Proposed new build Sandy Bridge looking for comments

elrui

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Hi All,

I have been wanting to build a new computer for a while now and from reading these forums and various hardware review sites I think I have a build fairly close to where I want to be. Please be as critical as you want to be I can take it. I am open to suggestions for replacements etc.

My uses:

I play WoW predominately, but will probably play D3 once it comes out.
I know this is a bit overkill for those needs but I consider myself a bit of an enthusiast and I want a pretty strong computer for now and for future state.
I chose the SLI Mobo in case I decide to double up on the 560ti's.

1 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5 $89.99
1 MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 $249.99
1 COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP $99.98
1 OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD3-2VTX120G 3.5 $209.99
1 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz $224.99
1 ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 $159.99
1 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) $94.99
1 CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W $189.99
1 LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 $19.99
1 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $39

Subtotal: $1,334.89
 
Solution
Its certainly not a cost optiized build but theres nothing blatantly wrong with it. I see that you chose the i7 for productivity type things, and thats ok, but keep in mind that an overclocked i5-2500k is still an extremely (extremely) powerful processor.

My feeling on raid 0 is that its not worth it. The spinpoints (and most 7200 rpm drives for that matter) are really quite fast by themselves. If you demand maximum performance, go the extra mile and get a 120gb ssd for all your programs and OS. Raid 0 also doubles the likelihood of data loss, because either drive can fail. Get your ram on sale. 1600mhz Ram is constantly going on sale, dont pay more than $80 for 8gb.
The AX750 is a modular psu, dont worry about the wording. In fact...

genghiskron

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elrui

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Oh nice!

If those are still available I will grab them when I buy next month. All the stuff I linked was from Newegg because I love them. I wish I lived close to a Microcenter so I could buy the proc super cheap.
 

elrui

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Hi again,

I am having indecision (the problem with preparing to order a few weeks before I actually order). As someone who doesn't really reboot his computer too much will I really see much benefit from a SSD? I am considering dropping the SSD in favor of a slightly nicer case and a beefier single gpu solution instead of going with the HAF-922.

My thoughts are:

Drop the HAF-922
Drop the SSD
Drop the 560ti

Add Corsair 600T White (so fricking sweet)
Add GTX 570 or possibly a Radeon 6970 (I just am not a huge fan of ATI)
 

elrui

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I am honestly considering it less and less just due to the fact I will not be having multi-monitor set-up and I doubt I will go any higher than HD resolution 1920 x 1200. I am just un-sure what to do.
 

genghiskron

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i will play the devils advocate for a moment. If you dont ever OC your computer or add a second card, you might as well have bought this system:


Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner Black SATA Model AD-7261S-0B LightScribe Support - OEM
Item #: N82E16827118040
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$21.99


Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811139005
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$179.99


MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video ...
Item #: N82E16814127565
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$5.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$254.99
$249.99


ASRock H61M/U3S3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813157236
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
$79.99


Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-520 520W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Item #: N82E16817371047
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822136073
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
-$25.00 Instant
-$25.00 Combo
$128.98
$78.98


Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400
Item #: N82E16819115074
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Protect Your Investment (expand for options)
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM
Item #: N82E16820231445
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
-$28.00 Combo
$289.98
$256.98
Subtotal: $867.92
Shipping: $0.00
Grand Total: $867.92

Its something to think about, you just gotta decide whats best for your needs and spending habits.
 

elrui

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Hi All,

Genghis, thanks for the above and sorry for the slow response back, I took some time off to do some thinking as your suggested. Here my original build with changes that I am making. Kind of counter-intuitive to what I posted earlier as my needs have changed. I am looking to move my computer to a more intensive use as Xbox 360 is just plain boring right now, so I am going to focus my gaming abilities 100% onto the computer. I am also going to start moving into some photo/movie editing. So here is my updated build. I still have some questions and am open to suggestions/criticism's if you feel I have chosen the wrong component.

[strike]1 Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5 $89.99[/strike]
[strike]1 MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 $249.99[/strike]
[strike]1 COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP $99.98[/strike]
[strike]1 OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD3-2VTX120G 3.5 $209.99[/strike]
[strike]1 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz $224.99[/strike]
1 ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 $159.99
[strike]1 G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) $94.99[/strike]
[strike]1 Corsair HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W $189.99[/strike]
1 LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 $19.99
1 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $39

Ok here is the new components that will be replacing the strike-d components above

Samsung Spinpoint F3 x 2 in Raid 0 (I don't reboot a lot but I want some form of speed increase and I have read this works well, but I am open to comments on it)
EVGA 560ti (I found one for 200 bucks, so I have already bought this)
Corsair 600t case (not decided between white and black yet, choosing this case because the CM case was really ugly and I think I need more space than a Antec 902 provides (can it fit sli 560 ti's if I decide to go this route in the distance future for better gaming performance?)
G.Skill Sniper series 1600 12800 ram (mostly switched for aesthetic purposes)
Intel 2600k Sandy Bridge (Switched to this due to moving towards a more productive suite minded computer instead of just straight gaming)
Corsair AX750 Semi Modular PSU (Switched to this due to the 850 being overkill and the cable routing solutions on the Corsair case I don't need a fully modular PSU.)

Thoughts?
 
Right now almost no game will take advantage of more than 3 threads, because of this the hyper-threading that is one of the big differences between the Intel® Core™ i7-2600K and the Intel Core i5-2500K ends up not having any value for a gamer. So the difference between the Intel Core i7-2600K and the Intel Core i5-2500K comes down to 100MHz and just about $100. Is 100MHz worth $100 to you? That is why the Intel Core i5-2500K is called the best gaming processor on the market right now.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team
 

genghiskron

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Its certainly not a cost optiized build but theres nothing blatantly wrong with it. I see that you chose the i7 for productivity type things, and thats ok, but keep in mind that an overclocked i5-2500k is still an extremely (extremely) powerful processor.

My feeling on raid 0 is that its not worth it. The spinpoints (and most 7200 rpm drives for that matter) are really quite fast by themselves. If you demand maximum performance, go the extra mile and get a 120gb ssd for all your programs and OS. Raid 0 also doubles the likelihood of data loss, because either drive can fail. Get your ram on sale. 1600mhz Ram is constantly going on sale, dont pay more than $80 for 8gb.
The AX750 is a modular psu, dont worry about the wording. In fact, its a super high end psu, way above the price-quality "sweet spot".
If you feel that you need modular id go this route
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.668372



The white 600t is not only functionally improved, it is also waaaay cooler looking. I hear it looks even better in person.

If you still want the raid 0, you can combo the spinpoint with the case as well:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.668304

I also prefer the scythe mugen 2 (aka scmg-2100) over the hyper 212, but the hyper 212 is still a great cooler.
 
Solution

elrui

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Hi Genghis,

Thanks for the above. I wasn't completely sold on Raid 0 but definitely don't want to go with double the chance of data loss. I think for now I will just go with one Spinpoint (anything has to be faster than my first gen sata drives from 2006, right?) For the PSU, I was thinking of the fully modular just due to the fact if i'm going with a nice case like the Corsair 600t I don't want my computer looking like a Rat's nest with extra wires. I might consider the XFX semi modular (only the main mobo power connectors aren't modular on that) for around 129 bucks. Definitely noted on the scythe, I looked on Newegg after your original suggestion of using a Scythe fan but they were out of stock when I looked. How big are they? My main concern is ram clearance and clearing the big fan in the top of the 600t case.....

As always thanks!
 

elrui

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Ok here is the updated build list after the above talks

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive Combo Price $234.98
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $159.99
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $39.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $84.99
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge $224.99
XFX PRO750W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80Plus Silver $129.99
LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS70 $19.99

Total: $904.00

I already have the video card.
 

elrui

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Aw yeah it has begun!

Started ordering today, my case and psu both on sale AND in a combo, and my HD was on sale. Score.

Corsair Special Edition White Graphite Series 600T Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Item #: N82E16811139005

$179.99
$169.99

CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified ...
Item #: N82E16817139010

$169.99
$139.99

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #: N82E16822152185 $59.99


DISCOUNT FOR COMBO #673521 -$15.00

Subtotal $354.97
Tax $0.00
UPS Guaranteed 3 Day $5.99
Promo Code -$10.00
Order Total $350.96