Just Another Custom Build

[Jess Wood]

Currently I am in anticipation of The Sims 4 coming out. Although the game is rumored to be less demanding on computers than The Sims 3, I am going to update my old, worn computer anyway. I'm taking a few newer items from my old rig, which include:

8G (4G x 2) Corsair Vengeance DDR3
700w GS Corsair Power Supply
550Ti GeForce GTX Graphics
Intel Core i5-2500k

I also have a CD/DVD Burner/Processor, thing. Don't know what they're called.

But really I'm looking for suggestions on a motherboard that is compatible with everything. And possibly a new power supply with less cords. My power supply cords clutter and crowd my case terribly. Im also replacing the case, and the one I have in mind is thus:

Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, come with Five Fans, window side panel, top HDD dock
http://splashurl.com/kngn4ln

I'd also like to upgrade to 1TB from 500GB.

I'm also interested in learning about SSD, and what that does or anything else that would be helpful in a build.

I'm pretty comfortable with computers. I mainly use my computer for music, pics, and the Sims, which I download lots of custom content for, and general internet browsing.

As far as budget goes, I'm pretty open to quality, unless its just wasted money and power that I'm not going to use. (Although I've been told my 700watt and graphics card are "overkill" for sims, the watts might be, but the graphics certainly aren't. I'm playing on high for MOST of the graphics settings as a comfortable default.) However that won't be a problem with the upcoming Sims. I don't mind spending money, but I'd rather not spend a butt load if I don't need to.

Anyway. Thanks in advance.

Also. I dont know if this will be helpful for anyone, but I plan on updating from Windows Vista. Idk about Windows 8 though. The "user friendly" features aren't really friendly to the oldschool Windows XP lovers. Confusing.

 

[AgentTran]

For the SIMS then your 550ti should suffice. Your CPU is still pretty good for today's standard too.

The case you've selected looks nice, but it is expensive.
I think the case should only be about $50 or less, so I would recommend something like the NZXT Source 210 Windowed. It's mid-tower.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Case: NZXT Source 210 Window ATX Mid Tower Case ($50.98 @ Newegg)
Total: $50.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 18:08 EDT-0400)

If you want a decent, reliable 1TB hard drive I would recommend WD or Seagate.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($56.19 @ Amazon)
Total: $56.19
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 18:10 EDT-0400)

SSD would also be a great addition, but in lower-budget builds, they're usually just used as a boot drive or for the operating system + a few essentails/most played games. They speed up loading times insanely, and write/read a lot quicker than an HDD.

They can be expensive though, so if you want a decent SSD, (atleast 128GB+, make sure you have an extra $150 to dish out.)

Also, 700W is way overkill. Most high-performance computers will only use about 600W, and they usually include 12-inch graphics processors and top-notch CPU's, all overclocked.

Also, please get rid of Vista and upgrade, Windows 8 is a great choice.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8.1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ OutletPC)
Total: $89.98
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2014-05-09 18:12 EDT-0400)

Happy building!

 

[dansgas1000]

I think LGA 1155 MOBOs are pretty hard to find now. Any Z68 will do they are probably cheap now if not then get a H67

The ASUS P8H67 is a pretty good board and will have all the features you will ever need