73 replies to this topic

[PixieDust]

• thanks you all for the discussion
  
• so I made this configuration (a new one) on cyber PC to compare prices (vs building myself.. just had to see for myself ^^" )
  
• BASE_PRICE: [+739]
  
• CAS: Thermaltake Commander Mid-Tower Gaming Case [-6] (Black Color)
  
• CASUPGRADE: None
  
• CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
  
• COOLANT: Standard Coolant
  
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-3770 3.40 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 [+110]
  
• CS_FAN: Default case fans
  
• FAN: Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
  
• HDD: 120GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III 6.0 Gb/s SSD - 555MB/s Read & 515MB/s Write [+50] (Single Drive)
  
• HDD2: 500GB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+69] (Single Drive)
  
• IEEE_CARD: IEEE 1394 CARD AND DRIVER [+19]
  
• IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
  
• KEYBOARD: AZiO Large Print KB505U Keyboard w/ Tri-color backlight [+20]
  
• MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
  
• MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE Z77-DS3H Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ IRST, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2x Gen3 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Pro OC Certified)
  
• MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
  
• NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
  
• OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium [+0] (64-bit Edition)
  
• OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
  
• POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2 Builder Series CX600 V2 80 Plus Certified Power Supply [+33]
  
• RUSH: 5% Instant Rebate for NO-RUSH Delivery, order will ship in 3 to 4 Weeks. Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout [+0]
  
• SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
  
• SOFT1: Free Microsoft® Office® 2010 STARTER EDITION (Reduced-Functionality versions of Word and Excel that include advertising) [+0]
  
• SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
  
• VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+122] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
  
• WNC: 802.11b/g/n 300Mbps PCI Wireless Adapter Network Card [+26]
  
• _PRICE: (+1182) after instant rebate= 1123 $

and used the PCpartpicker.com website and got 1083$

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sxic

(if i go with this build i'd switch the PSU to the one Vulpesveritas suggested: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139028)

i also went with the samsung SSD.. 250GB might be too big for me? i'm not sure if the one i picked is the same as u posted (just the 120GB version of it)



i still have to check for compatibility issues between the parts just to double check . the site does chest for compatibility issues, and came up with this: "Some Intel Z68 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Ivy Bridge CPUs." not sure what that means..

so any tweaks on my build? ^^

Edited by PixieDust, 14 December 2012 - 07:07 PM.

[Vulpesveritas]

PixieDust, on 14 December 2012 - 07:05 PM, said:

• thanks you all for the discussion
  
• so I made this configuration (a new one) on cyber PC to compare prices (vs building myself.. just had to see for myself ^^" )
  
• BASE_PRICE: [+739]
  
• CAS: Thermaltake Commander Mid-Tower Gaming Case [-6] (Black Color)
  
• CASUPGRADE: None
  
• CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
  
• COOLANT: Standard Coolant
  
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-3770 3.40 GHz 8MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 [+110]
  
• CS_FAN: Default case fans
  
• FAN: Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Single Standard 120MM Fan)
  
• HDD: 120GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III 6.0 Gb/s SSD - 555MB/s Read & 515MB/s Write [+50] (Single Drive)
  
• HDD2: 500GB Western Digital Caviar Blue SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 7200 RPM HDD [+69] (Single Drive)
  
• IEEE_CARD: IEEE 1394 CARD AND DRIVER [+19]
  
• IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
  
• KEYBOARD: AZiO Large Print KB505U Keyboard w/ Tri-color backlight [+20]
  
• MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory (Corsair or Major Brand)
  
• MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE Z77-DS3H Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ IRST, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2x Gen3 PCIe x16, 2 PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Pro OC Certified)
  
• MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
  
• NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
  
• OS: Microsoft® Windows 7 Home Premium [+0] (64-bit Edition)
  
• OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
  
• POWERSUPPLY: 600 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-600CXV2 Builder Series CX600 V2 80 Plus Certified Power Supply [+33]
  
• RUSH: 5% Instant Rebate for NO-RUSH Delivery, order will ship in 3 to 4 Weeks. Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout [+0]
  
• SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
  
• SOFT1: Free Microsoft® Office® 2010 STARTER EDITION (Reduced-Functionality versions of Word and Excel that include advertising) [+0]
  
• SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
  
• VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 650 Ti 2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+122] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
  
• WNC: 802.11b/g/n 300Mbps PCI Wireless Adapter Network Card [+26]
  
• _PRICE: (+1182) after instant rebate= 1123 $

and used the PCpartpicker.com website and got 1083$





http://pcpartpicker.com/p/sxic

(if i go with this build i'd switch the PSU to the one Vulpesveritas suggested: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817139028)

i also went with the samsung SSD.. 250GB might be too big for me? i'm not sure if the one i picked is the same as u posted (just the 120GB version of it)



i still have to check for compatibility issues between the parts just to double check . the site does chest for compatibility issues, and came up with this: "Some Intel Z68 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Ivy Bridge CPUs." not sure what that means..

so any tweaks on my build? ^^

Drop from an i7 down to an i5-3570 and get a Radeon HD 7870/7950 or Geforce GTX 660/660ti instead. I would recommend going with the 7950 as it is about 20% faster than a Geforce GTX 660 for the same price on that configuration PLUS you get 3 free games (And a discount on a 4th) with the 7950. For gaming, having a strong graphics card is usually much more important after you have a capable CPU. (Any intel i-series CPU or AMD quad core)

Since you're not overclocking, change out to "Intel certified fan and heatsink" it will save you $20.
Change motherboard to Gigabyte-GA-Z77-HD3, it's much better built for only $8 more.

Thought if you have the budget: Corsair Carbide 300r case, it's $18 more but it is a much better built case with better cooling.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 14 December 2012 - 08:37 PM.

[Vulpesveritas]

For a comparible build at a similar price to the build plus my modifications; $1090

Case: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811139018
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182071
Motherboard: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157301
CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116782
GPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814202006
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820148543
SSD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820147188
HDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136769
ODD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827136254
OS: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986
Heatsink: stock
TIM: stock
Keyboard: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823201048
Mouse: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16826146020

Pros;
-Higher quality case (unless you upgraded to the 300r)
-Higher quality, capacity, and efficiency PSU.
-More feature rich motherboard
-USA made RAM
-Better cooling system for GPU
-Faster SSD
-Better mouse all-around

Cons:
-have to assemble yourself.



Now, if you were truly fixated on a Nvidia GPU, then I would have to recommend building your own even more, given how much more expensive it is to have a Nvidia card in the system for the same level of performance on those prebuilds.

[PixieDust]

I have decided to go with actually building it myself cuz i think it'd be much more fun and very rewarding (I've posted the cyber power configuration cuz i thought maybe someone wants to see the comparison ^^" )

so i'll post the pcpartpicker.com configuration i made ..
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card
Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard .. this has a USB 3.0 port at the front which i liked (I looked for the one you've mentioned above, is this the same?: Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H .. and i couldn't figure out if it has a front 3.0 USB port)
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory
Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card
Rosewill RC-701 Sound Card
Rosewill BlackHawk ATX Mid Tower Case (this case has a front 3.0 USB) <-- is the one u mentioned still better than this one?
Lite-On IHAS324-98 DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
AZIO Large Print Tri-Color Illuminated Keyboard Wired Ergonomic Keyboard
Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ... but the site then says this:
[color=#666666]Some Intel Z68 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Ivy Bridge CPUs. <-- is this a problem?[/color]
[color=#666666]I have noticed that while building the PC on cyberpower, they had a network card, but my build on the other site didn't mention that at all.. should i look for a network card or is that not needed?[/color]

[color=#666666] [/color][color=#666666] [/color]

[Vulpesveritas]

PixieDust, on 14 December 2012 - 09:09 PM, said:

I have decided to go with actually building it myself cuz i think it'd be much more fun and very rewarding (I've posted the cyber power configuration cuz i thought maybe someone wants to see the comparison ^^" )

so i'll post the pcpartpicker.com configuration i made ..
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler
Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card
Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard .. this has a USB 3.0 port at the front which i liked (I looked for the one you've mentioned above, is this the same?: Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H .. and i couldn't figure out if it has a front 3.0 USB port)
G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (1 x 8GB) DDR3-1333 Memory
Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk
Asus GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card
Rosewill RC-701 Sound Card
Rosewill BlackHawk ATX Mid Tower Case (this case has a front 3.0 USB) <-- is the one u mentioned still better than this one?
Lite-On IHAS324-98 DVD/CD Writer
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit)
AZIO Large Print Tri-Color Illuminated Keyboard Wired Ergonomic Keyboard
Intel Core i5-3570 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ... but the site then says this:
[color=#666666]Some Intel Z68 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Ivy Bridge CPUs. <-- is this a problem?[/color]
[color=#666666]I have noticed that while building the PC on cyberpower, they had a network card, but my build on the other site didn't mention that at all.. should i look for a network card or is that not needed?[/color]

[color=#666666] [/color][color=#666666] [/color]

A few things;
cut out the sound card, the 7.1ch integrated sound cards on most motherboards is better than anything short of a $50+ sound card, and you won't hear the difference above that usually unless your an audiophile.

Power supply? I would recommend this Rosewill still.

Since I don't believe you plan to be overclocking, and the clockspeed difference is small for the difference in cost, an i5-3350p is probably a better deal. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116782

Also since you're not overclocking, I would cut the aftermarket cooler for a cheaper one or none at all. A good one for quite a bit less is this at $20; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835233082

There are better cases for the price. The Corsair 200r isn't as good in cooling, though quieter, however the Rosewill R5 is likely a better case for your uses; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811147161 or a Zalman Z11; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811235033

You're going to want to use a dual-channel RAM kit rather than a single DIMM for the best performance; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820148543

GPU wise, I would recommend this Asus for the 660; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121660 Though I would recommend upping to a 660ti if you can afford it, and I still have to recommend going with an AMD graphics card for better performance for your dollar. (as well as more free games with the card)

Motherboard: I would recommend this AsRock model as it is about the same price after MIR, (and slightly cheaper before) and has a much better featureset. It also has the same number of USB 3.0 ports as the Gigabyte.; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157296

as for this; [color=#959595]ut the site then says this:[/color]
[color=#959595][color=#666666]Some Intel Z68 chipset motherboards may need a BIOS update prior to using Ivy Bridge CPUs. <-- is this a problem?[/color][/color]

[color="#959595"]You only have to worry if you get a Z68 chipset (which is an older Intel chipset), and won't be a problem with a Z77 chipset motherboard.[/color]

Wired network cards are integrated onto all modern motherboards, unless you need a wireless card.

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 14 December 2012 - 09:32 PM.

[PixieDust]

so.. the updated configuration:

CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116782
GPU: choice one ($190_soldout on newegg!): http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814121660
choice two ($290) : http://www.newegg.co...#scrollFullInfo

(alot of out of stock today )

motherboard: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157296 (how can i check if it has a front 3.0 USB)

RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820148543
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817182071
HDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136769
SDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820147188

about the network card.. gotta be wireless

I've seen the 'asus republic of gamers' laptop in best buy .. the screen was amazing, can anybody tell if this screen (below) would be the same as the one on that laptop?
http://www.amazon.co..._pr_product_top

as for the case, i've still trying to decide on which one.. (I like the mesh thing on some of the cases as in Cooler master HAF 912 (but that has no USB 3) , side window plus the front USB 3.. and a good case overall)
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811147107
http://www.newegg.co...awk%20ultra%201 <-- wonderful but bit pricy and too big
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811235035 <-- I like this red.. (just wished the bottom part was mesh)

Edited by PixieDust, 22 December 2012 - 12:30 PM.

[Vulpesveritas]

The monitor is decent. It's not anything high-end, but it is a decent budget gaming monitor.

For a case, I generally don't recommend going all-out on a case, especially when the difference can be far more purposefully be put to the GPU to up it to a 670 or the like. Here are some other sub-$100 cases I think might fall within your aesthetic choices. The best of them performance wise is the HAF XB, but they'll all be good.
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811119265
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133197
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811146093
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811146080
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811553008


For a wireless adapter, I would recommend this; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16833320113

Everything else looks pretty good, though if you have the budget you may want to upgrade to this motherboard as a style bit; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157298

Edited by Vulpesveritas, 16 December 2012 - 03:02 PM.

[PixieDust]

can i replace the fans on the NZXT crafted series tempest 410 elite (specially the front ones) with something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_e_5 ?

[Vulpesveritas]

PixieDust, on 16 December 2012 - 04:14 PM, said:

can i replace the fans on the NZXT crafted series tempest 410 elite (specially the front ones) with something like this:
http://www.amazon.co.../ref=pd_sim_e_5 ?

yeah, that's easy to do on most cases, and it's no difference with NZXT. However I wold recommend the following fans over those;
Slightly better performance for the same price; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835200050
Better performance and longer life for slightly more; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835242013
more expensive, far quieter, and longer life; http://www.newegg.co...N82E16835226044

[PixieDust]

i was comparing prices and shipping options .. came across this.. is the one on amazon better with lower price?!

1) http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822136769

2) http://www.amazon.co...D5000AAKX+500GB

[Vulpesveritas]

The drive on Newegg is a retail model in box with accessories, whereas the Amazon drive is OEM with nothing but the drive.

[DocBach]

I like that PC Part Picker Site - pretty cool. Put in my build and was happy seeing how much I saved building it on black friday then now.


PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/tfOi
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker....Oi/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker....fOi/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($329.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Corsair H100 92.0 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler ($84.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD55 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($137.86 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Sniper Gaming Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($159.98 @ Outlet PC)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda XT 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($205.95 @ Adorama)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 680 4GB Video Card ($537.86 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair C70 Military Green (Green) ATX Mid Tower Case ($125.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On DS-8A5S DVD/CD Writer ($34.98 @ Outlet PC)
Monitor: Asus VH242H 23.6" Monitor ($168.98 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Professional Full (64-bit) ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($100.78 @ B&H)
Mouse: Razer Naga Hex Wired Laser Mouse ($65.25 @ B&H)
Total: $2334.58
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-19 15:30 EST-0500)

paid almost $1000 less then that with rebates

[PixieDust]

Thanks Vulpesveritas =)

wow your system is awesome .. and saved alot with blackfriday.. sadly I haven't decided to build a desktop untill after blackfriday was over .. I am not in a hurry right now, and would prefer to put the parts together in 2 months (cuz of an exam ).. so not sure when i should buy them, cuz some have discounts now, few dont

[Vulpesveritas]

PixieDust, on 20 December 2012 - 09:03 PM, said:

Thanks Vulpesveritas =)

wow your system is awesome .. and saved alot with blackfriday.. sadly I haven't decided to build a desktop untill after blackfriday was over .. I am not in a hurry right now, and would prefer to put the parts together in 2 months (cuz of an exam ).. so not sure when i should buy them, cuz some have discounts now, few dont

Buy whatever is on sale bit by bit, unfortunately you lost out on the main sale time of the year, though I do suggest waiting on the video card for last as prices will go down the most on GPUs than anything else over time given they have a faster upgrade cycle, after all AMD is likely to release the 8000 series or at least announce them at CES (which Nvidia may or may not announce the 700 series) which should lower prices on current generation GPUs some. Especially if there is a beginning of the year release like the 7970 had.

[Saxophonist]

I have to disagree with Vulpes, keep the after aftermarket cooler. Even if you don't overclock, you'll still see better performance and it will last longer. Besides, $30 dollars is cheap for that thing, which in my experience does a decent job of cooling even an LGA2011 CPU.

[Vulpesveritas]

Saxophonist, on 22 December 2012 - 06:05 PM, said:

I have to disagree with Vulpes, keep the after aftermarket cooler. Even if you don't overclock, you'll still see better performance and it will last longer. Besides, $30 dollars is cheap for that thing, which in my experience does a decent job of cooling even an LGA2011 CPU.

Care to source how he would see better performance and how he would gain in the cooling extending his CPU's expected life beyond 16 years?

[PixieDust]

still comparing prices ^^"

are these two the same motherboard?
1* http://www.amazon.co.../?tag=pcpapi-20
2* http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157296

RAM: i can't see the difference between the two, but the original prices are different (confused)
A) http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820148543
http://www.amazon.co...T4G3D1339DS1S00

the GPU has a rebate of $20 + free shipping for the holidays.. think a better deal would be available later on?
http://www.tigerdire...7660&CatId=7387

found this deal on the HDD (it ends tomorrow.. so i probably would buy it cuz the discount is $30):
http://www.tigerdire...1716&CatId=2459

SSD: http://www.amazon.co...ASIN=B009NHAF06


one thing that is making me hesitate in buying now is the return policy in case i'd need that. mostly for the website that's selling it's one month.

Thanks!

[PixieDust]

how much discounts would there be after the Christmas rush is over? any idea?

[Az0r]

Yep both those motherboards are the same, you could even save a little more by buying a B75 motherboard, if you're not interested in things like front panel USB 3.0 connectors. Something like this: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813130654

Yep, the ram is the same.

There's currently multiple 660ti's below $300 on newegg. Currently http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125441 is currently the cheapest dual fan 660ti, but if you dont mind the extra noise of a single fan and include mail in rebates, then http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127711 is just rediculously good value at $240

The Samsung 840 is a very new SSD with great looking specs, but hasn't had time to be tested for reliability, however it's predecessor the 830 is/was one of the best SSDs of all time, so chances are it'll be great too.

[PixieDust]

yea i'd like to have a front USB 3.0 ^^'

for the video card, i'd prefer the more silent ones.. as for asus vs gigabyte, i'm not sure. other than the price, what's the difference? I tried to find reviews.. couldn't find anything helpful (everything was technical and about the heating and stuff). i'm not going to be upgrading it in at least 2 years.. most important is silence and image quality =)

I was looking into compatibility between the motherboard and memory/CPU/graphics cards
i found the AsRock z77 pro4 compatibility lists from their site, and didn't find the memory in that list..
i found the intel i5 3350p but it was 3.1 not 3.3Ghz.. and some said that this motherboard is picky when it comes to graphic card and memory =|
should i change it?