Looking For a Good Pc Build. Advice?
I have been thinking about building a PC for a while and want your input on this build. My range is around $800 but i think i can push the price up to 900 if you can convince me to get better parts. I would be mainly using this to play starcraft II, TF2, Maplestory, and whatever other games. This is my build so far.
NZXT Apollo Black SECC Steel Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case$59.99. I like this because it looks nice; it has a side panel.
GIGABYTE GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $117.99. It supports up to 32GB of RAM, has 2 USB 3.0 and four 2.0 ports, ad HDMI port, and supports the i5 core i'm using.
ASUS ENGTX550 TI DC/DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $129.99. I heard that this can play Starcraft II on max at 60 fps.
COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS500-PCARD3-US 500W ATX12V v2.3 Power Supply $44.99. I'm not so sure about this, what do you think about the PSU?
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 $224.99. I think i'm going to OC this to around 4.3GHz. If i cant raise the money to build the PC before Ivy Bridge comes out them i'll probably switch to that. (Stock Cooler. I might buy a better fan to OC higher)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL $43.98 (Two of Them) (Their cheap and 8gbs should be able to handle whatever I throw at it.)
Seagate Barracuda ST500DM002 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $84.99 (Hard Drives are expensive now, and i cant really afford to get a larger drive, and 7200 RPM allows it to read and write faster correct?)
LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 $18.99 (To install my games that are on CDs)
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit $99.99 ( I cant really spring for anything more expensive.)
This comes to a grand total of $825.90. Input would be greatly appreciated!
13 Comments • Newest first
Well like everyone said you need a better PSU. One of the #1 rules of building a gaming pc is to NOT CHEAP OUT ON THE PSU! Whatever PSU you get make sure it's 80 plus certified. This is the PSU I have it works great, you can barely hear it. My comp is alot more intense then that build. I have lots of overclocks and all that, and it powers everything great.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096
Also like everyone said if you overclock, get a different cpu cooler. Not only that but I hear they get really loud after a couple years. My friend has his stock 2500k cpu on his comp and it's reallly loud, and he hasn't even overclocked.
Like everyone said you can either get the 212 or the Hyper TX3. They both work great.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103064&Tpk=hyper%20tx3
Also dont forget to add one of these to your cart.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16899261005
[quote=pikachuxbboy]It's just me to be safe than sorry in case some random occurrence happens with my dedicated GPU and it goes out and I'm stuck without any type of GPU. So the integrated GPU would come in handy until you find a replacement. What I mean by stock speeds is let's say i5 2500k is 3.3Ghz (3.7Ghz Turbo). "Stock" and not OC'd. I prefer to use this term rather than "base clock speed" just because I use the word "Stock" for car terminology and I mix them up sometimes.[/quote]
Errrr- stock speeds aren't used to compare Ivybridge vs Sandybridge.
People compare it via clock speed vs clock speed performance difference. i.e they get a sandybridge at 2.4Ghz and they pair it up with an Ivybridge at 2.4Ghz and see how much improvement the die shrink gives.
By your definition, of stock. I could say the Ivybridge is 48% slower stock vs the Sandybridge because I haven't specified which processor in the Ivybridge line-up I'm talking about but they'd be running at stock frequencies.
[quote=CrayonScribble]The heck? Rofl. Some of the Ivybridge has HD4000, most of the CPUs stil have the HD3000. I don't know what you mean by 'stock speed increase', but clock per clock speed increase is around 9-11% due to the die shrink.
If he's not using intergrated graphics for his computer why are you recommending the Z68 when he can save money by getting the P67 which doesn't support intergrated graphics?[/quote]
It's just me to be safe than sorry in case some random occurrence happens with my dedicated GPU and it goes out and I'm stuck without any type of GPU. So the integrated GPU would come in handy until you find a replacement. What I mean by stock speeds is let's say i5 2500k is 3.3Ghz (3.7Ghz Turbo). "Stock" and not OC'd. I prefer to use this term rather than "base clock speed" just because I use the word "Stock" for car terminology and I mix them up sometimes.
[quote=pikachuxbboy]It has a lower tdp and is more energy efficient than Sandy. The Ivy has HD4000 vs Sandy HD3000. Also the stock speed increase is around 15percent higher. I'd get a z68 mobo and the i5 2500k and if you really want the higher integratd graphics, then upgrade. Personally speaking, just oc the i5 and you'll be set for a few years when ivy goes a better increase. Because, who is going to use an integrated gpu for gaming? Especially you, since you're buying a dedicated gpu anyways.[/quote]
The heck? Rofl. Some of the Ivybridge has HD4000, most of the CPUs stil have the HD3000. I don't know what you mean by 'stock speed increase', but clock per clock speed increase is around 9-11% due to the die shrink.
If he's not using intergrated graphics for his computer why are you recommending the Z68 when he can save money by getting the P67 which doesn't support intergrated graphics?
[quote=ang98320]I guess I'm sinking that extra hundred in a better psu and fan that you guys have mentioned. 890 without tax or shipping. Thanks for the input guys!
Edit:another quick question. In the event that I cannot raise the funds before ivy bridge comes out what are the main advantages or improvements of ivy over sandy?[/quote]
It has a lower tdp and is more energy efficient than Sandy. The Ivy has HD4000 vs Sandy HD3000. Also the stock speed increase is around 15percent higher. I'd get a z68 mobo and the i5 2500k and if you really want the higher integratd graphics, then upgrade. Personally speaking, just oc the i5 and you'll be set for a few years when ivy goes a better increase. Because, who is going to use an integrated gpu for gaming? Especially you, since you're buying a dedicated gpu anyways.
I guess I'm sinking that extra hundred in a better psu and fan that you guys have mentioned. 890 without tax or shipping. Thanks for the input guys!
Edit:another quick question. In the event that I cannot raise the funds before ivy bridge comes out what are the main advantages or improvements of ivy over sandy?
@ang98320 - Nope. Unless you [b]NEED[/b] Hyperthreading, which most people don't even know what it does. The i5-2500k vs the i7-2600k: Hyperthreading. That's practically the only difference. Oh, and the extra $100 to go from the i5-2500k to the i7-2600k. I personally don't suggest the i7, if all you're doing is gaming, web browsing, and daily home routines. The i5-2500k will supply you with that for years to come. I'd spend that $100 to go from a 550 Ti and go with a 560 Ti. You'll see a higher % boost than if you had gone with tie i7 since tons of games are GPU reliant.
Would it be better to go from and i5k to and i7 then a 550 to a 560?
Also if you are going to push your i5-2500k to 4.3Ghz, I do recommend you get an aftermarket cooler such as:
Coolermaster Hyper 212 $33.99 Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
The stock heatsink is utter garbage and even at stock speeds, you'll be idling at around 30-40c as I've read reviews on it.
@qwan456 - has already listed the RAM change you could make for a cheaper price. The last thing would really be, if you had money laying around, to ditch the 550 and go up a notch in GPU.
Since you can stretch your budget to $900, you should put some of it into your PSU. It something that you should not skimp on, and it is the most important component in your system.
These are my recommendation: Antec Earthwatts Green 430w/500w, Antec High Current Power 520w, XFX ProSeries 450w, XFX Core Edition 550w, or PC Power & Cooling MKIII 600w (was only $10 more from the 400w model).
http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=63238&vpn=P1450SX2B9&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1078
[quote=ang98320]What PSU brand would you recommend for this build?
i found this RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W its $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152028[/quote]
I have that exact same PSU laying in my closet right now. I can give you personal experience and tips to this. This PSU only comes with 1 PCI-E dedicated power connector, so if you were going to get a GPU that needed 2... well, you know the answer to that. Otherwise, that listed will do you fine. I've used it for my old PC for over a year and its still got a bunch of life left.
What PSU brand would you recommend for this build?
i found this RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-530SS 530W its $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152028
Get a different power supply. That power supply has poor efficiency and very bad ripples/noise suppression.
I'm assuming you are from the US?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426
That's $39.99.