Personal computing discussed

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AnotherCasualty
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New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machine?

Wed Jan 25, 2012 3:11 am

Hello all.

I am new to building a custom PC. I have always bought computers (For school, leisure, whatever the case) and I have suffered greatly from apparently poor choices. With taxes coming in soon I decided I was going the smarter route and get a custom built PC. My friend jumped at the chance, giving me these current specs (For my price break of about $1300.) Saying this was a "beast" machine for the price and that "This will not only play wow at full with no lag but will also handle Crysis 2 in full 3D with no lag. 2GB vid card so running in Hybrid form that will give you nearly 6GB of video and 12 GB of system ram."

----
CPU
AMD FX 6100 6 Core AM3+
Mother Board
MSI 970A-G45 SLI AM3+
RAM
Corsair or Crucial 12GB*
Hard Drive
Western Digital 1.5 TB*
Video Card
Galaxy GTX 560 GC Ti 2 GB*
Optical
Lite On DVD R/W
Case
DiabloTek or Coolermaster
Power Supply
Coolmax 750 Watt*
Operating System
Windows 7 64bit

I looked at the specs and such and ran into two problems. 1.) The CPU -- The reviews for the Bulldozers have been horrible, saying
they are low performance and are heating risks. 2.) The mother board is said to be able to handle the CPU (in the list above) but people have
given reviews that the card does not support that chip. I am so lost. They claim to have built PC's in the past with uber performance but seeing as
this is my first custom PC, I want bang for my buck. My current PC, I barely get 20 FPS on the lowest settings and thats pushing it. Please, any information
will be GREATLY appreciated.

Perhaps even offering advice on better parts for better performance as I am aiming for a well rounded PC to play Skyrim, Crysis 2, BF3, The Witcher series, etc. I've always been a console gamer and there is an entire world out there of games I've yet to play because with all the parts and the yays and nays of computer building I am reverted back to "Newbie" lol.
 
yogibbear
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:04 am

Your friend's build is terrible. I wouldn't let them build you a PC.

i5 2500 (k if you are going to overclock)
Get an aftermarket cooler either go the Antec Kuhler 620/920 route or the Thermaltake Jing/Thermaltake Frio etc.

Go with an Asus Z68 mobo

Pick either of one of the one step below top of the range Nvidia or ATI card e.g. 6950 or 560Ti depending on whichever brand you want and features/price/availability

Get 8 GB of any decent brand name DDR3 (or get 16GB if you want to as it's so cheap)

Get a 1 TB HDD

Get an SSD as your boot drive. Any of the Sata III SSDs are going to be good as each other lately.... Samsung, Corsair or Crucial probably the better ones if you don't want to shell out for the Intel premium.

Get any decent modular PSU (e.g. Corsair/Seasonic/etc. that is ~650W (go to 750W if you are going to SLI or overclock significantly)

Get a case... whatever looks good to you and fits the mobo size you selected.

EDIT: or you wait till April/May and get Ivybridge and see how Kepler looks.
Last edited by yogibbear on Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
Core i7 4770K | eVGA GTX1080 FTW ACX 3.0 | 16GB DDR3 2133mhz | Asus Z87-PLUS | Corsair HX650 | Fractal Define R4 | Samsung 840 Pro 256GB | Windows 10 x64
 
AbRASiON

Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:24 am

Your friend is either trying to make a profit or rip you off, why he'd recommend such parts is beyond me. You're far better asking on this website, you'd find probably 90% of people here would be in approximate agreement on the parts because right now it's almost a completely clear cut case with hardware and what to choose.

AMD is not one of those choices unless your budget is EXTREMELY slim.
 
bwoodring
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 5:38 am

This build is just bizarre. You can do much better.
 
 
Crayon Shin Chan
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:10 am

The FX-6100 is not that great a CPU. Yes, it will work with that motherboard. These days you're better off buying Intel.
About the video card: when you reach a situation where you need 2GB of video RAM, the GTX560Ti will already be choking. Better to just go with a GTX560Ti 1GB, or jump up to a Radeon 6950 2GB/GTX570.
Hard drive: Just one 1.5TB? really? The slowest component in any computer is its storage. For above $1000 you really should include a SSD. Get a SSD, put Windows on that, and then put all your data on the 1.5TB hard drive.
I remember one place where I worked, a client came in with unlimited cash, said he wanted everything - then this idiot colleague of mine specced out a QX9770, a HD4870X2, and... wait for it... a 5400rpm WD Green 1TB. Wouldn't listen to me either, we had a Velociraptor sitting right there.
RAM: It's a commodity. Just get it from any brandname with a lifetime warranty.
Power supply: Seasonic/Silverstone/Corsair make good power supplies. And 750W is way too much, although I doubt that Coolmax unit really delivers 750W anyway. I run a much more powerful setup on a 520W Seasonic.
Mothership: FX-8350, 12GB DDR3, M5A99X EVO, MSI GTX 1070 Sea Hawk, Crucial MX500 500GB
Supply ship: [email protected], 12GB DDR3, M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3
Corsair: Thinkpad X230
 
Derfer
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:21 am

I hit 2.7 GB vram usage on my 580 with skyrim mods, 1.7 GB just with Crysis 2 in DX11 with the texture pack. The 560 Ti will not choke before being able to use that. No way is 750w too much. You don't know what card he could get in the future. Wiggle room is always a plus. I'm ignoring SSDs because the value just isn't there and it's bad enough HDDs cost twice as much right now. You want a SSD just pick one up next year with Windows 8 when prices are a bit better. This from someone running a 256GB M4. Cost me more than my 6 TBs of storage, and that's pricing from before the factory floods.
 
Krogoth
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:21 am

CPU: Get a i5-2500 or i5-2500K (If he wants to OC) are the best bang for the buck for gaming/general computing. They can effortlessly handle any non-professional task over there. i5-2320 isn't too bad either if he want to save some cash. If he insists on AMD. Try to find a good deal on Phenom II X4 or X6, I cannot recommend current Bulldozer chips at their price points.

GPU: 560Ti sounds good, but if he wants more power the 6950 and 570 are the next logical steps. IHMO, I would wait until HD 78xx and 77xx series to come out because they will cause more price cuts on the existing stock.

HDD: 1.5TB is fine, if he can afford it get a 128GB SSD as well as an OS drive. The superior access speed will make his computing experience a lot more pleasant.

RAM: Get at least 4GiB if not 8GB of JEDEC spec DDR3 from a reputable vendor.

PSU: Get a 500-600W unit from a reputable PSU vendor.

Optical drive: Any DVD drive will work, if he wants BR for whatever reason get a reputable brand.

Chassis: Too many to list, but do some research on the chassis in question to see if it has what he wants for the given budget. (what kind of fan slots? Removable motherboard tray? Tooless? how many 5 1/4" and 3 1/2" slots? External ports?) etc.
Gigabyte X670 AORUS-ELITE AX, Raphael 7950X, 2x16GiB of G.Skill TRIDENT DDR5-5600, Sapphire RX 6900XT, Seasonic GX-850 and Fractal Define 7 (W)
Ivy Bridge 3570K, 2x4GiB of G.Skill RIPSAW DDR3-1600, Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H, Corsair CX-750M V2, and PC-7B
 
wobbles-grogan
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:43 am

My machine, which i built last year but is still way ahead of any games coming out nowadays is as follows:
MoBo: Asus P8P67 (outdated now, id go with the z68 mobos if i had the choice now)
CPU: Core i5 2500k (I dont think your going to need an after market cooler for your CPU. Unless your going overclocking, theres no need)
RAM: 12GBs (got 4 initially, then stuck 8 more in later as its so cheap) You should get any 16 gig kit for ~100 quid. I wouldnt waste your money on "fast" ram either. Get average stuff from a good brand and it'll be perfect. "Fast" ram has very little impact on the performance of your system. Careful you buy RAM that is compatible with your MoBo. Just do some googling, youll find out soon enough.
PSU: Corsair 650W (too much power tbh...)
GPU: Asus 2GB EAH6950 (basically, an ATI Radeon 6950 with 2GB ram. This thing is SUPER. Cant say enough good things about it. As far as bang for your buck goes, this was unbeatable at the time i bought it. I have a Del 2711 monitor [one of the big 27 inch, 2560x1440 monitors] and it runs bf3 with everything turned up no trouble to it. Gets a little hot, but not near breaking point)
Storage: 128GB ssd for the OS and any programs. Its the new OCZ Sata III ones.
2 1 TB hard drives. 1 for general use, 1 for backups. (these will set you back a bit nowadays...)
Case: Antec P183 case (<- here http://goo.gl/Pof0h ) They have a new model out, TR did a review recently... http://techreport.com/articles.x/22240
Also, just got some random optical drive. Dont use it often..


That all cost me about 1200 euro (minus the monitor) at the time. Fairly ok I think!
Also, echoing what everyone else said, dont let your friend build you a PC!! :D
Last edited by wobbles-grogan on Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:50 am, edited 1 time in total.
 
AbRASiON

Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:48 am

Derfer wrote:




Yep this is significantly better than your friends suggestion, you can save money on the power supply also, that's far too expensive and overkill.
I'd recommend this case as well.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129018 I'm a huge fan of the original model, it's a quiet, well built case at an amazing price, I was shocked when I got to use one just how good it is.
If you want a newer one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811129177 - still cheaper than the 600T which is.. well not my preference anyhow.
You could also consider
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi ... ng%20Units - seems to beat the 560Ti cards for less.
Finally an SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820148442 - because your disk in your old PC is probably fairly large.
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 6:50 am

AnotherCasualty wrote:
Hello all.
Welcome to the Tech Report!

Your suggested build isn't a good one for gaming performance. You could start with something like the Sweet Spot from Tech Report's System Guide and do much better.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22104


Consider some of these components:

$230 Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core 3.3 GHz overclockable LGA1155 processor
or $210 Intel Core i5-2500 quad-core 3.3 GHz LGA1155 processor

$40 -15 combo CoolerMaster GeminII S524 CPU cooler
or $0 included stock Intel CPU cooler

$185 Asus P8Z68-V/Gen3 ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard
or $188 Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen3 Micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard

$38 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.5 V) memory

$267½ -20MIR or $270 -20MIR Radeon HD6950 2GB
or $242½ -20MIR GeForce GTX560Ti 1GB
or $172½ -20MIR Radeon HD6870 1GB

+ SSD + HD + Blu-ray + case + PSU + Windows 7
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
Chrispy_
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 7:49 am

Whilst the advice from people in this forum is much better than your 'friend's' advice, your safest bet is to stick to the TR system guides. Here's the most recent
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22104

These guides are updated frequently and produced by people whose sole job is to test hardware, assembling machines and critically assessing every aspect of the process for a living.

If gaming is the primary concern and you only have ONE screen, "the sweet spot" system Is a great build for all current games. My only suggestion for gaming would be to add the Vertex3 hard disk from the "Editor's Choice" system since this will significantly reduce your level-loading times. Spending more money than the "Editor's Choice" is terrible bang for your buck - there's always a premium you pay for getting the highest-end kit.
Congratulations, you've noticed that this year's signature is based on outdated internet memes; CLICK HERE NOW to experience this unforgettable phenomenon. This sentence is just filler and as irrelevant as my signature.
 
Arclight
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:11 am

@OP
Maybe i'll try later to make a build around the video card, maybe a HD 7970. If you game at 1080p it won't matter if you have SB, Deneb, BD, Nehalem or SB-E.

All will do good at that res. but it has to be at least a quad core. FX 6000 series are hexacores but the architecture is quite bad making them on par or weaker compared with old quads (like Deneb). If i'm wrong someone please correct me.

GTX 560 Ti 2 Gb is nice but a BEAST it is not.
nVidia video drivers FAIL, click for more info
Disclaimer: All answers and suggestions are provided by an enthusiastic amateur and are therefore without warranty either explicit or implicit. Basically you use my suggestions at your own risk.
 
LaChupacabra
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:37 am

What are the spec's of your current system? Building a new PC is awesome, but if you're playing wow at 20 FPS it's either ancient or you are playing on some horrible integrated graphics. If it's the latter you may just need a few upgrades to bring it up to date.
 
CMOl
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:51 am

Intel CPUs are faster and better value, if you go with AMD, go with the eight core Bulldozer, recently there has been updates patches through Microsoft. The games you want to play and future games will work with the eight core Bulldozer CPUS. I don't see a need for a SSD drive, if you want your games to load up faster, that would be the way to go. The motherboard you have listed should support that CPU. If you plan to put more than one video card in system, then you will need to go to the 990FX motherboards. What I have listed here is AMD setup. This is from NEWEGG.

RAIDMAX Quantum ATX-798WB Black SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811156241
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822136767
GIGABYTE GA-970A-D3 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128521
GIGABYTE GV-R695OC-1GD Radeon HD 6950 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814125385
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139021
Microsoft 7ZJ-00001 USB Wired Ergonomic Comfort Curve Desktop 3000 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6823109252
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9Q-16GBXL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231456
G.SKILL 4GB Micro SDHC Flash Card w/ SD Adapter Model FF-TSDG4GA-C4 Free at this time with listed stuff

BELKIN WaveRest F8E262-BLK Gel Mouse Pad (Black)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817114113
AMD FX-8150 Zambezi 3.6GHz Socket AM3+ 125W Eight-Core Desktop Processor FD8150FRGUBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819103960
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6832116992
SAMSUNG Black Blu-ray Combo SATA Model SH-B123L/RSBP LightScribe Support
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6827151232
Total price with shipping $1,273.71
 
Arclight
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:51 am

Um, WoW ha? I remembered something, the article bellow is not up to date but it's a good guide after all:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/wor ... ,2793.html

So indeed you should go for Intel Sandy Bridge based CPU (Core i5 2500K), as for the video card even the 6870 seems (from the article above) able to to run the game at 60 fps even at 2560x1600. So a custom cooled 7970 would overkill but i heard that when you run games in 3D, the frame rates drop quite a bit.

So in conclusion my advice would be to choose the parts listed in the latest TR build guide (the ~$950 Intel based build). Just replace the ~$260 GTX 560 Ti with a custom cooled $600 XFX 7970. But If you just wanna play WoW keep the build as is in the TR guide but choose a custom cooled GTX 560 Ti, maybe an Asus DirectCu II
nVidia video drivers FAIL, click for more info
Disclaimer: All answers and suggestions are provided by an enthusiastic amateur and are therefore without warranty either explicit or implicit. Basically you use my suggestions at your own risk.
 
AnotherCasualty
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:49 am

Here is my current spec (Btw Thank You all for supplying this information.) I knew something just didn't feel right. Continue on suggesting parts as I'm tempted to try out the build from another poster earlier. I want to sit down and talk more with you guys but at the moment I have to post this quick as I have doctors appointments.

Game Booster Diagnose Report v1.0
Version: 3.2.0.1417
Date: 2012/01/25 09:43:09

----------------------------------
01 - Operating System
----------------------------------

0101 - Operating System : Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.111025-1629)
0102 - Language : English (Regional Setting: English)
0103 - BIOS : oC)Phoenix - AwardBIOSTeDell System v6.00PG
0104 - Processor : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1300, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.3GHz
0105 - Memory : 3006MB RAM
0107 - Page File : 396MB used, 6968MB available
0108 - Windows Dir : C:\WINDOWS
0109 - DirectX Version : DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
0110 - DX Setup Parameters : Not found
0114 - DxDiag Version : 5.03.2600.5512

----------------------------------
02 - Processor
----------------------------------

0201 - Caption : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1300 ~2310MHz
0202 - Current Clock Speed : 2310MHz
0203 - L1 Cache : 128.00 KB
0204 - L2 Cache : 512.00 KB

----------------------------------
03 - Video Adapter
----------------------------------

0301 - Card Name : NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
0302 - Manufacturer : NVIDIA
0303 - Chip Type : GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
0304 - DAC Type : Integrated RAMDAC
0305 - Device Key : Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_03D0&SUBSYS_020E1028&REV_A2
0306 - Display Memory : 256.0 MB
0307 - AdapterRAM : 256.00 MB
0308 - Current Mode : 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
0309 - Monitor Name : Plug and Play Monitor
0310 - Driver Name : nv4_disp.dll
0311 - Driver Version : 6.14.0012.8558
0312 - Driver Language : English
0313 - DDI Version : 9 (or higher)
0315 - Driver Beta : False
0316 - Driver Debug : False
0317 - Driver Date : 10/7/2011 22:50:00
0318 - Driver Size : 4226688
0319 - VDD : n/a
0320 - Mini VDD : nv4_mini.sys
0321 - Mini VDD Date : 10/7/2011 22:50:00
0322 - Mini VDD Size : 12791488
0323 - Device Identifier : {D7B71E3E-4090-11CF-F652-022203C2CB35}
0324 - Vendor ID : 0x10DE
0325 - Device ID : 0x03D0
0326 - SubSys ID : 0x020E1028
0327 - Revision ID : 0x00A2
0331 - Deinterlace Caps : {6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YUY2,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(UYVY,YUY2) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(YV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
{6CB69578-7617-4637-91E5-1C02DB810285}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_PixelAdaptive
{335AA36E-7884-43A4-9C91-7F87FAF3E37E}: Format(In/Out)=(NV12,0x3231564e) Frames(Prev/Fwd/Back)=(0,0,0) Caps=VideoProcess_YUV2RGB VideoProcess_StretchX VideoProcess_StretchY DeinterlaceTech_BOBVerticalStretch
0334 - DDraw Status : Enabled
0335 - D3D Status : Enabled
0336 - AGP Status : Enabled
0337 - Notes : No problems found.
To test DirectDraw functionality, click the "Test DirectDraw" button above.
To test Direct3D functionality, click the "Test Direct3D" button above.

0338 - OpenGL : 5.1.2600.5512 (xpsp.080413-0845)

----------------------------------
04 - Memory
----------------------------------

0401 - Total Memory : 2.94 GB
0402 - Free Memory : 2.46 GB
0403 - Total Pagefile : 7.19 GB
0404 - Free Pagefile : 6.80 GB

0405 - Bank Label : N/A
0406 - Speed : 667 MHz
0407 - Total Width : 64 Bits
0408 - Capacity : 1.00 GB

0405 - Bank Label : N/A
0406 - Speed : 667 MHz
0407 - Total Width : 64 Bits
0408 - Capacity : 1.00 GB

0405 - Bank Label : N/A
0406 - Speed : 667 MHz
0407 - Total Width : 64 Bits
0408 - Capacity : 1.00 GB

----------------------------------
05 - Network
----------------------------------

0501 - Description : NVIDIA nForce Networking Controller - Packet Scheduler Miniport

----------------------------------
06 - Motherboard
----------------------------------

0601 - Model : 0RY206
0602 - Manufacturer : Dell Inc.

----------------------------------
07 - Sound Device
----------------------------------

0701 - Description : Realtek HD Audio output
0702 - Default Sound Playback : True
0703 - Default Voice Playback : True
0704 - Hardware ID : HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0888&SUBSYS_1028020E&REV_1000
0705 - Manufacturer ID : 1
0706 - Product ID : 100
0707 - Type : WDM
0708 - Driver Name : RtkHDAud.sys
0709 - Driver Version : 5.10.0000.6482
0710 - Driver attributes : Final Retail
0711 - Date and Size : 10/18/2011 19:53:14
0713 - Driver Provider : Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
0714 - Min/Max Sample Rate : 5065838, 5065838
0715 - Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs : 5065838, 5065838
0716 - Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs : 5065838, 5065838
0717 - HW Memory : 5065846
0718 - Voice Management : False
0719 - EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src : False, False
0720 - I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src : False, False
0721 - Notes : To test DirectSound functionality, click the "Test DirectSound" button above.
No problems found.


----------------------------------
08 - Hard Disk
----------------------------------

0801 - Model : ST3160815AS(Seagate, 160G)
0802 - Media Type : Fixed hard disk media
0803 - Size : 149.01 GB
0804 - Interface Type : Serial ATA
0805 - Driver Date : 7-1-2001
0806 - Driver Version : 5.1.2535.0

0807 - Caption : C:\
0808 - Capacity : 148.96 GB
0809 - Free Space : 84.14 GB
0810 - Drive Type : 3-Fixed
0811 - File System : NTFS

----------------------------------
09 - Process
----------------------------------

0901 - 000 Idle 0 0
0901 - 004 System 0 0 normal
0901 - 2ac smss.exe 0 0 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 2e4 csrss.exe 61 51 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 2fc winlogon.exe 35 13 high C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 328 services.exe 4 2 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 334 lsass.exe 4 2 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 3fc ASCService.exe 29 25 high C:\Program Files\IObit\Advanced SystemCare 5
0901 - 430 svchost.exe 4 1 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 45c svchost.exe 4 1 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 4c8 svchost.exe 11 30 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 698 Explorer.EXE 174 104 normal C:\WINDOWS
0901 - 700 gbtray.exe 58 43 normal C:\Program Files\IObit\Game Booster
0901 - 770 jqs.exe 5 2 idle C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin
0901 - 784 nvsvc32.exe 26 5 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 298 RTHDCPL.EXE 741 218 normal C:\WINDOWS
0901 - 2d0 RUNDLL32.EXE 48 9 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 338 jusched.exe 5 2 normal C:\Program Files\Common Files\Java\Java Update
0901 - 3d4 ctfmon.exe 48 27 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 450 ASCTray.exe 66 36 normal C:\Program Files\IObit\Advanced SystemCare 5
0901 - 538 ymsgr_tray.exe 26 11 normal C:\PROGRA~1\YAHOO!\MESSENGER
0901 - b24 firefox.exe 271 48 normal C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
0901 - e50 plugin-container.exe 11 10 normal C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox
0901 - be0 GameBooster.exe 1531 99 normal C:\Program Files\IObit\Game Booster
0901 - da4 wuauclt.exe 5 3 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32
0901 - 2a8 wmiprvse.exe 8 8 normal C:\WINDOWS\system32\wbem


----------------------------------
10 - Service
----------------------------------

1001 - Advanced SystemCare Service 5 - [C:\Program Files\IObit\Advanced SystemCare 5\ASCService.exe]
1001 - Windows Audio - [C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Cryptographic Services - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - DCOM Server Process Launcher - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost -k DcomLaunch]
1001 - DHCP Client - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Event Log - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe]
1001 - COM+ Event System - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - HID Input Service - [C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Java Quick Starter - ["C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\bin\jqs.exe" -service -config "C:\Program Files\Java\jre6\lib\deploy\jqs\jqs.conf"]
1001 - Workstation - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Network Connections - [C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - NVIDIA Driver Helper Service - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe]
1001 - Plug and Play - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe]
1001 - Remote Access Connection Manager - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Remote Procedure Call (RPC) - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost -k rpcss]
1001 - Security Accounts Manager - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe]
1001 - Windows Firewall/Internet Connection Sharing (ICS) - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - System Restore Service - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Telephony - [C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Windows Management Instrumentation - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Automatic Updates - [C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]
1001 - Wireless Zero Configuration - [C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe -k netsvcs]

----------------------------------
12 - Event Log
----------------------------------

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:03:07 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:03:01 PM
1202 - Source : Service Control Manager
1203 - Description : The Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) service hung on starting.

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

1201 - Time : 1/25/2012 7:02:55 PM
1202 - Source : DCOM
1203 - Description : DCOM got error "%1058" attempting to start the service SENS with arguments ""
in order to run the server:
{D3938AB0-5B9D-11D1-8DD2-00AA004ABD5E}

----------------------------------
End of file - 15215 Bytes
 
SpartanCaptain
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Posts: 216
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:41 am

While the system your friend recommended would be much better than your current build, it is not a good system at all. Listen to everyone else here. Go with an intel i5 2500k cpu build around that.
 
ludi
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 2:31 pm

AnotherCasualty wrote:
Here is my current spec....

Okay, let's back up the truck a bit and note that pretty much anything you build using modern parts is going to blow that machine out the window. So although you could build a pretty spectacular box with your $1300 budget, you may not need to go for the absolute fastest video card, power supplies costing well north of $100, that sort of thing. As suggested already, start with the most recent TR System Guide, feel out which system seems "right" based on your budget, and then refine outward from there. That's what I did last fall, and I ended up starting from the Utility Player.

Related question: are you re-using your existing monitor? Your report dump indicates 1366x768 resolution which sounds like a low-end widescreen in the 16-19" range. I would suggest your actual PC budget is around $1050 and the other $250 should go toward something nice in the 24" range.
Abacus Model 2.5 | Quad-Row FX with 256 Cherry Red Slider Beads | Applewood Frame | Water Cooling by Brita Filtration
 
AnotherCasualty
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Topic Author
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:05 pm

Chrispy_ wrote:
Whilst the advice from people in this forum is much better than your 'friend's' advice, your safest bet is to stick to the TR system guides. Here's the most recent
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22104

These guides are updated frequently and produced by people whose sole job is to test hardware, assembling machines and critically assessing every aspect of the process for a living.

If gaming is the primary concern and you only have ONE screen, "the sweet spot" system Is a great build for all current games. My only suggestion for gaming would be to add the Vertex3 hard disk from the "Editor's Choice" system since this will significantly reduce your level-loading times. Spending more money than the "Editor's Choice" is terrible bang for your buck - there's always a premium you pay for getting the highest-end kit.



Hi Chrispy

Reading every ones input has truly opened my eyes. Considering I feel I got more than the short end of the stick with the build I was offered in the first post, I'm really thinking about going with "the sweet spot" system, including the Vertex3. As I stated I'm staying in between the 1200/1300 dollar mark, I think the sweet spot would be a decent system for me just starting out. I have the buying jitters, only because of the current system I have (Posted earlier) is quite the dinosaur. As I stated earlier I want to run whatever game I throw on my system. I just want a system where I can play, enjoy the game without having FPS issues and limiting my game play. By no means do I want that at all its quite painful lol.

I really want some bang for my buck, especially if I'm going to build this system and game on it religiously. Any more input would be greatly appreciated.
 
AnotherCasualty
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Topic Author
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:10 pm

ludi wrote:
AnotherCasualty wrote:
Here is my current spec....

Okay, let's back up the truck a bit and note that pretty much anything you build using modern parts is going to blow that machine out the window. So although you could build a pretty spectacular box with your $1300 budget, you may not need to go for the absolute fastest video card, power supplies costing well north of $100, that sort of thing. As suggested already, start with the most recent TR System Guide, feel out which system seems "right" based on your budget, and then refine outward from there. That's what I did last fall, and I ended up starting from the Utility Player.

Related question: are you re-using your existing monitor? Your report dump indicates 1366x768 resolution which sounds like a low-end widescreen in the 16-19" range. I would suggest your actual PC budget is around $1050 and the other $250 should go toward something nice in the 24" range.



Actually, Ludi, I'm using my Vizio 32' HDTV - E Series. My poor monitor died out some time ago and seeing as I bought this TV, I'm had my PC hooked up to it for quite awhile.
 
AnotherCasualty
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Topic Author
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 8:30 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
AnotherCasualty wrote:
Hello all.
Welcome to the Tech Report!

Your suggested build isn't a good one for gaming performance. You could start with something like the Sweet Spot from Tech Report's System Guide and do much better.
http://techreport.com/articles.x/22104


Consider some of these components:

$230 Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core 3.3 GHz overclockable LGA1155 processor
or $210 Intel Core i5-2500 quad-core 3.3 GHz LGA1155 processor

$40 -15 combo CoolerMaster GeminII S524 CPU cooler
or $0 included stock Intel CPU cooler

$185 Asus P8Z68-V/Gen3 ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard
or $188 Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen3 Micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard

$38 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.5 V) memory

$267½ -20MIR or $270 -20MIR Radeon HD6950 2GB
or $242½ GeForce GTX560Ti 1GB
or $172½ -20MIR Radeon HD6870 1GB

+ SSD + HD + Blu-ray + case + PSU + Windows 7


Hi JustAnEngineer (Thanks for welcoming me to the forums)


I think I am going to go along with the sweet spot system as I was telling Chrispy in a previous post. I keep seeing people telling me I need to get an SSD (Load Windows and my games on it.) I'm absolutely clueless about SSD's. I'm assuming after the system is built and once I have to choose primary drives and such, I would use the SSD to install windows and the games? Every thing else would be saved onto the other HDD?
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 9:04 pm

AnotherCasualty wrote:
Here is my current spec:
0101 - Operating System : Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.111025-1629)
0104 - Processor : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1300, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.3GHz
0105 - Memory : 3006MB RAM
0301 - Card Name : NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
0306 - Display Memory : 256.0 MB
0308 - Current Mode : 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
0701 - Description : Realtek HD Audio output
0801 - Model : ST3160815AS(Seagate, 160G)
You are definitely due for an upgrade. Your existing single-core CPU is weak and your integrated graphics are very poor.

Even a much less expensive PC than the sweet spot would provide a very significant improvement over your current gaming experience. Here's a thread where I challenged the gerbils to come up with something for about half of your budget a month and a half ago. The $600 systems (including Windows 7 64-bit OEM) in that thread would run circles around your existing PC in most games.
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=79184
If you want to spend something between $600 and $1300 on your new PC, we can help you prioritize which components can give you the best bang for your desired budget.


If you do get an SSD, you'll want to install your operating system and your most-used applications (web browser, media player, office applications, etc.) on it. I keep my games installed on a 7200-rpm hard-drive because my steam directory is much larger than my SSD.

ludi wrote:
I would suggest your actual PC budget is around $1050 and the other $250 should go toward something nice in the 24" range.
I'm going to agree with Ludi. A nice IPS LCD monitor with 1920x1200 (preferred) or 1920x1080 (next-best) resolution in the 23" to 27" size range would be a significant improvement over your 32" 1366x768 display. If you're committed to using the large screen as both TV and PC monitor, something with support for FullHD 1080p native resolution would do better than your existing TV.
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
AnotherCasualty
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Topic Author
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:16 pm

JustAnEngineer wrote:
AnotherCasualty wrote:
Here is my current spec:
0101 - Operating System : Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.111025-1629)
0104 - Processor : AMD Sempron(tm) Processor LE-1300, MMX, 3DNow, ~2.3GHz
0105 - Memory : 3006MB RAM
0301 - Card Name : NVIDIA GeForce 6150SE nForce 430
0306 - Display Memory : 256.0 MB
0308 - Current Mode : 1366 x 768 (32 bit) (60Hz)
0701 - Description : Realtek HD Audio output
0801 - Model : ST3160815AS(Seagate, 160G)
You are definitely due for an upgrade. Your existing single-core CPU is weak and your integrated graphics are very poor.

Even a much less expensive PC than the sweet spot would provide a very significant improvement over your current gaming experience. Here's a thread where I challenged the gerbils to come up with something for about half of your budget a month and a half ago. The $600 systems (including Windows 7 64-bit OEM) in that thread would run circles around your existing PC in most games.
viewtopic.php?f=33&t=79184
If you want to spend something between $600 and $1300 on your new PC, we can help you prioritize which components can give you the best bang for your desired budget.


If you do get an SSD, you'll want to install your operating system and your most-used applications (web browser, media player, office applications, etc.) on it. I keep my games installed on a 7200-rpm hard-drive because my steam directory is much larger than my SSD.

ludi wrote:
I would suggest your actual PC budget is around $1050 and the other $250 should go toward something nice in the 24" range.
I'm going to agree with Ludi. A nice IPS LCD monitor with 1920x1200 (preferred) or 1920x1080 (next-best) resolution in the 23" to 27" size range would be a significant improvement over your 32" 1366x768 display. If you're committed to using the large screen as both TV and PC monitor, something with support for FullHD 1080p native resolution would do better than your existing TV.


Hi again JustAnEngineer

I would def love the bang for my buck for around 1300. As you said "If you want to spend something between $600 and $1300 on your new PC, we can help you prioritize which components can give you the best bang for your desired budget." That sounds perfect, please by all means do that because I'm rather Hell bent on building "The Sweet Spot" build and would love the desired bang for my buck, so please prioritize for me. I'm basically not looking to upgrade for quite some time and a well rounded gaming PC would be my preferred choice by leaps and bounds. I'd also be willing to get a better display (as stated by Ludi).
 
chuckula
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 10:31 pm

AnotherCasualty wrote:
2.) The mother board is said to be able to handle the CPU (in the list above) but people have
given reviews that the card does not support that chip. I am so lost.


There's nothing wrong with being a Newbie... we all were once!

First, please listen carefully to the other posters here and to the Techreport system guides. They have all given excellent suggestions.
My side-point relates to your comment about the Bulldozer & the motherboard. It may not matter since you'll likely get an Intel system, but
the people who are posting here that the motherboard works with Bulldozer AND the other posts you saw complaining that it doesn't work
with Bulldozer might both be true.

The reason that they both might be right is that one critical part of getting a CPU and a motherboard to work together is to get the correct
firmware installed on the motherboard. The firmware is commonly referred to as the BIOS (older term) or UEFI (newer type of firmware used
on most new systems starting in 2010). You've likely seen the output of the BIOS on your old computer immediately after you turn it on and before
the regular operating system begins the boot process.

When AMD came out with Bulldozer, lots of the AM3+ motherboards that are supposed to be compatible were already out in the field. In order to be
compatible with Bulldozer, they needed a firmware update. If the wrong version of firmware was installed or if the firmware update failed, then
the Bulldozer chip would not be compatible with the motherboard, even though the motherboard is technically able to support Bulldozer. This problem
isn't confined to AMD, the same thing can happen with Intel, but it was a big deal due to the face that AM3+ boards were out in the wild long before
anyone could buy Bulldozer.

Other than that... good luck and have fun with your upgrade!
4770K @ 4.7 GHz; 32GB DDR3-2133; Officially RX-560... that's right AMD you shills!; 512GB 840 Pro (2x); Fractal Define XL-R2; NZXT Kraken-X60
--Many thanks to the TR Forum for advice in getting it built.
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Wed Jan 25, 2012 11:20 pm

$230 Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core 3.3 GHz overclockable LGA1155 processor with HSF
$40 -15 combo CoolerMaster GeminII S524 CPU cooler - quieter and cooler than stock HSF

$132½ -10MIR Asus P8Z68-V LX ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard
or $125 Asus P8Z68-M Pro micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155
or $185 Asus P8Z68-V/Gen3 ATX Z68 LGA1155
or $188 Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen3 micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155

$39 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.5 V) memory

$267½ -20MIR or $270 -20MIR Radeon HD6950 2GB
or $242½ -20MIR GeForce GTX560Ti 1GB
or $172½ -20MIR Radeon HD6870 1GB

$80 -10 code "EMCNJHF28" 500 GB Hitachi HDS721050CLA362 7200-rpm hard-drive

$63 Samsung SH-B123L BD-ROM/DVD-RW with PowerDVD software for Blu-ray playback
or $19 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-RW

$70 Antec Three Hundred ATX case
and Antec Basiq BP-430 power supply (384 watts = 32 amperes at +12 V)

$100 -5 combo Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
======
$992 -30MIR, and it outperforms your friend's "beast" in most respects.


Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers?

Here are a couple of good 24" 1920x1200 monitors and a good deal on a 23" 1920x1080 monitor (currently $239 before coupons).
$369 or $300 +tax Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" 1920x1200 e-IPS LCD monitor
$359 or $325 +tax HP ZR24W 24" 1920x1200 H2-IPS LCD monitor
$289 or $216 +tax Dell UltraSharp U2312HM 23" 1920x1080 e-IPS LCD monitor
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2
 
AnotherCasualty
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Topic Author
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Thu Jan 26, 2012 12:37 am

JustAnEngineer wrote:
$230 Intel Core i5-2500K quad-core 3.3 GHz overclockable LGA1155 processor with HSF
$40 -15 combo CoolerMaster GeminII S524 CPU cooler - quieter and cooler than stock HSF

$132½ -10MIR Asus P8Z68-V LX ATX Z68 LGA1155 motherboard
or $125 Asus P8Z68-M Pro micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155
or $185 Asus P8Z68-V/Gen3 ATX Z68 LGA1155
or $188 Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z/Gen3 micro-ATX Z68 LGA1155

$39 2x4 GiB PC3-12800 (DDR3-1600, CAS 9, 1.5 V) memory

$267½ -20MIR or $270 -20MIR Radeon HD6950 2GB
or $242½ -20MIR GeForce GTX560Ti 1GB
or $172½ -20MIR Radeon HD6870 1GB

$80 -10 code "EMCNJHF28" 500 GB Hitachi HDS721050CLA362 7200-rpm hard-drive

$63 Samsung SH-B123L BD-ROM/DVD-RW with PowerDVD software for Blu-ray playback
or $19 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-RW

$70 Antec Three Hundred ATX case
and Antec Basiq BP-430 power supply (384 watts = 32 amperes at +12 V)

$100 -5 combo Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
======
$992 -30MIR, and it outperforms your friend's "beast" in most respects.


Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers?

Here are a couple of good 24" 1920x1200 monitors and a good deal on a 23" 1920x1080 monitor (currently $239 before coupons).
$369 or $300 +tax Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" 1920x1200 e-IPS LCD monitor
$359 or $325 +tax HP ZR24W 24" 1920x1200 H2-IPS LCD monitor
$289 or $216 +tax Dell UltraSharp U2312HM 23" 1920x1080 e-IPS LCD monitor



Oh! So I'm assuming this is going to be the "Beast" to my friends "Tree Stump" build? (I'm still bothered they would try to swindle me like that....) Would you also recommend an SSD? or would I be fine with with what You've supplied without the SSD? I'm also assuming the power supply (that comes with the case, will more than suffice the parts?)
 
Firestarter
Gerbil Elite
Posts: 773
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:06 am

AnotherCasualty wrote:
Would you also recommend an SSD? or would I be fine with with what You've supplied without the SSD?

The year is 2012, if you are building a computer for $1300 and not including an SSD, you are missing out severely. For almost everything you do up to and including starting the game, an SSD is the single most important upgrade. Once you are playing, an SSD doesn't make the hugest difference unless the game struggles with loading levels and such, so if you absolutely need the best performance in-game you could sacrifice the SSD for a faster videocard, but that's a BIG sacrifice, one that you do no want to make.
 
swampfox
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Posts: 161
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Location: Alaska

Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:15 am

ludi wrote:
AnotherCasualty wrote:
Here is my current spec....

Okay, let's back up the truck a bit and note that pretty much anything you build using modern parts is going to blow that machine out the window.

This got a serious LOL from me.

I agree with those here, particularly as regards the i5-2500K, and a quality ~500W PSU.

I would also second the recommendation to get a nicer monitor, something in the 23-24" 1080p range would fit your budget nicely.
C2D E7300 | ASUS P5Q Pro | 4GB OCZ Fatal1ty DDR2-800 | ASUS Radeon HD 4850 TOP | 500W OCZ ModXStream | WD10EADS | WD6400AAKS | Win7 64bit | Antec P182
 
JustAnEngineer
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Re: New to PC's -- Friend wants to build me a "Beast" machin

Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:46 am

AnotherCasualty wrote:
Would you also recommend an SSD? or would I be fine with with what You've supplied without the SSD? I'm also assuming the power supply (that comes with the case, will more than suffice the parts?)
Firestarter wrote:
The year is 2012, if you are building a computer for $1300 and not including an SSD, you are missing out severely. For almost everything you do up to and including starting the game, an SSD is the single most important upgrade. Once you are playing, an SSD doesn't make the hugest difference unless the game struggles with loading levels and such, so if you absolutely need the best performance in-game you could sacrifice the SSD for a faster videocard, but that's a BIG sacrifice, one that you do not want to make.
In-game, the SSD does almost nothing for performance. After initial game startup, subsequent level loads typically go by so quickly from my 1 TB Caviar Black drive that I have to be very quick to be able to read the hints on the loading screen before they disappear. I don't see much benefit to trying to put your games on the SSD. Outside of the game, an SSD makes your computing experience feel much snappier. The Windows desktop is more responsive and the web browser is more responsive, etc. SSD prices are still dropping and should continue to drop throughout the year. Hard-drive prices should start dropping later this year. I figured that postponing a large investment in one of those components would make for an easier and more worthwhile upgrade later.

$140 -30MIR 90 GB Corsair Force Series GT SSD


The Antec Basiq 430 power supply included with the case deal is merely adequate with 384 watts available on the +12 volt rail. It is not an outstanding power supply, but it's a very good deal. Getting this power supply for $10 +15MIR in the combination deal is another compromise to free up some of your budget for other components, especially a good monitor and a very good graphics card. If you were to drop down to a Radeon HD6870, you would give up gaming performance but save $95. It would still be a tremendous leap from your current system.

$60 -15MIR Antec Three Hundred ATX case
$70 SeaSonic S12II-620 (576W @12V) 80+ Bronze PSU

Here are some other good power supplies with plenty of excess capacity:
$80 Antec Earthwatts EA-650 (650W @12V) 80+ Bronze
$85 Antec Earthwatts EA-750 (750W @12V) 80+ Bronze
$86 Sparkle 600 R-SPI600ACH5B (581½W @12V) 80+ Silver
$115 -11½ code "PSU0112" -20MIR Mushkin MKNPSJL800 (768W @12V) 80+ Silver
$105 Sparkle R-SPI650ACAG (600W @12V) 80+ Gold
$106 Sparkle 700 R-SPI700ACH5B (681½ @12V) 80+ Silver
$109½ FSP AU-600 (540W @12V) 80+ Gold
$126 PC Power & Cooling Silencer 760 (744W @12V) 80+ Silver
$129½ Antec Earthwatts EA-650 (576W @12V) 80+ Platinum
$129½ SeaSonic SS-850HT (840W @12V) 80+ Silver
· R7-5800X, Liquid Freezer II 280, RoG Strix X570-E, 64GiB PC4-28800, Suprim Liquid RTX4090, 2TB SX8200Pro +4TB S860 +NAS, Define 7 Compact, Super Flower SF-1000F14TP, S3220DGF +32UD99, FC900R OE, DeathAdder2

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