Help with new build

[thegoose316]

Hi all, seeing as how my previous system has completely died I am looking to build a new one. I'm only a beginner at this so here goes:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

Web/Email, Media, Gaming (would like to run the latest games at decent settings), Some Photo editing

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

Around $1,200 with shipping and tax

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

Puerto Rico, probably will order from newegg. Would get the case locally.

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.

Case, PSU, Motherboard, CPU, RAM, SSD, GPU

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

Have the following from my previous system that died:
-CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-520HX 520W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply.
-Tuniq Tower 120 Universal CPU Cooler 120mm Cooling Fan and Fan Controller/Heatsink
-SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B – OEM
-Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

6) Will you be overclocking?

Not for know, but would like to try it down the road.

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

20 inch, 1680x1050, but I may upgrade to a bigger monitor later this year.

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

This week.

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, Firewire

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

Yes, Win 7, 64 bit



Here’s what I was looking at:

-CPU: Intel Core i5-3570k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504 (I can use the stock fan for now) $249.99
-Mobo: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5h-WB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128549 $209.99
-RAM: GSkill Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4x4gb) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429 $89.99 or Gskill Ares Series 16GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231558 $114.99
-SSD: Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148443 $199.99 (out of stock at the moment).
-PSU: If you think I shouldn’t reuse the 520hx, then would get a CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020 $89.99
-Case: I’ll have to see what they have down here as shipping a case from the mainland is quite expensive.
-GPU: I’m kind of at a loss over here. I was looking for a mid level card around $200 or $250. Something like a EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604 $224.99 with rebate. If I'm lucky, maybe a mid level kepler card will come out this week for under $300, but probably not. Would also consider an ATI card if you suggest.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[Dangman]

Do you actually need the wireless and blutooth capability of that motherboard?
Which version of Windows 7 do you have? Home Premium? Pro?
Your PSU will be fine
I'd look at the HD 7850 2GB or the HD 6950 2GB if you're willing on buying from Amazon.com.At $250, the GTX 560 TI is way overpriced.

Case wise, I recommend these cases:
$76 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver Arrow ATX Case
$125 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Antec P280 ATX Case
$140 - Antec Performance One Series P183 V3 ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$150 - Silverstone TJ04B-EW ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$164 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$178 - Silverstone RV02B-EW ATX case
$162 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$220 - Silverstone FT02S-W ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

 

[thegoose316]

Thanks for your quick response Danny.

I don't really need the bluetooth. I thought the wifi was a good thing to have, just in case.

I have the Home premium version.

As for the cards, I will look into them. But unfortunately Amazon doesnt seem to like us down here in PR as they refuse to ship electronic stuff down here. So I'm stuck with newegg or maybe tigerdirect :-(

Also thanks for the case list, I'll find out if they have any of those around here.

 

[Dangman]

I don't really need the bluetooth. I thought the wifi was a good thing to have, just in case.

All right, is that wifi just in case option worth spending the extra $30 for it over the regular UD5H?

I have the Home premium version.

Then go for the first set of RAM you linked. 7 Home is artifically limited to 16GB of RAM max. So might as well save your money and go for the first set.

As for the cards, I will look into them. But unfortunately Amazon doesnt seem to like us down here in PR as they refuse to ship electronic stuff down here. So I'm stuck with newegg or maybe tigerdirect :-(

Then a few words:
- Don't spend more than $230 shipped on the GTX 560 TI if you have to go Nvidia.
- The optimal choice for you would be the HD 7850.

Also thanks for the case list, I'll find out if they have any of those around here.

If not, just post a list of cases that are available and we'll let you know which one is good.

 

[EQWoody]

Lots of people on forums are selling off their 580's since they upgraded. You could probably pick one up for 250 to 300. If you don't mind used that is. The 560ti's are good cards, they have lower power consumption and are lower priced. I sent mine back since my 480 still smoked it.

 

[thegoose316]

Ok, so I just picked up the Corsair Carbide 400R ATX yesterday.

You're probably right that the wifi isnt worth it, so I guess I'm going to go with the regular UD5H: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545

The only thing holding me back is all the people reporting issues with the UD5H when its paired with an IB CPU. People are reporting system freezes and lockups and I'm not sure if it's just a bios issue or a hardware problem. Has anyone else here had these problems as well? Should I be looking at another board?

As for the video card, I think I'm going to go with the HD 7850, would this one in particular be a good bet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125419 ? or should I get the Sapphire one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102986 ? Out of stock at newegg but I should be able to get it somewhere else.

Thanks for all your help again!

 

[Dangman]

The only thing holding me back is all the people reporting issues with the UD5H when its paired with an IB CPU. People are reporting system freezes and lockups and I'm not sure if it's just a bios issue or a hardware problem. Has anyone else here had these problems as well? Should I be looking at another board?

More than likely a UEFI issue as this is Gigabyte's real first foray into UEFI. If you want another option to compare, the MSI Z77A-GD65 is a good choice.

As for the video card, I think I'm going to go with the HD 7850, would this one in particular be a good bet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125419 ? or should I get the Sapphire one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102986 ? Out of stock at newegg but I should be able to get it somewhere else.

Go with the Gigabyte.