I5-2500K Build - Please Review / Comment - $1200 Budget

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
Approximate Purchase Date: 1 to 2 Weeks

Budget Range : $1000-$1200 All-Inclusive

System Usage from Most to Least Important : Multitasking / Surfing Web / Microsoft Office 2010 / Light Video Editing / DVD Copying & Burning / Light Gaming / Music & Picture Editing & Storage

Parts Not Required : Monitor / Keyboard / Mouse / Speakers

Preferred Website(s) for Parts/Build : Newegg.com / AVAdirect.com

Country of Origin : USA

Parts Preferences : As listed below, but suggestions welcome :D

Overclocking : Yes/ Maybe

SLI or Crossfire : NO

Current Monitor Resolution : 1440x900 (Samsung SyncMaster 906BW for now)

Additional Comments: Looking to build a High-quality, Upgradable, Fast & Functional multi-use desktop to replace my 9-year old Gateway :whistle: Although some of my parts may be above and beyond my current needs (Listed Above) I like to stay ahead of the curve and prefer higher technology that will last me a few years with no worries. After weeks of researching parts, reading endless reviews on Tom's / Newegg and other sites I have come up with this build. My toughest component choices have been the motherboard and SSD for which I have listed my options. Any help, advice on alternatives or suggestions otherwise are appreciated, but keep in mind my goals: Reliability, Upgradability, Performance & Price < $1200 Total Build. Thanks, ~Tony~

Motherboard: Intel Extreme Desktop Motherboard (DP67BGB3) @ $192
Intel Extreme DP67BGB3

Processor: INTEL Core i5-2500K (BX80623I52500K) @ $225
INTEL Core i5-2500K

Case: COOLER MASTER Elite 430 Black Mid-Tower w/ Window, ATX (RC-430-KWN1) @ $50
COOLER MASTER Elite 430

Extra Case Fans: COOLER MASTER 120mm 4 BLUE LED Case Fans (R4-L2S-122B-GP) @ $12
COOLER MASTER 120mm LED

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler (RR-B10-212P-G1) @ $40
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

Thermal Compound: ARCTIC SILVER Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (AS5-3.5G) @ $12
ARCTIC SILVER Arctic Silver 5

Power Supply: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular Power Supply (OCZ600MXSP) @ $50 After Rebate*
ModXStream Pro 600W

Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB DDR3-1600 SDRAM - CAS 8 (CMZ4GX3M2A1600C8) @ $30 After Rebate*
CORSAIR Vengeance 4GB DDR3-1600 SDRAM

Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 (100297L) @ $100 See Promo Code BELOW *Updated Per Suggestions on Thread Below*
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5830 1GB

OS Boot / Application SSD: INTEL 120GB 320 Series SSD (SSDSA2CW120G3K5) @ $220
INTEL 120GB 320 Series SSD

HDD Storage: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB SATA 3 (HD103SJ) @ $65 *Updated Per Suggestions on Thread Below*
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3

Optical Drive: ASUS Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner (DRW-24B1ST) @ $22
ASUS DRW-24B1ST 24x

Operating System: MICROSOFT Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition @ $100
Windows 7 HP - 64Bit

***Approximate Build Parts = $1136-1146***

***FINAL PERFORMANCE RESULTS*** :bounce: Note: Processor is NOT Overclocked - GPU is only mildly Autotuned :)

PCMark7 Score = 4651

Windows Experiance Index = 7.5 Base *See Screenshot below

WindowsRating1-6-12.png
 
G

Guest

Guest
for your needs i think your better off with this ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

For storage I think you need a bigger hdd just in case.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
for $10 more you get an additional 500gb.

I don't think you need to spend that much on a mbd. try finding a cheaper one.

For case, I would recommend getting a half 912 since its higher quality than the 430.

For ssd, both drives are great. Just pick one that fits your budget.

For psu, I would recommend getting this instead.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
 
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

Distinguished
Jan 1, 2011
3,051
0
20,960
samsung spinpoint f3 1tb 60$- http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1305600969&sr=1-2 (really reliable)
go with the asrock p67 extreme 4 motherboard 160$ at newegg. it has all the main features that the asus pro has but cheaper
120gb ssd will be enough for your build
you should look into the antec 300 illusion it is a better case then that one
for the graphics card go with the sapphire 5850 extreme 130$- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102932&Tpk=5850%20sapphire it is the best band for the buck.
this is a better psu for your price range- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044
 
G

Guest

Guest
For mbd, pick one of these 4. These 4 I got off newegg. they were the first 4 that was lower than $170, and not m-atx.(ordered from highest to lowest price)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128493
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157251

these are all z68. maybe you might want to use integrated graphics if you're browsing and stuff. turns out that 3 are gigabyte and only 1 is asrock. no asus boards are in this price range and the msi boards are all m-atx.
 
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310
For PSU I would recommend the Corair TX 750 or the TX 850 or the HX 850 whichever your budget will allow. It will give you more headroom to crossfire. These all go on sale regularly at newegg for $90 - $125 and they are all highly rated. The 850 HX is modular and is the highest rated and most expensive. It was on sale last weekend for $119 on newegg.

Would recommend the ATI 5770 or ATI 6850 if you can afford it. If you GTX the 460 is a better card. The above ATI cards will give you better picture quality.
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
for your needs i think your better off with this ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

For storage I think you need a bigger hdd just in case.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185
for $10 more you get an additional 500gb.

I don't think you need to spend that much on a mbd. try finding a cheaper one.

For case, I would recommend getting a half 912 since its higher quality than the 430.

For ssd, both drives are great. Just pick one that fits your budget.

For psu, I would recommend getting this instead.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207014
Click to expand...

Thanks for the quick reply! :hello:

That ram is 3 times the price of what I got. Had to jump on the newegg deal at 50% off after rebate I only paid $30, and if i need the 8GB in the future I will upgrade when it gets cheaper in a year or so.

Bigger HDD I might agree, but are those Samsung drive really better? Seems to be 10% fail or DOA rate.....

MoBo comment noted... Just don't want to lose features for a few bucks.

The Corsair PSU is rated and reviewed as pretty much the best in the sub-$100 range.
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510


I will NOT be running a Crossfire setup now or prob ever. Like I said, multimedia desktop, light gaming / video editing looking for GPU's at or around $100 after any rebates.

Those are nice cards, I know, but they will be even nicer when I can get them for half the price in a year from now. :sol:

That being said, the Corsair TX650 should handle my build just fine with only a 1 mid-range GPU.
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510


Bigger HDD I might agree, but are those Samsung drive really better? Seems to be 10% fail or DOA rate on Newegg reviews.....

Any benefit to the newer WD SATA 6 drives since my motherboard will be able to use them?

I do like that Antec Three Hundred / Illusion case, a little more square in size (Taller) than the Coolermaster... although I would lose the cool side window :whistle: I'll def think about this one.

And GPU is nice, but what's the best for under $100 with or without rebates?

Thanks for the reply! :)

 
G

Guest

Guest
Yes. If you can best a little more on the graphics card you will see a large performance increase. that 5830 is a good deal
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510


Wow! That is a nice card and a HUGE jump in performance for a few buck :sol: Might settle on this from Newegg.com cuz it seems to go for $40-60 more everywhere else online.

I also came across this: EVGA 01G-P3-1366-TR GeForce GTX 460 SE (Fermi) 1GB @ $115 after rebate *
GeForce GTX 460 SE (Fermi) 1GB

Seems like a good sale/rebate... would you still take the HD5830 over it?
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
Still stuck between HDD's

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB SATA 3 @ $65 - 1370 Reviews on Newegg (10% 1-Egg DOA/RMA Issues)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB SATA 3 or 6 @ $59 - 1440 Reviews on Newegg (9% 1-Egg DOA/RMA Issues)

The Samsung is double the capacity at basically the same price and reviewed risk/reliability... So most would say make the switch?
 
G

Guest

Guest
5830 definately over se.
I strongly recommend the samsung. WD is a just a name brand imo.
 
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310


Good points, I was tired last night and got you confused with another builder - my bad.

Concerning the PSU, my needs are like yours because I am going to run one GPU and I am not a heavy gamer (I own one game). I still went with the Corsair 850 HX because it has a 7 year warranty and it is one of the most stable PSUs on the market and very importantly - it was cheap. I got it for $144 which at the time was amazing. Just last weekend it went on sale for $119.00 - damn :). The point is I will use this for several builds and I will never have to worry about warranty or power issues if my new build needs more power.

So three years from now when the average GPU consumes even more power (they are always increasing in power consumption) and I want three HDDs (my business is growing), I won't have to buy a new PSU. That was my point.

However, that being said, you are absolutely correct that the 650 W will power your system. Also I think your PSU comes with a 5 -year warranty which ain't too shabby :) - so it is a good choice.

I read an article on video performance which compared all ATI cards to all GTX cards and they concluded for maximum video performance the ATI 5770 was as low as you should go. Nearly all of the ATI cards beat nearly all of the GTX cards. I am sorry I don't have the link handy, but for the price I still think the 5770 is the best choice if cost is an issue.
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
So as far as these new Z68 Motherboards.... Smart buy considering they were just released or just stick with P67?

And anybody know what the difference is between the 2 Gigabyte boards links listed below besides $25?
Neither has video out (VGA or HDMI) Does this even matter if you have a discrete graphics card?

GA-Z68X-UD3-B3 (rev. 1.0) & GA-Z68X-UD3P-B3 (rev. 1.0)
Gigabyte Compare Boards
 
G

Guest

Guest
Smart buy. Nice for just $10 more over the p67 versions.

The difference was between those two motherboards was the features. Its not listed in the comparison page. ud3p features "maximum power delivery", 12 phase power design, "dual cpu power technology", and driver mosfet. Plus it has a black pcb which was the main reason I personally bought it over the ud3. :p

You might have better overclocking capabilities with the ud3p. But for your needs, I don't think you need it. You can get the ud3. You'll be good to go with it.

Unfortunately, both mbds don't have video output. This means that yes you need a discrete graphics card to run. But no it does not matter if you have a discrete graphics card. Just make sure that the graphics card has the video output you need. Like if you plan to use hdmi make sure the graphics card has an hdmi video ouput.
 
F

flong

Distinguished
Dec 27, 2010
1,106
0
19,310
Smart buy. Nice for just $10 more over the p67 versions.

The difference was between those two motherboards was the features. Its not listed in the comparison page. ud3p features "maximum power delivery", 12 phase power design, "dual cpu power technology", and driver mosfet. Plus it has a black pcb which was the main reason I personally bought it over the ud3. :p

You might have better overclocking capabilities with the ud3p. But for your needs, I don't think you need it. You can get the ud3. You'll be good to go with it.

Unfortunately, both mbds don't have video output. This means that yes you need a discrete graphics card to run. But no it does not matter if you have a discrete graphics card. Just make sure that the graphics card has the video output you need. Like if you plan to use hdmi make sure the graphics card has an hdmi video ouput.
Click to expand...

Great post ^
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510


+1 Very useful info!

* Initial build post info updated so far as well.......I'ts goin great guys! Thanks for all the responses! :hello:
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
For mbd, pick one of these 4. These 4 I got off newegg. they were the first 4 that was lower than $170, and not m-atx.(ordered from highest to lowest price)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128493
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157251

these are all z68. maybe you might want to use integrated graphics if you're browsing and stuff. turns out that 3 are gigabyte and only 1 is asrock. no asus boards are in this price range and the msi boards are all m-atx.
Click to expand...


*Updated* 5/19/11

Current choice below..... unless something crazy comes up or pricing changes radically in the next week or so. :sol:

Z68 Board: GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3P-B3 @ $170
Specs & Pricing HERE

All responses are welcome!
 
G

Guest

Guest
You should go with z68.
Among the z68...
I don't think that the cost of the ud3p and the asus pro is worth your usage. You can save money by just going for the ud3.
 
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
Tony37x

Tony37x

Distinguished
May 16, 2011
21
0
18,510
*Updated 5/27/11* Final build specs listed on top...

Changed the PSU and Motherboard once again but now I'm happy! :)

Computer is on its way.... :bounce:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom