Evaluating my setup - Specific concerns

O

OddEnthusiast

New Member
Hi,

I intend to build my own desktop computer for the first time (from scratch, apart from accessories, monitor and OS). During the last few days, I have read a lot, and made extensive searches on newegg (Canada). However, I am inexperienced, and I do not know if the setup I am contemplating is compatible/good/complete. Before writing it up, I should tell you a few things about what I want: I am a gamer, but not an hardcore one. I want a good computer that will last me for at least 5 years, and that I could then simply upgrade part by part. I do not watch movies, record music; I do not use a lot of memory space. However, I use my computer constantly (working, playing, learning, ...).

My budget: 1000$

Here is the setup I came up with: (it includes a certain number of dilemmas) [prices are listed before taxes/shipping]

1.CPU:
Intel Core i5-3350P Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.3GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80637i53350P [200$]
OR Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 [300$]

2. MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard [130$]
OR MSI Z77A-G45 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS [130$]

3. INTERNAL HARD DRIVE:
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) [100$]

4. EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE:
ADATA CH11 500GB Black External Hard Drive ACH11-500GU3-CBK [60$]

5. RAM: 4x [Kingston 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model KVR1333D3N9/4G] [4x 15$]
OR 4x Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 992002 [4x 20$] (obvious difference is heat spreaders)


6. VIDEO CARD: EVGA 02G-P4-2651-KR GeForce GTX 650 2GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card [150$]
OR Galaxy 66NPH7DN7DXZ GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card [230$]
OR XFX Double D Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition FX-787A-CDFC Video Card [230$]
OR ASUS HD7770-2GD5 Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition 2GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card [165$]



7. POWER SUPPLY: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power Plus RS500-PCARD3-US 500W ATX12V v2.3 Power Supply [45$]
OR Rosewill Stallion Series RD500-2DB 500W ATX12V Power Supply [50$]
OR Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready Power Supply [60$] (if I choose a higher video card, I guess this higher W might be required...)

8. COMPUTER CASE: COOLER MASTER Elite 311 RC-311B-SWN1 Silver Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case [40$]


9. CD/DVD DRIVE: LITE-ON Black 18X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model iHDS118-04 - OEM [20$]


(Obviously, choosing all the higher end options I mentionned brings me over my budget)

So, apart from resolving my specific dilemmas, can anyone tell me if there is any incompatibilities with this setup? Any absurdities?


I will be very thankful for anyone who takes the time to help me, even if it is only for 1 specific point. I don't wanna go wrong here. Do I have all the components which I need?

Cheers!


P.S.: I am going to use Windows 7
 
I would get away with the solid state drive and get a normal HDD. You could probably get a 600GB drive for the price of that 130gb one and if your not doing anything extensive on your computer you wont notice the difference, apart from loading times. I wish i got a HDD instead of a SSD.

ALso why have you chosen to get an external drive as well?
 
Why SSD

I chose SSD because I want the speed and durability. As I stated, I use very little passive memory space. Also, I would only install the programs which I want to run smoothly on the SDD; that's what the external drive is for (storing archives, installing small/secondary programs, and backing up what's on my SSD).

Thank you for your reply!
 
For the processor you've chosen get the MSI Z77 board. Get a Corsair CX 600 or TX 650 over any of those PSUs you listed, the Corsair PSUs are great. You might want a better case too with cable management features, see if you can get a Zalman Z11 Plus maybe (cheap case and has half-decent cable management). Crucial M4 is an awesome SSD, but the SanDisk Extreme 120GB is usually cheaper and it is a bit faster (after having used both in my personal rig I can confirm the SanDisk is faster).
 
Although ivy bridge will be the newer line processor, I have read about problems with overheating because of the 22 shrink.

I would do some research on that first and if ivybridge looks to be a problematic cpu, I would go with a sandybridge unit.
 
Thank you Spirit for all the tips; about the SSD, though, the SanDisk is currently costier on newegg, and it doesnt have as good reviews...
Also, for the case, the one you pointed out is a little expensive...also, I don't really like the design :S. What is the proble, with the one I named? What should I look for? More fans?

James, about the Ivy Bridge overheating: I'd still like to have the new gen...I don't think I'll be overclocking either (I don't even really know what it means)
 
OddEnthusiast said:
I chose SSD because I want the speed and durability. As I stated, I use very little passive memory space. Also, I would only install the programs which I want to run smoothly on the SDD; that's what the external drive is for (storing archives, installing small/secondary programs, and backing up what's on my SSD).

Thank you for your reply!
Click to expand...

I see.
If it was me though, i would get a internal HDD alongside the external drive because at somepoint your going to wish you had more space. Like i said, i never saw any real, worthwile benefits when i switched to an SSD. Games would load a couple of seconds faster and windows can boot in under 10 seconds, but thats about it.
Its all down to what you want though. Just giving you the facts. :D
 
Well, actually, the HDD is the last thing left to order. I can't seem to find anything...has to be lower than 100, but there's too many choices, and so many bad reviews...I'd like something reliable. I don't really mind if its only 600GB instead of 1 TB...
 
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