Anyone consider themselves a PC Builder...

[requiem]

So I had my pc explode on me last night. Had a corsair 60 water cooling unit, but the dust buildup was so large that it wasn't cooling. My CPU temp breached 100 degrees for a while, was quite something.


The idea occured to me maybe its a sign to upgrade.

I don't need new monitors as I have 3 * 27 inch monitors. I also have a Geforce 680 I bought at rage.

Everything else can be upgraded. What type of build would you suggest.

My current idea looks like.
case - http://www.prophecy.co.za/lianli-pcx...k-p-56427.html
cooler - http://www.prophecy.co.za/corsair-h1...r-p-97095.html
cpu - http://www.prophecy.co.za/intel-core...-p-116172.html
mobo - http://www.prophecy.co.za/asus-p8z77...-p-115791.html
Ram - 2 * http://www.prophecy.co.za/corsair-cm...-p-111163.html
HDD - http://www.prophecy.co.za/agt325sat3...-p-111192.html


This is a quick list of links from prophecy. Not trying to advertise them. Just always used them. Anyone have any better ideas?

Can anyone advise better, I am not quite sure about the case and mobo...

 

[GreyBush]

You could do it cheaper without a performance knock in games...
drop the CPU to an i5 3570K and look at the ASROCK fatality Z77 board.
Ram can be got for cheaper and a smaller SSD with Intel Rapid storage enabled should give you decent performance.
Please don't buy a monster PSU, these 6 series GPU's sip power, plug your PC into Extreme PSU calculator to get the required size.

I've never really got the idea behind the H100 it's almost too much cooling for just a CPU... H80 is probably the max I would get. You'd probably hit the limits of "safe" voltage before your CPU got overly hot.

 

[requiem]

Thank you for the advise.

Has ASROCK become better. All Asrock's I've had have given me trouble. Stopped using them a while ago.
I particularly want 32GB of RAM for my VM's I will be running.

Which SSD will you suggest. I have a 120GB ATM and while I LOVE IT, I hate not having steam on it.

 

[GreyBush]

Thank you for the advise.

Has ASROCK become better. All Asrock's I've had have given me trouble. Stopped using them a while ago.
I particularly want 32GB of RAM for my VM's I will be running.

Which SSD will you suggest. I have a 120GB ATM and while I LOVE IT, I hate not having steam on it.

All I need to know when picking components is that they have warranty should something go wrong... reviews on the Asrock Z77 have been good, but more importantly they are under R2000.

Look into Intel Rapid Storage as an option, basically uses your SSD as a cache for the more frequently used files in your system.... if you chose to go this route you'd only need a smallish SSD.

 

[guest2013-1]

don't upgrade dude, go vintage with a 486x with 8mb ram

 

[eeCaJ]

Ars Technica just released their systems guide. I usually use it as a base for what I build every couple of years. Some of the stuff is tricky to obtain in SA, but it's a good place to start.

Ars Technica System Guide: December 2012

 

[Ry4n]

Thank you for the advise.

Has ASROCK become better. All Asrock's I've had have given me trouble. Stopped using them a while ago.
I particularly want 32GB of RAM for my VM's I will be running.

Which SSD will you suggest. I have a 120GB ATM and while I LOVE IT, I hate not having steam on it.

Check the latest version of Steam it allows up to choose the install location of games so you dont need the entire steam apps folder on your SSD only the games you want.

 

[midkemia]

Gigabyte Z77 - R1549 http://www.takealot.com/computers/c...1155-z77-express-chipset-motherboard,12795904

SSD - http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-recommendation-benchmark,3269-6.html
SSD Performance Hierarchy Chart
Tier 1
240 GB second-gen SandForce SSDs with Toggle NAND - http://www.comx-computers.co.za/HD-...G-SSD-Information-Price-Buy-Cheap-p-59734.php or http://www.pcmall.co.za/product.aspx?sku=SH103S3B-240G
Samsung 830 SSD 256 GB - http://www.expansys.co.za/samsung-256gb-ssd-830-series-2-5-sata-6gb-s-basic-kit-234630/ or http://www.toshop.co.za/home/product/25038#ad-image-0
Plextor M3 Pro 128 GB/256 GB -http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?products_id=72729&utm_source=shopmania&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=direct_link
OCZ Vertex 4 512/256 GB - http://www.comx-computers.co.za/VTX...5-SSD-Information-Price-Buy-Cheap-p-63197.php

 

[GreyBush]

Check the latest version of Steam it allows up to choose the install location of games so you dont need the entire steam apps folder on your SSD only the games you want.

Didn't know that... thanks a lot.

 

[Inn3rs3lf]

http://www.carbonite.co.za/f10/ax850-h100-42199/ Get yourself an H100 for the price of an H80

 

[HavocXphere]

Get a cpu with vt-d.

 

[Pada]

Get a cpu with vt-d.

Why exactly? You'll then also need a motherboard with VT-d support and actually use VM's that could make use of it - such as stuff that uses your graphics card.
VT-x is all you need for the majority of the VM's to run smoothly. Like the i7 3770k has just VT-x, where as the i7 3770 has both VT-x and VT-d.

@Requiem:
Why do you need such expensive brand & components?
Like paying almost R4k for a case is absurd, unless you're actually going to be using up all that space!

I recently upgraded my RAM from 16GB to 32GB (4x 8GB) for about R1600: http://www.wootware.co.za/g-skill-f...gb-ddr3-1600mhz-1-5v-cl10-desktop-memory.html
They work like a charm with my P7H55D-M Evo motherboard, even though it states the max is 16GB

Would you like overclocking your CPU? If you are, then you won't be able to get VT-d support with the Socket 1155 motherboards and a desktop CPU + motherboard.

If you're not going to overclock, then you won't need such an expensive motherboard & cooler either.

With the (expensive) build that you suggested, it could be worth while to have a look at the Socket 2011 stuff as well. Especially if you're going to be running CPU intensive VM's that make use of multiple cores, then you could benefit from a 6+ core CPU.

Lastly:
Prophecy Shop has been pretty expensive the past 2 years when you have to compare their prices with the likes of Wootware & Rebeltech.

 

[HavocXphere]

You'll then also need a motherboard with VT-d support

All of the AsRock Z77 boards should support it.

and actually use VM's that could make use of it

If he is running multiple VMs then chances of a type 1 hypervisor being used is pretty good...and most of those support VT-d afaik. The type 2 ones either already support it or will soon.

Why exactly? [...] VT-x is all you need for the majority of the VM's to run smoothly.

Why not? There isn't any additional cost (Actually its cheaper) & since OP seems to be running some heavy VM type setup it might prove useful later. Besides...Skyrim in a VM...tell me thats not cool.

Would depend what OP is doing in the VMs. My bet is on some kind of database work. I'd agree though that if OP wants to overclock then a k series CPU is the better trade-off.

 

[CataclysmZA]

So I had my pc explode on me last night. Had a corsair 60 water cooling unit, but the dust buildup was so large that it wasn't cooling. My CPU temp breached 100 degrees for a while, was quite something.

The idea occured to me maybe its a sign to upgrade.

The list you posted is fine, although I think you have bigger problems to worry about than what to upgrade to. You should really clean things out every six months.

 

[HavocXphere]

The list you posted is fine, although I think you have bigger problems to worry about than what to upgrade to. You should really clean things out every six months.

If one can lift the PC off the ground 30cm then that helps tons too for dust. I've got an alu DIY job to do that, but I'm sure there are simpler solutions.

 

[CataclysmZA]

If one can lift the PC off the ground 30cm then that helps tons too for dust. I've got an alu DIY job to do that, but I'm sure there are simpler solutions.

Sometimes changing the environment or regular cleaning is better. Have you ever seen what a PC that's been in a wood cutting factory looks like? I never knew wood dust could cake up so well! You can clean out that girl all you want, but its going to die eventually.

 

[HavocXphere]

Sometimes changing the environment or regular cleaning is better. Have you ever seen what a PC that's been in a wood cutting factory looks like? I never knew wood dust could cake up so well! You can clean out that girl all you want, but its going to die eventually.

I saw the pick your thinking of. Was still running iirc.

Apparently one can wash PCBs too...like with water etc. Last I heard about that was in a production env though...so before heatsinks and fans etc. Was prob also distilled.