New computer build

[chionophile]

So I've decided to build a gaming computer but am a bit out of the loop with regards to hardware these days. The only computer I've had for the last six or seven years has been a laptop for schoolwork, which hasn't exactly been up to par for gaming. I've done a bit of research, and this is what I've been able to come up with thus far:

Intel Core i5-760
GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
XFX HD-585X-ZAFC Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
SAMSUNG P2250 Rose Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor

Basically, I'd like to be able to play any game that comes out in the near future, as well as various games that have come out in the last few years. I had been planning on going with the i7, but after reading a few threads on here, there's apparently no effective difference between the i7 and the i5 for gaming purposes. I also still need to pick out an optical drive and a PSU.

Is there anything else critical I'm missing? Anywhere I can save some money without losing too much in regards to performance?

Many thanks in advance for your help.

 

[ZipSpeed]

The build you have is balanced but if you can wait a bit longer, AMD is set to release the 6000 series of video cards. The 5850, 5870 and 5970 is a bit overpriced considering the age of the cards.

Which resolution do you plan to game at? I would skip the Caviar Green and thrown in a Black instead.

 

[Syran]

Do you have a budget in mind?

Minor things I'd recommend if you are mostly gaming.
i3-530: Great for gaming, or anything not highly threaded.
8GB of ram: Make sure you use a 64-bit OS
5850 is a nice card, may want to look at a GTX 460 for a little less.
Never build a machine with a Green primary drive. Great for secondary storage drives, but not for OS/App drives. Use a Caviar Black (or Blue at the least), Seagate Momentus XT (Hybrid SSD), or SSD for boot/major apps drive.
For a tiny bit more money, upgrade yourself to a 23 or 24" monitor.

I like Corsair HX (or AX) models for PSUs, you can save some money on a TX, look in the 550-650W area.

I would recommend some aftermarket HSF (Coolermaster 212+ or Artic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro (v2) would work well for your standard off the shelf cooling. Sorry, about to get off work, so not much time for really looking things up.

 

[mfenn]

The 760 + GA-P55-USB3 are a great combination. Make sure you get the Newegg combo deal.

The 8GB of RAM is unnecessary for a gaming build right now. Since RAM is so easy to upgrade, I would get 2x2GB and bump it to 8GB later.

I agree with the other posters that you should NOT be using a Green drive as an OS drive. Here's a combo with a nice Samsung F3 and a 650TX PSU.

For the ODD, you can get pretty much any of the $20 drives. This Samsung is nice.

Finally, 21.5" is too small for 1080P IMHO. For a similar amount of money, you can get an ASUS 23.6".

 

[Davidh373]

1. get 4GB ram

2. Get a samsung F3 HDD

otherwise good build.

 

[oynaz]

650 watt PSU is a tad much for a single GPU system. 450-500 watt is plenty.

 

[ananya.dragon]

1. get 4GB ram

2. Get a samsung F3 HDD

otherwise good build.

As he said :awe:

the spinpoint is pretty good from what i've heard.. im gonna put it in my new rig...

BTW wil u check out my config at http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2106348
and critiuqe it

 

[chionophile]

Thanks for the tips everyone. My initial budget had been 1500, but it's clear that I can build the computer I want for less than that. Maybe ~1200.

Resolution, probably 1920 x 1080.

What's the difference between hard drive colors?

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the tips everyone. My initial budget had been 1500, but it's clear that I can build the computer I want for less than that. Maybe ~1200.

Resolution, probably 1920 x 1080.

What's the difference between hard drive colors?

Well, they're all steel

Western Digital's Green series are low-power drives meant for bulk media storage. They are pretty good sequential performance but terrible random performance.

The Blue series is the value or "all-around decent" series. They don't have the newest low-power features that the Green drives have or the performance features that the Blacks have.

The Black series is the performance series. They have increased performance but sacrifice efficiency.

The Samsung F3 is roughly equivalent to a WD Black.

 

[betasub]

^ Nice summary of WesternDigital's series of consumer hard-drives. Good work, mfenn!

 

[alkemyst]

^ Nice summary of WesternDigital's series of consumer hard-drives. Good work, mfenn!

QFT.

In the end the F3 vs Black is preference in my opinion...

however at the 500GB level the Momentus XT hybrid is the best choice for dealing in the under $150 price point.

 

[Davidh373]

however at the 500GB level the Momentus XT hybrid is the best choice for dealing in the under $150 price point.

but the drives suck... just saying...

 

[alkemyst]

but the drives suck... just saying...

that was extremely helpful.

kthxbai!

 

[Davidh373]

It's the truth. Seagate hasn't put out a good drive in years. I'd stick with an SSD and Storage two drive configuration any day over having to rely on a Seagate.

 

[alkemyst]

It's the truth. Seagate hasn't put out a good drive in years. I'd stick with an SSD and Storage two drive configuration any day over having to rely on a Seagate.

not really, but you are good at following the masses.

I am using Samsung now as a main drive in my main rig. I have also WD, Hitachi and Seagates running.

I replace them all around 3 years usually...but my original seagate 120GB was the longest running drive I have had. It's still working AFAIK, but sitting on a shelf since it's worthless technologically.

 

[Davidh373]

Right, but that is an old Seagate. I was not on the scene for the older, more reliable Seagate drives. I've been around for long enough (about 2 years now) to see three of my friend's Seagates to go, and the Seagate in my Time capsule to conk out on me as well as read reviews on TD and Newegg showing about a 50% fail rate. Also, My friend's Macbook (as well as many other Macbooks of his generation's) had hard drive troubles. The hard drive company Apple was using in their computers was Seagate. Maybe if Seagate comes out with better drives in the future (much like Hitachi recovered from the Dethstars) then I will reconsider. Until then I'm not going to build, or advise builds using Seagate drives.

 

[chionophile]

Alright, I realize that bumping old threads is likely frowned upon, but I figured I'd rather bump my old one than start anew. It's been nearly three years since I initially posted and I never actually got around to buying this computer, so everything's out of date. I'm going to try again, aiming for a comparable build to what I had set up before.

My budget is up to $1000, with some flex, although less is better. Mostly going to be used for gaming, like before. No particular brand preference, though I tend towards Intel and Radeon. I'd like to build before I go back to school in September (hopefully). I'm not planning on overclocking. Resolution, 1920x1080.

This is what I have at the moment:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
MB: GIGABYTE GA-Z77MX-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX
Video card: PowerColor AX7870 2GBD5-2DHPPV2E Radeon HD 7870 GHz EZ Edition 2GB 256-bit GDDR5
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Power supply: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
HDD : Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"
ODD : ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X
Monitor: Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1
Case: Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case with Upgraded USB 3.0

Current total price, not including shipping, is $793.93, assuming I buy everything from NewEgg.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance for any (additional) help.

 

[Termie]

Welcome to the future, chionophile!

It looks like you've updated the proposed rig pretty well, but there are a few things that have changed in the past 3 years:

First, having an SSD makes a huge difference in everything BUT framerates, which means it should be in every system but the most stripped-down gaming systems. Definitely drop the overpriced WD Black for a WD Blue or Seagate, and put the money towards a 120GB SSD. Here's the solid Samsung 840 120GB for $100: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-120GB-...sung+840+120GB

Second, the Antec 900 is no longer the go-to case for every game out there. In fact, it's pretty badly outdated. If you want a solid gaming case like the 900, go for the Antec 1100. It's night-and-day better: http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Eleven-H...rds=antec+1100

Third, you really need more than 4GB of RAM. 8GB is the standard, and with prices actually rising very quickly right now, it's pretty much all you'll be able to get within your budget. Here's a solid deal on some Corsair RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145345

Fourth, not all CPUs are unlocked for overclocking. You need the 3570K - it's the K that counts, and nothing below the 3570K has it.

Fifth, I think you meant to pick an ATX motherboard, not a mATX motherboard. Luckily, Newegg is running an amazing promotion on a solid Asus z77 board bundled with the 3570K: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1270852

That's going to set you up right.

By the way, the HD7870XT you picked is a pretty good bang-for-the-buck card, but it uses a lot of power, due to an unoptimized design. If you can fit it in your budget, something like this HD7950 for $280 is really a fundamentally better card for only about $40 more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814161420

It'll run cooler, quieter, and perform about 10% faster.

 

[chionophile]

Thanks a bunch for the input, Termie. I can be a bit flexible on the budget, if you think more RAM would be worth it. Good to know about the tower case. The 900 still popped up as the best rated one on NewEgg, so I stuck with it.

I considered going with SSD, but my impression had been that the cost-speed-storage ratios still weren't as good as HDDs. I'll switch over to one of each, then.

Edit: Ah, I wasn't sure about the motherboard. The "Micro" descriptor did jump out at me. This is why I ask for help

 

[Termie]

Thanks a bunch for the input, Termie. I can be a bit flexible on the budget, if you think more RAM would be worth it. Good to know about the tower case. The 900 still popped up as the best rated one on NewEgg, so I stuck with it.

I considered going with SSD, but my impression had been that the cost-speed-storage ratios still weren't as good as HDDs. I'll switch over to one of each, then.

Extra RAM isn't just worth it - it's a necessity. You're going to really bog down if you try gaming with 4GB. Note that the Corsair set I linked has a big promotion right now (down to $52), so I'd jump on that.

The Antec 900 has been around a long time, so it has a lot of good reviews, but it's really very outdated. The Antec 1100 is basically a much better version of the 900. And it happens to be cheaper too.

On the hard drive and SSD question, yes, you have that right - get one of each, so you get the best of both worlds. By the way, the WD Black you picked is a good deal if you use that promo code that's active through tomorrow. But it's not worth $20 more than a WD Blue, which is why I suggested dropping it. Grab it at the sale price if you can, but don't give up the SSD.

Oh, one more thing...if you don't want to overclock, you can skip the 3570K combo, but you won't actually get a better deal going with the 3470 that you picked unless you drop down to a much cheaper motherboard. There are some H77 and even Z77 boards well under $100 right now. I'd actually recommend this cheap Biostar Z77 board that's on sale for $80 if you're going with the 3470: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813138356

And here's a little golden nugget for you - if you like the look of this white Corsair 500R, the $80AR price is amazing: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010

 

[chionophile]

Cool, thanks again Termie. I think I'm going to go with the 3570K package you linked above, unless you can think of a better bang for the buck processor out there in that price range. Also, that case is sweet. Awesome suggestion.

 

[Syran]

Heh, I was wondering why this thread got resurrected from the dead. Just sorta popped into my tappatalk.

LG DVD Burner: $17.99
Corsair Carbide 500 White: $119.99 - $20 Coupon (EMCXSXR44) : $99.99 ($20 MIR)
Corsair CX600M PSU: $79.99 ($20 MIR) (I like Modular PSUs personally)
Biostar TZ77B Motherboard: $109.99 - $22 Coupon (MBPC44): $87.99 (I have the TZ77A in my SB setup, works great!)
Intel Core i3-3220 & 1TB WD Black $204.98 (I actually find the I3 does pretty bloody well at gaming.
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) : $64.99 - $13 Coupon (EMCXSXS22): $51.99


Pick up a small ssd for a cache drive. There's an a-data for $50. It gives you a nice price/performance comparison using the SRT from the motherboard.

Upgrade to a nicer 24" monitor if you can.

Total (without monitor or OS): $592.92 (all items are on free shipping too) - $40 in MIR

 

[chionophile]

I've been looking at some of the processor/motherboard deals that newegg has right now, and I'm not sure what the difference is between some of these motherboards:

This is the one Termie posted above: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

But I found two others that have the same processor, with different motherboards for a bit cheaper. What are the drawbacks to going with one of these other options?

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Or

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-HD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

 

[billyevans]

I'm going to also recommend going with a 7950, although a 7870 XT will be very similar in performance. Give and take.

 

[Termie]

I've been looking at some of the processor/motherboard deals that newegg has right now, and I'm not sure what the difference is between some of these motherboards:

This is the one Termie posted above: ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

But I found two others that have the same processor, with different motherboards for a bit cheaper. What are the drawbacks to going with one of these other options?

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Or

GIGABYTE GA-Z77-HD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Those are the three promotions going right now. Here are the three motherboards compared:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%2420%24%24%24

The Gigabyte is cheapest for a reason. It's the only one of the three that doesn't support full-speed Crossfire, and will not support Nvidia SLI. It has the cheapest audio chipset, the fewest USB3.0 ports, and is also the narrowest board (which might make it easier to work with, but cuts down on components). It will certainly work as a basic Z77 board, and if you're not at all interested in overclocking or running dual graphics cards, it should work perfectly for you. But if either of those options interest you, I'd go with either of the other two boards. My personal preference would probably be the Asus, but the ASRock is cheaper and doesn't involve a rebate.