Need Advice on New Build

[ssj58trunks]

Hello everyone I need advice on what CPU/ GPU to buy for my computer My budget is $500 give or take $20
My planned Rig so far:
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ($53)
CD/DVD : Samsung DVD Burner ($16)
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z77X UD3-H (Or if 2500k some z68 mobo not sure which one) ($85)
CPU: 3570k/2500k not sure which ($190)
GPU: GTX 460 768 mb (Better one if going with 2500k) ($96)
PSU: OCZ ZS 550W
HDD : 500 GB Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM
Ram: PNY 4GB (2x2GB) 1600MHZ $21 (have $7 promo credit)
So basically my question is if I should go with a 2500k which is $160 and invest in a better GPU than the GTX 460 which is $96 or go with a 3570k which is $190 if I go with a 2500k what graphics card would you recommend?
I own a 1024x768 (I know pathetic) monitor but plan on buying a 1600x900 monitor soon. I also plan to overclock to speeds around 4.0 Ghz so would a stock cooler be sufficient for that? I am going to be using this rig for mostly gaming and a little video editing. I already own the PSU and HDD do the total price including tax and shipping is $497 but I could save more with a 2500k.Thanks for your help guys

 

[krnmastersgt]

I'm confused, where do they sell a 3570K for $190 that isn't a local MicroCenter? Or a 2500K for $160 for that matter

Also that motherboard is a bit overpriced, there are a few Z77 boards you can have for around $100, and unless there's some specific features you needed/wanted there's no reason to pay more for the other boards really.

And for that resolution a 460 is still decently strong, but if this is primarily a gaming rig you should try to invest a bit more to bump it up a bit.

 

[lehtv]

Can you answer the sticky on top of this forum please

 

[ssj58trunks]

Yea sorry for not clarifying the motherboard is $85 now with a 3570k and this deal is at Microcenter when you put both in you cart the deal is activated the deal is crazy good. This rig is mainly for gaming and a little video editing. The parts will be bought in the USA. No brand preference other than an intel CPU. This PC will be built anywhere from a couple weeks to a couple days from now. Although I plan on buying a Hyper 212+ later on how well does the 3570k/ 2500k overclock with a stock cooler? Thanks for your input .

 

[lehtv]

Budget?

 

[ssj58trunks]

Budget?

$500 give or take $20 it was stated in the original post sorry if its not formatted the best

 

[lehtv]

Right. Spend less on the case. Spend less on the mobo and more on the graphics card. It's a gaming setup. Buy 8GB RAM, it's cheap.

CPU 3570K $190 @ MC
Mobo Asrock Z77 Pro3 $45 @ MC - discount applies to all Z77 boards
RAM 2x4GB PNY 1333 $36 AP @ newegg
GPU Sapphire 6950 2GB $190 AR @ newegg (compare to 460 768mb)
HDD 500GB $0
DVD Lite-On DVD-RW $18 @newegg
PSU ZS550 $0
Case Rosewill Challenger-U3 $48 AP @ newegg

= $527 AR AP shipped + MC tax

If you need to push the price down, get a 2500K. The mobo discount should apply to it as well and 2500K is compatible with Z77. But you won't be overclocking it to the skies on that mobo, it's a clear tradeoff.

 

[DSF]

Right. Spend less on the case. Spend less on the mobo and more on the graphics card. It's a gaming setup. Buy 8GB RAM, it's cheap.

CPU 3570K $190 @ MC
Mobo Asrock Z77 Pro3 $45 @ MC - discount applies to all Z77 boards
RAM 2x4GB PNY 1333 $36 AP @ newegg
GPU Sapphire 6950 2GB $190 AR @ newegg (compare to 460 768mb)
HDD 500GB $0
DVD Lite-On DVD-RW $18 @newegg
PSU ZS550 $0
Case Rosewill Challenger-U3 $48 AP @ newegg

= $527 AR AP shipped + MC tax

If you need to push the price down, get a 2500K. The mobo discount should apply to it as well and 2500K is compatible with Z77. But you won't be overclocking it to the skies on that mobo, it's a clear tradeoff.

Pretty incredible what you can get for $500, especially with MicroCenter's help. That's a very powerful build for that price.

 

[ssj58trunks]

Wow that is incredibly powerful for the price thanks so much for your help. My only concern is I do plan on buying a Hyper 212+ later on in hopes of overclocking to 4.5 Ghz and I m not sure how good the quality/ overlclocking abilities of this mobo are. Is it good enough for 4.5 Ghz? Also I really hate going through rebates so since the rebate is only $10 I might skip it. Once again thanks so much for building me a much better system.

 

[krnmastersgt]

More often than not you'll be limited by the CPU rather than the board for maintaining a stable OC, however I will note that the 212+ is probably not strong enough to get a 3570K to 4.5 GHz if you do any actual stress testing with it to verify a safe voltage for it. For normal usage it might be enough but if you want to push beyond 4.2~4.3 you should probably invest in a better cooler.

 

[ssj58trunks]

OK I guess 4.2 Ghz is fine and I'll get the CM 212+ and see how far I can push it before temps get too high. Also how well would this build be for 1920x1080p gaming, I was planning on buying a 1600x900 monitor from a friend for $50 but this appears to be good for 1080p considering the 6950's power.

 

[krnmastersgt]

OK I guess 4.2 Ghz is fine and I'll get the CM 212+ and see how far I can push it before temps get too high. Also how well would this build be for 1920x1080p gaming, I was planning on buying a 1600x900 monitor from a friend for $50 but this appears to be good for 1080p considering the 6950's power.

4.2 is roughly the highest I'm willing to go with my 212+, even though I'm running at below stock voltage (I haven't tested just how far low I can go) when I run IBT to test its stability I break 80C. My ambient wasn't helping much at the time but Ivy can get really hot really fast, and some stress testing software pushes the chip in different ways than others. I barely break 60C in Prime95 for instance.

 

[ssj58trunks]

Yea I have heard cases that during stress tests temps on Ivy get so hot that you get a BSOD so I probably wont run any stress tests on stock cooling and I guess 4.0Ghz on stock voltage is good?

 

[lehtv]

Depends on the chip. I think many will get up to 4.2-4.3 on stock volts

 

[krnmastersgt]

Depends on the chip. I think many will get up to 4.2-4.3 on stock volts

This pretty much, most people should be able to hit 4.2 on stock voltages, though you may just be unlucky with the chip.

 

[ssj58trunks]

Ok thanks everyone so much for your help I think I may opt for the Pro4 for better OC capabilities and stick with everything else and pne more thing, If I were to go with a 6850 over a 6950 how would my performance be on most games at max settings at 1080p or 1600x 900. The 6850 would be a budget option for my brother who is building a very similar build but is a little more strapped on his budget

 

[mfenn]

Ok thanks everyone so much for your help I think I may opt for the Pro4 for better OC capabilities and stick with everything else and pne more thing, If I were to go with a 6850 over a 6950 how would my performance be on most games at max settings at 1080p or 1600x 900. The 6850 would be a budget option for my brother who is building a very similar build but is a little more strapped on his budget

The GPU is the #1 priority for a gaming machine. You sacrifice everything else before you sacrifice the GPU. With that in mind, I'd drop down to a dual-core, cheaper case, 4GB of RAM, etc before I dropped the GPU.

 

[ssj58trunks]

Yea but he will be gaming at 1600x 900 not 1080p so I guess everything is fine and anyway this thread isn't bout him lol. Anyway thanks so much for all your help and I hope my 6950 will do me well

 

[mfenn]

Yea but he will be gaming at 1600x 900 not 1080p so I guess everything is fine

Doesn't matter. The GPU is still the most important. A CPU that is sufficient at 1600x900 will still be sufficient at 1920x1080. It he wanted to get a new 1080p monitor (very cheap these days), he would feel pretty silly with an IB quad and a 6850.

and anyway this thread isn't bout him lol. Anyway thanks so much for all your help and I hope my 6950 will do me well

So it is. Glad to help. Let us know if you run into any problems with the build.