New Comp Build Advice!

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Rapter29

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Hey Guys! So i've been hard at work trying to make black Friday give up its secrets and i've nailed down some of the details of the rig i want to build, but because i am a bit of a novice at this, there are a few areas where i am not as confident. I appreciate any advice!

Lets start with what I know for sure!

This is my case: Rosewill THOR V2

My CPU: i5-4670

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I am fairly confident in my choice of Motherboard, but there are many specifications and ports and the like which upon looking at the list don't necessarily jump out at me, so if you could take a look and make sure it fits everything else im thinking of, or that you suggest, that would be awesome.

MB: MSI Z87-GD65

-

Of all the GPU's i've looked at (and happen to be in stock) this one seems to cover what i want, but if you guys think its not a great choice please feel free to point me in the right direction.

GPU: EVGA GTX 670 4GB

*I chose this card because it was one of the cheaper 4GB options. I looked at 4GB because 'im trying to guarantee longevity for anything i buy, and from what i've read, the primary thing that causes people to update cards is insufficient video memory due to the demand newer games are putting on cards.*

**Also, I am not totally against AMD GPU's, but i have very little personal experience with their reliability, if your suggestion does contain an AMD GPU, thats fine though.**

---

Those are the things I know for sure, and I have RAM acquisition covered, i do have a question though, which form of DDR3 is best, i see 1600, then i see stuff like 2800 (oc) and 3000 (oc). What are the differences?

-

One of the biggest problems for me is as follows, buying components and assembling them will be fairly easy, but given my lack of experience in computer builds, i am at a complete loss as to what capacity power supply i will need. The only piece of hardware that had a well defined power draw was the GPU. I'm need to find a large enough (wattage) PSU, that is reliable enough, luckily i'm pretty sure that if it exists, it will fit in my case.

So those are my dilemmas, any and all advice is welcome, and i hope everyone is having a wonderful thanksgiving week!


P.S. The Nvidia Offer for free games with a GPU is stupid because you can't get the games on Steam. Bad Nvidia.


Your friendly neighborhood dinosaur.
 
When it comes to memory, it would be best to get something like ddr3 1600 (since that is the biggest selection to choose from according to Newegg). Heres a link to a set of memory currently on sale: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416

However, I wouldnt recommend going after any memory that you can use to overclock unless you specifically plan to get an Intel cpu that has the overclocking ability. Any i5 & i7 with a "K" at the end of it means that its unlocked & ready to be overclocked at your desire. Also since you posted bout an i5 cpu, the cpu that im plannin on getting is the i5-3570k.

Here is something I dont understand (& please feel free to educate me on your decision on this): why did you choose a non-overclockable cpu w/ a mobo thats designed to overclock?

When it comes to a motherboard, why not save a lil bit of $$ with this bad boy: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157293&ignorebbr=1
^Its also on my wish list of things to get.

Now when it comes to video cards, you need to understand one thing. When it comes to playing a video game, it works off of 3 things: the cpu, your memory & your video card. Typically, when your memory is real short, then the system goes after your video card memory. Its pretty much like a backup in case your system doesnt have enough. Therefore, you really dont need to go full out (unless you really have the $$ to do so). Here is my recommendation & it comes with the same warranty as the eVGA card that you suggested: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125443

Finally, when it comes to talking about power supplies, I would recommend that you tell us first how much your current psu holds so that we can give you a good possible suggestion. If there is even a possible name of the manufacturer of your current one, that would be great, but not necessary. I know for a fact that I am not completely reliable of most of the facts of power supplies, but we have other techies who are far more knowledgeable than I who can help further your understand of those power beasts. I will say 1 thing though: look into the warranties for your future power supply. If it doesnt have anything at least 3 years minimum, dont even give it a 2nd glance. Most dependable power supply manufacturers easily put between 3-5 year warranties to ensure the quality of their product.

I hope this helps you in some way.
 
Rapter29 said:
Hey Guys! So i've been hard at work trying to make black Friday give up its secrets and i've nailed down some of the details of the rig i want to build, but because i am a bit of a novice at this, there are a few areas where i am not as confident. I appreciate any advice!

Lets start with what I know for sure!

This is my case: Rosewill THOR V2

My CPU: i5-4670

-

I am fairly confident in my choice of Motherboard, but there are many specifications and ports and the like which upon looking at the list don't necessarily jump out at me, so if you could take a look and make sure it fits everything else im thinking of, or that you suggest, that would be awesome.

MB: MSI Z87-GD65

-

Of all the GPU's i've looked at (and happen to be in stock) this one seems to cover what i want, but if you guys think its not a great choice please feel free to point me in the right direction.

GPU: EVGA GTX 670 4GB

*I chose this card because it was one of the cheaper 4GB options. I looked at 4GB because 'im trying to guarantee longevity for anything i buy, and from what i've read, the primary thing that causes people to update cards is insufficient video memory due to the demand newer games are putting on cards.*

**Also, I am not totally against AMD GPU's, but i have very little personal experience with their reliability, if your suggestion does contain an AMD GPU, thats fine though.**

---

Those are the things I know for sure, and I have RAM acquisition covered, i do have a question though, which form of DDR3 is best, i see 1600, then i see stuff like 2800 (oc) and 3000 (oc). What are the differences?

-

One of the biggest problems for me is as follows, buying components and assembling them will be fairly easy, but given my lack of experience in computer builds, i am at a complete loss as to what capacity power supply i will need. The only piece of hardware that had a well defined power draw was the GPU. I'm need to find a large enough (wattage) PSU, that is reliable enough, luckily i'm pretty sure that if it exists, it will fit in my case.

So those are my dilemmas, any and all advice is welcome, and i hope everyone is having a wonderful thanksgiving week!


P.S. The Nvidia Offer for free games with a GPU is stupid because you can't get the games on Steam. Bad Nvidia.


Your friendly neighborhood dinosaur.
Click to expand...

The MSI Z87-GD65 is overkill, since it is basically a Z87-G45 with a few extra SATA slots, especially since your CPU won't even overclock. Because of this, you could save some $$$ by going with an H87 motherboard (ASRock H87 Pro4).

I would stay away from the 670 just because it's a discontinued model. Just my $.02. pillar has some sage advice about memory choices (1600 recommended for Haswell).
 
DDR3-1600 is THE standard to get. Higher clock memory is useful for those who are trying to get as much out of their system as possible or at default speeds without voiding their warranty. If you're not overclocking, as both Sushi and pillar pointed out, then the motherboard is actually overkill and you could save some money there. The only reason I see to get that motherboard is if you plan on upgrading the CPU or move to overclocking the parts.

Power supplies I always lean towards having too much than too little, because I may get more power hungry parts, add additional hardware, and/or overclock. I'm thinking a 550 or 650 watt PSU will suffice for your needs (obviously I say 650 but 550 will be a good starting point to go off depending on the overall build). Pillar's comments about warranty is very important as that's a sign by the company that they're sure they can back up their claims about reliability. 3 years is a minimum, 5 is better if available. I'll take another look at everything and provide some possible PSU suggestions when my turkey/stuffing/pie coma passes some more. =D
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

First thing first, I had no idea you couldn't overclock a non 'k' CPU, so i am altering that piece (4670K). Cause I would like the option to bump up the speed appropriately (not too much, since im not water cooled, but i am confident the case can keep it cool enough to boost some of the way).

Second, thank you for the suggestions about shooting for a cheaper motherboard. probably the G43 from MSI, but ill do more checking when Newegg isnt clogged with traffic.

I wasnt aware the 670 was discontinued, is the 660 as well? What would the best bet be, something in the 600 or 700 series?

Also, since i do plan to OC, should i still stick to DDR3 1600? or would i be better off with the other stuff (lots of hoohaa about 3000 on the page for the G43 MB).

Thank you for all the advice so far, i hope you are all having a wonderful thanksgiving, and stay safe if you go shopping on black friday.
 
I would look at the 700 series. Buying a 4GB card is going to be useless because it won't guarantee longevity-your card will cease to perform well for reasons other than the amount of memory before it ceases to perform well because of the amount of memory just because the caliber of any card in the price range of that 670 is one where you will get more bang for your buck by simply buying a card that is higher up on the ladder.

Sorry about that sentence being quite a mouthful. You'll get it.
 
Consider amd because some of the cpus are on sale right now and so are the mobos
 
I have nothing against AMD, but this build is going to be 100% intel CPU.

Also what is the difference between Z87 and H87?

After looking ive settled upon the following. What do you guys think?

MSI Z87-G43

Gigabyte GTX 760 2GB

And of course the i5-4670K

How does this all look?

And of course, if this looks solid, what should i buy for a PSU! (still completely oblivious as to PSUs)


As always, thanks everyone for the advice, and taking time from your holidays to help. Happy Black Friday.
 
The short version of the difference between the Z87 and the H87 is that the Z version supports CPU overclocking and can run tri-GPU configs wheras the H87 does not have the additional support for CPU OC'ing and has a standard dual-GPU SLI/Crossfire setup. Depending on the motherboard model, the H series also have less ports available and a poorer layout than the Z series. Think of the Z models as the best there is (most features, best support, etc.). Here's a link to an article detailing the difference between the two.

As for the motherboard, I prefer to stick with Gigabyte as my preferred brand. Nothing wrong with that MSI motherboard, but there are a lot more tried and true motherboards available than just that model (noticed it only had 3 reviews, I prefer to have more reviews on the product to lessen the chance of a DOA or future issues).

As for PSU's, you can do a search on Newegg; my advice is to use Power Search. Sort by 550-650 watts, and be sure to select 80 Plus Bronze-Gold standards, add in the price limit you have and be sure to then sort by Rating after you click the Search key. Some of the brands I like: Corsair, FPS, Kingwin, Sparkle, and I'm growing to like Rosewill (used to be seen as a value/budget brand, but they've been releasing a lot better quality PSU's now). Antec is also a popular/favorable brand, but I've had two PSU's die on me, taking half my parts with it so it's dead to me. I'd stick with a price between $100-$125. The biggest rule is to NOT skip on a good, quality PSU. You can buy all these expensive hardware parts, and get a crappy budget PSU. Which will fry itself out and possibly take out your entire system with it (screwing you over!) So I cannot emphasize enough to do your research, even if only as a beginner to just read all the existing reviews on the product page to get an idea what it can do and how it will perform.

And I approve the Intel choice and GPU (though I stick with EVGA for its limited lifetime warranties).

So you'll have the case, PSU, CPU, motherboard, and GPU. What RAM and hard drive will you be using for the build. And to just tell you ahead of time, you do NOT have to buy a dedicated sound card as the onboard suffice for most people except for audiophiles. Unless you're making music or require the best sound possible, you can avoid this additional expense and piece of hardware. Also forgot to ask: What's your ultimate budget and build orientation going to be?
 
I was just planning on buying a regular 2TB HDD, nothing fancy to start with, and probably starting with 8-16 GBs of RAM. Is 1600 still the way to go?

Also I took your advice to look for a better reviewed MoBo, and It is tough, which of the following would you say is the best:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128617
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130727
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130693
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http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128593


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Also, The GPU i chose previously went out of stock, what do you think of this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130932?

And finally, i followed your advice about PSUs and i came up with this one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139054

My only real concern is that given the size of my case, the cables might not reach everything. Given the fact the PSU is full modular, i should easily be able to get longer cables right?
 
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Also, another thing is that it's easy to underestimate the boost you get from an SSD, especially where you are using WIndows and the performance increase can be tremendous. I would seriously consider it-even possibly today and right now when you can pick up an 840 EVO for cheap.
 
Either of those motherboards will work. The things that I concern myself with, beyond the layout and features they have for overclocking, is how many ports it has for SATA and USB. With USB 3.0 rolling out as the new standard, it's become more important to have motherboards have them built in. I'm a USB heavy user, with multiple external hard drives, keyboard, mouse, MP3 player, webcam, thumb drive, etc., being connected and used. One thing to note for the builder is if the built-in BIOS screen is the old standard, or the new UEFI version (which is very visually appealing and easier to use in my opinion, especially for first tie builders).

DDR3-1600 MHz is the standard to go with, and 2x4GB kit will be best. More is always better, but for most people, 8 GB will suffice. Corsair, G.Skill, Geil, Patriot, Mushkin are all good brands for RAM. I have a special preference for the G.Skill Ripjaw and Sniper series.

Hard drive wise, 2TB is good, more than enough I'd dare say (though I use about 4TB of space. Lots of music videos and movies on my PC). One thing to think about it is maybe going with a SSD+ HDD combo set up; a 120GB SSD for the OS and use the 2TB HDD for data storage (games, music, videos, etc.). Not a requirement, but it's something to think about.

GPU: I like it. The one thing to be sure and safe about is this one line in its specifications listing. "500 watt or greater power supply with a minimum of 30 amps on the +12 volt rail." Gotta make sure that PSU you get will suffice for this requirement, especially the 30 amps on the +12v rail.

Case + PSU: The PSU picked looks good to me. I'm actually a fan of modular cabling; it helps the reduce the amount of excess wiring that's strewn about in a case, which can restrict air flow and look like a mess if you got a window on it. I'm actually using a Xigmatek PSU with modular cabling. And you made a very astute observation about the cabling with the case that a lot of first time builders don't notice; depending on the placement of the PSU within the case, you may or may not be able to connect cables to the parts. It's definitely important to figure out how you're going to place your parts within the case and how you may do the cabling for them. For example, my hard drives are in the front, towards the middle and bottom of the case, but my PSU is located in the top rear section. So I am literally having to cross from one end of my case to the other to connect the power cables. You should be able to open both sides of the case; one will house the hardware and such, the other side should provide enough gap to direct wires through pre-determined cut outs for your cables which can 1) allow easier access/reach for your cables to necessary parts and 2) hide cabling clutter and improve air flow in the build. The Thor case you picked out has the PSU located on the bottom rear so the only parts that will most likely have an issue is plugging in the primary motherboard power connection (while making it neat, otherwise if sloppy, it's in easy reach), and the two top-most 5.25" drive bays (say for a DVD or Blu Ray drive). Also note, the case is very fan heavy, but they're large fans so they will be more efficient in cooling the build, and won't provide as much noise as the 80mm fan equivalents for air flow.

Your build is starting to come along nicely. When do you plan on buying the parts? (Cyber Monday is coming around the corner!)
 
Yeah i was hoping to buy most of it before or on Cyber monday.

As for that spec on the GPU, im not seeing anything about the 12v rail on the spec list for the GPU, and that has me worried.

I am very aware of the power of the SSD, and i plan on running one eventually, but im more concerned with getting the rig up first, and the pricing for a good sized SSD is just out of my budget for the time being.
 
Just did a more indepth check, apparently the RM650 will put out around 45 AMPs combined on the 12v rails. so it should be good!
 
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