Is 16 Gb RAM worth getting for the provided PC...?

[Mrsmiley]

[INTRO]
First of all, hey guys at tom's hardware! I've been out of PC components loop for several years (I've never really been in the loop to begin with) so when I decided to upgrade my computer, I've been paralyzed with so many options I should keep in consideration. That's where Mr Google brought me to this wonderful website. It's been a huge help for me, after reading several topics I've found most info I needed. But still, there are some uncertainties I'd like to clarify, I hope you guys would help me with that.
[/INTRO]


My planned system would be:
-------------------------------------------------
INTEL Core i3 2120 3,30 Ghz

GeForce GTX 560 Ti (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's)

P8H61-M LE motherboard (supports up to 16Gb)

KINGSTON 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 DIMM KIT x2
------------------------------------------------
That's it I guess, I'm keeping my old SATA HDD. My screen is BENQ E2220HD (max resolution 1920x1080).

Here are my questions:
1. Is getting dual 8gb sticks worth it? Will it affect anything? Seeing RAM being not that expensive I can afford to spend a little more to get more memory, but if it'll be a waste then I might as well just switch to a cheaper motherboard (Intel DH61WW).

2. Could you recommend a good case for my computer? With as much ventilation as possible (my current PC doesn't have the "left" side panel for ages because I took it off - it didn't allow my GeForce 8800GT to get all the air it needed.) I'm not concerned if it's small or big, in fact, I would prefer the bigger ones.

3. Any other recommendations would be welcome! Am I choosing a good system for the spent money or are there any better deals I'm not aware of? Are there any tricks to get my build even better, including paying a bit more (like getting a better processor and overclock it or something -note- I don't have any experience of that).
While I feel like I've chosen the right setup, I'm still not dead decided on that. So replacing the components is an option too.

I'm building it for gaming, but I'd like to keep it above average to be able to run smoothly most of the stuff.


Hoping for your help!

 

[Lokster1]

[INTRO]
First of all, hey guys at tom's hardware! I've been out of PC components loop for several years (I've never really been in the loop to begin with) so when I decided to upgrade my computer, I've been paralyzed with so many options I should keep in consideration. That's where Mr Google brought me to this wonderful website. It's been a huge help for me, after reading several topics I've found most info I needed. But still, there are some uncertainties I'd like to clarify, I hope you guys would help me with that.
[/INTRO]

Welcome, we are here to help, if you fill out the template here that will also help us better help you. No need to post a new thread just edit or post it here.

My planned system would be:
-------------------------------------------------
INTEL Core i3 2120 3,30 Ghz

GeForce GTX 560 Ti (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's)

P8H61-M LE motherboard (supports up to 16Gb)

KINGSTON 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 DIMM KIT x2
------------------------------------------------
That's it I guess, I'm keeping my old SATA HDD. My screen is BENQ E2220HD (max resolution 1920x1080).

Here are my questions:
1. Is getting dual 8gb sticks worth it? Will it affect anything? Seeing RAM being not that expensive I can afford to spend a little more to get more memory, but if it'll be a waste then I might as well just switch to a cheaper motherboard (Intel DH61WW).

Since your just gaming 8GB is all you are going to need, do a 2x4GB kit, ex: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

2. Could you recommend a good case for my computer? With as much ventilation as possible (my current PC doesn't have the "left" side panel for ages because I took it off - it didn't allow my GeForce 8800GT to get all the air it needed.) I'm not concerned if it's small or big, in fact, I would prefer the bigger ones.

I'm currently using a Corsair 500R, it has great air flow. There are a ton of cases out there though and it all comes down to personal preference on what you want to see and how much you want to spend.

3. Any other recommendations would be welcome! Am I choosing a good system for the spent money or are there any better deals I'm not aware of? Are there any tricks to get my build even better, including paying a bit more (like getting a better processor and overclock it or something -note- I don't have any experience of that).
While I feel like I've chosen the right setup, I'm still not dead decided on that. So replacing the components is an option too.

I'm building it for gaming, but I'd like to keep it above average to be able to run smoothly most of the stuff.

Hoping for your help!

What is your budget? If you live near a micro center you can get some great deals on parts.

 

[g-unit1111]

1. Is getting dual 8gb sticks worth it? Will it affect anything? Seeing RAM being not that expensive I can afford to spend a little more to get more memory, but if it'll be a waste then I might as well just switch to a cheaper motherboard (Intel DH61WW).

First I would advise not getting an Intel board - they're fine if you don't do anything with your system but if you do, they have extremely limited functionality compared to comparable boards from Asus, Gigabyte and Asrock.

For a gaming system - two things - first you don't need more than 8GB, and you actually need two sticks of RAM as opposed to one in order to get the dual channel functionality out of your board (eg 2 x 4GB or 2 x 8GB). Most mothreboards in the Z68/P67/H67/H61 variety haven't really been tested with 8GB nor do they necessarily function with those chips. Intel frowns on people using the wrong RAM and for those that do, if you try to RMA your CPU for any reason and they find out about it, they will void your warranty.

2. Could you recommend a good case for my computer? With as much ventilation as possible (my current PC doesn't have the "left" side panel for ages because I took it off - it didn't allow my GeForce 8800GT to get all the air it needed.) I'm not concerned if it's small or big, in fact, I would prefer the bigger ones.

That all depends on budget. You might want to fill this out and we can better assist you: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

3. Any other recommendations would be welcome! Am I choosing a good system for the spent money or are there any better deals I'm not aware of? Are there any tricks to get my build even better, including paying a bit more (like getting a better processor and overclock it or something -note- I don't have any experience of that).
While I feel like I've chosen the right setup, I'm still not dead decided on that. So replacing the components is an option too.

I'm building it for gaming, but I'd like to keep it above average to be able to run smoothly most of the stuff.

You're not going to play any sort of gaming very well on an i3-2120. Sure it's tested better than say an AMD FX-6100 did in recent CPU round-ups but if you're going to play games you might want to look at investing a bit more money.

 

[larkspur]

Hello Mrsmiley!

1) For gaming 8gb will be fine for a long time. If you don't care about your case size then get a case that can accommodate an ATX motherboard with 4 ram slots (the one you picked is a microATX motherboard and most microATX motherboards only have two ram slots). Then you can put in an 8gb kit (2 x 4gb) and have an extra two slots for more in the future if you somehow need it.

2) I haven't used it myself but I hear generally good things considering its price: The Antec Three Hundred : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

3) For specific system component advice you should fill this out: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

 

[Rockdpm]

Well if you can afford it a I5 would be a little more suited for 1080p. And Btw my FX 6100 kicks @$$ at anyting i throw at it. So Intel beats it in benchmarks. The real test is the game not the test.... The sheppard must go where the sheep is, the sheep doesnt come to the sheppard. ahh ha!

 

[Mrsmiley]

Hey nice to see some thoughtful replies, cheers!

I've tried to edit the suggested template into the first post, but for some reason I get the message that I'm not allowed to do so, so please excuse me for putting it in this post.




==The template (as suggested)===========================

Approximate Purchase Date: this/next week or so. Not really in a hurry, but would not wait for a month either.

Budget Range: Uh, let's see. The problem is that I live in Latvia and I will buy PC parts from local web-shops, so all the prices are provided in Latvian currency (LVL, which is roughly equal to a bit less than 2x USD), I haven't compared them to US prices so they might be different, but the simple calculation of what I see I could spend is 600/800 USD.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: surfing the internet, gaming, watching movies. The internet is of most importance, but come on, it's gaming I'm going for!

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS ; I'll keep my few months old ALTIS-A450CX [405KW]

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I'm looking for component names, I'll paste them in the search of our web-stores to get the real prices I could get them for. Any website will do. But if you're motivated enough, you might try using it (Meklet = "Search") to get a picture of what I'm dealing with.

Country: Latvia

Parts Preferences: I've been using GeForces and nothing else so I'm inclined to use GeForce GTX 560 Ti (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's), same deal with Intel processors. But nothing is set on stone, I'm all open for suggestions!

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: No, don't think that stuff is worth getting.

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Quiet PC sounds nice, but over years I think I got used to fan noise .

====================================================


My planned system would be (added two links for each one is part's characteristics, the second is the part's price in web-store):
-------------------------------------------------
INTEL Core i3 2120 3,30 Ghz web-store link

GeForce GTX 560 Ti web-store link (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's)

P8H61-M LE motherboard web-store link(supports up to 16Gb)

KINGSTON 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 DIMM KIT x2 (only web-store link)
------------------------------------------------

 

[Mrsmiley]

Sorry for doublepost, but after template is done, I will address your replies now.

First of all, I guess I'm going for dual 4GB RAM sticks (8GB in total) as almost everyone suggested.

I'm currently using a Corsair 500R, it has great air flow. There are a ton of cases out there though and it all comes down to personal preference on what you want to see and how much you want to spend.

That case looks like a solid one, taken in consideration, even though I don't quite like the looks.

You're not going to play any sort of gaming very well on an i3-2120. Sure it's tested better than say an AMD FX-6100 did in recent CPU round-ups but if you're going to play games you might want to look at investing a bit more money.

Well if you can afford it a I5 would be a little more suited for 1080p.

Could you please suggest an exact model of I5? I've checked and it's about roughly $60 more expensive than I3 I was going for, still I'm not too good with finding out the real difference between I5's so suggest please.

1) For gaming 8gb will be fine for a long time. If you don't care about your case size then get a case that can accommodate an ATX motherboard with 4 ram slots (the one you picked is a microATX motherboard and most microATX motherboards only have two ram slots). Then you can put in an 8gb kit (2 x 4gb) and have an extra two slots for more in the future if you somehow need it.

That's an excellent advice! I think I will follow it, but can you name me a motherboard like this? A quick search gave me ASUS P8H67-M PRO/CSM which looks a tad expensive (still affordable) and 32GB memory expansion looks nice to me, but it's still just a quicksearch.

2) I haven't used it myself but I hear generally good things considering its price: The Antec Three Hundred : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

This case looks like something I want, but I can't find it in local stores . Will try harder!

Thank you guys so much!

 

[g-unit1111]

Parts Preferences: I've been using GeForces and nothing else so I'm inclined to use GeForce GTX 560 Ti (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's), same deal with Intel processors. But nothing is set on stone, I'm all open for suggestions!

The 560TI is an excellent choice for the money, some dual fan configs work better than others but I'm not sure how that handles on the 560TI.

P8H61-M LE motherboard web-store link(supports up to 16Gb)

For an $800 budget you could certainly squeeze a better motherboard in. Maybe try a Z68 - something like this: http://www.web-shop.lv/product/13786/

KINGSTON 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 DIMM KIT x2 (only web-store link)

Again you don't want 16GB and you certainly don't want 8GB chips as not every motherboard has been tested with them. To get the full functionality of your dual channel system you'll need a dual channel motherboard. Try something like this - this is one of the best RAM brands on the market - http://www.web-shop.lv/product/14379/

And then try this for your CPU - it will be a better choice than the i3-2120 for gaming: http://www.web-shop.lv/product/13669/

 

[Mrsmiley]

Parts Preferences: I've been using GeForces and nothing else so I'm inclined to use GeForce GTX 560 Ti (I'm thinking of GIGABYTE one, I'm kind of worried about whether two fans are for better or for worse compared to single-"fanned" GTX 560 Ti's), same deal with Intel processors. But nothing is set on stone, I'm all open for suggestions!

The 560TI is an excellent choice for the money, some dual fan configs work better than others but I'm not sure how that handles on the 560TI.

P8H61-M LE motherboard web-store link(supports up to 16Gb)

For an $800 budget you could certainly squeeze a better motherboard in. Maybe try a Z68 - something like this: http://www.web-shop.lv/product/13786/

KINGSTON 8GB 1333MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL9 DIMM KIT x2 (only web-store link)

Again you don't want 16GB and you certainly don't want 8GB chips as not every motherboard has been tested with them. To get the full functionality of your dual channel system you'll need a dual channel motherboard. Try something like this - this is one of the best RAM brands on the market - http://www.web-shop.lv/product/14379/

And then try this for your CPU - it will be a better choice than the i3-2120 for gaming: http://www.web-shop.lv/product/13669/

Thank you, Sir, a bunch! Looks fine to me, even if it turned out a bit more expensive than I originally planned (but it's always like that when it comes to buying computer parts ).

 

[Raiddinn]

Avoid 2x 8GBs.

I didn't read the thread, I just wanted to say that

2x 4GBs is enough for most anybody and that you should get either Crucial or Kingston RAM and that a HAF 912 or Antec 300 are both good low end cases.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thank you, Sir, a bunch! Looks fine to me, even if it turned out a bit more expensive than I originally planned (but it's always like that when it comes to buying computer parts ).

That will happen! :lol: :lol:

2x 4GBs is enough for most anybody and that you should get either Crucial or Kingston RAM and that a HAF 912 or Antec 300 are both good low end cases.

Yes I'll second the HAF 912 if it's available where you live.

 

[Mrsmiley]

Just ordered my new setup, getting what g-unit1111 suggested and HAF 912 case. Thank you so much, everyone, for your tremendous help!