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Jason181
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Fri Aug 17, 2012 10:35 am

superjawes wrote:
If you have nice(er) speakers/headphones, a sound card can certainly improve things...As for SSD, I that's one of the best reasons to upgrade nowadays.


I completely agree; a hardcore fps gamer needs a discrete sound card; the differences is quite significant. And the SSD, who in their right mind would tell someone not to get one?
 
ludi
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:04 am

Eighty percent of everything is an optional upgrade. If the OP really, really wants to spend extra money experimenting with overclocking and watercooling, then the cooler and case are going to eat a disproportionate share of the budget and other components (such as a discrete soundcard) may necessarily get sacrificed. Modern onboard sound is average but usually is not a downgrade; it will be plenty functional. And, a discrete soundcard is an easy future upgrade.

A similar, if less-convincing, argument can be made for dropping the SSD. Generally you have to buy a mechanical storage drive regardless, so instead of paying twice for the same underlying function, buy the best 7200 RPM drive that fits the budget (i.e. don't use a Green-series as a boot drive) and it will be adequate. However the SSD boosts system performance in all areas of use (unlike the soundcard) and is not such an easy future upgrade, since it's going to require either an OS reinstall or a fidgety drive cloning process.
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superjawes
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Fri Aug 17, 2012 11:23 am

sherlock wrote:
Should I remind you again the OP is limited to a $1400 Canadian budget count a whooping 12% Tax?? The either the SSD have to go or you have to down grade the graphic card to make room for the H100(this, not drives is the reason OP think he needs a full tower, however Some mid tower like the Corsair 400/500R can easily house those..

On second though getting 660Ti instead of 670 is probably a better route for savings than dropping the SSD, but suggeting a $50 sound card on $1250 Canadian(after deductin tax) budget build is outrageous.

Well I should also remind you that the OP said he would go higher for the right equipment, AND he said that he would be waiting for Boxing Day sales, so debating current hardware and prices is mostly useless besides finding good price points and other must-haves :wink:

A sound card could be added later, but I still reject the notion that Mobo audio is simply "good enough" because that may not be true and entirely depends on what OP wants or has in terms of sound. So keeping it in mind is important. For the SSD, I agree that the $200 Samsung is a little high for this current budget as of today, which is why I recommended the smaller one. Really, we kind of end up with a Sweet Spot/Editor's choice hybrid, since the Sweet spot has better performance per dollar, but the Editor's Choice has the core CPU/mobo needed by the OP.

As for liquid cooling, yes, I suspect many mid-sized options offer a place for it, but we would need to know if that's the reason that OP wanted a full tower to begin with.
On second thought, let's not go to TechReport. It's infested by crypto bull****.
 
ADHDadditiv
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Sat Aug 18, 2012 10:17 pm

sherlock wrote:
Should I remind you again the OP is limited to a $1400 Canadian budget count a whooping 12% Tax?? The either the SSD have to go or you have to down grade the graphic card to make room for the H100(this, not drives is the reason OP think he needs a full tower, however Some mid tower like the Corsair 400/500R can easily house those..


I do need a full tower and do you know why? Because this is my first build and I need the room so I dont break anything because I get frustrated in small spaces. Plus airflow will ALWAYS be better in a larger case. I was thinking about getting a Rosewill Thor v2 simply because its MASSIVE! and as long as I get the right mobo I should be fine on space for the h100.
 
superjawes
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Sun Aug 19, 2012 12:55 am

Woah....you don't need a full case just because it is your first build. My first build(s) were helping to handle several mITX lab machines, and they turned out just fine. And you're still going to have cramping issues when working with a full tower because the motherboard still has sit against the back of the case.

So what you should really look for is features that will simplify your build. Compare the Rosewill Thor you mentioned to this case. Yes, it's probably more expensive than what you really want to spend, but as you can see, both have helpful routing options and easy drive mounting options. Regardless of size, those are going to be the things that make your life easier.

And airflow might only be marginally better for a full size case depending on fans and where things are located. Larger fans can do that for you without generating a lot of noise, and having intake and exhaust keeps can keep air moving smoothly.

If your heart's set on a full tower, by all means, go all out. However, if it just ends up with a lot of empty space inside, the case is just kinda taking up space. Smaller cases are easier to deal with and give you more options with setting up your work/gaming space in the long run.
On second thought, let's not go to TechReport. It's infested by crypto bull****.
 
ADHDadditiv
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:25 pm

superjawes wrote:
And airflow might only be marginally better for a full size case depending on fans and where things are located. However, if it just ends up with a lot of empty space inside, the case is just kinda taking up space. Smaller cases are easier to deal with and give you more options with setting up your work/gaming space in the long run.


I think you need to think about this a little more, the more extra space you have in your case, the more airflow you have, meaning you have much better cooling then a case that is cramped and everything is snug. Also, why the hell would I move the case after I build it? Take it on a road trip?
 
superjawes
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:51 pm

ADHDadditiv wrote:
superjawes wrote:
And airflow might only be marginally better for a full size case depending on fans and where things are located. However, if it just ends up with a lot of empty space inside, the case is just kinda taking up space. Smaller cases are easier to deal with and give you more options with setting up your work/gaming space in the long run.


I think you need to think about this a little more, the more extra space you have in your case, the more airflow you have, meaning you have much better cooling then a case that is cramped and everything is snug. Also, why the hell would I move the case after I build it? Take it on a road trip?

The size of your case mostly affects the total volume of the case, not necessarily how much air moves through it. You'll find that proper flow will come from fan size and positioning.

And I have moved my case several times for many different reasons:

New monitor(s)
New cables from peripherals
New hardware
New desk
I changed living arrangements (several times, actually)
Needed proper positioning to clean it

And like I said, the sheer size limits where you can put it. If I don't go for a really nice mid-ATX tower next time around, I will definitely be going for a mATX or mITX build because I can get a lot of power in a much smaller volume.
On second thought, let's not go to TechReport. It's infested by crypto bull****.
 
ludi
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Re: $1400 Budget, and a list of must have's

Tue Aug 21, 2012 11:45 am

Over the years, I recall moving my computer cases several times. Most of those involved moving in and out of college dorms for the school year and for Christmas break, and for LAN parties, although simply carrying it outside for a dust-out every few months also factors into the equation.

A good case should last for a few years and a couple builds, a lot can happen during that time.
Abacus Model 2.5 | Quad-Row FX with 256 Cherry Red Slider Beads | Applewood Frame | Water Cooling by Brita Filtration

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