Last Mintue Upgrades

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

I am just about done ordering computer parts. However, my budget is around $900 and is there anywhere I could put the $50 I have left to good use?

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n2Mw
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n2Mw/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1n2Mw/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (Purchased For $199.99)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard (Purchased For $99.99)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (Purchased For $71.99)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 650 Ti Boost 2GB Video Card ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case (Purchased For $47.99)
Case Fan: Cooler Master Blade Master 76.8 CFM 120mm Fan ($9.99 @ Newegg)
Case Fan: Cooler Master Megaflow 110.0 CFM 200mm Fan ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 500W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply (Purchased For $49.99)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer (Purchased For $14.99)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.74 @ Amazon)
Total: $853.63
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-08-01 10:56 EDT-0400)

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

Well I would have changed alot of things around. For $50 get yourself a nice mouse.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

tiny voices :

Just out of curiosity, what would you have changed?

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

I would have gone with an i5 4430 and an h87 motherboard and put WAY more money into a better GPU. This system is a bit of a waste without a good GPU.

If you planned to overclock i would have gone with a better z87 board. That MSI is bottom of the barrel for z87 board and has poor power phases and isn't great for overclocking.

Also, that PSU is the lowest quality PSU corsair makes and I would definitely have gotten an xfx550 unit. It is made by seasonic and is extremely good quality for basically only $8 more.

gbryan101 · Aug 1, 2013

Get a mechanical keyboard. Newegg has the Tt eSports Meka, on sale.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823162026&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL080113&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL080113-_-EMC-080113-Index-_-Keyboards-_-23162026-L018D

$100 - $40 promo code - $10 rebate = $50
Code: EMCXMXW82

EDIT: Board has Black switches, FYI.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

gbryan101 :

That looks like a good deal.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

tiny voices :

Fair enough. However, I have to disagree about the MSI because it is a very good overclocker.

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

This is false. the board has poor power phases. You are 'working the board' VERY hard if you overclock and more parts are likely to fail. The power phases are not at all designed for overclocking. i had the same board with the z77 chipset (same power phases) and it was junk for overclocking stability. The g45 is what you want if you plan to do any serious overclocking.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

tiny voices :

But it is a G45.

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

Ahh my bad, I thought it was the g41. Sorry about that.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

tiny voices :

So do you think it is a good buy? I got it at my local Microcenter for $40 off because I purchased it with the i5-4670k.

I was hoping to achieve this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNTQ3ZanvbA

Do you think I can?

getochkn · Aug 1, 2013

Master1001 :

Every chip is different. Some overclocking insanely well, and others, not so much, It also depends on the board, RAM, and luck. No one can say, get this and that and you'll get this speed.

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

You might be able to. Overclocking is basically based on experience, so trial and error will be your friend.

You should be fine, i would still have dropped overclocking for a better GPU. You can overclock that CPU until you are blue in the face, but it won't play games any better at all with a 650ti boost.

Mattios · Aug 1, 2013

I would agree with other people's suggestions and would like to say that an SSD would greatly help you.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

getochkn :

Master1001 :

Every chip is different. Some overclocking insanely well, and others, not so much, It also depends on the board, RAM, and luck. No one can say, get this and that and you'll get this speed.

I see. Also, it is worth it to get a GTX 660 over the 650 Ti Boost?

tiny voices · Aug 1, 2013

Yes it is, but at this budget you could have had a much better GPU than both of those. I understand overclocking as a hobby, but not when it takes money away from the parts that matter.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

Mattios :

Any SSD in particular you recommend?

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

tiny voices :

I understand where you are coming from but I have seen the graphics a 650 Ti Boost SSC produces and I am perfectly fine with them. I do not play very demanding games like BF3 and so after looking at some benchmarks I decided either a 650 Ti Boost or even better a 660 is a great fit.

Mattios · Aug 1, 2013

Master1001 :

Yes. The Kingston HyperX are very good performance at an excellent price. I would go for the 120GB edition.

Keep us informed

gbryan101 · Aug 1, 2013

Master1001 :

I personally use two Samsung 840 120GB drives in RAID0 as my boot drive. They work pretty well and have held up to everything I have put them though. I would wait until you can get one on sale. They go as low as $90 for the 120GB. The 840 Pro is also a good choice.

If you want to only spend $50, buy a 32-64GB SSD and use Intel Smart Response to use it as a cache for your 1TB HDD.

gbryan101 · Aug 1, 2013

Also, I have the same Lite-On DVD/CD drive. It is actually sort of crappy. It works well enough, but it's pretty flimsy and just doesn't seem much care went into assembling it. Get an Asus or LG.

Edit: Corrected typo.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

gbryan101 :

Thanks for the tip. However, I only intend to use it for installing windows. I don't really have a use for optical drives beyond that.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

A SSD looks like a great choice. I looked at several since I first started looking at components. I think I may be more inclined to buy a Samsung because of their reviews and also their Migration Software. But either brand looks like a fine choice.

gbryan101 · Aug 1, 2013

Master1001 :

I had a HyperX 120GB in my previous build. I was well made and very fast, particularly its write speed, which is faster than the 840 and closer to the 840 Pro. Read speeds are similar. I went Samsung after reading a few more reviews about long term durability (I wanted something that I could RAID0 and not have to constantly worry about) and after having a bad experience with Kingston's support staff and their "not our fault, not our problem" mentality. Also of note is that the regular Samsung 840 120GB has a mean time before failure of 1.5 million hours, 50% more than 120GB HyperX.

Master1001 · Aug 1, 2013

gbryan101 :

Ignoring the storage capacity information, the website SSD Boss gives a good indication of which one it better.
http://ssdboss.com/ssds/Samsung-840-Pro-vs-Kingston-HyperX-3K
Based on this and your experiences, I am most likely to get a Samsung. Would you recommend a 840 or 840 Pro?
http://ssdboss.com/ssds/Samsung-840-Pro-vs-Samsung-840

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