£859 all told. Was a pretty tough decision because two of my friends recently built monster GTX 680 rigs; I know the 7850 overclocks well and I'm not in architecture or graphics design like them (indeed, I'm unemployed :P), but it still smarts. Upgrading from a four year old Core 2 Quad and dual 3870s, expecting good things!
Can't recommend the Corsair 500R enough....it has lights, but there are switches on the front to turn them off.
Hmmmm that is pretty nice.
The pure black one is nicely monolithic and looks to have all the space you could need.
Yep, I have the black one. It's stylish, has great cable management, with nice porting and cable channels behind the motherboard tray. All the drive management is tool-less, though you'll probably want to mount your SSD using the 2.5" drive screw holes on the drive shuttles. Regular 3.5" drives just snap in, as do 5.25" optical drives. It's relatively quiet (no enthusiast case is going to be silent), and with the better airflow and good fans, my normal idle temp dropped 4c. It also has USB 3.0 ports on the front, which will go nicely with that Z77.
Hi, I finally got around to saving up enough money for a computer. This is my first time building a computer. I'd like to put a GTX 680 in it but I can't find a place to buy one I've looked on NewEgg and Amazon. I just wanted to double check that these parts would work with a GTX 680:
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
Hi, I finally got around to saving up enough money for a computer. This is my first time building a computer. I'd like to put a GTX 680 in it but I can't find a place to buy one I've looked on NewEgg and Amazon. I just wanted to double check that these parts would work with a GTX 680:
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
That motherboard is socket LGA 1366 and the CPU is 1155. Motherboard is also triple channel, as it's for a different CPU type. Get a different motherboard (like what Shen is getting or something). And I don't know about Rosewill PSU's, but something like the Antec Neo Eco 520W would probably be safer for less.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
I'm not in the States but I'm planning to buy my parts and get them shipped to a US address. I've used Newegg before and I like their reliability, how reliable is microcenter?
Very, but their best deals are usually in-store only. If you're buying online, I'd go with Newegg.
Hey guys. i was about to post in H&A, but then I remembered this forum was a thing. For some reason Moe's doesn't show up on my forum skin unless I go digging, so I haven't visited in a while.
anyway: I'm due for a PC upgrade, as the laptop I'm using now is slowly grinding itself into obsolescence. I am definitely considering the diy-desktop route. This will be my first build.
First of all: Is there still a significant gap in laptop v desktop performance? If not i can just go with a laptop again; even at the cost of future upgrades. Mobility would be worth the sacrifice.
Goals:
<1000$. The cheaper the better, obviously, so if there's no noticeable difference between 850$ in components and 1K$ I'll take the 850$.
Must be able to run FarCry 3 with settings above minimum, but I'm not very concerned with any extensive future-proofing.
I have zero overclocking experience, so if that's going to be a thing it needs to be super easy.
I prefer intel and nVidia, if only because i'm familiar with them. Actually, intel is (to the best of my knowledge) much more useful for the CAD and Adobe software I'll be running when not gaming. An i7 seems overkill and probably out of my price range anyway, so I'm looking at:
Case: ??? but this is the sexiest thing ever
PSU: ???- I know nothing about power supplies.
Mobo: ???
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
RAM: min 8GB, preferably 16 and expandable to 32. (I handle very large photoshop files.)
Video: 560 ti
HDD : previously purchased 1TB Caviar Blue 7200rpm
SSD : nope
Optical: basic DVDRW+
OS: Win 7 Home Premium - or Ultimate if I can buy another one for 7$ with student discount / transfer license from this PC
The 1000$ is a definite hard ceiling, so the processor and graphics can come down a bit if needed, and everything else will be slotted in to match.
Mobo / case concerns: I'd like a minimum of four USB3 ports, and am not even remotely considering multi-gpu setups. Heat -management-wise, I do not plan to be overclocking extensively, if at all.
Bottom line: I want a machine for less than 1K$ that will be able to play this year's holiday releases. I don't care if it can play next year's.
Overclocking on Sandy Bridge (and I assume Ivy Bridge as well) is very simple. It's worth grabbing a "K" proc now, even if you don't OC it right out of the gate. The potential is worth having.
As for the rest, a lot depends on if you can nab a free/cheap copy of Windows 7. If you're spending less than $100.00, you can afford some fancier stuff elsewhere. Are you wedded to the 550D?
So HTCP's...I am going to build one, but have never done so in the past. It's the only thing my living room system is missing. Large 1080 TV? Check. 360, PS3 and Wii? Check. Decent 5.1 receiver with USB iPhone control and plenty of HDMI inputs? Check. HTPC? Wah wah.
I won't be playing games on it really, mostly internet streaming. So my thought process was: Integrated GPU/CPU = good (so I went with an AMD APU), low profile, quite, cooling = good, so I went with a Scythe Skuriken for cooling. Some decent G.Skill RAM. The PSU is an Antec 400W modular. It's actively cooled, but I am okay with that. Honestly, my XBox 360 makes way more noise than this thing ever will, so I am not sweating it. It's an SSD only system, as I will have external storage over the network. HDMI was important, so the motherboard is a MicroATX board with HDMI out.
I know wireless isn't ideal, but it's what I have in this apartment because of where my cable modem and router sit, so it is what it is. Plus, my 360 and PS3 have done fine on wireless, this should be fine too. What version of Windows should I use? Does Home Premium have Media Center? Also, does anyone have a good wireless mouse/keyboard combo they can recommend? I plan to affix a small mouse pad to the corner of the coffee table where the mouse will sit, and the keyboard will sit on a small shelf under the coffee table. Other than that, am I missing anything?
You probably don't need 400W for a system like this. Also, you can get a faster Llano proc if you like, but aside from that and going with the ML03B for your case (personal preference, there), I wouldn't do anything differently.
Hi, I finally got around to saving up enough money for a computer. This is my first time building a computer. I'd like to put a GTX 680 in it but I can't find a place to buy one I've looked on NewEgg and Amazon. I just wanted to double check that these parts would work with a GTX 680:
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
You could buy a better case for less, and the 680 isn't really necessary for a single 1080p screen. It's a newer card in high demand with limited quantity released so far, so a lot of outlets (Newegg and Amazon included) are sold out entirely. Amazon, Tiger Direct, and NCIX are your other major online options. Microcenter is a good brick and mortar store than often has CPU/Motherboard deals.
What's your budget for this PC? Your build above is kind of mixed and matched, and there's a lot I'd do differently. If you give me an idea of how much you'd like to spend on it, I can give you a better recommendation on what to go with.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
Quiet and moves air I can do. Cheap and moves air I can do. Quiet and cheap I can do. All three? You're pushing it dude.
Did you like the Slipstream? Why not just get a new one?
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
Quiet and moves air I can do. Cheap and moves air I can do. Quiet and cheap I can do. All three? You're pushing it dude.
Did you like the Slipstream? Why not just get a new one?
The Slipstream was kind of loud, and it burnt out in less than a year.
Did anyone see the Geforce 690 reveal? I don't think I can shell out $1000 for one card. But essentially it is 2 680s fused into one? Which would make a SLI configuration quad core? Crazy.
A couple questions: The motherboard has few reviews because its a Z77, I gathered. Should I still be concerned?
Also, PSU- I know nothing about these. Voltage calculator for other components suggests I'm looking at around 400w, but I don't really know what that means in relation to what I should buy.
This build is ~$1070 (shipping included) with $75 in mail-in rebates; are rebates at newegg generally kosher? Or is that more manufacturer-dependent?
You probably don't need 400W for a system like this. Also, you can get a faster Llano proc if you like, but aside from that and going with the ML03B for your case (personal preference, there), I wouldn't do anything differently.
So you think 250 would cover it? And I went with the A6 because the jump up takes me from 65W to 100W, and the power savings was important to me.
A couple questions: The motherboard has few reviews because its a Z77, I gathered. Should I still be concerned?
Also, PSU- I know nothing about these. Voltage calculator for other components suggests I'm looking at around 400w, but I don't really know what that means in relation to what I should buy.
This build is ~$1070 (shipping included) with $75 in mail-in rebates; are rebates at newegg generally kosher? Or is that more manufacturer-dependent?
Rebates are manufacturer-dependent. They usually contract through a third party who may or may not have their shit together. Newegg has no part in the thing other than to tell you it exists.
A monitor being included does alter the complexion of things. With no intent to OC, and given that you don't care about multi GPU setups, I'd go with something like this. Partly because it gets you closer to your budget, and partly because I simply don't trust Biostar. The PSU is solid. Not great, but good enough, it's modular, and the free ODD is nice. You can also save about $25 after shipping if you go with the HAF 912. It's not a looker, but it's probably go the best case/price ratio around.
A couple questions: The motherboard has few reviews because its a Z77, I gathered. Should I still be concerned?
Also, PSU- I know nothing about these. Voltage calculator for other components suggests I'm looking at around 400w, but I don't really know what that means in relation to what I should buy.
This build is ~$1070 (shipping included) with $75 in mail-in rebates; are rebates at newegg generally kosher? Or is that more manufacturer-dependent?
Rebates are manufacturer-dependent. They usually contract through a third party who may or may not have their shit together. Newegg has no part in the thing other than to tell you it exists.
A monitor being included does alter the complexion of things. With no intent to OC, and given that you don't care about multi GPU setups, I'd go with something like this. Partly because it gets you closer to your budget, and partly because I simply don't trust Biostar. The PSU is solid. Not great, but good enough, it's modular, and the free ODD is nice. You can also save about $25 after shipping if you go with the HAF 912. It's not a looker, but it's probably go the best case/price ratio around.
Awesome advice. I'd prefer the Corsair case for the usb 3.0 on the front, personally. I'll see what else I can swing on the monitor front, though color-correctness is mandatory. If I drop to one 8GB stick of RAM I can probably keep the 2500K, though that would also mean adding a CPU cooler. I'd much rather be adding on RAM piece by piece than swapping out heftier components. Would the Asrock mobo still be good for the 2500k?
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
A couple questions: The motherboard has few reviews because its a Z77, I gathered. Should I still be concerned?
Also, PSU- I know nothing about these. Voltage calculator for other components suggests I'm looking at around 400w, but I don't really know what that means in relation to what I should buy.
This build is ~$1070 (shipping included) with $75 in mail-in rebates; are rebates at newegg generally kosher? Or is that more manufacturer-dependent?
Rebates are manufacturer-dependent. They usually contract through a third party who may or may not have their shit together. Newegg has no part in the thing other than to tell you it exists.
A monitor being included does alter the complexion of things. With no intent to OC, and given that you don't care about multi GPU setups, I'd go with something like this. Partly because it gets you closer to your budget, and partly because I simply don't trust Biostar. The PSU is solid. Not great, but good enough, it's modular, and the free ODD is nice. You can also save about $25 after shipping if you go with the HAF 912. It's not a looker, but it's probably go the best case/price ratio around.
Awesome advice. I'd prefer the Corsair case for the usb 3.0 on the front, personally. I'll see what else I can swing on the monitor front, though color-correctness is mandatory. If I drop to one 8GB stick of RAM I can probably keep the 2500K, though that would also mean adding a CPU cooler. I'd much rather be adding on RAM piece by piece than swapping out heftier components. Would the Asrock mobo still be good for the 2500k?
Yes. You'd want to be a bit more conservative on your OC (I'd say no more than 4.5Ghz max) but it's solid enough. I believe TheCanMan has that board, he can probably tell you more about it if you PM him.
As for USB 3.0, you can always add more ports on the rear of the PC with an expansion card or an adapter (adapts the internal motherboard USB 3.0 port to provide 2 ports in an expansion bay). Not that I'm really trying too hard to dissuade from going with the 300R, it's a nice case.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
I currently have these but the spot theyre in can fit 140mm fans, but Im concerned that these wont move as much air. Although they should be much quieter...and they are only $5 each assuming I can get the rebate on multiple fans.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
I currently have these but the spot theyre in can fit 140mm fans, but Im concerned that these wont move as much air. Although they should be much quieter...and they are only $5 each assuming I can get the rebate on multiple fans.
Man, I don't have the Yates on my Megahalems set up to move that kind of air. Case fans don't have to create a wind-tunnel, they just have to keep air moving at a nice, moderate pace, to make sure everything inside has some fresh air to work with.
You could just buy a Slipstream, then spend a little money on some adapters to reduce fan voltage to 5V. Or get a fan controller. Then you'd have the option to deafen yourself with wind noise if you so chose.
You probably don't need 400W for a system like this. Also, you can get a faster Llano proc if you like, but aside from that and going with the ML03B for your case (personal preference, there), I wouldn't do anything differently.
So you think 250 would cover it? And I went with the A6 because the jump up takes me from 65W to 100W, and the power savings was important to me.
I just prefer more CPU horsepower, but as long as you do any transcoding/encoding on a PC better equipped to handle it, I doubt you'll ever notice a lack. And Home Premium does have WMC, though I'm not sure why you'd bother. XBMC, man.
As for the PSU, you're probably looking at a max power draw of 200Wish (if not less), and I mean like running furmark and Prime95 at the same time kind of power draw. It's not going to be a power-intensive system. 250W, 300W, should be good.
I'm a little confused as to what RAM I should buy.
My motherboard manual reports support for DDR3 1666(OC)/1333/1066 MHz. I currently have two 1GB 1333 CL9 Kingston DDR3 modules. If I add one 2GB 1600MHz module, will I be able to use it to its full potential or will the whole set work on 1333?
If I'm not mistaken, they don't actually make 1666MHz modules, so maybe I should buy a 1800 one and it will be downgraded to 1666?
My memory is currently working dual-channel, when I add another module I assume this will no longer be the case. Will it matter, considering I'm doubling the amount of memory? I want to leave space for 2GB more but I'm currently REALLY short on cash.
I don't see any replies to this yet, so here goes:
No matter how you mix and match your RAM, all the modules will run at the speed of the slowest installed module. As for mixing capacities and channels, you can run into a bunch of weird shit there. My old-ass ASUS P5B-VM motherboard could do it, and would somehow run some RAM in dual channel and some in single channel, how it did that I do not know. I never tried to test it, I just upgraded from 1 gig to 4 by buying three more matching 1 gig sticks.
To be honest, I think your best bet is to just buy a 2x4 gig 1333 set.
Case: Cooler Master 690 II Advanced
PSU: Corsair AX750
CPU: i5-3570k
HSF: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe
RAM: 4x4GB Samsung DDR3 MV-3V4G3D
GPU: GeForce 560 Ti
SSD : 256GB Samsung 830
HDD : 1.5TB and 1TB WD Caviar Black
The PSU, GPU and the 1TB Caviar Black are from my old system. My old HX520 exploded a couple weeks ago and I had to buy a new PSU, and figured I'd buy for the future.
The SSD is crazy awesome, I can't believe how fast this thing boots (or does anything), and I'm really happy I took the plunge on it, almost decided against it. This case is *so* much easier to do good cable routing in than my old Super LANBoy, it's so nice having tons of space behind the motherboard and cutouts everywhere to pop wires in a half inch from the plug. Also much quieter because of 140mm fans.
Also, this Samsung RAM is just stupid. You can overclock it to the moon, and it's super low profile, barely sticks out higher than the RAM clips on the motherboard (Which is nice because the giant NH-D14 is looming over top of it), and is quite cheap.
Once I finish getting everything installed and setup I'm going to see if I can get this processor to ~4.5 Ghz without getting it too hot.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
I currently have these but the spot theyre in can fit 140mm fans, but Im concerned that these wont move as much air. Although they should be much quieter...and they are only $5 each assuming I can get the rebate on multiple fans.
Man, I don't have the Yates on my Megahalems set up to move that kind of air. Case fans don't have to create a wind-tunnel, they just have to keep air moving at a nice, moderate pace, to make sure everything inside has some fresh air to work with.
You could just buy a Slipstream, then spend a little money on some adapters to reduce fan voltage to 5V. Or get a fan controller. Then you'd have the option to deafen yourself with wind noise if you so chose.
Yeah, I have all my case fans hooked up to a fan controller but even at 60% the Slipstreams are loud. I guess 60CFM is enough. With 2 of them is 120CFM, which is like what? 100 gallons of air? Thats a lot of air!
I just assume these CFM and dB levels are bullshit marketing and that advertising that itll do 60CFM will mean its probably closer to 40 or so which is probably stil a lot but really I have no idea.
Does anyone have a recommendation on case fans? Apparently one of my Scythe Slipstreams died and now I need to replace it (as I doubt it has a warranty, even though Ive only had it for 8 or so months).
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
I currently have these but the spot theyre in can fit 140mm fans, but Im concerned that these wont move as much air. Although they should be much quieter...and they are only $5 each assuming I can get the rebate on multiple fans.
Man, I don't have the Yates on my Megahalems set up to move that kind of air. Case fans don't have to create a wind-tunnel, they just have to keep air moving at a nice, moderate pace, to make sure everything inside has some fresh air to work with.
You could just buy a Slipstream, then spend a little money on some adapters to reduce fan voltage to 5V. Or get a fan controller. Then you'd have the option to deafen yourself with wind noise if you so chose.
Yeah, I have all my case fans hooked up to a fan controller but even at 60% the Slipstreams are loud. I guess 60CFM is enough. With 2 of them is 120CFM, which is like what? 100 gallons of air? Thats a lot of air!
I just assume these CFM and dB levels are bullshit marketing and that advertising that itll do 60CFM will mean its probably closer to 40 or so which is probably stil a lot but really I have no idea.
dB is dumb because nobody says what distance they measure it at. I could measure the dB of a jet engine from 5 miles away and it'll be plenty low. CFM measurements are usually much closer to legit.
Provided the case itself has decent airflow with minimal obstruction you don't need much in the way of fan power. So long as you are bringing in sufficient cool air where it's needed, and exhausting hot air instead of letting pockets build up you're good to go.
Provided the case itself has decent airflow with minimal obstruction you don't need much in the way of fan power. So long as you are bringing in sufficient cool air where it's needed, and exhausting hot air instead of letting pockets build up you're good to go.
Fractal Design Define R3, I currently have 3 fans in (2 in the front, 1 on the bottom) and 3-4 fans out (2 fans out the top, 2 fans on my H70 which only sort of out hence the 3-4).
the front intake fans are a bit obstructed but otherwise that case has pretty solid airflow. Just grab something that won't be too loud and you should be in good shape. Are you replacing a fan that goes in the front/back or one that goes on the top/bottom? Since the r3 can do 140s on the top/bottom you'll get more airflow for the same noise going with larger fans there, otherwise just get a lowish RPM 120 and call it a day
The one that died is the top one that is currently partially obstructed by my H70, so that will be fun to replace. If I can get a rebate for each fan purchased, I might grab all 3, but then I'll end up with 2 functional case fans and nothing to do with them.
The real question is why can't Windows just do this anyway. You should be able to just point at a folder and say "put this whole goddamn thing in memory whenever possible"
Hi, I finally got around to saving up enough money for a computer. This is my first time building a computer. I'd like to put a GTX 680 in it but I can't find a place to buy one I've looked on NewEgg and Amazon. I just wanted to double check that these parts would work with a GTX 680:
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
You could buy a better case for less, and the 680 isn't really necessary for a single 1080p screen. It's a newer card in high demand with limited quantity released so far, so a lot of outlets (Newegg and Amazon included) are sold out entirely. Amazon, Tiger Direct, and NCIX are your other major online options. Microcenter is a good brick and mortar store than often has CPU/Motherboard deals.
What's your budget for this PC? Your build above is kind of mixed and matched, and there's a lot I'd do differently. If you give me an idea of how much you'd like to spend on it, I can give you a better recommendation on what to go with.
I've saved up about $1600. Of course any money I could save and still be able to run new games at 1920x1080 at high settings would be a plus.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Hi, I finally got around to saving up enough money for a computer. This is my first time building a computer. I'd like to put a GTX 680 in it but I can't find a place to buy one I've looked on NewEgg and Amazon. I just wanted to double check that these parts would work with a GTX 680:
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
You could buy a better case for less, and the 680 isn't really necessary for a single 1080p screen. It's a newer card in high demand with limited quantity released so far, so a lot of outlets (Newegg and Amazon included) are sold out entirely. Amazon, Tiger Direct, and NCIX are your other major online options. Microcenter is a good brick and mortar store than often has CPU/Motherboard deals.
What's your budget for this PC? Your build above is kind of mixed and matched, and there's a lot I'd do differently. If you give me an idea of how much you'd like to spend on it, I can give you a better recommendation on what to go with.
I've saved up about $1600.
Do you already have a TV/monitor? Do you need a mouse/keyboard?
I do think a LGA1155 based system is the best option for you. Do you plan to do more with the PC than just gaming/general use?
I'll put something together for you when I get home. It's tough to do recommendation type posts on my phone.
You probably don't need 400W for a system like this. Also, you can get a faster Llano proc if you like, but aside from that and going with the ML03B for your case (personal preference, there), I wouldn't do anything differently.
So you think 250 would cover it? And I went with the A6 because the jump up takes me from 65W to 100W, and the power savings was important to me.
I just prefer more CPU horsepower, but as long as you do any transcoding/encoding on a PC better equipped to handle it, I doubt you'll ever notice a lack. And Home Premium does have WMC, though I'm not sure why you'd bother. XBMC, man.
As for the PSU, you're probably looking at a max power draw of 200Wish (if not less), and I mean like running furmark and Prime95 at the same time kind of power draw. It's not going to be a power-intensive system. 250W, 300W, should be good.
Yeah, my only issue is that I can't find any 250 and 300w modulars on Newegg. I really wanted to go modular, because it's such a small case. I'll have to poke around outside of my Newegg comfort bubble.
So is there any reason at all to go Ivy Bridge 2570k instead of Sandy Bridge 2500k unless you were for some reason sticking with Intel graphics and not getting a discrete GPU?
The 2500k at this point is $30 cheaper and overclocks better from all accounts. Am I missing anything that would make me want to go with the Ivy Bridge chip?
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GnomeTankWhat the what?Portland, OregonRegistered Userregular
The Ivy Bridge is better if you are going to run at stock, as it will run cooler with less power. Outside of that, no, there is no reason.
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Corsair Carbide 300R
120GB OCZ Agility 3
i5 2500k
2x4GB Corsair DDR3 1600Mhz
Corsair Enthusiast 650W Modular PSU
500GB Hitachi HD
Asus P8Z77-V mobo
Radeon 7850
£859 all told. Was a pretty tough decision because two of my friends recently built monster GTX 680 rigs; I know the 7850 overclocks well and I'm not in architecture or graphics design like them (indeed, I'm unemployed :P), but it still smarts. Upgrading from a four year old Core 2 Quad and dual 3870s, expecting good things!
Hmmmm that is pretty nice.
The pure black one is nicely monolithic and looks to have all the space you could need.
Yep, I have the black one. It's stylish, has great cable management, with nice porting and cable channels behind the motherboard tray. All the drive management is tool-less, though you'll probably want to mount your SSD using the 2.5" drive screw holes on the drive shuttles. Regular 3.5" drives just snap in, as do 5.25" optical drives. It's relatively quiet (no enthusiast case is going to be silent), and with the better airflow and good fans, my normal idle temp dropped 4c. It also has USB 3.0 ports on the front, which will go nicely with that Z77.
Cd Drive
Case
CPU
Hard Drive
RAM
Motherboard
Powersupply
It's going to be a windows machine and I'd like it to be able to run the newest games at the highest settings on a 1920x1080 monitor. I've also got one other question. All of the guides I've seen recommend shopping from NewEgg. I live in a state where NewEgg has a distribution center so if I buy from them I have to pay tax. Are there any other good site to shop from? Thanks for the help.
This is going to be the longest couple of weeks ever til I can get this stuff ordered.
Id prefer a fan thats quiet but moves a lot of air and is cheap (so I guess $10 or under?).
That motherboard is socket LGA 1366 and the CPU is 1155. Motherboard is also triple channel, as it's for a different CPU type. Get a different motherboard (like what Shen is getting or something). And I don't know about Rosewill PSU's, but something like the Antec Neo Eco 520W would probably be safer for less.
Very, but their best deals are usually in-store only. If you're buying online, I'd go with Newegg.
Overclocking on Sandy Bridge (and I assume Ivy Bridge as well) is very simple. It's worth grabbing a "K" proc now, even if you don't OC it right out of the gate. The potential is worth having.
As for the rest, a lot depends on if you can nab a free/cheap copy of Windows 7. If you're spending less than $100.00, you can afford some fancier stuff elsewhere. Are you wedded to the 550D?
You probably don't need 400W for a system like this. Also, you can get a faster Llano proc if you like, but aside from that and going with the ML03B for your case (personal preference, there), I wouldn't do anything differently.
You could buy a better case for less, and the 680 isn't really necessary for a single 1080p screen. It's a newer card in high demand with limited quantity released so far, so a lot of outlets (Newegg and Amazon included) are sold out entirely. Amazon, Tiger Direct, and NCIX are your other major online options. Microcenter is a good brick and mortar store than often has CPU/Motherboard deals.
What's your budget for this PC? Your build above is kind of mixed and matched, and there's a lot I'd do differently. If you give me an idea of how much you'd like to spend on it, I can give you a better recommendation on what to go with.
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Quiet and moves air I can do. Cheap and moves air I can do. Quiet and cheap I can do. All three? You're pushing it dude.
Did you like the Slipstream? Why not just get a new one?
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The Slipstream was kind of loud, and it burnt out in less than a year.
Streaming 8PST on weeknights
Revised build:
Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R Case
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular (Advice needed here.)
Mobo: BIOSTAR TZ77XE3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
RAM: Two 8-GB Corsair DDR3 1600
Video: EVGA GeForce 560 ti
HDD : previously purchased 1TB Caviar Blue 7200rpm
Optical: Free drive that comes with the power supply, I guess?
OS: Win 7 Home Premium -
Monitor: ASUS 23"
A couple questions: The motherboard has few reviews because its a Z77, I gathered. Should I still be concerned?
Also, PSU- I know nothing about these. Voltage calculator for other components suggests I'm looking at around 400w, but I don't really know what that means in relation to what I should buy.
This build is ~$1070 (shipping included) with $75 in mail-in rebates; are rebates at newegg generally kosher? Or is that more manufacturer-dependent?
3DS: 0447-9966-6178
So you think 250 would cover it? And I went with the A6 because the jump up takes me from 65W to 100W, and the power savings was important to me.
Rebates are manufacturer-dependent. They usually contract through a third party who may or may not have their shit together. Newegg has no part in the thing other than to tell you it exists.
A monitor being included does alter the complexion of things. With no intent to OC, and given that you don't care about multi GPU setups, I'd go with something like this. Partly because it gets you closer to your budget, and partly because I simply don't trust Biostar. The PSU is solid. Not great, but good enough, it's modular, and the free ODD is nice. You can also save about $25 after shipping if you go with the HAF 912. It's not a looker, but it's probably go the best case/price ratio around.
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Awesome advice. I'd prefer the Corsair case for the usb 3.0 on the front, personally. I'll see what else I can swing on the monitor front, though color-correctness is mandatory. If I drop to one 8GB stick of RAM I can probably keep the 2500K, though that would also mean adding a CPU cooler. I'd much rather be adding on RAM piece by piece than swapping out heftier components. Would the Asrock mobo still be good for the 2500k?
3DS: 0447-9966-6178
Yes. You'd want to be a bit more conservative on your OC (I'd say no more than 4.5Ghz max) but it's solid enough. I believe TheCanMan has that board, he can probably tell you more about it if you PM him.
As for USB 3.0, you can always add more ports on the rear of the PC with an expansion card or an adapter (adapts the internal motherboard USB 3.0 port to provide 2 ports in an expansion bay). Not that I'm really trying too hard to dissuade from going with the 300R, it's a nice case.
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I've been quite happy with Cooler Master R4's. They move a sufficient amount of air for a 140mm fan, are quiet, and cost around $10 each.
I currently have these but the spot theyre in can fit 140mm fans, but Im concerned that these wont move as much air. Although they should be much quieter...and they are only $5 each assuming I can get the rebate on multiple fans.
Man, I don't have the Yates on my Megahalems set up to move that kind of air. Case fans don't have to create a wind-tunnel, they just have to keep air moving at a nice, moderate pace, to make sure everything inside has some fresh air to work with.
You could just buy a Slipstream, then spend a little money on some adapters to reduce fan voltage to 5V. Or get a fan controller. Then you'd have the option to deafen yourself with wind noise if you so chose.
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I just prefer more CPU horsepower, but as long as you do any transcoding/encoding on a PC better equipped to handle it, I doubt you'll ever notice a lack. And Home Premium does have WMC, though I'm not sure why you'd bother. XBMC, man.
As for the PSU, you're probably looking at a max power draw of 200Wish (if not less), and I mean like running furmark and Prime95 at the same time kind of power draw. It's not going to be a power-intensive system. 250W, 300W, should be good.
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I don't see any replies to this yet, so here goes:
No matter how you mix and match your RAM, all the modules will run at the speed of the slowest installed module. As for mixing capacities and channels, you can run into a bunch of weird shit there. My old-ass ASUS P5B-VM motherboard could do it, and would somehow run some RAM in dual channel and some in single channel, how it did that I do not know. I never tried to test it, I just upgraded from 1 gig to 4 by buying three more matching 1 gig sticks.
To be honest, I think your best bet is to just buy a 2x4 gig 1333 set.
Do you prefer green, or blue?
Case: Cooler Master 690 II Advanced
PSU: Corsair AX750
CPU: i5-3570k
HSF: Noctua NH-D14
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V Deluxe
RAM: 4x4GB Samsung DDR3 MV-3V4G3D
GPU: GeForce 560 Ti
SSD : 256GB Samsung 830
HDD : 1.5TB and 1TB WD Caviar Black
The PSU, GPU and the 1TB Caviar Black are from my old system. My old HX520 exploded a couple weeks ago and I had to buy a new PSU, and figured I'd buy for the future.
The SSD is crazy awesome, I can't believe how fast this thing boots (or does anything), and I'm really happy I took the plunge on it, almost decided against it. This case is *so* much easier to do good cable routing in than my old Super LANBoy, it's so nice having tons of space behind the motherboard and cutouts everywhere to pop wires in a half inch from the plug. Also much quieter because of 140mm fans.
Also, this Samsung RAM is just stupid. You can overclock it to the moon, and it's super low profile, barely sticks out higher than the RAM clips on the motherboard (Which is nice because the giant NH-D14 is looming over top of it), and is quite cheap.
Once I finish getting everything installed and setup I'm going to see if I can get this processor to ~4.5 Ghz without getting it too hot.
Yeah, I have all my case fans hooked up to a fan controller but even at 60% the Slipstreams are loud. I guess 60CFM is enough. With 2 of them is 120CFM, which is like what? 100 gallons of air? Thats a lot of air!
dB is dumb because nobody says what distance they measure it at. I could measure the dB of a jet engine from 5 miles away and it'll be plenty low. CFM measurements are usually much closer to legit.
Provided the case itself has decent airflow with minimal obstruction you don't need much in the way of fan power. So long as you are bringing in sufficient cool air where it's needed, and exhausting hot air instead of letting pockets build up you're good to go.
Fractal Design Define R3, I currently have 3 fans in (2 in the front, 1 on the bottom) and 3-4 fans out (2 fans out the top, 2 fans on my H70 which only sort of out hence the 3-4).
You want more I/O speed?
RAMdrive, dude.
I'm actually kind of jealous of my parents' low-rent computer. Totally going to get an SSD for my computer ASAP.
The real question is why can't Windows just do this anyway. You should be able to just point at a folder and say "put this whole goddamn thing in memory whenever possible"
I've saved up about $1600. Of course any money I could save and still be able to run new games at 1920x1080 at high settings would be a plus.
Do you already have a TV/monitor? Do you need a mouse/keyboard?
I do think a LGA1155 based system is the best option for you. Do you plan to do more with the PC than just gaming/general use?
I'll put something together for you when I get home. It's tough to do recommendation type posts on my phone.
Battle.net
Yeah, my only issue is that I can't find any 250 and 300w modulars on Newegg. I really wanted to go modular, because it's such a small case. I'll have to poke around outside of my Newegg comfort bubble.
The 2500k at this point is $30 cheaper and overclocks better from all accounts. Am I missing anything that would make me want to go with the Ivy Bridge chip?
Nintendo ID: Incindium
PSN: IncindiumX