Advice on build for programming / casual gaming

[jmcgill]

Hi Folks,

I'm finally sick of my 5 year old desktop, and looking to put something new together. It would primarily be for programming / development, but I'd like to be able to play some games as well. My main requirement is that it support 3 x 24" monitors, and be relatively quiet.

Intel Core i7 3770
Corsair Vengeance CMZ16GX3M2A1600C9 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3
Samsung SH-224BB/BEBS SATA DVDRW Drive OEM
Samsung 840 Series 120GB SSD Retail Box
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H Motherboard
Antec VP550P 550W Power Supply
Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
ASUS GeForce GT 640 2GB
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit with SP1 OEM

I already have a 2TB HDD that I'll throw in there as well.

Things I'm unsure of:

* Is the i7 overkill -should I be looking at i5 instead?
* Will the GT640 be sufficient for casual gaming?
* Will the Antec 550P be enough for the GT640?

Cheers!

 

[manofchalk]

Whats the budget?

 

[jmcgill]

Whats the budget?

The list above comes in at just under $1200 from my local store (Australia). I'd like to stay under $1400 if possible.

 

[manofchalk]

Just realized I should have asked you to fill out this form.
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/353572-31-build-upgrade-advice
Because then I know if you want to overclock, where your buying from (PC CaseGear, Mwave, uMart, Scorptech, Super Billing?), etc.
This way I'l have the info I need to really help you.

 

[jmcgill]

Thanks! I've filled in the form, and also added links to the list of parts.

Approximate Purchase Date: This week

Budget Range:: $1000 - $1500 including shipping.

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Programming, Photoshop and friends, Browsing the internet, Gaming (mostly indie)

Are you buying a monitor: No, already have 3 x 24"

Do you need to buy OS: Yes (will be dual booting Win 7 / Ubuntu)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: http://pccasegear.com.au (I'd like them to do the build for me too) or MSY (http://www.msy.com.au/) but I'm wary of their build quality. Open to recommendations too!

Location: Sydney, NSW, Australia

Parts Preferences: Prefer Intel CPU and nVidia graphics.

Overclocking: No

SLI or Crossfire: No

Your Monitor Resolution: 3 x (1920 x 1200)

Additional Comments: I would prefer quiet and stable over super fast / gaming. I play maybe 1 hour of games to every 50 - 100 hours of coding, and enjoy listening to music (rather than fans).

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading:
Upgrading from 1.8 GHZ, 4GB RAM, GeForce GT210

1. I would like to be able to use my third monitor. My current system only supports two.

2. My PC is starting to feel slugging. I can hear the fan struggling if I open too many applications.

3. I can't even run relatively low specced games anymore (e.g. http://gianasisterstwisteddreams.com/)

Include a list of any parts you have already selected with descriptively labeled links for parts. Please do not post only links.

Core
Intel Core i7 3770
Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2x8GB) DDR3 CMZ16GX3M2A1600C9
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-D3H Motherboard
ASUS GeForce GT 640 2GB

Storage
Samsung SH-224BB/BEBS SATA DVDRW Drive OEM
Samsung 840 Series 120GB SSD Retail Box
Existing 2TB HDD

Case & PSU
Antec VP550P 550W Power Supply
Fractal Design Define R4 Black Pearl
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit with SP1 OEM

 

[manofchalk]

Wow, not surprised that cant run many games. The GT210 is what I recommend if people just want more display outputs, no gaming performance wanted whatsoever.

CPU: Core i7-3770. $299
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=187_346_1184&products_id=20139

CPU Cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO. $35
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_344&products_id=19747
You could probably drop this without issue, as aftermarket cooling is only really needed when overclocking. But given your emphasis on quietness on the case and in the additional comments I think it should be here.

Mobo: AsRock H77 Pro4. $95
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_1183&products_id=20084

RAM: G.Skill Ares 16GB (2x8GB) 1600Mhz CL9 1.5v. $89
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_912&products_id=19766

PSU: Antec High Current 520W Modular, 80+ Bronze. $99
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=19762

GPU: Gigabyte HD7950 OC. $330
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1311&products_id=19285
I know that you specified Nvidia in the form, but you have 3x1080p monitors and AMD cards just perform better at this resolution and have a superior utility for it. Using Eyefinity, its possible to play games across all the screens. Admittedly performance wont be great unless you Crossfire/SLI in more intensive games, but for the stuff you seem to be after it would be great.

SSD: Samsung 840 120GB. $105
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_902_909&products_id=22033

OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM. $95
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=17003
Though I would advise getting Windows 8 64bit OEM. Its only $5 more and faster, will have a longer support cycle and the downside of the Metro Interface can be bypassed now.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=375_974&products_id=21773

Case: Fractal Design R4. $150
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=21166

Plus this adapter: Wicked Wire Active DisplayPort-DVI adapter. $45
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19_621_625&products_id=16867
Reason or this is that for Eyefinity to work you need to use a DisplayPort from the GPU. So unless you have Displayport native monitors then you need to get an Active Adapter for it to work, Passive adapters wont let you enable Eyefinity.

Total: $1345
Leaves plenty in the budget for the assembly fee and shipping, though it may be a good move to buy the case locally (as PC CaseGear is based in Melbourne) as that will be most of your shipping costs.