[DONE] Building a PC in 3 months, need your help. [Final Cost $1500] :)

[TheAstrohaut]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
- Highly focused on Gaming, Microsoft Office softwares, watching HD videos online. But mostly focus mainly on games that are graphics intensive, such as BF3 or Skyrim, and most importantly the upcoming GTA 5.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
- $1850 - $1900

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

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.

- I prefer, Intel CPU; nVidia GPU; WD HDD; prefer SSD to run windows and HDD for games and other utilities.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
NONE

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
- Maybe in the future. I would prefer if you'd suggest a overclock[able] version. i.e. the [K] version.

8. What resolution will you be using?
- 1920X1080 **Will you also suggest me a monitor that has a 2 ms response time w/23" display and also that is cheap and marketable respectful.**

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

- 3 months from 6/14/12. [VERY IMPORTANT] I will be buying parts in chunks, that are worth up to $600 due to my credit card limit, and salary.

*

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software?

Windows 7 OEM version. That's it. Please account this when you suggest me parts. I would greatly appreciate it. 🙂

Thanks guys.
-TheAstronaut

I will check on this post once I get up tomorrow. Good night! 🙂

 

[ElFenix]

you mean over the next 3 months? because other than intel processor prices practically everything else will be changing during the next 3 months. if you won't be buying until 3 months from now, might as well just read threads around here because nothing we tell you now is going to be current later.


and frankly with that budget you should be going IPS rather than TN for a screen. LG 23" IPS FHD screen is only a few $ more than a TN screen ($200 a microcenter right now).

 

[Ken g6]

OK, so everyone, my goal in suggesting TheAstrohaut answer these questions (which I did in [thread=2251708]this thread[/thread], but oh, well) was to find a way to get his system up and running with the first purchase just to check that the hardware works; then get the rest of the parts later.

So, starting with Mfenn's build, here's what I came up with:

i5 3570K $240
ASRock Z77 Pro3 $110
G-Skill DDR3 1333 4GB $21
Hitachi 500GB $72
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair 600W $40 AR AP (ends 6/13!)
Antec One $50
Total: $551 AR AP

If you can go up to $700 at some point (and it looks like you have to for your theoretical budget), add:
ASUS VH236H monitor, $150AR

So, that should be enough to boot with Linux or something to make sure all the hardware works. Then you can add the video card, SSD, extra RAM, Windows, aftermarket CPU cooler, and anything else I forgot later on. (It's late; I can spell those out in the morning, but video card should wait and see if the GTX660 comes out anyway.)

If 700 AR is too much (either because 700 is too much or the rebates are), then I have two ideas. Either start lowering standards on some parts (skip the case for now, drop to a 2500K)...OR...get a temporary $50 CPU that you'll have to replace and sell/dispose of later.

 

[RU482]

CPU - prices not going anywhere for a while, new tech just came out

Memory - hard to believe prices will go down

Motherboard - may be some more variety in the pipeline, I'd wait and see on this

SSD prices are phenomenal right now, thanks to the 2x nm process maturing, so they are probably a safe buy

Cases - I dunno, always seems like they are the same price for what you get, watch for deals

Graphics - I dunno, maybe ElFinix is saying some change in the wind here (not my forte)....didn't the new AMD/Nvidia lines already come out for this year?

HDD, PS, ect - just watch for deals

LCD - Curious if others have feedback here, seems like prices dropped 18-6 months ago and stabalized

OS - not that they'll discount Win7, but Win8 is anticipated to be out in Q3 (Oct by most accounts)

 

[DSF]

I have an idea for another option, which may or may not work. Forgive me in advance for getting into things that really aren't my business.

What if you saved up the money from your salary in a bank, got a Paypal account connected to that bank account, and then could pay for the equipment all at once when you've saved up the money in three months? You still get the same machine, but you get the depreciation of computer parts working in your favor instead of against you, and you don't have the hassle of buying piecemeal.

If that's not possible because you don't actually make enough to save up for the computer you want, I have to question to wisdom of maxing out your credit card three months in a row to buy a computer which is really a luxury. You could get a very solid gaming computer for just over half that amount of money.

 

[lehtv]

What if you saved up the money from your salary in a bank, got a Paypal account connected to that bank account, and then could pay for the equipment all at once when you've saved up the money in three months? You still get the same machine, but you get the depreciation of computer parts working in your favor instead of against you, and you don't have the hassle of buying piecemeal.

Genius! 😀

 

[TheAstrohaut]

I have an idea for another option, which may or may not work. Forgive me in advance for getting into things that really aren't my business.

What if you saved up the money from your salary in a bank, got a Paypal account connected to that bank account, and then could pay for the equipment all at once when you've saved up the money in three months? You still get the same machine, but you get the depreciation of computer parts working in your favor instead of against you, and you don't have the hassle of buying piecemeal.

If that's not possible because you don't actually make enough to save up for the computer you want, I have to question to wisdom of maxing out your credit card three months in a row to buy a computer which is really a luxury. You could get a very solid gaming computer for just over half that amount of money.

DSF,
Thanks for the suggestion! But the reason I want to use my credit card is to develop my credit score. I am not sure if PayPal does anything for credit score, if it does then I may have to look in to it. A great suggestion none the less. Thanks!
-theastrohaut

 

[doesn't_compute]

Another good reason why you shouldn't spread out the purchases.

Some things can arrive DOA or partially functioning and you would not find out until much later which can cause problems in getting an RMA from the place you purchased it at.

Save the money up then you can charge a purchase, pay it off, rinse and repeat until you have all of your parts in a short amount of time.

 

[TheAstrohaut]

OK, so everyone, my goal in suggesting TheAstrohaut answer these questions (which I did in [thread=2251708]this thread[/thread], but oh, well) was to find a way to get his system up and running with the first purchase just to check that the hardware works; then get the rest of the parts later.

So, starting with Mfenn's build, here's what I came up with:

i5 3570K $240
ASRock Z77 Pro3 $110
G-Skill DDR3 1333 4GB $21
Hitachi 500GB $72
Lite-ON DVD Burner $18
Corsair 600W $40 AR AP (ends 6/13!)
Antec One $50
Total: $551 AR AP

If you can go up to $700 at some point (and it looks like you have to for your theoretical budget), add:
ASUS VH236H monitor, $150AR

So, that should be enough to boot with Linux or something to make sure all the hardware works. Then you can add the video card, SSD, extra RAM, Windows, aftermarket CPU cooler, and anything else I forgot later on. (It's late; I can spell those out in the morning, but video card should wait and see if the GTX660 comes out anyway.)

If 700 AR is too much (either because 700 is too much or the rebates are), then I have two ideas. Either start lowering standards on some parts (skip the case for now, drop to a 2500K)...OR...get a temporary $50 CPU that you'll have to replace and sell/dispose of later.

Ken,
Those parts you suggested are good but the only problem is I don't like the cpu and the case. I prefer the 2500k because its enhanced for gaming and also cheaper. And a full tower just for a good airflow. So I might as well save up on CPU to get a good case.

If my logic is incorrect, ken please correct me. Thanks!

Other than that, I had some questions.
1) I have already picked out all the parts I need for my first build; would you guys tell me which parts to buy first if I post the list here?

2) can the asrock z66,67 overclock CPU up to 4.1? (2500k)

3) I am dead set on buying the gtx 680 and another one in the future for sli config; is their a cheaper but still powerful option from the nvidia line?

I also want to clarify that my whole system price includes an LCD monitor, a mouse and a keyboard.

-TheAstrohaut

 

[TheAstrohaut]

you mean over the next 3 months? because other than intel processor prices practically everything else will be changing during the next 3 months. if you won't be buying until 3 months from now, might as well just read threads around here because nothing we tell you now is going to be current later.


and frankly with that budget you should be going IPS rather than TN for a screen. LG 23" IPS FHD screen is only a few $ more than a TN screen ($200 a microcenter right now).

Elfenix,

Thanks for your input! The thing is microcenter from my house is about an hour away. And frankly I don't want to spend extra cash on gas just to get a monitor. I would much rather prefer it shipped to me.

-TheAstrohaut

 

[TheAstrohaut]

Another good reason why you shouldn't spread out the purchases.

Some things can arrive DOA or partially functioning and you would not find out until much later which can cause problems in getting an RMA from the place you purchased it at.

Save the money up then you can charge a purchase, pay it off, rinse and repeat until you have all of your parts in a short amount of time.

d_c,

That's an excellent suggestion! I am going to have to do that. I will let you know if I change my mind though.

-TheAstrohaut

 

[DSF]

Ken,
Those parts you suggested are good but the only problem is I don't like the cpu and the case. I prefer the 2500k because its enhanced for gaming and also cheaper. And a full tower just for a good airflow. So I might as well save up on CPU to get a good case.

If my logic is incorrect, ken please correct me. Thanks!

Other than that, I had some questions.
1) I have already picked out all the parts I need for my first build; would you guys tell me which parts to buy first if I post the list here?

2) can the asrock z66,67 overclock CPU up to 4.1? (2500k)

3) I am dead set on buying the gtx 680 and another one in the future for sli config; is their a cheaper but still powerful option from the nvidia line?

I also want to clarify that my whole system price includes an LCD monitor, a mouse and a keyboard.

-TheAstrohaut

A couple thoughts.

- I'm not sure what you mean by enhanced for gaming. The 3570K is recommended for gaming rigs all the time.

- Having a full tower just for better airflow is highly unnecessary. Components are trending toward less heat and power usage, not more. If you want a full tower, by all means. It's your computer and you certainly have the budget. But if you believe that it's necessary for adequate (or even above average) cooling, you're mistaken.

1) Yes, it would be great for you to post the parts you're considering. Links are also great, but if you're going to link the parts make sure the names are easy to read in the post as well. Some people aren't going to click 11 different links just to find out which parts you're looking at.

2) I'm not sure which chipset you're referring to here. A 4.1GHz overclock on an overclocking chipset like the Z68 or Z77 is certainly not uncommon, but you have to recognize that no overclock is guaranteed. We can't tell you for sure what the chip you buy will or won't hit.

3) The GTX 670 performs almost as well as the GTX 680 for noticeable savings. As a side point, for the monitor size you're considering SLI is going to be largely a waste of money. You end up having to spend extra on the motherboard, extra on the PSU and buy a second graphics card.

Let's be conservative and say that in your case that's $400 extra. (With the GPUs you're looking at it would likely be more like $500-650 extra.) Compare that to buying a single GTX 670 now, and then upgrading the graphics yearly or every other year at a price of $250-350. You come out way ahead by just doing periodic upgrades.

 

[lehtv]

3570K is an upgrade over 2500K. Slightly better performance at stock, lower power consumption, faster iGPU (not relevant), overclocks almost as well.

You can get top of the line cooling with a mid tower. E.g. Cooler Master HAF XM, Antec 1100 + extra fans, Corsair 500R, Fractal Design Arc Midi + extra fans, to name a few options. Not that your components need top of the line cooling.

1) yes
2) yes, 2500K will oc to 4.1 pretty much on any motherboard with minimal to no voltage increase. 3570K will do so as well but produce slightly more heat
3) there is little to no difference in performance outside of benchmarking, get the 670 for $100 less

 

[riversend]

Astrohaut, what kind of computer are you using now? The opposite to keng6's suggestion is to buy parts that you can check on any current machine (laptop or desktop). Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers/headphones. Case can buy now and sit in the corner. Just a thought. But agree that you should have a DOA strategy for a lengthy parts accumulation strategy.

 

[tynopik]

you really need to look into getting a card with a higher limit

there's no reason to be playing games like this

 

[ElFenix]

Graphics - I dunno, maybe ElFinix is saying some change in the wind here (not my forte)....didn't the new AMD/Nvidia lines already come out for this year?

prices tend to fall as initial demand gets satisfied and parts become in better stock. then there's also things like sales to take into consideration.

as far as new parts in the next few months, the 660 isn't out yet (well, wasn't as of yesterday). and amd might be revising its lineup fairly shortly, adding cards to fill in gaps and also dropping prices.

Elfenix,

Thanks for your input! The thing is microcenter from my house is about an hour away. And frankly I don't want to spend extra cash on gas just to get a monitor. I would much rather prefer it shipped to me.

-TheAstrohaut

you're going to be at microcenter to buy your processor and motherboard anyway. cheapest processor prices to begin with and then you get $50 off Z77s boards with certain processors (2500k, 3570k) as well.

2500k is going into short stock all over the place so if that's the one you want you should probably jump on it.

 

[TheAstrohaut]

DSF's, Elfenix's messages.
You guys listen, I think I am going to change things up a bit as far as parts in my system go, since that's what we are talking about (lol whut?). Ok, seeing that a lot of you are suggesting me to get the 3rd generation of i5 OC[able] version, I started watching some videos, analyzing some charts and I have come to conclusion that I will drop the i5 2500k and get the i5 3570k. Since I am spending extra on the CPU, I am going to drop the gtx 680 and get the gtx 670. I mean I said that I was determined on buying the 680, but I was being stupid, and thanks to you guys for pointing that out.

TL;DR - 1] Drop i5 2500k, replace it with 3570k.
2] drop 680 for a 670. Kudos to DSF for pointing that out first. You sir are awesome. 🙂

-TheAstrohaut

 

[TheAstrohaut]

you really need to look into getting a card with a higher limit

there's no reason to be playing games like this

tynopik,
Will you please reiterate the message for me please? I can't understand what you wrote.

-TheAstrohaut

 

[TheAstrohaut]

Astrohaut, what kind of computer are you using now? The opposite to keng6's suggestion is to buy parts that you can check on any current machine (laptop or desktop). Monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers/headphones. Case can buy now and sit in the corner. Just a thought. But agree that you should have a DOA strategy for a lengthy parts accumulation strategy.

riversend,
I am using a laptop, that should suffice everything 🙂

-TheAstrohaut

 

[TheAstrohaut]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t/benchmarks/

Note : Bolded because I am not going to be buying from the particular vendor.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.69 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Hard Drive: Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ CompUSA)

Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($144.49 @ NCIX US)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($98.99 @ B&H)

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($47.52 @ B&H)

Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Laser Mouse ($47.99 @ Dell Small Business)

Total: $1553.59

(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-06-13 17:10 EDT-0400)

-TheAstrohaut

 

[Ken g6]

Elfenix,

Thanks for your input! The thing is microcenter from my house is about an hour away. And frankly I don't want to spend extra cash on gas just to get a monitor. I would much rather prefer it shipped to me.

-TheAstrohaut

Just an hour away? Well, in that case, don't spend the extra cash on gas just to get a monitor! Micro Center has the best prices on CPUs by ~$40, plus they often have good bundle deals on motherboards. (Practically any Z77 will do.)

My Micro Center is an hour and a half away! I went there to get my current processor, and I plan to go there again when I upgrade to Haswell next year.

 

[TheAstrohaut]

Just an hour away? Well, in that case, don't spend the extra cash on gas just to get a monitor! Micro Center has the best prices on CPUs by ~$40, plus they often have good bundle deals on motherboards. (Practically any Z77 will do.)

My Micro Center is an hour and a half away! I went there to get my current processor, and I plan to go there again when I upgrade to Haswell next year.

Ken,
Friggin, u r a genius. I am going to do that. I LOVE INTERNET!!!!!!!

-TheAstrohaut

 

[tynopik]

tynopik,
Will you please reiterate the message for me please? I can't understand what you wrote.

-TheAstrohaut

I will be buying parts in chunks, that are worth up to $600 due to my credit card limit, and salary

a $600 limit is ridiculously low and it's forcing you to play games like buying the system in 3 separate chunks

if you had a card with even a $2000 limit this wouldn't be a problem

 

[TheAstrohaut]

a $600 limit is ridiculously low and it's forcing you to play games like buying the system in 3 separate chunks

if you had a card with even a $2000 limit this wouldn't be a problem

I understand, although I can't do anything about the limit, it depends on the bank.

 

[cmdrdredd]

you mean over the next 3 months? because other than intel processor prices practically everything else will be changing during the next 3 months. if you won't be buying until 3 months from now, might as well just read threads around here because nothing we tell you now is going to be current later.


and frankly with that budget you should be going IPS rather than TN for a screen. LG 23" IPS FHD screen is only a few $ more than a TN screen ($200 a microcenter right now).

It depends on the usage but for Gaming I would never want IPS. Just too slow.

a $600 limit is ridiculously low and it's forcing you to play games like buying the system in 3 separate chunks

if you had a card with even a $2000 limit this wouldn't be a problem

Starting out, very few banks will give more than 500-600 dollar limits. They've gotten burned with the bad economy. Sometimes not much you can do.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/a37t/benchmarks/

Note : Bolded because I am not going to be buying from the particular vendor.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper N520 43.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.69 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($48.99 @ Newegg)

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Hard Drive: Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ CompUSA)

Case: Cooler Master HAF 922 ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)

Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($144.49 @ NCIX US)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($98.99 @ B&H)

Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($47.52 @ B&H)

Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Laser Mouse ($47.99 @ Dell Small Business)

Total: $1553.59

(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-06-13 17:10 EDT-0400)

-TheAstrohaut

1) If you're getting a 3570k why not get a Z77 motherboard? Asrock Z77 Extreme4 is pretty good for the money and microcenter will probably combo it for a killer price.
2) Why get a 64GB SSD for $120(which isn't in stock anyway) when a 128GB Crucial M4 is $122? http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-2-5-In...8GB+Crucial+M4

Everything else is ok. I have my preferences on input devices (keyboard and mouse) but that's really not an issue, just preference.