|
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 June 19 2013 06:58 Alryk wrote:If you want to spend $60+ on ram just get this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=20-231-666 2400mhz g.skill ram. I believe Cyro showed a 5-10% gain over 1600mhz RAM. otherwise you can grab 8gb of 1600 for 50$ or so somewhere on Newegg. You could probably drop the CPU cooler and get a better case like the Arc Midi R2, or something smaller like the Arc mini, Temjin TJ08-E, or something like the Fractal design define r4 as well. Or just keep the cooler and upgrade the case if you have the money. Although I don't know how good that cooler is, somebody else will have to comment.
Thanks!
|
On June 19 2013 06:50 BorealisD wrote:
Taking into consideration my own research and the helpful comments here, I've modified my build:
PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/17Rr9
+ Show Spoiler +
CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: MSI B85M-E33 Micro ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($74.97 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2400 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($71.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($199.99 @ Microcenter)
Wireless Network Adapter: Asus USB-N53 802.11a/b/g/n USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($27.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($57.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (32-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $797.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-18 18:35 EDT-0400)
All prices are from MicroCenter(it's very close to me) and Newegg
Does that look any better?
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
Edit: Expanded to include Newegg Prices
Edit: Removed CPU Cooler Per comment (thanks!)
Thanks ♥ you all
|
@BorealisD:
You don't need to buy a CPU cooler. Intel sells the CPUs with a cooler in the box.
|
On June 19 2013 07:25 Ropid wrote:
@BorealisD:
You don't need to buy a CPU cooler. Intel sells the CPUs with a cooler in the box.
Ah, that's what I'd read but I didn't know if that was sufficient. Thanks!
|
On June 19 2013 07:03 BorealisD wrote:
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
If I were you, I'd search for some mATX case. The case you chose has so much wasted space for you, and you didn't choose an ATX board so you don't necessarily need an ATX case.
Another thing would be wireless networking through a PCIe (the "e" is "express", don't look for PCI) card instead of a USB stick. The card would come with a real antenna (or two or three), instead of being a tiny USB stick. That would make me feel better about possible problems with the signal. It also won't be pricier, I think.
|
Sorry if i shouldnt be reposting but lots of comments in this tread and im thinking somone who can help me might have missed the comment.
Given the N560GTX-Ti Twin Frozr II and Sliverline Mushkin RAM, will everything here fit in the case?
--Silverstone NT06-PRO 6 Heatpipe CPU Heatsink Cooler LGA775/1155/1156/1366/2011 AM2/AM3/FM1/FM2 $50.39
--Gigabyte Z77N-WIFI mITX LGA1155 Z77 DDR3 1PCI-E16 HDMI SATA3 USB3.0 DVI HDMI Motherboard $121.75
--Silverstone SG05BB-LITE Dtx mITX SFF Case White 1X3.5INT 1X2.5INT 2XUSB3.0 No PSU $35.83
--Silverstone SFX Series 450W 12V 80PLUS Gold Power Supply 80mm Fan $89.25
Any red flags in terms of psu cord lengths or usb 3.0 front panel connection issues and etc?
Any recommendation on the specific parts (watercooling perhaps)?
Any reason to go for the SG06 for $10 more?
|
On June 19 2013 08:07 Ropid wrote:Show nested quote +On June 19 2013 07:03 BorealisD wrote:
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
If I were you, I'd search for some mATX case. The case you chose has so much wasted space for you, and you didn't choose an ATX board so you don't necessarily need an ATX case. Another thing would be wireless networking through a PCIe (the "e" is "express", don't look for PCI) card instead of a USB stick. The card would come with a real antenna (or two or three), instead of being a tiny USB stick. That would make me feel better about possible problems with the signal. It also won't be pricier, I think.
Does my motherboard have the correct slot for that? I'll look into it.
I've changed the wireless card to: Asus PCE-N15 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
Current Build: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/17ScZ
As far as the case goes: I don't really care about size, as I don't carry it around, and I think having a little more room might help me - especially if I upgrade later. I think I might try an SSD down the road.
|
Hello everyone,
I am in the market for a PC, and not really know where to start. I use a 2011 iMac now, and have never purchased a computer before. I am not necessarily insisting on building my own computer, customizing one from dell or something would be okay if that turns out to be better. In fact, I have considered buying an Aurora, however I am not convinced that is the best option yet. Also, they list that they use the 2nd generation intel processors, when 4th generation is now available? Why would they be so late to include the new processors? I have answered all of the questions from the OP below. Thanks in advance to anyone who chips in any advice!
Important questions you should ask yourself
If you request a build, please answer these questions. We will spend as much effort on your build as you spend on your answers to these questions! I urge people to abstain from providing builds unless all the questions are answered.
What is your budget?
$1500 - $2500. I don't want to purchase anything that is already outdated, however I am not interested in paying extra money for small increases in performance. Since I don't know at what dollar value these diminishing returns apply, I have a wide range on my budget.
What is your resolution?
I currently have 2 acer monitors that have a 1920 x 1080 resolution. I dont know much about monitors, but these are 23" and they were only about $100 each, so I thought they were a good deal about a year ago.
What are you using it for?
Gaming and general computing (word processing, browsing internet, etc...), possibly movies. I play SC2 on low / some medium settings. I would also however like to run games like crysis 3 on max or close to max settings.
What is your upgrade cycle?
I would like to keep the machine for around 3-4 years, and just upgrade individual parts as necessary. I do not plan on buying an entirely new computer for a while.
When do you plan on building it?
Now. I would like to build or buy a computer within the next month as time allows.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Could be fun! I never have, and if I did it would be something mild and safe, nothing with liquid nitrogen. lol.
Do you need an Operating System?
Win 8 I guess. I've never used anything but OSX.
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
I would like the option to add a second graphics card at a later date, if I do not configure with two initially.
Where are you buying your parts from?
I live in USA.
Thanks again everyone for your help!!!
|
On June 19 2013 08:12 BorealisD wrote:Show nested quote +On June 19 2013 08:07 Ropid wrote:On June 19 2013 07:03 BorealisD wrote:
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
If I were you, I'd search for some mATX case. The case you chose has so much wasted space for you, and you didn't choose an ATX board so you don't necessarily need an ATX case. Another thing would be wireless networking through a PCIe (the "e" is "express", don't look for PCI) card instead of a USB stick. The card would come with a real antenna (or two or three), instead of being a tiny USB stick. That would make me feel better about possible problems with the signal. It also won't be pricier, I think. Does my motherboard have the correct slot for that? I'll look into it.
I only looked at a picture on Google Image Search of the board. It has the normal long PCIe 16x slot for a graphics card, and it has one PCIe 1x slot. The cards for that are those very short a little funny looking cards.
|
On June 19 2013 08:21 Ropid wrote:Show nested quote +On June 19 2013 08:12 BorealisD wrote:On June 19 2013 08:07 Ropid wrote:On June 19 2013 07:03 BorealisD wrote:
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
If I were you, I'd search for some mATX case. The case you chose has so much wasted space for you, and you didn't choose an ATX board so you don't necessarily need an ATX case. Another thing would be wireless networking through a PCIe (the "e" is "express", don't look for PCI) card instead of a USB stick. The card would come with a real antenna (or two or three), instead of being a tiny USB stick. That would make me feel better about possible problems with the signal. It also won't be pricier, I think. Does my motherboard have the correct slot for that? I'll look into it. I only looked at a picture on Google Image Search of the board. It has the normal long PCIe 16x slot for a graphics card, and it has one PCIe 1x slot. The cards for that are those very short a little funny looking cards.
Thanks! Here's what I've found: the mobo has the following slots -
Expansion Slots
PCI Express 3.0 x16 1
PCI Express 2.0 x16 1
PCI Express x1 1
PCI 1
|
On June 19 2013 08:49 BorealisD wrote:Show nested quote +On June 19 2013 08:21 Ropid wrote:On June 19 2013 08:12 BorealisD wrote:On June 19 2013 08:07 Ropid wrote:On June 19 2013 07:03 BorealisD wrote:
Anyone else have any problems with this build? Criticisms? Comments?
Also, I'm trusting this PartPicker website with compatibility - I have no idea what to look for in that department other than whether or not they have the correct number of slots/type of slots. Is that all that goes into determining compatibility?
If I were you, I'd search for some mATX case. The case you chose has so much wasted space for you, and you didn't choose an ATX board so you don't necessarily need an ATX case. Another thing would be wireless networking through a PCIe (the "e" is "express", don't look for PCI) card instead of a USB stick. The card would come with a real antenna (or two or three), instead of being a tiny USB stick. That would make me feel better about possible problems with the signal. It also won't be pricier, I think. Does my motherboard have the correct slot for that? I'll look into it. I only looked at a picture on Google Image Search of the board. It has the normal long PCIe 16x slot for a graphics card, and it has one PCIe 1x slot. The cards for that are those very short a little funny looking cards. Thanks! Here's what I've found: the mobo has the following slots - Expansion Slots PCI Express 3.0 x16 1 PCI Express 2.0 x16 1 PCI Express x1 1 PCI 1
You must have confused it with a different full featured board. You linked this in your PartPicker list: http://www.msi.com/product/mb/B85M-E33.html. It really only has two slots.
|
My four year old computer (Core 2 duo E8500, 512mb HD4870, 4gb ram) is still mostly adequate for what I use it for (SC2, web browsing, watching TV/movies). I am starting to notice it being less responsive in general, however not to the point where I can justify a complete upgrade just yet. I realise it will need updating at some stage in the near future when it can no longer do what I want it to or one of the main components dies from old age.
I am considering buying a new SSD to breath some life into it in the interim, which I can transfer over to the new comp when I do end up getting it. Can anyone see anything wrong with this plan? If not, which of the following options I've found would you recommend (or if you can find a better deal for delivery in Newcastle Australia let me know).
250GB Samsung 840 - $190 link
256GB Sandisk Ultra Plus - $195 link
256GB Plector M5s - $210 link
256GB Samsung 840 PRO - $252 link
Thanks for your help.
|
Might as well just get the plain 840.
Of course it's not going to speed up anything that's not waiting on drive access, but hopefully you know that (and actually that's quite a number of things).
|
I've seen an SSD in a terrible PC with Athlon 64 X2 CPU, and it was impressive for general office stuff and speeding up the start up of Firefox, etc. Some things stayed slow. Playing Civ IV and V was still torture, and I remember a game named Torchlight which randomly generated its levels having terrible loading times, so don't expect too much.
On the other hand, I can't imagine a PC without SSD anymore, so just like you say, you'll need one anyways in the future and can simply make this your first purchase for the upgrades and see for yourself what it does to your current PC. I could also imagine future games being designed better than SC2 because of the shitty x86 CPUs inside the next console systems, running well on the Core 2 Duo. You could still get a lot of life out of this PC if you ignore SC2.
You should probably go with the cheap Samsung. I skimmed the last page on the Anandtech reviews of the different drives, and the reviewer doesn't sound too enthusiastic for the Plextor and Sandisk.
|
Ok so I think I finally started nailing things down in my choices.
Purpose for this PC
Gaming (fps, rts, and all in between), Graphics (Photoshop/Illustrator, no maya or 3dsmax), Audio Synthesis (PD) and Digital Audio Workstations (mixing, etc). Not going to try to overclock right now, but maybe in the far future I'll have the time to try to figure this stuff out, just way too busy atm for this to be even remotely realistic. That being said, the D-14 is primarily here for audio recording (silent PC ideal), not overclocking. Also Z87 was chosen for the possibility for dual GPU setups later (I wanted to leave that option open).
Is this a relatively good setup with that in mind?
|
|
|
United Kingdom20322 Posts
On June 19 2013 04:06 greggy wrote:Hey guys, I've been looking to upgrade for a while and I put this build together - looking for ideas/suggestions. I'm buying this 100% for gaming, so didn't feel like 4770k was warranted. My budget is £1500, and I still need a keyboard and a mouse. I'll be transferring my 2x1tb over so I only need an SSD. Thanks. + Show Spoiler +
Throw yourself something like a HR-02 Macho or step up further to the noctua u12s << u14s, nh-d14, silver arrow etc (last ones better)
Get yourself some of this: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-017-SA (will do 2200cas11)
or this: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-002-AR
Or something like them. Check if they'll fit under cooler if you get yourself a twin tower CPU cooler, the second one might not and most RAM with the useless heatspreaders will not.
In terms of CPU cooler; Temps WILL limit you. Haswell is hotter than ivy bridge, with one of those top 3 coolers under the right conditions (there's a lot of weird complicated stuff with haswell; you can't trust 9/10 of the temperature reports you read) you'd have a limit around 1.35v, if you had good case airflow and didnt mind absolute max of 90c. That might get 4.3ghz, might get 4.9, depending on luck etc. But stepping up to the HR-02 Macho is 100% worth it (because it's a negligible amount of money) and going up above that i think is a great choice unless you just want low OC
And the RAM, some nice 2200/2400+ will give notable gains over random 1600cas9, and its so easy to do, if you are spending £1.2k on a system and something gave you a performance increase of 10%, it'd have a performance per £ value of ~£120, but you can get it for like £20 in the form of some fast RAM, in many CPU bound cases
|
United Kingdom20322 Posts
On June 19 2013 10:47 wo1fwood wrote:Ok so I think I finally started nailing things down in my choices. Purpose for this PCGaming (fps, rts, and all in between), Graphics (Photoshop/Illustrator, no maya or 3dsmax), Audio Synthesis (PD) and Digital Audio Workstations (mixing, etc). Not going to try to overclock right now, but maybe in the far future I'll have the time to try to figure this stuff out, just way too busy atm for this to be even remotely realistic. That being said, the D-14 is primarily here for audio recording (silent PC ideal), not overclocking. Also Z87 was chosen for the possibility for dual GPU setups later (I wanted to leave that option open). Is this a relatively good setup with that in mind?
Look into noise and controlling RPM for case fans if you want low noise for audio recording. Unless it puts your CPU under some notable load, the NH-D14 fans on a conservative curve won't even spin. If they do spin, they won't be particularly loud. In order of loudness in my PC:
Hard drive spun up (happens for like 30 seconds after windows boots.. i dunno why, it's a fresh install and i am using an ssd with nothing in startup.. i sit at ~900mb RAM used and it doesn't go up) which is just loud and obnoxious
>
Graphics card under sustained very high-max load, cooling has to ramp up
>>>>>>
Case fans (170mm, 120mm, 120mm)
>>
Silver arrow fans. With 4.7ghz OC and HT on (no delid) they ramp up with high cpu load, and at max RPM are the quietest thing that makes noise in my system. Nh-d14 should be comparable, but damn if the noise from an nh-d14/silverarrowSE is a problem for you over other noise, that would require a reaaaaally reaaally quiet system.
Custom case fans and a good airflow case (potentially with noise dampening features? I never looked into them, noise is mostly an afterthought to me) especially with some kind of control, like pwm control if you had something nice and quiet and could spin them down, you should have very very little noise
(oops typed this in and forgot to post it for like half an hour)
|
On June 19 2013 18:32 Cyro wrote:Show nested quote +On June 19 2013 10:47 wo1fwood wrote:Ok so I think I finally started nailing things down in my choices. Purpose for this PCGaming (fps, rts, and all in between), Graphics (Photoshop/Illustrator, no maya or 3dsmax), Audio Synthesis (PD) and Digital Audio Workstations (mixing, etc). Not going to try to overclock right now, but maybe in the far future I'll have the time to try to figure this stuff out, just way too busy atm for this to be even remotely realistic. That being said, the D-14 is primarily here for audio recording (silent PC ideal), not overclocking. Also Z87 was chosen for the possibility for dual GPU setups later (I wanted to leave that option open). Is this a relatively good setup with that in mind? Look into noise and controlling RPM for case fans if you want low noise for audio recording. Unless it puts your CPU under some notable load, the NH-D14 fans on a conservative curve won't even spin. If they do spin, they won't be particularly loud. In order of loudness in my PC: Hard drive spun up (happens for like 30 seconds after windows boots.. i dunno why, it's a fresh install and i am using an ssd with nothing in startup.. i sit at ~900mb RAM used and it doesn't go up) which is just loud and obnoxious > Graphics card under sustained very high-max load, cooling has to ramp up >>>>>> Case fans (170mm, 120mm, 120mm) >> Silver arrow fans. With 4.7ghz OC and HT on (no delid) they ramp up with high cpu load, and at max RPM are the quietest thing that makes noise in my system. Nh-d14 should be comparable, but damn if the noise from an nh-d14/silverarrowSE is a problem for you over other noise, that would require a reaaaaally reaaally quiet system. Custom case fans and a good airflow case (potentially with noise dampening features? I never looked into them, noise is mostly an afterthought to me) especially with some kind of control, like pwm control if you had something nice and quiet and could spin them down, you should have very very little noise (oops typed this in and forgot to post it for like half an hour)
Case is also important, big thick sound dampening side panels do wonders.
|
On June 19 2013 09:24 Chrisboy wrote:My four year old computer (Core 2 duo E8500, 512mb HD4870, 4gb ram) is still mostly adequate for what I use it for (SC2, web browsing, watching TV/movies). I am starting to notice it being less responsive in general, however not to the point where I can justify a complete upgrade just yet. I realise it will need updating at some stage in the near future when it can no longer do what I want it to or one of the main components dies from old age. I am considering buying a new SSD to breath some life into it in the interim, which I can transfer over to the new comp when I do end up getting it. Can anyone see anything wrong with this plan? If not, which of the following options I've found would you recommend (or if you can find a better deal for delivery in Newcastle Australia let me know). 250GB Samsung 840 - $190 link256GB Sandisk Ultra Plus - $195 link256GB Plector M5s - $210 link256GB Samsung 840 PRO - $252 linkThanks for your help.
SSD is a good decision, go the 840. You might find it hard to mount an SSD in an old case, but it doesn't matter where it is, just tape it somewhere if you need.
Staticice says that MSY has one for $184. But Ive never got MSY to mail me anything, picking up from them is hard enough.
|
|
|
|
|
|
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/B1kwDP3.png)
