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"I need a New PC!" 2012 Thread. Ivy, SSDs, and reading the OP. [Part 2]
- Thread starter Hazaro
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As opposed to USB3? There are no USB3 keyboards or mice so USB2 is fine
Just to recap. Will buy this weekend unless you guys think changes may need to be required:
Intel i5 3570 $205
ASRock B75 Pro3-M $69
8GB Ram Kingston hyper X 1600 $43
2TB Seagate SATA 3 $99
Samsung 830 128GB $94
Gigabyte N670OC GTX670 $425
Antec HCG 520W $83
Fractal Design Define R3 USB3.0 Titanium Grey $135
Noctua U12P-SE2 $69
Windows 7 $92
Total: $1314
(don't freak out it's aus pricing)
What sort of performance can i expect out of this machine?
also is there a cheaper way to find a copy of windows? I already have win7 on my other pc
Intel i5 3570 $205
ASRock B75 Pro3-M $69
8GB Ram Kingston hyper X 1600 $43
2TB Seagate SATA 3 $99
Samsung 830 128GB $94
Gigabyte N670OC GTX670 $425
Antec HCG 520W $83
Fractal Design Define R3 USB3.0 Titanium Grey $135
Noctua U12P-SE2 $69
Windows 7 $92
Total: $1314
(don't freak out it's aus pricing)
What sort of performance can i expect out of this machine?
also is there a cheaper way to find a copy of windows? I already have win7 on my other pc
Okay this is what I have so far:
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nTN2
Note that this would be an HTPC so I don't plan on having to get a monitor. I also may be able to get a deal on Windows 7 from somewhere else.
I have no clue exactly what kind of Z77 motherboard I should get, and I would also like a suggestion for a sound card (if I need one).
The last thing that's still kicking my ass is making sure I can get a decent wi-fi adapter. This computer might never have access to ethernet.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/nTN2
Note that this would be an HTPC so I don't plan on having to get a monitor. I also may be able to get a deal on Windows 7 from somewhere else.
I have no clue exactly what kind of Z77 motherboard I should get, and I would also like a suggestion for a sound card (if I need one).
The last thing that's still kicking my ass is making sure I can get a decent wi-fi adapter. This computer might never have access to ethernet.
Get this RAM if you can find it http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820147096
Although noctua's are really well made and quiet they are a luxery product so a CM Hyper212 will give you just as much performance and help put a dent in the Win7 license. (The noctua costs as much as your motherboard, thats not right)
Speaking of motherboard B75 is a business class motherboard and is stripped of a lot of features a consumer board would have. Look at some of the Z77 boards in the OP
Lastly a 3570K with really easy overclocking would do a lot for get extra value out of your comp.
Have you used a mechanical keyboard before? I have the blackwidow and I love it but the blue switches in it are hard to get used to. For gaming red switches are considered the best, blue for typing, brown for in between, black if you hate your fingers and want them sore after gaming (they're the stiffest)
Johnny Dazzle
Member
Yeah, I've always been sketchy when I see laptops with so much VRAM. The card we installed though was an ATI 7950, so it's definitely capable for gaming.
Apparently not, and I have no idea what you are talking about in regards to "switches."
MBPs have some wonky problems with SSDs especially from that year. There was a problem with sandforce drives killing off the sata connection or something strange. I would go for Toshiba based drive (what apple used to use) or Samsung (what they currently use) to ensure compatability. Also I don't believe OS X supports trim for anything other than Apple supplied drives and thats only 10.7 and later.
http://www.overclock.net/t/491752/mechanical-keyboard-guide
There are different types of switches in the keyboard that all feel different and have their strengths and weaknesses. Reds are generaly best for gamers and first time mechanical switch users. CMStorm trigger and quickfire are available in red switches and are rebranded filch keyboards (very good). The blackwidow only comes in blue switches. IIRC the blackwidow box has a window in it to test the keys so if possible visit a comp store and try it out yourself to see if you like it.
RumblingRosco
Member
Does anyone have any insight as to how much cooler the i3 3220t runs vs the i3 3220/3225, either idle or under heavy load? I cannot find a single comparison online, just vague impressions that the 3220t is significantly cooler runner due to the lower power usage.
No and don't even think about getting the 840 non pro.
PedroPanache
Member
CPU :i5 3570K (Overclocked to 4.4GHz)
BOARD : Asrock Z77 Pro3
RAM : Corsair CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 4GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance
I've decided to get these based on beje's advice that the Asrock Z77 is a good, inexpensive motherboard that overclocks rather nicely. I haven't decided on a case yet, but will probably plump for one in the £30-50 price range. As for the GPU, I want a good one within the price range of £180-220; though I can't quite afford that yet, so will wait a month or so. For now, I'll just use my old 9500GT card until I can properly upgrade.
I have an OCZ Agility3 120gb SSD and wanted to know whether it was worth upgrading to a newer model or will this one suffice?
BOARD : Asrock Z77 Pro3
RAM : Corsair CMZ4GX3M1A1600C9 4GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance
I've decided to get these based on beje's advice that the Asrock Z77 is a good, inexpensive motherboard that overclocks rather nicely. I haven't decided on a case yet, but will probably plump for one in the £30-50 price range. As for the GPU, I want a good one within the price range of £180-220; though I can't quite afford that yet, so will wait a month or so. For now, I'll just use my old 9500GT card until I can properly upgrade.
I have an OCZ Agility3 120gb SSD and wanted to know whether it was worth upgrading to a newer model or will this one suffice?
godhandiscen
There are millions of whiny 5-year olds on Earth, and I AM THEIR KING.
I am looking to purchase a mechanical keyboard and my budget limit $200. ATM I am looking at this keyboard:
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,fullsize&pid=fc500rrabn
I like the elegant design, but I wish it was backlit as sometimes I find myself browsing in the dark, and I've realized it truly helps to have a backlit keyboard. Is there any elegant quality mechanical keyboard with a backlit functionality out there?
http://elitekeyboards.com/products.php?sub=leopold,fullsize&pid=fc500rrabn
I like the elegant design, but I wish it was backlit as sometimes I find myself browsing in the dark, and I've realized it truly helps to have a backlit keyboard. Is there any elegant quality mechanical keyboard with a backlit functionality out there?
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Just started playing Thomas was alone. Very fun puzzleplatformer but it has this crazy narrative wrapper on top that makes it probably one of the most interesting games I've ever played.
Some of the Ducky keyboards are more regular and have LED backlighting TMK
D
Deleted member 22576
Unconfirmed Member
Yeah I need a new keyboard. I'm using a beer soaked apple aluminum keyboard with a few missing keys. Shit is nastay.
Thanks for the awnser. Maybe I'll go to z77 board. The other stuff are ok?
If it still works you might as well stick with it. OCZ aren't the best for SSDs but since you have it I wouldn't change.
Case wise you could get something like the CM 690 II Lite, I've seen them around £50 a few times.
Considered a 3570K and a Z77 mobo to allow you to OC down the line, or even right away?
2GB is the norm now for a mid-range card, and even for nVidia's top cards too generally.
7850 is imo the best bang for buck card around in the lower mid-range, overclocks very well. The only Nvidia card now I'd really look at is something like the 670, the rest of the range I think the AMD alternative is the better buy.
PedroPanache
Member
If I were to go with a cheaper GPU such as 7850 along with my i5 3570, how would it handle it recent games (Skyrim, Metro 2033, GTAIV Ice Mod etc.) running at 1080p? How much compromise would I need to make on settings to maintain 50-60fps at that resolution?
I have that exact same setup and, while Metro 2033 is an optimisation hell and needs a monster computer to run at the highest settins, games like Sleeping Dogs run at 60 fps locked with the highest settings and the HD texture pack except mid AA (and this is on the 1GB version of the card), and X-Com can be maxed out too. Haven't tried other recent games but it's a good enough combination to with it for 3 or 4 years until you have to find yourself compromising most settings to "mid" or "low", and by then it would probably still be better than future consoles at that point.
Just remember you can easily OC the CPU up to 4.4GHz (I hope you have the "K" version of the CPU) or further so Unreal Engine doesn't bottleneck, and that the GPU can be easily OC'd too using Sapphire Trixx up to almost 1200MHz (from stock ~900) if you start needing the extra juice without any fear, as the max voltage allowed is actually conservative and completely safe, which puts it in 7870 territory.
Edit: as a proof, here you have my 3D Mark benchmark score: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4840410 and you can compare in our Race your PC thread how I'm doing in line with guys with an i7 and a 580, and better than a guy with a 7870 (by the way, I guess those charts need an update
)I have that exact same setup and, while Metro 2033 is an optimisation hell and needs a monster computer to run at the highest settins, games like Sleeping Dogs run at 60 fps locked with the highest settings and the HD texture pack except mid AA (and this is on the 1GB version of the card), and X-Com can be maxed out too. Haven't tried other recent games but it's a good enough combination to with it for 3 or 4 years until you have to find yourself compromising most settings to "mid" or "low", and by then it would probably still be better than future consoles at that point.
Just remember you can easily OC the CPU up to 4.4GHz (I hope you have the "K" version of the CPU) or further so Unreal Engine doesn't bottleneck, and that the GPU can be easily OC'd too using Sapphire Trixx up to almost 1200MHz (from stock ~900) if you start needing the extra juice without any fear, as the max voltage allowed is actually conservative and completely safe, which puts it in 7870 territory.
Edit: as a proof, here you have my 3D Mark benchmark score: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4840410 and you can compare in our Race your PC thread how I'm doing in line with guys with an i7 and a 580, and better than a guy with a 7870 (by the way, I guess those charts need an update
A 7850 at 1.2GHz is usually knocking on stock 7950 levels of performance, great card for the price.
PedroPanache
Member
I have that exact same setup and, while Metro 2033 is an optimisation hell and needs a monster computer to run at the highest settins, games like Sleeping Dogs run at 60 fps locked with the highest settings and the HD texture pack except mid AA (and this is on the 1GB version of the card), and X-Com can be maxed out too. Haven't tried other recent games but it's a good enough combination to with it for 3 or 4 years until you have to find yourself compromising most settings to "mid" or "low", and by then it would probably still be better than future consoles at that point.
Just remember you can easily OC the CPU up to 4.4GHz (I hope you have the "K" version of the CPU) or further so Unreal Engine doesn't bottleneck, and that the GPU can be easily OC'd too using Sapphire Trixx up to almost 1200MHz (from stock ~900) if you start needing the extra juice without any fear, as the max voltage allowed is actually conservative and completely safe, which puts it in 7870 territory.
Edit: as a proof, here you have my 3D Mark benchmark score: http://www.3dmark.com/3dm11/4840410 and you can compare in our Race your PC thread how I'm doing in line with guys with an i7 and a 580, and better than a guy with a 7870 (by the way, I guess those charts need an update
Yeah, when I buy the parts, it'll be the "K" version of the CPU, forgot to add that. Do you mind listing your set-up, with regards to what case and coolers you're using? Since, from the sounds of it, I'll be going for a similar set-up, it'd be good to get an idea of an adequate cooler and what kind of power supply to aim for. With regards to coolers and the like, it's something I've never bothered with in building previous PC's as they've always worked just fine without the need to add them. This will be the first time I've ever bothered to overclock something, so just want to avoid overheating my PC considering I'm a first time novice in this particular area.
I'm using an Antec Kuhler H2O 620 for heatsink (a self-contained water cooler) because I wanted the extra quietness it provides, combined with an old Thermaltake M5 case and an Aerocool Strike-X 500W Modular PSU.
In any case, going with the recommendations in the OP, you really can't go wrong. A CM 212 heatsink will fit any normal sized mid-tower and will give you the best bang for your buck. Case itself is a very personal matter but same as everything else, the ones in the OP are really good, so you can start reading reviews about some of them in your budget to know what to expect out of them and find one that you like both in aesthetics and functionality. About the PSU, if you really don't want to mess up, follow the guidelines (again) but for a single mid range GPU 450W is more than enough as your system will draw 300W total at most on full load. Make sure you chose one with active PFC, from a known vendor, with all kind of protections against overcharge, current peaks, etc and optionally, with a 80+ certification for better eficiency in power consumption and modular to avoid cable clutter.
I know I already asked this question, but now I have an addendum.
I bought a few case fans the other day, but my mobo only has two 3 pin connectors on it. I replaced the stock fan in the back (even though it had a daisy chain that would give me one more fan), and then one on top. I still have 3 Corsair AF120s and 1 SP120 (that I thought would fit my heatsink, but was wrong).
For the rest of them, should I get a molex to 3pin adapter (how many can run off one molex, do they make a 3-4 splitter?), or I've also seen 3-pin splitters to get more directly off the mobo. Is either option better?
Also, for the one static pressure fan I picked up, what would be the best placement for that? I have room for one more on top, two in the front, one on bottom, and one on the side. In the front, I have two HDDs kinda blocking the bottom fan, just to let that be known as well.
Thanks for your input. You guys have really helped a lot in me getting my new machine purchased and running.
I bought a few case fans the other day, but my mobo only has two 3 pin connectors on it. I replaced the stock fan in the back (even though it had a daisy chain that would give me one more fan), and then one on top. I still have 3 Corsair AF120s and 1 SP120 (that I thought would fit my heatsink, but was wrong).
For the rest of them, should I get a molex to 3pin adapter (how many can run off one molex, do they make a 3-4 splitter?), or I've also seen 3-pin splitters to get more directly off the mobo. Is either option better?
Also, for the one static pressure fan I picked up, what would be the best placement for that? I have room for one more on top, two in the front, one on bottom, and one on the side. In the front, I have two HDDs kinda blocking the bottom fan, just to let that be known as well.
Thanks for your input. You guys have really helped a lot in me getting my new machine purchased and running.
Is the Fractal R4 not available in Australia yet? It's a better case than the R3.
Vigilant Walrus
Member
Is there any of you out there who wish you had done a build as a SFF (small form factor) gaming rig?
My Obisdian 650D is a midi-tower case of great quality. I took the glass of the side panel and installed 3 fans. I have now 7 120mm fans. All Excalibur, as they push a lot of air. But the machine is now extremely noisy.
I shouldn't have gotten SLI. The performance has been kind to me, and it has not been a nightmare. It was the right choice to go for it at the time. I got so much more performance for the buck.
But the heat.. the heat made me go down this crazy fan air route. And its not just the heat, but also the size. I look at these small SFF rigs, of almost half the size.
I dont use an optical drive anymore. Waste of space. I didnt need those three internal 3,5 Drives. Might as well have been an external media thing. My machine is my shrine. It's on all the time.
I was afraid that a small rig would get to hot if you would have it on all day, playing games for many hours in a single stretch. To make the perfect computer. One that has as few cables as possible. Only a HDD and a SSD, PSU, GPU, Mobo, Ram and CPU. Nothing else.
Ive been told that Liquid cooling solutions are safe. Maybe I should try it. It's just so scary. I carry my system around a lot.
Are any of you guys wanting to change to mini-itx in the future?
I saw great builds on Bitfenix Prodigy and Silverstone FT03 Mini. There are some beautiful minimalistic Lian Li cases as well. Some fo them would be worth having on your desk. An art cube. A piece of asthetic. And I think - Why not.
Apple Computers are beautiful. I would love to see more OEM vendors make great beautiful enclousures, and even peripherals. We spend so much time on the computer, customizing the operating system.
My Obisdian 650D is a midi-tower case of great quality. I took the glass of the side panel and installed 3 fans. I have now 7 120mm fans. All Excalibur, as they push a lot of air. But the machine is now extremely noisy.
I shouldn't have gotten SLI. The performance has been kind to me, and it has not been a nightmare. It was the right choice to go for it at the time. I got so much more performance for the buck.
But the heat.. the heat made me go down this crazy fan air route. And its not just the heat, but also the size. I look at these small SFF rigs, of almost half the size.
I dont use an optical drive anymore. Waste of space. I didnt need those three internal 3,5 Drives. Might as well have been an external media thing. My machine is my shrine. It's on all the time.
I was afraid that a small rig would get to hot if you would have it on all day, playing games for many hours in a single stretch. To make the perfect computer. One that has as few cables as possible. Only a HDD and a SSD, PSU, GPU, Mobo, Ram and CPU. Nothing else.
Ive been told that Liquid cooling solutions are safe. Maybe I should try it. It's just so scary. I carry my system around a lot.
Are any of you guys wanting to change to mini-itx in the future?
I saw great builds on Bitfenix Prodigy and Silverstone FT03 Mini. There are some beautiful minimalistic Lian Li cases as well. Some fo them would be worth having on your desk. An art cube. A piece of asthetic. And I think - Why not.
Apple Computers are beautiful. I would love to see more OEM vendors make great beautiful enclousures, and even peripherals. We spend so much time on the computer, customizing the operating system.
I built a Prodigy and sometimes wonder if the FT03 Mini would be my thing, but then it would be even more costly since the case is more expensive and so are the PSU.
In the end I don't complain, my Prodigy is really silent, like not audible. When my 680 arrive it should become more noisy but under, where the sound is cranked up.
One funny thing though, I'm starting to check my room's temperature often just for the sake of my PC
In the end I don't complain, my Prodigy is really silent, like not audible. When my 680 arrive it should become more noisy but under, where the sound is cranked up.
One funny thing though, I'm starting to check my room's temperature often just for the sake of my PC
they look great but I prefer a system with some internal breathing room.
Vigilant Walrus
Member
I built a Prodigy and sometimes wonder if the FT03 Mini would be my thing, but then it would be even more costly since the case is more expensive and so are the PSU.
In the end I don't complain, my Prodigy is really silent, like not audible. When my 680 arrive it should become more noisy but under, where the sound is cranked up.
One funny thing though, I'm starting to check my room's temperature often just for the sake of my PC
The complaint I've heard of the prodigy is that it is supposedly very big, almost a normal case. But then again, it has feet and handles which you can take off to remove that illusion further.
how many fans do you have in yours? it can have one front, and two tops right?
look at this guy. this is too insane: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEAI0ohy4Ko&feature=channel&list=UL
how is it possible?? SERIOUSLY! HOW?
Just saw a deal on Intel Core i5 2500K for $100.
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=200121
Wondering if I should bite...is the i5 3570K considerably better?
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.aspx?sku=200121
Wondering if I should bite...is the i5 3570K considerably better?
Felix Lighter
Member
Those crazy in-store only Microcenter deals always break my heart.
DO IT
The 3220 and 3220T are exactly the same chip, it's just the latter is lower clocked. The idle temperatures of both should be pretty much identical, and the temps of the latter under load should be a decent bit lower. The issue is that even the stock cooler in a tiny ITX case wouldn't have any trouble cooling the 3220 under load, so there's no real situation where the 3220T is beneficial, unless you're trying to run an entire system on a 50W power supply or something.
3570K is better but at this price point the 2500K would be my choice, spend the money saved on something else nice
My favs, only backlit, and a broader range of backlit mech boards.
I really like the Vortex boards:
Yeah, you can run as many as you want off of a single molex, and yes they do make splitters where multiple headers come off of a single molex connection.
You should have more than one fan header on your motherboard though.
The best placement for the SP fan outside of a heatsink/radiator is in an obstructed spot.
No problem! Thanks for trusting us
Fans dictate cooling capacity, not internal volume.
You want me to build one of those for you? Cause I totally could and would.
My prodigy next to a Lian Li V700 and Fractal R4:
The folks that say it's the same size of a regular case are exaggerating. It is most definitely compact. The R4 is normal mid tower size, much smaller than stuff like the 600T.
That's a pretty damn awesome breakdown of mechanical keyboards. I still like my Logitech gaming one (older GXX model) but I would love a mechanical one.
Can't seem to find the cherry red switch version of the CM storm on newegg. In some cases the descriptions in the title and the detail aren't lining up. Not sure which is the red. I guess if red isn't around black will be the way to go.
edit:
think I found one on Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009D8ZW3U/?tag=neogaf0e-20
Hey guys, I'm looking to buy an affordable yet speedy SSD (it would be my first ). Probably has to be SATA II as I doubt my motherboard (the ASUS M4A77TD) supports SATA III. Any suggestions?
). Probably has to be SATA II as I doubt my motherboard (the ASUS M4A77TD) supports SATA III. Any suggestions?Hey guys, I'm looking to buy an affordable yet speedy SSD (it would be my first
Something like the Samsung 830 would be my choice, SATA 3 is backwards compatible so although you won't get full speed it'll still work fine.
Ah thanks! It would be compatible with my mobo and everything, right? (Been out of the PC building scene since I built my PC in summer 2010.) Also, I just want to boot Windows from it, that's it. So it doesn't need to have a tonne of storage space or anything. I was really hoping for something under maybe $150, if that's even possible.
EDIT: Looking at the OCZ Agility 3 60GB. Good deal, or no?
Hey guys, I'm looking to buy an affordable yet speedy SSD (it would be my first
EDIT: Beaten, o well
SSD's have come a long way, but I think people vouch on first hand experience that their Samsung 830's & Crucial M4's have been pretty reliable. SATA 3 (6gb/s) is backwards compatible with SATA 2 (3gb/s). Sometimes the #'s get confusing because you will see SATA 3GB/S and think SATA 3
I'd stick to someone like Samsung for the sake of reliability, OCZ's aren't the best from what I read about them.
The Samsung 830, Crucial M4 and Intel 330 are the three I'd look to myself, with the Samsung being my preferred choice.
Thanks for the info
All right, good stuff man. Thanks, you just made the search a lot easier!
RumblingRosco
Member
Great, thanks tor the input!
All right, looking at the Samsung 830 MZ-7PC064D/AM 64GB. NCIX doesn't have a tonne of info on it, but Newegg.com does. Good deal? Will it be compatible with my PC? Sorry for so many questions guys, just wanna make sure I get this right the first time.
Both will work, but you are overpaying for them. IMO you don't need the upgrade kit and try Amazon if you can. Do you live in Canada or the US?
If you live in the US I might have a barely used 128gb 830 for sale.
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