[Eddie87]

Hi everyone,

I have been shopping around to make my first custom PC build.
This is what I have come up with: http://pcpartpicker....wad_/saved/1BzE
Any suggestions/tips on my hardware choices are much appreciated.
This will be my first time building a pc from scratch

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Eddie87

Nice build but a couple of pointers for you;

You are paying a lot more cash than you need to for a video card that will give you the gaming performance that you are looking for, less expensive alternatives are the GTX670, HD7970 and the GTX660Ti.

The SSD could do with having a larger storage capacity to allow for the many updates that will be released in the years ahead, 120 - 128GB would be best.

Your aftermarket cooler, a very important thing I must make you aware of is that you do not need the additional heatsink and CPU fan and if you did use it you would void your CPU warranty both AMD and Intel are clear on this, see below;

AMD;

This Limited Warranty shall be null and void if the AMD microprocessor which is the subject of this Limited Warranty is used with any heatsink/fan other than the one provided herewith.
Full AMD article @ http://support.amd.c...earLimited.aspx

Intel;

damage to the Product due to external causes, including accident, problems with electrical power, abnormal electrical, mechanical or environmental conditions, usage not in accordance with product instructions, misuse, neglect, alteration, repair, improper installation, or improper testing;
Full Intel article available @ http://www.intel.com...b/cs-009862.htm

[phillpower2]

Eddie87

Nice build but a couple of pointers for you;

You are paying a lot more cash than you need to for a video card that will give you the gaming performance that you are looking for, less expensive alternatives are the GTX670, HD7970 and the GTX660Ti.

The SSD could do with having a larger storage capacity to allow for the many updates that will be released in the years ahead, 120 - 128GB would be best.

Your aftermarket cooler, a very important thing I must make you aware of is that you do not need the additional heatsink and CPU fan and if you did use it you would void your CPU warranty both AMD and Intel are clear on this, see below;

AMD;

This Limited Warranty shall be null and void if the AMD microprocessor which is the subject of this Limited Warranty is used with any heatsink/fan other than the one provided herewith.
Full AMD article @ http://support.amd.c...earLimited.aspx

Intel;

damage to the Product due to external causes, including accident, problems with electrical power, abnormal electrical, mechanical or environmental conditions, usage not in accordance with product instructions, misuse, neglect, alteration, repair, improper installation, or improper testing;
Full Intel article available @ http://www.intel.com...b/cs-009862.htm

[Eddie87]

Thanks for the quick response and for the welcome.


Wow, I hadn't realized how similar the GTX670 and GTX680 were.
Looking at the comparisons there really is not much difference in performance but a great deal of savings with the 670.
I spent a lot of time comparing Radeon vs Nvidia GPU's that I hadn't really compared cards within the same respective brands.
I guess it would probably be best to get that GTX670 and use the savings to get that bigger SSD.


Thanks for saving me some cash and also saving me from voiding my CPU warranty.
I only added the aftermarket heat sink because a buddy of mine told me I would need one to overclock the CPU. Is this true?

[phillpower2]

You are welcome Eddie87

Video card http://www.superbiiz...MSI-670_PE&c=CJ

SSD http://www.newegg.co...ID=3938566&SID=

Overclocking would generate more heat but the stock heatsink and fan are tested over and above the CPUs normal footprint, see how things go with the HS & fan supplied with the CPU and only swap the cooler if absolutely necessary.

I`m not a fan of O/Cing BTW as I prefer stability

An article that may be of interest to you http://www.pcpro.co....or-overclockers

[Eddie87]

Thanks again man.
I have never overclocked and I don't think I will even consider it now. I'm not a fan of voiding warranties. I've had to use more than a few warranties for many expensive items over the years.
Thanks for the information on this topic. I'm sure the CPU's stock speed will be fine for my needs.

Now just time to buy and build. I am stoked to have my first home built PC

[phillpower2]

As I have said you had the core of a very good build which was all your own work

I agree with the speed of the CPU but at least having the k version of the processor does restrict your options to OC further down the line.

A build tutorial to help you if required - provided courtesy of Troy and Artellos respectively http://www.geekstogo...r-own-computer/

You are welcome BTW and let us know when you are up and running or if you have any questions at all.

[Eddie87]

I am going to order everything today.

I will definitely be back here if I have any issues with putting everything together.

Thanks again for your help.

Quick question. Is there really any need for an anti-static wrist band when putting a PC together?

[phillpower2]

Quick question. Is there really any need for an anti-static wrist band when putting a PC together?

Honest answer is if you are in any doubt then yes.

Also worth mentioning is that before you assemble the parts inside the case you should first test them outside of the case, this is often referred to as a barebones set-up or a breadboard set-up.

If you are not familiar with this and you would like help with it let us know when all of your parts have arrived and we will be happy to help.

Tip, while you are waiting for the parts to arrive download and study any manuals that are available for the MB and GPU etc and familiarize yourself with them, this will give you a chance to ask any questions that you may have.

[Eddie87]

Hey thanks again for all of your help my friend.

I have ordered all of my parts and hope to see them within a week.

One more thing I am concerned about is cooling my system.
The case I decided on (Fractal Design Define R4) comes with 2 x 140mm fans and I ordered an extra 140mm fan for a total of 3 x 140mm fans and that seems to be all my case's stock fan controller supports.

One issue I have read about the i5 3570K is that it runs relatively hot with the included heatsink even at stock speed. As you pointed out before an aftermarket heatsink will certainly void the warranty on my CPU (as will overclocking) and I fully intend on keeping my warranty valid.
I know my CPU's stock heatsink comes with pre-applied thermal paste but I am wondering if it is worth buying a more reputable brand's paste to apply myself.
If so, should I attempt to scrape off the stock paste or just apply the extra paste? Or do you think this might potentially void the warranty?

[phillpower2]

Hello Eddie87

Good call adding the additional cooling fan
Good cable management is one of the most cost effective ways of helping to keep the inside of the case cool along with an induction fan at the front of the case and an exhaust fan at the rear, anything else is a bonus.

Not sure where you read the information about the CPU temps but what I can say is that the stock heatsink and cooling fan have been tested and approved to operate over and above the safe thermal footprint of the CPU itself, keep in mind that there are other factors to consider such as the ambient temperature and the amount of unrestricted airflow where the computer is being used.

The maximum safe CPU temperature is 72°C - 75°C but it is recommended to keep it below 70°C at all times, use a monitoring software to keep a check on things, an example http://downloads.gur...nload-2562.html (I am only suggesting that you use the monitoring feature and nothing else a how to guide is available @ http://event.msi.com...User Manual.pdf

As you do not intend to OC the CPU I do not feel that you need to replace the preapplied thermal paste on the stock heatsink, I normally suggest seeing how things go before removing and reapplying fresh thermal compound.

Thermal paste should never be scraped of as the surface of the HS could become damaged and this will affect the cooling performance, some further information for you for future reference should you need it http://www.arcticsil...l_line_v1.1.pdf

Let us know when the parts arrive and any questions meanwhile please ask away.

[Eddie87]

It sounds like I really shouldn't have any problems with heat since I will have two intake fans and an exhaust.
Also, the case I bought has space in a separate compartment for cables (which is the main reason I chose it) so they wont disrupt airflow.
Thanks to the link for the utility. I will definitely use it.

[phillpower2]

You are welcome

[Eddie87]

Hi again phillpower2

I have mostly good news.
I have my new PC build and I am posting from it now.

Everything seems to be working...except for my HDD "Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 3.5" SATA3 Desktop Hard Drive".
My computer seems to be recognizing it in the "device manager" and the "devices and printers" menu but it is not appearing in my hard disk drives list and I am unable to utilize it.

In the hdd's properties menu it is shown as a storage device and claims that the device is working properly but under manufacturer, model number, and description it just says "unavailable". I can see the drivers are from 2006 but the option to update drivers is grayed out. Also, I am having no luck finding any drivers online.

I can also see it under "disk management" and it just says disk 1, basic, 931.51GB unallocated, online.

Any advice with this issue is appreciated. In the meantime I will be searching for a solution with trusty google.

Thanks


__________

E:

Scratch that. I figured it out. That was easy and I feel like such a noob haha.

Ok so now my new pc is working perfectly. Thanks for all of your help!

Edited by Eddie87, 23 May 2013 - 07:02 PM.

[phillpower2]

Hi Eddie87

Glad you got the HDD issue sorted

Could you post how you resolved the HDD issue as the information may help others looking for assistance with the same or a similar issue

[Eddie87]

This is Windows 8 btw.
The problem was that the drive wasn't formatted.
In windows explorer I right-clicked computer and selected "manage".
Under computer management I selected storage -> disk management.
There was is a list of all drives including the one that wasn't working.
I then right-clicked the non working drive and clicked format, left all the options to their default settings and clicked ok and the drive was ready to use

Thanks again for your help and saving me money on the video card. I definitely didn't need the 680 because this 670 runs everything I can throw at it on max settings with amazing frame rate.