Help me find components

idareng123

Honorable
Sep 19, 2012
7
0
10,510
Hi, i'm going to build my own computer and dont wanna waste a lot of money on pre built. My only problem is that i dont have any knowledge of it. I need advice of components for my computer so it can run at least guild Wars 2 on high graphics and up coming games. If i can get the price under 2000$ i would be happy. I need the company that sells the parts shipping to Norway.
 
Case: $50
Quality 500W PSU: $70 (Seasonic, Antec, Corsair, FSP, or Enermax/LEPA)
H77 mobo: $80
i3-2120 CPU: $120
HD7870: $260
HDD: (1TB WD Black) $110
Windows 7: $100
128GB Crucial M4 (non-Sandforce) SSD: $110
Total: $900

Edit: Obviously, improvements are possible (like getting an i5 and a Z77 mobo; perhaps a HD7950), but the point is that, for the stated uses, you won't need to spend anywhere near $2000.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


How many times must I point this out - you should *NEVER* generalize on builds when people come here looking for specifics. Most new builds usually don't know one brand from the other and that's where this board comes in. That's *NEVER* a good way to build a build.

I'd suggest something like this - it's a good half way point:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($30.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ares Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($88.98 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7950 3GB Video Card ($317.86 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($109.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk II 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1179.75
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-19 19:17 EDT-0400)
 
The purpose of my intentionally generic list was to show that he could get a good build (specifics TBD) without spending anywhere near the full $2K.
I've noticed that a lot of threads turn into niggle-fests (not saying this one will), and I've been trying very hard not to join that nonsense.

Also, a lot of people have crazy ideas about the minimums of anything (especially the graphics card and the PSU) that are needed in order to enjoy games.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


The reason I say it's never a good idea to generalize is because there's a lot of junk hardware out there - especially in the $50 - $100 range - and there's people who take Newegg and other store reviews seriously. The other day I got in an argument with a poster who thought Raidmax power supplies were good because they got good ratings on Newegg. They're not - I know from first hand experience.
 

seanpull

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
80
0
10,630


Please elaborate on how that's a "decent" video card, how the psu is "sub par", and why is the motherboard "overrated"?

Video Card: Personally, all I need is a card that plays everything on max settings 4xAA and 16xAF. Don't buy a card because Nvidia tells you it's better. 30+ FPS is smooth. The 660 Ti plays everything out right now on maximum settings with 30+ FPS, and almost every other game max settings 60+ FPS.

PSU: Corsair has earned a name in the industry as one of the top tier PSU brands. Anything from them is trustworthy, especially when there's reviews to back it up.

Motherboard: I've heard nothing but good things about it, and again, ASUS is arguably the best motherboard brand. In my opinion, they are.

RAM: Well, at least you stated a reason, albeit a poor one, it's a reason unlike your previous criticisms.

You gotta stop clinging to unsupported, meaningless phrases, such as "that psu is sub par". What's sub par about it? 700W not enough? 700W is enough for any single GPU system with a normal amount of SATA drives (1-5).

:non:
 

Surgeking

Honorable
Sep 19, 2012
122
0
10,710
I can see both your points. 2000 is overkill true, but the info given in reply doesn't help much when what you want is some confidence, in that what you are buying is the best choice, they like specifics and feel like the information they get lets them make an educated decision. I think that is what a lot of people want to hear here. So again both points are true. In essence the "fighting" is over how to help someone, it could be worse =)

Anyway, my two cents.
If you want the rig to last a good while, go with g-units build. (add a ssd-optional)
If you want budget oriented but can still play on high, then jit's will do, altho i would drop to a 7850, feels more balanced to me.

and arz prebuilt is fine but it feels like you can cut a few things like some ram, the mb seems a bit much etc, but for anyone who doesn't want to hassle then it's fine, it's quick and dirty =)

i feel like i just basically summed up the options.
 

arzbhatia

Distinguished
Aug 1, 2012
718
0
19,110


Won't get the 119$ discount if we change the RAM!
 

seanpull

Honorable
Sep 7, 2012
80
0
10,630
On that budget you can go pretty crazy, I don't feel like going through a full build, but I'll recommend some parts/brands:

Intel Core i7-3770k (Processor)
A Power Supply from SeaSonic, Antec or Corsair
A Radeon HD 7970 (Graphics Card)
A Lian Li or Cooler Master Case
A Western Digital Hard Drive
A Solid State Drive from Kingston
RAM from the following brands: Kingston, Corsair, G-Skill, Patriot or Crucial
A Motherboard from MSI or ASUS
That's about it. Here are some brands to look for throughout your build:

Corsair, Antec, Kingston, Cooler Master, ASUS, MSI, Gigabyte, Intel, G-Skill, Crucial, EVGA, XFX, and there are a lot more.

Also, I stress reading user reviews. If a product has a 3-star or less rating, don't buy it. Simple as that. Try for 5-star products though as you can usually find them. Don't buy an item that has 50 5-star ratings, and 30 1-star ratings. Just find something in your price range with 100 5-star ratings, and 5 1-star ratings. Occasionally, there are items with a ton of positive ratings, and virtually no 1-star ratings, try to look for these, as they are more of a guaranteed success.
 

Video Card: 30 FPS is good for some people, but with a budget of $2,000 why settle for a measly 30FPS with a card that struggles at high settings? Check the benches for that card.

PSU: Corsair has never in it's entire history manufactured a power supply. Other companies do it for them. That particular psu is manufactured by CWT and it's' not one of their better ones. CWT has put out a few decent power supplies though...the Corsair HX750w being one of them.

Motherboard: The Sabertooth is a hose job and then some for what it cost vs what it offers. I can think of at least a half dozen boards that do every thing the Sabertooth does and just as well yet for a lot cheaper.

RAM: Those tall cake cutter heat spreaders are a gimmick for schmucks waiting to get hosed. You ever try mounting a decent sized cpu h/s using RAM with those cake cutter heat spreaders? Those heat spreaders serve no purpose other than you can use them for a hair comb.
 

Now here's where I think it is worthwhile to make some comments.
An i7-3770K is overkill for games.
PSU: Ok, especially Seasonic. They're the only one of the three that actually make PSUs, and I don't know that a competent technical review has ever exposed a bad one.
Graphics card: ok, but I'd probably list a brand, like XFX or MSI.
Case: Crappermaster does not belong in the same paragraph, maybe not the same page, with Lian Li. The latter's cases are all perfectly fitted, some almost furniture-quality, but a little overpriced. The former is a dishonest company, whose cases (some of which are quite good) are nothing remarkable. Dishonesty should have consequences though (read competent technical reviews of their PSUs), so I recommend against them. My preferred case providers are Rosewill, Antec, and Lian Li.
HDD: When other manufacturers are cutting theirs back, WD has maintained a five year warranty on most of their Black series drives; that's the one to get.
While I don't believe Kingston uses Sandfarce controllers, their drives tend to live at or near the bottom of SSD performance charts. That's ok if you're comparing performance to a mechanical drive, but if you want consistent speed and a reputation for reliability, you want Samsung, Crucial, or (non-Sandforce) Intel.
I prefer G.Skill or Mushkin for RAM.
MSI video cards are excellent, but many of their lower-end mobos have weak VRMs that will pop if you overclock too much. Read this and follow the included link(s) to their chart: http://www.overclock.net/a/about-vrms-mosfets-motherboard-safety-with-high-tdp-processors
There is a world of difference between Newegg "reviews" and competent technical reviews such as are done by HardwareSecrets, HardOCP, Anandtech, and Jonnyguru. Read through Newegg reviews, and most of it is consumer fluff, and some of the mistakes made by the drones who wrote the bad ones are painfully obvious.
Hmmm, and now I need to get to work...

 

idareng123

Honorable
Sep 19, 2012
7
0
10,510
Thanks alot guys, these post helps alot. If i can get a full build where the company can ship to norway it would be great. And if i can save some money it would be great. And if i need to rebuild something in the future i will do it. If you cant find company that ships to norway jst show the name and ill find it in a store in norway f.Eksample, www.komplett.no
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


The Sabertooth is overrated and expensive, you can get the same motherboard for $100 less, what more do I need to elaborate on?

Video Card: Personally, all I need is a card that plays everything on max settings 4xAA and 16xAF. Don't buy a card because Nvidia tells you it's better. 30+ FPS is smooth. The 660 Ti plays everything out right now on maximum settings with 30+ FPS, and almost every other game max settings 60+ FPS.

The 660TI is decent but NVIDIA is no longer a value leader - if you want any good NVIDIA card, you need to be prepared to pay. The Radeon 7950 is a far better GPU for the price range: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/647?vs=550

PSU: Corsair has earned a name in the industry as one of the top tier PSU brands. Anything from them is trustworthy, especially when there's reviews to back it up.

Not necessarily. I've used several different Corsair PSUs - and from my own experience the GS series and CX series are crap. The TX series is great and the AX and HX series are the best they make.

Motherboard: I've heard nothing but good things about it, and again, ASUS is arguably the best motherboard brand. In my opinion, they are.

Asus makes great motherboards but again the Sabertooth is overrated and expensive for what you get. You can get the P8Z77-V for $100 less and it does everything that the Sabertooth does minus the plastic covers. That's the only thing the Sabertooth has going for it, and it's not worth the $100 difference. Put that money in the GPU. By buying the Sabertooth the only advantages it has over other motherboards is the name and the plastic plates. There's nothing else that distinguishes it from the cheaper P8Z77-V Deluxe.

RAM: Well, at least you stated a reason, albeit a poor one, it's a reason unlike your previous criticisms.

How is it poor? Explain that one. I never advise anyone to purchase RAM with tall heat sinks because it makes installing your coolers difficult and I know this from first hand experience.

You gotta stop clinging to unsupported, meaningless phrases, such as "that psu is sub par". What's sub par about it? 700W not enough? 700W is enough for any single GPU system with a normal amount of SATA drives (1-5).

Right - and then I'll show you where I have more than 10 years experience building and tweaking systems. I know sub par junk and overpriced hardware when I see it. :ange:
 

idareng123

Honorable
Sep 19, 2012
7
0
10,510
Right - and then I'll show you where I have more than 10 years experience building and tweaking systems. I know sub par junk and overpriced hardware when I see it. :ange:[/quotemsg]

Hi, it looks like you got good knowing on how to build a computer good for gaming for example. Could you give me a build, all the components that i need. If you are able to find a company that ships to norway it would be great. And the price not too much over 1500$ i saw that 2000 was a bit much. I want the computer able to run guild wars 2 lag free on good graphics and upcoming games. :) I reallt liked this one : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196 but i dont have any experience in building so if you get any good case that fits better, Choose it.

Oh yes. If you dont find the a company that ships send a link to the items and ill search them up in Norwegian sites ;)
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Yes - check the link in my signature for stores. Here are the ones I've found for Norway:

http://www.komplett.no/
http://www.dustinhome.no/
http://www.cdon.no/
http://www.advance.no/
http://www.tofteelektriske.no/

If there's any others post the store you're buying from as that will help to suggest parts. So on your budget $1500 US = 8,608 NK = 1200€.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
I couldn't find that case on any of the Norweigan sites but check this build out:

Case: Fractal Design Arc MIDI - 669 Kr
PSU: Corsair TX650 V2 - 649 kr
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V - 1490 Kr
CPU: 3.4GHz Intel Core i5-3570K - 1690 Kr
Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo - 249 Kr
RAM: 8GB Corsair Vengeance RAM 1600MHz Low Profile - 449 Kr
HD: 1TB Seagate Barracuda ST - 699 Kr
Optical: Sony DVD Burner - 149 Kr
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition - 2349 Kr

Total: 8442 Kr ($1471.62 USD)

The extra difference will allow you to get an OS license if needed. Or add an SSD or upgrade your GPU to the Radeon 7950.
 
The Sabertooth does offer one feature that may be important to some people, and that is a five year warranty. If you're building to last, that's something to consider. Otherwise, for features, it's hard to beat ASRock; same features and same high quality components as the better known names like Asus and Gigabyte, always for considerably less money.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator


Yeah but you have to remember that in five years you'll have already upgraded by then anyways. Based on my own experience if something goes horribly wrong it's going to happen in the first 60 days of ownership. I've only seen a working motherboard go bad like that one single time in the last few years I've been doing this. Most stores' return policies last the first 60 days anyways.
 
Oh, you are right; for system builders like us who are always tweaking and upgrading, but for some who wants to buy something that may be rarely (if ever) upgraded once built, it might matter.
In a similar vein, the Asus "CSM" (corporate-stable model) boards supposedly will be stocked and available for ordering or replacement for longer than usual, so companies that buy them can be assured of ongoing supply.
 

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Oh, you are right; for system builders like us who are always tweaking and upgrading, but for some who wants to buy something that may be rarely (if ever) upgraded once built, it might matter.

Might being the operative word here, getting some manufacturers to allow an RMA is almost like pulling teeth. And then there are some like EVGA that make it really easy.

In a similar vein, the Asus "CSM" (corporate-stable model) boards supposedly will be stocked and available for ordering or replacement for longer than usual, so companies that buy them can be assured of ongoing supply.

Yeah but that's for companies though. Us gamers and enthusiasts most likely will never be able to join that program.