New Build for 1st Desktop with my son

[Cellmate2many]

Ok I had a budget of around $600 for a PC that my son could get by at 75% top benchmarks for playing COD. Before I hit the buy button I wanted to see if anyone can shoot big holes in my list.

Already owned:
2 SATA 2 HDs
Case with 3 fans

Bought:
Intel DZ77BH-55k MB

Going to Buy:
Corsair Enthusiast Series 650-Watt 80 Plus PS
Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - CPU Cooler
Intel Core i5-3570K Quad-Core Processor 3.4 GHz 4 Core
EVGA GeForce GTX 650 SUPERCLOCKED 1024MB GDDR5 DVI
Crucial 8GB Kit (4GBx2), 204-pin SODIMM, DDR3 Memory
Asus 24xDVD-RW Serial ATA

Total Cost $610 No tax No Shipping

Ready Aim Fire

And Thanks

 

[larrym]

Looks good. Do you have an OS? If you could swing a SSD, you would love it.

 

[g-unit1111]

Looks good. Do you have an OS? If you could swing a SSD, you would love it.

Any tight budget - the SSD isn't worth it. You can always add that later.

The GTX 650 is *NOT* a good GPU. For the same price the Radeon HD 7770 runs circles around it, especially with current drivers. For $40 more the Radeon HD 7850 will be far superior to both of those.

I'd return that motherboard though - Intel motherboards are not that great, especially for the 3570K. They have no software for them or support for them, and the BIOS and drivers have remained the same since 2007. :lol:

Get an Asus or Gigabyte instead - far better boards.

 

[larrym]

Looks good. Do you have an OS? If you could swing a SSD, you would love it.

Any tight budget - the SSD isn't worth it. You can always add that later.

The GTX 650 is *NOT* a good GPU. For the same price the Radeon HD 7770 runs circles around it, especially with current drivers. For $40 more the Radeon HD 7850 will be far superior to both of those.

I'd return that motherboard though - Intel motherboards are not that great, especially for the 3570K. They have no software for them or support for them, and the BIOS and drivers have remained the same since 2007. :lol:

Get an Asus or Gigabyte instead - far better boards.

The 7770 should be better at $30 more. Drop the cooler, get the 650 and add a ssd. Could always OC later (On a tight budget).

GTX 650
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=gtx+650&x=0&y=0

AMD 7770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=amd+7770&x=18&y=15

 

[g-unit1111]

The 7770 should be better at $30 more. Drop the cooler, get the 650 and add a ssd. Could always OC later (On a tight budget).

GTX 650
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=gtx+650&x=0&y=0

AMD 7770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=amd+7770&x=18&y=15

Linking to Newegg doesn't really help much - those reviews are pretty much baseless for the most part.

The benchmarks will tell you everything you need to know: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/681?vs=536

 

[dingo07]

YOU CANNOT USE 204 PIN SODIMM memory

you need 240 pin DDR3

Looks good...

NOT GOOD

 

[mousseng]

You could also probably save a little money on the power supply, as well - you certainly don't need 650W for that. A good 500-550W PSU will provide plenty of room for expansion, and save you a few dollars as well. Check out this XFX 550W.

 

[larrym]

YOU CANNOT USE 204 PIN SODIMM memory

you need 240 pin DDR3


NOT GOOD

Good catch..my bad

 

[larrym]

Linking to Newegg doesn't really help much - those reviews are pretty much baseless for the most part.

The benchmarks will tell you everything you need to know: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/681?vs=536

It wasn't for the reviews..however I prefer real user reviews, it was for the price.

 

[g-unit1111]

YOU CANNOT USE 204 PIN SODIMM memory

you need 240 pin DDR3


NOT GOOD

Oh yeah I should have realized that's laptop RAM. :lol:

You need something like this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231546

 

[Cellmate2many]

OK couple of changes and questions:

Changed out the Processor for a Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Processor 3.3 GHz. Couple of bucks less and better benchmarks

Ordered the Sapphire Radeon HD 7770

Memory- Will get right one.

Get an Asus or Gigabyte instead...any suggestions of which one ($90 to $120)

Someone said get rid of the cooler...Because it's just not worth the $25?

 

[larrym]

OK couple of changes and questions:

Changed out the Processor for a Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Processor 3.3 GHz. Couple of bucks less and better benchmarks

Ordered the Sapphire Radeon HD 7770

Memory- Will get right one.

Get an Asus or Gigabyte instead...any suggestions of which one ($90 to $120)

Someone said get rid of the cooler...Because it's just not worth the $25?

The cooler is worth it. You will need it for a small overclock. What was said was, you could get it later and overclock later to try to save money to get a SSD or not. There was another good suggestion on lowering the PSU wattage since you are on a tight budget.

 

[g-unit1111]

OK couple of changes and questions:

Changed out the Processor for a Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Processor 3.3 GHz. Couple of bucks less and better benchmarks

Ordered the Sapphire Radeon HD 7770

Memory- Will get right one.

Get an Asus or Gigabyte instead...any suggestions of which one ($90 to $120)

Someone said get rid of the cooler...Because it's just not worth the $25?

You should not have done that - by pairing the 2500K with a Z77 motherboard you lose the key feature of Ivy Bridge and that's PCI Gen 3. The benchmarks give or take.

 

[Onus]

Nice catch on the memory...SODIMM is for laptops.
I agree with g-unit that the GTX650 is not a great choice.
None of the cards you'd be considering need more than a 500W PSU, so you can get something like this Seasonic: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151094 for $68.
Do not be tempted by the cheaper Corsair V2 Builder units. They were made by CWT, not Seasonic, using inferior Samxon capacitors from a line known to experience early failure. This information comes from HardwareSecrets, a site I trust for PSU information.

 

[Cellmate2many]

Ok the comment before about the OC now makes sense,

I went back to the Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 550w Power Supply

Regarding the Motherboard and Processor:
The Z77 MB the only thing I already ordered, and I still can return it. So I can still go back to the i5-3570K Quad-Core if I match up with an Asus or Gigabyte MB. Just not sure of what issues i will have with the Z77 MB I got.

Not sure of what Board this group would recommend if I did go with the Asus or Gigabyte

Still out to lunch on the SSD and the expense of moving up the budget for it.

 

[dingo07]

the SSD is a no-brainer - do it!

it'll be THE best performance increase u can make, across the board

 

[g-unit1111]

Ok the comment before about the OC now makes sense,

I went back to the Cooler Master eXtreme Power Plus 550w Power Supply

Regarding the Motherboard and Processor:
The Z77 MB the only thing I already ordered, and I still can return it. So I can still go back to the i5-3570K Quad-Core if I match up with an Asus or Gigabyte MB. Just not sure of what issues i will have with the Z77 MB I got.

Not sure of what Board this group would recommend if I did go with the Asus or Gigabyte

Still out to lunch on the SSD and the expense of moving up the budget for it.

The problem with Intel boards is that they refuse to update their BIOS to a modern visual one and they're not really made for overclocking. The Gigabyte and Asus boards are better suited if you want to overclock and make it easier to do so.

SSDs are nice but I think of them like getting the navigation system on a new car - sure it's a nice feature to have but you can always add it later and it'd be exactly the same.

 

[Onus]

The XFX was a good choice (they're built by Seasonic). If you want to get an inexpensive PSU, the Antec VP-450 is powerful enough for a HD7770 and is less than $40. Though not 80+ certified, it is actually efficient enough, but is disqualified for not having active PFC.

 

[jtenorj]

I agree with the gskill ares ram and the xfx 550w psu. You could go either way with the 2500k vs 3570k debate.

The 3570k has a little better performance per clock, can run ddr3 1600(on the right mobo) and has pcie 3.0 support(again on matching mobo). It doesn't overclock as well, however due to the crappy tim between the die and ihs(unlike pretty much all processors save ivy bridge that have fluxless solder inside).

The 2500k is limited to ddr3 1333 and pcie 3.0, but can potentially overclock a few hundred mhz higher. Performance ends up a wash. Sandy does consume a little more power than Ivy, but something like an xfx 550w psu is more than enough for both(especially with a hd7770). you could save a few more bucks and go for something like a corsair cx 430w psu, but that would limit upgrading to a faster(read more power hungry) graphics cards later on.

Edit:forgot to mention ddr3 1600 and pcie 3.0 make little difference in gaming unless paired with an amd apu or used for high end sli/crossfire on x79 respectively.

 

[Onus]

The Corsair cx430 is not a good PSU; it reviews well, but may not hold up. The VP-450 is the least expensive quality PSU I believe I could recommend. It is cheaper than (but may be almost as efficient as) the 380W Antec Earthwatts, which is 80+ bronze but is $45.

 

[g-unit1111]

The Corsair cx430 is not a good PSU; it reviews well, but may not hold up. The VP-450 is the least expensive quality PSU I believe I could recommend. It is cheaper than (but may be almost as efficient as) the 380W Antec Earthwatts, which is 80+ bronze but is $45.

Yeah the CX430 will struggle with Ivy Bridge - I've seen it happen with my own eyes. It will also struggle with any decent GPU.

 

[odiervr]

Given the info so far, here's my thoughts:

1. Pls consider ASRock Z75 pro 3 for about $85 from Newegg. The z75 is a more basic version of the z77 and about $20 less. You'll still be able to do what you need (overclock ect).
2. Pls look at visiting a Microcenter. They have the best CPU and motherboard combo's around. Bar none. Only catch - you have to go to the store and pick them up.
3. Plug your parts into pcpartpicker.com This will do some shopping for you. You may save some serious money this way. Also, just check amazon, newegg, and tigerdirect for deals if you have the time. By shopping for quality brands at different places and review sales and rebates you can save A LOT of money - at the cost of time. However, it's a good time of year for sales.
4. Good PSU brands: Seasonic, Corsair, PC power and Cooling, and xfx. I'd recommend no lower that 550/600 watts for longevity.
5. http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html This is a good reference website for performance AND prices. The more money you spend on a GPU will generally improve your game frames per second. Also see Tomshardware monthy GPU recommendations.

Good Luck !

 

[djscribbles]

A lot of good advice here, but I want to weigh in

On the SSD comments: For a 600$ budget, an SSD is too much to squeeze in, plus it can make a great birthday/xmas present next year, you don't need it right away.

I would go for the i5-3750k over the 2500k just because of the features (as someone said), sorta negligible in most cases but so is the price diff, the 2500k is not better, and not much cheaper. If you don't want to overclock the CPU, go for an i5-3450 (locked multiplier) and an H77 board instead. Though, honestly, with your budget, you can consider an i3 or an AMD setup, and dedicate more budget to the GPU, which is the key factor in gaming anyway and is going to be a bottleneck much more often than the CPU. (edit: realized you already have the mobo, so i guess you are limited to just LGA1155)

Spending more on your CPU than your GPU in a gaming machine should be a jailable offense in my opinion. Grab a 7870 for 250$ and call it a day. Great card will be maxing games (1080p) for a long time. Grab the CPU that will fit in your budget, some games may not run at 60fps (max fps on a 60hz monitor that you actually see), but you'll have at worst a smooth 30fps (assuming a CPU 1/2 as powerful) still with maximum detail. (probably a lot of people will disagree with me here, but I think it's a very fair point to make).

On your PSU, odiervr hit it right, those brands are the top of my reccommendation list, and the size is what I would recommend (500w-600w is fine). http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx is a helpful shopping list for getting a general idea what brands should be avoided (or lemons from good brands, etc).

 

[shellls45]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9zn
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9zn/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/q9zn/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i3-2100 3.1GHz Dual-Core Processor ($99.99 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock H61M-DGS Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($28.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.98 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7850 1GB Video Card ($162.55 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Core 1000 MicroATX Mini Tower Case ($39.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 430W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($35.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.89 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.28 @ CompUSA)
Total: $592.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-29 15:47 EST-0500)

 

[Onus]

The newegg forums tiered PSU list is obsolete; from over four and a half years ago. Proximon has a thread here at Tom's with good PSU recommendations. For myself, I buy almost all Seasonic PSUs, with an occasional (Delta-built) Antec. Seasonic-built Corsair are good, but the CWT-built ones may not be; I would not buy one myself.
I'd try to get H77 over H61; you'll get more ports and I/O and a a newer BIOS able to handle newer CPUs out of the box. Do not feel compelled to overclock. Some might call that blasphemy, but if you're more interested in playing on your PC than playing with your PC, the parts you're getting should be powerful enough that you won't need to overclock.