21 replies to this topic

[G500]

Hey OCC!

Well, it's time, my Core 2 duo system is starting to have hardware failures so it is time for an upgrade.

I have picked out some parts here from my local vendors, i game quite a bit at 1920 x 1080 and have the natural tendency to multitask even if i am in a game heh
Any input regarding my choices is welcome, i trust the OCC members.

Case: Thermaltake Kandalf VA9000 Aluminum (Held in my core 2 duo system and i love the case so ill be keeping it)

PSU: Corsair TX-650 (bought it last year for the core 2 duo system)

RAM: 2x4GB Corsair Vengeance (CL9) DDR3 1600mhz 1.5v

CPU: I7 2600K

CPU Cooler: Thermalright HR-02 MACHO

Motherboard: MSI Z68 GD-80 Gen3 (will get it at the price of a GD-65 with a sweet deal)

GPU: Asus HD7850 DC2 2GB DDR5 PCI-E

HDD: 320GB Hitachi Deskstar 7200 rpm 16mb SATA (it's the hard drive from my last build, the capacity is more than enough for me)

SSD: Corsair 120GB Force GT SATA 3

I will be overclocking and i have no intention on doing crossfire in the future.

And there you have it, i know Ivy Bridge is just around the corner but unfortunately i have to get this now

Sorry for any spelling or structural mistakes.

Edited by G500, 11 April 2012 - 03:21 PM.

[Tjj226_Angel]

budget? Are you close to a microcenter?

[G500]

budget? Are you close to a microcenter?

Well, I'm from Portugal so i am an ocean away

Budget is about 900€ (The CPU Cooler is not included in the budget as it is going to be bought by me and not my father) if it can come a bit lower, better. And these are the stores i use around here:

http://www.globaldata.pt/

http://www.chiptec.net/index.php

http://www.pcdiga.com/pcdiga/

They are all in Portuguese so that might be a problem for you guys heh

Edited by G500, 11 April 2012 - 05:16 PM.

[Tjj226_Angel]

Mobo http://www.globaldat...MIBGS0-G0EAY0KZ ALWAYS GO ASUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, their RMA support and customer service is outstanding, and for an over clocker like yourself, being on the asus team is an invaluable asset.

CPU http://www.globaldat...=BX80623I52500K The 2500K has plenty of horse power. The 2600K is more for video editing and workstation stuff where the 2500K is more for gamers.

With the money you saved, you can bump the graphics card up to a 7870 which will be a lot better for gaming.


This tweak will provide you much higher frame rates for about the same price as your original upgrade.


I would also recommend to switch the SSD to the vertex 4, or the intel 520 SSD. I do not know if your websites have the vertex 4 yet, but I do know that the intel 520 120 GB drive will be better than the force gt.

[G500]

I actually heard the exact opposite about the Asus customer support O.o

Regarding the I5 2500K, will there be any difference between it and a I7 2600K if i have 2 or 3 programs open and a couple of internet pages open while i am playing a game that is coded for multiple cores? Or can it handle this with ease? I chose the I7 because i thought it would future proof me a bit because ill probably only upgrade again in another 5 or 6 years.

And about the SSD, i don't think i will be changing this one simply because of the price difference. The Intel 510 series can already be found in stores here but it is like 50 to 60€ more expensive for the same 120GB, i know it is going to be faster but since the Corsair is already fast and built using synchronous nand ( learned this is better through el capitan's blog heh) i don't think it justifies the difference in cost.

[IVIYTH0S]

Unless you're doing heavy and often video encoding or other CPU focused workload, the 2500K is far better value (it kind of is either way)

[Fogel]

Not really a fan of MSI, they crowd their PCI lanes and use lower quality parts but a sweet deal is a sweet deal. They already phased out the Z68 GD65 so the GD80 is $40 less here in the states.

Overall it looks like a solid build. A 2500k could handle your needs no problem, but if you have the money a 2600k will serve you even better. If it was my money I would buy the 2500k and the use the money saved to get an even better video card. Your SSD is fine. So i wouldn't worry about that, and I'm not sure I would be quick to jump on the Vertex 4 bandwagon ...of the SSDs I seen people complain about most, it is usually OCZ.

Ya overall it is very good, my preference though would be to spend more money on the graphics card than the CPU. I multitask as well and my 2500k is definitely not my limiting factor.

[G500]

I will trade the I7 2600K to a I5 2550K then, it's only about 8€ plus for a 100mhz bump in speed so i will get it instead of the 2500K.
And will also upgrade the Graphics Card to a HD7870

About the Mobo, i thought MSI used good components on their Mobos, i actually came to OCC and searched for a review of the GD-80 before deciding on it and it had a solid review.
I can get a Asus P8Z68-Pro for the same price if i get a consensus from you guys that it would be a better choice.

I had Asus Mobos in my last two builds and they were nice, the only reason i am picking the GD-80 is the amazing deal and since it had good reviews why not try something new heh

Thank you for the replies so far, they are being very helpful.
3 more days and i am getting the parts.

[Fogel]

One of my friends who is currently working in Silicon Valley knows people at MSI that wouldn't buy MSI. That told me a lot there. That said, my first build I did myself is still running today just fine and it is on a MSI board. I would pick the ASUS board but just because I would doesn't mean you have to. Like I said, a sweet deal is still a sweet deal.

I think you will have a very nice system!

[G500]

Thank you very much for all the input, this is putting me on the right track.
My dad has strokes of benevolence sometimes i might be able to get the I7 2600k and the HD7870 if he wakes up on a good mood heh

[Tjj226_Angel]

Thank you very much for all the input, this is putting me on the right track.
My dad has strokes of benevolence sometimes i might be able to get the I7 2600k and the HD7870 if he wakes up on a good mood heh

If by benevolence, you mean cash, then spend it all towards the graphics card. Unless you are doing full blown workstation stuff, get the i5 and a better GPU.

Also, are you sure you are not confusing asus for asrock or even acer? I know a lot of people get those companies confused.

[G500]

If by benevolence, you mean cash, then spend it all towards the graphics card. Unless you are doing full blown workstation stuff, get the i5 and a better GPU.

Also, are you sure you are not confusing asus for asrock or even acer? I know a lot of people get those companies confused.

Not doing a full blown workstation but the difference in terms of money from going from a 2500K to a 2600K is smaller than going from a HD7870 to the next worthwhile step up on performance card. My dad might feel benevolent but 70€ more on the build isn't quite the same as 100+ for the next worthwhile step up on the graphics side. At least this is how i feel, i might be wrong here.

No i am not confusing Asus for any other company, i was just speaking about what i heard regarding the customer service not the quality of the products themselves.