New Gaming Computer Build Check

Klade

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jul 21, 2004
Messages
158
I am building a new computer, but before I pull the trigger on the components I wanted to run it by the collective consciousness and find out if 1) I should be buying slightly different components for better performance/cheaper price or 2) My selected components are not compatible.

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K
$220​

ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink
$43​

SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
$145​

HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721075DLE630 (0F13179) 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$100​


Intel BOXDZ68BC LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

$190​

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$80​

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power
$95​

G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBSR
$50​

Sony Optiarc Black 12X Half Height Tray Blu-ray Writer SATA BD-5300S - OEM
$90​

Total = $1013

I am trying to keep it as close to or below 1k as I can. I will probably overclock this chip, but not by much, probably keep it at 3.5ghz. My house is air-conditioned but I still will have to worry about excessive heat in the summer (hence the non-stock cooling). Any help, advice, tips, or input would be greatly appreciated.

Edit: Here are the answers to the sticky (most of which are already answered but oh well)

1) I am going to be doing gaming and regular internet/word processor usage.
2) Budget is Approx 1k.
3) I live in the USA, specifically Maryland
4) The above is a list of the parts I need
5) I will not be re-using any parts
6) Slight overclock to 3.5 ghz
7) 1600x1050 is monitor resolution
8) Buying within the next 30 days, possibly within the next week.
9) The mobo needs to have SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0 and onboard sound
10) I have a legit copy of windows 7 64bit business professional already.
 
Last edited:
It would help if you answered the stickied "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we can help you better.

Though off the bat: The HSF, RAM, HDD, and mobo aren't good choices at all.
 
What specifically do you not like about hsf, ram and hdd? And do you have any suggestions for new ones?
 
Well to start:
1) The HSF is overpriced for the cooling performance it offers. This Coolermaster HSF provide similar cooling performance for less:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

2) The RAM isn't a good choice since Sandy Bridge platforms do not benefit that much from higher speed RAM. You would honestly not notice the performance difference between DDR3 1866 RAM and DDR3 1333 RAM unless you plan on running synthetic benchmarks all day. I recommmend this RAM instead:
$35 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM

3) That hard drive is a slow model IIRC. I recommend this Hitachi drive for $30 more since it's one of the fastest consumer grade drives out now:
$136 - Hitachi Desktar 7K1000.D HDS721010DLE630 1TB SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

The $28 I saved you from the first two items can be applied here.

4) That video card isn't a good choice for the money either as it comes out to $152 shipped. Not a good choice considering that the faster, longer warrantied, and better supported XFX HD 6870 costs only $18 more:
$170 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB PCI-E Video Card

5) That mobo isn't good for the money either nor does it appear that you need such an expensive mobo judging from your answer to question 9. Even if you wanted an expensive mobo for whatever reason, there are still better options for the money. I recommend the following mobos:
$115 - Gigabyte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$150 - MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard
$178 - Asus P8Z68-V Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
 
Sounds good to me!. I went ahead and updated my list to include the MSI mobo, heatsink, ram, and hard drive. I am not sure about that video card because reviews are commenting a lot about how loud it is. These big cards are all loud, but with everyone making special mention about just how loud this particular car is, it makes me wonder if it would be loud enough to be annoying.
 
It depends on how hard you'll be pushing the graphics card, and what case you have with what kind of fan setup.

What games will you be playing? More basic ones like WoW, HoN, etc, or very demanding games like BF3/MW3 etc? At what resolution? Do you want max settings?

If noise is a big concern for you, I'd suggest slightly upping your budget and getting either the Fractal Design mid-atx or Antec Performance P183. They provide excellent noise reduction with good cooling setups.

AMD stock fans are typically louder than Nvidia, but if you get a card by a third party with aftermarket cooling fans, honestly the sound produced won't really be audible above game sounds anyway unless you're running the fans at 100%, which you shouldn't need to unless you have it stuffed in a foam box.
 
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