First time computer compatibility check

[ForgottenHawX]

Hi, I would like to build a new computer and am unsure if the specs are compatible.

The specs are:
CPU: Intel CPU Core i5 3550 - LGA 1155
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H61MA-D3V Intel Mainboard - LGA 1155
SSD: Intel 520 120GB SSD - OEM
Hard-drive: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Desktop Memory: Corsair 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz CL 9 DDR3 XMS3
Graphics Card: Gigabyte nVidia GTX 550 TI
I would also like to know if it all fits in a Cooler Master Centurion 5 II Case with a Thermaltake Litepower 700W power supply.

Thanks!

 

[jtenorj]

First of all, I did a quick check for reviews about that silverstone psu(I'm not personally
familiar with the brand) and found a very positive review on hardwaresecrets.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/SilverStone-Strider-ST50F-500-W-Power-Supply-Review/548/1
They know their stuff as far as running a PSU through the wringer goes, so I trust them.
Just be careful about which components you connect to certain power leads so that
the pull on the split +12v rail is balanced.

That 7850 is twice as much as the 7770(250au vs. 125au), but is not even twice as fast.
However, after analyzing your intended uses, that particular 7770 may not be the best fit
for you. Per wikipedia, LoL is not very demanding, and I imagine any indie game would
likely be even less so. For competitive shooters?(willing to sacrifice detail for higher fps),
you want a gpu that can handle the one toughest on systems(BF3).

The linked 7770ghz Ed. has a reference styled cooler with reference 1ghz core clock, so
you may not be able to push it to 1.2 without adding voltage. The linked 7850 has a
custom dual fan cooler and ships at 975 core vs 860. The catalyst driver might limit higher
overclocks to 1050, but something like MSI Afterburner(free download) will let you go
higher and adjust voltage(both would require maxing the powertune slider in catalyst).

I don't know much about 7850 OCing, but I don't think you'd get much over 1200mhz at
best. A 7770 with the right cooler can push 1250 on the core. One like this:
http://www.centrecom.com.au/catalog/product_info.php?sort=3a&products_id=56574
A good sized fan and copper heatpipes allowed some reviewers to get well over 1200
while remaining cool and quiet.

When the 7770 first launched, hardocp tested a somewhat overclocked dual fan xfx
version against both hd6870 and gtx560ti and found it delivered the same gameplay
experience(same settings at subjectively playable frame rates). Here is that review:
http://hardocp.com/article/2012/02/14/xfx_r7770_black_edition_super_overclocked_review/1
Pay particular attention to the BF3 page. They also overclocked it to almost 1200 easily
and without a voltage bump. The sapphire is and even better card. Plus, both 7850 and
7770 get a speed boost by recent catalyst drivers that use the new GCN architecture more
efficiently. The sapphire costs a bit more than the other 7770, but is still a better value for
your dollar than the linked 7850 and will let you do what you want to do very well while
remaining within the confines of your budget. (based on mhz x functional units on die).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison_of_AMD_graphics_processing_units#Southern_Islands_.28HD_7xxx.29_series

I don't recall whether you said you'd be interested and/or willing to overclock to get
the best bang for your buck. Both the 7770 and 7850(28nm process) beg to be
tweaked. If you do a little research and are careful, you can achieve a safe and
effective overclock. Whether you do or don't, the sapphire is still a better value for the
money vs that 7850, factory clocked or hand tuned. You may not be able to game
smoothly at 1080p ultra +fxaa(minus motion blur for both performance reasons and
competitive edge) with only ambient occlusion bumped down a notch from horizon based
to screen space, but BF3 still looks pretty awesome on high(esp. compared to consoles).

If you want to save a bit, you could go with the xfx 7770 and play BF3 on high/w fxaa.

Yes your preference is max settings, but only if the budget permits. High is better than
medium("average").

 

[TheBigTroll]

1:architecturally, double the cores does not mean double the performance. every one knows that.
2: pricing also does not scale. everyone knows that as well
3: clock speed doesnt mean a thing. clockspeed is only relevant if you have the same chip. so you are saying that a 1250mhz 7770 can beat a 800mhz a 7950?
4:dont use wiki on me. i change their articles all the time

 

[jtenorj]

Of course a 7770 at 1ghz+ isnt as fast as a 7850 or 7950 at 800mhz+.

It is a hell of a lot cheaper, though. The point is that a stock 7770 is over half the speed
of a 7850 that goes for 2x as much money(7770 @100usd is 1/2 of 7870 at 250usd).
(prices in Australia appear to be inflated by about 25% for video cards versus the US.)

The 7850 in question is already overclocked some. Both of the 7770s are not. The xfx
I linked first has a more reference style pcb and cooler, so will be more limited in over-
clock potential. The sapphire has an awesome cooler that can push that sucker far.

Since the 7850 is already overclocked a ways, it probably won't go a ton further. Even
if it did, it has 20% fewer shaders than the 7870. So, out of the box, either 7770 is over
half the speed. the xfx is half the price so is a better deal when not OCing. The sapphire
is something you purchase for a few bucks more to squeeze the most out of cape verde.

That 7850 can probably be pushed harder, but in the end when both it and the sapphire
are maxed the sapphire will still be better value for the money. Even if the 7770 won't
overclock well at all, it should still allow the OP to kick butt online in BF3 on high with fxaa
and blow console graphics out of the water.(BF3 not specifically mentioned, but if it can
run that it should run any other current competitive shooter even better). And of course
the 7770 is more than enough for LoL and indie games. And ( here's a big, big point),
neither 7770 will force the OP to exceed the budget like a 7850 will.(sapphire cool and
quiet to boot, if the OP cares about such things.)(again, newer drivers=perf.+)

A 7850 is more card than the OP needs. With OCing, we are approaching 7870 territory,
and that card can handle 2560x1600(2x the res of the OP's 1080p screen).

Edit: sorry bout double post. When tried 2 post, message said forum was temporarily
unavailable or something like that.

@TheBigTroll: I make minor edits to wikipedia from time to time myself, but only to fix
what I know to be errors based on knowledge of specs in official amd/nvidia launch
materials. I know the Architecture and clockspeeds of pretty much every mid to
high end amd/ati card dating back to the 9500-9800 series. I know some of the specs
for the lower end cards, too. I have a similar knowledge of nvidia cards except for the
lower end cards in the last few families(all that product rebranding is a nightmare).

You sound like you like to make edits on wikipedia that might not be based entirely on
the available facts. I might have to look over some of my favorite tech based pages at
things and even dig into the change log to see if "someone" is making untrue/false
edits for no good reason...

2x160 5770s in crossfire at launch vs 5870 at jacked up 400. no, price does not scale
linearly with performance and is horrible at the top. It is pretty bad at the very
bottom as well . the sweet spot lies somewhere in the middle, sometimes upper
middle, sometimes lower middle. with 7770 vs 7850, it's the lower middle. I say that
as anything over gtx660ti/7950 @300 is irrelevant to most gamers. Also, anything
below 7750 is likely not relevant to most true gamers as well.

 

[jtenorj]

Of course a 7770 at 1ghz+ isnt as fast as a 7850 or 7950 at 800mhz+.

It is a hell of a lot cheaper, though. The point is that a stock 7770 is over half the speed
of a 7850 that goes for 2x as much money(7770 @100usd is 1/2 of 7870 at 250usd).
(prices in Australia appear to be inflated by about 25% for video cards versus the US.)

The 7850 in question is already overclocked some. Both of the 7770s are not. The xfx
I linked first has a more reference style pcb and cooler, so will be more limited in over-
clock potential. The sapphire has an awesome cooler that can push that sucker far.

Since the 7850 is already overclocked a ways, it probably won't go a ton further. Even
if it did, it has 20% fewer shaders than the 7870. So, out of the box, either 7770 is over
half the speed. the xfx is half the price so is a better deal when not OCing. The sapphire
is something you purchase for a few bucks more to squeeze the most out of cape verde.

That 7850 can probably be pushed harder, but in the end when both it and the sapphire
are maxed the sapphire will still be better value for the money. Even if the 7770 won't
overclock well at all, it should still allow the OP to kick butt online in BF3 on high with fxaa
and blow console graphics out of the water.(BF3 not specifically mentioned, but if it can
run that it should run any other current competitive shooter even better). And of course
the 7770 is more than enough for LoL and indie games. And ( here's a big, big point),
neither 7770 will force the OP to exceed the budget like a 7850 will.(sapphire cool and
quiet to boot, if the OP cares about such things.)(again, newer drivers=perf.+)

A 7850 is more card than the OP needs. With OCing, we are approaching 7870 territory,
and that card can handle 2560x1600(2x the res of the OP's 1080p screen).

 

[rdc85]

Well I wouldn't recommend O.C for first time build.. As above if your DIY skill near 0 , u can buy it all together right now. and ask them to build it for u. Some simple mistake in building can make u have to go back and forth to claim warranty..

But if u wanna learn how to build PC and don't mind the risk/effort/ chance it can broke the parts. there a lot of youtube that can be learn form. (Tom's also had guide)

My suggestion still same get the 7850 ditch the SSD for OS wkwkwk..... ( here what i'm different from TheBigTroll )

 

[jtenorj]

@OP: how much extra will it cost to have the shop hook up everything?

I can see where you might have a little trepidation at the idea of self assembly, what with
this being your first build and all. If you do a little research online(googling guides on how
to build), take your time and are careful to make sure both that you are grounded(see
below) and in a low static environment and connect everything correctly before you boot
up the first time, you should be all good. Even better than saving a little money(or a lot
of money depending on how much they want to charge you for the service), you would
have the sense of accomplishment from having assembled your own computer. It can be
a real learning experience too(preferably a more benign experience that a "live and learn"
type of thing). Preparation is key. It's like building most anything, really. You don't just
start in with a screwdriver(phillips head) without a plan. That is unless your methods in
such matters are like those of the stereotypical male, taking one glance at a set of
instructions and then tossing them in the trash.


For static you can buy an inexpensive wrist strap, but those are supposed to be connected
to something that is grounded(like the body of a plugged in power supply). You can begin
your build process by simply touching the supply and doing so periodically throughout the
build process. Of course it is unwise to be connecting components hooked up to power, so
you could wait to connect the psu to the rest of the components until after the rest of the
pc is assembled. Depending on your case and where you locate your components inside,
you may want to make a plan for power cable routing first. The main thing is to minimize
risk of transferring static shock to sensitive electronic components. Socks and rubber soled
shoes can build up static(so can walking on carpet) so go barefoot, choose place to build
with a hard floor and a hard NON METAL table/counter/bench to stand/set components and
case as you assemble. I think components are hardier now than they were some years
ago, but the risk of component damage due to shock is still possible.
(EDIT: UNPLUG PSU WELL BEFORE CONNECTING POWER LEADS TO COMPONENTS!)

If you really don't want to attempt building it out yourself, factor the store's fee to do it into the overall budget. I hope the above emboldened you more than the opposite.

 

[jtenorj]

Ok, so I just reread the thread and a little about league of legends on wikipedia.
The game isn't very demanding(suggested specs are 3ghz single core ie P4HT, 2GB
ram and an 8800 graphics card(so like 8800gts640/320?). HD7770 is more than plenty for
that. Most indie games I've seen seem pretty basic graphically compared to AAA titles.
I'm not knocking artistic style, though. In that regard they can be some of the best in the
industry. The shooter(s) in question are the mystery component.

As for an ssd...

SSDs are great. They can dramatically speed up boot times(although you shouldn't need to
do this very often with proper use of system power saver settings), applications are much
more responsive(browsers, office apps, etc. open in the blink of an eye in comparison to
an old hdd), and your sequential data transfer rates are several times what you'd get
on an older hdd(although writing to it is limited by the source like relatively slow internet,
optical or older hdd and reading from it is less of a concern for things like music and video).

There may be several benefits in games, depending somewhat on what types of games
you play. An ssd will load the game faster. This is good for people that may otherwise
be doing something else and just want to hop into the server browser to check possible
games to join and if none are found hop back out again. Or more broadly(like say for a
competitive online shooter) loading into a map faster than others can give you a starting
advantage in some games. Finally, if you play large open world/mmo type games, an ssd
can improve game performance when loading in assets for a new area of the map as your
character moves closer to that area.

There are distinct drawbacks to SSDs as well. One is obviously cost. Despite the horrible
flooding that affected parts availability for hdds and thus their prices, we've come quite
a ways back toward where we were before. I think you can find a high capacity green
HDD for as little as 4cents US(5AU?) per gigabyte of storage space(80usd for 2TB). About
the lowest cost per gigabyte on an ssd is maybe 60 cents(about 70 bucks US for a 128GB
SSD or a difference of a factor of 15). Another is reliability. Hard drives have been around
for decades and solid state drives have only hit the mainstream in the last few years.

(insert wall of text wedge here)

Some HDDs can last a very long time but little is known about long term ssd viability (or
perhaps a fair amount of short term data). A final thing is that if a circuit board on a
hdd fails or even if the disks themselves take some damage, your data may still be
recoverable(swap circuit board for identical, special forensic tools), but for an ssd, one
little power surge and all your data could be lost in an instant. That is why most people
get a decent sized ssd(120-256GB) for os, apps and games, and get 1(or 2 in raid 1
mirrored array) high capacity green disks for long term storage of media and important
files. You could get 2 SSDs and raid 0(stripe) them for theoretically 2x the performance,
but sequential writes would be bottlenecked by the rest of the system(as before) and
your increased iops won't seem as notably different compared to just one drive.

(Another wall of text wedge)

Even though TRIM doesn't work in raid, the various garbage collection algorithms
out there still work ok with it). I suppose that if it is cheaper to get 2 smaller SSDs
versus one bigger one, the extra iops would pay off when loading a bunch of various
relatively small file size wise assets into a game (whether in level or while loading the
level). That could decrease choppiness even more or get you into a level/game in half
the time with 2 SSDs compared to just 1.

Back to CPU, GPU and RAM...

A core i5 quad is plenty fast enough to not bottleneck any game out there. Once you
crank up the graphical settings, the bottleneck switches to the GPU and its level of
rendering horsepower. 8GB of ram is more than enough for any game today. You could
maybe even have several instances of a game and some multitab browser windows
open at the same time. And finally , a radeon HD7770ghz Ed. graphics card should be
far more horse power than is required to run any of your specified games on high/max
with high framerates (based on LoL, "indie" games and the mysterious "occasional
shooter"). So what shooter(or shooters) in particular are you referring to?

 

[rdc85]

Sorry, but

jtenorj are u trying to write an Essay about computer??

 

[ForgottenHawX]

Ok, so I just reread the thread and a little about league of legends on wikipedia.
The game isn't very demanding(suggested specs are 3ghz single core ie P4HT, 2GB
ram and an 8800 graphics card(so like 8800gts640/320?). HD7770 is more than plenty for
that. Most indie games I've seen seem pretty basic graphically compared to AAA titles.
I'm not knocking artistic style, though. In that regard they can be some of the best in the
industry. The shooter(s) in question are the mystery component.

As for an ssd...

SSDs are great. They can dramatically speed up boot times(although you shouldn't need to
do this very often with proper use of system power saver settings), applications are much
more responsive(browsers, office apps, etc. open in the blink of an eye in comparison to
an old hdd), and your sequential data transfer rates are several times what you'd get
on an older hdd(although writing to it is limited by the source like relatively slow internet,
optical or older hdd and reading from it is less of a concern for things like music and video).

There may be several benefits in games, depending somewhat on what types of games
you play. An ssd will load the game faster. This is good for people that may otherwise
be doing something else and just want to hop into the server browser to check possible
games to join and if none are found hop back out again. Or more broadly(like say for a
competitive online shooter) loading into a map faster than others can give you a starting
advantage in some games. Finally, if you play large open world/mmo type games, an ssd
can improve game performance when loading in assets for a new area of the map as your
character moves closer to that area.

There are distinct drawbacks to SSDs as well. One is obviously cost. Despite the horrible
flooding that affected parts availability for hdds and thus their prices, we've come quite
a ways back toward where we were before. I think you can find a high capacity green
HDD for as little as 4cents US(5AU?) per gigabyte of storage space(80usd for 2TB). About
the lowest cost per gigabyte on an ssd is maybe 60 cents(about 70 bucks US for a 128GB
SSD or a difference of a factor of 15). Another is reliability. Hard drives have been around
for decades and solid state drives have only hit the mainstream in the last few years.

(insert wall of text wedge here)

Some HDDs can last a very long time but little is known about long term ssd viability (or
perhaps a fair amount of short term data). A final thing is that if a circuit board on a
hdd fails or even if the disks themselves take some damage, your data may still be
recoverable(swap circuit board for identical, special forensic tools), but for an ssd, one
little power surge and all your data could be lost in an instant. That is why most people
get a decent sized ssd(120-256GB) for os, apps and games, and get 1(or 2 in raid 1
mirrored array) high capacity green disks for long term storage of media and important
files. You could get 2 SSDs and raid 0(stripe) them for theoretically 2x the performance,
but sequential writes would be bottlenecked by the rest of the system(as before) and
your increased iops won't seem as notably different compared to just one drive.

(Another wall of text wedge)

Even though TRIM doesn't work in raid, the various garbage collection algorithms
out there still work ok with it). I suppose that if it is cheaper to get 2 smaller SSDs
versus one bigger one, the extra iops would pay off when loading a bunch of various
relatively small file size wise assets into a game (whether in level or while loading the
level). That could decrease choppiness even more or get you into a level/game in half
the time with 2 SSDs compared to just 1.

Back to CPU, GPU and RAM...

A core i5 quad is plenty fast enough to not bottleneck any game out there. Once you
crank up the graphical settings, the bottleneck switches to the GPU and its level of
rendering horsepower. 8GB of ram is more than enough for any game today. You could
maybe even have several instances of a game and some multitab browser windows
open at the same time. And finally , a radeon HD7770ghz Ed. graphics card should be
far more horse power than is required to run any of your specified games on high/max
with high framerates (based on LoL, "indie" games and the mysterious "occasional
shooter"). So what shooter(or shooters) in particular are you referring to?

For the store to hook everything up is $75. Shooters would probably just be PC only games like TF2 and CS:S and maybe MW2 since i have a PS3 and don't want to spend money on games i already have.

 

[ForgottenHawX]

dont even bother with a 7770. they suck. the 7850 has waaay more performance for not much more

i dont know why you cant buy stuff from the websites that are listed. they are the cheapest for each component

About the price, it seems as though the place im getting it from is roughly around the same price overall

 

[jtenorj]

@rdc85: just trying to help ForgottenHawX make the most informed decision possible...

@ForgottenHawX
For 75 dollars you could boost graphics(if you wanted/needed). Do you really want to
spend that much to pay for a service you can do yourself in a few hours(an experienced
builder could do it in less than a hour easy but this would be your first build). Just find and
read a few guides and take notes to refer to during the process. Actually, you totally don't
need a better graphics card than 7770, but below that is diminishing returns.

Oh yeah, you could maybe get an ssd if one isn't already on your parts list.

I take it back. There is already a 128GB samsung 830 on the list.

I might mention TF2 comes in the Orange Box along with HL2(one of the best shooters
ever), HL2 episodes 1(short and in city 17 on foot) and 2(also short, but in the great
outdoors with a modded post apocalyptic muscle car), and Portal(I played the demo ie
first 10 or so levels and would like to buy both it and portal 2 when funds become
available) and is available for both PS3 and 360 in addition to PC. Of course MW2 is
on both consoles and PC as well. As far as I know counterstrike is in fact a PC exclusive
but none of these games are particularly hard on modern graphics cards(these games go
pretty light on them, in fact). I know you like what you like and I like what I like as far
as games are concerned, but I would probably buy everything in the orange box except
TF2 myself either individually or as smaller combos (Portal 2) on steam for cheap. I guess
that is your idea too. Shooters, rts and mmos seem to play better on PC too.
Personally I'd pick BF3 over MW2 but that's your call. I'm not sure the whole tactical
shooter genre is up my alley(played through GRAW once and may again but don't know
about online which is all counterstrike comes in). Seems to me a mouse and keyboard are
a better combo for shooters versus a controller. I'm getting redundant(getting redundant).


I guess my beef with TF2 is the weapons don't do a definite amount of damage but a
varying amount with things that can negate or boost critical hits( another reason I am
staying away from battlefield heros and Battlefield free to play). If aspects of LoL are
similar to that though( but an entirely different genre)then that may be right up your alley.

I've probably droned on enough for a while. Happy reading/building.

PS didn't mean to offend if telling u stuff u already know.

Edit:
On my post u quoted I think you meant to quote my post before that . You can delete
all but the relevant sentence/ paragraph and the before and after quotes to save
vertical space on the page. just sayin...

Edit: Just noticed that the mobo I suggested has amongst the accessories 2 "optional"
sata cables. I think you need one each for dvd, hdd and sdd since they don't come
with cables. sata 1 or 2 should be fine for the 2 mechanical drives, but you need/want
a sata 3 cable to get full use out of your ssd. I think I mentioned something about
balancing the rails on the psu when you build. I am starting to think maybe it is a
better idea to pay for them to build it, but only if they can meet some terms for you
for that price. Some of the following may be open to discussion but shoot for what you
can get(maybe they include some or all the following things...) maybe you can talk
them down below 75 for some or all of this too...

just referenced newegg. the samsung is the oem, not the retail so has no cable. Same
goes for the LG...and...it's a hat trick. all three(seagate too) are oem so need cables.

Ask if all the required sata cables are included in the build cost. The mobo might have
2(doesn't specify what version but again even sata 1 should be more than enough
for hdd and is total overkill for the optical). So you need whatever matching cables for
the mechanicals and a sata 3 cable for the ssd.

They install windows for you(but let you activate it at home when you get it there).
Also make sure they install all appropriate drivers(amd catalyst whatever is best from
12.6, 12.7 or 12.8, lan driver, raid driver, audio codec driver, usb driver, I can't think
of anything else atm

They run it through some stress tests like prime95 or intel burn for the cpu and
Furmark for the gpu "overnight"(8hrs min.) to make sure the supply is balanced
correctly and stable.(actually running them at the same time would be better)

That's all I can think of for the moment but it's not unreasonable.

Oh, maybe ask if they can OC the gpu for you and run prime/furmark 8hr to test for
stability. These are things boutique builders do. Get you money's worth for the
price premium over parts alone. On second thought, you can drop down to the
cheaper xfx 7770 based on your game list. Don't worry about OCing(for now).

So a few bucks in cables, less than an hour of labor to build, a bit to install windows
(they can be doing other things between clicking yes on that one) some electricity
to run the rig for like half a day and a bit of time to check up on it/check test results.

That seems pretty fair to me for a few cheap parts, less than an hour of heavier.
labor and a bit more "light duty" mixed with their other work.

OH, and decent cable routing like behind the mobo tray and optial drives with a few
zip ties for optimal airflow through the case.

Maybe ask them to test that the front case panet usb 3 and audio ports work ok.
And the antec one has two 120mm fans(both exhaust). maybe leave the rear fan
but move the top fan to front intake. (This post got a whole lot longerl.

write every thing down and then ask what they include. ask about more. ask for it
for less . you may be surprised what you can get if you ask. Oh, they need to have
some kind of guarantee for at least a minimal time frame that the system should w
work properly. maybe not a full year warranty or anything(that may be pushing it
too far...) Then again, you are buying all the parts there right? maybe throwing in
some extras for you is a good way to create customer loyalty and bring you back
for future computing needs. OK, that's about it for now... really....

 

[ForgottenHawX]

@jtenorj
Aha all those games youve listed if got cept BF3 and MW2

Ive decided to drop the graphics card to the 7770 and the specs now are:
CPU: Intel Core CPU Core i5 3550 - LGA1155 - $203.5
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 Intel Motherboard - LGA1155 - $119
SSD: Samsung 830 - 128GB - $110
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $88
Optical Drive: Samsung 22x Black Interval DVDRW - $29
RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 8GB(4x2GB) PC-1600 - $57
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition - $143
Case: Antec One Hundred - $62
Power Supply: Corsair CX-500W V2 - $69
OS: Windows 7 SP1 - $99
=$979.50

 

[jtenorj]

Do you want to save a few bucks and use the xfx 7770 I linked earlier in the thread vs

the sapphire 7770?

Are you going to count the 75 dollar build fee into the total budget? Still trying to stay

under 1000 or going a bit over?

Is that your final(best)answer?

is mw2 mechwarrior 2 or call of duty modern warfare 2? You know modern warfare
3 came out about the same time as BF3, right?

 

[jtenorj]

Do you want to save a few bucks and use the xfx 7770 I linked earlier in the thread vs

the sapphire 7770?

Are you going to count the 75 dollar build fee into the total budget? still trying to stay

under 1000 or going a bit over?

Did you get like an estimate or talk to someone about building and getting what you
want done done and done right? Are you gonna take a crack at this system build
yourself?

Is that your final(best)answer?

Are you planning to OC the gpu? if so sapphire is better(also nice and cool and quiet).
If not OCing the xfx should be fine. Its blower should get the GPUs extra heat out of
your system and do so without making too much noise.

Edit: the double posting was unintentional ,but this second one has a little more info
in it versus the other, like build questions.

 

[jtenorj]

somethin weird goin on. Those last 2 posts are a little different, Can you read them both?

Does any kind of tax need to be added to the total or is it already factored into the
individual product costs?

Make sure that win 7 home prem. sp1 is 64 bit or you won't be able to use even half of
the 8GB gskill ripjaws

I think i answered some of my own questions. IF you are using the windows from my
original link then you are good. also noticed tiny letters"inc gst" guessing that means
the price does already include some kind of tax. looked on your stores site for location
info. you close to the one way up north of melbourne, the one west around the water
or one of the eight right around melbourne proper. I'm in Des Moines IA USA , not that
any of that matters really. just wanted to know if you'd have to drive very far to get
a part at another store that might be out of stock at your closest store.

 

[TheBigTroll]

@jtenorj
Aha all those games youve listed if got cept BF3 and MW2

Ive decided to drop the graphics card to the 7770 and the specs now are:
CPU: Intel Core CPU Core i5 3550 - LGA1155 - $203.5
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 Intel Motherboard - LGA1155 - $119
SSD: Samsung 830 - 128GB - $110
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $88
Optical Drive: Samsung 22x Black Interval DVDRW - $29
RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 8GB(4x2GB) PC-1600 - $57
Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7770 GHz Edition - $143
Case: Antec One Hundred - $62
Power Supply: Corsair CX-500W V2 - $69
OS: Windows 7 SP1 - $99
=$979.50

drop the cpu to a i5 3450. no noticable performance drop
heres a cheaper ODD:http://pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=658_667&products_id=19580
cheaper ram:http://www.mwave.com.au/sku-37141027-GSkill_Ares_8GB_2x_4GB_Dual_Channel_Memory_Kit_PC3_12800DDR3_1600_240pin_DIMM_CL
psu is bad. it can only supply 400w max get this instead
http://pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_535&products_id=15135
id upgrade to the antec one which is 3 dollars more but you do get better overall case design and usb3 because its a newer case
http://pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_547&products_id=19320

 

[TheBigTroll]

as for 7770 vs 7850. go ahead with the 7770. its not really me who is losing out on performance. overclocking to max may get you 3-5fps more. clockspeed also does not scale. good luck

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/549?vs=536

 

[ForgottenHawX]

Ok so i dropped into the store today and it turned out the manager of the store is one of my friends. He's decided to though in Windows 7 SP1 for me and build my PC free of charge if I buy all the components there. I've also managed to squeeze every last cent out of my budget, hitting $1000!
The specs now:
CPU: Intel Core CPU Core i5 3450 - LGA1155 - $195
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 Intel Motherboard - LGA1155 - $119
SSD: Samsung 830 - 128GB - $110
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $88
Optical Drive: Samsung 22x Black Interval DVDRW - $29
RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 8GB(4x2GB) PC-1600 - $57
Graphics Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 OC 2GB - $255
Case: Antec One Hundred - $62
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 520W - $85
Total - $1000

So thanks for all the help and have a good day!

EDIT: Also, can i select one or more replies for best answer? You've all been extremely helpful and it wouldn't feel right only giving it to one of you.

 

[jtenorj]

Glad we could be of help 2 u. It looks like your final build is a mesh of various suggestions
provided by several contibutors. Unfortunately, you can pick only one. I don't think anyone
is all that concerned about the extra points for best answer(both you and they get some
when you pick, though). Maybe do a quick re-read of the thread to see if one contributor's
combination of posts more influenced the overall build versus others, then pick one of
those posts as the one that had the most influence on your final decision. Just a thought.

It does look like a pretty great build considering the roughly 25% increase in prices on
parts in Australia versus here(where I am, anyway) in the U.S.
You should be quite happy with it for some time.

 

[TheBigTroll]

Ok so i dropped into the store today and it turned out the manager of the store is one of my friends. He's decided to though in Windows 7 SP1 for me and build my PC free of charge if I buy all the components there. I've also managed to squeeze every last cent out of my budget, hitting $1000!
The specs now:
CPU: Intel Core CPU Core i5 3450 - LGA1155 - $195
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Pro3 Intel Motherboard - LGA1155 - $119
SSD: Samsung 830 - 128GB - $110
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $88
Optical Drive: Samsung 22x Black Interval DVDRW - $29
RAM: G.SKILL DDR3 8GB(4x2GB) PC-1600 - $57
Graphics Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 OC 2GB - $255
Case: Antec One Hundred - $62
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 520W - $85
Total - $1000

So thanks for all the help and have a good day!

EDIT: Also, can i select one or more replies for best answer? You've all been extremely helpful and it wouldn't feel right only giving it to one of you.

why is the memory so expensive.? it should be around the 40 dollar mark

 

[jtenorj]

why is the memory so expensive.? it should be around the 40 dollar mark

Did you forget to take your Ritalin or something? I don't know where you live, but here in
the US(where I live) 2x4GB ram kits bottom out around 40usd, give or take a few bucks.

ForgottenHawX lives in the vicinity of Melbourne, Australia(hence the choice of computer
shop) where components seem to on average cost about 25% more than they do here.

In that light, the ram and other components are priced about where they ought to be
(they do already include tax, after all) and in some cases seem better compared to here
on a 1usd to 1au basis. Plus, if ForgottenHawX can get all this within the confines of
a 1000 budget(like 800usd) and have a buddy(the manager) at the store throw in a free
copy of windows and build the thing for free too, that is just really awesome.

You did an original pcpartpicker list set in AU and have suggested several other parts
from sites in the OP's country, but can't remember now?

I just looked up both taxing methods in Australia and the exchange rates between US
dollars and AU dollars. The US dollar is a tiny bit weak compared to AU. This class of
products falls under the Goods and Services Tax(GST) which is similar to Value Added Tax
(VAT)in the EU and elsewhere. Since most(all?)computer parts are manufactured in places
other than Australia, I imagine the (r)etailer pays 10% GST to stock parts on top of
import tax and then the customer pays 10% GST on that total(110% x 110% is 121%).
That in and of itself makes it close to the percentage difference. Of course part sites
have lower overhead compared to brick and mortar stores that have rental fees, sales
staff, utilities, etc. So a store may charge a little more than a site with only warehouse,
maybe fewer/lower paid staff and a comparably lower electric bill. Insurance needs may
be quite different between a warehouse and multiple retail locations with a source
warehouse as well.

I just looked up customs/duty in Australia and shipping/insurance.

Examples had customs including 5% duty on many things as well as cost of shipping and
insurance from home port to destination, but not shipping and insurance from the
origin to home port. Shipping+insurance add a fair amount on top of wholesale price.
Of course both part sites and retailers mark up prices from wholesale costs so they can
make a profit, but a retail store has higher expenses so usually charges at least a little
more than you will pay ordering online. You don't have to deal with shipping, though.
Just the price of gas to drive to and from the store.

I guess I was looking at prices mostly at centrecom compared to sites here and with
shipping, insurance, duty, GST and a retail store's additional costs I can totally see an
approx. 25% price increase based on the US dollar being worth slightly less than the
AU dollar right now.

 

[TheBigTroll]

Did you forget to take your Ritalin or something? I don't know where you live, but here in
the US(where I live) 2x4GB ram kits bottom out around 40usd, give or take a few bucks.

ForgottenHawX lives in the vicinity of Melbourne, Australia(hence the choice of computer
shop) where components seem to on average cost about 25% more than they do here.

In that light, the ram and other components are priced about where they ought to be
(they do already include tax, after all) and in some cases seem better compared to here
on a 1usd to 1au basis. Plus, if ForgottenHawX can get all this within the confines of
a 1000 budget(like 800usd) and have a buddy(the manager) at the store throw in a free
copy of windows and build the thing for free too, that is just really awesome.

You did an original pcpartpicker list set in AU and have suggested several other parts
from sites in the OP's country, but can't remember now?

I just looked up both taxing methods in Australia and the exchange rates between US
dollars and AU dollars. The US dollar is a tiny bit weak compared to AU. This class of
products falls under the Goods and Services Tax(GST) which is similar to Value Added Tax
(VAT)in the EU and elsewhere. Since most(all?)computer parts are manufactured in places
other than Australia, I imagine the (r)etailer pays 10% GST to stock parts on top of
import tax and then the customer pays 10% GST on that total(110% x 110% is 121%).
That in and of itself makes it close to the percentage difference. Of course part sites
have lower overhead compared to brick and mortar stores that have rental fees, sales
staff, utilities, etc. So a store may charge a little more than a site with only warehouse,
maybe fewer/lower paid staff and a comparably lower electric bill. Insurance needs may
be quite different between a warehouse and multiple retail locations with a source
warehouse as well.

I just looked up customs/duty in Australia and shipping/insurance.

Examples had customs including 5% duty on many things as well as cost of shipping and
insurance from home port to destination, but not shipping and insurance from the
origin to home port. Shipping+insurance add a fair amount on top of wholesale price.
Of course both part sites and retailers mark up prices from wholesale costs so they can
make a profit, but a retail store has higher expenses so usually charges at least a little
more than you will pay ordering online. You don't have to deal with shipping, though.
Just the price of gas to drive to and from the store.

I guess I was looking at prices mostly at centrecom compared to sites here and with
shipping, insurance, duty, GST and a retail store's additional costs I can totally see an
approx. 25% price increase based on the US dollar being worth slightly less than the
AU dollar right now.

take a chill pill bro. forgot he is in Australia. i answer a lot of peoples questions and i dont always have the memory (maybe i should a couple more dimms)

 

[TheBigTroll]

no problem. its good

 

[jtenorj]

take a chill pill bro. forgot he is in Australia. i answer a lot of peoples questions and i dont always have the memory (maybe i should a couple more dimms)

Sorry I came off like I did. Not my intention at all. Guess I need to be more careful
what I write. I get what you mean though. I've responded on a lot of threads from time
to time lately and sometimes have difficulty keeping straight various details between
them. Guess it's not so uncommon. Oh , and about adding some dimms...LOL!

 

[ForgottenHawX]

why is the memory so expensive.? it should be around the 40 dollar mark

Welp i didnt give the full name so here it is:
G.SKILL DDR3 8GB (2X4GB) PC-12800/1600 F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL Ram