Help Me! Upgrading my Computer Advice

[Giildy]

A couple things you may want to consider as well:
Do you like the inside of your computer looking clean and sharp, like no extra cables, Nice and clean looking?
How long would you like your current setup to last for?
Would you prefer to just continue to upgrade parts in this machine or build a new machine next time?
How would you classify your gaming: casual, hardcore, etc.?
What else would you like to do with this computer besides gaming?
Do you want to Overclock the PC? If so, do you have adequate cooling to do so?

just a few basic questions to help guide you in the direction with building it

Yay questions!
1. I don't care what the inside looks like.
2. I'd appreciate it if I didn't feel like I had to upgrade for another 2-3 years. (aka, it would be nice if it didn't burst into flames/could handle games on low settings in 3ish years)
3. I think I would be considered casual by the stadards of people on this board but moderate to hardcore by er... 'normal' standards.
4. It would primarily be a gaming machine. I can't expect I would do anything with it that would be more intensive than gaming. I would use it for some standard office work and movie watching, but outside of that.
5. I would rather not overclock.

tada.

 

[Ninja_DC]

http://natf2.com/topics/4666-help-me-make-a-new-computer​

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Recent thread, i posted my mixup for $850 under the alias of LasciK​

Basically:​

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=19291912​

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i think it's public.​

$700​

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you have your own HDD atm but you do have the budget to buy another one or a 120Gb SSD (Crucial m4, samsung 830 are good choices)​

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[TEhMAn92]

For $1000, you could easily buy a decent machine.

Hell, my machine is alright and it was $360

 

[Nothing_Much]

"220 Watts"

I'm surprised your PC hasn't exploded due to the lack of wattage.

 

[Giildy]

"220 Watts"

I'm surprised your PC hasn't exploded due to the lack of wattage.

it occasionally makes sad noises.

 

[PsychoRealm]

Being a supporter of Intel/Nvidia, I'd buy the following:

Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD53 (B3) - $130
Processor: Intel i7-2700K LGA 1155 Boxed Processor - $280
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - $49
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 - $190
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM - $100
DVD RW: ASUS DVD Burner - $23
Power Supply: APEVIA JAVA ATX-JV650W 650W - $55
Case: COOLER MASTER Elite - $45
Sound Card: embedded is usually enough
Operating System: would recommend installing your own.
Monitor: Viewsonic 24" Widescreen LED Monitor with Full HD 1080p and Speakers -$190
Motherboard & Mouse: depends on what you like.

Total price: $1062 (almost in the budget - you can save $$ on CPU if you want, but i7-2700K will last for 1 year for sure.)

Note:

1. Since you said that you are not hardcore gamer, you won't need SLI/CrossFire, so video cared suggested by me should be more than enough;
2. I'd recommend installing pirate Win 7 Pro x64 - you will save tons of money;
3. Monitor is fucking outstanding. I mean, it's Viewsonic, God damn it.
4. There is no PC configuration that would stay actual for longer than 1 year. Just keep that in mind. :D
5. Go to www.microcenter.com and check if you have any stores close to you. They beat almost every Newegg's price and their advisers are awesome

 

[Nothing_Much]

Ouch, don't go for the i7, too much overkill.

Go for at least the i5 if you're looking for just a gaming machine and some work on it. There should be quad cores of the i5 series by now.

Oh also, I beg to differ, Psycho, I'm on an Asus P5N-D mobo with a Q6600, still works like a motherfuckin' charm. Most, if not all PCs nowadays can last at least a decade without upgrades, providing you keep your PC in good shape.

 

[PsychoRealm]

Ouch, don't go for the i7, too much overkill.
Go for at least the i5 if you're looking for just a gaming machine and some work on it. There should be quad cores of the i5 series by now.

That's why I said she could save $100 by buying i5-2500K for $170. The same socket type, nice performance. I have i7-2600K and I'm happy. :D

Oh also, I beg to differ, Psycho, I'm on an Asus P5N-D mobo with a Q6600, still works like a motherfuckin' charm. Most, if not all PCs nowadays can last at least a decade without upgrades, providing you keep your PC in good shape.

Well, with this gaming boom, I wouldn't be so sure :D

 

[Giildy]

uh. the list the was recommended to me via wok via newegg.

Keep in mind that I sort of already have a pair of video cards now...

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Cart Item List:​

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price​

1 ​

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Logitech G9x Black Wired Laser Gaming Mouse

Item #:N82E16826104261​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $99.99​

$67.99​

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1 ​

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Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" SATA 6.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Item #:N82E16822148697​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $109.99​

$99.99​

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1 ​

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Rosewill RCR-IC001 40-in-1 USB 2.0 3.5" Internal Card Reader w/ USB port / Extra silver face plate

Item #:N82E16820223103​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $14.99​

$11.99​

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1 ​

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ASUS M5A97 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Item #:N82E16813131767​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $99.99​

$94.99​

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1 ​

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G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

Item #:N82E16820231314​

Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy $46.99​

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1 ​

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RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

Item #:N82E16823114012​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $129.99​

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1 ​

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LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH24NS90

Item #:N82E16827136247​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $17.99​

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1 ​

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AZIO Levetron Mech4 KB588U Black Wired Mechanical Keyboard

Item #:N82E16823839010​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy $119.99​

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1 ​

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AMD FX-4100 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) Socket AM3+ Quad-Core Desktop Processor

Item #:N82E16819103996​

Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy $109.99​

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1 ​

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COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Hybrid RS-850-SPHA-D3 850W Panel Power Supply with Fan Control

Item #: N82E16817171061​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy​

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COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition RC-932-KKN3-GP Computer Case

Item #: N82E16811119213​

Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$20.00 Instant​

-$40.00 Combo​

$20.00 Mail-in Rebate $379.98​

$319.98​

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[PsychoRealm]

1. Computer case and Power Supply combo for $320? Seriously?
2. Two gaming keyboards for $120 and $130?
3. Again, I'm biased against AMD, but AMD FX-4100 is not even close to i5-2500K. Check out the Benchmark tests results HERE and HERE.
4. Two Radeon's? Comparing to one GTX560? /sigh. You see, you are paying $200 for SLI Power Supply instead of paying $55 for a regular Power Supply just because of SLI support even though you are NOT EVEN a hardcore gamer. And you know why you have to overpay so much for Power supply only? Because you have two cheap and old Radeon video cards which are already outdated. That's being said your 2-3 years goal will crash within next 6 months maximum.

Anyway, if you are ready to spend $300 for a gaming case and $120 for a keyboard instead of spending these money on real calculating power - then there is nothing to talk about.

 

[Giildy]

1. Computer case and Power Supply combo for $320? Seriously?
2. Two gaming keyboards for $120 and $130?
3. Again, I'm biased against AMD, but AMD FX-4100 is not even close to i5-2500K. Check out the Benchmark tests results HERE and HERE.
4. Two Radeon's? Comparing to one GTX560? /sigh. You see, you are paying $200 for SLI Power Supply instead of paying $55 for a regular Power Supply just because of SLI support even though you are NOT EVEN a hardcore gamer. And you know why you have to overpay so much for Power supply only? Because you have two cheap and old Radeon video cards.

Anyway, if you are ready to spend $300 for a gaming case and $120 for a keyboard instead of spending these money on real calculating power - then there is nothing to talk about.

naw, I'm just posting this as having been a suggestion. :-P

Also whoops, there were two mice in there, I deleted one because i knew i'd go for the logitech mouse didn't see the two keyboards.

I have had some trouble with keyboards and mice failing on me after sustained use, so i imagine the hardware investment there is worth it.

Not sure how I feel about the case and cooling combo tbh. And yeah, i think this build was for optimal upgrade ability, hence the ridiculous power supply that I am being currently informed over steam chat is overkill..

I'm not buying anything just yet hun :P

 

[wokmage]

1. Computer case and Power Supply combo for $320? Seriously?
2. Two gaming keyboards for $120 and $130?
3. Again, I'm biased against AMD, but AMD FX-4100 is not even close to i5-2500K. Check out the Benchmark tests results HERE and HERE.
4. Two Radeon's? Comparing to one GTX560? /sigh. You see, you are paying $200 for SLI Power Supply instead of paying $55 for a regular Power Supply just because of SLI support even though you are NOT EVEN a hardcore gamer. And you know why you have to overpay so much for Power supply only? Because you have two cheap and old Radeon video cards which are already outdated. That's being said your 2-3 years goal will crash within next 6 months maximum.

Anyway, if you are ready to spend $300 for a gaming case and $120 for a keyboard instead of spending these money on real calculating power - then there is nothing to talk about.

The power supply is more expensive because it's significantly more wattage, modular, and has a separate fan controller, not so much because it's SLI/Crossfire (you are right though it is probably at least a little overkill :P).

Yes the processor is less powerful than the i5, but that isn't something that's going to significantly effect gaming, very few games actually use the processor that much, I mean I'm running an AMD Phenom II @ 2.8 GHz and I have no problems running any game at highest settings, so unless she decides to take up video editing or cryptography, the AMD FX-4100 is more than enough.

Also considering that she isn't a hardcore gamer two HD5770's that individually can run any game on the market today at better than mid settings are more than enough to last 2 years. Unless Microsoft releases a new Xbox next year games aren't going to progress enough in 2 years to make those cards even close to obsolete, I know I could still play every game in my steam library on my old HD4850 at playable resolution and fps, until consoles start developing again (hardware-wise) you don't have to worry too much about PC hardware going obsolete.

 

[PsychoRealm]

...saving space...

Not gonna argue - just because it's useless since everyone has his/her own vision of PC building approach. I see no logic in buying super powerful PSU for $200 if she's gonna run old ass GPU. Suggested motherboard also doesn't consume that much power. That's being said, it's a simply money waste (imho).
Question: Have you tried running Starcraft II and Diablo III on your CPU? :D

 

[wokmage]

Not gonna argue - just because it's useless since everyone has his/her own vision of PC building approach. I see no logic in buying super powerful PSU for $200 if she's gonna run old ass GPU. Suggested motherboard also doesn't consume that much power. That's being said, it's a simply money waste (imho).

Question: Have you tried running Starcraft II and Diablo III on your CPU? :D

I can run Starcraft II great and I haven't tried Diablo III yet (looking forward to May 15th though). :) Oh and you are definitely right about the PSU, I got more than a little carried away on that one (actually just grabbed the case and PSU from a build I was working on for myself earlier :P)

 

[PsychoRealm]

In regards to CPU. Is $60 of a difference worth buying FX-4100 that is way worse than i5-2500K? Not if I was the one who's buying :D

 

[wokmage]

In regards to CPU. Is $60 of a difference worth buying FX-4100 that is way worse than i5-2500K? Not if I was the one who's buying :D

Well . . . I would probably spring for this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103960, but . . . Yeah that is my one area of weakness when I comes to PC speccing, I'm not terribly familiar with the Intel processors or Nvidia GPUs and how they compare with AMD.

 

[PsychoRealm]

Well . . . I would probably spring for this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103960, but . . . Yeah that is my one area of weakness when I comes to PC speccing, I'm not terribly familiar with the Intel processors or Nvidia GPUs and how they compare with AMD.

Again, check multiple benchmarks HERE (starting page 6). You'll see that even FX-8150 is still outperformed by i5-2500K. Considering the fact that FX-8150 costs $40 more than i5-2500K it still doesn't make sense to buy FX :D

 

[wokmage]

Again, check multiple benchmarks HERE (starting page 6). You'll see that even FX-8150 is still outperformed by i5-2500K. Considering the fact that FX-8150 costs $40 more than i5-2500K it still doesn't make sense to buy FX :D

Meh, AMD is letting me down :(

[edit] Dammit Psycho, now I really really want to build a new rig using Intel, but I really really don't have the money . . .

[edit edit] So yeah, at least in this instance I must bow to PsychoRealm's superior knowledge. I would definitely still consider the 5770s, but for the rest . . .

 

[Giildy]

That feel when people that know more than you fight about pc specs and come to a peaceful resolution.

feelsgoodman

 

[PsychoRealm]

That feel when people that know more than you fight about pc specs and come to a peaceful resolution.

feelsgoodman

We were not fighting - we were debating. "In Disputatione Nascitur Veritas"​