Computer build help

[sukhdeeps]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

School work (I’m an incoming med student – so I’ll be watching a lot of lecture videos, etc.)
Some Gaming in what little free time I have (BF3, some crysis)
Lightroom

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

$1000 ± 100

The lower the better

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

US: Preferably Newegg or Amazon (prime)

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

None

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

I have a keyboarb, mouse and speakers, and a copy of Windows 7 through my school.

I also jumped on the shellshocker deal yesterday for the Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W at $35 since from most threads it seemed like the recommendation was that ~500W was plenty for this type of build

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

Yes, since the past two months.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

I think I may overclock it

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Probably on a 1080p monitor.
Also looking for monitor recommendations. I was thinking of going with the Dell 23 inch U2311H IPS monitor if it fits in the budget. Unless anyone has other recommendations?

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Within the next two weeks.

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.

Nope, I appreciate any and all criticism. I haven’t built a computer in about 6 years and then I went bought a now rather underpowered macbook in 2008 for college
…. I’m looking for a nice upgrade that will be solid for a couple of years.

Based on the other threads I’ve read I’ve pieced out the following, but then I got a little overwhelmed choosing a graphics card, and then I was a little unsure about the other parts I’d picked. I also wanted to make sure everything was compatible with the other parts and if there was anything I was missing. If you guys can suggest any better options to reduce the price too I would really appreciate it.


Intel Core i5-2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072~$220
Antec 300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066 ~69$
PSU (already ordered) Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W ~$35
This combo for the motherboard/ram for ~$175: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.689146
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Samsung F3 1TB http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311052006&sr=8-1 ~$60
ASUS 24X DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204 ~$20

I am a little lost/overwhelmed on the GPU but I was considering the following:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
Both are about $260 after rebate with the XFX $5 cheaper
Am I better served by a 6950 or should I go for a lower end model and pocket the savings?

Total: ~$840

Monitor recommendations? If I get the U2311H that’s $280 right now so all together that becomes $1120

I really appreciate all your help.

 

[DominionSeraph]

There's this mobo/RAM combo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.689150
(GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3-B3)

And the i5 combos with a DVD burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679462

You could save a little money on the case:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119227
(RC-430)


I can't click on your links (my hosts file blocks dynamitedata's redirects), and, going by the price I can only assume you've picked out 2GB 6950's as nothing else seems to fit.
Now I believe Lightroom makes use of CUDA which might make a GTX 560 Ti a better fit:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130604

 

[sukhdeeps]

Sorry about that, I forgot to write the names out for the video cards:

The top one was a XFX HD-695X-CNFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB , and the other was this SAPPHIRE FleX 100312FLEX Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102929

Thanks for the recommendations! I forgot about looking for other combos.


Intel Core i5-2500K w/Dvd Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679463~$228
Antec 300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129066 ~69$
PSU (already ordered) Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W ~$35
This combo for the motherboard/ram for ~$155: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.689150
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3-B3
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Samsung F3 1TB http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpo...1052006&sr=8-1 ~$60
EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130604 $230 -$25 rebate

Total= $746

I'm not the biggest fan of cases with windows, so I guess I'll stick with the antec for now.

 

[Raswan]

Sorry about that, I forgot to write the names out for the video cards:

The top one was a XFX HD-695X-CNFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB , and the other was this SAPPHIRE FleX 100312FLEX Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102929

Thanks for the recommendations! I forgot about looking for other combos.


Intel Core i5-2500K w/Dvd Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679463~$228
Antec 300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129066 ~69$
PSU (already ordered) Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W ~$35
This combo for the motherboard/ram for ~$155: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.689150
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3-B3
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Samsung F3 1TB http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpo...1052006&sr=8-1 ~$60
EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130604 $230 -$25 rebate

Total= $746

I'm not the biggest fan of cases with windows, so I guess I'll stick with the antec for now.

Looks great! Kudos for putting together a solid build without a lot of fat to trim on the first try. I'll recommend the 2GB 6950 over the 560ti for a couple of reasons. First, Anand's benches show that while the two are pretty close overall, the 6950 (don't know why they only benchmark the 1GB version, but it's irrelevant at this moment and I'll explain myself in a sec) wins more often AND particularly so at 1900x1200 in both Crysis: Warhead and BF2:BC. Obviously, this isn't a rock-solid predictor of future performance in the next installments of the two games, but still something to think about (link to bench: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/331?vs=330).

Secondly, and more importantly, Anandtech's own GPU editor has suggested in several cases that while currently gaming at 1900x1200 anything over 1GB of RAM on your video card is worthless, in a year things could look a little different. Operating on the assumption that he's right, that you don't upgrade every year, and that you'll still be gaming a year from now, especially if you overclock the 2500k the 2GB 6950 is a better bang for your buck. Just my thoughts.

If you do decide to stick with the 560ti, given that you are well within your budget I'll recommend also getting an SSD. You can pick up a 64GB for less than $150, and it will blow your mind.

Enjoy the new computer!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Try the HAF 912. its cheap and has GREAT airflow. and plus, it looks pretty cool

 

[Blue Shift]

Secondly, and more importantly, Anandtech's own GPU editor has suggested in several cases that while currently gaming at 1900x1200 anything over 1GB of RAM on your video card is worthless, in a year things could look a little different.

Yup. In fact, depending on what you're playing, things already are different. The Witcher II uses up to 1200MB of video RAM on my system, at 1920x1080.

If you do decide to stick with the 560ti, given that you are well within your budget I'll recommend also getting an SSD. You can pick up a 64GB for less than $150, and it will blow your mind.

Definitely. As an owner of the U2311H, I'll be the first to tell you that for this particular monitor, the gains in color accuracy don't necessarily lead to gains in IQ while gaming. It uses 6-bit color and AFR dithering to simulate 8-bit color, just like a TN panel. It's noticably better when displaying something yellow, orange, or red, but it definitely doesn't make every scene prettier. You could save $100 by getting a cheap TN panel (turn its contrast up, and saturation and brightness down), and put it towards an SSD.

Edit: You use lightroom... For professional photo editing, IPS screens are typically worth the money.

 

[sukhdeeps]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

The HAF 912 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=11-119-233 looks pretty awesome, and looking around I also found the Rosewill Challenger. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=11-147-153 . I like the look of both, and both are around $50. Is there any reason to go with one over the other?

Based on Raswan's advice I think I'll stick with the 6950 2GB. Again, Is there any meaningful differences between the two cards I picked or should I just pick one and run with it?

I've thought about adding an SSD to the build now, but I think that I will wait a little bit, and then throw one in a little later down the road.

Also is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 or something similar useful or am I ok with the stock heatsink/fan?

 

[mfenn]

Intel Core i5-2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072~$220
Antec 300 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066 ~69$
PSU (already ordered) Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W ~$35
This combo for the motherboard/ram for ~$175: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.689146
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3-B3
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Samsung F3 1TB http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311052006&sr=8-1 ~$60
ASUS 24X DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204 ~$20

I am a little lost/overwhelmed on the GPU but I was considering the following:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150530
Both are about $260 after rebate with the XFX $5 cheaper
Am I better served by a 6950 or should I go for a lower end model and pocket the savings?

Total: ~$840

Monitor recommendations? If I get the U2311H that’s $280 right now so all together that becomes $1120

I really appreciate all your help.

That looks pretty damn solid IMHO. The XFX 6950 2GB is a good card at a decent price right now. If I were going 6950 2GB, that's what I'd pick.

Regarding the GPU more generally, basically you need do decide if gaming or photo editing is more important to you. If gaming is more important, stick with the 6950 2GB. If photo editing (or saving money) is more important, get the GTX 560 Ti for $200 AR.

 

[mfenn]

The HAF 912 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=11-119-233 looks pretty awesome, and looking around I also found the Rosewill Challenger. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=11-147-153 . I like the look of both, and both are around $50. Is there any reason to go with one over the other?

I think they're both fugly, so I won't try to make a recommendation based on looks. The HAF will likely be built a bit better, but pick the one you like the looks of the best.

Also is the Cooler Master Hyper 212 or something similar useful or am I ok with the stock heatsink/fan?

The stock fan is fine if you're not overclocking.

 

[sukhdeeps]

I think they're both fugly, so I won't try to make a recommendation based on looks. The HAF will likely be built a bit better, but pick the one you like the looks of the best.

Lol apparently I have bad taste Just curious, what case would you recommend?


Thanks for your other advice, and I think I'm going to going to go for the XFX 6959 2GB.

 

[mfenn]

Lol apparently I have bad taste Just curious, what case would you recommend?

Thanks for your other advice, and I think I'm going to going to go for the XFX 6959 2GB.

No prob. Personally, I like more "austere" cases like the Antec Three Hundred, Lian-Li PC-K56, and Cooler Master RC-692-KKN3.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

HAF 912 is a good budget case and has great airflow
HAF: High Air Flow

 

[sukhdeeps]

Thanks for all the help guys!

I went for the Antec 300 as the build was under budget and the $10 price difference was fine.

I'll post another update after I throw everything together.

 

[mfenn]

Sounds good! Feel free to update this thread with any questions that may arise.