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First PC build. ?s on hardware and actual build

DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30

I'm going to be attempting my first complete build and wanted some feedback on my component choices as well as a few building tips when it comes to static electricity.

My budget for the build was $900 but i managed to get what seems like a good setup for $827. Let me know your thoughts.

Btw I already have a GTX 590, so the gpu is set in stone.

Case - NZXT Phantom Full Tower (reeeally love this case, but I'm open to different options)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146068 - $120

CPU - Intel i5-3570k (will definitely be overclocking)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504 - $220

CPU cooler - CM Hyper 212 Plus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 - $34

MB - ASUS P8Z77-V LK

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131837 - $150

Power Supply - SeaSonic X-850 (is this enough juice?)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151102 - $170

RAM - Corsair Veng 2x4GB 1600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144 - $53

HD - Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200RPM 64MB Cache

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148840 - $80

As for the static electricity, I have a wristband for it but am not exactly sure how to use it. I think i'm supposed to clip it to the case, but I don't exactly understand how that would work. Am i supposed to plug in the PC power cable so it's grounded or?

Edit: Thanks for the right link EMT-P!

Comments

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347

    You're completely missing an SSD, an OS license, and an optical drive.  For $900 without a video card, you should definitely get an SSD.

    -----

    Unfortunately, you've got a bad video card that will inflate costs on some other components if you want to try to keep it from frying.  Nvidia says that the official TDP of the GeForce GTX 590 is 365 W, but that's a straight up lie.  Assume it's about 450 W.  Unfortunately, the cooler flatly cannot handle 450 W, and doesn't do so well at 365 W, either.

    The cooling for the GPU chips isn't really that far from being adequate.  That's the biggest cooling problem for most video cards, but Nvidia badly botched the cooling for the VRMs, so they can run very, very hot (~110 C) under realistic gaming loads.  That's a recipe for an unduly short life expectancy on a video card.

    To combat that, you need to get as much airflow to the video card as possible.  The GTX 590 wants to kick air out both the front and back of the card.  The back is no problem, as that takes it straight out of the case.  The front is the bigger issue, as that sprays massive amounts of heat toward the front of the case.

    It might be best to design your case airflow around what the video card wants.  Use the side for air intake, and everything else (front, top, back) for exhaust.  Pick a case that will work with that, and remember that you need to get a lot of cool air in underneath the video card, as that's where the video card fan will draw in air.  You'll also want to avoid positioning anything other than fans where the GPU will spray hot air at it.

    You'll probably also want to turn the GPU fan speeds above the default.  If that makes the video card noisy, you'll just have to deal with it.  If you try to monitor GPU temperatures, then you'll need to remember that those are for the GPU chips, while the VRMs are the bigger problem and will run much hotter than than GPU chips on a GTX 590.

  • EMT-PEMT-P Member Posts: 19

    You accidently posted the 2500K processor instead of the 3570k,  Here's the link for you http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819116504

     

    The case is mostly preference almost any case will fit almost any mobo nowadays, expecially 'full' ones

     

    The cooler is decent, I've heard good things about it.

     

    Motherboard I truly feel gigabyte is one of the better boards. 

    For 5$ less you can get http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128546, same chipset and both have everything you need. If you have done research on the board you've selected you can go ahead and go for it. 

     

    PSU is a good brand, just a lot of extra wattage. I say you shouldn't need anymore then 650(and that's being on the generous side)

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088 same brand, 650 wattage.

     

    HDD should be fine, although I prefer WD Black.

    Edit:spelling I can't type

  • EMT-PEMT-P Member Posts: 19
    Originally posted by DigitalLeash

    As for the static electricity, I have a wristband for it but am not exactly sure how to use it. I think i'm supposed to clip it to the case, but I don't exactly understand how that would work. Am i supposed to plug in the PC power cable so it's grounded or?

    As for this, It's really not that big of a deal nowadays. If you are on carpet, just keep touching the metal of your case every once in awhile to discharge any static electricity build up. I've never used a static wristband for any of my builds.

  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30

    Thanks for the replies. Yeah I really regret getting the 590 when it released and have learned my lesson. Will definitely be getting single gpu's from now. Seeing as it was a stupidly expensive card i'm gonna have to stick with it for quite some time though.

    Heat wise over the almost 2 years, it's been not-horrible in my current PC, 74c seems to be what it gets up to under heavy load with fans running at 100%. But as you've said, that doesn't show the whole story. If i can find a case with better airflow for the 590 based on the info you gave, then i'll grab that instead.

    Do you think an SSD would be worth the price for someone who doesn't mind boot times whatsoever? I haven't really experienced any games where i get hitching from running a 7200 hd either.

    Sorry about not listing the OS, didn't think that would need to be evaluated. Going with win8.

    As for the optical drive i'll be using the one from my current pc, it's a bluray combo drive. Sorry, don't know the specifics.

  • EMT-PEMT-P Member Posts: 19
    Do you think an SSD would be worth the price for someone who doesn't mind boot times whatsoever? I haven't really experienced any games where i get hitching from running a 7200 hd either.

     

    No. I wouldn't recommend it for you, expecially it boot times don't bother you.

    SSDs are an accessory, not a necessity. and it should be one of the first to go when you're coming down to budget line.

     

    Edit: I would definitely save up for a new GPU if I were you. If you're tight on money, check out the Radeon 7870, Radeon tend to run cheaper then Nvidia and they are basically the same within limits.

  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30
    Yeah i'd definitely enjoy a different, similar performing card. Having put so much into this one though, I thought I might as well get as much as I possibly can out of it, before looking for an upgrade.
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by EMT-P
    Do you think an SSD would be worth the price for someone who doesn't mind boot times whatsoever? I haven't really experienced any games where i get hitching from running a 7200 hd either.

    No. I wouldn't recommend it for you, expecially it boot times don't bother you.

    SSDs are an accessory, not a necessity. and it should be one of the first to go when you're coming down to budget line.

    Edit: I would definitely save up for a new GPU if I were you. If you're tight on money, check out the Radeon 7870, Radeon tend to run cheaper then Nvidia and they are basically the same within limits.

    An SSD really makes a huge difference but OP can of course add it later as long as he is ready to reinstall windows.

    I dont agree about the GPU either, it is good enough (and more) as long as OP have plenty of room in the box and good airflow. Either plenty of fans or taking away the sides of the case and be careful so there are at lest 10 cm empty space around the case. Upgrading to a 7870 just wouldnt add enough bang for the buck since he already have a pretty good card, an SSD or a faster CPU is far better use of the extra money if OP had that, but for his budget things look fine to me.

  • motmot84motmot84 Member Posts: 11
    Your PC build should be good. I think you just need another SSD or just a smaller sized HDD for your OS. It's better to have two disk drives than one big drive. Always separate your OS to a different drive. For the casing, just make sure that the fans doesn't disrupt the airflow for your heatsink or that good heatsink will be a waste.
  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30
    How big of an SSD would i need for just the OS? Keeping that seperate incase of corruption or whatnot actually seems pretty useful.
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by DigitalLeash
    How big of an SSD would i need for just the OS? Keeping that seperate incase of corruption or whatnot actually seems pretty useful.

    I recommend a 120 gig so you can install your most played games on it as well. If budget is an issue, Corsairs Force 3 drive is good value for little money (not Corsairs fastest SSD but the best performing for the price).

  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30
    Just browsed the Corsair Force Series 3 SSDs. The prices seem pretty decent. $120~ is a bit out of range for me though, with the budget i have, and unless i could find an 80GB one it'll have to be something i'll grab at a later date.
  • Loke666Loke666 Member EpicPosts: 21,441
    Originally posted by DigitalLeash
    Just browsed the Corsair Force Series 3 SSDs. The prices seem pretty decent. $120~ is a bit out of range for me though, with the budget i have, and unless i could find an 80GB one it'll have to be something i'll grab at a later date.

    As I said, as long as you dont mind reinstalling windows (you must have it on the SSD to get the real benefit of it) you can add it when you have the money for it, no worries,

    The 60 gig version is enough for windows and a game or two, but I would rather wait a month or 2 to get the 120 gig version. You really want to have your favorite games installed on it, particularly games with loading screens.

  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30
    Originally posted by Loke666
    Originally posted by DigitalLeash
    Just browsed the Corsair Force Series 3 SSDs. The prices seem pretty decent. $120~ is a bit out of range for me though, with the budget i have, and unless i could find an 80GB one it'll have to be something i'll grab at a later date.

    As I said, as long as you dont mind reinstalling windows (you must have it on the SSD to get the real benefit of it) you can add it when you have the money for it, no worries,

    The 60 gig version is enough for windows and a game or two, but I would rather wait a month or 2 to get the 120 gig version. You really want to have your favorite games installed on it, particularly games with loading screens.

    Yeah, can't say I'd enjoy reinstalling. Most of the replys have suggested a SSD so I think i'll just delay the build for a few weeks and grab one.

    Thanks for the input everyone, really appreciate it.

    And if anyone happens upon a case, well suited for the airflow a 590 needs, be sure to let me know!

  • miguksarammiguksaram Member UncommonPosts: 835

    Let's see if we can save you a bit of money that might allow you to get a better (in terms of lifespan) GPU and still remain within that $900 budget.

    First and foremost I'd highly recommend you simply attempt to sell the card.  While I personally would never buy a used GPU there are plenty out there who would and given it's only a generation old you could still probably ask a decent price for it.  Yes it still has all the glaring errors that Quiz pointed out but many people who purchase these type of cards don't really care (or don't pay attention).  Their loss can be your gain.

    Once you drop that power hog you will have no need for such a high wattage PSU.  For nearly half the price you could pick up an equally great PSU from the same exact OEM.  It's "only" 750 watts but for current generation single GPU cards that typically way more than is needed anyway.

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087&nm_mc=EMC-IGNEFL022113&cm_mmc=EMC-IGNEFL022113-_-EMC-022113-Index-_-PowerSupplies-_-17151087-L0B

    Just add the following promo code for an addtional discount: EMCXVVW23

     

    That should net you enough "additional" cash to purchase an AMD 7970 or perhaps even a GTX680 if you got enough for the 590.  Though I would probably just purchase a GTX 670 (if nvidia fan) and save the money to put towards a larger SSD but thats me.

  • KabaalKabaal Member UncommonPosts: 3,042
    Might be easier said than done selling the 590. I've seen them on offer second hand on overclockers.co.uk forum for ~£200 and the threads just stay silent, no one wants them. Maybe on Ebay or somewhere that buyers tend not to have a clue.
  • miguksarammiguksaram Member UncommonPosts: 835
    Originally posted by Kabaal
    Might be easier said than done selling the 590. I've seen them on offer second hand on overclockers.co.uk forum for ~£200 and the threads just stay silent, no one wants them. Maybe on Ebay or somewhere that buyers tend not to have a clue.

    That was kinda my point, something like that needs to be sold to someone who doesn't really know better.  And I know a LOT of people hate it but I've had a LOT of luck selling all kinds of electronics locally via Craigslist.  I just state I'm only willing to do a local sale and avoid any potential headaches that way.

  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Originally posted by EMT-P

    PSU is a good brand, just a lot of extra wattage. I say you shouldn't need anymore then 650(and that's being on the generous side)

    http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088 same brand, 650 wattage.

    While 650 W is plenty for most people, most people don't have a GeForce GTX 590 that can pull 450 W for the video card alone.  Would a Seasonic X-650 be able to handle that?  Probably.  Seasonic's X-series is awfully nice.  But Fermi doesn't have any way to cap power consumption, and if you hit a power virus (e.g., the Starcraft 2 title screen for Nvidia cards, until Nvidia realized it and throttled it back in drivers), it's better to have a power supply able to deliver plenty of power to a video card that is trying to fry itself and let it die on its own than to let it take the rest of the system down with it.  You want a power supply that will definitely have plenty of wattage, not just "probably", and 650 W is cutting it too close, especially for someone who wants to overclock the processor.

  • jdnewelljdnewell Member UncommonPosts: 2,237

    I would personally get an SSD, even if that meant not getting an HDD for now. Much easier to install OS on an SSD while building and then add a storage drive later. Rather than adding an SSD later.

    Get a 120g SSD from the start and add storage drives from there. you will be glad you did.

    Not the end of the world using an HDD over SSD. But I personally wont use anything but SSD now that I have gotten used to one.

  • DigitalLeashDigitalLeash Member UncommonPosts: 30

    I have indeed tried selling the card before, and this was about a year ago when it was still relatively fresh. People just don't want anything to do with it, can't blame em.

    You know Jdnewell, the thought of not even getting a HD untill later, and using a SSD till then, didn't even cross my mind lol. I guess I still think of it as an absolute neccesity right off the bat. I'll probably do that then, so thanks.

    Although i'm still looking around for a case with epic airflow, so maybe by the time i find one, i'll have enough to just get both.

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