Mogel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I've decided to build my first computer and thought I might ask for some advice and pointers on my chosen components My Budget is $1500 AUD (though it doesn't mean I have to use all of it) and have set out for this to be a mid-range gaming PC. I'm thinking I will buy all my stuff from the same site, and i think pc case gear in melbourne will be decent due to their reasonable delivery costs Current Price: $1335 AUD CPU: Intel Core i5 2500k CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 RAM: Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 8GB DDR3 GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti Hawk 1GB PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular CASE: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB OPTICAL: Lite-On IHAS324 24x DVDRW OS: MS Windows 7 Home 64bit MONITOR: ASUS VE228H 21.5in Widescreen LED Monitor Also, a few questions to add - Is a CPU Cooler necessary? Or is the stock fan sufficient when it comes to the i5? - Is there any need for me to get name-brand memory? Is there any difference between it and the a generic model such as Kingstons Value RAM? Also I thought I'd mentione that I'm not set on a modular PSU, the PSU is modular purely because it seems well priced and has pretty good reviews and efficiency for its price bracket But yeah, this is what I have so far, criticism is more than welcome! Thanks! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduard Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 I'm under the impression that the stock fan is fine, but if you're looking to overclock then get an after market cooler. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduard Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Also does that price include the cpu? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Actually this is a very good build. The only things I would change would be the Ram to this ram http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16437 because you are getting better quality ram at a better speed. It is the more popular ram basically. You can go with value ram, I personally would not simply because you get what you pay for . I know about 40 members are going to argue that with me but so be it. I would change the PSU to something like this http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=14857 . You basically either want to go with more wattage, or a better quality PSU. One of the members on this site has a name stonerboy779, and he would probably be able to guide you to a good PSU since he is from your region and knows your site in and out. And lastly I would change the screen to this http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=16708 . It is basically the same model of screen except it is bigger and you go from having a 5ms response time to a 2ms response time which prevents ghosting and other annoying graphics problems. For 25 extra bucks, IMO you are getting a better bang for your buck. Those are the things that should be changed IMO. I will make this next suggestion based out of a personal opinion. I would NOT buy that case. I understand that AUS prices are jacked a bit, but I would not be caught dead buying that case at that price only because it has front usb 3.0 and a window. If I were in your shoes, I would be looking at getting the HAF 932. At least that is a reasonable price and it would bump you up to a full tower case. . Heck, even the 922 would be a better deal. To me, adding an add on adapter, and putting in a window just to jack up the price like that is kind of pathetic. End rant. You should definitely keep looking through to see what you like. The Fractal Design Define R3 is a good deal and would help keep that loud card of your quiet. If you need something more budget oriented but still is a great case, I would say the Bitfenix shinobi is a great deal at 65 bucks. It is very easy to take a dremel tool and cut out some 120mm fan slots on the side for same fans, or for a mesh passive intake. I have even seen some people cut out their names, or small designs in the side for a passive intake. But I digress. As for your question about cooling, the answer is - it depends. If you like the idea of overclocking and all that, then yes a cooler is crucial. If not, it is not important, but I still like to use a cheap tower one even if it is the plain Hyper 212 just so I am not stuck using the stock intel heat sink. That is just my opinion though, so feel free to use the stock heat if you so chose. Other than that, you have a very good build. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Also does that price include the cpu? I am sorry, what? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduard Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 Mogel didn't link for the cpu or the OS, so I was wondering if they were included in the price or if they were just overlooked. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tjj226_Angel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) Mogel didn't link for the cpu or the OS, so I was wondering if they were included in the price or if they were just overlooked. Ah, they were included. I went through his list an made the changes as you can see above and he did truly have a list that costs about 1.3K. The only thing I found odd was the HDD price. Edited February 6, 2012 by Tjj226_Angel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eduard Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 From what I've gathered most HDD's have sky-rocketed in price over here. What sort of price would you expect to pay for the Barracuda 1TB that Mogel listed? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonerboy779 Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 CPU - Intel Core i5 2500K - $225 CPU Cooler - CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO - $39 and yes it is worth replacing the stock cooler even if you won't OC because the extra cooling is nice to have especially now in the summertime. Mobo - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 - $135 PSU - Silverstone Strider Plus 750W - $135 RAM - Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 - $55 better option same price GPU - Sapphire Radeon HD6870 1GB - $185 x 2 = $370 for crossfired cards that will absolutely blow the nearly $300 560ti out of the water. HDD - Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $99 OP Dive - Lite-On 24x DVDRW - $25 Case - CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced - $109 personal preference with case always as you have to live with it OS - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit Screen - Acer 23in Widescreen LED Monitor - $149 better larger screen same price Cost all up $1440 Shipping to Adelaide $53 Price including Shipping $1493 just inside the $1500 budget if you are not happy with it coming so close drop one GPU and you can upgrade later to Crossfire for massive benefits. Welcome to OCC enjoy your stay. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 @ Tjj226_Angel Wasn't too sure about my case to begin with so I may have to look into that some more, despite not wanting to go over $1500 I did feel that it was inevitable Also Stonerboy, cheers for your help, thats awesome that you made a build that fits exactly in my budget Will have to look into Radeon GPU as I know little to nothing about them but that is a big help Also Eduard I did include them in the price as has already been said, I was just silly and didn't link them Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stonerboy779 Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 @ Tjj226_Angel Wasn't too sure about my case to begin with so I may have to look into that some more, despite not wanting to go over $1500 I did feel that it was inevitable Also Stonerboy, cheers for your help, thats awesome that you made a build that fits exactly in my budget Will have to look into Radeon GPU as I know little to nothing about them but that is a big help Also Eduard I did include them in the price as has already been said, I was just silly and didn't link them Depending on which bench 6870 and 560ti trade places on frame rates with the 560ti better overall in single card performance but if you go sli 560ti vs 6870 cf the 6870s take their own back but naturally loose out in Nvidia favoured benches like 3D Mark. Plus side is the 6870 is a hell of a lot better price than the 560ti. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mogel Posted February 6, 2012 Posted February 6, 2012 (edited) Depending on which bench 6870 and 560ti trade places on frame rates with the 560ti better overall in single card performance but if you go sli 560ti vs 6870 cf the 6870s take their own back but naturally loose out in Nvidia favoured benches like 3D Mark. Plus side is the 6870 is a hell of a lot better price than the 560ti. Ahk, cheers for that, I was seeing that trading of places when looking into GPUs to begin with and just assumed that I was better off learning about the 560ti when I saw it coming on top, never even thought of using 2 GPUs Also just reading back over some comments, is there something inherently better about full towers? more space means more place to tuck away cables? or more space for upgrades if needed in the future? And that really leads to, what should I be looking for in a tower? I was looking for what I thought was a good layout of fans [supported by reviews and opinions of others], and USB3.0 being a plus... oh and that it looks good of course But if thats the wrong mindset, I'd love to know what the right one is Edited February 6, 2012 by Mogel Share this post Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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