Which is the better build??

Jeffrey86

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Oct 30, 2011
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Hey everyone,

It is my first time building a gaming computer and i wanted to know which is the best build (Bang for buck!)

I live in Canada, so prices do differ from U.S. websites. My budget has a limit of 1000-1200$. I obviously intend to use my pc as a gaming system and would like to be able to run games for the next 2-3 years.

The following are two builds that i have put together.

Build 1

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k Sandy Bridge .......................................................... 225$
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 560Ti ...................................................................... 240$
PC Case: Antec 300 Black Steel ........................................................................ 70$
Hard Drive: Western Digital 500GB 7200 RPM Sata 6.0GB/s 3.5” .................. 125$
Power Supply: Corsair TX 650W/80 + bronze ................................................ 100$
MOBO: MSI P67A-GD53 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel ................................................ 150$
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4 GB) ............................................................ 70$
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit ........... 110$
Optical Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner Black SATA Model ................................. 25$

Total: 1, 115$
Build 2

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k Sandy Bridge .......................................................... 225$
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 560Ti ...................................................................... 240$
PC Case: COOLER MASTER HAF 912 ................................................................. 70$
Hard Drive: SAMSUNG 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" .......... 85$
Power Supply: OCZ ZS Series OCZ-ZS750W 750W 80+ bronze certified ....... 100$
MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-Z68A 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ................................................... 115$
RAM: Patriot Gamer 2 Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM ................ 45$
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit ........... 110$
Optical Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner Black SATA Model ................................. 25$

Total: 1, 015$

I am also looking for any suggestions to make a better PC, keeping in mind my budget.


Thanks in advance for all tips and suggestions!!!!!!
 

rozz

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Sep 18, 2010
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a little of both..

I like the processor and GPU.. that good..

HDD depends on if you want speed or capacity. If speed is your answer, look into getting a Hybrid HDD.. (half SSD half HDD). Much faster and they cost only about $150 for 500GB.

I'd take the patriot RAM with the MSI mobo.

Case is up to you.. and personally, i would trust Corsair for my PSU than OCZ.. but both are good brands.

my two cents :)
 

paradoxeternal

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put that 750 watt PSU into the first rig and you're good-- but upgrade that western digital 500GB to a 750 GB--if you want to have room for the next 3 years, you'll enjoy those extra 250 gigs, unless you don't mind buying another hard drive in a year or so. and about being able to play games in 2-3 years, this won't be able to play high-end games at anything higher than midlevel settings in 3 years, but then again you may not find that necessary. this will play high end games pretty well for about 6 months to a year. maybe upgrade to a GTX 570 or 580?
 
Heck I would go with the 2nd build and take the $100 savings and buy a small SSD <64GB and use with the Z68 board and the Intel® SRT.

Be careful on the memory most of the Patriot stuff is 1.65v and you dont want to use that with the 2nd generation Intel Core™ processors like the Intel Core i5-2500K.

Also if you are going to overclock don't forget to pick up a good 3rd party HSF (heatsink/fan).

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team
 

Jeffrey86

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Oct 30, 2011
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Thanks for the advice guys!

I like the suggestion of getting a small SSD with the 100 bucks i would save getting the second build. This way i would have the extra space while having some bonus speed as well.

I also like the COOLER MASTER HAF 912 tower better. I personally find it looks nicer and it apparently has a lot of SPACE for a mid size tower which allows for future upgrades.

About gaming in two/three years, if i would SLI the second build with (2) 560ti cards, would the PC be able to handle it? What extra items would i need to purchase? Or am I ultimately better of buying a GTX 570 or 580?

Lastly, I am a decent gamer but a huge noob in terms of PC knowledge. I hear everyone talking about overclocking the i5 2500k. Is this safe for my machine? What does this entail exactly?
 

paradoxeternal

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i'm new to overclocking myself but some internet research will do you wonders. your CPU can definitely do it; the "k" at the end means its unlocked, which means you can change the speed of the CPU and that it is meant to be overclocked.

as for SLI, it depends. i've heard that two 570s are stronger than two 580s, so it all depends. again, do a lot of googling, which will probably lead you back to these forums, but with a lot less hassle. two of any card is usually much better since they can work together and take the load off each other.

just make sure your motherboard has two pci express x16 slots; the x16 is where the GPU goes. if you have one x16 and another x8, they will both only perform at the x8 level which is obviously not as good.
 

paradoxeternal

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overclocking will def need a decent fan tho; i hear watercooling is best. size and everything else depends on your case, and you need fast RAM to do it; at least 1333mhz, but 1600 is best. and don't go with the patriot RAM--what the intel guy said about the voltage is important. it could keep your system from working.
 

Jeffrey86

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Oct 30, 2011
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Roger that, i took my Patriot RAM out of my build for the mentionned reasons. I simply replaced it with the Corsair Vengeance 8GB instead. I want to avoid all the headaches i can.