Approximate Purchase Date: This week
Budget Range: 650-750
System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming
Parts Not Required: keyboard/mouse, monitor, PC case
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com
Country: USA
Parts Preferences: none
Overclocking: NO
SLI or Crossfire: NO
So I'm building my PC in two parts to spread the cost out a bit.
This is what I'm thinking of for this month:
I would like to get this initially and hopefully use it with my old PSU which is this: ENERMAX Noisetaker II EG495P-VE 485W
I can just use the GPU integrated into the CPU and that doesn't require a big new PSU right?
And then next month I can pick up a good $250ish video cards and PSU?
My last PC lated a solid 5 years on a NVDA 8800gt before things started crapping out so if I can get 4 years out of this new system, that would be awesome.
On that same note, is the Intel Core i5 2500k worth the extra $30?
Thanks a lot for any responses. I just want to run this system by someone who keeps up to date with any recent HW changes. i've built a couple of PC's before but my last one was literally 5 years ago.
thanks guys.
Message edited by vampir on 02-08-2012 at 01:35:04 AM
Everything looks good for the most part. A 485w PSU should easily be good enough. If you are waiting on a gpu you may want to look into waiting a couple more because the GTX 6XX and HD 7XXX series are coming out over the next few months. The i5-2500K is only worth $30 if and only if you are planning to overclock. The only real thing to think about is getting a 16GB(4x4GB) set of RAM and not 2 8GB(2x4GB) because the manufacturer will guarantee working compared to 2 of the same sets. Their shouldnt be a problem with 2 of the same sets together but you never know. Also in all honesty, you only need 8GB and you can just save getting the extra 8Gb for later down the road like 2-3yrs down the road if needed.
1) The 2500K is absolutely worth the extra $30. You need not oc the chip up front, but when you learn how easy and safe it is, you will be glad you have preserved that option.
2) No game will use more than 2-3gb of ram. For most users, a 8gb(2 x 4gb) kit is more than enough. Ram is cheap enougn, so that if you are a heavy multitasker or are using 64 bit enabled apps, then 16gb is ok. If you wanted 16gb, get a single 16gb kit to insure compatibility. There is no guarantee that two 8gb kits, even of the same part number will run properly together.
3) The Z68 will allow the 2500K to oc and run integrated graphics at the same time. The integrated graphics is perhaps the power of a $50 discrete graphics card. It is not a bad idea to see how it does, so you can better assess your graphics needs.
4) Hard drive prices are crazy today. I suggest you spend the $90 and perhaps a bit more on a SSD instead for now. A 80gb ssd will hold the os and a handful of games. Look first to intel or samsung for reliability. Newegg has had a couple of two day sales on the intel 320 80gb drive for $80 after rebate. Watch for that.
You are ok with your current psu, assuming it still runs well. Actually only 200w or so is needed until you install a discrete graphics card.
Buy a aftermarket cpu cooler up front. A $30 cm hyper212 or Xigmatek gaia will be easier to install, run quieter and cooler.
I was shooting for 16g of RAM only because its so cheap and if I can get a kit right now, I figured I wouldn't have to add any ram over the life of the system (hopefully). Would 8g still be sufficient a couple of years down the line or is the extra $40 worth future proofing.
I'm definitely not going to OC the system. I'm not really into it - i just need to slap it together and make sure its stable. Not a huge fan of getting inside the case and tinkering with it to squeeze out extra performance. Only do it when I have to fix something.
What's the deal with aftermarket coolers? I see a lot of people using those now. Are the stock coolers horrible?