Critique my first gaming PC build in 7 years

Scouzer · 11-22-2012, 10:48 PM

First of all, Canadian, so don't worry about the high prices, it's the lowest we've got :)

I didn't really have a budget, I just wanted good bang for my buck. Here's what I've ordered.

What I'm mostly looking for is if I've overlooked any major incompatibilities (like I said, haven't build a desktop in years) so I can cancel/amend my order before it ships. Ideally you'll laud me with reassurance this is a good build ;)

I know the PSU isn't the best, but it was a fantastic price. I hate spending money on PSU's.

Case: $39 - Antec Three Hundred Two

Combo pack: $315 after MIR:
CPU: Intel i5 3570k
Mobo: ASROCK Extreme4 Z77

Memory: $28 - G.SKILLRipjaws X Series 8GB PC3-12800 Dual Channel DDR3 Kit (2x4GB)

Video Card: $139.99 after MIR - HIS IceQ X H785QN2G2M Radeon HD 7850 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

SSD: $144 after MIR - Intel SSD 335 Series SATAIII Solid State Drive Kit,Retail, 240GB

PSU: $36 - Corsair Builder Series CX500 500W

Optical: $13 - LG Super Multi 24x DVD Writer, SATA, Black, OEM

Total: $715

Scouzer · 11-22-2012, 11:15 PM

Crazy coincidence... Within 1 minute of making this post my laptop locked up and will not boot anymore. Posting from my ipad now. Apparently my laptop wasn't impressed....

nsafreak · 11-23-2012, 12:09 AM

Looks like a solid build to me. I have the 600 watt version of same series PSU and it's been solid for me so I wouldn't worry about the price on it.

Scouzer · 11-23-2012, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsafreak

Looks like a solid build to me. I have the 600 watt version of same series PSU and it's been solid for me so I wouldn't worry about the price on it.

Thanks for the feedback. Glad these PSU's shouldn't too shabby!

I wish Newegg Canada didn't suck so bad. Ordered one of the parts Wednesday morning, finally shipped today from the American warehouse, so it might not even arrive until December 3

bononos · 11-23-2012, 05:49 PM

Are you going to be doing some heavy oc'ing with the 'extreme' mb?

Scouzer · 11-23-2012, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bononos

Are you going to be doing some heavy oc'ing with the 'extreme' mb?

Heavy, no. Some, yes. To the extent the factory cooler allows I expect.

I was not keen on the Extreme mobo, but it was the same price as the junky entry level Gigabyte boards after rebate, so why not get a nicer board.

riversend · 11-23-2012, 10:04 PM

You should not have an aversion necessarily to spending money on PSUs. But you should always have an aversion to buying a crap PSU. That one should be ok.

The rest of the build looks pretty good. I assume 1080p on the resolution? Great price on the 7850, but that fan might be a bit louder than others. Just a thought since you don't seem to be concerned about budget. Dual fan models should be quieter but cost a bit more.

Scouzer · 11-23-2012, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by riversend

You should not have an aversion necessarily to spending money on PSUs. But you should always have an aversion to buying a crap PSU. That one should be ok.

The rest of the build looks pretty good. I assume 1080p on the resolution? Great price on the 7850, but that fan might be a bit louder than others. Just a thought since you don't seem to be concerned about budget. Dual fan models should be quieter but cost a bit more.

Fair point about the PSUs. That's what I was shooting for--the bare minimum $$$ to get something decent.

1080p resolution, yes. I am disappoint to hear it might be louder--I hate a noisy computer. I've been using a laptop for 7 years and I've grown happily accustomed to a quiet environment. If it's bad I'll probably pack it up and order a different 7850, loudness will not do. I did get Far Cry 3 for free with the card though which I'll just sell so it's even $40 cheaper than I said.

Likewise if the factory CPU cooler makes a ruckus I will have to order something quieter.

Charlie98 · 11-24-2012, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scouzer

I am disappoint to hear it might be louder--I hate a noisy computer. I've been using a laptop for 7 years and I've grown happily accustomed to a quiet environment. If it's bad I'll probably pack it up and order a different 7850, loudness will not do.

Likewise if the factory CPU cooler makes a ruckus I will have to order something quieter.

Although the CX500 isn't a bad PSU (I have the CX430 for my HTPC build) it's probably not the quitest PSU on the market, either. The CX line is their 'builder' series, not the best in the Corsair line. You put a value on 'quiet,' quiet costs money.

Scouzer · 11-24-2012, 12:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charlie98

Although the CX500 isn't a bad PSU (I have the CX430 for my HTPC build) it's probably not the quitest PSU on the market, either. The CX line is their 'builder' series, not the best in the Corsair line. You put a value on 'quiet,' quiet costs money.

Hmm, well thanks for pointing that out too. If it's too loud, I'll pull it and replace it. No big deal. The PC will be in a desk so hopefully the ruckus is well contained.

mfenn · 11-24-2012, 01:44 PM

You could have spent less on the motherboard, especially since low noise is your goal. Why? A motherboard only really affects overclocking ability when you increase the voltage (and thus power) to the CPU. Increasing power also increases heat, which takes more noise to get rid of. Ergo, you will be going for a stock voltage overclock and don't need a fancy mobo. The Z77 Pro3 would have worked just as well for your purposes.

As for the rest, the CX500 is perfectly fine IMHO. It's not exactly silent, but it's also much quieter than the other typical noisemakers in a system (GPU and CPU HSF).

Scouzer · 11-25-2012, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mfenn

You could have spent less on the motherboard, especially since low noise is your goal. Why? A motherboard only really affects overclocking ability when you increase the voltage (and thus power) to the CPU. Increasing power also increases heat, which takes more noise to get rid of. Ergo, you will be going for a stock voltage overclock and don't need a fancy mobo. The Z77 Pro3 would have worked just as well for your purposes.

As for the rest, the CX500 is perfectly fine IMHO. It's not exactly silent, but it's also much quieter than the other typical noisemakers in a system (GPU and CPU HSF).

I would agree with the mobo but with Black Friday deals the board was $110. I couldn't find any board with half decent reviews for less than $99 so for $10 why not get one of the best reviewed boards in the price range? The Pro3 actually cost the same as the Extreme4!

mfenn · 11-25-2012, 04:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scouzer

I would agree with the mobo but with Black Friday deals the board was $110. I couldn't find any board with half decent reviews for less than $99 so for $10 why not get one of the best reviewed boards in the price range? The Pro3 actually cost the same as the Extreme4!

Ah Canada, I guess you guys do get screwed over on mobo deals.

Scouzer · 11-26-2012, 10:47 PM

Well since you guys spooked me about noise...

I added a Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler to my order. Reviews say its reasonably quiet and very, very cool for the price. That should really boost my OC potential too.