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On June 21 2013 13:15 Niten wrote:+ Show Spoiler +Budget: My budget has a hard cap of $1,250. Thankfully, I don't need a monitor, keyboard/mouse, or an OS as I own a copy of Windows7 professional. My goal is to get as much computing power as I can for my budget. This is my first time building a PC, so I hope you'll bear with my ignorance. Resolution: 1900 by 1080 (am I answering right?) PC Usage: I'll be using for both work and fun. I'll try here to list diverse and demanding activities I might do: photo editing, gaming, some video editing, MS office activities, and streaming. For gaming, because I suppose I should say more here, I'm not all-out bonkers for ULTRA everything - for me it's about the smooth and chill gaming experience (the jack/coke gaming exp, I suppose  ) That said, I would downplay graphics to keep the game as responsive as possible. Sample of recent games: SC2, Civ5, Witcher2, Remember Me, Tomb Raider Upgrade Cycle: 2002 (laptop), 2008 (laptop), 2013 (PC).... 5-6 years, I suppose. Build Time: I have the money and time this summer. I think at the latest I want to have built the PC by mid-July as I'm moving and my wife will need my current PC for work. Overclocking: I've never had a machine to OC with. This is my first time venturing out of pre-built PCs (Dell, HP, Toshiba). Maybe not initially (bc I don't know how), but down the line I think so. Operating System: I already have a Win7 Pro from years ago grad school. SLI/Crossfire Plans: I don't know that I need it for my purposes or that it fits within my budget. It sounds cool tho! Part Buying: I was planning to buy parts all off of Newegg. I live in New York City. Thanks for your help!
Either you buy the components to OC or you don't, there is no in between. Thus I choose the OC road.
i5-4670k & ASRock Z87 Extreme6 $334.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1352788
Noctua U12P $72.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608014
G.Skill 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-2400 c11 1.65v $69.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231666
ASUS GTX 660 $209.99 ($20MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121660
Samsung 840 250GB $169.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147189
Fractal R4 w/window $109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352021
DVD Burner $17.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
Rosewill Capstone 450w 80+ Gold $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066
Total:$1045.91
Some musings:
That combo deal saves $80 lol
The cheapest C9 1.5v 8GB 1600mhz ram kits are $63 so why not spend and extra $7?
250GB SSD because it's cheap.
The case; it has sound dampening material, so your computer will be quieter.
The ASUS card because off the DirectCU II cooler.
The Nocuta cooler becuase it's made to be silent.
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United Kingdom20326 Posts
On June 21 2013 12:40 Shikyo wrote:
Hmmm so a quick question. For a Haswell system it'd be beneficial to just go for a 75 euro 8GB 2400 mhz ram kit instead of a ~53 euro 1600 mhz kit? As in it's relatively cost-efficient if I'm planning on OCing?
I think so, because of the performance gains. If you can get cas10 or 11 (or even cas12) 2400 kit, you can actually get a notable performance gap. I'l post numbers when i have them. As iTzSnypah said in the post above (i think that's the RAM i linked earlier) 2400 cas11 1.65v RAM for $7 more than cheapest ddr3? That's not even a question.
And to the other post, Noctua u12p? You mean u12s or is there a specific reason to get the p?
Whereas the NH-U12S comes equipped with the renowned NF-F12 120mm fan and succeeds the highly popular NH-U12P
The u12s and u14s turned some heads, but i don't think i even heard of the u12p in particular, before those versions, are they almost as good or significantly worse?
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Fractal Design Core 3000 USB 3.0 vs Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Svart
Comments? What do you guys think in terms of performance? Price is nearly the same so. If you know any better within the same price, do post them 
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On June 21 2013 20:23 KapsyL wrote:Fractal Design Core 3000 USB 3.0 vs Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Svart Comments? What do you guys think in terms of performance? Price is nearly the same so. If you know any better within the same price, do post them
They seem pretty similar. Cases don't differ too much on performance, get what you like the look of, get sound dampening if you want a quiet computer.
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Can I get some comments on this build? How well will it be able to run SC2 and streaming?
CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard - ASRock DDR3 2400 Intel LGA 1155 Motherboards (Z77 EXTREME4-M)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
HD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB ST31000524AS
Video Card - HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card
Case - Cooler Master HAF 912 - Mid Tower Computer Case with High Airflow
Power - Antec 550W ATX12V
Optical Drive - Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer
If I all do is play SC2, is there anyway to scale down on the quality of the parts to make the build cheaper? Also, can I get some advice on getting an SSD? I would like to have a small one (64GB?) just to have my OS and SC2 on it.
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On June 21 2013 20:54 Azera wrote:
Can I get some comments on this build? How well will it be able to run SC2 and streaming?
CPU - Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard - ASRock DDR3 2400 Intel LGA 1155 Motherboards (Z77 EXTREME4-M)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
HD - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 1 TB ST31000524AS
Video Card - HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card
Case - Cooler Master HAF 912 - Mid Tower Computer Case with High Airflow
Power - Antec 550W ATX12V
Optical Drive - Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer
If I all do is play SC2, is there anyway to scale down on the quality of the parts to make the build cheaper? Also, can I get some advice on getting an SSD? I would like to have a small one (64GB?) just to have my OS and SC2 on it.
No reason to get last gen processor (edit I guess unless you are getting it much cheaper but that is not typical), get an i5-4670k and a z87 mobo. Also if you aren't going to overclock then dont get the 'k' processor, if you are then get a aftermarket cooler.
Definitely get an SSD, I don't think they even sell 64g anymore and its frustrating to live within that much. Grab a 120g Samsung 840.
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United Kingdom20326 Posts
Are you looking to overclock or not? You have "k" CPU (which costs extra for overclocking capability) and a z77 board (really quite a bad one), but no aftermarket cpu cooler listed (which would be required for oc)
Also, last gen cpu and motherboard
You should probably get different RAM than corsair vengeance (another 1600cas9 kit or something similar, but without big heatspreaders on the top that are mostly there for aesthetic reasons) and you can save a chunk of money getting a radeon 7750 if you don't mind having a far weaker graphics card for other games (it won't affect your sc2 minimum fps in battles etc where performance really matters, or bring your max fps early game down very far) but if you get better radeon cards (like a 7850) you get more games and stuff free with them, which you can use and sell, they have a lot of value and it's good to have a versatile system instead of saving a bit and making your system weak in a critical way for many other games, IMO, even if the one you intend to play doesn't care so much
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Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850?
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On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850?
Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+).
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On June 21 2013 21:26 Blaec wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850? Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+).
Well, I'm not against learning anything, but I don't think I'll need to overclock. So any recommendations for a CPU + Motherboard then?
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On June 21 2013 21:32 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 21:26 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850? Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+). Well, I'm not against learning anything, but I don't think I'll need to overclock. So any recommendations for a CPU + Motherboard then?
Fair enough, i5 4670 (not the 'k'). I dont know motherboards so Ill let someone else recommend.
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On June 21 2013 21:38 Blaec wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 21:32 Azera wrote:On June 21 2013 21:26 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850? Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+). Well, I'm not against learning anything, but I don't think I'll need to overclock. So any recommendations for a CPU + Motherboard then? Fair enough, i5 4670 (not the 'k'). I dont know motherboards so Ill let someone else recommend.
Cool. Thanks for the help!
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On June 21 2013 20:53 Blaec wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 20:23 KapsyL wrote:Fractal Design Core 3000 USB 3.0 vs Fractal Design Arc Midi R2 Svart Comments? What do you guys think in terms of performance? Price is nearly the same so. If you know any better within the same price, do post them They seem pretty similar. Cases don't differ too much on performance, get what you like the look of, get sound dampening if you want a quiet computer.
Thats what I thought. I just got some weird idea that the arc midi r2 might be better since its mentioned quite often here in this thread(reading it all for learning kekeke)
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Kingston DDR3 HyperX 1600MHz 8GB
Kit w/2X HyperX Genesis 4GB DDR3, CL9-9-9-27, 240pin
Is there anything in particular I should know about this before buying? It's coming up with a 22% sale on komplett so im looking to save some money and get it, assuming theres not a fatal flaw with it?
After reading feedbacks on sale sites I end up thinking this one is good, 44 euro when discounted saving me 13 euro or so
But since I have been warned about reading feedbacks figured i might aswell post here
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On June 21 2013 21:53 Azera wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 21:38 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:32 Azera wrote:On June 21 2013 21:26 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850? Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+). Well, I'm not against learning anything, but I don't think I'll need to overclock. So any recommendations for a CPU + Motherboard then? Fair enough, i5 4670 (not the 'k'). I dont know motherboards so Ill let someone else recommend. Cool. Thanks for the help!
The name of the socket is LGA1150. Look for that section when browsing for motherboards.
Go look at H87 chipset boards. There's also B85, but I don't know what the deal with that is. You don't have to be afraid to buy something very cheap, everything important is run by Intel's chips, and those chips are the same on all boards. Just go look at the features the board has and buy the one that's enough for you, perhaps looking at things like audio mostly. Intel networking being used instead of an alternative chip might be a sign of a somewhat more quality board.
You can save some money going for mATX size instead of ATX. Most people won't ever need the extra expansion slots, and you can work around that in the worst case. Every device has an external version nowadays, as notebooks are so popular. You might also like the smaller mATX cases more, though the board also works in an ATX case.
Z87 is the chipset that allows for overclocking. The boards for overclocking are more expensive, the CPU with the "k" at the end is a little more expensive, and you would need to pay for a cooler as Intel's default cooler would be too weak. This adds up to a pretty serious price difference. You can ignore those boards unless you stumble upon a deal and won't pay more than for something H87. In that case, you'd buy a 4670k CPU, skip the cooler for now, buy the cooler in a few years and overclock then.
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On June 21 2013 22:37 Ropid wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2013 21:53 Azera wrote:On June 21 2013 21:38 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:32 Azera wrote:On June 21 2013 21:26 Blaec wrote:On June 21 2013 21:11 Azera wrote:
Thanks for the advice! I am very new to this whole computer building business so I'm still trying to learn things here and there.
I don't plan to overclock since I don't really see the need to do it for me. Unless of course, there's a way to squeeze out more performance at a relatively cheaper price than a CPU that can't be overclocked. Considering what you've said, Cyro, I think I'll stick with the 7850. How are Nvidia cards that are around the same price as the 7850? Overclocking gets more power for the price, but it takes a decent amount of time and learning (like a full day+). Well, I'm not against learning anything, but I don't think I'll need to overclock. So any recommendations for a CPU + Motherboard then? Fair enough, i5 4670 (not the 'k'). I dont know motherboards so Ill let someone else recommend. Cool. Thanks for the help! The name of the socket is LGA1150. Look for that section when browsing for motherboards. Go look at H87 chipset boards. There's also B85, but I don't know what the deal with that is. You don't have to be afraid to buy something very cheap, everything important is run by Intel's chips, and those chips are the same on all boards. Just go look at the features the board has and buy the one that's enough for you, perhaps looking at things like audio mostly. Intel networking being used instead of an alternative chip might be a sign of a somewhat more quality board. You can save some money going for mATX size instead of ATX. Most people won't ever need the extra expansion slots, and you can work around that in the worst case. Every device has an external version nowadays, as notebooks are so popular. You might also like the smaller mATX cases more, though the board also works in an ATX case. Z87 is the chipset that allows for overclocking. The boards for overclocking are more expensive, the CPU with the "k" at the end is a little more expensive, and you would need to pay for a cooler as Intel's default cooler would be too weak. This adds up to a pretty serious price difference. You can ignore those boards unless you stumble upon a deal and won't pay more than for something H87. In that case, you'd buy a 4670k CPU, skip the cooler for now, buy the cooler in a few years and overclock then.
Woah, thanks for all the helpful info! Will definitely keep what you've said regarding the boards and coolers in mind.
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I got to say you guys are awesome. Thank you so much for the help before! I'm finalizing the build now and it's really thanks to you guys :-)
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Can anyone help with a computer build? Don't really know anything about it myself.
What is your budget?
£800-900
What is your resolution?
1440*900, probably replacing monitor at a later date.
What are you using it for?
Gaming, mostly SCII
What is your upgrade cycle?
3 years
When do you plan on building it?
1 or 2 weeks
Do you plan on overclocking?
Yes
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
No
Where are you buying your parts from?
Any credible source that delivers to the UK
If anyone can help I would be very grateful.
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I just finished building my computer, and it runs great - thanks for the help TL. It was an interesting and fun experience.
Also MicroCenter is awesome - I went there with my list of parts (most of which were from Newegg) and they were able to beat or match all the prices on my list - I just bought it all from them and put it together yesterday.
I never knew Starcraft 2 could look so good, and I'm really enjoying BioShock Infinite!
The final build I settled on was:
Geforce 660
MSI Mobo
i5-4670 cpu
some cheap optical drive, idc about that
an asus pci-e wireless card
a 500w corsair psu
a cool Zalman case (I didn't know it had LED lights until I turned it all on, derp)
a 1tb hardrive
Came out to about 800$ before tax.
I had one thing happen during assembly that really frustrated me, but I eventually figured it out. The 24 pin connector from my psu to the mobo WOULD NOT go in. I spent about 1.5 hours messing around with it using a safety pin to clean out both the connector and the socket on the mobo, and finally I read about how sometimes you just need to force it, so I applied way more force than I was comfortable with and it clicked in.
I was irritating that the most difficult part of the assembly was getting one plug into a friggin socket : )
buildapc on reddit and pcpartchecker were also amazing resources, I learned a lot and will most likely do this again!
♥
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EPT
