PC build project

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

I've been working on a PC project with my son for a couple of weeks. The plan is to build a gaming pc for him. I'm thinking it might be good for cranking through calibration of astro images for me too although gaming is the primary objective.

We've been researching components using "pcpartpicker" and "toms hardware". Although we both know very little about building pc's a lot of time has gone into reviewing benchmarks as well as ensuring the selected components are going to play nicely together. He is working to save the $ to buy the bits so he's keen to get the purchase decision right the first time around if possible.

I'm sure there are plenty of experienced people here that could spot potential issues so I'm throwing it out there. I've outlined the parts below. Any advice appreciated.

Peter

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor BX80637i53570K
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme6 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM 64MB cache Internal Hard Drive WD10EZEX
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7870 2GB Video Card GVR787OC2GD
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case RC942KKN1
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply CMPSU-750 AX
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit)

[2stroke (Jay)]

If you get G.skill memory test the hell out of it, i have had 2/3 kits that failed. If you can get corsair memory, ive never had any fail yet, also kingston is another good widely avlaible memory. As for the hardrive get a wd black for faster transfer rates, the rest looks good apart from going an i7 for hyerthreading and a ssd. The HAF X is a great case and will keep your system cool though get a http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...ducts_id=15126 filter set, the things are a dust magnet and i have owned 2 so i know.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Thanks for the advice Jay. I was originally leaning toward the WD Black but didn't realise transfer rates would be different (thought only difference was 5yr warranty).

I was surprised the HAFX doesnt have a filter on the bottom vents and spotted the after market filters but was hoping to keep the case positive pressure and use the supplied intake filters - will that work?

Thanks for the heads up on the GSkill. I was surprised to read so many posts that suggest memory compatibility is an issue - I was expecting a much higher level of plug an play. Will have a look at what Corsair is available.

Peter

[Barrykgerdes]

I just built a new computer last week to replace my main one that is about to fail. It is on a MSI motherboard ZH77A-G43/Z77A-G43 with an i7 processor. It is not used for games and I only use the inbuilt video. However it can take two video cards. I use two sata drives but it can use SSD's. I run multi boot with XP, Win-7 home premium, Win-7 Ultimate, Linux and DOS 7.0. Bought this particular board because it was the only one that had 3 PCI slots, RS232 and LPT headers, HDMI and DVI. Of course it also has USB 3.0 and 6GB sata sockets.

I used it yesterday to process a 6GB+ 3D video file in about 20 mins. My old computer took all night to do that on the last try. I have a Blueray read/write disk (necessary to record 3D video in full HD). All up cost was $740.

Barry

[Tandum (Robin)]

I use gigabyte motherboards these days and haven't had a bad one in years.
Also that video card has 3 fans on it and is quite loud.

[2stroke (Jay)]

I was surprised the HAFX doesnt have a filter on the bottom vents and spotted the after market filters but was hoping to keep the case positive pressure and use the supplied intake filters - will that work?

Positive pressure does not stop the dust coming in from the intake fans and that where the problem is. You can grab the filters at a later date, there not a must but help a heap with the dust due to the high air flow in the hafs. Its not a big issue but with my last rig i had gone to town watercooling and spent a lot of time on cable shelving and other mods, so it was more a for show pc that had to remain clean lol.

I've just had to many problems with g.skill ram, they seem to have a high rate of failure. They will work fine with that board though, its just g.skill have lost there game since ddr2 in there low to med end market. Personally unless your overclocking the corsair value memory is perfect, its all multiplier overclocking now anyhow.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Checkd out the Corsair memory - CML16GX3M4A1600C9 is on the ASRock list and is available locally. This is the low profile version so will probably fit better with aftermarket CPU coolers. Not as flashy as the RipjawsX though.

The Gigabyte three fan Radeon HD7870 gets a pretty good wrap in the reviews but hard to judge if the noise is going to be an issue? The case fans are meant to be very quiet.

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

I built my PC last year myself, saved about $100 for labour. At the time ATI were a little better than Nvidia but now both are pretty much equal, I however would stick with ATI as they are a bit cheaper.

I've got the i5 2500K which is a sandy bridge CPU chip and is FANTASTIC value for money!

As brands go, Intel for CPU, GSkill for RAM, WD or Seagate for HDD and ATI for graphics.

I got a 128GB SSD to put programs and the OS on, DEFIANTLY WORTH IT!

I HIGHLY recommend getting an SSD as a 128GB one now is under $150 ($280 at the time I got it).

Ive also got the Antec 902 gaming case which has a USB 3.0 port at the front. It has adjustable fans at the front and back as well as a light switch. Excellent case that keeps the entire PC cool and VERY silent.

Gigabyte is my mobo, never had problems before and would stick with them. I had to get a CPU cooler though because the standard one that came with the CPU did not keep the 4 cores of the 2500k cool enough. Once I chucked it in, temperatures dropped from being around 70 in games to around 60 at a full load.

Even though my rig is over a year old I can max out Battlefield 3 on a 1920x1080 reso.

I know my parts may seem a bit old but hopefully this helps with what brands to stick with!

[Poita (Peter)]

After years and years of memory issues with most major brands, the one brand that has *never* not once given me any trouble, in hundreds of PCs is crucial RAM. I've had Corsair, Gskill, Kingston and various 'performance' RAM all fail. Crucial works every time. The ripjaw stuff has given me grief every time a client wanted it, it ended up back in the shop within a year.

RAM is cheap, so I'd spend the bit extra and get stuff that just doesn't give grief. www.crucial.com

And never ever buy Asrock motherboards, I have had more of those return than I can count.

I'd also spend the $85 and put in a 128GB SSD drive as the boot drive. The system will feel so much faster that you will never want to use any other computer that doesn't have an SSD. The best $85 you will ever spend.

As for motherboards, the gigabyte boards had capacitor problems many years ago, but they have been great boards since they went to 'solid' caps a few years back.
I'd try and find a quieter card, the Ati cards are better value than Nvidia at the moment, but if he wants to use any high-end 3D modelling or Video editing software, the Nvidia CUDA acceleration can be a real benefit for some programs.

So in short, don't skimp on the RAM or the powersupply, steer clear of Asrock and keep an ear out for a quiet solution to cooling and you will be on your way.

[Tandum (Robin)]

Peter, be aware that Asrock is a low end (cheap spec'ed) motherboard. It's the bottom end of the asus factory. I can honestly say that I've never been happy with any asrock mobo I have used. They have just worked, nothing more.

Also consider kicking in another $100 and getting an i7 3770. You get more cache and more threads (8cpu's in task manager) and it is quicker.

I'd advise getting all that going, then look at adding a video card. These new CPU's have memory manager, video etc built in and they are quick. No such thing as a north bridge any more. The built in video from a 3770 gets 7.6 out of 7.9 on the win7 test.

Video cards are price dependant. How much do you have to spend on one. I used to cough up about $250. My kid just spent $650 on a video card.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Thanks for the advice.

A lot of people recommed SSD and we are planning to add one later to keep the up front cost within original budget.

In terms of brands the most difficult seems to be RAM. Had a look to see if Crucial is available for the MoBo however the only supported modules are 2GB so it is looking like Corsair.

Thought it was worth going for the Gen 3 CPU although quite a few people recommend the 2500k for gaming. We are planning to start with the stock cooler and change to a CoolerMaster Hyper 212 evo if temperatures are too high. Although the 3570K allows overclocking we are planing to leave the clock at default initially so hopefully the stock coooler will be adequate. The 3770K was another $100 and this pushed us well over budget. From what I've heard the i7 CPU's are overkill for gaming but probably a good investment for image processing

The MoBO selection was based on Toms Hardware reviews:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...x,3187-22.html

Also liked the debug features of the ASRock board.

Budget for video cards was $250. It came down to nvidea GTX660 or Radeon HD7870. Overall the Radeon performs better in the benchmarks however it is quite game dependent. The plan was to add a second card down the track in Crossfire to increase performance.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/gra..._10.html#sect0

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

Sounds like a good plan!

i7 if you plan on doing image processing but an i5 is plenty for gaming.

SSD 100% for sure! If you can try and chuck one in at the beginning, you will not regret it!

[Poita (Peter)]

I have already had two of that exact motherboard fail.
Seriously, skimp somewhere else and grab a gigabyte or similar board that has the amount of slots you need and the ports you want. The extra 'features' aren't all that important, and performance between one motherboard and another are irrelevant really.

Get the SSD upfront, a 128GB one is only $95, or $65 for a 60GB (http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?..._909&vk_sort=1) and it will make more performance difference than *any* other option. You will want it there from day one to install as your boot drive. In all honesty, go without something else if need be and get an SSD.

You are right, the i5 is plenty for gaming, and absolutely no slouch for image processing. Very few programs use the extra threads efficiently, so the performance differential is often insignificant. The stock cooler is more than adequate if your case is fairly well ventilated.

I'd much rather get a better motherboard and the SSD than go to the i7.

That is a good choice for the videocard. You might want to get one that runs quieter, there are some good choices here:
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...cPath=193_1372

I've probably built hundreds gaming rigs for people and would definitely steer clear of the Asrock and get the SSD and get good RAM, everything else is up for grabs

I like PCCasegear to buy from as they keep records of all of your purchases and a warranty claim is as simple as clicking on the invoice, selecting the item and requesting an RA number. I had a faulty drive come back last week that was bought two and a half years ago. I went to PCCG's warranty page, found the invoice, put in an RA request and they approved it the same day. As soon as the drive arrived back with them they sent me out a brand new better model the same day. They then worried about the actual warranty return and left me to the new drive.
Great service.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

So I'm hearing people say don't get an ASRock MoBo - what sub $200 board is recommended?

Also can't find any comparisons of GPU performance vs noise - any ideas where to find this?

Cheers,

Peter

[04Stefan07 (Stefan)]

Not sure about the noise comparisons but $200 would be the limit on a mobo.

I spent $320 on mine because others were not in stock but it is a good one. I bought my parts from PCDIY, CPL and Centrecom because of the poor stock levels.

Something like this.

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?...ducts_id=19991

$169 without the WIFI stuff

Originally Posted by peter_4059

So I'm hearing people say don't get an ASRock MoBo - what sub $200 board is recommended?

Also can't find any comparisons of GPU performance vs noise - any ideas where to find this?

Cheers,

Peter

[Poita (Peter)]

Noise charts are at the bottom of this review

http://www.anandtech.com/show/5767/c...rclock-edition

[Moon (James)]

i5-3570K

What does the "K" stand for on the CPU? Some have no letter, some have "S"
James

[Tandum (Robin)]

K means an unlocked core. The multipliers aren't locked so you can overclock it.

[Moon (James)]

Oh! TIL something :-)
What about "S"??

[marki]

Have to agree with Peter, the performance gain by installing a SSD will blow anything else you try into the weeds. My boot times have gone from ~ 2mins to about 15 sec flat, it actually takes longer for the bios to go through its routine then for windows to load. Programs also load lightning quick, so fast in fact they are up and running before my finger comes off the mouse button. I put a 480GB SSD in this machine as the boot disk and loaded all my programs on it, bloody brilliant. I have a WD 2TB hard drive for bulk storage. No amount or grade of ram has ever made such a difference (and I have 16GB of DDR3 in this machine), nor processor (i7) or anything else I have tried either, well worth the dollars.

Mark