'Nuther PC Build- Any Advice?

[wulvfen]

AaaaRooooo!!!!! ALLRIGHT!!!

 

Finally got some money together to do my first computer build, as opposed to buying retail.

The extreme high end of my budget is $2000 [Canadian], but I really want to get it down to around $1500 without sacrificing too much for capabilities.

I've been working with 'Wytek Direct.com', a company located here in town that does custom work. The reason I'm going with them is that if I get them to build it for me, I get a decent warranty for the product and if anything goes wrong, I can take it directly to them for service.

 

Here's what Wytek and I have come up with so far;

 

MoBo - Asus Rock Z77 Extreme 4 ATX LGA1155

CPU - Intel i5-3570k [3.4 Ghz] Quad core

RAM - Kingston ? [no model given] 2 x 4gb = 8gb [@ 1600 mhz]

HDD - Seagate 2TB Barracuda @ 7200 rpm

SSD - Sandisk 120gb

GPU - nVidia GeForce GTX 660

CD/DVD - LG Blu-ray/CD/DVD-RW [24x]

LAN - TLWN851ND Wireless N 300

Sound - Asus Xonar DX 7.1 PCI-e

Case - CoolerMaster ATX Haf 932 [blue]-I like blue stuff

Power - Corsair Bronze 750 watt

Heatpipe - CoolerMaster EVO 212

Fan add-on - Coolermaster Megaflow 200mm [blue led of course]

Artic Silver Thermal paste

OS - Windows 7 Pro

 

Current Price = $1930 for everything inc. taxes

 

I've probably overbuilt to some degree, but I want this computer to still be upgradeable/viable for the next, say, 5 years or so.

 

The primary function of this build will to be able to play the latest and greatest games, as well as a personal desktop AND I'm getting into modding, both as user and author.

 

I don't know a lot about BRAND names, so I would like all of your knowledges and inputs as to any changes I should consider or make.

I'm thinking of some changes to the above build, which are;

 

CPU - Change to Intel i7-3770k [i want to be able to overclock if

needed, therefore the 'k' model]

 

CD/DVD - I have a Lightscribe Lite-On DVD-RW SHW-160PS

[24x] dual-layer burner.

 

Do I need a Blu-ray device? I'm considering it because

games are getting so big that it takes 3-5 dvds to do a

disc install nowadays and Blu-ray can stuff it all on one

I don't have any Blu-ray tech, not even a Blu-ray movie

so do I need it?

I know Sonys' PS consoles are using Blu-ray discs for

their games.

Is Blu-ray going to come to PC games at anytime soon,

if at all, or can I just install my Lite-On instead and save

some 'Loonies'?

 

HDD - Currently a 'Seagate' model, but I'm seeing comments that

say one should choose a different brand based on quality.

Suggestions?

 

RAM - Kingston. I've used Kingston ram on previous upgrades,

but again, I'm hearing one should use a different brand,

like Corsair? [Again, I don't know brands]

 

Sound - Asus Xonar DX 7.1. I don't have surround sound

speakers/headphones, but I've got some games now

that require a sound card. I want to do voice acting

dialogue for myself and other authors.[Decades of

RPGing at LEAST 2x a month, lotsa characters in my

head crying to get out]. Should I change it?

 

Any advice or other thoughts for me peoples?

Edited July 29, 2013 by wulvfen

[hoofhearted4]

get Haswell CPU. socket 1155 is done now. a new build shoukd b using the newest socket so you can upgrade in the future.

 

 

and i doubt you'll need Blu ray. i don't see pc games coming to Blu ray as that would limit the market plus with everything going digital and steam even more of a reason that they won't go Blu ray

[wulvfen]

THX hoofhearted4

A Haswell CPU?

Do you mean the newer '2011' pin set, like for the i7-4770/[k] chip set? Do I change the MoBo? What MoBo? Could you be more specific please as to what you are referring to? What's the story about next year and the Broadwell sets to come? I'm getting conflicting data about just how good a Haswell is for gaming, as some like, some don't.

Sorry if I'm re-hashing but I want to understand and get it right.

Edited July 29, 2013 by wulvfen

[Rennn]

How much are you spending on the 660? It seems odd that for $2000 you're going with a mid-range video card.

Edited July 30, 2013 by Rennn

[hoofhearted4]

sorry, i was replying on my phone, so i couldnt look things up. i couldnt remember the socket number.

 

but no, Haswell is LGA 1150 and the mobo is z87. the reason i say get this is because the chip you want (the 3770k) is the last one that was made for the 1155 chipset. while its a good CPU, when its time to upgrade you will HAVE to upgrade your mobo as well. however, if you get the 1150 chipset, when it comes time to upgrade, there will be another two or three generations of CPUs to have come out on it for you to upgrade to without needing to grab a new mobo.

 

the reason people havent been to happy with the new chips is because their performance increase over previous chips is only a few percent increase. while their overclocking abilities are much worse (because of their smaller die size and thus they cant cool themselves off as fast and whatnot. idk specifics, but its because there is less silicon in the dies or something like that). the older Sandy Bridge chips are still the best at OCing, allowing them to stay up to pace with these newer chips, and those who like to do some heavy OCs prefer those chips. the difference between the old chips and the new chips is really only noticeable in benchmarks. but i recommend the newest stuff because of the reason i listed above.

[wulvfen]

Rennn

 

I'm an nVidia user, in my opinion they are simply better overall. As for the 660 GPU it's not set in steel, just a card that's proven and part of a package deal w/ the power supply. I'm fully open to suggestions and personal input concerning the newer GPUs', for instance the 760 or 770 GTX series, but like my OP sez, I really don't know brands/types or what's the best 'bang for the buck' so well. For example, on the parts picker site, I see lots of GTX 770 GPUs', some by EVGA, some by Asus, others, so what to choose? It's still a bit confusing to me.....

 

hoofhearted4

 

So if I got this right, you suggest upgrading the processor to the Intel Core i7-4770/[k] Haswell 3.5 Ghz LGA 1150 84w Quad [only $50 more for me] and getting a Z87 MoBo, like the Asus Rock Extreme 4 LGA 1150 [only $30]. Totally do-able, I definitely want to be able to upgrade my system should the need arise. Any more precise info to share as to what's what?

 

Just to note - I'm not an extreme gamer, but I play almost every night for 1-3 hours. I'm not an online gamer [yet, I got friends bugging me to get this built so I can run MechWarrior and join them], but I want to be able to play my games modded and on ultimate settings, without stutter or lag [ yeah, I know sometimes there is just nothing you can do about it, as it's a game issue] but mostly because this machine I'm on just is too old for the new stuff to even run on. [Gateway 5082 GT w/ an nVidia 8600 GT GPU and 4GB RAM. Stumble, stagger, trip, fall.....]

 

[Edit] - Oh yeah, I'm using a Steel Series Merc Stealth keyboard and a Diablo III 7-button gaming mouse, gotta get some decent headphones/mic. yet, AND this is all gonna be viewed thru my Philips 46" 1080pi LED TV [until it blows out, the screens starting to 'dark line/dark spot' in places, which the Mrs. hated, so I bought a new 55 incher for the living room]. Changing a spare room into my computer room/den and I'm gonna wall mount it.

Edited July 30, 2013 by wulvfen

[hoofhearted4]

if you want to be playing on the best settings your going to want either a GTX 670/80 or an AMD 7950/70. i personally have a Gigabyte 7950 and have had no problems playing anything at max settings. it was the best bang for buck card out when i bought it, and i still highly recommend it to anyone buying a new build. i will eventually be buying a second one for xfire....another user on here (Thor) has two in xfire already, and loves them.

 

and yes, thats what im talking about. though you dont need the 4770k, the 4570k will suffice. unless you plan on doing video editing, coding, or photoshopping (large amounts), you wont need the extra power (hyperthreading) of the 4770k, and can save yourself some money (~$100)

 

as for a mobo, well i have an Ivy Bridge CPU (3570k) and i have an ASRock Z77 Extreme 4 board (You said Asus Rock, which isnt entirely wrong, since ASRock is a subsidiary of Asus, but yea, im assuming you mean ASRock). so i would recommend the ASRock z87 Extreme 4. just doing a quick look it has 3 PCIe3.0 slots, which is always good for future upgrades, adding cards, etc. and at a modest price.

 

as for the rest of the build. HDD, people have certain brands they like, swear by some and disown others. i personally have a 1TB Western Digital Cavier Black. a nice high performance HDD, but really nothing different then most others offered. WD has a good reputation, as does the specific HDD i purchased. however, the 1TB is almost full lol. will have to buy another one soon. Steam fills it up faster then id thought......also i would highly recommend an SSD. 64gb would be enough for your OS and a few applications (but probably no games) i have a 128gb myself, with OS, Apps, and a few games. however, i really wanna upgrade to something like a 480gb. so i can mess around with Duel Boot, VMs (on SSD) and have plenty of space for Apps, and non Steam games. if you got the money, get the 128gb, so you dont have to worry about Space. windows likes to bloat and can take up 64gb fast, even when taken care of. i dont install anything on my C: Drive (which is just my OS) and i keep it clean, and Windows 7 x64 Pro still takes up 48gb. i have a Crucial M4 128gb, so thats also what i recommend.

 

RAM, is simple. you wont see any difference between brands, nor any difference between speeds. i have 16gb G.Skill Sniper RAM 1600Mhz. its a little overpriced honestly, but i like the look. youll want a minimum of 8gb. i have 16gb cause i like to use Virtual Machines. some people are saying youre going to need 12GB+ of RAM once the new consoles hit. i still think 8GB will be fine, even after they hit, but RAM is relatively cheap, so if you can, there is no reason not to stick 16GB in there, and never have to worry. but 16gb is overkill for any sort of gaming right now.

 

cant help with sound card, as i dont have one, however there have been a couple Threads recently with the discussion revolving around the sound card. take a look. 1 and 2

Edited July 30, 2013 by hoofhearted4

[wulvfen]

hoofhearted4

 

SuhWeeet info, thanks a lot.

My sig. sez it all, I love learning stuff about stuff over stuff concerning stuff which....oh yeah, your info.

You are correct, I meant an AS Rock MoBo and thanks for the links to the sound card discusions.

I've been all over the web looking up stats and benchmarks and comparisons, but personal experience and opinions from others is still the best. Appreciate your views. Now I got a crapload of info to digest, process, and assimilate, and a computer redesign to look at.

As I said in my OP, it's gotta do me for a while and I want to be able to upgrade [at least some] to keep it at best performance.

[kalikka]

Soundcard:

Personally I recommend Xonar DGX if you don't own any high-end speakers. And by high-end I mean ~200$/speaker setups (I use those).

I have Xonar DG and D1, they are PCI versions of DGX and DX. I prefer DG over D1 with headphones (I use DT-770 headphones, European audio products FTW)

 

If you are dead-set on DX, I recommend to check Sound Blaster Z if the price is right (OEM/Bulk is pretty cheap).

The SBZ has optical in and DTS/DDL! support. And better virtual surround for headphones than ASUS cards (depends on taste).

 

Asus cards use Dolby Headphone and Creative cards use SBX/THX (SBZ/Recon3D) and CMSS-3D (Titanium HD/etc.). You can test how they compare to eachother in here.

 

Asus has better driver support than creative from the community.

---------

 

Info if you are interested:

Headphone damping factor

Xonar D1/DX has ~100 ohm output impedance, can't run any headphones that need amplification. This basically means that the soundcard is not that great for headphones. Great for speakers though.

Xonar DG(X) has ~10 ohm output impedance, can run around 150 ohm headphones with the build-in amplifier.

SBZ has ~20 ohm output impedance, can run 250 ohm headphones with the build-in amplifier.

 

OCN's Most Recommended Audio Products (guide)

Edited July 30, 2013 by kalikka

[wulvfen]

kalikka

 

Great of you to share all this wonderful audio info with me/us. THX!

Particularly love the links, that's going to help me a lot.

Not looking to blow myself out of my chair while vibrating the room, but I do want quality sound through headphones and would like to be able to do quality voice dialogues/edits for modding. As such, I'm trying to find the right sound card for my system build.

BTW, does the sound card affect microphone/recording quality/pickup? I'm thinking it does, but all my prior systems have used integrated programs, so idk.