First build in 7+ years

[Torval]

Hello! I have not been in the PC building game for a while, but I have spent several hours attempting to catch up. I am somewhat familiar with what is out there, and specs for most things, but I lack the benefit of actual hands on experience with any current hardware.

My old PC is an opteron 170 still @ 2600 with a scythe ninja, good RAM, a Radeon 1950xtx, Dual 74gb Raptors in RAID 0, Enermax 750ish watt PSU, Antec p180, etc. Rig has held up like a champ but its time has come. Not much reusable either.

Here is my current list. My primary issue is with motherboard selection. I wish to avoid spending a ton on one, but I want a quality board that will OC well and last.

I am one of the worst here, as I spend a lot of time searching for the best combo of price, performance, and quality. Just like with cars, you are supposed to pick 2

CPU: Haswell i5-4670k

Pretty set on this, but I appreciate input.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...=Combo.1455442

Motherboard(s):
Asus z87-A or better
Gigabite z87x-d3h
Asrock pro3 or better

Very open to suggestions here. Features are not as important, although the ability to access PC from remote smart devices is nice. Will eventually get an audio add on card.

RAM: g-skill Ripjaws 2x4gb PC 2133 cas 9.

Fastest, cheapest quality memory I could find.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231689

GPU: Asus HD-7970

This is, from what I can tell, the best bang for the buck card ATM. The 3 slot config concerns me, as does the lack of an HDMI port. If I were to eventually go SLI or Crossfire, would there be a better option that is still a solid card by itself?

I plan on playing FPS, RTS, and a good variety of games including ARMA 3.

Therefore I want a card that does well now, and will not break the bank to double up down the road.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121560

Boot: Sansung 840 pro 256 gb MLC

Open to the possibility of the 128, but I want fast. See my previous system

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820147193

Storage: Looking at WD 2TB drives as I have a lot of torrents and videos stored on an external. I want stability and reliability, so the reds came up. Could use some suggestions here.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822236343

PSU: Antec NEOECO 620w.

I recognize the need for a solid PSU, but I dont want to break the bank here either.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371031

Monitor: Asus VG248QE.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236313

Would like to slide in one of my 19" NEC until I can get a second


1. What YOUR PC will be used for.

In order: Gaming, video storage and viewing, minor photo editing, general productivity, and misc.

2. What YOUR budget is.

I would like to stay around $1500, complete with monitor, but I am flexible where quality and future proofing is concerned

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. USA

4. IF you're buying parts OUTSIDE the US... N/A

5. IF YOU have a brand preference.

Not really.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. Currently have all peripherals. I dont think much else is usable

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Default speeds at first, but I want hardware that will support OC.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? looking into widescreen with the Asus 24" that is getting rave reviews. Also have occassional desire to run HDMI to my Samsung 51". Currently running dual NEC 19" at 1280x1024

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? soon

X. Do you need to purchase any software to go with the system, such as Windows or Blu Ray playback software? Probably Win 7[/QUOTE]

 

[Torval]

Oh I forgot a case. I was thinking about the p183, but I have the Corsair carbide 200r on a short list. Case choice is as bad as MB, but I like quiet with good airflow. Bling factor is not a consideration, but i want something clean and not flashy.

 

[lehtv]

4670K + MSI Z87-G45 Gaming $322 AR & after gift card
Team 8GB 1600 $59 AP
MSI 7970 TF OC Boost $268 AR AP
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB $180
Seagate 2TB $100
Rosewill Hive 750 $60 AR AP
Arc Midi R2 $65
U2412M $279

= $1333 AR AP

Optional: Team 2x8GB 1600 instead, $115 AP
Optional: DVD-RW $16 AP
Optional: Thermalright True Spirit 140 CPU Cooler $50

Did I miss anything?

 

[Demoralized]

Stay away from the MSI Gaming series boards. Mine was garbage. High end MSI is the only way to go.

 

[RayTheKing]

The 16 GB kit lehtv linked is CL10. I think OP should just buy 2 sets of the $59 dollar kit. The mobo can certainly fit 4 DIMMs.

 

[lehtv]

CL10 is fine. Zero practical difference to CL9, none, nil, zip.

I don't think it'd be wise to pay $118 for four 4GB DIMMs when you can get two 8GB DIMMs for $115 and have two slots free while putting less strain on the memory controller. EDIT: However, for the OP's usage scenario I think two 4GB modules make the most sense.

Mine was garbage.

You could be a bit more descriptive. That your board had issues proves absolutely nothing. Any board of any tier of any manufacturer can have problems. The reviews for MSI Gaming boards are excellent

 

[mfenn]

I am one of the worst here, as I spend a lot of time searching for the best combo of price, performance, and quality. Just like with cars, you are supposed to pick 2

This is honestly not true at all when it comes to motherboards. All motherboards perform within a couple percentage points of each other and any motherboard from one of the big manufacturers is going to use quality components and a quality PCB. The only real axis is features vs. price.

 

[mfenn]

4670K + MSI Z87-G45 Gaming $322 AR & after gift card
Team 8GB 1600 $59 AP
MSI 7970 TF OC Boost $268 AR AP
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB $180
Seagate 2TB $100
Rosewill Hive 750 $60 AR AP
Arc Midi R2 $65
U2412M $279

= $1333 AR AP

Optional: Team 2x8GB 1600 instead, $115 AP
Optional: DVD-RW $16 AP
Optional: Thermalright True Spirit 140 CPU Cooler $50

Did I miss anything?

Very nice!

 

[Torval]

Thanks for the replies everyone!! But could we keep this a little more on topic, and leave some of the bickering outside the thread?

4670K + MSI Z87-G45 Gaming $322 AR & after gift card
Team 8GB 1600 $59 AP
MSI 7970 TF OC Boost $268 AR AP
Samsung 840 EVO 250GB $180
Seagate 2TB $100
Rosewill Hive 750 $60 AR AP
Arc Midi R2 $65
U2412M $279

= $1333 AR AP

Optional: Team 2x8GB 1600 instead, $115 AP
Optional: DVD-RW $16 AP
Optional: Thermalright True Spirit 140 CPU Cooler $50

Did I miss anything?

I am curious on a few recommendations, as they are very similar to my picks. The RAM for example is ten dollars less, but is 1600 vs 2133. The MSI and Asus are virtually the same rice, but the Asus is 3 slot and has dual DVI while the MSI requires an adapter, and word has it the adapter had difficulty hitting full res.

I see a couple MSI recommendations replacing mine, is that just a brand preference?

The case is basically the same price, but I cannot fid as much info on it.

The Asus monitor has top notch ratings and is the same price.

The power supplies are the same price and both have great reviews and ratings.

And seagate vs WD, is that just personal preference? They are virtually the same price, and it will be used as storage, so reliability is most important.

I appreciate all the input, I really do...but I think a lot of them are based on personal preference and deal hunting more than what I am looking for. Like I said I dont mind spending a couple extra bucks for faster DRAM, a better warranty, a little faster random read/write time, etc.

I am mainly concerned with the points mentioned in the OP, but again, all comments are great food for thought!!

 

[mfenn]

I am curious on a few recommendations, as they are very similar to my picks. The RAM for example is ten dollars less, but is 1600 vs 2133.

The actual benefit from DDR3 2133 is essentially nil outside of synthetic memory benchmarks.

The MSI and Asus are virtually the same rice, but the Asus is 3 slot and has dual DVI while the MSI requires an adapter, and word has it the adapter had difficulty hitting full res.

The ASUS also has 0 HDMI ports which means you'd need to get a DVI or DP adapter that also carries audio, which are very rare indeed.

I see a couple MSI recommendations replacing mine, is that just a brand preference?

Just price/performance preference.

The case is basically the same price, but I cannot fid as much info on it.

I assume you are talking about the 200R and not the P183? The 200R is certain a fine case. However, it is not in the same class as the Arc Midi when it comes to quiet operation, primarily due to the lack of a fan controller.

The Asus monitor has top notch ratings and is the same price.

User ratings are not everything. The U2412M and VG248QE are really in two different market segments. The U2412M is an IPS monitor with a focus on image quality and color accuracy, which is important for photo editing. The VG248QE is a no-holds-barred ultra responsive 144Hz gaming monitor with pretty so-so IQ.

The power supplies are the same price and both have great reviews and ratings.

The new Neo Eco 620C is something of an unknown quantity. The older model was a Seasonic S12II with slightly low-end caps IIRC. I couldn't find anybody who had torn apart the new one to figure out what it was yet.

The Hive 750W is a good CWT and is a very well-understood unit at this point.

And seagate vs WD, is that just personal preference? They are virtually the same price, and it will be used as storage, so reliability is most important.

All HDDs have about the same reliability, the Seagate just costs a little less.

Overall though, banking on the reliability of a single drive is an exercise that's doomed to failure. You will lose data that way. You're better off taking the savings here and there to get another drive to use as a backup target.

 

[Cerb]

And seagate vs WD, is that just personal preference? They are virtually the same price, and it will be used as storage, so reliability is most important.

For the millionth time, it seems: if reliability is important, get two, one of which will be stored in some other device than your PC, and have backups made to it. HDDs are fairly reliable, these days, but they still die with some frequency, and you often get insufficient warning to be able to take action upon finding out.

Also, while you didn't mention it, the Samsung 840 Evo is likely to be faster, over time, in practice, than the Pro. The added OP/cache helps a lot.

 

[Torval]

Thanks for the mature, detailed responses guys!! I have grown accustomed to car forums as of late, and you tend to get a lot of hair brained "because I am mr internet genius and I said so" replies.

I will give your recommendations serious thought and reply shorty with any further questions. Thanks!!

 

[Torval]

Oh, as for HDD reliability, I have that 3 TB HDD that I will probably use as a backup.

Otherwise I will setup a RAID 1 array with 2 of the cheaper 2 TB drives, or just throw a drive in my old PC which will probably be down clocked and run as a file server and LAN PC for friends.

Thanks for the tip of the EVO vs PRO. That will save me 40 to put towards something else

For the case it seems you understand my intent. I will give that case a go.

For the GPU DUAL DVI is more important than HDMI. HDMI is a nice to have, while dual DVI with good res is a must have.

As for monitors you and I agree that image quality is more important. I am going more by tests and articles than by user reviews. I was given the impression that it covered some ground between fast monitors and pretty, but these are one of the more difficult things to purchase without seeing in person.

 

[Essence_of_War]

For the GPU DUAL DVI is more important than HDMI. HDMI is a nice to have, while dual DVI with good res is a must have.

This doesn't make any sense to me.

The MSI comes with 2x (M)DP 1xHDMI and 1x DVI-D
The Asus comes with 4x DP and 2x DVI-D

It sounds like you're worried about driving hi-res monitors, which truthfully can be a problem with HDMI! But it also sounds like:
1) You don't have any hi-res (> 1920x1200) monitors to drive, and HDMI is totally fine driving 1920x1080 for an HDTV like your 51'' Samsung
and
2) You might not realize that DP/MDP is capable of driving higher res's than DVI, is a VERY common standard on modern monitors.

From what you're describing as your current needs, the MSI seems like it is a better pick because it doesn't require any expensive active adapters for native HDMI to get video+audio to the TV.

 

[Torval]

Ya I am on the same page as you after rereading the thread again. Missed the part about audio...always forget that part of HDMI lol.

I read some user experiences that stated the MSI card, with HDMI to DVI adapter, has an issue with hitting ### x 1024 res on the HDMI side with adapter. I am sure this is just a driver issue, but it is a concern as I will DEFINITELY be running 2 monitors at 1280x1024 and whatever the 24" runs... Probably 19xx x 1024 until I get settled.

Only looking at single monitor for games unless I go crossfire down the road, and grab another 24". But for now my intent is a solid, versitile box that I can upgrade as needed when the platform matures.

 

[lehtv]

Just to expand on a couple of mfenn's points:

RAM: the 2133 kit you linked is actually $13 more expensive. It is also specced for 2133 @ 1.65V, so in order to run it at Intel's recommended 1.5V, you would probably need to downclock it to 1866.

Monitor: The VG248QE is a great pick. I have an XL2411T that has the same panel, it's very smooth. I'm using Strobelight software to enable Lightboost while in 2D, it removes all motion blur (the image quality is very slightly worse than with Strobelight off, but it's good enough for me. I prefer the zero motion blur in fast FPS games.) To be honest, I didn't go through your OP in that much detail, I wrote my build recommendation in a bit of a hurry

Power Supply: The Hive 750W is actually not a CWT unit, it's a Sirtec unit. But it's still pretty good. The capacitors could be better, but since it's covered by 5 year warranty, I wouldn't be worried.

Another user in a different thread found an XFX 750W Gold unit for $80 AR on NCIX. This is actually a super nice deal. $20 more for a high end fully modular Seasonic-built unit? Easy decision. (On newegg, the XFX unit is $110 AR).

Graphics card: I didn't know that about the MSI card, but I would not expect it to be that common an issue. The only reason I picked it over the Asus card is that since it takes only two slots, it's possible to run two of them Crossfire without suffocating one of them. Since you're "only" gaming at 1080p though, you might as well get the Asus card, and if you ever get the itch to run two cards, change to some 2 slot card and sell the Asus 7970. In such a situation it might actually be worth while to go NVIDIA since their dual GPU frametimes are quite a bit better than AMD's.

 

[Torval]

BTW I am interested to hear more options on motherboards. I am in nonhurry to build this as i have several functional PCs, a PS3 and an xBox 360

 

[Essence_of_War]

I'll re-iterate/expand, but mfenn basically said all that needs to be said re: motherboards.

The real questions are:
What features do you NEED?
What price are you willing to spend?

Since Sata6Gb/s and usb 3.0 are standard on all reputable MoBos, you're talking about things like: crossfire/SLI support, enough PCI slots for any expansion cards you want to use/re-use, form factor (ATX, mATX, mITX...etc), WiFi (which you can easily get via either USB or pci card if you do need it), extra ethernet ports, HDMI input (as opposed to output!), thunderbolt, firewire headers, etc.

So which of those things do you want/need, and which of them are you willing to pay for?

 

[lehtv]

To add to that list:

- Sound chip: are you fine with standard ALC892 sound, or do you want better sound without having to use a dedicated card (ALC1150)
- how overclockable does it need to be - the main consideration is the number of CPU power phases which ranges from 4 to 12 in reasonably priced boards

 

[Torval]

All the features I really NEED on the board are the basics. I will eventually run a dedicated sound card unless the 1150 is that good, crossfire/SLI capability would be nice, and quality ethernet. No WIFI but I want access from my smartphone or work PC. I will not be running more than 4 SATA devices

Basically I would say it comes down to the sound and abilty to hold a stable OC. If the alc1150 competes with an add on card, I can save money overall with a slightly pricier board and get some bonus features as well.

Looking to pay around 160 for a decent ATX board.

As for OC I do not plan on anything extreme. I would be happy with 4.0ish OC, but a board capable of 4.3-4.5 with a good chip would fit my requirements.

Damn deals keep expiring and/or changing so it makes it hard to stay on top of. Like I said I will spend a little more for the right parts as opposed to chasing deals. I used to chase deals on here and I cannot believe I had the patience...I guess it was more of a hobby haha

 

[lehtv]

I stick by the MSI Z87-G45 recommendation then

 

[Essence_of_War]

Damn deals keep expiring and/or changing so it makes it hard to stay on top of.

Truth. It's very hard to set a build w/ specific components unless you're willing to place an order w/in the week.

 

[Torval]

Thanks to you guys I think I can knock this one out soon. Of course there is always another deal

I will most likely get the g45 gaming, but I appreciate recommendations on comparable boards in case there is a better bundle available.

The sweet deal on the Arc Midi r2 expired, so I may grab the Define XL R2 which is available for 90.

Thanks again for the help guys. You really cut down on the re-learning curve

 

[lehtv]

Nice deal on that XL R2. Also check out Corsair C70 for $80 AR AP and NZXT Phantom (white) for $80 AR AP

 

[Essence_of_War]

Lot of Corsairs on rebate/sale right now:

300R for $50 AR

330R for $60 AR

400R for $70 AR

500R for $80 AR

Nanoxia Deep Silence 1 for $90 shipped