Budget: $700-$1000
Intended Usage: Gaming at high or ultra setting at 2560x1600 resolution (BF3, Skyrim, and Batman: Arkham City).
1. I plan to overclock the CPU just a bit, nothing extreme.
2. I often like to tinkle with the pc, so a roomy and easy to use case closure is a must.
When? Before the end of the year. I plan to utilize Black Friday and Cyber Monday to obtain most of the parts if not all.
Location: I live in San Francisco Bay Area, California.
Questions:
1. Should I salvage some part of the current system or sell them on ebay?
a. I plan to sell the CPU, motherboard, memory and graphic card
b. Salvage the SSD, DVD drive, PSU and case
2. Does the new system fulfill my intended usage?
3. Any error I should correct from my part list?
4. Will all the new parts fit into the Antec P182 case and/or Corsair 600T case?
Comments:
1. After three years of getting acquainted with building personal computer and helping various individuals with their personal computers, I began to understand that it is worth it to stick with the Utility Player base if I plan to upgrade to newer part. While there is nothing wrong with the Sweet Spot system, I felt that it is not path for someone who is only looking for the PC gaming experience and plan to upgrade to newer technology in 3 year+. Technology is moving so fast that most of the time, old pc parts must be replace completely such. If I want to upgrade from a E8400 to an i5, I must get a new motherboard and memory stick.
2. For example, three years ago I built my current system (look below for the specifications) thinking that I could make extensive upgrade in a couple of years. Fast forward to 2011, I only made three upgrades: I added the SSD, switched the Radeon 4850 with the Radeon 5850, and increased from 2GB of ram to 4GB. Back in 2008, I thought that when a new CPU comes out, I just get the new CPU and replace the old CPU. However, that is not the case. I must get a new motherboard and memory stick as well.
3. Therefore, I decided to stick with the Utility Player base and upgrade the graphic card and maybe more memory sticks in a couple of years. Is this a worthwhile way to go about or am I forgetting something important?
Other Information:
1. Computer Shops close to my home: Microcenter, Fry’s Electronics, and Best-Buy
2. If anything is confusing, please ask me to clarify. Thank you.
Current System
CPU : Intel E8400
CPU Cooler : Stock
Motherboard: Asus P5Q Pro
Memory : Crucial Ballistix Tracer 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2
Hard Drive: Corsair CSSD-V128 GB
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3750330AS 750GB
CD/DVD Burner SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner
Video Card : Asus Radeon 5850
Sound Card :Built into most motherboards
Network Card :Built into most motherboards
Power Supply: Corsair TX 550W
Case : Antec P182
Monitor: Dell 3008WFP 30 INCH Game at 2560x1600 Resolution
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
Future System w/ spare parts
Cost: $650
Mostly in line with the Utility Player from Fall 2011 System Guide
CPU: Intel i5-2500K
CPU Cooler: Stock
Mobo: Asus P8Z68-V LE
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
Graphic: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti OC
Storage: Corsair CSSD-V128 GB (Old)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3750330AS 750GB (Old)
Drive: CD/DVD Burner SAMSUNG (Old)
Sound Card :Built in
Network Card :Built in
Power Supply: Corsair TX 550W (Old)
Case : Antec P182 (Old)
Monitor: Dell 3008WFP 30 INCH Game at 2560x1600 Resolution
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate (Old)
Future System without spare parts
Cost: $950
CPU: Intel i5-2500K
CPU Cooler: Stock
Mobo: Asus P8Z68-V LE http://amzn.com/B005BZNE6G
Memory: Crucial 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333
Graphic: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti OC http://amzn.com/B0051GK5K8
Storage: Corsair Force 3 120 GB http://amzn.com/B0051A8T52
Drive: CD/DVD Burner ASUS http://amzn.com/B0033Z2BAQ
Sound Card :Built in
Network Card :Built in
Power Supply: Seasonic M12II 520Whttp://amzn.com/B003M2YQYO
Case : Corsair 600T White Special Edition http://amzn.com/B004O0PAKW
Monitor: Dell 3008WFP 30 INCH Game at 2560x1600 Resolution
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate (Old)
