Building a New PC - Advice

[cybertron]

Alright, so I'm sure this is well played out, but I'm following the rules, so hopefully I wont get to many RTFM's...

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Playing games like BF3. Creating DVD slideshows with ProShow, then encoding them, then burning them (looking at 3 DVD burners for faster duplication), converting videos, possibly running VMware workstation, 20+ tab browsing... I think that's about it.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I'd like to stay under $1k
3) Where do you live?
Atlanta, GA
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, Mobo, Ram, SSD, 3x DVD, toying with the idea of a real soundcard, but I use a USB DAC (Pico) at the moment, possibly PSU(but don't want to spend more than $60-70 on this), oh and a GPU, have a 5770 that will be going into my HTPC, so thinking about a HD6870 (~$180)
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 chassis, I have an Ultra 650w PSU (potentially total shyte, see above), monitor, etc, etc.
6) Will you be overclocking?
I haven't done this since the days of Slot A AMD cpu's, but I'm really diggin' the success people are having with these intel cpu's, so I'd like to say yes here with the consideration that I don't want water but will spend a few extra bones on a good cooler.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Dell U3011 (30" connected via display port)
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
I want to get it in the next 30 days or wait until the next big thing comes out if I'll save a bunch. Premium parts come at a premium price.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
I'd like USB 3 and SATA 6, and I want to be able to use the new SSD junk that the i7(?) cpus are supporting (see considered items below) If I end up with onboard sound, I'd like some feedback on how good realtek stuff is these days.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I have Win 7 whatever... I own technet subscription so that's all covered. Software matters not.

Other considerations:
I want to get the Z68 chipset but I heard that the 67 chipset had some major issues? sorry for the vague-ness, I cannot find what I'm talking about online. But I want to get something that will last me a long time. I spent $800 on my current PC nearly 4 years ago and if I didn't have glitchy crap with my mobo, I probably wouldnt bother upgrading. But the machine is feeling sluggish and has sound crackling issues under heavy network load, etc, etc. Don't want to deal with it, so getting a new mobo for the E6600 to be my HTPC.
Also, I'd like to go with Asus or other Advanced RMA supporting manufacture. My current board would have been replaced and I wouldnt be buying new right now if Gigabyte had advanced replacement.

Parts Considered:

$20 - DVD
$75 - Memory
$200 - Mobo -- or similar
$315 - CPU
$250 - SSD

Sadly, most of these parts where found via "best rating," so I dont have any particular attachment to them, but they all check out ok, I'm mostly concerned with any known issues w/ the chipset, etc.

A huge thank you in advance for anyone willing to comment or suggest other parts.

 

[Dangman]

Dude, you're gonna have to find out exactly what current P67 issues you're referring to. Because AFAIK, there's no more inherent issues with the P67 chipset.

RAM wise, ditch that Corsair RAM as it is not worth the extra cost at all:
$50 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

As for the SSD, go for the newer Intel 510 series SSDs or Crucial M4 series SSDs as they're newer and faster than the old C300 series SSDs.

GPU wise, the HD 6870 1GB is a little too slow for such a large monitor for a AAA game like BF3. Unless you're planning on playing at 1600x1050 at medium settings, I'd recommend getting a higher end video card like the HD 6950 2GB, GTX 570, or HD 6970 2GB if you planning on native res and mid to high settings.

You're definitely gonna need a new PSU as that Ultra PSU is a piece of shit. I'm surprise it's not dead yet already or killed your PC. Which PSU you're gonna need is gonna depend on the GPU you choose above. it's definitely gonna cause more than $70 though.

Onboard sound is fine if you're not an audiophile or don't have really good speakers/headphones. Otherwise, you're better off with a sound card like this:
$30 - Asus Xonar DG 5.1 Channels PCI Sound Card

 

[diizzy]

Hmm...

While the Asus motherboard mentioned above is quite good it isn't really worth it at its current price. Your "glitchy crap" is probably caused by high PCI Latency settings and poor sound drivers which unfortunately is quite common unless you go for Realtek who actually provides new versions without any hassle. Anyhow, here's a few recommendations of motherboards that should be suitable.

Mobo

ASUS P8B WS LGA 1155 Intel C206 ATX Intel Xeon E3 Server/Workstation Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681313172
This is a server/workstation board, what it gives you is access to Xeon E3 CPUs, ECC Memory (seems a bit of confusion about this though) and lots of PCI 16x slots if you want to add 8x PCIe cards (electrical) later on. Supports VT-d but needs newest BIOS and for nowVMware workstation doesn't support it. Probably overkill for that you're going for and I don't think it overclocks very well as it wasn't intended.

MSI P67A-GD65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130574
Good board if you want to overclock, doesn't support integrated graphics, no VT-d and no Intel LAN (uses slower Realtek). There's no support for Intel AMT and KVM on this board.

Intel BOXDQ67OWB3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121514
Intel's business board series, no fancy options (no OC) they just do what they're supposed to do. VT-d support and Intel AMT and KVM (only when uses Integrated graphics and Core i5 or better (vPro)). Uses Intel LAN just as the Asus board above. Does not have digital out for sound unless you go for display connections. No USB 3.0 or SLI

Intel BOXDH67BLB3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121506
Compared to the other boards mention this would be your budget board but its far from it. Pretty much the same as the Q67 above but with better audio connections, USB 3.0. No support for Intel AMT and KVM (remote access). A very decent motherboard do use for a computer build in general.

CPU

The i7 CPU is a bit overpriced given that it offers very little performance over the I5 2500(K). Note that the K model does not support VT-d.
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/print/core-i7-2600k-990x.html

Memory

Just go with stock ram unless you're going to overclock and violate JEDEC specs. It'll also save you the hassle of running into weird compatibility issues.
CORSAIR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory Model CMV8GX3M2A1333C9
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233192
If you want to overclock on the other hand, I guess you want some fancy/leet/godly overclocking memory. No idea what's good in that case...

Video card
Having a look here I'd say that a 6870 or a Ti 560 is quite decent gaming card unless you want to run at insane settings at which even the most powerful video cards buckle. Like any other game you can adjust settings and many doesn't see the difference (or at least much of a difference) between medium and ultra settings in gameplay.
http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/i3dspeed/0711/i0711-video-p2.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125357
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363

Performance is pretty much the same and that includes power usage, I'd say that the nVidia card have a bit more to offer due to CUDA, think of it as "generic" hardware acceleration and the application needs to support CUDA to use it. I've chosen these two models because they seem to be the better crop of the not a hair blower noise level(tm) video cards. Have in mind though that you need good ventilation for any card with this kind of performance unless you want to fry it.

As Danny said, you most likely need a new PSU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
Something like that should be more than fine, Danny can probably chime in on a decent Antec model too.

As for sound card, go with the integrated as its usually quite good. If it isn't up to your standards get a DAC. Most sound cards that aren't integrated have very bad/limited driver support.

As for SSD I would have a look at Samsungs 470 series since they seem to give you a very good bang for the buck.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147128

@ Danny

Isn't it easier to just do a recommended hw list instead of just repeating it all the time?

//Danne

 

[Dangman]

@ Danny
Isn't it easier to just do a recommended hw list instead of just repeating it all the time?

Not really. A recommended hardware list can get outdated really quick. Not to mention that certain recommended hardware may not fit the user's requirements or even available from whatever retailer or country they're planning on buying the parts from.

 

[cesium666]

Video card
Having a look here I'd say that a 6870 or a Ti 560 is quite decent gaming card unless you want to run at insane settings at which even the most powerful video cards buckle. Like any other game you can adjust settings and many doesn't see the difference (or at least much of a difference) between medium and ultra settings in gameplay.
http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/i3dspeed/0711/i0711-video-p2.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125357
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363

Performance is pretty much the same and that includes power usage, I'd say that the nVidia card have a bit more to offer due to CUDA, think of it as "generic" hardware acceleration and the application needs to support CUDA to use it. I've chosen these two models because they seem to be the better crop of the not a hair blower noise level(tm) video cards. Have in mind though that you need good ventilation for any card with this kind of performance unless you want to fry it.

While I would usually agree that a 6870 or 560 is enough for many people, I have to agree with Danny. They're much to underpowered for a 30" monitor.

I currently have a U3011 with an unlocked and overclocked 6950. I get at most 50fps in BFBC2 with 4xAA, and BF3 is likely to be even more taxing. A 6950/570 should be the absolute minimum for such a monitor imo.

 

[diizzy]

Well, my point is exactly what you just pointed out....
"I get at most 50fps in BFBC2 with 4xAA, and BF3 is likely to be even more taxing." That isn't playable for most people (60 fps at least is needed for "smooth" playback and that is always, not peak performance). So jumping up to an overclocked 6950 (6970) or a 570 would cost about 100 more and looking at http://ixbtlabs.com/articles3/i3dspeed/0711/i0711-video-p2.html you can pretty much see that while 570 is faster although it wont make a game playable if 560 can't handle it. Sure, you get a few more fps but it still will run too slow. I'm on 26" myself (that would be 1920x1200) and while I'm aware that native resolution is the best option but even if I get a 570 or better/similar very few recent games are actually playable in that resolution if you set everything to ultra/best so I usually jump down a bit in resolution and everything runs fine. This will all depend on how picky you are, and how much money you want to spend/waste. Also have in mind that the console gaming industry is much larger than PC gaming and most games run at 720p and your still using a larger TV/* and the majority is fine with it.

//Danne

 

[xBanzai89]

Not really. A recommended hardware list can get outdated really quick. Not to mention that certain recommended hardware may not fit the user's requirements or even available from whatever retailer or country they're planning on buying the parts from.

I have to agree with this. I am attempting to keep 4 tiered builds from $500 to $1250 updated on another forum I go to. Having to update one or two times a week is a total time sink as it may take me a few hours just go get everything up to date. Between out of stock items, items going back in price, and other items becoming cheaper. Once I get back to school at the end of the month I will probably just transition to having a questionnaire for people to fill out, like we have in this forum.

 

[cybertron]

Dude, you're gonna have to find out exactly what current P67 issues you're referring to. Because AFAIK, there's no more inherent issues with the P67 chipset.

RAM wise, ditch that Corsair RAM as it is not worth the extra cost at all:
$50 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

As for the SSD, go for the newer Intel 510 series SSDs or Crucial M4 series SSDs as they're newer and faster than the old C300 series SSDs.

GPU wise, the HD 6870 1GB is a little too slow for such a large monitor for a AAA game like BF3. Unless you're planning on playing at 1600x1050 at medium settings, I'd recommend getting a higher end video card like the HD 6950 2GB, GTX 570, or HD 6970 2GB if you planning on native res and mid to high settings.

You're definitely gonna need a new PSU as that Ultra PSU is a piece of shit. I'm surprise it's not dead yet already or killed your PC. Which PSU you're gonna need is gonna depend on the GPU you choose above. it's definitely gonna cause more than $70 though.

Onboard sound is fine if you're not an audiophile or don't have really good speakers/headphones. Otherwise, you're better off with a sound card like this:
$30 - Asus Xonar DG 5.1 Channels PCI Sound Card

After looking further, I think the issue I was referring to was the "silicon fix" issue that was prevalent in Jan '11. I'm guessing that it's been fixed as it mentioned shipments stopped until it was fixes.

This is why I posted, and am thankful for your input... I had not considered a higher GPU for my monitor. I may consider getting a 22" gaming monitor or something, but we'll see once I lookup the prices of these higher end cards. I tend to get lost in this 30" while playing games anyway. And for some reason, BF3 (alpha test) ran smoother on my PC than BFBC2 did... so for whatever thats worth. I'll check out those other parts though and see what we're looking at price wise. I have actually never played a game with AA on at all.. ever. or maybe 1x because you couldnt turn it off or something. But yeah, that is nice, but not super super important.

diizzy--
You make a compelling argument for the i5, but I noticed that it does not have the HT'ing which is pretty much the main reason why I'm moving to the new cpu's. But maybe it doesnt make that much of a difference. I'll continue reading that article, thanks.