So what are the chances it'll drop in price in the next say..half a year?
I don't have a disposable income at the moment so I can't really afford it. But in some six months I might!
So apparently I have to replace my motherboard. I'm thinking of upgrading to an Ivy Bridge CPU while I'm at it, so...any suggestions for a mobo? I'm hesitant to ever buy anything ASUS again, seeing as I've had my current ASUS mobo for less than 2 years and it has already shit the bed on me. Is AsRock the way to go, or?
Steam/XBL/PSN: FiveAgainst1
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IanatorGaze upon my works, ye mightyand facepalm.Registered Userregular
Hey guys! So my 4 year old MacBook Pro bit the dust, and since I don't need a laptop anymore, it's time to build me a nice desktop computer. I already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, but everything else will have to be purchased since I'm transitioning from a laptop.
Goals:
Budget: Around $1,000 - $1,200 CDN.
Main use: This will be for gaming/programming mostly, with some occasional media ripping. I would like to experiment with some light overclocking (mostly just for fun/learning), but nothing too crazy. Basically want something that will last me a few years before I need to start upgrading parts.
Build so far:
I've read through the OP and the "PC Building for Penny Arcadians" blog, as well as a few other places, and have spec'd out the build below:
Note: Since my only computer is shot, I don't have the luxury of waiting for sweet sale prices. All the prices above are regular Newegg.ca prices. If while shopping around I can find a better deal then bonus.
Oh, I should also mention I'm partial to Intel and Nvidia as far as processor and video cards go, hence my brand-choices above.
After reviewing everything, I'm pretty certain it's all compatible, but please let me know if I'm wrong. Also, before I go ahead with this, I was hoping I could get a little help with the following questions:
1. I'm looking to shave the price down a bit, since I'd ideally like to pick up a monitor that supports above 1680x1050 (my current monitor). Are there any pieces here I can safely replace with a lower model while still keeping this a decent gaming rig? My guts telling me I might be able to do that with the video card and PSU...
2. The case has two fans, should that keep this thing running at a decent temp, or should I really be looking at additional fans to add on?
3. Is overclocking worth it? I think it would be fun to learn, but if I can shave off a decent amount of money on the CPU and video card then it might be worth it to just forget about doing that.
Anyway, sorry this post is so long. Hopefully you guys can offer some wise words to this first-time builder before I dive in completely. :P Thanks!
First thing I would say: consider subsisting on integrated graphics for a bit. The 660 Ti is releasing soon at (hopefully) around $300. You can assemble the rest of the system and run on the onboard GPU until you get a look at what the 660 Ti can do and the price you can get it for. You might not be gaming capable right away, but I think you'll end up with a better system in the long run if you can nab a 660 Ti.
Anyway, the upgraded Antec 300 actually doesn't suck, which is cool because the old one kinda did. Roughly identical in price after shipping: HAF 912, which I also like quite a lot.
You can definitely save some cash on the PSU. No single-GPU modern video card really demands more than 500-550W. I'd go with the same manufacturer and series (M12II from Seasonic) but step it down to a more reasonable 520W. You can save a bit on RAM by going with these G.Skill modules, and a bit more by going with a different box with the same exact SSD.
I think that's around 65 Monopoly dollars, and I don't know exactly how much you're looking to save here. The motherboard is a tough deal to beat with that free shipping. That's the only OC-able Ivy Bridge quad core. What I don't want you to have to do is buy a cheaper card, at least if you'd like to go with Nvidia. Right now your only options for a card that costs less than a GTX 570 or 660 Ti are to stick with Nvidia's last-gen cards, which aren't bad by any means, but the newer ones are spectacular. Faster, cooler, and they use waaaay less power. If there was a 600 series card out around $250, it would be a totally different recommendation on my part here, but they haven't released anything there yet.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks for the great reply Alecthar. Now that I'm off work I can finally respond.
After sleeping on it I think I'm going to do without the ability to overclock, at least this time around, in order to save some cash. Taking that into consideration, is the i5 3570K still the best bang for the buck, considering I can get it for $229 locally, and the 3550 is only $5 less?
I've also gotten lucky today in that I no longer have to purchase a new Windows 7 license, so that helps save some money. I was thinking about getting a lower model ASRock motherboard to shave off money, but now I think I'll stick with the one I already mentioned.
Good call on the 660 Ti, seeing as how it's up on newegg today. PCIe 3.0 and doubles the memory? Yes please. And it's locally available for $299 as well, so no shipping costs.
I think you converted me on the case. I don't particularly like the look of the front panel on the HAF 912, but reading the reviews seems to indicate that the build quality is better than the Antec one I listed, which I think is a bit more important. I'm gonna stick with the Corsair RAM (just brand preference), but good catch on the SSD. Don't know how I missed that.
I guess along with the CPU question above, the only other question I have is if you have any 1920x1080 monitor recommendations that feature a height-adjustable stand? I was browsing around last night and it seems like most of the 22" monitors I saw in my price point ($100-$200) only have tilt adjustment. Maybe I'll just have to look at getting a monitor stand...
I'm getting excited.
Kris on
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Hey guys! So my 4 year old MacBook Pro bit the dust, and since I don't need a laptop anymore, it's time to build me a nice desktop computer. I already have a monitor, keyboard, and mouse, but everything else will have to be purchased since I'm transitioning from a laptop.
Goals:
Budget: Around $1,000 - $1,200 CDN.
Main use: This will be for gaming/programming mostly, with some occasional media ripping. I would like to experiment with some light overclocking (mostly just for fun/learning), but nothing too crazy. Basically want something that will last me a few years before I need to start upgrading parts.
Build so far:
I've read through the OP and the "PC Building for Penny Arcadians" blog, as well as a few other places, and have spec'd out the build below:
Note: Since my only computer is shot, I don't have the luxury of waiting for sweet sale prices. All the prices above are regular Newegg.ca prices. If while shopping around I can find a better deal then bonus.
Oh, I should also mention I'm partial to Intel and Nvidia as far as processor and video cards go, hence my brand-choices above.
After reviewing everything, I'm pretty certain it's all compatible, but please let me know if I'm wrong. Also, before I go ahead with this, I was hoping I could get a little help with the following questions:
1. I'm looking to shave the price down a bit, since I'd ideally like to pick up a monitor that supports above 1680x1050 (my current monitor). Are there any pieces here I can safely replace with a lower model while still keeping this a decent gaming rig? My guts telling me I might be able to do that with the video card and PSU...
2. The case has two fans, should that keep this thing running at a decent temp, or should I really be looking at additional fans to add on?
3. Is overclocking worth it? I think it would be fun to learn, but if I can shave off a decent amount of money on the CPU and video card then it might be worth it to just forget about doing that.
Anyway, sorry this post is so long. Hopefully you guys can offer some wise words to this first-time builder before I dive in completely. :P Thanks!
First thing I would say: consider subsisting on integrated graphics for a bit. The 660 Ti is releasing soon at (hopefully) around $300. You can assemble the rest of the system and run on the onboard GPU until you get a look at what the 660 Ti can do and the price you can get it for. You might not be gaming capable right away, but I think you'll end up with a better system in the long run if you can nab a 660 Ti.
Anyway, the upgraded Antec 300 actually doesn't suck, which is cool because the old one kinda did. Roughly identical in price after shipping: HAF 912, which I also like quite a lot.
You can definitely save some cash on the PSU. No single-GPU modern video card really demands more than 500-550W. I'd go with the same manufacturer and series (M12II from Seasonic) but step it down to a more reasonable 520W. You can save a bit on RAM by going with these G.Skill modules, and a bit more by going with a different box with the same exact SSD.
I think that's around 65 Monopoly dollars, and I don't know exactly how much you're looking to save here. The motherboard is a tough deal to beat with that free shipping. That's the only OC-able Ivy Bridge quad core. What I don't want you to have to do is buy a cheaper card, at least if you'd like to go with Nvidia. Right now your only options for a card that costs less than a GTX 570 or 660 Ti are to stick with Nvidia's last-gen cards, which aren't bad by any means, but the newer ones are spectacular. Faster, cooler, and they use waaaay less power. If there was a 600 series card out around $250, it would be a totally different recommendation on my part here, but they haven't released anything there yet.
Let me know what you think.
Thanks for the great reply Alecthar. Now that I'm off work I can finally respond.
After sleeping on it I think I'm going to do without the ability to overclock, at least this time around, in order to save some cash. Taking that into consideration, is the i5 3570K still the best bang for the buck, considering I can get it for $229 locally, and the 3550 is only $5 less?
I've also gotten lucky today in that I no longer have to purchase a new Windows 7 license, so that helps save some money. I was thinking about getting a lower model ASRock motherboard to shave off money, but now I think I'll stick with the one I already mentioned.
Good call on the 660 Ti, seeing as how it's up on newegg today. PCIe 3.0 and doubles the memory? Yes please. And it's locally available for $299 as well, so no shipping costs.
I think you converted me on the case. I don't particularly like the look of the front panel on the HAF 912, but reading the reviews seems to indicate that the build quality is better than the Antec one I listed, which I think is a bit more important. I'm gonna stick with the Corsair RAM (just brand preference), but good catch on the SSD. Don't know how I missed that.
I guess along with the CPU question above, the only other question I have is if you have any 1920x1080 monitor recommendations that feature a height-adjustable stand? I was browsing around last night and it seems like most of the 22" monitors I saw in my price point ($100-$200) only have tilt adjustment. Maybe I'll just have to look at getting a monitor stand...
I'm getting excited.
I think that, bang for your buck wise, you should stick with the 3570K and Extreme4. You might not OC now, but down the road you can just slap on a new cooler and go to town, and I'm a firm believer in having that capability if it interests you.
Most inexpensive 1080p monitors have terrible stands. I'd make sure to buy one with VESA mounting holes, then buy a good stand on Monoprice or the like.
I don't know what pricing is at the moment, but Dell's smallest 16:9 Ultra sharp is 1080p, IPS, has a great stand and a built in USB hub to boot. It usually retails for around 200 USD.
Most inexpensive 1080p monitors have terrible stands. I'd make sure to buy one with VESA mounting holes, then buy a good stand on Monoprice or the like.
I can't stress this enough. Aside from Dell's Ultrasharps, I can't think of a single monitor on the market that doesn't have a shitassterrible stand. Those $30 jobbies from Monoprice are really awesome, luckily.
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
So one of my buddies wants to upgrade his 8800GT. Is he better off grabbing a 560 or a newer card? I believe he's got a 600W PSU, so power's no issue, and he'd prefer not to SLI/Crossfire. Anything's going to be a big upgrade, but I'm not up to date on how stuff like PCIe 3.0 works with regards to old motherboards and stuff.
Thoughts?
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
So one of my buddies wants to upgrade his 8800GT. Is he better off grabbing a 560 or a newer card? I believe he's got a 600W PSU, so power's no issue, and he'd prefer not to SLI/Crossfire. Anything's going to be a big upgrade, but I'm not up to date on how stuff like PCIe 3.0 works with regards to old motherboards and stuff.
Thoughts?
PCI-E 3.0 is backwards compatible. How old is his motherboard?
Most inexpensive 1080p monitors have terrible stands. I'd make sure to buy one with VESA mounting holes, then buy a good stand on Monoprice or the like.
I can't stress this enough. Aside from Dell's Ultrasharps, I can't think of a single monitor on the market that doesn't have a shitassterrible stand. Those $30 jobbies from Monoprice are really awesome, luckily.
Yeah, most companies that do monitors seem to reserve stands that aren't terrible for their professional level products. ASUS, for example.
The smaller Alienware 1080p monitor has a nice stand, no rotate but does have height, swivel and tilt. It's a gussied up Dell TN panel, though, so that's basically why.
acidlacedpenguinInstitutionalizedSafe in jail.Registered Userregular
welp, I guess considering this borderlands 2 promo is extended to the whole 600 series, and ncix promotion I can get the same trim level of 680 for the price of the 670, so may as well right?
GT: Acidboogie PSNid: AcidLacedPenguiN
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
welp, I guess considering this borderlands 2 promo is extended to the whole 600 series, and ncix promotion I can get the same trim level of 680 for the price of the 670, so may as well right?
So one of my buddies wants to upgrade his 8800GT. Is he better off grabbing a 560 or a newer card? I believe he's got a 600W PSU, so power's no issue, and he'd prefer not to SLI/Crossfire. Anything's going to be a big upgrade, but I'm not up to date on how stuff like PCIe 3.0 works with regards to old motherboards and stuff.
Thoughts?
PCI-E 3.0 is backwards compatible. How old is his motherboard?
I'm pretty sure it's an E8400 with DDR2 RAM. I saw charts comparing PCI-E 3 to PCI-E 2 and it looks like he won't be gimping himself by having 2.0 or 2.1?
mr_mich on
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
So one of my buddies wants to upgrade his 8800GT. Is he better off grabbing a 560 or a newer card? I believe he's got a 600W PSU, so power's no issue, and he'd prefer not to SLI/Crossfire. Anything's going to be a big upgrade, but I'm not up to date on how stuff like PCIe 3.0 works with regards to old motherboards and stuff.
Thoughts?
PCI-E 3.0 is backwards compatible. How old is his motherboard?
I'm pretty sure it's an E8400 with DDR2 RAM. I saw charts comparing PCI-E 3 to PCI-E 2 and it looks like he won't be gimping himself by having 2.0 or 2.1?
Yeah, he'll be fine. 16 lanes of PCI-E 2.0 is the same as 8 lanes of 3.0, and I doubt a 660 Ti can saturate that, so it'll be fine on that board. The CPU will do more to limit graphical performance for your friend than his mobo.
hrmm, my parents are going to need a new monitor soon, maybe they can reap the benefits of my upgrade. . . My poor wallet, never saw it coming
Think about it this way: if you aren't running 1440p the 680 is basically wasted, you could have just gotten a 660 Ti. Look at all the money you could prevent yourself from retroactively wasting just by buying a big ass new monitor! It's really the financially responsible thing to do.
Hey guys first time builder here, just need your opinion on this two PC builds I've come up with after some research. The goal was to build a PC that is sub $1000(the less the better ideally), but the more I look the more expensive my build choices get. I might end up doing some work on these, but they're primarily meant to be gaming machines:
$900 build(All from tiger direct):
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Motherboard ($125)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K ($220)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (DDR3 1333 Mhz) ($38)
Video Card: EVGA GTX 560 Ti 1GB ($225 with $30 dollar rebate)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 7.1 ($30)
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($90)
Optical Drive: Lite-On Internal DVD Writer ($18)
Case:Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid-Tower ($60)
PSU:Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600-Watt ($60)
My plan with these computers was to make something with longevity and power(hopefully max, or near max setting at max resolutions) for some time to come, but still be thrifty as possible. Its just I don't know whats too much or little, so I'm seeing various lists and its getting more confusing. This is my first time building, and I'm looking forward to it so if there is any advice you can give, feel free to let loose.
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minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
JakarrdIn the belly ofOklahomaRegistered Userregular
Yeah, that deal on the ti 660 pretty much finally had me spending monies. Course I've had my case, PS and cpu fan bought months ago and finally am now getting around to getting the rest of it. My reward for so many hours spent at work!
Greetings Starfighter! You have been recruited by the Star League to defend the frontier against Xur and the Ko-Dan Armada.
What's a cheap 2560x1440 model, if someone knows off the top of their head?
I'm pondering all this and thinking maybe a cheap Dell U2412M 1920x1200 display and an OCed MSI 670 is a happy medium...
I picked up one of these for $400 and love it. Came with one stuck blue pixel, which I'm willing to accept out of millions. Same panel as the Dell/Apple fancypants monitors, just not as sexy a frame and you're getting an A- panel instead of A+ (i.e. the company won't take it back if you've got 1 dead pixel).
My dual 6850's work great in terms of gaming, but now that I'm at 1440p the stupid part of me wants to get something new and juicy so I can game at high res all day. That's definitely a frivolous purchase, since my stupid eyes can't tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p in most games.
Hey guys first time builder here, just need your opinion on this two PC builds I've come up with after some research. The goal was to build a PC that is sub $1000(the less the better ideally), but the more I look the more expensive my build choices get. I might end up doing some work on these, but they're primarily meant to be gaming machines:
$900 build(All from tiger direct):
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Motherboard ($125)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K ($220)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (DDR3 1333 Mhz) ($38)
Video Card: EVGA GTX 560 Ti 1GB ($225 with $30 dollar rebate)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 7.1 ($30)
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($90)
Optical Drive: Lite-On Internal DVD Writer ($18)
Case:Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid-Tower ($60)
PSU:Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600-Watt ($60)
My plan with these computers was to make something with longevity and power(hopefully max, or near max setting at max resolutions) for some time to come, but still be thrifty as possible. Its just I don't know whats too much or little, so I'm seeing various lists and its getting more confusing. This is my first time building, and I'm looking forward to it so if there is any advice you can give, feel free to let loose.
@condiments I took your first build and tweaked it a bit: Corsair Carbide 400R case
Much nicer than the one you chose and well worth the extra cost
A 256GB Crucial M4 SSD
If you want to have a responsive PC, you want one of these. They much such a difference to how your PC responds, it's amazing. It's the price is right too
All this comes out to about $1050, plus shipping. Admittedly this is over your budget and there a few little cost saving measures we can make if you really can't stretch the budget
What's a cheap 2560x1440 model, if someone knows off the top of their head?
I'm pondering all this and thinking maybe a cheap Dell U2412M 1920x1200 display and an OCed MSI 670 is a happy medium...
I picked up one of these for $400 and love it. Came with one stuck blue pixel, which I'm willing to accept out of millions. Same panel as the Dell/Apple fancypants monitors, just not as sexy a frame and you're getting an A- panel instead of A+ (i.e. the company won't take it back if you've got 1 dead pixel).
My dual 6850's work great in terms of gaming, but now that I'm at 1440p the stupid part of me wants to get something new and juicy so I can game at high res all day. That's definitely a frivolous purchase, since my stupid eyes can't tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p in most games.
Yeah that looks great, unfortunately I can't seem to find one for sale in the entirety of Australia
Man I built my rig right as the Carbides were coming out, and it looked awesome but there were no reviews so I went with a Phantom. It's a nice case, but I wish I hadn't gotten a full tower. And now everyone loves the Carbides.
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AlectharAlan ShoreWe're not territorial about that sort of thing, are we?Registered Userregular
Man I built my rig right as the Carbides were coming out, and it looked awesome but there were no reviews so I went with a Phantom. It's a nice case, but I wish I hadn't gotten a full tower. And now everyone loves the Carbides.
The Carbides are nice enough, but I honestly prefer my cases a little more no-frills. I want high-quality basics, everything else I can do myself. I don't really need or want the fan controller on my 600T. I don't give a shit about included fans because I'm just going to use my own anyway. Fancy add-ons are mainly in the way for me. As soon as I make myself buy a new PSU and get down to the computer store my current rig will be going in a Fractal Arc Midi.
Hey guys first time builder here, just need your opinion on this two PC builds I've come up with after some research. The goal was to build a PC that is sub $1000(the less the better ideally), but the more I look the more expensive my build choices get. I might end up doing some work on these, but they're primarily meant to be gaming machines:
$900 build(All from tiger direct):
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Motherboard ($125)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K ($220)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (DDR3 1333 Mhz) ($38)
Video Card: EVGA GTX 560 Ti 1GB ($225 with $30 dollar rebate)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 7.1 ($30)
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($90)
Optical Drive: Lite-On Internal DVD Writer ($18)
Case:Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid-Tower ($60)
PSU:Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600-Watt ($60)
My plan with these computers was to make something with longevity and power(hopefully max, or near max setting at max resolutions) for some time to come, but still be thrifty as possible. Its just I don't know whats too much or little, so I'm seeing various lists and its getting more confusing. This is my first time building, and I'm looking forward to it so if there is any advice you can give, feel free to let loose.
@condiments I took your first build and tweaked it a bit: Corsair Carbide 400R case
Much nicer than the one you chose and well worth the extra cost
A 256GB Crucial M4 SSD
If you want to have a responsive PC, you want one of these. They much such a difference to how your PC responds, it's amazing. It's the price is right too
All this comes out to about $1050, plus shipping. Admittedly this is over your budget and there a few little cost saving measures we can make if you really can't stretch the budget
You can buy the same M4 for $20 less in a different box, but right now I'd go Samsung 830.
Before I even get all up in this, though, @Condiments: You indicate a ceiling of $1000, but how much are you comfortable spending? Also, "Max resolution" as a description isn't particularly helpful, because native resolution is determined by display, so what resolution are you hoping to game at: 1080p (1920x1080)? 720p (1280x720)? 1680x1050?
Random question/observation time: Do you care about overclocking? Does the PC need to do anything other than just general tasks and games? Cooler Master makes terrible PSUs, don't bother buying a sound card, and I'd stick to Z77 boards.
What's a cheap 2560x1440 model, if someone knows off the top of their head?
I'm pondering all this and thinking maybe a cheap Dell U2412M 1920x1200 display and an OCed MSI 670 is a happy medium...
I picked up one of these for $400 and love it. Came with one stuck blue pixel, which I'm willing to accept out of millions. Same panel as the Dell/Apple fancypants monitors, just not as sexy a frame and you're getting an A- panel instead of A+ (i.e. the company won't take it back if you've got 1 dead pixel).
My dual 6850's work great in terms of gaming, but now that I'm at 1440p the stupid part of me wants to get something new and juicy so I can game at high res all day. That's definitely a frivolous purchase, since my stupid eyes can't tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p in most games.
Yeah that looks great, unfortunately I can't seem to find one for sale in the entirety of Australia
They're selling similar ones on eBay for around $300 USD. They're shipping out of Korea, as far as I know, so you might be able to make something work. No warranty or support, of course, but as I understand it they do test them for dead/stuck pixels before they go out and you can pay a bit extra for a "perfect" one.
So yeah, 1440p monitors. Assuming I want something between 21 and 24 inches, how do I avoid killing my wallet?
By not buying one because they're all 27 inch models.
Otherwise they're selling one for around $400.00 at Microcenter, both @minor incident and @mr_mich have picked one up and they both say good things about the monitor, and bad things about the stand. It has a VESA mount, though, and Monoprice sells a nice cheap VESA stand.
You can also look on eBay, Catleap is the brand I've seen mentioned most often. Basically only LG makes 27'' 1440p IPS panels at the moment, so there are a multiple Korean brands selling cheap 1440p IPS monitors that should (for the most part) be very similar in quality to any other monitor using one, like the Apple Cinema/Thunderbolt display.
So apparently I have to replace my motherboard. I'm thinking of upgrading to an Ivy Bridge CPU while I'm at it, so...any suggestions for a mobo? I'm hesitant to ever buy anything ASUS again, seeing as I've had my current ASUS mobo for less than 2 years and it has already shit the bed on me. Is AsRock the way to go, or?
Gigabyte is a good option. The Z77X UD3H is priced reasonably as a solid enthusiast level board. What kind of money are you looking to spend here? Also, overclocking yes/no?
hrmm. $400 seems like a much better deal that $800 to $1200 I've been seeing. I could buy TWO of them!
Definitely bargain-hunter-logic. . . $800 for a monitor PFFT I can't afford to spend $800. Two $400 monitors? I Can't afford not to buy them!
Now to hunt for a place that sells them and ships to Canada.
Ebay may be your best bet. But if you see a 27" 1440p monitor, it's going to be the same panel, as LG is the only company in the world making them right now.
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
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So what are the chances it'll drop in price in the next say..half a year?
I don't have a disposable income at the moment so I can't really afford it. But in some six months I might!
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For that, I may as well pay an extra £50 and get a 670. It's just not worth the asking price.
How long does it usually take for cards like this to come down in price?
It's usually a problem of demand outpacing supply, so I'd bet on a month or two until that situation rectifies itself.
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Thanks for the great reply Alecthar. Now that I'm off work I can finally respond.
After sleeping on it I think I'm going to do without the ability to overclock, at least this time around, in order to save some cash. Taking that into consideration, is the i5 3570K still the best bang for the buck, considering I can get it for $229 locally, and the 3550 is only $5 less?
I've also gotten lucky today in that I no longer have to purchase a new Windows 7 license, so that helps save some money. I was thinking about getting a lower model ASRock motherboard to shave off money, but now I think I'll stick with the one I already mentioned.
Good call on the 660 Ti, seeing as how it's up on newegg today. PCIe 3.0 and doubles the memory? Yes please. And it's locally available for $299 as well, so no shipping costs.
I think you converted me on the case. I don't particularly like the look of the front panel on the HAF 912, but reading the reviews seems to indicate that the build quality is better than the Antec one I listed, which I think is a bit more important. I'm gonna stick with the Corsair RAM (just brand preference), but good catch on the SSD. Don't know how I missed that.
Oh, and I found my motherboard on NCIX for $149 after a $40 mail-in rebate, so that's more savings right there. Sure, it'll take a few months to see those savings, but in the end it's all good :P
I guess along with the CPU question above, the only other question I have is if you have any 1920x1080 monitor recommendations that feature a height-adjustable stand? I was browsing around last night and it seems like most of the 22" monitors I saw in my price point ($100-$200) only have tilt adjustment. Maybe I'll just have to look at getting a monitor stand...
I'm getting excited.
I think that, bang for your buck wise, you should stick with the 3570K and Extreme4. You might not OC now, but down the road you can just slap on a new cooler and go to town, and I'm a firm believer in having that capability if it interests you.
Most inexpensive 1080p monitors have terrible stands. I'd make sure to buy one with VESA mounting holes, then buy a good stand on Monoprice or the like.
I don't know what pricing is at the moment, but Dell's smallest 16:9 Ultra sharp is 1080p, IPS, has a great stand and a built in USB hub to boot. It usually retails for around 200 USD.
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I can't stress this enough. Aside from Dell's Ultrasharps, I can't think of a single monitor on the market that doesn't have a shitassterrible stand. Those $30 jobbies from Monoprice are really awesome, luckily.
Thoughts?
PCI-E 3.0 is backwards compatible. How old is his motherboard?
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Yeah, most companies that do monitors seem to reserve stands that aren't terrible for their professional level products. ASUS, for example.
The smaller Alienware 1080p monitor has a nice stand, no rotate but does have height, swivel and tilt. It's a gussied up Dell TN panel, though, so that's basically why.
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Hell yeah.
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I'm pretty sure it's an E8400 with DDR2 RAM. I saw charts comparing PCI-E 3 to PCI-E 2 and it looks like he won't be gimping himself by having 2.0 or 2.1?
Yeah, he'll be fine. 16 lanes of PCI-E 2.0 is the same as 8 lanes of 3.0, and I doubt a 660 Ti can saturate that, so it'll be fine on that board. The CPU will do more to limit graphical performance for your friend than his mobo.
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Now buy a 1440p monitor.
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Think about it this way: if you aren't running 1440p the 680 is basically wasted, you could have just gotten a 660 Ti. Look at all the money you could prevent yourself from retroactively wasting just by buying a big ass new monitor! It's really the financially responsible thing to do.
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I just need to sell off my last 6870 and I was planning on getting a new monitor so I have 2 options as I see it:
Get a small non HD panel and continue to use my 1080p panel as my main gaming screen, with a new 660ti or 7950
Get a slick 1920x1200 120hz or (god forbid) a 2560x1440 panel with a 7970 GHz edition or a 680 and use my current 1080p panel as a secondary screen
Decisions, decisions...
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
Do you know how many pixels 1440p is? So many.. And let me assure you that every single one of them glorious.
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My $800 build:
Case: Fractal Design Core 3000 ATX Mid Tower Computer Case w/ 3 Fans - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352010
Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4-M LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157294
GPU: XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150609
PSU: Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W Continuous Power ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030
CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz LGA 1155 65W Dual-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2000 BX80623I32100 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115078
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311
Storage: Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Seagate ST310005N1A1AS-RK 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Optical Drive: Lite-On Super AllWrite IHAS124-04 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive (Black), Bulk - IHAS124-04 BLACK/BULK http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=IHAS124-04&c=CJ
$900 build(All from tiger direct):
Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V LX Intel Z68 Motherboard ($125)
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K ($220)
RAM: Crucial Ballistix 8GB (DDR3 1333 Mhz) ($38)
Video Card: EVGA GTX 560 Ti 1GB ($225 with $30 dollar rebate)
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 7.1 ($30)
Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Blue 1TB ($90)
Optical Drive: Lite-On Internal DVD Writer ($18)
Case:Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid-Tower ($60)
PSU:Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 600-Watt ($60)
My plan with these computers was to make something with longevity and power(hopefully max, or near max setting at max resolutions) for some time to come, but still be thrifty as possible. Its just I don't know whats too much or little, so I'm seeing various lists and its getting more confusing. This is my first time building, and I'm looking forward to it so if there is any advice you can give, feel free to let loose.
Almost 3.7 million. Very nearly twice as many pixels as a 1080p panel.
And yes. Yes, they are glorious.
Oh god, that's almost 1.4 million more pixels than my screen! My epeen, so small
I'm pondering all this and thinking maybe a cheap Dell U2412M 1920x1200 display and an OCed MSI 670 is a happy medium...
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
I picked up one of these for $400 and love it. Came with one stuck blue pixel, which I'm willing to accept out of millions. Same panel as the Dell/Apple fancypants monitors, just not as sexy a frame and you're getting an A- panel instead of A+ (i.e. the company won't take it back if you've got 1 dead pixel).
My dual 6850's work great in terms of gaming, but now that I'm at 1440p the stupid part of me wants to get something new and juicy so I can game at high res all day. That's definitely a frivolous purchase, since my stupid eyes can't tell the difference between 1080p and 1440p in most games.
@condiments I took your first build and tweaked it a bit:
Corsair Carbide 400R case
Much nicer than the one you chose and well worth the extra cost
A 5400RPM 1TB HDD
Cheaper storage option than the 7200RPM drive you picked. It doesn't matter that it's slower because all of your performance sensitive stuuf (OS, games) can go on...
A 256GB Crucial M4 SSD
If you want to have a responsive PC, you want one of these. They much such a difference to how your PC responds, it's amazing. It's the price is right too
All this comes out to about $1050, plus shipping. Admittedly this is over your budget and there a few little cost saving measures we can make if you really can't stretch the budget
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
Yeah that looks great, unfortunately I can't seem to find one for sale in the entirety of Australia
Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better
bit.ly/2XQM1ke
The Carbides are nice enough, but I honestly prefer my cases a little more no-frills. I want high-quality basics, everything else I can do myself. I don't really need or want the fan controller on my 600T. I don't give a shit about included fans because I'm just going to use my own anyway. Fancy add-ons are mainly in the way for me. As soon as I make myself buy a new PSU and get down to the computer store my current rig will be going in a Fractal Arc Midi.
You can buy the same M4 for $20 less in a different box, but right now I'd go Samsung 830.
Before I even get all up in this, though, @Condiments: You indicate a ceiling of $1000, but how much are you comfortable spending? Also, "Max resolution" as a description isn't particularly helpful, because native resolution is determined by display, so what resolution are you hoping to game at: 1080p (1920x1080)? 720p (1280x720)? 1680x1050?
Random question/observation time: Do you care about overclocking? Does the PC need to do anything other than just general tasks and games? Cooler Master makes terrible PSUs, don't bother buying a sound card, and I'd stick to Z77 boards.
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When you put it that way, it's much more impressive. Because "1440 lines vs 1080 lines" doesn't sound like much more.
They're selling similar ones on eBay for around $300 USD. They're shipping out of Korea, as far as I know, so you might be able to make something work. No warranty or support, of course, but as I understand it they do test them for dead/stuck pixels before they go out and you can pay a bit extra for a "perfect" one.
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shopping around, all I'm seeing is a whole bunch of LOLNOPE.
By not buying one because they're all 27 inch models.
Otherwise they're selling one for around $400.00 at Microcenter, both @minor incident and @mr_mich have picked one up and they both say good things about the monitor, and bad things about the stand. It has a VESA mount, though, and Monoprice sells a nice cheap VESA stand.
You can also look on eBay, Catleap is the brand I've seen mentioned most often. Basically only LG makes 27'' 1440p IPS panels at the moment, so there are a multiple Korean brands selling cheap 1440p IPS monitors that should (for the most part) be very similar in quality to any other monitor using one, like the Apple Cinema/Thunderbolt display.
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Gigabyte is a good option. The Z77X UD3H is priced reasonably as a solid enthusiast level board. What kind of money are you looking to spend here? Also, overclocking yes/no?
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Definitely bargain-hunter-logic. . . $800 for a monitor PFFT I can't afford to spend $800. Two $400 monitors? I Can't afford not to buy them!
Now to hunt for a place that sells them and ships to Canada.
Ebay may be your best bet. But if you see a 27" 1440p monitor, it's going to be the same panel, as LG is the only company in the world making them right now.