Suggestions for new build (coding/gaming) $1000 - $1500

[knobcreekman]

Hello, I am needing to build a new computer as soon as possible because I am currently without one. I have not listed any parts because I really don't know what to choose on things like a mb, SSD, RAM, or Graphics card. I understand how to choose the features and make sure they match up, but I do not know why a gigabyte board is better or worse than asus board, etc. I build and repair PCs most everyday at work, but I only deal with OEM parts because I'm in-house IT; therefore, I don't know what brands of components are better. I will also need a monitor. Please, do not suggest a Planar monitor because I hate them with a passion. We have 5 to 10 a week having to be sent off for warranty here, so I have zero confidence in that brand. I appreciate any help you can offer and thank you for your time.

Approximate Purchase Date: ASAP. current computer died

Budget Range: (e.g.: 300-400) $1000 - $1500 before rebates and shipping

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Coding/Gaming/Virtualization

Are you buying a monitor: Yes, please. (no Planar!)

Parts to Upgrade: (e.g.: CPU, mobo, RAM): This is a completely new build with no parts salvaged

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com and amazon.com just because that's where I've ordered from in the past

Location: U.S.A. (there are no parts stores locally)

Parts Preferences: I think I want an i7 processor and a SSD. no brand preference because I've never built a computer. Also, I've done some reading on a traditional HDD in RAID0 giving similar performance to a SSD, but it was based on benchmarking tests. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? On a related note, on one of these forums someone mentioned using an SSD for the os and installing games and programs to a ghost folder (Program Files x86 folder) that was actually on a seperate HDD and it would give the same performance as if the game or program was installed on the SSD. Does anyone have any more info on this? I have tried google, but I am not having any luck finding anything.

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920 x 1080 or 1900 x 1200

Additional Comments: I would like a fast machine that is as quiet as possible, but noise isn't a huge factor (I mean I don't want it to be screaming, but I also don't want to pay a lot of extra cash for a small reduction in decibels. The most important things to me are how it performs compiling code while running super slow Visual Studio and virtual servers. I would also like to game on it. I haven't played PC games in years due to lack of time, so I do not know what titles I would like to play. I would just like to be able to play what's out there on pretty good settings if that's an option given my budget.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: my Macbook Pro died

EDIT: Updating this post with what I settled on so interested parties do not have to scroll to the bottom

My build:

SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-240G-G25

Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

I chose this RAM instead because ASRock says it's officially supported and had the same price/reviews as the other
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB)

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155

Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155

I picked up two of these. I can upgrade to a better monitor later when I start working from this computer full time.
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full-HD LED Monitor

Thanks again for the advice/help

 

[Why_Me]

One storage drive, one SSD. Forget the RAID 0. Those days are going by the wayside seeing how the prices of SSD's drop a little bit more month by month.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1021027 $214.98 save: $25.00 - $20.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 $34.99 - $29.99 after mail-in rebate 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=N82E16820231545 $88.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-1600C9Q-16GAO

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-AD-7280S-0B-Internal-Drive-Black/dp/B0057FRTPW/ref=pd_cp_e_0 $16.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal-ST1000DM003/dp/B005T3GRNW/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344039562&sr=1-4 $80.14 & 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

or...

http://www.amazon.com/Seagate-ST2000DM001-Barracuda-3-5-Inch-Internal/dp/B005T3GRN2/ref=sr_1_2?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1344039562&sr=1-2 $110.74 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Seagate ST2000DM001 Barracuda 7200RPM 2 TB SATA 6 GB/s NCQ 64 MB Cache 3.5-Inch Internal Bare Drive

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Extreme-Gb-s2-5-Inch-Drive--SDSSDX-120G-G25/dp/B006EKJCWM/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344039673&sr=1-2&keywords=sandisk+120+gb+ssd $103.81 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
SanDisk Extreme SSD 120GB GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-120G-G25


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600315498%20600311820%20600007782&IsNodeId=1&name=2GB <----- GTX 670 2GB. Choose your weapon.


Flip a coin on any of these boards down below. Just make sure update to the latest bios on whatever board you choose. All three of these boards support SLI.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1029178 $459.98 save: $15.00
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1029293 $469.98 save: $10.00 - $20.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K
ASUS P8Z77-V LK LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1018351 $444.98 save: $30.00 - $15.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K


http://www.amazon.com/VS228H-P-21-5-Inch-Full-HD-Monitor-Black/dp/B005BZNDOO/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1344040217&sr=1-2&keywords=asus+21.5+led+monitor $149.99 & 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

 

[Why_Me]

One other thing. That cpu comes with decent ondie graphics (Intel HD 4000) and that would get you by just fine until the GTX 660 ti 2GB due for release August 16th. That card should go for $250 - $300. That card should be a good one and a 650w psu will easily push two of those cards in SLI seeing how they use less juice than the GTX 670. That would save you a considerable amount of $$$ and you would still have a killer system with the option to add anothe one of thsoe GTX 660's later on down the road if you ever feel the need. Order everything now except the vid card and use that HD 4000 graphics until that card is released.

With that in mind check out this case + psu down below.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1021001 $151.98 save: $18.00 - $20.00 Mail In Rebates FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

 

[raytseng]

if you truly are coding you need productivity. you want more monitors.

I suggest at least a 24" monitors; maybe 2 if it increases your productivity.

If this is your profession, do not skimp here. Many people use Graphic Designer level monitors such as Dell U-series monitors when they're sitting in front of their monitors all day.

Yes, you can get 2 TN monitors for the same price. But, laser surgery in 2years after your eyes go bad are more expensive.


Agree,
SSD for OS, and apps, and maybe whatever project/workspace you are working on at the moment if you need that sped up.

HDD for data or older stuff you don't need immediately.


As far as quiet goes, picking quiet components is key.
The parts that move make the noise:
psu to some degree (any premium model will be quiet)
CPU cooler
GPU and cooler
HDD (to some degree) but usually below annoyance threshold
Case for casefans and to minimize the above.

212 evo is excellent for the cpu
GPU-once you decide on the model, look it up at techpowerup to get their noise measurements. You need to consider if it is worthwhile to pay extra for a quieter choice.

Case:
pick from this list and you will do great on the noise front.
http://www.silentpcreview.com/article75-page5.html

 

[knobcreekman]

One other thing. That cpu comes with decent ondie graphics (Intel HD 4000) and that would get you by just fine until the GTX 660 ti 2GB due for release August 16th. That card should go for $250 - $300. That card should be a good one and a 650w psu will easily push two of those cards in SLI seeing how they use less juice than the GTX 670. That would save you a considerable amount of $$$ and you would still have a killer system with the option to add anothe one of thsoe GTX 660's later on down the road if you ever feel the need. Order everything now except the vid card and use that HD 4000 graphics until that card is released.

Thanks for ALL of your help/recommendations and especially this advice. I will do this and wait on the 660 to come out.

 

[knobcreekman]

if you truly are coding you need productivity. you want more monitors.

I suggest at least a 24" monitors; maybe 2 if it increases your productivity.

If this is your profession, do not skimp here. Many people use Graphic Designer level monitors such as Dell U-series monitors when they're sitting in front of their monitors all day.

Yes, you can get 2 TN monitors for the same price. But, laser surgery in 2years after your eyes go bad are more expensive.

Thanks so much for all of your advice and recommendations. Yes, I will end up with two monitors.... the price will determine when.

 

[knobcreekman]

So... based on the recommendations this is what I have:

SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-240G-G25

Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155

 

[aqualipt]

So... based on the recommendations this is what I have:

SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-240G-G25

Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid

GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155

no no no


*Replace that board with a Asrock Z77 4 Extreme

*That case is garbage, get a NZXT Phantom 410 or a NZXT Tempest 410

*Get a Samsung 830 256GB

 

[azeem40]

Nothing wrong with the 300R.
Good idea on the SSD though.

 

[aqualipt]

Nothing wrong with the 300R.
Good idea on the SSD though.

nop, i built a PC for my nephew with a 300r and it was just like every other ~30-45$ case, nothing speciall about it other than the price.

 

[knobcreekman]

Why the different ssd? They both have about the same reviews. just curious

 

[aqualipt]

Why the different ssd? They both have about the same reviews. just curious

Because of the extra 26GB of space and its reliablity

The samsung 830 is a tiny bit slower than the Sandisk tough...

http://www.storagereview.com/sandisk_extreme_ssd_review
http://blog.laptopmag.com/whats-the-best-ssd-5-drives-tested/3

 

[Why_Me]

no no no


*Replace that board with a Asrock Z77 4 Extreme

*That case is garbage, get a NZXT Phantom 410 or a NZXT Tempest 410

*Get a Samsung 830 256GB

So maybe you can fill us all in on why think that Corsair case is garbage. As far as that Sandisk SSD being reliable it utilizes SF Toggle Nand which equals solid and quick.

 

[aqualipt]

So maybe you can fill us all in on why think that Corsair case is garbage. As far as that Sandisk SSD being reliable it utilizes SF Toggle Nand which equals solid and quick.

Because i've built 2 PCs with that case and for the price, its a complete garbage, i was expecting a lot more from cosair...altough the 400r is acceptable

 

[knobcreekman]

I just placed my order at Newegg and Amazon. Thanks again everyone for your help. Hopefully, it'll turn out ok.

For the graphics, I am going to wait for the 660 to come out.

SanDisk Extreme SSD 240GB SATA 6.0 Gb-s 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive- SDSSDX-240G-G25

Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive (Black)

I chose this RAM instead because ASRock says it's officially supported and had the same price/reviews as the other
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB)

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V

Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid

ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155

Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155

I picked up two of these. I can upgrade to a better monitor later when I start working from this computer full time.
ASUS VS228H-P 21.5-Inch Full-HD LED Monitor

Thanks again for the advice/help

 

[azeem40]

No offense to aqua, but he think he knows more than a lot of people.

 

[aqualipt]

No offense to aqua, but he think he knows more than a lot of people.

Well...this might sound a little bit arrogant but i do know more than a lot of people, of course, there are some people who knows a lot more than i do and there are others who are speacialised in things like monitors, cases, peripherals and all kinds of stuff. I just want to let something clear, when i say something is because i know what i am saying and i am 100% sure of it.

Anyways...i dont want to start a discussion about it, this is internet and i am using my free time (that i could be spending with my kids ) to asist people who need our help and i am sure we all doing that so instead of arguing about each others opinions lets argue about the best PC's that can be built by people in this forum, what do you say?

 

[azeem40]

That last part about posting when 100% sure is questionable to me, but ok, let's stick to arguing about best gaming PCs.