Upgrading my pc after 7yrs

[tvfreak]

So far i bought a antec eleven hundred case for $94 plus a $50 rebate.

MSI Z77 mpower mobo for $79. I know this is the last years version, but what do you guys think about the mobo? Is there a better or cheaper mobo that you guys can recommend?

PSU, an Antec HCG-850m 80plus bronze for $58. Again anything else better at that price (brand)? Is the PSU an overkill? I got it cause it's a good deal but i dont want my power bill to go crazy either.

Memory i bought the Patriot viper 3 black extreme 8gb@2400mh. This is was on sale for $82 plus a $12 rebate. Also anything you guys can suggest something better?

All the items above are the rebated price. Initially I plan on buying most if not all my pc products on Amazon because i had about a little over 1k in gift cards. I didn't want to buy it at frys, but the deal seemed good. I tried searching on amazon that had those items for sale but most if not all were asking full price. I could of saved my money but i figure i could use most of the gift cards on other pc components.

So far i'll need a monitor (larger than 24"), an ssd (256gb or more), a decent vid card, intel cpu. Maybe a blueray drive.
Also, a aftermarket CPU cooler. I was thinking of water cooled version. And anything else you guys can suggest.

I'm not a huge gamer so i wont need a high end vid card.

I wanted to go with amd cause it's cheaper, but since the mobo was a good deal i figured why not go for an intel. But if there is something better for the buck on amazon for a amd cpu and mobo, i'm still open minded about either one of them.

I'm not a fanboy for either amd or intel. Personally i prefer something that will last and have room to grow (sort of speak).

I'm open for either amd or intel, but i would like your opinions before i weigh my options.

Thanks.

Oh, as for windows, should i get win7 or 8.1 pro?

 

[Blain]

PSU, an Antec HCG-850m 80plus bronze for $58. Again anything else better at that price (brand)? Is the PSU an overkill? I got it cause it's a good deal but i dont want my power bill to go crazy either.

Memory i bought the Patriot viper 3 black extreme 8gb@2400mh. This is was on sale for $82 plus a $12 rebate. Also anything you guys can suggest something better?

If you've already bought the items, why ask for other suggestions?

You're not a huge gamer but we know nothing else about your usage patterns.
We can't intelligently advise without this information.
Do tell...

 

[Techhog]

Answer the questions in this thread please.

 

[tvfreak]

Im on my phone so bear with me lol
Ok didn't mean to be to vague.
The above mention parts be already bought.
the reason i want additional opinion is its been a long time since I've been in the computer scene and im not sure if the psu or the memory is overkill for my usage. the reason i bought the psu and memory it was on sale.
plus i would.like peoples thoughts and suggestions in helping me to make better choices if need be.
i can return the items if there is something better.
But from I've read it seems a pretty good choice.

my budget is about 1200.
im a casual gamer, i mainly use to browse the net, watch movies and or stream tv shows, movies etc.

i don't do video editing but maybe i plan on doing some picture editing in the near future.

Im not a fanboy of amd, Intel, nvidia etc. personally i want something. that works and reliable.

i would like to future proof my pc some what so that if i choose to do upgrades in the future w/o having to buy a whole new rig.

i would like the ability to oc but not right away. when i do oc my rig it would be nice to oc it with some ease. but i don't plan on going over board when i oc my rig if that makes sense.

I plan to have my pc built as soon as possible.

I do plan on getting windows 8.1.

hopefully im more clear.

 

[mfenn]

Yes, all of those components are way overkill for a normal gaming PC. You got them for the same or less than non-overkill components, so we will forgive you.

Assuming you want to buy from Amazon since you have a bunch of gift cards:

i5 3570K $200
MSI MPower Z77 $79 - already bought
Patriot Viper DDR3 2400 8GB $70 AR - already bought
Sapphire R9 270X $200
Crucial M500 240GB $144
Seagate 7200RPM 2TB $80
LG DVD Burner $18
Antec HCG-850M $58 - already bought
NZXT Phantom 410 $84
Noctua NH-U12S $65
Windows 8.1 $110
Total: $1108

 

[tvfreak]

lol i figured as much it was overkill for the my use.
But like u said it was a good deal that i couldn't pass up.

Any suggestion on a monitors?
not sure on the resolution, but an led lit monitor that will work for action movies and games.

and yes the rest of my purchase will be from amazon.

as for the ssd what r ir thoughts on the Samsung 840evo 250gb vs the crucial brand?

thanks for the quick response.

Yes, all of those components are way overkill for a normal gaming PC. You got them for the same or less than non-overkill components, so we will forgive you.

Assuming you want to buy from Amazon since you have a bunch of gift cards:

i5 3570K $200
MSI MPower Z77 $79 - already bought
Patriot Viper DDR3 2400 8GB $70 AR - already bought
Sapphire R9 270X $200
Crucial M500 240GB $144
Seagate 7200RPM 2TB $80
LG DVD Burner $18
Antec HCG-850M $58 - already bought
NZXT Phantom 410 $84
Noctua NH-U12S $65
Windows 8.1 $110
Total: $1108

 

[tvfreak]

As for a thermal paste, the last time i updated my pc (7yrs ago) i used artic silver 5.
it has been sitting in my desk for all that time. do i.need to buy a new one?

 

[Blain]

As for a thermal paste, the last time i updated my pc (7yrs ago) i used artic silver 5.
it has been sitting in my desk for all that time. do i.need to buy a new one?

Has it been sealed with a cap the whole time?

 

[mfenn]

As for a thermal paste, the last time i updated my pc (7yrs ago) i used artic silver 5.
it has been sitting in my desk for all that time. do i.need to buy a new one?

Pull off the cap and see if its still paste or has dried out. It should be fine as long as it still flows reasonably well. Well, I guess it's a little bit of an academic point anyway since the Noctua comes with a tube of paste.

 

[mfenn]

lol i figured as much it was overkill for the my use.
But like u said it was a good deal that i couldn't pass up.

Any suggestion on a monitors?
not sure on the resolution, but an led lit monitor that will work for action movies and games.

and yes the rest of my purchase will be from amazon.

as for the ssd what r ir thoughts on the Samsung 840evo 250gb vs the crucial brand?

thanks for the quick response.

Either the 840 EVO or M500 is totally fine, I picked the one that happens to cost less at Amazon.

As for monitor, a normal 24" 1080p screen should be good for you. The Dell S2440L is a pretty nice 24" IPS display. If that puts you too much over budget, leave off the aftermarket HSF for now and pick one up later.

 

[tvfreak]

Yea it's been sealed with the cap the whole time. It still seems to be pasty so i assume it's good

 

[tvfreak]

I was going to ask you about a after market HSF but i can hold off on that.

As for a monitor I don't mind going over budget for a bigger one. Something like 27".

I was thinking about an Asus, LG, samsung, lenovo or another good brand monitor.

It seems the ones that are higher res over 1080P is considerable more money. =(

 

[Charlie98]

I was thinking about an Asus, LG, samsung, lenovo or another good brand monitor.

Deal of the month...

I have the 20" version of it, it rocks. I originally had the 24" version of it, but it was so big and bright I couldn't take it on my desktop.

 

[tvfreak]

What about this vid card? Will this vid handle a higher res monitor if and when i decide to purchase one?
It has a $20 rebate which will put it under 200.

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-S...o+cards+for+pc

 

[tvfreak]

mfeen: mentioned the nxzt phatom case. I did purchase a antec 1100 what are you thoughts on that? It cost me $98 at frys but i get a $50 mail in rebate. Any preference between the 2?
http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Eleven-H...ntec+1100+case

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...?tag=anan06-20

I'm a little worried about the noise the antec case will generate because of the large 200mm fan on top.

In the future i plan on purchasing a closed loop water cooler. I assume and from what i read, these 2 cases are compatible.

What are your thoughts on these water coolers?
My main reason is to cut down on the noise.

 

[mfenn]

The GTX 660 is pretty much slower than an R9 270X, though I wouldn't go over 1080p with either. That Samsung that Charlie linked is indeed a pretty good deal if you want something bigger that keeps a relatively easy to drive resolution.

As for the case, I think the Phantom is an overall nicer case, but there is certainly nothing wrong with the Eleven Hundred, certainly not for $50 AR. The fan speed is adjustable, so I don't think you'll have a problem with noise.

As for all in one CLCs, they are not necessarily quieter than a big HSF, they still have to have 120mm fans to push air over the radiators. Either case will take a single 120MM CLC, but I don't think the Eleven Hundred can handle a 240mm setup (two 120mm fans side by side). The Phantom 410 has provisions for that though.

 

[tvfreak]

Any video cards u can recommend that can handle over 1080p w/o breaking the bank?

The GTX 660 is pretty much slower than an R9 270X, though I wouldn't go over 1080p with either. That Samsung that Charlie linked is indeed a pretty good deal if you want something bigger that keeps a relatively easy to drive resolution.

As for the case, I think the Phantom is an overall nicer case, but there is certainly nothing wrong with the Eleven Hundred, certainly not for $50 AR. The fan speed is adjustable, so I don't think you'll have a problem with noise.

As for all in one CLCs, they are not necessarily quieter than a big HSF, they still have to have 120mm fans to push air over the radiators. Either case will take a single 120MM CLC, but I don't think the Eleven Hundred can handle a 240mm setup (two 120mm fans side by side). The Phantom 410 has provisions for that though.

 

[tvfreak]

Ok this just happened.
My roommate who was building a pc a while back lost interest in it and decided to give me his build.

It's about 5yrs old. The case is a cmstrom scout. It seems it can take one 2.5 ssd. But it doesnt have usb 3.0. The case is a bit old but might work.

As for the mobo, cpu i'm not sure which one he has. It's an Intel quade core but from 5yrs ago (2008).
But he needs to find the side panel and the other accessories that came with the case.

The psu i'll plan on replacing cause his psu is not a modular. To many cables.

As for the mobo it seems dated, i'm thinking about keeping the msi z77 mpower and just use the cpu.

As for the memory it's a corsair xms3 1333 2gig each. He as 2 but he said he might have another 2 total for 8gigs. But if he doesn't have the other two 2gig memory, are these memory still available to purchase so that i can have 8gig?
It is a ddr3.

If i get more info on the cpu i'll be sure the let ya know.

What do you guys think? Good enough? It saves me a few bucks and i could use it toward something else like getting a 4gen mobo and a higher end monitor.

Any mobo that you guys can recommend that is similar to the msi z77 mpower but is compatible with the 4gen intel cpus (future upgrades).

Also what are you thoughts on the case? Even though it doesn't have usb 3.0, and it's a bit dated, should i be worried that i will need to get a newer case soon?

 

[Charlie98]

The Storm Scout is a mid-ATX case... it's plenty big for a non-modular PSU. I would decide to replace the PSU based on the model and wattage.

Something tells me a CPU from 2008 isn't going to fit a Z77 board from 2013... ...although I'm no expert on that stuff.

Let us know what kind of parts you wind up with!

 

[tvfreak]

So far from the info i got for the mobo is a Intel dx38bt.
As for the cpu no idea yet. The vid card is a radeon hd 4670. He has 2 of these cards and i guess he was going to raid them both.

The Storm Scout is a mid-ATX case... it's plenty big for a non-modular PSU. I would decide to replace the PSU based on the model and wattage.

Something tells me a CPU from 2008 isn't going to fit a Z77 board from 2013... ...although I'm no expert on that stuff.

Let us know what kind of parts you wind up with!

 

[mfenn]

The DX38BT is an LGA775 board, which means the CPU will be at best a Core 2 Quad. Certainly not worth reusing. I wouldn't reused the old DDR3 either, the DIMMs are small and likely 1.65V.

Reusing the case does save you $84 off the build. What about drives? It could have something reasonably big in there.

As for your previous question about GPUs, you need to spend at least $300 to get to something that can handle 1440p reasonably. That means a GTX 770 or R9 280X. Really though, you want a $500 card like the GTX 780 to be able to play all games at high detail and 1440p.

 

[tvfreak]

Here's the link of the case. I'm thinking about reusing this case and save me 100 and return the antec case.
Since the cm storm scout case doesn't have a usb 3.0 ready is there an after market usb i could use in one of the drive bays? Since the msi mobo i have has usb 3.0.

http://www.cmstorm.com/en/products/chassis/scout/

The DX38BT is an LGA775 board, which means the CPU will be at best a Core 2 Quad. Certainly not worth reusing. I wouldn't reused the old DDR3 either, the DIMMs are small and likely 1.65V.

Reusing the case does save you $84 off the build. What about drives? It could have something reasonably big in there.

As for your previous question about GPUs, you need to spend at least $300 to get to something that can handle 1440p reasonably. That means a GTX 770 or R9 280X. Really though, you want a $500 card like the GTX 780 to be able to play all games at high detail and 1440p.

 

[tvfreak]

Windows 7 pro or 8.1?

I'm still stuck with xp pro. Not sure what to get.

 

[Slyr762]

Windows 7 pro or 8.1?

I'm still stuck with xp pro. Not sure what to get.

Some people gotta have the latest thing and/or don't mind Win 8.1 or they actually like it.

I'd go with Win 7 myself although I have alot of 'puters using XP.

 

[tvfreak]

I've seen that monitor before. Isn't it an older model? AT least like 2 or 3yrs old right?

Deal of the month...

I have the 20" version of it, it rocks. I originally had the 24" version of it, but it was so big and bright I couldn't take it on my desktop.