2600k Build Critique Please

[teddyv]

Howdy Folks - I am finally upgrading my old ePox AMD 939/A64 machine. Even though it is still working fine for the most part I feel 5+ years is long enough to wait for a newer and (much) faster machine. My proposed build follows...

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
General office work with lots of long and complicated MS Word docs and Excel spreadsheets, some Photoshop, Video Editing, web work.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Upgrade for $450 or less, with several parts reused.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
US - Newegg/MicroCenter

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Have AMD, want Intel.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
Antec Earthwatts 500
Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 GPU
HDs - WD 640g Black, 640g Blue
HP and Benq Sata DVDRWs
22" LCD, mouse, keyboard, speakers
Win7 Ultimate, sitting unused from the release roadshow giveaway

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
yes - lots

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No overclocking, all about reliability

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
No gaming

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Within the next week

Here is what I have so far - I think all I will need are CPU, Mobo, RAM and Case.

Microcenter
Intel I7-2600K - $280
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0354587

Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3 Z68 Mobo - $75 with CPU discount, $60 AR
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0366193

Thermaltake Commander Case - $45, $35 AR (has front panel USB3)
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0365239

Newegg
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1333 - $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231426

$450 after tax, $25 in rebates not included.

 

[Blain]

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
yes - lots

Microcenter
Intel I7-2600K - $280
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0354587
.

Then you have a good idea how we feel about the i7 2600k... Correct?

 

[teddyv]

I am not sure - there seems to be a pretty lively debate here and in the CPU forum over whether the 2600k is worth an extra $100 over the 2500k, some say it is (especially in non-gaming systems) and others not. Since I am going to be keeping this I hope for the next 5 years and will probably be doing a lot of things like complex spreadsheets and such where multithreading might be a big benefit going forward I thought it worth the extra $60 (with the MC "$80 off Z68 mobo" deal) dollars.

 

[Rvenger]

Howdy Folks - I am finally upgrading my old ePox AMD 939/A64 machine. Even though it is still working fine for the most part I feel 5+ years is long enough to wait for a newer and (much) faster machine. My proposed build follows...

This goes to show that Epox did make good boards after they screwed up with the bad caps. If only they would of fixed the problem sooner they would of still been in business. '


Regarding the 2600k, you might want just the i7-2600 non K since you are not gaming or overclocking. i5-2500 would work as well, you just get 2mb less cache, 100mhz less clock speed and no hyperthreading. It really doesn't impact performance much at all. I have owned both models

 

[lehtv]

As a long term investment the 2600K can be worth it, if the applications you use regularly are heavily multithreaded. Does the mobo discount deal apply to 2500K as well? I would get the K version and take advantage of the overclockability to extend the usable lifetime of the CPU.

Case and RAM look good.

 

[Rvenger]

As a long term investment the 2600K can be worth it, if the applications you use regularly are heavily multithreaded. Does the mobo discount deal apply to 2500K as well? I would get the K version and take advantage of the overclockability to extend the usable lifetime of the CPU.

Case and RAM look good.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
No overclocking, all about reliability

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
No gaming

I think he is dead set on not overclocking. Why should he spend more on a K sku if he is not gaming or overclocking? Besides, if he plans on keeping his computer as long as he did his previous computer, I would recommend not overclocking so it would guarantee him 5 years. Its not like overclocking is going to future proof the computer anymore.

 

[lehtv]

I know he said he doesn't want to overclock, I was suggesting that he should keep it as an option. Upping the multiplier as high as it goes without voltage increase doesn't pose anything resembling a risk to reliability, the overclock just needs to be stability tested. He's fine with the non-K version as well, though.

 

[Rvenger]

Uses more power from the wall and generates more heat, then he will need to upgrade from the stock intel cooler. With the non-k skus you can still increase the multiplier within the turbo limits and still use the stock cooler.

 

[Sunburn74]

The mobo deal only applies to the 2600k. Considering the deal gives you 80 dollars off any z68 board you'd presumably buy from microcenter, and the difference in price between the 2600k and the 2500k is 100 dollars, it kind of makes the upgrade a no brainer. You're essentially paying 20 dollars to go from a 2500k to a 2600k which is pretty hard to argue against imo.

As for the K multiplier 1) its a very marginal markup over the non k cpu and 2) just because you feel a certain way right now doesn't mean you will always feel that way and 3) overclocking the k chips is easy, safe, and can lead to dramatic performance gains with minimal time investment. Using just the stock voltage you can easily run those chips at 4.3-4.4 on all cores without risking long term damage and lifespan reduction from unsafe voltages and temps. Actually to be honest, using less than stock voltage (ie undervolting the chip and running at even lower temps than expected), you can still overclock the chip to 4.3-4.4 (I say this because my 2600k runs at much less than stock voltage and is oced to 4.4).

 

[Rvenger]

Considering the MC deal. ( I don't have a Microcenter in my area so I really don't know too much about that ) then go for it

 

[lehtv]

Uses more power from the wall and generates more heat, then he will need to upgrade from the stock intel cooler. With the non-k skus you can still increase the multiplier within the turbo limits and still use the stock cooler.

Sure, upgrading the stock cooler is a small price to pay. Corsair A50 costs $17 AR. The quieter Hyper 212+ for just $9 more. The magnitude of turbo boost depends on how many cores are active, while base multiplier overclocking doesn't. You could probably get to 4.1-4.2 GHz with no voltage increase if you've got a good chip, or at least any voltage increase is going to be very minimal. Even a 4.5GHz overclock would last 5 years probably, the voltage increase for that OC is pretty mild. That's a 20% overclock over the standard 3.7Ghz with turbo, well worth it in the long term, IMO.

 

[teddyv]

Thanks for the thoughts folks - the k is actually cheaper than the non-k as the "$80 off a z68 mobo" only applies to the k - same with the "$40 off a z68 mobo" with the 2500k. It is a heck of a deal that brings the price between the two to $60 - good enough to finally get me off my can and upgrade (that and the thought of making a serious dent in the time to create and unpack monster zip files...) I have to admit, my fear of overclocking is based upon me thoroughly screwing up the ePox when I first got it with a few very failed attempts - now that everything is one-click it may well be something I play around with down the road.

Any thoughts on the RAM? 1333 seems to be the sweet spot, and I am basically looking for something that will work well and be reliable.

 

[mfenn]

Ahhh, EpoX. I still have my 9NDA3J in a box in the closet.

As for the build, normally I wouldn't recommend the 2600K, but since you're getting a good deal on it at MC with the mobo combo, I don't see why not. In general though, buying the 2600 over the 2500 for longevity is not a good idea. By the time the 2500 is slow, the 10% difference between it and the 2600 won't make a difference in usability.

As for RAM, yeah just get whatever DDR3 1333 1.5V from a good brand that costs the least. The G.Skill kit that you linked is a good deal.