New Build $13-1500: Any final considerations

[braesel]

Approximate Purchase Date: Within next two weeks

Budget Range: $1300-$1500 (Considerations: Quality over price within reason. Price allotted just for system/monitor and OS separate.)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming (mostly/specifically Total War Series: hope to play on Ultra settings and perform decently on the upcoming Rome II), basic database design work (Microsoft Access), general computer use

Are you buying a monitor: Yes (Separate from $1300-$1500 price point)

Parts to Upgrade: N/A

Do you need to buy OS: Yes (Microsoft Office 7 64-bit)
Please note that if you're using an OEM license of Windows, you will need a new one when buying a new motherboard.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg.com

Location: Indianapolis, IN USA

Parts Preferences: Intel CPU, EVGA gpu, Dell monitor, anything equal or better quality for suggestions

Overclocking: Maybe (perhaps very slightly, but unnecessary and not likely at first)

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe (not initially. still trying to decide if this would be a worthwhile upgrade option in time for performance boost over gpu replacement/upgrade)

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 (looking for quality 24"-27" monitor)

Additional Comments: I would like a quiet PC. Build focus on quality components and performance. Hope to build a system that handles anything I can throw at it now flawlessly, will remain strong over time, and that can be given worthwhile performance boosts (upgraded CPU & Motherboard, upgraded GPU or SLI) to keep it relatively up to date.

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Need complete new system after total loss. Been computerless for past 2 months and it's driving me crazy! Given my circumstances I figure I should do it right.


Corsair Obsidian Series 550D
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139012

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 V2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

Intel Core i7 3770S Ivy Bridge
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116503

Intel BOXDZ77BH55K LGA 1155 Intel Z77
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121606
or
Intel BOXDZ77SL50K LGA 1155 Intel Z77
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813121618

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 CMZ8GX3M2A1600C8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233147

SAMSUNG 830 Series MZ-7PC128B/WW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147163

SAMSUNG Internal DVD Writer Black SATA Model SH-222BB/RSBS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151255

EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787

Dell UltraSharp U2412M Black IPS Panel 24"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824260047


Other Thoughts: On the fence with my motherboard needs. Trying to decide if it's worth paying more initially for more SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 and second PCI-e 3.0 availability that I may or may not ever use vs CPU and Motherboard upgrade/replacement in a few years to bring my system back up to date. Open to suggestions and advice.

The SSD I have picked jumped price over night from $99 to 189. Just not going to pay that for 128GB with other options. From reviews I've read I like the Samsung, but at that price I may go with the Crucial M4 or any other suggested SSD...or I may upgrade to the Samsung 256GB model. I expect that is all the more capacity I will probably need in the near future. I favor quality and speed over capacity for my storage needs, but want at least 120GB.

Thanks for the help in advance!

 

[g-unit1111]

Other Thoughts: On the fence with my motherboard needs. Trying to decide if it's worth paying more initially for more SATA 6Gb/s and USB 3.0 and second PCI-e 3.0 availability that I may or may not ever use vs CPU and Motherboard upgrade/replacement in a few years to bring my system back up to date. Open to suggestions and advice.

Intel branded motherboards are just not worth it - they strip down a lot of the features that Asus, Asrock, and Gigabyte offer for the same price. The 3770S isn't a good CPU either as it consumes less power and has varying speeds. The 3570K is the best bet for a gaming system.

The SSD I have picked jumped price over night from $99 to 189. Just not going to pay that for 128GB with other options. From reviews I've read I like the Samsung, but at that price I may go with the Crucial M4 or any other suggested SSD...or I may upgrade to the Samsung 256GB model. I expect that is all the more capacity I will probably need in the near future. I favor quality and speed over capacity for my storage needs, but want at least 120GB.

Whoa really? I'm glad I got mine when I did.

Try something like this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor PX-M3S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1307.77
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-08-05 14:30 EDT-0400)

Add OS, whatever monitor, keyboard, and mouse you want and you're good to go.

 

[azeem40]

Cheaper SSD than above and a notch faster.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147134

Another cheaper SSD.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226318

 

[braesel]

Thanks for the replies!

Yeah, I'm kind of peeved I missed out on that Samsung SSD deal. You said you were really pleased with yours, right g-unit? The reason I'd stick with the Samsung is that I saw on a benchmark review on here that the Samsung was a tier or two above most other SSD's I've been suggested, and it just seems extremely reliable from newegg reviews. I've also heard the higher capacity SSD's have better speed and performance...so ultimately I wouldn't be completely disappointed having to pay the extra $100 to upgrade to the 256GB Samsung. For my purposes, that should be plenty of storage capacity for me for awhile, in fact I was planning on skipping the traditional HDD as I don't think I'd need it.

I was also suggested the Crucial M4's, and have seen several suggestions for the Mushkin Chronos on other threads. Also tossed back and forth the Corsair GT, but none of those seemed to have the no-hassle reviews that the Samsung did on Newegg.

Cheaper SSD than above and a notch faster.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820147134

I saw the kits for the 128GB Samsungs were still cheaper. Notch faster? I thought the only difference was one was just the drive and the other had the 2.5" to 3.5" conversion kit?

 

[azeem40]

Samsung 830 is a bit higher on the charts than the Plextor M3. However, the M3 Pro is faster than the Samsung 830.

 

[braesel]

Intel branded motherboards are just not worth it - they strip down a lot of the features that Asus, Asrock, and Gigabyte offer for the same price.

Here's my logic on the MB, but by all means talk me out of it. I'm not really a tweeker, just plan to buy the best possible system I can, configure and set it up as quickly and easily as possible, and use it without having to adjust settings or anything afterwards. A friend who has the same mentality said he uses Intel boards simply because they are the simplest boards to initially set up with an Intel CPU as far as configuration/driver updates/etc are concerned. (Note: this is actually my first Intel build)

I'm not married to the idea of an Intel board, and have used ASUS and Gigabyte in the past. I don't know much about Asrock, although I thought I heard they are/were a division of ASUS. Whatever I get I want quality and minimal hassle.

Of the two boards I posted, probably the cheaper would be sufficient (unless someone can talk me into the benefits of SLI and two PCI-e 3 slots) In 3-4 years I anticipate retaining the core of the system and upgrading MB and CPU after a few more generations of processors come out.

I don't intend to overclock, and if I do only slightly so I don't expect to need any special overclocking features.

This would be my wants:

Good quality board in general
At least 2 USB 3.0 connectors for my case front ports
At least 2 USB 3.0 ports on the rear panel
At least 2 SATA 6GB/s connectors for storage drives
3 fan connectors in addition to the CPU fan
At least 1 PCI-e 3.0 slot
4 slots Dual Channel DDR3 1600

Everything else is negotiable.

So any suggestions on quality, reliable boards that fit that description and are a better deal $119 Intel board posted above are appreciated.

(Just for laughs...originally I was looking at the Asus Sabertooth Z77...WAY, WAY MORE than what I needed but it was hard to talk myself out of it because it just looked so damn cool! )

 

[nafoni]

For the GTX 670 video card: get one of the ASUS versions or the Gigabyte versions. The reference design is nowhere near as good as the ones ASUS and Gigabyte offers for (nearly) the same price.

 

[braesel]

[/quote]PU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Plextor PX-M3S Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 500R White ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1307.77 [/quote]

Thanks for the build to consider...here are my thoughts:

Wasn't intending on aftermarket cooling since I didn't plan to overclock and didn't think it necessary. Plus I read that voids the intel 3-year manufacturers warranty and figured if their cooling wasn't sufficient I'd just fry the chip and have Intel replace it for me!

I've read alot of threads for gaming purposes that suggest the i5's are just as good as the i7's since most games won't utilize the hyperthreading and therefore you should just save your money. However, I also read somewhere that for the Total War series, in certain aspects of the games they will actually take advantage of the Hyperthreading and therefore will perform better...any thoughts? And if you suggest against the 3770S...should I just pay the extra $20 and get the 3770K even though I don't intend to OC? Or is it just advisable for me to get the i5 and save some cash?

 

[g-unit1111]

Yeah, I'm kind of peeved I missed out on that Samsung SSD deal. You said you were really pleased with yours, right g-unit? The reason I'd stick with the Samsung is that I saw on a benchmark review on here that the Samsung was a tier or two above most other SSD's I've been suggested, and it just seems extremely reliable from newegg reviews. I've also heard the higher capacity SSD's have better speed and performance...so ultimately I wouldn't be completely disappointed having to pay the extra $100 to upgrade to the 256GB Samsung. For my purposes, that should be plenty of storage capacity for me for awhile, in fact I was planning on skipping the traditional HDD as I don't think I'd need it.

Yeah I was using an Intel-branded Sandforce drive that was giving me nothing but problems. The Samsung 830 has been really excellent so far - lightning fast and it actually rates a 7.9 on the WEI. I know that number doesn't mean much but it's a huge improvement over what I've been using.

Here's my logic on the MB, but by all means talk me out of it. I'm not really a tweeker, just plan to buy the best possible system I can, configure and set it up as quickly and easily as possible, and use it without having to adjust settings or anything afterwards. A friend who has the same mentality said he uses Intel boards simply because they are the simplest boards to initially set up with an Intel CPU as far as configuration/driver updates/etc are concerned. (Note: this is actually my first Intel build)

I'll repeat that - they're not worth it. Where I work we buy nothing but Intel branded boards and I just don't think the quality is all that great. My Gigabyte board that I use is far better, IMO. Even if you're not a tweaker it's still better to get something from Asus or Gigabyte just because they're a far better value than Intel branded boards for the feature sets they offer. My last three boards I've had have all been Gigabyte and they've all been far superior

 

[braesel]

For the GTX 670 video card: get one of the ASUS versions or the Gigabyte versions. The reference design is nowhere near as good as the ones ASUS and Gigabyte offers for (nearly) the same price.

I have actually heard that. I will admit that i know absolutely nothing about video cards. If the performance differences are minimal I would probably stick with the EVGA simply because I was advised they have excellent support and are easy to work with. I also liked the sound of their step-up program. I know ASUS and Gigabyte are good companies, but from what I was told I guess I feel safer with an EVGA purchase.

 

[braesel]

I'll repeat that - they're not worth it. Where I work we buy nothing but Intel branded boards and I just don't think the quality is all that great. My Gigabyte board that I use is far better, IMO. Even if you're not a tweaker it's still better to get something from Asus or Gigabyte just because they're a far better value than Intel branded boards for the feature sets they offer. My last three boards I've had have all been Gigabyte and they've all been far superior

I'll take a look at cheaper ASUS and Gigabyte boards then, thanks for the advice. I have used both those brands before for several builds and have never had problems, I know they're quality.

 

[g-unit1111]

I'll repeat that - they're not worth it. Where I work we buy nothing but Intel branded boards and I just don't think the quality is all that great. My Gigabyte board that I use is far better, IMO. Even if you're not a tweaker it's still better to get something from Asus or Gigabyte just because they're a far better value than Intel branded boards for the feature sets they offer. My last three boards I've had have all been Gigabyte and they've all been far superior

I'll take a look at cheaper ASUS and Gigabyte boards then, thanks for the advice. I have used both those brands before for several builds and have never had problems, I know they're quality.

My system now uses the UD3H and it's a great board for the price. I love the 3-D BIOS - it's one of the easiest to use that I've ever worked with.

 

[braesel]

My system now uses the UD3H and it's a great board for the price. I love the 3-D BIOS - it's one of the easiest to use that I've ever worked with.

That looks like a viable option. I'll look around a little more, but that may be what I go with.

I've read alot of threads for gaming purposes that suggest the i5's are just as good as the i7's since most games won't utilize the hyperthreading and therefore you should just save your money. However, I also read somewhere that for the Total War series, in certain aspects of the games they will actually take advantage of the Hyperthreading and therefore will perform better...any thoughts? And if you suggest against the 3770S...should I just pay the extra $20 and get the 3770K even though I don't intend to OC? Or is it just advisable for me to get the i5 and save some cash?

Any other thoughts on the i5 vs i7 CPU pick? The Total War games are probably going to be the most CPU taxing functions I perform on the system and my concerns were as mentioned above...I just wish I could remember where I read that series would take advantage of hyperthreading. I guess my concern is with Rome II a year out, maybe it's worth it to spend the extra for the i7 to better my chances of being able to handle relatively high/ultra settings.

 

[g-unit1111]

My system now uses the UD3H and it's a great board for the price. I love the 3-D BIOS - it's one of the easiest to use that I've ever worked with.

That looks like a viable option. I'll look around a little more, but that may be what I go with.

I've read alot of threads for gaming purposes that suggest the i5's are just as good as the i7's since most games won't utilize the hyperthreading and therefore you should just save your money. However, I also read somewhere that for the Total War series, in certain aspects of the games they will actually take advantage of the Hyperthreading and therefore will perform better...any thoughts? And if you suggest against the 3770S...should I just pay the extra $20 and get the 3770K even though I don't intend to OC? Or is it just advisable for me to get the i5 and save some cash?

Any other thoughts on the i5 vs i7 CPU pick? The Total War games are probably going to be the most CPU taxing functions I perform on the system and my concerns were as mentioned above...I just wish I could remember where I read that series would take advantage of hyperthreading. I guess my concern is with Rome II a year out, maybe it's worth it to spend the extra for the i7 to better my chances of being able to handle relatively high/ultra settings.

Most games don't. The only one I can really think of that's really CPU taxing is strategy games like Civ V (and I play Civ V a lot), but for the most part - most games are far more GPU intensive than CPU intensive.

 

[braesel]

Most games don't. The only one I can really think of that's really CPU taxing is strategy games like Civ V (and I play Civ V a lot), but for the most part - most games are far more GPU intensive than CPU intensive.

See...that's the problem! The vast majority of what I will be playing are strategy games! I'll probably stick with the i7. Unlike most builds I've ever done...with this one given the circumstances money is less of a consideration. I'd rather pay the extra $100...perhaps overkill and unnecessary, but why not!