First Time Building a Desktop - Lots of questions...

[avillabon]

***Admins plz move thread to: Forum>Systems>Homebuilt*** thx!

I know there are hundreds of threads like this one so thanks for taking the time to read my stupidly long post and answer a few of my questions and pointing me in the right direction when it comes to my build. This build will be used primarily for heavy 3D and video work with TONS of rendering and of course some gaming

First things first. I have NEVER built a pc before, i've had laptops for a very long time but am tired of not being able to tweak and upgrade. That is why I ask so many dumb questions. Thanks for your patience in advanced.

I have done some research to see which components i would like (not sure if they are the right ones).

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STORAGE
I already bought an SSD and HDD on what i think were good deals.
SSD: Samsung 840 250gb (not the pro version) - $147
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 3tb 7200 - $119

RAM
No clue what model i should get. I dont think i need the super high end models but i would like 16gb preferably 2x8gb sticks so i can upgrade to 32gb in the future. I know it sounds like overkill but i work with 3D and video so i can never have too much ram. What brand/combo out there would u recommend?

GPU
Not sure what i should get. I have been eyeing the GTX 660 Ti 2gb (around $300) but i came across the 3gb model for $320 is it worth the extra money? Then again i dont know if even the GTX 660 (non ti version) would be a good fit. Is there a noticeable performance difference between the Ti and non Ti versions?

CPU
Heavily leaning towards the Intel Core i7-3770K ($320). I know a lot of people recommend the i5 but since i do video/3D work i think i might see a difference when rendering. Am i right?
Also, how different are these: Intel Core i7-3770K, Intel Core i7-3820 and Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo)? They are all around the same price but since i dont know a lot about this its tought for me to choose.

CPU FAN
Im currently looking at: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO for around $35
Not looking to overclock AT ALL since i have 0 experience when it comes to that. The reason i want a decent fan is because i know how much rendering i do and i want the cpu to be nice and healthy for as long as possible.
Is this fan too noisy? I want to keep noise levels as low as possible.

MOTHERBOARD
Boy am i lost...
From all the threads i have read a lot of people recommend the P8Z77 or the Z77. Then again, there are so many manufacturers and so many models i have no idea which one is the right one.
A few things i would like are: usb 3.0 compatibility, sli ready, sata 6Gb/s and integrated wifi (this is not a dealbreaker but it would be nice to have it)
Do all mobos come with integrated audio or do i need to buy something extra?

PSU
Just like the mobo i dont know what is right/wrong. All i know is it should be able to power a second video card if i choose to add one in the future and maybe a modular would be nice. Would a modular psu make my life easier since this is my first build ever or should i just go with a non modular and save a few bucks?
I read about the Corsair CX500M ($70), does it have enough to power my system?

CASE
I dont want to spend crazy amounts of money and i think a mid tower is enough. I like the idea of having large fans since i have heard they are less noisy than small ones. And having usb 3.0 ports in the fornt would be nice as well.
Options I've looked at: CM Storm Scout ($70), CM Storm Enforcer ($80), CM HAF 912 ($70), CM HAF 922 ($90) and finally the Thermaltake Chaser A31 ($95)

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Other than the products listed here will i need to buy any other cables? Im new to this and dont know if i need wire to connect hdd's, gpu, etc. Something that comes to mind is thermal compound, does it come with the cpu?

With the current components the build comes to around $1350. If you think I could shave a few dollars here and there I would be more than happy to hear your suggestions. If you want me to post links to any of the components just let me know, i didnt want to spam this post with crazy amounts of links.

THANK YOU FOR RIDING IT OUT AND GETTING TO THE END!

ALL YOUR HELP IS VERY VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!

 

[yasserBasha]

BOOOOOOOOOOY I found the post of my dreams

that's why in first place i signed up here ,,, for posts like that

let's get to bossiness

RAM: best of the best on real experience is corsair dominator and g.skill sniper series ... just make sure to get speed 1600 because intel i7 and i5 doesn't support higher speeds and would make the most of it
as for upgrade plans ,,,,, nothing is too much

GPU: get 660 ti it's is more powerful , and 2gb is enough aready even if you want to run application on multiple monitors , you don't really need the 3gb version

CPU: definitely i7 ... but there is difference between 3770k which is for socket 1155 mobo and can be overclocked easily and i7 3820 which is sandy bridge ( newer ) and for socket 2011 mobo (also newer ) so it's your call

MOBO: if you go with i7-3770k get this one : http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4169#sp

or this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4167#sp

if you are to buy i7-3820 (2011) which i recommend since you don't plan to OC ,,, get this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4287#ov

Case : get the CM HAF 922

PSU : you need at least 500w power supply for GPU to run Excellently
make it good brand like 80+bronze or platinum for example .

CPU fan : perfect

BEST WISHES

 

[avillabon]

BOOOOOOOOOOY I found the post of my dreams

that's why in first place i signed up here ,,, for posts like that

let's get to bossiness

RAM: best of the best on real experience is corsair dominator and g.skill sniper series ... just make sure to get speed 1600 because intel i7 and i5 doesn't support higher speeds and would make the most of it
as for upgrade plans ,,,,, nothing is too much

GPU: get 660 ti it's is more powerful , and 2gb is enough aready even if you want to run application on multiple monitors , you don't really need the 3gb version

CPU: definitely i7 ... but there is difference between 3770k which is for socket 1155 mobo and can be overclocked easily and i7 3820 which is sandy bridge ( newer ) and for socket 2011 mobo (also newer ) so it's your call

MOBO: if you go with i7-3770k get this one : http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4169#sp

or this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4167#sp

if you are to buy i7-3820 (2011) which i recommend since you don't plan to OC ,,, get this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4287#ov

Case : get the CM HAF 922

PSU : you need at least 500w power supply for GPU to run Excellently
make it good brand like 80+bronze or platinum for example .

CPU fan : perfect

BEST WISHES

Wow thanks for your help! Im still going through your post and looking at the options. One question i have though.. Is this ram compatible with the mobos you posted?
G.SKILL Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C10D-16GSR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231611&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL032813&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL032813-_-EMC-032813-Index-_-DesktopMemory-_-20231611-L05C

They are going for $103.50 right now and sounds like a good deal to me since other rams (not 1866) are going for the same price. Should i take the plunge?

Thanks

Alex

 

[yasserBasha]

BOOOOOOOOOOY I found the post of my dreams

that's why in first place i signed up here ,,, for posts like that

let's get to bossiness

RAM: best of the best on real experience is corsair dominator and g.skill sniper series ... just make sure to get speed 1600 because intel i7 and i5 doesn't support higher speeds and would make the most of it
as for upgrade plans ,,,,, nothing is too much

GPU: get 660 ti it's is more powerful , and 2gb is enough aready even if you want to run application on multiple monitors , you don't really need the 3gb version

CPU: definitely i7 ... but there is difference between 3770k which is for socket 1155 mobo and can be overclocked easily and i7 3820 which is sandy bridge ( newer ) and for socket 2011 mobo (also newer ) so it's your call

MOBO: if you go with i7-3770k get this one : http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4169#sp

or this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4167#sp

if you are to buy i7-3820 (2011) which i recommend since you don't plan to OC ,,, get this one :
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=4287#ov

Case : get the CM HAF 922

PSU : you need at least 500w power supply for GPU to run Excellently
make it good brand like 80+bronze or platinum for example .

CPU fan : perfect

BEST WISHES

Wow thanks for your help! Im still going through your post and looking at the options. One question i have though.. Is this ram compatible with the mobos you posted?
G.SKILL Sniper Gaming Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-1866C10D-16GSR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231611&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL032813&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL032813-_-EMC-032813-Index-_-DesktopMemory-_-20231611-L05C

They are going for $103.50 right now and sounds like a good deal to me since other rams (not 1866) are going for the same price. Should i take the plunge?

Thanks

Alex

as long as they are DDR3 they are compatible with MOBOs but get cl9 or cl7 instead of cl10

get the 1866 and i could tell you about a way you could benefit from the speed even if your CPU originally doesn't support it, no problem
or get the 1600 (which is default speed ) to save bios tweaks and you won't notice much difference in performance .

best wishes for you ALEX

Yasser

 

[avillabon]

Thanks for all the help so far!

Here is a little bit of an update I went ahead and purchased a few parts but i still have some questions on whats to come.

These are the parts I have gotten so far...

SSD:
Samsung 840 series 250gb - $147
I got this one first and the day after or so there was a deal on the pro version.. it wont go to waste though i will use it for my laptop or just sell it on ebay or something.
Samsung 840 pro series 250gb - $191
Think i got an ok deal and saved a few bucks. Lowest price i have seen in the last couple of weeks since i started to look at parts.

HDD:
Seagate Barracuda 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" - $119.99

CASE:
Cooler Master HAF 922 (Usb 3.0 version) - $79.99 (after $10 mail in rebate)

RAM:
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $101.99

GPU:
MSI N660Ti PE 2GD5/OC GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - $269.99 (after $20 mail in rebate)

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As you can see I have gotten the easy non-scary stuff Now it gets serious!

CPU
Like I said before, I will definitely go with an i7 because of my amount of rendering. But im torn between 3 different models, mainly because I have no idea what the difference is. Then again if choosing one of this will represent a higher cost on the mobo then i'd go for the cheaper one, i think.
i7 3770
i7 3770K
i7 3820

CPU FAN
My main concern is that i am not sure if this fan/heat sink will fit since the ram I already purchased has heat sinks. Still think the Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO is the way to go but i havent pulled the trigger yet until im 100% sure it will fit. Any help on this would be very much appreciated!

MOBO
This is still undecided since i still dont know what CPU to go for. The one thing i'd really really like to have is wifi. Unless of course i could save a few bucks and get a wifi adapter I have saved the links to the mobos posted here earlier but to be honest i dont understand what is good and bad from mobos..

PSU
I dont think i need anything fancy just have enough juice to power all the components correctly. Modular would be a plus (from what i have read) but if i can save a few bucks then forget modular! hehe

DVD Drive
Optional... not in a rush. There are hundreds to choose from and dont really understand the high price difference between many of them. I would like a dvd-read/write drive, nothing fancy but nothing super slow (when burning) either.

Thanks again!

Alex

 

[yasserBasha]

ALEX ALEX my dear friend
is always a delight to see posts and updates by you and i'll be more than happy to provide any kind of help that will benefit you

so .. let's get to business again

as for the hyper 212 evo, the case is spacious enough to accommodate the cooler, this is why i recommended it

as for the mobo :
both are high quality w/ top-class components but again 3770k is one cpu, 3820 is another (different sockets)
for the 3820 (socket 2011) here is a wi-fi mobo w/ price:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128533&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

and this is the processor :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115229&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

that's a combo w/ discount by the way

as for the 3770k here is wi-fi mobo :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131853&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Motherboards%20-%20Intel-_-ASUS-_-13131853&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

and the processor :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116501&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Processors%20-%20Desktops-_-Intel-_-19116501&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

AGAIN combo offer
but i recommend socket 1155 combo ( i7-3770k ) less cost, and all benchmarks shows that it's best for 3D rendering and other stuff, besides the x79(2011) gets overheated under heavy load of work so it won't be good 4 u

psu : like i said you need at least 500w but i think this will be good deal
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171037&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Power%20Supplies-_-Cooler%20Master-_-17171037&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

and the optical drive :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-CD/DVD%20Burners%20(RW%20Drives)-_-ASUS-_-27135204&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

it's excellent rating (4.5 based on 181 review) and personally i would get it
may i in future would own enough money to build my dream pc as well

hope this can help, waiting for your next update post my friend

Yasser

 

[yasserBasha]

here r some benchmarks :

http://cpuboss.com/cpus/Intel-Core-i7-3820-vs-Intel-Core-i7-3770K

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/523?vs=551

 

[avillabon]

Three questions that arise from your last post:

1. I know the haf 922 can fit the hyper 212 evo, my concern is if it will fit with my RAM since the have heatsyncs and the sit right next to the cpu fan.

2. I spent a few hours reading up on the 3770k vs 3820 and for me the clear winner is the 3770k. I will get the 3770k but i cant seem to find the combo you were providing. The links take me to the cpu and mobo separately but no combo. Could u please provide a link? Other than that i will look at some mobos, not sure i am a big fan of that 3 star rating on newegg.

3. The psu seems a bit pricey, thought i could keep it under $100... I'll dig around and see what i can find in the 650w area.

Again, thanks for your help!

Alex

***UPDATE: I found the CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply for $89.99 - $10 (instant) - $20 (mail in rebate) = $59.99
I know this would be enough power but is it a good fit or even compatible with my build?

 

[yasserBasha]

Three questions that arise from your last post:

1. I know the haf 922 can fit the hyper 212 evo, my concern is if it will fit with my RAM since the have heatsyncs and the sit right next to the cpu fan.

2. I spent a few hours reading up on the 3770k vs 3820 and for me the clear winner is the 3770k. I will get the 3770k but i cant seem to find the combo you were providing. The links take me to the cpu and mobo separately but no combo. Could u please provide a link? Other than that i will look at some mobos, not sure i am a big fan of that 3 star rating on newegg.

3. The psu seems a bit pricey, thought i could keep it under $100... I'll dig around and see what i can find in the 650w area.

Again, thanks for your help!

Alex

***UPDATE: I found the CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply for $89.99 - $10 (instant) - $20 (mail in rebate) = $59.99
I know this would be enough power but is it a good fit or even compatible with my build?

Ok my friend when it gets serious, it gets serious

first things first ... PSU is great and compatible

the RAM and it's heat sink will fit, again the case is spacious i've seen cooler master x6 cpu cooler and noctua side by side with ram that has AIRFLOW fan in corsair 400R case so it will

AS for the mobo's :

here are 2 of the best i could find , they have high ratings based on many reviews and one of them is recommended by ANANDTECH

1- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130660&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Motherboards%20-%20Intel-_-MSI-_-13130660&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

MSI is top-class brand and the name is shining nowadays, which gives you peace of mind when it comes to components & reliability

2- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131818&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Motherboards%20-%20Intel-_-ASUS-_-13131818&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

This is the ANANDTECH's editor's choice. It's a bit pricier than MSI but if you seek quality guarantee from reliable expert like anandtech you should expect some extra charge

( the msi supports bluetooth v3.0 but asus supports the same and v4.0 in addition)

look at the detailed specs :
MSI-
http://www.msi.com/product/mb/Z77-MPOWER.html#/?div=Detail

Asus - http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/P8Z77V_DELUXE/#specifications
And again, i'll be more than happy to provide any sort of help that can do you benefit
Till next time my friend

Yasser

 

[yasserBasha]

Hello my dear friend Alex ...
how r u doing ?
I haven't heard from you long time ... hope you completed your build

One question though : DID YOU get the psu ?
If not, reply to me asap

 

[avillabon]

Hello my dear friend Alex ...
how r u doing ?
I haven't heard from you long time ... hope you completed your build

One question though : DID YOU get the psu ?
If not, reply to me asap

Hey!

Yes, i did get it, why? Something wrong?

After a lot of reading and researching i got my last component last night. I should have all the parts by tuesday or wednesday and then ill put it together.

 

[yasserBasha]

Hello my dear friend Alex ...
how r u doing ?
I haven't heard from you long time ... hope you completed your build

One question though : DID YOU get the psu ?
If not, reply to me asap

Hey!

Yes, i did get it, why? Something wrong?

After a lot of reading and researching i got my last component last night. I should have all the parts by tuesday or wednesday and then ill put it together.

Hello my friend

Nothing wrong .. don't worry but i was gonna tell you about a top-level PSU (seasonic) with great price, thought it would be best thing for your build since you're planning heavy work with 3-D rendering and stuff,but corsair is great also
which mobo did you got ?
and did the RAMs & CPU cooler fit together (like i said they would ?

Waiting for your updates, buddy

 

[avillabon]

I got this mobo yesterday for $105: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
I wanted to save a few bucks as muy build was getting pretty expensive already.

Here is a link to my final build although i payed much much less... About $1550 (including monitor, and windows license)
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/avillabon/saved/1pAS

Most things are still in the mail so i wont be putting it together until next week.

 

[yasserBasha]

I got this mobo yesterday for $105: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837
I wanted to save a few bucks as muy build was getting pretty expensive already.

Here is a link to my final build although i payed much much less... About $1550 (including monitor, and windows license)
http://pcpartpicker.com/user/avillabon/saved/1pAS

Most things are still in the mail so i wont be putting it together until next week.

NO Wi-Fi ?!!!!

 

[yasserBasha]

why didn't you get the ASUS optical drive .... liteon is the cheapest in both price and quality

 

[avillabon]

NO Wi-Fi ?!!!!

why didn't you get the ASUS optical drive .... liteon is the cheapest in both price and quality

I did get wifi (8th on the list): TP-Link TL-WN881ND 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter

As for the optical drive i know i will pretty much NEVER use it so i didnt see the need to get a better one.

 

[yasserBasha]

I thought that you will purchace some games DVDs ... and i noticed the external card but i was asking about wi-fi mobo that's all

i'm glad that you finally got your build together , Have a great PC my friend

AND i'm glad i could help you

 

[avillabon]

I thought that you will purchace some games DVDs ... and i noticed the external card but i was asking about wi-fi mobo that's all

i'm glad that you finally got your build together , Have a great PC my friend

AND i'm glad i could help you

Im a big fan of steam or anything cloud based.. Not a big fan of dvds i can lose
As for the wifi mobo.. i really wanted to saved some money and i got a very good deal on the one i got.

I should have it built by late next week. I'll keep u posted

 

[yasserBasha]

I thought that you will purchace some games DVDs ... and i noticed the external card but i was asking about wi-fi mobo that's all

i'm glad that you finally got your build together , Have a great PC my friend

AND i'm glad i could help you

Im a big fan of steam or anything cloud based.. Not a big fan of dvds i can lose
As for the wifi mobo.. i really wanted to saved some money and i got a very good deal on the one i got.

I should have it built by late next week. I'll keep u posted

I'll be more than happy my friend .... i'd like to be friend with you if you don't mind, do you have an account on a social network ?

 

[avillabon]

look me up on twitter @avillabon