Building a computer for a friend

[Kevin117007]

Hi all:

So I need some advice on parts to use for my friend computer. I've assembled a computer before, and it's work really well, so I thought I'd come back for some more advice. This computer will be used for day-to-day activities as well as light gaming (World of Warcraft, League of Legends, ect).

His budget is $1500 (although I feel we could build one for a LOT cheaper).

Here's some notes:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 | http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006YM9JSW/?tag=tec06d-20
MB: Unsure (being able to upgrade in the future would be great, and obviously whatever is compatible with the CPU)
Graphics Card: It should be able to support 2 monitors, and again, we'll be playing video-games like starcraft and wow, so it has to be decent. I think around $200 would be good.
Power supply unit: Probably around 600 watts should suffice
Fan: Unsure, whatever's cheapest.
Keyboard: He wants a non-mechanical keyboard, but has lights(I know he's weird)
Mouse: No need, already has one
Monitors: If anyone knows some good deals on this, that'd be great. Preferably 2 monitors at resolution 1080p.
SSD: 128gb, again if anyone knows any good deals
HD: 1 TB (going for good deals)
Case: Trying to keep this under $100, but again he wants it "flashy" with lights(he wants it to look nice)
Wifi Adapter: I think I have this covered, but If anyone has any suggestions


Any help/hints would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[remixedcat]

GPU--->nvidia GTX660
PSU--->Antec HCG620M
KB--->Logitech G series
SSD--->Samsung 640pro

 

[cdawall]

The 3820 is a bit excessive...but what kind of day to day activities are we talking about?

 

[BarbaricSoul]

Any reason for listing the 3820? Socket 2011 is total overkill for what your looking for. Socket AM3+ would be more appropriate.

My build suggestion, just pick a case your friend likes the looks of. http://pcpartpicker.com/p/17UJv

 

[Kevin117007]

Good point on the processor. I'm only used to overkill, so I'm not sure exactly what's "standard" these days. I think an intel processor would be better, because he wants to be able to upgrade processor in the future if possible. I'm not really sure how viable AMD would be...

Looking into the other suggestions now, thanks!

 

[Hood]

$1600 All-purpose PC

CPU - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2373004&sku=I69-3570K
MOBO - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291301&CatId=6976
RAM - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=744455&CatId=4534
PSU - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7580853&CatId=2533
CASE - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7134880&CatId=1509
SSD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8204802&CatId=142
HDD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=940885&CatId=4357
VGA - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5121339&CatId=7387
MONITOR x 2 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4841119&CatId=5469
KEYBOARD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8204802&CatId=142
CPU COOLER - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7413643&CatId=499

TOTAL - $1585

This is similar to my personal gaming build, but has even higher quality components (except for the video card). I changed the platform to socket 1155/i5-3570K because it will perform better (will allow overclocking). The Corsair parts are some of the best on the market, the Samsung SSD is very fast, and I've had my 3570k clocked up to 4900 MHz on my H100, blowing away many overclocked i7-3770Ks and stock i7-3820s. For what your friend will use it for, this will be a very fast and user-friendly build. He probably has a storage drive or two for music, movies, etc., so I didn't list one. If he wants lighting he could try this programmable RGB system from NZXT - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7526572&CatId=340
Good luck, hope this helped, at least as a starting point...

 

[drdeathx]

CPU - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2373004&sku=I69-3570K
MOBO - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=2291301&CatId=6976
RAM - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=744455&CatId=4534
PSU - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7580853&CatId=2533
CASE - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7134880&CatId=1509
SSD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8204802&CatId=142
HDD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=940885&CatId=4357
VGA - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5121339&CatId=7387
MONITOR x 2 - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4841119&CatId=5469
KEYBOARD - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=8204802&CatId=142
CPU COOLER - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7413643&CatId=499

TOTAL - $1585

This is similar to my personal gaming build, but has even higher quality components (except for the video card). I changed the platform to socket 1155/i5-3570K because it will perform better (will allow overclocking). The Corsair parts are some of the best on the market, the Samsung SSD is very fast, and I've had my 3570k clocked up to 4900 MHz on my H100, blowing away many overclocked i7-3770Ks and stock i7-3820s. For what your friend will use it for, this will be a very fast and user-friendly build. He probably has a storage drive or two for music, movies, etc., so I didn't list one. If he wants lighting he could try this programmable RGB system from NZXT - http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=7526572&CatId=340
Good luck, hope this helped, at least as a starting point...

This build is nonsense. The Asus board you listed is overkill and overpriced. All he needs is a MSI Z77-GD65 at about $160 and he could get the 3770K. There is no benefit to the board you listed. Plus I would swap out the XFX PSU for a Seasonic or Corsair plus I would not buy from Tiger Direct. New Egg has better pricing with combos.

To the OP, where do you live? You can get some better deals if you live near a Microcenter. 4770K is $269 in store special and you get an additional $50 off a motherboard as a combo.

 

[remixedcat]

I got my 3570K for 169USD at Microcenter

 

[Kevin117007]

I live near a microcenter, and it seems the 3570k is 189.99, as opposed to new egg which is 219.99

I like drdeathx's idea to go with the MSI Z77-GD65 motherboard, new egg actually has a combo going on right now that if you buy that board you get 8 gb of free of crucial ram:

Mobo: MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U...
Free RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR...

It seems okay, and people are giving it good reviews, so I see no reason to not go with that and save my friend $70 on RAM.

The water cooling system is overkill. A simple, quiet fan will do for the CPU. My friend isn't going to go crazy and do any overclocking.

In that regard, does anyone have experience with the Cool Master fan suggested by Barbaric Soul? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1
I just want to make sure its really quiet, and my friend's roommate is easily irritated by noises.

Also, with this 7870 graphics card, how does hooking up two montiors work?
SAPPHIRE 100354XTL Radeon HD 7870 XT w/Boost 2GB 2...
it seems like it has only 1 port for HDMI, 1 port for DVI, and the other two are mini-display ports. Would I have to buy an adapter to hook two of them up at once, or could I do 1 DVI and 1 HDMI?

I'm a student so I can get Window 7/8 for free.

Here's the updated list so far:

CPU: $189.99 (micro center) Core i5 3570K
FAN: $32.99 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Contin...
MOBO: $179.99 ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s US... (COMES WITH FREE RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR...)
PSU: $89.99 SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 1...
SSD (128 gb): $134.99 SAMSUNG MZ-7PD128BW - Newegg.com
HD (1 TB): $69.99 Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB...
Graphics Card: $259.99 SAPPHIRE 100354XTL Radeon HD 7870 XT w/Boost 2GB 2...
MONITOR: $320 2 x Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight L... (damn monitors are expensive)
Keyboard: $94.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VAK16O/?tag=tec06d-20 ($47.99 alt) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZV51DI/?tag=tec06d-20
Mouse: Already owned (although suggestions welcomed)
MousePad: $13 XTRAC PADS Ripper Optical Mouse pad - Newegg.com
CASE: $115 ($95 after mail in rebate) AZZA Solano 1000 Black/Black Japanese SECC Steel/M...

Total: $1501

 

[Dent1]

Get more RAM, you'll be running two full HD monitors so it'll eat through almost twice as much memory. Plus RAM is at it's cheapest and your budget more than accommodates it.

I agree with BarbaricSoul and RCoon below me as far as the CPU goes. You'll save money which can be put into a better GPU. Plus you'll have an upgrade path.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I live near a microcenter, and it seems the 3570k is 189.99, as opposed to new egg which is 219.99

I like drdeathx's idea to go with the MSI Z77-GD65 motherboard, new egg actually has a combo going on right now that if you buy that board you get 8 gb of free of crucial ram:

Mobo: MSI Z77A-GD65 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U...
Free RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR...

It seems okay, and people are giving it good reviews, so I see no reason to not go with that and save my friend $70 on RAM.

The water cooling system is overkill. A simple, quiet fan will do for the CPU. My friend isn't going to go crazy and do any overclocking.

In that regard, does anyone have experience with the Cool Master fan suggested by Barbaric Soul? http://pcpartpicker.com/part/cooler-master-cpu-cooler-rrb10212pg1
I just want to make sure its really quiet, and my friend's roommate is easily irritated by noises.

Also, with this 7870 graphics card, how does hooking up two montiors work?
SAPPHIRE 100354XTL Radeon HD 7870 XT w/Boost 2GB 2...
it seems like it has only 1 port for HDMI, 1 port for DVI, and the other two are mini-display ports. Would I have to buy an adapter to hook two of them up at once, or could I do 1 DVI and 1 HDMI?

I'm a student so I can get Window 7/8 for free.

Here's the updated list so far:

CPU: $189.99 (micro center) Core i5 3570K
FAN: $32.99 COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Contin...
MOBO: $179.99 ASUS P8Z77-V LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s US... (COMES WITH FREE RAM Crucial Ballistix Sport 8GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR...)
PSU: $89.99 SeaSonic M12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 1...
SSD (128 gb): $134.99 SAMSUNG MZ-7PD128BW - Newegg.com
HD (1 TB): $69.99 Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB...
Graphics Card: $259.99 SAPPHIRE 100354XTL Radeon HD 7870 XT w/Boost 2GB 2...
MONITOR: $320 2 x Acer S231HLbid Black 23" 5ms HDMI LED-Backlight L... (damn monitors are expensive)
Keyboard: $94.99 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003VAK16O/?tag=tec06d-20 ($47.99 alt) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ZV51DI/?tag=tec06d-20
Mouse: Already owned (although suggestions welcomed)
MousePad: $13 XTRAC PADS Ripper Optical Mouse pad - Newegg.com
CASE: $115 ($95 after mail in rebate) AZZA Solano 1000 Black/Black Japanese SECC Steel/M...

Total: $1501

For what you said the computer will be used for,

This computer will be used for day-to-day activities as well as light gaming (World of Warcraft, League of Legends, ect)

,I still feel my build is more appropriate. Your friend will not notice a difference between the Intel i5 3570k and the AMD 8320(the 8320 matches the 3570 in gaming), plus my build is $350 less expensive(after removing the copy of Windows since you get that free). Also you said you wanted the computer to be upgradable. Well socket 1155 is officially EOL, meaning there are no more CPU's that are going to be produced for it. AM3+ should still have another line of CPUs(steamroller I believe) being released for it.

 

[RCoon]

AM3+ should still have another line of CPUs(steamroller I believe) being released for it.

Yep, steamroller will be AM3, and for WoW and other light games, an AMD cpu and mobo would be cheaper in the case that he is not overclocking. I sincerely doubt he'd notice a difference between the CPU's, and you could then spend more on a GPU, which will HUGELY improve gaming performance.

AMD CPU and a more expensive GPU is far better than an Intel CPU and a midrange GPU. You dont have to spend $1500 for "light gaming".

Keyboard: He wants a non-mechanical keyboard, but has lights(I know he's weird)

Not weird at all, i despise mechanical keyboards, I use the Roccat Isku +, custom illumination, phenominal macros and connectivity with other Roccat products.

 

[Fourstaff]

For what you said the computer will be used for, ,I still feel my build is more appropriate. Your friend will not notice a difference between the Intel i5 3570k and the AMD 8320(the 8320 matches the 3570 in gaming), plus my build is $350 less expensive(after removing the copy of Windows since you get that free). Also you said you wanted the computer to be upgradable. Well socket 1155 is officially EOL, meaning there are no more CPU's that are going to be produced for it. AM3+ should still have another line of CPUs(steamroller I believe) being released for it.

If its only day to day activities and light gaming why not consider FX6300 instead? Its a bit cheaper, and you will not lose noticeable performance. Also, I don't think it will be wise to upgrade to Steamroller from Piledriver, the potential performance is not going to be spectacular enough to warrant an upgrade. Better get it right the first time round.

My personal recommendation is to avoid G110, there are numerous NKRO problems with it (not sure if fixed or not)

Something I have in mind:
FX6300
Some cheap 970 board of not overclocking and not SLI/CF
or
some 990 board (Extreme4, GD65, UD3 etc) + CM212 EVO if overclocking
1866Mhz ram, 2x4GB sticks.
Samsung 840 non pro (bad write speed, otherwise similar to pro version)
660Ti or 7950 (don't really intend to skimp on graphics since 2 screens)
other stuff

EDIT: If WoW is primary game, I will go Intel, simply because WoW performs much better (almost 20% more for 8350 vs 3570K depending on situation) with Intel stuff.

 

[RCoon]

EDIT: If WoW is primary game, I will go Intel, simply because WoW performs much better (almost 20% more for 8350 vs 3570K depending on situation) with Intel stuff.

I ran WoW at 119 FPS on an 8350 @ 4.6ghz and two 7950's in 1080p windowed fullscreen. I dont think the CPU is much of a limiting factor for 60fps screens, but it does run better on Intel, albeit on 120hz+ monitors or 1200p+

 

[Hood]

This build is nonsense

I have read all your posts for some time now, and I have to say, I hope you work out the issues you're going through. So you prefer MSI over Asus - we get it, you always recommend MSI boards, even though they get bad reviews compared to most Asus and Gigabyte boards and they can't support their outright lies about their products. Are you getting kickbacks? My Asus P8Z77-V clocks my 3570k to 4900 MHz on an H100, perfectly stable, can ANY MSI board do that? The ones I've used all had issues with overclocking and stability. I guess you are just better than me if you have no problems with MSI products.
Glad you think my build is nonsense, if you approved I'd be worried. I'm certainly not an expert on anything, but I read everything about computer technology that I see on many websites and forums, so I'm not completely ignorant, although I built my first PC only 13 years ago.
But I do understand that others may have different viewpoints based on their good and bad experiences with products, and my own therefore are not set in stone, and I appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. "This build is nonsense" I don't consider to be constructive criticism. In the past I have valued some of your posts, you obviously have a lot of experience and passion - what's going on with you?

 

[RCoon]

I have read all your posts for some time now, and I have to say, I hope you work out the issues you're going through. So you prefer MSI over Asus - we get it, you always recommend MSI boards, even though they get bad reviews compared to most Asus and Gigabyte boards and they can't support their outright lies about their products. Are you getting kickbacks? My Asus P8Z77-V clocks my 3570k to 4900 MHz on an H100, perfectly stable, can ANY MSI board do that? The ones I've used all had issues with overclocking and stability. I guess you are just better than me if you have no problems with MSI products.
Glad you think my build is nonsense, if you approved I'd be worried. I'm certainly not an expert on anything, but I read everything about computer technology that I see on many websites and forums, so I'm not completely ignorant, although I built my first PC only 13 years ago.
But I do understand that others may have different viewpoints based on their good and bad experiences with products, and my own therefore are not set in stone, and I appreciate CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. "This build is nonsense" I don't consider to be constructive criticism. In the past I have valued some of your posts, you obviously have a lot of experience and passion - what's going on with you?

It's for light gaming, and not for overclocking to those levels, therefore the board is a hurrendous waste of money, that could be better spent in other departments. I do hope this reply does not irritate you so much. As for drdeathx i cant account for how you perceive his choice of words.

(although I feel we could build one for a LOT cheaper).

This means the OP is glad to spend less than his budget

 

[brandonwh64]

Honestly I would pickup a second hand 2600K/Z68 with 8GB DDR3 and put all the rest you saved on a 7970 or 670

 

[Hood]

I was just trying to give the OP a push in the right direction - "hope this helps, at least as a starting point...". The board I mentioned is not an "overclocking board", it's a pro board (general purpose, good connectivity), and as such fits the OP's purpose, with maybe a little overkill, but not really for a $1500 build. Sure, he could build one for $500, but what's the point if he has $1500? Even at $1000, he'll regret some of his choices eventually, and end up with spare parts when he upgrades, so why not go for a satisfying build from the start?
As for the doctor, I'm used to his negativity, and still respect his knowledge, but the occasional shot across his bow is inevitable since we're all of our own opinions.

 

[BarbaricSoul]

If its only day to day activities and light gaming why not consider FX6300 instead? Its a bit cheaper, and you will not lose noticeable performance. Also, I don't think it will be wise to upgrade to Steamroller from Piledriver, the potential performance is not going to be spectacular enough to warrant an upgrade. Better get it right the first time round.

I agree with everything you said there.

At first, the FX6300 was the very first CPU that came to mind. But like you said, do it right the first time. Granted, the 6300 is $40 less expensive, but personally, for life longevity, I'd opt for the spending of the extra $40 for the extra 2 CPU cores. I built my nephew a system using the FX6100, and I was pleasantly impressed with it's performance in day to day use compared to my 2600k system. So I know for a fact, the faster arch and extra 2 cores of the 8320 will do very nicely for just as long as my 2600k CPU will.

I agree also about the upgrade. The performance increase would be about the same as if I was to upgrade from my 2600k to a 3770k(10%) or 4770k(maybe 20%). Simply not worth it for the money IMHO.

As for going Intel because of WoW, I have heard of Intel CPU's giving considerably better performance. But even with that, the AMD CPU will still be able to max out a 60hz screen, like RCoon mentioned.

 

[Vario]

If hes not overclocking, get a non k processor and an h77 board, they are cheaper. You lose the overclocking stuff of the z series.

http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/952-chipset-naming-conventions

Sample $1500 build below in image!:

CPU http://microcenter.com/product/412674/Core_i5-3470S_293_GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor
Mobo: MSI ZH77A-G43 LGA 1155 Intel H77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U...
GPU: SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100352VXSR Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384...
RAM: CORSAIR Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 S...
SSD: SAMSUNG MZ-7PD128BW - Newegg.com
HD: Seagate Barracuda ST1000DM003 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Ca...
PSU: CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2...
Monitor1: Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight L...
Monitor2: Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight L...
CPU HSF: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Contin...
Extra Fan: COUGAR CF-V12H Vortex Hydro-Dynamic-Bearing (Fluid...
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-W1 White Steel / Plastic...
Total $1500

 

[RCoon]

If hes not overclocking, get a non k processor and an h77 board, they are cheaper. You lose the overclocking stuff of the z series.

http://www.gamersnexus.net/guides/952-chipset-naming-conventions

CPU: http://microcenter.com/product/412674/Core_i5-3470S_293_GHz_LGA_1155_Boxed_Processor $170 i5-3470
Mobo: MSI ZH77A-G43 LGA 1155 Intel H77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s U... $90 MSI zh77a g43
GPU: EVGA SuperClocked w/ ACX Cooling 02G-P4-2774-KR Ge... $420 EVGA 770 Superclocked ACX
Power Supply: CORSAIR HX Series HX850 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2... $170 Corsair HX850
Ram: CORSAIR Vengeance LP 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 S... $138 Corsair Ram 16GB
Case NZXT Phantom 410 CA-PH410-W1 White Steel / Plastic... $100 NZXT Phantom Case
Monitor1: Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight L... $160 Asus 23"
Monitor2: Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight L... $160 Asus 23"
Harddrive: Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM 64MB Ca... $100 2TB Seagate barracuda
SSD: SAMSUNG MZ-7PD128BW - Newegg.com $135 $Samsung 128GB SSD

Total: $1643 This system would be a beast!

Wouldnt it be great if we bothered sticking to people's actual budgets?!

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I was just trying to give the OP a push in the right direction - "hope this helps, at least as a starting point...". The board I mentioned is not an "overclocking board", it's a pro board (general purpose, good connectivity), and as such fits the OP's purpose, with maybe a little overkill, but not really for a $1500 build. Sure, he could build one for $500, but what's the point if he has $1500? Even at $1000, he'll regret some of his choices eventually, and end up with spare parts when he upgrades, so why not go for a satisfying build from the start?
As for the doctor, I'm used to his negativity, and still respect his knowledge, but the occasional shot across his bow is inevitable since we're all of our own opinions.

Whether the OP goes AMD or Intel, I have to agree with the others in regards to your motherboard choice. The OP simply does not need a $200 board. A $125 ASUS P8Z77-V, $120 GIGABYTE GA-Z77MX-D3H, or $120 MSI Z77A-G45 would be more appropriate IMHO.

Honestly I would pickup a second hand 2600K/Z68 with 8GB DDR3 and put all the rest you saved on a 7970 or 670

That's not a bad option either. There is a 2600k/ASUS P67 combo for sale in the buy/sell/trade forums now for $285. http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=184218

 

[RCoon]

got you bro, misread it at 1600 for some reason. take a look at my edited suggestion, I think its quite reasonable.

no GPU, ram labelled as GPU

 

[RCoon]

Wow thats so F-d up because when I edit it shows it. damn [ /url] tag missing

Now its PSU? xD

 

[BarbaricSoul]

I think he just needs to start all over with his build post