New PC configuration assistance

[Ranchordas]

Hello all,

I have not upgraded my PC for 5-6 years now and I am planning on making an investment in a new computer in the next week or two. Therefore I would like some advice from people who know more on this matter than me.

I am playing Starcraft 2 the most but am planning on trying some other new games also. But at this time Starcraft 2 (Wings of liberty and soon Heart of the swarm) is my main occupation.

I searched a lot on the webshops and compared prices for different components. I would like to know if the following parts would be compatible together and if they would allow me highest settings in Starcraft 2 (i will list a few of components i found and am considering):
CPU INTEL CORE I3 3220
CPU INTEL CORE I3 3225
CPU INTEL CORE I5 3330
CPU INTEL CORE I5 3570

MBO ASUS P8H61 PRO
MBO ASUS P8Z77-M

VGA GT640-2GD3 GT640, PCIE 3.0, 2048 MB, DDR3, 128-BIT
VGA PALIT GTX650 1GB

MEM DDR3 8GB 1333MHZ KINGSTON, 2X4GB,
MEM DDR3 8GB 1600MHZ TS DUAL CHANNEL TRANSCEND

I would highly appreciate the help on this matter as I will stick to the new PC for a long time after purchasing it so I do not wish to make a mistake. Please comment the listed hardware above, and feel free to recommend something I did not find myself. I have a budget of around 660€ or 870$. Of course, I do not need to spend all of the budget so If it would be possible to get a decent configuration for less funds, it would be great.

I would just like to add that I will use my old HDD, PSU, midi tower, keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers so I do not need any of those parts.

I look forward for your answers guys. Thank you a lot.

 

[Onus]

What is the brand and model, not just wattage, of your old PSU? In 5-6 years, capacitor aging will have reduced its capacity, not to mention that modern PSUs are considerably more efficient. You will probably need to replace it. A 500W-550W model from Seasonic, XFX, FSP, Antec, or Enermax/LEPA would be good. Avoid the 500W Corsair V2 Builder; it was made by CWT, not Seasonic, using some inferior Samxon capacitors known for early failure.
If you are NOT interested in overclocking (nothing wrong with that), then there's no reason to buy an unlocked "K"-series chip like the i5-3570K. I'd probably still choose a true quad like the i5-3330 as it will be more future-resistant than a hyper-threaded i3.
If you want to overclock, get a Z77 mobo. If not, H77.
Even if you re-use your HDD, you'll need to buy a new copy of Windows and do a fresh installation. A 5-6 year old HDD may be nearing its end-of-life, so you may wish to get another drive. With the parts you already have, there should be room in your budget for a WD Black drive, pretty much the only consumer drive to retain a five year warranty.
I would not choose anything less than a GTX650Ti or HD7770, and if you can fit it, a GTX660 or HD7850 would be better.

 

[Ranchordas]

Thanks for the fast response. I just checked, my PSU is ASUS (peek 400W - rated 350W), model is GPS 400 AB A REV: 01F

I did not know the information about overclocking, I am basically not interested in it so I will check the MBO prices and models offered with the new information you provided.

As for the graphic cards, I will for sure need to see what is offered as my knowledge is the lowest on this subject. I will look up for the models you noted.

 

[blacknemesist]

^ this plus is your old HDD sata?Because modern motherboards no longer use IDE.
Here is a list of PSUs you can choose from:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx

First find yours in the list.If it not on it then you need a new one.Buy a tier 1 or tier 2.

There are 4 components essencial to keep your system going for years:
-PSU
-Motherboard
-CPU
-GPU

The PSU can make or break your build.A good one will last years with great efficiency and can protect the system in case of malfunction.A bad one will fry everything or age very quickly.

The motherboard is what makes your system go.It controls everything including how powerful a CPU can be used as well as the number and capacity of ram.Also when OCing a good mobo makes wonders.

The CPU is replaceable depending on the motherboard.Finding a great performer at low/fair price is the best way to choose.The K series is for OCing.I'd recomend a K series i5-3570k with an Evo212 or Noctua D14 simply because OCing the CPU is very easy and can grant you alot of performance(4,5ghz with air cooling against 3,8ghz on boost).

The GPU needs to be a good one,specially the brand.I'd go for MSI because of their great cooling.Also the difference in price between a 650 and a 660ti is small compared to the huge gain in performance.The 660ti is in a nice price : performance ratio position.The 670 would be better but is more expensive.

I'd also like to say that depending on the case you might wanna change it.New cases are extremely well built and don't restrict air flow while allowing a huge amount of fans to be installed thus making the system run cooler meaning more OC potential and less damage to components.

If I was you I would consider waiting a few months saving money and invest in a good solution like this:

CPU : I5-3570k
cooler :Noctua D14
mobo : ASRock Z77 extreme 4
Case : NZXT Phantom 410
GPU : Msi 660ti power edition
PSU : XFX XXX 750w

How much would it cost all these components?

You can go with your "cheap" solution but you will pay alot for something thats worth half its price.Thats bad business for me.

 

[Onus]

...
Here is a list of PSUs you can choose from:
http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/323050.aspx
...
CPU : I5-3570k
cooler :Noctua D14
mobo : ASRock Z77 extreme 4
Case : NZXT Phantom 410
GPU : Msi 660ti power edition
PSU : XFX XXX 750w
...

The Newegg PSU tier list is from 2008, and based on a still older source. I had it bookmarked years ago, until it became obsolete. In particular, some companies (e.g. Rosewill) really stepped up their game. If it is a recent or current model, built by Seasonic (e.g. their own, XFX, some Antec, some higher wattage Corsair), FSP, Enermax/LEPA, Superflower (e.g. new Rosewill), or Delta (e.g. some Antec), then it should be decent.

If not interested in overclocking, you can save a lot of money by getting an i5-3330, keeping the stock cooler, and getting a H77 mobo. For the graphics card, take a look at http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-3.html (and the rest of this monthly article, depending on your budget).
Finally, even with a 660Ti or HD7870, a good 550W PSU is sufficient. XFX is still a good choice, but you won't need 750W.

 

[Ranchordas]

Hi all,

Once again, thank you all for helping me on this matter. I just wanted to say that I have decided on the setup. It is as follows:

CPU Intel Core i5 3570
GPU VGA Palit GTX650 2GB
RAM DDR3 4GB 1600MHz HyperX Kingston ( x2 )
MBO Asrock Z77 PRO4-M
PSU 580W Xilence RedWing Edition ATX 2.2 120mm Fan

Bye
Rancho

 

[Onus]

Hmmm, not sure about that PSU... http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page2829.htm shows it may be Chinese Nameless. Treat it as good for no more than 350-400W.
More GPU and less CPU would be better for games. A GTX650 is weaker than a HD7770. If you can, get a GTX650Ti.