New Build thread, need help :)

[eric335]

Hey all,

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

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
About ~$1500, with the two included

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

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.
Everything including monitor/keyboard.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None, i have POS laptop....

6) Will you be overclocking?
Most likely

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

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next two months

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.
Im not sure....

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No.


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My budget is around ~$1500, and im trying to build a Windows 7 gaming computer. My theory is that if a computer can handle high-intensity games, then it can handle Photoshop/Dreamweaver/Firefox Anyways, ive been a software guy my entire life and this is my first dive into the hardware side, and i need some help. Ive selected a couple parts already, but im not sure if they will fit within my budget with everything else i need..... Please go easy, im new to hardware as a whole

Please click the hyper-links to see which specific product it is...

Build so far (will be updated with your recommendations): Price: ($US)

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case with USB 3.0, Black Interior and Four Fans $140 w/ rebate

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $120

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W $230

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $55


And that is it so far. Im still missing the PSU,GPU, harddrives, etc. I do NOT have left-over monitors/mouses/keyboards to use, so ill need recommendations for a good monitor.

Please feel free to advise me against what i have, if you believe it is not what i need or there is better for the same $ or less.



Please remember my budget!
-Eric

 

[eric335]

Added 10 initial questions

 

[JTC428]

what kind of graphics card did you have in mind, or were you just going with integrated?

And If your planning on overclocking, 1600 hundred is fine but you might want to invest in higher, maybe 1833 or 2133, depends on what you plan to do.

 

[yojimbo]

Hi there,

First, your reasoning is quite sound, in that a gaming system will handle Photoshop with no problems.

However, that is probably my first concern: Since you are dealing with Photoshop, how color accurate does your monitor need to be? If it needs to be rather accurate, the monitor alone could eat up a good chunk of your budget because you'll have to opt for an IPS display of some sort. (E.g.: A 'meh' IPS 23" 1920 x 1080 display will set you back $250, or about 1/6th your total budget)

Also, when I advise friends on building their systems, the case is almost the last thing you should think of. It's the home to all of your components, but you don't really know what kind of home they need until you've gathered everything else together. If you're worried about your budget, a $160 case might be a bit much.

After that, your core components are decent - first-timers tend to over-think their CPU, RAM, and motherboard decisions. Just be sure to cover up that CPU with a good heatsink.

General suggestions for the rest of the build:

A SSD - Either as a boot volume or for caching, whatever floats your boat - I prefer the former over the latter because I don't like my critical files and my OS living on the same drive. I like Crucial and Samsung, but most major brands crank out a decent product.

A decent-sized hard drive - Whatever sized 7200 RPM drive you can afford. I have no brand preference, mostly because I'm not counting the seconds it takes to open a PS file or load a game, and I've had one of each of the major brands crap out on me at some time or another. (PS: Don't ever, ever ship your hard drive by UPS - if it says 'fragile contents' on the outside of the box, it's a football to them.)

A nVidia graphics card - One of the few places I have a brand preference at the moment (and it could change, as it has before). For the moment, AMD makes decent silicon, but their drivers are a bit of a hot mess. Nvidia's drivers are better, and, assuming your version of Photoshop is recent, you'll get decent GPU acceleration when applying a number of effects to layers (y'know, the ones where you can click 'Apply,' walk away, make a pot of coffee, come back, and it might be done by then). There's a mythical replacement to the decidedly cheap & cheerful GTX560Ti in the works, but I haven't heard a peep as to when it'll see the light of day. If you can spring for it, there's always the GTX670, which should last you a good while. Read the recent [H] reviews to get an feel for gaming performance.

A decent power supply that accommodates your components - Firstly, use a power calculator to total your maximum electrical needs. Then add an extra 25% to that maximum power draw - you never want the thing that powers your computer to run at 100% if you can avoid it. Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, and Silverstone have all done well in my systems (currently using a Seasonic X-650).

A case that has fans to cool the hot spots - BitTech.net did some research a while back with a Fractal Design Define case and a handful of fans, and they basically came to the conclusion that a good enclosure has fan slots in enough spots to aim cool air at hot components from whatever angle possible. Your mileage may vary, and you may have to play around a bit to find the best combination of intake and exhaust.

I know it's not all specific component suggestions, but it's not my computer. You'll probably be happy with whatever you buy because it's hard to go wrong these days.

Have fun with it.

 

[tiraides]

Since this is your first time, I have a few more questions to ask you:

What games are you going to play? At what level of visual quality?

Besides gaming, Dreamweaver/Photoshop, and Firefox, what are you going to use this computer for?

Approximately how much data from your POS laptop would you like to keep for future use or reference?

How far were you planning on overclocking your processor?

What's "everything"? I understand that you need the entire PC tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers (or headphones)... anything else?

Do you leave near a brick-and-mortar computer store like Tiger Direct/CompUSA?

If we were to spot you with a complete build list, would you be able to buy everything this weekend? If not, when (specifically, within the next couple of months) are you most likely to buy everything? (Don't say that you'll buy everything piecemeal -- it will be easier for us and for you to grab everything in one fell swoop.)

 

[eric335]

what kind of graphics card did you have in mind, or were you just going with integrated?

And If your planning on overclocking, 1600 hundred is fine but you might want to invest in higher, maybe 1833 or 2133, depends on what you plan to do.

Im not sure, thats why i am here. Im simply looking for the best graphics card that can stay within my budget.

Hi there,

First, your reasoning is quite sound, in that a gaming system will handle Photoshop with no problems.

However, that is probably my first concern: Since you are dealing with Photoshop, how color accurate does your monitor need to be? If it needs to be rather accurate, the monitor alone could eat up a good chunk of your budget because you'll have to opt for an IPS display of some sort. (E.g.: A 'meh' IPS 23" 1920 x 1080 display will set you back $250, or about 1/6th your total budget)

Also, when I advise friends on building their systems, the case is almost the last thing you should think of. It's the home to all of your components, but you don't really know what kind of home they need until you've gathered everything else together. If you're worried about your budget, a $160 case might be a bit much.

After that, your core components are decent - first-timers tend to over-think their CPU, RAM, and motherboard decisions. Just be sure to cover up that CPU with a good heatsink.

General suggestions for the rest of the build:

A SSD - Either as a boot volume or for caching, whatever floats your boat - I prefer the former over the latter because I don't like my critical files and my OS living on the same drive. I like Crucial and Samsung, but most major brands crank out a decent product.

A decent-sized hard drive - Whatever sized 7200 RPM drive you can afford. I have no brand preference, mostly because I'm not counting the seconds it takes to open a PS file or load a game, and I've had one of each of the major brands crap out on me at some time or another. (PS: Don't ever, ever ship your hard drive by UPS - if it says 'fragile contents' on the outside of the box, it's a football to them.)

A nVidia graphics card - One of the few places I have a brand preference at the moment (and it could change, as it has before). For the moment, AMD makes decent silicon, but their drivers are a bit of a hot mess. Nvidia's drivers are better, and, assuming your version of Photoshop is recent, you'll get decent GPU acceleration when applying a number of effects to layers (y'know, the ones where you can click 'Apply,' walk away, make a pot of coffee, come back, and it might be done by then). There's a mythical replacement to the decidedly cheap & cheerful GTX560Ti in the works, but I haven't heard a peep as to when it'll see the light of day. If you can spring for it, there's always the GTX670, which should last you a good while. Read the recent [H] reviews to get an feel for gaming performance.

A decent power supply that accommodates your components - Firstly, use a power calculator to total your maximum electrical needs. Then add an extra 25% to that maximum power draw - you never want the thing that powers your computer to run at 100% if you can avoid it. Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, and Silverstone have all done well in my systems (currently using a Seasonic X-650).

A case that has fans to cool the hot spots - BitTech.net did some research a while back with a Fractal Design Define case and a handful of fans, and they basically came to the conclusion that a good enclosure has fan slots in enough spots to aim cool air at hot components from whatever angle possible. Your mileage may vary, and you may have to play around a bit to find the best combination of intake and exhaust.

I know it's not all specific component suggestions, but it's not my computer. You'll probably be happy with whatever you buy because it's hard to go wrong these days.

Have fun with it.

Thanks for the info!

Monitor:
As far as the monitor goes, im not sure which route to go. I dont need perfect color quality, as my PS'ing is simply for personal use, not a big deal. I originally looked at the Asus 238Q, but its $300, which takes up a large portion of my $. What would be your recommendation for a monitor that would be good for gaming? (I was advised to go with a 1920x1080/1200 or higher monitor).

Case:
I agree that my choice in case is a little expensive, but im not sure what to look for when it comes to cases/fans. I was drawn to that one b/c it looks nice AND has 4 fans already. Could you give me a couple reasonable examples of cases? What company makes cases that you think would better suit my budget?

As for the rest of the things i need, what would you recommend? I honestly dont know where to start...

Is my mobo choice alright? Being new to the hardware scene, ive never heard of the Gigabyte brand.

For RAM, is 8GB enough for gaming or is 16 GB more accurate?

If you could just point me in the direction of where to look/read/learn, id appreciate it a lot.

....I copied/pasted your message w/ answers......

What games are you going to play? At what level of visual quality?

-games like BF3 and the upcoming MMO Guild Wars 2 (not sure yet, but i love mmo's). Id like to be able to run a maximum visual level on the majority of games (on very intensive games i understand i might not be able to).

Besides gaming, Dreamweaver/Photoshop, and Firefox, what are you going to use this computer for?
Honestly just internet browsing and DreamWeaver. I also have simple programs like Apache/PHP/MySQL running on my laptop for use with my Dreamweaver projects.

Approximately how much data from your POS laptop would you like to keep for future use or reference?

Not much, and what i do need i can download again or use my flash-drive to transfer. No worries in this area.

How far were you planning on overclocking your processor?

Im new to the hardware side of things, so i cant really answer this. Ive never tried it before, but would like to learn. So a moderate OC probably.

What's "everything"? I understand that you need the entire PC tower, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers (or headphones)... anything else?

entire PC tower, montor, keyboard, mouse, and speakers. Thats it. I could re-use the mouse i currently have to save some $$ though. Its a decent Microsoft mouse (not a gaming one, but its not bad).

Do you leave near a brick-and-mortar computer store like Tiger Direct/CompUSA?

About 45 minutes from a Tiger Direct, and about 50 minutes from a CompUSA. So if i need work/parts, its within driving distance

If we were to spot you with a complete build list, would you be able to buy everything this weekend? If not, when (specifically, within the next couple of months) are you most likely to buy everything? (Don't say that you'll buy everything piecemeal -- it will be easier for us and for you to grab everything in one fell swoop.)

If its within my budget, yes, i have the cash. Im on vacation at the moment, but once im home in about 2 weeks, i plan to start buying and building. Some non-critical parts i might wait for to go on sale though, such as the speakers/sound card/fancy mouse/etc....

 

[eric335]

Id like to go through the build part by part, so i guess we can start with the mobo/cpu

My initial choice for the CPU was the i5-3570k Ivy Bridge. Would this be plenty of CPU for a gaming build or should i re-invest some other 'parts money' into the i7 instead?


As for the mobo, is the Gigabyte goood or should i go with this ASUS mobo ?


Not sure as to what to look for in these two.

 

[Kty]

You don't need Ivy-Bridge. Get a i5-2500k. Also get a Coolermaster Hyper 212+ for an extra $15. It will easily mild overclock. For Mobo, I have an MSI P67A-G43 and I love it. Along with my $179.99 GTX 560Ti I max BF3 on 1920x1080 with 60+ fps. There's $465 for you, now you have $1,035 to spend on a case(I recommend the the $99 NZXT Crafter 410-your color choice-), power supply (over 600w, you'll want modular-something like the Thermaltake TR2 TRX-650M which is $85), solid state drive (Corsair Force 3 GT is very good, get 60GB for your boot drive prob like $70), monitor-27" 1080p (ASUS VE278Q) which is $319) so after all that you're looking at $1140~ If I were you I'd add another GTX 560 ti and you'll max BF3 ultra everything with full Blur, AA, MSAA, and all the eye candy.

IMO though, it was my first build^.

 

[eric335]

I might make a new thread on it but here is what i have put together so far. Please, id like to slim down the costs by about $100 or so. If i have something in here that is too expensive for what i need, just tell me!

My cart...





Ill upload URLs in 1 second...


CASE
NZXT Phantom Full Tower White Steel $130

CPU
Intel i5-3570k Ivy Bridge $230

CPU COOLER
Cooler Master 212 EVO $35

MOBO
Asus Z77 Somethingoranother $140

RAM
CORASIR Vengeance 8GB (2 X 4GB) $55

PSU
Corsair Enthusiast 750W $110

HARDDRIVE AND SDD
HD:
Barracuda 2tb $120

SSD:
Samsung 830 SSD $130

GPU
MSI R7850 $240

OPTICAL DRIVE
Lite-on optical drive $20

OS
W7 Home Prem 64-Bit $100

KEYBOARD
To save some cash and still have a sweet keyboard:
Microsoft X4 SIDEWINDER $47

MONITOR
asus vs248h-p $205



That should be it!

The total cost:

$1608


Now help me slim it down to slightly under 1500$ please!

 

[Dangman]

Ditch that RAM: it's a tad overpriced and its tall heatsinks will interfere with many 3rd party HSF. I recommend this RAM instead:
$46 - G.Skill F3-1600C9D-8GAO Ares Series 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM

GPU wise, I would not go with the GTX 560 Ti these days since its 1GB of VRAM will become a major limitation later on. Not to mention that it appears that the current version of Adobe Photoshop might work a tad better with AMD cards than Nvidia. I recommend the HD 7850 instead:
$240 - MSI R7850 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB PCI-E Video Card

SSD wise, the Samsung 830 is a very good SSD. However due to your budget, you should drop that SSD and go with this just as reliable and almost as fast Crucial M4:
$120 - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SSD

DVD burner wise, find a burner that has free shipping as that'll usually lower your cost. For example the DVD burner you chose has a $5 shipping charge. So the total would be $22 shipped for that burner. However right you can get this DVD burner with free shipping $2 less:
$20 - Lite-on DVD Burner

HSF wise, drop down to the regular Hyper 212+ as the Evo isn't all that much better to justify that extra $5:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

Buy the CPU and motherboard from this combo link before August 1st and it'll knock off $25:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.959055

PSU wise, you don't need anywhere near a 750W PSU. You'll be fine with a solid 650W PSU. If you're not overly attach to that NZXT case, I recommend this case and PSU combo if, again, you can buy before August 1st:
$205 - Corsair TX650 V2 650W PSU + Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case

August 1st is when those combo deals expire. Hence why tiraides asked earlier how soon you could buy the parts as we use Newegg combo deals to save you money. With all of the above changes, you should be at or under $1500.

 

[eric335]

Ditch that RAM: it's a tad overpriced and its tall heatsinks will interfere with many 3rd party HSF. I recommend this RAM instead:
$46 - G.Skill F3-1600C9D-8GAO Ares Series 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM

GPU wise, I would not go with the GTX 560 Ti these days since its 1GB of VRAM will become a major limitation later on. Not to mention that it appears that the current version of Adobe Photoshop might work a tad better with AMD cards than Nvidia. I recommend the HD 7850 instead:
$240 - MSI R7850 Twin Frozr 2GD5/OC Radeon HD 7850 2GB PCI-E Video Card

SSD wise, the Samsung 830 is a very good SSD. However due to your budget, you should drop that SSD and go with this just as reliable and almost as fast Crucial M4:
$120 - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SSD

DVD burner wise, find a burner that has free shipping as that'll usually lower your cost. For example the DVD burner you chose has a $5 shipping charge. So the total would be $22 shipped for that burner. However right you can get this DVD burner with free shipping $2 less:
$20 - Lite-on DVD Burner

HSF wise, drop down to the regular Hyper 212+ as the Evo isn't all that much better to justify that extra $5:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

Buy the CPU and motherboard from this combo link before August 1st and it'll knock off $25:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.959055

PSU wise, you don't need anywhere near a 750W PSU. You'll be fine with a solid 650W PSU. If you're not overly attach to that NZXT case, I recommend this case and PSU combo if, again, you can buy before August 1st:
$205 - Corsair TX650 V2 650W PSU + Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case

August 1st is when those combo deals expire. Hence why tiraides asked earlier how soon you could buy the parts as we use Newegg combo deals to save you money. With all of the above changes, you should be at or under $1500.

For the RAM you recommended, will i be able to OC that? Id like to start OCing and thats somewhat directing my mobo/gpu/cpu choices. Ive heard the 1600's are not good for OCing? Would 16gb of 2400 be better? Its only $50 more.

As for the optical drive, i took your advice and updated the links.

SSD: I think im going to keep the Samsung 830 and if i really need $10 more, ill go with your suggestion. Turns out i posted the wrong price and its $10 more than what you suggested. I edited it.



The CPU/mobo combo deal i will hop on, thanks!

As for the case/PSU, im very undecided on which case i like. I honestly am not sure which case to go with (i simply chose the NZXT Phantom because of the LCD and nice looks).

For the PSU, if i plan to add an extra graphics card/harddrives/etc later on, do you think i should stick with my original choice? Just wondering.


Thanks!

Eric

 

[Dangman]

For the RAM you recommended, will i be able to OC that? Id like to start OCing and thats somewhat directing my mobo/gpu/cpu choices. Ive heard the 1600's are not good for OCing? Would 16gb of 2400 be better? Its only $50 more.

No, DDR3 2400 is not a good choice. You don't need to OC the RAM with the current Intel platform as it'll do absolutely nothing besides increase your synthetic benchmark scores. So DDR3 1600 RAM will be fine even if you plan on OCin'g the CPU to 5GHz.

For the PSU, if i plan to add an extra graphics card/harddrives/etc later on, do you think i should stick with my original choice? Just wondering.

Nope.

 

[eric335]

No, DDR3 2400 is not a good choice. You don't need to OC the RAM with the current Intel platform as it'll do absolutely nothing besides increase your synthetic benchmark scores. So DDR3 1600 RAM will be fine even if you plan on OCin'g the CPU to 5GHz.


Nope.

Thanks for the info.

What case do you recommend if i decide not to go with the combo you posted? Im not sure if im loving the look of that case just yet...

What im looking for in a case:
-lots of fans
-able to see inside it (aka glass/clear plastic siding)
-LEDs or ability to custom mount some LEDs that will be visible later on
-mid-to-full tower size, idc if its either of the two as long as it has plenty of room for upgrades later on



Also,
is 8GB RAM enough for most gaming scenarios when combined w/ my other specs?

 

[Dangman]

Thanks for the info.

What case do you recommend if i decide not to go with the combo you posted? Im not sure if im loving the look of that case just yet...

Any of these cases:
$80 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$90 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$150 - Silverstone TJ04B-EW ATX Case
$155 - Thermaltake VN300M1W2N Chase MK-1 ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$162 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$164 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$178 - Silverstone RV02B-EW ATX case
$220 - Silverstone FT02S-W ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW ATX Case

Also,
is 8GB RAM enough for most gaming scenarios when combined w/ my other specs?

Yes

 

[eric335]

Any of these cases:
$80 - Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Case
$90 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-002OR Black Finish w/Orange Trim Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$150 - Silverstone TJ04B-EW ATX Case
$155 - Thermaltake VN300M1W2N Chase MK-1 ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600TM ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$162 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$164 - Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$178 - Silverstone RV02B-EW ATX case
$220 - Silverstone FT02S-W ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW ATX Case



Yes

I think ill stick with the NZXT case, then. It looks great, has a lot of room, LED, but the only thing i dont like is that there isnt any way to view the internals. Luckily my specs dont include any beautiful GPUs


Total price shipped at the moment:

$1577
$65 in mail-in rebates
=
$1536 shipped


with these free gifts:
$15 promo card
Dirt SHOWDOWN game download

 

[J Macker]

There are effectively 3 senses we use to interact with the computer; sight, touch and sound.
I think it is worth it to have a higher resolution better quality LCD at the sacrifice of other components.

I can completely envision a 27" Korean LCD for $300 fitting into this $1500 budget. It is only a $100 difference which can easily be made up by purchasing the SSD on sale for $30 cheaper and getting a cheaper case. Even with the $25 discount on the case is nice, but it's still effectively a $110 case. There's pretty good cases out there for $60.

I also agree Danny's recommendation against the GTX 560 Ti. It is a very old card to still be charging >$200. Some money could be saved by purchasing the video card used.

A used Radeon 6950 2GB would be about $170 and outperforms the 7850.

 

[DJ Big T]

Since you're in FL, might wanna check out some of these deals:
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/latest/index-landing.aspx?cm_sp=emailsub-_-homepage-_-promo just sign up for the email promo. I usually go for comparible but good parts that are on sale if I'm building a computer on a set budget.

 

[eric335]

There are effectively 3 senses we use to interact with the computer; sight, touch and sound.
I think it is worth it to have a higher resolution better quality LCD at the sacrifice of other components.

I can completely envision a 27" Korean LCD for $300 fitting into this $1500 budget. It is only a $100 difference which can easily be made up by purchasing the SSD on sale for $30 cheaper and getting a cheaper case. Even with the $25 discount on the case is nice, but it's still effectively a $110 case. There's pretty good cases out there for $60.

I also agree Danny's recommendation against the GTX 560 Ti. It is a very old card to still be charging >$200. Some money could be saved by purchasing the video card used.

A used Radeon 6950 2GB would be about $170 and outperforms the 7850.

The monitor i chose is, i believe, a high quality 24" Asus monitor. Are you saying its a bad choice? Its on sale for 205$ or so.

Also, i changed out the graphics cards to the one Danny recommended.

 

[eric335]

Since you're in FL, might wanna check out some of these deals:
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemail/latest/index-landing.aspx?cm_sp=emailsub-_-homepage-_-promo just sign up for the email promo. I usually go for comparible but good parts that are on sale if I'm building a computer on a set budget.

Thanks!

 

[DJ Big T]

Thanks!

Sure no problem, here are my other responses, take them with a grain of salt:

The monitor i chose is, i believe, a high quality 24" Asus monitor. Are you saying its a bad choice? Its on sale for 205$ or so.

Also, i changed out the graphics cards to the one Danny recommended.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593 if you can afford spending a bit more for the 570, it takes a bit more power but is still a good/better choice, IMO.

In terms of the monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...285-L06B&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite&AID=10440897 is on sale right now at Newegg, worth a look.

Also,
is 8GB RAM enough for most gaming scenarios when combined w/ my other specs?

8GB is more than enough for running a game, web browser, music, plus whatever background apps, etc.

RAM wise I'm running these which OC like a beast: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

 

[eric335]

How about this PSU instead of my previous one? They are the same price, both 750W, but this one also comes with a $20 Promo Card. Why not, right?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027


Also, i added some HDMI cables to my cart, they had great reviews and were like $5

 

[J Macker]

The monitor i chose is, i believe, a high quality 24" Asus monitor. Are you saying its a bad choice? Its on sale for 205$ or so.

Also, i changed out the graphics cards to the one Danny recommended.

The Asus LCD has a standard TN LCD in it.
http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

The 27" Korean LCDs have the same LCDs made by LG that are in the 27" Apple Cinema Display. Go to your local Apple store and see if you like the picture quality.

The 27" Korean LCDs have a smaller dot pitch that will produce sharper picture and text quality, has a wider viewing angle due to the IPS lcd and has 80% more pixels. The native resolution is 2560x1440 vs the standard 1920x1080. This is a substantial increase in available desktop space and better details in games.

Before you buy the Asus, go to your local Apple dealer and look at their 27" Cinema display. Then go to Best Buy and look at their Asus 24" LCDs. Then you can decide if it's worth $100 more. For me and thousands of others, the Korean LCDs are a godsend. We're basically giving up warranty and taking a chance on dead or stuck pixels to get a $1000 LCD for $300.

Please spend some time reading this thread:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1675393

For reference, I also purchased one of the best Asus LCDs 3 years ago, the Asus VW266H. I still have it and I hate it. The picture quality sucks. I will be hard pressed to ever buy a TN LCD again.

 

[eric335]

Sure no problem, here are my other responses, take them with a grain of salt:



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593 if you can afford spending a bit more for the 570, it takes a bit more power but is still a good/better choice, IMO.

In terms of the monitor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...285-L06B&PID=3891137&SID=rewrite&AID=10440897 is on sale right now at Newegg, worth a look.



8GB is more than enough for running a game, web browser, music, plus whatever background apps, etc.

RAM wise I'm running these which OC like a beast: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311

As for that video card, is it really much better than my currently selected one MSI R7850?

Also, the Asus monitor i have selected already has a faster refresh than the one you posted. And its only $6 more.

 

[DJ Big T]

How about this PSU instead of my previous one? They are the same price, both 750W, but this one also comes with a $20 Promo Card. Why not, right?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027


Also, i added some HDMI cables to my cart, they had great reviews and were like $5

That PSU appears to be a good choice.

As for that video card, is it really much better than my currently selected one MSI R7850?

Also, the Asus monitor i have selected already has a faster refresh than the one you posted. And its only $6 more.

No it's not. My mistake. I did a double check and that 7850 is at a very hard price to beat unless you go used.

 

[eric335]

The Asus LCD has a standard TN LCD in it.
http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

The 27" Korean LCDs have the same LCDs made by LG that are in the 27" Apple Cinema Display. Go to your local Apple store and see if you like the picture quality.

The 27" Korean LCDs have a smaller dot pitch that will produce sharper picture and text quality, has a wider viewing angle due to the IPS lcd and has 80% more pixels. The native resolution is 2560x1440 vs the standard 1920x1080. This is a substantial increase in available desktop space and better details in games.

Before you buy the Asus, go to your local Apple dealer and look at their 27" Cinema display. Then go to Best Buy and look at their Asus 24" LCDs. Then you can decide if it's worth $100 more. For me and thousands of others, the Korean LCDs are a godsend. We're basically giving up warranty and taking a chance on dead or stuck pixels to get a $1000 LCD for $300.

Please spend some time reading this thread:
http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1675393

For reference, I also purchased one of the best Asus LCDs 3 years ago, the Asus VW266H. I still have it and I hate it. The picture quality sucks. I will be hard pressed to ever buy a TN LCD again.

Did you use your Asus with an HDMI cable? Also, which specific monitor would you recommend then? Im trying to stick around 190-250$. How about this that was suggested earlier:
click here


The reviews of the Asus monitors have been positive so far

 

[DJ Big T]

BTW if you want to run just HDMI I am actually running a 22" variant of this monitor at home.

He is talking about an IPS panel, which is more expensive. IMO LED monitors with good color quality and brightness can be just as good as a cheap IPS panel (cheap in the sense that we are working with a particular set budget here.)

 

[J Macker]

As for that video card, is it really much better than my currently selected one MSI R7850?

No, the GTX 570 is not a better choice than the 7850, in my opinion. They are about equal in performance. The GTX 570 will overclock well, but it generates substantially more heat and uses 30% more power.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=518

The GTX 570 should cost less than the 7850 in order to be considered.

 

[J Macker]

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1675393

Did you use your Asus with an HDMI cable? Also, which specific monitor would you recommend then? Im trying to stick around 190-250$
..snip...
The reviews of the Asus monitors have been positive so far

There is no difference in picture quality between HDMI and DVI, arguably they are the same digital signal. I still currently use a DVI cable with my Asus vw266H. It is not an LED display, but that doesn't matter as it is purely marketing.
The Asus monitors are a TN. There is a world of difference between TN and IPS.

Have you seen an iPad? they have IPS screens.
Dell Ultrasharp monitors have e-IPS generally, but have a heavy anti-glare coating (non-glossy).

The Achievia Shimian LCDs on ebay cost $300 shipped. I recommend you reconsider the difference stretching to $300. I can't give enough praise about the Korean LCDs and the amazing bang/buck.

2560x1440 resolution!!!
IPS !!!

The only holy grail left is 120hz and IPS, but that hasn't been invented yet.

Seriously, step away from the computer and reviews. Go to your local Apple dealer. Play around on a 27" cinema display. Then leave the store and build your Windows 7 comp and order the Korean LCD for $300.
You won't be sorry.

Just go read the other thread and see how many happy people there are!

 

[Dangman]

I have to concur with J Macker actually: From what I've been reading, the quality of that monitor is worth the gaming performance hit you're gonna get.

 

[J Macker]

here's another guy's experience:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038910377&postcount=3098

holy ****. I am blown away by this awesome experience.

I ordered a Shimian QH270-LITE (with an offer of $305) from BigClothCraft on 7/4. It came in on 7/6 at 1pm EST. WHAT??? From Korea? That's insane. I was told I had a package and thought "there is no way it's the monitor." My jaw dropped when I saw the shape of the box.

Here is the unpacking:


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr


Untitled by gnychis, on Flickr
(Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh)

It is *gorgeous* and seriously, I mean stunning. Pictures won't do it justice. I really don't see why people knock the Shimians as being "cheap" ... yeah the stand is a little wobbly if you wobble it Otherwise it stands up straight and sits there just find. The material is plastic, but I think it looks great. The display itself, again, just gorgeous. For $305, I feel like I just robbed someone.

I did some initial backlight and pixel tests and I see absolutely no dead or stuck pixels and no backlight issues. I'm not examining it with a microscope, but I see absolutely no glaring issues. This is exactly what I wanted, and I'm glad I purchased it. I don't care to examine it super close and find faults. If I can't naturally see any, who cares.

Highly recommend it, and bigclothcraft.

 

[eric335]

No, the GTX 570 is not a better choice than the 7850, in my opinion. They are about equal in performance. The GTX 570 will overclock well, but it generates substantially more heat and uses 30% more power.
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=518

The GTX 570 should cost less than the 7850 in order to be considered.

You mustve mis-read what i typed or i typed it wrong, but yeah, i am going with the 7850 instead of the GTX 570 thanks!

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1675393

There is no difference in picture quality between HDMI and DVI, arguably they are the same digital signal. I still currently use a DVI cable with my Asus vw266H. It is not an LED display, but that doesn't matter as it is purely marketing.
The Asus monitors are a TN. There is a world of difference between TN and IPS.

Have you seen an iPad? they have IPS screens.
Dell Ultrasharp monitors have e-IPS generally, but have a heavy anti-glare coating (non-glossy).

The Achievia Shimian LCDs on ebay cost $300 shipped. I recommend you reconsider the difference stretching to $300. I can't give enough praise about the Korean LCDs and the amazing bang/buck.

2560x1440 resolution!!!
IPS !!!

The only holy grail left is 120hz and IPS, but that hasn't been invented yet.

Seriously, step away from the computer and reviews. Go to your local Apple dealer. Play around on a 27" cinema display. Then leave the store and build your Windows 7 comp and order the Korean LCD for $300.
You won't be sorry.

Just go read the other thread and see how many happy people there are!

Yes, my mother bought an iPad and i agree the screen is very nice. Is ebay the only way to get these Shimian LCDs?

I have to concur with J Macker actually: From what I've been reading, the quality of that monitor is worth the gaming performance hit you're gonna get.

here's another guy's experience:
http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1038910377&postcount=3098

Okay, okay, okay! Ill sign on

Could you give me the links to a few of these said 27" Korean LCDs for around $300?


Also, what is the refresh rate for these LCDs? Id imagine since these are IPS monitors that it would be rather slow and therefore not a good gaming solution

 

[J Macker]

You should read more about these LCDs. There are a few options;
i.e., with or without glass, which manufacturer and if you want additional video inputs.

if I recall correctly either the Shimian or Catleap has difficult to access VESA mounts. If that doesn't matter to you and you're never going to replace the stand, then it doesn't matter which brand. Some folks here have had good luck with PCBank and I bought a Crossover for the better stand.

Overall, I wish I'd have skipped the Crossover to save some money because I can't ever see myself using portrait mode.

I also recommend buying the LCD without glass because there is a high probability of dust particles being stuck behind the glass.

be aware that these are grade A - (that's A minus) meaning there is a chance for dead or stuck pixels.
Don't buy the "dead pixel" check though because there are quite a few folks to paid extra for it and still got stuck pixels. Most of the LCDs arrive fine, but even if you do get a dead or stuck pixel it's really hard to see it. I have one stuck green pixel on my screen but I have to be looking for it or on an all-black screen I can see it.

There a number of good sellers;
green-sum (i'd order from him because I've had multiple friends order from him and he's super quick)
bigclothcraft (also supposedly fast shipping according to a few [H] members)
red-cap
dream-seller (i ordered my crossover from him and he took 2 days before shipping)

I'd order this one without glass from green-sum

just search ebay for "2560x1440" and "buy it now"
it looks like about $310 is the going rate. They were $350-$400 initially and dropped down to $290. Price has been pretty stable around $305 for a while.

 

[eric335]

You should read more about these LCDs. There are a few options;
i.e., with or without glass, which manufacturer and if you want additional video inputs.

if I recall correctly either the Shimian or Catleap has difficult to access VESA mounts. If that doesn't matter to you and you're never going to replace the stand, then it doesn't matter which brand. Some folks here have had good luck with PCBank and I bought a Crossover for the better stand.

Overall, I wish I'd have skipped the Crossover to save some money because I can't ever see myself using portrait mode.

I also recommend buying the LCD without glass because there is a high probability of dust particles being stuck behind the glass.

be aware that these are grade A - (that's A minus) meaning there is a chance for dead or stuck pixels.
Don't buy the "dead pixel" check though because there are quite a few folks to paid extra for it and still got stuck pixels. Most of the LCDs arrive fine, but even if you do get a dead or stuck pixel it's really hard to see it. I have one stuck green pixel on my screen but I have to be looking for it or on an all-black screen I can see it.

There a number of good sellers;
green-sum (i'd order from him because I've had multiple friends order from him and he's super quick)
bigclothcraft (also supposedly fast shipping according to a few [H] members)
red-cap
dream-seller (i ordered my crossover from him and he took 2 days before shipping)

I'd order this one without glass from green-sum

just search ebay for "2560x1440" and "buy it now"
it looks like about $310 is the going rate. They were $350-$400 initially and dropped down to $290. Price has been pretty stable around $305 for a while.

Good idea on skipping the glass b/c of the dust factor.

Also, thanks for your help! Ill take a look at these monitors later, but i just wanted to stop in and say thanks!

EDIT: Is 6ms too slow for a gaming computer...? Ive heard it might be
-Eric

 

[J Macker]

I haven't had any problems and find that gaming works just fine. But I've never use an lcd at 120hz and I'm not a competitive FPS player. I just play FPS casually and it works fine.

 

[eric335]

I haven't had any problems and find that gaming works just fine. But I've never use an lcd at 120hz and I'm not a competitive FPS player. I just play FPS casually and it works fine.

Thanks for the info!

As far as SSDs go,

should i go with the Samsung 830, Crucial M4, or OCZ Vertex 4? I have the OCZ in my cart now since it was cheaper than the Samsung...

 

[tiraides]

The Samsung 830 is currently under a weekend special price of $120 (with promo code EMCYTZT1899, which expires at midnight tonight). Get it tonight!

(Otherwise, go with the Crucial M4.)

 

[eric335]

The Samsung 830 is currently under a weekend special price of $120 (with promo code EMCYTZT1899, which expires at midnight tonight). Get it tonight!

(Otherwise, go with the Crucial M4.)

Cant buy everything tonight

Otherwise, the Crucial M4 is better than the Samsung? I dont mind paying 20$ more if its faster. I just want the fastest 128GB SSD around that 100$-150$ mark.



Also, i chose a case!
NZXT Phantom 410 Mid tower $100

It looks awesome, has USB 3.0, is slightly smaller than the Phantoms, and is only 99$. Will this fit most GPUs down the road? I plan to add a second GPU eventually.

 

[tiraides]

The fastest SSD is the Vertex 4, but Danny Bui and I have serious reservations about anything OCZ. The company has a long history of quality control and customer service issues. I'd recommend the comparatively more expensive Intel 520 over the Vertex 4 -- Intel makes reliable SSDs. But for your needs, go with either the Samsung 830 or the Crucial M4.

I haven't heard much about the NZXT Phantom 410 myself, but if it's anything like its big brother, you should be fine.

 

[Dangman]

Also, i chose a case!
NZXT Phantom 410 Mid tower $100

It looks awesome, has USB 3.0, is slightly smaller than the Phantoms, and is only 99$. Will this fit most GPUs down the road? I plan to add a second GPU eventually.

I don't recommend the Phantom 410. It seems more cramped than cases that cost around that price (Corsair 400R and 500R).

 

[eric335]

The fastest SSD is the Vertex 4, but Danny Bui and I have serious reservations about anything OCZ. The company has a long history of quality control and customer service issues. I'd recommend the comparatively more expensive Intel 520 over the Vertex 4 -- Intel makes reliable SSDs. But for your needs, go with either the Samsung 830 or the Crucial M4.

I haven't heard much about the NZXT Phantom 410 myself, but if it's anything like its big brother, you should be fine.

Hmmm, as far as the SSD goes, would it not be worth the worries/customer service?


And yeah, the case looks great but im worried about internal space, which was prompted by the poster below....

I don't recommend the Phantom 410. It seems more cramped than cases that cost around that price (Corsair 400R and 500R).

Then should i look at the Phantom Full tower instead for my build? Im hoping to later add an extra GPU to the mix. I just love the Phantom look of the 410, combined with the see-thru-panel it has.


This is a review i just read on the 410:

Pros: Very big case, make sure you measure if you are putting it in an enclosure of some sort. It's a little bigger then a mid size tower so be weary. VERY nice cable management options, can fit modern day graphics card with plenty of room to boot.

Cons: Shipping lost my first blah blah blah blah........


Pros: As for my first desktop build, I'm pretty happy with this case
1.Very Roomy, enough for my long EVGA 560Ti 448 Classified Ultra
2.Cool fans
3.Splendid Looking

I guess not? maybe ill risk it.