Need help with my new build

[falcon7xx]

I am for looking for help on my new build. I will list what i have bought so far:

Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit


CPU
1 x Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211

CPU Cooler
1 x ZALMAN CNPS9900ALED 120mm 2 Ball Low-noise Blue LED CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

CD-Rom
1 x SAMSUNG 22X Half-Height DVD Writer Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151188

Memory
1 x Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 998691
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226050

Graphic Card
1 x BFG Tech BFGEGTX2851024OCFUBE GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143201

Power Supply
1 x BFG Tech EX-1200 BFGR1200WEXPSU 1200W Continuous Rated at 40°C ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702015



Please note the following came off of my last computer and I am willing to upgrade if needed:
Power Supply
Memory
Graphic Card
CD-Rom

I want to get an SSD drive and am currently looking at the samsung SSD drives (256GB)
I also don't know which Motherboard to go with.

 

[FinneousPJ]

You should return all that those are ancient.

 

[computernoob29]

yep, that build is very old, like 2 years old

 

[g-unit1111]

yep, that build is very old, like 2 years old

Actually i7-950 is more like 2009 so 3 years old. Plus there's no reason to buy Win 7 Ultimate unless you need the language packs.

 

[falcon7xx]

so what do you guys recommend from start to finish?

 

[FinneousPJ]

www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/353572-13-build-upgrade-advice

 

[falcon7xx]

Here some more info on my budgets and etc.

Approximate Purchase Date: Within the next 4 weeks.

Budget Range: $1,000...If i can use any existing hardware that would be great!

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Only for Gaming


Parts Preferences: Doesn't Matter

Overclocking: No

 

[g-unit1111]

Budget Range: $1,000...If i can use any existing hardware that would be great!

What do you have already and what parts are you looking to upgrade? Let's start there.

 

[Dingleberg]

Alright here is what I got set up for you.

dvd drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136247

Rosewill THOR V2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053

Seagate Barracuda
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148337

Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418

COOLER MASTER GX Series 650w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171052

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

ASRock Z77 Extreme4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

Intel Core i5-3570K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

I've heard good things about this case but never really recommended it to anyone so it is your call on it. The hard drive may have mid rated reviews because of doa but I've used 5 of them and none of them have been doa, whatever though if you want to give or take $10 you can get a 1tb or 2tb hdd with better reviews. Radeon HD 7870 is best in its class and fits in great for gaming. I threw in the processor because I figured some games may stress it but you also might want to take up a little video editing and such. Whatever you decide with that though, I can take it down a nitch and get a better gpu. By all means though it is a great cpu. You shouldn't need more than a 650w but if you ever plan on upgrading then go with some sort of a 750w. If your going to spend a little extra on that though then get a modular one. You shouldn't need more than 8gb ram so lets just leave it at that. Hyper 212 is there just because it is practically a necessity based on the heatsink the cpu comes with. Hope I helped and if you have any questions or need changes just ask.

 

[g-unit1111]

I've heard good things about this case but never really recommended it to anyone so it is your call on it. The hard drive may have mid rated reviews because of doa but I've used 5 of them and none of them have been doa, whatever though if you want to give or take $10 you can get a 1tb or 2tb hdd with better reviews. Radeon HD 7870 is best in its class and fits in great for gaming. I threw in the processor because I figured some games may stress it but you also might want to take up a little video editing and such. Whatever you decide with that though, I can take it down a nitch and get a better gpu. By all means though it is a great cpu. You shouldn't need more than a 650w but if you ever plan on upgrading then go with some sort of a 750w. If your going to spend a little extra on that though then get a modular one. You shouldn't need more than 8gb ram so lets just leave it at that. Hyper 212 is there just because it is practically a necessity based on the heatsink the cpu comes with. Hope I helped and if you have any questions or need changes just ask.

The Thor is ridiculously huge and you don't need it unless you are working with a custom liquid cooling setup or a monster motherboard. And even then there's better choices. You can get by with far less case for that build and spend it on the GPU - that is where it counts. Don't take Newegg reviews seriously either - they're a good resource but they're not written by people who really know their stuff. It's like a car review from Consumer Reports vs. a review from Motor Trend - doesn't go into a lot of detail.

Also if you read professional power supply review websites like Jonnyguru or Hardware Secrets - Cooler Master PSUs have a horrendous reputation as the company slaps fake labels and phony certifications on them. A quick Google search will tell you what I am talking about.

 

[Dingleberg]

The Thor is ridiculously huge and you don't need it unless you are working with a custom liquid cooling setup or a monster motherboard. And even then there's better choices. You can get by with far less case for that build and spend it on the GPU - that is where it counts. Don't take Newegg reviews seriously either - they're a good resource but they're not written by people who really know their stuff. It's like a car review from Consumer Reports vs. a review from Motor Trend - doesn't go into a lot of detail.

Yeah I know about the newegg thing I just didn't know if he did or not so I didn't want to scare him away from it. Also about the case, you're 100% right. I don't normally do cases because I do this mainly locally and most people I've dealt with had their case picked out already cuz, ya know, its what everyone will be looking at so they chose what they wanted. I don't have much experience with choosing cases but you are very right.

 

[g-unit1111]

Yeah I know about the newegg thing I just didn't know if he did or not so I didn't want to scare him away from it. Also about the case, you're 100% right. I don't normally do cases because I do this mainly locally and most people I've dealt with had their case picked out already cuz, ya know, its what everyone will be looking at so they chose what they wanted. I don't have much experience with choosing cases but you are very right.

Case choice is a lot of personal preference and there's a lot of good ones out there, there's way more than enough bad ones and then there's ones that are overkill. For your setup if you wanted to stick with a white case - for an Asrock Z77 and a Hyper 212 - maybe the Corsair 500R or NZXT Phantom 410.

 

[falcon7xx]

Alright here is what I got set up for you.

dvd drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136247

Rosewill THOR V2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147053

Seagate Barracuda
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148337

Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125418

COOLER MASTER GX Series 650w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171052

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

ASRock Z77 Extreme4
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293

Intel Core i5-3570K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

I've heard good things about this case but never really recommended it to anyone so it is your call on it. The hard drive may have mid rated reviews because of doa but I've used 5 of them and none of them have been doa, whatever though if you want to give or take $10 you can get a 1tb or 2tb hdd with better reviews. Radeon HD 7870 is best in its class and fits in great for gaming. I threw in the processor because I figured some games may stress it but you also might want to take up a little video editing and such. Whatever you decide with that though, I can take it down a nitch and get a better gpu. By all means though it is a great cpu. You shouldn't need more than a 650w but if you ever plan on upgrading then go with some sort of a 750w. If your going to spend a little extra on that though then get a modular one. You shouldn't need more than 8gb ram so lets just leave it at that. Hyper 212 is there just because it is practically a necessity based on the heatsink the cpu comes with. Hope I helped and if you have any questions or need changes just ask.

Can I use anything that i posted above that i currently have? Some of it is from my last system I built. Also I do want to go with a SSD drive even if i goes over my budget somewhat. Any ideas?

 

[FinneousPJ]

You could use the CPU cooler, optical drive and PSU. If I were you I'd probably try and sell everything but the optical, though.

 

[falcon7xx]

You could use the CPU cooler, optical drive and PSU. If I were you I'd probably try and sell everything but the optical, though.

okay so i will just start with a new build.

Is this a good SSD drive to get? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147135

Also should i go with an i7 or will the i5 give me more than enough CPU for high graphic games?

 

[falcon7xx]

Does anyone have any experience or have heard anything on this case?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146091

 

[falcon7xx]

Is that the best graphics card i can buy or should i go up to something a bit higher?

 

[g-unit1111]

okay so i will just start with a new build.

Is this a good SSD drive to get? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147135

Also should i go with an i7 or will the i5 give me more than enough CPU for high graphic games?

Samsung 830 is an excellent choice. Alternately consider the OCZ Vertex 4 and Corsair Neutron.

Does anyone have any experience or have heard anything on this case?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146091

That's the same one I recommended earlier - excellent choice.

Is that the best graphics card i can buy or should i go up to something a bit higher?

The 7870 is a good choice but the 7950 would be ideal. I'd personally skip the SSD on your budget and put more into the GPU. Getting the best GPU you can get on any budget is key to my builds.

Here's what I would get on a <=$1K budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1019.75
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

 

[falcon7xx]

Samsung 830 is an excellent choice. Alternately consider the OCZ Vertex 4 and Corsair Neutron.

Does anyone have any experience or have heard anything on this case?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146091

That's the same one I recommended earlier - excellent choice.

Is that the best graphics card i can buy or should i go up to something a bit higher?

The 7870 is a good choice but the 7950 would be ideal. I'd personally skip the SSD on your budget and put more into the GPU. Getting the best GPU you can get on any budget is key to my builds.

Here's what I would get on a <=$1K budget:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($59.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($142.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $1019.75
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

I just sold my old computer for $500 on Ebay, my budget just changed from 1k to $1,500. With the extra $500 would you add anything to this? Thanks for all the help

 

[FinneousPJ]

You could opt for a SSD and 7950 crossfire if interested.

 

[falcon7xx]

You could opt for a SSD and 7950 crossfire if interested.

The 7950 crossfire is what g-unit recommened above correct?

 

[FinneousPJ]

No, he recommended one 7950.

 

[falcon7xx]

No, he recommended one 7950.

Sorry this is my first build. So i would get 2 GPU and is that motherboard Crossfire ready?

 

[FinneousPJ]

Yes, and yes. It's overkill for a single 1080p screen though I just figured I'd suggest it if you want to spend the extra $500.

 

[falcon7xx]

Will the Crossfire allow you to play games with higher settings on the graphics?