Seeking new build advice

[upstate_luke]

Hello,

I'm looking to build a new PC. It's been over 5 years since my last build and I have not really kept up on the home pc market.

What I try to do is build a new system that will last a while on it's own and still allow for future upgrades since I can only afford to do a new build every 4 - 5yrs.

So far I've put together a list of what I'd like to build. Now I'm looking for opportunities to lower the cost and that's mainly where I'm seeking advice. My old build will be going to my kids to replace the budget laptop they currently have. So, I'll be needing almost full system (keyboard, monitor, ect). I like to overclock where I can if it's quick and easy, but I'm not looking to squeeze every last bit of performance out of my system.

I primarily use my system to play games, watch movies, and typical home use.

Old build:
Q6600 @3.0
4G RAM
DFI LANPARTY DK P35-T2RS
LG 22" monitor
ATI 5850

Proposed new build:
CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($249.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO ($34.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme6 ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 ($63.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: SAMSUNG 840 Pro Series MZ-7PD128BW 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ($149.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" - OEM ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX770 SuperClocked w/EVGA ACX Cooler 2GB GDDR5 256bit ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Corsair 550D ($139.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold ($119.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: ASUS VS239H-P Black 23" 5ms (GTG) HDMI Widescreen LED Monitor IPS Panel ($169.99 @ Newegg)
Keyboard (me): Cooler Master USB Quickfire TK gaming Keyboard Red Switch ($74.46 @ provantange)
Keyboard (kids): LITE-ON SK-1788/BS Black and Gray PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard ($8.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM ($17.99 @ Newegg)

$1,686 Total
- $388 (amazon gift card)
$1,298 Final Total

I'm hoping to get it down to $1,000 after the gift card.

Some comments on the build:
- The case is a bit pricey but I'm looking for something quiet. Happy to go with something else that offers quiet solution.
- Picking up the video card at Amazon due to gift card

Thanks for taking a look. I would appreciate any advice on the build in general and suggestions on bringing down the cost where it makes the most sense.

 

[DarrenP]

The only thing i would change there is the CPU cooler, only if you were planning to do some bigger overclocks then say 4.3Ghz? Otherwise you're fine. Build looks great overall though!

 

[upstate_luke]

Thanks for the quick reply.

I'm really looking for advice on how I can bring the cost down. where it makes the most sense.

Any advice in that direction would be a huge help.

 

[DarrenP]

You could cut down to a 500W PSU, so there you could save some money. You could also if you live near a best buy, or microcenter, get your processor and your motherboard for much cheaper.

 

[Knufire]

Do you live nearby a Microcenter?

 

[upstate_luke]

Thanks for the replies so far.

I'm in upstate NY and there are no Microcenter locations near by.

 

[anhikilator]

You did very well for being out of the market. If you can afford the extra dollars you budgeted, you'll get a very solid system for at least 2/3 years. If you don't have those dollars, maybe you can hold on the gaming keyboard and aftermarket cooler and get that whenever you are ready.

You won't be able to overclock right away, but I doubt you'd need it right now. Of course, once you get a K proc, you want to overclock it, but what I mean is that you don't need it to run all the games and software perfectly in the meantime.

 

[Knufire]

Are you planning to OC the GPU? Reason being:

Stock - 770 for $400 wins bang/buck
Overclocked - A 7970 for $360, OCed to around 1200MHz on the core wins bang/buck

 

[DarrenP]

I'll add to what Knufire said, you could even go with a 7950, mine runs anything i throw at it, and overclocks like a champ!

 

[upstate_luke]

I wasn't planning to OC the gpu right out of the gates but if I can save a few bucks and not lose any performance, I'll look at the 7970. Thanks for the tip, looking at prices now.

 

[Knufire]

Got about $100 left with this for CPU cooling and keyboards (assuming $1000+gift card as max limit). I might hold off on the CPU cooling and add it later, Haswell runs HOT, and requires a pretty hefty cooler to overclock.

 

[upstate_luke]

Thanks for putting together the alternative build Knufire, looking through it now.

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions folks have offered.

 

[Knufire]

Note there's a $30 MIR on that XFX card, if you go to it's specific product page. Newegg carries the same card with the same rebate, but $4 shipping vs free shipping at Amazon.

 

[bhale7]

If you're looking to cut back on the total cost, you could always do the following:

• Drop to a 600W PC Power and Cooling Silencer MK III (saves ~$30)
• Use the optical drive out of your old computer (saves ~$20)
• Just go with an i5-3570k setup and an ASRock EXTREME4 (saves ~$20 for CPU and ~$35 for motherboard)
• Come down on your case to something like an Antec Three Hundred (saves ~$80)

All in all that saves around $180 and you won't see a noticeable performance drop. Even though it would be best to go with the newer Haswell chip, if you need to cut back on the total price, dropping to Ivy Bridge won't be that big of a deal.

You could also go with an HD 7950 as others said and then just overclock it.

In any case, good luck with your build!