Well after about a year of thinking and planning, I think I'm finally ready to take the plunge and get things moving. I have a good base of knowledge from reading the very helpful threads on this forum, but I am in need of some more individualized recommendations at this point.
Approximate Purchase Date: This weekend
Budget Range: I would like to be somewhere in the vicinity of $1,000-$1,200 for the PC itself, and will need to purchase a respectable monitor on top of that.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: I would like to build a well rounded computer, but as far as my usage goes, it will be about 80% gaming & 20% productivity applications like AutoCAD/Photoshop.
Are you buying a monitor: Yes
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com
Location: New England
Parts Preferences: I am looking to go with an intel CPU & that is my only preference at this point.
Overclocking: Moderate, if at all. I would not mind having hardware that is capable of overclocking, but I will not be doing any until I am more versed on the topic.
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: Not sure yet- What is a fairly mainstream resolution as this point? 1920x1080? 1920x1200? I suppose it depends on what GPU i'm using in my build, but I would like to have a good sized monitor that will make the most out of my build without going overboard on the newest tech (I do not need to spend 1,000$ on a monitor). It seems like a 27" LCD @ one of the resolutions above would be a good fit, but I am open to better recommendations.
Additional Comments:
1) I have yet to decide whether to stick with Ivy Bridge or go with the new gen Haswell CPUs- I like the idea of switching to the new LGA1150 MOBO configuration of the Haswell chip for flexibility to upgrade down the road, but I am still leaning towards the Ivy at this point.
2) I really like the idea of SSD storage, as a boot drive at the very least.
My current prospective build is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($132.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($366.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1131.85
And a good monitor to top it off.
How does this setup look to you guys/gals? Is there any room for improvement? Any compatibility issues that you see?
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!
-Dan
Approximate Purchase Date: This weekend
Budget Range: I would like to be somewhere in the vicinity of $1,000-$1,200 for the PC itself, and will need to purchase a respectable monitor on top of that.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: I would like to build a well rounded computer, but as far as my usage goes, it will be about 80% gaming & 20% productivity applications like AutoCAD/Photoshop.
Are you buying a monitor: Yes
Do you need to buy OS: No
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com
Location: New England
Parts Preferences: I am looking to go with an intel CPU & that is my only preference at this point.
Overclocking: Moderate, if at all. I would not mind having hardware that is capable of overclocking, but I will not be doing any until I am more versed on the topic.
SLI or Crossfire: No
Your Monitor Resolution: Not sure yet- What is a fairly mainstream resolution as this point? 1920x1080? 1920x1200? I suppose it depends on what GPU i'm using in my build, but I would like to have a good sized monitor that will make the most out of my build without going overboard on the newest tech (I do not need to spend 1,000$ on a monitor). It seems like a 27" LCD @ one of the resolutions above would be a good fit, but I am open to better recommendations.
Additional Comments:
1) I have yet to decide whether to stick with Ivy Bridge or go with the new gen Haswell CPUs- I like the idea of switching to the new LGA1150 MOBO configuration of the Haswell chip for flexibility to upgrade down the road, but I am still leaning towards the Ivy at this point.
2) I really like the idea of SSD storage, as a boot drive at the very least.
My current prospective build is as follows:
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($132.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($366.97 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1131.85
And a good monitor to top it off.
How does this setup look to you guys/gals? Is there any room for improvement? Any compatibility issues that you see?
Thanks in advance for any helpful advice!
-Dan
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