Evening everyone,
Last PC I built myself was 2007, so it's beyond overdue time to buy another one -- within a few weeks preferably. Where I could use some help or info is regarding gaming specs and some audio. So I'll answer sort of in line with the guidelines:
Looking For
PC is for gaming, but more specifically, this is what I most often use it for and am looking for:
- Running 5 year old F2P MMO game, sometimes games like Skyrim, Q4, but F2P game is gonna be my concentration
- Multiclient/multiboxing on F2P (window mode at 1600x1200, don't run high settings unless on single client which is almost never) client poorly coded in such a way it would bottleneck on full screen regardless of hardware, currently use 3-4 clients with massive FPS drop and loading issues on old PC, want to go up to 10 or more if possible, am quick on tabbing so need specs more geared toward world loading, screen switching, and running a myriad of clients
- Listening to music (I'm an audiophile) and watching high def movies (not 3D)
Budget
$1300-1600 CAD (Canadian dollars)
Country
Canada
Sellers (am aware of)
NCIX (builds / parts)
Newegg Canada (Newegg.ca)
Tigerdirect
DirectCanada
Build Preferences/Biases
CPU -- Intel
Motherboard - Not MSI, prefer ASUS or Gigabyte
Audio - Prefer PCI sound card (am an audiophile and ADHD so I've had no patience for onboard over the years when I built my own rigs.. any scratching/buzzing I've experienced from numerous onboard sound chips will irritate the crap out of me fast), not terribly picky about brand but leaning toward ASUS Xonar DX, currently on old PC use Turtle Beach Montego which is finally breaking but I liked it just fine
Hard Drive - NO Green drives (if recommending HDD)
OS - Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate (Ultimate if there's any deals where it's the same or less, otherwise happy with Pro), NO Windows Vista or 8/8.1
Monitor -- DO NOT NEED, have a decent 21 inch screen (decent rez, 2x DVI), will buy another one at some point in the pretty near future but not important for this build
Peripherals -- Do NOT need mouse/keyboard, already have several
OC'ing -- not much knowledge on manual overclock which is why I never OC my current PC, but reading up on certain hardware/software nowadays that seem to auto OC, if it's cost efficient and not too risky, I wouldn't mind
Hardware Testing -- I'm going lazymode on this PC and not building from scratch on my own (or at least trying not to, if I had to do it again I would, but prefer at minimum a MB/CPU/RAM pre-test before ship), I just burnt out over the years of fixing my own PC and friends+family, so I would prefer someone else to build it, or at bare minimum to extensive testing to reduce the chances of RMA (last PC I build I had to RMA case since front panel wiring was faulty) being handed a lemon
Sample build I've compiled (with a few explanations, as this build highly resembles what I want)
http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc/ncixpc.cfm?uuid=57555957-4D34-4CC4-A35D4F41AA4958D4-5726749
Hardware and why I chose them (to re-emphasize what it is I'm looking for in the build, in case there's some misconception on my part on what any hardware does/excels at)
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670 Quad Core 3.4GHZ Processor LGA1150 Haswell 6MB Cache Retail ($260)
^ -- open to going Core i7 if affordable but in doubt it's necessary at all
Fans: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 1366/1150/1155/1156/2011 ($30)
^ -- says conflict on their "check compatibility" link but clearly includes socket number for the i5 4670 above)
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Z87 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI SLI SATA3 USB3.0 DVI HDMI Motherboard ($190)
^ -- Mainly for PCI components, which ATM is only sound card, so wouldn't mind upgrading to, say, the Z87-PRO with no PCI slots if find a decent/decently priced sound card on PCI-E X1 slot
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Heatspreader CMZ16GX3M2A1600C9 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL9 Dual Channel Memory Kit ($183)
^ -- very flexible on this one with RAM experts, I'm simply an idiot with RAM, but I do know I would prefer 2x8GB in dual until I think it's more necessary to get another 2x8 in the future for the other slots
Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC DirectCU 1020MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card ($217)
^ -- another one I'm flexible with, would prefer GeForce type cards but am certainly open to Radeon as well, want to squeeze in a better card like a 760/770 if possible, none of what I run seems to take advantage of SLI/Crossfire
CaseBitfenix Shinobi Window ATX Mid Tower Case Black 3X5.25EXT 8X3.5INT No PS Top USB3.0 ... ($77)
^ -- not terribly picky about case, just can't be tiny, so likely standard/mid/full ATX, some minor eye candy can't hurt but not important
PSU: Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E w/ 120mm Fan ($74)
^ -- this came by default with this NCIX build, but I'm not too familiar with the power needs of most new PC's, nor do I get what the difference between these bronze/gold PSU's are
Modding: Bitfenix BFA-ACL-30BK15-RP Alchemy LED Connect Lit Strip 30CM 15 LEDs - Blue ($22)
^ - Stuff like this is nice and all, but very optional, don't give a toss if it's there or not
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64Bit DVD SP1 OEM *for NCIX PC Only* ($155)
^ -- either this or Ultimate, but not gonna pay the extra $65 since Pro has the features I want too
Hard Drive: Samsung 840 Evo Series MZ-7TE250BW 250GB 2.5in SATA III Internal SSD Single Unit ($180)
^ -- after much research I went with this mainly for the very good reviews, and because from what I read about SSD's, concerning the heavy open world map loading, running multiboxes (active windows presumably), and fast tabbing, it seems SSD would fit better with the loading and map access here that has my ancient Raptor HDD working it's butt off just for 3 or 4 clients (can hear the drive working frenetically).. and I have a secondary HDD for storage (will be doing NAS later), so am ok just loading OS and games/programs onto SSD if it improves world loading performance when multiboxing and tabbing
DVD Writer: Samsung SH-224DB 24X SATA DVD Writer Black ($24)
^ -- probably need this..
Flash card reader: nGear Flash Card Reader 3.5in Internal USB Black CF/SDHC/MMC/MS/XD 18IN Cable ($19)
^ -- want this since I constantly transfer data (videos/pics/music/apps) via SD between phone and computer
Sound Card: ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channel PCI-E Sound Card 24BIT Dolby Digital 116DB SNR w/ Low Profile Bracket ($100)
^ -- this was recommended through several friends, but am open to suggestions for an audiophile card that isn't overpriced and delivers good speaker sound like my old Montego did, this one could probably be much cheaper
If possible, would be nice to be able to fit a better video card in there.
Total Price -- $1582 with build (plus more extensive testing might push it over $1600 slightly), this is pretty close to my threshold
Certainly welcome any recommendations, questions/clarification requests (especially if I forgot anything), etc.
(Just as an extra bit of unrequired info -- I spent a lot of time researching most stuff like the SSD, RAM, Motherboard, and few other things, to see if they got decent reviews, and for price checking/trying to learn about new terminology (especially things like DIP/Dual Intelligent Processors), or things like if there's any reason to use old PCI legacy, this isn't a build I just threw together in a few minutes, it's undergone a number of changes in roughly 3 months of researching)
Last PC I built myself was 2007, so it's beyond overdue time to buy another one -- within a few weeks preferably. Where I could use some help or info is regarding gaming specs and some audio. So I'll answer sort of in line with the guidelines:
Looking For
PC is for gaming, but more specifically, this is what I most often use it for and am looking for:
- Running 5 year old F2P MMO game, sometimes games like Skyrim, Q4, but F2P game is gonna be my concentration
- Multiclient/multiboxing on F2P (window mode at 1600x1200, don't run high settings unless on single client which is almost never) client poorly coded in such a way it would bottleneck on full screen regardless of hardware, currently use 3-4 clients with massive FPS drop and loading issues on old PC, want to go up to 10 or more if possible, am quick on tabbing so need specs more geared toward world loading, screen switching, and running a myriad of clients
- Listening to music (I'm an audiophile) and watching high def movies (not 3D)
Budget
$1300-1600 CAD (Canadian dollars)
Country
Canada
Sellers (am aware of)
NCIX (builds / parts)
Newegg Canada (Newegg.ca)
Tigerdirect
DirectCanada
Build Preferences/Biases
CPU -- Intel
Motherboard - Not MSI, prefer ASUS or Gigabyte
Audio - Prefer PCI sound card (am an audiophile and ADHD so I've had no patience for onboard over the years when I built my own rigs.. any scratching/buzzing I've experienced from numerous onboard sound chips will irritate the crap out of me fast), not terribly picky about brand but leaning toward ASUS Xonar DX, currently on old PC use Turtle Beach Montego which is finally breaking but I liked it just fine
Hard Drive - NO Green drives (if recommending HDD)
OS - Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate (Ultimate if there's any deals where it's the same or less, otherwise happy with Pro), NO Windows Vista or 8/8.1
Monitor -- DO NOT NEED, have a decent 21 inch screen (decent rez, 2x DVI), will buy another one at some point in the pretty near future but not important for this build
Peripherals -- Do NOT need mouse/keyboard, already have several
OC'ing -- not much knowledge on manual overclock which is why I never OC my current PC, but reading up on certain hardware/software nowadays that seem to auto OC, if it's cost efficient and not too risky, I wouldn't mind
Hardware Testing -- I'm going lazymode on this PC and not building from scratch on my own (or at least trying not to, if I had to do it again I would, but prefer at minimum a MB/CPU/RAM pre-test before ship), I just burnt out over the years of fixing my own PC and friends+family, so I would prefer someone else to build it, or at bare minimum to extensive testing to reduce the chances of RMA (last PC I build I had to RMA case since front panel wiring was faulty) being handed a lemon
Sample build I've compiled (with a few explanations, as this build highly resembles what I want)
http://pc.ncix.com/ncixpc/ncixpc.cfm?uuid=57555957-4D34-4CC4-A35D4F41AA4958D4-5726749
Hardware and why I chose them (to re-emphasize what it is I'm looking for in the build, in case there's some misconception on my part on what any hardware does/excels at)
CPU: Intel Core i5 4670 Quad Core 3.4GHZ Processor LGA1150 Haswell 6MB Cache Retail ($260)
^ -- open to going Core i7 if affordable but in doubt it's necessary at all
Fans: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo Direct Touch 4 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 AM3 1366/1150/1155/1156/2011 ($30)
^ -- says conflict on their "check compatibility" link but clearly includes socket number for the i5 4670 above)
Motherboard: ASUS Z87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Z87 DDR3 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2PCI SLI SATA3 USB3.0 DVI HDMI Motherboard ($190)
^ -- Mainly for PCI components, which ATM is only sound card, so wouldn't mind upgrading to, say, the Z87-PRO with no PCI slots if find a decent/decently priced sound card on PCI-E X1 slot
RAM: Corsair Vengeance Heatspreader CMZ16GX3M2A1600C9 16GB 2X8GB DDR3-1600 CL9 Dual Channel Memory Kit ($183)
^ -- very flexible on this one with RAM experts, I'm simply an idiot with RAM, but I do know I would prefer 2x8GB in dual until I think it's more necessary to get another 2x8 in the future for the other slots
Video Card: ASUS GeForce GTX 660 OC DirectCU 1020MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card ($217)
^ -- another one I'm flexible with, would prefer GeForce type cards but am certainly open to Radeon as well, want to squeeze in a better card like a 760/770 if possible, none of what I run seems to take advantage of SLI/Crossfire
CaseBitfenix Shinobi Window ATX Mid Tower Case Black 3X5.25EXT 8X3.5INT No PS Top USB3.0 ... ($77)
^ -- not terribly picky about case, just can't be tiny, so likely standard/mid/full ATX, some minor eye candy can't hurt but not important
PSU: Seasonic S12II 520W EPS12V 20/24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 80+ Bronze 6+8PIN PCI-E w/ 120mm Fan ($74)
^ -- this came by default with this NCIX build, but I'm not too familiar with the power needs of most new PC's, nor do I get what the difference between these bronze/gold PSU's are
Modding: Bitfenix BFA-ACL-30BK15-RP Alchemy LED Connect Lit Strip 30CM 15 LEDs - Blue ($22)
^ - Stuff like this is nice and all, but very optional, don't give a toss if it's there or not
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Edition 64Bit DVD SP1 OEM *for NCIX PC Only* ($155)
^ -- either this or Ultimate, but not gonna pay the extra $65 since Pro has the features I want too
Hard Drive: Samsung 840 Evo Series MZ-7TE250BW 250GB 2.5in SATA III Internal SSD Single Unit ($180)
^ -- after much research I went with this mainly for the very good reviews, and because from what I read about SSD's, concerning the heavy open world map loading, running multiboxes (active windows presumably), and fast tabbing, it seems SSD would fit better with the loading and map access here that has my ancient Raptor HDD working it's butt off just for 3 or 4 clients (can hear the drive working frenetically).. and I have a secondary HDD for storage (will be doing NAS later), so am ok just loading OS and games/programs onto SSD if it improves world loading performance when multiboxing and tabbing
DVD Writer: Samsung SH-224DB 24X SATA DVD Writer Black ($24)
^ -- probably need this..
Flash card reader: nGear Flash Card Reader 3.5in Internal USB Black CF/SDHC/MMC/MS/XD 18IN Cable ($19)
^ -- want this since I constantly transfer data (videos/pics/music/apps) via SD between phone and computer
Sound Card: ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channel PCI-E Sound Card 24BIT Dolby Digital 116DB SNR w/ Low Profile Bracket ($100)
^ -- this was recommended through several friends, but am open to suggestions for an audiophile card that isn't overpriced and delivers good speaker sound like my old Montego did, this one could probably be much cheaper
If possible, would be nice to be able to fit a better video card in there.
Total Price -- $1582 with build (plus more extensive testing might push it over $1600 slightly), this is pretty close to my threshold
Certainly welcome any recommendations, questions/clarification requests (especially if I forgot anything), etc.
(Just as an extra bit of unrequired info -- I spent a lot of time researching most stuff like the SSD, RAM, Motherboard, and few other things, to see if they got decent reviews, and for price checking/trying to learn about new terminology (especially things like DIP/Dual Intelligent Processors), or things like if there's any reason to use old PCI legacy, this isn't a build I just threw together in a few minutes, it's undergone a number of changes in roughly 3 months of researching)
Last edited:
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