Building my first system, would like advice

[bettermackman]

Hey guys, I'm new here. I'm planning on building my own system in a couple months, taking as much advantage as possible of the Black November sale that Newegg puts on. This is my FIRST system, but I'll have a good friend who's done it before to help me through it (plus the internet seems to have several guides available).

$1,500 is the rough cap (I can go a liiiiiitle over it, but not much). This will be my working AND gaming computer, but since my work is just typing, the gaming is my primary concern. I want as much Gaming capability and longevity as possible: I want something that will remain capable and competitive for more than a year or two.

I'm using this website as a rough start: http://www.gamingpcbuilds.com/best-gaming-pc-build-under-1500/

I'm going with the Intel PC build, as opposed to AMD. NOTE: Editing as a result of feedback. Keep it coming!

CPU: Intel Core i5-3550 Ivy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116505

GPU: Either an EVGA 670 or an MSI 670, both 2gig
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130787
vs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127685

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-D3H LGA 1155 Intel Z77
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=13-128-546

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

Blu-ray/CD/DVD: Asus Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-Ray Drive
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Case: Cooler Master Storm Enforcer USB 3.0 Mid Tower ATX Case:
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119240

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 700W Modular High Performance Power Supply
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

SSD: Crucial 128 GB m4 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive SATA 6Gb/s
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus
Link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

EDIT: Big Question: If I upgrade my GPU to something like a 670, will there be a bottleneck somewhere else? I don't want to get a nice GPU and not be able to use it because I cheaped out somewhere else...

As I said before, this is my first computer I will be building. I have a few questions that I would love some help with:

1. Will an i7 be noticeably better for gaming than a cheaper i5?

2. Are any of these choices so mindbogglingly stupid that you want to hit me in the face? Which ones?

3. Are any of these choices notably OVER-powered or UNDER-powered for my needs?

4. Will this build actually work? Are there any alternatives to certain parts that jump out at you as you read this?

 

[zolton33]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-overclocking-processor-recommendation,2866-5.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Those are worth a look at when choosing a gaming cpu and gpu. Gaming wise an i5 is more then sufficient and an i5 2500 will serve you well. If you plan to over clock getting an i5 2500k will be a gaming beast. For gaming 8 gigs of ram is ok not many if any at all games require more then 4 gigs but 8 would safe guard you for that a while.

Most games depend heavily on your gpu. So the better the gpu you can afford and use the more you can push the graphics. Cpu's do play a part in it but none so much as the gpu. you will see some gains with an i7 but nothing i would call ground breaking. And to me personally i would not justify those gains with the cost differences of an i5 and an i7 (from what i understand the gains are not a huge amount in fps).

But that is my suggestion in that you read up on those 2 links check out each cpu and gpu and find the sweet spot that works for you in terms of performance costs and what can fit your budget.

 

[j2j663]

To answer some of your questions:

1. As long as you don't go to the bottom of the barrel in i5s you will not notice a large difference in gaming between the i5 and the i7. (Look at the top of the chart)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

2.Most of the choices look good. My only advice would be not to be locked into the exact product just because one website says its the best build.
Case in point the GPU: First search around and see if you can find a 570 for cheaper, second since it looks like you are going to save in a couple areas I would recommend looking at the newer version the 670. (The 570 will not stay current for another 2 yrs)

3. The PSU is over-powered. I would look for a 500w PSU unless you are going to:
a. Start overclocking heavily
b. Add a second GPU sometime soon.
c. Looking to water cool sometime soon.

4. Like I said before I would not lock yourself into the parts chosen. If there is another 16gb of ram that is cheaper (they go on sale all the time) get it. Same thing with SSDs, they go on sale a lot too.

 

[bettermackman]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-overclocking-processor-recommendation,2866-5.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Those are worth a look at when choosing a gaming cpu and gpu. Gaming wise an i5 is more then sufficient and an i5 2500 will serve you well. If you plan to over clock getting an i5 2500k will be a gaming beast. For gaming 8 gigs of ram is ok not many if any at all games require more then 4 gigs but 8 would safe guard you for that a while.

Most games depend heavily on your gpu. So the better the gpu you can afford and use the more you can push the graphics. Cpu's do play a part in it but none so much as the gpu. you will see some gains with an i7 but nothing i would call ground breaking. And to me personally i would not justify those gains with the cost differences of an i5 and an i7 (from what i understand the gains are not a huge amount in fps).

But that is my suggestion in that you read up on those 2 links check out each cpu and gpu and find the sweet spot that works for you in terms of performance costs and what can fit your budget.

Thank you so much for your answer! I checked out those links, and it looks like my video card is towards the top of that list (although the list is about a year and a half old). So, in terms of PCU, you would recommend something like this (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)? But is there a notable difference between an i5-2500k and an i5-3570k? the 3570 is only $10 more, and that's a lot more k's (I really don't know what the functional difference is).

 

[bettermackman]

To answer some of your questions:

1. As long as you don't go to the bottom of the barrel in i5s you will not notice a large difference in gaming between the i5 and the i7. (Look at the top of the chart)
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

2.Most of the choices look good. My only advice would be not to be locked into the exact product just because one website says its the best build.
Case in point the GPU: First search around and see if you can find a 570 for cheaper, second since it looks like you are going to save in a couple areas I would recommend looking at the newer version the 670. (The 570 will not stay current for another 2 yrs)

3. The PSU is over-powered. I would look for a 500w PSU unless you are going to:
a. Start overclocking heavily
b. Add a second GPU sometime soon.
c. Looking to water cool sometime soon.

4. Like I said before I would not lock yourself into the parts chosen. If there is another 16gb of ram that is cheaper (they go on sale all the time) get it. Same thing with SSDs, they go on sale a lot too.

Awesome! Thanks!

1. So would you recommend an i5-3570k over a 2500k? It's only $10 more expensive on Newegg, and still $70 cheaper than the i7.

2. Thanks, I'll definitely look into that, but it looks like the 670 cards are going for about $150 more than the 570... if there's a sale on them, I'll definitely try to pick one up.

3. I'll remember that, but I was thinking that with this power supply, if I'm unable to upgrade to a 670 card right now, I could always add another 570 later on down the road, right? Or is that totally not a good reason?

4. I definitely hear you on not locking myself into them too specifically: I just subscribed to the Newegg newsletter, and on the very first sale I saw there was RAM that I could save $15 on. My main concern is seeing something that LOOKS like an easy substitution, only to find out that in fact it won't work at all.

Again, thanks so much for your help! What would you say are the MOST important things to consider when I see a potential alternative part on sale?

 

[zolton33]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

Sorry a more recent cpu chart lol

And a more recent gpu

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Unless you plan to overclock i'd steer clear of the k series cpu's as they are mainly oc cpu's. If not over clocking this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073 A regular 2500 i5 would work well.

 

[bettermackman]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

Sorry a more recent cpu chart lol

And a more recent gpu

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Unless you plan to overclock i'd steer clear of the k series cpu's as they are mainly oc cpu's. If not over clocking this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073 A regular 2500 i5 would work well.

Thanks again!

Alright, so it still looks like both are fairly high on the charts. If you don't mind, could you elaborate on the differences between a 2500 and a 2500k? I understand that the 2500k allows for easier overclocking: is there any reason I would NOT want to overclock? Does it significantly decrease lifespan/void the warranty? Does it significantly improve performance?

I guess the question is, to overclock or not to overclock?

 

[bettermackman]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-cpu-review-overclock,3106-5.html

Sorry a more recent cpu chart lol

And a more recent gpu

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html

Unless you plan to overclock i'd steer clear of the k series cpu's as they are mainly oc cpu's. If not over clocking this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115073 A regular 2500 i5 would work well.

One more thing: You linked me to the Sandy Bridge model, but it appears as though the Ivy Bridge 3550 is the same price (???). Is there any reason to go with Sandy Bridge over Ivy Bridge? Since Ivy Bridge is newer, should I go with that?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116505

 

[zolton33]

Over clocking basically sends more power to the cpu allowing for faster clock speeds. It can cause the cpu to heat up from all that extra power it is drawing. So yeah it can shorten the life span of a cpu in some cases. intel does offer an insurance type plan for over clockers so that if the cpu does burn up you can get it replaced. But before hopping into over clocking i would do a lot of research into it as i would not recommend it for beginners as far to many variables come into play.

To be honest i do not have a lot of info on the ivy bridge cpu's seeing how they are just a few months old. They are about 10% more powerful then the sandy bridge from what i understand. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405317,00.asp That is a good read for ivy and sandy bridge comparisons.

But from the specs they look almost identical. Except the ivy has less power consumption and a newer Integrated Graphics. Between the 2 on specs alone the ivy bridge seems to be the best choice between the 2. But there are several i5's of both the ivy and sandy bridge. And sadly since no real competition from amd any more they are charging the same price for cpu's over a year old as they are for the ones just a few months old. And its one of the reasons that although intel makes good cpu's i do hate their business practices.

 

[bettermackman]

Over clocking basically sends more power to the cpu allowing for faster clock speeds. It can cause the cpu to heat up from all that extra power it is drawing. So yeah it can shorten the life span of a cpu in some cases. intel does offer an insurance type plan for over clockers so that if the cpu does burn up you can get it replaced. But before hopping into over clocking i would do a lot of research into it as i would not recommend it for beginners as far to many variables come into play.

To be honest i do not have a lot of info on the ivy bridge cpu's seeing how they are just a few months old. They are about 10% more powerful then the sandy bridge from what i understand. http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2405317,00.asp That is a good read for ivy and sandy bridge comparisons.

But from the specs they look almost identical. Except the ivy has less power consumption and a newer Integrated Graphics. Between the 2 on specs alone the ivy bridge seems to be the best choice between the 2. But there are several i5's of both the ivy and sandy bridge. And sadly since no real competition from amd any more they are charging the same price for cpu's over a year old as they are for the ones just a few months old. And its one of the reasons that although intel makes good cpu's i do hate their business practices.

Dude, you are the BEST. I do have one more question: is it a general rule that the higher the number (3550 vs. 2500), the higher the performance? Or does that mean something else? Are you basically saying, "Go for the Ivy Bridge, since it's newer and the same price?"

Seriously, though, you have been a huuuge help. Thank you so much.

 

[10pies]

I'd still stick to the 3570k, its only around $30 more expensive... And it gives you the option of OCing or not. 3550 is ivy and 2500 is sandy. If you're buying a computer from scratch, then go with the ivy. If you already have a 2500, then just stick with it for now.

 

[bettermackman]

I'd still stick to the 3570k, its only around $30 more expensive... And it gives you the option of OCing or not. 3550 is ivy and 2500 is sandy. If you're buying a computer from scratch, then go with the ivy. If you already have a 2500, then just stick with it for now.

I am building it from scratch, so right now i'm leaning towards the 3550 (don't plan on overclocking it). But I do have a question: What MOTHERBOARD would be best with this setup? I've been looking at the reviews for the Gigabyte one, and even though it's averaging 4 eggs on Newegg, there are a lot of unsatisifed customers... can anyone suggest a better motherboard that's compatible with the processor?

 

[j2j663]

About the SSD; I understand your concern over picking up just any SSD and to a certain extent it is true that there are differences between SSD models. However, unless you really go with a bottom of the barrel, never heard of them before company any SSD is going to be a very noticeable performance increase over an HDD.

If I had to recommend one right now I would recommend OCZs Agility 4 series. No they aren't the top of the line fastest but they offer an incredible bang for your buck.

Try out this article on the best SSDs and see if you can find anything that you like.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html


About the mobo and processor:

A 'k-series' processor is one that is unlocked for overclocking, that is the multipliers that set the speeds of different functions of the chip are unlocked for easy tweaking. To understand any deeper than that you will need to start reading up on OCing (once you start its hard to stop).

I have used quite a few Gigabyte motherboards and have never been disappointed by them. Plus they have an interesting take on UEFI bios, some like it some don't.

 

[bettermackman]

About the SSD; I understand your concern over picking up just any SSD and to a certain extent it is true that there are differences between SSD models. However, unless you really go with a bottom of the barrel, never heard of them before company any SSD is going to be a very noticeable performance increase over an HDD.

If I had to recommend one right now I would recommend OCZs Agility 4 series. No they aren't the top of the line fastest but they offer an incredible bang for your buck.

Try out this article on the best SSDs and see if you can find anything that you like.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269.html


About the mobo and processor:

A 'k-series' processor is one that is unlocked for overclocking, that is the multipliers that set the speeds of different functions of the chip are unlocked for easy tweaking. To understand any deeper than that you will need to start reading up on OCing (once you start its hard to stop).

I have used quite a few Gigabyte motherboards and have never been disappointed by them. Plus they have an interesting take on UEFI bios, some like it some don't.

Read the article: Thanks! The HyperX one is already a few bucks cheaper, so I'll have to keep an eye on these in case any of them go on sale.

Glad to hear that about the Gigabyte motherboards: Do you anticipate any compatibility problems? How do I check that? Thanks so much for the help: I appreciate it.

 

[j2j663]

If you purhcase a motherboard with the correct socket for your processor there should be no compatibility issues.

In case you are worried a good thing to do would be when you mobo arrives make sure you know what BIOS version it is running. It will usually say either on the board or in the manual. After you know that you can see if you have the newest BIOS for your mobo or not.

The general rule of thumb (especially if you haven't done it before) is, regardless of the BIOS version, try out the board with the processor and do not update the BIOS unless something goes wrong. Basically, if it isn't broke don't fix it.

FYI, while you are checking out the mobo site you should download the rest of the updates for your mobo.

Last thing, I know you haven't bought a mobo yet but these instructions are generic to almost all mobos.

 

[j2j663]

If you purhcase a motherboard with the correct socket for your processor there should be no compatibility issues.

In case you are worried a good thing to do would be when you mobo arrives make sure you know what BIOS version it is running. It will usually say either on the board or in the manual. After you know that you can see if you have the newest BIOS for your mobo or not.

The general rule of thumb (especially if you haven't done it before) is, regardless of the BIOS version, try out the board with the processor and do not update the BIOS unless something goes wrong. Basically, if it isn't broke don't fix it.

FYI, while you are checking out the mobo site you should download the rest of the updates for your mobo.

Last thing, I know you haven't bought a mobo yet but these instructions are generic to almost all mobos.

 

[j2j663]

Sorry TH went unavailable for a bit and it looks like it double posted for me!

 

[bettermackman]

If you purhcase a motherboard with the correct socket for your processor there should be no compatibility issues.

In case you are worried a good thing to do would be when you mobo arrives make sure you know what BIOS version it is running. It will usually say either on the board or in the manual. After you know that you can see if you have the newest BIOS for your mobo or not.

The general rule of thumb (especially if you haven't done it before) is, regardless of the BIOS version, try out the board with the processor and do not update the BIOS unless something goes wrong. Basically, if it isn't broke don't fix it.

FYI, while you are checking out the mobo site you should download the rest of the updates for your mobo.

Last thing, I know you haven't bought a mobo yet but these instructions are generic to almost all mobos.

Thanks so much for helping out a total noob. How do you tell if it has the correct socket? I mean, there's so many numbers and letters in the names of motherboards and processors that it's hard to tell what is meant to match up with what...

 

[zolton33]

If your cpu says that it is 1155 (most if not all sandy and ivy bridge are socket 1155) then you need a 1155 board. That is one of the best examples i could think of. And i would not worry alot about reviews on sites where you order. The old saying you can not please every one all of the time is something to consider unless you see almost all bad reviews with most of them being doa (or dead on arrival) Some give a bad review if they do not like the placement of parts or if they did not get their rebate. So while you can use it to gauge the quality of a board its not the end all beat all answer of if it is a good product or not.

 

[bettermackman]

If your cpu says that it is 1155 (most if not all sandy and ivy bridge are socket 1155) then you need a 1155 board. That is one of the best examples i could think of. And i would not worry alot about reviews on sites where you order. The old saying you can not please every one all of the time is something to consider unless you see almost all bad reviews with most of them being doa (or dead on arrival) Some give a bad review if they do not like the placement of parts or if they did not get their rebate. So while you can use it to gauge the quality of a board its not the end all beat all answer of if it is a good product or not.

Hang on... so this board (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128532) won't work with this processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504)?

Do you have any recommendations for a board that will both fit and perform well?

 

[zolton33]

Nope it be like trying to put a square peg into a round hole.

 

[zolton33]

But you notice where it said lga 2011 for the board and lga 1155 for the cpu? That is the chip set so as long as the chip set on the cpu and on the motherboard match you should be good to go.

 

[bettermackman]

Nope it be like trying to put a square peg into a round hole.

Well, with a bit of shoving...

Alright, then, how about this one?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128545

This one seems good... USB 3.0, supports a ton of RAM... looks like it's somehow optimized for a Sandy Bridge processor, but I read somewhere that if it works for Sandy Bridge, it'll work for Ivy Bridge as well.

 

[zolton33]

I'm no expert on ivy bridge to be honest. But it should work you may have to update your bios for it to support an ivy bridge cpu though and its some thing to keep in mind when putting it together. And i am sure there are some 1155 that only support sandy bridge. i'd check the motherboard website as they should have it listed as well as the bios update if it requires one to support ivy bridge cpu's. Its always safer to trust but verify things you know what i mean?

 

[zolton33]

On aside note you should update your first post to reflect the changes in components you have made. To be honest i did not notice that you had decided on the ivy bridge i5 and it was a 1155 and that you were still planning on getting a 2011 mobo that been a very bad idea as you would have a set up you could not use so glad we caught it before you ordered it