Calling on Techie Nerds

[Colonel]

So I've got a general question for anyone you techie folks out there kind of a value vs speed and what not. Im building a computer and just curious what you'll think of the specs for the cost. Feel free to post your own specs if you have some crazy stuff.

First its a full ATX tower
CPU: Intel Core I7-3770 3.4GHz -3.9GHZ Turbo
Motherboard: Intel LGA 1155 SATA 6GB/s USB 3.0 Micro
Eternet Card: Intel PWLA8492MT 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 MT Dual Port
RAM: 4 - 240 Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 8GB sticks - total RAM 32GB
Drives: 2 - LG Black 4MB Cache Blue Ray/DVD/CD Burners
Hardrives: 256GB SSD SATA III / 3TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM SATA 6GB/s
Grapics Card: Radeon HD 7750 2GB 128bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0
Also some assorted power supplies and fans appropriate for this. Cost in total so far is roughly 1800-1900 haven't gotten the final cost but under 2000 for sure.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[trader/warrior]

If it is to be used for gaming I would definitely save a bit on a cheaper processor like an I5-3550 and for that small reduction in CPU power you can get a much better graphics card, just the jump up to an 7870 is a pretty huge boost. Also 32gb of ram is not necessary unless you have some specific purpose for it, it's really rare to even get near using up 8gb at a time. Then again RAM is dirt cheap anyways.

 

[Tahuti]

If it is to be used for gaming I would definitely save a bit on a cheaper processor like an I5-3550 and for that small reduction in CPU power you can get a much better graphics card, just the jump up to an 7870 is a pretty huge boost. Also 32gb of ram is not necessary unless you have some specific purpose for it, it's really rare to even get near using up 8gb at a time. Then again RAM is dirt cheap anyways.

Actually, I still have a first-gen i3 with an GTX 460, and it continues to be a nice gaming rig (though admittedly, I continue to use a relatively small screen as well). 8GB would be an ideal amount RAM.

Anyway, aim for the best GPU. If you're doing video editing, a high-end CPU and more than 8GB Ram will make all the difference, but they probably won't otherwise.

 

[emzie]

*skimming through*

this sounds like an awesome build!

*Grapics Card: Radeon HD 7750 2GB 128bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0*

Why would you do that? What's the point of the system? To run the best Microsoft Excel ever?

 

[MobBoss]

So I've got a general question for anyone you techie folks out there kind of a value vs speed and what not. Im building a computer and just curious what you'll think of the specs for the cost. Feel free to post your own specs if you have some crazy stuff.

First its a full ATX tower
CPU: Intel Core I7-3770 3.4GHz -3.9GHZ Turbo
Motherboard: Intel LGA 1155 SATA 6GB/s USB 3.0 Micro
Eternet Card: Intel PWLA8492MT 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 MT Dual Port
RAM: 4 - 240 Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 8GB sticks - total RAM 32GB
Drives: 2 - LG Black 4MB Cache Blue Ray/DVD/CD Burners
Hardrives: 256GB SSD SATA III / 3TB Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM SATA 6GB/s
Grapics Card: Radeon HD 7750 2GB 128bit DDR3 PCI Express 3.0
Also some assorted power supplies and fans appropriate for this. Cost in total so far is roughly 1800-1900 haven't gotten the final cost but under 2000 for sure.

Any thoughts appreciated.

I'd concur with the thoughts so far. You can probably save a good amount of money by going with an I5 processor than the I7 one you got here. The I5 will be half the cost at 95% (or so) of the capability.

Go with this graphics card hierarchy chart from Toms Hardware to see where your graphics card sits. If you're throwing more than 1200 bucks on a system like this, you should have a top tier GPU to go with it.

Make sure you also get a decent 22" to 24" monitor and you should be set.

 

[timtofly]

If you are getting multiples of everything else, why not multiple GPU's?

 

[Zelig]

Why would you do that? What's the point of the system? To run the best Microsoft Excel ever?

On roughly a weekly basis I get annoyed that my quad-core i7 isn't faster for Excel.

I'd concur with the thoughts so far. You can probably save a good amount of money by going with an I5 processor than the I7 one you got here. The I5 will be half the cost at 95% (or so) of the capability.

Go with this graphics card hierarchy chart from Toms Hardware to see where your graphics card sits. If you're throwing more than 1200 bucks on a system like this, you should have a top tier GPU to go with it.

Make sure you also get a decent 22" to 24" monitor and you should be set.

24" 1080p is my standard recommendation now for anybody, they're so cheap.

Much past $1200, enthusiasts should start looking at 27" monitors, a monitor upgrade is going to give you more long-term utility than a faster GPU.

 

[TomYo689]

How do you know if it's your computer that's slow or if it's your internet

 

[Zelig]

How do you know if it's your computer that's slow or if it's your internet

Is Excel slow? It's your computer.

Does a large file download slowly? It's the internet.

 

[timtofly]

If you have (forced/without choice) the latest Offie and the cloud, it could be both.

 

[Murky]

I used to build my own PCs back when I was both into hardware and gaming. Now it's just easier to buy a good laptop and save time. Most of the descent ones can do a good enough jobs on a lot of games. Buy a console (lower prices and less buggy games) if you want the best bang for your buck on just a gaming setup. If you're not planning on development then you really don't need a PC.

 

[Formaldehyde]

24" 1080p is my standard recommendation now for anybody, they're so cheap.

Make that 2. Having two monitors is so much nicer than one.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Make that 2. Having two monitors is so much nicer than one.

Two are at least three times better than one unless you have a fabulous 30" one.

 

[Zelig]

Make that 2. Having two monitors is so much nicer than one.

Yeah, I mean 24" is my very baseline recommendation, for a grandmother that just needs a $400 system to check email on and play solitaire on, there's really no point on anyone getting less than 24".

Two are at least three times better than one unless you have a fabulous 30" one.

I know several former multi-monitor enthusiasts who've converted to single large high-resolution monitors. I haven't managed to completely switch, but I've moved my work setup from 2x 1920x1200 24" monitors to a 27" 2560x1440 with just my 1440x900 (effective) laptop (on a stand) as a secondary.

 

[Quintillus]

Core i7 is overpriced from a value perspective. Listen to the wise words of MobBoss on that. Get a Core i5 3570K instead (and adjust the motherboard if need be). Or, if money isn't an issue, you can stick with the i7 and have more bragging rights until the next generation comes out.

32 GB RAM is a ton. 8 GB is a good baseline. Only get more if you know you'll need it. It's easy to add later if it turns out you need more.

You only need a separate Ethernet card if you know you need it. For 99% of people, the one built in to the motherboard will do just fine.

Are you really going to be burning two Blu-Rays at a time? If so, fair enough, but most people would be just fine dropping one of those down to either a Blu-Ray reader, or a DVD burner (since DVD burners don't really cost any more than DVD readers).

The GPU is arguably the weak point, but I'm inclined to agree with Kaiserguard that a top-end GPU is not necessary even for most gamers and what you've listed would be all right. The exception is if you care about max graphics and usually play the latest games.

Use some of the money saved by the suggested cuts to buy another 3 GB HDD at 5400 RPM to use as a backup if you don't have another good backup system in place. So much of our stuff is digitized these days that it's a poor decision not to have a regular backup system.

 

[Formaldehyde]

The GPU is arguably the weak point, but I'm inclined to agree with Kaiserguard that a top-end GPU is not necessary even for most gamers and what you've listed would be all right. The exception is if you care about max graphics and usually play the latest games.

"Arguably"? "Max graphics"? "Latest games"? It is crazy to build a system like this with a $100 graphics card unless you don't plan to game whatsoever. And if that is the case, he could just as likely do with a $500 PC.

But I definitely agree with all your other points.

 

[Colonel]

Thanks for the feedback and heres the final specs. Notes of Response

GPU:1 x ($409.99) EVGA 02G-P4-2678-KR GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
$409.99

Thanks all for saving me from a less then desirable graphics card.

CPU:1 x ($289.99) Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770
$289.99

So two things to mention, first money wasn't an object second this has the cores unlocked.

Motherboard:1 x ($269.99) Intel BOXDZ77RE75K LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$269.99

RAM: 1 x ($199.99) G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10Q-32GBXL
$199.99

So again money wasn't an object plus I'm planning on this thing lasting awhile so excess ram isn't necessarily a bad thing here. Also its the most the motherboard will allow me to hold.

PSU:1 x ($179.99) RAIDMAX RX-1200AE 1200W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
$179.99

As far as needing the excess wattage available, once the price on my graphics card goes down I'm planning on getting a second and doing the whole SLI with one for graphics and one for physics so don't want to be limited on power supply.

Primary HD:1 x ($169.99) Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$169.99

Prue disgustingness, I'm only going to have a few very high end games on this along with my OS.

Tower:1 x ($159.99) COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case with USB 3.0, Black Interior and Four Fans-1x 230mm front RED LED fan, 1x 140mm rear fan, 1x 230mm top fan, and 1x 230mm side fan
$159.99

Internal Backup HD/Open Space: 1 x ($139.99) Seagate Barracuda 7200.14 ST3000DM001 3TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive - OEM
$139.99

It was relatively cheap for this much space and I'm possibly thinking of trying to partion it a few times to run some older Operating Systems to allow me to play some older games that have trouble in 64 bit configurations. Figure if I drop anywhere from 200-500 gigs a partion would be good depending on the OS.

Drives: 2 x ($59.99) LG Black 14X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 5X DVD-RAM 12X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA BDXL Blu-ray Burner, Bare Drive, 3D Play Back (WH14NS40) - OEM - OEM
$119.98

My only reason for getting a second is in case I wanted to copy one disc to another just much easier.

Mouse:1 x ($79.99) RAZER Naga Hex Wraith Red Edition RZ01-00750200-R3U1 11 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi Gaming Mouse
$79.99

Figured I needed a real gaming mouse for this beast.

Flash Drive Backup:1 x ($19.99) PQI U822V 32GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Model 6822-032GR1XXX
$19.99

This was free so whatever lol.

OS:1 x ($179.99) Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate SP1 64-bit - OEM
$179.99

I don't like the feel of Windows 8

External Backup:1 x ($79.99) TOSHIBA Canvio Basics 3.0 1TB USB 3.0 Black Portable Hard Drive HDTB110XK3BA
$79.99

Figure with the amount of space on the computer it would be a good idea to have at-least a third available as a backup drive.

1 x ($29.99) Nippon Labs 1.44MB External USB2.0 Floppy Drive Model USB-FLPY-DLOCK - OEM
$29.99

This I just found while wandering, 30 bucks and I have some old floppys in a box somewhere in my electronics cache lol.

So overall thoughts? Also I'm going to be looking for some after market cooling fans once I get the second graphics card so theres of course more to be added later.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Sounds like a great system. But if you don't already have 2 monitors be sure to pick up another one. You can get a 24" 1080p LED monitor like this one for less than $200. And now you have a graphics card that can easily drive both while giving great fps playing any current game.

It really isn't all that much more convenient to have 2 drives while copying DVDs since it can happen in the background. You save a bit of time with each transfer because the program doesn't have to first read the DVD and copy it to the hard drive. But unless you play to steal hundreds of Netflix Blu-Ray flicks in record time, it is going to just be a waste. It will also eat up a SATA connection that you will likely want for another hard drive in the future.

You might also want to consider getting an SSD for the OS. You had one listed in your first build, but not this one.

 

[Zelig]

The 3770 doesn't have an unlocked multiplier, you need the 3770k for that. Even though, you get much better bang for the buck with the 3570k.

I've planned on going SLI like you were doing for roughly three successive generations of nvidia cards. The problem is that once the price drops on a card, you can also just sell your old card and get a single faster card for close to the same price, that performs about as well as the SLI setup, but without the compatibility/heat/power headaches.

Should see if you can use mice beforehand - the Naga looks decent for MMO games (its target) where you can use a lot of macros, I don't like the in-hand feel of it at all though.

Have you used Windows 8 for more than a week? Pretty much all the people I see who don't like it just dismiss it because it's different and they don't like change.

 

[Colonel]

Sounds like a great system. But if you don't already have 2 monitors be sure to pick up another one. You can get a 24" 1080p LED monitor like this one for less than $200. And now you have a graphics card that can easily drive both while giving great fps playing any current game.

It really isn't all that much more convenient to have 2 drives while copying DVDs since it can happen in the background. You save a bit of time with each transfer because the program doesn't have to first read the DVD and copy it to the hard drive. But unless you play to steal hundreds of Netflix Blu-Ray flicks in record time, it is going to just be a waste. It will also eat up a SATA connection that you will likely want for another hard drive in the future.

You might also want to consider getting an SSD for the OS. You had one listed in your first build, but not this one.

Its in there 256GB SSD for my OS and a few very high end games. as for the SATA connection, I can't conceive of a reason why I would want another hard drive, I'm having a hard time trying to think of a way to use 3TB it was just so cheap.

Zelig- as far SLI, I meant like maybe two months from now get the second card.