Need help with CPU build

[N_Starkey]

I'm looking to buy a new pc that will be able to run audio/video programs and gaming on max settings. I have everything picked out, but I'm feeling the price is a little steep. Below is what i have for the cpu, monitor and speakers. The programs I want to run are pro tools and sony vegas. Will this work? If not, what should i get. I DO NOT want to by the parts separate and bulid it myself.


CPU - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2204438&sku=C447-11007


Monitor - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2075339&sku=L49-2228%20RB



Speakers - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6627208&sku=L23-8140

Now please, tell me this is all wrong and nothing will work at all for this. Or its all great and i shouldn't worry about it. Thanks!

 

[blazorthon]

It'll work, but if you don't mind making a DIY build yourself, I can recommend components and get you better gaming performance at about half the price. A $1300 or $1400 build with a mere Radeon 7850 is not a good gaming build for the money at all. It should at least have Radeon 7950 or a GTX 670. A Radeon 7850 can handle 1080p excellently, but you could save a lot of money if you make your own computer. Heck, there are probably also much better priced prebuilt computers than that if you're against home-building, but even good prebuilts tend to not quite match a home-built in value.

 

[N_Starkey]

This is really the only one that I can find that seems like it would work. Can you, or anyone else, suggest a better pre-built cpu for a better price?

 

[blazorthon]

You don't need such a powerful CPU. A much weaker CPU can still handle the Radeon 7850 in gaming. Any AMD six-core CPU with some overclocking can handle any game with the Radeon 7850 and any AMD quad core CPU should work great in any game possibly excluding BF3 MP. An Intel i3 can handle it too, but an i5 could usually be better. The i7s are no better than the i5s for gaming because games can't make good use of more cores than four except for BF3 MP that can use up to six and even then, the quad core i5s are already fast enough for that game.

There's pretty much no good reason to have an i7 in a gaming machine unless you intend to do more than gaming. An LGA 2011 i7 such as the i7-3820 needs an expensive LGA 2011 motherboard that is no better for you than a much cheaper LGA 1155 motherboard with a much cheaper i5.

Something with an Intel i3 or i5 or an AMD Phenom II or FX four or six core CPU that is over 3GHz would be plenty. A Radeon 7850 or a Radeon 7870 is a great graphics card for a gaming computer for 1080p. I'll look for some prebuilt machines that are well-suited for your needs.

 

[N_Starkey]

Thanks for the help. I do plan on using this computer for more than just gaming, thats why i think the i7 would work the best. I want to be able to run Pro Tools and Sony Vegas (audio/video editing programs) with no problems at all. Same goes for gaming.

 

[blazorthon]

Even in that situation, an LGA 1155 i7 would have nearly identical performance and with a much cheaper motherboard.

 

[blazorthon]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227427

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883229343

These both have similar CPU performance, but the first link here had significantly higher graphics performance and is significantly cheaper. The second option is about the same price as your original choice and has significantly faster graphics than my first choice here and thus a huge gain in graphics over your original choice.

 

[blazorthon]

Why are you calling them CPUs? These are computers and the CPU is only one part of a computer.

Also, yes, the second computer's graphics card is that much better. It wouldn't be as big of an advantage if you overclocked because the first one can go farther over its stock performance than the second one can go over its stock performance, but you don't seem like that sort of person. I'm not an audio expert, but those speakers are probably fine. Do you have a microphone if you need one?

 

[N_Starkey]

Thanks for the advice, i appreciate it. Is the second cpu have THAT much better of a gfx card than the first one you listed? Also, idk if you checked out the speakers, but would those work well for audio/video editing?

 

[N_Starkey]

I thought CPU was an abbreviation for computer....

But anyways, yeah i have no idea what it means to overclock something, or why i would need/want to. I dont have any mics right now, but i will be getting some in the future. I'm liking the second one you linked me but....that case. Bleh. I'm tempted to just go to iBuypowers site and get that same build, but with a different case. But, ive heard horror stories from people buying directly from ibuypower so idk if i should do that

 

[blazorthon]

I thought CPU was an abbreviation for computer....

But anyways, yeah i have no idea what it means to overclock something, or why i would need/want to. I dont have any mics right now, but i will be getting some in the future. I'm liking the second one you linked me but....that case. Bleh. I'm tempted to just go to iBuypowers site and get that same build, but with a different case. But, ive heard horror stories from people buying directly from ibuypower so idk if i should do that

Honestly, I don't like IBuyPower and would go for the first link that I gave that has a Radeon 7870 instead of a GTX 670. Don't worry about overclocking if you're not familiar with it, you definitely don't want to risk damage to your computer if you make a mistake with overclocking. The Radeon 7870 should be able to max out the texture quality of all games at 1080p without an issue.

 

[N_Starkey]

The one with the radeon 7870 IS the ibuypower lol. What dont you like about them?

 

[blazorthon]

Oh, my bad, then the GTX 670 computer.

The problem with IBuyPower is that they often use crap PSUs that can't handle the graphics card.

 

[N_Starkey]

A 700 watt psu wouldnt be able to handle that graphics card?

 

[blazorthon]

There's much more to a power supply than mere wattage rating. That they don't give much info about it does not instill any confidence for me.

 

[N_Starkey]

But i could buy a new one for like 50 bucks though couldnt I?

 

[blazorthon]

That you could, but if you go that route, make sure that it is an Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, PCP&P,or at least a Rosewill PSU. A 500W from one of them would be my minimum recommendation and a 750W from one if them would be my maximum recommendation. Pretty much any other brand is hit-and-miss. Avoid Diablotek, RAIDMax, Sunbeam, and Logisys like a plague.

 

[N_Starkey]

Alright will do. I think im going to go with the ibuypower pc and the psu doesnt seem up to par, ill get a different one. Thanks for all the help!

 

[blazorthon]

Glad to help. If you can get me a picture of the sticker on the PSU, then I might be able to offer some insight as to how good it is. It might be adequate, but IBuyPower's reputation of poor PSUs and OCZ's reputation of varying quality do not make me put faith in the PSU without more info about it.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[Smeg45]

Do you have a local that will build for you? Pre-built systems are nearly always crap in one or more areas, either overspecced or underspecced.

 

[N_Starkey]

Honestly, I dont know. There might be a place in town that could do it for me, but I'm not sure.

 

[N_Starkey]

I lied. I'm going to customize my own on ibuypowers website. That is if i can find out what kind of hookups are going to be on it. hdmi, vga, dvi, usb. All of that stuff. I cant seem to find where it says it on the website. Here are all the specs below.


Intel Z77 Core i5/i7 Configurator
1 x Case ( Apex EL 660 Gaming Case - Black )
0 x Case Lighting ( None )
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Noise Reduction ( None )
0 x iBUYPOWER Labs - Internal Expansion ( None )
1 x Processor ( Intel® Core™ i7-3770K Processor (4x 3.50GHz/8MB L3 Cache) - Intel Core i7-3770K )
0 x iBUYPOWER PowerDrive ( None )
1 x Processor Cooling ( Liquid CPU Cooling System [SOCKET-1155] - Standard 120mm Fan )
1 x Memory ( 16 GB [4 GB X4] DDR3-1600 Memory Module - Corsair or Major Brand )
1 x Video Card ( AMD Radeon HD 7870 - 2GB - Single Card )
1 x Video Card Brand ( Major Brand Powered by AMD or NVIDIA )
1 x Free Stuff ( [FREE Game Download] - NEXUIZ - Free with purchase of AMD Radeon HD 7770 or above )
1 x Free Stuff ( [FREE Game Download] - Sleeping Dogs - Free with purchase of AMD Radeon HD 7870 or above )
1 x Motherboard ( ASUS P8Z77-V LX )
0 x Intel Smart Response Technology ( None )
1 x Power Supply ( 750 Watt - Corsair CX750 )
1 x Primary Hard Drive ( 2 TB HARD DRIVE -- 64M Cache, 7200rpm, 6.0Gb/s - Single Drive )
0 x Data Hard Drive ( None )
1 x Optical Drive ( 24X Dual Format/Double Layer DVD±R/±RW + CD-R/RW Drive - Black )
0 x 2nd Optical Drive ( None )
0 x Flash Media Reader / Writer ( None )
0 x Meter Display ( None )
0 x USB Expansion ( None )
1 x Sound Card ( Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio )
1 x Network Card ( Onboard LAN Network (Gb or 10/100) )
1 x Operating System ( Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium + Office Starter 2010 (Includes basic versions of Word and Excel) - 64-Bit )
1 x Keyboard ( iBUYPOWER Standard Gaming Keyboard )
1 x Mouse ( Logitech Internet Mouse )
0 x Monitor ( None )
0 x 2nd Monitor ( None )
0 x Speaker System ( None )
0 x Video Camera ( None )
0 x Case Engraving Service ( None )
1 x Warranty ( 3 Year Standard Warranty Service )
1 x Rush Service ( Rush Service Fee (not shipping fee) - No Rush Service, Estimate Ship Out in 5~10 Business Days )

 

[Smeg45]

You don't need an i7, you only need half the RAM and a 7950 would be a better choice with the savings made. How much is that iBuypower build?

 

[N_Starkey]

Around 1400. Thats without the monitor or speakers.