Building my first PC - suggestions?

[onilink47]

Thanks for all the responses guys! This is definitely the type of dialog I was looking for. I should say, I definitely don't want to spend extra just because I can. I want a great performing system, and I'm willing to pay for it, but my main concern is that I want all the parts to be quality and work together well. If I can keep all components kind of on par with each other, and I can run high end games in HD on my tv, then I'm happy.

I originally thought about the 3770 because it looked good, but if I'm not going to end up pushing it, then I definitely think it's better to scale back and put the money elsewhere. If I can get what I'm looking for for less, and avoid a bottleneck, then that's great.

So with that in mind, thoughts on this setup?

MoBo: ASRock Extreme6 ($230)

CPU: Intel i5-3570K ($220)

GPU: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB ($380)

SSD: OCZ Vector 256GB ($240)

Memory: Corsair Dominator Platinum 1866Mhz 2x 4GB ($110)

That adds up to $1180, so still hovering around my original design in terms of price.

 

[Knufire]

Don't bother with the Dominator Platinum. RAM is RAM, just get the cheapest DDR3-1600 CL9 set.

As you can see here, RAM performance just doesn't matter: http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3/6

The Vector is a great drive, but you should be able to get slightly slower drives for $50-80 cheaper.

ASRock boards are really overpriced in Canada. Gigabyte seems to be a better option there...I'd go for the UD3H.

 

[EarthDog]

No point in the dominators for performance, but they sure look cool (and double the cost of anything else you need).

 

[Ajay57]

I would look at this place to buy in Canada on some parts as its cheaper!

1, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=26_722&item_id=049002

2, http://www.canadacomputers.com/product_info.php?cPath=4_65&item_id=050256

On those 2 parts which is the same quality items as the OP has posted above, but on price a saving of $37.00 Dollars depending on shipping costs!

 

[onilink47]

Has anyone here used the ASUS Sabertooth Z77? It seems like a pretty highly regarded board from what I read. Other than the price difference (which isn't that large, in Canada at least), what makes the Ex6 a better choice?

Sabertooth seems to have a lot of features, and for me, half the fun is going to be learning all about how to tweak the best performance out of my machine.

As for the RAM comments above, I guess 2x 4GB Corsair DDR3 1600MHz for $50 is a good way to go then? They definitely look cool. Or should I opt for the slightly more expensive 1866?

Edit: thanks! I'll check out canadacomputer.com

 

[EarthDog]

Sabertooth is gimmicky to me. 5 year warranty is all it had over other boards as far as I am concerned.

 

[Ajay57]

I will leave it to others to explain about the Sabertooth Mobo! But as you can see there are some savings to be made from this site. As for the Ram question with the new platforms there is not a lot of advantages in having higher ram. The sweet spot is 1600 @ DDR3 at the moment. AJ.

 

[onilink47]

Sometimes OP too much information can be a negative thing instead of a help to you!! The Asrock EX 6 has better on board components than the EX 4? Since you have the money to spend then the only change is the Mobo, if your not quite sure try to read this OCF Review by a member. AJ.

1, http://www.overclockers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=722124&highlight=asrock+extreme+review

Try to remember too much eye candy can be confusing?

I've read through this, and had a question regarding the strange config of the ports SATA 6Gb/s. Is the review saying that you can't fully take advantage of SATA3 at all? or that you're limited in the number of fully functional SATA3 devices that can be connected? If I want to connect my SATA3 SDD to the extreme Mobo, will I be missing out? The explanation in the review was a little confusing/over my head.

 

[EarthDog]

Huh?

 

[onilink47]

Huh?

Haha I guess dumb questions get dumb responses. I'm learning! This is what I'm referring to:


"Here we have a very odd dilemma. The first big chip in that picture is a typical ASMedia ASM1061, a 2 port SATA6GB/s (SATA III) chip which provides for those two grey ports. However the issue is with that smaller chip, which is an ASM1453, a 2-way SATA3GB/s (SATA II) switch which provides for the backpanel?s eSATA and the top gray port. This poses two issues:
1.ASRock is advertising the back panel as eSATA 6GB/s (SATA III); however they are pairing that SATA3 controller with an SATA2 switch, meaning that it will heavily reduce the SATA6GB/s speed to speeds around SATA3GB/s.
2.They also don?t mention that internal SATA port 5 won?t operate if you use the eSATA port on the back, which I have confirmed is the case. "


Basically, I don't understand what's being said here. What are the implications of this "very odd dilemma" in terms of my ability to connect to and fully utilize SATA 6GB/s?

 

[Ajay57]

No not a dumb question the answer lies in the other OCF Front page review there is 2 Sata ports native to the Z77 chipset running on a Intel Chip! According to the review as i read it these would give you full support and speed for your SSD Boot drive, plus a HDD drive if needed. It say's the others run off the ASmedia Chip which can limit things in some cases. Sorry OP i can not link the page you will just have to read it like me! But from looking at all the members that have chosen to use the EX4 and EX6, there has been very few complaints. AJ.

p.s. I hope this has gone someway to answering your question!


1, http://www.overclockers.com/asrock-z77-extreme4-motherboard-review

 

[onilink47]

Hi guys, I wanted to thank you all again for all of your responses. I'm reposting the question below that I posted on the MB forum:

I'm considering an Extreme6, but I'm in Canada and the cheapest I can find one online is for $220, which is definitely a significant jump over what's available in the US. I can get the ASUS P8V77-Pro here for $210, but does anyone have a cheaper board they might recommend? On-board wifi is great, and I'm also looking to do beginner overclocking.

other components:
i5 3570k
xfx radeon HD 7970
2x4gb corsair vengeance
ocz vector 158gb
ocz zt-series 750w
cooler master hyper 212 evo
nzxt full phantom (phan-001wt) case

Also, is 750w psu is too much. Would 650w make more sense?