Time to build a new pc

Smoothlegs

Smoothlegs

n00b
Joined
Nov 15, 2005
Messages
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Well I built my last pc in 2007 and I have to say I am playing Crysis 3 and doing pretty well but I noticed I seem to fit in the minimal requirements.
So I guess it's time to build a new pc.

1) I use my pc for gaming. I play Crysis 3, Battlefield 3, Black Ops 2, Far Cry 3, Assassin's Creed 3
oh my ....I play a lot of games. LOL

2) My budget is around $2500.00. If it goes a bit over I can suck it up.

3) I live in California around Sacramento.

4) I plan on keeping my current pc as a spare and starting new with everything.

5) I am not reusing any parts.

6) I don't overclock

7) My monitor's max resolution is 1920x1080 it's an Asus HDMI 27 inch widescreen

8) I will build as soon as I can get the parts.

9) I want a good heatsink for my CPU, I lean toward Intel, and I've always had Asus motherboards although I did try a cheap one once and it was ok.

I have used both Nvidia and ATI Radeon graphics and have been lucky to not have any problems with either.

I use 64 bit windows 7 now and it's legit.

This is what I have now.

Thermalright Ultra-90(K8) CPU Cooling Heatsink
CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W
ASUS 5870 EYEFINITY 6/6S/2GD5 Radeon HD 5870
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775
OCZ Fatal1ty RAM = 8 GB
Creative x-fi extreme music sound card
ASUS MAXIMUS FORMULA / SE LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard
Silverstone Kublai case
Seagate 1.5 TB SATA HD
Asus 27 inch Widescreen Led Monitor 2Ms Display Port Hdmi Full Hd
using a Logitech G-15 keyboard and an old OCZ Dominatrix mouse
Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit


It's hot here in the summer. My pc is upstairs and I've never had heat issues.
When I was looking at graphics cards I was paying attention to what people had to say about the Nvidia 400 series and heat.



Thanks in advance for your help.
 
For hardware (using Amazon as reference):

$210 - Intel Core i5-3570K
$130 - Asus P8Z77-V LK
$29 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
$110 - Crucial Ballistix Sport 2x8GB DDR3 1600 CL9 1.5V
$248 - Samsung 840 Pro 256GB SSD
$95 - Seagate Barracuda 2TB HDD
$21 - LG GH24NS95B SATA DVD burner
$400 - XFX HD 7970 Black Edition 3GB
$90 - Seasonic M12II 620 BRONZE 620W PSU
$80 - Corsair 300R
=====
$1413 - Subtotal (not including shipping, taxes, or rebates)

Do you have a spare copy of Windows 7 Ultimate (read: one you're not using right now)? If not, grab a 64-bit OEM copy of either Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8 Pro.

I know you said that you don't overclock, but the Core i5-3570K (and its unlocked CPU multiplier) is a good deal at $210. If you ever change your mind in the future about overclocking, you don't have to buy a new system to do so.

I went with the HD 7970 over the GTX 670 due to the 7970's "Never Settle" gaming bundle. I believe that one of the games included is Crysis 3, which you could sell to recoup some of your spent funds.

I'll let you decide how many more case fans you need. The Corsair 300R can support several fans and comes with one 140mm front fan and one 120mm rear fan.

Try out the onboard sound before you decide on a dedicated sound card. Creative X-Fi and Asus Xonar are good choices otherwise.
 
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Skripka said:
You'll end up waiting twice...once for hardware release, and a second time for rev2 motherboards.
Click to expand...

Not sure Intel is going to chance the same problems they have with Rev 1 Sandy Bridge chipsets/motherboards. I don't recall seeing any major problems that causes massive recalls on Ivy Bridge chipsets/motherboards.

If it was me, I would most definitely wait. I built my computer in November of 2010, got all the parts the first week of December of 2010. If I had only waited about a month I would be rocking a Sandy Bridge setup instead of my current setup. I kick myself in the ass every time I think about it.
 
Skillz said:
If it was me, I would most definitely wait. I built my computer in November of 2010, got all the parts the first week of December of 2010. If I had only waited about a month I would be rocking a Sandy Bridge setup instead of my current setup. I kick myself in the ass every time I think about it.
Click to expand...
I built in Feb 2011 and IIRC Sandy Bridge wasn't available despite having been "released" because of some FUBAR that got all the chips recalled?

I was irritated b/c I couldn't wait for them to get it sorted out in weeks/months. Went with an AMD x4 965, which has been great, but I had been all set to buy Sandy Bridge.

Currently planning to build again in 2014, perhaps with whatever comes after Haswell, but we'll see. If I move any distance I'll sell this one and go ahead and build to avoid moving it.
 
The CPU wasn't recalled. If you can't remember, then research before posting perhaps?

The issue when Sandy Bridge was released was due to faulty SATA chipset/controllers on the motherboards. It only effected ports 2+ not ports 0 or 1. So if you happened to have had a motherboard with the issue and wasn't using any 2 and above, it wasn't a severe problem and you could have got it swapped out at a later date when things cooled back off.
 
On the other hand, I was one of those burned by the "Cougar Point" (Intel H67/P67 chipset) issue. If I wasn't content with what I already have, I'd suggest waiting at least three months after Haswell has been out.

Then again, Skillz is right in saying that Intel is being very proactive this time around.
 
Thank you for your quick reply. I really appreciate it.

I especially appreciate the links to the items.

I will let you know how it goes.
 
Let us know what your final list is before you buy everything.

Regarding Haswell, I'll keep it simple: If you can wait, wait. If you can't, buy everything at once. (Or, don't buy piecemeal.)
 
To be blunt, just because you have the money available doesn't mean that you have to spend it all. To elaborate further....

You don't need the Intel Core i7-3930K processor or the Asus Rampage IV Gene motherboard. You're gaming; you don't need a six-core processor or a motherboard with more features than you'll ever use. While I understand the concerns with Haswell coming around the corner, Ivy Bridge is still more than good enough for your needs. Plus, it's considerably cheaper in comparison.

Unless you're planning a dual-GPU setup (single card, SLI, or CFX), you don't need all of the power that the Seasonic X850 provides. If you can get it on sale (less than $150 shipped, before taxes), then go ahead and grab it. But there are plenty of good power supplies available for less than that X850.

Personally, I don't like the massive Logitech G-series keyboards. IMO, they're not worth their extravagant prices. Is there a particular reason why you went with that keyboard?
 
tiraides said:
To be blunt, just because you have the money available doesn't mean that you have to spend it all. To elaborate further....
Click to expand...
I'm more or less with this guy, but if you want to spend money for performance increases you won't notice, go for it?

I have the tenkeyless version of the QuickFire Storm Keyboard and love it. Great for typing. Cherry MX Brown is what I have, and I love it, though some people prefer the other switches for gaming (red, black, blue are the common ones I hear folks talk about. Blue is too loud for me though).

Edit: Oh, and Skillz -- my bad, I guess, though I did try to figure out exactly what the issue was before posting. All I could remember was that when I wanted to buy one I was not able to do so b/c of some issue or other that had to be fixed, despite others having bought already (and having to get them sorted out after the fact). At any rate, I wasn't trying to start a discussion or negate anything you said, just adding my own commentary. Cheers.
 
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re; "Unless you're planning a dual-GPU setup (single card, SLI, or CFX), you don't need all of the power that the Seasonic X850 provides. If you can get it on sale (less than $150 shipped, before taxes), then go ahead and grab it. But there are plenty of good power supplies available for less than that X850."
Good to know.
About the keyboard, I have been using the G-15 for years. So long, that
I cant see the letters on several keys anymore. I like the keyboard.
 
Jump on the Seasonic X850 because it's on sale, but remember, you don't really need that much power. (I mean really, $120? I'm surprised that it isn't out-of-stock by now.)

My opinion on the G19 is just that, opinion. Since I have no experience with the G19, I can't tell you whether or not it will be worthwhile.
 
Ok looking at your sticky spread sheet, you dont overclock and most likely will leave everything on stock. I suggest non K series processors, unless you want to have the option for it later on down the road. I would wait for the Haswell CPU's coming out in the next month. You wont need the x79 motherboards with the 3930k. This is over kill and not necessary if you are just not overclocking.

For dual SLI a mainstream gaming system is good enough for everything you need. A Z87 motherboard will be enough for you and a good set of 16gb DDR3 ram at 1600 mhz will hold you over for a long time.

I would get a 2tb Storage drive rated at 7200 rpm by which ever brand you prefer. I like WD personally.
Grab a Corsair Solid State Drive with atleast 120gb of space for your OS and games.
Pick up a new Nvidia 700 series graphics card and you will be set. for a long while. No need to spend alot of money if you dont have to. Saving a good amount of money.
 
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