Looking for help on a $2000 - $2500 build

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Entropy1982

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 6, 2005
Messages
276
I have been completely out of the loop as of 3 years ago since you guys helped me build my current PC.

I am in the US

I am looking for a new system now.

I do not need a monitor, mouse, kb

I am looking for any opinions you guys have for the best parts for me at this pricepoint

Even if you can just give your opinion on one of the parts it would be a great help to me.

I will be overclocking, but It is also very important to me that I do not spend 20 hours putting this thing together. I don't want to be doing any custom work, replacing the cases stock fans, etc. So I won't be doing anything extreme in other words.

I will mostly be doing generic things like gaming, browsing, photoshop, etc.

I need everything from scratch:

Case

Motherboard

CPU

Vid Card

CPU cooler

PSU

RAM

Hard drives

etc
 
Please answer questions 7, 8, 9 and 10 of the sticky titled "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we can help you better.
 
sorry

7. I have 2X 22 inch monitors running 1680X1050 res

8. Within a week

9. All the basics I described (no monitor, UPS, mouse, keyboard) + maybe some trinkets like a 12 in 1 card reader, maybe a cute display :)

10. I do not have an OS key I may have to buy Vista but don't include that in the cost
 
Hmm for a 22" monitor and the fact that you haven't described anything "high-end" about what you do with the PC or any special requests (extra storage, RAID, etc), $2000 to $2500 is indeed overkill. I recommend this setup for you:
$289 - Intel Core i7 920 CPU
$210 - Asus P6T SE Intel X58 ATX Motherboard
$180 - 2 x G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$170 - BFG Tech BFGEGTX260896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB PCI-E Video Card
$75 - Western Digital WD6401AALS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$25 - Samsung SH-222F 22X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner
$110 - PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W PSU
$40 - Xigmatek Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm HSF
----
Total: $1099 plus tax and shipping.

The Core i7 920 is the best bang for the buck very high performance CPU there is IMO. You didn't describe any real required feature set for the motherboard so the P6T SE should be enough. Since you had plenty of room in your budget, I went straight for 12GB of RAM. Should help out a lot in Photoshop. The GTX260 is more than enough for a 22" monitor. The PC P&C 750 is more than enough for that system. The Xigmatek HSF is more than enough for overclocking the Core i7.

Only thing I didn't chooose was a case. That's gonna be totally up to you to decide. Some case recommendations:
$40 - Cooler Master Elite 332 RC-332-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$45 - Cooler Master Elite 334 RC-334-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 331 RC-331-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Thermaltake WingRS 201 VJ60001N2Z ATX Case
$60 - Antec 300 ATX Case
$65 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master Sileo 500 RC-500-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K1B ATX Case
$80 - Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$90 - AeroCool Masstige ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li PC-K6 ATX Case
$110 - Thermaltake ElementS VK60001N2Z ATX Case
$145 - Antec P182 ATX Case
$150 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$160 - Antec P183 ATX Case
$200 - Cooler Master Cosmos S 1000 RC-1100-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Lian Li PC-V1100A Plus II ATX Case
$220 - Silverstone FT01-B ATX Case
$250 - Lian Li PC-V1200B Plus II ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-A71B ATX Case
$285 - Silverstone TJ09-B Full Tower ATX Case
$320 - Silverstone TJ10-B Full Tower ATX Case
$330 - Silverstone Temjin SST-TJ07B Full Tower ATX Case
 
Danny Bui said:
Hmm for a 22" monitor and the fact that you haven't described anything "high-end" about what you do with the PC or any special requests (extra storage, RAID, etc), $2000 to $2500 is indeed overkill. I recommend this setup for you:
$289 - Intel Core i7 920 CPU
$210 - Asus P6T SE Intel X58 ATX Motherboard
$180 - 2 x G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$170 - BFG Tech BFGEGTX260896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB PCI-E Video Card
$75 - Western Digital WD6401AALS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$25 - Samsung SH-222F 22X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner
$110 - PC Power & Cooling S75CF 750W PSU
$40 - Xigmatek Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm HSF
----
Total: $1099 plus tax and shipping.
Click to expand...

Excellent build. That PC P&C PSU is on sale today only for $70 after rebate from ZipZoomFly.

Also, if you want a bit more 'features' in motherboard, take a look at the Gigabyte EX58-UD4P or ASUS P6T.
 
http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=13553148

take a look at that one, subtract the monitor & keyboard and the VelociRaptor if you like, though I included it because it is the fastest mechanical HDD aside from expensive SAS solution.

Yes I know the GTX285 offers little performance increase in relation to price but it is the single best performing graphics card, without trekking into the world of SLI/CF. Cool factor :)

I consider this a top notch build. Quiet too.
 
If you are thinking about buying an OS, consider Windows 7. You can get free licenses that will work until June of next year (with rolling restarts after March). I've read a lot of good things about Windows 7 from testers so far and intend on installing it on my new build next week. BTW, my build is in a similar price range as you intend to target if you wish to look it over.

Also, I just noticed in the Hot Deals section that someone has posted that you can get a BFG 285 GTX for $297 at Best Buy.
 
You guys have been super helpful.

Danny to answer some questions you may have. Yes it is probably overkill because I really do not do anything crazy with my computer... nothing out of the ordinary at all. Honestly I am making a hell of a lot more money now as a dentist than I was as a dental student (negative 60K/year lol) when I bought my current AMD build and I just have the budget for something nice. However, your build does seem like a very nice one and I may just use the extra change for new speakers, etc.

Just a question, will I need to change the fans on the case in order to still be able to moderately overclock w/o any issues?
 
Entropy1982 said:
Just a question, will I need to change the fans on the case in order to still be able to moderately overclock w/o any issues?
Click to expand...

Which case?

I kept most of the 120mm in my Antec P180, for instance, and added a few 120mm Yate Loon fans for passive cooling.
 
I am confused about which case to get actually. Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case seems to be very popular nowatdays... I have a P180 now and its nice except the PSU being on the bottom really made me hate it cuz of some wiring issues I had so I would like to try something else. Any suggestions?
 
Do you have the original P180 without the improvements for wire management? (raised mobo tray, cutouts to route cables behind mobo tray, etc). Check out the RC-690 gallery in the case mod section to see what I'm talking about. Hopefully that'll change your mind about bottom mounted PSUs, hehe. If not, well, theres that huge list danny posted above. ;)
 
If you have the P180, I would suggest keeping it. I don't see a point in spending money for a new case, especially since the P180 is an excellent case.

If you're very frustrated with cable management, you can always get a modular PSU.
 
I am not getting rid of this computer, I'm giving it to my parents so everything is staying in the case.
 
I would get something similar to my setup but with better video card (a Sapphire HD 4890 1GB OC edition or XFX HD 4870 X2 2GB, or XFX GTX 295), more memory and power, also a Blu-ray ROM, DVD/CD burner drive combo is not a bad idea.

For casing I would recommend these:
Lian Li silver

Lian Li
 
Wow thanks enginurd, the case seems like it does a great job, I love how you can put the wires behind the mobo, I hate all the wires in my P180 now.... kept me from upgrading lol

Do you think I can get away with not having any fan controllers? I will likely add fans.
 
So here is what I have so far guys

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15624227

Any suggestions?

Comments on the PSU quality?

Any Motherboard issues I should be aware of?

I am considering just running 2X 1GB WD black drives. Do you guys think it is worth springing for the VRaptor instead?

I feel like 60gigs may be a bit small for a system drive for me (such as a Vertex OCZ SSD drive)

Any fan recommendations and where to purchase them? I will want to add a few fans since the case has enough room for them.

Any recommendations on a better heatsink or should I stick with this one?

Any recommendations for a 2.1 speaker system and a card reader?

Anything I'm missing?
 
The 750QUAD PSU is good. I'm not aware of any issues on the P6T. Holy wow AS5 got expensive!

No, the VRaptor isn't worth it over the Caviars. If a 60GB SSD is too small, wait for them drop in price. The Caviars should suffice for now.

Fans... Yate Loon 120mm medium or low speed from jab-tech.com or petras tech shop. The RC-690 comes with 3, and it can hold 3 or 4 more, IIRC. The Xigmatek Dark Knight is the best bang for buck CPU HSF right now. As for a 2.1 speaker system, what's your price range? Are you an audiophile? If so, you might want to hitup the audio subforum. ;)
 
Based on the HardOCP review I went with the Corsair TX750w PSU. However, if these guys say the PC Power PSU is a good one I am sure it is and it is 10 bucks cheaper right now.

In regards to the CM 690 case fans:
I went through newegg for mine which might cost you a few bucks extra.
Here is my fan set up:
2x Scythe Slipstream 120 mm If you buy two they have a volume discount to being $6.99 each. Scythe has a reputation for making good, quiet fans. These ones have a pretty nice db to airflow comparison but are certainly not silent. It is going to be up to you to find your comfort zone as far as noise level goes.

1x SilenX 80 mm. This fan is for behind the motherboard in the 80 mm slot. It was actually a little tricky to find the right fan for this slot. The fan has to be only 15mm wide and it has to have "open" screw holes unless you want to dremel the fan you buy. I didn't choose this manufacturer because they were reputable, but because they were the only one from newegg offering the right size fan with the right screw holes. - $9.99 Honestly for the 80 mm fan you may want to do some more research and find a better/cheaper option. Just keep in mind it has to have dimensions of 80x80x15 and open screw holes.

I also purchased the windowed case door. This comes with a fan and decreases your total number of mount points to 6, so with the fans above plus the door that fills all fan mount points. I just wanted to have the windowed case look so I could show my comp guts off without opening it up, certainly not a recommendation based on anything other than personal preference. They ship the case door in it's retail box and the box took a horrendous beating in shipping, but the door itself appears undamaged.
 
Few other thing to keep in mind:

1) I have been reading occasional reports of problems trying to get 12 gigs of ram to run at their rated speeds in i 7 set ups. I am sure it will get fixed in time but it may be something for you to keep in mind or do some research on.

2) In regards to the GTX 260, HardOCP just gave the MSI version a silver award for being the best bang for the buck out there right now.

3) If you live near a MicroCenter (I wish I did) you can get the i7 920 for a staggering $199. You will have to hurry though as this expires tomorrow. I saw that posted in the hotdeals section and just about cried.

4) I just noticed back in your earlier posts that you said you are running double 22 inch monitors. I am not an expert at all on multi-monitor configurations but maybe someone with more knowledge than me could chime in and say if his current configuration will handle that with no problems?
 
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Hmm would you guys agree that the MSI version is better than the EVGA version?

Any other info on the 12 gigs?
 
enginurd said:
The 750QUAD PSU is good. I'm not aware of any issues on the P6T. Holy wow AS5 got expensive!

No, the VRaptor isn't worth it over the Caviars. If a 60GB SSD is too small, wait for them drop in price. The Caviars should suffice for now.

Fans... Yate Loon 120mm medium or low speed from jab-tech.com or petras tech shop. The RC-690 comes with 3, and it can hold 3 or 4 more, IIRC. The Xigmatek Dark Knight is the best bang for buck CPU HSF right now. As for a 2.1 speaker system, what's your price range? Are you an audiophile? If so, you might want to hitup the audio subforum. ;)
Click to expand...


Price range for speakers is up to like 200 I would say I am not an audiophile... in my audiophilic moods i put on headphones :)
 
IIRC, the warranty (lifetime if registered) and support are better with eVGA, plus they have the step up program.

I haven't read up on the 12GB issue. Though, I've setup a 12GB i7 system without any issues before. So I'll have to research that more when I have time.

I'm no audiophile either, but I still don't know much about computer audio. Start a thread in the subforum and you'll get some good suggestions with your nice budget. ;) Here's a post from another thread: http://hardforum.com/showpost.php?p=1034062475&postcount=9
 
Entropy1982 said:
Hmm would you guys agree that the MSI version is better than the EVGA version?
Click to expand...

Nope. eVGA offers a lifetime warranty compared to MSI's 3 year warranty. In addition, the clock difference is only 29Mhz, hardly noticeable in games. The lifetime warranty is well worth the loss of 29Mhz with the eVGA card.
 
eVGA replaced my friend's 7800GTX with an 8800GTX... lifetime warranty ftw.
 
Ok guys so i think it is basically finalized

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15624227

Few last questions

1. Which fans do i get and how many do I need?

http://www.jab-tech.com/Yate-Loon-140mm-UV-blue-fan-with-4-blue-leds-Low-Speed-D14SL-12-pr-4333.html

Or these

http://www.jab-tech.com/YATE-LOON-1...me-with-4-Blue-leds-Medium-Speed-pr-3823.html

2. Am I also replacing the fan on the cpu cooler?

3. Is the PSU enough voltage?

4. Do I need any cables I am not thinking of that may not come w the parts I am ordering? SATA, etc?

5. I still need a decent 2.1 speaker system if anyone here could recommend one

6. Do you think I am making a mistake in not getting a fan controller?

7. Did I miss something?

Keep in mind my budget is very expandable

Thanks again
 
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Your link does not work. Just post the list of the parts dude.
 
1) You want the low speed Yateloons, not the medium speed
2) No
3) Yes it has enough amperage and wattage. However, I have that same exact PSU but I still wouldn't recommend that PSU since there are bigger and better PSUs for the similar or cheaper price.
4) None really
5) Don't have any, sorry.
6) Nope
7) Not really
 
Danny Bui said:
1) You want the low speed Yateloons, not the medium speed
2) No
3) Yes it has enough amperage and wattage. However, I have that same exact PSU but I still wouldn't recommend that PSU since there are bigger and better PSUs for the similar or cheaper price.
4) None really
5) Don't have any, sorry.
6) Nope
7) Not really
Click to expand...


1. Hmm i was considering the PSU you recommended but people were saying the 80mm fan is louder than the 120 on hte corsair. Any opinions on that?

2. So 140mm fans wont be too big? How many fans do i need?
 
1) There's a possibility that's the case.
2) Yes 140mm fans will be too big. Stick to 120mm fans.
 
Entropy1982 said:
...
5. I still need a decent 2.1 speaker system if anyone here could recommend one
...
Click to expand...

Weren't there any 2.1's in that list I linked to above? The one's I'd recommend (M10) are out of stock everywhere, unfortunately. So, as I keep saying, make a thread in the computer audio subforum.
 
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