EPTComputer Build Resource Thread - Page 850
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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. | ||
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Shikyo
Finland33997 Posts
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daemir
Finland8662 Posts
and yes those looks far superior, thanks shikyo I'll have a look at those, wasn't even aware of such a site's existence. How much of a difference is there between those graphic cards on the mid range and the high end rigs? is Ati Radeon HD 6870 1024MB an okay card compared to the Nvidia GeForce GTX560 Ti 1Gb as that seems to be the only real difference between the rigs? | ||
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Shikyo
Finland33997 Posts
This one for instance is a true gem in my opinion whenever it's available: http://www.silentrig.com/product/1684/silent-storm I really wonder how they are making profit with that specific computer. Also as 6950 and GTX 560 would be same price there and 6950 is better, you would select that and not GTX 560 Ti. Hence the comparison you should look at is this: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/290?vs=293 | ||
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daemir
Finland8662 Posts
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GeZZa07
Australia75 Posts
What is your budget? AUD$1000-1200. This includes the purchase of two monitors so I can dual screen, assistance on the monitor model would be appreciated What is your resolution? Whatever you guys recommend goes with the screens. What are you using it for? Mostly gaming, potentially some streaming. What is your upgrade cycle? Long upgrade cycle, hopefully - I wont be upgrading this rig for many years. When do you plan on building it? As soon as possible Do you plan on overclocking? No plans on overclocking unless you guys recommend it. Do you need an Operating System? Don't require any software Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? Don't plan on crossfiring unless recommended. Where are you buying your parts from? I will be buying from any sources that ship to Australia, or are locally based ( MSY - http://msy.com.au/ or CPL http://www.cpl.net.au/) This will be my first rig that I put together so I won't be able to do any complicated procedures. Many thanks, | ||
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Wabbit
United States1028 Posts
On January 03 2012 09:21 Kaotic wrote: Ok, so tomorrow I'm ordering the HD 6870 graphics card and a new psu. You suggested the Rosewill Capstone 450W for me, but a friend of mine also pointed out this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171036&cm_sp=Cat_Power_Supplies-_-Hot_Deal-_-17-171-036 Is this the better choice since it has the higher wattage? Roughly same price after the rebate. Thanks! No. The Capstone is superior in build quality and performance. It also provides nearly the same max 12V wattage, which is what matters for modern systems (444W vs 480 for that CM PSU). Not to mention it is actually capable of even more, and is higher efficiency, but more wattage is not going to do anything for you. With a 6870 and whatever typical CPU you have you probably won't ever pass 300W under load. | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On January 03 2012 11:41 GeZZa07 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + Hi guys, I'm building a predominantly gaming computer. Whilst I will be playing mostly starcraft 2, I would like to stream and play some more demanding games in the future. Definately would like to emphasise value for money and quality over performance. What is your budget? AUD$1000-1200. This includes the purchase of two monitors so I can dual screen, assistance on the monitor model would be appreciated What is your resolution? Whatever you guys recommend goes with the screens. What are you using it for? Mostly gaming, potentially some streaming. What is your upgrade cycle? Long upgrade cycle, hopefully - I wont be upgrading this rig for many years. When do you plan on building it? As soon as possible Do you plan on overclocking? No plans on overclocking unless you guys recommend it. Do you need an Operating System? Don't require any software Do you plan to add a second GPU for SLI or Crossfire? Don't plan on crossfiring unless recommended. Where are you buying your parts from? I will be buying from any sources that ship to Australia, or are locally based ( MSY - http://msy.com.au/ or CPL http://www.cpl.net.au/) This will be my first rig that I put together so I won't be able to do any complicated procedures. Many thanks, So something like this totals to $1233, didn't check pricing of the other retailer. You can grab a core i5 2400 instead as well if that's less expensive and available at the other retailer. You need to add in the least expensive DVD burner as well. Dell Ultrasharp U2412M x2 for $558 (good price I think?) < these are 1920x1200 so if you want 1080p screens than you can get the U2312HM which is a little less expensive http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs&sku=230-12093 Intel Core i5 2500 for $220 @ MSY MSI H61M P21 for $52 @ MSY Trascend 8gb DDR3 1333MHz for $36 @ MSY Powercolor Radeon HD6870 for $169 @ MSY Antec Neo Eco 450 for $58 @ MSY Antec One Hundred for $65 @ MSY Seagate 500GB for $75 @ MSY | ||
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Shikyo
Finland33997 Posts
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Fallen750
United States43 Posts
Unless he plans on buying a new monitor, I believe his gaming resolution will be 1680x1050. Upgrade cycle is about two years, and we plan to pick up parts and order parts by Friday. ~ I have windows 7 for him, but he may want a SSD for Windows and to put WoW on. Is the motherboard that I have posted compatible with SSD? He will be picking up a cheap optical drive as well. I think I have gone over the list pretty well and just need advice on the Motherboard, case and graphics. Or if you see any major errors. Thanks CPU: Intel Core i5 - 2400 MOBO: ASRock H61M-U3S3 MSI H61M-P210603 RAM: This is where the BestBuy part comes in. Corsair XMS3 4GB DDR3 GPU: XFX - Raedon HD 6750 Sapphire Raedon HD 6750 Is there a difference in the two previous cards? Asus GTX 5501gb CASE: Cooler Master - Mid Tower I really have no clue what to look for in a case, any other bestbuy recommendations would be helpful. PSU: Antec - BP550 Plus 500W Would this PSU be sufficient? Or should I plan on bumping it up to a 600w just to be safe? | ||
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Wabbit
United States1028 Posts
On January 03 2012 11:52 skyR wrote: So something like this totals to $1233, didn't check pricing of the other retailer. You can grab a core i5 2400 instead as well if that's less expensive and available at the other retailer. You need to add in the least expensive DVD burner as well. Dell Ultrasharp U2412M x2 for $558 (good price I think?) < these are 1920x1200 so if you want 1080p screens than you can get the U2312HM which is a little less expensive http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs&sku=230-12093 Intel Core i5 2500 for $220 @ MSY MSI H61M P21 for $52 @ MSY Trascend 8gb DDR3 1333MHz for $36 @ MSY Powercolor Radeon HD6870 for $169 @ MSY Antec Neo Eco 450 for $58 @ MSY Antec One Hundred for $65 @ MSY Seagate 500GB for $75 @ MSY There's a Bitfenix Merc Alpha for $50 at Mwave Au http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-16011491-BitFenix_Merc_Alpha_ATX_Midi_Tower_Case_3x_5_25"_7x_3_5"_&_1x_2_5& Otherwise those are pretty much the best prices for Australia. Crazy how MSY seems to be the best for everything. | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On January 03 2012 11:58 Fallen750 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + Hello, I'm trying to help my younger brother build his first computer. The only game that he really plays is World of Warcraft, while I don't play it often enough to know requirements or if its just similar to SC2. Everything would be just perfect, except he was given a 500$ giftcard to BestBuy to buy some of his parts from. Which just ups the price on everything, so I'm not really sure the best way to go about it. Unless he plans on buying a new monitor, I believe his gaming resolution will be 1680x1050. Upgrade cycle is about two years, and we plan to pick up parts and order parts by Friday. ~ I have windows 7 for him, but he may want a SSD for Windows and to put WoW on. Is the motherboard that I have posted compatible with SSD? He will be picking up a cheap optical drive as well. I think I have gone over the list pretty well and just need advice on the Motherboard, case and graphics. Or if you see any major errors. Thanks CPU: Intel Core i5 - 2400 MOBO: ASRock H61M-U3S3 MSI H61M-P210603 RAM: This is where the BestBuy part comes in. Corsair XMS3 4GB DDR3 GPU: XFX - Raedon HD 6750 Sapphire Raedon HD 6750 Is there a difference in the two previous cards? Asus GTX 5501gb CASE: Cooler Master - Mid Tower I really have no clue what to look for in a case, any other bestbuy recommendations would be helpful. PSU: Antec - BP550 Plus 500W Would this PSU be sufficient? Or should I plan on bumping it up to a 600w just to be safe? BP550 for $66 isn't a good choice but provides more than enough headroom for such a configuration. Such a configuration is never going to exceed 200w during gaming. A Rosewill Capstone 450 is by far a better choice since it's higher in quality and provides the same amount of power: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 2x4gb for $55 is overpriced. Just buy a $35 kit from Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226249 I'd use the gift card on something else... and not computer components. The HAF 912 for $50 is good since it's less expensive than Newegg and it's a good case. All the graphics cards at Best Buy are overpriced. GTX 550 Ti for $150 is TERRIBLE and so is a Radeon HD6750 for $135. You can get a Radeon HD6850 for $140 from Newegg which is better than both cards. On January 03 2012 11:58 Shikyo wrote:+ Show Spoiler + Personally don't think it's worth it going for so high-end monitors when you're sactrificing so much from the build itself, seems like slight imbalance to me U2412HM isn't high-end but it's better than your typical TN panels. I don't think you're sacrificing much from the build when you aren't overclocking or have plans for a multi-GPU configuration. | ||
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GeZZa07
Australia75 Posts
On January 03 2012 11:52 skyR wrote: So something like this totals to $1233, didn't check pricing of the other retailer. You can grab a core i5 2400 instead as well if that's less expensive and available at the other retailer. You need to add in the least expensive DVD burner as well. Dell Ultrasharp U2412M x2 for $558 (good price I think?) < these are 1920x1200 so if you want 1080p screens than you can get the U2312HM which is a little less expensive http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs&sku=230-12093 Intel Core i5 2500 for $220 @ MSY MSI H61M P21 for $52 @ MSY Trascend 8gb DDR3 1333MHz for $36 @ MSY Powercolor Radeon HD6870 for $169 @ MSY Antec Neo Eco 450 for $58 @ MSY Antec One Hundred for $65 @ MSY Seagate 500GB for $75 @ MSY Thanks for the quick reply, I didn't anticipate the screens would cost so much. Do you recommend I spend a bit more on my rig? I can probably spend $300-500 more if its worth it. | ||
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Wabbit
United States1028 Posts
On January 03 2012 11:58 Fallen750 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + Hello, I'm trying to help my younger brother build his first computer. The only game that he really plays is World of Warcraft, while I don't play it often enough to know requirements or if its just similar to SC2. Everything would be just perfect, except he was given a 500$ giftcard to BestBuy to buy some of his parts from. Which just ups the price on everything, so I'm not really sure the best way to go about it. Unless he plans on buying a new monitor, I believe his gaming resolution will be 1680x1050. Upgrade cycle is about two years, and we plan to pick up parts and order parts by Friday. ~ I have windows 7 for him, but he may want a SSD for Windows and to put WoW on. Is the motherboard that I have posted compatible with SSD? He will be picking up a cheap optical drive as well. I think I have gone over the list pretty well and just need advice on the Motherboard, case and graphics. Or if you see any major errors. Thanks CPU: Intel Core i5 - 2400 MOBO: ASRock H61M-U3S3 MSI H61M-P210603 RAM: This is where the BestBuy part comes in. Corsair XMS3 4GB DDR3 GPU: XFX - Raedon HD 6750 Sapphire Raedon HD 6750 Is there a difference in the two previous cards? Asus GTX 5501gb CASE: Cooler Master - Mid Tower I really have no clue what to look for in a case, any other bestbuy recommendations would be helpful. PSU: Antec - BP550 Plus 500W Would this PSU be sufficient? Or should I plan on bumping it up to a 600w just to be safe? Wow BB prices are terrible... Those GPU's are all overpriced (well, everything is). I'd get this GTS 450: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/EVGA - 01G-P3-1351-KR GeForce GTS 450 Graphic Card - 783 MHz Core - 1 GB GDDR5 SDRAM - PCI Express 2.0 x16/3772021.p?id=1218431544968&skuId=3772021 EDIT: or for more performance if you want to spend more of the gift card on performance, this 6850: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/XFX - HD-685X-ZCFC Radeon HD 6850 Graphic Card - 775 MHz Core - 1 GB GDDR5 SDRAM - PCI Express 2.1 x16/4582866.p?id=1218492366167&skuId=4582866 Case is good. The HAF 912 is a great case to build and work in, but I personally hate the looks. If you do too, let me know so I can look for some other options. I'd get this RAM kit just because it's $2 cheaper (Still SO OVERPRICED - should be ~$40): http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Corsair - Vengeance 2-Pack 4GB DDR3 DIMM Desktop Memory Kit/1853347.p?id=1218297021353&skuId=1853347 PSU is more than sufficient, the build will barely hit ~200W under load. I'd get this one, higher quality: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Antec Inc. - EarthWatts EA-380D GREEN ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply/3973489.p?id=1218444517473&skuId=3973489 | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
On January 03 2012 12:05 GeZZa07 wrote:+ Show Spoiler + On January 03 2012 11:52 skyR wrote: So something like this totals to $1233, didn't check pricing of the other retailer. You can grab a core i5 2400 instead as well if that's less expensive and available at the other retailer. You need to add in the least expensive DVD burner as well. Dell Ultrasharp U2412M x2 for $558 (good price I think?) < these are 1920x1200 so if you want 1080p screens than you can get the U2312HM which is a little less expensive http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=au&cs=audhs1&l=en&s=dhs&sku=230-12093 Intel Core i5 2500 for $220 @ MSY MSI H61M P21 for $52 @ MSY Trascend 8gb DDR3 1333MHz for $36 @ MSY Powercolor Radeon HD6870 for $169 @ MSY Antec Neo Eco 450 for $58 @ MSY Antec One Hundred for $65 @ MSY Seagate 500GB for $75 @ MSY Thanks for the quick reply, I didn't anticipate the screens would cost so much. Do you recommend I spend a bit more on my rig? I can probably spend $300-500 more if its worth it. Well you can get your typical TN monitors that have terrible colour, backlight bleeding, viewing angles, and non adjustable stands if you don't want to spend so much on monitors. I just think monitors are a better investment. You could get a better case if you want but this doesn't help with performance. You'll just have a nicer case with maybe sound dampening material that can be used for several configurations. The Antec One Hundred can be used for several configurations as well but its not as nice as some of the other cases with toolless features and such. RAM is RAM? You can pay a few dollars more if you prefer a brand over the Trascend. Radeon HD6870 can play most games on reasonably high settings at 1080p, you can spend extra on a Radeon HD6950 if you want too and get a different brand other than Powercolor if you have a preference. You could get a better motherboard such as an Intel H61 for ~$17 more if you want. Doesn't really help with performance, it's just better chipset and possibly build quality / post-sale support / quality control. You can get an SSD now if you want or just add one later when you have more funds. | ||
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Shikyo
Finland33997 Posts
On January 03 2012 12:05 skyR wrote: BP550 for $66 isn't a good choice but provides more than enough headroom for such a configuration. Such a configuration is never going to exceed 200w during gaming. A Rosewill Capstone 450 is by far a better choice since it's higher in quality and provides the same amount of power: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182066 2x4gb for $55 is overpriced. Just buy a $35 kit from Newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226249 I'd use the gift card on something else... and not computer components. The HAF 912 for $50 is good since it's less expensive than Newegg and it's a good case. All the graphics cards at Best Buy are overpriced. GTX 550 Ti for $150 is TERRIBLE and so is a Radeon HD6750 for $135. You can get a Radeon HD6850 for $140 from Newegg which is better than both cards. U2412HM isn't high-end but it's better than your typical TN panels. I don't think you're sacrificing much from the build when you aren't overclocking or have plans for a multi-GPU configuration. Yeah I agree with that kind of, but as he said he would overclock if it's recommended, I'd rather have that. Could just have one U2412HM where you game on and then a lower-end 1080p monitor as the secondary, for example. But I guess it's not that huge a deal. | ||
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skyR
Canada13817 Posts
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GeZZa07
Australia75 Posts
I agree spending a bit more on monitors is definitely +ev! | ||
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Myrmidon
United States9452 Posts
Add Intel 320 80GB SSD for $151. Actually, I was going to suggest more, but pricing and selection at MSY don't look so tasty. Are you up for ordering the whole thing or at least some parts from PCCaseGear instead? | ||
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GeZZa07
Australia75 Posts
If you guys think its worthwhile to overclock or crossfire, I would be happy to be look for a build that would support this. I just thought it may not be worth the extra effort required, because I wouldnt be able to do it myself and would need my friends to help me. Cheers | ||
Womwomwom
5930 Posts
Well you can get your typical TN monitors that have terrible colour, backlight bleeding, viewing angles, and non adjustable stands if you don't want to spend so much on monitors. I just think monitors are a better investment. Terrible colour? Wrong, TN panels work fine with colour if you're not a professional...and if you are a professional, you probably wouldn't be using these 6 bit + F-ARC eIPS monitors. Just calibrate it and its good to go: you can probably find the settings online or you can do it yourself with a HueyPro. Black depth on IPS in particularly has always been pathetic outside of the monitors using the A-TW polarisers (only Dreamcolours use them still because consumers like to buy rubbish for cheap). Backlight bleeding? LG's IPS are notorious for backlight bleeding and tinting, exacerbated by the shift from CCFL to LED backlighting. The only monitors that seem to have good uniformity and lack of backlight bleeding is Eizo and they sell 23" monitors for $700. Dell is a bit better since you can keep returning monitors until you get a good one but its still a game of panel roulette. Yes, buy a good monitor but IPS is hardly magic bullet technology and I think you're well aware of that. Your suggestions aren't wrong anyway...how I see it: - If you only do gaming, high end or modern TNs do fine. Of course the good 60hz TN monitors encroach onto Dell U2312HM territory so why wouldn't you just get the Dell? - If you need to do a bit of everything, IPS is the way to go. If you need multimonitor or use portrait mode, as far as I am concerned IPS is the only good option. VA has 5 times the contrast but has a combination of awful input lag or slow response times; TN will have narrow viewing angles (vertical especially) and that's horrible for portrait/multimonitor use. - If you only do work and read text, cVA is the best option. I wouldn't put these into portrait mode though...people seem to find the image disorientating for whatever reason (pixel matrix issue?). Dell U2312HM/Asus P238Q, in particular, are very good gaming monitors - response is adequately good and the input lag for the Dell is outrageously good. But make no mistake, the white and black luminance is quite bad if you compare it with high end TN panels. | ||
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