Media/Gaming Build

[Muffin Man]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Light Gaming (No MMO's, Starcraft, Medal of Honor, etc), Web Browsing, Movies/Netflix
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000 - $1500
3) Where do you live?
MA, USA
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
CPU
RAM
HDD
PSU
Video Card
Optical Drive
Monitor
Keyboard/Mouse
OS
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
I have an old Lian-Li aluminum mid-tower case - not sure of the model #
6) Will you be overclocking?
Nope
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Want a 24"+ LCD widescreen
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next 3 months
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Not really sure - I guess DDR3... I've been out of the mobo game for so long I dont know what the latest technology is.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
No OS.. Planning on Win 7 64 Bit


This is the build I put together on Newegg a couple of months ago:

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD5 - $275
CPU: Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz - $288
RAM: G.SKILL 6GB DDR3 - $105
Video Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5770 1GB DDR3 - $150
PSU: Corsair CMPSU-750W - $109
HDD: WD Caviar 1TB 5400RPM - $65 (Should I go faster? 7200RPM? Or Solid State??)
Monitor: ASUS VW246H 24" LCD - $220
Optical: LITE-ON Black 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader - $65
OS: Windows 7 Home 64 Bit - $100

Total: $1377 (with no shipping costs, and no keyboard/mouse/cables/etc)

Where can I cut corners and where should I spend some more money? It's been about 6 years since I built a PC so I'm a little out of the loop on the latest technology.

Thanks!

 

[Dangman]

If that Lian Li case stil uses 80mm fans, it's not gonna be sufficient or quiet to cool that setup. So yeah it would be a good idea to get a new case as well.

As for that setup, it's more or less complete overkill for your stated needs. Even a $700 build would be enough for your needs. With that said, if you still want to go a little overkill, then go with this setup instead:
$360 - Intel Core i5 750 CPU + Asus P7P55D-E Pro Intel P55 ATX Motherboard Combo
$140 - 2 x G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$75 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive0
-----
Total: $575 plus tax and shipping

A full $158 cheaper than your planned CPU, mobo, RAM, and HDD but offers 99% of the performance of your planned setup. In fact, the above setup has a significantly faster hard drive, and 2GB more RAM. And that above setup is still overkill for your needs. So let us know if you want us to go cheaper and more suitable to your needs.

Also, is there any way you can narrow down when exactly you're gonna buy this PC? More than likely, the parts we recommend today won't be the same parts we recommend three months from now. Especially the CPU, motherboard, and video card. AMD is releasing their new GPUs next week and that may drive down costs of current cards or might be better buys than current cards. Intel is releasing their new CPU line in January as well as newer, faster, and cheaper SSDs later this year.

In fact, most of the parts you just listed are not good buys now, three months after you setup that list.

 

[Muffin Man]

If that Lian Li case stil uses 80mm fans, it's not gonna be sufficient or quiet to cool that setup. So yeah it would be a good idea to get a new case as well.

As for that setup, it's more or less complete overkill for your stated needs. Even a $700 build would be enough for your needs. With that said, if you still want to go a little overkill, then go with this setup instead:
$360 - Intel Core i5 750 CPU + Asus P7P55D-E Pro Intel P55 ATX Motherboard Combo
$140 - 2 x G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$75 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive0
-----
Total: $575 plus tax and shipping

A full $158 cheaper than your planned CPU, mobo, RAM, and HDD but offers 99% of the performance of your planned setup. In fact, the above setup has a significantly faster hard drive, and 2GB more RAM. And that above setup is still overkill for your needs. So let us know if you want us to go cheaper and more suitable to your needs.

Also, is there any way you can narrow down when exactly you're gonna buy this PC? More than likely, the parts we recommend today won't be the same parts we recommend three months from now. Especially the CPU, motherboard, and video card. AMD is releasing their new GPUs next week and that may drive down costs of current cards or might be better buys than current cards. Intel is releasing their new CPU line in January as well as newer, faster, and cheaper SSDs later this year.

In fact, most of the parts you just listed are not good buys now, three months after you setup that list.

Yeah the Lian-Li still has 80mm fans - but it does have 4 or 5 of them. I really like the case though, it's completely solid - but I guess I'll keep looking.

I just landed a new job, and so I'll probably have my machine on or around Christmas - is it too early to start asking around?

Thanks for the recommendation - I guess I did go a little overkill since I won't be doing any really heavy gaming or video editing - but it's really important to me that the motherboard is good enough that I'll be able to upgrade the CPU/GPU/RAM, etc.. a year from now.

What do you think about the PSU? Is 750w too much?

 

[ragejg]

CPU: Athlon II x4 ~3ghz for $80-$110
Motherboard: AM3 DDR3 matX single PCIe: 70-100
RAM: 4gb DDR3-1333 for around $70
HDD: 60gb Sandforce boot ($130) + 1 WD Caviar Blue 7.2k 16SE 500 for around $60
PSU: Antec Earthwatts EA650 for $70-$80
Video Card: HD 5770, around $150
Optical Drive: Blue Ray Drive with software, around $100
Monitor: 24" Samsung 1920x1080, around $200
Keyboard/Mouse: MS Wireless Laser 6000 for around $60
OS: Win7 for around $70

$1060-$1130

No corners cut. It'd be a flippin' fast system, actually. The Athlon II x4 around 3ghz are simply an awesome value right now. given what other CPUs cost that only perform a few percent better. The 5770 will play everything @ 19x10 with everything on medium/high with some AA thrown in sometimes. The SSD will make OS loading as well as a couple of your favorite games (or other stuff) load up super-fast. On the DDR3 go with A-Data or G.Skill for the best value/customer service. The PSU has been well-received, and units of various ages are in a lot of people's rigs, quietly doing its job. It'd be nice if Blue-Ray wasn't quite as expensive, but oh well. The $200 segment actually has some nice 24" 1920x1080 LCDs right now, take your pick. For comfort and adequate couch range the Wireless Laser 6000 set is pretty nice, especially for the price. ... And Win7 is available in several flavors, starting out @ $70.

Oh, and go x6 for another $80, and go Radeon 6850 for another $60. That's $1270.

Hope this helps.

 

[Dangman]

Yeah the Lian-Li still has 80mm fans - but it does have 4 or 5 of them. I really like the case though, it's completely solid - but I guess I'll keep looking.

Well you could always just mod the Lian Li case to fit 120mm fans. Number of fans don't really matter BTW. You can have a two fan case setup that'll perform just as well as a six fan case setup. Anyway I recommend these cases:
$60 - NZXT M59 ATX Case
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56 ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master CM690 II Basic ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium ATX Case
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-7FN ATX Case
$120 - Velocity Micro GX2-W Silver Classic Aluminum Case with Side Window
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$140 - Antec P183 ATX Case
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$170 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$180 - Cooler Master Cosmos S 1000 RC-1100-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Lian Li PC-B25F ATX Case
$240 - Silverstone FT02B-W ATX Case
$220 - Lian Li PC-A71F Black ATX Case
$270 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case
$330 - Silverstone Temjin SST-TJ07B Full Tower ATX Case

I just landed a new job, and so I'll probably have my machine on or around Christmas - is it too early to start asking around?

Yes it's a bit too early to start asking around as I noted in my first post in this thread. Ask again when you're closer to the actual buy date. You'll get better deals that way

Thanks for the recommendation - I guess I did go a little overkill since I won't be doing any really heavy gaming or video editing - but it's really important to me that the motherboard is good enough that I'll be able to upgrade the CPU/GPU/RAM, etc.. a year from now.

Unfortunately all of the sockets mentioned in this thread (Socket LGA 1156, Socket AM3, Socket LGA 1366) are more or less dead-end in about a year. In other words, there won't be a good or worthwhile CPU upgrade for any of the sockets listed in a year from now. As mentioned earlier, Intel is releasing new CPUs in January. AMD is supposedly releasing their new CPUs in Q2 2011. Unfortunately none of those new CPUs will be compatible with current motherboard sockets. Not to mention that the new CPUs being released for the current motherboard sockets are all just incremental clock speed increases that are not worth the money.

So basically, you're SOL if you're planning on upgrading the CPU a year from now. Basically, what you get this year is what you'll have.

GPU and RAM should be fine.

What do you think about the PSU? Is 750w too much?

Slight overkill but not horribly so.

 

[Muffin Man]

Probably going to start piecing it together starting at the end of november...I doubt I will order everything at once.

Is the OEM CPU cooler usually sufficient for these i7 core processors?

 

[Dangman]

P
Is the OEM CPU cooler usually sufficient for these i7 core processors?

Yes

 

[E4g1e]

Yes

In my experience with the LGA 1366 CPUs, the stock CPU cooler that comes with the less-expensive CPUs in that series is good to about 3.4GHz (after factoring in the turbo boost). However, with LGA 1156 i5 quad-core CPUs, the stock cooler can be used with an overclock to up to 3.6GHz because the i5 quad-cores lack HyperThreading.

 

[Muffin Man]

So when I include a $250 monitor, $100 case + peripherals I'm coming in right around $1500. Is this about average?

 

[Dangman]

So when I include a $250 monitor, $100 case + peripherals I'm coming in right around $1500. Is this about average?

Well kind of.

Really depends on what parts you've actually selected.

 

[Muffin Man]

Well kind of.

Really depends on what parts you've actually selected.

haha I knew that was coming. let me put together my new list. I also found out I can get windows 7 professional at a discount by being a student...But I'm not sure if it's 64 bit..

Case: LIAN LI Lancool PC-K7B - $90
Mobo/CPU: Intel Core i5 750 CPU + Asus P7P55D-E Pro Intel P55 ATX - $360
RAM: 2 x G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-10666CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM - $140
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s - $75
G.SKILL Phoenix Pro Series FM-25S2S-60GBP2 2.5" 60GB - $125 (I might get rid of this to save money because I'm not sure if it's worth it.. performance etc)
Video: GIGABYTE GV-R577SO-1GD Radeon HD 5770 1GB - $150
PSU: Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W - $80
Monitor: SAMSUNG P2450H 24" LCD - $230
Optical: LITE-ON Black BD-COMBO SATA Model ihes108-29 - $80
Keyboard/Mouse: MS Laser 6000 v.3 - $52
Software: Win 7 64 Bit/Office 2010 - ~ $150

Total: $1532 (no tax/shipping)

I could get it down to $1407 with no SSD... I'm not sure where else I could cut corners unless I went with a cheaper mobo/cpu.

 

[Dangman]

For light gaming, web browsing, and Netflix, you do not need 8GB of RAM. You'll be fine with 4GB of RAM. Forget the SSD as well.

In addition, that Earthwatts 650W PSU is a bad buy at $80. There are better PSUs with more amperage on the +12V rail for not much more. Examples:
$86 - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W PSU
$85 - Seasonic S121II 620 620W PSU
$155 - Corsair 650TX 650W PSU + Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Combo

That PUS + HDD combo deal, which expires at the end of the month, drops the Corsair down to $80. In fact, the $360 combo deal for the CPU and motherboard expires at the end of the month as well. So again, the parts, prices, and deals won't be the same ones we recommend two months from now.

 

[Muffin Man]

For light gaming, web browsing, and Netflix, you do not need 8GB of RAM. You'll be fine with 4GB of RAM. Forget the SSD as well.

In addition, that Earthwatts 650W PSU is a bad buy at $80. There are better PSUs with more amperage on the +12V rail for not much more. Examples:
$86 - Antec NEO ECO 620C 620W PSU
$85 - Seasonic S121II 620 620W PSU
$155 - Corsair 650TX 650W PSU + Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive Combo

That PUS + HDD combo deal, which expires at the end of the month, drops the Corsair down to $80. In fact, the $360 combo deal for the CPU and motherboard expires at the end of the month as well. So again, the parts, prices, and deals won't be the same ones we recommend two months from now.

I was questioning whether I needed 8gb of RAM or not. I've never used Windows 7, but I can always buy more later. I'll also find a better PSU.

Sucks those deals expire at the end of the month, but at least I now have a MUCH better idea of what I want and what I should buy. I'll be keeping my eyes out for deals thru november, I don't think I'll be ordering everything at once...but it might be more cost efficient for shipping?

I definitely want to use this PC to watch a lot of movies, and musict too. Perhaps add some storage and maybe use it as a HTPC at some point..

 

[Dangman]

Sucks those deals expire at the end of the month, but at least I now have a MUCH better idea of what I want and what I should buy. I'll be keeping my eyes out for deals thru november, I don't think I'll be ordering everything at once...but it might be more cost efficient for shipping?

Yes and no. Most of the time, good parts tend to have free shipping available. Without free shipping, there is a small discount for buying more items from Newegg IIRC.

 

[ragejg]

Forget the SSD? Um, no. Why in the world are most people extolling the virtues of great OS load/usage times? Because they are using an SSD and are enjoying it. Ask any of the top 10 hardware communities out there and pretty much the #1 best upgrade for your rig in 2010 is and SSD.

As far as the "bad deal" on the Antec, it isn't necessarily about the amps or numbers, it's about the number of happy people with them in all sorts of scenarios, from office users to overclockers, to slobs with cheeto crumbs on their fan blades and cigarette burns on their keyboard. I wouldn't call it a bad deal at all.

Muffin Man, you are overspending for the Intel setup though, I can tell you that. Especially in that you're going for bang for the buck since you are working with a budget. Socket dead? Not really. Start out with a damn quick 3ghz Athlon II x3 440 for around $75 (or a pretty much just as quick 2.7ghz x3 425 for $60), and scale all the way up to whatever the last x6 CPU is, probably one with a non-turbo speed of 3.6-3.8ghz or so. So if you had the 440 (or 425) + a 5770, and next year you traded up for a $250 x6 @ 3.6 and a $200 HD 6870 ... that'd be quite the upgrade and a good example of the scalability of some systems nowadays. x3 is the sweet spot for gaming and even productivity right now as far as value is concerned. Not many want to admit it because some realize they wasted money on more cores. I kid.

At this point I like to use the i7 920 as a control benchmark. Pretty powerful CPU, even at stock speeds. But it costs $280. Granted, in a few apps it whups on all of its competition, but as far as most gaming is concerned, even a $75 x3 440 3ghz can perform 85-100% as good as the i7 920 (x3 425 can pretty much do 80-95% as good). That alone makes not really want to spend any more than I have to on a CPU.

Go ahead and go with The Dark Side if that's just the company you prefer, though, I understand.

 

[Dangman]

Forget the SSD? Um, no. Why in the world are most people extolling the virtues of great OS load/usage times? Because they are using an SSD and are enjoying it. Ask any of the top 10 hardware communities out there and pretty much the #1 best upgrade for your rig in 2010 is and SSD.

WEll if the OP is trying to shave off cash, IMO, the SSD is first part to get rid of.

You don't have to tell me about the wonders of the SSD. I've been recommending SSDs in this part of the forum for awhile now. But it looks like the OP is trying to shave off some money off that build. Hence why I recommended ditching the SSD for now.

Besides even if he wants a SSD and can afford it, two months from now, that G.Skill SSD will probably not be that good of a deal considering that Intel is releasing their newer, faster, and cheaper SSDs later this year.

As far as the "bad deal" on the Antec, it isn't necessarily about the amps or numbers, it's about the number of happy people with them in all sorts of scenarios, from office users to overclockers, to slobs with cheeto crumbs on their fan blades and cigarette burns on their keyboard. I wouldn't call it a bad deal at all.

Wait what? That Earthwatts is a good PSU but it's simply a bad deal or bad buy at $80 considering that higher quality PSUs with more amperage on the +12V rail are available for around that price. I don't see any reason to go with the Antec Eartwatts EA650 as a result.

Muffin Man, you are overspending for the Intel setup though, I can tell you that. Especially in that you're going for bang for the buck since you are working with a budget. Socket dead? Not really. Start out with a damn quick 3ghz Athlon II x3 440 for around $75 (or a pretty much just as quick 2.7ghz x3 425 for $60), and scale all the way up to whatever the last x6 CPU is, probably one with a non-turbo speed of 3.6-3.8ghz or so. So if you had the 440 (or 425) + a 5770, and next year you traded up for a $250 x6 @ 3.6 and a $200 HD 6870 ... that'd be quite the upgrade and a good example of the scalability of some systems nowadays. x3 is the sweet spot for gaming and even productivity right now as far as value is concerned. Not many want to admit it because some realize they wasted money on more cores. I kid.

I'm sorry, I'm confused here: While I understand that the AMD setup would be better bang for the buck, the problem is why start at the X3 440 and then keep buying/upgrading the CPU to the last X6? Considering that the fact that the last announced AMD Phenom II X6 CPUs are just mere and minor clock speed increases over the 1055T (the 1100T is only 500Mhz faster than the 1055T), I don't see why you shouldn't get the 1055T right now?

 

[Muffin Man]

Oooh a little bit of debate

 

[ragejg]

Danny I was referring to what will be the last AM3 x6 CPUs next year which will likely be 3.6-3.8 ghz. So starting with an x3 425 or 440, there would be a decent upgrade path going all the way to the last x6.

And given that his budget isn't BELOW $1000, an SSD makes sense given that they are so worth it in terms of seat-of-the-pants value. I'd downgrade from a $200 x6 to get a $75 x3 any day of the week if it loosened up enough cash to get an SSD instead of a regular hard drive.

And while I understand your PSU argument I'm simply speaking from personal as well as second hand experiences regarding that power supply, disregarding the specs and being more focused on peoples' happiness with it.

 

[Muffin Man]

I'll make it easier...

I'll ask for a SSD for christmas. problem solved.. haha

 

[Dangman]

Danny I was referring to what will be the last AM3 x6 CPUs next year which will likely be 3.6-3.8 ghz. So starting with an x3 425 or 440, there would be a decent upgrade path going all the way to the last x6.

The problem is what if AMD doesn't release those 3.6Ghz to 3.8Ghz Phenom II X6 CPUs? And if they do, what if they price those CPUs to the point where it would have been cost effective to buy the X6 1055T up front?

With that said, I totally see where you're coming from. Though I would rather get the Phenom II 955 now and then pick up the latest X6 CPUs when they come out. I simply don't see the X3 440 as a good value right now considering the budget the OP has right now. He can afford the faster Phenom II 955 as well as the SSD.

And given that his budget isn't BELOW $1000, an SSD makes sense given that they are so worth it in terms of seat-of-the-pants value. I'd downgrade from a $200 x6 to get a $75 x3 any day of the week if it loosened up enough cash to get an SSD instead of a regular hard drive.

And I wouldn't. I'd rather spend the $140 to $200 on the CPU and then pick up the SSD later on when it's cheaper, faster, and newer like with the new Intel SSDs.

And while I understand your PSU argument I'm simply speaking from personal as well as second hand experiences regarding that power supply, disregarding the specs and being more focused on peoples' happiness with it.

Gotcha. It's a good PSU and I have recommended that same PSU in the past. But I can't recommend that PSU nowadays at its current price.

I'll make it easier...

I'll ask for a SSD for christmas. problem solved.. haha

Smart thinking man

 

[Muffin Man]

Are the new Intel SSD's the X25-V series? You can pick up a 40GB one for $100 right now.

 

[Dangman]

Are the new Intel SSD's the X25-V series? You can pick up a 40GB one for $100 right now.

No, those have been around for awhile now.