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Requesting help with first major build since 2004. (Update: LOW resolution photos!)

G

Grg83

Junior Member
To provide some background...

This will be my first new build since I put together an AMD Athlon 64 3000+ and DFI Lanparty UT nF3-250Gb system roughly 6-7 years ago.

Over the past 1-2 years, I have actually used a Dell XPS M1210 as my primary computer, with an LCD, keyboard, mouse, ect. plugged in to create a desktop environment.


Now, on to the specifics:


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

Everything from the basics up to the occasional Photoshop CS5 and time to time casual gaming. This will be my computer for the next 4 years, with few, if any, upgrades occurring. I will be earning a masters degree during that time, so spending money on upgrading my PC is very unlikely.

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

I'd like to keep it under $500 shipped. $550 is my maximum.

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

USA. Specifically, New Jersey.

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. Dependability, value, and quality are what matter to me. I will admit I am a bit of a Newegg-Fanboy though.

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

Case - LIAN LI PC-6070B Black ATX Mid Tower with custom fan ports
Case Fans - Panaflow 80mm x3 & Vantec 120mm Stealth x2
Monitor - (Newly purchased) Refurbished Dell U2311H IPS Panel
DVD Drive - LG DVD-RW
Floppy - (Useless. I know.) SONY Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal Floppy Drive
Audio - (Will use on-board if equal or better) CHAINTECH AV-710
Wireless PCI Adapter - Linksys Wireless-G WMP54G
Operating System - Windows 7 Professional

Keyboard & mouse - I already have a Logitech MX3200 combo which I can use, but if I can fit it into my budget, I would really like a new Logitech mouse which is capable of working on a glass surface.

Hard Drive - I currently have a 160GB and 320GB set up in an external enclosure for storage. I originally wanted to purchase an SSD for for my main drive and then utilize two HDD in Raid 1 for secure storage, but I believe this is impossible on my budget. Therefore, I am open for suggestions on what to do.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

I have, but I would appreciate assistance with my specific build nontheless. The "Daily Build" thread has been especially helpful.

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

I would like to overclock to obtain the maximum processing power for dollar spent, but system stability and longevity are equally important. Ideally, the motherboard would have an overclock friendly BIOS. Similarly, any CPU, video card, or RAM which are known to overclock easily and with minimal effort, while maintaining stability, would be wonderful.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Dell U2311H 23" IPS Panel @ 1920x1080 resolution with 16:9 aspect ratio.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

I am assuming Sandy Bridge is out of my price range, so I am ready to order as soon as I have finalized my selections. If others believe I can build a Sandy Bridge system within my budget, and if that is indeed the optimal system for me, I can wait the month or so until the motherboards are released.

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.

I realize I am asking for a lot. From SSD, to Raid, to Sandy Bridge, and so on. Since it has been so long since I built a new system, I had a "wishlist" in my head of everything I'd like. Though when it came time to check some prices on Newegg, I quickly discovered that I couldn't have it all. Not on my budget at least. That is why I am asking for your assistance. I'd like to know how I can get the MOST for my money.

Thank you for your help!
 
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Well, it looks like my thread has already been read by you so i wont refer you there. I would suggest going with a variation of my $800 build:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152181

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157198

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371030

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231424

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.593504

Total: $579.94


I hope that falls in your budget, the rest of the parts you said you had.
 
Oh and if you want to cut costs a little bit more i guess you could get only 4GB of RAM but that will hurt you when multitasking and when doing any intensive photo or video work.
 
Thanks for your help.

Would this RAM be ok instead? With the coupon code, the price is just $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231426

Would it be worth grabbing this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065

With all that you recommended, and both of these items in the cart, I am looking at $650 shipped after tax.There is a $20 mail-in-rebate, but I have little faith in those. That is substantially higher than I was hoping for. I am considering saving $50 by not getting the 500GB HDD and just using those that I own now for the time being. I do not have a HDD space shortage at this time, so I suppose there is no real need to purchase a new drive. Any other thoughts?
 
Grg83 said:
Thanks for your help.

Would this RAM be ok instead? With the coupon code, the price is just $70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231426

Would it be worth grabbing this?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065

With all that you recommended, and both of these items in the cart, I am looking at $650 shipped after tax.There is a $20 mail-in-rebate, but I have little faith in those. That is substantially higher than I was hoping for. I am considering saving $50 by not getting the 500GB HDD and just using those that I own now for the time being. I do not have a HDD space shortage at this time, so I suppose there is no real need to purchase a new drive. Any other thoughts?
Click to expand...

If you plan on overclocking THEN you can get the HSF, BUT if you arent overclocking it is just a nice thing to have a is really not required at all. And that RAM is the same that i linked it just has a fancy look.
 
Grg83 said:
I am considering saving $50 by not getting the 500GB HDD and just using those that I own now for the time being. I do not have a HDD space shortage at this time, so I suppose there is no real need to purchase a new drive. Any other thoughts?
Click to expand...

This is a bad idea. There's more to a new hard drive than raw capacity. The new drives are much faster than your older one.

If you want a good way to cut some money from the parts that mnewsham suggested, I would drop the 5870 combo and get a GTX 460 1GB for $180 instead.
 
mfenn said:
This is a bad idea. There's more to a new hard drive than raw capacity. The new drives are much faster than your older one.

If you want a good way to cut some money from the parts that mnewsham suggested, I would drop the 5870 combo and get a GTX 460 1GB for $180 instead.
Click to expand...


Ok, thank you for pointing that out regarding the hard drive. I suppose I will pony up the $50 for the new drive then.

If I switch from an ATI GPU as was originally recommended to an Nvidia, do also then need to switch the mobo, or is that not necessary?
 
Grg83 said:
Ok, thank you for pointing that out regarding the hard drive. I suppose I will pony up the $50 for the new drive then.

If I switch from an ATI GPU as was originally recommended to an Nvidia, do also then need to switch the mobo, or is that not necessary?
Click to expand...

ATI and Nvidia GPU's work on any motherboard as long as it has PCIE 2.0 slot Once you get into Multi GPU setups is when you need to pay attention to the motherboard.
 
Appreciating all the help, guys.

I just found out that I have a Microcenter about 25 minutes from me. The Paterson, NJ location. I looked into it after reading that they are selling the i2500K for less than Newegg, and indeed they do have it in stock selling for $200 at this time.

I realize that it will not be possible on my $550 budget, but if I were willing to spend a bit more to go this route, would the price/performace be worth the investment?
 
Grg83 said:
Appreciating all the help, guys.

I just found out that I have a Microcenter about 25 minutes from me. The Paterson, NJ location. I looked into it after reading that they are selling the i2500K for less than Newegg, and indeed they do have it in stock selling for $200 at this time.

I realize that it will not be possible on my $550 budget, but if I were willing to spend a bit more to go this route, would the price/performace be worth the investment?
Click to expand...

To put it lightly absofuckinglutly
 
mnewsham said:
To put it lightly absofuckinglutly
Click to expand...


I'll take that as a yes!

Ok, perhaps it is time to rethink this as a "Budget i5-2500k Build"

Are there any recommended motherboards yet, or is that not possible since they have all been recalled?

If I go to Microcenter to grab the CPU (and mobo?) what are people's thoughts on this SSD for my OS and programs, and then using my current HDDS for storage?

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0351760

Positives: Has 60GB, which I consider the minimum, the SandForce controller which apparently is recommended, and a three year warranty.

Negatives: However, it is "Microcenter" brand, and "only" MTFB of 1,000,000 hours vs some other brands which I have seen with 2,000,000 hours.

If I am trying to keep costs down, is this a poor investment vs the originally recommended 500GB HDD?
 
The Sandy Bridge boards that we see should be the same as the ones that were originally released in January. I recommend the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3, ASUS P8P67, or the ASRock P67 Extreme4.

As for the SSD, the Microcenter one is fine (and cheap!).
 
Well, I seem to have decimated my original budget.

Please, give me your thoughts on this build. Feel free to be brutally honest.

I am concerned that I went way overboard in terms of my actual needs, but I feel that I am getting a fairly good price on everything (other than the mobo?) and that this system could certainly last me a number of years.

The reason I am buying some parts from B&H is because I have a large store credit at that retailer, so if possible, I would rather use that as currency as opposed to cash out of my pocket at Micro Center or Newegg. The RAM only cost an extra $2.50 from B&H so that is negligible, but I am unsure as to what kind of premium I am paying on the mobo. I am able to pre-order now though, which I like for two reasons.

1) Deliveries will be filled in the order that they were received.
2) I can be done with my "parts selection obsession" and move on!

And so, without further adieu:

Micro Center:
Intel i2500k - $200
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0354589
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - $24
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0315397
EVGA GTX460 Superclocked 1GB - $180 ($145 after MIR)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0349372
Micro Center 64GB SSD - $100
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0351760
Samsung Spinpoint F3 500GB - $45
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0340804
PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 500 Watt - $70
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0337654

After tax, that comes to $640 out the door, and down to $605 after MIR.

B&H:
Asus P8P67 Pro - $188
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...THERBOARD.html
Crucial 2x2GB DDR3-1333 - $42.50
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produc...M_Desktop.html

After shipping, that comes to $245. (Using only my store credit.)

Just as a reminder, this is all to be matched with my newly purchased Dell Refurbished U2311H monitor, which I obtained for $245 shipped.

So...thoughts?

EDIT: One other questions. Is that RAM speed acceptable if I plan to overclock a bit?
 
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Grg83 said:
EDIT: One other questions. Is that RAM speed acceptable if I plan to overclock a bit?
Click to expand...
That's fine.

Unless you have a particular reason on getting the Asus P8P67 Pro, you could easily shave some cost with a non-Pro mobo.
The PSU seems a bit expensive, but the Antec PSU at newegg I was gonna recommend seems to be OOS.
 
fffblackmage said:
That's fine.

Unless you have a particular reason on getting the Asus P8P67 Pro, you could easily shave some cost with a non-Pro mobo.
The PSU seems a bit expensive, but the Antec PSU at newegg I was gonna recommend seems to be OOS.
Click to expand...
The 400w Antec NEO ECO is still available i think.
 
Grg83 said:
So...thoughts?

EDIT: One other questions. Is that RAM speed acceptable if I plan to overclock a bit?
Click to expand...

You likely don't need a P8P67 Pro, the normal P8P67 should be just as good for your purchases. Then again, it is being paid for with funny money.

The PSU also seems to be a bit pricy, and PCP&C is just OCZ these days, so it's not worth $72 IMHO. Something like the 430CX would be fine.

Finally, the memory speeds don't matter for overclocking Sandby Bridge because (a) the memory bus is completely asynchronous from the BCLK, and (b) you have any unlocked multiplier anyway.
 
fffblackmage, mnewsham, & mfenn,

Thanks for the assistance. As you each recommended, I am going to hold off on the P8P67 Pro for now. Although there is no pre-order set up for it yet, B&H seems to also have plans to sell the P8P67, so I will wait for that. I don't want to waste any money, even if it is "funny money."

I was almost certain the memory speed would be fine, but I just wanted to double check. Thank you for clearing it up.

Finally, which PSU would be the best for me in this situation?

430CX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139017
NEO ECO 400C
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371029
500CX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139018
 
Grg83 said:
fffblackmage, mnewsham, & mfenn,

Thanks for the assistance. As you each recommended, I am going to hold off on the P8P67 Pro for now. Although there is no pre-order set up for it yet, B&H seems to also have plans to sell the P8P67, so I will wait for that. I don't want to waste any money, even if it is "funny money."

I was almost certain the memory speed would be fine, but I just wanted to double check. Thank you for clearing it up.

Finally, which PSU would be the best for me in this situation?

430CX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139017
NEO ECO 400C
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371029
500CX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139018
Click to expand...

No problem! If you're open to buying something from Newegg, my recommendation
is
would have been the 520C, but it seems to be sold out ATM. Of the ones you listed, I would probably go with the 430CX.
 
I know how much everyone here likes the Antec NEO ECO line, so I looked into it, and apparently, these are the newer replacements for that series. The NEO ECO, as well as this HCG line, seems to be made by Seasonic.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0348766
http://www.overclock.net/power-supplies/830193-antec-high-current-gamer.html

The price is not as good as the NEO ECO prices have been for the last week or two, but if you guys agree that this is a solid PSU, more so than the PCP&C or Antec Builer Series, than I will grab this one.

At Micro Center, the 400W is $60 and the 520W is $72. I am not sure if the 400W is enough though, so my plan is to grab the 520W.

Good idea?
 
Grg83 said:
I know how much everyone here likes the Antec NEO ECO line, so I looked into it, and apparently, these are the newer replacements for that series. The NEO ECO, as well as this HCG line, seems to be made by Seasonic.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0348766
http://www.overclock.net/power-supplies/830193-antec-high-current-gamer.html

The price is not as good as the NEO ECO prices have been for the last week or two, but if you guys agree that this is a solid PSU, more so than the PCP&C or Antec Builer Series, than I will grab this one.

At Micro Center, the 400W is $60 and the 520W is $72. I am not sure if the 400W is enough though, so my plan is to grab the 520W.

Good idea?
Click to expand...

Yeah, the NEO ECO and HCG are basically the same thing. There's not a major difference and Newegg was practically giving the PSUs away, so there was no real reason to go for the newer model. Now that things have settled down, go with whatever series you can get a good deal on.
 
Some of the new parts!

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Nice wooden table! 😛

I'm sure that Anomaly will be in here soon enough to compliment you on your parts. 😛
 
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