The 'Build Me A PC' Thread

[schild]

God, I've been building my own PCs every 3-5 years for the last ~20 years. This is a nightmare. Everything is both ugly and like, confusing.

[HaemishM]

I've had good results with my Asus, but you'd probably have to get one of their more expensive options to get 4 drive bays. I don't think pre-builts come with more than 2 these days.

[Chimpy]

You also would probably need to get a bigger PSU for any pre-built if you are adding 4 platters to it. They tend to be pretty puny.

[taleril]

I have the building vs buying debate in my head every few months.  I'm never sure which companies have good reputations but you can definitely find places that let you choose a case that should have the amount of hard drive bays you want.

For example:
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/CyberPower_Z87_i5_Configurator

There are a bunch of "full tower" cases that should have a decent amount of hard drive bays.

[Hawkbit]

Rasix:  How did your build end up?  Did you get everything in place?

I'm 100% thrilled with my build and so far it is completely stable.  I'm leaving the SSD for windows and 1 game at a time, then installing all other games to the HDD from my previous system.  It's working pretty well!

Super-duper thanks to everyone that gave input on the build. 

[Rasix]

Stable, quiet and cool.  No problems installing anything.  My build ended up looking really close to yours.  I switched my mobo and GPU to your choices after looking them over.  I like the case I went with. The Fractal R4 is very spacious and the noise dampening is great.  Everything was really easy to put in it.  My only complaint is the same one with my last build: that Hyper 212 is kind of annoying to install.   The GPU power stuff was kind of wonky as well.  Thanks for making my cable management worse EVGA.

Hottest the GPU has ever gotten was 70 and that's when I can barely hear the fans.  CPU seems to be happy.

My only annoyance is how many fucking updates windows installs.  Jesus H. Every time I shut down there's something new.

I need to take some other games for a spin, but I've been on somewhat of a GW2 bender.  

[Der Helm]

Finally able to upgrade my system. But it still has to be rather cheap. What do you guys think about this upgrade kit I could order right now:

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 (AM3+)
AMD FX-8350 (AM3+) (Vishera) (8x 4,0GHz)
16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 CL9 1600

I heard the CPU is quite power hungry, would I have to upgrade my PSU ?

Right now I am running an older DVD/R Drive, 1 TByte hard disk and a (rather shitty, I know, I know *sighs*) AMD Radeon HD 6670 graphic card.

[schild]

16GB of DDR3 1600. Aren't you rich with ram.

[Rasix]

AMD still makes CPUs? 

I haven't felt like I've needed more than 8 gigs so far. 

[schild]

I can't even find a good set of reasonably prices 8GB DDR2 sticks. Shit is OUTDATED unf unf unf

First game I can't run at ultra since the new card is Bioshock Infinite. I run outta RAM. Blows.

[Chimpy]

Finally able to upgrade my system. But it still has to be rather cheap. What do you guys think about this upgrade kit I could order right now:

ASUS M5A97 R2.0 (AM3+)
AMD FX-8350 (AM3+) (Vishera) (8x 4,0GHz)
16GB (4x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 CL9 1600

I heard the CPU is quite power hungry, would I have to upgrade my PSU ?

Right now I am running an older DVD/R Drive, 1 TByte hard disk and a (rather shitty, I know, I know *sighs*) AMD Radeon HD 6670 graphic card.

Buying an i5 and going with 8GB of RAM will probably run you about the same price (maybe slightly more) and will give you better performance for gaming with using a lot less power. AMD processors are really only a value when you are looking at the low end "my mom needs a machine to websurf and use office" segment. Though with that FX the onboard graphics are probably on par with your 6670.

[Yegolev]

Using 8GB is fine for me, until I kick off more than two VMs without closing Firefox.

[Strazos]

Man, I'm still running 4GB, but I can still pretty much run what I want. 

[Der Helm]

Ok, asked about some i5 Systems, got this offer.

Mainboard   
Gigabyte GA-H77-D3H

CPU
Intel Core i5-3470 (4x 3,2GHz)

RAM
8GB (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance DDR3 CL9 1600

HD
1000 GB SATA Marken-Festplatte / 7200 u/min

Graphic
NVidia GeForce GTX 650 1GB VGA/DVI/HDMI

PSU
550W LC-Power LC6550 Super Silent V2.2

Looks decent to me, I could actually afford it and would still have my old PC as a backup. Opinions ?

[Miasma]

Any system built today should have an SSD hard drive as the base for your OS, programs and games with a regular drive just for media.  It's one of the few things that offers radically better performance.  If you run out of room on the SSD just move games you don't play anymore to the media drive, or delete them.

It's literally ten times faster at booting up and loading.  You don't have enough time to read the tips on the loading screens in games.  If you have to put off building it for a month or two and still have a working computer just wait until you can afford one with an SSD.

[Hawkbit]

It's true.  I didn't think it would affect the performance that much, but I have a 10-15 second win7 boot time on this new build.  It's shockingly fast.

[Der Helm]

Last thing I heard about SSDs was that they break down pretty fast, especially when they are used as a system drive. But that might have been a (long) while ago.

Hm. I could add the Kingston SSDNow KC300 with 60 GB.

[Miasma]

The early SSD drives had to have special drivers, a special defrag program and their speed would go down after too many writes but not anymore really.  60GB would be fine for just the OS and a few programs but you might have to juggle games around between the SSD and regular hard drive since you could probably only fit one large game at a time.  You wouldn't be able to fit very large MMOs like WoW on there.

You could always buy a second SSD just for games in the future though, assuming the motherboard has enough ports.

[Salamok]

Could always build now and pick up a better SSD around cyber Monday.  There are still tons of shitty SSDs on the market and size impacts performance as well.  If it were me I would hold out for a Samsung 830 128gb (830 is last gen 840 is current gen) as an entry point and restrict my brands to Samsung and Intel.  I have had a 256gb Samsung 830 (underprovisioned by 40 % or so) for quite awhile now and I am pretty happy with it.  

[Ingmar]

SSD lifespan is still something you should worry about, to an extent. You can extend the lifespan greatly by adding RAM and making sure your page file is on some other kind of disk. Turn off hibernating, superfetch and defrag too.

[MisterNoisy]

Could always build now and pick up a better SSD around cyber Monday.  There are still tons of shitty SSDs on the market and size impacts performance as well.  If it were me I would hold out for a Samsung 830 128gb (830 is last gen 840 is current gen) as an entry point and restrict my brands to Samsung and Intel.  I have has a 256gb Samsung 830 (underprovisioned by 40 % or so) for quite awhile now and I am pretty happy with it. 

If I were buying for my own machine, Samsung would be at the top of my list, particularly the 840 Pro line (currently going for right around $1/GB shipped).

[Jimbo]

Trying to figure out a decent upgrades:


CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K 3.5GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($319.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($78.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: Asus SABERTOOTH Z77 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($232.99 @ Newegg)
 
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($154.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($156.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 760 2GB Video Card  ($265.91 @ Newegg)

Sound Card: Asus Xonar DX 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($67.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: Asus BW-14D1XT Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($94.98 @ Newegg)
 
Total: $1372.83
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-27 03:14 EDT-0400)

I've got the case, power supply, and a 450GB Western Digital Raptor. I'll use those again. I could re-use the DVD burner and sound card again. I'm buying them a couple of pieces at a time. Any suggestions on what to get 1st? Is the memory RAM going to go up? Oh I buy 2 of each, I'm upgrading mine and my son's again.

[Chimpy]

People still buy discrete sound cards?

[Salamok]

For $65 more you can double the size of the SSD and still have an 840 Pro

[calapine]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1IaQy

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($219.99 @ Newegg)

CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($78.99 @ Newegg)

Motherboard: Asus Maximus VI Hero ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($199.99 @ Newegg)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($169.99 @ Newegg)

Storage: Samsung 840 EVO 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($177.99 @ Newegg)

Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card  ($279.99 @ Newegg)

Sound Card: Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z 70SB150200000 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card  ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: LG BH16NS40 Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer  ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1316.92
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


Some suggested changes. Around 50$ less, but should come out ahead performance wise in the end. i5-4670k instead of the i7 is 100$ alone. I7 only offers hyperthreading which is only worth it in a few select situations, gaming not at all.

Instead double size SSD, HD 7970 is faster than 760 and 1 GB more VRAM helps a bit in "future proofing". Asus Xonar I don't know, but SB Z comes out ahead in reviews at all. If you need a dedicated sound card all, as was said above. (I do, CMSS 3D is nice...)

Edit: Re your questions:

Memory prices: Already higher than at the start of the year and rising now. A DRAM-Fabs by Hynix went up in flames in September, so that's fueling prices additionally. Overall the smart time to buy DDR ram was last year.  

Secondly, if you intend to overclock it could be worth researching if DDR-2133 and faster might be helpfull there. I am still on an old i7-920 and out of the loop regarding Haswell OCing.

The optical drives are rather costly as they are Blue-ray writers. If you just want to read it's half the price.

If you already have a soundcard it's questionable if spending 90$ on a new one is worth it. Generally the on-board sound is a lot better than it was 10 years ago and soundcards are only really worth it for the specific features they bring. If and what you need in that regard is something you can only answer yourself really.

[Salamok]

I would not get the Samsung EVO over the Pro, the NAND used in the EVO does not last as long as what is used in the Pro AND the Pro is a bit faster.

[MisterNoisy]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1IaQy

(snip)

Some suggested changes. Around 50$ less, but should come out ahead performance wise in the end. i5-4670k instead of the i7 is 100$ alone. I7 only offers hyperthreading which is only worth it in a few select situations, gaming not at all.

Instead double size SSD, HD 7970 is faster than 760 and 1 GB more VRAM helps a bit in "future proofing". Asus Xonar I don't know, but SB Z comes out ahead in reviews at all. If you need a dedicated sound card all, as was said above. (I do, CMSS 3D is nice...)

I like most of this a lot - particularly the 7970 and the i5.

I'd likely skip the soundcard, particularly if you're buying a top-tier board like the Maximus Hero, which has a fairly hefty onboard sound solution.  I'm not an audiophile, so I haven't used a soundcard in ages - onboard audio is pretty decent these days, particularly on mid-to upper-tier motherboards.  That Noctua's really pricey, but it's still one of the best air coolers out there, so if you want it, more power to you - I'd much rather use a big air cooler than a sealed-loop water solution, just because of the noise involved with the latter.

I'd also go with the 840 Pro line as opposed to the Evo, but I doubt either drive will give you fits.

When ordering RAM, make sure you get the low-profile stuff, particularly if you go with that Noctua.

If you're looking to scale back the costs a bit (especially since you have to buy two of everything), I'd drop to something like the MSI G45 Gaming (used by Rasix and Hawkbit upthread, I believe), ASRock Extreme4 or ASUS Z87 Plus in the $150 range or the MSI GD65 Gaming, ASRock Extreme6 or ASUS Z87 Pro in the $175 area, maybe drop from the Noctua to something like the Hyper 212 Evo and look at dropping to a 120GB SSD for OS/programs (mine isn't even 1/3 full yet) and look at 8GB RAM instead of 16.

As for what to get first, I'd suggest the video cards - you could install them in your current machines for a bit of a boost while you order the rest of your hardware.  AMD's 8xxx cards are supposed to drop really soon (October?), so you may want to see what the landscape looks like then before jumping in.

[Jimbo]

Thanks guys, I took a loot at what I got and can re-use.

Cases, power supply, dvd burner (I tried to remember how many I made last year...it was like 5), sound card, a WD hard drives, and operating system.

Here is what I'm thinking of getting post re-view:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Iuh6
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Iuh6/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1Iuh6/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($220.98 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($154.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($221.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 4GB Video Card  ($289.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1086.93
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-09-28 09:00 EDT-0400)

I'm not sure why I picked the i7, the stuff I had read told me the same thing you all had said, but it is nice to hear that you all think the Radeon graphic cards are great. I really like XFX, but I'll read up on the Sapphire line too. The price range was all over the place on the graphic cards per companies. If I didn't use Newegg only, I could save like $50 too...may do that. I'm torn between the Radeon and the card listed above.

This should bring our computers up to running the new games coming out.

Thanks again!

[Chimpy]

I have been happy with the Sapphire cards I have had.

[MisterNoisy]

Here is what I'm thinking of getting post re-view:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($220.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1155 Motherboard  ($119.99 @ Newegg)

Any particular reason for Z77 + 3570K instead of Z87 + 4670K?

[Jimbo]

Ugh, for some reason I kept looking and couldn't find those parts. Had to delete both of them, then could find them (that or if I had turned off the compatible filter). I was wondering if you all had a different list or something, but found them. And thanks! They are on sale as a combo when you get the cpu/msi motherboard.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor  ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler  ($78.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard  ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory  ($128.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk  ($219.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 760 4GB Video Card  ($299.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1082.94


Going with different vendors only saves $35, so I'll pull the trigger on this build. I'll probably get the memory, cpu & motherboard, cpu cooler, ssd, then the graphics card. That way I can see in the next couple of months if anything comes about before I get the Nvida or AMD graphic card.

Thanks again! I usually get to excited and read too much, then get crazy ass combo's if I don't review it a couple of times.

[MisterNoisy]

From GAF, here are the PC specs for Watch Dogs:

MINIMUM

    Supported OS: Windows Vista SP2 64bit, Windows 7 SP1 64bit, Windows 8 64bit
    Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8400 @ 2.66Ghz or AMD Phenom II X4 940 @ 3.0Ghz
    RAM: 6 GB
    Video Card: 1024 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 (see supported list)
    Sound Card: DirectX 9 compatible Sound Card
    This product supports 64-bit operating systems ONLY

RECOMMENDED

    Processor: Core i7 3770 @ 3.5Ghz or AMD FX-8350 @ 4.0Ghz
    RAM: 8 GB
    Video Card: 2048 VRAM DirectX 11 with Shader Model 5.0 or higher (see supported list)
    Sound Card: Surround Sound 5.1 capable sound card

Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:

    nVidia GeForce GTX460 or better, GT500, GT600, GT700 series;
    AMD Radeon HD5850 or better, HD6000, HD7000, R7 and R9 series
    Intel® Iris™ Pro HD 5200

Oof.  They're suggesting a GTX670/Radeon 7970 paired with an eight-thread proc for 'Ultra':

GPU: Latest DirectX 11 graphics card with 2 GB Video RAM or more
CPU: Latest Eight core or more
RAM: 8GB or more

example 1
GPU: Nvidia GTX 670
CPU: Intel Core i7-3930K

example 2
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 7970
CPU: AMD FX-9370 Eight-Core

[Lantyssa]

Okay, my system has an instability which I think is in the motherboard.  It's old, so time to upgrade.  Anything glaringly wrong with the below?

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=24064046


Intel Core i5-4670 Haswell 3.4GHz LGA 1150 84W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics BX80646I54670
ASUS SABERTOOTH Z87 LGA 1150 Intel Z87 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
ASUS GTX650-E-1GD5 GeForce GTX 650 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMZ16GX3M2A1600C10
Western Digital WD Black WD2002FAEX 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive - OEM
Corsair Neutron Series CSSD-N256GB3-BK 2.5" 256GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
XIGMATEK Gaia SD1283 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler LGA1150 Haswell Compatible

I have a new 700W power supply I bought as my first troubleshooting test.  Keeping my DVD drive and case.

[rattran]

Nvidia just announced some price drops on their mid-to-low end, might get more bang for your buck when it's relected at newegg.

Ahead of things to come this week, NVIDIA has announced a preemptive price cut for a couple of their mainstream GeForce products. As of today, the GTX 660 is getting an official price cut to $179, which is down from the $200 or so prices that it was at a bit earlier this year. Meanwhile the GTX 650 Ti Boost is getting a price cut down to $149 for the 2GB model, and $129 for the 1GB model..

[schild]

well

fuck

i bought my 660 too soon

TOO SOON

Edit: Also, I don't have enough RAM for watchdogs? Fuck off, will run it anyway.