- Dec 28, 2012
- 53
- 0
- 10,630
Gentlemen,
I have been reading tom's hardware recommendations non stop for a week, and have made some decisions, learned a ton, and have a few questions and am generally seeking any helpful guidance. Thanks for any help in advance, I am very excited to get started.
Approximate Purchase Date: Within a month or so.
Budget Range: 1000 to 1500 hopefully towards the lower end.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming is the objective, but i also surf the web, write papers, and as an engineering student would love to have a computer that can run pro engineer and inventor well.
Are you buying a monitor: No have some around will probably scrounge, eventually take the plunge.
Parts to Upgrade:
PCU:
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-IntelCPU-_-SKU_19-116-504-_-i5-3570K&gclid=CPC286Dwu7QCFUKd4AoddH0AIg
At around $220
Cooler:
XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082
At around $20
GPU:
I am not sure about the graphics card. I haven't completely decided on a price point yet. I like the idea of a big bad GPU, like GeForce GTX 670, but i dont think it really fits in with the rest of the build i have planned. Therefore, i am leaning towards the Raedon HD 7870 GHz because its in a better spot on the value-performance curve.
GeForce GTX 670 (no real preference for brand not entirely sure what the differences are)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600030348%20600315498%20600311820&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20670&LayoutView=grid&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-GeForce-_-GeForce-GTX-670-_-nvidia-geforce-gtx-670&gclid=CKmF14XBvLQCFUid4AodAyIAUw
or
Raedon HD 7870 GHz edition (same here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600286767%20600298540&IsNodeId=1&name=Radeon%20HD%207870%20GHz%20Edition&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-VideoCards-_-Radeon-HD-7870-_-Radeon-HD-7870&gclid=COjcnOTwu7QCFcXb4AodzHMAYA
Motherboard:
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821
Ram:
Was advised to go with 2x8 GB for better upgrade overhead, really not sure about brands, like the ripjaws and the corsair vengance. I also want to try overclocking memory eventually, am not entirely sure about cas latency or speeds.
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528
or
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10R (not sure if i should go with the model that says 1833 speeds instead)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233310
Case:
NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-B3 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Orange Trim Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146092&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA&gclid=CJif-5Pzu7QCFcyf4AodSj8AxQ
Power Supply:
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750M 750W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Semi Modular High Performance Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030
SSD:
OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
HDD:
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834
For a running total of: 1244 for the cheeper card and 1370 for the more expensive card.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 8 Pro
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com or tigerdirect.com not sure.
Location: City, State/Region, Country - near White Plains New York, USA
Parts Preferences: I want intel, but am not sure about raedon vs Nvidia cards at the $230 price point.
Overclocking: I will be trying. but have never before.
SLI or Crossfire: I'm thinking about eventually upgrading to 2 graphics cards when my 1 graphics cart can no longer run the latest games.
Your Monitor Resolution: not sure
Additional Comments: Looking for value and Longevity run the latest games for a few years, not looking for top notch quality, just want to stay current for a while.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I received a laptop in 6th grade, and kept it running until the end of highschool, but obviously, its gaming capabilities were crippled by the time i gave it to my parents. now i have a laptop i got from college, and a year and a half after purchase, already the graphics doesn't have enough dedicated memory for skyrim. I'm looking to avoid that in the future. I want to build a machine that will last longer and be up-gradable for a longer period of time.
Very Respectfully,
omin
I have been reading tom's hardware recommendations non stop for a week, and have made some decisions, learned a ton, and have a few questions and am generally seeking any helpful guidance. Thanks for any help in advance, I am very excited to get started.
Approximate Purchase Date: Within a month or so.
Budget Range: 1000 to 1500 hopefully towards the lower end.
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming is the objective, but i also surf the web, write papers, and as an engineering student would love to have a computer that can run pro engineer and inventor well.
Are you buying a monitor: No have some around will probably scrounge, eventually take the plunge.
Parts to Upgrade:
PCU:
Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-IntelCPU-_-SKU_19-116-504-_-i5-3570K&gclid=CPC286Dwu7QCFUKd4AoddH0AIg
At around $220
Cooler:
XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082
At around $20
GPU:
I am not sure about the graphics card. I haven't completely decided on a price point yet. I like the idea of a big bad GPU, like GeForce GTX 670, but i dont think it really fits in with the rest of the build i have planned. Therefore, i am leaning towards the Raedon HD 7870 GHz because its in a better spot on the value-performance curve.
GeForce GTX 670 (no real preference for brand not entirely sure what the differences are)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600030348%20600315498%20600311820&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20670&LayoutView=grid&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-GeForce-_-GeForce-GTX-670-_-nvidia-geforce-gtx-670&gclid=CKmF14XBvLQCFUid4AodAyIAUw
or
Raedon HD 7870 GHz edition (same here)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600286767%20600298540&IsNodeId=1&name=Radeon%20HD%207870%20GHz%20Edition&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleKWLess&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleKWLess-_-VideoCards-_-Radeon-HD-7870-_-Radeon-HD-7870&gclid=COjcnOTwu7QCFcXb4AodzHMAYA
Motherboard:
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z77 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131821
Ram:
Was advised to go with 2x8 GB for better upgrade overhead, really not sure about brands, like the ripjaws and the corsair vengance. I also want to try overclocking memory eventually, am not entirely sure about cas latency or speeds.
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL10D-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231528
or
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10R (not sure if i should go with the model that says 1833 speeds instead)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233310
Case:
NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-B3 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Orange Trim Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146092&nm_mc=KNC-GoogleAdwords&cm_mmc=KNC-GoogleAdwords-_-pla-_-NA-_-NA&gclid=CJif-5Pzu7QCFcyf4AodSj8AxQ
Power Supply:
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750M 750W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Semi Modular High Performance Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139030
SSD:
OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
HDD:
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148834
For a running total of: 1244 for the cheeper card and 1370 for the more expensive card.
Do you need to buy OS: Yes. Windows 8 Pro
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com or tigerdirect.com not sure.
Location: City, State/Region, Country - near White Plains New York, USA
Parts Preferences: I want intel, but am not sure about raedon vs Nvidia cards at the $230 price point.
Overclocking: I will be trying. but have never before.
SLI or Crossfire: I'm thinking about eventually upgrading to 2 graphics cards when my 1 graphics cart can no longer run the latest games.
Your Monitor Resolution: not sure
Additional Comments: Looking for value and Longevity run the latest games for a few years, not looking for top notch quality, just want to stay current for a while.
And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: I received a laptop in 6th grade, and kept it running until the end of highschool, but obviously, its gaming capabilities were crippled by the time i gave it to my parents. now i have a laptop i got from college, and a year and a half after purchase, already the graphics doesn't have enough dedicated memory for skyrim. I'm looking to avoid that in the future. I want to build a machine that will last longer and be up-gradable for a longer period of time.
Very Respectfully,
omin
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