Is this a good computer build?

agasperino5

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Jul 12, 2012
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Hello, new to the forum but not new to the site. I was wondering if I could get someone's approval on the computer I'm building. You could consider me relatively novice, but I do know a little more than the average person off the street regarding computers. I've also done a pretty good amount of research into each of these parts (maybe not so much into the video card -- I need help in this area I believe), but I would like to have a second set of eyes look over what I've collected together. Also, I plan to game with this machine, and my price range is up to and including $1000. I have a keyboard, mouse, and monitor, and with the list below I am at $900 dollars, however I still need to buy a copy of windows 7.


Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125353

Mother Board/CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.959055

Hard Drive/PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1014416

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231473

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
 
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So to recap:

Intel 3570K (w/ Hyper 212+ cooler)
Asus P8Z77 LK
8GB (2x 4GB) Ripjaws DDR3 2133 memory
1TB Seagate ST1000M003 HDD (<-- particular fond)
Radeon 7850 (x2 Crossfire, future upgrade)
650W Rosewill Capstone PSU
Antec 300 case/Cooler Master HAF 912 (can't go wrong with either)

If so, then it's a solid build. Though, if you want a save a few bucks, you could step down the RAM speed. Performance gains are pretty negligible after 1600MHz. Faster RAM would only really help iGPU's, super intense workloads, and RAM drives.

The only thing I would consider is an SSD, if you're up for...

agasperino5

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Jul 12, 2012
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I saw another thread which had this computer case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233. That's not bad either, however I feel like I'd need to dump some more cash in to get the system to properly cool. What would I need to do to make sure it was up to par in terms of cooling?

Also, do I need a heatsync? There is a heatsync and fan already included on the i5 3570k, but is it good?

And one last thing: any recommended cd/dvd drives, that are very -- very -- cheap? Doesn't need to be blueray compatible or anything of that nature, just something to run cds and such.
 
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you do not need 16 gigs of expensive RAM to game! an after market heatsink if you are going to overclock, if not that don't bother with a K version cpu or the Z77 motherboard.
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.89 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Kingston 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($48.49 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: Antec 550W ATX12V Power Supply ($57.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($90.65 @ Amazon)
Total: $923.96
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
 

jerm1027

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The stock cooler is barely adequate at best. If you have high ambient temps, you'll definitely need an after-market cooler. Doesn't need to be over-the-top; a Cooler Master Hyper 212 should do the trick. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

The only concern I would have is the efficiency of the PSU. Probably not the best one to get in terms of efficiency, but the hardware you have isn't going to stress it either. Probably a minor knit-pick more than anything though.

 

agasperino5

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Jul 12, 2012
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I appreciate the quick replies, I've been looking into both of your suggestions for the past couples hours and have just about come up with my rebuttals. Just one more loose end to tie up. Thanks again for the suggestions!
 

agasperino5

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Looniam, the graphics card you posted was very nice; from a little research, it seems that blows similar priced radeons out of the water. I've decided to switch my graphics card to that. It's funny you mentioned the asrock z77 motherboard because that was the original one I was looking at, and despite the better power-in it has as opposed to the asus, I think I am still going to stick with the P8Z77-V LK. I've used asus mobo's forever, and I just feel like the quality of their boards go a long ways. I've also dumped the 16 gbs of memory; I know have 8 gbs, but still of g.skill ripjaw; I guess I just like the fact they are ddr3 2133. Quick note about the expensive memory -- yesterday it was the daily deal, so for 16 gbs it only costed $89 dollars; today there is no more dealio :( . Oh also, I decided to go with the cpu cooler you suggested as well.

Jerm: I see what you are saying, that power suppy's efficiency is low. I guess its balanced by the 730watts it provides, but I would like to upgrade in the future so having the extra wattage intrigues me. Do you suggest any other high-wattage power supplies around the price I will get that one for?


Thanks again guys! These have been great suggestions!
 

jerm1027

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I wouldn't say higher wattage as much as higher quality. My concern is when the PSU is stress. when it is stressed, it's going to waste a lot of power (it's actually going to pull 900W-950W from the wall when loaded), and the specs might be exaggerated, so the stability under load might also be a concern. If a PSU does go south, it can take other components with it, which is why most experienced builders tell you to never skimp out the PSU. There are certainly worse power supplies out there, but the one you have chosen isn't the best either.

Here is a thread on power supply quality categorized by tiers, but it's a little dated. Still helpful though.
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

If you do go the 570 route, you are definitely going to need a much better PSU. With two 570's in SLI, you are going to need ~750W assuming some overclocking and capacitor aging a little bit of cushion. I'd recommend going a 7850 or 7870 if you are considering 570, especially if you plan to overclock. Even with two 7850's in crossfire, system load shouldn't be more than 550W, assuming everything else the same (OC and aging). So, the performance is about the same, same with price, but 7850 has significantly lower power draw, scales better in multi-card set up, and has much more headroom for overclocking.

I haven't done any super thorough research, but the Rosewill Capstone series should be solid, especially given the 80+ Gold certification, and positive reviews thus far.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182263

Here is a pretty in-depth review of the 750W Capstone series. http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=266
 

agasperino5

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Damn that is a pretty good point you make about the videocard; I wasn't thinking about the wattage difference and how that will be exaggerated when (in the future) I put a second graphics card in.

I like that power supply you've suggested too, up to 92% efficiency wow. Think 650 watts will be enough?
 
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Our test system is based on a power hungry Core i7 965 / X58 system. This setup is overclocked to 3.75 GHz. Next to that we have energy saving functions disabled for this motherboard and processor (to ensure consistent benchmark results). On average we are using roughly 50 to 100 Watts more than a standard PC due to higher CPU clock settings, water-cooling, additional cold cathode lights etc.

Keep that in mind. Our normal system power consumption is higher than your average system.

System Wattage with GPU in FULL Stress = 369W
Subjective obtained GPU power consumption = ~ 213 Watts
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-570-review/8
a quality 550 watt for a single card will be enough

and for a SLI set up (369 + 213 = 572 watts) a 650 watt PSU will just get by and a 700-750 will be better.
XFX 750W PRO750W Core Edition $99.99
After Mail In Rebate: $74.99
 

jerm1027

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If you go with the newer GPU's, yes. You can use this site to get an estimate of how power you are going to need:
http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

Again, the 550w figure I got I assumed a 4.2GHz OC on the CPU at 1.28v, 4 sticks of RAM, 2x 7850's in Crossfire, 2HDD, 1 SSD, 1 DVD-RW/combo drive, 1 PCI-e 1x card, 2USB devices, 3x high-performance 120mm fans with 20% capacitor aging. Again, I got ~550w. You can plug in the numbers you are going to be using to get a better figure. They have a little note at the bottom to help you figure out capacitor aging as well:
We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years.

Also bear in mind that power supplies are most efficient at around 50% load (<- that's when you'd get the 90%+ efficiency), so you don't want to over-shoot it. At about 10% load, PSU's waste a lot of power and drops to around 50%-60% efficiency, even the higher quality ones.

If you do decide you need more power, the 750W Rosewill Capstone series isn't a bad selection either.

Also, PSU's from Silverstone, Seasonic, Corsair, Enermax, and Antec tend to be better ones. Cooler Master, XFX, OCz, are also good ones.
 
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i beg your pardon but that is wrong on so many levels.

first of all online PSU calculators do not take into account the quality of a PSU when it makes a recommendation of wattage. a quality PSU will have a high % of wattage on the 12 volt rail, where it is most needed, than a lower quality PSU that uses a large amount of 3.3 and 5 volt rails to inflate the total wattage output. the online calculator will assume a lower quality PSU and give its recommendation for such. (you actually stated most of that already, did you forget it?)

it is not difficult to google for real world power consumption benchmarks. those are much more accurate than any online calculator. and adding in devices such as USB and PCI x1 and "high performance fans" does no good; those take practically nothing. the main concern is the CPU (65-130 watts), sticks of RAM ( 8 watts each) hard drives (10 watts to spin up then 3-6 watts) SSDs (6-8 watts) and chipset (sandy and ivy ~7 watts). a typical overclocked sandy/ivy set up will use 150 watts or 12.5 amps on the 12 volt rail; thats it.

capacitor aging is a complete myth. it is not time but heat that will stress a capacitor and "age" it (dry it out and cause it to fail). there is a thread around here @ THG that dispels that myth entirely, i'll find it in a second.

here is one: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/300392-28-capacitor-aging

and it is quite fine to go above the 50% load of a PSU. depending on the PSU its peak efficiency is between 40%-60% however you are talking about a ~2% difference in efficiency and is negligible. what then will happen is a system will be highly inefficient when idling, which it does most of the time, under 20% load; efficiency takes a big nosedive so the PSU will sit there getting hotter than under a 100% load doing nothing.

also the max wattage a system uses is not what the system will use when gaming; that only happens during benchmarking or stress testing. the same system will hit ~80% of the max load while gaming.

so you end up with a PSU that is too much overkill for a 350 watts system when stressed. people will get a 750 watt PSU thinking they must hit that magical 50% load mark, when it sits idling @ 110 watts which is 15% load. a 550 watt PSU will handle that 64% load and idle @ 20% load which is much better for overall efficiency.
 

jerm1027

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First off, you haven't backed up a single statement. Second, I never said the calculator was 100% accurate, I said use it as an estimate.

Practically nothing... I single laptop cooling fan pegged an hour off my 60WHr battery. Bear in mind this is probably a dinky 40mm fan, maybe less. 120mm do consume a noticeable amount of power, especially high RPM fans. Even more noticeable if you have multiple fans (not uncommon to have a 5-fan configuration.) A single USB device can draw 5-10 watts of power, so about the same as RAM. I don't know about other people, but I typically use my USB to charge my phone, even while gaming. I'm sure most people have an iPod or some device they wish to charge.

Capacitor aging a myth? Lets see if your PSU provides the same wattage and efficiency 5/10 years down the line (spoiler: it won't). PSU's do age.

I never said I wasn't fine to go above 50%. PSU's are still pretty efficient up to about 80% load. Even as an gamer, I find my computer idle most of the time. cramming an 800W psu for a system that's going to consume less than 200w most of the time doesn't make sense. Hence the recommendation for a 650w PSU. Odd how you are bringing up idle power consumption and PSU efficiency, but you are the one recommending the higher wattage, less efficient PSU.
 
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actually neither have you if you want to get picky. oh my bad i did post a link about the capacitor myth, i guess you overlooked that in a rush to defend your POV.
but have a few more:
Debunking Power Supply Myths
On Efficiency
50% Load Myth


yes devices can use power, though what you posted are not relevant to the OPs system as spec'd. it is not a laptop nor is there anything about using it as a charging station for an iPod or having 5+ case fans.

refer to this post again: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/300392-28-capacitor-aging
as i said it is not age but heat that will "stress" a capacitor. according to your statement a PSU sitting in a box, unused will age and that thread completely finds the error in that philosophy.

ah, i recommended a 550 watt PSU for a single card and stated a 650 watt will "just be enough" but a 700 watt would be better. however what 700 watt PSUs there are i wouldn't recommend so kill me over that :p

and that is spec'd for a GTX 570 which draws ~215 watts. spec'ing out a system as you suggested with either 2x 7850 (10 watts idle ~100 peak load) or 2x 7870 ( 12 watts idle 115 watt peak) will require ~200 watts less, so a 550 watts PSU will be sufficient.
AMD Radeon HD 7850 & HD 7870 2 GB
Power Consumption

sorry if you do not like being corrected. but you are making assumptions and deriving a conclusion by inappropriate means. so what now? a little bickering back and forth to drive the OP off and ends up getting no help?
 

jerm1027

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yes devices can use power, though what you posted are not relevant to the OPs system as spec'd. it is not a laptop nor is there anything about using it as a charging station for an iPod or having 5+ case fans.

I was using the laptop as an example of fans consuming a considerable amount of power. The OP also didn't specify that he was using fans, so should we assume that he is using passive cooling? Yes I made assumptions, not unreasonable ones, and ones I've found typical in my experience.

according to your statement a PSU sitting in a box, unused will age and that thread completely finds the error in that philosophy.

I've never said that. In fact, the very message in the tool states (24/7) usage, which implies zero down time. Again, in my experience, I have my computer on 7 days a week.

and that is spec'd for a GTX 570 which draws ~215 watts. spec'ing out a system as you suggested with either 2x 7850 (10 watts idle ~100 peak load) or 2x 7870 ( 12 watts idle 115 watt peak) will require ~200 watts less, so a 550 watts PSU will be sufficient.

So we are making two different recommendations, based on two different configurations, neither of which the OP spec'd. He spec'd a 6800 series card. I also noted that a 750W PSU would be more appropriate if he did go GTX 570 SLI.

sorry if you do not like being corrected. but you are making assumptions and deriving a conclusion by inappropriate means. so what now? a little bickering back and forth to drive the OP off and ends up getting no help?

I don't mind being corrected. I believe we are here to bring the best possible information to the users. If you have better information and wish to make a correction and can support it, I welcome it. But the way you went about it was inappropriate. Stating I was wrong on so many levels and then continuing with Straw Mans to support your arguments instead of actual benchmarks, studies, etc. wasn't the best way to go about it.

So, would you call the 650w completely inappropriate, or did you just feel like "correcting" me for the sake of whatever. BTW, recommended the 650W because we haven't accounted for GPU OCing, and it actually comes with all the necessary connections (4x 6+2ping PCIe); most <600W only come with 2. The OP didn't state OCing either, but it's not uncommon, and I did encourage an OC'd 7850/70 over the 570. Also the 650W was modular; it was the most feature-rich, reliable power supply within the specified budget.
 
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and your examples are totally irrelevant. what is relevant is the suggested build(s) as posted. and since neither of them have an OC'd gpu or 5 case fans your speculation is moot.

if you care to add to the discussion; please post a build


EDITED: to get back on track.
 

jerm1027

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You have yet to dispute the actual wattage, or recommend a better PSU. I used to post entire build recommendations at Eggxpert, but had a bad experience with trolls.

So, to really get back on track. Do you think the modular 650w Rosewill Capstone PSU is a bad suggestion for specified price range (~$100)? If not, then all your points after are pretty moot. PSU selection isn't an exact science, and you're getting hung up in the details.

Capacitor aging a myth? Whatever, but the underlying point was wear and tear, regardless of what you want to call it, and that should be accounted for. Can we agree on that?
 

agasperino5

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If it makes a difference, I have decided to go with the 7850 graphics card, I plan on crossfiring in the future, and I do plan on overclocking. I believe this would warrant the 650 power supply correct? And I will be using fans for cooling. Oh also -- the deal I have getting the 650watt power supply comes with 4 free case fans, so I will be running probably 5 or more in the system.
 

agasperino5

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So now, with the new psu (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182263) and graphics card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127663), do we think the system sounds better than what I originally posted? And hey -- loved the debate, alot of good information was given on both sides. I thoroughly enjoyed reading and learning from what each of you had to say.

Oh also, keep in mind on the videocard there is a mail in rebate for $30 dollars.
 

jerm1027

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Yeah, 650W is good. With the 2x 7850 along with OC'd CPU, your system shouldn't draw more than 550w at full load, so the 650w provides a quite a bit of headroom for GPU OC, extra fans, and wear and tear.
 
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considering how you are hijacking a build thread based on a PSU recommendation, i can see how you willingly threw food to the trolls.

and just where did this ~$100 budget come from?
again post a build and see that fund are regulated for what. there si no need to spend $100 when a $80 or $70 will do just as well and allow for a better graphics card:
XFX Core Edition PRO650W $89.99
$79.99 after mail-in rebate card
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 $89.99
$69.99 after mail-in rebate card

no i cannot agree at all. any "capacitor aging" is not a variable that can get plugged into an equation nor is it a concern.
to take what you quoted:
We recommend you add 10-20% if you plan to keep your PSU for more than 1 year, or 20-30% for 24/7 usage and 1+ years.
that would mean a 550 watt PSU would not be able to deliver more than 253 watts after 4 years
[(550*.9)*.8^3] well, having a 5 year warranty as on the XFX and corsair PSUs makes that moot right there even if true.

 

jerm1027

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So to recap:

Intel 3570K (w/ Hyper 212+ cooler)
Asus P8Z77 LK
8GB (2x 4GB) Ripjaws DDR3 2133 memory
1TB Seagate ST1000M003 HDD (<-- particular fond)
Radeon 7850 (x2 Crossfire, future upgrade)
650W Rosewill Capstone PSU
Antec 300 case/Cooler Master HAF 912 (can't go wrong with either)

If so, then it's a solid build. Though, if you want a save a few bucks, you could step down the RAM speed. Performance gains are pretty negligible after 1600MHz. Faster RAM would only really help iGPU's, super intense workloads, and RAM drives.

The only thing I would consider is an SSD, if you're up for managing a 2 drive configuration and doing a tad bit up set up work/tweaking. It won't give you a FPS boost in games, but will reduce loading times and increase overall system responsiveness.

As for the cables, you shouldn't need to buy any extra if you get retail. Mobo's usually come with at least 2 SATA cables (yours does come with 2), PSU's usually come with an A/C power cord, Radeon GPU's come with CFX bridge. However, I've often went with Open Box or OEM deals, and had to hunting for SATA cables. Not the end of the world, pick one up for $2 at a local shop. Also retail HDD's come with SATA cables.

The only thing you need to look out for is OEM HDD and ODD (optical drives). They don't come with SATA cables, but since your mobo comes with 2 SATA cables, it's not a problem this time around.
 
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