Built new desktop gaming computer

vincenntxue

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Feb 13, 2013
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Basically had a bunch of friends who've been doing this for years, help me put this together. They were a little in argument over which motherboard to choose, tower, etc. But I decided to spend a little more on some stuff, just because I might as well.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/DgbM
What I got to come up with.

Now there is a version of this build I could make for $930, but it would be with a much lesser tower, and diff motherboard.
However, like I said decided to spend that little extra considering I went out to get that nice graphics, etc.



My question to you guys though, what do you think of the build? Pretty good overall?
((Just wanna make sure everything goes together, like I said though this was picked out by some friends. One mostly who's been doing this most his life, he's 57 now haha.))
 
I would pay less for the case . Most of the features you pay a lot for really dont do anything , but cases are personal choice .

I would use the TX 650 power supply

and I would use an SSD as a boot drive

The GTX 670 has the reference cooler . Other models with dual or triple fans will run cooler and quieter
 

camohanna

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This is much better.

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Encore ENUWI-G2 802.11b/g USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($9.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF XM (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($129.99 @ Best Buy)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($66.24 @ Amazon)
Total: $1117.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-13 19:09 EST-0500)
 

camohanna

Distinguished
Or cheaper , no oc build

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

CPU: Intel Core i5-3470 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($149.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: ASRock H77M Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($39.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($75.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($445.91 @ Newegg)
Wireless Network Adapter: Encore ENUWI-G2 802.11b/g USB 2.0 Wi-Fi Adapter ($9.85 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($66.24 @ Amazon)
Total: $917.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-13 19:11 EST-0500)
 
Gaming you definitely DONT need intel .

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/fx-8350-8320-6300-4300_6.html#sect0

At 1080p resolution , and the difference between the best intels and the AMD FX processors is a couple of fps at most .
Benchmarks are very specific . Unless you use their exact hardware and image settings they are meaningless . And since you are using a 60Hz monitor any low resolution result showing higher fps for the intel is meaningless ... even at low resolutions . A 60 Hz monitor can only ever display 60 fps anyway.

So lets compare the results at 1080p
Crysis 2
Intels 3570K 62.1 fps
AMD FX8320 60.6 fps

Batman Arkham City
Intel 3570K 73 fps
AMD FX 8320 68 fps
 

vincenntxue

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Feb 13, 2013
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Ty all. Tbh, I've heard nothing but good about the AMD 8350 chosen. Same with the gtx 670. My only concern is that I'm probably paying way too much for a tower, however since I put so much money into this, I want it to go into something nice, ya know? Plus it was suggested anyways, and I know in summer this room can get blazing hot. ((Hoping to change that.))

I'm not really wanting to switch the build, I've had people telling me different builds left and right, but they all agreed each was good. Seemed more like fanboy based to me, haha.

I do however have another question. Would this be capable of running 1440p or whatever? Or is that going to cost a lot more cash? And with that said..
All in all, is this a good build? That's what I'm mainly asking. I mean do you see something in the build that just doesn't make sense at all?
 

vincenntxue

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Feb 13, 2013
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Gotcha, I've just never experienced something like that before, and would really love to. I'm assuming I would need to get a 1440p capable monitor. Would it also be able to switch back to 1080p if I wanted? Incase I'd rather have it run at ultra smoothly.
Also, what kind of difference am I looking at playing between 1080p and 1440p? ((Again I'm new to this stuff, just now getting into it heavily.)) Does it have something to do with the refresh rate where movements look realistic, or?



Oh, and what did you mean by other models of the Gtx 670? Like a 680? Or just a different Gtx 670. And are you heavily recommending I switch? I originally was sticking with a gtx 660, but decided to up it. It's basically what everyone recommended, and they told me it would basically be "kick ass"
 



Modern versions of windows automatically reset the resolution to the displays native resolution . Plug it in and go .

There is no advantage to having a 1440p resolution screen set to run at 1080p . If you do the monitor has to interpolate the image from the computer and you get a fuzzy image . Its better to set the game details a little lower and stay at native resolution .

A 1080p screen has 1920 x 1080 = 2,073,600 pixels

a 1440p screen has 2560 x 1440 = 3,686,400 pixels
that all need to calculated and displayed by the graphics card

Performance will scale fairly linearly so you can expect fps a little over half what you would get with a 1080 screen . But you can also double your fps by changing AA setting from 4x to 2x and that is not a huge difference in picture quality
In practice a GTX 670 will still game well at 1440p
If anything its a little bit of overkill for 1080p
 
and intel are NOT better for gaming

Yes you can get more FPS out of an intel build at low resolutions , but as I said before when the screen can only every display 60 fps because it refreshes at 60 HZ [ 60 fps] the advantage is meaningless and does not change the user experience at all

By the time you are at 1080p resolution the differences between AMD and intel are tiny , and sometimes in the AMD's favor depending on the game and image settings
 

vincenntxue

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Feb 13, 2013
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Ah ok, good to know. Well right now a 1440p monitor is a bit out of my budget, considering what I spent on the desktop. For now I'll find a good 1080p monitor and use that. As for the gtx 670 being an overkill, I may still get it, so when I can afford getting that 1440p monitor, I'll do it. Maybe dual monitor if it's possible to have a 1080p one and a 1440p at once, haha.
Is the gtx 670 series pretty good though? I've noticed people either using this, or radeon in there builds. In all honestly I do not know the difference between the two, and am assuming they're the same thing but different brands, just about.
 

vincenntxue

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What's IPS stand for? I had someone give me that term too, when I was wanting to buy a budget monitor. As long as it'll take advantage of my desktop I built, I'll be happy. As for the 1440p stuff, I'll have to look around at monitors in store if they maybe got them set up, and see what the difference can be.


Also back to the video card question, I am a bit worried from it being too loud. Does the fan only run if it starts to get hot? Since it's such a powerful graphics card, would it most likely not get hot? And with all that said, considering the case and the cooler I'm getting, that should keep the temps down anyways right
 
In plane switching
The screens look better and dont change color as much when you move to one side , but cost more than cheap tn models

The graphics card fan spins all the time . It wont be loud when you are surfing or writing emails but those fans sound like leaf blowers when you load them up .

Gigabyte make a model with 3 large axial fans , other manufacturers use dual fan solutions
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_670_Windforce/
and particularly
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Gigabyte/GeForce_GTX_670_Windforce/27.html

3 Db increase means the noise doubles [ more or less] and under load its 8 db quieter than the fan on the reference cooler
 

vincenntxue

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So are there any benefits to the one I have on my list now? ((For example will it stay at a decent temp because maybe it has a stronger fan, hence being louder. )) Or is the gigabyte the exact same thing just quieter?
 

vincenntxue

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What's the warranty like? I spoke to someone who ha a evga 580 gtx and he says the temp stays cool, and the warranty is very good.
 

paixe

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Feb 14, 2013
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How can you say that Intel isnt better for gaming?. Intel surely got more $ spent for performance. But Intel should run way better when overclocking, generally because they run cooler. And generally Intel should last longer.
Sure amd got some awesome cpu's and graphic cards, no doubt about it.
 


It was easy to say because its true . The intels ability to make higher frame rates at low resolutions is no advantage at all to a person playing games at 1080p , and none to a person playing at low resolution either since their monitor will never display more that 60fps no matter what .

The intel socket 1155 does have an advantage of using less power , but you have to keep that in perspective . At gaming load the additional cost of running the AMD is around 1 cent per hour in the US . At idle reading an email its about 2 cents a week .
The socket 2011 build you recommend wont even perform as well when gaming as 1155 , and it uses more power than an FX build .

If you compare a 3570k and an FX 8350 [ which costs $20less ] the 8350 kicks sand in the intels face in many productivity and encoding applications

And the FX will overclock higher than the intel .
 

paixe

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Feb 14, 2013
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And why do you beleive that intel is only good at running at low resolutions? I've never, never heard such statement before. And I don't beleive its true. So you might aswell give me a link so i can see that it's true?.

And actually, that amd processor isn't that great as you make it sound like. And why even chose the i5 for compareing?. You would love to compare to a CPU that got way lower threads?. Ofc it suck against the amd that got 8 threads. Compare it to this Core i7 I7-3770K
and read about hyper-threading http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/architecture-and-technology/hyper-threading/hyper-threading-technology.html

And actually, if both got same cooling on them, intel will have better overclocking because of amd running hot from stock.
 

paixe

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Feb 14, 2013
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I would recommend you to get another motherboard. That motherboard doesn't have pci-e 3.0 support, which would make the pc run pretty much better. If you're going with pci-e 2.0 you will lose some of the new stuff that nvidia and intel made for it to run faster. for example adaptive vsync = http://www.hardocp.com/images/articles/1334549254xAknM1AAS2_1_7_l.gif