-Need finishing touches on a build

[giantpandaman2]

Hello all,

With the delay in the GPU generations I've decided that it's finally time to stop limping along on my old 4870 and E6600. I've taken most of the parts from the Mid-range build but wanted to switch a few things.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Office stuff, gaming, maybe a bit of FRAPS.

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

$1k-1.3k or so

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

USA

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

ATI this round (I want to pick up Bioshock Infinite)

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

None. Will keep old computer around.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

Yes, but I want the computer to be pretty quiet.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using?

1920x1200. Possibly move up to a 2440 or a 2560 in the near future. (Anyone have a recommendation for a low latency, high resolution, non-TN monitor?)

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

ASAP (Want to take advantage of any President's Day Weekend sales)

Here's what I have so far.

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
$229.99

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ8GX3M1A1600C10
$47.99 $47.99

ASRock Z77 Pro4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
109.99

Fractal Design Define R4 Titanium Grey Silent ATX Mid Tower Case
109.99

PowerColor AX7970 3GBD5-2DHV3 Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$379.99

SeaSonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power ...
$105.99 -$16.00 Instant $89.99

SAMSUNG 840 Series MZ-7TD120BW 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$109.99

Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$129.99 -$20.00 Instant $109.99

XIGMATEK Dark Knight II SD1283 Night Hawk Edition CPU Cooler with Stealth Aerospace Industry Thermal conductive ceramic coating ...
$51.99 -$17.00 Instant $34.99

Noctua NF-P12-1300 120mm Case Fans
$26.99 -$2.00 Instant $24.99

Total ~ $1250

Noticeably absent is a case. I want a quiet computer and would love to be able to buy a quiet case like the Deep Silence. Unfortunately I don't know a good place to buy it here in the US and don't know what the preferred alternative quiet case would be.

I'm up for suggestions on changing anything. I really want to find a good balance of a quiet computer mixed with mild overclocking. Hence the upgrade to the Seasonic PSU. Is 550w enough? Will not ever be entertaining going Xfire or SLI. Will likely add a few hard drives over time, though.

Is it worth it for me to get a fan controller? It seems that Dustin is a big fan of them in his reviews.

Oh, and is it worth it to get a discrete sound card anymore? I use a full analog out to receiver 5.1 setup at the moment. Things gotta sound good.

Thank you for your help!

EDIT-Added case, changed motherboard and ram to match.

 

[Wali]

If you can not get your hands on the Nanoxia case in the States, I would recommend you take a look at the Fractal Design Define R4.

You will notice a lot of shared features between the two. One notable difference is the R4 may have slightly worse cooling performance - but only because it is delivered with just 2 fans (compared to the reference case with 3).
Please note the R4 may require you to upgrade past the stock fan controller if you want to add additional fans, and it will likely have to be digital if you want to close the tower's front door.

Other than that, the cases are really very similar (even price-wise) and you can have a look at various reviews to see whether it offers all features you need.

 

[giantpandaman2]

Thanks Wali. I tossed the R4 on my Newegg build. Do you think it's worth it to get an extra fan? If so, what's a good, quiet fan now?

 

[Wali]

Thanks Wali. I tossed the R4 on my Newegg build. Do you think it's worth it to get an extra fan? If so, what's a good, quiet fan now?

It depends a bit on how effective your CPU and GPU coolers are - but as you plan on overclocking, I would recommend an additional case fan.

I'm fairly sure that one of the reviews on the case mentioned the R4's stock fan controller can only handle 2 (possibly due to power constraints?), but this review states 3. Please make sure to double-check. As I mentioned, a possible replacement would likely have to be digital.

A manufacturer that focuses on quiet fans is.. be quiet! -.-
No, really, that's what they're called: be quiet!

While I would recommend their product lines, for the most part, they do not seem to be available on newegg. Perhaps someone else can recommend a quiet line from another manufacturer?

Edit: Seems the Noctua NF-P12-1300 120mm Case Fans could be an excellent option with long manufacturer warranties.

 

[mfenn]

What you have listed so far looks good to me. The R4 case that Wali recommended is an excellent choice to finish it off.

As for the audio, the TZ77B has HDMI, so you can send that to your receiver. If your receiver doesn't have HDMI, you should get a motherboard with optical out like the ASRock Z77 Pro4.

 

[Steltek]

What you have listed so far looks good to me. The R4 case that Wali recommended is an excellent choice to finish it off.

As for the audio, the TZ77B has HDMI, so you can send that to your receiver. If your receiver doesn't have HDMI, you should get a motherboard with optical out like the ASRock Z77 Pro4.

Another plus for the ASRock board at Newegg is that it comes with 8GB of memory for free.

 

[giantpandaman2]

Thanks again for all your help. I've updated the components. Switched to the ASRock motherboard, switched to matching ram, and added the case. I checked the Fractal Designs website and it seems the fan controller on the case can run three fans. I'll add a Noctua fan as well. Comes in at just under $1250 if I include a Noctua fan.

Oh, earlier I forgot to give an additional thanks to mfenn for his awesome midrange build! Saved me a TON of time from having to research everything since I'm just not as up on my components as I used to be.

Final questions before the finish line. Has anyone tried running the optical to a receiver? I'm using an old receiver that doesn't have hdmi (my home theater receiver does but this computer won't be hooked up to that one). In the past, I tried hooking up my audigy soundcard to my computer receiver via optical and it was buggy as heck. Hence why I was going analog with some truly fat cables from Monoprice.

Also, anyone have a recommendation on a monitor? It's on a separate budget from this build, but I figure I'll probably be picking one up within the next three months or so. My 24" TN-Monitor is starting to have problems turning on (the CCFL for some reason doesn't power on sometimes). Looking for a 2560x1600/1440 non-TN monitor with low latency. I'm guessing it'll be somewhere in the $500-$1000 range.

 

[Wali]

You're very welcome, but unfortunately this is where my area of "expertise" ends. As it is, I signed up just two days ago, looking for advice - which Steltek, mfenn and others promptly provided. This is really an incredible community, so I'm glad I had something helpful to contribute as well.

 

[giantpandaman2]

You're very welcome, but unfortunately this is where my area of "expertise" ends. As it is, I signed up just two days ago, looking for advice - which Steltek, mfenn and others promptly provided. This is really an incredible community, so I'm glad I had something helpful to contribute as well.

Hah, I've been on here for a long time, but I almost never post. There's a term for that, but I forget what it is. Oh, right, lurker. Unfortunately, every time I hear that word I think of the old flying Starcraft units.

Yeah, the forum members here are pretty awesome. I like dropping into Highly Technical just to remind myself how ignorant I am about a good many things.

 

[Torn Mind]

Hah, I've been on here for a long time, but I almost never post. There's a term for that, but I forget what it is. Oh, right, lurker. Unfortunately, every time I hear that word I think of the old flying Starcraft units.

Yeah, the forum members here are pretty awesome. I like dropping into Highly Technical just to remind myself how ignorant I am about a good many things.

Haha, I've only been hardcore about computer parts since last August. We all have to start somewhere.

With a quality PSU like the one you chose, you do not need to worry about power consumption with a single card and Intel CPU. Systems with a latest gen GPU simply are not that power hungry and Intel CPUs keep there power consumption reasonably in check. Seasonic is a quality manufacturer and the PSU is actually capable of delivering 550 watts(and more).



http://www.hardwareheaven.com/revie...rd-review-power-temps-noise-overclocking.html
Based on the above review, Your system might consume around 300W at the wall, which means maybe 240 watts is actually being delivered to the components.

PSUs are rated in terms of power the components use, not power draw at the wall, so you would probably be loading your PSU to under half of its labelled wattage. When PSU manufacturers mention efficiency, they mean how efficient how alternating current energy is converted into direct current energy. You multiply the power at the wall by the efficiency percentage to get the power used by the components.

Efficiency=DCwattage/ACwattage
This is the formula between efficiency, DC wattage, and AC wattage.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=157628

 

[mfenn]

Oh, earlier I forgot to give an additional thanks to mfenn for his awesome midrange build! Saved me a TON of time from having to research everything since I'm just not as up on my components as I used to be.

You're welcome.

Final questions before the finish line. Has anyone tried running the optical to a receiver? I'm using an old receiver that doesn't have hdmi (my home theater receiver does but this computer won't be hooked up to that one). In the past, I tried hooking up my audigy soundcard to my computer receiver via optical and it was buggy as heck. Hence why I was going analog with some truly fat cables from Monoprice.

One thing that I forgot to mention is that optical S/PDIF requires compression like Dolby Digital or DTS to output 6 channel audio. You'll only get 2 channel PCM unless your source can generate that. Using analog cables is totally fine since you already have it all set up.

Also, anyone have a recommendation on a monitor? It's on a separate budget from this build, but I figure I'll probably be picking one up within the next three months or so. My 24" TN-Monitor is starting to have problems turning on (the CCFL for some reason doesn't power on sometimes). Looking for a 2560x1600/1440 non-TN monitor with low latency. I'm guessing it'll be somewhere in the $500-$1000 range.

At the lower end of that range, you can get one of the Catleap IPS monitors from Ebay. They're great values but they use A- panels which can have a few more dead pixels. Closer to the middle of your price range, you can get an A+ 27" IPS from HP. Just over the top end of that range is the mighty Dell U3011 IPS. They're all valid options, it just comes down to how much you want to spend.

 

[giantpandaman2]

So I put in the order for all the computer parts. Looks like I'll just do the hook up to my receiver via analog. I'm sure it'll be fine.

On the monitor front, thanks for the information. I was actually looking at the ASUS PB278Q when I got your link, mfenn. Looks like the HP ZR2740w will be better for gaming though. Oddly enough, the TFT Selector at TFT central didn't pop it up when I put in my information, though they gave a good review to the HP. The only other monitor that has my interest piqued is the LG29EA93 that was just reviewed. They actually have it up at my local Fry's for $699. Not as cheap as the other two at Newegg, though.

Hmm, decisions, decisions....

 

[Wali]

While I have to admit that I have no experience with HP screens, the last PC-system I bought from them broke down with hardware defects often enough to bring me to tears, before finally passing away with an explosion of the PSU.

Accordingly, I am holding a tiny grudge, and would like to offer an alternative to their products. While I couldn't find them on newegg right away, iiyama might be a good option with an interesting price/performance ratio. Have a look at this review, for instance.
Perhaps you can find another local retailer besides newegg who features these monitors.

In any case, best of luck with your new rig!

 

[giantpandaman2]

While I have to admit that I have no experience with HP screens, the last PC-system I bought from them broke down with hardware defects often enough to bring me to tears, before finally passing away with an explosion of the PSU.

Heh, I gave up, long ago, on buying any consumer level computer from companies like HP, Dell, etc. They've gone to what I call the Walmart Effect. Drive down prices to absurd levels at the cost of all quality control. Business class hardware, though, those companies are still pretty good. Due to that fact, I'm guessing their high end monitors are still good since they appeal to more the professional/business class of consumers. I mean, I wouldn't buy a Dell crapbox even if it came with a $300 rebate, but Dell is well known for making good, high end monitors.

I'll look into the Ilyama, though the review linked was sorely lacking. Overclock3d has to get it's display-review act together! So far the only monitor review sites that hold any water for me are Anandtech and TFTcentral.

 

[mfenn]

So I put in the order for all the computer parts. Looks like I'll just do the hook up to my receiver via analog. I'm sure it'll be fine.

On the monitor front, thanks for the information. I was actually looking at the ASUS PB278Q when I got your link, mfenn. Looks like the HP ZR2740w will be better for gaming though. Oddly enough, the TFT Selector at TFT central didn't pop it up when I put in my information, though they gave a good review to the HP. The only other monitor that has my interest piqued is the LG29EA93 that was just reviewed. They actually have it up at my local Fry's for $699. Not as cheap as the other two at Newegg, though.

Hmm, decisions, decisions....

Definitely avoid the LG unless you're more interested in an art piece or adventure than an actual functional monitor. Non-standard aspect ratios are the path to madness.

While I have to admit that I have no experience with HP screens, the last PC-system I bought from them broke down with hardware defects often enough to bring me to tears, before finally passing away with an explosion of the PSU.

Clearly.

Anything from HP that starts with a ZR or from Dell that starts with a U are their professional-quality screens. I've used both extensively and they're both quite good. I'm at the point now where I wouldn't personally purchase any monitor that wasn't from one of those two lines. (I don't need an ultra high-end screen like a NEC or Eizo).

 

[giantpandaman2]

Definitely avoid the LG unless you're more interested in an art piece or adventure than an actual functional monitor. Non-standard aspect ratios are the path to madness.

In this era of eyefinity and and nv surround do you think aspect ratios really matter? Just to clarify, you don't like the LG only because of the aspect ratio and not the manufacturer, right? I've never owned any LG hardware, so I don't have a grasp of their quality.

It looks more likely I'll pick up the HP monitor anyway.

That should hold me over until Oculus comes out. I can't wait for the Oculus "I broke something" vids/pics to infect youtube/internet. It'll be worse than all the Wii "I gave my baby a black eye and broke my tv" pics/videos. Maybe I should make a "Gamer Crib" to protect gamers from destroying their precious furniture. Replete with bumpers, a fence, and an emergency 911 button for when we accidentally headbutt something.

I just hope that the Oculus is compatible with Kinect 2 and that Kinect 2 is compatible with my pc. (Use straight up USB 3.0 connections rather than some proprietary garbage.) Oh, the possibilities!

 

[Sleepingforest]

OP: If you're looking to expand on a set of good review sites, another good one is XBitLabs. They do a variety of computer hardware.

 

[mfenn]

In this era of eyefinity and and nv surround do you think aspect ratios really matter? Just to clarify, you don't like the LG only because of the aspect ratio and not the manufacturer, right? I've never owned any LG hardware, so I don't have a grasp of their quality.

The V1 rev of the LG was pretty horrible monitor, aspect ratio notwithstanding. The V2 rev is good, again not counting the aspect ratio.

And, hell yes aspect ratios matter. Ultra-wide on a relatively small screen (much smaller than any Eyefinity setup) sucks for 3 of the 4 use cases:

1. Games: The vast majority of games are coded for a fixed FoV that correlates to what looks good in 16:9 (and it's close cousin, 16:10). Sure, a lot of games let you tweak it, but plenty don't.

2. Internet video and TV: Nearly 100% of this is 16:9. Hello windowboxing!

3. Productivity: Documents and spreadsheets (this includes web browsing) want more vertical pixels than horizontal ones.

4. Movies: This is where it works beautifully.