PC Build Advice/Review Thread

[Adajer]

I just ordered the 23.6" from b&h for $178 no tax no shipping.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...costumerReview

I ordered some things from newegg and they have been in Edison, NJ since 3 pm yesterday.

B&H has my monitor in Ohio atm, headed to Chicago. Both claim to be on time to deliver tomorrow.

My first time purchasing from both. B&H seems legit, I already knew newegg was reputable.

Also, those non VS series monitors are the old and out of date models and have lots more neg reviews compared to the new VS Series.

[Zel]

First time build, a bit on the fence on a few things. I have 27" monitor, and staying single monitor. I would like to OC. I might Crossfire, but it seems unlikely atm.
Also, I have a crappy prebuilt, and the HD is going. Can I get the windows 7 upgrade and use this vista code when I install it on the SSD?
I have no clue on what case to get, it seems like a dumb thing, but there are so many and also so many good ones, its a bit hard to choose. If I could get a case that knocks out the liquid cooler that be perfect but I'm not even sure if I can? I can spend an extra 150-170$ on the case if needed. I may drop the processor down an i5, but it seems unlikely atm. I'm in budget here, but if I can save some money I would greatly appreciate any advice, or personal experience with said parts.

I know next to nothing on MOBOs, and was wondering if this mobo i have selected was overkill or not? EDIT:: (Only thing not in screenshot)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128506

I know the new video cards are coming out soon but I really like the 6970, if there is a comparable alternative, please let me know!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150517

Is 750W enough to run this beast or do I need to go up a few notchs?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139010

[Jojimbo]

750W is more than enough, should be enough to CF on as well I think (could get 850W just to be safe, there are PSU calcs out there though)

You also have an aftermarket cooler but not a K series CPU (no point in getting a cooler if you are not OCing). What's this rig for? If just gaming drop down to i5 2500k then upgrade to Corsair H100 and get a Corsair 500r case (as it has enough room for the radiator), little point in spending the money on a 2600k if you aren't going to use HT (and only some games barely use it, most don't at all).

Currently new cards are fairly expensive (possibly due to no competition from nVidia atm, which could mean prices drop when Kepler is out) so unless you have the extra $100 to spend on a HD7950 then you should be fine with the 6970, especially for single monitor it will be more than enough.

Have no idea on MB but it looks good.


You can also save a lot on the OS buy buying the OEM copy for half the price, you aren't suppose to but it's not strictly enforced afaik and is a pretty big saving.

[Isiolia]

Also, I have a crappy prebuilt, and the HD is going. Can I get the windows 7 upgrade and use this vista code when I install it on the SSD?

If you're looking to spend less on Windows, it looks like you have a retail copy of Windows 7 in the cart there. What you can do instead is purchase the OEM version, which is around $140 instead of $250. The only difference is that the licensing for the OEM version doesn't allow you to "move" the license to another PC (technically, actual results have varied).
Alternatively, if you're a student, you may have a cheaper price through your school.

Also, given the level of PC you seem to be piecing together... Ivy Bridge CPUs are supposed to be out in May or so. I mean, if you're always waiting for the next thing, you'll never wind up buying a PC...but if it really matters to you and/or you aren't desperate for a new PC right now then waiting a few months may not hurt. By that time, supposedly, nVidia will have new cards out too.

That said, if you have a Microcenter location near you, you can likely save some money on the CPU - they do low prices on CPUs, but for in-store pickup only.

[Adajer]

Newegg currently is having a sale (with promo codes) for 20% off all Rosewill power supplies and 10% of Windows OSs. So you could get windows 7 home premium for $90 and a Rosewill 80+ gold 650w for $80 or 750w for $100. They are made by super flower and non modular.

[Zel]

Thanks for the advice picked up windows 7 OEM and 750 W PSU with promo codes! Now to just wait for the tax return.
Decided to listen to advice, and drop it down a notch on the processor.
Thanks for the tip on microcenter... Will be shopping there for more savings :D

[Arkanna]

There are many Radeon 6950's on Newegg that will unlock to full 6970's. Just look for one with a built-in BIOS switch. Here's a link as an example: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102945 That should save you some money too.

[Jojimbo]

Rosewill aren't known for making amazing PSUs, I would put a good Corsair/Seasonic PSU in a PC that expensive.

[Adajer]

Super flower makes good PSUs. That is who makes their capstone series.

[ikariiiii]

I have the antec 300 currently, but looking to upgrade to something more spacious-- could anyone possibly help with some suggestions? my budget is ~$120, btw.

[Jojimbo]

Corsair 500r (black) is $125 and has 20% off with promo code.

[AzazaelFenrir]

I saw this posted a while ago and wanted to check and see if anyone had any comments/advice.

Spoiler: show

I haven't built a PC in a like 5 years so I am a little off on some of the finer points. I assume this MB won't handle crossfire (not that I plan on getting another card anytime soon). I am happy with my existing HD and Case so I don't need to upgrade those right now. I could go maybe $50 or $100 more if there is something significantly better.

this would mostly be for playing games SWTOR and older.

[ikariiiii]

Corsair 500r (black) is $125 and has 20% off with promo code.

thanks for the suggestion! but, while that's a nice looking case, its still a mid tower so it's not really what im looking for. any other suggestions possibly?

[Asai]

I need ideas/cheap links for a new GPU. Most likely going with a 6850 as that's about the best bang for the buck in my price range. Wondered if anyone had seen any factory OC'd or ideas on something possibly better than a 6850(or 6870) without going over 200 bucks.

Also what brand do you guys suggest? I've had this diamond OC 5750 for years and it's starting to die out. Also had good experiences with sapphire.

[Jojimbo]

thanks for the suggestion! but, while that's a nice looking case, its still a mid tower so it's not really what im looking for. any other suggestions possibly?

Ah I see, Antec 300 is quite a small case though so I think that 500r is a bit bigger, what kind of room are you looking for? Just more GPU space, more PCI expansion slots/HDD bays? Might be hard to get a decent full tower for under $120

[Adajer]

I need ideas/cheap links for a new GPU. Most likely going with a 6850 as that's about the best bang for the buck in my price range. Wondered if anyone had seen any factory OC'd or ideas on something possibly better than a 6850(or 6870) without going over 200 bucks.

Also what brand do you guys suggest? I've had this diamond OC 5750 for years and it's starting to die out. Also had good experiences with sapphire.

Gigabyte 560 Ti $209.99

OC model is about $15 more expensive.

[Asai]

Gigabyte 560 Ti $209.99

OC model is about $15 more expensive.

Think I will O.C. the regular version myself unless there are any hardware/cooler discrepancies? This looks like a nice card. I had been looking only at ATI/AMD cards because that's what I'm used to but I don't have a problem trying Nvidia. Is there anything I need to be aware of when switching to Nvidia or is it basically just now I have to get my drivers and shit from a different place?

Also I think I faintly remember some people playing FFXIV having problems with Nvidia drivers or something along those lines... I'll go read up on that again. You happen to know anything about that?

[Adajer]

Yep.

As far as ffxiv goes, I can't say. I have yet to play it. From what I can remember there are many complaints of it being poorly coded in general.

[Purrrfect]

Corsair 500r (black) is $125 and has 20% off with promo code.

I'm hesitant to get another case with sides that slide & thumbscrew (they NEVER slide well/right)... but their demo video looked flawless and lots of good ratings so I'll try it. Paying over $100 for a case though doesn't feel good in my wallet though.

[Asai]

I saw this posted a while ago and wanted to check and see if anyone had any comments/advice.

Spoiler: show

I haven't built a PC in a like 5 years so I am a little off on some of the finer points. I assume this MB won't handle crossfire (not that I plan on getting another card anytime soon). I am happy with my existing HD and Case so I don't need to upgrade those right now. I could go maybe $50 or $100 more if there is something significantly better.

this would mostly be for playing games SWTOR and older.

In regards to that GPU; I can say that most of the 6870's you might wanna watch out for because of poorly designed chipsets that burn out easy and artifact/defect. If you'd be willing to spend close to that much on a GPU anyway you should go for a 6950 or the 560ti Fermi that got suggested to me. (i'll be going with the nvidia one, looks nice).