Computer Science Major build

powerfetish

Honorable
Dec 16, 2013
2
0
10,510
Guys, I'd like to build a cheap high-performance pc. I am going for these parts, but I don't know if they may conflict with each other:

ASRock H61M-DGS 1155 mATX Intel Motherboard

Thermaltake V3 Black Edition ATX Mid Tower Computer

ASUS GTX760-DC2OC-2GD5 NVIDIA GeForce GTX 760 Dire

Inland 6 Channel PCI Sound Card

Intel Core i7 3770K 3.5GHz Socket LGA 1155 Boxed

Corsair CX Series CX750M 750 Watt ATX Modular Power

Kingston HyperX Red 4GB DDR3-1600 PC3-12800) CL 9 x 2

Enermax T.B. Silence 120mm Twister Bearing Case Fan


I am also using old ssd and cd drive. If someone could please give me a compatibility check, I would be very grateful to you!!
 
Solution
That's a really nice build for a gaming rig but is lacking for a Developer box. You'll need LOTS of ram for virtual machines (think about assigning 2GB per virtual machine) if you're doing that. I disagree that a developer box can be low specs. If you're developing and going to learn to program to use a GPU for CODA or other processing you will of course need a nice video card. You may not even need a sound card but I question the Inland 6 channel vs. onboard sound, why bother :) Go with onboard sound until you get a nice sound card. Also why a 3K i7 when a 4K is barely more expensive on microcenter.com, newegg and tigerdirect? Significantly lower power usage.

Kudos on the nice power supply so many people skimp in it and skimping there...

twneal

Honorable
Dec 5, 2013
37
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10,540
No computer science major is going to need a powerful computer, so if you're wanting a powerful rig for that reason only, I'm going to go ahead and tell you that an i7 processor is nowhere near necessary for your schoolwork. And you don't even need a graphics card unless you're going to be playing newer AAA games. For your major alone, you honestly could probably get a low-spec laptop and be just fine.

But if you want a powerful computer for other reasons as well, please tell us what you need it for if you would like us to make suggestions. If you only want to check for compatibility, head over to PCPartPicker.com. It will let you enter a list of parts and will only let you choose what's compatible with the other parts you have chosen.
 

bigwoofer

Honorable
Aug 14, 2013
355
2
10,960
That's a really nice build for a gaming rig but is lacking for a Developer box. You'll need LOTS of ram for virtual machines (think about assigning 2GB per virtual machine) if you're doing that. I disagree that a developer box can be low specs. If you're developing and going to learn to program to use a GPU for CODA or other processing you will of course need a nice video card. You may not even need a sound card but I question the Inland 6 channel vs. onboard sound, why bother :) Go with onboard sound until you get a nice sound card. Also why a 3K i7 when a 4K is barely more expensive on microcenter.com, newegg and tigerdirect? Significantly lower power usage.

Kudos on the nice power supply so many people skimp in it and skimping there is a mistake. Congrats and good luck on your build!
 
Solution

Mike Friesen

Honorable
Apr 10, 2013
310
0
10,860
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($222.00 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: ASRock Fatal1ty Z87 Killer ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($133.98 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($339.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: NZXT Source 210 (White) ATX Mid Tower Case ($35.97 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: XFX 650W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($59.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $879.89
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-17 00:10 EST-0500)

If you need an OS, I'd drop down to a i5 4570 and drop the cooler, and go with a slightly cheaper mobo to keep your budget.
 

lp231

Splendid


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ OutletPC)
Motherboard: Asus M5A99X EVO R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($114.97 @ OutletPC)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-2133 Memory ($57.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 770 4GB Video Card ($384.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80+ Gold Certified Semi-Modular ATX Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $897.90
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-17 01:26 EST-0500)