Project Reality Forums

Hello there everyone,

Below is a list of parts that I have selected which I will purchase and use to build a new gaming computer. My budget is around $2,000 for the basic parts (fancy accessories will come later). However, since my computer knowledge is a bit lacking, I was hoping I could get some feedback on what I have selected in terms of quality, reliability, and compatibility. Here is my list:

Newegg.com - Once You Know, You Newegg

Now if you actually looked through it all, then you probably noticed I was missing some parts. Yes, I realize this. The whole build will be placed inside a Cooler Master HAF X case which I purchased in a black Friday deal. It will be hooked up to a 37" 1080p HDTV, and will be powered by an Intel i7 quad-core "Ivy Bridge" cpu*, and I think that about covers it. Thanks everyone.

*Does anyone know where or when the new Ivy Bridge cpu's will be available for purchase? I can't find them anywhere.

Here's my comments. You should get the i5 2500K. Right now it's the best bang with Intel CPU.

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

The word is that the Ivy Bridge CPUs aren't going to be nearly the overclockers compared to the Sandy Bridge.

'[R-COM wrote:LITOralis.nMd;1761177']Hot off the Presses!
Extra Extra!

IvyBridge apparently sucks, and is 95W TDP, not 77W as promised earlier. IT also can not overclock as stable or as high as the SanyBridge K CPUS. Meaning IvyBridge is a flop.
Ivy Bridge gets 95W TDP, worse overclocker than Sandy Bridge - www.nordichardware.com

GO buy the i5-2500k knowing that the "next big new thing" is bound to be a flop.

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Double the space, under 2/3rds of the cost of the HDD you have selected.

How do you plan on cooling the CPU? I suggest a Corsair H80 or H100. I've got the H100, but I read a lot after the fact and many people say the H80 cools as good as the H100.

H80 vs H100 - Overclockers Forums

I also have the HAF 932, so mounting either 2 won't be any problem. There's a lot of room in it. On that note, the difference between the HAF 932 and HAF X is minimal. I actually suggest the 932 because it has larger fans and the price is nearly $60 cheaper. I know with a $2K budget it really doesn't matter (I too just built a computer a couple of months ago with 0 budget-it came out to be about $2.7K).

mangeface...

CPU: I wouldn't exactly call Ivy Bridge a total failure. I mean, I've never gotten into overclocking, and I probably won't with this build either, so I'll just leave the CPU at standard 3.5 GHz. I'd prefer to stick with Ivy Bridge, and if the overclocking stuff is all that's wrong with it, then that's ok with me.

HDD: What's up with the HDD you suggested? It has almost as many bad reviews as it does good ones on Newegg. I know that these things should be taken with a "grain of salt", but that just seems like a bad sign.

CPU Cooler: Haven't though about it yet. Probably go with something simple like a Cooler Master one. They always have good things.

Case: As mentioned I've already purchased the HAF X case, so I'm good there.

azreal64 wrote:CPU: I wouldn't exactly call Ivy Bridge a total failure. I mean, I've never gotten into overclocking, and I probably won't with this build either, so I'll just leave the CPU at standard 3.5 GHz. I'd prefer to stick with Ivy Bridge, and if the overclocking stuff is all that's wrong with it, then that's ok with me.

Eh, neither would I. I have the FX-8150 and I've seen great and horrible reviews. Bottom line for me is well, I'm extremely unhappy with it. Mine will NOT overclock over 4.2GHz and PR would be extremely lagging anytime I took my CPU over core clock. I'm seriously a couple of paychecks away from dishing my FX to the trash and switching to a i5 2500K.

azreal64 wrote:HDD: What's up with the HDD you suggested? It has almost as many bad reviews as it does good ones on Newegg. I know that these things should be taken with a "grain of salt", but that just seems like a bad sign.

Well, I have that exact same HDD and have 0 problems with it. It's just a suggestion. But $160 for a 500GB HDD is well...ridiculous IMO. You can get 1TB HDDs for much less than that.

Here's some more with better overall reviews.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136533
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148697

MOBO - you might consider getting much better one - V or PRO version because LE is plastic **** if you build high end PC on top of it.

CPU: i5-2500k is good but if you have money - Ivy Bridge

HDD: Caviar Black from WD all the way.

SSD: Maybe go with Intel 520 series if you can, they are pretty badass

In over all look that is all.

Also would advise NOT getting the LE model of the motherboard, move up to the V or Pro.

Note if you buy a "Bare Drive" from Newegg, it does not ship with a SATA cable. You need one, if you have already, no worries. Otherwise don't forget to pick one out.

Very nice price on the Crucial m4 drive.

IvyBridge is released TODAY. Joy!

Ok, I've made some changes...

First, is this the motherboard you guys are talking about?
Motherboard

Then I found this Western Digital 500GB HDD, which is cheaper but still supports SATA 6GB/s.
Hard Drive

Also, is this the only cable I need if I purchase a "bare" HDD?
SATA Cable

Then I chose to go with the very popular Cooler Master CPU cooler. Hopefully it will still work with the newer Ivy Bridge CPUs.
CPU Cooler

EDIT: I've also decided to go with this optical drive. I was looking at it earlier in the year, and I really liked it. Plus it's slightly less expensive.
Optical Drive

MOBO: Good

HDD: Good

CPU Cooler: NOT good*

Optical Drive: Good

*This is better alternative - ZALMAN CNPS11X Performa 120mm Long Life Bearing V-Shaped Dual Heat Sink CPU Cooler

Also you dont need to buy anti static wrist strap

just dont rub your feet on the carpet before you build and the easiest way to not fry the components is to just touch the metal case with one hand to release static or just wear gloves if you are scared of static electricity

also for the HDD

I would reccomend this one
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive


and for SSD

Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 4 VTX4-25SAT3-128G 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

it is a lot faster but is more costly


if you want to save som emoney you could opt for a cheaper PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817121067
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817151100 (Sea sonic makes some of the best PSUs)

I'd make a couple changes on your peripherals.

Mouse:
Newegg.com - RAZER Black 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Optical/Laser 6400 dpi Mamba 2012 Elite Ergonomic Wireless Gaming Mouse
I bought this mouse about a month ago. I had a Razer Copperhead for 5+ years and it was still performing just fine. This mouse goes up to 6400 DPI and has a lot of cool features that I am certain Logitech doesn't. It's worth it's money as it has both Wired and Wireless modes, and the wireless absolutely amazing. I've never used a wireless mouse this responsive, I can't even tell the difference. Ignore the bad reviews, mine works perfect.

Mousepad:
Newegg.com - RAZER Goliathus Gaming Mouse Mat - Fragged Speed Edition - Omega S
Standard mousepad, works great with any mouse.

Headset:
Newegg.com - RAZER Tiamat 7.1 5 x 3.5mm jack, 1x USB for power Connector Circumaural Surround Sound Analog Gaming Headset
If you have another pair of headphones, wait until this baby comes out. It's TRUE 7.1 surround sound. No other gaming headset offers that. It uses 5 x 3.5mm connections (your motherboard supports this), so it is actual 7.1 surround, not just simulated. It'll be worth the wait.

Interesting mouse pad. Could definitely use a new one by now. Not sure about the mouse though.

Also, the reason I chose the headset I did was because it is wireless. I'm trying to cut down on some of the wires for this new build.

azreal64 wrote:Interesting mouse pad. Could definitely use a new one by now. Not sure about the mouse though.

Also, the reason I chose the headset I did was because it is wireless. I'm trying to cut down on some of the wires for this new build.

As I said the mouse is both wireless and wired, so the cord is your choice. I've tried both while gaming and I've noticed no difference. It's supposed to be a leap forward in wireless technology for gaming. About 18 hours straight gaming battery life. I've gone a whole day without charging, but I haven't had the chance to play a whole 18 hours straight.

I haven't heard many good things about wireless headsets, but that's up to you.

I was putting together a build order for a $4000 system a few weeks ago, but it looks like I won't be able to build it yet. Your system being half the price, I would expect the overall quality/performance value to be lower as well. Because each person has their own requirements and personal opinions/"tastes" on what they buy/use, you're going to see a LOT of opinion-filled arguments any time you ask for advice.

One thing that I did notice though is that a few of the items you've selected could be swapped out for something comparable, allowing you to upgrade other components for just a few bucks.

For example, the mobo/cpu you linked totals around $550. The one I was planning to get is only around $410 (after rebate) as a combo, and has comparable stats. It's a slightly lower model, but it's more than good enough for the job. That's nearly $100 you could put towards other components.

Another example is the video card you are considering. The one you listed was running $500 and is out of stock. The one I was considering is only $510 but has better performance. That's a 2GB to 3GB upgrade for $10.


My advice, listen to opinions/comments, but don't let anyone force or wrongfully influence you into buying something that you personally don't want/need. Remember that nobody commenting in this topic has provided any official IT certification, consider posts here as suggestion/opinion more than fact unless official linked sources is provided and you can understand what you're reading.

In other words, choose what you want, not what someone tells you to choose. In the end, if you buy bottled air and find it's worthless, there's nobody to blame. And don't forget to hit up as many web sites as you can for the best prices. Newegg, TigerDirect, Ebay, etc can all offer the best price on an individual item.

[R-DEV]Ninja2dan wrote:I was putting together a build order for a $4000 system a few weeks ago, but it looks like I won't be able to build it yet.

$4000??

what the hell are you building a supercomputer?

[R-COM]rushn wrote:$4000??

what the hell are you building a supercomputer?

I built my last system (the one I'm using now) about 6-7 years ago. When I build a PC, I plan to use it for a long time. And with all of the components that I selected for that price, it'll be a computer I can continue using for several years before it is considered outdated. It also has a lot of features that I need for work and play, and includes items like the G19 keyboard and a 5.1 speaker setup. Software such as Win 7 Ultimate and MS Office Pro 2010 Suite are included in the price too, which aren't cheap.

In another 2 years the price of those components is likely to drop in half, but if I want that system now it's going to be expensive. But I won't need to build/rebuild a new PC in another 3 or so years, so in the end I'm saving money.

Of course my decision to buy and build that system was based on being accepted for a job that I was later denied. I was expecting to be earning roughly $2600 a month, so the price was more than acceptable. But having been eventually denied the job, building a new system has once again been put on hold.

[R-DEV]Ninja2dan wrote:Of course my decision to buy and build that system was based on being accepted for a job that I was later denied.

That sucks. I'm going to start applying for some jobs in the aviation soon, so I'm expecting to be making around $4700 a month. If I manage to get one, I'm getting rid of this FX-8150 I have a switching to an Intel, probably a i5-2500K or a i7-3930K.

[R-DEV]Ninja2dan wrote: Of course my decision to buy and build that system was based on being accepted for a job that I was later denied. I was expecting to be earning roughly $2600 a month, so the price was more than acceptable. But having been eventually denied the job, building a new system has once again been put on hold.

that truly sucks

I hope everything works out for you in the end

Here's another question for you guys. I'm hooking my computer up to a nice HDTV, and as such, I want to buy an optical drive that can read Blu-ray movies and such. I've chosen this

Newegg.com - ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS - Blu-Ray Drives

Will it read Blu-rays right out of the box or do I need some sort of special software?

Only player and Ive heard good stuff about daplayer so thats only thing you need.

DAPlayer - Free HD Bluray Video Multimedia Player Software

azreal64 wrote:Here's another question for you guys. I'm hooking my computer up to a nice HDTV, and as such, I want to buy an optical drive that can read Blu-ray movies and such. I've chosen this

Newegg.com - ASUS Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Drive Model BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS - Blu-Ray Drives

Will it read Blu-rays right out of the box or do I need some sort of special software?

It's an OEM drive, which often means no software/utilities included. It's a great drive though.

And Massive is correct, Digiarty is a decent company and their DAPlayer is not bad software.