New build - rough overview, advice welcome

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AnthIste

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So I'm selling my current PC and building a new one (see this thread). So far I've got a rough overview of what I'm going for, but nothing is set in stone because it might still be a while (I'm hoping maximum a month, but that would suck) before I have the cash to afford it. The budget I'm aiming for is about R10000, but I could stretch that a little bit if there's something really worth the extra money.

I'm doing a Computer Science degree, and I do spend a lot of time coding and looking things up on the web. There's too little time to enjoy a nice game these days :(. This made me think of saving a bit of cash for a nice 24" display and a solid mechanical keyboard, so keep this in mind. If you're going to be spending a lot of time at your PC, at least get comfortable, right?

This is basically what I've looked at so far (all prices from Prophecy for the time being):
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core LGA1155 3.3GHz Boxed Processor (Sandybridge) - R1991.53 (inc VAT)
Mobo: Asus P8P67-M LGA1155 Dual-Channel DDR3 (New B3 Sandybridge) PCI-E x16 - R1354.14 (inc VAT)
GPU: EVGA NVIDIA GeForce GTX570 HD 1280MB GDDR5 320-bit PCI-E x16 - R3722.56 (inc VAT)
RAM: OCZ OCZ3G1333LV4G Gold Edition Low-Voltage 4GB DDR3-1333 1.65v CL9 Desktop (x2 = 8GB) - R923.04 (inc VAT)
PSU: Corsair TX650W , Eps12V , ATX 12V V2.2 - 620w ( 12v : 624w ) , nv - R924.36 (inc VAT)
HDD: Seagate ST31000526SV Barracuda SV35 1TB SATA3 6gb/s 7200rpm - R663.84 (inc VAT)
DVD Drive: LG GH22NS50-OEM SATA DVD Writer - R226.58 (inc VAT)
Chassis: Coolermaster Elite 430 (RC-430) Black Chassis with Window - No PSU - R434.82 (inc VAT)

Total: R10240.87

Things like the RAM and Mobo are more flexible... If cheaper non-generic RAM is available, I'd probably take it. If somebody knows of a good motherboard for the i5 2500k that's cheaper than the one listed but just as effective, please do tell. Also, I'm not planning on going SLI, probably ever.

Things that I'm thinking about are:
- The chassis: Is it worth spending more here? That's something that really annoys me about my current build. I have a small, cheapish case, and this massive HD 4890 that reaches all the way to the hard drives. Cabling is tight, too
- The mobo: This I've always wondered about. How much difference, performance wise, does a more expensive mobo make? Is it more just for stability and overclocking potential than plain speed?
- The RAM: I do development, and like to have a lot of things open. RAM is pretty cheap these days, and the extra overhead will be nice. Thoughts about getting 8GB as opposed to 4GB?
- The GPU: I currently play on 1600x900 but I'm planning on upgrading to a 24" (probably 1920x1080) soon. Think the 570 is overkill?

As I think of more things I'll probably edit them in. But yeah, this is basically a development machine, but I like to play games when I get the chance. Any thoughts, suggestions? The more I can slim this down to something great in terms of price/performance, the more I can spend on some nice peripherals, which are also important.
 
Chassis - I like to think that spending extra here is worth it since it will easily outlast everything else. CM690 is a few hundred more but worlds better.
Mobo looks fine, wont get one for much cheaper than that
I would not buy OCZ RAM (esp since those ones are 1.65V), try for 1.5V (real DDR3 RAM) Corsair or G.Skill rather
GPU, you could buy a HD6950 for R2600 unlock it, and get close to 570 levels. Else the 570 is the last card in the price performance sweet spot, great performance but its not omgwtf expensive yet
 
The only things I have a problem with is RAM and case.

RAM - OCZ have stopped making RAM. Go with Corsair. Their new Vengeance RAM is very nice and good value, otherwise their XMS3 is fine. Yes, 2 x 4GB is good.

Case - CM Elite are not bad at all, but they are small inside and building into them and removing parts is not as convenient as the bigger CM cases. Go with the CM690, otherwise the Storm Scout looks great as well but is smaller than the CM690. Won't be a problem for mid range graphics cards (in terms of size).

Okay, one last point I would like to touch on is graphics card. I suggest Asus because they are based in SA and warranty swap-out is very quick, with after-sales service a phone call away. If in Jo'burg you can return to Asus yourself. If in Cpt, you can return to Frontosa. My 2c.
 
Archer said:
Chassis - I like to think that spending extra here is worth it since it will easily outlast everything else. CM690 is a few hundred more but worlds better.
Mobo looks fine, wont get one for much cheaper than that
I would not buy OCZ RAM (esp since those ones are 1.65V), try for 1.5V (real DDR3 RAM) Corsair or G.Skill rather
GPU, you could buy a HD6950 for R2600 unlock it, and get close to 570 levels. Else the 570 is the last card in the price performance sweet spot, great performance but its not omgwtf expensive yet
Click to expand...
The CM690 looks really nice, but wow, it's almost 1k. I mean, for a case, that's actually relatively cheap. It's just quite a bit of money for something I tend to "throw on last with remaining budget", if you know what I mean. I'll keep it in mind though.

Do you have anything specific against OCZ though? I don't actually know what the difference between 1.65V and 1.5V is, is the 1.5V better performing all round or do you need to get a specific voltage depending on what platform you're getting?

I'm a bit skeptical about unlocking the HD6950. I read up about that a bit, and it seems that it might not be manufactured to handle being unlocked. Doesn't that void warranty too? I'd rather pay a bit extra for a solid card from a trusted manufacturer with a proper warranty. Unless the general consensus is that a 570 is too expensive considering what else is on the market, I think I'd rather stick to that for now.

Fuma said:
If your are not a gamer, you can get away with a 6850 for R1.5k and put that money on an SSD + 2600K
On the case, you can get the Coolermaster SGC-2000-KKN1 storm series - Scout since you might need to carry your pc to your classmate for some assignments.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't call myself a "hardcore gamer" (not anymore, anyways. Real life has a way of catching up with you). However, when I do get the chance to play games, I'd like to be able to max them out without too much thought.

I don't think a 2600k is worth the extra money here though, that's actually why I decided to just stick with the 2500k. It seems to perform insanely well regardless, and only in a few select applications (none of which I actually use) does the 2600k really pull ahead.

SSD's..... now there's something that I actually haven't done much reading about. Even if I cut down on the GPU, I think it would still be out of budget, because they are rather expensive, and I'd still need to get another drive for apps+data (assuming the SSD is for the OS and critical programs). It's still worth a look though.

Call me shallow, but a friend of mine who currently has quite a similar build to this, has the Scout. I'd rather go for a different case based on that reason alone :P

EDIT: your reply came through as I typed mine
PostmanPot said:
The only things I have a problem with is RAM and case.

RAM - OCZ have stopped making RAM. Go with Corsair. Their new Vengeance RAM is very nice and good value, otherwise their XMS3 is fine. Yes, 2 x 4GB is good.

Case - CM Elite are not bad at all, but they are small inside and building into them and removing parts is not as convenient as the bigger CM cases. Go with the CM690, otherwise the Storm Scout looks great as well but is smaller than the CM690. Won't be a problem for mid range graphics cards (in terms of size).

Okay, one last point I would like to touch on is graphics card. I suggest Asus because they are based in SA and warranty swap-out is very quick, with after-sales service a phone call away. If in Jo'burg you can return to Asus yourself. If in Cpt, you can return to Frontosa. My 2c.
Click to expand...
Ok, I guess that answers my question about OCZ. I currently have XMS3 RAM, and me and my friend had some bad bad bad compatibility issues with that and my current ASUS M4A785TD-V evo (he has the same board). With one 2GB module (all I have left now), it works fine, but as soon as you try 2x2GB all goes to hell. It's irrelevant now though because the other 2GB module is missing, but I'm still a bit weary of that RAM, and ASUS's RAM compatibility in general.

Read my above reply about the Scout and the CM690. The 690 looks pretty solid. Just one thing, if you buy a case like that, do they come fitted with fans, or do you supply the fans yourself?
 
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Unlocking the HD6950 does NOT void the warranty, this comes straight from AMD. Plus it has a dual BIOS, so if you really stuff it up you flick the switch back to stock BIOS and off you go.
RAM - OCZ sells most of their memory at 1.65V since it sucks, and it needs that extra voltage to be stable. Plus they dont actually make RAM anymore.
a HD6850 wont be able to play everything on max, it averages around 50fps. But turn off one or two features and it'll def be playable on any title.
 
AnthIste said:
Ok, I guess that answers my question about OCZ. I currently have XMS3 RAM, and me and my friend had some bad bad bad compatibility issues with that and my current ASUS M4A785TD-V evo (he has the same board). With one 2GB module (all I have left now), it works fine, but as soon as you try 2x2GB all goes to hell. It's irrelevant now though because the other 2GB module is missing, but I'm still a bit weary of that RAM, and ASUS's RAM compatibility in general.

Read my above reply about the Scout and the CM690. The 690 looks pretty solid. Just one thing, if you buy a case like that, do they come fitted with fans, or do you supply the fans yourself?
Click to expand...

Well you should always check memory compatibility. On the Asus site, download the Memory QVL (qualified vendor list). I don't think you will have a problem these days.

Yip, the better cases come with at least 3 120mm fans, so that's worth about R150.
 
AnthIste said:
It's just quite a bit of money for something I tend to "throw on last with remaining budget", if you know what I mean. I'll keep it in mind though.
Click to expand...

There are two things that you can't compromise on when it comes to a decent pc: a case and PSU. You can use these components for your next build and and .......
A good case will give you good airflow, and considering your GPU, you really need decent case and PSU.
I just bought a pc today from RebelTech R6.5k budget:

i7 2600 (non K) = R2460
Asus P8P67-M (On board VGA)= R1050
Corsair Tx650 = R840
DeepCool TigerShark = R355
CM Scout = R740
Mushkin Silverline DDR3 1333 1.5v 2x4GB = R784
LG DVD-Writer = R170
Click to expand...

I already have a DELL 23" screen. I will add an SSD, and a better GPU later on when I have the cash.
 
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AnthIste said:
There's too little time to enjoy a nice game these days :(. This made me think of saving a bit of cash for a nice 24" display and a solid mechanical keyboard, so keep this in mind. If you're going to be spending a lot of time at your PC, at least get comfortable, right?
Click to expand...

This is an important point for me. If you want the extra cash for these then rather drop in the graphics department to an HD6950. Even if you don't unlock it, like Archer says, it'll still be more than fine.

AnthIste said:
Mobo: Asus P8P67-M LGA1155 Dual-Channel DDR3 (New B3 Sandybridge) PCI-E x16 - R1354.14 (inc VAT)
Click to expand...

As stated, you won't get anything worthwhile on the 2500K that'll be worth it.

AnthIste said:
RAM: OCZ OCZ3G1333LV4G Gold Edition Low-Voltage 4GB DDR3-1333 1.65v CL9 Desktop (x2 = 8GB) - R923.04 (inc VAT)
Click to expand...

Rather go for Corsair. They are really great with their RAM and PSUs at the moment. Try the XMS as stated (R975 for 2x 4Gb) or the Vengeance (R1 050 for 2x 4Gb), although you should be fine with the XMS.

Your PSU and HDD is fine. You might want to consider SDD if you say you like having lots of things open, especially if you program and it has to go through lots of code etc. Just make sure you get one that performs well on smaller files. Like the Intel 320-series. Although I'm still not exactly convinced that the extra money spent makes that big a difference (please don't flame, just personal opinion)


AnthIste said:
Chassis: Coolermaster Elite 430 (RC-430) Black Chassis with Window - No PSU - R434.82 (inc VAT)
Click to expand...

As stated, rather spend a bit more. It's worth it and it'll last longer. The CM690 is definitely the way to go..
 
Archer said:
Unlocking the HD6950 does NOT void the warranty, this comes straight from AMD. Plus it has a dual BIOS, so if you really stuff it up you flick the switch back to stock BIOS and off you go.
RAM - OCZ sells most of their memory at 1.65V since it sucks, and it needs that extra voltage to be stable. Plus they dont actually make RAM anymore.
a HD6850 wont be able to play everything on max, it averages around 50fps. But turn off one or two features and it'll def be playable on any title.
Click to expand...
That's really good to know. In that case I'll do some more research and try to get some more in-depth comparisons of the two. It's a pretty decent price-drop. Thanks for the heads-up about the OCZ :)

PostmanPot said:
Well you should always check memory compatibility. On the Asus site, download the Memory QVL (qualified vendor list). I don't think you will have a problem these days.

Yip, the better cases come with at least 3 120mm fans, so that's worth about R150.
Click to expand...
That's the thing, apparently they even listed memory on their QVL that wasn't actually compatible. It's been a while though. Good to know about the fans. It would be quite funny to have everything arrive, and nothing to cool the PC :P

Fuma said:
There are two things that you can't compromise on when it comes to a decent pc: a case and PSU. You can use these components for your next build and and .......
A good case will give you good airflow, and considering your GPU, you really need decent case and PSU.
I just bought a pc today from RebelTech R6.5k budget:

I already have a DELL 23" screen. I will add an SSD, and a better GPU later on when I have the cash.
Click to expand...
Damn. That's a good price. As for the PSU, I don't think the Corsair will give any issues (I read up about Corsair PSU's, seems hard to go wrong with them in terms of quality), and it should be more than sufficient for a single card setup, right?

If you got the scout for just over R700, I'm wondering if there isn't a midway between that and the 690, or something for a similar price to the scout that's also good. I'll do more reading though
 
AnthIste said:
If you got the scout for just over R700, I'm wondering if there isn't a midway between that and the 690, or something for a similar price to the scout that's also good. I'll do more reading though
Click to expand...
You have 3 kinds of the 690: Basic, Plus, and Advanced (all w/out side window). The advanced is the expensive one.
Basic = R765
Another Basic = R837
Plus = R837
Advanced = R878
...and and

I have been wanting to buy my pc since last year Oct and 690 has been my chosen case, till last week I changed to the Scout due to the handle.
 
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The only Issue I have with your choice of components is the Hard drive - only drives I trust are WD , after having a pile of stuffed Seagates . Coolermaster HAF912 advanced is also a case worth considering , comes with 2x 200mm fans ( front and top ) and 1x 120mm at the back .
 
fredeb said:
The only Issue I have with your choice of components is the Hard drive - only drives I trust are WD , after having a pile of stuffed Seagates . Coolermaster HAF912 advanced is also a case worth considering , comes with 2x 200mm fans ( front and top ) and 1x 120mm at the back .
Click to expand...

I've personally owned both and havent had trouble with either. I must ask though, when shopping around for a primary harddrive (for OS + game installs), what is the most important thing to look at? I mean there are tons of 7200rpm 1TB drives listed, and I'm not sure if it's better to just go for the cheaper option, or really do a ton of research eg. when buying a CPU+Mobo combo

Ono'rach said:
I can vouch for the CM690II, it is a very good case.

Memory wise, Mushkin make good modules at affordable prices, like these ones

Edit: I have the CM690II Plus
Click to expand...
That silverline 2x4GB looks very nice, I've added them to my list. You guys have really won me over with the CoolerMaster :P. Are there any suppliers other than online retailers that sell cases (I'm thinking places like Makro). It's quite heavy for shipping and maybe it will just be cheaper elsewhere
 
AnthIste said:
I've personally owned both and havent had trouble with either. I must ask though, when shopping around for a primary harddrive (for OS + game installs), what is the most important thing to look at? I mean there are tons of 7200rpm 1TB drives listed, and I'm not sure if it's better to just go for the cheaper option, or really do a ton of research eg. when buying a CPU+Mobo combo
Click to expand...

The one with the biggest cache memory.
 
fredeb said:
The only Issue I have with your choice of components is the Hard drive - only drives I trust are WD , after having a pile of stuffed Seagates . Coolermaster HAF912 advanced is also a case worth considering , comes with 2x 200mm fans ( front and top ) and 1x 120mm at the back .
Click to expand...

HDD is a HDD is a HDD... :p
 
Ok, so I looked on WootWare for the same hardware, and for about R100 less I can get:
The ASUS mobo (full ATX version)
G Skill RipJaws memory (they don't seem to stock the Mushkin Silverline, but I've heard good things of the RipJaws)
A Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB drive, which is apparently very good: 1) http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/internal-hard-drives/1279441/samsung-spinpoint-f3-1tb, 2) http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/10/06/samsung-spinpoint-f3-1tb-review/10
The CM 690 II Advanced (not Plus - it comes with an extra fan and some other goodies).

Full build:
CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz LGA1155 32nm Quad-Core - Retail - R1,918.00
Mobo: ASUS P8P67 LE LGA1155 Intel P67 B3 Revision ATX - R1,637.00
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX570 1280MB HD PCI-E Graphics Card - Retail - R3,450.00
RAM: G.Skill F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL 2x4GB DDR3-1333 Ripjaws X - Desktop Memory - R846
PSU: Corsair TX650W, Eps12V, ATX 12V V2.2 - 620W (12v: 624W), nVidia SLi Ready - R900
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" SATA2 Internal Hard Drive - OEM - R572
Chassis: CoolerMaster RC-692-KKN2, CM690 II Advanced, No PSU - ATX - R967
DVD: ASUS DRW-24B3ST 24x Sata Internal DVD Writer - Retail - R262
Total R10552

Now the question is. I am based in Pretoria. They are based in Somerset West. They do deliver here, but I'm worried about future returns etc. Their return policy is quite nice, they cover shipping if it's a serious issue, but it's a long distance and quite a hassle.

I have heard many recommendations for WootWare so I am not too worried about their honesty/service, but I'm wondering if it isn't maybe a good idea to order from somewhere closer to home?

Also, do you think it's worth it staying at the same price level with some better hardware, or to just get the same build for cheaper. I'm thinking of this as "extra" saved money, which isn't exactly accurate, but it's nice thinking that way :P
 
Yeah good HDD!

I would recommend buying closer to home in light of future returns. Closer = faster. Try Prophecy, maybe they can match Wootware.
 
Hmm. The price is just sooo.. tempting :P. By match, do you mean just have a similar price off the bat? Because my first build is all sourced from prophecy... the GTX 570 is about R400 more expensive at prophecy, and everything else in general is marginally more expensive (it adds up to quite a bit in the end). Unless you mean I should email them and tell them that they're being seriously outpriced here, and can they match it?

EDIT: oops, my maths is bad, the difference isn't that great on the GTX 570, but still, it was a fair amount less expensive
 
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