Help Needed: $1200 - $1500 New Build

[griffmaestro]

Hello experts! This is my first time building a PC and I'd love to get it right the first time. My goal is to build a PC that is somewhat future-proof so that with incremental upgrades in the future I can keep up with games and software without having to purchase a whole new system for the next 7 years or so.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next month

Budget Range: $1200 - $1500 After Rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Watching movies and online TV shows (Hulu, CBS, etc.), gaming, web browsing.

Parts Not Required: I will be re-using my 1TB HDD, mouse & keyboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I've been searching mostly on newegg.com, tigerdirect.com, and amazon.com

Country: (e.g.: India) USA

Parts Preferences: I'm open to recommendations, but what I've mostly been looking at include an Intel processor with an ASUS motherboard.

Overclocking: I'd like to be ready to overclock in the future, but it's not essential that I be able to immediately.

SLI or Crossfire: Again, I'd like to be able to put a second video card in at some point in the future, but not right away.

Monitor Resolution: Probably 1920x1080

Additional Comments: This build will sit in our cool basement and probably never move. I have our current PC hardwired to the family room PC (HDMI and LAN) and will continue to use that setup (so wireless connectivity is not an issue).

Here's what I've been looking at so far (I've inculded links to NewEgg.com for reference, but not necessarily for price):

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V Pro
CPU: Core i7 3770K or Core i5 3570K (is the i5 3570K future-proof enough?)
After-Stock Cooler: Corsair CWCH100 Hydro H100 CPU Liquid Cooler (probably not right away)
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Video Card: EVGA 01G-P3-1563-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti
Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Audigy 7.1 (Do I really need this?)
Hard Drive: OCZ Agility 3 120GB
Blu-Ray Drive: Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS
Power Suppy: Not sure what I'll need. 650, 750 watts?
Case: Corsair Carbide 400R
Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch

 

[g-unit1111]

That's a pretty good build but here would be my suggestions:

1. You don't need the H100 for what you need it to do, go with a solid air fan like a Hyper 212 Evo.

2. The Vengeance RAM is fine as long as you get the low profile version.

3. Ditch the sound card - you do not need it.

4. 650 will be plenty.

5. Switch out your SSD - the OCZ Agility is not a good choice.

That's a good start for a build but your funds are a bit mismanaged. Try this:

Case: Corsair Carbide 400R - $99.99
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2 - $89.99
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H - $159.99
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - $249.99
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - $29.99
RAM: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600MHz 1.5V - $46.99
SSD: 128GB Crucial M4 - $129.99
Optical: LG Blu Ray Burner - $79.99
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 - $249.99
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99
Monitor: Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms LED-Backlight LCD monitor Slim Design - $139.99

Total: $1376.86

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.amazon.com/Corsair-Carbide-Tower-Gaming-Computer/dp/B0055Q7BR4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337286483&sr=1-4 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Corsair Carbide Series 400R Mid Tower Gaming Computer Case - CC-9011011-WW

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027 $109.99 FREE SHIPPING 15% off w/ promo code PCPMK15OFF, ends 5/21
PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W High Performance 80PLUS Silver SLI CrossFire ready Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.921021 $212.98 save: $20.00 FREE SHIPPING
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Mushkin Enhanced Chronos MKNSSDCR120GB 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.vortez.net/articles_pages/asrock_z77_extreme4_review,1.html <----- review of that board with benchmarks

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z77%20Extreme4 <----- another look at that board along with the link to the latest bios update

http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3570K-Processor-BX80637I53570K/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1337224563&sr=1-6 $228.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Intel Core i5 3570K Processor 3.4 4 BX80637I53570K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 $34.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel 2011/1366/1155 and AMD FM1/AM3+

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544 $46.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9D-8GAO

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135252 $89.99 - $69.99 after mail-in rebate card
ASUS Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS

http://us.ncix.com/products/?sku=71107&vpn=GV-N670OC-2GD&manufacture=Gigabyte $419.99 Free Shipping
Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 OC 980MHZ 2GB 6.0GHZ GDDR5 2xDVI HDMI DisplayPort PCI-E Video Card

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5818/nvidia-geforce-gtx-670-review-feat-evga <------ gtx 670 review with benchmarks

http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-Monitor/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=dp_cp_ob_pc_title_1 $129.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full HD LED Monitor - Black | LED Backlit with 50,000,000:1 ASUS Smart Contrast Ratio; Full 1080P with HDMI

Total: $1,373.90 *not including shipping and rebates


http://www.amazon.com/Windows-Premium-64bit-System-Builder/dp/B004Q0PT3I/ref=pd_cp_sw_0 $99.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit (Full) System Builder DVD 1 Pack

 

[griffmaestro]

Thanks for your detailed responses! I have been doing some research on the different parts you've recommended and made some changes to my list. I'll append an updated list of what I'm planning at the bottom, but I have a few questions before I switch some of the other stuff.

1. I am curious to know why you both think I should go with the i5 instead of the i7? It saves me $100, but will it be as "future-proof"?
2. You've recommended different power supplies and I'm confused about how many watts I'll need. Will I need 750 to run a CrossfireX setup at some point in the future?
3. If I did decide to invest another $100, would it be better to upgrade the CPU, or the video card?

Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V Pro - $190 (I picked this up already from Newegg.com)
CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K - $240
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO - $35
Memory: 8GB G.Skill Ripjaw X 1600MHz 1.5V - $43
Video Card: Sapphire 11200-00-20G Radeon HD 7850 - $250
SSD: Crucial CT128M4SSD2 m4 2.5" - $120
Blu-Ray Drive: LG WH12LS39K - $80
PSU: 750 Watts? - $100
Case: Corsair Carbide 400R - $100
Monitor: ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full HD LED - $145

Total: $1,298

 

[g-unit1111]

1. I am curious to know why you both think I should go with the i5 instead of the i7? It saves me $100, but will it be as "future-proof"?

It's going to be several years before games catch up to hyperthreading - you'll only need the i7 if you're going to be using your PC for other purposes besides gaming like Adobe CS5 or other multimedia heavy applications.

2. You've recommended different power supplies and I'm confused about how many watts I'll need. Will I need 750 to run a CrossfireX setup at some point in the future?

650 will cover all the bases - the Radeon 78XX, 79XX and NVIDIA 6XX are among the most energy efficient GPUs ever produced. If you're planning on adding a second video card at some point then get the 750 if not get the 650.

3. If I did decide to invest another $100, would it be better to upgrade the CPU, or the video card?

GPU no question - the i7 and the i5 are essentially the same CPU and they clock about the same - the GPU can make or break the performance of any gaming build and if you can get a better one like the Radeon 7870 or GTX 670 that would be way better than going from the i5 to the i7.

 

[griffmaestro]

Thanks to g-unit1111, frozonic, and Why_Me for your help and advice.

Here's a couple of other questions:

1. Do I really need a Blu-Ray drive? I think I'd only ever use it to back-up my movies and it might save some money to just get a CD/DVD drive. If I only get a CD/DVD drive, and recommendations for a good one?

2. I looked at the Gigabyte Geforce 670 and it looks amazing, but it's out of stock on Newegg and at Tigerdirect. Is it worth waiting for, or is there another card that will do as well?

3. I've looked at the CM HAF 922 and compared it to the Corsair Carbide 400R and I'm wondering if the 400R's USB 3.0 is an important feature on the front? I mostly plug in various mp3 players and our camera to the front ports. Will any of these things need 3.0 within the next few years?

4. This PSU is on sale but the rebate ends today. Should I get this one or wait for a different sale/rebate?

Thanks!

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks to g-unit1111, frozonic, and Why_Me for your help and advice.

Here's a couple of other questions:

1. Do I really need a Blu-Ray drive? I think I'd only ever use it to back-up my movies and it might save some money to just get a CD/DVD drive. If I only get a CD/DVD drive, and recommendations for a good one?

2. I looked at the Gigabyte Geforce 670 and it looks amazing, but it's out of stock on Newegg and at Tigerdirect. Is it worth waiting for, or is there another card that will do as well?

3. I've looked at the CM HAF 922 and compared it to the Corsair Carbide 400R and I'm wondering if the 400R's USB 3.0 is an important feature on the front? I mostly plug in various mp3 players and our camera to the front ports. Will any of these things need 3.0 within the next few years?

4. This PSU is on sale but the rebate ends today. Should I get this one or wait for a different sale/rebate?

Thanks!

1) I don't use blu-ray so I'm not help there.

2) http://www.anandtech.com/show/5818/nvidia-geforce-gtx-670-review-feat-evga <----- I would like to say there's an equivalent to the gtx 670 in the same price range but I would be lying. It's almost worth using the on die Intel HD 4000 graphics that come with that cpu until that card comes back in stock. Now there's some Canadian retailers that have it in stock, and sometimes with a phone call and a "pretty please" they will ship that card to the US for a few extra bucks.

3) The 400R has the 922 beat and not just because of the front 3.0 USB ports. Dust filters, cable management, knock out for your cpu h/s. The 922 is dated and it's showing it's age even though it's going to go down in history as a great case. The 400R can be had on amazon for $100 + free shipping.

4) That's a decent deal on that psu although there will always be a 750w psu in the $100 range between newegg and amazon.

 

[griffmaestro]

Thanks Why_Me. I think I'm going to stick with the 400R as you've suggested, and I'll probably wait for that GPU to be back in stock. I've just purchased the PSU. So... 2 parts down, and several yet to go. For some of these things that aren't on sale, I'm going to keep an eye on Newegg, Amazon, and Tigerdirect for deals.

 

[g-unit1111]

Thanks to g-unit1111, frozonic, and Why_Me for your help and advice.

Here's a couple of other questions:

1. Do I really need a Blu-Ray drive? I think I'd only ever use it to back-up my movies and it might save some money to just get a CD/DVD drive. If I only get a CD/DVD drive, and recommendations for a good one?

2. I looked at the Gigabyte Geforce 670 and it looks amazing, but it's out of stock on Newegg and at Tigerdirect. Is it worth waiting for, or is there another card that will do as well?

3. I've looked at the CM HAF 922 and compared it to the Corsair Carbide 400R and I'm wondering if the 400R's USB 3.0 is an important feature on the front? I mostly plug in various mp3 players and our camera to the front ports. Will any of these things need 3.0 within the next few years?

4. This PSU is on sale but the rebate ends today. Should I get this one or wait for a different sale/rebate?

Thanks!

1. You only need BD-R if you watch movies or do lots of backups. On higher end builds I usually include the option because most people will be hooking their PC up to other display sources such as 42" - 55"+ LEDs so you have that option.

2. The 670 and 680 are amazing cards - they've produced the best numbers and are the most energy efficient GPUs NVIDIA has ever produced. The demand for these is unlike anything anyone's ever seen, but there's nothing that remotely compares to it right now.

3. Not really - not even a lot of external HD's make use of USB 3.0 yet - maybe in a year or so but it's nice to have the option.

4. Antec is fine - as long as it's not some crap manufacturer like Raidmax, Ultra, Apevia, Coolmax or Diablotek you're fine.

 

[griffmaestro]

Best answer selected by griffmaestro.