New Gaming Rig

[Maullus]

First, let me say thanks to everyone that helped me out on my previous thread. I just built a new system for myself a couple weeks ago; only the second time I've built a system, and overall it was a great experience. (I did have to hop online and order a 3-pin fan extension, and a 2.5" to 3.5" converter for my SSD, but I'd say that's not a bad couple of hiccups to have to deal with.)

So again, big thanks to all the extremely helpful folks in my previous thread.

Now, it's time to build a system for my wife. On to the questions:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Primarily gaming. Assorted other stuff, but gaming is the most intensive thing she'll be using it for. Our current game is Guild Wars 2. It seems like it can really push the processor and the GPU.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Kind of spit-balling here, but I was hoping we could put together a really solid gaming system for her around $1000 with tax and shipping. My system was a little under that, but I'm still not sure how feasible that goal is.

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

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.

Case
Motherboard
Processor
Memory
Graphics Card
PSU
Storage (Mechanical and SSD, probably)
Optical drive
OS

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Only peripherals and monitor.

6) Will you be overclocking?
I'd like to avoid it.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1680x1050.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
We're aiming to place the order within the next 30 days 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.
I'm not sure... don't SSD need SATA 6Gb/s?

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No, we'd have to buy another copy of the OS.


A few last notes: I realize the choice is somewhat arbitrary, and that it restricts my options, but I'd like to stay with an Intel processor and an Nvidia graphics card.

Once again, thanks for the help.

 

[Dangman]

What's the likelihood of you being able to buy parts within the next ten days?
What's the specs of your new system? How is that handling GW2?

 

[Maullus]

Within the next ten days? Not very likely.

My system is:

Motherboard: MSI Z77-G43
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bride 3.40GHz
SSD: Crucial M4 2.5" 128GB
Graphics: EVGA Geforce (Superclocked) GTX 570
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W
Memory: 8GB (2x4GB) G.Skill Ripjaw series
OS: Win 7 64-bit

I cannibalized my old Cooler Master CM 690 case, an old optical drive, and a Seagate Barracude 750GB mechanical HD.

The performance in GW2, so far, has been very good. My card is running a littler warmer than I'm used to (~77 degrees). I'm down one fan in the case until the extension arrives, and I read that such temps on the card were actually still ok. Settings are almost all on high. FPS hovers in the 45-50 range, but has dropped a couple times to about 20.

I know I could just order all the same stuff for my wife's new machine, but I wasn't sure if that would be the wisest thing to do. I mean, if the next big thing is just around the corner, prices might drop on some newer/better stuff.

Anyway, thanks again for all the help.

 

[Dangman]

Within the next ten days? Not very likely.

Then please come back next month and bump up this thread then. By then we'll know what the October combo deals will be. Which means we can save you money.

I know I could just order all the same stuff for my wife's new machine,

Don't as two of those parts were bad buys: The GPU and PSU. Unless you got that GPU for $200 or less, you got ripped off. The PSU is also of low quality and something I would replace.

 

[Maullus]

Then please come back next month and bump up this thread then. By then we'll know what the October combo deals will be. Which means we can save you money.


Don't as two of those parts were bad buys: The GPU and PSU. Unless you got that GPU for $200 or less, you got ripped off. The PSU is also of low quality and something I would replace.

Well, I shared what you said about waiting until October to bump the thread and she said, "Screw it, let's do this." So I guess the new order date is ASAP. I think she's tired of taking turns on my system to play GW2. She just started a new job and wanted a little more time there, just for her piece of mind, I think, but the prospect of waiting that long apparently changed her mind. Sorry for the flakiness.


That sucks about the GPU and PSU. My mistake. I hate to impose on you when you're already helping me out, but would you mind elaborating on why those are poor choices? Only for my education, so I don't make a mistake like that again.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Dangman]

Well, I shared what you said about waiting until October to bump the thread and she said, "Screw it, let's do this." So I guess the new order date is ASAP.

Then I recommend this:
$245 - Core i5 3570 CPU + G.Skill Ripjaws Series F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM Combo
$210 - MSI Z77A-G43 Intel Z77 ATX Motherboard + Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit OEM Combo
$230 - eVGA SuperClocked 02G-P4-2662-KR GeForce GTX 660 2GB PCi-E Video Card
$110 - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SSD
$89 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$57 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
-----
Total: $991 shipped

W
That sucks about the GPU and PSU. My mistake. I hate to impose on you when you're already helping me out, but would you mind elaborating on why those are poor choices? Only for my education, so I don't make a mistake like that again.

The PSU is a poor choice because it's of low quality and not actually capable of its full wattage unless you keep it really really cool.

The GPU was just a horrible choice since it uses a ton of power, only has 1.2Gb of VRAM, and run hotter than more up-to-date video cards. Above the $200 mark, there are quite a few cards out there that have more VRAM, higher performance, runs cooler, and uses less power than that GTX 570. In fact, due to the combination of your low quality PSU and your high power video card, your chance of longevity is lower than the above setup I recommended above. So if anything, replace that OCZ PSU with the Antec I recommended above.

 

[Cod]

Maulius, are you close to either MicroCenter in the greater Atlanta area? If not, would you be willing to drive to one of them? I'm asking because the CPU/MoBo combos at MC are almost unbeatable.

 

[Maullus]

The PSU is a poor choice because it's of low quality and not actually capable of its full wattage unless you keep it really really cool.

The GPU was just a horrible choice since it uses a ton of power, only has 1.2Gb of VRAM, and run hotter than more up-to-date video cards. Above the $200 mark, there are quite a few cards out there that have more VRAM, higher performance, runs cooler, and uses less power than that GTX 570. In fact, due to the combination of your low quality PSU and your high power video card, your chance of longevity is lower than the above setup I recommended above. So if anything, replace that OCZ PSU with the Antec I recommended above.

Ouch. Live and learn I guess. Stupid mistake on my part.

That looks like an awesome set-up you suggested, though.

Maulius, are you close to either MicroCenter in the greater Atlanta area? If not, would you be willing to drive to one of them? I'm asking because the CPU/MoBo combos at MC are almost unbeatable.

Danny asked the same thing in my last thread. I'm about an hour away from both of them. I'd be willing to drive, but Danny said the savings wouldn't really be worth it considering the time and expense the trip would require.

 

[Maullus]

A couple questions:

1) Does that case have 2.5" HD slots? Or is that kind of standard these days? I ask because my case was a bit older and I had to but a 3.5" to 2.5" converter to seat the SSD in the slot.

2) Would this be a worthwhile purchase, instead of the Samsung HD?
$89 - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Edit: 3) Should I also pick up a heatsink for the CPU? My previous build I used one with Arctic Silver thermal paste. This time around I just used the stock cooler. I'm not really sure I've noticed a significant difference, but I wonder if it's wise to err on the side of caution. Does it matter that much?

Or is that another bad idea?

Thanks again for all the help.

 

[Dangman]

A couple questions:

1) Does that case have 2.5" HD slots? Or is that kind of standard these days? I ask because my case was a bit older and I had to but a 3.5" to 2.5" converter to seat the SSD in the slot.

You would need a 2.5" to 3.5" convertor with the above case. However you honestly don't need an adapter since you can just leave the SSD dangling or placed on the floor of the case or duct-taped somewhere. SSDs are a lot more flexible where you can place them

2) Would this be a worthwhile purchase, instead of the Samsung HD?
$89 - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

It appears to be a faster drive than the Samsung but the one HDTune shot I've been able to find of that WD Drive shows that it has a higher access time. So there's a chance it'll actually feel slower than the Samsung. It's a new drive so not much info about it has come out. But if that high access time was just a one-time fluke, then that WD drive would get my recommendation.

Edit: 3) Should I also pick up a heatsink for the CPU? My previous build I used one with Arctic Silver thermal paste. This time around I just used the stock cooler. I'm not really sure I've noticed a significant difference, but I wonder if it's wise to err on the side of caution. Does it matter that much?

The stock HSF will be fine. With that said, if your home gets really hot during the summer time and you can't keep the AC on, then yes get a 3rd party HSF like the Coolermaster Hyper 212+ for $25 to $30. The Hyper 212's stock thermal paste is just as good as the AS5 you have now but without the curing time.

 

[Maullus]

Ha! Yea, my SSD is currently being held in place by a couple of rubber bands I jury-rigged.

Our house does get pretty warm, despite having the air on. If I am concerned about air-flow and cooling, would it be wise to consider another case? Or invest in and install some extra fans?

 

[Dangman]

Our house does get pretty warm, despite having the air on. If I am concerned about air-flow and cooling, would it be wise to consider another case? Or invest in and install some extra fans?

Another case would be a good idea. Something like the Corsair 300R or 400R would be a good choice.