Upper-midrange desktop PC potential build, help and comments appreciated.

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

I'm working on a <$1750 (including S&H) system, including input devices, monitor, speakers and peripherals. It would be used for some general-purpose office work, but mostly heavy gaming and managing my music/movie collections. I found most components on Newegg by sorting for most reviews/best rating, and checked out Bench and the forums and articles here as well. I haven't built anything for a while, so some help, recommendations for parts, or comments in general are very much appreciated. I'd like to have this ready for use by the end of the month.

I'm debating whether to use this AMD CPU/MB or to pick something from Intel. This build is already close to the budget limit, and I don't really transcode videos or do heavy work with archives, so I might just go with this. I probably don't even need to bother increasing the clocks from stock.
I'm also trying to decide between the GTX 560 Ti and the HD 5870. I'll probably stick with the 560, since temperature/noise are better.

Core Parts
CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor ($160)
MB: ASUS M4A87TD EVO AM3 AMD 870 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard ($100)
RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model 996770 ($83)
SSD: Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive ($265)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive ($88)
GPU: MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (includes free Just Cause 2 + Mafia II coupon) ($250)
Heatsink: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler ($30) + Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound ($10)
ODD: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Reader SATA Model iHOS104-06 - OEM ($50)
PSU+Case Combo: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case + Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply (combined: $160)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM ($35)

Peripherals
Monitor: Acer H233Hbmid Black 23" 5ms HDMI Full HD 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor ($195)
Speakers: Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System - OEM ($28) (I have a good pair of headphones, so I'm not too worried about this)
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ($42)
Mouse: Logitech MX 518 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical Gaming Mouse ($37)
Microphone: Logitech 980186-0403 Silver USB Connector USB Desktop Microphone ($20)

Miscellany
XTRAC PADS Ripper Optical Mouse pad ($13)
Rosewill RCT4B-100 Black 4" Cable Tie ($4.5)
Rosewill RTK-001 Premium Anti-Static Wrist Strap ($6)

Subtotal: $1590
Shipping: $41
Total: $1631

Thanks in advance for helping out!

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

Where is all the money going? O_O i cant see why that is costing so much, at 1,600 you should easily be able to get sandy bridge and a gtx 570.

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

This includes all peripherals as well as a monitor, so I actually didn't think it was that bad, especially considering the C300 that is in there; I guess I could use a slower CPU and the stock heatsink, or use onboard sound, but I really want to fit that SSD and a good storage disk in this build. The case could be expensive on its own, but as a combo deal with a good PSU for $160, I don't think that's a big deal. Any specific corners you suggest cutting?

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

fffblackmage · Mar 7, 2011

You're doing something wrong... with over $1200 just for the desktop, there's no reason why you can't get an SSD and Sandy Bridge in there.

For the SSD, either wait for Vertex 3, or just stick with some Sandforce-based SSD instead of the C300. There's nothing wrong with the C300, but it's just too expensive when it doesn't outperform Sandforce by a significant margin. The Vertex 3 will outperform both and finally put SATA III to good use, making the C300 look like a joke.

mfenn · Mar 7, 2011

mnewsham said:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119233
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236117
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814187136
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371021
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121014
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823109148
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104178
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836111601
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231424
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817114182
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813130574
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106325
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820233107
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.618217

Total: $1,548.85

Now if you just converted those to readable text, we'd probably be able to call this thread closed!

EDIT: But seriously, about the only nit that I have to pick is the PSU. 650W is way overkill for a GTX 560. Even a $45 500CX is plenty.

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

mfenn said:
Now if you just converted those to readable text, we'd probably be able to call this thread closed!

EDIT: But seriously, about the only nit that I have to pick is the PSU. 650W is way overkill for a GTX 560. Even a $45 500CX is plenty.

Yea i keep getting lazy

I might convert it after i get something to eat.

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

@mfenn: Here:

Core System
CPU+HS Combo: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K ($230) + COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler ($30) = $251
MB: MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ($180)
RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT ($80)
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($60)
PSU: Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply ($60)
GPU: SPARKLE SX560T1024D5MH GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card ($230)
SSD: Corsair Nova Series CSSD-V128GB2-BRKT 2.5" 128GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($220)
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($65)
ODD: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Reader Model iHOS104-06 - OEM ($50)

Peripherals
Mouse: Logitech MX 518 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 1800 dpi Gaming Mouse ($37)
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ($42)
Microphone: Logitech 980186-0403 Silver USB Connector USB Desktop Microphone ($20)
Monitor: ASUS VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1 ($190)
Speakers: Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System - OEM ($28)

Miscellany
XTRAC PADS RIPPER XL Optical Mouse pad ($17)

Subtotal: $1530
S&H: $32
Total: $1562

Summary:

All of the peripherals and the ODD and heatsink are the same
cable ties, anti-static wrist strap not included (-$12)
C300 was swapped out for a Corsair Nova (same size, -$40)
he found instant savings on the GPU ($-20)
the case/PSU combo was ditched for cheaper yet better parts (-$40)
More instant savings on RAM (-$8)
$300 AMD Phenom II X4 CPU/MB with thermal compound switched for $410 Intel SNB 2500K CPU/MB without compound
EDIT: Forgot to mention that he didn't include a sound card either.

Thanks for your input, anyone else have any suggestions?

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

Do you need an OS?

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

@mnewsham: No, I already have a licensed copy of Windows 7 x64, so I'm not too worried about that.

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

Looks good from here then, should be a pretty kick ass build.

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

Alright, thanks to everyone for your suggestions!

FINAL BUILD

Core Parts
CPU+HS Combo: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K ($231) + COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler ($30) = $251
MB: MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ($180)
RAM: G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBNT ($80)
Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($60)
PSU: Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply ($60)
GPU: SPARKLE SX560T1024D5MH GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card ($230)
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive ($65)
SSD: Corsair Nova Series CSSD-V128GB2-BRKT 2.5" 128GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($220)
ODD: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Reader Model iHOS104-06 - OEM ($50)
Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM ($35)

Peripherals
Mouse: Logitech MX 518 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 1800 dpi Gaming Mouse ($37)
Keyboard: Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000 ($42)
Microphone: Logitech 980186-0403 Silver USB Connector USB Desktop Microphone ($20)
Monitor: ASUS VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1 ($190)
Speakers: Logitech S-220 17 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System - OEM ($28)

Miscellany
XTRAC PADS Ripper Optical Mouse pad ($13)
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM ($10)

Subtotal: $1571
S&H: $30
Total: $1601

Summary:

Changed the CPU, MB, RAM, HDD, SSD, PSU and case based on mnewsham's recommendations
Kept the sound card and the thermal compound

Again, thanks for your input, and now it's off to Newegg to pull the trigger on the parts for what will be an awesome PC!

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

If you arent doing any fancy sound stuff a sound card is a bit of a waste IMHO

tankman986 · Mar 7, 2011

@mnewsham: I guess I just want better sound for music/movies/games; I will be using this for consuming multimedia as well as gaming, and I have had bad experiences with the onboard Realtek audio chipset in my last computer. Also, I have a decent pair of headphones (Sennheiser HD555), and I could definitely tell the difference while using them when I gave that computer a sound card; in fact, I think that I ended up installing an Audigy.

mnewsham · Mar 7, 2011

tankman986 said:
@mnewsham: I guess I just want better sound for music/movies/games; I will be using this for consuming multimedia as well as gaming, and I have had bad experiences with the onboard Realtek audio chipset in my last computer. Also, I have a decent pair of headphones (Sennheiser HD555), and I could definitely tell the difference while using them when I gave that computer a sound card; in fact, I think that I ended up installing an Audigy.

If you are rocking senns then i suggest an external DAC like the Total Bithead as a base line, taking the DAC off the motherboard reduces interference and allows for a better sound.

tankman986 · Mar 8, 2011

@mnewsham: I'd love to be able to do that, but that runs too close to the ceiling of my budget, even if I get rid of the sound card.

endlessmike133 · Mar 8, 2011

You should definitely go for a DAC.

I wouldn't recommend the Bit-Head over the uDac 2 however.

mfenn · Mar 8, 2011

tankman986 said:
@mnewsham: I'd love to be able to do that, but that runs too close to the ceiling of my budget, even if I get rid of the sound card.

In that case, I would ditch the sound card and save the $30. There's nothing wrong with not having the money to do it right, but that doesn't excuse a POS solution like a Creative card.

tankman986 · Mar 25, 2011

Okay, so the parts came a few days ago, and I finally finished assembling the system. When I plugged it in and turned the system on for the first time, the LEDs and fans were lit and spinning for about half a second before the system shut down for a few seconds. It's stuck in a reboot loop, and I'm not sure what I did wrong here, since I just finished checking the cabling for the third time. Please help!

betasub · Mar 25, 2011

^ eek! Symptoms suggest PSU is not happy! Probably something as simple as a poor connection (check all power fittings from the PSU), or short (make sure motherboard is mounted on stand-off risers to avoid contact with case).

However it could be a faulty part, so going back to Hardware Troubleshooting 101: set up the system with the minimum required for a boot (CPU+HSF, 1 stick RAM, video).

tankman986 · Mar 26, 2011

I rechecked the cabling, and it turns out that I forgot to plug in the 8-pin power connector when doing the wiring. Fourth time's the charm, I guess.

Anyways, the system's up now, and everything looks great. I had the money to add a sound card (HT Omega Striker 7.1) and an NIC (Killer Bigfoot 2100) to the build, and it's ... fast. Thanks to everyone for everything, this would not have happened without you and mfenn's and mnewsham's help.

mfenn · Mar 26, 2011

tankman986 said:
NIC (Killer Bigfoot 2100)

D

:

Send back immediately! That $77 would have been far better spend on upgrading to a 6950 2GB or a GTX 570.

betasub · Mar 27, 2011

^ Post #2 asked where all the money was going. Now we know: on pointless "premium" extras that are handled fine integrated with the motherboard.

Upper-midrange desktop PC potential build, help and comments appreciated.

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