Help meh with new computer por favor...

[Carmichal]

So since I need a new PC but don't know where to start I guess I'll ask you nerds.

Few specs
Has to be Intel
I'm building this shit
I don't have a budget, but I don't want to spend 3000 on something that will be outdated half a year from now, but it should still be reasonably beastly. I do have some cash to blow so.... yeah.
I will need a monitor.

Incentives for you?

One month free admin courtesy of me for the person with best design with a price I do like.
Also everyone feel free to point out pros and cons of whatever with sources or if I know you well enough to trust you.

Get going.

[What]

Shouldn't you be working on cooking a the perfect roast for your man instead of wasting time on computers?

[Carmichal]

Shouldn't you be working on cooking a the perfect roast for your man instead of wasting time on computers?

shouldn't you be sucking your man's big throbbing cock? gtfo!

[StarsMine]

why does it have to be intel?

[Carmichal]

why does it have to be intel?

I think intel is a far Superior product.

[StarsMine]

what you think has nothing to do with reality.
though I will say at your nonexistant buget intel would be a better choice, dont rule out AMD like that.

[Rambo :D]

do you want a 3d monitor? Will you be overclocking?

[brett friggin favre]

in my likely outdated opinion, amd is good, but generally a bit more hit-or-miss than intel.

[Carmichal]

do you want a 3d monitor?

noooo 3d shit gives me migraines.

[Grits]

I'll let you shop for bundles/deals/used/new/refurb/etc. What I'd build right now using my 8 years of building high-end workstations, 7 years in the IT field, and lifetime of being a PC gamer as the guiding experience: (Just so you know I'm not some schmoe giving you newegg's latest combo)


Intel Core i7-3770K
SilverStone Temjin Series Case
SeaSonic X Series X-850 PSU
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Motherboard
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB PC3 12800
XFX Radeon HD 7950
Monoprice 27" IPS LED CrystalPro Monitor


I believe this to represent a great bang for buck that you won't have to upgrade for years, however, upgrade options will be available, because its a current platform. The case, PSU, and monitor will last you through several future builds. I have chosen brands that I have grown to love working with through the years based on service life and how they handle RMAs when something does go wrong. I have used each part listed in a build at some point or another aside from the 3770K as most users opt down for the i5 (against my recommendation). All of these items can be found at various places at differing prices.

For storage, really, it has to fit you. I do recommend a Samsung SSD that you can fit in, and at least a 7200RPM 1TB hard drive.

Lastly, if you're going to overclock at all, I can recommend coolers as well. I used to be a product tester for Cooler Master and Xigmatek and was able to use and test many coolers at certain points. Back in the day, I had a shortlived record for the 4th fastest air cooled Core i7 920 in the world. :D

Good luck, and happy building!

---------- Post added at 01:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 AM ----------

One more thing!!!! lol

I made a lot of assumptions on the computer usage habits would be, based on you placing this on a forum dedicated to gaming. You could lower several of the options on the build if you don't game very often. I still like having the extra head room. It prevents you from having to upgrade/open the computer again for a good while longer, as opposed to stair stepping upgrades. The HD7X00 series has a lot of great HT options as well via the HDMI out, if thats important to you.

Also, if you're primary listening method will be headphones, I recommend a decent DAC as well. It makes a huge difference in music/game sound quality.

[Rambo :D]

ultimate price:http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor

Cant get any better then that.

[Carmichal]

I'll let you shop for bundles/deals/used/new/refurb/etc. What I'd build right now using my 8 years of building high-end workstations, 7 years in the IT field, and lifetime of being a PC gamer as the guiding experience: (Just so you know I'm not some schmoe giving you newegg's latest combo)


Intel Core i7-3770K
SilverStone Temjin Series Case
SeaSonic X Series X-850 PSU
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Motherboard
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB PC3 12800
XFX Radeon HD 7950
Monoprice 27" IPS LED CrystalPro Monitor


I believe this to represent a great bang for buck that you won't have to upgrade for years, however, upgrade options will be available, because its a current platform. The case, PSU, and monitor will last you through several future builds. I have chosen brands that I have grown to love working with through the years based on service life and how they handle RMAs when something does go wrong. I have used each part listed in a build at some point or another aside from the 3770K as most users opt down for the i5 (against my recommendation). All of these items can be found at various places at differing prices.

For storage, really, it has to fit you. I do recommend a Samsung SSD that you can fit in, and at least a 7200RPM 1TB hard drive.

Lastly, if you're going to overclock at all, I can recommend coolers as well. I used to be a product tester for Cooler Master and Xigmatek and was able to use and test many coolers at certain points. Back in the day, I had a shortlived record for the 4th fastest air cooled Core i7 920 in the world. :D

Good luck, and happy building!

---------- Post added at 01:07 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:57 AM ----------

One more thing!!!! lol

I made a lot of assumptions on the computer usage habits would be, based on you placing this on a forum dedicated to gaming. You could lower several of the options on the build if you don't game very often. I still like having the extra head room. It prevents you from having to upgrade/open the computer again for a good while longer, as opposed to stair stepping upgrades. The HD7X00 series has a lot of great HT options as well via the HDMI out, if thats important to you.

Also, if you're primary listening method will be headphones, I recommend a decent DAC as well. It makes a huge difference in music/game sound quality.

Okay wow! That's a fucking fantastic start! Also good info. I don't see the point in over clocking imo. I heard it lowers the life of a cpu.

75% of what I do on my pc is game I can't run a lot of the newer games as I would like to though thus would like an upgrade that would last some time. (I like retro games I have a lost of emulators.) The other 25% is spent watching moves reddit/imgur youtube and browsing the web. I just got a 1080p toshiba tv. I like to hook my pc up to it to watch my shows. HDMI is a must so get that shit rolling.

[Rage]

Just roll with a HP laptop like I do

[Grits]

If you want to use it as an HTPC as well, I recommend a few more things to make it really worth it. First, familiarize yourself with Usenet, Sickebard, and Couch Potato. Its the TV/Movie lovers dream setup. Sickbeard monitors the TV shows you like, and automatically downloads the episode as it becomes available. IE, within a few hours from the official airing, the newest Game of Thrones in crisp 1080p is downloaded and ready for me to watch. I use NZBGeek and Astraweb as my providers. If you want more info on this, PM, as I've already said too much.

Next, buy an Xbox 360 adapter for the thing. When in the living room, on the couch, keyboard/mouse is just cumbersome. Enjoy playing DiRT, GRiD, Mirros Edge, etc using the controller, on the couch, instead of secluding youself away from the family :D. Steam's Big Picture is made for this as well.

Last, get a Logitech Harmony 900 or better and an extralong HDMI cable from monoprice.

Oh, and when you build, take your time and do it right. One of my pet peeves are these "expert" DIY pc builders, that just slap the thing together, and it just looks like a rats nest. Cable management helps with air flow, dust accumulation, and makes that expensive, indulgent purchase, look professional, as opposed to a hack job. Examples:

Here is one I got in the office from a "Pro" at home computer builder. Some decent parts, some bad, regardless, it looks like utter crap, and is ultra common:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2874864/IMAG0014.jpg


Here is a good example from an older build. Just a little more work, not perfect wire management (no extra money spent on it) but the difference is huge:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2874864/Capture.PNG

[StarsMine]

I get the feeling that a large problem with that rats nest is there is no way to get behind the mobo tray to put the unused wires.

[Steamer]

Zip ties and straps. Any other excuse is laziness.

[Patmonster]

I would like to start this convo by stating just how much AMD sucks huge cock. Stay with intel.
Moving on,
This is a computer I just picked out for myself like 2 weeks ago but haven't ordered since I got my laptop to work again! :D (The goal was to keep it at $1000)

Case - Rosewill REDBONE U3 Black Computer Case (Great wire management, Change it if you want, just make sure it's ATX)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811147160

Power Supply - Rosewill RP600V2-S-SL 600W Power Supply (600W will do w/e you want for a normal gaming computer) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817182032

Mother Board - ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX Intel Motherboard (Good motherboard here, 4 x SATA 6GB/s(for a faster HD connection) SLI Compatable so if you want to go overboard and buy two video cards, just click the link and read the rest.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813157293

CPU - Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 Quad-Core Desktop Processor (Really, the best bang for your buck atm. If you're going with intel for a chip set, this will be the processor you will get.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819116502

Hard Drive - Seagate SV35 Series 1TB 3.5" SATA 6.0Gb/s Enterprise Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (This is where I see people getting picky with my setup. GREAT hard drive, but it comes down to if you want one or two hard drives or if you want a Solid State as well, if that's something you want, we just bought a solid state for a desktop and it's running great and I'll post that link as well.)

Memory - G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR (1600mhz speed on a ram stick is what you are looking for. Nothing higher because you won't be over clocking you ram :plzdie: )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416

Video Card - EVGA SuperClocked GeForce GTX 660 02G-P4-2662-KR Video Card (After doing a lot a research this was the best card for the price. I will also include the benchmark comparing it to other cards. This will play anything out there on close to highest graphics atm.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130826
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/gpu.php?gpu=GeForce+GTX+660

CD/DVD Bay - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS (I just threw something cheep in there, Plays/Burns CD/DVDs, if you want a blu ray, have at it)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827135204

Monitor - BenQ GW2450 Glossy Black 24" 4ms (GTG) Widescreen LED Backlight LCD Monitor (This is going to also be one of those choices you have. Honestly I run down to my local best buy and see what's on their open box rack so I can see there are no dead pixels. But this one looked like a good fit for what I was looking for and was good price.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16824014299


If I forgot anything let me know. If there is something I'm missing or your questioning let me know! :icon_mrgreen:

[StarsMine]

Why the fuck are you recommending an i7 an a 660 for a gaming rig...
First build was better, though for gaming I would save the hundred bucks and get an i5.

[Penis シ]

Stars is right. Unless you're doing video production, you don't need an i7. i5 runs at the same speed, the difference is hyperthreading. Games rarely EVER use hyperthreading and the difference is minimal, anyway. hyperthreading is used for video production to render faster. drop that, now.

As for the video card, i'd recommend evga geforce gtx 660

It's the card I just got and evga lets you use the card you have as sort of a "trade in" to step up and upgrade.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130826&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-Desktop+Graphics+Cards-_-N82E16814130826&gclid=CIPEmKKe9bYCFQsy4AodOV4AXg

plus it's cheaper than the xfx card.

Always go big on the power supply. something in the 700s should be good and gives you room to improve, but you NEVER want to underpower your rig. Ask Maymay about bad PSUs.

If you want, you could just clone my newest build, but be SURE to shop around. microcenter tends to have some better prices, but i used newegg to share my wishlist.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?Source=MSWD&WishListNumber=26488707

Note, you can get a mid OR a full tower, a full tower is just more roomy and has more space for add ons. I went with a full tower, the one in the wishlist, only in black and green instead of white and red.

[Steamer]

Such a bad PSU recommendation....

NEVER skimp on the PSU. Go with a 80+ bronze cert at the least.

Example of one with expandability, potential for stable OC utilization, and stability altogether - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

Antec is a great brand as well. Honestly, I wont use any other brand (Antec or Corsair) unless the internals are made by the same parent company.

[Grits]

Zip ties and straps. Any other excuse is laziness.



Such a bad PSU recommendation....

NEVER skimp on the PSU. Go with a 80+ bronze cert at the least.


QFT.

Also, the reason to go with an i7 is this, yes, you could save a few hundred up front, but when the i7 920 came out, it was $300. People who saved $50-100 then, are already looking to upgrade, the person who bought the 920 is still zipping along, not even thinking about current processors. (heavily generalized, but you get the point) So, 2 $200 processors over 3-4 years, or one $300 processor for the same time period. I've seen so many people skimp to a lower spec CPU, and then it costs them in the long haul. Everyone is thinking about the here and now. A good CPU allows you to go through several GPU upgrades before jumping to a better platform.

I'm still on the 920 I broke those records with back in 2008. It was paired with a GTX 260 then, and now I'm on the 7950 and the CPU is still able to give me all the games, all settings maxed, at my resolution (1920x1200). When I built it, I had no intentions of using it other that gaming.... guess what, that changed. I started encoding video, recording in my home studio, etc etc. You'll also be happy going with a nice monitor with a good panel. You don't have to get the Monoprice one (good value though), but I highly recommend an IPS or MVA panel of some sort.


Skimp if you want. Its not in me to do so.

[Patmonster]

Exactly, thank you. i7 is a must if you want to make it last a while. I'm still using my 2nd gen i7 from 2 years ago and haven't had an issue with any video producing or games. i7.
PSU... 600 will not under power that rig. I've built too many of these and i RARELY go above 600 and guess what, they are all still running without an issue. The 600 could go bad but the signs of that are random power failures and it will look like almost all hardware is failing. So instead of ignoring that, fill the warentee shit out and fix the problem and none of your shit will be broke.

Now, if you plan on SLI and more then 2 high rpm hard drives then yes, get a better PSU. BUUTTTT if you're going to be SLIing or raiding then you might as well put in the i7.

[maynard]

I loves mah i7 ^^

[Steamer]

The quality of that PSU is shit. I'm not even discussing the wattage. If she wants to SLI it, add some extra HDD's, and ect, later on, that's pushing it, especially on that shit PSU. This is fact, and anyone with any decent knowledge in the workings and quality of PSU's will say the same. A quality over quantity matter. To even refer to wattage alone after what I summed up only leads me to believe you have no idea what I was insinuating. The only difference in the corresponding i7 models is hyperthreading. In games you won't notice it much, in other tasks, very much so. It's preference, so if you want the boost in other daily PC activities, go for it. SLI and or raid have barely anything to do with i7... The difference would not even be noticeable... sigh...

[StarsMine]

QFT.

Also, the reason to go with an i7 is this, yes, you could save a few hundred up front, but when the i7 920 came out, it was $300. People who saved $50-100 then, are already looking to upgrade, the person who bought the 920 is still zipping along, not even thinking about current processors. (heavily generalized, but you get the point) So, 2 $200 processors over 3-4 years, or one $300 processor for the same time period. I've seen so many people skimp to a lower spec CPU, and then it costs them in the long haul. Everyone is thinking about the here and now. A good CPU allows you to go through several GPU upgrades before jumping to a better platform.

I'm still on the 920 I broke those records with back in 2008. It was paired with a GTX 260 then, and now I'm on the 7950 and the CPU is still able to give me all the games, all settings maxed, at my resolution (1920x1200). When I built it, I had no intentions of using it other that gaming.... guess what, that changed. I started encoding video, recording in my home studio, etc etc. You'll also be happy going with a nice monitor with a good panel. You don't have to get the Monoprice one (good value though), but I highly recommend an IPS or MVA panel of some sort.


Skimp if you want. Its not in me to do so.
The i5s from that time run games just as fast as the i7 920. You buy the i7 for other reasons, gaming is not one of them.

SLI doesnt care if its an i7 or an i5, that is more board dependent.

Also a 660 Is still a weak card, I would much rather you push for at least a 660ti or a 7850.

And what steamer is talking about with PSUs, listen to him.

[Grits]

I still disagree with buying a lower CPU just because you don't think you're going to use the extra power right away. Especially when the price difference is so minimal and years from now, and 2 to 3 generations of GPUs from now, the CPU won't become a limit and will still be able to keep up with that shiny new GPU.

A faster CPU will make the whole entire experience better. Again, I'm not saying the i5 wouldn't be adequate, I think the i5 is great, but I think the extra money for the i7, if it can be afforded (which she said it could) is well worth it for the longevity of the computer.

The only other thing I want to reiterate, ABSOLUTELY go with a good PSU. WATTAGE IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE QUALITY and the DISTRIBUTION of the amperage.
Brand is not really the important part either because there are actually only a few companies that manufacture PSUs, most, like corsair, antec, etc, buy PSUs from these companies and re-label, or have something tweaked to fit their marketing gimmick. This is not a bad thing, because it adds variety to the market. EVEN Rosewill has an okay PSU here and there. I typically buy seasonic for all my builds. Just a lazy decision I made a few years back when I was looking for some consistency in my builds. I used to grab whichever namebrand/well reviewed unit was on sale, but after being burnt on a few lower end corsair, antec, and thermaltakes, I've learnt my lesson. Just do your research on the longevity and common complaints for the one you plan to get. (some are noisy, some have too much ripple, some run hot, some just don't last long)

Oddly enough, I've never had an OCZ PSU fail either. (used at least 20 or so over the last 6 years) I even have an OCZ GameXstream 700 (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=24) Watt from 2006 that is still going strong. It was reviewed as mediocre (too much ripple) by all the respectable places, but I suppose YMMV

I've always enjoyed reading over at jonnyguru.com (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Review_Cat&recatnum=13) for reviews of popular PSUs. Anandtech is usually the other place I frequent (they're local to me)

[jwtemp]

I completely disagree with the 'go with an i5' sentiment. Get an i7, and as Grits said, you'll be watching others upgrade their mobos and CPUs as your i7 continues to laugh at and crush anything you throw at it for at least 5-7 years. I'm hoping to squeeze at least two, maybe three GPU upgrades out of this machine. The i7 3700K is no joke, and the Microcenter link someone posted, which is where I bought mine, is an ABSURDLY low price (beats most i5 prices to be honest) and too good to pass up. I had a $20 coupon to boot, so I got the chip for $210. :icon_mrgreen:

As for the GPU you end up with, this is really going to boil down to the price you want to pay versus the games you want to play. Can you play games on Medium/High settings and be alright with that? Or do you want everything on Ultra-Mega-Sex, like me? The choice is yours, but if you want everything Ultra-Mega-Sex with games that came out last year and this year, a GTX 670 is the minimum you need to purchase. At this point though, I'd wait for the GTX 7xx series to come out and snag the equivalent model in that line, as they're likely to hit the market by June, July at the latest (they may even already be out).

AMD, and by extension the formerly known ATI, is fucking up. Their CPUs that they market to compete with Intel on price don't even begin to compare. I'm not positive where in the R&D process they slipped, but Intel is beating them by large margins in every single category on nearly every CPU comparison by price. Likewise, nVidia is whipping AMD's graphics cards as well, handily putting up better numbers in almost every benchmark, price to performance (except in the lowest tiers of cards, I believe, I think they're on pretty equal footing there and AMD may even have a slight edge).

Last thing I'll talk about - hard drives. Get an SSD. My PC boots in eight seconds, from power button push to desktop and first application. EIGHT. SECONDS. I was amazed, and I peed a little. Games installed on the SSD drive load faster than you might believe. I remember some of the games I play taking 30-40 seconds to get to the title screen. That number is shaved to about five to seven seconds when they're installed on the SSD, hahaha. It's glorious, and I will never be lacking an SSD in any of my personal machines in the future.

So, my recommendations for your desktop build - definitely go Intel, don't skimp on your CPU, get an nVidia graphics card and FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT'S HOLY get an SSD. SSD is the biggest desktop technology advancement since USB imo. If you're interested in getting specific part recommendations when you go to do your build or would like to know what kind of prices to expect, let me know. I'm pretty well versed on the topic at the moment having just built my machine a few months back.

Oh, and my two cents concerning cable management, unless you have a case with a window where you can see inside the chassis, who gives a shit about what the wires inside look like? Unless you're overclocking, you're likely to never see them again, and unless you try really hard to put a wire in a bad spot, your components will be nigh on completely unaffected by how the wires in the case are run. I get it's cleaner/prettier/less half assed/less lazy/better aesthetically, but ultimately, if you plug it all in and it works and you don't have any cables touching any of your components, the cables and wires in the case will be memories in the wind by the time you boot it for the first time.

[SCRIBBLE]

use this build:
pentium m
crt monitor
56k modem
big log of shit as a mouse
maybe a computer chair
cool it with mineral oil
case: fish tank

hope this helps

[Carmichal]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127696

what about this gpu?

also thoughts on buying refurbed new?

[SCRIBBLE]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127696what about this gpu?also thoughts on buying refurbed new?MSI is the worst but that seems to be an OK product if that has dvi out + HDMI out.Refurbs are a crap shoot, I do not recommend using them

[Steamer]

I still disagree with buying a lower CPU just because you don't think you're going to use the extra power right away.

The i7 is barely any faster!!!!!!!!!! The only reason you perceive it faster (In all reality it really isn't) is because of the fucking Hyperthreading. It does multiple threads faster! That is it! Gaming will see maybe 1 or 2 fps.... Many other things will benefit if you plan on doing them though, IE: Video editing, encoding, transcoding, CGI, ect. As for the basic every day things, you won't see much difference at all. The chipset, RAM, and HDD (If using any instead of SSD) will bottleneck before you see any from the CPU, even with an i3. The utter stupidity of some of you is beyond my understanding. Honestly, wait for the Haswell to release in June and watch prices. The build you're thinking of now will be a decent amount cheaper, or you could go with the new. IMHO, I would wait it out a bit and be patient. You will regret it later if you don't. The performance boost (~10% over Ivy Bridge) and wait time will be well worth it. It's the tock (new arch) not the tick (shrinkage).

EVGA is an excellent brand with great upgrade options. I've found their customer support and RMA policies above par as well.

[maynard]

Refurbs are a crap shoot, I do not recommend using them

^this

[Erdenay]

Agreed with Steamer/Stars/Penis - there's absolutely no reason whatsoever to get an i7 if you're on a tight budget and you plan to use it for gaming. Also, I can send my build as well, if you're interested.

[ZERO]

IT might be a good idea to wait 2 months for the next intel cpus to ship to get them or a better deal on the existing chips.

[jwtemp]

This 660Ti is $310. I'd spring for the GTX 670 if I was going to pay that price personally, since you could probably find a GTX 670 for close to that price on sale/with a coupon/gift certificate, and because the 670 outperforms the 660Ti handily (not by a huge margin, maybe 10-15% but it will definitely be worth the extra <$50 you pay for it).

I would not buy refurbished. It's not worth the risk in my opinion, you literally have no clue if it will work flawlessly or be DOA, but I suppose you could check out estimated refurb failure rates if any such data exists. Honestly it probably doesn't exist since it would be in the seller's best interest not to show data like that if it reflected poor performance of their refurbished product.

[Carmichal]

information over load

[Grits]

The i7 is barely any faster!!!!!!!!!! The only reason you perceive it faster (In all reality it really isn't) is because of the fucking Hyperthreading. It does multiple threads faster! That is it! Gaming will see maybe 1 or 2 fps.... Many other things will benefit if you plan on doing them though, IE: Video editing, encoding, transcoding, CGI, ect. As for the basic every day things, you won't see much difference at all. The chipset, RAM, and HDD (If using any instead of SSD) will bottleneck before you see any from the CPU, even with an i3. The utter stupidity of some of you is beyond my understanding. Honestly, wait for the Haswell to release in June and watch prices. The build you're thinking of now will be a decent amount cheaper, or you could go with the new. IMHO, I would wait it out a bit and be patient. You will regret it later if you don't. The performance boost (~10% over Ivy Bridge) and wait time will be well worth it. It's the tock (new arch) not the tick (shrinkage).

EVGA is an excellent brand with great upgrade options. I've found their customer support and RMA policies above par as well.

Appreciate the insults. I realize the differences between the dang i7 and i5. I've been in the business for a decade. In fact, I refurbed CPUs as a successful side business (Vitric Technology... yeah, sucky name) for years.

And, since you've decided to pick me as your target for whatever reason, XFX > eVGA, and your mom is a dirty whore! :-P

Anyway, you've got my .02, so good luck with the build, and above all else, make sure you enjoy it!

[Steamer]

Then you should know it technically isn't faster and (though I may have mistook how you meant it rereading your post[why I chose the quad over the dual years ago{the threading differences really do matter later on at a bottleneck depending what you are doing, E version was ridiculously overpriced at the time}]). Being in the CPU business, figure you would suggest the wait.

I've owned both. XFX customer support in my experiences (though its been a few years) sucked ass. The hardware is on equal terms. I've hit or miss clock/mem/shader speeds around all the same marks. The XFX 8800 GTS was beast in it's hayday. Customer service game me the run around getting warranty out of a 260, so that kind of led me to look elsewhere.

[Patmonster]

information over load

^^ This.

This is why you don't ask an entire room of faggy nerds what computer hardware is the best. We have all used different builds/combos with all different outcomes ANNDDD we are all retarded enough to fight over dumb shit and don't know how to just let the client(you) choose.

If you don't have a budget, get the i7. If you need to save $50-100, get the i5. Simple!

And the fact that anyone is suggesting waiting 2 months for another set of CPUs to hit the market is retarded! If you kept waiting for new tech to come out your computer would NEVER BE BUILT! lol. You would just sit there with a case and wait forever.

[Steamer]

And the fact that anyone is suggesting waiting 2 months for another set of CPUs to hit the market is retarded! If you kept waiting for new tech to come out your computer would NEVER BE BUILT! lol. You would just sit there with a case and wait forever.

You have no idea. This set of CPU's isn't just a simple upgrade, it's a fucking new architect. Get a mobo that supports Haswell and the move to Skylake and possibly Skymont and you are good to go for a few years. Getting an i7 in the current 1155 socket instead of waiting for Haswell in the 1150 socket with potential for future upgrades is asinine. You sir, should just leave.

Basic tick tock diagram. I suggest you learn a bit more. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_Tick-Tock

[Patmonster]

Okay, that would be great if the client wanted to wait a few months, I'm not sure in this case if she has that luxury. But it's still stupid to suggest in the IT market to wait a few months for a piece of technology that isn't even tested. 3rd gen i7 > 1st gen Haswell. 1st gen anything will have issues and the i7 can and will handle anything thrown at it.

With all that said it's still stupid to wait, if every enterprise level IT group waited until the new tech came out, they would be waiting FOREVER! Three places I work with right now that all work at an enterprise level are JUST NOW getting windows 2008 rolled out to all their servers. Not all are even updated. This isn't just one major company this is THREE. So should I just stop them and tell them to wait til 2012? No, 2008 is tested and it works and is now ready to be released.

Now I know this isn't enterprise level. But even if I was asked to spec out new computers now for my clients I would stay with the trusted i7 rather then asking them to wait a few months.
When suggesting things to clients where YOUR money is not being used Trusted > New. Any fucking day.

[SCRIBBLE]

Why not offer all available options to your supposed clients? Some consumers prefer to be informed of all their options including new technologies.

[brett friggin favre]

carm gets pissed when her shit stops working. i'd recommend the more reliable option.

[Steamer]

Yeah, cause getting that "reliable" Pentium D over the duo would have been smart.... Sure, ok. You suggested a POS power supply, at that point anything suggested further would have been ignored by anyone with any know how. The shit is tested, Google buddy.

[Patmonster]

Alright BUDDY, that "POS Power Supply" was for a $1000 build and only FOR THAT BUILD. read.

2nd, NOOOOTTTHHHINNNGGG first gen is ever tested fully. It can't be. There will be issues and that's the fact of life. Their small trial runs will never be able to compair to real life testing.

How about this, in the military when they are at the final stages of tested products they give a platoon of soldier that product to "have at it." The reason being is to see the different ways shit breaks. For example, a gas mask may work great as a gas mask but the moment that soldier jumps out a plane, will it be able to survive impact? Will it survive a week of being used as a pillow? Will it survive being thrown in and out of a truck. Then when they have all that info they refine the product and guess what, IT STILL BREAKS! First gen shit can not be tested until it is given to a large enough croud.

That processor is going to have hell thrown at it the first few months it's out. Shit will break, there will be modifications and then a more reliable 2nd gen will come out soon.


If you can't understand why giving untested products to someone that isn't ready to deal with them is a bad idea then you should NEVER deal with PR or customer support, ever. You may know the raw info about a product but you gotta look at who it's going to as well.

[Carmichal]

Peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeenissssssssssssssssssssssss ssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[Steamer]

I wouldn't recommend or put that shit in a 500$ build. Your rant about "stability" means nothing after that. tl;dr
Vagina

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

fuck intel all together, just go AMD. Much cheaper and you will get what you want for gaming.

What is your budget?

id recommend an AMD CPU (same power as intel in regards to gaming, much cheaper)
Along with the cpu will need to be an AMD MoBo, also just as significant as intel boards just cheaper $$$

Gold edition power supply no less then 600w

readon 7xxx series GPU

[Steamer]

Lol!...

[Grits]

Just wanted to throw this in here for the AMD fanboys: ( I used to be one, I know how you feel, you miss the days of yore)

http://anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=677

This is a comparison of a lowly Core i3, trading blows with AMDs top tier Quad... the i3 is cheaper :D

On a super budget gaming rig, the A seires would make sense... not here



http://anandtech.com/bench/CPU/343

[jwtemp]

Just wanted to throw this in here for the AMD fanboys: ( I used to be one, I know how you feel, you miss the days of yore)

http://anandtech.com/bench/Product/362?vs=677

This is a comparison of a lowly Core i3, trading blows with AMDs top tier Quad... the i3 is cheaper :D

On a super budget gaming rig, the A seires would make sense... not here



http://anandtech.com/bench/CPU/343

Thanks for posting this. I knew my stance on Intel versus AMD in today's market was correct, as I'd done the research myself before I built my new rig, but I was too lazy to actually provide sources. :)

[ZERO]

Intel has better thermal protection for thier chips as well, that alone is all I need to hear. You never know when that can save your ass after your cooling system fails 1 day.

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

you miss the point. I never said AMD was always better then intel. Im simply saying that when building a dedicated gaming rig for a decent price AMD should be your CPU of choice. here is an example: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8350+Eight-Core&id=1780

Even the AMD FX-8350 is cheaper then an i5 and is ranked 40 in HIGH end CPU's Most cpus ranked above it are CPUs meant for servers, ranging from $400 to $4000.

bottom line, in this example you can get a CPU for $179 that is benchmarked 100 ranks higher then an i5 which i cannot find below $199

[jwtemp]

you miss the point. I never said AMD was always better then intel. Im simply saying that when building a dedicated gaming rig for a decent price AMD should be your CPU of choice. here is an example: http://www.cpubenchmark.net/cpu.php?cpu=AMD+FX-8350+Eight-Core&id=1780

Even the AMD FX-8350 is cheaper then an i5 and is ranked 40 in HIGH end CPU's Most cpus ranked above it are CPUs meant for servers, ranging from $400 to $4000.

bottom line, in this example you can get a CPU for $179 that is benchmarked 100 ranks higher then an i5 which i cannot find below $199

Seriously Mikey, if you think AMD is good for gaming, take a look at these benchmarks. This is a comparison of the chip you mentioned (AMD FX 8350, $179 today on Newegg, $20 coupon) versus an Intel i5 3750K ($219 on Newegg today).

http://anandtech.com/bench/Product/697?vs=701

Scroll to the bottom and look at performance in the games they list. The Intel chip destroys the AMD. It's not even a comparison. If you compare the other chips, especially at the top tiers, you'll see that Intel has AMD beat by even bigger margins. Like I said earlier, AMD is way behind. The single benchmark you showed, and that I looked up in 3DMark 2011, for the 8350 seems to be really good, unfortunately a single benchmark rarely paints the whole processing picture.

Intel wouldn't be in business selling processors at a bloated price while AMD had amazing processors that were super cheap. That isn't how the market works. If that were the case, I'd have an AMD, they would be on top and we'd be dissing Intel right now. :)

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

Seriously Mikey, if you think AMD is good for gaming, take a look at these benchmarks. This is a comparison of the chip you mentioned (AMD FX 8350, $179 today on Newegg, $20 coupon) versus an Intel i5 3750K ($219 on Newegg today).

http://anandtech.com/bench/Product/697?vs=701

Scroll to the bottom and look at performance in the games they list. The Intel chip destroys the AMD. It's not even a comparison. If you compare the other chips, especially at the top tiers, you'll see that Intel has AMD beat by even bigger margins. Like I said earlier, AMD is way behind. The single benchmark you showed, and that I looked up in 3DMark 2011, for the 8350 seems to be really good, unfortunately a single benchmark rarely paints the whole processing picture.

Intel wouldn't be in business selling processors at a bloated price while AMD had amazing processors that were super cheap. That isn't how the market works. If that were the case, I'd have an AMD, they would be on top and we'd be dissing Intel right now. :) Bottom line, AMD is for bargin shoppers trying to save a buck. If what everyone here says holds any value. What intel processor and MoBo would be recommended for someone with a 3000 dollar budget. Do AMD GPU's even work with intel? Carm should buy a GFX Titan.

[Carmichal]

7401

:D 230 not 359 at the microcenter here.

Thinking about this gpu? thoughts?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125423

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130810

or that

Im 90% certain I want this board

[jwtemp]

Woo! 3770K on the cheapz! Best CPU for the money right now (if you buy at Microcenter like a boss! :D)

As for the video card, again, it's going to boil down to preference.

First, I'd recommend the EVGA GTX 670 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130787] over the Gigabyte you listed. Same price, tiny bit better performance. Second, I've compared two Zotac brands on Tom's Hardware, but they should be almost identical to the comparison of the EVGA GTX 670 FTW and EVGA GTX 660 Ti SuperClocked. In case you aren't sure what you're looking at here, this is imply average FPS values for the two cards at Ultra settings (everything maxed and all effects enabled in DirectX 11):

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2012-vga-gpgpu/compare,2933.html?prod%5B5625%5D=on&prod%5B5726%5D=on

Looking at these numbers, the 660 Ti is clearly the better value, but the GTX 670 is clearly the more powerful card. If you want to play on Ultra Max High l33t settings though, perhaps that extra $90 is worth it. You'll also be playing games on High settings for longer with the GTX 670. If it were my choice to make, I'd spring for it, but if you only need High quality settings, go with the 660 Ti. I'm just a graphics guy, myself. :)

Getting closer now!

[Carmichal]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

I have only heard good things about this brand of heatsink fan coolers... since I will not be overclocking more than likely it should keep it icey enough.

[StarsMine]

I dont mind zalman, but I dont know about that cooler, I dont care much for the idea of all copper. All it will do is degrade without a plating to protect it. that time you touched it, eched, that air, oxidizing it....

For a cheep cooler I highly recomend either the xigmitec gaia(actually performs the same as the 212) or cooler master hyper 212. A step up would be the dark knight.

[Steamer]

Facepalm eminent.

Hyper 212 is fucking great.

My uncle has had a similar Zalman for 3 years (no cleaning LOL) in a humid basement, no oxidation.

The oxidation has barely any noticeable impact (ON AIR) on actual heat transfer. You may get a bit of a green discolor after a long time but this is usually only if you are in a decently humid environment and is cleanable. A great almost pure copper heatsink will rarely oxidize if kept "clean".

Get some Silver thermal paste!

[Carmichal]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128544

How is this board?

[Carmichal]

bought the gpu and mother board most expensive parts out of the way.

I have
CPU
GPU
Motherboard

Still need
PSU
HD
Case
RAM
cooling system
Monitor

so very very super duper excited. Was weary with the 800ish bucks spent so far, so it better be worth it! So fucking excited though!

[Steamer]

Fail.

[jwtemp]

$800? Yipes. Seems this is a bad time price-wise to be building a machine. Get great deals on the case, memory and PSU and you should be able to keep it under $1,000. May have to sacrifice SSD though... which I do not recommend, haha.

There's a 24" Hanns-G widescreen monitor on sale today for $130. It has sex-cellent reviews and Hanns-G is pretty respected among LCD manufacturers.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254092&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10440897&PID=404255&SID=309766_desktop

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

what cpu did you end up going with?

---------- Post added at 11:18 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:16 AM ----------

i can see it being $800 dollars. 3770 costing 220 on micro, mobo 130, and a GTX 680? at like 500. Add shipping.

I recommend corsair vengeance for ram, its cheap and extremely reliable.

[Steamer]

G-Skill is win. The "right" SKU that is.

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

G-Skill is win. The "right" SKU that is.
G-skill is the best, undoubtedly! But not so much in price... My G-skill 16gb cost me $150.

Corsair vengeance is an excellent ram series for an extremely affordable price. think its like $50 for 8gb.

If budget is not a concern go G-skill for sure.

[Carmichal]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231455

g-skill since no budget concerns lol

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840

[Steamer]

For low profile. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460

Honestly for stability and more room for a stable OC later, you would be better off with this. Time them down and OC them more later along with the CPU with a more stable system. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Get a damn SSD for the main and throw together some cheap 7200 RPM TB drives in raid 6 for redundant backup and storage (Ask Zero). You has no budget.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

[SCRIBBLE]

For low profile. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460

Honestly for stability and more room for a stable OC later, you would be better off with this. Time them down and OC them more later along with the CPU with a more stable system. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

Get a damn SSD for the main and throw together some cheap 7200 RPM TB drives in raid 6 for redundant backup and storage (Ask Zero). You has no budget.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147193

:wtg::wtg::wtg: All of that.

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

:wtg::wtg::wtg: All of that.

This or you can go even more expesive with an even larger OC and upgrade range! G skill Trident Series. Can find Ram up to 2400 (19300)

[StarsMine]

The RL boost in performance does not scale well at all with faster speeds. Once you go past 1866 the price gets stupid. Unless she gets paid to do video rendering and rendering it in 1:43 instead of 1:45 actually saves her money then calm bro.

[DJ_MikeyRevile]

The RL boost in performance does not scale well at all with faster speeds. Once you go past 1866 the price gets stupid. Unless she gets paid to do video rendering and rendering it in 1:43 instead of 1:45 actually saves her money then calm bro.

Cant you simply clock speeds to 1600... most MoBo's will do that automatically with ram of that caliber. then OC the ram when its time. i figure buying ahead with ram as to avoid having to purchase more a year from now.

[StarsMine]

right now ram is at a high price point (it fluctuates, though largely in part to artificial variables) if your going to keep the ram at 1600mhz there is no reason to buy ram clocked higher then 1600mhz. Buying more ram later on is generally not a problem.