Plans For A New Build

[kungfufishy]

Hey, I'm currently looking to build my own personal gaming computer that's also decent for multitasking with programs such as Photoshop. I would also like to make it so I could potentially get a couple years out of it and have the ability to upgrade it in the future if need be. I'd like some input on the parts I have selected. If your curious I'm honestly on the AMD bandwagon at the moment. My budget max is about 900 bucks give or take no need of a mouse, keyboard, screen, or other peripherals. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

The parts I'm looking into buying are:
Cooler Master CM Storm Series Trooper
GIGABYTE GA-990FXA-UD3
AMD FX-6300 or AMD Phenom II 965
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
Corsair Vengeance Low Profile 8GB 1600Mhz
ADATA 64GB SSD
Western Digital Blue 1 TB HD
Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 1GB or Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 1GB
VisionTek 550W Modular ATX Power Supply
Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive

Edit: I forgot to mention that I'd like to have the ability to overclock. I'd like to tinker with my components sooner or later.
Also looking to see if anyone has any alternatives to certain components. I'm sure there are better components for cheaper.

 

[nokiddingboss]

if i were to choose between the fx6300 vs the phenom ii, i'd pick the fx6300 for its lower TDP and 2 extra cores. other than that, the build is pretty good for a gaming/photo editing system in my books.

 

[kungfufishy]

if i were to choose between the fx6300 vs the phenom ii, i'd pick the fx6300 for its lower TDP and 2 extra cores. other than that, the build is pretty good for a gaming/photo editing system in my books.

Thanks for the input!

 

[airohead]

what you think of my build?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/384549-31-gaming-build-good-build#t2908282

we got almost same except i got Intel build.
and it gonna cost me $865 after tax.

 

[kungfufishy]

what you think of my build?

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/384549-31-gaming-build-good-build#t2908282

we got almost same except i got Intel build.
and it gonna cost me $865 after tax.

I'm not exactly the one to ask but I'd say from just your processor alone your rig would most likely perform better than the one I have in mind. Your components look pretty good, the only things that stick out to me personally are the case and the hard drive, most likely because I'm not familiar with Diablotek or Deskstar. Other than those it appears to be pretty good in my eyes.
The reason mine rakes up to around 900 is because I'm picky when it comes down to aesthetics. If I don't like the case I won't buy it (lol), which is unfortunate because my future build wouldn't be as much as it is. haha

 

[kungfufishy]

The Adata 64GB SSD isn't a good choice IMO. Way to small and is going to see a lot of "re-writes" which is going to lessen it's life considerably.

Alright, I had the Adata SSD in mind primarily for my primary operating system and for the fact smaller 32GB SSD's appear to run around the same price range. Are there any alternatives that you'd suggest?
(I was attempting to hop on the SSD bandwagon too. )

 

[quilciri]

My humble suggestion. I love AMD, but unfortunately their flagsip CPU's need to be overclocked to match the stock gaming performance of the 3570k, and even then the AMD chip uses twice the power in doing so.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: MSI TC- (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $907.88 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

cheers!

 

[kungfufishy]

Quilciri posted a nice build. I would go WD for the HDD but that is personal pref. For your budget I'd focus on cpu and video card and not ssd for now. If you do go SSD get at lease a 120GB one.

Alright, I'm perfectly fine with scrapping the SSD for the time being. I do in fact like the build but I'm uncertain as to whether or not I'm interested in going Intel. I'm not saying Intel is bad in any way but I've been sucked into AMD for their price and performance, not to mention that I currently know more and feel more comfortable about AMD processors and GPU's than Intel or Nvidia.

At the moment I'll probably stick with the same case, hard disk, ram, cooler, and most likely the same power supply unless I manage to come across reviews that say otherwise. I'm going to keep looking into it.

 

[kungfufishy]

My humble suggestion. I love AMD, but unfortunately their flagsip CPU's need to be overclocked to match the stock gaming performance of the 3570k, and even then the AMD chip uses twice the power in doing so.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: MSI TC- (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $907.88 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

cheers!

Thanks for the information. I'll take it into consideration!

 

[quilciri]

AMD sadly also runs into an issue when crossfire/SLI of high end cards comes into play.

If, down the road, you wanted to add a second 7950, your performance would be somewhat stifled in an AMD system because AMD chips currently only support pci-e 2.0.

A single 7950 runs fine on sixteen pci-e 2.0 lanes, but when adding a second card, each 7950 has only eight 2.0 lanes to use, which is the point you'll start to see a drop in performance for upper-end cards.

You can see the difference it makes in a 7970 here. eight pci-e 2.0 lanes are bandwidth-equivalent to four 3.0 lanes.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5458/the-radeon-hd-7970-reprise-pcie-bandwidth-overclocking-and-msaa

 

[kungfufishy]

AMD sadly also runs into an issue when crossfire/SLI of high end cards comes into play.

If, down the road, you wanted to add a second 7950, your performance would be somewhat stifled in an AMD system because AMD chips currently only support pci-e 2.0.

A single 7950 runs fine on sixteen pci-e 2.0 lanes, but when adding a second card, each 7950 has only eight 2.0 lanes to use, which is the point you'll start to see a drop in performance for upper-end cards.

You can see the difference it makes in a 7970 here. eight pci-e 2.0 lanes are bandwidth-equivalent to four 3.0 lanes.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5458/the-radeon-hd-7970-reprise-pcie-bandwidth-overclocking-and-msaa

I'll check into it now. Also do you have an estimate of how long it'll be before Intel changes their socket? I'm afraid in the next few years the current one will be a thing of the past where as I feel the AMD AM3+/FX sockets will continue to be used.
Also I have yet to read it but I appreciate the link, it's good to know these things. I'd never have come across it myself. haha

 

[dish_moose]

Loose the VisionTek psu & get a good quality unit. Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, antec, Silverstone...
-Bruce

 

[quilciri]

Both the AMD and the intel sockets are nearing the end of their lifecycle. There likely won't be any compatible processors out for either platform that will be much of a gaming upgrade over either the 3570k or the 6300.

 

[skidawgz]

I wanted to jump on the SSD bandwagon as well but I would get 120GB plus if I had to do it over again. I had to strip Windows 7 or 8 down for the bloated 20GB to around 12 -13GB, and I have only Guild Wars 2 and drivers installed. I hover around 20GB free. I use a second 320GB hard drive but I wish my primary was a little larger so I don't debate every time windows wants to update or whatever.

SSD performance is amazing. I used it on my gamer PC with both Windows 7 and 8. 8 boots amazingly fast and I turned off the quick boot mode, (where it hibernates).

Your build is on the right path, not much to add there. I would advise you have enough room for your favorite game and certain programs, like Photoshop

 

[kungfufishy]

Loose the VisionTek psu & get a good quality unit. Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, antec, Silverstone...
-Bruce

From what I can recall Visiontek wasn't a very good company but for the price of the power supply and for the fact it's modular I'm tempted to give it a shot. Do you know of any cheap modular power supplies I could swap it out with? Thanks!

Both the AMD and the intel sockets are nearing the end of their lifecycle. There likely won't be any compatible processors out for either platform that will be much of a gaming upgrade over either the 3570k or the 6300.

Figures! Alright, thanks!

I wanted to jump on the SSD bandwagon as well but I would get 120GB plus if I had to do it over again. I had to strip Windows 7 or 8 down for the bloated 20GB to around 12 -13GB, and I have only Guild Wars 2 and drivers installed. I hover around 20GB free. I use a second 320GB hard drive but I wish my primary was a little larger so I don't debate every time windows wants to update or whatever.

SSD performance is amazing. I used it on my gamer PC with both Windows 7 and 8. 8 boots amazingly fast and I turned off the quick boot mode, (where it hibernates).

Your build is on the right path, not much to add there. I would advise you have enough room for your favorite game and certain programs, like Photoshop

Oh god! I know what you mean! I remember making my primary partition for Windows too small and it completely ruined the experience. I learned from that experience! Thanks for the warning, and I'd like to believe it's going in the right direction! :lol:

 

[kungfufishy]

Would anyone else be interested in weighing in on this build?

 

[kungfufishy]

My humble suggestion. I love AMD, but unfortunately their flagsip CPU's need to be overclocked to match the stock gaming performance of the 3570k, and even then the AMD chip uses twice the power in doing so.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($134.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: MSI TC- (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($27.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98 @ Outlet PC)

Total: $907.88 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

cheers!

Thanks again for the input! I decided to give the i5-3570k and the ASRock Motherboard a shot! Can't wait to give it a go!

Loose the VisionTek psu & get a good quality unit. Corsair, Seasonic, XFX, antec, Silverstone...
-Bruce

Thanks for the input! I did choose to change the power supply. I decided to dump that particular one and go for a better one within similar price range. I decided to go with a Rosewill Hive 550 watt. I believe it'll be worth it as it's modular and bronze certified! We'll see!

I wanted to jump on the SSD bandwagon as well but I would get 120GB plus if I had to do it over again. I had to strip Windows 7 or 8 down for the bloated 20GB to around 12 -13GB, and I have only Guild Wars 2 and drivers installed. I hover around 20GB free. I use a second 320GB hard drive but I wish my primary was a little larger so I don't debate every time windows wants to update or whatever.

SSD performance is amazing. I used it on my gamer PC with both Windows 7 and 8. 8 boots amazingly fast and I turned off the quick boot mode, (where it hibernates).

Your build is on the right path, not much to add there. I would advise you have enough room for your favorite game and certain programs, like Photoshop

Thanks again for the input! I decided that I'd pass on the SSD for now until I can acquire one with more memory at a more reasonable price! I hope it'll be a smart move!

if i were to choose between the fx6300 vs the phenom ii, i'd pick the fx6300 for its lower TDP and 2 extra cores. other than that, the build is pretty good for a gaming/photo editing system in my books.

Thanks again for the input! I decided to give Intel a shot this time around but if another friend or family member is interested in a budget build I'm sure to lead them in that direction!

Thank you all for helping!
If you're interested in knowing what I decided on here are the specs!

Windows 7 Professional 64bit (Free from School)
CM Storm Trooper Full Tower Case
Western Digital Blue 1TB 7200RPM Hard Drive
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO CPU Cooler
Intel i5-3570K Processor
AS Rock z77 Extreme-4 Motherboard (Got it for around $108)
XFX Double D 7850 1Gb Video Card (Got it for $175)
Corsair Vengeance 8Gb 1600 Mhz LP
Samsung Disc Drive 24x DVD Drive
Rosewill Hive 550W Bronze Certified Modular PSU