New Computer Builds

[Disconnected]

So, I haven't built a PC for myself in quite a while and I haven't really been keeping up to date on CPUs and GPUs. Unfortunately, because of that, I feel a little bit uneasy committing to a build without getting some recommendations (or "OKs") from people who are likely to know better than me. That's where you come in Computer Build / Upgrade Help board.

The first build is going to be the PC I build for myself. The specs are below:
Case: Corsair Obsidian Series 650D
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4
Video Card: EVGA GTX 670 Superclocked+ w/ Backplate 4GB
CPU: i5 3570k
PSU: Corsair HX750
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866
Heatsink: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
SDD: Samsung 830 256GB
HDD: Western Digital Black 1TB

From the research I've done, most of these parts seem to be pretty common, with the exception of the GPU. However, I looked into the reviews of the card and I can't seem to find anything wrong with it. Still, I'd feel better if you guys could look over that build and point out any glaring flaws.

The second build is supposed to be a PC that's designed to replace a PC that my parents use. Since they don't use it often, use it only for simple tasks, and don't like huge towers, I tried to go on the smaller side with this build. The specs are below:
Case: Thermaltake Element Q w/ 200W PSU
Motherboard: ASRock H77M-ITX
CPU: i5 3570k
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Heatsink: Thermaltake Frio Overclocking-Ready
HDD: Western Digital Blue 500GB

The main "worry" I have with this build is that I have absolutely 0 experience going small. You can clearly see that from the fact that I decided to go with an i5 3570k and 8GB of RAM, even though most of that power will probably end up not being used. I know many of you have experience building HTPCs and since I'm pretty much shooting for the same specs as an HTPC (maybe a little bit better), I would like your input.

Any helpful recommendations or advice, whether upgrades or downgrades, would be great. Please help me out MMO-Champion!

[Lathais]

First build, the PSU is quite a bit overkill, other than that, nice high end system I think. A good 80+ Certified 450w PSU would be enough though seeing as you are not running Dual GPUs or anything. A 500w if you wanted to play it safe. a 750w is just way way overkill.

On the second build, you have an overclockable CPU on an MB that won't support OCing. If you are going to OC it you need a Z77 board, if you are not you can cut back on the CPU and do not really need more than the stock HS+Fan.

[Nab]

Your first build is solid, I'd downgrade the PSU to a 600-650W. No need for that much power in a single GPU system. Now, on your second build. I doubt your parents are going to overclock so no need for an i5 3570k or a top-end motherboard. Intel Core i5-3450 , ASRock H77 Pro4-M would be fine.

[Disconnected]

Awesome guys, just the kind of advice I was looking for. Going to downgrade to a 650W PSU since I trust Corsair the most and wasn't able to find a modular one under 650W. Either way, saved myself $30 so that's still a plus. Also going to swap out the i5 3570k on the second build for an i3 3225 mainly because it allows me to still keep the Intel HD Graphics 4000 so I don't have to get a GPU but it still reduces the price by almost $90.

Other than those 2 changes, can anyone else think of anything else that would be beneficial for me to swap out? Otherwise, I'll order the parts at the end of the week.

[BruceG87]

Awesome guys, just the kind of advice I was looking for. Going to downgrade to a 650W PSU since I trust Corsair the most and wasn't able to find a modular one under 650W. Either way, saved myself $30 so that's still a plus. Also going to swap out the i5 3570k on the second build for an i3 3225 mainly because it allows me to still keep the Intel HD Graphics 4000 so I don't have to get a GPU but it still reduces the price by almost $90.

Other than those 2 changes, can anyone else think of anything else that would be beneficial for me to swap out? Otherwise, I'll order the parts at the end of the week.

Depending on what you are doing, and what resolution you are doing it on.. the 4GB card could honestly be overkill.While I love my evga 670 ftw 2GB card, which lets me game at 1440p resolution quite respectably, the coolers on them are rated rather low among the competition.

On another note, EVGA claim their Superclocked and FTW model cards come with higher binned parts. Regardless of that, most people can purchase a base model card and overclock it to "Superclocked" status without breaking a sweat. FTW model cards come with the highest factory overclock, but tend to have little room to overclock beyond that due to the limitations of the GPU cooler design.

I think what sells most superclocked and ftw model cards is the warranty. You can't beat EVGA's warranty and customer support.

TLDR - 4GB card could be a waste if you do not game at high resolution. EVGA warranty is awesome, and probably the ideal route if you are not overclocking. Otherwise..EVGA cards don't overclock well. EVGA coolers can't compete with other companies cooler designs.

EDIT - If you are set on a 4GB evga card, the 4GB FTW is the same price as the 4GB Superclocked on the EVGA website, while sporting a higher factory clocks as I mentioned earlier, and a slightly more sporty looking design.

[Xuvial]

The first build is fairly rock-solid, probably with the exception of the GPU - unless you're running something like triple-monitor or at least 1400p, 4GB vRAM is wasted. Even for "futureproofing" purposes. I'll give you an example - recently I tried Crysis 2 with MaLDo's HD texture mod, said to be THE most vRAM-intensive stuff ever (other than heavily modded Skyrim). I only managed to fill-out 1.5gb vRAM at 1080p.

I would much rather grab an Asus GTX670 DCII (has a sexy backplate) or Gigabyte GTX670 OC Windforce...both will be cheaper, cooler, vastly quieter and sturdy overclockers. I know everyone's telling you to downgrade the PSU, but I would keep it for the following reasons:
> It's modular
> Corsair has beautifully sleeved cable sets for their HX/AX series (in different colors!) which you may consider since the 650D has a window
> Keeps things roomy for another 670 in the future for SLI while remaining around ~60-75% PSU wattage which is the efficiency sweet-spot.
PSU wattage is always a fairly debated topic around here so it's merely my suggestion.

As for the second build for your parents, H77 miniITX board + i3 3225 is good but drop the Tt Frio cooler. Not only will it not fit in most mini-ITX cases or end up being a major pain (it's goddamn HUGE), it would be pointless over a stock cooler for an i3 chip because there's no overclocking to be done. What's funny is that the Tt Frio is superior to the Hyper212 which you're using for your gaming build :P

So using the money you saved from downgrading the CPU and getting rid of a cooler, purchase a Samsung 830 series 64gb (at least) for the OS+Programs, your parents will greatly appreciate it. I know mine did. At this point there is really no excuse for not having an SSD in even the lowest of builds, the wonders they do to keep the system speedy and zippy for years and years is worth every cent.

[Disconnected]

First of all, the reason I am going with the 4GB GPU is because I intend to run 2 monitors at 1080p. Will either the Asus GTX670 DCII or Gigabyte GTX670 OC Windforce be capable of doing that? If so, I will look into one of those instead. I also did not know that the FTW card is better than the Superclocked (if I read that correctly) so if neither of the other 2 cards can meet my needs, I'll definitely look into the FTW card before committing.

I decided to downgrade to a 650W PSU but I really don't want to go lower for the reasons I gave in my earlier post. I'm absolutely in love with Corsair's modular PSUs and 650 is the lowest I was able to find.

Lastly, I forgot to mention that I did drop the Frio CPU cooler after Lathais' recommendations. I wasn't sure if the stock CPU cooler would be enough given how small the case is so I decided to go with a better CPU cooler than my primary build (since that one has plenty of fans) but completely forgot that most of the heat is usually from GPUs, which won't be present in the second build. I also forgot to mention an SSD in the second build but I have a 64GB M4 SSD sitting around that I intend to use.

So, other than the GPU issues with the first build, everything else looks solid?

[Xuvial]

With 2 monitors at 1080p you'll still only be gaming on one monitor and browsing/etc on the other, something which uses little or no vRam. I don't know anyone who spans their game across 2 monitors because then "middle" of the game screen will be seperated by a fat bezel rendering most of them extremely annoying or borderline unplayable.

The case for an Asus/Gigabyte 2GB card still stands strong because:

> The EVGA 4GB costs a whopping $50 more than the Asus/Gigabyte 2GB variants.

> The 4GB edition has roughly the same core/boost clocks to the Asus/Gigabyte variants (the Asus can be easily ramped-up to the same level) meaning that at 1080/1200p you'll see exactly the same performance. Heck even at 1400p you'll see exactly the same performance.

> EVGA 4GB will run hotter and noticeably louder, thanks to the blower-style single fan and smaller heatsink

> This is the most important one - for the same price you can get an HD7970 Ghz 3GB, at which point there's just no way you can justify blowing $450 on a GTX670 because the 7970 Ghz already owns it in most benches and has superior overclocking and voltage control, leaving the 670 even further behind.

Everything else looks solid.

[Disconnected]

Hmm, alright, thanks for the information Xuvial. Like I said, I was iffy about the GPU from the start and from what you're telling me, I was right to be iffy about it. I'll definitely look into one of the 2GB cards you mentioned then. I'll keep checking in on this thread over the next couple of days just in case but unless someone has something else to add, I'll go ahead and make the changes that were already mentioned and order the parts Friday night.

[BruceG87]

Hmm, alright, thanks for the information Xuvial. Like I said, I was iffy about the GPU from the start and from what you're telling me, I was right to be iffy about it. I'll definitely look into one of the 2GB cards you mentioned then. I'll keep checking in on this thread over the next couple of days just in case but unless someone has something else to add, I'll go ahead and make the changes that were already mentioned and order the parts Friday night.

As I mentioned earlier, I game just fine on my 2GB evga 670 ftw card at 2560x1440 resolution at high/ultra settings in most games.

If I could go back and build my current rig all over again, I would definitely look at different brands that sport more efficient/quiter coolers. At the stock clocks, under load my card quickly hits the 70c throttle point and begins to sound like an F-18 engine ramping up to full power. This is rather annoying as I simply have no room to overclock my card. Don't make the same mistake I did if you intend to overclock your GPU.

My mistake will ultimately cost me another $70 to mod my card as I want something much more quiet and cooler.