SUCCESS - New build

[Axon]

Almost there, I think.

NewEgg doesn't show a quad i3. Is that correct?

Motherboard: What's the opinion of this motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P. Is this overkill? Is there a better alternative? Any chipset problems, etc...

Changes:
Case, Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, $60
Is this a quiet case, along the lines of the Antec Sonata series?
Will the ATI 5770 fit inside? Will I regret this purchase for some reason?

That motherboard is indeed overkill. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128412 Gigabyte, same main feature set. P55 chipset is baller, no worries there.

There is no quad core i3, the i3 530 and 540 are dual core CPUs - the 530 in particular is one of the most well regarded out there. It's a 32nm process and overclocks like a beast. It does not have turbo mode, so that's a disadvantage of the chip (i5 750, for example, overclocks itself on one or two cores when necessary). In exchange, it's half the price or so of the 750. It also has GPU integration on the CPU, an interesting but immature feature at this stage.

Antec 300 is a popular case, but these days, case designers have gone more into "better air flow" and "cheaper parts," which usually produces more noise. So while the Antec 300 lacks the sound dampening aspects of the Sonata, it's really not a big deal, as you don't hear much save the GPU these days.

For a whole new build, $1,000 isn't terrible. SSD is so clutch, however. HDD makes a lot of noise, but the SSD is a premium part with a premium price tag. Up to you.

Your PSU is also quite pricey for a 650w. Seasonic is excellent, but I don't know if I'd pay $160 for a 650w. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-005-_-Product will do ya just fine, but it's not modular. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012 is the modular Corsair 650.

 

[rtownsend]

That motherboard is indeed overkill. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128412 Gigabyte, same main feature set. P55 chipset is baller, no worries there.

Thank you. I think I'll go with the cheaper motherboard:

Motherboard, GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard, SATA 3.0, USB 3.0, 3x USB power, $133

There is no quad core i3, the i3 530 and 540 are dual core CPUs - the 530 in particular is one of the most well regarded out there. It's a 32nm process and overclocks like a beast. It does not have turbo mode, so that's a disadvantage of the chip (i5 750, for example, overclocks itself on one or two cores when necessary). In exchange, it's half the price or so of the 750. It also has GPU integration on the CPU, an interesting but immature feature at this stage.

I think I'll stick with the i5 quad.

Antec 300 is a popular case, but these days, case designers have gone more into "better air flow" and "cheaper parts," which usually produces more noise. So while the Antec 300 lacks the sound dampening aspects of the Sonata, it's really not a big deal, as you don't hear much save the GPU these days.

Antec 300 it is.

For a whole new build, $1,000 isn't terrible. SSD is so clutch, however. HDD makes a lot of noise, but the SSD is a premium part with a premium price tag. Up to you.

Don't understand 'clutch'. Do you think the SSD reliability is worth it? I'm tending to think so.

Your PSU is also quite pricey for a 650w. Seasonic is excellent, but I don't know if I'd pay $160 for a 650w. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-005-_-Product will do ya just fine, but it's not modular. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139012 is the modular Corsair 650.

Thanks. I think I'll go with your first suggestion.

Power Supply, CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply, $80.

 

[rtownsend]

OK. This is a copy of my updated first post component list. I think I'm done. Any final comments?

UPDATED LIST:
Motherboard, GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard, SATA 3.0, USB 3.0, 3x USB power, $133
Processor, Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor, $200
Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2X2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ, $110
Graphics, SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VXL Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card, $175
Optical Drive, LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support, $32
Case, Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, $60
Power Supply, CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply, $80
Drive, Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2R5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD), $215
Operating System, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM, $100

$1105 ($1005 excluding Windows, $860 excluding Windows and SSD premium)

 

[fffblackmage]

Excellent! That looks much more reasonable for the price.

There are OEM DVD burners for only around $20 on newegg, if you feel like saving another $10 or so.

 

[mfenn]

OK. This is a copy of my updated first post component list. I think I'm done. Any final comments?

UPDATED LIST:
Motherboard, GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard, SATA 3.0, USB 3.0, 3x USB power, $133
Processor, Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor, $200
Memory: G.SKILL 4GB (2X2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ, $110
Graphics, SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100283VXL Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card, $175
Optical Drive, LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support, $32
Case, Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, $60
Power Supply, CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply, $80
Drive, Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2R5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD), $215
Operating System, Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM, $100

$1105 ($1005 excluding Windows, $860 excluding Windows and SSD premium)

I still don't understand why you're blowing $175 on a GPU for someone who doesn't game. A $50 5450 will support any kind of video decode and limited 3d processing that is likely to occur on the within the next 5 years.

If your sister does decide to start gaming within the next 5 years, a GPU upgrade is dead simple and her money will buy MUCH more GPU horsepower at that time.

 

[rtownsend]

I still don't understand why you're blowing $175 on a GPU for someone who doesn't game. A $50 5450 will support any kind of video decode and limited 3d processing that is likely to occur on the within the next 5 years.

If your sister does decide to start gaming within the next 5 years, a GPU upgrade is dead simple and her money will buy MUCH more GPU horsepower at that time.

I dunno. I'd almost pose this question the other way. How can you build a $1000 PC, and not spend the extra $125 dollars to add the 3D capability. I will talk with her as soon as I can to discuss.

 

[rtownsend]

Excellent! That looks much more reasonable for the price.

There are OEM DVD burners for only around $20 on newegg, if you feel like saving another $10 or so.

Thanks. I thought I selected an OEM. Apparently not.

 

[pitz]

Why would anyone buy Windows 7 "Home"? You can't even Remote Desktop into that, which is a tremendously useful feature, especially if you're away from home and need something off your computer, or need to use an app, etc.

 

[yh125d]

I dunno. I'd almost pose this question the other way. How can you build a $1000 PC, and not spend the extra $125 dollars to add the 3D capability. I will talk with her as soon as I can to discuss.

By having 0 use for that 3d capability.


By the same logic, it would be silly of me to build a $1000 dollar PC without, say, digital s/pdif output, as that is a common feature. But if I have absolutely no use for it, why would I spend extra money to make sure I have it?



If your sister ever starts playing games, buy her a GPU then. I guarantee that when/if that day comes, you'll get more performance out of that $175 than if you bought it now.

 

[rtownsend]

By having 0 use for that 3d capability.

By the same logic, it would be silly of me to build a $1000 dollar PC without, say, digital s/pdif output, as that is a common feature. But if I have absolutely no use for it, why would I spend extra money to make sure I have it?

If your sister ever starts playing games, buy her a GPU then. I guarantee that when/if that day comes, you'll get more performance out of that $175 than if you bought it now.

I had a talk with her, and she wants the 3D capability. She plays simple games online already. I'm going to buy her her first 3D game. Any suggestions? What online 3D games to girls like best? Sorry, kind of OT.

 

[rtownsend]

Why would anyone buy Windows 7 "Home"? You can't even Remote Desktop into that, which is a tremendously useful feature, especially if you're away from home and need something off your computer, or need to use an app, etc.

Good question. Pros and cons of Home vs Professional?

Home:
Doesn't have security risks associated with Remote Desktop. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Save $40.

Pro:
Can address memory over 16GB.
Has Remote Desktop.

I'm sure there's more. Any more advice in this area? I'll discuss them with my sister.

 

[mfenn]

Good question. Pros and cons of Home vs Professional?

Home:
Doesn't have security risks associated with Remote Desktop. Sorry, I couldn't resist.
Save $40.

Pro:
Can address memory over 16GB.
Has Remote Desktop.

I'm sure there's more. Any more advice in this area? I'll discuss them with my sister.

Here's a good table that breaks it down. My thinking is that unless you have a specific need for a higher-end version, you should stick with Home Premium.

 

[mfenn]

I had a talk with her, and she wants the 3D capability. She plays simple games online already. I'm going to buy her her first 3D game. Any suggestions? What online 3D games to girls like best? Sorry, kind of OT.

Not sure what you mean by "online 3D game". Are you talking about something that runs in the browser (a la Quake Live), a casual game like Plants vs. Zombies, or an MMO like World of Warcraft?

In any case, a 5770 is ridiculous overkill for casual or browser-based games. Remember, the developers target the lowest common denominator. Currently, this is Intel integrated graphics, and I don't see this changing in the next 5 years. If anything, since Intel is starting to integrate the GPU into the CPU, you'll see their market share increase, not decrease because they will be pushing NVidia out of the market. AMD will be doing the same thing on their chips, but don't expect a lot of graphics horsepower there either.

 

[rtownsend]

Here's a good table that breaks it down. My thinking is that unless you have a specific need for a higher-end version, you should stick with Home Premium.

That is a good table. I think Home Premium will be fine.

 

[rtownsend]

Not sure what you mean by "online 3D game". Are you talking about something that runs in the browser (a la Quake Live), a casual game like Plants vs. Zombies, or an MMO like World of Warcraft?

In any case, a 5770 is ridiculous overkill for casual or browser-based games. Remember, the developers target the lowest common denominator. Currently, this is Intel integrated graphics, and I don't see this changing in the next 5 years. If anything, since Intel is starting to integrate the GPU into the CPU, you'll see their market share increase, not decrease because they will be pushing NVidia out of the market. AMD will be doing the same thing on their chips, but don't expect a lot of graphics horsepower there either.

I'm not talking about browser-based games here. That's what she's doing currently. I'm going to find her a good 3D game with an active user base and good game servers. I've been away from this for quite awhile. Think Unreal Tournament 2004 online deathmatch, but for girls. What game would that be?

Quake Live. I saw a video of that the other day. I hope that plants a seed that grows and grows. The 3D web would be cool. And, eventually, with 3D monitors, it would really be a 3D web. Video teleconferencing over the web where the people look like they're Right There! Cool beans.

 

[yh125d]

I'm not talking about browser-based games here. That's what she's doing currently. I'm going to find her a good 3D game with an active user base and good game servers. I've been away from this for quite awhile. Think Unreal Tournament 2004 online deathmatch, but for girls. What game would that be?

Quake Live. I saw a video of that the other day. I hope that plants a seed that grows and grows. The 3D web would be cool. And, eventually, with 3D monitors, it would really be a 3D web. Video teleconferencing over the web where the people look like they're Right There! Cool beans.

Sure, maybe in 15 years.



If she wants to start playing -real- games, let her pick one...

Spore?

 

[rtownsend]

Sure, maybe in 15 years.



If she wants to start playing -real- games, let her pick one...

Spore?

Good suggestion. I had forgotten about that game. Do you know if there's still an active online presence?

 

[yh125d]

Good suggestion. I had forgotten about that game. Do you know if there's still an active online presence?

Dunno, probably.

 

[fffblackmage]

I didn't really bother trying to convince you further that even a 5770 is overkill (even for Spore), since you don't seem to want to budge. Really, something around $50 for a video card will work (and it'll still play Spore!).

Actually, Spore could probably play on an IGP...

 

[rtownsend]

I have a hard time judging video cards, because I haven't been gaming lately. I knew the 5970 was way overkill, suspected the 5870 was overkill, so I first chose the 5850. But that's overkill, so the 5770 was suggested. That's overkill, so... I guess I'd like to ask the question this way: What current generation video card can cruise through all current 3d games in HD (1920x1080) above 30fps? I think this would cover any future 3D gaming requirements for quite some time (she's only at 1680x1050 now, but that's pretty close to HD). Also, is the 5700 series at 40nm, same as the 5800 series (ie, same generation/architecture)? Thanks for all your help, everyone. It would take forever to gather this knowledge, and it changes so rapidly. I would not have the proper confidence in these decisions without your help. Thanks again.

 

[yh125d]

I have a hard time judging video cards, because I haven't been gaming lately. I knew the 5970 was way overkill, suspected the 5870 was overkill, so I first chose the 5850. But that's overkill, so the 5770 was suggested. That's overkill, so... I guess I'd like to ask the question this way: What current generation video card can cruise through all current 3d games in HD (1920x1080) above 30fps? I think this would cover any future 3D gaming requirements for quite some time (she's only at 1680x1050 now, but that's pretty close to HD). Also, is the 5700 series at 40nm, same as the 5800 series (ie, same generation/architecture)? Thanks for all your help, everyone. It would take forever to gather this knowledge, and it changes so rapidly. I would not have the proper confidence in these decisions without your help. Thanks again.

What we're saying is that any gaming GPU is overkill, because she doesn't play games. When/if she wants to start playing some, buy her a card then. You gain nothing by buying beforehand for a nonexistant need that may never arise

If you hate quesadillas, but you find a good deal on a quesadilla maker, would you buy it in case you ever start to like quesadillas? No, you'd wait for if/when you start to like quesadillas, and buy one then.

 

[Reincus]

ANY discrete graphics card from the last 2 generations of either nVidia or ATI would provide enough horsepower for what it will be used for. I don't know your sister, but I suspect that if she hasn't gotten into gaming yet, then it's not likely she will do much beyond the Sims.

That being said, check out this article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-geforce-gtx-480,2598.html
As others have said, get a $50 card. If she gets into games, then fork over the the money for a great gaming card. If it's a year from now that same amount of cash will get you a 6XXX series card.

 

[rtownsend]

ANY discrete graphics card from the last 2 generations of either nVidia or ATI would provide enough horsepower for what it will be used for. I don't know your sister, but I suspect that if she hasn't gotten into gaming yet, then it's not likely she will do much beyond the Sims.

That being said, check out this article:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-geforce-gtx-480,2598.html
As others have said, get a $50 card. If she gets into games, then fork over the the money for a great gaming card. If it's a year from now that same amount of cash will get you a 6XXX series card.

She asked me to get her a 3D card, money isn't really an issue, so that's what I'm going to do. It may turn out being a little wasteful. Oh well... On the positive side, I don't think I'm going to have to touch that machine for several years. I'm my sisters 'Geek Squad'.

That is a great link there Reincus. Tells me exactly what I was asking in my previous post. The article publish date couldn't be better. That article confirms that the 5770 is right there for one monitor 1080p HD gaming, has Eyefinity support for up to three monitors, and DX11 support. Thank you.

Off to shop prices.

Thank you all again.

 

[Reincus]

Fair enough. =)

Good luck!

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

5750 and save almost $100. trust me.
it will still "do 3D" and do it fairly well.