Suggestions wanted!

[mnguye21]

Hello! I'm purchasing parts for a new custom computer. This is my first time building a custom computer so I'm not aware of all the caveats in the process. I read mfenn's guide on building a basic mid-range system but I'd like to get some more help.

My uncle upgraded his computer and has given me some parts which include an EVGA GeForce 8800 GT, 550W Antec PSU, an optical drive, Samsung 80 GB SSD, and Western Digital 640 GB HDD.

This leaves me needing a case, CPU, RAM, and motherboard. Can I get some suggestions? I'd open to purchasing parts I already have if the deal is good otherwise I'd prefer to wait for a sale or when I have monies. I have more than $400 but I can't justify a purchase to myself unless it's a good deal.

I'm looking at the Corsair 200R as highly recommended by mfenn for the case but I have no idea what I want for the others. I want to spend roughly $400 or less and I prefer an i5 Intel processor so I may play games and perhaps stream games on TwitchTV however if there's a better deal, I am not die-hard for Intel.

Edit: I don't plan on doing any overclocking and I live in the United States. I believe my screen resolution will be 1080p and I want to build it ASAP. NewEgg has this 72-hour promotion. Is there anything I might be able to get from there? http://promotions.newegg.com/NEemai...10513-Index-_-bottomBanner-_-72HourSale04-EB2

I will not need a Windows 7 copy because I can get it for free at my university.

My budget is $400 and I prefer using the equipment I currently have but if there is a good deal on a product, I will not hesitate to consider the deal and spend more than $400.

Current shopping cart:

SAMSUNG 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model MV-3V4G3D/US
i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Pro3 combo
Sapphire 7850 2GB
Corsair 300R

 

[Blain]

Don't trust an old 650-550W PS from an "unknown company"
MBs and other components are too expensive to be zapped by a questionable PS.
That's false economy. Factor in $55-$90 for a quality power supply.

 

[mnguye21]

Don't trust an old 650-550W PS from an "unknown company"
MBs and other components are too expensive to be zapped by a questionable PS.
That's false economy. Factor in $55-$90 for a quality power supply.

I have a 550W Antec PSU. Will that be enough or should I purchase a new one?

 

[lehtv]

Antec is on the whole a very reliable brand, it's good.

I would not use the 8800GT, it is slow by today's standards. Would rather sell it and downgrade to i3 to afford a new GPU. Comparison between 8800GT and 650 Ti, a current generation $150 card: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/521?vs=680

Do you happen to live near a Microcenter?

 

[Torn Mind]

What the specific model of the Antec?

Generally, they're good, though.

 

[riversend]

Also, given the age of the drives you should probably verify that everything is SATA and that the optical is a DVD. Does $400 need to include the cost of Windows, or is that separate.

Assuming $400 for case, CPU, RAM, mobo and GPU, here is one recommendation:

i3 3220 $120 AP
AsRock B75 $55
RAM Crucial 2x4gb $35
mfenn's 200R case recommendation $50

Total $260 AP, leaving $140 for a new GPU. If you could stretch your budget another $35 you could get a 2gb 7850 like this. Otherwise, there are 650's as low as $125, but graphics performance will be inferior to the 7850.

 

[mnguye21]

Antec is on the whole a very reliable brand, it's good.

I would not use the 8800GT, it is slow by today's standards. Would rather sell it and downgrade to i3 to afford a new GPU. Comparison between 8800GT and 650 Ti, a current generation $150 card: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/521?vs=680

Do you happen to live near a Microcenter?

I don't live near a Microcenter. I live in Arizona so Fry's Electronics is my major supplier when NewEgg isn't doing it for me.

The comparison is eye-opening. Moore's law is incredible. However, I'll just work with what I got for now and upgrade later. If it's a little outdated, who's going to purchase it? The fact that the card supports StarCraft II on Ultra is already exciting enough as I can only play on low at the moment. I tend to run most of my games on medium instead of high settings to get better performance and I'll most likely be playing on medium settings for StarCraft II.

I'll save up and purchase a new card ASAP but I rather not sacrifice on the processor (which I prolly won't be upgraded until like 1 or 2 years) for a better graphics card. Unless the deal on the card is good and opportune, I'll skip on purchasing a new one until there's a sale.

What the specific model of the Antec?

Generally, they're good, though.

Antec Neo HE 550.

 

[mnguye21]

I updated my original post to further clarify my intentions.

 

[Torn Mind]

Antec Neo HE 550.

Testing and review of the PSU: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/361

Excerpt:

This power supply is simply unbelievable: even though it is labeled as a 550 W unit it could deliver 650 W at 50° C. What an animal! Several power supplies on the market aren’t able to deliver its rated power under real-world conditions – namely a room temperature above 40° C – and this power supply could not only do that but deliver 100 W more power! Costing around USD 110 this product presents one of the best cost/benefit ratios on the market, as you will be paying for a 550 W unit but actually buying a 650 W unit. It deservers nothing less than our “Golden Award” seal.

You're good to go.

 

[mnguye21]

Testing and review of the PSU: http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/361

Excerpt:You're good to go.

Awesome. You think that will be enough for the following products?

Intel i5 with ASRock Motherboard
Rosewill REDBONE U3 OR Corsair 300R
Samsung 8GB (2 x 4 GB)

Is an exta cooling fan viable or helpful in anyway if I don't plan on overclocking?

 

[lehtv]

There is no ATX power supply in the market that isn't enough for those products. What you need to remember is the i5 is very low power and your 550W PSU is designed to handle a high end CPU and graphics card with overclocking.

You won't need an extra fan.

 

[Raincity]

It seems more logical if possible to integrate the power supply and 8800GT into your existing pc and just wait until you have enough money saved up to build for a complete build.

 

[mfenn]

I'll save up and purchase a new card ASAP but I rather not sacrifice on the processor (which I prolly won't be upgraded until like 1 or 2 years) for a better graphics card. Unless the deal on the card is good and opportune, I'll skip on purchasing a new one until there's a sale.

Anyway, I just can't buy the argument of building a really unbalanced system today with the "but I'm gonna upgrade it real soon" justification. Life happens, priorities change, and it is a good bet that you're not going to do the GPU upgrade nearly as quickly as you might think. Therefore, I would put the $400 to work making a balanced system today, which means:

i3 3220 $120
ASRock B75M-DGS $55
Samsung DDR3 1600 8GB $40
GTX 650 Ti $125 AR
Corsair 300R $50 AR AP
Total: $390 AR AP

 

[mnguye21]

It seems more logical if possible to integrate the power supply and 8800GT into your existing pc and just wait until you have enough money saved up to build for a complete build.

I don't have an existing custom-made computer

Anyway, I just can't buy the argument of building a really unbalanced system today with the "but I'm gonna upgrade it real soon" justification. Life happens, priorities change, and it is a good bet that you're not going to do the GPU upgrade nearly as quickly as you might think. Therefore, I would put the $400 to work making a balanced system today, which means:

i3 3220 $120
ASRock B75M-DGS $55
Samsung DDR3 1600 8GB $40
GTX 650 Ti $125 AR
Corsair 300R $50 AR AP
Total: $390 AR AP

How much extra would I have to spend if I wanted a balanced i5 system? You're really good at this by the way.

 

[mfenn]

How much extra would I have to spend if I wanted a balanced i5 system? You're really good at this by the way.

Thanks for the complement. Do it for long enough and you can't help but to get good.

To go from the system I have below to what I would consider be the minimum balanced i5 system, you would need:

i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Pro3 combo $282 AP (+$107)
Sapphire 7850 2GB $185 AR (+$60)

So that makes it +$167 from the other build, or $557 AR AP.

 

[mnguye21]

Thanks for the complement. Do it for long enough and you can't help but to get good.

To go from the system I have below to what I would consider be the minimum balanced i5 system, you would need:

i5 3570K + ASRock Z77 Pro3 combo $282 AP (+$107)
Sapphire 7850 2GB $185 AR (+$60)

So that makes it +$167 from the other build, or $557 AR AP.

Yeah, hopefully one day I'll be good enough to be helping others. I'm going to purchase the i5 set instead of the i3.