard drive for storage and would like an SSD for OS and some games. Hate to quote my own post, but it seems I posted right before a pretty intense discussion.
MisterFred provided a build for another individual that would suit your needs and is in your budget as well. If you have any concerns, questions, or have a draft build then don't be afraid to ask. A minor adjustment might be changing the 7870 to a 7850 or GTX 650 TI as Starcraft II and CSGO are really weak games when it comes to GPU requirements.
Unfortunately I have to take off now. It's not that we're ignoring you =p
|
|
|
On January 22 2013 04:04 Coil1 wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2013 03:42 wei2coolman wrote:On January 22 2013 01:41 Coil1 wrote:
What is your budget?
800$-1000$
What is your resolution?
1600x900
What are you using it for?
Mostly gaming. I don't do photoshop or similar things. Streaming is a possibility but not a concern.
What is your upgrade cycle?
3-4 years
When do you plan on building it?
I plan to order the parts as soon as the list is finalized.
Do you plan on overclocking?
No
Do you need an Operating System?
No
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg but this is mostly because I'm not sure what other good hardware sites are out there. If there's other stores you guy recommend I'm all for it.
I'd like to thank you all in advance for this. I've been stuck on this horrible little mini-computer for a while now and it'll feel good to have a good machine again. I'm building a computer right now, around this budget. And let me say, you can definitely include a 1920x1080 display in your build, within budget. But if you're intent on keeping the 1600 resolution for a while. Then a 800 dollar budget is definitely overkill imo. Just a quick overview of what you should think about buying. i5-3570k for ~230 z77 mobo ~100-150 2x4gb ddr3 1600 ~40 HDD 1tb ~100 geforce 660gtx~250 or amd 7850 for ~200 case ~100 monitor~150 psu~40 Yeah, this pretty "general", but it's more to show where your budget is being allocated. I'm pretty nooby when it comes to computers. Are most monitors 1920x1080 now? Also, thanks misterfred! Though, you seemed to have forgotten the link for the psu. Is this what you're talking about? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013In which case, they're out of stock. I took a cursory glance at PSUs of similar wattage and price and got this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371016Is that any good?
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=59615&vpn=P1550SXXB9&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1257
Sorry about that. Regarding the PSUs mentioned by SkyR, the Rosewill Capstone 450 is a fantastic PSU. Perhaps a little higher quality than the XFX I recommended. I recommended the XFX because it's also high quality, you won't have to use a molex adaptor for your GPU (this doesn't really matter as long as your GPU comes with one - almost all do), and because it has a rebate (which are kind of a pain, so meh). 6 of one, half-dozen of another. The cheaper Corsair SkyR linked is also a good way to save a few $, but be advised they have a relatively high chance of developing coil whine (annoying noise, not otherwise a problem), which is the only reason I didn't recommend it.
As for shaving a few $ off my budget to fit mouse/keyboard. Well you can get a smaller HDD, cut the SSD if you want to, drop to a lesser processor or GPU, not get a DVD-burner. Or just up the budget to the higher end of your limit.
I don't go for the higher-end keyboards, but I highly recommend a Mionix Naos 3200 if you're a right-hander. Should be about $50 at amazon.
Edit: and that 7850 you linked would be a bad idea - it's about the same price as the more powerful 7870 I linked! This 7850 @$172 would be much cheaper if you wanted to save a few $:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161426
|
On January 22 2013 04:14 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2013 03:30 wei2coolman wrote:
Hmmmm, alrighty, you guys convinced me. Building i5 rig, with i5-2500k (only 150bucks at microcenter, fucking STEAL). Getting matx mobo, any suggestions? (would like it to have 4 memory slots).
Also, since 2500k is sandy bridge, and I would like to OC it, is it necessary to get the z77? Overclocking requires a Z chipset so yes you need a Z77, Z75, or older Z68. mATX boards that come to mind are the Asrock Z77 Pro4-M, MSI Z77MA-G45, and ASUS P8Z77-M. Not sure why you're limiting yourself to mATX when you were considering a Corsair Carbide 200R a few pages ago. There are lots of sales on Newegg right now for ATX boards, the Gigabyte Z77X-D3H, MSI Z77 G55, ASUS P8Z77 LK are all something like $130, $115 after mail in rebate. Microcenter also has some board discounts such as the Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H, Asrock Z77 Extreme4, ASUS P8Z77-V LK for about $100 when purchased with a 3570k (not sure if it applies to the 2500k so you may want to ask before committing to anything)
Roommate fell in love with the Silverstone Temjin case, so switching it to that, as well.
thanks for info on the matx boards; confirmed my original suspicions
|
On January 22 2013 04:38 Coil1 wrote:
Is there a large difference between HDDs of equal price and storage?
If so, can I have a recommendation for a 500gb one, please?
Not really, assuming you don't get a really outdated one. Both newegg & us.ncix.com have a 500gb model (Seagate Barracuda or WD Blue) for $60, but I don't recommend one, since you can get 1TB for only $10 more (Seagate Barracuda @ us.ncix.com).
Edit: Though 7200rpm drives are generally faster and a teensy bit noisier than 5400rpm drives.
|
@The Swamp.
As SkyR said, look at the post I wrote for Coil1 (last post pg. 1357)
Though being near a microcenter (which one?), you could consider overclocking as you can do it relatively cheaply (you can often get z77 boards cheap as part of an in-store bundle deal).
Either way, you'll want to get your processor at microcenter. For the build I posted on the last page, you'd want to get the i5-3470 @ microcenter for a nice $50 discount:
http://www.microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor
Other than processor or mobo as part of a bundle/combo deal, microcenter rarely offers prices better than newegg/us.ncix.com, however.
Your budget is a little higher, of course, but there's not really anything more to spend on unless you want to put some effort into quiet computing, overclock, or are planning on getting a better monitor. You could upgrade to a 7950 instead of 7870, but that'll have only a marginal difference on graphics performance for maybe Planetside 2. A 7870 is already horrendous overkill for SC2 & CS:GO, as SkyR mentioned.
|
On January 22 2013 05:13 MisterFred wrote:@The Swamp. As SkyR said, look at the post I wrote for Coil1 (last post pg. 1357) Though being near a microcenter (which one?), you could consider overclocking as you can do it relatively cheaply (you can often get z77 boards cheap as part of an in-store bundle deal). Either way, you'll want to get your processor at microcenter. For the build I posted on the last page, you'd want to get the i5-3470 @ microcenter for a nice $50 discount: http://www.microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_ProcessorOther than processor or mobo as part of a bundle/combo deal, microcenter rarely offers prices better than newegg/us.ncix.com, however. Your budget is a little higher, of course, but there's not really anything more to spend on unless you want to put some effort into quiet computing, overclock, or are planning on getting a better monitor. You could upgrade to a 7950 instead of 7870, but that'll have only a marginal difference on graphics performance for maybe Planetside 2. A 7870 is already horrendous overkill for SC2 & CS:GO, as SkyR mentioned.
Hi and thanks for the help. I live in Chicago. I bought my last PC at MicroCenter and they price matched everything. I'm not sure if they still do this, but if they do I'd rather get everything at the same time. If I were to overclock, would I need an extra fan? Also, to what Nvidia GPU would the 7950 and 7870 be comparable? I know nothing about ATI cards. Seriously though thanks so much!
|
On January 22 2013 05:37 TheSwamp wrote:Show nested quote +On January 22 2013 05:13 MisterFred wrote:@The Swamp. As SkyR said, look at the post I wrote for Coil1 (last post pg. 1357) Though being near a microcenter (which one?), you could consider overclocking as you can do it relatively cheaply (you can often get z77 boards cheap as part of an in-store bundle deal). Either way, you'll want to get your processor at microcenter. For the build I posted on the last page, you'd want to get the i5-3470 @ microcenter for a nice $50 discount: http://www.microcenter.com/product/400664/Core_i5_3470_32GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_ProcessorOther than processor or mobo as part of a bundle/combo deal, microcenter rarely offers prices better than newegg/us.ncix.com, however. Your budget is a little higher, of course, but there's not really anything more to spend on unless you want to put some effort into quiet computing, overclock, or are planning on getting a better monitor. You could upgrade to a 7950 instead of 7870, but that'll have only a marginal difference on graphics performance for maybe Planetside 2. A 7870 is already horrendous overkill for SC2 & CS:GO, as SkyR mentioned. Hi and thanks for the help. I live in Chicago. I bought my last PC at MicroCenter and they price matched everything. I'm not sure if they still do this, but if they do I'd rather get everything at the same time. If I were to overclock, would I need an extra fan? Also, to what Nvidia GPU would the 7950 and 7870 be comparable? I know nothing about ATI cards. Seriously though thanks so much!
GTX670 and 660ti would be around what you're looking for (7950/7870 range). A lot of people say that 7870 is the best bang for the buck though.
And yes, you will want to get an aftermarket fan (instead of the one that comes with your cpu package) if you want to OC. Shouldn't cost you more than 30-35 unless you want to get a fancy one. You will also need a bit more expensive motherboard.
Oh, and one more thing. Check with MC first to see what exactly their bundle deal is this time around. It used to be $50 off any Z77 motherboard if you buy a i7-3770k, i5-3570k, or i3-3225, but at least in my area, they changed it to $40 off any motherboard with either 3570k or 3225. The sales reps didn't allow other processors to be bundled.
|
Hi,
I was wondering if you could set up a SLI with two different GPUs? For instance a gtx460 and a gtx560 ti? Or do they have to be the same card?
|
they have to be the same yes
|
what would be a good site you guys recommend for scoring and benchmarking CPU/GPU's?
|
On January 22 2013 06:15 acidstormy wrote:
Hi,
I was wondering if you could set up a SLI with two different GPUs? For instance a gtx460 and a gtx560 ti? Or do they have to be the same card?
The only way I could imagine it working is + Show Spoiler [Really bad idea for most people] + flashing the BIOS of the 560 down to a 460. Even that wouldn't work ideally, most likely. Or another way I've heard of and won't be linking here. Even if you can force it to happen, without some serious work, I doubt you could avoid nasty stuttering with AFR.
Most people will actually tell you stuttering is "terrible" in any SLI rig, but the graphs they base this off of tend to be prone to some interpretation errors, and you have to force specific scenarios to really make it significant; if you're running proper SLI (good cards for the resolution and settings) you'll get enough FPS to keep frametimes short enough that stuttering will be pretty much invisible.
If I haven't made this clear enough, while there's some technically possible-ish ways to try and get around the inabity, they involve modifications that can void warranties, and potentially cause some significant problems.
On January 22 2013 07:10 sob3k wrote:
what would be a good site you guys recommend for scoring and benchmarking CPU/GPU's?
To see compiled, compared benchies, anandtech.
If you want to GET good benchies, you can use cinebench and 3dmark, although getting relevant info out of those can be tricky without some knowledge of the limitations.
|
On January 21 2013 18:40 Craton wrote:
I'm a complete novice when it comes to water cooling solutions (including closed loop ones).
Right now I'm researching the h100i and having it as a 4 fan push-pull configuration, but I can't really find anything on how you'd go about installing the extra fans (or I suppose more importantly how it actually gets mounted on the case at the end of the day). I also ran across something that seemed to indicate you may need an extra screw kit for this?
Any idea on a simple guide / video that explains the basics of installing the 4 fan setup on the radiator and mounting it to the case?
Bringing this back up. Nobody actually answered the question.
|
@TheSwamp:
Generally I think people would say 7950 is roughly equivalent to 670, 7870 to 660ti. Though it's not a direct comparison. Nvidia advantages: generally a little quieter, do a bit better with very high levels of AA (which you might want say if you were playing on a 32+" TV that only has 1920x1080 resolution). Advantages AMD: more power per dollar.
@Craton. I've never seen the purpose of those closed look water coolers. Except, I guess, to brag to the uninitiated that you use "water cooling." The fans get stuck onto the radiator that comes with the cooler. The radiator should have fan mounts. The radiator gets screwed into the case if the case is built to accommodate it. If it's not, you stick the radiator in there somewhere or bust out the hacksaw for some case-modding time.
No one here thinks those closed-loop coolers ever make sense, so not too much experience with them, I'd guess. Try somewhere that scoffs at cost-efficiency instead, like overclock.net's water cooling or case forum?
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT
