Advice on PC Build and Price

[Goku8]

What do you guys think of this:

• Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i5-3570 (3.4GHz, 6M Cache, 4x Cores) CPU
• MSI Z77A-G43 Z77 Chipset SATA3 6.0Gb/s USB 3.0 Motherboard
• NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti Overclocked Edition 1GB 192bit DDR5 DX11 Graphics Card
• Thermaltake Commander GS-III USB 3.0 Window Gaming Case
• Corsair Gaming Series GS500 500W 80+ High Performance Power Supply
• Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz High Performance Gaming RAM
• 750GB Western Digital 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
• 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
• Integrated 8 CH High Defination Sound Card
• Integrated Gigabit LAN Card - Broadband Ready

Price: 7,799.00 (looking for maximum 8 grand to spend)

I would require it for games (crysis, farcry, need for speed, fallout vegas, just cause 2, etc) on a decent graphics level and it must be smooth also for watching movies, internet etc. I am not a hectic gamer though.

Thanks for all your advice/suggestions!!

[Chevron]

What do you guys think of this:

• Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i5-3570 (3.4GHz, 6M Cache, 4x Cores) CPU
• MSI Z77A-G43 Z77 Chipset SATA3 6.0Gb/s USB 3.0 Motherboard
• NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti Overclocked Edition 1GB 192bit DDR5 DX11 Graphics Card
• Thermaltake Commander GS-III USB 3.0 Window Gaming Case
• Corsair Gaming Series GS500 500W 80+ High Performance Power Supply
• Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz High Performance Gaming RAM
• 750GB Western Digital 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
• 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
• Integrated 8 CH High Defination Sound Card
• Integrated Gigabit LAN Card - Broadband Ready

Price: 7,799.00 (looking for maximum 8 grand to spend)

I would require it for games (crysis, farcry, need for speed, fallout vegas, just cause 2, etc) on a decent graphics level and it must be smooth also for watching movies, internet etc. I am not a hectic gamer though.

Thanks for all your advice/suggestions!!

Rather take a 7770 or spend the extra bucks on a 560Ti.

[froot]

Rather take a 7770 or spend the extra bucks on a 560Ti.

This. The 550 is like buying a detuned sportscar

If you can spare it, upgrade the GS500 to a TX. The GS has poor energy efficiency ratings (iow it wastes more power than the rest) (although it's not a bad PSU).

[Duff-Man]

What do you guys think of this:

• Intel® 3rd Generation Core™ i5-3570 (3.4GHz, 6M Cache, 4x Cores) CPU
• MSI Z77A-G43 Z77 Chipset SATA3 6.0Gb/s USB 3.0 Motherboard
• NVIDIA GTX 550 Ti Overclocked Edition 1GB 192bit DDR5 DX11 Graphics Card
• Thermaltake Commander GS-III USB 3.0 Window Gaming Case
• Corsair Gaming Series GS500 500W 80+ High Performance Power Supply
• Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz High Performance Gaming RAM
• 750GB Western Digital 7200RPM 64MB Cache SATA3 6.0Gb/s Hard Drive
• 24x Dual Layer DVD +/- Writer
• Integrated 8 CH High Defination Sound Card
• Integrated Gigabit LAN Card - Broadband Ready

Price: 7,799.00 (looking for maximum 8 grand to spend)

I would require it for games (crysis, farcry, need for speed, fallout vegas, just cause 2, etc) on a decent graphics level and it must be smooth also for watching movies, internet etc. I am not a hectic gamer though.

Thanks for all your advice/suggestions!!

Hi Goku8

My advice would be to drop the i5 3570 for an i5 3450 (since you're probably not going to be not overclocking), upgrade your motherboard to an ASRock Z77 Extreme4, change your PSU to either a Corsair TX550 or Antec HCG 520w and upgrade your GPU to an HD6850.

I would give you a full quote, but currently I'm very busy working with a website, if you need any additional info check "The PC Build Thread" in my signature.

[NAG - Wesley]

Honestly OP, get an extra R500, follow my recommendations and don't buy from Evetech. You can do much better.

and upgrade your GPU to an HD6850.

Dude, you realise those are next to impossible to find in stock these days?

[Pada]

+1 to what Wesley said!

Evetech is a good starting point if you know absolutely nothing and most of their builds aren't that badly balanced either.

In the end, you can get a much better balanced system if you select the components yourself. If you don't think you can build the PC up yourself, then I'd suggest that you rather spend R300 extra by letting the online shop build it for you.

I think they might even install Windows for you if you buy that too, in which case you shouldn't have to struggle with DoA (Dead on Arrival) components...

If you really have to keep your budget below R8000, then you can downgrade the GPU slightly - to like an HD6870.
The motherboard + CPU that Wesley has in that guide of his should last you a really long time, especially if you go and get an aftermarket cooler and start to overclock it in a year or two's time! You can really get like 20-50% more out of the CPU when you overclock it!

[NAG - Wesley]

you can downgrade the GPU slightly - to like an HD6870.

On a side-note, if anyone's thinking about getting one of these puppies now, don't. Nvidia's GTX650 is going to kick sand in its face for roughly the same price.

[Goku8]

Thanks for all the advice! As much as i want to build a pc myself from scratch, i wouldnt know where to start. Although reading the pc build thread does help. Im willing to wait till the end of the year, but is it really worth it. Need a pc for hd movies and medium gaming of the above titles, though am not sure how they will perform in terms of performance and efficiency. If i can make 7 grand it will be cool. Heard the joker builds pcs, not sure about you duff man?

[Duff-Man]

Honestly OP, get an extra R500, follow my recommendations and don't buy from Evetech. You can do much better.



Dude, you realise those are next to impossible to find in stock these days?

WebAntics has stock of an ASUS HD6850 @ R1697

[NAG - Wesley]

Still an old card though. Its a good price but I expected it to drop to R1500 before AMD stopped making them.

And when I said next to impossible, most retailers don't have stock left. If you can find one at a good price, you can consider yourself lucky.