Would some feedback on a computer build

[Deleted]

Yo, I'm assembling a computer for a friend and I'd love to get some feedback on the parts I picked.

The budget is ~9k SEK which translates to ~$1300-$1400, although I'm not sure how prices for computer parts compare in Sweden. The goal is to get a rig that runs new games great (without going extreme). He's also a photographer and will work with huge image files in Adobe PS etc.

Here's the build:

At Komplett.se (the site we intend to order from)
At PC Part Picker

And in plain text:

Case: Fractal Design Define XL Black Pearl ATX (the full tower)
CPU: Intel i5-3570K 3.4GHz (Quad Core, boxed fan)
GPU: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 660Ti (2GB)
HDD: WD Caviar Black 500GB (7200RPM)
Mobo: ASUS P8Z77-V
PSU: Corsair CX (600W)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3-1866MHz (CL9)
SSD: Crucial M4 128GB

And here come some questions:

I don't know much about SSDs, what defines a high quality SSD? It's more important it reads faster than it writes if that's relevant, but a safe SSD is definitely to be preferred over a fast. I heard some SSDs have high fail rates and we don't want that.

My friend doesn't intend to OC so I figured the boxed CPU fan should provide sufficient cooling, but somebody said it's noisy and weak and could be upgraded cheap. Any input on this?

As for the RAM - assuming the same CL - what's the speed difference between, say, 1866MHz and 2133MHz sticks?

Full tower vs midi tower, I guess these parts would fit in a midi tower (right?) but I'm under the impression a full tower has better air flow... Does it really matter?

Oh and semi-relevant; Does Newegg and similar sites ship free to Sweden? I noticed some parts are a lot cheaper but if we have to pay for international shipping it's probably not worth the hassle.



Thanks in advance!

edit: Lol didn't notice the typo in the title. I meant I'd love some feedback. *ahem*

[vesseblah]

I don't know much about SSDs, what defines a high quality SSD? It's more important it reads faster than it writes if that's relevant, but a safe SSD is definitely to be preferred over a fast. I heard some SSDs have high fail rates and we don't want that.

Crucial M4 (the one you picked) and Samsung 830 are generally considered to be the safest and best picks for normal use. Those have very low failure rate and good enough speed. Some drives like OCZ Vertex4 would be faster but you probably don't see the speed difference outside benchmarks anyway and OCZ is a brand which has really bad reputation from few years ago even though they've cleaned up their act recently.

My friend doesn't intend to OC so I figured the boxed CPU fan should provide sufficient cooling, but somebody said it's noisy and weak and could be upgraded cheap. Any input on this?

Cheap is relative. It'll be around 30-40€ more for quieter CPU heatsink but it wont matter in silent case at all.

As for the RAM - assuming the same CL - what's the speed difference between, say, 1866MHz and 2133MHz sticks?

There's around 2-4% speed difference from 1333MHz to 1600, and then 1-2% difference going up from 1600 to 1866 or 2133. Usually 1600MHz CL9 have best value for money.

Full tower vs midi tower, I guess these parts would fit in a midi tower (right?) but I'm under the impression a full tower has better air flow... Does it really matter?

Full towers have some issues with cable lengths, especially that Fractal Design XL might have problems reaching the 8pin CPU power cable without extension cords using some PSUs. Would recommend picking up Fractal Design's Define R4 instead. It's cheaper and don't have cable length issues. Case airflow is not directly related to the size but how full you cram it with stuff. Removing extra HDD cages for example is great way to improve case airflow and you can do it with both Define XL and Define R4.

Oh and semi-relevant; Does Newegg and similar sites ship free to Sweden? I noticed some parts are a lot cheaper but if we have to pay for international shipping it's probably not worth the hassle.

Nope, doesn't ship outside NA. Also remember if you order things outside EU you'll have to pay for import taxes and VAT on top of shipping and import fees. Usually you'll end up paying about 30% more in various fees which means buying from Sweden will be cheaper, or just as expensive as ordering outside EU.


Besides the case, my only comment would be about HDD size. 500GB is not a lot for a photographer, especially if you work with RAW images.

[Deleted]

I would go for a better quality psu.

http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=657685 for example

or the 650 tx from corsair.
The CX line is pretty crap compared to other lines from corsair

[Deleted]

Besides the case, my only comment would be about HDD size. 500GB is not a lot for a photographer, especially if you work with RAW images.

He has other means of storage, and this would function as a private computer anyway. He doesn't mind bying another HDD later on should he find it necessary.

Regarding the case; if everything fits fine in a midi tower, when would you consider buying a full tower?

Thanks for your input!

I would go for a better quality psu.

http://www.komplett.se/k/ki.aspx?sku=657685 for example

or the 650 tx from corsair.
The CX line is pretty crap compared to other lines from corsair

What's the difference between a low quality PSU and a high quality PSU?

[vesseblah]

What's the difference between a low quality PSU and a high quality PSU?

Nothing unless you plan to use two graphics cards or something similar which requires higher wattage.

[Deleted]

Nothing unless you plan to use two graphics cards or something similar which requires higher wattage.

Google told me it'd increase the life span of other hardware, hmh. I really have no way to determine what makes one PSU better than the other. Is the XFX ProSeries Core of higher quality than Corsair CX I have in my build? It's cheaper and still has 550W which should be more than enough so in that case it's a good find.

[Deleted]

What i mean by higher quality is that the XFX actually reaches 528 watts, whereas the 600 watt CX version only has 480 watts. (Ampere X volt, and then use the 12 volt line.)

Which on itself has nothing to do with SLI/Crossfire (indirectly ofcourse).

[Deleted]

What i mean by higher quality is that the XFX actually reaches 528 watts, whereas the 600 watt CX version only has 480 watts. (Ampere X volt, and then use the 12 volt line.)

Which on itself has nothing to do with SLI/Crossfire (indirectly ofcourse).

So I might as well pick up the XFX instead since it's cheaper anyway?

[vesseblah]

Google told me it'd increase the life span of other hardware, hmh. I really have no way to determine what makes one PSU better than the other.

Average consumers have no way of knowing what PSU is good and what is bad, only indication is price and having higher efficiency rating than simple 80+ or bronze. Only thing you can rely on is reading reviews from reputable sites that run proper load tests on the PSUs. www.jonnyguru.com and www.hardwaresecrets.com are good sites for professional PSU reviews.

Big difference between good and bad PSU is the rated wattage, and where/when you can actually reach it. Cheap-ass chinese manufacturers often tend to tell the peak wattage it can handle instead of sustained load, and that's where the biggest differences lie. Corsair CX600 for example you picked can only handle about 520W sustained load which is way below the 600W it claims to be. AX850 model will still happily run at 920W sustained load even though it's officially only 850W PSU.

What i mean by higher quality is that the XFX actually reaches 528 watts, whereas the 600 watt CX version only has 480 watts. (Ampere X volt, and then use the 12 volt line.)

And the OP's computer will require about 300-350W at full load which is nowhere near being an issue.

[Deleted]

And the OP's computer will require about 300-350W at full load which is nowhere near being an issue.

True, but that doesnt mean you should skimp money on it. But it seems the XFX is cheaper, so the OP is better off getting the XFX instead of the corsair.

[Deleted]

The budget is ~9k SEK which translates to ~$130-$140, although I'm not sure how prices for computer parts compare in Sweden. The goal is to get a rig that runs new games great (without going extreme). He's also a photographer and will work with huge image files in Adobe PS etc.

to help ppl who are not from sweden. 9.000 sek is around 1350$ and not 130$

[vesseblah]

But it seems the XFX is cheaper, so the OP is better off getting the XFX instead of the corsair.

Yep, if it's cheaper then for sure.

[Deleted]

to help ppl who are not from sweden. 9.000 sek is around 1350$ and not 130$

Lol yeah, my bad.

All right so I'll get him the XFX instead of the CX, and I'll settle with a midi tower instead of a full.