[brian1963]

My “FIRST” build??!!?? : I am looking for opinions and thoughts on my choices. It started with me wanting to upgrade my current HP Pavilion m9250t to 3D.Not worth it. So after months of research (note: very bad on reading reviews 10 bad out of 1000 I think what if that happens to me ☹) I would like an all around computer and be able to upgrade. I like to play games watch movies listen to music (over 300 hundred movies on hard drive and 15000 songs) I plan on hooking up to my Yamaha AV receiver and to my Samsung 3D TV. I picked 1st CPU 2ND Motherboard with thought of video card 3RD video card 4th case 5TH sound card (not sure if I even need, kind of afterthought) 6th RAM. Have not picked hard drive, thinking 1TB and using one or both 500GB drives from old computer, (HELP)??Would like to have blue ray, 3D DVD would like it to write both not sure yet on kind (HELP)??Power HOW MUCH?? Sorry if too much info.
Here are my picks: or not bought yet!!!!
CPU: Intel i7-2700 sandy bridge
Motherboard: Gigabyte G1.Sniper
Video Card: Gigabyte GV-N660C-2G GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (mid tower)
Sound card: OMEGA Claro Halo 24-bit 192 KHz PCI Interface (not even sure if needed)
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB (4 x 4GB)
Hard Drive or drives:???
Power:???
I Have learned a lot (or maybe not☺) may be in over my head.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Still looking were to buy newegg was first thought I have keyboard&mouse updating my OS so need to buy trying to stay under $1500

Edited by brian1963, 30 September 2012 - 12:50 PM.

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brian1963

Not a bad list of parts but you can get more bang for your buck if you swap some parts some examples below;

CPU: Intel i7-2700 sandy bridge, a very good CPU but it has now been replaced by the Ivy Bridge version which is only $10 more expensive, has lower power consumption and is mure future proof.
MB again very good and compatible with your CPU.
Video card, you can get better performing cards for less money, see benchmarks @ http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
Your brand choice of Ram is a good one as long as it is compatible with your MB.

If you tell us what your maximum budget is, where in the world you will be purchasing the parts from and whether you already have any other items apart from HDDs that you wish to use such as a mouse, keyboard and an OS disk such as Windows 7 64-bit for example.

[phillpower2]

brian1963

Not a bad list of parts but you can get more bang for your buck if you swap some parts some examples below;

CPU: Intel i7-2700 sandy bridge, a very good CPU but it has now been replaced by the Ivy Bridge version which is only $10 more expensive, has lower power consumption and is mure future proof.
MB again very good and compatible with your CPU.
Video card, you can get better performing cards for less money, see benchmarks @ http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
Your brand choice of Ram is a good one as long as it is compatible with your MB.

If you tell us what your maximum budget is, where in the world you will be purchasing the parts from and whether you already have any other items apart from HDDs that you wish to use such as a mouse, keyboard and an OS disk such as Windows 7 64-bit for example.

[brian1963]

Still looking were to buy newegg was first thought. have key board mouse will be upgrading opt system so have to buy. trying to stay under 1500

[phillpower2]

See what you think http://pcpartpicker.com/p/iYkR

[ranchhand3]

Hi Brian... I think you are on the right track. As far as a sound card, check out what brand integrated audio is on whatever mobo you buy, chances are that it has equal or better sound than a 3rd party card. Some drivers for the mobo audio now come with graphic equalizers that make a huge difference in adjusting sound quality so you might check that out. My Asus board came with a Realtec graphic equalizer as an add-on when installing the basic sound drivers. I would be more concerned about the quality of the speakers you are going to get (unless you have them already).

Motherboard: Everybody has a brand they prefer, but don't be tempted by cheeepie brands. Problems with dodgy, temperamental motherboards are the most difficult problems to diagnose that there is. Also, check how many SATA data ports they are giving you. I have six, and every one is filled. I wish I had 10, but too late.

Cooling: I suggest investigating a liquid CPU cooling kit instead of traditional air fan. I got an ECO two years ago and will never go back to air coolers again. The cost of these has dropped to the point where some are lower cost that air fan setups. They come in a complete kit for installation now and they are quiet! Some examples from Newegg, check out the user reviews, I go heavily by them on my buying decision. They do a great job of cooling, I have my AMD quad overclocked from 3.0 to 3.8GHz stable with no increase in temp from default clock!
Link: http://www.newegg.co...m|cooler system
That Corsair for $64.99/free shipping looks interesting. The nice thing about Newegg is you have 30 days to return to Newegg if you have any problems with it, which means you don't have to deal with the manufacturer. Call their 800 number and they will waive any restocking charge.

Keyboard/Mouse: look into a wireless setup, once you are freed from wires you will never go back again.

Power Supply: minimum 500Watt, more if you can afford it. Also, you want minimally 6 peripheral and 5 SATA plugs, more is better. Usually they put two plugs on each power cable, but if you run out it can be a real annoyance if you want to add more hard drives/peripherals in the future. Seems like I am always scratching my head on how to hook up everything I want. Every plug I have is used at this time.

You might enjoy checking out THIS POST on your building procedure when you are ready.

Wish you the best!

[iammykyl]

Hi.
Given that this is not a hard core gamer I think you could drop down the CPU to an i5, (more than powerful enough) stay with the supplied cooler, (you would be able to use Turbo Boost and stay within the thermal threshold. Intel coolers are more than capable for the job)

Another build to consider.
> http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j7Qr

I suggest you install all 4 HDDs, 2 new, 2 old.
Blue Ray burners are OEM, so they need software to be able to play DRM disks.
Make sure you will have enough SATA cables, (posible 5)
Make sure you will have the corrct cable to attatch to your TV.

2 items I suyggest you add to the list.

A anti static wrist strap like this > http://pcpartpicker.com/p/j7Qr
A internal system beeper if one is not supplied with the case, like this, > http://www.cwc-group.com/casp.html

Edited by iammykyl, 02 October 2012 - 02:02 AM.

[brian1963]

Dib you mean sata ports on motherbord or the cables. What do you mean by beeper?thank you for the info. Did down the cpu to i5 and looked at the sound on the sniper should be fine with what's on it

Edited by brian1963, 02 October 2012 - 09:43 AM.

[brian1963]

Can you compare the motherbords for me the one you picked asrock & gigabyte sniper i picked.tell me what you see in the differences. I'm trying to learn what to look for

[iammykyl]

Dib you mean sata ports on motherbord or the cables. What do you mean by beeper?

The SATA cables, there is normally only 2 with the Mobo, non with a OEM optical drive, if you use your old drives in the build, you can reuse the SAT cables, leaving one short.
The internal beeper/speaker is instlled on thhe Mobo. At starup the POST is initialized, > http://www.computerh...rgon/p/post.htm

Can you compare the motherbords for me

> http://www.newegg.co...2^13-128-552-TS

The Sniper is Extended ATX Form Factor, You would need a case capable of taking this Card.

PCI Express 3.0 x16. I doubt you will every use more than one.

SATA. 6 total is more than enough.

Audio Chipset. The Asrock has 8 channel and unless you are a audiophile, is very good.

LAN Chipset. You don't need Duel, speed and stability is more dependent on the quality of your internet connection. Do a Google review search for the Killer NIC.

I don't think you will ever use

Voltage measurement points

Both boards have eSATA. Other features are similar, just called by different names.

Extra on the Sniper.

2 x 1394a
Voltage measurement points
1 x Display Port


Loads of SLI/Crossfire bridges.


Is the extra spend worth it to you?

[brian1963]

Hey thanks again Iammykyi lots of help

[iammykyl]

Your welcome.

Before purchasing parts, please post your final selection so we can check for any compatibility issues or alternative parts.

[brian1963]

this is were i am at like i said i will be using this to watch movies 3D. thats how this started wanted to upgrade my system to be able to play 3D. I will be hooking it up to a samsung 55" TV my yahama AV reciever. have a HD monitior

NZXT Crafted Series Phantom Black / Green Trim Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case Model #PHAN-002GR

GIGABYTE G1.Sniper 3 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Extended ATX Intel Motherboard Model #:G1.Sniper 3

GIGABYTE GV-N660OC-2GD GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Model #:GV-N660OC-2GD

Intel Core i5-2550K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Without IGP BX80623i52550K
Model #:BX80623i52550K

Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW120A3K5 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Model #:SSDSC2CW120A3K5

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Model #:F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Model #:WD5000AAKX
cost 1,178.92 plus OS

[iammykyl]

Hi.

Everything is compatible but I feel you should be aware of the following.
Case is great but does not have front USB 3.0. you could install an adaptor in one of the front External 5.25" Drive Bays
CPU. You have moved back to a 2nd generation one. No intergrated graphics, so you loose all the associated features, no output should your GPU fail. will run hotter, no native support of DDR3-1600, lower Memory Bandwidth, No PCI Express Revision 3,0 Full comparison, >> http://ark.intel.com...647,52209,65520
Mobo, excellent board, but i do believe you would get better results from the build by upgrading the GPU.

You have not listed a PSU or Optical Drive.

[brian1963]

here is my list of pick again.

1 Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Model #:GFC-00019Item #:N82E16832116716
$199.99
-$20.00 Instant $179.99

1 NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-G1 Gunmetal Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Black Trim Computer CaseModel #:CA-PH410-G1Item #:N82E16811146093
$99.99

1 ASRock Z77 Professional LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel MotherboardModel #:Z77 ProfessionalItem #:N82E16813157299
$239.99 -$20.00 Instant $219.99

1 GIGABYTE GV-N660OC-2GD GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video CardModel #:GV-N660OC-2GDItem #:N82E16814125443
$229.99

1 Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570KModel #:BX80637I53570KItem #:N82E16819116504
$229.99

1 Intel 520 Series Cherryville SSDSC2CW120A3K5 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)Model #:SSDSC2CW120A3K5Item #:N82E16820167093
$199.99 -$60.00 Instant $139.99

1 G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRLModel #:F3-12800CL9D-8GBRLItem #:N82E16820231314Return Policy:Memory Standard Return PolicyIn Stock
$39.99

2 Western Digital WD Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare DriveModel #:WD5000AAKXItem #:N82E16822136769Return Policy:Standard Return PolicyIn Stock
$79.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.98

1 LITE-ON Blu-ray Burner with 3D Playback SATA iHBS212-08 LightScribe SupportModel #:iHBS212-08Item #:N82E16827106348Return Policy:Standard Return PolicyIn Stock
$109.99

Subtotal:$1,389.90

[iammykyl]

Looking much better, a couple of suggestion though.

You have selected Window7 full licence, providing you do not install the os on a differnt computer in the future, all you need is the OEM licence, saving you $70
> http://www.newegg.co...erating-Systems


Case seems very good for cooling, consider installing air filters on the face of the 2 intake fans.


Motherboard. Unless there is a particular feature you need on the Asrock Pro, consider the Gigabyte or Asrock Extreme4. save min $75, > http://www.newegg.co...4^13-128-544-TS

PSU, > http://www.newegg.co...5^17-139-005-TS My choice would be the

Thermaltake Toughpower

I think the choice of GPU needs some more investigating, the GTX 600s fro bandwidth limitations and may not perform well for your needs. > http://www.hwcompare...ixelrateExplain