[iammykyl]

If you price parts on Newegg us with a GTX 460, does that come out cheaper that ca?

The Gigabyte combo deal is not longer available, The Asrock, (Newegg ca http://www.newegg.ca...9^13-157-279-TS_

but for $75 difference, one review on the card I picked specified the game I want it to play, and it was running at 50fps. <br style="color: rgb(13, 41, 117); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); ">

Check to see at what resolution they got 50fps and is it what you will be using?

The Rosewill case is good.

CPU cooler. Imfo. A boxed CPU from AMD and Intel comes with a warrantry, it will keep the CPU within it's thermal specifications. If you use an after market cooler and/or overclock, you void the warrantry, doing iether is at your own risk. I always advise running the system and monitoring the temps and if you really feel it necessary, use a different cooler.

If you use a cheaper cooler, you can achieve almost the same temp drop by removing the thermal pad which is pre applied to the stock heat sink, and using a better TIM, please read this tutorial, thanks to

Digerati

http://www.geekstogo...rface-material/

RAM is OK. Note, if you do decide to use an after market cooler the selected type of RAM, with the very large teeth or fins, can seriously impact the orientation of the cooler or installing or removing the RAM after the cooler is installed.

SSD. I think it is now viable to use an SSD rather than spend $150+ on a mechanical drive that is only worth $50,$60.
They are incredible fast and now very reliable.
Best use, install the OS, games, essential security, browser, and a minimum sized Page file. a second HDD, partitioned for programs, Data and backups including drive image.
Could you install your 1.5TB internally? get a replacement HDD next year when the prices become more normal?

Please don"t order until you have a finalized build.

Have I missed anything?

[Advertisements]

Here's the feedback on that card I picked-
"Pros: Runs all games I've played without much trouble, most recently runs Deus Ex easily, Skyrim on high setting around 60 fps usually, occasionally dipping down to the 40s and Star Wars: The Old Republic beta ran smoothly at max settings (30-50 fps)
Runs quieter and cooler then I expected, mildly overclocked runs around 26c at idle and 40c-50c under heavy load

Cons: Had to bend the bracket to get it to fit in my case

Other Thoughts: My other specs
Phenom II X6 1090T @ 3.5ghz
Biostar A870U3 Motherboard
8 GB Cosair ram"

I'm not running multiple monitors, just a 21" LCD. It's more than what I need now, and an easy upgrade at a later date.
Reading up on boot times for OS on SSD has me convinced- this current machine takes about 10 minutes- it's getting cranky. I also noticed that the Gigabyte combo had disappeared, and this morning TigerDirect has almost no i5 CPUs, and the few they do have are the 'lesser models' or locked muliplier. I'm almost tempted to go with this instead: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16819103913 and an appropriate mobo.

That would help the budget some, I've been fairly happy with the Dual-Core Athlon 64 I've had for almost 4 years now. And I'll skip the extra cooling until I see what the build does- I see the Rosewill case comes with 3 fans and options for 2 more, the Cooler Master from TigerDirect comes with 1 but spots for 7 total; I'm sure either will do the job nicely, just don't want the neighbors to think I'm prepping for liftoff when it's fired up!

URRRRGHHH! So many choices, I'm getting it narrowed down but with the latest Core i5 development I'm rethinking that. The only reason I've got an interest in having the capacity to overclock is just that: if I get into more serious gaming/computing, I'd prefer to have that ability. More than anything, the mobo, CPU and RAM I want to ensure will have the longest working life possible- everything else is an easy fix as far as upgrades and longevity.

[northernCX]

Here's the feedback on that card I picked-
"Pros: Runs all games I've played without much trouble, most recently runs Deus Ex easily, Skyrim on high setting around 60 fps usually, occasionally dipping down to the 40s and Star Wars: The Old Republic beta ran smoothly at max settings (30-50 fps)
Runs quieter and cooler then I expected, mildly overclocked runs around 26c at idle and 40c-50c under heavy load

Cons: Had to bend the bracket to get it to fit in my case

Other Thoughts: My other specs
Phenom II X6 1090T @ 3.5ghz
Biostar A870U3 Motherboard
8 GB Cosair ram"

I'm not running multiple monitors, just a 21" LCD. It's more than what I need now, and an easy upgrade at a later date.
Reading up on boot times for OS on SSD has me convinced- this current machine takes about 10 minutes- it's getting cranky. I also noticed that the Gigabyte combo had disappeared, and this morning TigerDirect has almost no i5 CPUs, and the few they do have are the 'lesser models' or locked muliplier. I'm almost tempted to go with this instead: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16819103913 and an appropriate mobo.

That would help the budget some, I've been fairly happy with the Dual-Core Athlon 64 I've had for almost 4 years now. And I'll skip the extra cooling until I see what the build does- I see the Rosewill case comes with 3 fans and options for 2 more, the Cooler Master from TigerDirect comes with 1 but spots for 7 total; I'm sure either will do the job nicely, just don't want the neighbors to think I'm prepping for liftoff when it's fired up!

URRRRGHHH! So many choices, I'm getting it narrowed down but with the latest Core i5 development I'm rethinking that. The only reason I've got an interest in having the capacity to overclock is just that: if I get into more serious gaming/computing, I'd prefer to have that ability. More than anything, the mobo, CPU and RAM I want to ensure will have the longest working life possible- everything else is an easy fix as far as upgrades and longevity.

[northernCX]

iammykyl, I know you advised not to order until I'd finalized a build, but after another 5 hours of internet scouring I decided to stick with the Intel CPU setup, and I think the video card is what you'd already recommended, just a different manufacturer. What sold me was reading through this: http://www.guru3d.co...s-spring-2011/1 a very comprehensive listing of the gamut of video cards it seems.

OK, I've started. This afternoon after much gnashing of teeth and wringing of hands, I ordered what I believe to be the critical pieces- motherboard, CPU and GPU.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Quad-Core Socket LGA1155, 3.30Ghz, 6MB L3 Cache
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Socket 1155 Intel Z68
GPU: Gigabyte nVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Chipset (900MHz) 1GB (4008MHz) GDDR5

The Core i5s seem to be disappearing all over the place, found an online Canadian vendor that got these three items for $600 Canadian with shipping and taxes. The video card seemed to be a steal for $200, and there shouldn't be any compatibility issues with the mobo coming from the same manufacturer.

Next purchase either mid-month or end of the month should include the rest of the hardware and the OS, which is priced out at about another $500, so right around my projected budget and there should be no worries about its longevity. iammykyl, I know you advised not to order until I'd finalized a build, but after another 5 hours of internet scouring I decided to stick with the Intel CPU setup, and I think the video card is what you'd already recommended, just a different manufacturer. What sold me was reading through this: http://www.guru3d.co...s-spring-2011/1 a very comprehensive listing of the gamut of video cards it seems.

So, now I get to impatiently wait for pieces and dream about what kind of mini-monster I'm building. This will be my first, hope it goes well. Thanks again for all your help; I think I'm getting a much better system for the same price than what I was considering before hitting the forums here.

[iammykyl]

The main parts look very good.
What else did you order?
Did you get an SSD?
Are you able to use your 1.5TB HDD internally?

Some things you could do whilst twiddling you thumbs.

Download you user manual so you can familiarize yourself with the Mobo.

Some build info.

http://www.geekstogo...rface-material/ Thanks to

Digerati

http://www.geekstogo...r-own-computer/

Text by Troy

, Pictures by

Artellos

.

http://www.diy-gamin...ild-a-Computer/

[northernCX]

That's all I've ordered so far; while I'm itching to get it built, I don't want to strap myself too much right before Christmas. I didn't order an SSD; I'm going to keep shopping around until the day comes but I am definitely going to go the route you've suggested.

My extra HDD is external-only; it was bought as a stopgap/backup in case this one dies before I could get around to upgrading, and I'm fine with that. Luckily I got it well before HDDs went crazy; 1.5TB for $120 CAN. I'll post here whatever else I do order, and perhaps pics once it's built and some benchmark info. This way also lets me build it, install the OS and move over any critical info (like security info from browsers, perhaps?) and Internet connections, as well as maybe splurge a little more for other things nice to have, like multi-card readers or a wireless LAN card- it is for the whole family, and we've got lots of items that use different memory cards, etc. I will skip the liquid cooling, and see what the 'stock' setup does, but I've seen a lot of comments about heat with the Core i5 CPUs.

Funnily enough, aside from supplier and name brands, I've almost picked precisely what you first recommended... imagine that!

[iammykyl]

Great that you are on top of it. Your proposed feed back would be appreciated as it helps others who are building if they can see results.

(like security info from browsers, perhaps?)

Not at all sure about that one, happen you should post Applications.

I would choose a good quality air cooler over liquid cooling as it takes regular maintain-ants and is fraught with dangers. It is also more involved, thn just sticking in a water cooler system<br style="color: rgb(13, 41, 117); font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left; background-color: rgb(242, 242, 242); ">

Fluids for cooling system.

http://www.lytron.co...-Liquid-Cooling

and this is just one aspect.

Funnily enough, aside from supplier and name brands, I've almost picked precisely what you first recommended... imagine that!

I have this bad habit of persuading other, (so I can get my own way) but have never been able to persuade them to part with their money.

[northernCX]

Second order is on the way, case and mouse and TIM:

Case: Thermaltake V3 Black Edition Mid Tower Case
Mouse: Gigabyte Precision Optical 3200DPI Gaming Mouse w/Gold-Plated USB Connector
TIM: Arctic Cooling Arctic MX-4 Thermal Compound

Now, while shopping around, I've confused myself on the RAM issue: If I order, say, an 8GB RAM kit (2x4GB sticks), and run that in dual-channel, is that then running 4GB of RAM or 8GB? I want to have 8GB of RAM available at a time; does that mean one of those kits or two? Silly question, but with my current system using 3GB out of 4 sticks, looking at the old system isn't helping.

The two RAM kits I'm looking at:

Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9B Vengeance Desktop Memory Kit - 8GB (2x 4GB), PC3-12800, DDR3-1600MHz, 9-9-9-24 CAS Latency, Intel XMP Ready, Unbuffered - $40
Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Vengeance 8GB PC12800 DDR3 RAM - 1600MHz, 2x4096MB, Non-ECC, Unbuffered- $60
Not sure what it is that makes that $20 difference between the two either...

[iammykyl]

Now, while shopping around, I've confused myself on the RAM issue: If I order, say, an 8GB RAM kit (2x4GB sticks), and run that in dual-channel, is that then running 4GB of RAM or 8GB?

Your Mobo will be using 8GB of RAM, 4GB from each stick = 8GB total.
On your Mobo,each RAM slot has connections down both sides. RAM sticks can have memory on one side with connections on one side, when installed in the slot it is only read from on side, (single channel mode) A stick with memory on both sides when installed in the slot will be read from both sides, (dual channel mode.
So you will be order one kit of 2 x 4GB = 8GB. Your Mobo manual will give instruction on which slots to populate.
Info about RAM. http://www.hardwares...com/article/133

but with my current system using 3GB out of 4 sticks, looking at the old system isn't helping

I would say your old system is 32bit. a 32bit system con only see (utilize, address,) a max of 4GB. The operating system (reserves) a portion of that RAM for it's own use leaving you approximately 3.5GB of (free RAM) for everday use.

You will be installing a 64bit OS which can see (utilize, address,) as much RAM as the Mobo will support. Window7 will still (reserve) a portion of memory, not quite sure of the amount.

Not sure what it is that makes that $20 difference between the two either..

Put 3 up on the link. They all have the same specs. The $39 has the same coloured heat spreader as the body. The $49 have blue or red heat spreaders.
http://www.newegg.co...negg_overlay%23

Edited by iammykyl, 13 December 2011 - 06:14 AM.

[northernCX]

Thanks- I also noticed the $39 version is 'unbuffered'; I'll likely go for one of the buffered versions and pick stability over speed, particularly if we're only talking about one clock cycle slower. I don't know how often read/write errors occur with the faster but unbuffered RAM, but for $10 bucks or so, I'm not too concerned. Looks like there are some issues (according to the feedback on newegg) with the black heatsink version...

Oh, and ran Everest this morning... this [bleep]ized computer literally has 3BG of physical RAM... 2x1GB sticks and a pair of 512s... they all match otherwise, I've never done anything to them, this is from-the-manufacturer... blerg!

[northernCX]

Alright, all the parts previously ordered have arrived and I couldn't help myself- I started assembly. Looking good so far, took pictures as I went. When it's done or I've got more time I'll upload and post them here someplace. My only real gripe is with the case- cable management is a bit of a nightmare, but what can you expect from a $40 case?

This morning one of the vendors I've bought from put up some excellent sales and I think I've found the next components:

SSD: http://www.canadacom...&item_id=043831
RAM: http://www.canadacom...&item_id=044295
Monitor: http://www.canadacom...&item_id=042672

The pricing on them is phenomenal; $60 discount on the SSD, $10 on the RAM (same specs as the Corsair and G.Skill I've also looked at) and $45 on the monitor! My only 'worry' is that the monitor may be too large for the videocard. But is an inch really that big a deal? I know most don't recommend more than 22" unless you're running a top of the line card- the card I've got isn't, but isn't a slouch either.

[iammykyl]

Sounds great so far. Excellent bargains. You will have know problems with the monitor display, the GPU has a digital max resolution of 2560 x 1600.

[northernCX]

Update: The last box of parts should arrive in the next couple of days; I'll be on days off so I should soon have photos and benchmark numbers here for anyone who's interested!

[phillpower2]

[northernCX]

SUCCESS!!! Last parts arrived yesterday, finished building, and first power-on was this morning! Windows is installed, it boots so fast I can't pick up the exit to BIOS screen, and so far, all is working beautifully! In the process now of updating drivers and installing the basic programs I want on it, then benchmarking and stress-testing. Pics and stats will follow!

UPDATE: Unigine's Heaven 11.0 with AA on: 22FPS average, 56FPS max and 7.8 min! GPU got warm though, and I don't think my RAM is running at the clock speed advetised... I've read about that someplace, but can't find it again.

Edited by northernCX, 18 January 2012 - 01:13 PM.

[iammykyl]

Go into the BIOS, hardware monitoring, post a screen shot of the Temps.