New Build

[spillbert]

First time builder here. Not afraid of comps as I wrote programs in college a really long time ago, I'm talking punch cards. I want a strong machine so let me know how I did on my first attempt at choosing components. THANKS:


ViewRenameEditDeleteTotal: $1271.27


CPUIntel Core i5-660 3.33Ghz Dual-Core$209.72MotherboardIntel DP55KG ATX LGA1156$239.00MemoryCorsair XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333$76.99Hard DriveWestern Digital RE4-GP 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM$182.41Video CardGigabyte GeForce GTS 450 1GB$147.49CaseCooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower$129.44Power SupplyCorsair 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V$261.24Optical DriveLite-On iHAS424-98

 

[titan131]

Could you please fill out the sticky in the link: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121 When you have answered the questions we will be better able to suggest a build for you.

 

[spillbert]

Just read the notes on the info. you all need for a good evaluation, so here it goes:

Mainly home use, some gaming, photo editing and such, no overclocking, prefer Intel, buy parts in U.S. , 1200 TO 1500 dollars max, I'm not thin skinned, tell me like it is, that is the only way to learn and I am here to learn!!!

THANKS

 

[lehtv]

A preliminary analysis of your choices:

CPU&mobo: The CPU you've chosen is really slow in comparison to newer Sandy Bridge processors which can be had for less money. The LGA1156 board you got is also very expensive, you can get perfectly decent LGA1155 motherboards can also be had for around $100, less if you get a smaller micro-ATX board.

PSU: You don't need a 1000W PSU for that sort of single-GPU system. 500W would power it well.

RAM: 2x4GB DDR3-1333 can be had for $40-50.

HDD: 2TB 7200RPM hard drives are overpriced, you can get two 1TB 7200RPM drives for half that price.

 

[Ken g6]

Ya know, I'm beginning to find some questions missing from those 10 in the sticky, like:
11. Do you need a copy of Windows? Are you a student? (I presume not in this case, but hey, there are old students.)

Also, #5 should specifically ask, "Will you reuse your monitor? Do you need accessories like a keyboard, mouse, or speakers?"

 

[Ken g6]

Feel like a little drive? You can get processors for $40 off Newegg prices, plus $80 off Z68 motherboards like this!

Edit: Weird, when I refreshed this thread, it showed only the first post before. Oh, well.

 

[lehtv]

Mainly home use, some gaming, photo editing and such, no overclocking, prefer Intel, buy parts in U.S. , 1200 TO 1500 dollars max, I'm not thin skinned, tell me like it is, that is the only way to learn and I am here to learn!!!

With that budget you can build a beast of a system tax included. I think you could get away with less than $1200, depending mostly on how fast gaming performance you want. The GPU price can range anywhere from $150 for a standard single card to a bit over $500 for 6950 2GB Crossfire.

So tell us, do you want to play all new games at high settings and 1080p and antialiasing? How long do you want to be able to do that for? How much do you plan on gaming anyway?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

i5 2500K
ASRock Z68 Extreme 3 MoBo
8 GB 1600 RAM
500~600 Watt PSU
1 TB hard drive
SSD
6950 2GB or 560 ti
any case of your choosing

 

[mfenn]

Ya know, I'm beginning to find some questions missing from those 10 in the sticky, like:
11. Do you need a copy of Windows? Are you a student? (I presume not in this case, but hey, there are old students.)

Also, #5 should specifically ask, "Will you reuse your monitor? Do you need accessories like a keyboard, mouse, or speakers?"

PM Blain and ask him to edit it.

 

[mfenn]

Good thing that you posted here first! The short answer is that no, you did not do a very good job of choosing components. Here's a sub-$1200 build that will blow that one away:

i5 2500K $220
ASRock Z68 Pro3 $105
G.Skill DDR3 1333 8GB $41
6950 2GB $240 AR
Crucial M4 128GB $200
Samsung F3 1TB $60 - Double up if you feel the need
Samsung DVD Burner $18
Antec HCG-520 $58 AP
Corsair 400R $80 AR - The case that you have picked out is fine too
Total: $1022 AR AP

 

[TheAdvocate]

i5 2500K
ASRock Z68 Extreme 3 MoBo
8 GB 1600 RAM
500~600 Watt PSU
1 TB hard drive
SSD
6950 2GB or 560 ti
any case of your choosing

We seriously ought to have one mid range system rec thread and just update it each month. These same specs have been reposted about 50 times in the past month. That is the current midrange build. (e.g. see my sig build)

PS - MSI now makes a 560ti that has 2GB of VRAM and the TFIII cooler. Newegg carries it. Priced about the same as 6950 2GB for those who want high res/multi displays.

 

[spillbert]

Thanks for all the input, this is great stuff and I am learning a lot, keep it up. Obviously I need all the help I can get. I'll start working on a better build and post it again. THANKS

Spillbert

 

[mfenn]

We seriously ought to have one mid range system rec thread and just update it each month. These same specs have been reposted about 50 times in the past month. That is the current midrange build. (e.g. see my sig build)

Done

 

[spillbert]

Based on the feed back I have received here, I offer a revision to my first try. I chose 2 hard drives because I decided to run a RAID 1 set up on them. Not planning on doing any extreme gaming, but still want the best of what little I do. As usual, don't pull any punches, I am here to learn!!

THANKS







ViewRenameEditDeleteTotal: $1206.33


CPUIntel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core$214.99MotherboardIntel DH67BLB3 Micro ATX LGA1155$99.98MemoryCorsair XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333$67.99Hard DriveWestern Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$79.99Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$79.99Video CardGigabyte GeForce GTS 450 1GB$147.49CaseCooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower$129.44Power SupplyCorsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V$169.99Optical DriveLite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer$24.98Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 (64-bit)$191.49

 

[lehtv]

Mobo: If you get a 2500K, also get a mobo that can overclock it. That means Z68 chipset (or P67 but that has less features). Asrock offers some great choices in the budget ATX size-class.

HDD's: Samsung F3 1tb 7200rpm is an infinitely better deal than the WD Caviar Black 6gb/s. You save over $50 on this alone. Sata 6gb/s isn't useful for HDD's, it's useful for SSD's.

RAM: I don't know why the price for that Corsair XMS is so high. G.Skill ripjaws can be had for $52.

GPU: At $150 I would get this GPU instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102948

PSU: Way overkill for your build. You'll be absolutely fine with a 550W XFX ($55) or a 520W Seasonic ($60), even if you OC the 2500K properly.

Windows: Maybe <0.01% of the population has use for a Windows Ultimate. Get the Home Premium 64bit OEM at $100, it's all you need.

Case: Something you could save serious money on. Your hardware doesn't need the best ever cooling nor the best ever cable management. Could get away with $60-80 if you look around more. E.g. Fractal Design Core 3000. But if you want this particular case for possible future builds too then by all means go for it.

These changes will bring your spending down considerably, so you can either get away with less money or spend on an SSD (Crucial M4 seems to be the best around now) or a better GPU (e.g. 6950 2GB or MSI 560 Ti 2GB). Also, don't forget about CPU cooler. Your budget is screaming for it.

 

[spillbert]

ViewRenameEditDeleteTotal: $1091.26


CPUIntel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core$214.99CPU CoolerCooler Master RR-CCH-PBU1-GP 69.7 CFM Sleeve Bearing$38.45MotherboardIntel DH67BLB3 Micro ATX LGA1155$99.98MemoryCorsair XMS 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333$67.99Hard DriveSamsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$49.99Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM$49.99Video CardGigabyte GeForce GTS 450 1GB$147.49CaseCooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Mid Tower$129.44Power SupplyCorsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V$175.98Optical DriveLite-On iHAS424-98 DVD/CD Writer$24.98Operating SystemMicrosoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)$91.98































It is also very important to buy high quality parts, don't like dealing with cheaply made products. Great advice and am slowly getting it down. I have read that the best HDD are the Western Digital, true or not? Cooling seems to be a really big issue as it could result in a system meltdown as such my choice for the psu. Don't plan on overclocking as that is a little more involved that I feel comfortable with at this point.

 

[lehtv]

Don't plan on overclocking as that is a little more involved that I feel comfortable with at this point.

Alright. In that case, you should go with an i5-2500 for $10 less or i5-2400 for $30 less. The K just signifies an unlocked multiplier which you won't be needing if you don't OC. Just remember, overclocking has never been easier than it is now

A good microATX H67 board can be had for a bit cheaper than that Intel. E.g. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157234 $90 solid caps, 4 dimm slots

Cooling seems to be a really big issue as it could result in a system meltdown as such my choice for the psu.

Is this why you didn't go with my PSU recommendation? Don't worry, 500W+ is all you need, and the products I recommended are of high quality. In fact, with your choice of GPU and a non-overclocked CPU, you would be just fine with a 430W power supply from a quality manufacturer, such as Antec Earthwatts 430W. Whatever you do, don't waste money on a 650W PSU if you're not considering upgrading to components that use ~100-200W more power than your current choices.

Also, you don't really need an aftermarket cooler either since you don't OC. I would recommend going with the stock cooler, and if you find it too loud, then upgrade to Coolermaster Hyper 212+ or Scythe Mugen 2 or something similar. (The cooler you chose is pretty low performance and overpriced.)

I have read that the best HDD are the Western Digital, true or not?

Last I looked at tests, Samsung F3 is faster than WD Caviar Black. And no there are no "cheaply built" issues, it's a good hard drive, stable and fast.

And the GPU. Is there a particular reason you want the GTS450? Can't stand AMD? The Sapphire 6870 I linked is around 50% faster for the same price!

And the memory. G.skill is cheaper than that corsair by about $15.

I still think you're paying too much for the case, considering the rest of your hardware. I'm in a bit of a dilemma here though. With your budget, I could recommend to you a 650W PSU, HD 6950 2GB, i5 2500K @ 4.5GHz, full-size ATX Z68 board and all that jazz. But since you say you will only do "some gaming" and it's "mainly for home use", that may not be what you need. Considering that, the case isn't what you need either. You're fine with a standard case e.g. that Core 3000, not a cooling beast.

 

[Ken g6]

And the GPU. Is there a particular reason you want the GTS450? Can't stand AMD? The Sapphire 6870 I linked is around 50&#37; faster for the same price!

It is also very important to buy high quality parts, don't like dealing with cheaply made products.

I think that's why, in this case. I don't trust Sapphire, anyway.

Since you seem to like Gigabyte, here's a nice Gigabyte 6850 for $147AR. If you prefer nVIDIA, this GTX 460 for $157AR is from EVGA - there's no better quality graphics card company that I know of.

Oh, I see, you chose a Corsair 650W PSU over $100 because it's "80 Plus Gold" certified? That just means it'll use very slightly less power at the wall when running in the range of 130W (20%) to close to 650W. Here's a Corsair 650W PSU for $70AR - bronze is just fine. But with any video card listed here except maybe the 6950, you'd be better off with, say, this $60 Seasonic 520W PSU.

 

[lehtv]

I don't see how Gigabyte is any better than Sapphire. In fact, I'm pretty disappointed at the build quality of my Gigabyte 560 Ti, and Sapphire was touted by most people as the best AMD brand a while back. If I wanted the best, I'd go with EVGA or XFX for lifetime warranty or MSI for cooling.

Also, if you want 80+ Gold PSU, then Seasonic X-650 is better value in the 650W category. The Corsair is based on that very model. No point really getting 80+ Gold for any less powerful PSU IMO, because at lower power levels the waste heat from slightly lower efficiency is just unimportant.

Antec HGC-520 is cheaper than Seasonic S12II 520, but it's based on that model.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

MSI=cooling masters
XFX and EVGA= warrenty masters
Gigabyte and other brands are okay

 

[mfenn]

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1ku7
It is also very important to buy high quality parts, don't like dealing with cheaply made products.

Can you point out any part that has been recommended that you would consider cheaply made? What are the criteria that you are using to determine whether or not something is cheaply made?

Big brands don't always make the best product for the best price.

 

[spillbert]

Can't point out any parts that I consider cheaply made as this is my very first build. You all have all the knowledge and experience to make that determination which is why I am asking you all for guidence. I would gladly pay a few more dollars for a manufacturer that has a reputation for quality and product support.

THANKS AGAIN for helping me with my choices!!

 

[titan131]

Anything you don't like about mfenn's build in post #10? it's a really good build and there is nothing low quality about the parts he picked. If I were you I would go for that, unless you particularly want an Nvidia card and the case is largely personally preference but the one he picked is of high quality.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Maybe go cheaper for a HAF case?

 

[mfenn]

Can't point out any parts that I consider cheaply made as this is my very first build. You all have all the knowledge and experience to make that determination which is why I am asking you all for guidence. I would gladly pay a few more dollars for a manufacturer that has a reputation for quality and product support.

THANKS AGAIN for helping me with my choices!!

That's what I thought. I don't recommend junk.

Spoiler

OK, maybe if they had to build a new computer for $200 or something, but even then it would be under protest.