21 replies to this topic

[Sev Rith]

So with a lot of consideration I've decided to revamp my new build and get some feedback on it in general. Mainly if I'm bottlenecking it or compatiblity issues. I'm going to link everything I've decided on so far to see what you guys think.

1. DF-85 Full ATX case
- This is actually the first and only solid piece I own. Wanted to go with a nice, big case with good air flow and nice styling.
2. ASUS mobo
- Chose this motherboard because of the reviews, CPU type, and SLI capability. Has a lot of USB ports and good upgrade capability.
3. Intel Core i5 3.3 GHZ Quad Core Processor
- Had AMD with my last build and decided to go with Intel this time. Figured 3.3 is more than enough for gaming.
4. GSKILL 16gig Memory
- Planning on Upgrading to 32 gigs later on.
5. GTX 580
- NVIDIA is just personal taste. Plan on doing an SLI build after this one is up and running.
6. Samsung 12X BluRay Player
- Got a nice HD Graphics card and a 37" monitor. Why the hell not?
7. ASUS 12x DVD Burner
- Going to get two of these for more drives and because they're pretty cheap.
8. VelociRaptor 300g 10k rpm HDD
- Never had a 10k rpm HDD before, so let me know if this is a good buy
9. Corsair 750w PSU]
- Weiman actually recommended this one for my last build so I'm going to bring that one over.
10. Windows 7 Premium Home Edition x64 OEM
- Don't think I have to link this one.

This is essentially it, besides maybe some cooling replacement for the CPU, thermal paste, and a fan for the case window. I'm almost positive that everything is compatible as far as the mobo/ram/cpu goes, but that is the hardest part for me. Tell me what you guys think!

Forgot to add that I will be getting an SSD as well, but I'm not too familiar with these. So if you guys could recommend me one, that would be awesome.

Edited by Sev Rith, 29 December 2011 - 06:19 AM.

[The Other Kyle]

Looks nice, but holy shit why are you going to get 32 gb or ram?

[Billy...]

There is 0 reason to have 32 gbs of ram. like 0

[7h3 n00b m4573r]

So, why the velociraptor and SSD?
Usually you have one or the other (SSD being better) to install windows then use cheap regular drives to bulk up storage.

[Sev Rith]

Essentially just because of the speed. HDD speeds are never really necessary are they? I mean you're probably right though, a 7200 rpm HDD with more space would probably be more beneficial than a 10,000 rpm HDD that is just there for space.

Okay so maybe 32gigs of ram is overkill. What about 16? I know that's still up there, but I can benefit from that amount pretty well right? Honestly, I'd rather have more than what I can possibly need than just enough. You know?

[7h3 n00b m4573r]

Essentially just because of the speed. HDD speeds are never really necessary are they? I mean you're probably right though, a 7200 rpm HDD with more space would probably be more beneficial than a 10,000 rpm HDD that is just there for space.

Okay so maybe 32gigs of ram is overkill. What about 16? I know that's still up there, but I can benefit from that amount pretty well right? Honestly, I'd rather have more than what I can possibly need than just enough. You know?

HDD speeds are necessary. A 10,000 RPM drive has good seek times which makes it good for loading windows, however an SSD is better again.
For storing movies, iso files or whatever else a 7,200 RPM drive is pretty much as good as a 10,000 RPM drive whilst offering a stack more gigabytes per dollar. Heck, 5,400 RPM drives are decent enough for mass storage now.
As for RAM, I currently game on a machine with 4GB, would like to have 8GB. 16GB if you're being extravagant IMO but 32GB is just burning money.

[Nevermore]

Got a nice HD Graphics card and a 37" monitor. Why the hell not?


Your eyes are going to hate you.

[way2lazy2care]

HDD speeds are necessary. A 10,000 RPM drive has good seek times which makes it good for loading windows, however an SSD is better again.
For storing movies, iso files or whatever else a 7,200 RPM drive is pretty much as good as a 10,000 RPM drive whilst offering a stack more gigabytes per dollar. Heck, 5,400 RPM drives are decent enough for mass storage now.
As for RAM, I currently game on a machine with 4GB, would like to have 8GB. 16GB if you're being extravagant IMO but 32GB is just burning money.

This is pretty much what I was thinking.

I'd get an SSD for windows (40-60GB one should be fine) or one for windows + frequently used programs (120ish would be good for this). If you do the former, then a smaller 7200 RPM drive for programs, and I'd get a huge drive for data.

Don't get a blu-ray drive and a DVD burner. Firstly, you don't really need either unless you watch a lot of movies on your PC, just watch them in your living room it will be more comfortable, and you can install windows off a USB and download most software you need. If you do get one either get the cheapest DVD burner you can find, or get a blu-ray drive that is also a DVD burner if you need blu-ray. Remember that every drive you put in your rig takes power, adds heat, and lowers air flow.

The other thing I'd double check, and this is more because idk what is good now, but go to Tom's Hardware and check their motherboard recommendations for your price range. I feel like you could find a MB just as good or better for less or the same amount of money.

And 16GB of ram is still overkill. 8GB of ram will probably still be overkill for a couple years unless you like to run 20 programs in the background. Just buy 8 for now, and buy another 8 when you actually need it because it will keep getting cheaper. No reason to pay more for something you won't use now when you can wait and pay less when you actually need it.

[The Other Kyle]

I built my rig almost 2 years ago with 6gb of RAM and have never found an occasion where I wished I had more. I am a pretty heavy user.

[Sev Rith]

Don't think I sit at my desk and watch Blu Ray movies a foot away from my computer. With my setup, my computer also acts as my entertainment system. I watch movies from the couch in my room, so that's why I'd like to upgrade to that.

Convinced me that 7200 rpm and more space is more ideal, so I'll also change that.

I checked out Tom's Hardware, and I must be doing something wrong because it seems like they have next to nothing in terms of motherboards. I didn't see anything about a recommended section, just a shopping section, and they maybe had 10 mobos for intel cpu's.

[way2lazy2care]

I checked out Tom's Hardware, and I must be doing something wrong because it seems like they have next to nothing in terms of motherboards. I didn't see anything about a recommended section, just a shopping section, and they maybe had 10 mobos for intel cpu's.

http://www.tomshardw...db,2980-19.html
http://www.tomshardw...d5,3025-18.html

Unless you're going to get 3 video cards I'd go for something in the top link. I got the gigabyte MB in the first link and I'm very pleased.

I do really think you'd be very pleased with an SSD for your OS. Right now it's the single best hardware improvement you can make to any PC for the cost.

[Sev Rith]

http://www.tomshardw...db,2980-19.html
http://www.tomshardw...d5,3025-18.html

Unless you're going to get 3 video cards I'd go for something in the top link. I got the gigabyte MB in the first link and I'm very pleased.

I do really think you'd be very pleased with an SSD for your OS. Right now it's the single best hardware improvement you can make to any PC for the cost.

Thank you for clearing that up. I'll definitely look into those for consideration. I also updated my build for a larger, but slower, 7200 rmp 500 gig HDD and a 128 gig SSD.

Just for funzies, I found a motherboard that has gotten some attention and piqued my interest with PCIe 3.0

Asus Rampage IV Extreme

What's the mass's opinion of a board like this? Besides the 8 channels of ram.

[way2lazy2care]

Asus Rampage IV Extreme

What's the mass's opinion of a board like this? Besides the 8 channels of ram.

My opinion is similar to the original RAM argument. It's not worth the money right now. You won't really take advantage of it for a couple years unless you are doing very specific things with it, and in that couple years you will either see budget MBs with the same capability, or enthusiast MBs that blow it out of the water.

I'd consider something like this on my next PC (3-5 years), but I'd never buy this in the next year.

Again, tech prices fall a lot and quickly. Spend the money on it when you'll actually use it.

You would also need to buy a CPU that's $200 more expensive and only performs slightly better than a 2700k.

I will never understand why people jizz all over boards like this. Sure you have more stats, and if you do video encoding you'd probably outperform my PC, but I'll still be playing the same games as you maxed for the next 3 years, and because I'm spending 1/4 of the money I can just buy a new computer 4 times as frequently; imo this is what a PC gamer should do because you will save money and have performance that's just as good for what you'll be doing.

[Sev Rith]

I think it's because not everyone has a good gift of foresight. It's essentially "the technology of tomorrow, today". It's why 8 gig hard drives come in things as small as a finger now as opposed to 8+ years ago when something like that went for hundreds of dollars.

This is where I fall short: the motherboard dilemma. It's so hard for me to pick the better of two because I'm looking at "Okay what socket does this one support? Okay, what kind of ram does it support? How many PCI slots? How many PCIe slots?" As in, I'm looking at all the pieces that go into it, and not the motherboard itself.

Could you tell me what you don't like about the motherboard I chose versus the ones on Tom's Hardware? Not to be a smartass, but because I really don't know what goes into a quality mobo itself.

[way2lazy2care]

I think it's because not everyone has a good gift of foresight. It's essentially "the technology of tomorrow, today". It's why 8 gig hard drives come in things as small as a finger now as opposed to 8+ years ago when something like that went for hundreds of dollars.

This is where I fall short: the motherboard dilemma. It's so hard for me to pick the better of two because I'm looking at "Okay what socket does this one support? Okay, what kind of ram does it support? How many PCI slots? How many PCIe slots?" As in, I'm looking at all the pieces that go into it, and not the motherboard itself.

Could you tell me what you don't like about the motherboard I chose versus the ones on Tom's Hardware? Not to be a smartass, but because I really don't know what goes into a quality mobo itself.

Generally for motherboards unless something is on significant sale I go with tom's hardware's opinion just because they know a lot more than I do about them:

MSI's slip makes Asus our runner-up, as the P8Z68 Deluxe is the first board we'd pick for high-end overclocking when three-way SLI isn't a consideration. ASRock edges it out in value because we consider this feature is worth an extra $40 (and the price difference only turns out to be $30).

The Asus they talk about I believe is your board.

Combining the two reviews together, since the Asus can't handle 3 way SLI well, I'd just as soon go for a cheaper 2-way SLI solution like the Gigabyte’s Z68XP-UD3, which is $159 ($70 savings) or the ASRock Z68 Extreme7 for $269 ($10 more). The ASRock is a better board at that pricepoint edging out with good 3-way SLI over the Asus, and the Gigabyte is $70 cheaper but has most of the features you want anyway.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813157269
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128512

Either way I'd get one of these two. I don't think either really has a huge performance advantage over the other, so I'd choose more based off whether you want 3-way SLI or 2-way.

[7h3 n00b m4573r]

I think it's because not everyone has a good gift of foresight. It's essentially "the technology of tomorrow, today". It's why 8 gig hard drives come in things as small as a finger now as opposed to 8+ years ago when something like that went for hundreds of dollars.

This is where I fall short: the motherboard dilemma. It's so hard for me to pick the better of two because I'm looking at "Okay what socket does this one support? Okay, what kind of ram does it support? How many PCI slots? How many PCIe slots?" As in, I'm looking at all the pieces that go into it, and not the motherboard itself.

Could you tell me what you don't like about the motherboard I chose versus the ones on Tom's Hardware? Not to be a smartass, but because I really don't know what goes into a quality mobo itself.

If you end up building a few PCs you'll eventually find a company that you like and stick with them because the board operation will become intuitive. Things like what it does for a certain error and how the BIOS is laid out.

In your case i'd go with a cheaper 2-way SLI board. Personally I'd go with the gigabyte board way2lazy2care recommended, but for boards I'm a gigabyte fan so that's forming part of my recommendation.

[way2lazy2care]

In your case i'd go with a cheaper 2-way SLI board. Personally I'd go with the gigabyte board way2lazy2care recommended, but for boards I'm a gigabyte fan so that's forming part of my recommendation.

<3

That is also the board I have, so that forms part of my recommendation as well. On the plus side though it means my recommendation comes with first hand experience with it

[Sev Rith]

I was actually considering the ASRock one a bit more, but the fact that I've never heard of that company has me shifting to the Gigabyte one a bit more.

I was also considering upgrading to an i7 CPU instead of the i5 I posted.

Edited by Sev Rith, 06 January 2012 - 01:34 AM.

[7h3 n00b m4573r]

The way I understand it asrock is essentially a branch of asus
i7 isn't worth it IMO for gaming, better off spending the money on SSD or graphics

[way2lazy2care]

I was also considering upgrading to an i7 CPU instead of the i5 I posted.

pretty much what he said. Most games aren't really bound by the CPU, if you'd overclock both of them, you won't really notice any difference. Save the money and you'll either be able to SLI sooner, upgrade your cooling so you can overclock more, invest in a huge data drive, or get a nicer blu-ray/dvd combo burner.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827136241

Actually it didn't make any sense for you to have the blu-ray player and DVD burner when you can upgrade to this single drive for $7. So do that anyway and then get a big data drive or just save the money so you can SLI sooner.

If you won't use the data drive though, just save the money so you can SLI sooner or get a solid cooling system so you can OC. That way you'll see usable results ASAP.

edit: or this one http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827136239 NO IDEA WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS.

Edited by way2lazy2care, 06 January 2012 - 10:42 AM.