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On February 18 2013 22:02 llIH wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I am looking to build a new air cooled pc. I have had my liquid cooled heavy pc for 4 years now. And it is still kicking ass. (it has Corsair 800D case. WAY too heavy) But I need a smaller one and that weighs less so I can transport it easier. I do not need a cube pc. I was thinking mid tower.
- Only aimed for gaming.
- I play SC2 at low graphics. But I just want high framerate at 1920x1080.
- light weight
- as cheap as possible (this will be my 2nd pc)
Unless you're planning on running some hot Crossfire / SLI rig (lol for SC2 on low), then maybe microATX? Fractal Design Core 1000 or something? It's light and cheap.
On February 19 2013 00:55 Derez wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hi there tech support gurus, I am looking to build an as cheap as possible system that will last me around 3 years, money is no real issue but I don't want to spend more than 1000 euros, including an OS. I usually buy a new PC at a 3-4 year interval, and want my PC to last that time. The only real use for the PC is gaming (currently SC2, shogun, borderlands 2, XCOM, I generally buy a few new games a year), and so far I've never ever used a resolution above 1280x1024 and am not looking to do so either. I am from the Netherlands and I am capable of finding the cheapest possible parts myself through tweakers.net (a dutch website). I am planning on building the system in the near future (let's say within a month). I do not plan on overclocking and it will be my first build. I've been looking around for a week or so, comparing various builds on retail sites combined with reviews, and this is what I have come up with so far: - CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Boxed (using the box CPU cooler) - Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H - Video card: MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC - RAM: Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Low Profile - HD: Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX, 1TB - SSD: Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB - PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W - Case: BitFenix Shinobi - DVD drive: Samsung SH-222BB Black - Obligatory win 7 copy (This runs at 950 euros approximately) What I am looking for from you guys is the following: - Am I going wrong anywhere with this build? Are there things that are not compatible or anything? - Will this build last me 3 years? Is it good enough, is it too much? Can I cut costs anywhere? - Are there 'poor quality' items on it that could be replaced with better ones at a marginal cost? I would like to stay with an intel CPU and a nvidia gfx card, but using AMD stuff is not a dealbreaker. Thanks in advance if anyone feels like responding  .
i5-3570k is exact same thing as i5-3570 to you if you're not overclocking, and the former is more expensive usually. Or just get another standard i5-3___ without a suffix letter.
H77-DS3H is a bit overkill unless you know what board features that has that you need. Some other B75 or H77 that's cheaper is probably okay. Just check the feature list.
GTX 660 Ti is way overkill for 1280x1024.
If there's something cheaper than Corsair Vengeance, that's fine. Corsair's RAM isn't magic.
If you're using an SSD for most accesses, it really doesn't matter how fast the HDD is unless you're actually running programs off that or whatever else. Something slightly slower like a Caviar Blue or some other company's drive is okay, even if you're just running the occasional thing off of it. If it's just for data storage, and even cheaper 5400 rpm drive is okay.
M12II 620W (and below) is a well-built and solid but nothing special power supply. Somehow it usually gets priced into somewhat-premium range, even though it's not a premium power supply. Also, your build needs under 300W tops. If there's some good 360W+ then that's okay. Do you need something modular? Something like Seasonic G 360W (SSR-360GP) or Super Flower Golden Green 400W / 450W may be both cheaper and higher quality. There are a lot of other options if you just want something decently-reliable that just works.
You could save on Bitfenix Shinobi, but it's not incredibly expensive as is, and it's fine enough.
So nothing is bad, but most things are a bit overpriced compared to your needs.
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On February 18 2013 22:02 llIH wrote:
I am looking to build a new air cooled pc. I have had my liquid cooled heavy pc for 4 years now. And it is still kicking ass. (it has Corsair 800D case. WAY too heavy) But I need a smaller one and that weighs less so I can transport it easier. I do not need a cube pc. I was thinking mid tower.
- Only aimed for gaming.
- I play SC2 at low graphics. But I just want high framerate at 1920x1080.
- light weight
- as cheap as possible (this will be my 2nd pc)
How about microATX? It will be a lot more moveable than mid-tower. I went super-budget for a 2nd SC2 PC but I'll include some possible areas of improvement at the end.
CPU -- Intel Core i3-3220 $129.99
RAM -- G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB $31.99
Mobo -- ASRock H77M $69.99
Case -- Rosewill FBM-01 $21.99 AP
GPU -- Sapphire Radeon HD 7770 GHz ed. $99.99 AR
SSD -- Kingston v300 120GB $79.99 AP
PSU -- Rosewill Capstone 450-M $69.99
Price pre-shipping: $504, but I don't think shipping should be more than a few bucks from the look of it.
MicroATX will be a little easier for you to move around. You won't be overclocking on a budget build, and the graphics card is not super-high-end-getting-really-hot for the decreased airflow to matter much. Plus, we went modular on the PSU to help a bit with cable management issues. The case is super solid for $22 -- I've built in them before. I went SSD-only, but it will only hold the OS, 3-4 games, and a browser, so if you plan to load it up with other stuff go with a 500GB HDD for about the same price, or add it if you wish.
If you have more budget and want to max out SC2 performance, the i5 3470 is $70 more right now at $199. 8 GB Ram is only about $10 more expensive if you care about that. If you want to run more graphics-oriented games, the Sapphire 7850 is $65 more and comes with Tomb Raider and Bioshock:Infinite, if you plan to purchase anyway or would be interested. All of those improvements keep you under $600 with shipping. There's also probably a more-budget option PSU out there somewhere, but I tried to keep things simple on Newegg and didn't see anything much better elsewhere this morning.
EDIT: Lol, Myrm and I are on the same page.
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Is that Kingston SSD for 80$ on Newegg right now a good enough deal to warrant grabbing? I was thinking about waiting for a 90$ Samsung 840. How reliable/fast is Kingston's SSD?
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On February 19 2013 01:55 Alryk wrote:
Is that Kingston SSD for 80$ on Newegg right now a good enough deal to warrant grabbing? I was thinking about waiting for a 90$ Samsung 840. How reliable/fast is Kingston's SSD?
It's sold out anyway btw.
SSDNow V300 uses Toshiba toggle mode MLC NAND with the old 2nd-gen SandForce SF-2281 controller, so you can expect it to behave like a typical SF-2281 drive except a bit faster than average because of the NAND. So that's middle-of-the-pack performance. At 120GB, don't expect amazing sequential write on incompressible data. It's been a while, and it doesn't seem like even the non-Intel SandForce drives are having lots of problems these days... but it's a SandForce.
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On February 16 2013 07:11 upperbound wrote:Posting from the new rig, fully stable. Feels good to have the upgrade done for myself instead of giving the goodness to other people. Obligatory post-build post: Final BuildIntel i5-3570k w/ Hyper 212 EVO Asus P8Z77-v LK 2x4 GB Corsair Vengeance Samsung 840 250GB MSI Twin Frozr III Radeon HD 7950 (w/ 7950 PCB) Rosewill Capstone 450-M Cooler Master HAF-912 Final cost after MIR, tax, (free) shipping was $824, which seemed pretty reasonable after a couple of clutch newegg promo codes late in the game. Additional Cougar Vortex fans for top exhaust; front intake. Internal pics: ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/Eaytm3m.jpg) ![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/4OMVLrm.jpg) Overclocked the CPU to 4.3ghz @1.235v, fully stable after a pair of 10 run IntelBurnTests @ Maximum and about 6 hours of Prime95. Not the greatest overclocker ever but not bad. I may mess around more with 4.4ghz to see if the chip dislikes odd multipliers, and LLC to see if I can get it more optimized while still stable. Temps under 10 Maximum IBT runs maxed out at 75C, temps after 6 hours of Prime95 maxed at 68C, so running reasonably cool, which is nice. Airflow in the case seems quite nice with the 2 extra fans. Windows 8 has also been a pleasurable experience so far. Will be trying to get some benches streaming SC2/LoL and playing Crysis 3 beta later tonight. Edit: doh, forgot to rotate images, lol. May fix later.
this is what im considering to build
HAF 912 -- $60
i5-3570k -- $190
Hyper 212 EVO -- $30
ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS -- $140
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10
GTX 660 – $199
Corsair Builder CX500 -- $65
Samsung 840 120GB -- $110
i am missing a power supply so ill look into that... any recommendations?
and to ALL THAT IS READING THIS POST!!! ANY POWER SUPPLY THAT IS RECOMMENDED
i feel that ill only need maybe at most 600watts
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On February 19 2013 02:39 azngamer828 wrote:Show nested quote +On February 16 2013 07:11 upperbound wrote:Posting from the new rig, fully stable. Feels good to have the upgrade done for myself instead of giving the goodness to other people. Obligatory post-build post: Final BuildIntel i5-3570k w/ Hyper 212 EVO Asus P8Z77-v LK 2x4 GB Corsair Vengeance Samsung 840 250GB MSI Twin Frozr III Radeon HD 7950 (w/ 7950 PCB) Rosewill Capstone 450-M Cooler Master HAF-912 Final cost after MIR, tax, (free) shipping was $824, which seemed pretty reasonable after a couple of clutch newegg promo codes late in the game. Additional Cougar Vortex fans for top exhaust; front intake. Internal pics: Overclocked the CPU to 4.3ghz @1.235v, fully stable after a pair of 10 run IntelBurnTests @ Maximum and about 6 hours of Prime95. Not the greatest overclocker ever but not bad. I may mess around more with 4.4ghz to see if the chip dislikes odd multipliers, and LLC to see if I can get it more optimized while still stable. Temps under 10 Maximum IBT runs maxed out at 75C, temps after 6 hours of Prime95 maxed at 68C, so running reasonably cool, which is nice. Airflow in the case seems quite nice with the 2 extra fans. Windows 8 has also been a pleasurable experience so far. Will be trying to get some benches streaming SC2/LoL and playing Crysis 3 beta later tonight. Edit: doh, forgot to rotate images, lol. May fix later. this is what im considering to build HAF 912 -- $60 i5-3570k -- $190 Hyper 212 EVO -- $30 ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS -- $140 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10 GTX 660 – $199 Corsair Builder CX500 -- $65 Samsung 840 120GB -- $110 i am missing a power supply so ill look into that... any recommendations? and to ALL THAT IS READING THIS POST!!! ANY POWER SUPPLY THAT IS RECOMMENDED i feel that ill only need maybe at most 600watts
You have a PSU there, the Builder cx500. There are probably better deals on the case and power supply now, though, so I'd shift focus. You can probably also get a better deal on a comparable motherboard. Also, 120GB is pretty little storage capacity; after you partition it optimally and install Windows, you'll probably have 75-80 GB left. I'd consider adding the cheapest 7200 RPM HDD you can find.
Processor, heatsink, GPU are all fine.
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Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 01:30 Myrmidon wrote:On February 18 2013 22:02 llIH wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I am looking to build a new air cooled pc. I have had my liquid cooled heavy pc for 4 years now. And it is still kicking ass. (it has Corsair 800D case. WAY too heavy) But I need a smaller one and that weighs less so I can transport it easier. I do not need a cube pc. I was thinking mid tower.
- Only aimed for gaming.
- I play SC2 at low graphics. But I just want high framerate at 1920x1080.
- light weight
- as cheap as possible (this will be my 2nd pc) Unless you're planning on running some hot Crossfire / SLI rig (lol for SC2 on low), then maybe microATX? Fractal Design Core 1000 or something? It's light and cheap.
I don't want any SLI or Crossfire. I want something light and effective. Like a CM Storm Sniper case for example.
Could I get I7 and still be in the cheap zone?
I got an i7 920 now on my main.
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On February 19 2013 03:25 llIH wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 01:30 Myrmidon wrote:On February 18 2013 22:02 llIH wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I am looking to build a new air cooled pc. I have had my liquid cooled heavy pc for 4 years now. And it is still kicking ass. (it has Corsair 800D case. WAY too heavy) But I need a smaller one and that weighs less so I can transport it easier. I do not need a cube pc. I was thinking mid tower.
- Only aimed for gaming.
- I play SC2 at low graphics. But I just want high framerate at 1920x1080.
- light weight
- as cheap as possible (this will be my 2nd pc) Unless you're planning on running some hot Crossfire / SLI rig (lol for SC2 on low), then maybe microATX? Fractal Design Core 1000 or something? It's light and cheap. I don't want any SLI or Crossfire. I want something light and effective. Like a CM Storm Sniper case for example. Could I get I7 and still be in the cheap zone? I got an i7 920 now on my main.
What's this for again? Gaming? You want to spend $100 extra for an i7 that doesn't do any better in games? What's the total budget?
CM Storm Sniper is much much larger and heavier (and costlier) than required here. I'm not saying to spend more money on a shoebox, which is harder to expand and service anyway, but what are you really trying to get? Why do you want a second system, and why should it be lighter? For travel?
If you get a new system, you could get something with much better CPU performance, especially for SC2, so would you be using the old i7-920 system?
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On February 19 2013 04:20 Myrmidon wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 03:25 llIH wrote:On February 19 2013 01:30 Myrmidon wrote:On February 18 2013 22:02 llIH wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I am looking to build a new air cooled pc. I have had my liquid cooled heavy pc for 4 years now. And it is still kicking ass. (it has Corsair 800D case. WAY too heavy) But I need a smaller one and that weighs less so I can transport it easier. I do not need a cube pc. I was thinking mid tower.
- Only aimed for gaming.
- I play SC2 at low graphics. But I just want high framerate at 1920x1080.
- light weight
- as cheap as possible (this will be my 2nd pc) Unless you're planning on running some hot Crossfire / SLI rig (lol for SC2 on low), then maybe microATX? Fractal Design Core 1000 or something? It's light and cheap. I don't want any SLI or Crossfire. I want something light and effective. Like a CM Storm Sniper case for example. Could I get I7 and still be in the cheap zone? I got an i7 920 now on my main. What's this for again? Gaming? You want to spend $100 extra for an i7 that doesn't do any better in games? What's the total budget? CM Storm Sniper is much much larger and heavier (and costlier) than required here. I'm not saying to spend more money on a shoebox, which is harder to expand and service anyway, but what are you really trying to get? Why do you want a second system, and why should it be lighter? For travel? If you get a new system, you could get something with much better CPU performance, especially for SC2, so would you be using the old i7-920 system?
I would not be using the I7-920 for sc2 - no.
I will get back to you about budget.
If I7 is not necessary then I will not get I7! 
It is for moving around in the neighborhood. (In a car)
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Will you be moving like very often with it or just occasionaly?
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On February 19 2013 01:30 Myrmidon wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 00:55 Derez wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hi there tech support gurus, I am looking to build an as cheap as possible system that will last me around 3 years, money is no real issue but I don't want to spend more than 1000 euros, including an OS. I usually buy a new PC at a 3-4 year interval, and want my PC to last that time. The only real use for the PC is gaming (currently SC2, shogun, borderlands 2, XCOM, I generally buy a few new games a year), and so far I've never ever used a resolution above 1280x1024 and am not looking to do so either. I am from the Netherlands and I am capable of finding the cheapest possible parts myself through tweakers.net (a dutch website). I am planning on building the system in the near future (let's say within a month). I do not plan on overclocking and it will be my first build. I've been looking around for a week or so, comparing various builds on retail sites combined with reviews, and this is what I have come up with so far: - CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Boxed (using the box CPU cooler) - Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H - Video card: MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC - RAM: Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Low Profile - HD: Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX, 1TB - SSD: Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB - PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W - Case: BitFenix Shinobi - DVD drive: Samsung SH-222BB Black - Obligatory win 7 copy (This runs at 950 euros approximately) What I am looking for from you guys is the following: - Am I going wrong anywhere with this build? Are there things that are not compatible or anything? - Will this build last me 3 years? Is it good enough, is it too much? Can I cut costs anywhere? - Are there 'poor quality' items on it that could be replaced with better ones at a marginal cost? I would like to stay with an intel CPU and a nvidia gfx card, but using AMD stuff is not a dealbreaker. Thanks in advance if anyone feels like responding . i5-3570k is exact same thing as i5-3570 to you if you're not overclocking, and the former is more expensive usually. Or just get another standard i5-3___ without a suffix letter. H77-DS3H is a bit overkill unless you know what board features that has that you need. Some other B75 or H77 that's cheaper is probably okay. Just check the feature list. GTX 660 Ti is way overkill for 1280x1024. If there's something cheaper than Corsair Vengeance, that's fine. Corsair's RAM isn't magic. If you're using an SSD for most accesses, it really doesn't matter how fast the HDD is unless you're actually running programs off that or whatever else. Something slightly slower like a Caviar Blue or some other company's drive is okay, even if you're just running the occasional thing off of it. If it's just for data storage, and even cheaper 5400 rpm drive is okay. M12II 620W (and below) is a well-built and solid but nothing special power supply. Somehow it usually gets priced into somewhat-premium range, even though it's not a premium power supply. Also, your build needs under 300W tops. If there's some good 360W+ then that's okay. Do you need something modular? Something like Seasonic G 360W (SSR-360GP) or Super Flower Golden Green 400W / 450W may be both cheaper and higher quality. There are a lot of other options if you just want something decently-reliable that just works. You could save on Bitfenix Shinobi, but it's not incredibly expensive as is, and it's fine enough. So nothing is bad, but most things are a bit overpriced compared to your needs.
Thank you, hope you have time for a quick follow up. Following your recommendations I've managed to reduce the price tag by around 300 euro's, there are however a few changes I would like some feedback on.
Overall, what I am thinking of now is:
- CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Boxed (using the box CPU cooler) -> i5 3330
- Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H -> ASRock B75 Pro3-M
- Video card: MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC -> MSI N560Ti-448-12D5
- RAM: Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Low Profile -> Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX
- HD: Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX, 1TB -> Western Digital Blue Blue WD10EZEX, 1TB
- SSD: Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB
- PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W -> Corsair CX430M
- Case: BitFenix Shinobi -> BitFenix Merc Alpha
- DVD drive: Samsung SH-222BB Black
- Obligatory win 7 copy
I have a few questions left:
- There is a 10 euro price difference between the i5 3330 and the i5 3470. Is it worth getting the 3470 or is is pretty much all the same?
- Is it worth getting RAM that matches the CPU clockspeed (or however you call it)? If there's no real difference, I can save another 10-15 euros by switching the 1600 mhz ram to 1333 mhz ram.
- I'm very unsure on the graphics card, what's the best card in the 150 euro range? It seems like you have a choice between a 560Ti (130 euroish), the 7850 (160), the 650ti (130) and the 660 (190), and the review sites I'm seeing are all pretty close. Which card is supposed to hold up best over time? As said, my preference is Nvidia due to never ever having had issues with drivers, while I have had them with Ati, but still. Is the 660 worth the additional 50-60 euros?
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On February 19 2013 04:43 Rachnar wrote:
Will you be moving like very often with it or just occasionaly?
Just occasional - for moving out of my house. Mostly from my living room to my bedroom though. It might sound silly. But I really do not like lifting a heavy PC once a month The 800D is a HEAVY case. And I am not a strong guy.
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Yeah i understand, you can go for standard ATX cases then, just i was asking because i'm gonna get a rig in 3 months mini-ITC as i'm gonna have to move a LOT, and the LIAN LI PC-TU200B seems perfect for that
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On February 19 2013 02:49 upperbound wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 02:39 azngamer828 wrote:On February 16 2013 07:11 upperbound wrote:Posting from the new rig, fully stable. Feels good to have the upgrade done for myself instead of giving the goodness to other people. Obligatory post-build post: Final BuildIntel i5-3570k w/ Hyper 212 EVO Asus P8Z77-v LK 2x4 GB Corsair Vengeance Samsung 840 250GB MSI Twin Frozr III Radeon HD 7950 (w/ 7950 PCB) Rosewill Capstone 450-M Cooler Master HAF-912 Final cost after MIR, tax, (free) shipping was $824, which seemed pretty reasonable after a couple of clutch newegg promo codes late in the game. Additional Cougar Vortex fans for top exhaust; front intake. Internal pics: Overclocked the CPU to 4.3ghz @1.235v, fully stable after a pair of 10 run IntelBurnTests @ Maximum and about 6 hours of Prime95. Not the greatest overclocker ever but not bad. I may mess around more with 4.4ghz to see if the chip dislikes odd multipliers, and LLC to see if I can get it more optimized while still stable. Temps under 10 Maximum IBT runs maxed out at 75C, temps after 6 hours of Prime95 maxed at 68C, so running reasonably cool, which is nice. Airflow in the case seems quite nice with the 2 extra fans. Windows 8 has also been a pleasurable experience so far. Will be trying to get some benches streaming SC2/LoL and playing Crysis 3 beta later tonight. Edit: doh, forgot to rotate images, lol. May fix later. this is what im considering to build HAF 912 -- $60 i5-3570k -- $190 Hyper 212 EVO -- $30 ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS -- $140 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10 GTX 660 – $199 Corsair Builder CX500 -- $65 Samsung 840 120GB -- $110 i am missing a power supply so ill look into that... any recommendations? and to ALL THAT IS READING THIS POST!!! ANY POWER SUPPLY THAT IS RECOMMENDED i feel that ill only need maybe at most 600watts You have a PSU there, the Builder cx500. There are probably better deals on the case and power supply now, though, so I'd shift focus. You can probably also get a better deal on a comparable motherboard. Also, 120GB is pretty little storage capacity; after you partition it optimally and install Windows, you'll probably have 75-80 GB left. I'd consider adding the cheapest 7200 RPM HDD you can find. Processor, heatsink, GPU are all fine.
haha oops, read the power supply wrong :p but i might get this instead
SILVERSTONE Strider Essential series ST60F-ES 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
for the mobo, im using that because newegg its giving me that free corsair vengeance so i thought it would be a really good price
for the hdd i was thinking about using my
WESTERN DIGITAL WD5000AAKX Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" internal hard drive
because i dont really store alot of data on my computer anyways
CASE-wise, i dont really know what is better because i dont know what is out there ahaha ill probably be making another post asking if anyone has a good case that is recommended
ONCE again thanks for helping
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On February 19 2013 04:52 Derez wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 01:30 Myrmidon wrote:On February 19 2013 00:55 Derez wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Hi there tech support gurus, I am looking to build an as cheap as possible system that will last me around 3 years, money is no real issue but I don't want to spend more than 1000 euros, including an OS. I usually buy a new PC at a 3-4 year interval, and want my PC to last that time. The only real use for the PC is gaming (currently SC2, shogun, borderlands 2, XCOM, I generally buy a few new games a year), and so far I've never ever used a resolution above 1280x1024 and am not looking to do so either. I am from the Netherlands and I am capable of finding the cheapest possible parts myself through tweakers.net (a dutch website). I am planning on building the system in the near future (let's say within a month). I do not plan on overclocking and it will be my first build. I've been looking around for a week or so, comparing various builds on retail sites combined with reviews, and this is what I have come up with so far: - CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Boxed (using the box CPU cooler) - Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H - Video card: MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC - RAM: Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Low Profile - HD: Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX, 1TB - SSD: Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB - PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W - Case: BitFenix Shinobi - DVD drive: Samsung SH-222BB Black - Obligatory win 7 copy (This runs at 950 euros approximately) What I am looking for from you guys is the following: - Am I going wrong anywhere with this build? Are there things that are not compatible or anything? - Will this build last me 3 years? Is it good enough, is it too much? Can I cut costs anywhere? - Are there 'poor quality' items on it that could be replaced with better ones at a marginal cost? I would like to stay with an intel CPU and a nvidia gfx card, but using AMD stuff is not a dealbreaker. Thanks in advance if anyone feels like responding . i5-3570k is exact same thing as i5-3570 to you if you're not overclocking, and the former is more expensive usually. Or just get another standard i5-3___ without a suffix letter. H77-DS3H is a bit overkill unless you know what board features that has that you need. Some other B75 or H77 that's cheaper is probably okay. Just check the feature list. GTX 660 Ti is way overkill for 1280x1024. If there's something cheaper than Corsair Vengeance, that's fine. Corsair's RAM isn't magic. If you're using an SSD for most accesses, it really doesn't matter how fast the HDD is unless you're actually running programs off that or whatever else. Something slightly slower like a Caviar Blue or some other company's drive is okay, even if you're just running the occasional thing off of it. If it's just for data storage, and even cheaper 5400 rpm drive is okay. M12II 620W (and below) is a well-built and solid but nothing special power supply. Somehow it usually gets priced into somewhat-premium range, even though it's not a premium power supply. Also, your build needs under 300W tops. If there's some good 360W+ then that's okay. Do you need something modular? Something like Seasonic G 360W (SSR-360GP) or Super Flower Golden Green 400W / 450W may be both cheaper and higher quality. There are a lot of other options if you just want something decently-reliable that just works. You could save on Bitfenix Shinobi, but it's not incredibly expensive as is, and it's fine enough. So nothing is bad, but most things are a bit overpriced compared to your needs. Thank you, hope you have time for a quick follow up. Following your recommendations I've managed to reduce the price tag by around 300 euro's, there are however a few changes I would like some feedback on. Overall, what I am thinking of now is: - CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Boxed (using the box CPU cooler) -> i5 3330 - Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H77-DS3H -> ASRock B75 Pro3-M - Video card: MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC -> MSI N560Ti-448-12D5 - RAM: Corsair Vengeance CML8GX3M2A1600C9 Low Profile -> Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX - HD: Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX, 1TB -> Western Digital Blue Blue WD10EZEX, 1TB - SSD: Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB - PSU: Seasonic M12II 620W -> Corsair CX430M - Case: BitFenix Shinobi -> BitFenix Merc Alpha - DVD drive: Samsung SH-222BB Black - Obligatory win 7 copy I have a few questions left: - There is a 10 euro price difference between the i5 3330 and the i5 3470. Is it worth getting the 3470 or is is pretty much all the same? - Is it worth getting RAM that matches the CPU clockspeed (or however you call it)? If there's no real difference, I can save another 10-15 euros by switching the 1600 mhz ram to 1333 mhz ram. - I'm very unsure on the graphics card, what's the best card in the 150 euro range? It seems like you have a choice between a 560Ti (130 euroish), the 7850 (160), the 650ti (130) and the 660 (190), and the review sites I'm seeing are all pretty close. Which card is supposed to hold up best over time? As said, my preference is Nvidia due to never ever having had issues with drivers, while I have had them with Ati, but still. Is the 660 worth the additional 50-60 euros?
For 10 euro I'd probably get the i5-3470. You might notice the slightly faster speed at some point. Not a big deal though.
You won't notice a difference between 1600mhz & 1333mhz RAM, go ahead and make that change. It is generally recommended (but not necessary) to get RAM that runs at 1.5v or lower (rather than 1.65) for Intel systems. But it doesn't really matter. I have 1.65v RAM in my Intel system with no problem.
The 7850 is going to be better than the 560Ti for the 150 euro range. The 660 will be better than the 7850 (roughly on par with the 7870), but that's why its 40 euros more. But with your tiny resolution I wouldn't worry about that, all those cards are going to look like superstars. I'd get the cheaper one just to save money for a monitor upgrade (or if that's not a priority, because the more expensive cards will be pretty pointless).
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On February 19 2013 05:49 azngamer828 wrote:+ Show Spoiler +On February 19 2013 02:49 upperbound wrote:Show nested quote +On February 19 2013 02:39 azngamer828 wrote:On February 16 2013 07:11 upperbound wrote:Posting from the new rig, fully stable. Feels good to have the upgrade done for myself instead of giving the goodness to other people. Obligatory post-build post: Final BuildIntel i5-3570k w/ Hyper 212 EVO Asus P8Z77-v LK 2x4 GB Corsair Vengeance Samsung 840 250GB MSI Twin Frozr III Radeon HD 7950 (w/ 7950 PCB) Rosewill Capstone 450-M Cooler Master HAF-912 Final cost after MIR, tax, (free) shipping was $824, which seemed pretty reasonable after a couple of clutch newegg promo codes late in the game. Additional Cougar Vortex fans for top exhaust; front intake. Internal pics: Overclocked the CPU to 4.3ghz @1.235v, fully stable after a pair of 10 run IntelBurnTests @ Maximum and about 6 hours of Prime95. Not the greatest overclocker ever but not bad. I may mess around more with 4.4ghz to see if the chip dislikes odd multipliers, and LLC to see if I can get it more optimized while still stable. Temps under 10 Maximum IBT runs maxed out at 75C, temps after 6 hours of Prime95 maxed at 68C, so running reasonably cool, which is nice. Airflow in the case seems quite nice with the 2 extra fans. Windows 8 has also been a pleasurable experience so far. Will be trying to get some benches streaming SC2/LoL and playing Crysis 3 beta later tonight. Edit: doh, forgot to rotate images, lol. May fix later. this is what im considering to build HAF 912 -- $60 i5-3570k -- $190 Hyper 212 EVO -- $30 ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS -- $140 CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10 GTX 660 – $199 Corsair Builder CX500 -- $65 Samsung 840 120GB -- $110 i am missing a power supply so ill look into that... any recommendations? and to ALL THAT IS READING THIS POST!!! ANY POWER SUPPLY THAT IS RECOMMENDED i feel that ill only need maybe at most 600watts You have a PSU there, the Builder cx500. There are probably better deals on the case and power supply now, though, so I'd shift focus. You can probably also get a better deal on a comparable motherboard. Also, 120GB is pretty little storage capacity; after you partition it optimally and install Windows, you'll probably have 75-80 GB left. I'd consider adding the cheapest 7200 RPM HDD you can find. Processor, heatsink, GPU are all fine. haha oops, read the power supply wrong :p but i might get this instead SILVERSTONE Strider Essential series ST60F-ES 600W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply for the mobo, im using that because newegg its giving me that free corsair vengeance so i thought it would be a really good price for the hdd i was thinking about using my WESTERN DIGITAL WD5000AAKX Caviar Blue 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" internal hard drive because i dont really store alot of data on my computer anyways CASE-wise, i dont really know what is better because i dont know what is out there ahaha ill probably be making another post asking if anyone has a good case that is recommended ONCE again thanks for helping
A Silverstone Strider Essential is old and overpriced, not sure why you are picking this? A Rosewill Capstone 450 is significantly better for the same price.
Some inexpensive cases to consider are Corsair Carbide 200R, Coolermaster HAF 912, Bitfenix Shinobi, NZXT Source 220.
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On February 18 2013 18:12 Coopfreak wrote:
@Myrmidon
If I did go with the i7-3930k and an X79 everything else could still stay the same correct?
Could you please specify which X79 are you referring to? I see several on newegg.
Sorry for bumping this, but maybe you didn't see? @ Myrmidon
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Ok, I think I've decided on my final build and am gonna order it tomorrow morning. I chose some items at a higher price than absolutely required, because for 30 euro's more it allows me to buy it all from a single store and pick it up tomorrow. Anyone have any last thoughts on this setup?
CPU - Intel Core i5 3450 Boxed
Motherboard - ASRock H77 Pro4-M
Graphics card - Sapphire HD 7850 OC 2GB GDDR5
HD - Western Digital Blue Blue WD10EZEX, 1TB
Case - BitFenix Shinobi
RAM - Kingston KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX
DVD writer - LG GH24NS90 Zwart
PSU - OCZ ModXStream Pro 500W
SSD - Samsung 840 series SSD 120GB
I selected it with an 800 euro maximum in mind, if there's any pieces I can replace with significant upgrades for the same price? Also, any thought on if there's any incompatabilities/problems? I assume a 500W PSU is enough, but I'm not sure so if someone can tell me that it would be nice. I know it's too much for 1280x720, but I want a system that can run games 2 years from now on a reasonable resolution, and in the meanwhile I'll just run a higher res. I'd greatly appreciate any feedback seeing how its my first build and I'm rather insecure ;p.
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United Kingdom20310 Posts
You are building with two memory modules.. LGA2011 is quad channel.
Overclocked vs overclocked, 3930k will be outperformed by a 3570k in terms of starcraft and most other games performance, because you can overclock further when you only have 4 cores to worry about and the extra cores dont give you anything there, but they do help a ton for media stuff etc if you dont mind losing like 300mhz out of max overclock for it (you probably dont..)
You also left out a heatsink, and i would suggest something more powerful than the Gaia if you want more than a light overclock at comfortable temperatures
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EPT
monitor and setting it to be as close to that as possible taking into account the ratio difference (1080?). Is this low? Another important note is that I need to run at least 2 monitors off this machine (and with an option to add a third in the future).
