Poll: Decided to build a PC, what do you think?

[Noobstick]

OP, you seem pretty set on getting that beast of a computer, and of course it's your money to spend as you please, but I have to add my voice to the people telling you that that is just complete overkill (especially for Starcraft 2, Civ 5 and Diablo 3, the first of which I can close to max out on a 3-year-old rig which wasn't even close to bleeding edge when I built it).

You will NEVER come close for at the very least 4 years to actually using all that horsepower. Even if you play with three monitors on super-high resolutions with all the bells and whistles turned on. Even if you also encode videos on the side.

I'd strongly suggest you go for one of the second-to-latest gen builds some users have posted so far, especially for a first build. You don't want to help propagate the myth that PC gaming costs an arm, a leg and the soul of your firstborn, would you? ;-)

 

[RobJameson]

Remove the SLI GTX 460's and SLI up GTX 470's or have a single 480.

One GTX 480> 2 X GTX 460's since you can never trust SLI. Two GTX 470's would be even better as they are extremely powerful for what they cost and superior to the GTX 460 in every way.

http://media.bestofmicro.com/C/Y/255778/original/image020.png

 

[Danzaivar]

Looks good. Overkill, but I guess that's kind of the point.

 

[Calatar]

OT: Maybe I should have included the OS and the Norton (or McAfee) security suite I plan to buy...I'm gonna surf the net (limited to Youtube and maybe another couple sites I trust, and do the rest on my already infested laptop).

Do not get Norton. Do not get McAfee. DO. NOT. They are virtually malicious software themselves.
Use a free anti-virus. Nod32 or AVG-free. Better in every conceivable way.

Maybe when choosing anti-virus you should do more than knee-jerk "that brand sucks" comparisons.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/ does comprehensive tests of AV software, using both proactive detection and on-demand scanning. Look at the two most recent PDF reports and scroll to the summary page to get quick looks at their effectiveness.
It also provides data on false-positives and scanning speed. Pretty useful information for deciding your AV.

As to the computer decisions, I tend to go for cheaper, and upgrade over time as I see necessary. Beyond a certain point, you're simply not gaining much for all your extra money. Take it down a few notches, save a couple hundred dollars. You won't notice the difference in your games for several years. If you're buying expensive video cards, I'd say to only buy one. You can always buy another one later if you need more performance, but 1 is good enough for pretty much everything now.

 

[Arachon]

Loose one of the GPUs, at that price, the performance increase you get from SLI is just not worth it.

And change the PSU from Thermaltake to Corsair, and the HD from a WDC Black to a WDC Green.

 

[carpathic]

I don't see much give and take here. Looks a lot like you just took the buffest peripherals you could find, rather than the fun of trying to max out good, but not great parts.

However, you will certainly have quite a system!

 

[gmaverick019_v1legacy]

OK, I made a thread earlier called "Dilemma, to build or to buy?" and got an overwhelming response: Everyone said to build. So, i've done research, took a basic computer class, asked people at stores, on electronics sites, even subscribed to a couple magazines. Now, I have a build and I want to know what people think.

Processor: Overclocked Intel Core i7 2.8 GHz (3.46 GHz) 8mb Lvl 2 (LGA1366)
Motherboard: Asus-ATX 2000/1600/1333/1066 MHz Up to 24 GB RAM DDR3
Graphics: nVidia GeForce GTX 460 1GB GDDR5 (x2)
RAM: Corsair 1600 MHz (3 Sticks at 2GB Each)
Power Supply: Thermaltake 1000w TR2 ATX
Case: Antec 902
Heat Sink: Thermaltake Spin Q Universal
Hard Drive: Caviar Black 1TB SATA 7200 RPM
Disk Drive: DVD Combo

This build ranges from $1,622 to $1,922 depending on whether I want a second graphics card. Also please note that this doesn't include any peripherals. Basically, this is the barebones build (the Tower only). I plan on recycling my old laser mouse that I'm using on this laptop, and using an old keyboard. Also not incorporating any software as of yet.

wow this is definitly a solid computer, it'll last you for years for sure, especially with the upgraded processor, dont worry about overclocking or anything your good to go, especially with all your other system parts being beefed too. 1600 should be the max that your paying for that stuff, make sure your really looking around for deals for stuff that is similar but much cheaper, not getting those deals really racks up between parts so double check for other items that are similar but much cheaper

 

[Sebenko]

I can see why you'd want an i7 though.

I may or may not use the i7. I'm getting second opinions before I start a spendin'. incidentally, what's wrong with the i7?

From what I can gather, price. I haven't really been keeping up with processor tech.

 

[skywalkerlion]

4.5 terrabites?

I only ever thought of using 2. Seriously, if alls you'll be playing is games, and assuming you buy TONS of games and install all of them and never get rid of them, then 2 is probably all you'll need and you'll still have a terrabite left.

The biggest download I ever got was the Cataclysm Beta, and that was like 40 because they didn't compress any of it.

Biggest game download was Starcraft I think was 16 gbs.

SO yeah, save yourself some money and only get 2. 8 gigs of ram I can understand, that'll last you forever.

 

[SlasherX]

Pretty nice PC but be careful with overclocking and if you plan on gaming you might want to try liquid cooling really expensive but also really baller

 

[veloper]

@veloper & @theriddlen This is the very first computer I'm building, you could say i'm popping the cherry. I went with this processor because I want this comp to last for a good 5+ years to be honest. I went with 6 GB of RAM just as a precaution. My laptop currently has 4 GBs (no I don't know if it's DDR 1, 2, or 3. i've been assuming 2) and it crashes a bit from memory leaks. Would simply like to avoid the problem.

The choice of CPU may depend on your (huge) budget, but for the love, don't forget the soundcard!

 

[Delusibeta]

Maybe when choosing anti-virus you should do more than knee-jerk "that brand sucks" comparisons.

http://www.av-comparatives.org/ does comprehensive tests of AV software, using both proactive detection and on-demand scanning. Look at the two most recent PDF reports and scroll to the summary page to get quick looks at their effectiveness.
It also provides data on false-positives and scanning speed. Pretty useful information for deciding your AV.

Still confirms to me that Avast is superior to McAfee and Trend Micro is genuinely crap and deserves the combined amount of hate Norton and McAfee gets.

On topic: The set up in the first post will probably be overkill, considering the target games are Blizzard's stuff and Civ V. But then again, there's no kill like overkill (insert your own TVTropes link here).

 

[RadiusXd]

@burntheartist lol I wouldn't really know. At the time I went with what the Best Buy guy said for the PSU. I've heard that on maximumpc.com has a wattage calculator or something. Haven't taken that for a spin. If you go to maximumpc.com read their Dream Machine 2010 article. That thing is a beast...and will set you back a pretty penny.

1000W PSU is more than sufficient. That said, do NOT skimp on the PSU. Cheap PSUs are shit and will cause problems. Check reviews of that model online.

Compare prices of multiple smaller HDD vs. one big fat one. Raid0 setups are faster and generally cheaper than a single, larger HDD.

I do not recommend multiple video cards in a brand new system unless you're extremely certain you'll need it. Hardware is miles ahead of software right now (thank you consoles). A second video card is unnecessary and just blows out the price. You can purchase a second one and easily SLI/CrossFire later when you start needing it and the price is down.

Check out ATI cards. ATI are better than nVidia for this generation.

thats open to perception.
Are ATI cards more powerful? Perhaps
Do ATI cards allow 3d on all your favorite games? no.
and as you said, the hardware is more than powerful enough right now.

 

[irani_che]

done it,love it
you start out with a plan to make a computer worth $500 for $300.
of course you end up spending $800 but you end up with something awesome.

 

[Neuromaster]

@Yosharian Yeah that build looks nice. On post 29 I stated I only looked at Best Buy so far. I'm sure (and you just proved it) that it can come cheaper. I'm still gonna do the same (well mostly the same) build, but gonna do some shopping elseware. Probably can save a lot.

Yosharian's build is probably a good place to start from. And it's no coincidence that everything he linked came from newegg.com - among system builders, they have the best reputation of any online retailer I know.

Some general pointers:

-Set a budget not over $1000-$1200 before peripherals. It's the "sweet spot" where you'll probably get at least 3 years of superb performance, then at least another 3 years of acceptable performance. Doubling your budget will not double how pretty it looks now, or how long it lasts.
-Never buy the top of the line product in any category. Two or three rungs down is often nearly as good at half the price.
-Operating system & associated software (like MS Office) isn't free. Budget for it, or have a realistic plan to get by without it.
-Get at least 4 gigs of RAM
-Consider a really nice monitor and speaker system if you don't already own them. A part of me dies when I see a $1500 machine hooked up to a 17" monitor and a pair of $50 Logitech speakers.
-Don't overclock. Buy a standard CPU and heatsink/fan. It's not worth the effort or extra cash for an aftermarket solution.
-If you have/are buying a monitor that can display in HD, consider a Blu-ray capable optical drive (especially if you buy/rent a lot of Blu-ray movies or plan to).
-Skip SLI (double graphics cards) unless you're planning on running some ludicrously high resolution. On less than a 30+" monster, it's not worth it.
-Buy an anti-static wriststrap, learn to wear it correctly, and use it when you do the build or whenever you're working inside a computer. That $10 band is protecting 100x its worth in hardware. Don't slack off.

 

[AWAR]

You might want to save some money on the CPU in order to get a decent SSD drive. Also SLI is pretty much useless so don't bother with that.

 

[TOO S0BER]

@Yosharian Yeah that build looks nice. On post 29 I stated I only looked at Best Buy so far. I'm sure (and you just proved it) that it can come cheaper. I'm still gonna do the same (well mostly the same) build, but gonna do some shopping elseware. Probably can save a lot.

Yosharian's build is probably a good place to start from. And it's no coincidence that everything he linked came from newegg.com - among system builders, they have the best reputation of any online retailer I know.

Some general pointers:

-Set a budget not over $1000-$1200 before peripherals. It's the "sweet spot" where you'll probably get at least 3 years of superb performance, then at least another 3 years of acceptable performance. Doubling your budget will not double how pretty it looks now, or how long it lasts.
-Never buy the top of the line product in any category. Two or three rungs down is often nearly as good at half the price.
-Operating system & associated software (like MS Office) isn't free. Budget for it, or have a realistic plan to get by without it.
-Get at least 4 gigs of RAM
-Consider a really nice monitor and speaker system if you don't already own them. A part of me dies when I see a $1500 machine hooked up to a 17" monitor and a pair of $50 Logitech speakers.
-Don't overclock. Buy a standard CPU and heatsink/fan. It's not worth the effort or extra cash for an aftermarket solution.
-If you have/are buying a monitor that can display in HD, consider a Blu-ray capable optical drive (especially if you buy/rent a lot of Blu-ray movies or plan to).
-Skip SLI (double graphics cards) unless you're planning on running some ludicrously high resolution. On less than a 30+" monster, it's not worth it.
-Buy an anti-static wriststrap, learn to wear it correctly, and use it when you do the build or whenever you're working inside a computer. That $10 band is protecting 100x its worth in hardware. Don't slack off.

Mmm. I like those tips. Especially the wriststrap--I Never would have thought of that (until it was too late, naturally)
For gaming, is there any other software I should know about? Excluding AV/AM software.