New Computer Build Advice

[Senninha1]

This is my current computer. I bought it from Cyberpower in June 2005. It now has 2GB of RAM since I upgraded it several years ago and the video card is now an ATI Radeon HD 4670. Everything else is the same. It has served its purpose but it is definitely time for a new computer.

939PIN OEM ATHLON 64 3200 + CPU
MAXTOR 200GB SATA150 7200RPM 8MB HD
CORSAIR 512MB PC3200 PC400 DDR
WINDOW GREEN X-BLADE 450WATT
GREEN NEC 3520A DUAL DVDRW 16X
GREEN SONY 16X DVD ROM EIDE
FOXCONN NF4UK8AA-8EKRS NFORCE4 MB
WINDOWS XP HOME SP2 (CD & MANUAL)
PCI-E EVGA 6800GT 256MB
COOLERMASTER AMD ATHLON 64 3700+FAN

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

DVD burning, streaming media online, some gaming. I have an XBOX but I still play some computer games. I used to play Call of Duty 4 and Half Life 2 a lot. I have thought about playing Diablo 3. I don’t need the top GPU but as long as I can play with decent settings and not spend a fortune that would be good.

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

$800-$1,000

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

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

No preference really.

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


Monitor is an ACER x193W+

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

I don’t know much about overclocking but if the price is about the same then I might give it a try. I just don’t want to break anything.

8. What resolution will you be using? My desktop runs at 1680x1050. I checked COD4 and it runs at 1024x768.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Note that it is usually not cost or time effective to choose your build more than a month before you actually plan to be using it.

Buy the parts during Black Friday and Cyber Monday and then build it.

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

I need to buy Windows 7.

I have thought about just buying another computer from Cyberpower but was thinking about building it myself. They seem to have some good deals right now. I would have built the one back in 2005 but when I priced out all of the parts it only cost me $50 more to have them build it. I am a little nervous about building it by myself. I have seen some of the videos on youtube and they seem helpful. I have swapped out various parts over the years so I think I can do it.

I have been looking at various parts and have read MFENN’s thread. I like the COOLER MASTER Storm Enforcer for a case as well. Also, unfortunately I do not live near a Micro Center. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ken g6]

Take Mfenn's build. Drop to the 7850 GPU. Add Windows 7. Done.

Oh, and swap in that $25 G-Skill RAM while it's on sale.

 

[Senninha1]

Would a 7870 be worth the extra money? What brand for the 7850?

In regards to cooling for the CPU, do I need liquid cooling?

The Cooler Master Storm Enforcer case has 2 front USB 3.0 ports that need a header connection. I was looking on ASRock's website and it says that the Z77 Pro4 board has 1 x Front USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports). I take it that is what I need for that case.

Windows 7. OEM or retail? I read that the OEM is locked to the motherboard. What if it fails? The retail version is much more expensive.

 

[mfenn]

Would a 7870 be worth the extra money? What brand for the 7850?

In my thread, I link an exact 7850, 7950, or GTX 670 to buy. Those are the best bang for buck IMHO. The 7870 is OK as well, but I wouldn't pay any more than $20 over the 7850 for one, beyond that and you should just get the 7950.

In regards to cooling for the CPU, do I need liquid cooling?

Most definitely not. An Ivy Bridge quad core uses about the same amount of power as your 3200+.

The Cooler Master Storm Enforcer case has 2 front USB 3.0 ports that need a header connection. I was looking on ASRock's website and it says that the Z77 Pro4 board has 1 x Front USB 3.0 header (supports 2 USB 3.0 ports). I take it that is what I need for that case.

That is correct.

Windows 7. OEM or retail? I read that the OEM is locked to the motherboard. What if it fails? The retail version is much more expensive.

OEM. If the motherboard fails, you just have to call the MS reactivation line provided when you go to reactivate and explain the situation to them. You could technically do the same thing with a completely upgraded machine, but that would be unethical IMHO.

 

[Senninha1]

Here is what I came up with based on everything I have read on this forum. I just want to make sure this is good before I place the order.

Also, do I need other misc parts like thermal compound, cables, etc?

Thank you all for your help.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($24.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($106.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 7850 2GB Video Card ($184.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($15.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $964.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-24 13:20 EST-0500)

 

[Senninha1]

What about the hard drive? The Seagate has a 2 year warranty while the
Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM has a 5 year warranty.

It costs $30 more also.

 

[mfenn]

All of that stuff looks fine, but you can do a little better in terms of pricing:
- PSU: You can save $30 AR by getting a slightly older version of that PSU.
- HDD : You can get the 2TB version for less.

You should be good in terms of SATA cables (4 come with the mobo) and thermal compound (comes with HSF).