Another New Build Thread

[Fuel Truck]

I was trying to get a build for PS2 at around $1000, but I overshot that a little bit. Last time I kept up with computer technology I was playing PS1, so I'm a little rusty on all this.

If you see any glaring issues, please let me know. I'm open to suggestions, but I also don't need my settings on Ultra to enjoy a game. I'm mainly going for decent graphics with smooth gameplay and the ability for easy upgrades in the future.

Monitor: 1080p - Already Owned

Mobo: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s - $115

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) - $230

Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 - $400

RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) - $60

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W - $110

CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus - $20

HDD: Western Digital 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s - $110

CD/DVD Drive: Any suggestions on a cheap one??


With a case and Windows 7 I'm at about $1200.

If you see a place to save some coin let me know. Thanks for taking a look, very much appreciated!

[NumbaOneStunna]

If you go with that particular motherboard, it does not support SLI if you ever intend to upgrade to SLI in the future.

It only supports Crossfire, so it may be beneficial to you to switch to a Radeon 7950 or 7970 to leave your options for Crossfire open in the future.

EDIT: Nevermind, it now says it works in SLI. A couple day ago the details only said crossfire. (I was interested in that board as well when I was doing my research) Possibly, I was confusing the Pro4 and the Extreme4.

Go for it!

[Goku]

Unless you are going for SLI 750W is total over kill for that 670. Even a 520W psu will handle that card.

Also spending too much on the ram. This G.Skill Ares 1600 MHz set is all you need and saves you $16.00.

I would get this Samsung 1TB HDD over that WD one also.

[Fuel Truck]

@NumbaOneStunna that would have been a crucial catch if that was true!

@Goku I was hoping to just throw in another 670 in SLI when/if I needed it. Should I go with a 650W instead? Also, your suggested HDD is 3.0Gb/s and the one I was looking at is 6.0Gb/s; is 6.0Gb/s unnecessary?

I'll grab that RAM you suggested and save a few bucks for shipping.

Again, thank you both for taking a second to look!

[Bags]

Originally Posted by Fuel Truck

@NumbaOneStunna that would have been a crucial catch if that was true!

@Goku I was hoping to just throw in another 670 in SLI when/if I needed it. Should I go with a 650W instead? Also, your suggested HDD is 3.0Gb/s and the one I was looking at is 6.0Gb/s; is 6.0Gb/s unnecessary?

I'll grab that RAM you suggested and save a few bucks for shipping.

Again, thank you both for taking a second to look!

6.0 gbs is unecessary for a normal HDD.

[QuantumMechanic]

Fuel Truck, what you've got on your list there is about 95% the same as what I'm building right now.

Regading the motherboard, take a look at this:

http://www.amazon.com/MSI-Computer-C...s=msi+z77a-g45

Amazon has a great deal on this board right now. It's the same price as the one you have listed, but this supports SLI (and actually has room for two big GPUs).

I bought mine yesterday at a store that matched internet prices, so you might be able to try that as well.

[Bags]

I recommend staying away from MSI for mobo. My first one had huge issues and the replacement one cannot get into bios any more.

my 2 msi gpu have been flawless, though.

[Eyeklops]

The only thing I would change is the 1TB mechanical HDD for a 120GB SSD. For the same price you would notice a massive increase in performance.

Ohh.. and Seasonic makes that Power supply, which is a good thing.

[Rbstr]

I'm guessing he needs more than 120gb worth of space.
SATA 6 is pretty much wasted on a spinner, though...its one of those things that's ok to have as long as you aren't paying extra for it.

For SLi compatibility: I wouldn't worry about it. Chances are, on a reasonable upgrade interval (so...2 to 3 years), you'd rather have a new single card for its modern features than a second 670.

[Fuel Truck]

Thanks everyone for the input. The SSD will be a future upgrade for sure.

Should I get a smaller PSU? That is one of my grey areas I'm unsure about...

[Eyeklops]

Originally Posted by Fuel Truck

Thanks everyone for the input. The SSD will be a future upgrade for sure.

Should I get a smaller PSU? That is one of my grey areas I'm unsure about...

If you plan on overclocking and/or SLI, keep the 750W. If not, a 520+ should be adequate.

Just put my new system together last night, 3570K, maximus gene V, GTX690, 240GB SSD, 4 120mm fans, all running at stock values. Sitting idle it's pulling anywhere from 85~105W from the wall. I only gamed for a short time, but I don't remember seeing over 300W in the limited time I was playing BF3 (max settings). Once I start overclocking I will see 300W under load fo-shizzle.

To compare, my old system ([email protected], 5870, 5 HDD's) pulled 165W idle, and about 245W in BF3 (low settings). These newer gen GPU's & CPU's are mucho grande for power saving.