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New Build; Would Like Input

Engine of End

Engine of End

n00b
Joined
Jul 5, 2006
Messages
12
Hello everyone.



Recently, I have been gifted some money and I have decided to replace my aging desktop. I have a particular build in mind, but I would like some input before committing to it. Before I list the build, here is what I plan to be using it for:
  • Internet browsing.
  • Photoshop, SolidWorks, MS Office, and programming (Java, Fortran, C++, C#).
  • Moderate gaming.
Now for the build itself:
  • Silverstone ST65F-G (650W, 80+ Gold Certified)
  • ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3
  • i5-3330 (Ivy Bridge, Quad-Core, 3.0GHz)
  • 8GB G.Skill Ares Series DDR3 1600 (2 x 4GB)
  • OCZ Vertex 4 SSD (128GB)
  • EVGA 660 Ti
Including a case ($50), DVD drive ($23) and two additional fans ($43), this build comes shy of $1100. I feel that I can take a bit off of this total, hence why I am here for your input.

Currently, my monitor has a native resolution of 1920x1080. When playing games, I would like to have the highest detail possible (including at least 2xAA). Would the 660 Ti be overkill for playing Battlefield 3 and Skyrim at this resolution? Right now, the video card is the most expensive component of the build, and I want to make sure I am not going beyond what is needed.

This may be perceived as a stupid question, but should I invest in a heatsink/fan for the processor? I will not be overclocking (the processor isn't a "K" anyway), and I'm inclined to think the addition of two intake fans would be sufficient for cooling this build. I am hoping I don't have to incur this expense.

Beyond that, I would like to add that I intend to have this build for a long time. Quite frankly, I don't have enough expendable income to continually upgrade a rig. I've chosen components that would be considered "the latest" in the hopes that I can stave off a significant upgrade for several years. I am quite excited to get this build underway, and I would greatly appreciate any feedback from you all.

Thanks for your attention.
 
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Please answer the following questions so that we can help you better:
1) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
2) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
3) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? UEFI? etc.
4) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
5) What case and fans were you planning on buying?

Though off the bat, the motherboard isn't a good choice considering that newer Z77 motherboards are now out. Not to mention that since you're not overclocking, I don't see a reason for you to spend more than $150 on a motherboard in general. The GTX 660 TI is just right for that resolution and those games.
 
I live in North Carolina, USA. I currently plan on buying these parts within the next week; going to need them for school. As far as motherboard features are concerned, I would prefer to have USB 3.0 and SATAIII available. UEFI is nice, but it is not required. I do have an OS key for Windows 7 Pro 64-bit. The case I am buying is an Antec One, and the intake fans are Silverstone 120mm Air Penetrators.
 
Ok, go for this CPU and mobo instead since this MSI should meet your needs just fine:
$287 - intel Core i5-3330 CPU + MSI Z77A-G43 Intel Z77 Motherboard

As for the PSU, there's no proper review of that PSU line. As such, I cannot recommend a PSU whose quality cannot be ascertained correctly. I recommend this confirmed quality and lower priced Seasonic instead:
$130 - Seasonic X650 Gold 650W Modular PSU

While that OCZ SSD appears to be a solid SSD, there are cheaper and equally quality SSDs out there from SSD companies with a less tarnished name:
$90 - Samsung 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5" 128GB SSD

If your photoshop and solidworks usage is really serious/heavy duty, then I would recommend going for a single 8GB set of RAM so that you can eventually upgrade to 32GB of RAM max without having to remove or replace any RAM. In fact, there's a fantastic deal on 8GB of RAM right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233269

So buy that today if you can.

Those changes should knock off around $120 off your build yet gets you the same level of performance and confirmed quality.
 
Engine of End said:
By the way, any need for a heatsink/fan or would I be alright with stock?
Click to expand...

If your home gets really warm or hot during the Spring and summer months, I'd recommend a 3rd party HSF like the Coolermaster Hyper 212+. If your home is cool all year round, then you'll be fine with stock.
 
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