First Build Suggestions

[dodgeale]

Hey Everyone,

I'm going to be working on my first custom build this summer. The specs for the system are as follows. My budget is around 1600 - 1800$.

Cooler Master Haf X Full ATX
Corsair HX850 850W Modular 80plus Gold
Rosewill Mechanical Cherry MX Blue Switch
Logitech g9x Black Mouse
Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD5H LGA 1155 Intel Z77 motherboard
Intel Core i5-3570k Ivy Bridge (Going to overclock)
Kingston Hyper X 120Gb SSD
Seagate Barracuda 1TB Mechanical Drive
EVGA GeForce GTX 660 Ti 2GB
ASUS Black SATA DVD-ROM
4x4 Gb G Skill Ripjaws Series 1600 memory



Once I have the build completed, I'm very interested in adding some custom cooling system, as well as cable sleeving and overclocking. So any other suggestions concerning optimizations would be greatly appreciated.

- Alex

 

[ARICH5]

thats actually a very good build. when are you gonna be buying it?

 

[Swordkd]

The only suggestion to your build I would make, would be to get 2 x 4gb ram sticks if you are gaming. If you need 16gb total for video editing or graphics work, then you'll probably want to get the 3770k CPU, and 2 x 8gb sticks of Ram. If I had that budget for a new pc, I'd go for something along the lines of:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Agility 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($399.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Rosewill RK-9000 Wired Standard Keyboard ($82.00 @ Mechanical Keyboards)
Mouse: Logitech G9x Wired Laser Mouse ($72.28 @ TigerDirect)
Total: $1475.16
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-31 22:37 EDT-0400)

Essentially what you had listed, put a slight emphasis on graphics card, lower PSU(you don't need 850w, even if you Crossfire or SLI either of the card options), and I also included an inexpensive Cpu cooler(worth getting now, even if you go the custom loop route in the future).

 

[SHORYUKEN]

With a $1800 budget, you can get better than a 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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 690 4GB Video Card ($988.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.81 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1708.70
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-31 22:41 EDT-0400)

I'm just kidding about the 690. This is a much more reasonable build, but if you want the best, the first build is where it's at.

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 ($29.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($47.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($369.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.81 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1089.70
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-03-31 22:42 EDT-0400)

 

[marshallbradley]

@SHORYUKEN He mentioned he wanted to have custom cable sleeving, so he'll need a modular power supply at the very least, unless he wants to void the warranty. Also don't suggest builds that won't actually work (like a 600W power supply with a GTX 690). I know it's a joke, but you never know who might read it and get the wrong idea...

@dodgeale Your build is fairly good, but you could certainly get a better graphics solution if you wanted to. $1600-1800 is a very high budget, esp. if you're only planning on gaming on one 1080p monitor or the like (are you?). If so, better to save that money for a rainy day, and aim more in the $1100 region at the most. This will get you a killer machine, leaving you enough change to upgrade when the time is right.

The power supply is also a bit overkill, there nice 550-600W modular units which would suit a single graphics setup nicely.

Do you have any preference between AMD/nVidia as far as graphics cards are concerned?

16gb of RAM is, as previously mentioned, a bit much, esp. with the crazy high memory prices at the moment.

Have you had a chance to try out mechanical keyboards with different types of switches to see what you prefer (blues/blacks/reds etc). It's a fairly large investment, and you really need to 'feel' the keyboard to know whether you'll like the key action or not. Most people (assuming they don't want to type much) like Cherry Blacks if they come from using a standard keyboard before, though like I said it's really a personal preference thing.

M

 

[dodgeale]

Thank you for the great suggestions,

In general, the reason I went for 16 Gb is for a combine mix of both video rendering, graphics rendering, and gaming. As well as some tedious mathematical computations if necessary. I went with the higher modular power supply as I did want to sleeve the cable, and incorporate some custom cooling, as well as supporting any additions I made to the PC in the future. I will definitely consider a higher end graphics card, as I could still push the budget up to 1800, (right now around 1650 on newegg). I also have used the Cherry MX blues before and quite enjoyed the feedback, hence the interest in purchasing one for myself!

Also preferences lie in the nVidia spectrum of products. Finally I'll be purchasing the build within the next two to three weeks.

- Alex

 

[SHORYUKEN]

@SHORYUKEN He mentioned he wanted to have custom cable sleeving, so he'll need a modular power supply at the very least, unless he wants to void the warranty. Also don't suggest builds that won't actually work (like a 600W power supply with a GTX 690). I know it's a joke, but you never know who might read it and get the wrong idea...

@dodgeale Your build is fairly good, but you could certainly get a better graphics solution if you wanted to. $1600-1800 is a very high budget, esp. if you're only planning on gaming on one 1080p monitor or the like (are you?). If so, better to save that money for a rainy day, and aim more in the $1100 region at the most. This will get you a killer machine, leaving you enough change to upgrade when the time is right.

The power supply is also a bit overkill, there nice 550-600W modular units which would suit a single graphics setup nicely.

Do you have any preference between AMD/nVidia as far as graphics cards are concerned?

16gb of RAM is, as previously mentioned, a bit much, esp. with the crazy high memory prices at the moment.

Have you had a chance to try out mechanical keyboards with different types of switches to see what you prefer (blues/blacks/reds etc). It's a fairly large investment, and you really need to 'feel' the keyboard to know whether you'll like the key action or not. Most people (assuming they don't want to type much) like Cherry Blacks if they come from using a standard keyboard before, though like I said it's really a personal preference thing.

M

600W will work with a 690 though. What the guys over at NVIDIA suggest isn't fact. They exaggerate the wattage.

 

[SHORYUKEN]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($229.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V LK ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($106.50 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($108.98 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($74.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Sandisk Ultra Plus 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($96.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: MSI Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($98.81 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1257.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-04-01 10:09 EDT-0400)

After that, find a keyboard + mouse that you like and get a custom loop kit. The 750W is if you want to CF.

 

[dodgeale]

Thanks for the help, I have some better ideas on what I would like to do now!

 

[SHORYUKEN]

Np. Enjoy your build.

 

[marshallbradley]

@SHORYUKEN I don't know how you can justify suggesting less than the manufacturer's recommended wattage, esp. when there are reviews out there showing that a system with a 690 in it can easily surpass 600W, and when not overclocked have a power consumption which is only 14W under 600: http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/graphics/display/geforce-gtx-690_4.html What are you basing your claim that "nVidia exaggerate" on?

M

 

[SHORYUKEN]

UPS. Tracking the actual wattage. Systems use a lot less power than you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKk2_1u26tg

http://www.geforce.com/hardware/desktop-gpus/geforce-gtx-570/specifications

It says you need atleast 550W to power the card, but you are only pulling under 400W.

 

[marshallbradley]

@SHORYUKEN We're not talking about the GTX 570 or nVidia's estimation of it's wattage.

Xbit uses exactly the same method of testing (measuring power draw from the wall socket) that Linus does.

You can't just choose to ignore solid pieces of information such as the as Xbit review of the GTX 690, where it clearly shows a power consumption over 600W, just because it doesn't fit in with your belief that "nVidia always over estimates on wattage".

M

 

[SHORYUKEN]

We're comparing cards, not using exact models. You have to look at the system this guy wants. He isn't looking at an i7-3960X, which consumes power like a vacuum. You are going to be using less power than that rig, obviously. Also, it's overclocked. The CPU alone is like 160W. 83W more than the i5. So technically the results should be under 600W with the rig I supplied.

 

[marshallbradley]

Presumably you'd be overclocking the 3570K as well, but even if you didn't, by your values the System would draw something like 500W without any overclocking (this is the result on Xbit minus 83W). Once you factor in a water cooling pump (he mentioned this specifically -- can be up to 50W depending on the pump) along with some fairly standard peripherals, do you really want to be within less 10% of the maximum rated wattage of a power supply, esp. a sub-par Corsair one (not to say it's bad, just not one of their best), before you've even overclocked? Overclocking would certainly push you over that limit. Bear in mind that the optimum operating for a power supply is between 50%-80% load.

This is using your estimations, not mine. I'm sorry but you simply cannot justify that 600W is enough for the system suggested.

You say that "technically the results should be under 600W". This is not the kind of thing you hope will be OK. You want to be certain that enough power will be supplied. Don't play guessing games with other people's hardware.

M

 

[SHORYUKEN]

Ok, so now we have a 550W system. Say he overclocks to 4.5 GHz. Unless he changes the voltage to some strange amount, I don't see him using more than like 20-30W. I don't even know why this is still going on. You can feel good about getting 860W for a 400W system, and I can feel good getting 550W for a 350W system.

 

[marshallbradley]

You're not even considering a graphics card overclock. Even without a graphics card overclock being within 20W of a PSU's limit is very foolish. 4.5 Ghz is also on the rather low end for a custom loop.

It's going on because you are still insisting that 600W is enough, when clearly the evidence shows it is not. I'm trying to ensure that people aren't accidentally misinformed.

I assume you're referring to personal builds there, which really has no bearing at all on the topic at hand. This is not a forum for trying to discredit people by taking cheap-shots at their own builds, it's about backing up your assertions with actual hard evidence (not just lofty claims), which there seems to be a distinct lack of from your end.

If you really need to know my AX 860 was bought at a time where I was planning on upgrading to 2-way SLI. It was only £10 more than the 760W version, so it seemed worth the small difference in price, given that it meant it could operate fanless over a greater range. Financial situations change though, and since then I've had to stick with the single 670 for a bit longer than I thought I would have to. I don't mind if it's not the optimal wattage or whatever in your eyes, it never hurts to have too much power. It does it's duty, and I'm not going to return a very solid unit (after having sleeved all the cables) because I'm not using it to it's full potential for the first 6 months I have it.

M

 

[ARICH5]

guys...check out this thread http://www.tomshardware.com/answers/id-1639677/psu-discussion-veterans-great-watts-amps-debate.html#10594575

i started that discussion thread exactly for your arguement. take it in there. this thread is solved.