New Gaming Rig Build

[lbj.]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
I'm a mechanical engineering student so nothing too fancy in terms of academic software: autocad/solidworks. The other things I will be doing are gaming and typical everyday web browsing
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
For the computer itself the budget is about $1500 not including taxes/shipping, and whatever the monitors will cost.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
Canada
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.
I currently have a laptop and would need an completely new build including the monitor. For the GPU I'm looking at either the 670 or 7850, depending on if I go multi-monitor setup.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I won't be reusing any parts.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes I will try to do some overclocking.
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
I don't have a monitor as of now and I'm not entirely sure what size I will be getting. I would like to try a 3 monitor build however and any advice on good monitors around $200 range each would be greatly appreciated.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 2-3 weeks or so.
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.
In terms of features, I would most likely only be looking at one SSD and one HDD, and won't really need RAID, etc. I'm assuming most boards now would have SATA 6gb/s and plenty of usb 3.0 as well.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
I do not, will most likely be looking at getting windows 7 pro (or home/ultimate, if anyone can point out the differences/whats best suited for me that would be great too).

 

[Sn0_Man]

Yay Canada!

Got a Memory Express nearby? Even if their prices are sometimes a few dollars behind, they have a fantastic price match system and I hate waiting for my parcels in the mail

Also I'm curious about your monitors. What games are you playing? Because at say 5760x1080 (3 1080p Monitors) neither of those cards is gonna exactly tear it up the way I see it. And personally I've heard a lot of stories of people who try 3-monitor setups and sell them in a month. However, there are definitely people who swear by Eyefinity/NVSurround (especially flight simulator and racing game fans).

I'd try to get a 27 Inch 2560x1440 monitor (or 30 inch 2560x1600) if I were you. However, unless you are getting the Korean ones those monitors are admittedly very expensive.

I could give you my thoughts on a parts list but the esteemed Danny_Bui will be through in a bit with sexy newegg links and everything, and I'm too lazy

 

[lbj.]

I live in Toronto and I just googled up Memory Express and doesnt look like theyre here. I'm pretty flexible with the budget, so I can live with something being a bit expensive (probably gonna get them from NCIX?).

As for gaming, I most likely wont be playing fps games like BF3, I'm currently playing CIV 5 right now and my first gen i7 laptop is getting killed on medium settings (I know its cpu intensive). I will probably start playing diablo 3 once I get this computer built and Guild Wars 2. Other games I play are the Total War franchise, GTA, etc.

I'm not sure if I will go 3 monitor, I think more likely it will be a 2 monitor setup where I game on one screen and use other monitor for other tasks. Would a 670 max out one 1080p monitor?

Another note is that I just started my co-op at AMD, so I can get some rebates from them.

 

[Sn0_Man]

Civ 5, GTA, Total War etc are all very CPU intensive, and not too bad on the graphics at all. A 670, for example, would let you run a 2560x1600 monitor with a side monitor at 1080p or similar quite easily for those games. If you can get a deal on AMD cards however, that changes things. Really, we need to know what kind of a deal you can get before we can make realistic recommendations. Unfortunately, with those games there is no way you are getting away with an AMD CPU so no rebate there. Most likely an i5-3570K but as I said before, Danny_Bui will hit you up with a perfect price list with links etc. soon haha.

If you are willing to overclock, which you mentioned, and can get a 7970 for $400 after your deals, I'd say take that over the 670. Otherwise, you could stick with the 7850, save some money, and stick with 2 1080p monitors 1 for gaming 1 for the side. Especially if you can get a deal on a 7850.

Really, you should visit a computer store that has 2560x1440 27 inch monitors (or 30 inch ones) and see what they feel like compared to 1080p ones. Then decide on your monitors. Once you have done that, we can optimize your build

 

[SolitaryOne]

too bad you dont have a memory express near by that you can use. if you are open to ordering parts online there are a few places that you can use.

www.directcanada.com and
www.newegg.ca

both of them have their merits, but i would suggest newegg if you are going to use a online retailer

 

[lbj.]

I have actually never heard of Memory Express before, is there something special that they do?

I would save about $75 on a $500 AMD 7970, and yes I'm staying away from AMD cpus for sure.

 

[J Macker]

And personally I've heard a lot of stories of people who try 3-monitor setups and sell them in a month. However, there are definitely people who swear by Eyefinity/NVSurround (especially flight simulator and racing game fans).

I'd try to get a 27 Inch 2560x1440 monitor (or 30 inch 2560x1600) if I were you. However, unless you are getting the Korean ones those monitors are admittedly very expensive.

I had an eyefinity setup for about 16 months and now I've switched to a single 27" with 2560x1440 resolution.

Eyefinity is great if you like First person shooters, flying, racing or Skyrim.
Aside from that, Eyefinity is no benefit for ARPGs such as Path of Exile or Diablo 3 and is not beneficial for RTS (Civ5) or team based -DOTA variants like League of Legends.

I would highly recommend purchasing one or two of the 27" South Korean LCDs. Just get the cheap Achievia Shimian brand off ebay from seller greensum and you'll be happy.

yes a GTX 670 would max out a 1080p LCD. However, I highly recommend a 2560x1440 or higher resolution.

Anandtech reports that Geforce cards don't have the lead in Civ5 like they used to. They're still competitive, but the Radeon 7870 is as fast as the GTX 680 according to anand. The only reason I think your laptop is suffering in Civ5 is because of the gpu. This review shows the i7 handling the game fine at high resolutions.

I think either video card you choose would handle Autocad & Solidworks just fine. I doubt you would see much if any difference in the system if you were to choose i5 2500k, 3570k or an i7. So I would choose the best i5 "k" cpu for the cheapest price and overclock it. It really boils down to the motherboards and if you'd rather have a Z77 chipset or the P67/Z68 chipset. I think the two major differences are native usb 3 and pci-e 3 on Z77 boards. Also I think the z77 boards will work fine with a Sandy Bridge cpu such as the 2500k.

I'm going to let Danny give links because he's so good at it.

 

[lbj.]

I forgot to mention I play Skyrim too, thanks for reminding me. My laptop is only about 1.5 years old, but I just missed the upgrade to the SB processors at that time. It's still great with its i7-740qm and 460gtx, but just feel like it's the time to switch to a desktop.

I'm not worried about the AutoCad/Solidworks since I can run them at school with no problem and the computers there are at least 2-3 years old. I've done plenty of reading on cpu/gpu and have kept up to date with them so I know them well to know what to get, I'm just not that informed about the other stuff, espeically monitors.

 

[Deleted member 126051]

Okay: Going off Newegg.ca
Factoring in the shipping cost (with an average of $8-9 for everything save the case which is $20)
Costs are rounded up to the nearest multiple of $5.00

$260: i5 3570K
$165: Asus P8Z77-V LK
$140: 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-1600C9D-16GXM
$455: EVGA or Asus or Galaxy Factory OC'ed GTX 670
$150: Corsair Force GT 120GB SSD
$130: Caviar Black 1TB HD (64MB cache)
$110: Corsair Carbide 300R Case
$ 85: Antec High Current Gamer 750W PSU
$ 80: Lite-On Blu-Ray Burner

Cost with shipping: $1575

$120: Windows Home Premium 64-bit OEM

As for monitors, not quite sure what you're looking for. So I haven't quoted.

 

[Sn0_Man]

Memory Express is good because they cater to exactly the type of crowd that shows up on this website. They are easily the best B&M chain in Canada, and their webstore is quite decent as well, (Although newegg is pretty hard to compete with). They are all in Western Canada though so that doesn't help you much.

I agree with J Macker about the monitor, but to each their own which is why I recommended that you find a place where you can look at 1440p beside 1080p and think about it. I have one of the Korean 27 inch monitors and its seriously nice. My GTX 670 handles it like a champ (but I don't play BF3 etc. Neither do you though).

Also curious: $75 off of a $500 7970, what can you get off of a cheaper 7970? say, this one. Although, it already has a rebate and you may not like HIS cards. Not much is on a good sale atm but give it a week...

EDIT: in reference to the post above me, Newegg often makes bulk shipping not cost the full amount for each thing so there is that.

 

[lbj.]

I didn't want to directly post the % rebate that I can get, so gave an example of the % discount that I can get

I lived in Vancouver before coming here for school, sucks that they don't have any here. I will go look at the monitors after work today and report back here exactly which kind I will be getting.

 

[Sn0_Man]

I didn't want to directly post the % rebate that I can get, so gave an example of the % discount that I can get

I lived in Vancouver before coming here for school, sucks that they don't have any here. I will go look at the monitors after work today and report back here exactly which kind I will be getting.

Alright, I think my math skills can handle it

Yeah, be prepared when you go to look at monitors, there is a TON to think about.

If I were you, I'd focus on the differences between 1080p and 1440p/1600p, as well as the differences between IPS and TN panels (or VA, I guess, but I don't recommend them). The sales clerk who shows you stuff (depending on the store) will happily say all sorts of garbage to make a sale. Just make sure you experience the colour differences between an IPS monitor and a TN monitor, and the resolution differences between a 22/24 inch 1080p and a 27/30 inch 1440/1600p monitor. All the monitors that you look at will have semi-decent response times for the games that you play (although you could move the mouse around and make sure it doesn't feel laggy) and there are a TON of other "selling points" the clerk will throw at you that 9 times out of ten you wont care about at all.

However, to each their own, have a look and see what you like

 

[J Macker]

Okay: Going off Newegg.ca
Factoring in the shipping cost (with an average of $8-9 for everything save the case which is $20)
Costs are rounded up to the nearest multiple of $5.00
$140: 16GB G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-1600C9D-16GXM
$150: Corsair Force GT 120GB SSD
$130: Caviar Black 1TB HD (64MB cache)
$ 80: Lite-On Blu-Ray Burner

Cost with shipping: $1575

I think 16GB is excessive. 8GB is more than enough for the next 3-4 years. Aside from that, it's usually more cost effective to get two 2x4gb kits than a 2x8gb kit. Also, the performance difference between 1333 and 1600 is really negligible from what I've read but it seems as though Newegg canada 2x4GB 1333 is the same price as their 1600. The 2x8GB kits there is a price difference and I would save $40 and recommend this 16GB kit instead:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233270

I disagree on the SSD recommendation due to price. The Crucial M4 256GB ssd is currently $180 in the USA. I would try to find a better price in canada.
I also disagree on the hard drive recommendation. Instead,
$140 for Samsung F4 2TB
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245

The blu-ray burner is not necessary. Get a regular DVD drive instead or a blu-ray reader.

 

[Deleted member 126051]

I think 16GB is excessive. 8GB is more than enough for the next 3-4 years. Aside from that, it's usually more cost effective to get two 2x4gb kits than a 2x8gb kit. Also, the performance difference between 1333 and 1600 is really negligible from what I've read but it seems as though Newegg canada 2x4GB 1333 is the same price as their 1600. The 2x8GB kits there is a price difference and I would save $40 and recommend this 16GB kit instead:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233270

Notice he's going to be doing Solidworks and CAD. These can be fairly memory intensive.
Hence my suggestion for more memory.
Additionally, while he saves a bit up front by either going down to 8 or doing 16 in 4x4, it makes his upgrade path more expensive.

I disagree on the SSD recommendation due to price. The ssd is currently $180 in the USA. I would try to find a better price in canada.

The one you're suggesting is $245 shipped on Newegg.ca I was making an attempt to stay within his budget while still delivering decent SSD performance.

I also disagree on the hard drive recommendation. Instead,
$140 for Samsung F4 2TB
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152245

Honestly, I don't care for Samsung's drive offerings. Every Samsung drive I've dealt with in the past few years has been nothing but problematic. They're cheap, yes. But that's about all they have going for them IMNSHO.

The blu-ray burner is not necessary. Get a regular DVD drive instead or a blu-ray reader.

A cheap Blu-Ray reader is about $10 less than the Blu-ray burner. $10 isn't going to bust his budget.

These are my opinions. Nothing more.

 

[lbj.]

Thanks guys for all the responses, this is what I have so far. I'm linking from newegg because I can't use links from ncix, I guess it's blocked on here.

The CPU + MOBO is a bundled deal for $390. The memory is slightly different, but basically the same, newegg doesnt have the "frostbyte" edition, but ncix's is that one.

I'm still doing my research on power supplies and case, as well as which video card to go with (the edition, type (7970, 680, 670, 7850, etc), and manufacturer).
Any input is much appreciated, and thanks again everyone!


i5 3570K Unlocked Quad Core CPU
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline Frostbyte 16GB 2X8GB PC3-12800 DDR3-1600 CL10
Intel 520 Series 120GB
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 6GB/S 7200RPM 64MB Cache

 

[Dangman]

I'm still doing my research on power supplies and case, as well as which video card to go with (the edition, type (7970, 680, 670, 7850, etc), and manufacturer).

If you have around $400 to spend on the GPU, go for the GTX 670. If you're on a budget, go for the HD 7850.

Case wise, I recommend the following cases:
$100 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R ATX Case
$100 - Antec 1100 ATX Case
$115 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Arctic White ATX Case
$120 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver Arrow ATX Case
$125 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black Pearl ATX Case
$120 - Lian Li PC-9F ATX Case
$120 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$130 - 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
$140 - Corsair Obsidian Series 550D ATX Case
$144 - Silverstone RV03B-WA ATX case
$150 - Silverstone TJ04B-EW 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
$162 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D ATX Case
$220 - Silverstone FT02S-W ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case

PSU wise, just go for the Corsair TX650 V2 and you'll be set.

Mushkin Enhanced Blackline Frostbyte 16GB 2X8GB PC3-12800 DDR3-1600 CL10

Not good RAM as it's rated at 1.6V. You want RAM rated at 1.5V or lower or otherwise you risk damage to the CPU.

Intel 520 Series 120GB

Good SSD but a tad pricey.

 

[lbj.]

Alright guys this is what I have and it's essentially the final version. The prices on the website do not reflect what I'm actually paying, since I'm buying from a different retailer.

$230 i5 3570k
$160 Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H
$65 Antec Eleven Hundred Performance Gaming Case (after $20 MIR)
$110 Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
$99 Corsair TX750 V2 750W ATX 12V Single Rail 60A (only $10 more than the 650W, so I was like meh)
$20 ASUS DRW-24B1ST 24X SATA DVD Writer (don't think I will ever use blue-ray? unless everything is becoming blu-ray in the future)
$50 G.SKILL Ripjaws X F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL 8GB 2X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Memory
$100 Intel 330 Series 120GB 2.5IN SSD (after $30 MIR)

Total is at $833.83 ($883.83 not counting the $50 MIR). Only need a gfx card at this point, and what cpu heatsink should I be looking at for overclocking? Also what thermal compound should I buy?

Thanks again for the help

 

[lbj.]

Oh and also I'm leaning towards getting a 7850 at this point, since the games I play just doesn't demand the best graphics performance. It seems idiotic to throw away $150+ for diablo and other more cpu-heavy games, as I don't play much fps games.

 

[J Macker]

6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes I will try to do some overclocking.

I think you need to buy a heatsink if you're going to overclock. The stock heatsinks aren't that good. I'd suggest a Coolermaster Hyper 212 only because I know it's good and very cheap. There's probably a few other $30 heatsinks out there that perform similarly.

As for thermal paste, I think Arctic Silver is overpriced. I got a big tube of Tuniq paste and it works well. Most of the pastes are within a few C of each other. You could use mayonnaise and it performs on par with the $5 per tube stuff.

Shh... don't tell the Arctic Silver guys that!

p.s., I think most heatsinks come with a little thermal paste, so I wouldn't worry too much about it, or just use mayo. Seriously.

DISCLAIMER:
You are subject to the consequences of your own actions. I am not liable for any damage to smelly hardware.

 

[AP514]

MX-4 is nonconductive.....$9 tube will last you a few builds...

Also the 212 will have its own paste in w/ the heat sink..if you want to save the $9......really good deal on the 212 at newegg ATM $19 after MiR..but i would not count on MiR's