7 replies to this topic

[joabe]

time for an upgrade. I will be playing GW2 mainly, but hope this PC lasts 4+ years. I built the computer I am using now (my first and only build) Most of my info on components I get from techreport.com, they seem to have very easy to follow reviews and builds.

Current (old) system and what I paid back then
(march 2008)


Component
Item
Price
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
$239.99
Motherboard
Abit IP35 Pro
$174.99
Memory
Mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2-800
$88.99
Graphics
eVGA GeForce 8800 GTS 512MB
$289.99
Storage
Samsung SpinPoint F1 750GB
$149.99
Samsung SH-S203B
$29.99
Audio
Creative X-Fi XtremeGamer
$80.99
Power supply
PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750
$169.99
Enclosure
Antec P182
$149.99
Monitor
Dell 2408wfp
$499.99


here is the proposed system for about the same cost
The Modified July Sweet Spot (mostly cut and pasted this info from techreport.com)


Component
Item
Price
Processor
Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz
$229.99
Motherboard
Asus P8Z77-V LK
$139.99
Memory
Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600
$43.99
Graphics
EVGA GeForce GTX 670
$399.99
Storage
Samsung 830 Series 128GB
$144.99
Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
$89.99
Asus DRW-24B1ST
$19.99
Audio
Asus Xonar DG
$29.99
Enclosure
NZXT H2
$99.99
Power supply
Seasonic M12II 520W
$59.99
cooling
Cooler Master's Hyper 212 Plus
$20.00
OS
Windows 7 premium – 64 bit
$179.00
Monitor
need advice


Here are the reason and thoughts for my choices along with some questions i have

Processor
The fully unlocked Core i5-3570K has come down in price.
Is it fairly easy to overclock, or should I get help from someone who knows what they are doing?


Motherboard
this mobo has 4 external USB 3.0 ports, sideways-mounted Serial ATA ports (which won't get in the way of long GPU coolers), and excellent fan speed controls.


Memory
Memory is dirt-cheap right now, and thanks to Windows 7's clever caching system, which keeps oft-used programs in memory unless you need the RAM for something else, this kind of upgrade yields real performance benefits. Note that we've selected DDR3-1600 modules, because Ivy Bridge supports 1600MHz memory speeds out of the box.


Graphics
going with EVGA's take on the GTX 670 here, mainly because it's one of the few models in stock right now. Too bad 670 variants with custom coolers aren't on virtual shelves, though. The GTX 670's stock fan is noisy at idle and doesn't cool the card as quietly as it should under load.
downgrade graphics to save $180?
XFX Radeon HD 7850 $219.99
There's a lot to like about the Radeon HD 7850: not only is it faster than previous-generation offerings, but it's more power-efficient, as well. 7000-series Radeons generally take kindly to overclocking, based on what we've seen.




Storage
Samsung's 830 Series 128GB gets the nod here for its attractive price and blistering performance.
pairing with a mechanical sidekick: Samsung's 1TB Spinpoint F3. The 1TB Spinpoint F3 is a long-time TR favorite because of its high performance and low noise.
How do I configure the SSD as a cache for the mechanical drive? SSD caching can deliver substantial performance improvements without forcing users to pick and choose what gets stored on the SSD.
Do I bother to get a blu-ray vs the standard drive? I dont watch movies on my PC.
LG WH14NS40 Blu-ray burner $69.99


Audio
editors choice, and for only $30, i'm guessing it will be a welcome upgrade over the mobo


Enclosure
The H2 ticks all of the right boxes—bottom-mounted power supply emplacement, cut-outs in the motherboard tray, generous cable-routing options, and tool-less hard-drive bays—while adding noise-dampening foam, a cleverly designed external hard-drive dock, tool-less front fan mounts, and a whole host of other niceties. At $100, the H2 fits in our budget.


Power supply
80 Plus Bronze-rated power supply from Seasonic (which, incidentally, happens to make PSUs for some of the more enthusiast-focused hardware companies out there). The M12II 520 Bronze doesn't have the highest wattage rating, but 520W is enough for this build. Seasonic even covers this puppy with a five-year warranty.


Cooling
anyone aspiring to overclock or to build a truly quiet PC will likely want to explore aftermarket alternatives. Cooler Master's Hyper 212 Plus $20.


Monitor-
can I get an upgrade over my current one for less than $200? I like having USB/SD card slots in my monitor. I currently use dell 2408WFP. Its been very good to me, althought it runs hot.


Advice??????


Thanks for any input!!!

-Joabe

[Silentverdict]

Overall it looks like YOU could be giving solid advice here, that's a very good looking build.

answering a few questions:

The CPU should be easy to overclock. It's unlocked so that makes it way easier, it all depends on the Motherboard to see how easy it is, but yours looks good, they pretty much all have easy to OC settings now. You won't be able to do SandyBridge level overclocks easily (5ghz+) but anything in the 4-4.5 range should be really easy.

The Graphics card is fantastic, I love my 670. My friend has the EVGA one, and as long as he has custom fan settings (the stock fanspeed curve sucks, make sure to use rivatuner or EVGA precision X to adjust the speed yourself) it stays cool without being too loud. If you want to save some money, I'd jump down $100 and go with the 7870 Ghz edition. It's got a really nice price/performance ratio. I prefer the 670 myself, but that one will serve you well as an alternative.

As for the SSD, someone else will have to help you with using that as a cache, but I can tell you that if you wait for a sale you should be able to pick up an 830 with 240gb for around $40 more than you're paying for the 128gb. SSDs right now are having a price war, and it's awesome. I think you'll really want the extra storage, lets you worry less about how many games you have on it.

I don't think blu ray is worth it, especially if you don't watch many movies. I hardly even use my DVD drive. Ever.

Sweet build overall.

[joabe]

Thanks! I will look into the 7870. I will definately be watching for some back to school sales coming up. I'm thinking an ASUS VE248Q for my monitor at the moment.

[Silentverdict]

From what I can see that looks like a good monitor, you'd end up very happy with that setup.

[Lakevren]

Thanks! I will look into the 7870. I will definately be watching for some back to school sales coming up. I'm thinking an ASUS VE248Q for my monitor at the moment.

That monitor is going to be a downgrade, overall, except for perhaps for latency, where the Asus one might be faster.
Reason? The Asus one is a pathetic TN panel, where the Dell one is a VA panel. The latter will likely have better image quality and definitely better viewing angles. That and the resolution for the Dell one is 1920 x 1200 whereas the Asus one is 1920 x 1080.

[joabe]

good to know about the monitor. I am feeling more confident about my choices now. the one exception being the power supply. I'm not sure if 520W will be enough. I think it can handle the system, and I do not plan on upgrading any parts later on, but I never want to be short on power. I read that if you have too much wattage on your power supply that extra power is just converted to heat, which I don't like the sound of either. It's about finding that happy medium. Any suggestions? And do i need to worry about the 80+ bronze-silver-gold ratings?

[SolidSteve]

I read that if you have too much wattage on your power supply that extra power is just converted to heat, which I don't like the sound of either. It's about finding that happy medium. Any suggestions? And do i need to worry about the 80+ bronze-silver-gold ratings?

Where did you read that? it doesn't really make sense (I don't know much about PC power supplies, but I have built quite a few PSUs for other applications). The only logic I could see is that a $100, 500W PSU is higher quality than a $100 800W PSU, therefore it runs cooler and quieter. But it doesn't seem to make sense if your assuming equal quality supplies.

[Beiufin]

I read that if you have too much wattage on your power supply that extra power is just converted to heat, which I don't like the sound of either. It's about finding that happy medium.

Woah woah woah, no that is completely wrong. Your power supply will only feed you computer what your computer asks for. The higher wattage just means it can handle/ supply more power if needed.

Any suggestions? And do i need to worry about the 80+ bronze-silver-gold ratings?

Huzzah, wikipedia! Bassically, the higher the 80+ rating, the more energy you'll save!
(Wasted energy is turned into heat)


EDIT: I guess I should add more... For that setup, I'd recommend a 550W PSU. Here is one with 80+ Platinum, people say they can't get it to produce enough heat to even trigger its internal fans...
Ofc, If you plan on overclocking then I would get a PSU with at least 600W.