New Build - Where to get started?

[Chiefthawk]

I am building a new system. In the past I liked to review the SharkyExtreme buyer guide as a starting point but it doesn't look like they do them anymore.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. This is a primary gaming system.

2. What YOUR budget is. Around 1.5k?

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. USA (I like to use newegg)

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US, please post a link to the vendor you'll be buying from. NA

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. My last 2 systems were Intel/nVidia and would like to stay there but not opposed to AMD.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. This is a new build, gonna redo the old sys and pass to my son.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. I only overclock if absolutely needed by the game.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? 1920x1080 (might be 1920x1200, can't remember)

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? Over the next several weeks.

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? Windows 7 Pro

 

[Triglet]

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841

 

[Zap]

Rough build for non-overclocking. Estimated prices. If you live near a Micro Center, potential to save big bucks on the CPU/mobo. Pricing is estimated, and "regular." Sales and rebates can save money. IMO exact brands/model doesn't really matter, unless you are looking for something super specific. Only items you may want to be more specific on are the case, PSU and SSD. If you don't have that many games installed at once, can ditch the HDD (maybe go with bigger SSD). Do you care how quiet it is as long as it isn't noisy?

Core i5-4XXX $230
B85 chipset mATX motherboard $85
8GB RAM $65
GeForce GTX 770 $400 (kind of overkill for your resolution, possible to go GTX 660 Ti for around $250)
decent 450W or higher PSU $70 (XFX, Rosewill Capstone, Seasonic, etc.)
decent mATX case $90
Windows 7 Pro $140
optical drive $20
240-256GB SSD $200
1-2TB 7200RPM HDD $90

Lian Li PC-A04B is $70 shipped through 6/19. Not the best case and is a slightly older design, but also not a bad case plus is all aluminum and has the classy looks. I'd hit it!

Rosewill Capstone 450W $63 shipped is more than enough power and is a good quality unit.

For SSD, decent ones are Corsair Neutron series, Samsung 840 series, any Plextor, Crucial M4 or M500, probably many others. There are performance differences, but you probably won't notice them unless you obsessively benchmark. Sales can make a huge impact on pricing.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

I would start with buying the best GPU and CPU you can afford. I would choose an AMD 7970 graphics card, but that's just me. Like Asus 1080p monitors. Do not forget you will need a good CPU cooler if you plan on overclocking...but I'm sure you already know that.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2192841

is a good place to start.

 

[lehtv]

@Chiefthawk

Why Windows 7 Pro and not the cheaper Home premium?

Can you describe what sorts of games you play and what requirements you have in terms of image quality and smoothness?

@ Zap's build

Looks good apart from a few things:

For a gaming system at $1.5K, a GTX 660 Ti would be very underpowered. I would not call a 770 too powerful for 1080p, not at all. My OC'd 7950 3GB is just as fast and I think this card is spot on for 1080p at 60hz, though slightly underpowered for constant 60fps in demanding games at high settings, like Crysis 3 or FC3. That's for current games, obviously future games are going to be even more demanding... why shoot yourself in the foot by not being able to run a good game smoothly a year from now?

450W PSU for a $1.5K system? No. At least 550W to accommodate for future upgrades and possible overclockability. Typically a 550W unit is only marginally more expensive, yet the extra watts means you're less likely to have to replace it. A PSU can last a long time.

mATX for a $1.5K gaming system? That's nothing but a needless restriction. The case can easily be used to accommodate upgraded internals several years from now, and not being able to house an ATX board would increase the chances of having to replace the case.

 

[lehtv]

is a good place to start.

That's a $1K system, not a $1.5K system.

 

[Termie]

I agree with lehtv - lots of $1,000 rigs being thrown around, but the OP has a bigger budget than that.

(1) 4670K - $250
(2) ASRock Z87 Extreme 4 - $160
(3) GeForce GTX 770 - $400 (or HD7970 if you like the four free games it comes with)
(4) Antec 1100 Case - $100
(5) Seasonic 550 Gold - $100
(6) 16GB DDR3-1600 RAM - $125
(7) Win 7 Pro - $130
(8) Samsung 840 250GB SSD - $170
(9) Western Digital Blue 1TB - $70
(10) DVD Burner - $18

TOTAL: $1523

 

[Chiefthawk]

@Triglet - thanks for link, that is almost exactly what I needed. The links are the bottom were great.

@lehtv - Not sure why Pro, my friend who is a techie always recommended Win7Pro 64 bit. Don't need for gaming? I bounce around on games. Right now I'm playing World of Tanks and Minecraft (MC can tax a system...)

@Termie - Very nice build, I will look into it.

What do you guys thing about the Corsair 650D case? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139006 It's a little costly but it looks very solid with nice features and space.

 

[lehtv]

If you don't know whether you need Pro, you don't need Pro. It only has meaning for users who know what features it offers compared to Premium, and have the need to use those features. For gaming, it makes zero difference

 

[Termie]

@Triglet - thanks for link, that is almost exactly what I needed. The links are the bottom were great.

@lehtv - Not sure why Pro, my friend who is a techie always recommended Win7Pro 64 bit. Don't need for gaming? I bounce around on games. Right now I'm playing World of Tanks and Minecraft (MC can tax a system...)

@Termie - Very nice build, I will look into it.

What do you guys thing about the Corsair 650D case? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139006 It's a little costly but it looks very solid with nice features and space.

The 650D is a nice premium case, but it has two strikes against it: it's huge, and it doesn't have the best cooling capabilities.

For your build, I don't think it's the right pick. The three most popular cases for builds in your price range would be the Antec 1100 (best cooling), Fractal Design R4 (best quiet case), and the Corsair Carbide series (good balance of cooling, quiet, and style).

 

[mfenn]

If you don't know whether you need Pro, you don't need Pro. It only has meaning for users who know what features it offers compared to Premium, and have the need to use those features. For gaming, it makes zero difference

:thumbsup: Agree 100%. Higher Windows editions are kind of like Fight Club in that way.

 

[mfenn]

For a "primary gaming system" around $1500, I would shoot for CFX/SLI and make plans to go for a 1440/1600p or 120Hz+ monitor in the near future. Otherwise, don't spend $1500 on a gaming PC.

i5 4670K + ASRock Z87 Extreme4 $372
Team DDR3 1600 8GB $53
Sapphire 7970 3GB x2 $700 AR
Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB $100
WD Blue 7200RPM 1TB $70
Lite-ON DVD Burner $15 AP
OCZ ZT 750W $70 AR AP
Corsair 400R $100
Hyper 212 Evo $34
Total: $1514 AR AP

 

[Chiefthawk]

**UPDATE**
Here is where I am right now, I have purchase a few components and still need a few...

CPU - pending
MB - pending
RAM - pending
GPU - pending

Purchased
Seasonic X series X650 Gold PSU
ASUS DVD Burne Optical
Corsair Carbite 500R Case
Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
Samsung 840 Pro SSD

Upgraded a few pieces after a lot of reading. Could have saved some $$ on the PSU but I have had many issues with PSUs in the past and really shopped for quality here.

 

[lehtv]

How much of your budget do you have left?

Could have saved some $$ on the PSU but I have had many issues with PSUs in the past and really shopped for quality here.

You still couldve asked for advice. X650 is nowhere near the best bang for buck quality PSU. And even if you only consider Gold and modular units (features that don't have anything to do with reliability), there are cheaper high quality units.

 

[Termie]

How much of your budget do you have left?
You still couldve asked for advice. X650 is nowhere near the best bang for buck quality PSU. And even if you only consider Gold and modular units (features that don't have anything to do with reliability), there are cheaper high quality units.

There are still good reasons to buy the X650, apart from Watts/dollar. Clearly you agree, since you have an X660. Could he have saved $20-30 on a similar unit? Probably, but as you can see in this thread, he got a lot of PSU suggestions, so I'm sure he took the advice into consideration. No one actually suggested the X650, but it's a great PSU.

 

[Chiefthawk]

@lehtv I suppose I could have posted the PSU on this site before clicking purchase but I did a lot of reading on this site and others to make the decision and the pure driving force was that it will last. Regarding remaining budget, I can still fit the remaining items in as though my budget were 1500. I don't mind streatching that for quality.

I am leaning toward the below. Still reviewing RAM. Also, with this build do I need a non-stock sink like the
Hyper 212 Evo $34? I generally don't overclock but I suppose having the option to would be good.

(1) 4670K - $250
(2) ASRock Z87 Extreme 4 - $160
(3) GeForce GTX 770 - $400

 

[lehtv]

There are still good reasons to buy the X650, apart from Watts/dollar. Clearly you agree, since you have an X660.

That's an assumption. First, one person's needs are not another person's needs. Second, you assume I don't make mistakes. I bought the unit over 2 years ago when I didn't really know much about what to buy (I wasn't even registered here back then). I just read a review and since it seemed like the best unit that was ever made, I ignored price and almost went Fry at my PC ("Shut up and take my money!").

Could he have saved $20-30 on a similar unit?

That was my point, but only partly. The other part was that he didn't need to buy a unit with these features to equally well eliminate the fear of having issues with the unit. The OP's reasoning for buying this unit was that he had had issues with other units and wanted to buy quality in order not to have issues, yet the extra features like Gold efficiency, modularity and semi-fanless operation do absolutely nothing to serve that goal. The reasoning for getting those features has to be based on something else, otherwise the purchase of even a similar but less expensive unit wouldn't make sense.

Probably, but as you can see in this thread, he got a lot of PSU suggestions, so I'm sure he took the advice into consideration.

Another assumption. It wouldn't be the first time someone ignored advice in his own thread. And even if he probably did take those into consideration, that doesn't explain why he would rush into buying a unit without making sure it's the best choice for him by posting it here.

No one actually suggested the X650, but it's a great PSU.

Of course it's a great PSU, that's not in contention here.

@lehtv I suppose I could have posted the PSU on this site before clicking purchase but I did a lot of reading on this site and others to make the decision and the pure driving force was that it will last.

Yes, it's a good unit, but not the most cost effective equally good unit. You could still return it since you don't have other parts yet either. I would recommend:

PC Power & Cooling MK III 750W $120 ($100 after rebate)
- built by Seasonic
- 100W more powerful which makes it slightly better for OC'd dual GPU configurations
- Gold efficiency and modular, just like X650
- 7 year warranty, just like X650
- less expensive

Regarding remaining budget, I can still fit the remaining items in as though my budget were 1500. I don't mind streatching that for quality.

I'd still like to know what the remaining budget is if you don't mind, it's easier for me to complete the picture and make final suggestions

I am leaning toward the below. Still reviewing RAM. Also, with this build do I need a non-stock sink like the
Hyper 212 Evo $34? I generally don't overclock but I suppose having the option to would be good.

I would buy the heat sink and do a minor OC. Takes two minutes to set the CPU to 4.2GHz, voltage to offset +0.005 and leave everything else at stock. However for a $1500 build I would buy a beefier heat sink like Thermalright True Spirit 140, as it'd probably be a bit quieter especially at load, and allow for a bigger OC if needed
http://redirect.anandtech.com/r?url...s=thermalright+true+spirit+140&user=u00000687

 

[Chiefthawk]

I'd still like to know what the remaining budget is if you don't mind, it's easier for me to complete the picture and make final suggestions
I would buy the heat sink and do a minor OC. Takes two minutes to set the CPU to 4.2GHz, voltage to offset +0.005 and leave everything else at stock. However for a $1500 build I would buy a beefier heat sink like Thermalright True Spirit 140, as it'd probably be a bit quieter especially at load, and allow for a bigger OC if needed

I would say my remaining budget is around $900. Thanks for the tip on the sink, I will look into that. Quiet is good. Regarding the overclock, is that dependant on the CPU? The 4670? Is there a guide for doing it? Is it something you do at first build or do you let your system run at stock for a while first?
Thanks,
Chief

 

[Termie]

I would say my remaining budget is around $900. Thanks for the tip on the sink, I will look into that. Quiet is good. Regarding the overclock, is that dependant on the CPU? The 4670? Is there a guide for doing it? Is it something you do at first build or do you let your system run at stock for a while first?
Thanks,
Chief

I would probably stick with the stock speeds at the beginning, until you work out any kinks. There is a long discussion thread here on overclocking the 4670K: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2326066

In a word, it's unpredictable. Only the 4670K and 4770K can be overclocked, not the 4670, 4770, or anything below them, but even then there is a lot of luck involved, as some processors just won't respond well to overclocking.

If you have a reasonably good heatsink (the True Spirit recommended above is actually an excellent heatsink), you'll have some headroom, but make sure all your hardware and software is working before you start experimenting.

 

[Chiefthawk]

I would probably stick with the stock speeds at the beginning, until you work out any kinks. There is a long discussion thread here on overclocking the 4670K: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2326066

In a word, it's unpredictable. Only the 4670K and 4770K can be overclocked, not the 4670, 4770, or anything below them, but even then there is a lot of luck involved, as some processors just won't respond well to overclocking.

If you have a reasonably good heatsink (the True Spirit recommended above is actually an excellent heatsink), you'll have some headroom, but make sure all your hardware and software is working before you start experimenting.

Is the ASRock board good quality? I have stuck with ASUS boards in the past and been pretty happy with them with one execption.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

That's a $1K system, not a $1.5K system.

Sorry I wasn't more specific...I meant the 1,000 build was a good place to start with for a list of components, and then upgrade as wanted, starting with the GPU, CPU.😳 Also, some small items can add up (i.e. mouse, keyboard,headphones.) Not to mention a monitor. Don't know if OP has those things. I know on my build, the "little things" put me over budget.

Wife of Runz

 

[Termie]

Is the ASRock board good quality? I have stuck with ASUS boards in the past and been pretty happy with them with one execption.

ASRock is quite reputable. I've used three ASRock boards in the past year, and thought they were fine. The fan controls were a bit limited, but otherwise, they worked great.

Personally, however, for builds in this price range, I tend to stick with Asus. Professional reviews generally rate them very highly, and while I've had a few issues in the past (ports going bad, including a USB port on my current socket 1155 board), I haven't had any failures.

Unfortunately, a circa-2008 MSI board I have seems to have just bit the dust, and I'm probably going with the Asus Gryphon mATX board as a replacement, along with a 4670K. I'd consider that in your situation as well. Newegg currently has a number of hot deals you might take advantage of: the Gryphon with a free 8GB stick of RAM for $175, a $240 i5-4670K and a $345AR PowerColor HD7970. Just add a $40-$50 heatsink and your build is complete.

 

[lehtv]

Newegg does also have deals on full size ATX boards with proper SLI/CF support, to complement that case and PSU. For example

Asus Z87 Plus $180 with 8GB RAM
- SLI/CF
- ALC892
- Intel LAN

Asus Gryphon has the same but the mATX form factor forces dual GPUs to sit next to each other, making the top card heat up considerably more. Yes it does have the TUF benefits, but they are not much more than gimmicks, and definitely not worth picking over the ATX form factor, given the case and PSU bought.

+ the rest from Termie's post:

i5-4670K $240 + free Grid2 and t-shirt
Thermalright TS-140 $50
Powercolor 7970 $365 ($345 AR) + 4 free games

= $835 ($815 AR)

You still have a little bit of budget though. The GPU could be slightly better: Sapphire 7970 GHz Edition Vapor-X $440 AR (vapor chamber. my 7950 vapor-x stays 65c at 1.1ghz). Since you're not that much into OC'ing, this would provide you with a high clocked 7970 out of the box, and a better cooler. But PowerColor is definitely better bang for buck.

 

[Chiefthawk]

Newegg does also have deals on full size ATX boards with proper SLI/CF support, to complement that case and PSU. For example

Asus Z87 Plus $180 with 8GB RAM
- SLI/CF
- ALC892
- Intel LAN

Asus Gryphon has the same but the mATX form factor forces dual GPUs to sit next to each other, making the top card heat up considerably more. Yes it does have the TUF benefits, but they are not much more than gimmicks, and definitely not worth picking over the ATX form factor, given the case and PSU bought.

So, it comes with a 8gb RAM. Is this good RAM? I was going to drop 16gb in it. Don't RAM clips need to be paired? Would I just need to buy another of the same 8gm RAM?

Thanks a lot for all of your help!

 

[Termie]

Fair enough - The Z87 Plus is definitely a good choice. But if the OP isn't interested in SLI/CF, there's nothing the $180 Z87 Plus has that the $175 Gryphon doesn't, and the Gryphon has the advantage of a 5-year warranty.

The Crucial RAM included with the boards is excellent. You can buy a second stick of it for $67 to get the dual-channel speed, which might mean 1-2% faster performance, or just wait until the next time it's on sale and grab a second stick. The system will work fine with just one stick installed.