Request for help with new build

[QuantumMechanic]

Here is my plea for help, Goku. I'm hoping for an i7 but I'm not sure if that's reasonable at this price point. What do you suggest?


1. What is your budget and does that include shipping/taxes?
Targeting $1,000 but am a bit flexible with that number

2. Where do you live (Please list if possible town, state, and country)?
California

3. What do you need this computer to do (like gaming, Photoshop, and so on)?
Planetside 2, like a mofo

4. What parts will you need for the computer? Please list what parts specifically.
I will need everything for the desktop itself (already have monitor)

5. Are you reusing any parts for this computer? If so please say what parts.
No

6. What kind of monitor/resolution do you have or want to get to use for the computer?
My current monitor is 1680x1050. Which is not 1080p I guess? I would like to support 1080p in the future though.

7. Do you have a legit OS? If so what OS and is it 32-bit or 64-bit?
I'll need 64bit windows.

8. What are you looking for the motherboard to have feature wise? Like SLI, Crossfire, Firewire, USB 3.0, Sata 6.0 Gb/s, and so on.
I'm not looking for anything special here. Don't need multiple graphics card support.

9. Any plans to overclock the CPU or GPU?
No.

10. What time kind of time frame are you planning on ordering these parts?
Probably within a couple of weeks.


Edit: one option I'm reserving is getting a pre-built machine, and then just swapping in a beefier power supply and graphics card. This is well within my comfort zone - I haven't built a machine from the ground up before.

[Rbstr]

If you're swapping the powersupply and graphics you're doing like half the work of building a whole new machine already.
An i7 requires to much sacrifice in other components, an i5 gets you nearly all of the performance and i7 does.

Here's something to start with, I went over budget by $45...because I think the 670 is worth it...but you can think about stepping down to AMD's $350 offering, and also lowing the CPU to the i5 3550. Can probably save ~$10 on the memory too by going with a 1.5v set.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/cMvc

[Goku]

Only problem I see with Rbstr's build is the 3570K. If he doesn't intend to overclock there is really no reason to get it as it can save him money getting a 3450 with a B75 or lower chipset.

I just got a 7950 from Newegg for $310 after MIR. Once I sell off the 3 games it should come to about $270ish. I'm loving the card and if you don't want to spend in excess of $300 I recommend it. Even the 7970 at $400 level now is tempting.

I'll do a build tomorrow to see if I can do anything different (not saying yours isn't good Rbstr). I'm not feeling too good right now and meshing components/numbers will just given a worse headache.

[QuantumMechanic]

Thanks for the info and build Rbstr. In addition to that I think I'd just need a DVD burner and a NIC and that would be a pretty mean machine.

I didn't realize that i7 and i5 were similar in performance.

Also looking forward to what you come up with later, Goku.

As a side note I live nearby the Santa Clara Micro Center, and it seems they have some good deals that are for in-store pickup only. I found that i5 CPU for a significantly better price:

http://www.microcenter.com/search/se...4941032&ekw=i5

If I were to get a pre-built machine and then add a upgraded power supply and GPU then I'd probably go with this:

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0390975

It's pretty close to what Rbstr came up with (although the drive is bigger and slower, and the memory is slower as well).

[Goku]

Oh you are near a MC? This changes everything.

I don't recommend doing prebuilt -> upgrading. Best off learning how to do this. Really isn't that hard at all and its a good skill to have. Have you ever looked up guides on youtube with it? Its easy.

[Rbstr]

You won't need an NIC...unless you use wireless, I guess (there are NICs that are gamer marketed...waste of money IMO).

If you're near an MC that's great. You can get a much better deal on a mobo/CPU combo. I'd stick with the 3570K in that case...you get 200mhz more over the 3550 besides the overclocking capability.
They also have that ASRock motherboard for a bit cheaper.

...That pre-built is actually pretty well priced. Considering you get Win7pro in there too. I'm kind of surprised, actually.
But it uses a pretty slow harddisk and you still end up better off DIY.

[NumbaOneStunna]

You also dont need a Z77 board if you are not overclocking, get an H77.

[Goku]

Alright.

From MC:

Intel Core i5 3570K - $189.99
ASRock Z77 Pro3 - $44.99 (with combo)

Total = $234.98 + $18.21 (tax) = $253.19

From Amazon:

MSI Radeon HD7950 - $329.99
Hitachi Deskstar 3.5-Inch 1TB HDD - $89.99
XFX ATX 550 Power Supply - $63.99
Antec One Hundred - $56.07
PNY Optima 8 GB (2 x 4 GB) - $38.99
Sony AD-7280S-0B 24x SATA Internal DVD+/-RW Drive - $17.99
Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64bit - $90.65

Total = $687.67

Grand total = $687.67 (Amazon) + $253.19 (MC) = $940.86

Now I looked around. Really is not worth even going for that $150 3450 and getting a cheap motherboard. Nets you only about a $20 savings and you will be loosing a lot in terms of features. 3570K + cheap Z77 from MC is the best route.

Now the total for mine comes to $940.86. What can you do with the extra money? Get this GTX 670 instead of the 7950 I listed or go for a SSD. I personally prefer the SSD. You have awhile before ordering so you can in a hot deal for these, like this one. I would setup a deal alert on that site, so when it comes in you can order one. That 7950 overclocks quite easily also. You can likely hit 1000MHz just by pulling the slider over the overclocking program, which nets you as good performance as a 7970 ($70 more and ties with the 670 mostly). With voltage tweaks I was able to get 1150MHz stable with it, I'm loving the card right now.

[NumbaOneStunna]

I like Goku's build, its perfect. Not saying Rbst's is bad at all either, they are almost identical.

I wish I had a MicroCenter.

[QuantumMechanic]

Alright, thanks for all of the suggestions and help guys. I appreciate it!

[QuantumMechanic]

I just checked Micro Center's website, and their Santa Clara location's last day of business was yesterday. LMAO. F'ing economy.

[Goku]

Wow really thats really stupid. I heard they were opening 4 new stores, lol no idea they closed one...

Did you look into overclocking? Otherwise its a b75 and 3450.

3450 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-3450-...&keywords=3450
B75 - http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Intel...4&keywords=b75

[QuantumMechanic]

Fry's is a lot more popular here than Micro Center. I've driven by the Micro Center for years but never even stepped foot inside the place.

About overclocking, I don't really know anything about it so I'm not planing on doing it. I assume I'd have to upgrade the CPU fan, maybe add some case fans etc. Not sure how it would affect power usage either. And I don't particularly like having a PC that sounds like a jet airplane right next to me.

[Goku]

A lot of the times the aftermarket CPU cooler is quieter then a stock cooler actually. I don't see any need to add case fans either. Power usage probably isn't that much higher either. If you aren't interested no point in pursuing it however. That mobo and cpu I linked will suffice. Have you checked up on youtubes guides at all for building computers?

[Bags]

That GPU is out of stock on amazon.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127667

^ here it is for $20 cheaper and you get 3 free games.