Buying a new PC soon and abit confused on parts.

[rukisthenoob]

Hey guys i'm not sure if ive posted this in the right forum(im kinda new to this).But anways i was planning on getting a new PC soon.I would like to know if it would be good for current generation games.Also how long it should last before needing upgrades.Here are the specs any help would be appreciated.

Power Supply:

- Hytec/Hipro Heavy Duty Low Noise 850W

Motherboard:

- ASRock Z77 PRO3-MB,4x DDR3 D-SUB, DVI-D/HDMI, SATA3, 7.1 Ch, Gb LAN, USB3.0

Processor (CPU):

- Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5 3470 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo) Quad Core CPU

CPU Cooling:

- Thermaltake ISGC 300 Low Noise CPU Fan & Heatsink

Graphics Card:

- nVidia GeForce GTX 660 2GB GDDR5 2x DVI/ HDMI

RAM (memory):

- 8 Gigabytes 1600Mhz DDR3 G.Skill/Elixir

 

[allanitomwesh]

Change the psu and you don't need CPU cooling on a 3470. Put that money in a better psu. A high quality 550w is better than a shoddy 850w. Get a Seasonic.

 

[lilotimz]

A high quality 500-550w PSU will do you better than the crappy hytec/hipro.

A few off the top of my head...
Antec NeoEco520C $45 collegesave10 promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371030&Tpk=antec%20520

Seasonic S12II 520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094

XFX550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207013&Tpk=xfx%20550

You also don't need a cpu cooler like that for you cannot even overclock your cpu. If you still want an aftermarket cpu cooler than go for the CM Hyper 212+ / Evo which is half the price as that thermaltake but provide similar performance.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

 

[rukisthenoob]

So since i dont a cpu cooler like that would a standard INTEL Fan & Heatsink be enough.Also i forgot to mention my hdd
Hard Disk Drive:

- 1 Terrabyte Seagate SATA 3 HDD

Thanks for all the help ensuring i get the most for my money.

 

[sam_p_lay]

These look like smart choices and I'd +1 what's been said so far about the standard cooler being fine. I'd also echo the quality brand sentiment but for motherboard manufacturer - MSI and Gigabyte tend to be exceptionally reliable, Asus also. Asrock may be fine though, I have a friend who has used them without problems.

It's mostly important for PSU though, Antec or Corsair (or Seasonic if you find one reasonably priced). Antec and Corsair are supplied by Seasonic anyway (along with one or two other top quality suppliers).

Other things to mention - CPU could be 3450 and deliver effectively identical performance. The price difference is also almost non-existent depending on where you're buying from, but if you see a good deal on 3450 that separates the prices a bit more, you might as well go with that.

Memory I'd recommend checking CAS latency (abbreviated as CAS or CL or just latency) - most is CAS9 but it's worth getting CAS8 or better if it's not costing too much more. The other thing is SSD - it would be the final part of rounding out a quality gaming system. I'd recommend the OCZ Vertex 4 highly, Samsung 840 Pro is even better if it's not costing too much more.

You can pick up a 128GB Vertex 4 for £90 to store Windows, software and games (everything dependent on performance) while stuff without loading delay (video, music etc) can be stored on the hard disk. If you don't want to add another ~£100, you could get a 120GB drive as low as £55 with the OCZ Solid 3 (which is still a very good drive).

 

[allanitomwesh]

^3 series wasn't reliable from ocz. Sandisk extreme is good value,without too much performance hit.
^3470 is fine,they're identically priced with 3450.Savings won't be much.
Good harddisk, and stock heat sink and fan will work fine.

 

[wanderer11]

I don't see a case in your list. Also, you might be disappointed with the 660. Might want to get a 7870 or better.

 

[sam_p_lay]

^3 series wasn't reliable from ocz. Sandisk extreme is good value,without too much performance hit.

Firmware updates fixed the blue screens. They also affected other vendors using SF2281s anyway.

^3470 is fine,they're identically priced with 3450.Savings won't be much.

You don't know if they're identically priced at retailers where the OP lives. You don't know if they're identically priced today. Prices change on a daily basis and a quick look at Newegg or whatever doesn't tell you what the best price is.

OP, if you're in the UK, check Scan, Aria, Novatech, Dabs, Ebuyer and maybe Overclockers for prices. Otherwise, I'm sure there will be somebody here from your country that can advise on good online hardware retailers.

 

[sam_p_lay]

I don't see a case in your list. Also, you might be disappointed with the 660. Might want to get a 7870 or better.

Not much performance to be gained from a 7870 over a 660 (infact the 660 will be faster in a lot of games). Without using a 30" display or multi-display setup, the 660 should perform very nicely indeed. If you're feeling spendy, the GTX670 is an excellent option, though whether it's worth the extra cost is debatable. And obviously forget the GTX680, waste of money over a GTX670!

 

[wanderer11]

Not much performance to be gained from a 7870 over a 660 (infact the 660 will be faster in a lot of games). Without using a 30" display or multi-display setup, the 660 should perform very nicely indeed. If you're feeling spendy, the GTX670 is an excellent option, though whether it's worth the extra cost is debatable. And obviously forget the GTX680, waste of money over a GTX670!

I thought it was more powerful. I must have been wrong. My point was I bought a 7870 and have been a little disappointed with it. I wish I got a 7950 or better.

 

[sam_p_lay]

I thought it was more powerful. I must have been wrong. My point was I bought a 7870 and have been a little disappointed with it. I wish I got a 7950 or better.

Don't feel bad about your purchase - a 7950 wouldn't have been noticably smoother. I think you'd really need a 7970 GHz on the AMD side of things to see a noticable performance boost. Are you using an ultra high resolution?

 

[wanderer11]

Don't feel bad about your purchase - a 7950 wouldn't have been noticably smoother. I think you'd really need a 7970 GHz on the AMD side of things to see a noticable performance boost. Are you using an ultra high resolution?

1920x1080. I usually play with aa off and everything on ultra. I just played Crysis 1 and was hitting low 20s on the air craft carrier. I have a 3570k also. It gets used 100% and nothing is too hot, so I think I was just expecting too much.

 

[sam_p_lay]

1920x1080. I usually play with aa off and everything on ultra. I just played Crysis 1 and was hitting low 20s on the air craft carrier. I have a 3570k also. It gets used 100% and nothing is too hot, so I think I was just expecting too much.

Wow that is pretty disappointing actually... I remember that bit kicking the crap out of my 8800GTX but you'd expect a bit more from a modern card. Radeons have disappointed often disappointed me performance-wise compared to how the reviews suggest they should perform. I'd only consider nVidia hardware now (that 8800GTX served me well, AA on almost every game and almost always smooth).

 

[wanderer11]

Wow that is pretty disappointing actually... I remember that bit kicking the crap out of my 8800GTX but you'd expect a bit more from a modern card. Radeons have disappointed often disappointed me performance-wise compared to how the reviews suggest they should perform. I'd only consider nVidia hardware now (that 8800GTX served me well, AA on almost every game and almost always smooth).

This was my first build and I wish I would have done a few things differently. I have been debating buying another 7870 (Sapphire quit making the model I bought) or getting something from the 8000/700 series.

 

[sam_p_lay]

This was my first build and I wish I would have done a few things differently. I have been debating buying another 7870 (Sapphire quit making the model I bought) or getting something from the 8000/700 series.

Well don't feel bad, I've been assembling systems since I was 14 (and I've done quite a few since then) and I doubt I've ever built a system where every single component was the perfect choice. Almost all were thoroughly researched but there will usually be something you regret. I also got a Radeon in this one and regret not buying nVidia (though there were only two DX11 GeForces at the time).

Plus I got a stupid design motherboard that has only a single slot between the PCI-Es (as many boards do) meaning that dual-slot cards will almost be touching. And no SATA3 on it, limiting my SSD options, and the list goes on

Seems a shame to replace a modern card (even when it's a Radeon) so soon after buying it, but I suppose if you could get a good price for selling it then might be a good option! If so, I can't believe you'd be disappointed with a GTX670. If I could justify the cost of an upgrade, I'd pick one up in a heartbeat.

 

[wanderer11]

Well don't feel bad, I've been assembling systems since I was 14 (and I've done quite a few since then) and I doubt I've ever built a system where every single component was the perfect choice. Almost all were thoroughly researched but there will usually be something you regret. I also got a Radeon in this one and regret not buying nVidia (though there were only two DX11 GeForces at the time).

Plus I got a stupid design motherboard that has only a single slot between the PCI-Es (as many boards do) meaning that dual-slot cards will almost be touching. And no SATA3 on it, limiting my SSD options, and the list goes on

Seems a shame to replace a modern card (even when it's a Radeon) so soon after buying it, but I suppose if you could get a good price for selling it then might be a good option! If so, I can't believe you'd be disappointed with a GTX670. If I could justify the cost of an upgrade, I'd pick one up in a heartbeat.

I really think I will just build a new system in 2 years. I'll probably learn to OC everything before too long.

 

[sam_p_lay]

I really think I will just build a new system in 2 years. I'll probably learn to OC everything before too long.

I actually started overclocking at the same age and honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. It didn't do enough to make games run noticably smoother, yet did succeed in voiding warranties. I'm not actually sure whether or not there's some kind of marker/signature to tell the manufacturer if a card has ever been overclocked (if anyone knows for sure one way or the other, let me know!) but I don't think it's worth risking unless warranty has already expired or if you desperately need more performance and can't afford an upgrade.

 

[wanderer11]

I actually started overclocking at the same age and honestly, I wouldn't recommend it. It didn't do enough to make games run noticably smoother, yet did succeed in voiding warranties. I'm not actually sure whether or not there's some kind of marker/signature to tell the manufacturer if a card has ever been overclocked (if anyone knows for sure one way or the other, let me know!) but I don't think it's worth risking unless warranty has already expired or if you desperately need more performance and can't afford an upgrade.

I thought about that too. It just sucks that I spent a year waiting to have enough money to build it and now I'm disappointed. Sounds like I'm not the only one though.

 

[sam_p_lay]

I thought about that too. It just sucks that I spent a year waiting to have enough money to build it and now I'm disappointed. Sounds like I'm not the only one though.

Not at all - happens to the best of us Be glad that you did your research - I have a friend who could assemble a computer blindfolded yet he can't be bothered to even spend 5 minutes researching good choices, everything is just a pretty much arbitrary choice, impulse decision. So at least you didn't do that!

Best way to learn about making good choices is to learn from mistakes with previous builds and remember what we had good experiences with and what was a bad experience. That's why I only consider nVidia graphics now and have a hugely high opinion of MSI for reliability, Samsung for optical, etc.

 

[rukisthenoob]

Ok so ive taken so ive done abit of looking around came up with this

Case:

- CoolerMaster Elite 430/431P case with Card Reader

Power Supply:

- OCZ/Silverstone Heavy Duty SLI 850W

Motherboard:

- ASRock(Asus) Z77 EXTREME4 4xDDR3 PCI-E3.0 SATA3 USB3.0 7.1CH GBLAN Quad CrossFireX/SLI

Processor (CPU):

- Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5 3470 3.2GHz (3.6GHz Turbo) Quad Core CPU

CPU Cooling:

- Standard INTEL Fan & Heatsink
DVD/CD Burner:

- 1 x LG/SAMSUNG DVD/CD Burner 24 Speed
Sound Card:

- Integrated 7.1 High Definition Audio

Hard Disk Drive:

- 2x 500 Gig Seagate SATA 3 in RAID 0 (Speed) up to 200mb/s

RAM (memory):

- 8 Gigabytes 1600Mhz DDR3 G.Skill/Elixir

Operating System:

- Windows 7 Professional 64 Bit Fully Installed with Windows 8 Upgrade Offer

Keyboard & Mouse:

- Logitech MK260 Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

It will cost $1758.00 Australian dollars.Once again thanks for the adice.

 

[allanitomwesh]

Firmware updates fixed the blue screens. They also affected other vendors using SF2281s anyway.



You don't know if they're identically priced at retailers where the OP lives. You don't know if they're identically priced today. Prices change on a daily basis and a quick look at Newegg or whatever doesn't tell you what the best price is.

OP, if you're in the UK, check Scan, Aria, Novatech, Dabs, Ebuyer and maybe Overclockers for prices. Otherwise, I'm sure there will be somebody here from your country that can advise on good online hardware retailers.

Still wouldn't recommend a 3 series. There's other manufacturers at that price point anyway.
The CPU's are a couple pence apart at waeplus.I don't see your point.

 

[wanderer11]

Not at all - happens to the best of us Be glad that you did your research - I have a friend who could assemble a computer blindfolded yet he can't be bothered to even spend 5 minutes researching good choices, everything is just a pretty much arbitrary choice, impulse decision. So at least you didn't do that!

Best way to learn about making good choices is to learn from mistakes with previous builds and remember what we had good experiences with and what was a bad experience. That's why I only consider nVidia graphics now and have a hugely high opinion of MSI for reliability, Samsung for optical, etc.

Well I don't like my case, psu, gpu, monitor, or keyboard. I mean it all works, but it could be better.

 

[sam_p_lay]

Well I don't like my case, psu, gpu, monitor, or keyboard. I mean it all works, but it could be better.

What do you not like about case, PSU and monitor? Keyboard can be replaced cheaply at least (depending on your standards I suppose, not cheap if you're into mechanical keys and stuff!). I'd never buy a case based on looks any more - the official images from the manufacturer always make them look so much better than they look in person. You'll never have the perfect lighting like they do for it to look really amazing. TFT monitors are disappointing in general if you're using a TN panel display. I'd never consider a TFT that wasn't IPS.

 

[allanitomwesh]

You don't need the raid setup unless you're paranoid about the data in your pc, OP.
Gaming is much better on a wired keyboard / mouse combo.
850w is overkill for your parts list. Look for 550w/520w from xfx,antec,corsair, or seasonic.750w 80+ certified should SLI fine.
And finally,WHERE'S THE GRAPHICS CARD? The gtx 660 is still there?

 

[wanderer11]

What do you not like about case, PSU and monitor? Keyboard can be replaced cheaply at least (depending on your standards I suppose, not cheap if you're into mechanical keys and stuff!). I'd never buy a case based on looks any more - the official images from the manufacturer always make them look so much better than they look in person. You'll never have the perfect lighting like they do for it to look really amazing. TFT monitors are disappointing in general if you're using a TN panel display. I'd never consider a TFT that wasn't IPS.

My PSU isn't modular, I want a case with a window, my monitor has some backlight bleed around the edges, and the keyboard doesn't come with rubber feet on the adjustable feet so it slides a little (logitech g110).