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New build - Need advice finalizing things.

P

prollyneedhelp

n00b
Joined
Jul 21, 2008
Messages
32
Questions:
------------------------------------


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Photography work (Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom, etc.), gaming, web browsing, other basic tasks...

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
~$1500 total

3) Where do you live?
Southern California

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 + Cooler, Mobo, RAM, SSD (boot) / HDD (storage), Video Card, PSU

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Case + Fans -- Antec P182, Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Speakers

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes, would like to hit at least 4.0Ghz. Aiming for 4.2-4.5Ghz.

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
1920 x 1200 -- 24" HP ZR24W

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next few weeks

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, possible SLI Support for future

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 Ultimate x64 SP1



Tentative Parts:
------------------------------------


**CPU** - Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/intel-cpu-bx80623i52500k)

**CPU Cooler** - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1)

**Motherboard** - Asus P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) ATX LGA1155 (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-p8p67prorev30)

**Memory** - G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl8d8gbxm)

**SSD** - Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" CT128M4SSD2 (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/crucial-internal-hard-drive-ct128m4ssd2)

**Hard Drive** - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-hd103sj)

**Video Card** - EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/evga-video-card-012p31573ar)

**Power Supply** - Corsair 750W V2 ATX12V / EPS12V (http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cmpsu750txv2)



Notes:
------------------------------------


I'll be purchasing some parts locally and some parts online, wherever things are cheaper naturally. I'll hunt for deals.

CPU Cooler - Will the CM Hyper 212 Plus keeps the temps low enough and remain reasonably quiet for a ~4.2 - ~4.5Ghz overclock?

RAM - Edited. Open to any recommendations here.

SSD - Edited. Recommendations would be appreciated.



Thanks for reading! Any help would be awesome! :)
 
Last edited:
You don't need RAM faster than DDR3 1333; you'll be overclocking using the processor's unlocked CPU multiplier. If you can afford to, go with 16GB right off the bat.

Is it safe to assume that you live near a Fry's?

Go with the C300 or the 510. Look for the cheaper of the two (though I believe that the C300 and its successor, the m4/C400, is better performance-wise than the 320/510).

Many people have obtained excellent overclocking speeds using the Hyper 212 Plus.

You should consider the MSI P67A-GD65 over the Asus board.
 
Thanks for the input tiraides.

- I was unsure about the RAM speeds for this build and was merely thinking, bigger = better.
I will look for some other RAM and edit this post for further input. Feel free to suggest! :)
Edit: Regarding 16GB of RAM, is there a difference between purchasing 2 dual-channel kits versus 1 quad-channel kit?

- Yes, I am very close to a Fry's and Microcenter (they have the 2500k for $179.99!).

- I was unaware the Crucial M4 was the successor to the C300. Apparently it is quite new (?) I will definitely look into the M4.

- Any reasons to consider the MSI board over the Asus?
 
Look around for RAM prices, as sometimes it's cheaper to buy four 4GB sticks than two 2x4GB sets. (Oftentimes, they're both cheaper than a single 4x4GB set.) G.Skill is fine, but I don't believe that MC carries it (and I don't know about Fry's). Corsair, Patriot, and Mushkin are also good vendors.

There has been some reported problems with Asus P67 boards in general. Though the issues are likely a small percentage of all boards, it's a higher number than many of us expected coming from Asus. Then again, some people believe that MSI is a lower-tier brand compared to Asus and Gigabyte. But start with reading the [H]ard|OCP review of the P67A-GD65 to see whether or not it's a good alternative to you.
 
Since you live in SoCal, I highly recommend buying as much of your parts as possible from Amazon.com since they do not charge CA residents tax whereas Newegg does.
 
Danny Bui said:
Since you live in SoCal, I highly recommend buying as much of your parts as possible from Amazon.com since they do not charge CA residents tax whereas Newegg does.
Click to expand...

Oh wow! I wasn't aware of that. That should cut off a good bit of money if I can find all the parts.
Thanks for the info! :D
 
prollyneedhelp said:
Oh wow! I wasn't aware of that. That should cut off a good bit of money if I can find all the parts.
Thanks for the info! :D
Click to expand...

You can go with this RAM here:
$39 - Patriot PSD34G13332 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
 
As an Amazon Associate, HardForum may earn from qualifying purchases.
According to this article, http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/12, they basically state that 1600Mhz RAM is the 'sweet spot' for sandy bridge.

Since I'm obviously new to the SB platform, could you explain why you recommend 1333Mhz RAM over 1600Mhz? The price difference between them is quite negligible in most cases.
(hope that doesn't come off as offensive, I'm trying to learn :))
 
I'll take the advice from both of you and stick with the 1333.

Last question about RAM, is worth it to spend the few extra bucks for tighter timings?
I'm assuming no based off the benchmarks.
 
No. You'll only notice the difference in synthetic benchmarks. Stick with CL9 1.5V RAM.
 
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