First time system builder needs advice

[kian525]

so which of the three should i go for?

 

[Knufire]

ok, it really comes down to this question. what will give me the best bang for my buck. an overclockable system with 2 hdd's, a system that is non OC and has a large ssd or a non overclockable system with a better gpu?

Overclockable. Changing GPU is easier than changing CPU and mobo in the future.

 

[kian525]

Overclockable. Changing GPU is easier than changing CPU and mobo in the future.

ok, but even if i do OC, will it affect my gaming performance more than an ssd or a better gpu? i dont intend to upgrade this pc for about 2-3 years.

 

[Knufire]

You get best performance now with the best GPU possible. The better CPU is better in the long term.

Small frequent upgrades is the best way to make a computer last. A good CPU could last you 4 to 5 years while GPUs get outdated much faster.

 

[kian525]

looks like i have to make a tough decision

EDIT: what if i go for the ssd? is it worth it or is the difference between ssd's and hdd's trivial?

 

[Mjolnir]

SSD Vs HDD is NOT trivial. The difference is immense. And until you own one its 'ignorance is bliss'. But after you own one you'll never want to go back to a standard HDD... Much like those who swap to Mechanical keyboards from rubber domes (I'll never go back lol) Or high-end sound to onboard (Again, never!).

Yes; you do have a tough decision .

 

[PolePosition]

SSD Vs HDD is NOT trivial. The difference is immense. And until you own one its 'ignorance is bliss'. But after you own one you'll never want to go back to a standard HDD... Much like those who swap to Mechanical keyboards from rubber domes (I'll never go back lol) Or high-end sound to onboard (Again, never!).

Yes; you do have a tough decision .

Yeah, I'm hoping to get me a Ducky shine sometime in the near future, and when they're more available and not mostly sold out by the only two dealers here in the USA. That will be the "icing on the cake" so to speak. lol

 

[kian525]

the new nvidia 660ti looks like a shiny new piece of kit. what do you guys think about it. im considering dropping some things and getting it?

 

[PolePosition]

I think its more than I'd care to spend on a new edition card, but wait until the holidays arrive and probably see that price drop a bit or a special offered.

 

[kian525]

I think its more than I'd care to spend on a new edition card, but wait until the holidays arrive and probably see that price drop a bit or a special offered.

compared to similarly priced cards it is a beast

 

[Knufire]

compared to similarly priced cards it is a beast

Compared to a similarly priced card, aka. the 7870, it performs pretty much the same.

 

[kian525]

Compared to a similarly priced card, aka. the 7870, it performs pretty much the same.

nope, the 7870 is $300 but the 660ti is $360

 

[Knufire]

In Australia, maybe. In the US, 660Tis are between $300 and $340, 7870s are between $290 and $320.

 

[Conumdrum]

7870's are gonna take a price hit to keep them selling. Your site might have them cheap.

Your also in AUS, where things can be different than the US, where most prices are talked about here.

So in that case, the 7870 is a better deal now with your AU E-tailer.

 

[kian525]

ok im going with 7870, OC compatible bits, a 3570K and 2 HDD's. any objections?

EDIT: also, what do you think about the VTX3D Radeon HD7870 2GB X-Edition

 

[Mjolnir]

Get the sapphire model. It's quieter and cooler

Shame you're ditching the ssd. You're missing out .

 

[kian525]

Get the sapphire model. It's quieter and cooler

Shame you're ditching the ssd. You're missing out .

yeah, I'm pretty cut about it, its just not cheap enough to be in the budget. maybe in a few months ill do a fresh install on an ssd.

 

[PolePosition]

yeah, I'm pretty cut about it, its just not cheap enough to be in the budget. maybe in a few months ill do a fresh install on an ssd.

Guess I'd rather replace my 550Ti for a 660 come Christmas time rather than installing Windows again and all the SSD optimizing I went through. I wonder if there would be any benefit to crossfiring those two.

 

[Mjolnir]

Crossfiring what two? Do you mean SLI...?

And what ssd optimizing.. all it is is lower page file size, turn off hibernation, have it set to ahci mode before windows install. And turn off defrag schedule. Also run WEI. That's it o.o

 

[kian525]

Guess I'd rather replace my 550Ti for a 660 come Christmas time rather than installing Windows again and all the SSD optimizing I went through. I wonder if there would be any benefit to crossfiring those two.

you make a valid point, but i prefer the performance increase from the card over the benefits of the ssd, anyway i would need to sacrifice other things aswell, just to get it in the budget.