Building a computer (thread number 105519819)
X_Stickman
Not good enough for a custom title. Join Date: 2003-04-15 Member: 15533Members, Constellation
Not good enough for a custom title. Join Date: 2003-04-15 Member: 15533Members, Constellation
in Off-Topic
Okay so no one likes these threads, but I'm stumbling around trying to piece together a computer in the dark, bumbling like a fool, so I'm requesting assistance!
This is what I've got lined up so far:
Is there anywhere I've gone really wrong, or anywhere I can save some money without a (significant) loss of performance?
This is what I've got lined up so far:
Is there anywhere I've gone really wrong, or anywhere I can save some money without a (significant) loss of performance?
Comments
--Scythe--
Low price for a lot of power. Personally I would wait for Haswell in 3 months but if you need a good PC the one you have is pretty good. Also you COULD drop that extra 2 TB sata drive but 120 GB space is not a lot of space to go on.
Basically, scrap the case for something cheaper (HAF 912 is good for airflow), up that SSD to something with 240GB or above (you'd be surprised how fast 120GB is filled these days...) and get a solid 3rd party CPU cooler (I picked the CM Hyper 212 EVO as its a solid, but cheap, air cooler) so that you can overclock that 3570k.
If you don't plan on overclock, then just go for the 3570 (non-k) version. Also, that case looks extremely well-built, but unless you have a really specific reason to get it (e.g. you really want a steel-frame case or the noise cancellation padding), I'd go with something cheaper. Also, as one who has gone the full tower route, you don't actually need a full tower for those parts. Full towers are HUGE and, in retrospect, should only be used if you're really cramming in the parts (e.g. custom water cooling setup, multiple GPUs, HDD farm, etc).
And in any case, that supply seems slightly oversized.
I know it's dumb, but after having had bad experiences with Radeon in the past (and the PAST-past, I'm talking 10-12 years ago), I've just never wanted to touch anything by them again, which is why I went for the card I went for.
PSUs are probably the thing I know least about; I don't know which company makes the best ones, or what power I should be going for. The one in that build was recommended by someone else.
On load, it should ramp up to 300W.
In any case, less than 400W and certainly never 500W.
Depending on how much you plan to add on to your system, if you overclock, if you like all those fancy neons, etc, I think you should be aiming for a 400W to 500W supply, to be on the safe side.
More can't actually hurt, but:
-You're paying a higher price tag
-Supplies are made to have an ideal working range. 80+ is a certification that states how efficient has to be at 20%, 50%, and 100% of its rated load. [Note that 100W is 17% of 600W]
-Standard 80+ supplies are now, in my opinion, the norm. What you might want to look for are higher certifications (Bronze, silver, gold, whatever).
-Again, note that your PC will most certainly be most of the time in an low power state.
That said, it's true that the PSU is the most often overlooked part of a PC. Simply because it's hard to know how to tell apart a good supply from a bad one. That's why people often think that it's the power rating that dictates the quality of a supply (remember the GHz race, the Megapixel race, etc).
Efficiency, silence, and simple overall build quality are often overlooked. Modular cables are a huge plus as well.
So supplies I can highly recommend are the Enermax Modu82+ series. The price tag might be a bit unsettling, but again, quality pays. Mine's 5 years old and still going strong, but I'm sure Enermax makes even better supplies now.
AMD GPUs are great (I'm using a HD6950 right now), but I've always considered them to perform a bit less than the similarly priced Nvidia GPU.
Also, Corsair is probably the top PSU maker (it's what I've used in my past couple of builds), though they've become a bit more pricey. I've heard good things from both Enermax and Seasonic though.
Been there, as recently as 3-4 years ago. Their 7000 series is pretty good and since it's current gen, AMD will quickly address bugs. A 7000 series purchase should be good through 2015.
The insides of a case, that's what counts.
Usually, included case fans are horrid.
I would go for the R4 though, which should be in the exact same price range.
What you should be looking for in a case should be (beyond style, which is subjective)
-Space. No need to have a huge case, but obviously you'd want to have enough room to fit whatever you want to fit in it. Things to watch out for include graphics card size, and free space around the CPU (if you want a proper heatsink). And obviously, you have to consider your home/desk and how much space you have available.
-Airflow. Nowadays, designs commonly include a PSU on the bottom, which can also eventually be separated. Obviously, a big case with lots of fans has better airflow than a cramped case. Also, fan filters are an evident plus, because you'll simply need to vacuum them out once a month or so. Instead of having to open your case and vacuum your PC's innards.
-Silence. This unfortunately is somewhat incompatible with airflow. While some designs have huge mesh panels to provide maximum airflow, others have padded panels, and other pluses (rubber grommets on screws, front door, fan speed selectors...)
I personally vote for the silence way because unless you're a serious overclocker, it's not going to get that hot.
-Accessibility. Things like hand screws, modular hard drive racks, good cable management, good front panel connectors, just make life that much more easier.
A little thing about cable management, the R4 has a huge back panel that allows for ridiculously easy cable routing, which means your cables will go from your devices, around back, then back through. This makes for a very clean setup, which in turns improves airflow.
Mind you, quite a few Corsair PSUs are manufactured by Seasonic (at least the AX series).
Edit: complete list here: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/power-supply-oem-manufacturer,2913-4.html
I'd personally switch to an AMD card as they provide slightly more bang/buck afaik.
Also, I'd go for a 256GB SSD, I keep running out of space on my 120GB SSD where I keep my OS+apps.
Somethings wrong with your webiste. The dollar signs are broken.
Also don't plan on going to LANs with a define case they are really really heavy (I use one for my NAS), comes from them being lined with bitumen.
1) I changed the case from the R3 to the R4, since it's basically the same case (with slight updates), and it's slightly cheaper
2) I dropped the PSU from 600w to 500w based on Cereal_KillR's advice (thanks for that; I suck at PSUs)
Thanks for the advice from everyone else too. Here's my justification for not listening to some of it;
Keeping the nvidia card instead of going to AMD
I had a bad experience with a radeon card years and years ago, and I switched from that to a geforce card and it was smooth sailing from there on. It's left me with a general dislike of radeon cards and a general fondness for geforce cards; totally irrational, but there we go.
Keeping the unnecessarily built up case
I love that damn case. Look at it. I feel like I could crawl inside of it to survive a nuclear bomb attack. I also really hate trying to cram components and cabling into small spaces, I want to have the freedom of a large case.
120gb SSD instead of 240+
Price. I want an SSD for the OS and a few select things, but I can't afford the extra £100+ for larger than 120gb (at least, not of the same make, which Scythe- repeatedly assured me is the best SSD make around at the moment, and he's Australian).
Thanks again!
--Scythe--
R3 is hurt in the feelers
here's the gaming pcs section: http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/rmp_sg_whirlpoolpcs_gaming_configs_1
If you plan on building this machine for natural selection 2 and intend to get into competetive gaming at some point, I recommend sinking money into an intel 2011 board with a 3930k, or getting a 3770k and a great cooling solution (h100 for example).
NS2 is a freaking beast, it demands blood sacrafices in the form of overclocked high end cpus if you want to play with an advantage. Otherwise, the 3570k is fine, even if it is a bit overkill for almost every single game out there (except ns2, which even then I'd consider it a bit underpowered).