First build and totally stuped as to what to do

[marty 123]

I currently have a 6 year old computer that I am looking to upgrade.
1. 3.40 gigahertz Intel Pentium D
2. Board: Intel Corporation D945GNT Bus Clock: 200 megahertz
3. NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT [Display adapter]
4. LSI 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller
5. 2*2 GB KINGSTON DDr2 667 mhz
6. 2 TB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM
7. 320GB Westen Digital 3200aak (contains windows 7 32bit)
8. 19 inch lcd monitor
9. LG HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH22NS70
10. CPU cooler equivalent to SilenX EFZ-92HA2
11. UPS 650 VA 400 WATT
12. I have a 19 inch monitor but will in the future upgrade it to 25 inch
The computer keeps overheating with average CPU temp 77C, GPU temp 55C and internal temp 53C. I changed the CPU fan when I installed the Pentium D which reduced temperature from almost 100c to current temp
After doing a lot of reading I am more confused than ever. I am looking for a system that will last the next 5 years, my main computer use is Editing home videos Corel Videostudio pro4/editing pictures photoscape/multitasking/burning dvd and in the future blue-ray, lots of importing/exporting video files etc.
I have a large number of questions I’m afraid
My budget is around 1000 to 1200 usd, I am thinking of using my current 2 TB Western Digital Caviar Black 7200 RPM, LG HL-DT-ST DVDRAM GH22NS70, LSI 1394 OHCI Compliant Host Controller and possibly NVIDIA GeForce 9400 GT [Display adapter]. I am thinking along the following lines
1. Intel core I5-3570k or I7-3770k
2. Motherboard (need wirefire as still have an old video camera) MSI-Z77a-G80 or G65 or Asus P877 Deluxe – would prefer thunderbolt capabilities as this looks like the future
3. 2*8gb ram – not sure what mhz to get probably 1600
4. GPU card – do i need it for the purposes I am using the computer for? could I use my old Nvidia card and would it make any difference
5. Want a case with external USB 3.0, headphone and mic socket and external hard drive docking – looking at thermaltek Amor A60
6. Dont know what Power supply to use – saw recommendations on Corsair TX 650
7. Do i need a cpu cooler or can i use the std intel fan if i am not overclocking, or what I have above
8. Would an ssd drive improve my performance- thought about Corsair 60 gb – big enough for windows
9 Will mu current UPS be enough for the new system
Your advise would be well appreciated

 

[krnmastersgt]

Those are some pretty damn high temps, does your case have like no airflow whatsoever? Also out of curiosity are you getting a new system due to the heat issue or because you're not satisfied with the performance of your current one anymore?

To get more detailed help you should answer the questions in this sticky:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

Looking at the parts you're interested in you're on the right path, though I'd advise either getting the 3770K or just grabbing a vanilla 3770 if you're not sure you will be overclocking, the reason being that for your uses you will benefit from the HyperThreading they give you, although given the current prices of the 3770K I'm not entirely sure its worth the price premium over the 2600K if you do plan on doing a pretty decent overclock.

After doing some browsing of current motherboard offerings, the ones with Firewire seem to be few and far between and usually only on the more expensive models. However I don't think this will be an issue, you can likely just pick up an IEEE 1394 (FireWire) riser/expansion card and just add that on to any other motherboard of your choosing. And while I was interested in Thunderbolt's uses, I'm not really seeing many products on the market that can even utilize its technology, and most of those that can have no real need to either. Also demands quite a price premium right now as its bleeding edge and not cutting edge just yet.

CPU: i7 2600K $290 + $20 Newegg Giftcard
Motherboard: BIOSTAR TZ68K+ $65 AR
RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8 GB set (2x4GB) x 2 $80
Case: Corsair Carbide 300R $70 AR
PSU: Corsair CX430 $25 AR

Total: $574.94 - $45 in rebates - $20 Newegg Giftcard (have to order the 2600K prior to the rest to use this I believe)
Final total (all discounts): $509.94

Some people are against the idea of using a Biostar board which I get, I have no issues with their current offerings however and that is by far the cheapest Z family chipset board around. This set-up should perform pretty well at all the tasks you've listed and could do it using the onboard video from the 2600K or your 9400 GT, either one is fine (probably best to use the 9400 GT if you plan to OC due to temperature control). On the note of heat, I suggest that you do at least a mild overclock with this set-up, this Hyper 212+ (coupon code: GEEKBERT) can be had for ~$12 [thanks to frostedflakes' post in Hot Deals for finding this] which is a damn good price for one of the already most cost effective coolers on the market. Nowhere really near the biggest/best air coolers but considering the cost (I got mine for $20 and its tremendous value for that much) its extremely hard to justify not getting it unless you're a die-hard overclocker.

As for the RAM, if you really do want a 2x8GB set that will only increase the overall cost a few dollars, is there a reason you suspect you'll need more than 16 GB? I'm not entirely familiar with how much memory all the tasks you described will need to perform optimally, but I don't imagine many of them will benefit much from the possibility of 32 GB.

Considering the budget, and how much the system that you want actually costs I highly recommend getting an SSD as well as they make the largest impact in general computer usage of any component. The Crucial M4 128 GB is probably the most recommended SSD around (hence why I'm using one ) and its worth the cost for the reliability of its controller/hardware. However if you wait for a few days, there's often deals on either the M4 or the Samsung 830 128 GB models for close to $100, definitely worth the pick-up even at stock prices though!

Factoring in an SSD and the Hyper 212+ you're looking at around ~$650 for a top notch system, then you just add on one of the expansion cards from:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...Value=1871:12432&PropertyCodeValue=1871:17619
To get the Firewire that you need for your camera. I cannot attest to any of the names there aside from Vantech (they make some good stuff) however they are quite a bit more expensive and I'm unsure of how well it or cheaper units perform.

 

[marty 123]

The reason I am looking to upgrade the computer is twofold
1) Current system keeps packing up probably due to the high temperatures and I estimate that to fix the heat issue I may as well invest in a new system
2) Current system is very slow on encoding avchd video, takes over an hour for a 10 minute avchd video and isnt able to multitask when it is working on this
Just bought windows 7 64 bit but havent done the upgrade yet
In respect of the ram i know the new motherboards will take upto 32gb,if I buy a 4*4gb then I will have no room to expand it in the future, which is the only reason i suggested 2*8 gb - though I am flexible on this. Does the mhz make a difference to the set up and uses I am considering, should i take 1333 mhz or 1600 mhz or does it not make any difference
I still have a few dollars left over from what you have recommended would it not be better to maybe purchase a more upstream mbo
Alsao the case doesn't seem to have an external hard drive docking station something I am interested in as I copy large amounts of data from one hard drive to another (back ups etc)

 

[krnmastersgt]

You can invest in a more expensive/full featured motherboard, certainly. However when it comes to motherboards I always suggest that you find all the boards that meet your requirements, then just go for the cheapest one from there. If there are special features on higher end boards you've been eyeing, feel free to post what they are so I can find other alternatives.

I do doubt that your software will be able to utilize more than 16 GB of RAM, unless you're doing quite a bit at the same time as the encoding, but like I said it's a difference of just a few dollars to switch to a 2x8GB set if that is what you prefer. And there are speed differences, however aside from high end overclocking and benchmarking, you won't see much of a speed difference in terms of RAM regardless of the frequency (standard RAM frequencies mind you, if you cripple the speed manually it would still suck ).

I was wondering what you meant by a docking station, iirc the one you're referring to on the Armor A60 is a little slot crafted into the top of the case that allows you to plug in hard drives yes? While there are a few cases with that feature designed into the case, that is easily replaced by just buying a standalone external dock that you could hook up to an USB 3.0 port or eSATA should you get a more full featured motherboard. Cases tend to last multiple systems if you buy one that you like as they don't usually need to be changed significantly unless they start breaking apart, I always think the purchaser should buy one they're aesthetically pleased with and has the proper amount of drive bays/front ports. If you're going for pure cost effectiveness though, for performance in terms of quality/airflow there are a few "best" choices however.

 

[vailr]

The OP had stated: "budget is around 1000 to 1200 usd", therefore I would recommend considering only the most recent vintage technology: an Intel Z77 board + an Ivy Bridge CPU.
Should be do-able for under ~$550. Maybe wait a few months, and then swap in a newer model PCIe 3.0 video card. Something like: an AMD 7770 card or a mid-range nvidia 600 series card (not yet available).
Note: if your old optical drive is IDE, you'd also need to replace that with a SATA optical drive.
Also: there do exist a few Z77 boards that include a firewire port.

 

[krnmastersgt]

The OP had stated: "budget is around 1000 to 1200 usd", therefore I would recommend considering only the most recent vintage technology: an Intel Z77 board + an Ivy Bridge CPU.
Should be do-able for under ~$550. Maybe wait a few months, and then swap in a newer model PCIe 3.0 video card. Something like: an AMD 7770 card or a mid-range nvidia 600 series card (not yet available).
Note: if your old optical drive is IDE, you'd also need to replace that with a SATA optical drive.
Also: there do exist a few Z77 boards that include a firewire port.

If I said my budget was $10k, doesn't mean I want to fully use it all unless otherwise stated (some people run businesses and want write-offs), so I see no reason to pay for more when you aren't benefitting from it. And yes some Z77 boards have Firewire, but they're all 140+, I see no reason to pay that much just to get 1 port when you can buy a $10-20 expansion card and add it into any system you wish, with any board.

Also I see no reason for a newer card considering there's nothing graphically intensive being done with this system, maybe to save a bit of power but I believe the 9400 GT draws all the power it needs just from the PCI-E slot so there's a pretty good chance even new cards would have trouble matching its average power consumption (might beat it for idle though). Worst case scenario just use the HD 3000 on the 2600K and call it a day.

 

[marty 123]

Appreciate the advice, however i am inclined to spend an extra 50 bucks and buy the i7-3570k which has the better graphics processor. In respect of the motherboard whilst again I dont want to go over the top I also want something that will be good for a few years, saw the Gigabyte GA-Z77-3DH or ASRock z77 Pro4 or MSI Z77A-G43 all sround 120 usd, the Biostar had poor user reviews in Newegg and I am looking for something with reliability as it is my only system
Will go with 120 gb ssd + either 4*4gb ram or 2*8gb ram, is there any difference for me in the setup probably at 1333 mhz if this is not going to impact the overall system
The Nividia GT9400 does indeed get its power from the PCie and I take it there is no need for me to upgrade this for my requirements. The Case PSu and cooling fan (will this be enough for this cpu) also look good

 

[vailr]

i am inclined to spend an extra 50 bucks and buy the i7-3570k which has the better graphics processor.
[snip]
The Nividia GT9400 does indeed get its power from the PCie and I take it there is no need for me to upgrade this for my requirements.

Don't need both video outputs, unless you're doing multi-monitors.

 

[krnmastersgt]

Don't need both video outputs, unless you're doing multi-monitors.

This. Not to mention, the i7's are essentially twice as powerful (theoretically) for well optimized multi-thread programs. If you do want to buy newer tech, don't get the 3570K but instead the i7-3770K which also has HyperThreading.

As for the board, not sure what you're referring to as the board averages a 4 egg rating, if you only read the most recent reviews it seems to have issues with Ivy Bridge processors, however if you grabbed the 2600K that wouldn't really be an issue. That aside you have plenty of room left in the budget so I'd suggest going for either:
1) This ASRock Pro3 for ~$108 shipped.
2) Or this GIGABYTE GA-Z77-DS3H for $110
As for the difference between 4x4GB to 2x8GB, there isn't much of a noticeable difference. It might pay to do some research into all the programs you're interested in using (you only specifically mention Corel) to see how much RAM they can actually use. If its above 6-8GB then I'd say go for the 2x8GB set just in case some updates or larger projects start bring you closer to the memory capacity.

 

[alyarb]

He wants to multitask while he's encoding video, and yet you guys are overlooking quicksync

 

[krnmastersgt]

He wants to multitask while he's encoding video, and yet you guys are overlooking quicksync

You're right I overlooked the feature (mainly because I never knew about it!) so that does justify a 3rd gen processor, however I still think that just means grabbing the 3770K as the hyperthreading will still help a lot with the other uses for the system.

 

[sm625]

I wouldnt save anything from that pc. You wont need the 9400 video card. Sell the system as is.

 

[marty 123]

do all the z77 motherboards support quicksync
Great news that I dont need to splash out on a seperate graphics card
have put together what I think would be a good build pls let me know any alternatives

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=20637266

​

Kept in my budget, went for a more expensive cooler after current nightmare of overheating. Think I could take 8gb of Ram instead of 16 GB and probably 64 GB of SSD to save some additional money

 

[krnmastersgt]

Not able to see your wishlist as its saved as your personal one, not open to us.

More expensive =/= better cooler, if you're going to spend more money on the cooler make sure its worth it as the Hyper 212+ is amazingly cost effective, and a very solid cooler in itself. Why exactly are you trying to save ~$40 with the ram but then spending more on the motherboard and CPU cooler when those won't even make a difference to how your system performs?

 

[mfenn]

He wants to multitask while he's encoding video, and yet you guys are overlooking quicksync

Why do you think that QuickSync is relevant for this scenario? QuickSync is fine for quickie transcode and upload to Youtube. However, the quality isn't that great since you are relying on a few predefined algorithms and for that reason, it isn't supported in most real editing suites.