Help needed with PC Build - First time build

[thedoormat]

Hello everyone,

I'm evaluating building my first ever desktop and need some help deciding what components to buy, if I am forgetting to consider certain elements and general suggestions that I might not be considering.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Light gaming, Photo editing, Engineering 3D Softwares (Solidworks) and some minor FEA

2. What YOUR budget is.
$1,000 (OS not included)

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

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Intel, only because I am slightly more familiar with them at the moment.

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

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Not planning on overclocking. But on reading the sticky by mrSHEiK124, reconsidering that stance.

8. What resolution will you be using?
1920x1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Between July and September 2012. Willing to wait a little more if the price is right.

Here is a list of components I have sort of settled on.

CPU: Intel i5 2500K. I picked this instead of the 2500 because they differ only by $10.

Question: Is it true that the 2500K is primarily for overclocking? I looked at the benchmarks and cost to decide on the 2500K.

Motherboard:
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 approx $160
OR
ASUS P8Z68-V LX approx $120

Question: I am going to be using 1 SSD, 1 Hard drive (for data), 2 DVD Burners (1 to be salvaged from a defunct work computer), 4-5 USB devices excluding mouse and keyboard. Are either of these overkill? Are both of these overkill?

Question 2: I noticed that both MBs have 2xCase fans. Does that mean that the 3rd fan in my case will be useless?


RAM:
4x4gb G Skill Ripjaw PC3 12800 $95

Question: What is the difference between the Ripjaw and the Ripjaw X? They are priced the same on newegg.com

Hard-drive:
90gb OCZ Agility 3 SSD ($55) Buying this as I type this.
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 $95

Question: Since the SSD is going to be the primary drive, can I afford to go with a slower drive for my data drive? i.e. SATA 3GB/s vs 6?

GPU:
XFX 695x Radeon 6950 CDFC $230

Question: What is the difference between CDFC and CNFC?

Question2: Again, relying on benchmarks to make this decision. Are there any other GPUs I should be considering in this price range? I would like to try to save some money on the GPU if the performance isn't drastically reduced.

Monitor:
Asus VH238H $160
Open to other brands etc. Min 22" I suppose. I have a 21.x" at work, and it seems to be fine for what I need. Just a decent resolution (work computer is at 1680x1050 which I sometimes find lacking).

Case:
Rosewill CHALLENGER U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower $60 ($40 AR)

Question: Should I be thinking of saving money on this by getting a smaller tower? Or at this price point ($20 rebate currently on this tower), will the larger case allow for better circulation? I prefer a minimalist tower.

Fans:
The case comes with 3 fans (2x120mm and 1x140mm). Do I still need to get a fan? If so, which one would you recommend?

DVD Burner: $15-20

PSU: I am thinking about a 600-650 W PSU for this build. Will that be enough? If yes, I am considering the OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W. Is that a good buy? Any recommendations?

Not sure if I have missed anything out, but I am sure that if I have, someone will point it out. I have tried to make it as specific as I can, so there is very little confusion from this.

 

[krnmastersgt]

CPU: i7 2600K $290
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ~$83
RAM: G.SKILL 8 GB Set x2 $80
Video Card: XFX 6870 $150 AR
PSU: Corsair CX500 $34 AR AP (Should be sufficient for your system and the price is quite nice).
CPU Cooler: CM Hyper 212+ $20 AR

Monitor: I think you'll need a few more specific parameters as to what you're looking for in a monitor. As far as enthusiast/professional level monitors are concerned you should be looking for an IPS panel of some type, though I'm not entirely sure that's for you depending on how serious you are about photo editing.
Case: Cases are something I believe you should choose based on the aesthetics, unless you're hiding it in a corner somewhere and just want raw performance. If you're just looking for something as cheap as possible but want decent build quality, are there any specific functions/traits/ports you need on the front panel?
Fans: You should be fine without additional ones currently, if temps aren't to your liking or seem abnormally high you can always purchase some high quality fans later on.

 

[snapptastic]

Hello everyone,

I'm evaluating building my first ever desktop and need some help deciding what components to buy, if I am forgetting to consider certain elements and general suggestions that I might not be considering.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for.
Light gaming, Photo editing, Engineering 3D Softwares (Solidworks) and some minor FEA

2. What YOUR budget is.
$1,000 (OS not included)

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

4. IF YOU have a brand preference.
Intel, only because I am slightly more familiar with them at the moment.

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

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Not planning on overclocking. But on reading the sticky by mrSHEiK124, reconsidering that stance.

8. What resolution will you be using?
1920x1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Between July and September 2012. Willing to wait a little more if the price is right.

Here is a list of components I have sort of settled on.

CPU: Intel i5 2500K. I picked this instead of the 2500 because they differ only by $10.

Question: Is it true that the 2500K is primarily for overclocking? I looked at the benchmarks and cost to decide on the 2500K.

Motherboard:
ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 approx $160
OR
ASUS P8Z68-V LX approx $120

Question: I am going to be using 1 SSD, 1 Hard drive (for data), 2 DVD Burners (1 to be salvaged from a defunct work computer), 4-5 USB devices excluding mouse and keyboard. Are either of these overkill? Are both of these overkill?

Question 2: I noticed that both MBs have 2xCase fans. Does that mean that the 3rd fan in my case will be useless?


RAM:
4x4gb G Skill Ripjaw PC3 12800 $95

Question: What is the difference between the Ripjaw and the Ripjaw X? They are priced the same on newegg.com

Hard-drive:
90gb OCZ Agility 3 SSD ($55) Buying this as I type this.
Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 $95

Question: Since the SSD is going to be the primary drive, can I afford to go with a slower drive for my data drive? i.e. SATA 3GB/s vs 6?

GPU:
XFX 695x Radeon 6950 CDFC $230

Question: What is the difference between CDFC and CNFC?

Question2: Again, relying on benchmarks to make this decision. Are there any other GPUs I should be considering in this price range? I would like to try to save some money on the GPU if the performance isn't drastically reduced.

Monitor:
Asus VH238H $160
Open to other brands etc. Min 22" I suppose. I have a 21.x" at work, and it seems to be fine for what I need. Just a decent resolution (work computer is at 1680x1050 which I sometimes find lacking).

Case:
Rosewill CHALLENGER U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower $60 ($40 AR)

Question: Should I be thinking of saving money on this by getting a smaller tower? Or at this price point ($20 rebate currently on this tower), will the larger case allow for better circulation? I prefer a minimalist tower.

Fans:
The case comes with 3 fans (2x120mm and 1x140mm). Do I still need to get a fan? If so, which one would you recommend?

DVD Burner: $15-20

PSU: I am thinking about a 600-650 W PSU for this build. Will that be enough? If yes, I am considering the OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W. Is that a good buy? Any recommendations?

Not sure if I have missed anything out, but I am sure that if I have, someone will point it out. I have tried to make it as specific as I can, so there is very little confusion from this.

get exactly what i have in my sig! i got everything (minus OS) for under $850. i love it! it was also my first computer build!

 

[lehtv]

For photo editing purposes I'd try to make room for a Dell U2412M $320. 1920x1200 IPS panel with a height adjustable stand.

This would leave you $700 for the PC itself. If you bought now:

CPU i5-3570K $215 AP
Mobo Biostar TZ77B $80
RAM 2x4GB PNY 1333MHz $40 or 2x8GB Mushkin 1333MHz $90
GPU MSI GTX 560 Ti $195 ($175 AR) [NCIX]
HDD 7K1000.D 7200RPM 1TB $80 AP
PSU Seasonic M12II 520W $60
Case Rosewill Ranger $40 AP (USB3.0, 3x fans)

= $707 after promos ($687 after rebate) + shipping. This with 8GB RAM. If you need 16GB, get a HD6850 1GB or go overbudget.

If you're near a microcenter you should get a 3570K + Z77 combo there.

Of course, if you're going to wait until September before building the build will look quite different. Deals come and deals go.

 

[mfenn]

For photo editing purposes I'd try to make room for a Dell U2412M $320. 1920x1200 IPS panel with a height adjustable stand.

This would leave you $700 for the PC itself. If you bought now:

CPU i5-3570K $215 AP
Mobo Biostar TZ77B $80
RAM 2x4GB PNY 1333MHz $40 or 2x8GB Mushkin 1333MHz $90
GPU MSI GTX 560 Ti $195 ($175 AR) [NCIX]
HDD 7K1000.D 7200RPM 1TB $80 AP
PSU Seasonic M12II 520W $60
Case Rosewill Ranger $40 AP (USB3.0, 3x fans)

= $707 after promos ($687 after rebate) + shipping. This with 8GB RAM. If you need 16GB, get a HD6850 1GB or go overbudget.

If you're near a microcenter you should get a 3570K + Z77 combo there.

Of course, if you're going to wait until September before building the build will look quite different. Deals come and deals go.

Nice build!

OP, what sort of FEA software do you plan on using? Having the GTX 560 Ti is nice for CUDA since both Ansys and Abaqus (among others) have CUDA acceleration for certain solvers.

 

[thedoormat]

Thank you everyone for responding. For some reason I was not getting notified of responses. Also, my DVD drive on my laptop began failing in the middle of an OS reinstall. So, I apologize for my tardiness.

Thanks to everyone that took time to respond.

@mfenn: I am looking to run Ansys. I am only getting started with it though, so I'm not sure how much I will challenge the computer with my "prowess".

@lehtv: I've considered getting an IPS panel monitor. I can't recall the model, but ASUS has one, in the $240 range. I think it is a 23/24 incher too. But I am saving that for the holidays, since I am looking to get into a dual monitor set up at some point in the relatively near future.

Also, I am looking to get the components as and when they drop to a decent price point. E.g. I got an OCZ 90GB Agility 3 from Amazon for $55 and a Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 for $85.

@snapptastic: Thanks. I'll look into it. More ideas the better!

@krnmastersgt: Thanks for taking the time. I have heard the CX series have their numbers... well... fudged. Is there any truth to that? The TX is on sale right now on newegg for 85 -20 MIR. Or do you still stick by your recommendation? If so, would you mind elaborating?

Couple more questions:
1. Why are you recommending the i7? I thought those were for "serious overclockers"? Please correct me if I have misinformed preconceptions.

2. And this one is probably for everyone that responded, but why is everyone recommending the 1333 RAM over the 1600? Is it just because of the price? Is the benefit in the faster RAM not that noticeable?

Anyone have any responses to my specific questions?

Thank you, again, everyone, for taking the time to respond.

 

[krnmastersgt]

The K line of CPUs are the ones meant for overclocking, the i7's are full on quad-cores like the i5's but with the added bonus of Hyper Threading (gives you 8 logical threads, which in the OS' eyes is like having 8 cores). I recommended the i7 based on the photo editing + Solidworks, however it may be a bit overkill depending on how much you plan on doing either. As far as photo editing is concerned, the i7 is only necessary for someone who routinely edits very large images.

And yes we recommend the RAM based on the price, you won't see the benefits of the RAM operating at a slightly higher frequency due to how it's already fast enough that is' typically waiting on other components. It is faster, don't get me wrong, but you won't notice the speed outside of some benchmarking software for the most part so why pay more if you're not getting more, right?

Also in regards to the Agility 3, OCZ SSD's are famous around here for reliability issues. From their choice of controllers (certain models of the SF) to their pretty sub-standard firmware. I'm sure they've been working on those issues, but many of the drives out there will need updated firmware, and in many cases that still doesn't fix the issue.

Regarding the PSUs, it is true that many PSU's aren't capable of outputting the theoretical numbers that they should be but that doesn't mean the unit itself will be all that bad (though in many cases it does as well). Considering that the unit in question has gone up considerably in price, I'd suggest going for the TX650 that you were looking at. It's a very good quality unit, a nice price for it, and while needlessly powerful for the system will provide you plenty of overhead.

I'd also suggest changing the video card from the 560Ti that lehtv suggested to this MSI HD 7850 Twin Frozr for $210 AR. It's either equal to or better than the 560Ti in just about every game and just a tad bit more. Also should run cooler, quieter, and use less energy.

 

[lehtv]

@lehtv: I've considered getting an IPS panel monitor. I can't recall the model, but ASUS has one, in the $240 range. I think it is a 23/24 incher too. But I am saving that for the holidays, since I am looking to get into a dual monitor set up at some point in the relatively near future.

There's also Dell U2312HM for $250, it's basically a 2412M with 120 vertical pixels chopped off.

Also, I am looking to get the components as and when they drop to a decent price point. E.g. I got an OCZ 90GB Agility 3 from Amazon for $55 and a Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 for $85.

:thumbsup:

Couple more questions:
1. Why are you recommending the i7? I thought those were for "serious overclockers"? Please correct me if I have misinformed preconceptions.

i7 versus i5 is hyperthreading versus no hyperthreading. Both come in overclockable and non-overclockable variants.

Update on my build: you can get a hyperthreaded Ivy Bridge Xeon processor for much less than a consumer grade i7. Xeons are officially supported on some consumer boards and should also work fine in ones with no official support. Xeon E3-1230 V2 (200mhz downclocked i7-3770 for $90 less) + Asrock Z75 Pro3 $85 (officially supports). The Xeon is locked but I think the turbo multi is still adjustable on the Z75 board.

2. And this one is probably for everyone that responded, but why is everyone recommending the 1333 RAM over the 1600? Is it just because of the price? Is the benefit in the faster RAM not that noticeable?

Correct. 1333mhz is cheaper and 1600mhz doesn't really provide any noticeably benefit outside of benchmarking. It's just one of those corners you can cut when trying to be maximally cost effective

 

[thedoormat]

Thank you again krnmastersgt and lehtv.

Thanks for the tip on the dell. I'm going to add it to my price alert on Amazon and Newegg when I get back home.

I have a question regarding PSUs.

a) What is Modular? Does that mean that it has a cable management system in place? Or is it something more technical?

b) I read somewhere (either on AT or Tom's HW) that PSU manufacturers tests are non-standard, so a Corsair CX600 is not as good as a Corsair TX600. I'm wondering how much truth there is in that? Or maybe I am summarizing the article incorrectly. Any thoughts?

Also, if you were building today,
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W
$50 after MIR


vs

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2
$65 after MIR

Thank you so much guys!

 

[lehtv]

a) Modularity means that cables are detachable. It has no implications beyond that, it just helps with cable management since you don't have to connect all cables in a modular PSU. PSUs can be semi-modular or fully modular.

b) Not sure what you mean by non-standard tests. CX600 is indeed a tier lower than TX650 in price, quality and features. In any case, when determining what PSU is good quality and what isn't, I recommend deferring to reviews by JonnyGuru, Hardwaresecrets, Anandtech and Techpowerup, as they do thorough, informative analysis and testing. They will also usually estimate if the PSU is good bang for buck, but be aware of the date of the review, the current price of the unit and what other units are available, and whether you need the features and power.

Also, if you were building today,
OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W
$50 after MIR

vs

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2
$65 after MIR

ModXStream 600W is an older design. If you could get it for $30-40, it'd be worth considering. Corsair TX650 at that price is alright but it is overkill for your setup, you only need a good 500W unit to be covered upgrade-wise, unless you decide to go SLI/Crossfire some day (which is very unlikely).

The Seasonic M12II 520W recommended earlier is a very good unit for the price, few 500W units at $60 are 80+ Bronze certified, modular, of similar build quality and reliability and covered by 5-year warranty. If you factor in rebates and promos, some decent units can be had for a low enough price to be worth it. But right now I can't find any alternatives to recommend.

 

[thedoormat]

The Seasonic M12II 520W recommended earlier is a very good unit for the price, few 500W units at $60 are 80+ Bronze certified, modular, of similar build quality and reliability and covered by 5-year warranty. If you factor in rebates and promos, some decent units can be had for a low enough price to be worth it. But right now I can't find any alternatives to recommend.

Isn't that a multi-rail PSU? I read someplace that a single rail is better than a multi 12V rail? Is there any truth to that?

Are there any good "tutorials" about the jargon related with PSUs?

Thank you

 

[lehtv]

Isn't that a multi-rail PSU? I read someplace that a single rail is better than a multi 12V rail? Is there any truth to that?

That was probably a biased marketing line you read or heard someone parrot. Read The splitting of the +12V rail by JonnyGuru.

I'm not sure if the M12II 520W really is a dual rail PSU even though it indicates so on the newegg page. The non-modular S12II 520W which also states dual +12V outputs on the label is actually single rail.

Are there any good "tutorials" about the jargon related with PSUs?

The above article is a good start, then there's Hardwaresecrets' article about Understanding the 80Plus Certification and about Why 99% of PSU Reviews Are Wrong. That's all I can think of now, you can google more

 

[thedoormat]

Thanks lehtv.

Read the post by Jonnyguru. That was a very illuminating read. I appreciate you sharing all those links.