I've been stuck picking something for a new build and welcome any suggestions! Quick answers to the questions below....
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Bit of everything. Most importantly being able to power 2560x1440 resolution in games. I jumped the gun and bought a U2713HM. Still sorting out issues with yellow tint and tearing but hopefully it'll go away in time. Otherwise I might just RMA it.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
About 2k but will go for the bang for buck option.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Australia. A major pain in the arse for parts. Getting everything shipped here cost more and you get ripped buying local .
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU - i5 3570k looking at overclocking to about 4.6GHz
RAM - Anything that fits the case and HSF
HSF - AXP-140 with a Scythe slim fan is probably the best performer at the moment. AXP-100 might be a good choice if it can stay reasonably quiet and still perform. The next option is NH-L12 but I dont think it can handle the clocks with just the bottom fan while keeping silent. Not really looking at closed loop liquid cooling unfortunately.
Case - SG05 is the top choice but FT-03 mini is not out of the question. Just depends on how things fit. I do want something with a small footprint.
Mobo - Asrock Z77E-ITX
GPU - AMD 7950. I prefer ones with aftermarket cooler as they are generally cooler and quieter. I dont think the 7970 fits which is a shame. I do like nVidia but everything it doesnt make sense when I can get a 7950 for the price of a 660 Ti.
SSD - Samsung 830 256GB. These are a bargain at the moment.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
New build.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes!
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Dell 27" U2713HM 2560x1440
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Now would be great but I am preparing to wait for Haswell if the iGPU is good enough. I'll probably have to change most things then...which will probably end up being a new build.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
mITX. The Asrock Z77E-ITX is my top pick now.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Win 7 or 8 64bit. Will probably give 8 a try until I get sick of it.
Any suggestions that'll help me move forward or just wait till Haswell will be better than being in this rut! Thanks.
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Bit of everything. Most importantly being able to power 2560x1440 resolution in games. I jumped the gun and bought a U2713HM. Still sorting out issues with yellow tint and tearing but hopefully it'll go away in time. Otherwise I might just RMA it.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
About 2k but will go for the bang for buck option.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Australia. A major pain in the arse for parts. Getting everything shipped here cost more and you get ripped buying local .
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU - i5 3570k looking at overclocking to about 4.6GHz
RAM - Anything that fits the case and HSF
HSF - AXP-140 with a Scythe slim fan is probably the best performer at the moment. AXP-100 might be a good choice if it can stay reasonably quiet and still perform. The next option is NH-L12 but I dont think it can handle the clocks with just the bottom fan while keeping silent. Not really looking at closed loop liquid cooling unfortunately.
Case - SG05 is the top choice but FT-03 mini is not out of the question. Just depends on how things fit. I do want something with a small footprint.
Mobo - Asrock Z77E-ITX
GPU - AMD 7950. I prefer ones with aftermarket cooler as they are generally cooler and quieter. I dont think the 7970 fits which is a shame. I do like nVidia but everything it doesnt make sense when I can get a 7950 for the price of a 660 Ti.
SSD - Samsung 830 256GB. These are a bargain at the moment.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
New build.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes!
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Dell 27" U2713HM 2560x1440
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Now would be great but I am preparing to wait for Haswell if the iGPU is good enough. I'll probably have to change most things then...which will probably end up being a new build.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
mITX. The Asrock Z77E-ITX is my top pick now.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Win 7 or 8 64bit. Will probably give 8 a try until I get sick of it.
Any suggestions that'll help me move forward or just wait till Haswell will be better than being in this rut! Thanks.