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$1100 New Build

Q

Quasimod0

n00b
Joined
Mar 14, 2013
Messages
4
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming (BL2, Farcry 3, Planetside), web browsing, encoding video (dvd/bluray to mkv)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1100 including shipping/tax
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US, northern WV
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, RAM, PSU, Case, Motherboard, SSD, Graphics Card
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Older sata 2x Bluray burner, keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, 1TB 7200rpm sata drive
6) Will you be overclocking?
if possible
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1080, 21"
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP, no more than 3 months (if it's worth it)
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.
USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, Crossfire/SLI would be nice for future upgrade
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Windows 7 64bit Ultimate

Current Build Ideas:
RAM: Crucial Ballistix DDR3-1600 2x4GB ($55)
PSU: SeaSonic S12II 520 Bronze 520W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply ($65)
Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ($140)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl w/ USB 3.0 ATX Mid Tower Silent PC Computer Case ($110)
SSD: Mushkin Enhanced Chronos Deluxe 240GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($185)
Graphics: PowerColor PCS+ AX7870 Radeon HD 7870 MYST. Edition (Tahiti LE) 2GB 256-bit ($260) OR Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT with Boost 2GB DDR5 ($240)
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge ($220)
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus ($30) OR some kind of water cooler?

I always considered trying water cooling, but never had a reason. With the somewhat flimsy board on the Extreme4 I may finally have one. No idea where to start or if it's even worth it.
I like the R4 case, but I'm not stuck on it. Mainly I picked it because it was functional, somewhat silent, and not flashy.
What does everyone else think?
 
Your ideas look good to me, though I have no experience with the Mushkin SSDs. If you could afford it I'd also recommend jumping to the 7950. It's not much more money than the 7870 and it's a decent performance upgrade. As far as watercooling, it's certainly easy to do in the R4. Something like the Corsair H55 would be more than adequate at keeping your i5 in check while remaining quiet.
 
Quasimod0 said:
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP, no more than 3 months (if it's worth it)
Click to expand...
Whether or not it's worth it is largely dependent on how badly you need a new system. With that said, in the next 3-4 months, there will probably be a new Intel platform coming out, Intel's Haswell CPUs. Those will be at least 5% faster clock for clock (no one knows for sure how much of a performance increase they are), will use lower power, and has faster onboard graphics which means a better backup GPU should your main GPU die. Up to you if you want to wait for a new platform. For now, assume our advice will only apply for this month:

That PSU does not come with free shipping. As such, at $75 shipped, it's a bit overpriced. I recommend this case instead:
$90 - Seasonic G Series SSR-550RM 550W Modular PSU

SSD wise, ditch that Mushkin as it's a Sandforce ($10 says a poster named John is gonna jump in). I recommend the Crucial M4 256GB instead since it's more reliable and has an extra 16GB of storage for only $4 more:
$189 - Crucial M4 256GB SSD

GPU wise, I'd go for the Tahiti LE card if it's $260 shipped. If it doesn't come with free shipping, then go for the HD 7950 or regular HD 7870 then.
 
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I don't see enough of an advantage in waiting for Haswell.

I talked myself out of that PSU twice already, but I really shouldn't skimp on it. Thanks for convincing me. I'm not sure I'll go Crossfire later, but will that PSU handle another 7870?

I see what you mean by the SSD. Worth the extra few dollars.

Does this build look like it will overclock well enough? Will the H55 help in both the heat/silence departments? I assume it will put less weight around the CPU on the board?

Is the 7950 really worth $40 more? I didn't think the performance was that much greater than the Tahiti. Especially since I can't go above 1920x1080. Am I misjudging it?
 
Quasimod0 said:
I talked myself out of that PSU twice already, but I really shouldn't skimp on it. Thanks for convincing me. I'm not sure I'll go Crossfire later, but will that PSU handle another 7870?
Click to expand...
It should be able to.

Quasimod0 said:
Does this build look like it will overclock well enough? Will the H55 help in both the heat/silence departments? I assume it will put less weight around the CPU on the board?
Click to expand...
Heat yes, silence no as the pump itself is kinda noisy. If you want silent or near it, you're gonna have to go with an air cooler like the Notchua NH-D14

Quasimod0 said:
Is the 7950 really worth $40 more? I didn't think the performance was that much greater than the Tahiti. Especially since I can't go above 1920x1080. Am I misjudging it?
Click to expand...
Yes. Yes it is. However the HD 7870 Tahiti is still a good choice IF you can get it for $260 SHIPPED.
 
Hmm, looks like water cooling is out of the question with my budget. Maybe I'll get the other parts and watch for a deal on the 7950. It's a bit too steep for me currently.
 
The asrock board will be fine for any air cooling solution you can throw at it. The pcb isn't as flimsy as made out to be.
 
if you live near wheeling, then a trip Microcenter in columbus or cleveland might be in order. Depending on what you buy, you might get a nice day trip and still save a little after paying for gas.
 
That was my concern with the OCZ as well. Maybe for a secondary drive sometime, but I don't think I want to rely on it for my primary. I don't fully update my machine very often and I'd like to have some confidence in it lasting me at least 2-3 years without much maintenance. (I know...just wish me luck on that one)

Unless Microcenter offers some much better deals than they currently do, it's not worth the gas to travel there and back.
 
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