Final Check - HD 6870/i5-2500k under $1k

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pluberus

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After many hours of research, and tons of help, I think I've come up with the best compromise for my needs and budget:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=21031467

- NZXT ATX Mid Tower Case
- Z68 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Motherboard (Crossfire ready)
- Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 PCIe 2.1x16
- Raidmax 700W PSU - 80+ Bronze Certified
- i5-2500k 3.3GHz
- Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333
- 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s Seagate
- HP CD/DVD Burner
- Windows 7 H.P. OEM
- Extras: Cat 5 cable, Monitor (Debranded 20"; $130 off), Keyboard, USBWifi
- Already own: Mouse, DVI Cable,
- Total Price: $970

Is there anything I'm missing before I pull the trigger? Cords, components, anything?

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Original post:
Hey guys, looking for some help in my first homebuilt PC. I'm currently using a laptop, and could use a major upgrade.

1) What is your budget?
Under $1000. Under $900 would be awesome.

2) Are there any brands/resellers that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Nope

3) What tasks will you be performing with the Desktop?
Gaming; Browsing; Watching videos;

4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes. Global Agenda, BFBC2, BF3, TA, GW2

5) Do you mind buying parts online without seeing them in person?
Online is fine

6) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS X, Linux, etc.
Windows 7

7) How much hard drive space is needed?
7200RPM - 500GB+

8) What size desktop would you like?(All in one, compact, large)
Any

9) Does the case need to be stylish?
Nope

10) What resolution will the screen run at? One or Two screens?
1366x768 or more. One screen

11) Do you need any particular hardware?(Ports, HDD slots, double DVD drives, etc.)
CD/DVD Burner

12) How would you rate your technical skills?
7 on a 1-10 scale.

13) Have you ever built a desktop before?
Yes (lonnnng time ago, but I still mess with hardware)

14) Do you need wireless connectivity?
Yes

15) When are you going to be building this?
Within the next few months

16) Have you considered a pre-built desktop? Or even a notebook?
Yes. Already have a notebook. Need something more powerful and upgradeable.

17) Are you going to overclock?
Not initially, maybe later on.

Other
I really want an i5-2500k or something similar (prefer Intel). I also want a GTX 560 or something similar, if possible.

Came up with this:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21031467

Does that build look ok? Are there any parts I could switch out for some price savings, but while getting similar performance? Thanks!
 
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jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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Everything is okay, except for a few things. I'll help you with that. Below I will list the parts that you should get, some of them being the ones you have already picked out. One thing is though, you don't need to buy a power cable, everything comes with cables that are necessary.

CPU: 2500k -$220

MOBO: ASUS MAXIMUS Gene-z -$180

RAM: G.Skill Pi 6Gb -$125

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500Gb 7200RPM -$40

PSU: RAIDMAX Blackstone series 700W -$70

Case: NZXT GAMMA -$35 ( I own this case and it is wonderful.)

GPU: PNY GeForce GTX 560 Ti -$235

Optical Drive: Pioneer CD/DVD Burner -$24

Total: $929.92

Don't know if you can view this: http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/ShoppingCart.aspx?Submit=view
but try
 
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pluberus

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Thanks for the replies Jr. Your links are still broken. Here's how to share Newegg Wishlists: http://forum.desktopreview.com/what-desktop-should-i-buy/236537-newegg-com-wishlists-how-share-them.html

Is there a reason for getting the more expensive MOBO, RAM, and PSU you linked? The build I linked has 8GB RAM, a monitor, Windows 7, a WiFi USB adapter, and a 1TB hard drive, and still comes out quite a bit less expensive than what you suggested.

And thanks for the tip on the powercord, how could you tell? I spent forever trying to figure out what cords were already included. :D
 
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dangerboyjtf2

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MicroATX builds run hotter and are tougher to upgrade because they may not fit certain video cards (ex. those long ones like the Frozr and such). If you want to overclock you'll want an ATX build because it runs cooler and thus you can overclock more, with a Micro ATX build it's much harder to overclock (maybe impossible, I don't know, never had an mATX build myself) because the case is already running hot.
 
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jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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The reason I chose more expensive parts is, if you cheap out on the main parts of your computer, it's more likely to fail and be a piece of crap. And also, if you do not want a micro atx board, I suggest for a mobo: EVGA P67 SLI LGA 1155 Intel http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188073

It is a bit more cash, but it's worth. This is a very nice board, that looks just as nice, it supports sli, and it will support any ram over 1333.
 
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jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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The more expensive ram, is very worth it. It has lower cas latency, and higher clock speed. The power supply: if it's not even 80+ certified, you might as well just use a car battery. The hard drive that you listed is fine. And generally, you dont need to buy any cords, as everything comes with the necessary cords

Yes, your list does have a monitor, and it seems like a great deal, but the contrast ratio is really poor. 1000:1 is about as low as you can go. Also, if your budget is $1000, then you might want to spend the extra cash, or you'll regret it.
 
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aznshinobi

aznshinobi

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Uhh? Not like your build. That motherboard is overpriced (Asus ROG products are usually overpriced), 1155 doesn't use triple channel ram, I don't exactly think the blackstone is a good power supply at all and not only that it wouldn't power SLI 560 Ti's when and if OP wanted to use it.

I'm assuming you need a monitor and OS correct?
Or do you?
 
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pluberus

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Thanks for the replies guys.

I probably shouldn't have said $1000. I'm on a pretty tight budget, and $950 for everything is about the most I can pay (even that is stretching it). I'm looking for a decent desktop in that price range, but I really want an i5 2500k and GTX 560 if that's possible.

I don't think I'll ever use SLI, so that's not really a big worry for me. Also, I don't plan on OCing much. For reference, I'll be upgrading from a laptop with a GTX 260M, 4GB RAM, and a 2.00GHz C2D. Going from that to 8GB RAM, GTX 560, and a quad should be a big enough upgrade for me. ^^

EDIT:
I do need a monitor and OS included in that $950. :(

EDIT2:
The build is currently missing a Mobo, Case, RAM, and PSU, while I research decent alternatives.

It currently has:
- GTX560
- USB Wireless N adapter
- Windows 7 Home Premium OEM
- 1TB 7200 RPM Seagate HDD
- i5-2500k 3.3GHz
- Debranded LCD Monitor
- DVD/CD Burner
- $715
 
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dangerboyjtf2

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No, it WILL work despite the heat, but it'll run hot and you won't be able to OC.

Here is an $85 ($75 after MIR) mobo with 4 RAM slots and only 1 gfx card slot:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130579

Here is a $100 mobo with 2 PCIE slots but 1 is x16 and 1 is x4:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157249

Here is a $130 mobo with 2PCIE slots @ x16 mode (if I'm reading it correctly):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131710
 
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dangerboyjtf2

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Case: $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146058&Tpk=nzxt%20m59

Power Supply: CoolerMaster 500W - $40 ($30 with MIR) - Coolermaster isn't as reputable a brand for PSU's as say Antec or Corsair, but I've had mine for 4 years and had no problems with it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171031

A more reputable PSU: Antec 500W - $54
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371004

I believe those will work, but admittedly I'm not a guru on PSU's (in terms of all the specific connectors and such).
 
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jrwizbang

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Well, if you get that mobo, there is no chance of upgrading ram in the future, without buying a whole new motherboard. But, if you want no chance of upgrading, go with the crappy ram and restricting mother board. That's up to you. As far as a case and psu, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152042 and http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146061 The case is like 5-10 over what you wanna spend, but it's worth it.
 
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pluberus

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That Mobo has 4 RAM slots though? The 8GB kit I added was 2x4GB, so I could eventually upgrade to 16GB if I wanted too, couldn't I? Its maximum supported memory is 32GB.
 
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pluberus

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Coming from 4GB DDR2 800 RAM, will I really have any performance issues with 8GB DDR3 1333, even with a cas latency of 9?

I've never really had any issues with RAM. My games always seem to be bottlenecked by the CPU or GPU and not the RAM.
 
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aznshinobi

aznshinobi

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Pluberus, do not listen to Jrwizbang. He has no clue what he is talking about.

DDR3 1333 is fine for anybody, even heavy Photoshoppers like me. My current laptop uses DDR3 1066 ram it is doing quite fine.

CL9 is not slow at all. In fact it is the most stable. It'll overclock well and it is going to do just fine. CL7 or any of those lower numbers are fast, but unstable. You don't even need it any how since they will perform about the same. The difference is less than 1%.

I suggest this mobo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128502
Allows for future SLI and gives you a SLI bridge which most don't offer.

Jr, BTW you are mistaken. It's recommended for a 700w+ to run 560 Ti's.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-560-ti-sli-review/14
Can't find a single review from a major reviewer about the Blackstone either.


 
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