Help with first computer build

S

Silencio

New Member
My pc is around 10 years old and I want to build one to last me another 10 years. I am building this pc for gaming only. My budget is $2,000 max, but 1,400 or so is a better number, since I don't want to waste my money and I want the most performance per dollar.

I have done about 3 weeks of constant research and I know quite a bit now. However there are a few parts I could use help with. I will be using my simple mouse and keyboard on my old pc, so I don't need those parts. I want to build this computer as soon as possible, but I also want to make sure I get the best parts for the right price.

I will not be overclocking and I will be using the stock heatsink on everything, so I don't void the warranty. My computer will be fast enough that I don't need to overclock for gaming and if I need to in the future I can buy water cooling then.

I am open to using any vendor, but I trust newegg and amazon. I also plan on purchasing from microcenter and mwave and I was wondering if anyone knows how reliable these places are.

My computer build at pcpartpicker with best prices - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4jgb

The same computer with prices at each vender - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4jgb/by_merchant/

Here are my thoughts on my current build:

CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor $179.99 @ Microcenter

This will not change. It has the best price per performance in video games.

CPU Cooler - None

I don't want to void the warranty with overclocking or different heatsink. This pc can handle all the top games without overclocking anyway. If my computer can't handle games later on I will add water cooling and overclock it.


Motherboard - Asrock P67 Extreme4 Gen3 $100 @ microcenter since I get $50 off when I buy motherboard and CPU combo.

I was gonna buy the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155, but it is not for sale at microcenter and I get $50 dollars off motherboards there for a combo deal. Someone said this is the next best board available at microcenter and with 50 dollars off it is cheaper. I like the overclock option since I may change my system later to overclock if it becomes too slow for games.

Memory - Corsair XMS3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory $27.99 @ Newegg

This is the cheapest 2 x 4gb 1,333 memory available. The difference between 1,333 memory and 1,866 memory is only 1-2 frames per second on a video game and is not worth the extra money for the ram and not worth the extra money for a motherboard that supports higher speeds.

Hard Drive - Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 3.5" 5900RPM Internal Hard Drive $129.99 @ Amazon

This is the cheapest 2tb hard drive I can find that has decent reviews. I didn't pick an ssd, because it won't make the video game run faster. The game may take long to load without an ssd, but if it doesn't affect gameplay then I do not care.

Video Card - HIS Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card $557.86 @ Newegg

The videocard is my bottleneck for gaming and I chose the best video card available to get the best graphics and play the best games. I don't know the difference between the various versions of the radeon hd 7970, so I just chose the cheapest one for sale.

I don't want to use 2 video cards because I have read about problems with micro-stuttering. Learn about microstutter here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Micro_stuttering

Case - NZXT Phantom (White) ATX Full Tower Case $109.99 @ Newegg

This is the cheapest full tower I found with decent reviews and good cooling including 4 fans. It looks ugly, but all I care about it price per performance.

Power Supply - Rosewill Capstone 650W 80Plus Gold $90 (10% off promo code) @ newegg

I am not sure if this is enough power. I am not overclocking, but I may in the future. I read 850 watts would be better, so I won't have to pay for a new PSU 5 years or so down the road when I decide to overclock. I definitely want my power supply to be very reliable since the cheap ones destroy other computer parts fairly often.


Optical Drive - LG GH22NS90B DVD/CD Writer $22.98 @ Newegg

This is the cheapest dvd writer I could find with decent reviews.

Monitor - Asus VE247H 23.6" Monitor $159.99 @ Mwave

Someone on another building forum recommended this as a cheap monitor that is high in quality. I know very little about Monitors and would appreciate some more info or advice on monitors.

Operating System - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 (64-bit) $138.99 @ B&H

I chose the 64 bit for better graphics and I chose professional because it is supported until 2020 but the home edition is only supported until the beginning of 2015.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Questions:

1. Is there anything I can save money on without sacrificing quality or possibly something much better for a little more money?

2. Are all of these parts 100% compatible with eachother?

3. Other than using that thing on my wrist to stop static electricity and being careful, is there anything else I should know about building a computer the first time?

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I welcome all comments and suggestions. Thanks.
 
Micro shutter is only really a problem if you are nearing the bottom of the FS spectrum (~<40 FPS). That isn't about to happen n a CF 7970. Now this isn't saying that you need 2 right now, but in the next 10 years you are probably going to be lucky to get medium settings on CF7970's. Just look back on what was out in 2002, the GeForce4 MX440 SE was out (not sure of its performance) and it won't even run windows 7 properly. 10 years from now, I doubt that the 7970 will be gaming either.

I'm pretty sure your warranty won't be affected by adding a cooler. If you are looking as far ahead as you are, then get a good cooler. The warranty is 3-5 years, and the heat damage from a stock cooler will take it out well after that. Just remember every 90 day warranty comes with day 91.

you will be kicking your own arse for getting a piss poor hard drive in your budget. Performance on a 5k hard drive will be noticeably less than even a 7200, much less a ssd.
 
Get rid of that power supply now unless you like your computer to be literally on fire.

for two video cards, get a 750w-850w from corsair, antec, pc power and cooling, silverstone, seasonic, or xfx.

And its really a crime to let a 2500k to not be overclocked. And intel is starting to offer extra warranties for overclockers. Might wanna look into it.
 
Thanks for the help everyone.

On another computer building forum, someone said that this video card was faster than the amd 7970 and on sale for 150 dollars less on amazon. See here - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LU2Z02...e=asn&creative=395097&creativeASIN=B005LU2Z02

It looks like 2 videos cards but they are combined into 1. Anyone know if this really is faster than the 7970? The price just looks to good to be true...

Also someone else said the 3 gb video card will be better for future games than 2 gb. Can anyone confirm if this is true or not?

I would be willing to get a really good fan for my CPU if it doesn't void the warranty. That was the original plan. I don't want to mess with water cooling cause they can cause a mess if they go bad and they don't reach the really hot parts that are near the processor that can overheat.

My reasoning for not overclocking yet was that I thought my video card was my bottleneck and that the extra processor speed would not add more frames per second. I used www.anandtech.com for my videogame benchmarks for CPU and GPU.
 
ok, whomever told you the 6870x2 was better doesn't know much about video cards. That card is 2 HD 6870 video cards on 1 chip. The 7970 ties and in some cases beats a 6990 which is 2x HD 6970 on 1 card. There is no way that the 68x2 is better in any way other than maybe price.

The video card will not bottleneck at at all. The 2500k and a GTX580/HD6970(7970) are a good match. In a Crossfire (SLI) situation there is a good chance that your CPU will become your bottleneck. I will guarantee that you will see better performance from your GPU with a overclock, as t will decrease the waiting time of the video card.

Adding a cooler will not void your warranty. But just think of it like this. The chances of getting a ad CPU i about billion to one. CPUs very rarely go bad. If your overclock to an outrageous amount and put your voltages way up there, like 2 volts or something, ten your warranty will not cover you. Otherwise, you will not need your warranty anyway. the more important warranties are the GPU, PSU, and motherboard warranties. These might save you a good bit some day.
 
According to the last link the 6870 x 2 suffers a lot of starcraft 2 when using full screen anti aliasing. I want to play starcraft 2, but I don't know if I will be using full screen anti aliasing. It shows 24 frames per second max which sucks, especially since it will drop during stress.

Here is a link to the starcraft benchmark. http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/powercolor-radeon-hd6870x2_7.html#sect3

I read that microsoft offers extended support for the professional version of windows 7 until 2020 but only 2015 for windows 7 home edition. Will the extended support keep windows 7 pro safe from viruses and glitches? (Assuming I use a virus protector and don't go to dangerous websites of course)

I don't want to buy windows 8 in only 3 years to stay safe, but if I have no choice, then I will. I am using xp pro still on this old computer and I love it to death.

I am gonna give in and buy an SSD instead of a HD. I will keep my extra files I rarely use on my 2 external hard drives (I keep 2 copies of each file on different external hard drives in case 1 drive fails). Someone on another computer building forum said this is a good one here - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo.

A second opinion on a SSD would be nice. I only want the 120 gb, 60 is not enough for my needs. Also I read somewhere that certain SSD's can't be used to install operating systems. Can anyone confirm or deny this?

Also I heard that I should get a case with a removable, washable dust filter. How often would I need to clean the dust filter and how often would I need to clean the whole computer? Also is it safe to use a leaf blower on my pc to clean it? I have been using one on low speed from a long distance away to clean my current old pc of dust. What about a vacum is that safe?

I read that the dual 6780 gpu counts as 2 gpus on the driver, which is the max you should try to use on a driver in most cases, so adding another card would not be smart. However by the time I need to upgrade my graphics card the top of the line cards will be less than half the price they are now, so I am thinking the dual 6780 would be the right choice to save money in the short term and in the long term. By the time I need to update my graphics card I will probably need to build an entirely new computer anyway.

Will I need a fan for my graphics card if I plan to overclock it in the future?

I don't plan on overclocking the motherboard or ram, cause from what I read they are not a bottleneck and will not help my system by overclocking them.
 
1st thing. You can not over clock a motherboard. Just the buses within (PCI, PCI-e, for older ones AGP and ISA). This will net no gain on your setup.

RAM benefits more from lower CAS latency than it does from pure speed. Some CAS 8 DDR3-1600 will e about what you need.

As for CPU, that is purely dependent on what games you are playing and what graphics cards you are running. 2x GTX580 or 2x HD7970 will be bottlenecked by the CPU. This is always the case with the highest end GPUs as they advance far ahead of the CPU tech they are pared with. If you are happy with a stock CPU, then more power to you. But in this budget, you will not be getting the best performance from your CPU.

Windows 7, probably not. Look at it this way, most of the updates are unneeded. I advocate the stance of Don't install an update just because it is there. If you have a problem that is fixed by an update, then go for it. Otherwise you are just using up hard drive space for something you do not need. The "security updates" from microsoft are an excellent way for viruses and maleware to get in. Just get a good antivirus and be happy, don't worry about your security updates.

You can run up to 4 cards on a driver. This is different on ATI and Nvidia though.
ATI:
you can run 4 chips of the same design on a driver. for example 2x 6990 or 1x 6990 with 2 HD6970, or 4x HD6970. All three will have the same # of cards seen by the driver.
Nvidia.
You can run 4 chips on 1 driver, but only in matching style. For example, you can run 4x GTX580, or 2x GTX590, but not a 590 and 2 580s.

This being said, it is always better to get a single powerful chip than 2 weaker ones. For yours, I would say get a HD7970 or HD 6970. A GTX 580 is also a good option. This will net better performance.
Your plan is flawed though. Getting a card now in the hopes that the prices will go down on the higher end cards is asinine. Build for what you need today, and then if you need more down the road go for an upgrade. Don't skimp not then be kicking yourself because of having to spend hundreds to upgrade.
 
wolfeking said:
This being said, it is always better to get a single powerful chip than 2 weaker ones. For yours, I would say get a HD7970 or HD 6970. A GTX 580 is also a good option. This will net better performance.
Your plan is flawed though. Getting a card now in the hopes that the prices will go down on the higher end cards is asinine. Build for what you need today, and then if you need more down the road go for an upgrade. Don't skimp not then be kicking yourself because of having to spend hundreds to upgrade.
Click to expand...

When the "Top of the Line" GPU's are 1/2 price there will obviously be newer and better ones out there to wait on. So basically you will have a very long wait, because when something better comes out you will not be as interested in the HD7970. As time goes Games get better and so do GPU's. I'm not saying to get a new GPU every time a better one comes out.
 
For SSDs, the top 3 reliable choices would be Crucial M4, Samsung 830, or Intel. Crucial M4s and Samsungs have a good mix of performance and reliability, whereas Intel have traditionally been very reliable, albeit slower. However, I just read an article about the Intel 520 that seems to be about the best overall mainstream SSD you can buy right now, but it comes at a premium. Intel 510s and 320 are probably very good as well, but I'm not sure at the differences between the different Intel series.

OCZ SSDs are quite common, popular, cheap, and have good performance. However, they have a history of issues and are a bad choice if you are looking for reliability. Not that you're by any means guaranteed (or even close to guaranteed) issues if you buy one. Just that the odds are considerably higher than with one of the three I listed above. Here are some at Newegg:

Crucial M4 128GB ($177)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

Samsung 830 128GB ($220)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147134

Intel 510 120GB ($240)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167042

I personally vote for the Crucial M4, as they have a great mix of price, reliability, and performance. Others may have differing opinions though.
 
I'd get a corsair GT, they are pretty reliable, and corsair have always been pretty good with their warranties and rebates as far as i know, plus they are some of the fastest out.
 
my OCZ SSD is reliable...i think people gave them a bad rap because the sanforce controllers were too fast for the chipset, and were pushing data before the chipset was ready to take it and causing a bsod...i have not had any such issues with my OCZ Agility, i think most manufacturers have figured out how to get it right.
 
FuryRosewood said:
my OCZ SSD is reliable...i think people gave them a bad rap because the sanforce controllers were too fast for the chipset, and were pushing data before the chipset was ready to take it and causing a bsod...i have not had any such issues with my OCZ Agility, i think most manufacturers have figured out how to get it right.
Click to expand...

That's true. There have been great strides lately in the release of what are essentially bug fixes for SSDs, including OCZ. However, there are still BSOD problems at the very least with some of them. (due to Sandforce controller) Like I said before, you could pick an OCZ drive out at random and it could be absolutely perfect for 8 years straight. It's the statistics and odds, and at least in the case of OCZ SSDs historically, they actually seem to deserve their wishy-washy reputation for reliability. More than the Sandforce controllers even. PR has been a little strange with them, concerning the issues.

I decided to go with an SSD for my boot drive only a couple months ago, and finally decided on a Crucial M4 64GB, due to the cost, "easily good enough" performance, and reliability. I haven't had problems yet and am very pleased. If OCZ drives would have been a LOT cheaper than the Crucial M4 (and others), I would have gone with one of them. But since the prices are pretty similar, I decided what the hell, I'll get the statistically more reliable one. The speed differences between the two were a complete non-issue to me. It might have been a little different if I was debating a slow Intel vs something much, much faster, but that wasn't the case. Meh.
 
Well to your reliability stuff about the m4's, they just recently corrected an issue on these drives that have been out for a good while where they are known to consistantly BSOD after 5000 hours, that could be considered very unreliable in the fact that it was a common issue for them and it took them so long to correct.

and the problems with the oczs i don't think are as much with that stuff as they are with their quality control, they have a few more DOA's than the others, but once that is sorted out they are very reliable and good
 
Hey mate.
First of all, i would highly reccomend upgrading the PSU. You could get away with it, but you are running a power hungry 7970 and the processor is powerful enough to consume its bit aswell. On top of that, a 650 is NOT futureproof. Upgrade to atleast a 750 or at the best 850.
Secondly, if you want your pc to last you 10 years, i would highly reccomend upgrading the ram to 12-16gb. PC technology is advancing so fast, i assure you that you wont be wasting your money in upgrading the ram.

Very good choice on the processor, usually first time builders have no idea!
 
nick9999 said:
Hey mate.
First of all, i would highly reccomend upgrading the PSU. You could get away with it, but you are running a power hungry 7970 and the processor is powerful enough to consume its bit aswell. On top of that, a 650 is NOT futureproof. Upgrade to atleast a 750 or at the best 850.
Secondly, if you want your pc to last you 10 years, i would highly reccomend upgrading the ram to 12-16gb. PC technology is advancing so fast, i assure you that you wont be wasting your money in upgrading the ram.

Very good choice on the processor, usually first time builders have no idea!
Click to expand...

Actually, if you want your pc to last you 10 years, upgrading the memory would probably be wasting your money, in relation to the specific goal of futureproofing for 10 years from now. Why? Because 10 years from now, it will be your computer itself holding you back, not your memory. Odds are, the very limited things you will be able to still accomplish on your computer (equivalent to present-day basic internet browsing, email, and word processing) wouldn't really care whether you're using a little more memory or not.

And of course, 10 years from now, you could have 1 million GB of memory and it wouldn't matter to a 10-year-old computer. Having possession of 2000 floppy disks never helped anyone play Crysis. Not exactly the same thing I know, but you get my point.
 
Ok I think I have all the parts decided now. I based this on lots research and lots of advice from several pc building forums. Don't be upset if I didn't use your suggestion, because I received suggestions from many people and I had to chose only 1. Even if I didn't choose your suggestion, you all still helped me a lot and I appreciate all the advice.

It was a struggle between speed, price and reliability, with reliability being first, speed second and price 3rd.

I am still open to advice, cause I am a noob and my reasoning for buying certain parts may be wrong. Maybe you know a website or store with cheap parts that aren't listed on http://pcpartpicker.com .

My new build is here - http://pcpartpicker.com/p/4w4t

The price on that link says 1,820, but it will actually be 1,745.

I added an air cooler since it doesn't void the warranty, unless you tell intel you used it. Also someone said cpus rarely go bad nowadays even when overclocked, as long as you don't super overclock it, so I would be interested in trying that down the road.

I used the ASRock P67 Extreme4 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard instead of the ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard, because microsoft doesn't sell the extreme 3 and I get 50 dollars off on a motherboard/cpu combo deal.

I decided to use the cheapest cas 8 ddr 3 1,600 ram I could since my cpu is designed specifically for 1,600 as its sweet spot. Apparently the cas is more important though for speed.

I used the crucial m4 128gb SSD, because it is cheap and doesn't have many dead on arrival shipments like OCZ has. I don't want to deal with that and I don't mind this drive being slower than the OCZ since SSD is insanely fast anyway.

I chose the saphire brand of the amd radeon 7970 cause it is cheapest of all available and I can overclock it to match the other cards speeds myself, if I need to.

I chose the Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case, because of the removable dust filters and apparently a mid tower case will fit all of my computer parts, so why not save some money.

I chose the Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply, because I want plenty of power for overclocking everything and this particular model had lots of reviews and barely any dead on arrivals or instances where it destroyed other computer parts.

The Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor is almost exactly the same as the other one I posted, but it has a higher contrast ratio for the same exact price. If 2 monitors are the same price and almost exactly the same, I will choose the one with a better contrast ratio.

I was convinced to use windows 7 home since the extra features for pro are useless and won't help me in gaming.

The keyboard and mouse got good reviews from massive amounts of people and they were recommended by other people. The lights on the keyboard also attract me a lot since I play in the dark and struggle to find keys sometimes.

I did not add a cooler for the video card, because nobody said it was necessary even when overclocked.
 
Everything looks fantastic.

And 650w from a reliable brand is futureproof, to the point that it can be, for one video card. Sure, you *might* not be able to use it again in 5-10 years when you build the newest computer, but using an old power supply in a new computer is asking for trouble.

So my point is, 650w is enough for one video card and all the overclocking you could want.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top