[New Build] Critiques Welcome! <$1500 machine

en7ropy

Honorable
Sep 2, 2012
2
0
10,510
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9700 LED Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($174.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Blue ATX Full Tower Case ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1451.90
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-01 20:49 EDT-0400)


Usage: Some gaming, extreme multitasking, and video converting.

I don't need a hard drive or any peripherals. If I wanted to trim some fat off this build and lower the price down to about $1300, where should I start? I want a "pretty case" haha. So downgrade CPU/Motherboard first?

Thank you for any help or suggestions!
 

en7ropy

Honorable
Sep 2, 2012
2
0
10,510
Forum said "You are not allowed to edit this message" So here goes a double post.

I decided I don't do enough video encoding to warrant the i7 price. So I changed the CPU and mobo. Much cheaper now. :)


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9700 LED Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($56.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($407.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932 Blue ATX Full Tower Case ($164.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($124.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1291.90
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-01 21:18 EDT-0400)
 

bctande1

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
494
0
10,810
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($75.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($413.78 @ NCIX US)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($79.99 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Rosewill 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1479.65
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-01 21:28 EDT-0400)

I got you a bigger SSD. A better CPU cooler. A better GPU.
 
Pretty good system, you'v done your research.
Also for video encoding (not editing or number crunching tasks), you can take advantage of Intel Quicksync. It takes advantage of the integrated graphics on the CPU to get very fast encodes, faster than raw CPU grunt alone would do.

Get a custom design graphics card. EVGA use reference design coolers, which run hotter and louder.
Gigabyte, ASUS and MSI are good manufacturers to pick from.

OCZ Vertex 4 instead of the Crucial M4. The M4 is a great drive, but its a bit long in the tooth and cant compete with newer drives on the market.
OCZ Vertex 4 128GB. $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227791

If upgrading to 16GB may be a possibility later, may want Low Profile RAM.
G.Skill Ares 8GB (2x4GB) 1600Mhz CL9 1.5v. $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231544
 

bctande1

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
494
0
10,810
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor ($319.99 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($199.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 400R ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.98 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: XFX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1478.85
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-01 21:35 EDT-0400)

Would you want a cheaper variant of either?
 
Bctande, may I ask why you have picked that Samsung RAM?
They look ugly as all hell, cost more than the Ares I posted above and have timings in the 11's. Only advantage I can see is that its 1.35v, but that's only a minimal power saving.
Just curious as to why, not a personal attack.
 

bctande1

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
494
0
10,810
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($209.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($28.98 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($114.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Samsung 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Galaxy GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($379.98 @ NCIX US)
Case: Corsair 300R ATX Mid Tower Case ($59.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($64.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($19.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1023.88
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-09-01 21:40 EDT-0400)

This is the best I could go without an HDD
 

bctande1

Honorable
Jun 17, 2012
494
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10,810


"The other aspect of the market that these sticks will appeal to is the enthusiast market. For the price of $47.99 you’re able to buy a very solid performing DDR3 1600 MHz kit, but then take it a step further and overclock them beyond anything you’d expect. Our kit was able to achieve 2133 MHz with tighter than stock timings, all within the realm of acceptable voltage. When you compare this to other memory kits on the market that don’t overclock as well, and cost just as much if not more it’s hard not to say this memory kit has one of the best price/performance ratios around." -- Legit Reviews

"The Samsung Green DDR3 8GB 1600mhz memory has blown us away in the labs. We have tested many 1,600mhz memory kits in recent months and achieving a stable overclock to 2,133mhz with slightly looser timings would be considered a success.
The Samsung Green 1,600mhz kit overclocks easily to 2,400mhz without having to loosen the primary timings! This memory is going to really shake up the enthusiast sector.
We actually achieved a result just shy of 2,800mhz although we needed 1.72 volts and the timings had to be slackened from 11-11-11 to 14-14-14. The sweet spot was 2,400mhz as the relatively tight default timings could be maintained without corruption of data." -- Kit Guru


"I really cannot say enough good things about this kit from Samsung. It easily beat our expectations, and managed not only to outperform the other kits on JEDEC settings, but also did it while using less power! The overclocking potential of these sticks is huge, and again, they manage to clock sky high, using less voltage than many other kits that are exponentially more expensive.

Our testing even proved to show that there are significant gains to be had using Dual-Channel memory on the Intel X79 Express platform in some instances, rather than quad-channel, which was quite surprising to say the least. I have been recommending these sticks since I got them, and I am sure to continue to do so for some time yet. Admittedly, they aren't the most aesthetically pleasing of sticks, but at the same time, there's literally no chance that this kit is going to interfere with ANY aftermarketing cooler, now, or in the future, thanks to their compact size. With all things considered, Don't forget to hit us up in the forums for help getting your kit running the best it can!" -- Tech Power Up

Reviews have recommended these sticks heavily.

I gues the OP can decide, however.