lanbox

[silk186]

So my last computer was a P4, I moved to china and the first job provided a computer so i didn't have an excuse to buy one. The new job doesn't so I'm looking to build something nice. Problem is i spend 3 days a week in one home and 4 in another,almost enough to buy a notebook but not enough.

On with the questionnaire:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Enthusiast gaming, photoshop, and typical PC tasks (web, docs, etc.)
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
around 1200 total
3) Where do you live?
Xiamen, China
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
Everything.
6) Will you be overclocking?
a moderate overclock
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Have a 22" LCD or cheap 24" like HansG
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
10th of next month
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Nothing special, 2-3 drives no raid and a single mid-level GPU
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
it's china

I have a bit of an idea:
CPU: i5-750
MB: I like GB, but not sure: GA-P55m-UD2 or GA-P55m-UD4
PSU: 500 or 600w not really sure what I need
MEMORY: G.Skills 2x2 1600, ripjaw, later upgrade to 2x4 probably
GPU: 4850 512mb
LCD: a cheap 22-24"
CASE: not really sure, something small with a handle if i can find one
CPU heatsink: not sure what is good for an i5 socket and what would fit whatever case I choose.
DVD: LG
Some card reader

I hate going into the computer shops where you get swarmed so I will either buy what I can from newegg china or go into the computer city with an exact list and reference prices and try to get out as quickly as possible. I'm pretty stuck on the CPU, what's the big difference between UD2 and UD4 orther then the cooling, i heard some reviews say it's not really needed.

 

[Yoy0YO]

From the looks of your setup, I don't think you'll need to look into the UD4. The UD4 has 2 PCIe lanes that can both run at x8 and a PCIe that runs at x4 cf the UD2 which only has one x16 slot and one x4 slot. UD4 supports the whole Crossfire/SLI thing.
If you're going to purchase one gpu now and get another one in the future, I'd suggest a UD4, if a 4850 is all you need, a UD2 will do the job.
The 4850/i5 aren't all that aggressive so I believe a good 500w psu would do the trick

A SG04 is a case which has a handle, it may fill your needs
This will definitely limit your cpu cooler to a low profile one.

All the best

 

[Skott]

I agree with Yoy, if you want to run two video cards grab the UD4 but if you want to just run a single card and save money grab the UD2. If you do find a SFF case you like but doesnt have a built in handle you could always buy a carrying harness for it. They are not expensive and work well. I use a Geargrip harness for my SG03 and I'm happy with it. You can leave the harness on all the time or take it off when not needed.

 

[Steeeeve]

If you are going to be moving around alot get the SUGO pack from silverstone. It fits all the silverstone SFF cases and things like the Qpack, Qmicra and probably the Thermaltake Lanbox.

with $1,200...just get something you like...SUG01,02,03,04...Qmicra...Qpack2..Lian LI V351. The Lanbox has been known to have some gpu length issues so be aware of that.

 

[silk186]

so revised to:

CPU: i5-750
MB: GA-P55m-UD2
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VXCN 550W 80Plus
MEMORY: G.SKILL DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) 4GB (2 x 2GB)
GPU: 4850 512mb
LCD: a cheap 22-24"
CASE: not really sure, something small with a handle if i can find one
CPU heatsink: not sure what is good for an i5 socket and what would fit whatever case I choose.
DVD: LG
Some card reader

i didn't really think of it before, but if the case has no handle i can buy a carrying bag also.
anyone know about the psu?

 

[Dangman]

The Corsair 550VX is a an excellent quality PSU that's well worth the money.

 

[Steeeeve]

silk,

There is no magically answer for the case question. There are some differences but it really is coming down to what you like. You are looking at a 9.5" GPU right? The thermaltake lanbox might be the only case with an issue there but it supposedly will fit at 9.6" (and will if you remove the HDD cage 10.6"max).

Cases with Handles:
Some Thermaltake Lanbox models
Some SG04 models
Qpack 2

SUGO carrying bag does ok as well.

 

[NichoTL]

The Corsair 550VX is a an excellent quality PSU that's well worth the money.

Well that's not always the case. It is basically the only one made by Corsair that's generated dissatisfaction. If I remember right (dunno if that's still the case) there were 2 OEMs making it so quality was fairly unequal. Luck of the draw I guess. I bought one last year, and it was noisy (compared to the HX520 I got later) - all in all not super noisy but too noisy for me. Fan noise and coil whine is what I experienced. I remember at the time going into forums and discovering a certain number of people with the same experience. For what it's worth.

 

[Dangman]

Theres always been one manufacturer for the Corsair 550VX: CWT. Also the issues you're describing happened very rarely.

No Corsair PSU has ever generated 100% satisfaction nor have they generated heavy unsatisfaction. Besides, I've seen the PSU selection in China: The Corsair really is one of the best options for the OP where he lives.
Posted via [H] Mobile Device

 

[KrylonArt]

Why not get the 5770 instead of the 4850? Do you already have the 4850?

 

[Skott]

silk,

There is no magically answer for the case question. There are some differences but it really is coming down to what you like. You are looking at a 9.5" GPU right? The thermaltake lanbox might be the only case with an issue there but it supposedly will fit at 9.6" (and will if you remove the HDD cage 10.6"max).

Cases with Handles:
Some Thermaltake Lanbox models
Some SG04 models
Qpack 2

SUGO carrying bag does ok as well.

Just to add to Steeeeve's suggestions if you see a case you like but it doesnt have a handle you can choose a bag like he suggests or a carrying harness. These are cheap easy solutions to get around the handle issue.

On a separate note if your confused over the Corsair 550VX debate the 520HX will more than do the job you outlined. Assuming its available to your area. its quiet, efficient, and plenty powerful.

 

[silk186]

About the case, i will take a look today and see what fits my needs and ask about the carrying case.

PSU: to Danny Bui- is corsair the brand I should focus on here or are there any others, I will need to get a friend to translate company names and ask around.

GPU: is the 5770 a better value then the 4850? I didn't look to closely, just looking for good value and something that can perform well for a while. Does brand matter much for these cards?

 

[Dangman]

About the case, i will take a look today and see what fits my needs and ask about the carrying case.

PSU: to Danny Bui- is corsair the brand I should focus on here or are there any others, I will need to get a friend to translate company names and ask around.

GPU: is the 5770 a better value then the 4850? I didn't look to closely, just looking for good value and something that can perform well for a while. Does brand matter much for these cards?

Yeah Corsair or Antec (Not their Basiq line) are the brand you should focus on. Those were the only good ones I recall seeing when I was in China for a few weeks.

GPU wise, the HD 5770 is a good choice and it is faster than the HD4850.

 

[xanvincent]

as far as PSUs go, generally good brands are Corsair, Seasonic, PC Power and Cooling, and upper level Antecs like Danny Bui said.
Your GPU selection should be between the HD4770 or the HD5770. These have lower power consumption and perform on par with the HDx850. The 5770 is better than the 4-series and is also DX11 capable.