Working Towards a New Build

[Serigon]

I am still a bit green when it comes to computer building, but I would really like to move up in the world. I came up with a build that is far better than what I have now, but would like some resident expert’s opinions. Here is what I am looking for and what I pieced together with the help of a friend. Thoughts? Concerns? Recommendations?

Budget- I’d say around 1,000 for something that is going to last me a few years.
Resolution- 1440X900
Games / Settings Desired- I’ve never been able to play games on a particularly high setting, middle ranged at best. I would really like to see some higher tier settings.
Any other intensive software or special things you do (Frequent video encoding, 3D modeling, etc)- No, mostly just gaming as far as high demand usage.
Country- U.S.

Parts that can be reused- I do not really know what could be salvaged from my current build.
I have some of my dxdiag, anything worth keeping?

System Manufacturer: MICRO-STAR INTERNATIONAL CO.,LTD
System Model: MS-7388
BIOS: Default System BIOS
Processor: AMD Athlon(tm) II X4 620 Processor (4 CPUs), ~2.6GHz
Memory: 4096MB RAM
Available OS Memory: 4096MB RAM
Page File: 3961MB used, 4227MB available
Windows Dir: C:\Windows
DirectX Version: DirectX 11
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
User DPI Setting: Using System DPI
System DPI Setting: 96 DPI (100 percent)
DWM DPI Scaling: Disabled
DxDiag Version: 6.01.7601.17514 32bit Unicode
Card name: AMD Radeon HD 6700 Series
Manufacturer: ATI Technologies Inc.
Disk & DVD/CD-ROM Drives
------------------------
Drive: C:
Free Space: 370.7 GB
Total Space: 476.8 GB
File System: NTFS
Model: Hitachi HDP725050GLA360 ATA Device

Drive: D:
Model: TSSTcorp CDDVDW TS-H653Q ATA Device
Driver: c:\windows\system32\drivers\cdrom.sys, 6.01.7601.17514 (English), , 0 bytes


Do you need an OS? No.
Do you need peripherals (e.g. monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, etc)? No, I have there, will upgrade as needed or with sale items!


List of items my friend helped me put together from pc part picker (cant post links yet!)

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0564 101.6 CFM CPU Cooler ($47.99
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($60.59
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB Video Card ($284.99
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($54.99
Power Supply: Corsair CX 500W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($66.99
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($15.98
Total: $931.50



Hope I filled this out correctly. Thank you for your time!

[Deleted]

You could probably use the HDD as a storage drive in your new build, and use your optical drive in the new system as well. Both of those depend on the cable they use. You won't be able to use any parts that use IDE cables (wide, rippled cables) - if they can use sata cables (small thin cables) then you'll be able to drop them in your new build.

The build looks solid overall, but if I were to recommend one change, I'd try and get an 128 gb SSD disk (crucial M4 or samsung 840 (pro)) in there for a massive quality of life improvement. If your old HDD can be connected with SATA, you can just drop the WD Black and exchange it for an SSD disk. If the hard drive is connected with an IDE cable, it'll be a tight fit to get an SSD into your budget.

I'm not entirely sure how solid the corsair CX series is, but I'm sure someone will shed some light on that.

Edit.

I see your HDD is a SATA drive, so I will definitely recommend to drop the WD black and get an SSD. This is only if 500gb is sufficient for your storage needs, ofcourse.

Edit 2.

Also, I suggest looking into 'Low Profile' ram if possible. There's a decent chance that your CPU cooler won't fit combined with RAM that has heatsinks on it. I have no experience with that cooler at all, but you can at the very least shave a few bucks off by going with the 'Hyper Evo 212'.

Edit 3. (I really need to think before hitting that submit button)

You can probably also shave a few bucks off by going for a smaller priced Z77 motherboard. The saved money can go towards a higher-end graphics card, or possibly a bigger SSD.

[Toffie]

I took the above advice and put an SSD instead of the caviar black. Can't you reuse the optical drive from your previous rig?
Going from a 660ti to a 7970 is quite a huge jump in performance.
CX series from corsair is garbage, stay away from it.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / 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 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($94.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($53.30 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($115.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($389.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Tempest 210 ATX Mid Tower Case ($44.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $974.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-22 10:07 EDT-0400)

[Serigon]

Awesome information and look pretty solid. I'll have to take a look at the cables, if I can reuse it then would definitely help in the process. So what are your thoughts on the performance capability? Pretty decent? Average? Mind blowing?

[Deleted]

Oh, wow, you managed to squeeze a 7970 in there. Nice. Even some headroom left to go for the case he listed if he wants (if aesthetics are important to OP).

That setup will pretty much blow any game on the market atm out of the water, at 1080p.

[Serigon]

Awesome!! Looks good. Thanks for the help, I will start piecing it together in the near future and I'll post here about my progress and the end result. Wish me luck... if I get electrocuted please bring cookies to my funeral, thank you.

---------- Post added 2013-03-22 at 10:43 AM ----------

Oh I did have one more question. About how long do you think this machine will last me before I need to look into upgrading and/or a new machine realisitically?

[Deleted]

Well, gaming demands will go up slightly over time as usual. Judging from your first post, you're a bit like me. Don't really mind having to lower options a bit if we have to. But we'd prefer not to.

I'd say that will run games on High (note: not ultra) for a good 1.5 / 2 years. However, it all depends on how fast technology (and system reqs) progress, ofcourse. It's always hard to future proof a machine. Sadly, the new line of intel CPU's use a different socket, so whenever you decide to upgrade again... you'll need a cpu+mobo. Or, ofcourse, a graphics card. (Perhaps the Titan will be 200 bucks in a few years )

[Deleted]

Awesome!! Looks good. Thanks for the help, I will start piecing it together in the near future and I'll post here about my progress and the end result. Wish me luck... if I get electrocuted please bring cookies to my funeral, thank you.

---------- Post added 2013-03-22 at 10:43 AM ----------

Oh I did have one more question. About how long do you think this machine will last me before I need to look into upgrading and/or a new machine realisitically?

i should handle next gen consoles easy.
cpu tech should be good enough for high end gaming for the next 2/3 generations of cpu's.
as for your resolution OP , are you looking for a 1080p right? else that 7970 is way overkill for your current resolution.


lol red titan going for 200? (keep dreaming )

[Deleted]

Are you planning to overclock? If not then you can save a few pennies by not getting an unlocked (K version) Processor.

[Deleted]

Are you planning to overclock? If not then you can save a few pennies by not getting an unlocked (K version) Processor.

Judging from the fact that he:
1) Picked a K processor;
2) Picked a Z77 mobo;
3) Picked an aftermarket cooler.

I'd say he wants to keep his options open, or start OC'ing immediately. Or his friend is not very knowledgeable (which is fine ofc)

[Lemmiwink]

He is playing at 1440*900, those builds are completely overkill without getting a new monitor. You've got a bit of a tricky situation there tbh, you have to include a new monitor or you'll be wasting 1000$, if you include a monitor you can build for maximum 800$ and it won't be as good. I'd save up for a new monitor as well and then build something.

[chazus]

If it matters, Tiger Direct has a sale on Samsung 830 356gb for $155 after tax and shipping. It would be worth it (imo) to pick that up today (it expires after today) and deal with the rest after.

[Serigon]

I know this is not exactly building my own piece of gear, but I did look into Alienware/Dell. This is what they recommended, anyone have any thoughts?

225-2262
1 Alienware Aurora-R4
317-8666
1 Intel Core i7-3820 (Quad Core, 10MB Cache) Overclocked up to 4.1GHz
317-8671
1 8GB Quad Channel DDR3 at 1600MHz
330-6074
1 Alienware MM Keyboard, US
320-2740
1 DELL U2312H 23IN Flat Panel Display
320-9916
1 Dual 2GB GDDR5 AMD Radeon HD 7870
342-3639
1 500GB SS Hybrid MAIN + 1TB 7200RPM Storage
318-1428
1 Alienware Aurora X79
421-5702
1 Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit, English, w/Media
331-4881
1 Alienware Documentation - English
331-4885
1 Dell Resource DVD with Application Backup
421-4652
1 Dell Support Center 3
420-9691
1 DataSafe Local BackUp
421-8808
1 Alienware Product Survey Application
421-9378
1 Windows 7 Browser Search for Alienware
421-4047
1 Dell Digital Delivery Client
330-6082
1 Alienware Optical Mouse, MG100
313-8750
1 AlienFX Color, Quasar Blue
410-0547
1 Adobe Acrobat Reader
318-1455
1 Single Drive: 24X CD/DVD burner (DVD+/-RW) w/double layer write capability
313-9776
1 Integrated 7.1 Channel Audio
421-1424
1 Alienhead 3D



And REDD is correct, I do not mind spending a little more money, so long as it is going to be worth it. I do not tend to by frivolous things, but instead spend a large sum at one time to buy a piece of equipment that is going to last me for years, for instance a computer, TV, PS3, etc. So here is where I am headed, would a new monitor aid in my build? Is the monitor holding me back to a degree that I am missing out on a piece of tech that is not priced much differently than what we have here?

[Deleted]

Biggest question is, what are they charging for that Serigon?

Alienware is rarely, rarely worth it. Really. Rarely.

[Deleted]

Yeah, do not get Alienware unless you're paying for the lifetime warranty. They're WAYYYY expensive for the price.

[Serigon]

Well that solves that. That particular setup is about 2k. Then back to the previous set of specs we go!

---------- Post added 2013-03-27 at 11:12 AM ----------

Someone tried saying that AMD was not their favorite brand so they suggested I swap out the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card for the EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Also from the build that I put together is there anything I am missing? I am still new, as I have said, just making sure I am not missing some small component that would keep me from being able to put this thing together.

---------- Post added 2013-03-27 at 11:26 AM ----------

Reposting this last part from earlier in case someone missed it.

And REDD is correct, I do not mind spending a little more money, so long as it is going to be worth it. So here is where I am headed, would a new monitor aid in my build? Is the monitor holding me back to a degree that I am missing out on a piece of tech that is not priced much differently than what we have here?

[Toffie]

Do not get the 670 FTW, it's got bad performance/cooling/overclocking and overpriced for what it offers. Get the 7970, better performance/cooling & overclocking.

[Deleted]

Well that solves that. That particular setup is about 2k. Then back to the previous set of specs we go!

---------- Post added 2013-03-27 at 11:12 AM ----------

Someone tried saying that AMD was not their favorite brand so they suggested I swap out the Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card for the EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Also from the build that I put together is there anything I am missing? I am still new, as I have said, just making sure I am not missing some small component that would keep me from being able to put this thing together.

---------- Post added 2013-03-27 at 11:26 AM ----------

Reposting this last part from earlier in case someone missed it.

And REDD is correct, I do not mind spending a little more money, so long as it is going to be worth it. So here is where I am headed, would a new monitor aid in my build? Is the monitor holding me back to a degree that I am missing out on a piece of tech that is not priced much differently than what we have here?

If you get the 670 then do one of 2 things... Either get the Sig 2 version which has better cooling but at a price hike of almost 40 bucks OR get the Gigibyte or MSI 670 instead of the EVGA, there still nvidea but with better cooling.