Building a computer

[Ldecharmoy]

So since i ordered Star wars TOR, its time to upgrade my frankendell to something NICE!

Every game i have played, i have always had to run low settings and missed out on all the fun of actual gaming.

I am starting from scratch including case and everything. I kinda have a budget but im flexible of $700

I have looked and found i want these so far!

Sentey Deluxe Series DS1-4246 Mid Tower Case 600w 4x Fan (2 x 80mm - 2 x 120mm)/ 2 x USB / Piano Black Paint / ATX- MATX / LCD PANEL / Screwless = $70

Core i7 2600K LGA 1155 Boxed Processor= $280

OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)= $166

what is a good video card, mother board, etc

[roliath]

if you don't plan on overclocking, don't get a 2600k.
put more money into your psu, and I don't really trust cases with psu's in them. wattage isn't everything.
if you already have an lcd, what resolution is it?
best bang for your buck gpu wise = 560ti or 6870.
vertex 2s' aren't that great, if your going sandy dandy find a comparable sata3 ssd.

you live in mckinney, go to microcenter, they have like a $100 dollar off mobo with purchase of an 2600 I think.

[8mpg]

Vertex 3 or bust

[Ldecharmoy]

if you don't plan on overclocking, don't get a 2600k.
put more money into your psu, and I don't really trust cases with psu's in them. wattage isn't everything.
if you already have an lcd, what resolution is it?
best bang for your buck gpu wise = 560ti or 6870.
vertex 2s' aren't that great, if your going sandy dandy find a comparable sata3 ssd.

you live in mckinney, go to microcenter, they have like a $100 dollar off mobo with purchase of an 2600 I think.

so just the 2600 i7? are you talking about my resolution on my computer screen? If so i have a led screen and its 1920 x 1080

and for the psu, do you suggest an external power supply or get a 650w internal?

Vertex 3 or bust

ok cool

[roliath]

vertex 3's are FAST man, seriously 1 vertex three is faster than 3 80gb intel g1's in raid 0. and I got 4 of them in raid 0, ridiculous speed.

i'm saying go for an 80+ psu from a name brand.

the 2600k is bought because of its unlocked multipliers and its ability to hit 4.5ghz or more very easily (with proper cooling).

[CJ]

yeah that PSU is the only problem I saw. Get yourself an Antec, Sparkle, or another reputable company.

[Ldecharmoy]

So would this be good? http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0366935

And for the psu what would you recommend?

Also what should I look for in a mother board?

And video card? http://www.frys.com/product/6559683?...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

[CJ]

So would this be good? http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0366935

And for the psu what would you recommend?

Also what should I look for in a mother board?

And video card? http://www.frys.com/product/6559683?...H:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Antec makes great PSU's. Roliath, you've had luck with OCZ SSD's? They have kind of a terrible reputation as of lately with premature failures. One of my friends RMA'ed 2 in a 1 month span and was done with OCZ. Take a look at the reviews on that exact same Vertex 3 60GB SATA III.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227737

It's important to note that most people will review 5 eggs the moment they try it, and then only later do you start seeing the trouble. Quite a few failures in there on just the first page of reviews. When it comes to my data that would really make me nervous.

[Ldecharmoy]

yeah that PSU is the only problem I saw. Get yourself an Antec, Sparkle, or another reputable company.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0348767

How about that?

[CJ]

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0348767

How about that?

For a budget I think you would be fine with that PSU. The newegg reviews were overall positive 4/5 but some reported some DOA units - but if you're buying retail that really isn't a problem. Most of the complaints were about molex connectors and cable length. All of them verified good solid power, and Antec rates their PSU's to be 80% efficiency at any load - which is what you really want.

I've been running both an 850 and a 1100 watt truepower PSU from Antec and they have had over 4 years of continuous use (as in never turned off) with no issues.

I've always recommended their higher line - the Antec Truepower line, and the 750W is very highly rated.

I would recommend browsing Newegg first, and looking at reviews and then buy them locally.

[71chevellejohn]

On the building note, I found this article on lifehacker: http://lifehacker.com/5840963/the-be...r-600-and-1200
I was wondering if anything listed should be avoided. I'm not building right away, but just playing around with building another computer when I 'm bored.

One of the links included looks like it could be helpful for others considering a build:

http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/af150/The_FalconO6/CurrentLogicalPCBuyingGuide/Guide.png

[CJ]

On the building note, I found this article on lifehacker: http://lifehacker.com/5840963/the-be...r-600-and-1200
I was wondering if anything listed should be avoided. I'm not building right away, but just playing around with building another computer when I 'm bored.

One of the links included looks like it could be helpful for others considering a build:
http://i1002.photobucket.com/albums/...uide/Guide.png

That is a good article. They recommend a 520w Antec power supply. I would have to disagree with this. Although everything they state is accurate, they omit the fact that PSU's capacitors wear out over time, and the power output will degrade. The closer your PSU is to your actual requirement, the quicker that PSU will destabilize your system when it wears out. I've experienced/witnessed this many times. I always suggest overpowering your system to a degree to compensate for this.

Ldecharmoy I would checkout http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp this site, and add in your peripherals and let it calculate what you need, and then purchased a PSU with some legroom.

[71chevellejohn]

That is a good article. They recommend a 520w Antec power supply. I would have to disagree with this. Although everything they state is accurate, they omit the fact that PSU's capacitors wear out over time, and the power output will degrade. The closer your PSU is to your actual requirement, the quicker that PSU will destabilize your system when it wears out. I've experienced/witnessed this many times. I always suggest overpowering your system to a degree to compensate for this.

I know this all too well. For the past 3 year's we have been rebuilding Samsung LCD TV power supplies due to their installation of caps that just meet the specs of the unit. I've probably done 100-125 boards myself with a slightly larger caps with no recalls or failures. You'll know it's failing when it doesn't want to come on anymore on the first try.

EDIT - In relation to the article, I forgot to add Lifehacker normally updates there articles to reflect current pricing + newer products for a little while after it's written.

[Tx Redneck]

http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0348767

How about that?

I have the 750 version pushin a GTS450, GTX260, 98GTX+, Q6600, 3x80mm and 3x120mm fans all at 100% load and OC'd for months now w/out issue.

I've had the 650 Earth Watts model in my other box for 2yrs now pushin a 940BE and GTX46SE, both at 100% load and OC'd.

I'm fond of Antec PSU's. OCZ makes a decent one too.

[Ldecharmoy]

I'm going to go to micro center on Sunday and see what I can do. From what I read in that article, I may need to up my budget to $800 to get what I want. Thanks for the info guys and I will let you know what I come up with.