CyberPower Computer Build - My first try

[MasterC]

Hello,

Please let me know if you have any comments on this build. I have spent hours and hours learning and reading forums, but there are just SO MANY choices to figure out. Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated.

This is my first try at configuring a full-up system like this. (OK, maybe using CyberPower isn't technically me building it?) I was shooting for a decent performance box--not bargain basement, but not top of the line..trying to find the value sweet spot. I was hoping to stay in the $700-$800 range, but as you can see I missed that by a bit. Any thoughts? This is not really a gaming rig--it's for general purpose home use; will run the occasional game, but not hard core. Also, am I messing up big time by using a builder like CyberPower instead of biting the bullet and doing it myself?

*BASE_PRICE: [+655]
BLUETOOTH: None
CAS: Cooler Master Elite 431 Mid-Tower Gaming Case w/ Side-Panel Window [-10]
CASUPGRADE: None
CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
COOLANT: Standard Coolant
CPU: Intel® Core™ i5-3570K 3.40 GHz 6MB Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified)
CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+15] (Blue Color)
ENGRAVING: None
FA_HDD: None
FAN: Intel Certified CPU Fan & Heatsink [-20]
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FREEBIE_CS: None
FREEBIE_CU1: $50 Visa Gift Card - Free Gift card on all Intel® Core™ i7 and i5 Desktops or notebooks [+0]
FREEBIE_MB: GIGABYTE GC-WB300D Exclusive Bluetooth 4.0/WiFi PCIe Expansion Card [+0]
FREEBIE_VC: Cooler Master Storm Xornet Wired 2000 dpi Gaming Mouse [+0]
FREEBIE_VC2: None
GLASSES: None
HDD: 250 GB SAMSUNG 840 Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 540MB/s Read & 250MB/s Write [+107] (Single Drive)
HDD2: None
IEEE_CARD: None
IUSB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
KEYBOARD: AZZA Multimedia USB Gaming Keyboard
MB_SRT: None
MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory [+0] (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOTHERBOARD: * [CrossFireX] GIGABYTE GA-Z77-HD3 Intel Z77 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ IRST, Ultra Durable 4 Classic, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, 2x Gen3 PCIe x16, 2x PCIe x1 & 2 PCI (Extreme OC Certified)
MOUSE: AZZA Optical 1600dpi Gaming Mouse with Weight Adjustable Cartridge
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
OS: Microsoft® Windows 8 (64-bit Edition) [+104]
OVERCLOCK: No Overclocking
POWERSUPPLY: * 430 Watts - Corsair CX430 V2 80 Plus Certified Power Supply [+14]
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
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TABLET: None
TEMP: None
TUNING: None
TVRC: None
USB: None
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VIDEO: AMD Radeon HD 7750 1GB 16X PCIe 3.0 Video Card [+59] (Major Brand Powered by AMD)
VIDEO2: None
VIDEO3: None
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+934)
_view_: {7C8C8CFC-3146-4FFD-829A-B8FB5B56C258}
_load_: 2/1/2013 9:39:10 AM

I should also have mentioned that I plan to provide my own large HDD for bulk storage.

Thanks!

 

[blake1243]

lol a 7750 and 3570k is not a good matchup. In games you are gonna wanna spend more on the GPU. Also, 3570k and z77 is useless if you aren't overclocking. Whats your budget? You really REALLY should consider buying parts and building it before cyber power steals your money.

 

[MasterC]

Hi blake, thanks for the quick reply!

Forgive my ignorance, but why is it a bad matchup...or, what should I do instead?

I probably am not overclocking, at least right of the bat, but it didn't seem to add much to the build cost to have it as an option. Or does it?

On pricing (and CyberPower vs me building myself), I put the same parts in a build on pcpartpicker.com, and I actually come out slightly ahead by going with CyberPower (and I don't have to build it).

Edit: Oh, and in my first post I state my budget as the $700-$800 range, which I missed slightly. I can afford to go up to ~$1k if there are compelling reasons to do so.

 

[blake1243]

The 7750 is a low end GPU and the 3570k is a high end CPU. A good pair would be the 3570k and 660 ti.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($33.20 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill NS Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($43.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Microcenter)
Keyboard: Cooler Master Storm QuickFire Rapid Wired Gaming Keyboard ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Mouse: Logitech G500 Wired Laser Mouse ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1002.09
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-02 16:00 EST-0500)

This is ALOT better than what you picked out. The 7750 is a low end card and the 7950 is high end. Its roughly 300% faster.

 

[MasterC]

Thanks again. I may be off base, but I was under the impression that for a general purpose PC (with only occasional casual gaming...Civ5 is currently the only game I ever really play, and it actually runs passably on my 8 year old laptop with a GeForce 7900), I would see more benefit for the money from a SSD than from a high-end GPU. I actually considered dropping a GPU completely and just going with the integrated HD4000, but wasn't sure about that.

I noticed you have a different MB choice...I admit to being completely lost in the middle of all the choices there. Is the ASRock board better than the one I had? All I really knew I wanted was some USB 3.0 ports on the front of the box. Same question for the case. Thanks!

 

[iceclock]

would u be open to building it urself as ud get more for ur money.

 

[MasterC]

Sure, I would perhaps be willing to consider it, but so far the prices I get from CyberPower are less than the prices for the same build comparing using pcpartpicker.com

 

[blake1243]

Sure, I would perhaps be willing to consider it, but so far the prices I get from CyberPower are less than the prices for the same build comparing using pcpartpicker.com

Maybe if you pick the specific parts you picked from cyber power. But if you pick out cheaper ram, better mobo, psu, gpu, cpu, hdd that have a good price/performance ratio then you will get way more for your money building. I have a hd 7770 in my $400 build. So you should get alot better than a 7750 for a $1000 build.

 

[iceclock]

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

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($123.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS72 DVD/CD Writer ($22.75 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $759.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 10:36 EST-0500)

will be a moonstar

 

[MasterC]

Maybe if you pick the specific parts you picked from cyber power. But if you pick out cheaper ram, better mobo, psu, gpu, cpu, hdd that have a good price/performance ratio then you will get way more for your money building. I have a hd 7770 in my $400 build. So you should get alot better than a 7750 for a $1000 build.

But your $400 build must not have a large SSD, 8GB RAM, and a 3570K level CPU? Or a new OS? If it has all that AND a 7770, then I am definitely interested in seeing it!

I get what you're saying about my chosen video card, but I'm just not sure that's where my usage says I should put my money...spending the extra cash for a better card is wasted if I wouldn't see the difference in my use. I know I said I play the occasional game, but say for a non-gamer, would there be any noticeable difference at all between a 7950 and a 7750? Or even the integrated HD4000? If not, I might prefer to put the money into other things now and add the video card later, if it turns out I need it.

 

[iceclock]

how does the rig i suggested look like to u?

 

[MasterC]

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

CPU: AMD FX-4300 3.8GHz Quad-Core Processor ($123.79 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock 970DE3/U3S3 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($69.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS72 DVD/CD Writer ($22.75 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $759.44
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 10:36 EST-0500)

will be a moonstar

Thanks, iceclock. But, after even more research, I think I'm sold on the benefits of the 3570k, and I've decided to sink a little extra money into it along with a Z77 chipset in case I want to play with overclocking it down the road. If I edit your build to include those things, it costs more than mine, even without adding the SSD.

 

[iceclock]

shur

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

CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($129.99 @ Microcenter)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.98 @ Outlet PC)
Video Card: PowerColor Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 200R ATX Mid Tower Case ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Antec Neo Eco 520W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS72 DVD/CD Writer ($22.75 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Other: intel 3570k ($224.00)
Total: $919.65
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 14:54 EST-0500)

Base Total: $949.65
Mail-in Rebates: -$30.00
Total: $919.65

 

[MasterC]

So, I have tweaked things a bit. The build below is basically a copy of my CyberPowerPC build. The net price to my door from CyberPowerPC is $899. That's less than I can buy the parts for on my own, and they build it and provide a 3-year warranty.

So, please help me if I'm missing something - where is the value I'm missing in building my own? Which parts need to be tweaked to get essentially this same system for a lot cheaper? Thanks!


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($124.55 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($52.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($98.99 @ Mac Mall)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7750 1GB Video Card ($92.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Azza Fusion 3000 (Black) ATX Full Tower Case ($170.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 Full (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Gigabyte Force K3 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($30.39 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Raptor Gaming 000RAPLM2 Wired Optical Mouse ($27.13 @ Amazon)
Other: Flash Media Reader ($10.00)
Other: Bluetooth and Wifi - GC-WB300D ($25.00)
Total: $1037.95
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-02-03 15:07 EST-0500)

 

[tiny voices]

This will game on lowest settings. When it comes to gaming, Its about 90% GPU and 10% CPU.

 

[iceclock]

my build would be better for gaming tbh.

 

[tiny voices]

you are WAY over spending on the case. Get a $60-$800 case and spend more on the GPU. As it sits, the system you just posted will play modern games at low settings at 1080p

 

[MasterC]

For the case, all I really cared about (or knew I cared about) was: front USB 3.0 ports, roomy enough, good fans to keep airflow without buying extra fans; looking nice is a side bonus, but not that big a deal. When it came down to it, I had trouble finding budget cases that had front USB 3.0 plugs. What did I miss? Any recommendations? Thanks!

 

[tiny voices]

Plenty of examples. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139016
Awesome air flow and USB 3.0 front.

 

[iceclock]

master c is it cuz u dont know how to build a pc or dont want to?

u get alot more bang for bucks if u build it urself.

 

[MasterC]

Plenty of examples. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139016
Awesome air flow and USB 3.0 front.

OK, thanks--will check it out. Looks like that brings my build at pcpartspicker down to $1003 to my door (less $30 in MIR). But it brings my equivalent CyberPowerPC build down to $876 (less $10 MIR).

Edit: but I do also have to weigh that savings against the smaller capacity, less fans, and no easy-SWAP HD options; not really sure how important that stuff is to me, but there are reasons for the price difference maybe? See the comparison: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100006644%2040000007&IsNodeId=1&page=5&bop=And&CompareItemList=7%7C11-139-016%5E11-139-016-TS%2C11-517-018%5E11-517-018-TS

 

[tiny voices]

Post a link to the cyberpower build with all the same components for 876 dollars.

 

[iceclock]

ya he cant, since cyberpower if more overall.

 

[tiny voices]

Exactly. That build will be $1400+ on cyberpower.

 

[iceclock]

they always charge a big markup. since they can. and will