Cheap i7 2600K build. first time

[unknown11]

Approximate Purchase Date: next 2 weeks

Budget Range: $550 After Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, light photo editing, light video editing, F@H

Parts Not Required: Case, Mouse, DVD Drive, Keyboard, Monitor, Video card, PSU

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg, TigerDirect

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: Intel, ASUS or MSi Mobo

Overclocking: Yes. to maximum potential

SLI or Crossfire: maybe (probably yes)

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: I would like a quiet PC.



My plans - all from newegg:

i7 2600K ($229 after rebates) (or i5 2500K @ $129)
G. Skill Ripjaws X 8GB 1600 ($100)
ASUS P8P67 EVO ($212)
MSi GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II (already bought)
XFX 750W Black Edition (already bought)
CPU cooler: stock until i can afford a real, serious liquid cooling system.

SUBTOTAL: $541

TAX: $27

S&H: $0

TOTAL: $568



anything i can improve on? I am playing FSX and other extremely CPU intensive games, so HT on the i7 will come in handy unless you think the i5 is enough.


Newegg charges a lot of tax in my state as you can see.


thanks



edit: forgot the hard drive

Samsung spinpoint F3 1TB Open Box $40

 

[aznshinobi]

2500K vs 2600K
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=287

Well if you really say "Light Video" and "Light Photo" editing. Then the 2500K is fine. It doesn't have the 8 threads like the 2600 but it'll give you the amount of performance need for the average user. Specially one who doesn't use the comp for profession.

Now I am wondering how your CPU prices are SO CHEAP. The 2600K on newegg is 330$ while the 2500K is 230$. There is no rebates for either and you state your getting them all from Newegg.

As for Ripjaws, change them, you don't need 100$ Ripjaws when 80$ ones perform the same and are cheaper. Free USB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426&cm_re=ripjaws_8gb-_-20-231-426-_-Product

Drop that motherboard, change it to this one. The Asrock Extreme4, saves you 70$
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-P67-EX4&title=ASRock-P67-Extreme4-LGA1155-Intel-P67-DDR3-Quad-SLI-Quad-CrossFireX-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-Motherboard

Review: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1098/pg2/asrock-extreme4-p67-and-fatal1ty-professional-p67-vs-x58-with-core-i7-950-review-asrock-p67-extreme4.html

Beats out the P8P67 Pro (which is 30$ more than the Asrock Extreme4 P67) http://www.anandtech.com/show/4080/welcome-to-sandy-bridge-with-the-asrock-p67-extreme4/7

CPU cooling: Hyper 212+ is good enough. Extreme Liquid cooling is a waste when the Hyper 212+ has multiple members around the worlds forums showing 5.1ghz overclocks with a good grade cpu. Remember not ALL cpus are guarenteed a high overclock, 4.5ghz is a given.

Not the Hyper 212+, but just to show you air is enough. He gets 5.4ghz w/ the Megahalems.
http://forums.ninjalane.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=2504

 

[unknown11]

2500K vs 2600K
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/288?vs=287

Well if you really say "Light Video" and "Light Photo" editing. Then the 2500K is fine. It doesn't have the 8 threads like the 2600 but it'll give you the amount of performance need for the average user. Specially one who doesn't use the comp for profession.

Now I am wondering how your CPU prices are SO CHEAP. The 2600K on newegg is 330$ while the 2500K is 230$. There is no rebates for either and you state your getting them all from Newegg.

As for Ripjaws, change them, you don't need 100$ Ripjaws when 80$ ones perform the same and are cheaper. Free USB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426&cm_re=ripjaws_8gb-_-20-231-426-_-Product

Drop that motherboard, change it to this one. The Asrock Extreme4, saves you 70$
http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-P67-EX4&title=ASRock-P67-Extreme4-LGA1155-Intel-P67-DDR3-Quad-SLI-Quad-CrossFireX-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-Motherboard

Review: http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1098/pg2/asrock-extreme4-p67-and-fatal1ty-professional-p67-vs-x58-with-core-i7-950-review-asrock-p67-extreme4.html

Beats out the P8P67 Pro (which is 30$ more than the Asrock Extreme4 P67) http://www.anandtech.com/show/4080/welcome-to-sandy-bridge-with-the-asrock-p67-extreme4/7

CPU cooling: Hyper 212+ is good enough. Extreme Liquid cooling is a waste when the Hyper 212+ has multiple members around the worlds forums showing 5.1ghz overclocks with a good grade cpu. Remember not ALL cpus are guarenteed a high overclock, 4.5ghz is a given.

Not the Hyper 212+, but just to show you air is enough. He gets 5.4ghz w/ the Megahalems.
http://forums.ninjalane.com/viewtopic.php?f=34&t=2504

Thanks. i had thought about the EXtreme4, but i couldn't find any B3 versions under $230


to answer your questions as to how i can get the CPU's for so cheap:

Newegg Price: $330

i got Newegg to price patch it to $279 (at microcenter)

and it comes with a free game worth $50 (look at the combo deals) i wouldn't even play that game so i will sell it on eBay, bringing the total CPU cost to $229. i know i'm counting my eggs before they hatch, but that is what the price will be if everything works as planned.

so i guess i am now asking if the i7 is still worth it even for $100 off MSRP like this. (keep in mind i can get 2500K for only $129 too)


how loud is the 212+? I want a watercooling system so i can completely silence all my components (i play at night and i don't want to wake my family because of the fans)

my other option is an H50/70, which still has a fan

 

[sherwinyu]

I'm in a very similar situation (560Ti and 2600K for gaming and photo editing). Just a question: how did you get newegg to price match MicroCenter? I thought they didn't do that. I'd appreciate it if you shared how to do that.

Thanks!

 

[unknown11]

I'm in a very similar situation (560Ti and 2600K for gaming and photo editing). Just a question: how did you get newegg to price match MicroCenter? I thought they didn't do that. I'd appreciate it if you shared how to do that.


Thanks!

If you were to call them up and ask them, chances are very high they would not.

you just have to call a few times and find someone who sounds to be weak willed and just drill into them and don't give up. give them hell.

- threaten you won't do business with Newegg ever again if they don't price match for you

- complain about how Newegg is supposed to have the best prices, not Microcenter (which is partly the truth, lol)

- tell them that you will tell all your friends that they shouldn't order from newegg.......

with a few tries, you should be able to make someone give in. i was lucky enough to do it on the second try. the first person i called was a guy. he stated it clearly that he wouldn't do it (and i knew he wouldn't). i called again and ended up with a young girl, who gave in after a 2 minutes of listening to my complaints.

It kind of made me feel bad because she seemed pretty nice, but thats sometimes how you've got to do it if saving $50 is that important.


good luck!

 

[aznshinobi]

Well just to clear it up. It's rare when a dev supports or has any benefits from Cuda (Nvidia cards). The only one I know of is Adobe and they only offer Cuda benefits with the Mercury playback engine which (assuming the info on the page is correct) After Effects doesn't use Cuda. Only Premiere CS5. Photoshop does not benefit from Cuda either if your wondering.
Video quality compared (AMD vs Nvidia) (Hi-Def/Blu-Ray)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/hqv-2-radeon-geforce,2844.html
Transcoding compared CPU (Intel) vs GPU (AMD vs Nvidia)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/video-transcoding-amd-app-nvidia-cuda-intel-quicksync,2839.html

So I suggest not transcoding w/ your 560 Ti. It's really a sacrifice of quality for speed which I don't think is a very good sacrifice.

 

[aznshinobi]

The Hyper 212+ (w/ Silent fans) would probably be about 50-60$ (since you'd buy different fans.

A custom looped water cooling kit is upwards 230$-500$ for just the CPU. It can all vary. I usually do not recommend LCS because it takes long term commitment of cleaning the loop every few months (2-6, 3 is recommended) but also it takes a lot of hours to test and MAKE SURE that you have NO leaks, end result of leaks it a rebuying of the system costing about whatever you spent on the system besides the case.

Watercooling Cont. - Water cooling also isn't "Silent" like people say it is. Silence is a preference that you pay for. Good silent fans that keep a rad cool but also disperse the heat and is (as mentioned) quiet. Can cost up to 30$, starting from 20$. You also have to be weary of RPMs and CFMs. You want high CFM but you also want a decent RPM (1500 RPM). Long story short, you should be willing to spend a lot (at least 100$) for the fans alone. But you may want quiet case fans as well and the fans can add on.


The H50/H70 costs to much and isn't even real water cooling. They are loud as well. Just as loud as the Hyper 212+, if you bought different fans for the H50/H70 it'd cost upwards 120$ for the H70, probably 80-90$ for the H50.