Please help me build a system!

O

Ono'rach

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Hey guys, I really need the input of people who know whats hot and whats not in the PC Hardware arena...

I'm wanting to build a new PC for moderate gaming and have filled a shopping cart at Zaps as an example of more or less what I'm looking for:


MB--> MSI H55-G43 - Socket LGA1156 4xDDR3-1333
6xSATAII Gb LAN 2x PCI-e16x ATX Motherboard PIMS-H55-G43 RR956

CASE--> Coolermaster Elite 370 Black ATX Case FRCH-CE370N R377

H/D--> Samsung SATA2 1TB 7200RPM 32MB 3.5" Hard Drive SAHD103UJ R533

RAM--> Mushkin Silverline 4GB DDR3-1600 Low-Voltage 2x2GB RAM Kit FO996946 R794

Power--> Gigabyte Odin 585W PSUGE-P585A-C2 R496

CPU--> Intel i7 860(2.8GHz) Hypethreaded
Quad Core Processor IMBX80605I7860 R2,700

TOTAL R5,856

A few notes, the graphics card will come later, probably an ATI 6870?

I was initially thinking of the i5 760 (quad 2.8), so is the I7 (quad 2.8!) worth the extra moolah?

I do not understand motherboards and what make or model is good, totally clueless! Please help me choose the right one...

Thanks in advance
 
1) The i7 is only worth it if you're doing development work with software that can run multi-threaded, like video/audio encoding. Stick with the i5 760 for now.
2) If you're going to spend R8k+ on a "gaming" PC, I would recommend that you get a decent power supply (eg. CoolerMaster GX 550W) and not the Gigabyte Odin P.o.S.
You might even want to get a 650W PSU, to allow you to run 2x HD 6870's in CF :)
3) The onboard graphics only works with CPU's that have integrated GPU's, which excludes the i7 CPU's and the i5 7xx series CPU's.
4) You only need DDR3 1600 (faster than 1333MHz) if you're going to be overclocking by increasing the FSB (Bclk)

I'm quite fond of the Asus P7P55D-E LX @ R1350 motherboard, which includes SATA3 + USB3, but it doesn't have CrossFire support like the MSI one you've suggested.
I have a motherboard with USB3 support, but I haven't used it once so far. SATA3 is cool if you're getting very high performance hard drives / SSD's.

The CoolerMaster 690 II Plus case is quite popular, but it costs considerably more than the Elite 370. I'd reckon that the Elite 370 case would be fine if you're not going to be buying very high-end hardware that would produce massive amounts of heat.

Overall the components that you've selected are almost spot on :)
 
Thanks very much Pada for the in-depth response, I really appreciate it!

Dropping to 1333mhz memory and to an i5, with a 600w Coolermaster PSU, but keeping the motherboard for now, brings the total to R5367, which isn't to bad at all hey :)
 
go AMD

Still the best AMD cpu (forget the unnesscary six cores) is the Phenom II x 4 965 3.4ghz Black Edition, and the price has come down so much, used to be over 2 grand not long ago, now its about R1600 - R1700!!! whatta bargain, whatta steal

Best amd mobo--> MSI GD70 790FX -- R1700

etc... etc...
 
AMD Phenom II X4 965, 8MB, AM2+, 3.4GHZ L2 Cache Quad Core R 1 299 excl. R 1,480 incl.

I doubt the best mobo is a 790fx their must be a 890 chipset mobo that is better.
 
why not wait till January when Intel released their new cpus
 
Do what Pada said.

Then when Archer says something, do what he says, cos it will be the same as Pada, and it will be full of win.
 
Ono'rach said:
Thanks guys, I will look into the AMD, it is very well priced... Nelis, what new CPU's are coming out in January?
Click to expand...

LGA1155
Both Intel and AMD are switching to new sockets next year, so with either on you are restricted in terms of future CPU upgrades. Anyway, moderate gaming, both the i5 760 and Phenom 955/965 are fine. Pick whichever one you like, they will perform the same. I prefer supporting the underdog when all things are equal, but I also say to to each his own
 
I would also have to disagree that the MSI GD70 790FX is the best mobo. For instance, it doesn't have SLI / USB3 / SATA3 + it's an older chipset.
If you want to run 2x AMD graphics cards in CrossFire, then that motherboard is brilliant! Like I recently bought an Asus P6T Deluxe v2 motherboard (doesn't have SATA3 / USB3 either) 2nd-hand because of the spacing between the 2x PCIe 16x slots just to be able to run SLI/CF at cooler temperatures :)
Also: very few motherboards have dual Gigabit LAN, which really sux for me.

With that being said: you can get an AMD motherboard with basically the same features as the Intel motherboard I described (USB3 + SATA3 at least) for about R200 less.
eg Asus M4A87TD Evo @ R1200.
 
He wants to spend under R6k...how much is a sandy bridge chip +mobo gonna be, and will he be able to buy a whole new rig on that budget with brand new tech prices?

Not sure...
 
True, but it's good to be aware of these developments upfront.
 
I am an AMD fan and would recommend that you rather go for AMD (no real reasons other than its a personal preference and the fact that I have been using AMD for the last 9 years :D )

I would steer clear of the Samsung HDD though... I had a lot of &*^%% with one.

Do yourself a favor and go to www.newegg.com and find the gear you want to buy, dont look at the prices because that will only upset you... Look at the reviews, that should give you an idea of the quality of components you are buying. (Just keep in mind that there will be the odd fool posting a review)
 
I say go with whatever you want. They are both equally good at that level. When you start looking upwards is when I lean towards Intel...but, that's just me.
 
Great, thanks everybody for the feedback!

As much as I'd like to wait for the 1155 chipsets, I think its safe to assume that when they first come out the motherboards and CPU's will initially be quite expensive and it will take a while for the prices to come down....

I'm not a hectic gamer or anything, so I think that with my budget a current middle-of-the-road AMD or INTEL system should be ok for me...

But any other advice or ideas is always appreciated ;)
 
Hey Ono
The pricing is going to pretty much be the same as they are now, as the new sandybridge cpu's are just improvements of the current cpu's. Prices will at most, go up by 10%, unlikely tho.
Bear that in mind, before spending money on current generation gear, when the next gen is so close to release.
 
Vega i think you are missing the point.

If he was after a 950 or 980, then i would say wait for sandybridge, but look at the PC build he is after, it's perfect for what he needs it to do. Why push him past 1136 to 1155 just because its newer?

He wants a mid-range gaming machine, the specs he has in the OP are pretty much PERFECT for that. Why wait for something he will not use to its maximum potential ?

E.g. Dont buy the Hilux when the new Porsche Cayenne is coming out??? Not exactly relative.
 
Last edited:
luxe said:
Vega i think you are missing the point.

If he was after a 950 or 980, then i would say wait for sandybridge, but look at the PC build he is after, it's perfect for what he needs it to do. Why push him past 1136 to 1155 just because its newer?

He wants a mid-range gaming machine, the specs he has in the OP are pretty much PERFECT for that. Why wait for something he will not use to its maximum potential ?

E.g. Dont buy the Hilux when the new Porsche Cayenne is coming out??? Not exactly relative.
Click to expand...

Hey it was just my thoughts on the matter, he asked for any input. So i advised him based on that. Also, the only reason i say wait for the new architecture, is that it provides a bit more longevity is all. Performance wise the sandybridge have low to medium performers as well, so i didn't suggest that he go for a more powerful processor, just the latest model.
And he is going to be spending money on this system, so it only makes sense to get the best value for one's rand. Getting the new socket mobo will allow for greater upgrade options should his needs change in future, that is, cheaper just to buy a new cpu instead of the mobo + cpu.
 
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