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My PSU Died! I need some help with a $1000 build with consideration to parts salvaging.

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January 15, 2014 7:16:40 PM

First build I did with my dad just broke. The PSU was faulty for some time now. Some of the parts from the old build, in particular the RAM, may be used in a new build. I need some advice on which parts to spring for, however. Some help would be much appreciated!



Approximate Purchase Date: Before the end of the month (2 weeks)

Budget Range: $1000

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, small software compilation.

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, but not immediately. I would love some suggestions in terms of possible monitors, however.

Parts from Old Build: AMD FX-6100, AMD Radeon HD 7750, Crucial Ballistix 4x4GB@1600mhz, WD Black 750GB@7200rpm, 120GB Crucial SSD, ASUS M5A97 2.0

Do you need to buy OS: Yes

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg, tigerdirect, ncix, microcenter is most preferred, since there's a store not far from where I live.

Location: Paterson, New Jersey, USA

Parts Preferences: None.

Overclocking: Yes, eventually. No watercooling though.

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe later. One GPU for now please.

Your Monitor Resolution: 1 1600x900, 1 1440x900, Would like another either 1600x900 OR 1440x900.

Additional Comments: I need to have a bit of storage space. 750 GB filled up very quickly, mostly from the steam games I have.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: My PSU broke, and my hardware is a little out-of-date.

And lastly, thank you very much for reading this post, and showing some interest in my predicament.

Sincerely,
Ian A.

More about : psu died 1000 build consideration parts salvaging

January 15, 2014 7:42:10 PM

The motherboard is still good. So is the SSD and WD Black. Since you can keep the same motherboard, you won't need a new OS. The Asus M5A97 R2.0 may not be the best AM3+ board, but it is one of the best 970 chipset boards. Very good quality.

The first suggestion would be a new psu. The Corsair CX600M is a decent option: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-power-supply-cx600...
It's fairly cheap, decent quality, and semi-modular.
If you want, you can get the XFX 550w psu: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb...
Same price but it's non-modular. The better quality makes up for it though. Up to you, either are good options.

Then for the processor, you can go for the FX-8320: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/amd-cpu-fd8320frhkbox
It's a decent upgrade as it's based off the newer and better Vishera architecture.

Then you would probably want to overclock. The CM Hyper 212 EVO would be a great, inexpensive option: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-r...
Just because it's inexpensive doesn't mean it's bad. It performs better than a lot of the ~$50 CLC and heatsinks on the market at a fraction of the price. It probably has the best price/performance cooling ratio. It's not the best, but it's very good for the money and it allows for mild overclocking.

You can add a regular 1tb HDD for storage: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/seagate-internal-hard-driv...

For the gpu, you can definitely grab a GTX 760: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2o...
It's a great gpu that can play any games on high-max settings at 1080p: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx760dc2o...

For the monitor, I would definitely recommend a 1080p monitor for gaming and your current two monitors as a side monitor (videos, music, web browsing, etc.). This would be a huge improvement over your current monitors: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs229hp
Not only is it 1080p, but it's also an IPS panel so you get much better image quality.
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January 15, 2014 7:57:56 PM

Maybe something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($335.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($76.30 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $967.25
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-15 22:56 EST-0500)

* Use your RAM and other parts you listed with this build.
* Monitor is 1080p, so you can use as main screen and your existing one for other things.

If you want to keep your Mobo and use it:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($154.29 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($84.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($335.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: SeaSonic S12II 620W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($76.30 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VS247H-P 23.6" Monitor ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $925.54
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-01-15 23:00 EST-0500)
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January 15, 2014 8:05:04 PM

Thank you very much for your input, realchaos!

I had the impression that the mobo would be salvageable as well, but I felt the GPU was in definite need of improvement, and the CPU was (possibly) salvageable, albeit somewhat outdated.

My old PSU was a 650w device, but I believe it had no 80+ certification, so I partially blame that for its death.

I have heard wonderful things about the CM Hyper 212 EVO, and was intending on purchasing it, unless a better option were available at the same price-point, which apparently, there isn't. However, I honestly do not feel the need for the eight-core processor. While I can appreciate its capacity for multitasking, how does the 8320 fare against the 6300/6350?

With consideration to the money I have left-over, would it be better to invest in 1tb hdds as needed, or to invest in a 2tb drive now, and purchase another later, when the price further decreases?

I will definitely consider your advice for the 1080p monitor, for I believe they are very nice in terms of quality (I have nowhere near the budget to try anything UHD).

Also, a bit of an issue with my old build, the case which I selected, Thermaltake V3 Black Edition, seemed like it didn't provide enough options with regard to cable management. Of course, with a modular system, this will become less of an issue. Is there another case which may be more aesthetically appealing and offer better cable management systems?

@lunyone, Does changing to an Intel system give such a significant bonus to performance that it would be worth taking $350 out of the budget to accommodate this? Also, thank you for your response as well! I see you updated your response to give consideration to my current motherboard. If I stick with my mobo, would it be better for me to invest in a R9 280X in lieu of the GTX 770 and second monitor?
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January 15, 2014 8:19:13 PM

The FX-8320 is definitely stronger, even in games. I feel like with your budget, it's definitely worth it to go for the 8320 over the 6300/6350. Especially when it's overclocked, it's a beast.

I think you'll be fine investing in a 2tb HDD for now, assuming you can use all of that space. 2tb drives are only ~$20-30 more than a 1tb drive.

For the case, that depends on what you consider "aesthetically appealing" is. I'll just list off some good quality cases, however they may not be the case for you depending on what style you like:
Corsair 300R: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-case-300r
Bitfenix Shinobi: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/bitfenix-case-shinobiwindo...
NZXT Phantom 410: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/nzxt-case-caph410b1
Fractal Design Define R4: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/fractal-design-case-fdcade...

I wouldn't even consider the R9-280X right now. Due to bitcoin mining, the price of the 280X drastically increased. The 280X retailed for ~$300-320, which is about the price of the GTX 770, but due to the high demand from bitcoin miners, they jumped up to $400. I would rather go with a GTX 770 as it performs on par with the 280X.

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January 15, 2014 8:35:47 PM

Thank you once again, realchaos!

I got that impression myself, concerning the prices of the AMD gpu's. I may have wanted to hop on the bandwagon myself, but I guess Bitcoin has sort of screwed the market for most Cryptocurrencies across the board.

I'm going to definitely go with your advice pertaining to the HDD. I hope I'll be able to get a decent amount of overclocking with the 8320. I've never used a non-stock cooler (I'm horrible, I know), but I managed to get my 6100 to run at 4.3ghz for three days straight on stock parts.

Out of the cases you recommended, the two which I felt were the most "aesthetically appealing" (my apologies for leaving it so open-ended) were the Shinobi and the Define R4. However, I also noticed the stark lack of images on pcpartpicker of each case EXCEPT the Define R4. I like the design, and appreciate how it comes with four case USB slots.

My final build will be reflective of lunyone's suggestions, minus one monitor (maybe, since I'd only be slightly overbudget with it), and with the addition of the Fractal Design Define R4.

Thank you both!
-Ian A
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January 15, 2014 8:51:00 PM

Seems good. However, I would definitely recommend an IPS panel for the better image quality. It's a bit extra ($20 more for the 21.5" version or $30 more for the 23" version) but it's worth it.
21.5" version: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs229hp
23" version: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs239hp

Also, if you want more images of the case, just go to the Newegg website. They have lots of pictures of both the external and the internal. You can also youtube some videos of reviews/unboxings to get a better look.
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