My intentions: full resolution max setting graphics. My goal is that this computer will last me the next few years on high end MMO gaming. I don't play games like Skyrim etc on my cpu, mainly just MMO's. I will be doing some overclocking as well on the processor.
Windows 7 OEM: $100
CPU: i5-3570k $220 - http://www.amazon.com/Intel-Core-3570K-Processor-BX80637I53570K/dp/B007SZ0E1K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340644756&sr=8-1&keywords=3570k
RAM: $47 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314
SSD: $93 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226236
Drive: $15 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151244&Tpk=sh-222bb%2fbebe
Power Supply: $85 w/ rebate - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817182071
Graphics: His ICEQ Radeon 7850 - $225 w/ rebate - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161405
MOBO - Either $135 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130645&cm_sp=Specials-_-13-130-645-_-06252012_1 or $150 on this one - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157312&Tpk=z77e-itx
Need help choosing a CASE please and any other cooling fans I may need.
So far total is either $920 or $935 depending on which MOBO to get. Please give advice on which I need to do. Looking to have the two 3.0 USB slots for my case as well as these motherboards include those. Any/all other criticism/advice is welcomed and appreciated.
Thank you all for your help.
I use Lian Li cases these days. Check out the designs which compartmentalize things in a way that produces maximum airflow over your MB.
Just my humble opinion.
If you plan on overclocking that CPU you're likely going to need an aftermarket cooler unless you only plan to bump it a couple of hundred Mhz. If that is the case (no pun int.) then the cooler height may dictate your choices of cases. If it's just for a moderate OC i'm sure someone like Quizz will point you to whatever cheap cooler is decent nowadays @ <169mm which will fit in any case, but if you plan on a decently high overclock the better coolers are often taller and you need to choose a case it will fit in.
Make sure your stuff will fit in a mid tower.
I'd say get a full tower and don't get a cheap one. You want max airflow. I have the Cooler Master HAF X and it's great, if a bit pricey.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225
First, I would like to recommend a Power Supply. The link you provided for the one you listed at $85 didn't work for me and I noticed a special on a very good PSU that if I were in the market for building a computer today that ran on a single GPU I would buy right away.
PROMO CODE: EMCYTZT1804
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-151-088&nm_mc=EMC-GD062212&cm_mmc=EMC-GD062212-_-index-_-Item-_-17-151-088
With the promo code that brings the total cost to $110 which is a really good deal for a High Quality (Seasonic 80 Plus Gold) 650W Modular PSU.
Another suggestion that has already been thrown out is purchasing a CPU fan. Given that a good one can be had for as little as $30 (Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus) on up if you plan to OC at all I'd suggest looking into getting one. Just make sure whatever you pick will fit your CPU socket type.
Cases are a whole different ball game. The price range to feature set varies widely and often times it's simply a matter of personal preference. Obviously you need to ensure all your parts will fit into the case (especially the CPU fan) and if you are going for an Air Cooled system you will want a case designed to offer maximum air flow (good wire management options, proper fan placement). Honestly as long as a case meets that criteria it's really up to you on how much you want to spend on aesthetics. You can find cases meeting this range anywhere from $40 (on special) to $200+ (mine was $240). Lian Li was mentioned above and they are known for quality cases (the majority of which are aluminum) but a lot of their lower end models are pretty horrid for wire management versus other brands in that same price range. I'd just go onto Newegg or Amazon and have a look around at what catches your eye. Then cross reference the case on popular review sites (Tom's Hardware, Anandtech, etc.) to get an idea of what to expect.
Also which mobo should I get
I picked this case up a few months ago from Newegg on sale. I love it.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009
The case has great air flow and dropped the temps of my CPU, motherboard, and GPU by over 10 degrees C with no other changes. I had a horribly cramped case before with bad air flow.
I'll try to help you answer both of your questions. With regards to the two MB's you listed, one is a standard ATX and the other is a Micro ATX. Is there any perticular reason you are trying to decide between these two? Do you desire a smaller form factor if possible?
This brings me to the question regarding which case. As I stated previously you need to figure out what is important to you. If you should decide to go with the Cooler Master HAF case just be aware it is a very large case and due to the heavy air flow it will be not nearly as quiet as other cases, then again silence is not it's intended purpose, pushing air is.
So what do you want out of a case, Size (Form Factor and Portability), High Air Flow, Silence, etc? You can go to the extreme on these or you can find an amble middle ground which is what I try and do. If you haven't already done so I highly suggest you check out some case reviews by professionals. What I normally do is look for cases I'm interested in and then throw them into google followed by "review". Here is an example of a case that across the board from trusted sites tends to score very well and is right around $100.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=-1&isNodeId=1&Description=NZXT%27s+Phantom+410&x=0&y=0
EDIT: Remember the above is just an example, I'm not suggesting you take that one as appearances are a matter of personal taste and this one is usually a "hate it" or "love it" design. That said IF you decide to go with you might want to compare prices as I found it for $20 cheaper at Provantage: http://www.provantage.com/nzxt-ca-ph410-b1~7NZXT046.htm
I recommend these
Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066
PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020
MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293
Only problem with the case is it doesn't have a 2.5" drive bay, but you could just grab a 3.5" to 2.5" adapter for around 10 bucks. It's got amazing air flow and it's a good price.
I thought some people said I need a full tower? Also in regards to the question about the mobo's, I'm not a computer expert so I'm not really sure what you are asking in regards to the micro atx or not. What does it matter? And those are just 2 boards I was looking at. I'm really open to any mobo that will allow to me overclock the 3570k and has usb 3.0. thx again all for your help im learning a lot.
Grab better power supply, is one of the most important (the most one for me) component of any PC. If no enough power, no rock and no roll.
There are many kind of good power supply around 100 bucks (Antec, OCZ, Corsair - like mine - and Cooler Master or Enermax, Thermaltake) with 650W or 700W and almost 80% efficency
Hello
Here's my pick. As far a cases go I would go for an Antec P280 or the three hundred as someone has suggested. Your dont need a full tower case unless you plan to go for an SLI/CrossFire rig. The MSI mobo looks good but I would try the Z77 GD65 model instead of the GD45 (forget that mini ITX you linked). People seem to be obesessed with the Ivy Bridge CPU's, they are fine if you plan to run at stock speeds but if OCing is your goal the old 2500K is your best bet. Either way use an aftermarket cooler: low cost Cooler master Hyper 212, high end thermalright Archon. Heed the advice that recommended a Seasonic X650 gold PSU, they are the finest you can buy (along with the Corsair model A650 built with the same components).
Theres one point you dont mention, actually a quite vital one: what is your maximum resolution? if your display is 1080p native the 7850 looks fine, if its an old 1900x1200 or higher you best bet is in the 7870 (even at 1080p i would pick the 7870, its has a greater value for money compared to the 7850); do you wanna play the safe bet? go for a Nvidia 670 and it will take you all the way to 2560x1600.
Oh! just one more thing, if your budget allows consider the SSD as a primary hard disk (M4 256GB are sitting at a steal price as far as SSD's go) you wont go back to mechanical drives after booting windows on one of these little marvells.
Enjoy
Originally posted by uncletoma
Grab better power supply, is one of the most important (the most one for me) component of any PC. If no enough power, no rock and no roll.
There are many kind of good power supply around 100 bucks (Antec, OCZ, Corsair - like mine - and Cooler Master or Enermax, Thermaltake) with 650W or 700W and almost 80% efficency
There aren't all that many power supplies that are better than Super Flower's gold platform. And there might not be any at all that are also $100 or less for 650 W or more.
-----
You don't need a full tower case. If you're getting three video cards, you should get a full tower. For two, maybe you consider it. If you're doing some unusual custom mods that will take a lot of space, then maybe you need a full tower. But for your setup? No, you don't. It will work just fine, but you don't need it.
Thanks all
For monitor I have the Asus VH236H. It's a 23 inch 1900*1200 16:9 display.
Don't really see anyone tackling the motherboard question. I will go wtih the mid tower as suggested and will grab one of the ones that people were posting. But as far as the mobo goes what one do I need to get? And I am not going to do heavy overclocking, just moderate, is the i5-2500k really a better choice than the new ivy bridge processors? I don't see myself ever running 2 video cards at the same time.
What mobo should I get? And what overall would you suggest for building a new computer? Should I go with the i5-3570k and build from there or should I go back to the 2500k series?
Thanks all.
I'm running with the i5-3570k IvyBridge. It runs very cool right now, but I haven't done any hardcore gaming yet so take that with a grain of salt... but I am satisfied!
Hello
As far as the Z77 motherboards go there are 2 usual choices: MSI got the best price and easy on the fly overclocking, and ASUS has better overall quality, software (inc UEFI BIOS) and potential (though requires more skill). Suit yourself, the Z77 GD65 from MSI has got very good reviews allaround, as have the ASUS P8Z77 line so it all comes down to price since all meet
the basic requirements (PCIex GEN3, USB3, SATA6, etc...). As for myself I use a P8Z77 Sabretooth from ASUS, pricier but pretty. Gigabyte mobos are fine too but I have a rather mixed feeling about them since not my best experience with their X48 line.
The CPU choice is clear, want to go further than 4,7GHz? the 2500K, cause the 3570K requires more voltage and cooling; wanna stay safe at 4,3-4,4GHz and need the 10% increase in general applications? purchase the 3570K. For gaming the main factor is going to be the GPU, although I wouldnt change my 4,8GHz 2500K for anything slower in some games (ask GW2 betatesters).
Oh, have to say that your display will be happier with the 7870, no doubt.
Enjoy
The problem with motherboard advice is that people really don't know. You can go by company reputations over the course of years, and you can look at features and relative product positioning within a particular brand. But you can't really gauge how finicky a motherboard will be as you try to set things up, or how reliable it will be over the course of the lifetime of the computer.
