~1000$ gtx 680 build?

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samsorz

n00b
Joined
May 19, 2012
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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming- Skyrim, D3, SC2, Crysis, etc.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
~1000$, the less the better, and yes, tax/shipping

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
California, near Tustin so I can get to a microcenter!

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.
I know it is possible to do a 670 build but I would like to try for a 680.
I need basics too like RAM, CPU, MOBO, SSD,

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Well, I used my ANTEC 300 for 4 years- then suddenly, my 9800 GT started artifacting, not sure what the problem was. I hope it wasn't the case, I would like to reuse the case..
PSU is a 550 Antec BASIQ, Might need to upgrade

6) Will you be overclocking?
No, but if the card is already OC'd, then, okay.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
2048x1152

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Today!

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 USB3.0/SATA6Gb. I prefer Gigabyte Z77s! 3d bios looks cool

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I was planning on using the RC for Windows 8 till release then buy one, 64 bit

I would like tips for building too. Never built before..:rolleyes:

Thanks all:D
 
With a 680 your budget for everything else is down to $500.

From MC get:

i5 3570k + Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H = $279.98 + Tax

From Amazon get:

gtx 680 plus
G.SKILL 8GB (2 x 4GB) Ripjaws X Series DDR3 1333MHz - $44
Crucial M4 SSD 128GB - $124
Corsair CX600 PSU - $60
PSU depends if you want to go SLI in the future or not. I'm not "thrilled" with this psu selection... if you wait a bit there may be a better deal on a better PSU.
TX650 would be better but is $30 more.

Total excluding 680 - $508 +tax ...

It's a very tight fit in that budget. You could go cheaper on the mobo I suppose.
 
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my 9800 GT started artifacting, not sure what the problem was. I hope it wasn't the case, I would like to reuse the case..
PSU is a 550 Antec BASIQ, Might need to upgrade
Click to expand...

I don't think your case would affect the graphics card artifacting, other than maybe air-flow wasn't good enough. Make sure you have ample case fans pulling air in the front and exhausting air out the back/top.

If your PSU is also 4 years old I wouldn't use it on a new build even if it is powerful enough. That being said, I'd be weary hooking up a 680 to that PSU.
 
I think my case only has the top fan and the side fan, no front fan was included. Thanks for all the input!! I appreciate it ;)
 
Is there any particular 680 you would recommend that would stay pretty "cool" (like cold cool not cool looking cool)?
 
I've never really been big on the non-reference coolers for videocards. They usually dump the heat directly into the case which kind of negates any benefit (other than noise maybe). And at $500 you're pretty much limited to the base reference models. Out of those I'd recommend EVGA because they have awesome customer service and a good warranty. They're also really good with RMAs and have an advanced RMA program as well.
 
samsorz said:
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Well, I used my ANTEC 300 for 4 years- then suddenly, my 9800 GT started artifacting, not sure what the problem was. I hope it wasn't the case, I would like to reuse the case..
PSU is a 550 Antec BASIQ, Might need to upgrade
Click to expand...
Well your isses are a combimation of two things:
1) The 8800GT/9800GT have a higher rate of death/artifacting/issues than other cards
2) That PSU isn't that good in the first place. A solid 550W PSU would actually be enough for a GTX680 based setup but that Basiq is not a solid PSU.

As for the case, I think you'll run into fitting issues even with the GTX 670 let alone the GTX 680. So good luck on that. I recommend getting a new case ASAP.
samsorz said:
I would like tips for building too. Never built before..:rolleyes:
Click to expand...
Check our General Hardware FAQ. There's a ton of links there on how to build a PC.

K1tty said:
Corsair CX600 PSU - $60
PSU depends if you want to go SLI in the future or not. I'm not "thrilled" with this psu selection... if you wait a bit there may be a better deal on a better PSU.
TX650 would be better but is $30 more.
Click to expand...
I have to agree with K1tty here: I'm not thrilled with that PSU either. Up your budget and spend the extra cash for a good PSU.

K1tty said:
Newegg has an ok PSU as a shellshocker today. May be worth looking into:
PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III 600W Modular

Will likely end up being around $50 and it has a rebate.
Click to expand...
At $77 shipped after taxes (I don't factor in MIR until I recieve them), it's not a bad deal at all.
 
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How is the silverstone sugo 08. I thought it looked nice and it came with a 600 watt PSU
 
samsorz said:
How is the silverstone sugo 08. I thought it looked nice and it came with a 600 watt PSU
Click to expand...

It's a decent case. However, MC doesn't have any combo deals with Intel CPUs and mITX motherboards. In addition, you would have to raise your budget by another $150 to fit that case. You would also have to raise your budget by another $30 to get the correct DVD drive and adapter.
 
Is there any mATX boards in the deal? I would like to go smaller on the case if i have to change it
 
They do: The Asus P8H77-M/CSM and Gigabyte Z77MX-D3H are good choices.
 
hi all,

this, plus the asus + i5 3570k combo from microcenter for ~300$ will be my build

yAx65.png


any problems before buy?

Also- do i need to buy fans for top and back? i think it only has front

Thanks!
 
I'm not sold on the Thermaltake PSU you chose. I feel more comfortable going with the Corsair CX600V2, even though it's not as good as its TX/TX-M/HX cousins.

Out of curiosity, which Asus motherboard are you considering?

For the Silverstone PS07B, you should buy a 120mm case fan for the rear. I don't suggest using one of the front-mounted fans for the rear as they are "silent" fans that don't push a lot of air (compared to other 120mm fans). FYI, the Sugo SG08 is a mini ITX desktop case -- and, speaking from first-hand experience, something that I wouldn't recommend for the first-time builder.
 
Listen to Danny Bui on the PSU suggestion.

I also recommend the Corsair XMS3 RAM over the Crucial Ballistix as the former has lower heatspreaders. If you ever buy a third-party CPU cooler (like the oft-mentioned Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus), the fins on the Ballistix RAM may interfere with your ability to mount the CPU cooler.

As an aside, I believe that Danny was recommending the 2x4GB XMS3 kit, not the 8GB DIMM. (You probably won't notice a performance difference between a single DIMM setup and a dual-channel configuration.) You don't need more than 8GB of RAM for your system, and in some games, even that could be considered as overkill.
 
Okay, I changed the parts to ya'lls suggestions. Since the case is "plastic w/ aluminum accent" and not metal, what should I do to ground myself if I don't have a ESD wristband?

Thanks!!
 
samsorz said:
Okay, I changed the parts to ya'lls suggestions. Since the case is "plastic w/ aluminum accent" and not metal, what should I do to ground myself if I don't have a ESD wristband?

Thanks!!
Click to expand...

Touching the inside of the case will ground you.
 
samsorz said:
Okay, I changed the parts to ya'lls suggestions. Since the case is "plastic w/ aluminum accent" and not metal, what should I do to ground myself if I don't have a ESD wristband?
Click to expand...

The case is made of metal. Amazon didn't list out everything. Not many cases these days aren't made of a metal, whether cheap to high grade steel or aluminum. So Cmustang87' advice applies.
 
Okay, so I guess I mistakenly ordered the 8 gb stick, and not the 2x 4 gb sticks of ram. I still can use this 1 stick even though the mobo is dual channel correct? Its just not as fast and "cool" as having 2 to spread heat?

Second, I'm gonna use an old dvd drive. I used the manual eject once and it makes this beeping noise. I'm not sure if that means its broken or not. I'm installing windows with a USB drive so does it matter if it works or not?

Third, What do I do with the thermal paste the intel stock coolers came with. I have arctic silver 5 so I probably want to use that.

Thanks all! i wouldn't mind posting up pics if anyones interested in the completed build
 
You'll be just fine using the 8GB DIMM by itself.

If you're not sure about the DVD drive's reliability, I recommend buying a new one. You can find one for under $20 nowadays.

As for the USB "boot" drive, search Google or Bing for Microsoft's own software for creating a Windows 7 boot drive.

This may contradictory, but I suggest that you stick with the stock TIM on the Intel HSF. Arctic Silver 5 requrires some curing time (up to 200 hours per the AS5 site) before it starts lowering temperatures. Unless you plan on some heavy overclocking soon, AS5 isn't a must-have.
 
Will my pc not boot if i have it connected and the drive is a dud? or can I continue without it
 
You can adjust the boot order (between the optical drive, HDD, and any external devices, like the USB drive) in the BIOS/UEFI. But for your first time, you need to have something with Windows 7 ready to go.

Speaking of which, you can download the software I mentioned earlier here.

If you plan on using your optical drive in the future, go ahead and replace it now. A new replacement doesn't cost that much.
 
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Okay thanks. So my new problem is that when connecting my fans (sys_fans) correct? mine are 3 pin, but my mobo is 4 pins. For some reason I only have 2 (sys_fan1 and sys_fan2) but I have 2 intake fans on the front and 1 in the back. What should I do?
 
samsorz said:
Okay thanks. So my new problem is that when connecting my fans (sys_fans) correct? mine are 3 pin, but my mobo is 4 pins.
Click to expand...
You can still connect a 3Pin to a 4Pin.

samsorz said:
For some reason I only have 2 (sys_fan1 and sys_fan2) but I have 2 intake fans on the front and 1 in the back. What should I do?
Click to expand...
The case fans can be connected via molex. So connect it by molex. If you want actual fan control, you're gonna have to buy a fan controller.
 
What do you mean connect it by molex? All fans have a single 3 pin that connect to the mobo correct? or am I crazy.

Sorry lol I just have all these parts on my table and i'm getting a headache
 
samsorz said:
What do you mean connect it by molex? All fans have a single 3 pin that connect to the mobo correct? or am I crazy.
Click to expand...
Ok, most case fans have a molex connector, in addition to the 3pin connector, that allows you to connect the case fan to the PSU directly .
samsorz said:
Sorry lol I just have all these parts on my table and i'm getting a headache
Click to expand...
Walk away then. Don't put a PC together when you're impaired like that. Especially if you've never built a PC before.
 
Is it necessary to do the 3 pin to mobo and one to the psu? Or the ones I want to contorl the speed to go on the mobo and the ones that run at max go to psu
 
samsorz said:
Is it necessary to do the 3 pin to mobo and one to the psu?
Click to expand...
Just to be clear: you don't connect the 3pin connector to the mobo and the molex to the PSU from a single fan at the same time. Choose or the other. If you're talking about multiple fans, honestly doesn't matter how you connect it as long as it's connected. So since your mobo only has two 3 Pin fan connectors and you have three fans, try any combination you like: 2 fans to the 3PIn and one fan to the PSU or all three to the PSU or two to the PSU and one connected to the mobo.
samsorz said:
Or the ones I want to contorl the speed to go on the mobo and the ones that run at max go to psu
Click to expand...
Up to you. Some mobos just run the fan at full speed anyway. So it pretty much comes down to convenience of cable management and
 
Sweet. so I got everything in but one of my front case fans that is connected to the mobo is slower than the one connected to the psu. But the exhaust fan in the back connected to the mobo seems to be running at full speed. Is this bad?

EDIT: the gigabyte 3d bios doesn't have my usb boot device recognized for some reason. I used the Windows 7 USB maker tool
 
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samsorz said:
Sweet. so I got everything in but one of my front case fans that is connected to the mobo is slower than the one connected to the psu. But the exhaust fan in the back connected to the mobo seems to be running at full speed. Is this bad?
Click to expand...
No.
samsorz said:
EDIT: the gigabyte 3d bios doesn't have my usb boot device recognized for some reason. I used the Windows 7 USB maker tool
Click to expand...
Dunno what to tell you. Maybe the tool didn't work correctly.
 
Okay, all is set up and well then.

Using speed fan one fan is at 500 rpm, wile the other is at 1400 rpm. I'm gonna get a 3 pin to molex connector to see if its the fan or the mobo that is messing up.

Thanks for everyones help. I'll be back in 4-5 years for another one!
 
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