New build advice requested. It has been a while.

N

netbrad

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 26, 2005
Messages
151
Forgive me PC gods for I have sinned. It has been 11 years since my last PC build and this new technology amazes me. Here's the info:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Primarily gaming and web browsing. Would like to be able to play Battlefront II at amazing detail. Would like this build to last at least 5 years.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1,200 or less, yes
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

US
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, CPU cooler, Motherboard, RAM, SSD, HD. A case if the one I have will run too hot.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I have a Geforce GTX750 TI I could use as well as an Antec P180 case but it is a bit long in the tooth. Power supply is a SeaSonic S12-500 500W but it is not modular and is 11 years old. I added a power supply in the build list just in case. I also have a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic 7.1 I can re-use unless on-board sound is better.
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Samsung SB240B, 24 inch, 1920x1080 @60Hz
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 60 days.
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.
Just faster speeds. I do not run raid or SLI and I don't need wireless.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, I have a valid key for Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit. From what I understand I can use it on Windows 10 64-bit.


Here's the wish list although a couple of components weren't listed so I added those links below.

Motherboard - Asus ROG Maximus IX Hero:
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813132927

CPU Cooler - be quiet! DARK ROCK 3 SilentWings CPU Cooler (if there is a better one or if liquid cooling is quieter I would consider it)
https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA68V21E0632

PC Hound Part List

CPU: Intel Intel Core i7-7700K ($299 @ Amazon)
Memory: CORSAIR 16GB (2 x 8GB) Vengeance LPX ($154.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 650W FOCUS Plus 650 Gold SSR-650FX ($83.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: SAMSUNG 500GB 850 EVO MZ-75E500B/AM ($149.99 @ Amazon)
Storage #2: Seagate 3TB BarraCuda ST3000DM008 ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $767.95
Price may include shipping, rebates, promotions, and tax
Generated by PC Hound[/url][/url]
 
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Given that Coffee Lake is just around the corner, and bumps up the number of real cores at each level, it'd be wise to wait a bit and see about getting something from that line (plus a Z370 mainboard). The i7-8700 is about the same cost as the i7-7700k you list, has six cores (12 w/hyperthreading), and turbos a hair faster. It is locked though, so no real overclocking if you change your mind later.

https://www.anandtech.com/show/1186...ation-coffee-lake-hex-core-desktop-processors

Air cooling is fine, especially if not overclocking. No idea on that particular CPU cooler, but it looks fine.

Seasonic PSUs are one of the standards. 650 W is more than needed, so unless you can get a good deal look for something in the 400-500 W range.

I think the GTX-750ti will be a bottleneck. A GTX-1060 6 GB should be nice for a 1080p monitor, though a 1070 will give you some headroom and allow you to really crank up the detail.
 
Yea wait on CPU/MB at this point. Set aside $500 of your budget for them. You don't by chance live near a Microcenter do you?

Personally to many neg reviews for that Seagate drive for my tastes. Would go with a little higher quality drive even if you have to drop it to 2TB.
Rest of the components look good. You're really pushing your budget though. A mid-range cpu\mb with a 1070 would give you better performance right now but a higher end cpu\mb with a 1060 that you can replace in a year or two has a better chance of lasting you long term. So I would find the best cheap 1060 you can even a 3GB if you have to.
 
Thanks for the responses.

1. I don't live near a Micro Center but some family does.
2. I saw the new Intel processor announcement as well and thought about waiting but some of the items in my build are on sale or have $30 off combo deals. Being 6 months behind doesn't bother me too much but if the prices aren't going to be that much different I might wait. I'm coming from an Athlon X2 6000 so anything is an upgrade.
3. Any suggestions for a monitor? Evidently my current monitor doesn't have HDMI or Display port inputs.
4. Does the old P180 case work with the new hardware? I am worried about airflow.
5. Would the Soundblaster cause a bottleneck since that is even older than the video card?
 
Unless you're really itching for a higher-res monitor, what you have should be sufficient. There's nothing wrong with DVI, DisplayPort or HDMI in of themselves won't provide a better image. If you do upgrade the monitor you'll probably also need to upgrade the GPU to match as well. Be sure to budget for that. They'll cost more, but look into G-Sync monitors (Nvidia).

That case is probably adequate if you want to stick with it to stay in budget, but a newer design will almost certainly breathe a bit better.

I've never heard of the sound card being a real performance factor. Sound cards are all about features (e.g., surround modes).
 
Quick question, mid-tower or full tower if I got a new case? I think I can get better airflow from some of the newer case designs like the Define R5. That one isn't much more than what I paid for the P180 ages ago.
 
Personally I am not big on cases with a solid front door covering the vents. Whats the use in that but overall that case looks fine. How much air flow do you have to have. As long as you got quality fans and the right kind in the proper configuration you can make most cases work including your P180.
 
The P180's cable management is...lacking. I was more curious if an 7700/7700k can run decently in a mid-tower.
 
Ok now that the new chips are out should I go with an I5-8600K or I7-8700K, making the appropriate motherboard and RAM adjustments. If I don't plan to overclock should I get the locked versions of the chips?
 
If you want it to last 5 years get the hyperthreading and the K. At the least, during that time you may come to find you start doing more with your PC that would benefit from the extra juice.
 
netbrad said:
Ok now that the new chips are out should I go with an I5-8600K or I7-8700K, making the appropriate motherboard and RAM adjustments. If I don't plan to overclock should I get the locked versions of the chips?
Click to expand...

If you don't plan to overclock the K parts are actually better because they have much higher base clock. IIRC its 500mhz. I would definitely upgrade the GPU, sell the 750ti for $75 or so to offset the cost. At least a 1060 would be a good idea because the 750ti is already several years old and quite slow as far as AAA titles like Battlefront are concerned. Low VRAM is also an issue even at 1080p these days.
 
Many will disagree but I would go with AMD Ryzen, as the intel 1151 socket is probably dead after this round.
With AM4 you will be able to upgrade later on for a faster CPU and this CPU is actually pretty ready for future applications and games with 6 cores.

Bonus, you will get pretty good graphic card with this config.

PCPartPicker part list: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RwxwLD
Price breakdown by merchant: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/RwxwLD/by_merchant/

CPU: AMD - Ryzen 5 1600X 3.6GHz 6-Core Processor ($224.89 @ OutletPC)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master - Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock - AB350 Pro4 ATX AM4 Motherboard ($55.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: GeIL - EVO POTENZA 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-3000 Memory ($164.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung - 850 EVO-Series 500GB 2.5" Solid State Drive ($169.88 @ OutletPC)
Storage: Seagate - Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($66.88 @ OutletPC)
Video Card: MSI - GeForce GTX 1070 8GB Video Card ($396.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT - S340 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($64.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: EVGA - SuperNOVA G3 550W 80+ Gold Certified Fully-Modular ATX Power Supply ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Total: $1229.58
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2017-10-14 05:51 EDT-0400
 
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