PC Build

[FireDragon]

Could anyone help me with finding a good build with this CPU:

 

Intel Core i5-2500 Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

 

Preferably something that will handle GTA IV really well,

btw, I could do without a HD and DVD Drive, since i'll be reusing the ones from my other computer.

[anus]

Budget? Where do you live? Any preferred sites to shop from?

[FireDragon]

Preferably newegg.com, and budget somewhere around $900.

[yoječ]

$224,99 Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16819115072

 

$349,00 ASUS ENGTX570 DCII/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 570

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814121432

 

$129,99 ASRock P67 PRO3 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16813157230

 

$48,99 Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820226190

 

$69,99 XFX Core Edition PRO550W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817207013

 

$34,99 NZXT GAMMA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16811146061

 

$49,99 ZALMAN CNPS10X Performa 120mm

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16835118059

 

= $907,94

 

 

Fast four core CPU, very good graphics card with proper cooling, great motherboard, 4GBs of RAM (1600MHz), high quality power supply (based on Seasonic S12II series), and computer case with proper cooling. To top it off - good CPU cooler.

Edited May 5, 2011 by yojo2

[Wolf68k]

I can do it without a buying a HDD and DVD drive, however at least the HDD needs to be a SATA but of if the DVD drive is SATA as well then all the better.

Still slowly but surely mobo are coming without PATA (IDE) ports. For example, the mobo that yojo listed.

 

/edit

Alternate PSU

RAIDMAX HYBRID 2 RX-630SS 630W ATX12V V2.2/ EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Modular LED Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817152035

2 reasons, kind of 3.

1. It's cheaper, plus it has more than 1 review

2. Modular, connect the cables you need to store the rest and no need to worry about extra cables hanging around

3. Iz got purdy lites

Edited May 5, 2011 by Wolf68k

[yoječ]

Well I wouldn't be so excited about this Raidmax. First off, it's not any more powerful than XFX (both have 44A on 12V rail). This is assuming that both 12V rails in Raidmax can deliver 22A at the same time (which doesn't have to be the case, so Raidmax might happen to be even weaker than XFX). Secondly, I could not find any proper review of this PSU. Build quality (soldiering, ripple, efficiency, voltage stability) remain unknown. This Raidmax is produced by Andyson, which overall is not as good brand as Seasonic.

All in all, XFX is much better offer - simply because it was tested on few portals (e. g. jonnyguru and kitguru), using a proper equipment and it did pretty well - ripple control is oudstading, and efficiency is pretty neat too.

[Wolf68k]

Meh...my real point was to point out the possibility of getting a modular PSU, which I like so much more.

For example either one of these 2 plus you can't say these are questionable brands or quality

OCZ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817341022

Antec http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817371016

[yoječ]

Actually I have a few words to say about OCZ, because there are some issues to adress. First off, it tends to shut down under heavy load. It happened on HardOCP (they tested 700W version, and it received FAIL award) and Hardware Secrets (500W and 600W versions). Ripple is within spec, but higher than in XFX. OCZ is also worse in efficiency department. To top it off, MXS 600W is 24W less powerful than XFX 550W. Overall I wouldn't say it's really bad, but it's just mediocre. Also speaking of being modular, this OCZ has very short cables which means in order to do a proper cable management, in most cases you'll need extensions.

 

As for the Antec, it won't cut it. I dunno about its build quality, but its power scratches it off the list - it has only 384W on 12V rail. Sorry, but some 400W units are as powerful... I don't think that after overclocking there will be enough power in reserve to be really safe. Also, it has no 80plus certificates.

[Stinky12]

Assuming you already have that Core i5 CPU

 

-	Item	Pcs	Price
1	COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case	1	$59.99
2	XFX HD-695X-CNFC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity	1	$274.99
3	CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ...	1	$104.99
4	Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model 996770	1	$82.99
5	ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard	1	$179.99
6	ARCTIC COOLING ACFZ13-PRO 120mm & 50mm (2 fans) Fluid Dynamic High Performance CPU Cooler for Intel and AMD	1	$49.99
-	Subtotal	-	$752.94

The HSF has a 50mm fan installed on the base and this helps cool your NB and VR.

 

[yoječ]

No offence but it seems pretty out of balance to me... 750W is unnecessary (it would be enough for CrossFire), and it begs for a better card than HD6950.

[FireDragon]

yeah, I like Nvidia GPUs a lot better, ATI I heard of a lot of problems with their drivers, and also isn't that GTX 570 a little bit too ridiculous, I mean, it takes up 3 spots

[Stinky12]

That Asus GTX570 isn't normal, same like this HD6950

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814121431

Here is a normal GTX 570

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814130593

Here is a shorter type just under 9"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16814130621

@yojo2

The pricing of the PSU at 650w isn't too much of a difference towards the 750, so I've decided to pick that one instead. Also it provides more head room

for whatever he throws at.

Edited May 6, 2011 by Stinky12

[FireDragon]

so, what about sound? would i need to buy something or it comes with mobo?

[yoječ]

Mobo has integrated sound card.

 

As for the GTX570 DirectCU - yeah, it takes up three slots. ...so? I can't see why it would be a problem. At least there is a good reason for it - it's one of the quietest GTX570s on the market. Both EVGAs will be far more noisy.

Edited May 6, 2011 by yojo2

[Wolf68k]

Actually I have a few words to say about OCZ, because there are some issues to adress. First off, it tends to shut down under heavy load. It happened on HardOCP (they tested 700W version, and it received FAIL award) and Hardware Secrets (500W and 600W versions). Ripple is within spec, but higher than in XFX. OCZ is also worse in efficiency department. To top it off, MXS 600W is 24W less powerful than XFX 550W. Overall I wouldn't say it's really bad, but it's just mediocre. Also speaking of being modular, this OCZ has very short cables which means in order to do a proper cable management, in most cases you'll need extensions.

 

As for the Antec, it won't cut it. I dunno about its build quality, but its power scratches it off the list - it has only 384W on 12V rail. Sorry, but some 400W units are as powerful... I don't think that after overclocking there will be enough power in reserve to be really safe. Also, it has no 80plus certificates.

First I love how you just assume every model of a product a maker makes into the same results.

I have a OCZ modular 500W and never had any problems.

And then how you get into such detail about the ripple and every other bit of BS that for most people won't matter.

And who said he was going to OC anything?

Yes the OCZ I listed is less wattage on the +12V than the XFX. However it's still more than enough for what he needs, so what's the problem?

Short cables? Maybe, maybe not. If you're putting this into a big ass case like some much older tall as hell server towers, yes. But the case you listed will have more than enough room for the cables even if you route them for, which is what I did for my case because it has a window.

 

As for the Antec. The Antec WILL cut it. And the build quality on Antec's are great but like everything, even XFX, there are some lemons from time to time.

And in what part of "Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply" did you get that it's not 80plus certified?

 

 

And for the love of god, stop nip picking every damn piece of hardware that everyone suggests. You're coming off like you know what's best for every topic when people want hardware suggestions and everyone else is wrong no matter what.

[Stinky12]

Mobo has integrated sound card.

 

As for the GTX570 DirectCU - yeah, it takes up three slots. ...so? I can't see why it would be a problem. At least there is a good reason for it - it's one of the quietest GTX570s on the market. Both EVGAs will be far more noisy.

I've installed a few GTX 570 and they're all pretty quiet the way I hear it so I don't see how the EVGA is noisy since almost all other card makers uses the same design.

I pick EVGA for their top notch support where no other company can match.

Both cards picked are ended with "AR", this provides lifetime warranty if OP registers within 30 days of purchase.

And while other will void the warranty when you OC or change to a 3rd party cooler, EVGA does not, they let you OC and change to a 3rd party cooler, and as long there are no physical damage, they will still honor their warranty. Just remember that you set back the clocks back to factory defaults and put back the stock cooler before sending it back.

[yoječ]

 

First I love how you just assume every model of a product a maker makes into the same results.

If it was just one PSU that shut down then OK, but those were three power supplies on two sites. IMHO this is not just a coincidence. It's not like I made up these results...

I have a OCZ modular 500W and never had any problems.

Did I ever say that MXS is bad? No. I've just said that quality-wise there are better PSUs to be bought. As I said before they shut down under heavy load - that doesn't mean they'll ALWAYS shut down under load, but only when they'll be performing to the limits. Which might occur if OP happens to OC his rig, or to buy a new PC in a few years time and leave the PSU from old PC. To sum it up, while this unit is marketed as 500W, it does not live up to its name - that's all. The rest about this unit is well acceptable, while it could be better

And who said he was going to OC anything?

He didn't mention modular PSUs either.

Short cables? Maybe, maybe not. If you're putting this into a big ass case like some much older tall as hell server towers, yes. But the case you listed will have more than enough room for the cables even if you route them for, which is what I did for my case because it has a window.

Did the 8-pin CPU cable reach? If yes, then I apologize. I'm asking because I've read some posts from MXS users that 8-pin cable even in many relatively small cases might not reach. To give a better example, this is just a standard case popular in my conutry, only 438mm in height (less than NZXT): http://www.silentiumpc.com/gladius-800w-pure-black-gd-800/

I've seen a few people that claimed 8pin CPU cable was to short to be routed behind motherboard tray. I dunno, maybe Poland gets cut down versions with shorter cables or what. Anyway, according to OCZ website 8pin cable is only 18" (45,7cm) in length.

As for the Antec. The Antec WILL cut it. And the build quality on Antec's are great but like everything, even XFX, there are some lemons from time to time.

Well yeah, every company has their better and worse model... the thing about this Antec is that hard to tell if it's really good because there seem to be no proper reviews of it (at least no that I know of). But anyway, this Antec should be marketed as 400W unit because of its really weak 12V rail (for example OCZ StealthXStream2 400W has the exact same power as this Antec "550W"), which makes it quite bad value for money. Its power will be enough for non-overclocked rig - sure, but why buy a PSU with little to no power in reserve, especially if it isn't that cheap?

As for the certificates - it's my f*ckup right there, I somehow missed it when looking through list on 80plus.org. I never claimed to be perfect.

 

To sum up - OCZ MXS is a decent choice if someone is really after modular PSUs.

 

Sorry if I get annoying at times, but that's just my view on that matter. EOT.

 

//edit:

I've installed a few GTX 570 and they're all pretty quiet the way I hear it so I don't see how the EVGA is noisy since almost all other card makers uses the same design.

Standard doesn't mean best.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ASUS/Ge...t_Cu_II/22.html - here is comparison of Asus with a reference design card.

I pick EVGA for their top notch support where no other company can match.

Both cards picked are ended with "AR", this provides lifetime warranty if OP registers within 30 days of purchase.

And while other will void the warranty when you OC or change to a 3rd party cooler, EVGA does not, they let you OC and change to a 3rd party cooler, and as long there are no physical damage, they will still honor their warranty. Just remember that you set back the clocks back to factory defaults and put back the stock cooler before sending it back.

Okay, I must agree with you. I always keep forgetting about EVGA's better warranty since in Europe you just get standard warranty. XFX does the exact same thing. Edited May 6, 2011 by yojo2

[Stinky12]

Maybe they sell products differently from your side of the pond...

And 40dB isn't that noisy, it's equivalent to the noise of a quiet room.

[FireDragon]

how about this?

[Ryan]

You forgot the RAM

[yoječ]

Also get i5-2500k. i5-2500 has much worse OC capabilities.

[FireDragon]

i'm not really thinking into OCing, also on another note, i have this PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...0w%20earthwatts

 

would i really need the 750W with that setup?

Edited May 10, 2011 by FireDragon

[Driftking120]

You could probably get a good build for 900$

Case: NZXT H2=100$

PSU: SeaSonic M12II 620W-100$

Mobo: Asus Sabertooth P67=220$

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k=225$

RAM: Corsair XMS3 4GB(2x4GB) DDR3 1333mhz=50$

GPU: MSI 560-Ti Hawk=265$

Its a bit over budget but it but it is worth it as certain aspects of the build are worth while, First its got a case which i think is gorgeos, And Then its got a 620W PSU

which will be able to power a mediocre i7 2600k build if you plan to upgrade, Also ive heard the Asus Sabertooth is good budget motherboard, also the MSI video card

has a custom cooler on it that is qiet and only takes up 2 slots, Hope i helped .

 

[FireDragon]

so i really want to go with the GTX 570, what would be a good, budget PSU for it?

[yoječ]

XFX Core 550W and OCZ StealthXStream2 600W.

[FireDragon]

so, does anyone have an idea if a pre-built system would be a better, and then just upgrade the GPU?

[sivispacem]

so, does anyone have an idea if a pre-built system would be a better, and then just upgrade the GPU?

Answer is usually no. Prebuilt systems tend to use piss-poor PSUs.

[yoječ]

Exactly. Pre-built PC will end up being much more expensive in the long run.

[Wolf68k]

You can get something like from ibuypower.com and many others that are just as good as if you built it yourself and upgradable.

Also these days Dell and HP finally have seen the light for gaming systems which they both offer. Those you can usually upgrade later but you're still tied to Dell and HP where as with something like ibuypower it's as if you went to Newegg or where ever and bought the parts and built it but they did the hard part for you. You can even get it from sites like ibuypower with no OS and install whatever OS you want to make sure no one, mostly Dell and HP, installs crap you don't need to begin with.

Keep in mind that sites like that are going to be less helpful with tech support than what you might get from Dell or HP. They will work with you if a piece of hardware is bad but if the OS and drivers are messing up then you're on your own for the most part and have to turn to the internet.

 

Again, keep in mind I'm using ibuypower only as an example and not suggesting you go or don't go with them. There are many other online places like them that can do the same.

[Exkabewbikadid]

 

i'm not really thinking into OCing[/url]

 

would i really need the 750W with that setup?

The thing is, OCing these CPUs is about as easy as it gets. It's simply a matter of increasing the multiplier value. For example, I have a 2600K that I've OCed to 4.5GHz by doing nothing other than increasing the multiplier from 34 to 45. It handles prime95 stress testing for hours without error and doesn't go over 60°C. The extra $20 goes a long way in squeezing a lot of extra performance out of these chips.

 

The non-k models are basically non-overclockable. The base clock of 100MHz can't be budged beyond 103MHz in most cases.

 

Not that I wish to force overclocking on you, but if you do, you'll definitely want to get an aftermarket heatsink. I have a Cooler Master hyper 212 plus and it's pretty much the best heatsink at the lowest price, although it has gone up $10 since I got one.