Looking for Case,MB, CPU

[Arnold62]

Hello [H] !!

I just filled out the form to make things easy.



1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming (MW3, WoW), Web browsing, HiDef Video Streams, Music

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I want to keep it below $500 for the parts that I need, but I'm willing to spend more if it is worth it.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Milpitas, CA (San Jose Area)

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, Mainboard, Case



5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Reusing: 2x4GB G.Skill F3-10666CL9-4GBSR, Samsung F3 1TB HD103SJ
Bought Today: Antec Neo Eco 620w, M4 128GB SSD, MSI TWINS 560ti 448 1GB

6) Will you be overclocking?
no

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920x1080 24''

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

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)? etc.
USB 3.0, Sata 6GB

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I own a 64bit win7

Arnold

 

[Dangman]

$190 - Intel Core i5-2400 CPU
$113 - Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
----
Total: $323 shipped

I went with Amazon.com since they do not charge CA residents tax like Newegg has to. As for the cases, I recommend the following cases:
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Arctic White ATX Case
$125 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Case
$130 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver Arrow ATX Case
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$110 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$125 - 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
$143 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA 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
$190 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

 

[Arnold62]

$190 - Intel Core i5-2400 CPU
$113 - Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
----
Total: $323 shipped

Thanks Danny Bui!

Is it worth to upgrade to the 2500k for $30?

Do I need a SSD mounting bracket for the M4 or can I just leave it "hanging" somewhere inside the case?

I was shocked about the size of the 560ti, will it fit fine if I get the Corsair 400R case?

 

[Dangman]

Is it worth to upgrade to the 2500k for $30?

Since you're not planning on overclocking, no not worth it.

Do I need a SSD mounting bracket for the M4 or can I just leave it "hanging" somewhere inside the case?

If you go with the 400R case, you don't need to buy a bracket since the case already supports SSD sized drives. But yes you can leave a SSD taped the sides or bottom of the case.

I was shocked about the size of the 560ti, will it fit fine if I get the Corsair 400R case?

Yes

 

[Arnold62]

Thank you! almost ready to order If I want to futureproof myself, what cpu and MB would you recommend?

 

[Dangman]

Thank you! almost ready to order If I want to futureproof myself, what cpu and MB would you recommend?

You can't "future proof" anything these days man. But to cya, what exactly do you mean by "future proof"?

 

[E4g1e]

You can't "future proof" anything these days man.

Agreed. Buying a higher CPU in the same line only buys the OP a few months of additional effective life at most.

 

[Arnold62]

Like, add another 560ti foe SLI, ivy bridge and some overclocking if I ever
get into it.

And I'll add another 1TB drive as soon as the prices get back to normal.

 

[Dangman]

Like, add another 560ti foe SLI,

You might need a larger PSU for that. But might be doable off that Neo Eco 620C

ivy bridge

Unfortunately no one knows for sure which mobos will actually support Ivy Bridge when it comes out. However mobos that state "PCI-E 3.0 support" has a higher chance of working with Ivy Bridge as you need IB in order to get PCI-E 3.0 support. The cheapest PCI-E 3.0 supporting mobo that I can recommend is this (assuming that Newegg is shipping the rev 1.3):
$150 - Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard

However note that an IB upgrade might not be cost-effective as Intel is planning on switching platforms entirely in 2013.

and some overclocking if I ever
get into it.

Well that's an additional $60 or so if you plan on overclocking past 3.6Ghz. That's $30 more for the 2500K and $30 more for the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ HSF. However if you OC, that might means that you really don't need an upgrade to Ivy Bridge unless Ivy Bridge has some surprising performance increases over their SB counterparts.

 

[Arnold62]

Thanks Danny, I'll stick with your first suggestion

 

[DirtyB]

If you live near a microcenter get the 2500k bundle with that gigabyte mobo

Definitely get this case while you can, it's a steal for $80

Edit price went back up

 

[Arnold62]

If you live near a microcenter get the 2500k bundle with that gigabyte mobo

Definitely get this case while you can, it's a steal for $80

Edit price went back up

Thank you, I already ordered everything immediately after my last post!

Mobo/Cpu will arrive tomorrow, Case on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[Arnold62]

What is the proper way to configure a SSD? I want the OS and some programs on the SSD, documents, music and videos on the 1TB HDD. Do I have to do it manually for every file/program?

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Well when you install a program, it should ask you where you want to install it. You'll need/want to select the HDD in this case. As for the documents, music and other directories you can map them to the HDD as well, this can be automatic.

 

[Arnold62]

As for the documents, music and other directories you can map them to the HDD as well, this can be automatic.

How do I do that in Win7?

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Google it. I don't remember the exact steps, but I did it to my friends computer who has a 128GB SSD and a 1TB HDD. All his documents, downloads, music, etc.. directories are stored on the HDD while everything else is on the SSD. When he installs something, depending on what it is, he selects the appropriate location with the exception of Steam, which always installs on the SSD, but they have a program that will allow you to easily move Steam installs to a different location. (Or it can be done manually, that program is quicker though)

 

[Arnold62]

Build complete and runs like a champ! Thanks everyone!


Wish I went with a modular PSU... And stock HSF is kinda loud.

 

[Deleted member 88227]

Modular is nice, but not really needed.

However, the stock HSF is load indeed... if you want a cheap aftermarket cooler that's proven to be reliable and well worth the money then go with this unit.

$29.99 - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

If you don't want to spend the money on it right now, just keep an eye on it. Sometimes you can see it for as low as $25 shipped.