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On August 02 2011 13:55 Toss907 wrote:I have pieced together pretty much all I "think" I need, below is a screen shot of what I think I am going to get from newegg. If anyone has any feedback as to what I am missing or what is a better option please feel free to give me your .04 cents. Thanks! + Show Spoiler +Also, my focus of this comp is to play SC2, BF3, stream, pandora and alt+tab with ease while doing a combination of those things! Is a sound card really needed?
It's a sick machine, but my god it's expensive. :o. You could cut a lot of cost by doing things slightly different with slightly worse performance, but I'm guessing you're wanting top of the line?
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United States71 Posts
On August 02 2011 14:21 FabledIntegral wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2011 13:55 Toss907 wrote:I have pieced together pretty much all I "think" I need, below is a screen shot of what I think I am going to get from newegg. If anyone has any feedback as to what I am missing or what is a better option please feel free to give me your .04 cents. Thanks! + Show Spoiler +Also, my focus of this comp is to play SC2, BF3, stream, pandora and alt+tab with ease while doing a combination of those things! Is a sound card really needed? It's a sick machine, but my god it's expensive. :o. You could cut a lot of cost by doing things slightly different with slightly worse performance, but I'm guessing you're wanting top of the line?
Doesn't have to be top of the line, just want to stay ahead of the curve a little longer! I hate how electronics are outdated or there is an upgrade to the current model within 6 months of buying it!
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On August 02 2011 14:25 Toss907 wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2011 14:21 FabledIntegral wrote:On August 02 2011 13:55 Toss907 wrote:I have pieced together pretty much all I "think" I need, below is a screen shot of what I think I am going to get from newegg. If anyone has any feedback as to what I am missing or what is a better option please feel free to give me your .04 cents. Thanks! + Show Spoiler +Also, my focus of this comp is to play SC2, BF3, stream, pandora and alt+tab with ease while doing a combination of those things! Is a sound card really needed? It's a sick machine, but my god it's expensive. :o. You could cut a lot of cost by doing things slightly different with slightly worse performance, but I'm guessing you're wanting top of the line? Doesn't have to be top of the line, just want to stay ahead of the curve a little longer! I hate how electronics are outdated or there is an upgrade to the current model within 6 months of buying it!
Out of context, the build looks like you're trying to hit a specific price point rather than getting things that actually matter. Sure, you can pay like $40 extra on RAM for half an fps increase in some games, or $90 more on a motherboard that has features you won't ever use, $60 extra on extra wattage on the power supply you'll never use with any combination of overclocking and synthetic stress tests, $80 more on a cooler that may drop temperatures from good to 10C better (or so--hard to say), and so on, but really?
edit: none of these things will let you stay ahead of the curve any longer. Unfortunately, you can't throw your money away into a time portal and summon future technology through a wormhole.
Well, without the combo, it's a bad deal, like $10-20 overpriced for your purposes compared to something of equivalent quality, depending on whether or not you count the rebate. It shouldn't be a bad unit at all though, so no need to regret it.
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On August 02 2011 14:25 Toss907 wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2011 14:21 FabledIntegral wrote:On August 02 2011 13:55 Toss907 wrote:I have pieced together pretty much all I "think" I need, below is a screen shot of what I think I am going to get from newegg. If anyone has any feedback as to what I am missing or what is a better option please feel free to give me your .04 cents. Thanks! + Show Spoiler +Also, my focus of this comp is to play SC2, BF3, stream, pandora and alt+tab with ease while doing a combination of those things! Is a sound card really needed? It's a sick machine, but my god it's expensive. :o. You could cut a lot of cost by doing things slightly different with slightly worse performance, but I'm guessing you're wanting top of the line? Doesn't have to be top of the line, just want to stay ahead of the curve a little longer! I hate how electronics are outdated or there is an upgrade to the current model within 6 months of buying it!
The build is pretty darn cost-inefficient. I'm guessing the true experts will suggest changes to graphics cards, power supply, processor, and certainly RAM for the same performance and dramatically less price. I'd suggest a build, but if you fill out the full questionnaire in the OP truly expert help will probably post a better build.
Edit: I can tell you a sound card is not definitely needed. It's a luxury, but on-board will do fine. Also, I've heard air-cooling fans are generally preferable to the self-contained water coolers.
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On that budget, I'd seriously consider a sound card though, if you have a worthwhile analog sound system or headphones it would drive. An extra monitor or monitor upgrade, peripheral upgrades, etc. are all a lot more worthwhile than all the excess though, that's for sure.
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On August 02 2011 13:47 skyR wrote:
Newegg does not provide lower costs than NCIX or any Canadian retailer. You do not want to be shopping from Newegg ever unless it is an Shellshocker deal. We do link to NCIX for Canadians but with weekly sales and pricematching, you going to have to be more specific on when you are purchasing before we (mainly I since I'm the one that usually does the Canadian builds) recommend a configuration. Recommending a configuration now would be pointless if you don'
t plan on purchasing until the last week of August as sales will have changed and prices of the pricematch will have changed.
Thanks for the info! I'll ask again when I'll make the purchase.
Do you think NCIX will have some back to school sale near the end of August?
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NCIX has sales every week. You'll find some good deals every week but their really good sales usually happens with grand openings and boxing day.
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I've gotten a hold of an older pc for cheap from a friend and I'm wondering what potential it have for upgrading.
Intel e2160 dual core 1,80 GHz
GeForce 8800 GS
Abit fatal1ty fp-in9 sli (LGA775)
2 GB ram
I'm just looking to prolong it's use a little, maybe play a few current games and such, be it on lower settings and resolutions. I can run SC2 fine on low settings as it is, though bigger battles are somtimes an issue.
Would overclocking be an option (good)? I believe both the e2160 and motherboard supports this and I've been looking for an opportunity to give it a try. Better to do it on an older than a brand new since I don't have a lot of experience with it. Or maybe simply buy a newer cpu, more ram? If try overclocking I assume I'll need an aditional cpu cooler as well?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Btw the costs aren't that big off an issue. I can live with it being a bit cost inefficient, within reason.
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United States71 Posts
What is your budget?
$1000-$2000
What is your resolution?
1920x1080 x 2
What are you using it for?
Gaming, pandora, downloading music/movies, finding the end of the internet, streaming if I ever get out of gold
What is your upgrade cycle?
2 years most likely.
When do you plan on building it?
Soon as I determine what is best for me.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Yes.
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes, windows 7x64
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Yes, dual monitors are best suited through dual GPU?
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg/Frys.
Looking for strictly an Intel build at this time also.
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On August 02 2011 15:58 nihlon wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I've gotten a hold of an older pc for cheap from a friend and I'm wondering what potential it have for upgrading.
Intel e2160 dual core 1,80 GHz
GeForce 8800 GS
Abit fatal1ty fp-in9 sli (LGA775)
2 GB ram
I'm just looking to prolong it's use a little, maybe play a few current games and such, be it on lower settings and resolutions. I can run SC2 fine on low settings as it is, though bigger battles are somtimes an issue.
Would overclocking be an option (good)? I believe both the e2160 and motherboard supports this and I've been looking for an opportunity to give it a try. Better to do it on an older than a brand new since I don't have a lot of experience with it. Or maybe simply buy a newer cpu, more ram? If try overclocking I assume I'll need an aditional cpu cooler as well?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Btw the costs aren't that big off an issue. I can live with it being a bit cost inefficient, within reason.
Yes you would want an aftermarket heatsink to overclock. There's not much you can do besides add in another 2gb of memory, upgrade the graphics card maybe (depending on what power supply the configuration has), and maybe upgrade the processor if you can find a core 2 duo or quad used (discounted price). If you do intend to upgrade the processor, ensure that the motherboard is capable of supporting 45nm processors (unless you plan on upgrading to a Q6600 or E6600 which are 65nm).
On August 02 2011 16:09 Toss907 wrote:+ Show Spoiler +What is your budget?
$1000-$2000
What is your resolution?
1920x1080 x 2
What are you using it for?
Gaming, pandora, downloading music/movies, finding the end of the internet, streaming if I ever get out of gold
What is your upgrade cycle?
2 years most likely.
When do you plan on building it?
Soon as I determine what is best for me.
Do you plan on overclocking?
Yes.
Do you need an Operating System?
Yes, windows 7x64
Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire?
Yes, dual monitors are best suited through dual GPU?
Where are you buying your parts from?
Newegg/Frys.
Looking for strictly an Intel build at this time also.
Here's a configuration for $1158. Your budget is large so you can do whatever you want with the remaining: upgrade to a core i7 2600k, get a CrossfireX / SLI capable board and power supply, etc.
Two monitors doesn't equate to needing two graphics cards unless you plan on doing Eyefinity or 3D Surround with two monitors which doesn't make sense since you would be playing with a bezel in the center of your screen or you are going to be playing off-centered. You would want three monitors for 3D Surround or Eyefinity.
Core i5 2500k @ $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
Asrock P67 Pro3 @ $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157230
MSI GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II @ $240 ($220 after mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127594
GSkill 2x4GB 1333MHz @ $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422
XFX Core Edition 450 @ $54 ($45 after mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207012
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
Samsung 470 Series 128GB @ $225
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147125
DVD Burner @ $19
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136216
Windows 7 Home Premium x64 @ $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
Coolermaster HAF 912 @ $55 ($45 after mail in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233
Xigmatek Gaia @ $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082
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On August 02 2011 16:45 skyR wrote:Show nested quote +On August 02 2011 15:58 nihlon wrote:+ Show Spoiler +I've gotten a hold of an older pc for cheap from a friend and I'm wondering what potential it have for upgrading.
Intel e2160 dual core 1,80 GHz
GeForce 8800 GS
Abit fatal1ty fp-in9 sli (LGA775)
2 GB ram
I'm just looking to prolong it's use a little, maybe play a few current games and such, be it on lower settings and resolutions. I can run SC2 fine on low settings as it is, though bigger battles are somtimes an issue.
Would overclocking be an option (good)? I believe both the e2160 and motherboard supports this and I've been looking for an opportunity to give it a try. Better to do it on an older than a brand new since I don't have a lot of experience with it. Or maybe simply buy a newer cpu, more ram? If try overclocking I assume I'll need an aditional cpu cooler as well?
Thanks for any suggestions.
Btw the costs aren't that big off an issue. I can live with it being a bit cost inefficient, within reason. Yes you would want an aftermarket heatsink to overclock. There's not much you can do besides add in another 2gb of memory, upgrade the graphics card maybe (depending on what power supply the configuration has), and maybe upgrade the processor if you can find a core 2 duo or quad used (discounted price). If you do intend to upgrade the processor, ensure that the motherboard is capable of supporting 45nm processors (unless you plan on upgrading to a Q6600 or E6600 which are 65nm).
Alright thanks! I don't remember what the power supply is but I'll be sure to check it out. Can you tell by what I've told you so far what would be a reasonable power supply if I plan on changing the graphics card? Although I suppose it's quality/brand dependant as well, maybe hard to tell?
The motherboard does support 45nm with the latest bios according to abits site so if I can find good price that is an option.
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Depends on the model but you probably shouldn't be upgrading the graphics card before the processor though as the processor is what is causing you the poor performance during late game scenarios in Starcraft II.
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Yeah, the graphics card wasn't my first choice either. I guess I'll check that if I ever decide to go down that route.
I might try to overclock the current processor first though if I can get ahold of a cheap cooler, more for fun than anything.
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skyR - I'm wondering why you suggest using a p67 mobo for your intel builds rather than a z68?
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5930 Posts
P67 boards are cheaper, have more ports, and you generally don't use any of the features in Z68 boards. The only really cheap Z68 boards are from Gigabyte and fuck them because they don't use uEFI.
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5930 Posts
If you need mad read speeds because you deal with tons of Lightroom files, sure go ahead buy a Z68 board because you might use it.
95% of people don't have that much data to read because all they do is play video games. Most people are better off just getting a single SSD and dumping their most frequently used files on there, which will not only be faster but it will also have much better write speeds.
You're buying a 60GB SSD anyway, because that's like the smallest companies offer, so why not dump your operating system and a few program files on there instead of dealing with an inferior, indirect method?
Its Biostar so don't expect a single thing from warranty service (1 year warranty service is enough to set off warning bells). Granted Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, and Asrock also have bad warranty service but you can at least try with those guys. Also, Newegg reviewers have suggested that it likes to catch on fire. Never a good sign.
Its like Onkyo. Yeah sure they have extremely feature packed receivers for the price but that's because they've gutted their whole customer service team. If your hardware breaks, don't bother giving them a call because you're not going to resolve your problem.
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The Asrock P67 Pro3 for $110 is better than all the Z68 boards you'll find for under $150 as it has more phases and more connectivity. The Biostar Z68 has five phases as opposed to the ten on Asrock, less connectivity, and no on-board debug LED / buttons.
There are times where picking a Z68 board instead of a P67 board makes sense primarily because of pricing such as the Gigabyte Z68 D3 which was at $80 on Newegg a few days ago. Another reason would be if you wanted an inexpensive board for SLI.
I'm not sure how you would save money by having SSD caching.
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On August 02 2011 18:04 Womwomwom wrote:If you need mad read speeds because you deal with tons of Lightroom files, sure go ahead buy a Z68 board because you might use it. 95% of people don't have that much data to read because all they do is play video games. Most people are better off just getting a single SSD and dumping their most frequently used files on there, which will not only be faster but it will also have much better write speeds. You're buying a 60GB SSD anyway, because that's like the smallest companies offer, so why not dump your operating system and a few program files on there instead of dealing with an inferior, indirect method? Its Biostar. Also, Newegg reviewers have suggested that it likes to catch on fire. Never a good sign.
One reviewer... more than once... and it probably wasn't the boards fault. Why wouldn't you just use the new technology to have the mobo sort out the files for you? What's inferior about it? I'm not saying you're wrong I'm just curious if you have data to back it up? As far a OCing it's the same but with more options?
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/intel-z68-express-smart-response-technology-ssd-caching,2938-2.html
skyR- Thank. I have more to read now. I need to educate myself on "phases and more connectivity".
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EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/AA1Ce.jpg)
