[Mad9]

Hi everyone, I am new here and I thought this was a good forum to get help for the new computer I want to get.
I just wanted to know what was the best choice between two computers.
The specs are almost the same, but note that with the one from Newegg I have not Windows 7 (+100$),neither a mouse or a keyboard.


This computer from best buy 1134$ Shipping/taxes + Mouse and keyboard

Or my own build from Newegg.ca 1077$ Shipping/taxes (Would be my first attempt at building a PC)


Thank you in advance for your answers!

Edited by Mad9, 09 August 2012 - 10:36 AM.

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On the surface the two systems might appear to be about equal, but in fact the parts you picked on Newegg are FAR superior to what you'll get in the Ibuypower system. Here is a comparable build:

CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116504 - $230
MOBO: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128540 - $65
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231424 - $40
CASE: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811129042 - $45 after rebate
GPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127608 - $250 after rebate
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817148046 - $40
HDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822236339 - $90
KB: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823109233 - $10
Mouse: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16826125108 - $8
OS: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986 - $100
Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151244 - $15

Total: $893

You are essentially paying them $100 to assemble it for you, which really isn't that bad. All of this to say that the difference between building your own PC and buying a big box store gaming PC is that you get to choose the specific components from quality manufacturers. Now, some of the parts in that rig may in fact be a bit better than what I've chosen here, but it's impossible to tell without cracking open the case and looking at the makes and models of the components. That being said, the Ibuypower system will probably be perfectly acceptable to the average casual gamer, but if you want upgrade options and quality components at a reasonable price then building your own is typically the best option.

If you decide to build then we can recommend some options for you.

Edited by kidnova, 09 August 2012 - 12:18 PM.

[kidnova]

On the surface the two systems might appear to be about equal, but in fact the parts you picked on Newegg are FAR superior to what you'll get in the Ibuypower system. Here is a comparable build:

CPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819116504 - $230
MOBO: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813128540 - $65
RAM: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231424 - $40
CASE: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811129042 - $45 after rebate
GPU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814127608 - $250 after rebate
PSU: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817148046 - $40
HDD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16822236339 - $90
KB: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16823109233 - $10
Mouse: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16826125108 - $8
OS: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16832116986 - $100
Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16827151244 - $15

Total: $893

You are essentially paying them $100 to assemble it for you, which really isn't that bad. All of this to say that the difference between building your own PC and buying a big box store gaming PC is that you get to choose the specific components from quality manufacturers. Now, some of the parts in that rig may in fact be a bit better than what I've chosen here, but it's impossible to tell without cracking open the case and looking at the makes and models of the components. That being said, the Ibuypower system will probably be perfectly acceptable to the average casual gamer, but if you want upgrade options and quality components at a reasonable price then building your own is typically the best option.

If you decide to build then we can recommend some options for you.

Edited by kidnova, 09 August 2012 - 12:18 PM.

[Mad9]

Thanks a lot Kidnova for your complete answer.
I think I might go with building the computer myself as I will gain experience will the building process and because it is a bit cheaper (without OS that I think I might get from a friend).

-Is my build correct and compatible?
-Also, I've searched a bit online to see if the 600W power supply was enough and it should be, but can anyone confirm this?
-Do you have any suggestions on the pieces that I chose or the one I should get instead?

Thanks!

PS: I'm using Newegg.ca because I live in Canada so I can avoid duty fees from USA.
The prices are actually a bit cheaper on newegg.com, but it is in US$


EDIT: If that can help, this is my shopping cart right now.
CASE: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16811119233
PSU: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16817139028
CPU: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16819116504
HDD: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16822236339
GPU: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16814130683
RAM: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16820231424
MOBO: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16813128545

Edited by Mad9, 09 August 2012 - 01:31 PM.

[kidnova]

Everything should be compatible, but first a few questions to narrow down your options:

1) What is your budget?
2) What is your primary purpose? Gaming I assume.
3) What size monitor and what is the native resolution?
4) Do you intend to overclock?
5) Do you expect to run a dual card setup at some point?

[Mad9]

Everything should be compatible, but first a few questions to narrow down your options:

1) What is your budget?
2) What is your primary purpose? Gaming I assume.
3) What size monitor and what is the native resolution?
4) Do you intend to overclock?
5) Do you expect to run a dual card setup at some point?

1) My budget is around 1000$ to 1200$ maximum.
2) It will be used for gaming and working.
3) Not sure yet, but I plan to have a 17" square monitor. The resolution is 1280X1024.
4) I don't know how overclocking works for CPUs, but I don't plan to overclock my GPU.
5) I don't really want to spend more to get a SLI setup. I'm fine with a single card.

[kidnova]

Okay, here are some options I'd recommend:

Mobo: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16813130645
I know you don't plan on running SLI or Crossfire, but this board allows for both if you change your mind and the price difference is minimal.

CPU: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16819115233
If you don't plan on overclocking then there is no reason to buy the "K" version. This one is 20$ cheaper and you can still apply a mild overclock (up to .4GHz) if you want to be adventurous.

RAM: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16820231428
Only a little bit more expensive but runs at a higher speed and has a better heat spreader.

GPU: http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16814129230
http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16814150597
http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16814130664
http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16814130621

Here's where the recommendation is entirely dependent on your monitor. For 1280x1024 you honestly don't need a whole lot of horsepower to run games at decent settings. The 7770 above would probably be satisfactory for you. If you at some point plan on upgrading the monitor to 1920x1080 then you'll need something better like the 7850. For nVidia options you'll be fine with the non-TI 560 I've listed for 1280x1024, or spring for the 570. The 660 ti releases next week and we may see corresponding price reductions on older cards from either nVidia or AMD, but we'll have to see what happens.

I think your PSU and HDD choices are fine. I would recommend one of the following cases due to better cooling and at least one front USB 3.0 port:
http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16811112322
http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16811119197

Take a look at these suggestions and look around for yourself.

Edited by kidnova, 09 August 2012 - 03:03 PM.

[Mad9]

Thanks for this other reply!
I've changed the RAM and the Mobo, thanks for the info!

What do you think about this Mobo from ASUS instead? It has SLI. http://www.newegg.ca...N82E16813131837

Also, I may reconsider overclocking my CPU, is it worth buying the i5-3570K as it looks like it can be overclocked up to 4.5 GHz? Will it make a difference? Is it risky and hard to accomplish?

I might recheck the Case with the other Cooler Master you linked to me because it has 3 fans instead of 2.

EDIT: I don't think my PSU will be enough if I want to overclock it, so I might just stay with the non-k version if I have to buy a highter wattage PSU. Also, is my current PSU 600W enough to handle all my parts + the HAF 922 case with 3 fans instead? (without overclocking)

Edited by Mad9, 09 August 2012 - 03:48 PM.

[kidnova]

Overclocking isn't difficult, but it does require a certain level of knowledge and a lot of patience. If you think it's something you might be interested in doing then you can buy the K version. If you are wanting to push it as far as 4.5GHz then you're going to have to look into aftermarket cooling as well.

600W should be plenty of power to run your system, even if you overclock the CPU. You would only need to worry about a bigger PSU if you're running a multi-GPU system. Here's a review of a system running a GTX 570, the most power hungry of the GPUs I mentioned, and it never pulls more than 350W. The quality of the PSU is usually more important than the max output above 500W or so, unless you are running an extreme system with aftermarket cooling or multi GPUs.

http://www.tomshardw...ce,2806-14.html

And another with a 570 fully stressed:

http://www.guru3d.co...tx-570-review/8

Oh, and that ASUS board will work just as well as the one I suggested. It's up to you which one you prefer.

Edited by kidnova, 09 August 2012 - 04:33 PM.

[iammykyl]

PSU. As Kidnova indicated, the CX600 will probable be OK with a single GPU as it has plenty of amps on the 12v rail but, should be left as the last item to be selected.

Over-clocking on Mobos that support OC is usually achieved with a one button press and is set to a "safe" limit.

I recommend staying with a single higher end GPU and then you can cut the price of the Mobo. Using SLI or Crossfire means more heat and noise,use of a higher wattage PSU and a case (suggest full ATX) with better cooling.

Why are you considering a 17inch square format monitor?

[Mad9]

I'm using a square 17" monitor since a very long time, and I am not sure if I will enjoy widescreen to play games.

[iammykyl]

Here is just one article about screen sizes, > https://docs.google....creen.pdf&pli=1

[iammykyl]

Another, > http://sabg2011.com/...s-best-for-you/

I have an old 17inch CRT and a 21inch widescreen. Gaming on the widescreen is far, far better.

[kidnova]

I agree with iammykyl in that I generally prefer 1 good GPU over a dual card setup, however with the newer chipsets there usually isn't a huge price difference between one that supports crossfire and one that doesn't. For instance the 1x pci-e 3.0 version of the MSI board is only $14 less expensive. For me it's worth $14 just to have the option to go that route if I wanted to at some point.

http://www.newegg.ca...deId=1&name=MSI

I also agree that you will get a better gaming experience from a better monitor, which is why I specifically mentioned cards that would support 1920x1280 monitors. The difference between gaming on a 17" 4x3 screen and a 20"+ 16x9 screen is pretty dramatic. However, some people honestly don't care which is why I gave you less expensive options as well.

Edited by kidnova, 09 August 2012 - 09:03 PM.

[Mad9]

Thanks for your replies. I'm almost done shopping. I'm just looking for a cheap monitor and also a wifi adapter. I might go with a PCIE wifi card instead of a USB adapter.

[phillpower2]

The least expensive 17" screen that I could find http://www.superbiiz...=ACE-V173D&c=CJ and the least expensive 20" less expensive and with free shipping http://www.newegg.co...ID=3938566&SID=

Wireless adapter http://www.newegg.co...N82E16833166021