noobatpcbuilding

Honorable
Mar 31, 2012
51
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10,630
Approximate Purchase Date: This week

Budget Range: $1,500

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, internet, music

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS, optical drive

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com

Country: USA

Parts Preferences:

Overclocking: Yes / No / Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Yes / No / Maybe

Monitor Resolution: Not sure. Samsung 21.5in' LED monitor

Additional Comments:

Here we go. 1st time building a PC. Had a Dell XPS for around 8 years and recently it broke (never upgraded it). I'm guessing its the motherboard. But either way I've been thinking about getting a new PC for months and now is the perfect time. I did a lot of research and I will follow newegg's how to build a PC video. It looks pretty easy.
Anyways..please rate my build.


SilverStone RAVEN RV02-BW Matte black 0.8mm Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $47
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

And then this as soon as its available:
EVGA 02G-P4-2680-KR GeForce GTX 680 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130768


How's it looking?
 
Solution
@noobATpcbuilding

I really like the components you chose, especially the case. I recently set one of those up and the customer was very happy.

Two suggestions:
1. Unless you have an immediate need for a lot of HDD space, I might suggest going with a 120+GB SSD and maybe borrowing the funds from the WD 1TB
2. As others have suggested, either go with a 650W PSU or upgrade to an 850W.

A 64GB SSD does not give you much space at all to install your applications/games. Also, platter based hard drives are VERY expensive at the moment, compared to what they should be. You can always add a second drive later if you need the space, and odds are the prices will have come back down to earth.

With the PSU, you'll either want to leave yourself...
You want an 850+w psu in order to leave the option open for adding another one of those gtx 680's in SLI. A 750w is complete over kill for a single 680, and not enough juice for two of them in SLI.


Z77/Z75 motherboards (Panther Point chipset w/native USB 3.0) and PCI-E 3.0

Ivy Bridge is due out April 29th.

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/PCIe3/overview.html <----- Quick and brief rundown of Ivy Bridge, PCI-E 3.0 cards and the new gen boards.

http://www.asrock.com/mb/index.asp?s=1155 <---- Asrocks Z77 and Z75 boards to date. They all get released with Ivy Bridge.

http://usa.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/Intel_Z77 <---- Asus Z77 board lineup to date.

http://www.gigabyte.us/products/list.aspx?s=42&jid=2&p=2&v=24 <----- Gigabyte Z77 board lineup to date.

http://us.msi.com/product/mb/#/?sk=Socket%201155%20(Intel%20i3/i5/i7) <----- MSI Z77 board lineup to date.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5626/ivy-bridge-preview-core-i7-3770k/9 <---- Ivy Bridge cpu review with benchmarks

44758.png


http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-680-overclock-guide/ <----- Overclocking the gtx 680 w/benchmarks

680oc.jpg



http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Series-Gaming-CC-9011012-WW/dp/B005E983JW/ref=sr_1_3?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332866663&sr=1-3 $118.98 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Mid Tower Gaming Case CC-9011012-WW

This XFX psu down below is manufactured by Seasonic as are all XFX psu's and the mid and upper tier Corsair psu's.

http://www.amazon.com/XFX-ATX-850-Power-Supply/dp/B0050751YS/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1332866828&sr=1-1 $122.75 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
XFX PRO850W XXX Edition Semi-Modular 80 Plus Silver Certified 850 Watt Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme4
ASRock Z77 Extreme4

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5166/ivy-bridge-overview $220 should be a close guesstimate
Intel i5-3570K Ivy Bridge CPU 3.4Ghz

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-212-RR-212E-20PK-R2/dp/B005O65JXI/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $34.64 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler (RR-212E-20PK-R2)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546 $44.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236 $128.99 FREE SHIPPING
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_9?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1333216718&sr=1-9 $109.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 6 Gb/s NCQ 64MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive ST1000DM003

http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-Serial-Internal-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_e_img_b $19.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Asus 24xDVD±RW Serial ATA Internal OEM Drive DRW-24B1ST (Black)


http://www.corsair.com/pc-cases/carbide-series-pc-case/carbide-series-500r-mid-tower-case.html <---- a better look at that case
 

I'm going to make it simple for you so you don't end up getting an unwanted vacation from here. You have tested the waters on a few threads here and I'm not about to put up with your bs. Now try using google and do some research before you help people on here spend their hard earned money.
 

sharpiedpanda

Distinguished
Nov 20, 2011
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18,640
Looks like a good build to me (I have a similar build). My only advice would be to see how far you are from a microcenter because they have some nice combo deals (mobo and 2500k) and something like a 30 day no questions asked return if something is broken or you want to swap out a part.

At any rate you should have a very powerful machine; good luck :)

oh and about the gpu, you might want to wait for the non-reference coolers to come out (that's what I'm doing) because they should offer better cooling and have some minor kinks worked out, though I don't know if there are any with the GTX680 found yet
 

You need to take it easy. I said nothing upsetting to anyone. Who are you to call me out and call me bs?

EDIT: Name me ONE person other than you that says I feed people bs? I will personally ask them too.
 

I just bought my MOBO and CPU there and the cashier said their return policy is 15 days.
 

sharpiedpanda

Distinguished
Nov 20, 2011
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azeem40:I just bought my MOBO and CPU there and the cashier said their return policy is 15 days.

I am just posting about an experience that I had with the company seeing as I returned a GPU 2x (28?) days after I purchased it. Note that this was while ago so I am not sure of the exact number of days that I had the product but I do remember the sales associate (not the cashier) telling me 30 days. Regardless, its up to the OP to take my advice :sol:

Happy hunting
 

Ironwilly

Honorable
Feb 19, 2012
229
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10,710
@noobATpcbuilding

I really like the components you chose, especially the case. I recently set one of those up and the customer was very happy.

Two suggestions:
1. Unless you have an immediate need for a lot of HDD space, I might suggest going with a 120+GB SSD and maybe borrowing the funds from the WD 1TB
2. As others have suggested, either go with a 650W PSU or upgrade to an 850W.

A 64GB SSD does not give you much space at all to install your applications/games. Also, platter based hard drives are VERY expensive at the moment, compared to what they should be. You can always add a second drive later if you need the space, and odds are the prices will have come back down to earth.

With the PSU, you'll either want to leave yourself room for future upgrades, or simply go with a PSU that fits your components. Check out this site to get a general idea of how much power you'll need.

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp
 
Solution

Ironwilly

Honorable
Feb 19, 2012
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10,710


I've gotta say I don't see the significance of linking a comparison for a game being played @ 1024x768 on the on-board video of a CPU (Especially when he specifically said he wanted a gaming PC with a discrete GPU) and then suggesting the OP get a completely different CPU anyway.

It's really difficult to recommend someone buy a system with a CPU and MB that haven't even hit the market yet. While I'm sure they will be great, and listening to the rumors is fun, you have to see the irony of pretending to be knowledgeable about something there is no knowledge of.
 

I'm guessing English isn't your first language. If you had clicked that link and read you would have seen that they are using a discrete GPU for those benchmarks.

Now if you had actually read up on anything to do with Ivy Bridge then you would know about native USB 3.0, lower wattage, cooler temps, better over clocking, better everything all around including PCI-E 3.0.

Again before you posted you should have actually read that piece done by AnandTech. It would have saved this site some bandwidth.
 

Ironwilly

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Feb 19, 2012
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10,710
First of all, you don't have to be such an jerk to everyone. You're right, they were using a discrete GPU for that benchmark. That was my bad, I didn't see the preview you linked. I made the mistake of assuming a 1024x768 "benchmark" would only be run on an on-board, because honestly it makes absolutely no sense to post this chart on a post about a gaming build.

Second, you still posted a chart for a 3770K and suggested he buy a 3570K, so everything about the chart is completely irrelevant.

Third, I'm fully versed on what Ivy Bridge offers. And you claiming "better over clocking" is speculation (It's overclocking btw).

Finally, you have absolutely no hard data of what the final product will be. Suggesting someone purchase something because you have a good feeling about it, or because you read a preview, is just ignorant. Link the information you have and let him make up his own mind. It's one thing to state your opinion, but to act like a jerk to other people because they have one, or because they try to help the OP by pointing out your poor choice of informational sources, just goes to show... well, that you're being ignorant.
 

Ironwilly

Honorable
Feb 19, 2012
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10,710


@Why_Me
In reference to this post, I've also read many of Azeem40's posts. He gives his opinion and is not a troll. Why would you threaten him with an
unwanted vacation from here
and act like he has any less right than you do to post on these forums. It seems to me you're the one that may need a little vacation mate, you seem wound WAAAAY too tight to be offering helpful advice, and that is what these forums are about. Just chill out.
 

gondo

Distinguished
Nice build, there are just a few things I would change up personally.

That is a nice case but it seems Silverstone is trying to shake things up and do their own design that nobody else has done yet. If they are unique maybe they will have a share of the market and some good sales. There are some flaws with the case. One of them being the inability to remove the hard drive cage without removing the motherboard. The low quality fans included, etc....

I would much rather choose something like the Antec Twelve Hundred V3. There are absolutely no flaws with this case, as long as you like the look of it. There are some other nice Antec models as well, and Coolermaster has a few nice cases as well. Lian Li, etc... Silverstone makes a nice Home Theatre PC case but their towers have been overpriced and not very well liked. Go for a full size case to give you room for the massive video cards.

As for a power supply definitely step it up a notch with 850W or so. A bonus with that Antec Twelve Hundred case is you can use the oversized Antec CP series power supply. Instead of trying to jam 850W of power supply into a standard size chassis, they easily put it into a larger size decreasing the cost. It fits the Antec Twelve Hundred case. Antec is the top power supply manufacturer as well with a 5 year warranty to boot, so no worries on that. I have yet to see an Antec fail and I've sold hundreds of them.

Definitely increase the SSD to 128GB. The crucial M4 is good but go 128GB. 64GB will up too fast, 128GB will leave room for your games. Don't forget to check for the latest firmware from crucial once you install your SSD.

I don't like Western Digital hard drives. They always seem to fail early. Seagates have been the most reliable to me so I am partial. The western digital black however has the longest warranty of the bunch and it's fast so it's a good drive.

Glad to see you choose EVGA for the video card. I've seen too many powercolor, sapphire video cards fail because of cheap components. Asus and Gigabyte also make top quality video cards. Same for the motherboard. Asrock has come a long way but I would play it safe and go Asus. Asus support is top notch as well as Warranty.

Have you considered a sound card. It'll increase your FPS a bit in games by offloading the CPU a little, and also give you better quality sound. Just stay away form Creative labs. I like the Asus and Azentech sound cards.

I can also recommend the Zalman CNPS12 series of CPU coolers. Worth a look at.

Overall a decent build. I just tweaked it a little for my personal preferences.
 

noobatpcbuilding

Honorable
Mar 31, 2012
51
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10,630
Thanks for all the suggestions.
I've changed my mind about the case so many times before that I'm not touching that part. The Silverstone case it is.
I've decide to go with the Crucial M4 128GB and get a 500GB Samsung by Seagate HDD instead of the 1TB WD. I also have a 500GB external HD so that'll be enough.
I also decided to go with a 650W power supply.
I won't be upgrading anything in a few years so if I do in fact need a bigger power supply then - then I'll upgrade that too. Now my question is - is the 650W still an overkill? Should I be going lower then 650W?
The thing is my max is exactly $1,500. I can't go over not a cent more. There's also around $35 for shipping.
This is what it looks like now:
XGEt9.png
 


good build but i would suggest the following changes-
1-)that case is great but seems a bit expensive.phantom 410,922,400r,500r,phantom are some great alternatives to save some bucks.
2-)i highly doubt you need 680 SLi for a single 1080p monitor.go with a single gtx 680.and for single gtx 680,you need no more than a quality 550w psu-
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-680-review-benchmark,3161-18.html
xfx core pro 550w is a great unit.it's made by seasonic which is the best psu maker IMO.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013&Tpk=xfx%20550w
3-)low profile ram is best(heatsinks are useless and cause clearance issues),here's a good one-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
4-)use the saved money for this mobo-
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131792
Asus makes the best quality mobo IMO.Do a bit of research and you will get what i am saying.no offence meant to Asrock!
if you don't wanna change the mobo then keep the extreme3/gen3 and spend on other product.Get Raven ;)
other changes that i suggested are really worth.