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newb to pc building, help mucho appreciated (Updated for thanks!)

KidNiki1

KidNiki1

Platinum Member
Hello!
I am retarded and posted this in the wrong place last time, so...i am attempting to put this in the correct place, in the correct format. This will be my first time building a pc so be gentle. 😉
just wanted to get some input from people who know this stuff way better than I.

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing. Will be using this mostly for gaming. Really want to be able to run most games at max settings. I also do some very light photo/video editing.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread Max cost would be 1800.00 US

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

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.
Partial to intel and nvidia due to past use in pcs that were prebuilts

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. No, this will be a completely new build

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads. Yes, and like i said, i have run this list by a few friends who know more than I, as well as a few responses from when i posted this in the wrong place before 😳 They did already mention a possible issue with my memory voltage.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Newb to OCing stuff, prolly running at defaults unless i can convince a friend to help me figure it out.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with. Current resolution is 1920x1080. Considering a new monitor, but im not sure yet.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? Within the next few months.


So, here's the list. Many many thanks in advance for input etc. I'm really new to all of this, so, if i'm doing something stupid here i'm sure you will let me know. 🙂



ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
HITACHI Deskstar 2TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive
Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW120G3K5 2.5" MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
OCZ ZX Series 850W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
ASUS Black Blu-ray Drive SATA Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS
EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 01G-P3-1561-KR Video Card
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Computer Case
Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (as I said, i know there may be issues with this memory, but i already have it so if i can use it i will, otherwise, im open to suggestions.)

Thanks again!!!
 
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AC.hotfries said:
ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3 ATX Intel Motherboard
Click to expand...
Yikes! What's that board got that this board ain't got? A few more SATA ports, sure, but you really only need SATA 6Gbps for SSDs. A couple more USB 3.0 ports in the back, OK, but do you really need those? Plus, both boards have USB 3.0 headers, but your case doesn't support USB 3.0 in the front!

AC.hotfries said:
OCZ ZX Series 850W
Click to expand...
That's serious overkill unless you plan on adding two more 560ti's for tri-SLI and two more monitors to go with them. (Does tri-SLI even work with 560tis?) Anyway, here's a nice, expensive, gold, modular 560W PSU that will do everything you want with what you've selected. Or if you want a little cheaper, go with this bronze Corsair. And there's bound to be sales sometime before you buy.

AC.hotfries said:
Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB
Click to expand...
Can't use it, sorry. It takes 1.65v, but Sandy Bridge needs 1.5. Well, I guess you could try it at 1333/1.5v, but there's no guarantee it will work.

Oh, and you might as well get a CPU cooler just incase you decide to overclock after all - it's really easy with the Sandy Bridge K series.
 
The mobo you have chosen is very expensive and offers very little benefit over the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157271
Your cpu choice is good.
The samsung f3 1tb is the recommended HDD around here due to its good performance and high reliability, if you need more than 1tb buy two.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...ung%20f3%201tb
The SSD you have chosen is reliable but slow... the crucial M4 is much better performing and also has reputation for reliability.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148442
The PSU you have chosen is overkill for one gpu and while having a gold psu is nice it's going to take a very long time to recoup the initial higher cost compared to that of a bronze psu. I personally don't think it is worth it. The XFX Core Edition PRO550W bronze is a good psu but it's not modular.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817207013
ODD is out of stock, this one is cheaper and in stock
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151222
Your graphics card is a bit slow for a build with such a high budget. The GTX 570 would be a better fit and if you buy one of the cheaper models they are good value for money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127552
The case you have chosen is good and the ram should be 1.5v (as recommended by intel). If you end up buying different ram just buy cheap 1333MHz ram as there is zero benefit going any faster for gaming with SB.
 
$1800 for a gaming build... That cries for dual-GPU. But it's not worth it, a single high end GPU can run any game at high settings at 1080p, and when it can't, there will be another high end GPU you can upgrade to.

CPU 2500K $170 (microcenter)
Cooler Scythe Mugen 3 $50 + Noctua NT-H1 +$10
mobo Asus P8Z68-V LE $130
RAM G.skill 2x4gb 1333 $45
GPU Galaxy GTX 580 w/ Arctic Cooling triple-fan $415 AR
Sound Asus Xonar DG PCI $30 (microcenter)
HDD Samsung F3 1tb $60
SSD Crucial M4 64GB as system cache $95
ODD $25
Case Corsair 400R $95 AR
PSU Seasonic X-650 80+ Gold $110 (ends soon act fast)

Total = $1235 + tax + shipping.

I normally don't recommend GTX 580. But I already feel bad for underbudgeting so much. This Galaxy 580 comes with an excellent cooler and 3 year warranty. If you wish, you could just get the XFX Core 550W power supply with a lesser GPU e.g.

XFX 6950 2GB dual-fan $250
MSI 6950 2GB power edition $280
EVGA GTX 570 $320

and upgrade to some 28nm GPU next year if it's not fast enough then. This way you'd save cash but would end up upgrading the GPU sooner and you'd have less performance until then. I don't think you can go wrong either way, your budget is just so high that you could afford GTX 580 SLI but that'd be an insane waste of cash.
 
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Actually, now that I think about it, a very nice 27" monitor like the U2711 is "only" $800 or so. If you get the GTX 570 or 6950 2GB and an XFX Core 550/650, you can probably just fit it into your budget.
 
I'd rather go with Asus VH236HE 120HZ for half the price... But since the op probably has a monitor that size already it'd be more of a side grade.
 
I like lehtv's build. With your budget I'd go with a 120GB SSD though.

Anyways I wanted to mention that with the money you might save you could get some good quality gaming hardware if you don't already. A monitor was mentioned but also you should consider a really good gaming keyboard, mouse, flight control, and headset with mic.

I highly suggest Saitek over anything else. I love my Saitek X52 flight control system, Saitek Cyborg V.7 Keyboard, and Saitek R.A.T. 7 gaming mouse. These items will give you an edge on games like Battlefield 3 where all these pieces can be used.
 
^ I agree. Much of the enjoyment of general computer use and gaming comes from quality peripherals. A mechanical keyboard e.g. Steelseries 6Gv2 or Das Keyboard, a decent gaming mouse, a high quality cloth mousepad, good headphones... those can easily cost $300-400 total and it'll be totally worth it in a near-$2K build.
 
thanks for all the awesome input.

i already have a stellar sennheiser headset i am in love with. i have a pretty good gaming keyboard and mouse, although i might look to upgrade those. def looking at getting an additional monitor...get an upgrade for the main and use my current as a second monitor. havent decided yet.

many many thanks again for helping me!! you guys are awesome! 😀
 
^remember the board I recommended can't do SLI/crossfire, so if you want to have that possibility in the future look at some of the Gigabyte boards for $150-170. Not a bad investment IMO
 
Is SLI really that usefull? Isn't it more for people with a week or mildly outdated video card to spend less by purchasing another outdated card to pair together and still be able to have something comparable to a mid-high end video card?

Just curious...
 
That is indeed one way to benefit from SLI/crossfire, but usually when your one GPU is outdated you could just sell it and buy a better single GPU. Most users will be just fine with a single GPU, but SLI/crossfire has some definite advantages for high end gaming.

There are people who have high requirements for what constitutes an enjoyable gaming experience - they want to be able to play every game at maximum settings and smooth 60fps. I can enjoy a game fine if it drops to 40fps every now and then even if I sacrifice on image quality settings. But I do acknowledge the annoyance that fps drops and having to tweak settings can bring. Having constant 60fps without tinkering can lead to a more immersive gaming experience, but it really depends on the person, most people just don't need that.

Then there are games that won't run smoothly at high settings no matter what. Crysis was that in 2007. Not even two of the then-best GPUs in SLI could run that game at 60fps constant. And then there's Metro2033 which won't run 60fps constant with even GTX580SLI. These kinds of special cases can justify dual-GPU on one monitor. This is kind of an extreme case of the fact that whether you need two GPUs is affected by the games you play.

And finally, there's 3D gaming and multi-monitor gaming for which SLi/crossfire is pretty much essential in new titles. Most new games simply won't be playable with just one GPU without severly compromising on image quality (though what constitutes playable is, again, somewhat subjective).
 
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lehtv said:
^ I agree. Much of the enjoyment of general computer use and gaming comes from quality peripherals. A mechanical keyboard e.g. Steelseries 6Gv2 or Das Keyboard, a decent gaming mouse, a high quality cloth mousepad, good headphones... those can easily cost $300-400 total and it'll be totally worth it in a near-$2K build.
Click to expand...

Rockin' the Das Keyboard myself. It is very nice along with my G500 and Razer Goliathus pad.
 
lehtv said:
That is indeed one way to benefit from SLI/crossfire, but usually when your one GPU is outdated you could just sell it and buy a better single GPU. Most users will be just fine with a single GPU, but SLI/crossfire has some definite advantages for high end gaming.

There are people who have high requirements for what constitutes an enjoyable gaming experience - they want to be able to play every game at maximum settings and smooth 60fps. I can enjoy a game fine if it drops to 40fps every now and then even if I sacrifice on image quality settings. But I do acknowledge the annoyance that fps drops and having to tweak settings can bring. Having constant 60fps without tinkering can lead to a more immersive gaming experience, but it really depends on the person, most people just don't need that.

Then there are games that won't run smoothly at high settings no matter what. Crysis was that in 2007. Not even two of the then-best GPUs in SLI could run that game at 60fps constant. And then there's Metro2033 which won't run 60fps constant with even GTX580SLI. These kinds of special cases can justify dual-GPU on one monitor. This is kind of an extreme case of the fact that whether you need two GPUs is affected by the games you play.

And finally, there's 3D gaming and multi-monitor gaming for which SLi/crossfire is pretty much essential in new titles. Most new games simply won't be playable with just one GPU without severly compromising on image quality (though what constitutes playable is, again, somewhat subjective).
Click to expand...

Great post! :thumbsup: I agree with you that CFX/SLI should only be considered when the need (and means) exceeds what a single card can do.
 
just wanted to say thanks to everyone who offered help and input. i got everything built, running smoooooooothly and am pretty happy with the animal i created!

thanks a lot guys!
here's a couple pics...
Stuff004.jpg


Stuff010.jpg
 
i probably should get a mousepad but idk, they annoy the crap out of me. as soon as i got my first optical mouse i threw my mousepad away. maybe i just have never had a good quality mousepad but they just end up annoying me.

it's not in the pic cause i just got it, but i also caved to my inner tech devil and bought a 120Hz asus monitor. 🙂
 
maybe i just have never had a good quality mousepad but they just end up annoying me.
Click to expand...

That is probably the case. The only reasons I can think of that'd make a mousepad annoying, are that it doesn't stay put or it doesn't feel comfortable to rest your wrist on. Almost any gaming mousepad fills these requirements adequately (but whether a 2mm or a 4mm thick mousepad is better is subjective; since you're used to no mousepad at all, a 2mm thick pad would probably be best)
 
lehtv said:
That is probably the case. The only reasons I can think of that'd make a mousepad annoying, are that it doesn't stay put or it doesn't feel comfortable to rest your wrist on. Almost any gaming mousepad fills these requirements adequately (but whether a 2mm or a 4mm thick mousepad is better is subjective; since you're used to no mousepad at all, a 2mm thick pad would probably be best)
Click to expand...

I agree that a mouspad is mandatory for comfort. I hate that scratch scratch scratch feeling you get when using a mouse on a hard surface. My Goliathus also doubles as a nice wrist pad!
 
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