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[EternalGamer]

I've been contemplating going PC for the next gen (or at least until next gen consoles are on their last leg) so here's my criteria:

Your Current Specs: None, own a laptop and I'm gonna build a desktop
Budget: $2000
Main Use Rate importance on a 1-5 scale. (5 Being highest): Gaming = 5, Emulation = 3 (I wanna do Dolphin), HD Streaming = 1, General Usage = 5 (Word, Web, 1080p playback). Monitor Resolution: New monitor so whatever will suffice for most of next gen
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Dark Souls at Max Settings, I'm not even remotely sure what the max settings of a next gen game would be but I'd like to be able to do the first year's best with ease, if that makes sense.
When will you build?: I'll buy piece by piece most likely
Will you be overclocking?: I dunno?

My advice would be to go with the enhanced build in the OP and change out the videocard for either a 7950 or a 7970. That will run you around a thousand you will have a PC that can run most games at max settings. I have a similar build and I run Dark Souls with the Durante mod at my max resolution with double the internal frame resolution, Anti-aliasing, etc. and it runs completely smooth. To be honest, though, even that $600 build in the OP would run Darksouls at high settings and very stable. But for a bit more you could get something that would definitely man handle most games without too much trouble.

Something like this:

CPU: Intel i5 3570 $214
Motherboard: Gigabyte Z77 $108
Cooling: Coolmaster 212 EVO $29
RAM: Samsung DDR3 1600 8GB $38
Videocard: Sapphire Radeon 7970 OC $360
Powersupply: Antec 550W+ $65
Primary Harddrive: Crucial M4 128GB $99
Secondary Harddrive: WD Blue 1TB $77
DVD: Asus DVDR 25x $22
Case: NZXT Source 210 $40

Total: $1052

That is actually an awesome PC that is more than you need with plenty of room for expansion for half your budget. And a couple of hundred to play around with for a monitor of your choice, mouse, keyboard, etc. Then you'll even still have room to upgrade in a couple of years. That makes a lot more sense to me than blowing the entire $2000 now. Buying at the extreme top of the line is not for future proofing. It is more for hobbyist that like to tinker.

 

[Soodanim]

Optical drive you could change to this and save £7 or so http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007267YRC/

I'd change your SSD too as the 840 isn't all that good a drive. Samsung's 830 and 840 Pro are great, 840 not so much. Novatech are one of the few places with the 830 still in stock http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/...al/solidstate/128gbandabove/mz-7pc128neu.html

GPU wise Overclockers are doing the ASUS 7870 with two free games https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-288-AS They're also doing the 7850 version of that card for £150 which would be my choice as it's only marginally slower and would allow you to get nearer to adding a 3570K to your build over the i3. My problem with the 7870 is it's very close to the 7950 price wise but it's a large enough jump up to make it worth recommending, so for me either go down to the 7850 or up to the 7950.

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-289-AS

https://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-275-AS

Lastly I'd change the PSU to an XFX Core as it's just a rebranded Seasonic http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005TDTV0S/ or http://www.novatech.co.uk/products/components/powersupplies/p1-550s-xxb9.html

Also look into a TopCashBack account (I can refer you if you wish) to get some money back on purchases, some of those stores should offer a few percent back.

So to sum up what I'd do is change your SSD, DVD drive and PSU. That will all save money and you could also drop the 7870 to a 7850 and that might free up funds to go for a 3570K.

So it seems seems my choices are either to go 3570k & 7850, or i3 and 7950. Either way it comes out at about the same prices, and I'm leaning towards the 7950 route but I'm worried the i3 might be a bottleneck.

I'd read the 840s were bad at launch, but then fixed. I looked for 830s on Amazon and found no 128s that aren't sold by sellers (I'd rather go fully legit for an SSD). Are Crucial M4s a good enough replacement? They are quite a bit slower in benchmarks, but I'm coming from an old 256GB 5400rpm HDD.

As for the PSU, wouldn't it be better to pay the extra ~£10 to have it be modular? Apparently the XFX is like Medusa's head.

I saw that DVD Drive the other day, and was interested, but then I read that review that mentioned the tiny cache size (768KB as opposed to a standard 2MB cache). I can't seem to find any reliable information on the effect that has on things. At least, no info from after 2005. I'll have to look into it more when I have the time.

 

[kharma45]

So it seems seems my choices are either to go 3570k & 7850, or i3 and 7950. Either way it comes out at about the same prices, and I'm leaning towards the 7950 route but I'm worried the i3 might be a bottleneck.

I'd read the 840s were bad at launch, but then fixed. I looked for 830s on Amazon and found no 128s that aren't sold by sellers (I'd rather go fully legit for an SSD). Are Crucial M4s a good enough replacement? They are quite a bit slower in benchmarks, but I'm coming from an old 256GB 5400rpm HDD.

As for the PSU, wouldn't it be better to pay the extra ~£10 to have it be modular? Apparently the XFX is like Medusa's head.

I saw that DVD Drive the other day, and was interested, but then I read that review that mentioned the tiny cache size (768KB as opposed to a standard 2MB cache). I can't seem to find any reliable information on the effect that has on things. At least, no info from after 2005. I'll have to look into it more when I have the time.

Yeah for ~£10 it's not too steep an ask to get a modular PSU, up to you whether you feel it money well spent, was just trying to point out a cheaper option

The M4 is a good alternative, it would be my second preference (along with the Intel 330) behind the Samsung 830. Novatech still showing stock for me if you want an 830.

If it were me I'd go 3570K+7850 as it's a lot easier (and cheaper) to upgrade a GPU rather than a CPU when the time comes. What resolution will you be gaming at, and what sort of games?

 

[EternalGamer]

So it seems seems my choices are either to go 3570k & 7850, or i3 and 7950. Either way it comes out at about the same prices, and I'm leaning towards the 7950 route but I'm worried the i3 might be a bottleneck.

You'd definitely get more out of the 7950 right now. The i3 might become a bottleneck in the future but that is debatable. So it comes down to whether you want better performance now or whether you want to take less performance now for the gamble of maybe a bit less bottleneck in the future.

I'd read the 840s were bad at launch, but then fixed. I looked for 830s on Amazon and found no 128s that aren't sold by sellers (I'd rather go fully legit for an SSD). Are Crucial M4s a good enough replacement? They are quite a bit slower in benchmarks, but I'm coming from an old 256GB 5400rpm HDD.

By "quite a bit slower" aren't you still talking about like hundredth of a second? I mean these things load up windows in seconds. All of them. Maybe I'm not picky enough but as long as they are stable and reliable, from my perspective an SSD is an SSD.

 

[Ty4on]

I am thinking about building a new PC for the home theater. I will use it for videos (we don't have cable/sat), gaming (DayZ, maybe Far Cry 3 (already own it on 360), Civ 5, Diablo 3, etc.). Here is the build I've come up with:

SilverStone Sugo Series SG07-BW

XFX Double D FX-785A-CDFC Radeon HD 7850 2GB

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)

Crucial m4 128GB 2.5-Inch Solid State Drive

Could use a recommendation on a motherboard/ram/cooling.

Suggestions??

The SG07 was made for blowers (single fan blowing air out the case), but there are no 7850 blowers and I think 7870 blowers have stopped production. It even comes with a small fan filter for you to put in front of the fan.

Think cards with center fans do better, this card has a better cooler than the reference cooler even though it's only one fan.

When it comes to CPU coolers the SG07 is made for top down coolers as the big fan on the top blows air straight down to the mobo. I don't know what the best top down coolers for the money are, but remember to get a mobo with space for it. The Asrock Z77E-ITX mobo is great, but has very little room for a CPU cooler. The Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe mobo is the best ITX mobo for overclocking and has some room for a CPU cooler.

 

[scogoth]

The SG07 was made for blowers (single fan blowing air out the case), but there are no 7850 blowers and I think 7870 blowers have stopped production. It even comes with a small fan filter for you to put in front of the fan.

Think cards with center fans do better, this card has a better cooler than the reference cooler even though it's only one fan.

When it comes to CPU coolers the SG07 is made for top down coolers as the big fan on the top blows air straight down to the mobo. I don't know what the best top down coolers for the money are, but remember to get a mobo with space for it. The Asrock Z77E-ITX mobo is great, but has very little room for a CPU cooler. The Asus P8Z77-I Deluxe mobo is the best ITX mobo for overclocking and has some room for a CPU cooler.

I used a scythe big Shuriken 2 in a SG-07 which worked great just be sure to get low profile ram, like samsungs because it just barely clears the ram slots on the Zotac Z68 board I was using.

 

[hwalker84]

Changed my build some tell me what you think.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=29110248

Processor and SSD are heavily discounted for me. Also don't mind the GTX 670. I already have that same model and its in my wishlist because I'm waiting for it to drop back down before I order the second one.

I removed the Ram since I've purchased that already.

 

[Omiee]

best 256 gb ssd in the market right now?

should i go for the samsung 830 or the 840?

Is there anything better than those two?

 

[knitoe]

best 256 gb ssd in the market right now?

should i go for the samsung 830 or the 840?

Is there anything better than those two?

840 Pro > 830 > 840.

Get the 840 Pro if you want the best. Unless you do Writes often, you probably won't notice the difference between the three.

 

[CountAntonius]

are barebones bundles from tigerdirect a good deal?

I'm pretty broke but want a pc that can play dota 2 and other source engines games well.

I saw this bundle

I could use an existing HDD I have now and replace it with SSD down the line and throw in one of the budget graphic cards in the OP. Has some of the parts listed in the OP and the price seems pretty good. Any way to get the same or better build cheaper and is that build capable of running source games well enough?

 

[NoRéN]

Holy hell! I thought I had done all of the recommended SSD tweaks mentioned in the OP but I guess I hadn't. I freed up about 16gb of space. Awesome!

 

[kharma45]

my psu fan bearing is starting to rattle, so ordered another last night. Is the XFX Core Edition PRO550W pretty decent? Got it for 55 with a 15 dollar off promo, and it comes with a rebate, so its 40 after I send that in. Seems nice to me

It is very good for the price, just a Seasonic by another name.

best 256 gb ssd in the market right now?

should i go for the samsung 830 or the 840?

Is there anything better than those two?

As has been said, 840 Pro or the 830.

 

[NoRéN]

.

 

[kharma45]

glad to hear, still amazed my current hec x power pro has lasted almost 4 years, the rattling comes and goes, a shutdown usually fixes it for a short while lol

I'm in the same boat sort of, this thing here of mine has lasted 3 years now, 3 years longer than I expected http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002QFO6SY/

 

[GHG]

Can someone suggest a good and inexpensive CPU cooler for the Intel socket 2011 platform? I'm not going to be doing any crazy overclocking, just some moderate stuff so I don't feel I need to go all out in this area.

I've decided on this motherboard:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-x79a-gd45-%288d%29-intel-x79-s2011-ddr3-miliary-class-iii-oc-genie-usb30-plus-sata6g-5x-pci-e-x16-sl

It shouldn't be too big either as I don't want it covering up the 1st PCI-E slot or any of the RAM slots directly either side of the CPU socket.

 

[Lkr]

Can someone suggest a good and inexpensive CPU cooler for the Intel socket 2011 platform? I'm not going to be doing any crazy overclocking, just some moderate stuff so I don't feel I need to go all out in this area.

I've decided on this motherboard:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-x79a-gd45-%288d%29-intel-x79-s2011-ddr3-miliary-class-iii-oc-genie-usb30-plus-sata6g-5x-pci-e-x16-sl

It shouldn't be too big either as I don't want it covering up the 1st PCI-E slot or any of the RAM slots directly either side of the CPU socket.

hyper 212

 

[kharma45]

Can someone suggest a good and inexpensive CPU cooler for the Intel socket 2011 platform? I'm not going to be doing any crazy overclocking, just some moderate stuff so I don't feel I need to go all out in this area.

I've decided on this motherboard:

http://www.scan.co.uk/products/msi-x79a-gd45-%288d%29-intel-x79-s2011-ddr3-miliary-class-iii-oc-genie-usb30-plus-sata6g-5x-pci-e-x16-sl

It shouldn't be too big either as I don't want it covering up the 1st PCI-E slot or any of the RAM slots directly either side of the CPU socket.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0068OI7T8/

 

[SkyscraperFan]

Today I put together my first build and tested it with a friends psu and everything works great. Now I just have to wait for mine to come to finish hooking everything up.

This thread was a great help and I thank you guys for being so helpful. My graphics card came with a code for Assassin's Creed 3 and I already have the game so if anyone wants to try it out let me know. Despite what everyone says I'm actually quite enjoying it.

 

[kharma45]

Today I put together my first build and tested it with a friends psu and everything works great. Now I just have to wait for mine to come to finish hooking everything up.

This thread was a great help and I thank you guys for being so helpful. My graphics card came with a code for Assassin's Creed 3 and I already have the game so if anyone wants to try it out let me know. Despite what everyone says I'm actually quite enjoying it.

I'll gladly take it off your hands if you don't want it are you wanting anything back in exchange?

 

[LiquidMetal14]

Damn, expected to have my SSD today but now I have to wait till Monday to receive it thanks to the adverse weather ><

 

[Birbo]

Today I put together my first build and tested it with a friends psu and everything works great. Now I just have to wait for mine to come to finish hooking everything up.

This thread was a great help and I thank you guys for being so helpful. My graphics card came with a code for Assassin's Creed 3 and I already have the game so if anyone wants to try it out let me know. Despite what everyone says I'm actually quite enjoying it.

If you're giving the code away, I'll take it off your hands.

D'oh beaten

 

[SkyscraperFan]

I'll gladly take it off your hands if you don't want it are you wanting anything back in exchange?

I'll send you a pm, and no exchange required lol.

 

[kharma45]

I'll send you a pm, and no exchange required lol.

Wow, thanks ever so much dude <3

 

[SkyscraperFan]

No problem. I'm sure I'll be asking plenty more questions in the future that you'll be able to help me with.

 

[Muffin Awesome]

Your Current Specs: Macbook Pro / Hollow Bitfenix Prodigy
Budget: 600 - 700 (US Dollars)
Main Use: Gaming 5, Emulation (PS2/Wii) 4, HD Streaming 3
Monitor Resolution: Currently HDTV / Monitor later (1920x1080)
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Counter Strike (Source/GO), Steam Box(TF2/L4D2/Portal), Battlefield 3
Looking to reuse any parts?: All I have is the case I want to build in, BitFenix Prodigy
When will you build?: I am looking to progressively pick up components, I am looking to start with the MOBO, then CPU, then etc.. finishing with Vid Card last.
Will you be overclocking?: Possible, but probably not due to small size of case and not sure if system would be able to ventilate with fans only and not burn itself out.

Thanks All!

(Most important note --> Trying to build a stealthy PC to sneak into the living room that my wife wouldn't mind )

 

[kharma45]

No problem. I'm sure I'll be asking plenty more questions in the future that you'll be able to help me with.

Might be best to check your PM in a minute or two!

Your Current Specs: Macbook Pro / Hollow Bitfenix Prodigy
Budget: 600 - 700
Main Use: Gaming 5, Emulation (PS2/Wii) 4, HD Streaming 3
Monitor Resolution: Currently HDTV / Monitor later (1920x1080)
List SPECIFIC games that you MUST be able to play: Counter Strike (Source/GO), Steam Box(TF2/L4D2/Portal), Battlefield 3
Looking to reuse any parts?: All I have is the case I want to build in, BitFenix Prodigy
When will you build?: I am looking to progressively pick up components, I am looking to start with the MOBO, then CPU, then etc.. finishing with Vid Card last.
Will you be overclocking?: Possible, but probably not due to small size of case and not sure if system would be able to ventilate with fans only and not burn itself out.

Thanks All!

(Most important note --> Trying to build a stealthy PC to sneak into the living room that my wife wouldn't mind )

Is your budget in US Dollars?

 

[GHG]

hyper 212

Cheers, I actually already have one of these installed on my current Phenom x4 965. Can I use this on the 2011 socket platform? I've seen nothing which documents that I would be able to...

I've still got the Intel adapter from when I bought it a couple of years back but It doesn't look like it would fit the 2011 socket.

 

[kharma45]

Cheers, I actually already have one of these installed on my current Phenom x4 965. Can I use this on the 2011 socket platform? I've seen nothing which documents that I would be able to...

I've still got the Intel adapter from when I bought it a couple of years back but It doesn't look like it would fit the 2011 socket.

The Evo works with it, the Plus doesn't iirc but Cooler Master can supply a bracket according to some forum replies from a quick Google around. Worth firing off an email to see what they say.

 

[GHG]

The Evo works with it, the Plus doesn't iirc but Cooler Master can supply a bracket according to some forum replies from a quick Google around. Worth firing off an email to see what they say.

Yeh, seems to be the case that I'll need to get in touch with them so that they can send me it. Then I'll have the play the waiting game which could be ages... I'll give it a go but I might see if I can just find the adapter by itself and purchase it. It can't be too expensive.

 

[kharma45]

Yeh, seems to be the case that I'll need to get in touch with them so that they can send me it. Then I'll have the play the waiting game which could be ages... I'll give it a go but I might see if I can just find the adapter by itself and purchase it. It can't be too expensive.

Well it was free, last year anyway! http://www.vortez.net/news_story/cooler_master_offer_free_hyper212_evo_lga2011_bracket_upgrade.html

 

[Muffin Awesome]

Might be best to check your PM in a minute or two!



Is your budget in US Dollars?

US and I fixed in post. Thanks!

 

[iamvin22]

PC-GAF which should i get?

http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-WINDFORCE-PCI-Express-Graphics-GV-N66TOC-2GD/dp/B008UG2W20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356144179&sr=8-1&keywords=gigabyte+geforce+gtx+660+ti



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130811

 

[Ty4on]

PC-GAF which should i get?

http://www.amazon.com/GIGABYTE-WINDFORCE-PCI-Express-Graphics-GV-N66TOC-2GD/dp/B008UG2W20/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1356144179&sr=8-1&keywords=gigabyte+geforce+gtx+660+ti



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130811

The Gigabyte card will be more quiet. Should do great in a regular case.

 

[thefil]

Hey all. I'm looking at building a new machine and I'm hoping for some advice.

Answers to thread question

Here's my current box:
CPU: Core 2 Duo E6750 @ 2.66Ghz
Memory: 4.00GB (I don't know if it's DDR2 or DDR3. Machine build from recycled parts in 2008)
Motherboard: No idea, but I know it's not the right socket for a modern processor
GPU: Radeon 4770
PSU: The cheapest thing bought at Canada Computers

My price range is ~$1000, but I'd really like to keep it more around 750. These are Canadian dollars.

Main Use: Gaming + Development in Windows + Linux. One of my main requirements is an NVidia card, because I hear their drivers are worlds better in Linux and I really want to be able to play at least TF2 and a few other things in my main OS without restarting.

General Usage: 2. I have a laptop for most of this stuff

Resolution: 1920 x 1200. I have a monitor that does this, I don't see myself upgrading resolutions in the near future.

Games I MUST be able to play: Planetside 2, Natural Selection 2. These are the games my current machine can't run! Also, ports of next-gen games. I don't want to have to upgrade in a year because the console cycle rolls over. 120 is definitely not a requirement, but it would be nice to get 60 if only so I have room to fall back to 30 over the next 4 years.

I also MUST be able to pretty comfortably work in the Elder Scrolls construction kit, which my current machine does not like.

I want to reuse my case, optical drive and hard drive. Case is Antec "Three Hundred" mini tower. Optical drive is SATA, and hard drive is some Western Digital 1.5TB. I have enough hard drives lying around.

When will I build: I would like to have my computer within January ideally.

Overclocking: Resounding no. I really don't want to play with anything here. My current machine is at the end of its life and I'm not considering overclocking it to eke out a few more months, so I doubt I will with the next one.

What I've got so far

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.90 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.79 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($102.79 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $419.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-21 22:14 EST-0500)

I am really stuck on the GPU. I don't know what I need to be "next-gen-safe". I know I want Nvidia, and it seems like the one and only option I have is a 660Ti, but I don't know how much memory to get. I am not big on graphics mods or high resolution texture packs, if that helps.

Also have no idea on motherboard. I need to have room for both an SSD and an HDD, but other than that I don't think I have any crazy requirements. I will never do two cards.

 

[iamvin22]

The Gigabyte card will be more quiet. Should do great in a regular case.

i was wondering performance wise?

 

[Hazaro]

i was wondering performance wise?

GB with its factory overclock being higher. Even if it was slower I'd still get the GB. Silence is golden.

Hey all. I'm looking at building a new machine and I'm hoping for some advice.

Answers to thread question

Here's my current box:
CPU: Core 2 Duo E6750 @ 2.66Ghz
Memory: 4.00GB (I don't know if it's DDR2 or DDR3. Machine build from recycled parts in 2008)
Motherboard: No idea, but I know it's not the right socket for a modern processor
GPU: Radeon 4770
PSU: The cheapest thing bought at Canada Computers

My price range is ~$1000, but I'd really like to keep it more around 750. These are Canadian dollars.

Main Use: Gaming + Development in Windows + Linux. One of my main requirements is an NVidia card, because I hear their drivers are worlds better in Linux and I really want to be able to play at least TF2 and a few other things in my main OS without restarting.

General Usage: 2. I have a laptop for most of this stuff

Resolution: 1920 x 1200. I have a monitor that does this, I don't see myself upgrading resolutions in the near future.

Games I MUST be able to play: Planetside 2, Natural Selection 2. These are the games my current machine can't run! Also, ports of next-gen games. I don't want to have to upgrade in a year because the console cycle rolls over. 120 is definitely not a requirement, but it would be nice to get 60 if only so I have room to fall back to 30 over the next 4 years.

I also MUST be able to pretty comfortably work in the Elder Scrolls construction kit, which my current machine does not like.

I want to reuse my case, optical drive and hard drive. Case is Antec "Three Hundred" mini tower. Optical drive is SATA, and hard drive is some Western Digital 1.5TB. I have enough hard drives lying around.

When will I build: I would like to have my computer within January ideally.

Overclocking: Resounding no. I really don't want to play with anything here. My current machine is at the end of its life and I'm not considering overclocking it to eke out a few more months, so I doubt I will with the next one.

What I've got so far

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($220.90 @ Amazon Canada)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($35.79 @ DirectCanada)
Storage: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($102.79 @ DirectCanada)
Power Supply: Antec Basiq Plus 550W 80 PLUS Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($59.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $419.47
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-12-21 22:14 EST-0500)

I am really stuck on the GPU. I don't know what I need to be "next-gen-safe". I know I want Nvidia, and it seems like the one and only option I have is a 660Ti, but I don't know how much memory to get. I am not big on graphics mods or high resolution texture packs, if that helps.

Also have no idea on motherboard. I need to have room for both an SSD and an HDD, but other than that I don't think I have any crazy requirements. I will never do two cards.

660Ti and then whatever $100-$120 Z77/Z68 board you find at a good deal from the Enhanced build.

 

[thefil]

*edit* I'm an impatient child, I went ahead and ordered. 3570K + 660 Ti it is.

 

[NoRéN]

Sorry to bother again but I think I'm just over thinking this.

FedEx screwed up my order so it's not arriving today as it was supposed to. Therefore, I have one last shot to change my mind.

I originally went with these case fans:
Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition Twin Pack Fan (CO-9050002-WW) for $28

Good decision or should I go with 2 of these:
BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm Fan LED Series - Blue BFF-LPRO-12025B-RP

According to the specs listed, the Spectre Pros move more air.

Should I stick with my order or change it to the Spectre Pros?

I also bought the cheap CM 4 pack for my old PC.
Cooler Master 120mm Silent Case Fan 4-in-1 Value Pack - (R4-S2S-124K-GP)
Am I really just over thinking this? Would the CM fans be fine for my new PC?

 

[neoanarch]

Heads up pc Gaf the Samsung low voltage 4gb single stick version is 15.91 at Amazon US.


31.82 for 2 sticks. vs 39.99 for the kit.

 

[Hazaro]

my psu fan bearing is starting to rattle, so ordered another last night. Is the XFX Core Edition PRO550W pretty decent? Got it for 55 with a 15 dollar off promo, and it comes with a rebate, so its 40 after I send that in. Seems nice to me

Good PSU.

Sorry to bother again but I think I'm just over thinking this.

FedEx screwed up my order so it's not arriving today as it was supposed to. Therefore, I have one last shot to change my mind.

I originally went with these case fans:
Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition Twin Pack Fan (CO-9050002-WW) for $28

Good decision or should I go with 2 of these:
BitFenix Spectre Pro 120mm Fan LED Series - Blue BFF-LPRO-12025B-RP

According to the specs listed, the Spectre Pros move more air.

Should I stick with my order or change it to the Spectre Pros?

I also bought the cheap CM 4 pack for my old PC.
Cooler Master 120mm Silent Case Fan 4-in-1 Value Pack - (R4-S2S-124K-GP)
Am I really just over thinking this? Would the CM fans be fine for my new PC?

Two different roles. Quiet and good pressure for the noise level vs more airflow.

CM fans for places you need airflow and aren't bothered by added noise.

 

[Soodanim]

Yeah for ~£10 it's not too steep an ask to get a modular PSU, up to you whether you feel it money well spent, was just trying to point out a cheaper option

The M4 is a good alternative, it would be my second preference (along with the Intel 330) behind the Samsung 830. Novatech still showing stock for me if you want an 830.

If it were me I'd go 3570K+7850 as it's a lot easier (and cheaper) to upgrade a GPU rather than a CPU when the time comes. What resolution will you be gaming at, and what sort of games?

Believe me, your help and suggestions are very much appreciated!

I will be playing at 1920x1080, and aside from the older stuff that I have a 70+ backlog of, some of the newer or demanding games in my list to play are the likes of Dark Souls, Witcher 2, AC3, Hitman: Absolution, Skyrim, Borderlands 2, possibly Sleeping Dogs... and maybe the Crysis games. But I'm well aware of Crysis' demanding nature. I also got Metro 2033 from the THQ bundle.

I know they were pre-release, but reviews of the 7850 mentioned some things that are somewhat off-putting.

 

[Scuba Steve]

What's one of the best versions of the GTX 670 to get? I'm not playing at crazy high resolutions so I don't need more than 2gb vRAM. Any suggestions?

 

[Hazaro]

Believe me, your help and suggestions are very much appreciated!

I will be playing at 1920x1080, and aside from the older stuff that I have a 70+ backlog of, some of the newer or demanding games in my list to play are the likes of Dark Souls, Witcher 2, AC3, Hitman: Absolution, Skyrim, Borderlands 2, possibly Sleeping Dogs... and maybe the Crysis games. But I'm well aware of Crysis' demanding nature. I also got Metro 2033 from the THQ bundle.

I know they were pre-release, but reviews of the 7850 mentioned some things that are somewhat off-putting.

Never heard of this issue, but I don't read Tom's. It would be reflected in user reviews of the card and I'm sure the newer drivers have helped both sort that out and boost performance.

What's one of the best versions of the GTX 670 to get? I'm not playing at crazy high resolutions so I don't need more than 2gb vRAM. Any suggestions?

Gigabyte.

 

[Scuba Steve]

Never heard of this issue, but I don't read Tom's. It would be reflected in user reviews of the card and I'm sure the newer drivers have helped both sort that out and boost performance.

Gigabyte.

Gigabyte has the one with 3 fans on it, right? Hopefully it's not super duper loud. Is it that they have the coolest card and others are getting away with 1 or 2 fans just running a bit warmer? I'll check the card out

 

[big_z]

Gigabyte has the one with 3 fans on it, right? Hopefully it's not super duper loud. Is it that they have the coolest card and others are getting away with 1 or 2 fans just running a bit warmer? I'll check the card out

if you want the quietest card get the Asus. It's virtually silent even under full load and i'm super anal about pc noise.

My friend has the three fan gigabyte and while it's quiet for most people you can hear it a bit, especially when gaming. There's a good video on youtube comparing stock, gigabyte, asus and msi cooling solution noise but i cant find it off hand. techpowerup also did a round up and the asus won hands down for cooler noise.

the only downside is price. asus likes to charge a premium while the gigabyte goes on sale fairly often.

 

[Stubo]

if you want the quietest card get the Asus. It's virtually silent even under full load and i'm super anal about pc noise.

My friend has the three fan gigabyte and while it's quiet for most people you can hear it a bit, especially when gaming. There's a good video on youtube comparing stock, gigabyte, asus and msi cooling solution noise but i cant find it off hand. techpowerup also did a round up and the asus won hands down for cooler noise.

the only downside is price. asus likes to charge a premium while the gigabyte goes on sale fairly often.

This page of videos is good, perhaps the one you're referring to

Edit: When I was building I didn't know there'd be such huge differences between 2 fan coolers and bought the Palit shown on the page. Great card but it does appear to be quite a lot louder than the others if that bothers you.

 

[n64coder]

are barebones bundles from tigerdirect a good deal?

I'm pretty broke but want a pc that can play dota 2 and other source engines games well.

I saw this bundle

I could use an existing HDD I have now and replace it with SSD down the line and throw in one of the budget graphic cards in the OP. Has some of the parts listed in the OP and the price seems pretty good. Any way to get the same or better build cheaper and is that build capable of running source games well enough?

I can't comment on the ability to play source games but it's hard to find components much cheaper than the bundle you picked out.

Can someone else suggest a budget card to play games for this person?

 

[big_z]

This page of videos is good, perhaps the one you're referring to

Edit: When I was building I didn't know there'd be such huge differences between 2 fan coolers and bought the Palit shown on the page. Great card but it does appear to be quite a lot louder than the others if that bothers you.

yeah thats the one. hopefully it helps others that are as obsessed about pc noise as i am.

 

[GK86]

MisterNoisy generous gift came in the mail today.

Thank you again MisterNoisy! My brother will be happy.

Well, assuming I don't end up keeping the case, and giving him the one I have.

 

[kharma45]

Believe me, your help and suggestions are very much appreciated!

I will be playing at 1920x1080, and aside from the older stuff that I have a 70+ backlog of, some of the newer or demanding games in my list to play are the likes of Dark Souls, Witcher 2, AC3, Hitman: Absolution, Skyrim, Borderlands 2, possibly Sleeping Dogs... and maybe the Crysis games. But I'm well aware of Crysis' demanding nature. I also got Metro 2033 from the THQ bundle.

I know they were pre-release, but reviews of the 7850 mentioned some things that are somewhat off-putting.

Can't say I've had any performance issues like that, nor have I seen them reported anywhere apart from on Tom's, I just passed it off as a very unusually coincidental issue that they had with two cards.