Need help picking out some parts for an all around PC, <$1500

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Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Hello everybody, my name is Gordon and this is my first post on this forum!

Approximate Purchase Date: In the next month and a half.

Budget Range: Between $1200 and $1300 would be best, but could probably push it to $1500 max. I try to keep it at the cheapest though, without compromising the quality of the parts too much, because I do plan to keep this desktop for 8+ years.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, editing raw photos from DSLR (hobby, not professionally), editing videos from GoPro/DSLR for fun (in the future), watching YouTube, surfing the internet a lot, school work such as text documents. I also like to multitask a lot and have a few programs open at the same time.

Are you buying a monitor: No

Do you need to buy OS: No

Preferred Websites for Parts: Newegg Canada and Tiger Direct Canada

Location: Montreal, Canada

Parts Preferences: None

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Most likely not

Your Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

This will be my very first desktop build. I'm upgrading from a 5 years old laptop.

CPU: Intel Core i5 3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi
Video card: MSI Radeon HD 7850 2GB
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB
HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB 7200 RPM
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X 16GB
Wireless adapter (lol, don't judge me): TP-LINK TL-WDN4800
Motherboard: Not sure, which to pick.. I need some help with this. I heard I should get one with a Z77 chipset so it's easy to overclock with the Ivy Bridge processor? I'd like one with a UEFI BIOS too haha. Also, an ATX board preferably.
Power Supply: Not sure either. I know I'd like one of those 80 Plus certified power supplies though.
CPU cooler: I really have no idea if I should go with a water cooled one like the Corsair H100 or just a fan and heatsink.

I'm also going to reuse a 1.5TB Seagate hard drive that is currently an external hard drive, and add it to the case.
I plan to max out the amount of fans I can have on this case...
Please tell me what you guys think! Not all the parts are set in stone yet so please suggest!
Also, am I missing something?
 
Someone Somewhere

Someone Somewhere

Titan
Sep 23, 2012
22,291
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84,965
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($29.99 @ NCIX)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($390.60 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card (CrossFire) ($390.60 @ DirectCanada)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.93 @ DirectCanada)
Total: $1469.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Add one of these: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833166073&name=Wireless-Adapters
 
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evilqueens

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Sep 17, 2012
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A good list - but the extra 7970 is not necessary. In fact, a single 7970 is excessive for the OP's usage, but if he/she is looking for a long-lasting build, maybe it isn't such a bad idea.

Along with the OCZ Vertex 4, also consider looking into the Samsung 830 128GB SSD. Another very good SSD with very solid reliability figures. In fact, drop the extra 7970 and go for a 256GB SSD (from Samsung, OCZ, Crucial, or Intel - but they are a tad overpriced).

Power supply is again excessive if the OP is not CFXing. A decent 550W power supply from Corsair, Seasonic, or XFX will do. The Corsair Carbide 500R is currently on sale for around $90 and is quite a bit better (in my opinion) than the Fractal case.

Lastly, I would recommend 16GB of RAM if video editing is involved. This is a memory intensive task, and if you want to keep your build for as long as you say, then go ahead and make the jump to 16GB right away.

EDIT: Don't need the Caviar Black drive as a secondary storage disk. Go with a cheaper Caviar Green 2TB for the price that you can get 1TB Caviar Black.
 
Someone Somewhere

Someone Somewhere

Titan
Sep 23, 2012
22,291
8
84,965
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ NCIX)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix sport 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($79.49 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Canada Computers)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($469.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Canada Computers)
Power Supply: OCZ ZT 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($51.27 @ DirectCanada)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($17.93 @ DirectCanada)
Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid 120Hz 23.6" Monitor ($279.99 @ Canada Computers)
Total: $1473.61
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

Includes a nice 120Hz screen, 7970 GHz Edition, 16GB with the option to add another 16GB later, and an SSD. Add the WiFi card I linked above.
 
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evilqueens

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Sep 17, 2012
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Screen is not needed, according to OP.

G.Skill RAM can be gotten for about $10 cheaper for a similar kit.
http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/gskill-memory-f312800cl10d16gbxl

Now, the video card is grossly unnecessary. To be honest, it would make more sense to get a cheaper HD 7950 (about $275 on sale) and then upgrade this a few years later with a better video card if needed.
Gigabyte Radeon HD7950: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvr795wf33gd

OCZ is a very unreliable company for power supples - stick with Seasonic, Corsair, or XFX.
XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/xfx-power-supply-p1550sxxb9

The case is a matter of preference - I've made my views on it above, anyway.
Corsair 500R White Case: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/corsair-case-500rwt

Suggested SSD: Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD
http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/part/samsung-internal-hard-drive-mz7pc256bww

PCPartPicker (modified): http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/kKJ1
Total (before mail-in rebates): $1123.79
Mail-in Rebates: $-30.00
Total: $1093.79

EDIT: Included links for products I mentioned above.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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That motherboard looks really nice!
According to a few later comments, the WD Green is just as good, now I don't know which to get: Green or Caviar Blue? Haha.
Thanks for the suggestions, really appreciate it.



Thanks for the suggestions on the SSD, I don't understand why I should double the capacity of the SSD though? I read somewhere that 128GB is plenty for a single Windows 7 install, along with software and games?
I checked out a review for the Corsair Carbide 500R and it looks really nice! I like the huge 200mm fan on the side panel.
Thanks for the reply, really appreciate it!





Wow, both of the list are really overkill for me.. :??:
 
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evilqueens

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Sep 17, 2012
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Good motherboard as well. The ASRock suggested by obsama1, the Gigabyte suggested by Someone Somewhere, and my suggestion - ASUS P8Z77-V LK are all very good boards for a similar price. All of them come with a very nice UEFI Bios and a nice set of software to go along with it. It's a matter of personal preference, or going through the specifics to see which features you find more attractive. The core set of features are all the same, though, and will be adequate for your needs.

Both Caviar Green and Blue are good drives. Go for the cheaper one in my opinion. It won't make much of a difference as your OS will be on your SSD and thus the HDD will act as a secondary drive.



This is something that I'm foreseeing will come in handy for you. You say you will be editing videos, gaming a bit, and in general, keeping your system for a while. You'd be surprised to see how quickly a 128GB SSD will fill up. 256GB SSDs also have better performance than their 128GB counterparts (for Samsung at least).

Anyway, check my updated post above - I included a modified PCPartPicker build from Someone Somewhere's post. Should be much more reasonable for your needs (and your wallet!).
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Ahh, I see what you mean about the SSD and the HDD now. You make a good point by doubling the capacity of the SSD.


Thank you both for great replies.

Also, will the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo be enough to cool down the processor when overclocking it? How much do you guys think I'll be able to overclock it to?
 
obsama1

obsama1

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Feb 3, 2012
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I have a Hyper 212 EVO and it performs well on my i5-3570K. I haven't overclocked it much, but it cools extremely well and keeps the CPU under 60C with Prime95. You should be able to take the i5 to probably 4.2GHz with the Hyper 212 EVO.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Alright cool, I think I'll stick with it then. I read people have been using that cooler at 4.5GHz and it's been fine.

Edit:
Also, I kind of want to stay under $250 for the video card, and I see two good ones for under that price. Should I go with the Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660 or the XFX Radeon HD 7870? Or suggest a better one?

Edit 2:
Nevermind about the GeForce GTX 660, I decided to go with the Radeon HD 7870.

How come the estimated wattage on the part list that evilqueens posted is only 380W, does that mean can I just get a 400W or 450W power supply? Or am I better off getting a 550W?

Edit 3:
Now I'm having issues deciding on the video card. Is the upgrade from 2GB VRAM to 3GB VRAM really significant and worth it? How about the jump from 7870 to 7950?

The video card I'm currently looking at is the 7870 2GB 1.05GHz, but the 7950 3GB video card that I'm also considering is only 850MHz core clock speed...
 
obsama1

obsama1

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You're better off get 550w. The capacitors age and lose power over time, and if you overclock, you basically have no headroom.

The 7xxx series are great overclockers. Get a 7950 and overclock it to 1GHz and it will play any game maxed.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Oh yeah, that would make a lot of sense.

What do you guys think of my new parts list?
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/kPDw
 
obsama1

obsama1

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Get this 7950 instead:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814202006&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Video%20Cards-_-Sapphire%20Tech-_-14202006&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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10,510

Oh alright, I thought I heard OCZ are bad for PSUs though. Not that I hate on OCZ, it's just that I don't want to replace my power supply after a year or so...


Why do you say the Sapphire is better than the Gigabyte one? Just wondering.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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I'll most likely just overclock it to 1GHz, like you mentioned.
 
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evilqueens

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Sep 17, 2012
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Correct. OCZ is not a reliable power supply company. Stick with the original power supply I recommended in my parts list (XFX 550W Power Supply). Can't do much better for $50.

As to Sapphire vs. Gigabyte, they are both really good vendors. I suppose it all comes down to which one will allow for a higher overclock. I was always under the assumption that the Gigabyte cards were more conservative with their maximum allowable overclocks compared to Sapphire. I can't be entirely sure, though.

Also to the OP - the Samsung 830 Series 256GB SSD is on sale from Amazon for $170. I'd recommend you get this over the OCZ Vertex 4 you have in your build at the moment.

Also, you do not need a Caviar Black as a secondary HDD. The higher RPM will not make much of a difference. Either save money by getting a similar capacity Caviar Green drive, or double your capacity with a Caviar Green drive for roughly the same price.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Oh right, I added the XFX PSU back into my list.

Well, at the moment, I think I'm going to leave the Gigabyte video card in the list because it's cheaper right now, but I will double check when I decide to order (which I think will be a few weeks from now).

What do you think now? http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/kQd6
:)
 
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evilqueens

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Sep 17, 2012
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There won't be, with his choice of parts. If anything, he may need to put the fan a few mm higher on the heatsink.
 
Gordonpn

Gordonpn

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Oct 18, 2012
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Oh yeah, I looked at the 500R and liked it a lot at first. But I kept coming back to the Fractal case because of the aluminium brushed like look of it.. But then the Corsair one just looks really amazing. So, I am still undecided about that. Haha. :sweat:
 
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