Final Check - HD 6870/i5-2500k under $1k

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pluberus

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Aug 3, 2011
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After many hours of research, and tons of help, I think I've come up with the best compromise for my needs and budget:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=21031467

- NZXT ATX Mid Tower Case
- Z68 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Motherboard (Crossfire ready)
- Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 PCIe 2.1x16
- Raidmax 700W PSU - 80+ Bronze Certified
- i5-2500k 3.3GHz
- Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333
- 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s Seagate
- HP CD/DVD Burner
- Windows 7 H.P. OEM
- Extras: Cat 5 cable, Monitor (Debranded 20"; $130 off), Keyboard, USBWifi
- Already own: Mouse, DVI Cable,
- Total Price: $970

Is there anything I'm missing before I pull the trigger? Cords, components, anything?

-----

Original post:
Hey guys, looking for some help in my first homebuilt PC. I'm currently using a laptop, and could use a major upgrade.

1) What is your budget?
Under $1000. Under $900 would be awesome.

2) Are there any brands/resellers that you prefer or any you really don't like?
Nope

3) What tasks will you be performing with the Desktop?
Gaming; Browsing; Watching videos;

4) Will you be playing games on it; if so, which games?
Yes. Global Agenda, BFBC2, BF3, TA, GW2

5) Do you mind buying parts online without seeing them in person?
Online is fine

6) What OS do you prefer? Windows (XP or Vista), Mac OS X, Linux, etc.
Windows 7

7) How much hard drive space is needed?
7200RPM - 500GB+

8) What size desktop would you like?(All in one, compact, large)
Any

9) Does the case need to be stylish?
Nope

10) What resolution will the screen run at? One or Two screens?
1366x768 or more. One screen

11) Do you need any particular hardware?(Ports, HDD slots, double DVD drives, etc.)
CD/DVD Burner

12) How would you rate your technical skills?
7 on a 1-10 scale.

13) Have you ever built a desktop before?
Yes (lonnnng time ago, but I still mess with hardware)

14) Do you need wireless connectivity?
Yes

15) When are you going to be building this?
Within the next few months

16) Have you considered a pre-built desktop? Or even a notebook?
Yes. Already have a notebook. Need something more powerful and upgradeable.

17) Are you going to overclock?
Not initially, maybe later on.

Other
I really want an i5-2500k or something similar (prefer Intel). I also want a GTX 560 or something similar, if possible.

Came up with this:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21031467

Does that build look ok? Are there any parts I could switch out for some price savings, but while getting similar performance? Thanks!
 
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That is one of the reasons I was recommending that mobo. Nice catch.
 
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So I could upgrade the Mobo, or "downgrade" the CPU and use the money for something else?

Dang a ~$900 budget is hard to work with! lol

Thanks for catching that greenrider! I owe you 10. :lol:
 
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Correct, also keep in mind that an i5 2400 can still overclock 4 total bins (400Mhz) over stock to 3.5Ghz, with Turbo still kicking in and adding more, for a potential of 3.9Ghz with little effort, on a stock cooler
 
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Thanks for your help everyone. I think its a pretty good compromise for what I'm looking for and the budget I have. Looks better than most premades at that price.

I wish I could mark multiple "best answers"...
 
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Just remembered this combo deal:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboBundleDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.692056

Even upgrading the RAM to 8GB and buying a 1TB drive to replace the 500GB, it turns out cheaper than the build I had... :lol:

- $686 for the combo (Case, Mobo, 560, PSU, i5-2500k, RAM, HDD)
- $33 for 2 more 2GB sticks (to get 8GB) - Compatible?
- ~$107 Keyboard, DVI, USBWifi, Monitor, Cat5
- $60 for 1TB HDD
- ~$890 total

AND its SLI ready (but would probably need a better PSU?) AND can be OC'd.

EDIT:
Dang it. Forgot W7. T_T
 
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Okay so, I've read through this whole thread one more time to lookat everything and help you make a some-what final decision.

Win7: $100
i5-2500k: $220
GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68: $100 (it's z68, meaning you can get the 2500k, and actually use it to it's full potential.)
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB): $65
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM: $60
NZXT GAMMA Classic Series: $35
PNY VCGGTX560TXPB-OC-BDL GeForce GTX 560 Ti(comes with hdmi cable): $230
RAIDMAX Blackstone series RX-700AC 700W: $70
Pioneer CD/DVD Burner: $24
Total: $904
If you want a monitor, but still want to keep it under/around $900, I would be able to make a few changes that wouldn't hinder performance much/ not enough to be noticeable. Also, if you want my opinion. A great place to get things such as monitors, hard drives, and optical drives, for MUCH cheaper, is Ebay. Just as long as you buy from a reputible dealer, and make sure that they take returns, if you have doubts, then you should be fine! :)
 
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Well, like I said, you could buy hard drive and optical drive from Ebay, as long as you make sure your purchase is good. You can do so by contacting me or anybody in this thread most likely. And yes, or, you could take the less ethical route and pirate Win7, but I don't suggest that (although I wouldn't care) 😉 However, in terms of changing things to what I recommended, changing the ram would be the best option, seeing as it affects gaming the least. That, and maybe a somewhat cheaper mobo, but that one is good.
 
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What if I went with a 6870 and a mobo with 2 PCIe x16 slots? That way I'd be able to upgrade to CrossFire relatively easily in the future?

Seems like that would be a smart way to semi-futureproof the rig.
 
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That is a pretty good idea. I have a 6870 in my rig. It's awesome. Although, i wouldn't recommend crossfire. My friend has crossfire'd 6870's, and there are a lot of issues. Instead, if you do go with 6870, upgrade to 6950/6970 in the future.
 
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Haha. That ones great. I linked it in a previous comment 😉
 
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Ah missed that. 😀

Sooooo... I think I've finally got it (unless I'm missing something) :lol: :
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21031467

- 1TB 7200RPM Seagate HDD
- i5-2500k 3.3GHz
- Radeo HD 6870
- Z68 LGA 1155 Sata 6gb/s ATX mobo
- 700W 80+ Bronze PSU
- CD/DVD Writer
- 8GB (2x4GB) 1333
- NZXT ATX Mid Tower Case
- Windows 7 H.P. OEM
- Extras: Cat 5, USBWifi, cheap monitor (eBay?), basic keyboard
- $935
 
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Sounds great. You wont be dissapointed with the 6870. I suggest either xfx, sapphire, ASUS, HIS, and diamond. Those are all great, but, none of them are bad. And getting the monitor from Ebay is a great idea. It'll save you a lot of money.
 
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After many hours of research, and tons of help, I think I've come up with the best compromise for my needs and budget:
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=21031467

- NZXT ATX Mid Tower Case
- Z68 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Motherboard (Crossfire ready)
- Sapphire Radeon HD 6870 PCIe 2.1x16
- Raidmax 700W PSU - 80+ Bronze Certified
- i5-2500k 3.3GHz
- Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333
- 1TB 7200RPM SATA 6Gb/s Seagate
- HP CD/DVD Burner
- Windows 7 H.P. OEM
- Extras: Cat 5 cable, Monitor (Debranded 20"; $130 off), Keyboard, USBWifi
- Already own: Mouse, DVI Cable,
- Total Price: $970

Is there anything I'm missing before I pull the trigger? Cords, components, anything?
 
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Disagree. Power supply is eww... I don't trust the quality control of older raidmax units at all. If you find a review by a major online site (I refer specifically to the best PSU reviewer, JohnnyGuru).

Another thing, do you really need CF? At your current resolution and the even the resolution you planned on getting (1600x900) almost any card above a 5770/6770 could max out any games on that resolution. I mean I'm all for CF upgrades but if you plan to stick with the monitor (As I do when I upgrade my compute). You could go with a cheaper PSU and a 6850/550 Ti instead and save some money.
 
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The current build already has a 6850? I don't understand what you mean there. I won't be upgrading to Xfire anytime soon, I just want to have the option open for the future.

As for the PSU, its 700W 80+ Bronze Certified and has good reviews. What else should I look for in one?
 
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The current build has a 6870. Not a 6850. I'm saying you would save if you got the 6850 or 550 Ti. Since you're not exactly using a monitor that requires crazy graphics.

I'm saying you could save more money by getting the 6850 or 550 Ti. Both cards would max out 1600x900 easily.
HIS 6850 $160
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161384
(Comes with 2 games free)
Asus 550 Ti $130 (+$20 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121435

Save on the PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207012
Since you really don't need to CF/SLI.
 
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