budget pc, sandy bridge; have concept but feels awkward

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

DominionSeraph · Aug 20, 2011

Only the k versions of Intel Sandy Bridge CPU's can be overclocked.

Promo Code EMCKBJD39 for $15 off the PSU.
$0 shipping.

I don't do aftermarket CPU coolers. Throw one in if you'd like.

Personally, since you have the budget for it:

$770.56 after promo, inc. shipping.

Probably doesn't leave room for a CPU cooler, but the stock Intel HSF will do for a mild overclock, and the 6950 will blow away the GTX 460.

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

okay, I didnt know only the K series could be overclocked. Whoops. Oh well. WHere did you get those prices?

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

I am awkward about overclocking though because it voids warranties of products... if anything bad happens, Im out a lot of money

mnewsham · Aug 20, 2011

The prices are from Newegg.com

Also overclocking the CPU is easy as cake the "K" series is made FOR overclocking the "K" denotes an unlocked multiplier. just change that multiplier and maybe bump up for you voltage and you are overclocked.

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

Will overclocking make a big difference in gaming?

mnewsham · Aug 20, 2011

kierwestkills said:
Will overclocking make a big difference in gaming?

Not unless you are CPU limited no. My advice is get the i5-2500k and a CPU cooler then OC in a few years to get another year or two out of your CPU.

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

so you are saying overclock down the road so my cpu lasts longer?

mnewsham · Aug 20, 2011

kierwestkills · Aug 20, 2011

Will do then. Where did you find that combo ram and mobo at on newegg?

Ken g6 · Aug 20, 2011

OK, second opinion time. First, do you live near a Micro Center? If so, get your processor there. This board's a good deal too.

Otherwise, yes, you can get that deal with that ram, but I really don't trust that brand. G.Skill is $5 more at the moment and more reliable. Hopefully you can get the above stuff at Micro Center so you can afford it. 🙂

T_Yamamoto · Aug 20, 2011

Do not go with last gen GPU (460..really?)

go with a 5XX series

DominionSeraph · Aug 20, 2011

T_Yamamoto said:
Do not go with last gen GPU (460..really?)

go with a 5XX series

LOL.
The 5xx series is just the 4xx series with a minor process tweak to help with leakage current, but the GTX 460 never had an issue with that (unlike the GTX 470 and GTX 480). Outside of the largely meaningless transistor thing the GTX 560 is just a fully-enabled GTX 460 with higher clocks. As the GTX 460 is an overclocking monster, that takes care of most of the difference.

That 1GB GTX 460 is $120 AR with the combo, which is a great deal. Now, OP can afford to spend the $120 more to get a 6950 which is around 50% faster, but that says nothing about the GTX 460 itself.
It's a great mid-range card.

BTRY B 529th FA BN · Aug 20, 2011

120Hz TV's are not the same as 120Hz PC monitors. A 120Hz TV will increase input lag and do nothing to get rid of "ghosting" You want a 120Hz PC monitor. A mechanical keyboard Definitive guide to mechanical keyboards And a mouse that polls 1000Hz

mfenn · Aug 20, 2011

DominionSeraph said:
Personally, since you have the budget for it:

$770.56 after promo, inc. shipping.

Probably doesn't leave room for a CPU cooler, but the stock Intel HSF will do for a mild overclock, and the 6950 will blow away the GTX 460.

:thumbsup: This looks pretty good to me. OP, here is the link for the combo.

Zaap · Aug 20, 2011

I'd steer well clear of Biostar motherboards. I've had rotten luck with them, and have since vowed never again.

Even if it's more money, I'd go with Gigabyte or MSI. If it's around the same price, no-brainer.

kierwestkills · Aug 21, 2011

okay, I will definitely switch over to another mobo. Try the Z68 models. I cant really do the combo though. I dont want to pass up the deal of Kingston lifetime warranty on the memory. I had a question about the mobo though. My friend's dad said anything that isnt a brand name board can be super sketchy. He doesnt trust MSI or Gigabyte but if you want something decent and a big brand name you have to spend 150 or more.

kierwestkills · Aug 21, 2011

I had an old intel before so I couldnt never say anything about other mobos.

mnewsham · Aug 21, 2011

The 150 or more rule is more for x58 or enthusiasts, for the average user I wouldn't spend over 130, gigabyte and MSI are both respectable companies I would trust.

Gigantopithecus · Aug 21, 2011

kierwestkills said:
My friend's dad said anything that isnt a brand name board can be super sketchy. He doesnt trust MSI or Gigabyte but if you want something decent and a big brand name you have to spend 150 or more.

I heartily disagree. Anyone who dismisses an entire manufacturer's line-up of boards simply doesn't know what they're talking about. ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, ECS, EVGA, Giada, etc. all make good models, and all of them have released lemons. I am convinced that brand loyalty with motherboards as of today (i.e. 2011, not 2003) is entirely subjective. Do your research on specific models. Spending more than $150 on a board buys more bells and whistles (which for your purposes as you describe them, you don't need), and perhaps better CS should something go awry. I haven't spent more than $150 on a motherboard in years, aside from specific niche task systems and very high-end gaming rigs.

Also, is there a reason why you're looking specifically for 120Hz TVs when most GPUs don't output more than 60Hz?

T_Yamamoto · Aug 21, 2011

Gigantopithecus said:
I heartily disagree. Anyone who dismisses an entire manufacturer's line-up of boards simply doesn't know what they're talking about. ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, ECS, EVGA, Giada, etc. all make good models, and all of them have released lemons. I am convinced that brand loyalty with motherboards as of today (i.e. 2011, not 2003) is entirely subjective. Do your research on specific models. Spending more than $150 on a board buys more bells and whistles (which for your purposes as you describe them, you don't need), and perhaps better CS should something go awry. I haven't spent more than $150 on a motherboard in years, aside from specific niche task systems and very high-end gaming rigs.
?

All Mobos are gong to have to possibility of being faulty, but there are just some companies that has had really bad luck *cough* Biostar *cough* so people tend to look them over.

kierwestkills · Aug 21, 2011

I need a tv for cable in my dorm room, ps3, and pc

mfenn · Aug 21, 2011

Gigantopithecus said:
Also, is there a reason why you're looking specifically for 120Hz TVs when most GPUs don't output more than 60Hz?

That's incorrect. Any vaguely modern GPU can drive 120Hz over DVI or DisplayPort no problem. Most can do it over HDMI as well.

kierwestkills · Aug 22, 2011

So the tv doesnt matter... cool. At least I can use that money to go bigger now

Zaap · Aug 22, 2011

Gigantopithecus said:
I heartily disagree. Anyone who dismisses an entire manufacturer's line-up of boards simply doesn't know what they're talking about. ASUS, Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI, ASRock, ECS, EVGA, Giada, etc. all make good models, and all of them have released lemons. I am convinced that brand loyalty with motherboards as of today (i.e. 2011, not 2003) is entirely subjective.

Biostar definitely doesn't have the same manufacturing quality as the bigger names like Gigabyte or MSI. It of course doesn't mean that everything they make sucks, just that if you've been burned more than once by a company then you stay away from them after that. They also don't get the benefit of being recommended if you're trying to help someone have the best possibility of building a reliable system. It's called the free market, and that's exactly how it should work.

I often build computers in batches for small companies and individuals, so I've had much experience using the same motherboard models for a whole slew of builds. If one buys say, 6 of a decent Gigabyte model at once, you're very likely to end up with 6 rock solid and reliable systems.

With a brand like Biostar, you're much more likely to end up with 5 reliable systems, and one total dud.

So does everything Biostar make suck? No. Obviously they have quality control enough to produce say 5 good boards out of 6. If you're buying that brand, you've got (at worst) a 1 in 6 shot of being the guy on newegg with the one star review saying how the board you got was DOA. With a better make, you've probably got a 1 in 20+ or 1 in 30+ shot of being that guy. That's the difference.

From what I've seen, Gigabyte, MSI, ASUS- basically the top brands- use better quality components, better materials, better quality control, have better support, don't cut as many corners, etc. etc. It has nothing to do with what year it is, but that the bigger guns spend more money on development and manufacturing.

budget pc, sandy bridge; have concept but feels awkward

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