PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Arkanna]

recommended psu for i5 4670k and a gtx 650ti ssc 2gb?

A good 500W should be plenty, but I'd still go with a 600W or 650W.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139028

This one is $70, with free shipping, a $12 discount coupon code, and a $20 mail-in rebate. That's pretty awesome, and it's a decent-to-good PSU.

[Intrinsic]

recommended psu for i5 4670k and a gtx 650ti ssc 2gb?

Newegg has the Seasonic X650 for $80 after MIR. I've bought at least a half dozen of these at $100. Spend the little bit extra and get something of quality. You won't regret it.

Seasonic X650 Gold

[Adajer]

Meh, mines is coil whining at all loads. Got it for like $89.

[Aylee]

So after building my pc im pretty comfortable building one for my mom (she was waiting for tax free weekend but hoping i can build her one cheaper) How does this build look? (she only needs basic web surfing and ms office usage, 0 gaming/photo editing, ext). Also any edits to make it cheaper / still good please let me know! idk how i3's are and dunno if amd cheaper/better?

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

[Mabubeezareel]

So after building my pc im pretty comfortable building one for my mom (she was waiting for tax free weekend but hoping i can build her one cheaper) How does this build look? (she only needs basic web surfing and ms office usage, 0 gaming/photo editing, ext). Also any edits to make it cheaper / still good please let me know! idk how i3's are and dunno if amd cheaper/better?

http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

CPU: See you've made some edits since the original posting and gone with the i3-3225, which is a much better fit for her needs - the i5-3570 is simply overkill if she's not gaming or doing anything to make use of those additional cores.

Mobo: The Z77 chipset is completely overkill as you're not overclocking or making use of additional PCIe slots. Since you're not getting her a discrete video card, then you're going to need a chipset that utilizes the IBs onboard GPU, so go for an H61 or H67 chipset instead. Most any H61 or H67 mobo from Biostar, Gigabyte, MSI, Asus, or Asrock should fit the bill, just look at some reviews on Newegg to find something decent.

RAM: You can probably get away with just 4GB for a non-gaming build. Check out the Corsair XMS line, as it's great for a budget build. Just be certain that whatever you get is rated at 1.5v, which is the maximum RAM voltage recommended by Intel for the SB and IB CPUs.

HDD: Should be fine with that WD, though consider a cheap 128gb SSD like the Samsung 840 if she doesn't have need for a terrible amount of storage and the budget allows it.

PSU: 620W is a bit overkill for her needs, but that Seasonic is not a bad choice. May want to check out the Corsair CX series, specifically the CX430 (or CX430M if you want to go modular)

Case: I like to recommend the NZXT Source 210 Elite for budget builds.

Optical: Any old $20 DVD-RW drive will do.

[Kirin]

So after being fairly certain the culprit behind my PC going fritzy was the GPU, im in the market for a new one.

Done some quick research, and I'd like to stay with AMD but I'm not picky if the card is great. Was looking at the 7770 or the 7700, but the 7700 seems to be out of stock on newegg. I'd like to keep it in the 80-120 range and this does not need to be cutting edge, but a strong upgrade over my now dead Sapphire 4850HD. Maybe something slightly versatile too if I decide to rebuild here soon. Any advice?

Current PC (Sans GPU obviously)

Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 2.8
2x GSkill 2 Gig DDR 3 RAM
Asus P5QC Motherboard
Corsair HX520w Power Supply

Do most cards nowadays support 2 screens? I'd want that as well.

What I'm looking at right now, only downside is the single DVI slot:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814202021

[Mrbeansman]

Looking to ditch shit laptops and go into a full Gaming Rig. How good can I get on a 1k budget. Please note that I'm completely outta my element here and have no idea what to look for.

[Kalmado]

Looking to ditch shit laptops and go into a full Gaming Rig. How good can I get on a 1k budget. Please note that I'm completely outta my element here and have no idea what to look for.

This is what I've got worked up so far and the feedback I got on pcpartspicker was good. Anyone else here can critique as well. Prices will fluctuate due to rebates and sales changing constantly. Right now I'm at $996. http://pcpartpicker.com/user/kalmado/saved/1ZGW

Noteable parts

I-5 3570k
8gb Corsair Vengeance
1TB 7200rpm Seagate HD
Asus 2gb GeForce 760
22" 1080p monitor

[Seiji Okita]

I just wanted an opinion. I think my 460 is slowly losing its life, I really want to replace it before it dies and let my GF use it till it's done with. I honestly wasn't seriously considering buying anything ATM due to lack of money. That being said today, today someone posted an evga 570 on craigslist for 125$... That seems like a steal, but I wanted opinions before I pull the trigger.

[Adajer]

I think you might be able to find a newer card around that price point that performs better. I don't trust craigslist myself.

[Seiji Okita]

I think you might be able to find a newer card around that price point that performs better. I don't trust craigslist myself.

A card that can bench 8k+ on the FFXIV benchmark(the new one) for $125? I've always had good luck with craigslist, and I won't but it without some form of reassurance from the seller. So market medium aside.

[Kalmado]

I think you might be able to find a newer card around that price point that performs better. I don't trust craigslist myself.

I too am not a fan of buying electronics from craigslist, ebay, etc unless they come from a company I can call if the item is defective. If I'm looking up the correct card, that one is about $360 brand new. $125 would be an absolute steal. I'd request to see it in a machine working before purchase.

[Seiji Okita]

I too am not a fan of buying electronics from craigslist, ebay, etc unless they come from a company I can call if the item is defective. If I'm looking up the correct card, that one is about $360 brand new. $125 would be an absolute steal. I'd request to see it in a machine working before purchase.

Absolutely. The thing is the guy says he has two he was running in SLI but doesn't utilize it. So he is selling one, and wants to keep the other, but would sell both for the right price.

I will have him benchmark it in front of me if I do decide to buy it.

[Adajer]

A card that can bench 8k+ on the FFXIV benchmark(the new one) for $125? I've always had good luck with craigslist, and I won't but it without some form of reassurance from the seller. So market medium aside.

IDK how much 570s score on the benchmark. 8k seems a bit ambitious. What CPU are you using?

[Seiji Okita]

IDK how much 570s score on the benchmark. 8k seems a bit ambitious. What CPU are you using?

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...er=false&gid=0

And I'm running a 2500k OC to 4.5ghz.

Edit: Also according to the chart linked my PC at its current clock paired with a 570 should get me over 9k.

[Adajer]

Go for it

[MrSamuels]

I am looking for some advice on where to shop/where to go when trying to buy from the US. I am buying for my girlfriend who is over in the US at the moment for the foreseeable future and she has an ancient laptop, the main reason for this purchase is for FF14 so something that can run at least minimum but preferably recommended specs would be preferable, I have gone on newegg since i see it get mentioned a lot but would like other options or places she can go to get good help as when it comes to Laptops/computers she is not the best.

Incase it is not know the specs for FF14 is

FXIV: ARR Minimum System Requirements

Operating System: Windows® Vista 32/64bit, Windows® 7 32/64 bit
Processor: Intel® Core™2 Duo
Graphics: NVIDIA® Geforce® 8800 Series, ATI Radeon™ HD 4770
Memory: 2GB (4GB recommended for 64bit OS)
Disk Space: 20GB.

FXIV: ARR Recommended System Requirements

For the best performance you should aim to run the game on a system with at least these specifications.
Operating System: Windows® 7 64 bit
Processor: Intel® Core™ i5
Graphics: NVIDIA® Geforce® GTX 660 or higher, AMD Radeon™ HD 7950 or higher
Memory: 4GB of RAM.
Disk Space: 20GB.

Budget is around 400-600 USD, unfortunately she will not change her opinions and a laptop will only suffice

[Buffy]

I would start here:

http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/...oid=2000101838

That's the 17" screen. That CPU can run FFXIV, but may have some issues in crowded areas. The upgrade to the i5 is steep though.

[Don Katsu]

Not sure if you saw this when you checked newegg but:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...34-256-813#top

The video card in this laptop is better than a 8800GTX which is above the minimum requirements for FFXIV

I have this laptop and it runs FFXIV:ARR on High Laptop settings it might slow down though if things get too busy. I never tested it on standard but I ran the benchmark and it scored 5807, it also comes with a $50 mouse

Oh and that reviewer is an idiot, that ASUS router is known to have issues with range look at the reviews on it. I have it on a Apple Airport Extreme and it works at the other end of my house and it's 1400 sq.ft. Also the Keyboard doesn't make a popping sound but the CD drive is flimsy.

[SephYuyX]

Sometimes I just like building random builds, but I always go for a best bang for buck thing.
Thoughts? http://pcpartpicker.com/p/1rWNG