(Sorta) Budget build critique + help

[dalarev]

Slowly getting around to finalizing the list for a new, budget build. I list some products I decided on after some research, but they are by no means final. The point of this thread is to show what I gathered to be the best for my situation with the little research I did but also to hopefully get schooled on what's better.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

Mainly MMO gaming, League of Legends, Diablo III. Nothing intense like Crysis. Might want to run games like LOTR and Skyrim.

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

Would really like to stay below $900, everything included.

3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.

West Texas (close to New Mexico and Arizona).

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.

CPU: Thought of building around an i5-2500k.
RAM: G.SKILL 2x4GB DDR3 1600
Mobo: ASRock Z68 Extreme 3 Gen 3. Best I could find, though I am afraid it might have some specs I don't need (like 32GB max RAM).
GPU: GTX 560. Really out of the loop on this, too. It has a deal which expires tomorrow.
Case: No idea yet. Need to look around. I like the simplistic, sleek look.
PS: Don't know. I'm not even sure how to check the minimum wattage I need.
Monitor: No idea, either. Would like ~20'' and <$200.

5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

None, except mouse. Even that I plan on upgrading later.

6) Will you be overclocking?

Not immediately. Not involved in the OC world. Though I could take advantage of it, especially with the CPU I have in mind.

7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?

1900x1200? 1080p max is fine for me. Enough for a 24'' max monitor.
I don't have a monitor yet.

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

Now.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? UEFI? etc.
Max 16gb RAM.
Capability to handle an SSD maybe down the line.
No Crossfire needed. Realistically do not see myself adding a 2nd video card...ever.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?

Yes. Windows 7 64bit .



Appreciate the help!

 

[dalarev]

The whole thing is kinda discouraging though when you see deals like these:
Comes with an 18'' monitor, too.

 

[Dangman]

Did you need a hard drive as part of that $900 budget?
Is your optical drive SATA or IDE?

 

[dalarev]

Did you need a hard drive as part of that $900 budget?
Is your optical drive SATA or IDE?

I would need a hard drive. Not terribly worried about it being SSD. I could even do with a <500GB 7200rpm.

You know what, I might as well count the optical drive out. I was planning on taking my old DVD writer out of my previous PC, but it's 7+ years old, and it needs its own, anyway. I'll update my OP to reflect that.
A BR reader is what I would be looking for. Might be a silly question but....they can read DVD's too, right? For instance, installation discs.

 

[Woofer00]

Don't be discouraged:
-GTX 560 would beat the pants off a 7570 (you're comparing a ~$200 card to a ~$50 card)
-2500k @ stock is roughly on par with 3450, but a K series is asking for OC
-warranties are generally longer on components (dell and component OEMs are generally on par w.r.t. pulling teeth to get them to honor the warranty).

 

[Dangman]

A BR reader is what I would be looking for. Might be a silly question but....they can read DVD's too, right? For instance, installation discs.

Yes. Here's what I recommend:
$305 - Intel Core i5-3450 CPU + Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H Intel Z77 Motherboard
$39 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$180 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$80 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$22 - Samsung SH-222BB/BEBE SATA DVD Burner
$63 - Antec NEO ECO 520C 520W PSU
$149 - Acer G235HAbd Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor
$50 - NZXT Source 210 Elite White with Black Front Trim ATX Case
----
Total: $888 shipped.

Notes:
- With your limited budget, the 2500K wasn't really an option.
- The HD 6870 is faster than the GTX 560
- You won't notice a difference between DDR3 1333 and DDR3 1600 RAM

 

[dalarev]

Awesome! Thanks for the specs.

One thing: How is the 2500k way out of my budget if the CPU + the mobo was close to the $305 you recommend?

 

[Woofer00]

Newegg still has 2500k combos with Z68 boards
$327 GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard + Shipping

Microcenter has deals for 2500k + Z77 this week, but I think the Dallas/Houston stores may be a bit far.
(2500k @ 169.99, Z77 boards as low as $59.99)

 

[Dangman]

One thing: How is the 2500k way out of my budget if the CPU + the mobo was close to the $305 you recommend?

Because your budget was $900 and that $12 leftover wasn't enough for the 2500K + solid Z77 mobo as well as the 3rd party HSF needed for overclocking.

 

[dalarev]

The chances of me overclocking are not nearly enough to warrant future expenses on the equipment necessary for it.
Plus, the IB model runs cooler, right? Less power..

Anyway, I really appreciate the info + links.

The Z77, as I understand, is upgradeable-proof?
From looking at the mobo specs, I couldn't really tell what I was missing out on compared to the other linked ones.
Also, I saw that it had optical out for audio I'm assuming. That's perfect, if it does.
8 audio outputs...does that mean it supports a 7.1 system with the integrated audio chipset?

Again, thanks a bunch!

 

[Dangman]

Plus, the IB model runs cooler, right? Less power..

It does run cooler as long as you don't OC it.

The Z77, as I understand, is upgradeable-proof? !

I don't understand what you mean by "upgradeable-proof"

From looking at the mobo specs, I couldn't really tell what I was missing out on compared to the other linked ones.

A few things:
- That AsRock's quality is questionable considering that other AsRock Z68 mobos haven't faired well under HardOCP testing:
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/12/07/asrock_z68_pro3_lga_1155_motherboard_review/
http://www.hardocp.com/article/2011/11/09/asrock_z68_extreme4_gen3_motherboard_review/

Then there was the 1-2 year warranty of that AsRock mobo. Both Gigabytes have three year warranties

- The Intel Z77 mobo I recommended comes with native USB 3.0 support. As such, it should be more reliable and stable then the 3rd party USB 3.0 ports found on every Z68 mobo.

- Since the motherboard is newer, it stands a higher chance of longer driver/BIOs support from Gigabyte than their Z68 mobos.

Also, I saw that it had optical out for audio I'm assuming. That's perfect, if it does.
8 audio outputs...does that mean it supports a 7.1 system with the integrated audio chipset?
!

Yes

 

[dalarev]

Yes. Here's what I recommend:
$305 - Intel Core i5-3450 CPU + Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H Intel Z77 Motherboard

What I meant by "upgradeability": This motherboard supports the newer IB chips, in case I ever wanted to swap out for a better one, right? Could this mobo be used with the 2500k, just out of curiousity?

$180 - XFX HD-687A-ZHFC Radeon HD 6870 1GB PCI-E Video Card

Seems this goes for about $150 after rebate. Is this considered a great value for this card? If so, I'll order it right now.
One thing though, am I paying extra for the crossfire support?

$80 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

...and this has gone up Would I save much money going for a 500GB? I'm on a 250gb laptop and am doing just fine.

$149 - Acer G235HAbd Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor

Awesome price, it seems.


Edit:
The PS, too. Don't think I'll find a much better deal, so I might order it now while it is still in promo.

 

[Dangman]

What I meant by "upgradeability": This motherboard supports the newer IB chips, in case I ever wanted to swap out for a better one, right? Could this mobo be used with the 2500k, just out of curiousity?

Well the IB CPUs are only 5% faster than SB CPUs. In addition, the Core i5 3450 CPU I listed IS an IB CPU. Yes that mobo can be used with a 2500K.

Seems this goes for about $150 after rebate. Is this considered a great value for this card? If so, I'll order it right now.
One thing though, am I paying extra for the crossfire support?

I don't factor in MIR until I actually recieve them. At $180, it's a decent value for the card. There are better bang for the buck GPUs out there but your budget doesn't allow for them and the games you listed don't really require them except for Skyrim. Anyway, that HD 6870 is a decent value.

I'm sorry but that's just an odd question. No you're not paying extra for Crossfire support. It's built into the GPU.

...and this has gone up Would I save much money going for a 500GB? I'm on a 250gb laptop and am doing just fine.

You'd save about $30 compared to the current price of that Samsung:
$80 - Hitachi 7K1000.D HDS721050DLE630 500GB 7200RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Edit:
The PS, too. Don't think I'll find a much better deal, so I might order it now while it is still in promo.

Yes get it. Don't dilly dally and lose out like you did with the Samsung.

 

[dalarev]

Got everything on that list (except for the case in black)..!!

Thanks a bunch, Danny! Much obliged, really.


One thing though...the monitor you suggested is this:
Acer Monitor

However, I saw this other one, for the same price, but with LED backlit / HDMI input:
Acer Monitor LED Backlit

Went for the LED one. Same price; deal of the week thing. That a good choice?

 

[Dangman]

Both monitors are HD since they have the same exact resolution: 1920x1080. However, I'm not sure if the LED is actually better than the LCD in terms of performance, color, or looks. But if you want to use HDMI, then go for the LED.