Looking for some advice on a computer
- Thread starter Dragonmaster3
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Maybe.
The wattage on prebuilt PSUs tend to be relatively low, in addition to usually pretty crappy brands that aren't 80+ certified and prone to failure.
Also I've seen some cases that are actually too small for some of the larger cards, as well as having poor cable management/fans so cooling and airflow is pretty bad as well.
If you really want the free Xbox then I guess go ahead but you should really build a gaming PC.
The wattage on prebuilt PSUs tend to be relatively low, in addition to usually pretty crappy brands that aren't 80+ certified and prone to failure.
Also I've seen some cases that are actually too small for some of the larger cards, as well as having poor cable management/fans so cooling and airflow is pretty bad as well.
If you really want the free Xbox then I guess go ahead but you should really build a gaming PC.
Generally, replacing the graphics card shouldn´t be a problem, but yeah, the case really needs to be big enough.
You might want to check if you can get a better graphics card right away, though, on the long run that would save you some money. Unless of course the offer doesn´t include any better ones, in which case you should probably compare prices a little, as in "custom built PC with good graphics card + Xbox" vs "pre built PC wiht Xbox + graphics card.
A few quick thoughts:
- Two 500GB hard drives (one for the OS, programs, etc and one for files) may be slightly more comfortable to handle in case you want to format one (or both) than one 1TB drive.
- As far as I know, the 32-bit version of Windows 7 can only handle 4GB of memory, the rest simply won´t be used. Might want to check if the one they´re offering is the 64-bit version.
- Also, you should make sure the power supply is sufficient for the graphics card you´re planning to get.
- Obviously the kind of parts companies use for their pre-built PCs aren´t exactly the ones most people would buy for a custom PC (as in somewhat out of date, optimized version available, that kind of stuff)
You might want to check if you can get a better graphics card right away, though, on the long run that would save you some money. Unless of course the offer doesn´t include any better ones, in which case you should probably compare prices a little, as in "custom built PC with good graphics card + Xbox" vs "pre built PC wiht Xbox + graphics card.
A few quick thoughts:
- Two 500GB hard drives (one for the OS, programs, etc and one for files) may be slightly more comfortable to handle in case you want to format one (or both) than one 1TB drive.
- As far as I know, the 32-bit version of Windows 7 can only handle 4GB of memory, the rest simply won´t be used. Might want to check if the one they´re offering is the 64-bit version.
- Also, you should make sure the power supply is sufficient for the graphics card you´re planning to get.
- Obviously the kind of parts companies use for their pre-built PCs aren´t exactly the ones most people would buy for a custom PC (as in somewhat out of date, optimized version available, that kind of stuff)
Thanks for the reply guys. I decided to go with a custom built computer. Here are the components that I am going to get. I just wanted to know if they are compatible with one another, and any other recommendations are appreciated. Thanks!
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2300 BX80623I52300 Processor - Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.80 GHz, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Retail
Motherboard: MSI H67MA-E35 B3 Intel 6 Series Motherboard - Micro ATX, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Intel H67 Express, 1333MHz DDR3, SATA 6.0 Gb/s, RAID, 6-CH Audio, Intel HD Graphics, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0
Graphics Card: MSI N550GTX-Ti-M2D1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 550 Ti Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Mini HDMI, Dual DVI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, SLI Ready, Overclocked
Hard Drive: Seagate ST31000524AS Barracuda Hard Drive - 1TB, SATA 6Gbps, 7200 RPM, 32MB
PSU: Ultra LS600 Lifetime Series 600W Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, PCI-Express
Memory: Kingston KVR1333D3/4GETR 4096MB 1333MHz DDR3 Desktop Memory Upgrade - 1x4096MB, CL9
CD Drive: LG GH24NS50R 24x Internal CD/DVD Drive - DVD±R 24x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R DL 16x, DVD-R DL 12x, DVD-RAM 12x, CD-R 48x, CD-RW 32x, SATA, 2MB, Black, OEM
Case / Tower: NZXT Guardian 921 RB Red Mid Tower Computer Case - Silent Cooling, ATX, Micro ATX, Baby AT, Steel, Red-Blue
Let me know if I'm missing something, or a component is incompatible with one another. My budget is around $800 although I can go a little beyond that if necessary. Like I said, I'm not a huge PC gamer, but I want to play Witcher 2, Guild Wars 2 and the upcoming Star Wars game on high settings, really don't care if they are at 60 FPS, 30+ FPS is fine by me. Thanks again guys!
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit
Processor: Intel Core i5-2300 BX80623I52300 Processor - Quad Core, 6MB L3 Cache, 2.80 GHz, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Retail
Motherboard: MSI H67MA-E35 B3 Intel 6 Series Motherboard - Micro ATX, Socket H2 (LGA1155), Intel H67 Express, 1333MHz DDR3, SATA 6.0 Gb/s, RAID, 6-CH Audio, Intel HD Graphics, Gigabit LAN, USB 3.0
Graphics Card: MSI N550GTX-Ti-M2D1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 550 Ti Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Mini HDMI, Dual DVI, DirectX 11, Dual-Slot, SLI Ready, Overclocked
Hard Drive: Seagate ST31000524AS Barracuda Hard Drive - 1TB, SATA 6Gbps, 7200 RPM, 32MB
PSU: Ultra LS600 Lifetime Series 600W Power Supply - ATX, SATA-Ready, PCI-Express
Memory: Kingston KVR1333D3/4GETR 4096MB 1333MHz DDR3 Desktop Memory Upgrade - 1x4096MB, CL9
CD Drive: LG GH24NS50R 24x Internal CD/DVD Drive - DVD±R 24x, DVD+RW 8x, DVD-RW 6x, DVD+R DL 16x, DVD-R DL 12x, DVD-RAM 12x, CD-R 48x, CD-RW 32x, SATA, 2MB, Black, OEM
Case / Tower: NZXT Guardian 921 RB Red Mid Tower Computer Case - Silent Cooling, ATX, Micro ATX, Baby AT, Steel, Red-Blue
Let me know if I'm missing something, or a component is incompatible with one another. My budget is around $800 although I can go a little beyond that if necessary. Like I said, I'm not a huge PC gamer, but I want to play Witcher 2, Guild Wars 2 and the upcoming Star Wars game on high settings, really don't care if they are at 60 FPS, 30+ FPS is fine by me. Thanks again guys!
550Ti is an overpriced piece of crap. A 5770 matches the performance for about $20 cheaper.Dragonmaster3 said:
Go for 2x2GB of RAM for dual channel.
I've never heard of Ultra PSUs, but I'd go with a reputable brand like Antec or Seasonic.
Also Seagate is somewhat notorious for having their HDDs fail; go for a Spinpoint F3.
As far as CPU/mobo goes... yeah some people will go with the lower SB CPUs but I believe that you should stick with the X4 955 up until the i5 2500k.
Not to mention that the mobo is H67, so your overclocking will be limited if you do upgrade to a 2500k.
So it's really up to you, but imo the 955 is a better deal, especially when overclocked, which you can't do with the non-k SB CPUs.
Thanks for the advice, I'll change my parts accordingly. Also, I really don't know much about an i5-2300 vs. an i5-2400k as well as the H67 you mentioned on my motherboard. Are these good enough for the current generation games? I want my desktop to at least last me 5 years based on my current processor and the recommendations you listed. I know PC technology improves around every 6 months to a year, but I won't be running anything like Crysis on here. Thanks again!Kabutos said:
I actually went ahead on Newegg and made a build (right click view image)Dragonmaster3 said:
And yeah, every part is good. I've swapped out the GPU with a more powerful 6870, which will max out pretty much everything excluding Crysis/BF3 at 1920x1080.
I've also thrown in a good CPU cooler so you can overclock it to match or even exceed the lower end i5s.
Wow, sweet thanks! Although I just have one minor question. From what my friends told me, I heard the i5 is much faster than the AMD Phenom, such as it loads up applications faster and stuff and is future-proof. Is this true?Kabutos said:I actually went ahead on Newegg and made a build (right click view image)Dragonmaster3 said:
And yeah, every part is good. I've swapped out the GPU with a more powerful 6870, which will max out pretty much everything excluding Crysis/BF3 at 1920x1080.
I've also thrown in a good CPU cooler so you can overclock it to match or even exceed the lower end i5s.
At stock settings, yes the i5s are faster in synthetic benchmarks and things like sysmarks and 3dsmax.Dragonmaster3 said:
However (excluding the 2500k and 2600k), they are very limited in how much they can overclock, whereas the 955 is unlocked, so you can match or even go higher than the i5s.
Not to mention that in gaming, the GPU will have a much larger impact in performance (iirc gaming is around %30 CPU dependent).
My point is that the 955 is $120 and gives you equal performance in games and the ability to overclock, as opposed to the i5 2300 which is $185 and gives you equal performance in games, but will save you some time in 3D rendering and such.
Thanks a lot for your help! I'm planning to buy all of this within the next 3 days, so thanks again!Kabutos said:
