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Need feedback on a $1200 new build, first timer

R

Rich W

Junior Member
My old Dell desk top unit is on it's last leg after 6 years of faithful service and no longer able to perform even the simplest of task in a timely manner. Time for NEW- I've decided that its time try my hand in building a new desk top unit for home use. This will be my first build and I'm looking for some guidance on the parts that I hope to use. A fellow coworker who has built a few units has offered advise and help if I get in the bind. Looking for input. and help with picking GPU

1. PC will be used for. Internet surfing, Photoshop, Pinnacle Studio video editing, word processing, some gaming- C of D, and first person shootem up, nothing too heavy

2. What YOUR budget is. $1000 to a max of $1200

3. What country USA.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. -Intel. CPU-- all other parts open

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, -mouse, keyboard, screen for now (1280x1024)🙁 will replace this summer. O/S-Windows 7 - have it
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads. -Yes this site and a few others

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. - want the i5- 2500k to OC

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.- see # 5

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?- with in the next month

10- free advice - mouth shut

After following this site for the last month I'm ready to get this project rolling with some good insight from forum regulars. I've put together this list of parts that I "think" meets my needs and budget Am I on the right path and will it all work together ?

CASE-- COOLER MASTER HAF 922 BLUE RC-922M-KWN2-GP Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119224
want a larger case because of big hands and cable management. Will it be too loud?- opened to suggestions.

HARD DRIVE -- Samsung spinpt F3 HD103SJ 1 TB 7200 RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
BOOT DRIVE-- Corsair Force Series CSSD-F60GB2-BRKT 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233124

CPU-- Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072

MOBO-- ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157229


Coworker suggested this board or an similar ASUS board leaves me some options to add 2nd video card down the road ?

CPU COOLER-- COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065

P/S -- CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

This should be ok for one GPU or even overkill ?, BUT will this be enough if I add additional GPU down the road?

CARD READER- Nippon Labs Delux 3.5" Internal All In One Card Reader http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820816001

GPU- I was looking at a 6950 but I have no idea Please suggest one that meets my need??? down the road would like to add a second GPU to try SLI /Crossfire options

O/S - Windows 7 - have it already

Do I need and additional cables or right angle connectors ??

Thanks in advance for all help and suggestions

 
Glad to see you did your homework.
Overall, your build looks good.

650W is kinda overkill, but it'll leave you the option of SLI/CFX options in the future. However, I don't see the point, unless you're considering a monitor with a resolution greater than 1080p or getting multiple monitors for Eyefinity.

The 6950 2GB will be plenty beefy for 1080p, and definitely overkill for your current 1280x1024 monitor.

Right-angle SATA cables might be nice, but it should not be necessary.
In my case, my 5870 actually blocks off most of my SATA ports on the mobo, so I had to use right-angle SATA cables (luckily, I had a few lying around...). The ASRock mobo you picked out shouldn't have this problem, since the SATA connectors are at a right angle to begin with.
 
Glad someone did their homework before posting.😉

Everything looks good to me and the choice made for parts are good. Stick with that PSU as you can use that extra power headroom in case you intend to do a HD6950 Crossfire in the future. The motherboard manufacturer would usually supply you with enough SATA cables for a new build, usually 2 right angled and 2 straight. Corsair also should supply you with a power cord. The only thing missing is a DVD drive.
 
I don't see any RAM listed. Keep in mind if you go with RAM with taller heatspreaders you may not be able to use the RAM slot closest to your CPU socket with that mobo (and maybe other 1155's). This is definitely the case with the Extreme4 and Hyper 212+.

I believe alot of the experts here would recommend something like these if you go wit G. Skill.. But wait until someone confirms.

So, if you're only in need of 2 DIMMS (2 x 4GB, for example) you will need to move them over to slot 2 and 4. Or you can slightly raise the fan on the 212 up a bit.

I have virtually the same set up you are considering and I'm 100% pleased with the build.
 
fffblackmage said:
Those are good.

btw, why does G.skill offer both PC3-10600 and PC3-10666? Aren't they identical?
Click to expand...

Seconded on the G.Skill RAM. G.Skill's PC3-10600 and PC3-10666 are indeed identical (both DDR3 1333). The only thing that I can think of is that the additional hits that they get from people searching for just one or the other is worth the cost of maintaining 2 SKUs.

OP, as for the rest of your build, it looks pretty good. I do have a few suggestions though:
- I generally recommend against planning to go for CFX or SLI "down the road" because you'll (a) spend a bunch of extra money on Mobo and PSU up front, (b) may never actually get around to buying that 2nd card, making the extra money a total waste, and (c) in 18 months or so, a newer single card will be a nice upgrade anyway without having to worry about the usual CFX/SLI gotchas (driver issues, profile issues, microstutter, negative scaling, power, heat, noise, etc.)
- The mobo you picked out is good, but it is also out of stock. I recommend getting the i5 2500K + GA-P67A-UD3 combo. With the combo discount, you're effectively getting the board for less than $100, which is a hell of a good deal.
- The PSU you selected is a bit overkill (and expensive to boot). The XFX Core 550W is a good quality PSU with plenty of power for a single-GPU system.
- I'd recommend a reference design 6950 2GB. At $250 AR, it's a good deal to begin with and it becomes an excellent deal if you unlock it to a 6970.
 
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