SRL Archive - Technology

So I was thinking recently about building a PC sometime this year hopefully. This is what I came up with (the link has more info than the pic):

http://pcpartpicker.com/user/Austn/saved/1BOg

Not planning on getting another GPU for CrossFire in the future, I'm not a hardcore gamer or graphics designer or anything like that.

I'm going to be getting a job within the next month so I'll be getting some extra money in (I already have a good amount saved up) that I can hopefully use towards this. I don't really want to spend upwards of $1000, so I guess that's my budget. If I do happen to build it, I'll be selling my current pc for parts which should add up to around $350 hopefully. Current pc is Studio XPS 8100 with the i7-860 2.8GHz and 8GB RAM. Got it a little over 3 years ago.

What do I plan on using it for? I'll be using it mainly to surf the web, gaming, watch some vids, stuff like that. I'd say I'm in the upper-mid range for a computer, not in the high range. I do value performance, speed, longevity and low noise, but don't want to spend too much for it. I would also like the computer to be easily upgrade-able, so it doesn't phase out anytime soon. I am also interested in overclocking so I'll be tampering with that as well. Those are all things I think that this computer would be good at.

Give me your thoughts/suggestions!

EDIT: I am planning on getting the remaining parts off of eBay or Craigslist if I can get a good price. Hopefully save ~$100. The actual price of the computer should be about $950 after I sell the games that came with the GPU.

EDIT2: Just got an awesome deal on the CPU, saved $65

EDIT3: Got all the main parts, just need the SSD and Hue now. Saved around $350 so far from awesome deals. The only used parts I purchased are the CPU cooler, Motherboard, and PSU, all of which are still in great condition.


^Not shown: Case fans, NZXT Hue, Dust Filters, SSD

Why Extreme6? just get Extreme4, pretty much the same when it comes to benchmarking. on paper Extreme6 is better but by the smallest amount. everything else seems good. I would think about adding / improving several things
I would advise getting a SSD, Totally worth it..
if your thinking about overclocking a little bit that CPU cooler is fine. But anymore i would definitely suggest getting a H55 or something along those lines.
again if you feel like waiting you could pay about £65-£70 ($100) and get the equivilant i7 4770k. The ivy bridge ones are fine but they have a temperature problem. Intel stuck a shitty thermal compound on the die so the individual core's can vary alot in temperature. This pretty much varies for all the processors. I have the 3770k and all the cores run stable temperatures with little variation, however i have seen other peoples processors which one of the cores run alot hotter then the rest.

From: Kasi
Why Extreme6? just get Extreme4, pretty much the same when it comes to benchmarking. on paper Extreme6 is better but by the smallest amount. everything else seems good. I would think about adding / improving several things
I would advise getting a SSD, Totally worth it..
if your thinking about overclocking a little bit that CPU cooler is fine. But anymore i would definitely suggest getting a H55 or something along those lines.
again if you feel like waiting you could pay about £65-£70 ($100) and get the equivilant i7 4770k. The ivy bridge ones are fine but they have a temperature problem. Intel stuck a shitty thermal compound on the die so the individual core's can vary alot in temperature. This pretty much varies for all the processors. I have the 3770k and all the cores run stable temperatures with little variation, however i have seen other peoples processors which one of the cores run alot hotter then the rest.

I'm getting the Extreme6 because of the deal with the RAM. It's a $65 RAM stick so the Extreme6 + RAM deal actually winds up being cheaper than the Extreme4 + purchasing a separate stick of RAM. By the time I want to actually buy the stuff, the deal will probably be gone though, so I'll probably wind up just getting the Extreme4 and a 8GB/16GB Corsair Veangeance stick/kit.

I don't think I'll be overclocking, that's why I have the 3770 there and not the 3770k. And yeah, since I have no plans on immediately making it, I'll probably just wait for the 4th gen processors.

Updated the PSU to the Rosewill FORTRESS 750W 80 PLUS Platinum. It's almost the same price as the Corsair and gets 5 stars on Amazon and 4 eggs on Newegg. Seems like a great deal for a platinum and that wattage.

From: Austin

I don't think I'll be overclocking, that's why I have the 3770 there and not the 3770k. And yeah, since I have no plans on immediately making it, I'll probably just wait for the 4th gen processors.

if you are gonna be getting the 4th gen processor, that motherboard will be incompatible. you need the next series up, luckily asrock are going to be releasing a mobo with a LGA1150 socket, - asrock z87 extreme4 i think, and itll be around $150-170 not too sure.

but then again, if your gonna wait you can always save up. Also my current build is somewhat similar to yours, Asrock extreme4, i7 3770k, Hyper 212 evo the combo works fine tbh. you wont notice any problems on that setup

From: Kasi
if you are gonna be getting the 4th gen processor, that motherboard will be incompatible. you need the next series up, luckily asrock are going to be releasing a mobo with a LGA1150 socket, - asrock z87 extreme4 i think, and itll be around $150-170 not too sure.

but then again, if your gonna wait you can always save up. Also my current build is somewhat similar to yours, Asrock extreme4, i7 3770k, Hyper 212 evo the combo works fine tbh. you wont notice any problems on that setup

Alright, and yeah I semi-forgot about updating the mobo for the 4th gen cpu, I'll do that if/when the time comes then ;).

Also, this would be my first computer I would be building. Any recommendations on what NOT to do that would put the computer parts at risk or damage/break them. Other than not dropping them (of course), wearing anti-static gloves/be grounded, not apply too much thermal compound to cpu, and don't force parts in. Those are what I can come up with off of the top of my head atm. I definitely don't want to risk damaging the cpu/motherboard :s.

Don't put too much strain on the motherboard. The hardest thing I installed was the CPU cooler. its pretty straightforward. Also invest in some cable ties. building a computer is exaggerated. it's not as hard as anyone says it is. it's like a delicate version of lego. Don't stick it where it wont fit and dont force it into places. Also when installing the CPU, apply no pressure. place it into the slot making sure its in the correct way around and let the physical cpu lever push it into place. only take the protective plastic off the motherboard when applying the CPU. Dont touch any of the pins in the cpu socket of the motherboard. Oh yer make sure your PSU isn't connected to the plug point when messing around inside.
@Austin;

I suggest the AMD 3350 instead of the 3770k…

Great for gaming and working.

http://teksyndicate.com/videos/amd-fx-8350-vs-intel-3570k-vs-3770k-vs-3820-gaming-and-xsplit-streaming-benchmarks

From: Twinki
I suggest the AMD 3350 instead of the 3770k…

Great for gaming and working.

http://teksyndicate.com/videos/amd-fx-8350-vs-intel-3570k-vs-3770k-vs-3820-gaming-and-xsplit-streaming-benchmarks

Thanks, I'll think about it. I'm pretty sure that I'll be getting an Intel processor though. They're almost always better than the corresponding AMD CPU of the same tier.

@Kasi Micro Center has an i7-3770k for $229.99, a REALLY GREAT deal. One thing though, they only accept in-store pickup for it =/. The nearest store to me is in Philly, which is about 3 hours away from me. If I would be going to Philly soon, I'd definitely get that over a 4th gen processor (that is if they didn't have another awesome deal with one of them).

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor

EDIT: Got the cost down to $721 with better/equal parts!

@Twinki;
The only account on which the 8350 beats the 3770k is price. other then that the i7 should win on most if not all benchmarks.
@Austin;
It's worth it. I would suggest driving up or something. Can't really go wrong with that price. some of the other items seem to be knocked down in price. i would suggest reserving one or something. I dont know the procedure over there / would you pay over counter for something like that??

From: Kasi
@Twinki;
The only account on which the 8350 beats the 3770k is price. other then that the i7 should win on most if not all benchmarks.
@Austin;
It's worth it. I would suggest driving up or something. Can't really go wrong with that price. some of the other items seem to be knocked down in price. i would suggest reserving one or something. I dont know the procedure over there / would you pay over counter for something like that??

Yeah, I also just read that the fans that come pre-installed with the 8350 are a tad bit loud, I'd rather it not be loud. My current computer is loud when I'm gaming and it's realllllyyy annoying. Makes me not want to game on it sometimes :(.

And about the $230 3370k, I just remembered that someone from our church group invited my family to go on a trip up with them to a place that's only about 1.25 hours away from Patterson (the next nearest store to me other than Philly) sometime next month. Maybe we can make a slight detour :p.

And about the excellent price, I read up on why they do that and apparently they've been like that for a few years now for CPUs and mobos. They do sell them for a loss. It's said that they do it and force it to be in-store pickups in order to attract people to their stores in hopes that they'll buy other things. I guess that would make sense since they only have like 20 stores around the U.S., would attract a lot of people. So I don't believe that the price will be going back up anytime soon, especially with the 4th gen right around the corner.

From: Austin
Thanks, I'll think about it. I'm pretty sure that I'll be getting an Intel processor though. They're almost always better than the corresponding AMD CPU of the same tier.

@Kasi Micro Center has an i7-3770k for $229.99, a REALLY GREAT deal. One thing though, they only accept in-store pickup for it =/. The nearest store to me is in Philly, which is about 3 hours away from me. If I would be going to Philly soon, I'd definitely get that over a 4th gen processor (that is if they didn't have another awesome deal with one of them).

http://www.microcenter.com/product/388575/Core_i7_3770K_35GHz_LGA_1155_Processor

EDIT: Got the cost down to $721 with better/equal parts!

i personally did the micro center deal when i built my pc. i was going to get a i5 3570k for 215 on newegg then saw the micro center deal and figured it was worth the 2 hour drive to north jersey for it. and i live by philly too actually right outside philly. anyways i would go with the microcenter deal if you can get there in any way shape or form. it you pair the cpu with a mobo you get really good savings from there.

@Kasi:

Alright, after researching a bit more, I changed a few things around. I change the cpu to the i5-3570k, I feel that that is sufficient for my needs. The 3770k is really only for heavy multi-taskers who have several cpu-intensive programs opened at once (with the extra hyper-threads).

I reverted my psu back to the Corsair, that psu is modular unlike the Rosewill (something I overlooked before), and I don't think that I'd ever use all 750w on the Rosewill anyways. Ik ik, I'm indecisive :p.

Also changed the GPU to the 7770 GHz edition. Performance is better for only ~$10 more.

I decided on adding the Samsung 840 Pro 128GB ssd sooner rather than later as well. With the price reduction on the other parts, I decided I had enough saved to buy it. Also added a 3.5"-to-2.5" bay converter to the list.

Total cost is $807 now.

@Austin;
build looking great. IMO modular / non modular makes no difference to me. but that's preference.

that SSD is fine. However if you are buying a ssd at that capacity you will need a secondary drive - i would suggest any regular 1tb harddrive. im getting corsair's WD's caviar black 1tb soon. you will fill up that ssd like wildfire with all the program files etc. im sure you've already noticed this. i just pointed it out as it wasnt clear in the post above.

Edit : Brand fail

From: Kasi
@Austin;
build looking great. IMO modular / non modular makes no difference to me. but that's preference.

that SSD is fine. However if you are buying a ssd at that capacity you will need a secondary drive - i would suggest any regular 1tb harddrive. im getting corsair's caviar black 1tb soon. you will fill up that ssd like wildfire with all the program files etc. im sure you've already noticed this. i just pointed it out as it wasnt clear in the post above.

Yep yep, still keeping the WD Black 1TB. Will be using the SSD for the OS/programs and HDD for my "libraries". OP updated w/ new pic.

I think I read about this a little bit ago, but what would be the best setup for an ssd/hdd then? Raid, or no?

I'm also debating on actually getting an optical drive now. Just in case I have a disk-only copy of something (I have a few atm).

This is actually quite similar to my pc :) and yes an odd always comes in handy, especially for os installations.

From: The Mayor
This is actually quite similar to my pc :) and yes an odd always comes in handy, especially for os installations.

i coped perfectly fine with just a usb port :D

just download some iso to usb program and do it like that, it is pretty much no longer essential to get a optical disk drive. you could always get one later on in life, when you feel like chucking some money away ;)
@Austin;

From: Kasi
i coped perfectly fine with just a usb port :D

just download some iso to usb program and do it like that, it is pretty much no longer essential to get a optical disk drive. you could always get one later on in life, when you feel like chucking some money away ;)
@Austin;

It is still useful for recovering the os. What happens if your os doesn't load and you need to repair it, but you don't have another computer to make a bootable usb :(

From: The Mayor
It is still useful for recovering the os. What happens if your os doesn't load and you need to repair it, but you don't have another computer to make a bootable usb :(

what happens if you dont have a bootable cd? and you dont have a computer to make one?

From: Kasi
what happens if you dont have a bootable cd? and you dont have a computer to make one?

Then you're screwed. Lol

Just make a backup As SOON as you get The pc built/Bought On a USB drive and you will be fine. Thats what i always do

From: Itankbots
Then you're screwed. Lol

Just make a backup As SOON as you get The pc built/Bought On a USB drive and you will be fine. Thats what i always do

Same lol, look at my post's before that quote..

From: lemonjews
have you tried using the cable?

Excuse me?

From: Austin
Excuse me?

Ignore him :p

From: Austin
Updated the PSU to the Rosewill FORTRESS 750W 80 PLUS Platinum. It's almost the same price as the Corsair and gets 5 stars on Amazon and 4 eggs on Newegg. Seems like a great deal for a platinum and that wattage.

That PSUs efficiency drops below 90% after certain temperatures.. I'd go with something solid: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

From: Kasi
@Austin;
build looking great. IMO modular / non modular makes no difference to me. but that's preference.

that SSD is fine. However if you are buying a ssd at that capacity you will need a secondary drive - i would suggest any regular 1tb harddrive. im getting corsair's caviar black 1tb soon. you will fill up that ssd like wildfire with all the program files etc. im sure you've already noticed this. i just pointed it out as it wasnt clear in the post above.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

From: grats
That PSUs efficiency drops below 90% after certain temperatures.. I'd go with something solid: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

Thanks for the suggestion. And yeah, I changed the Rosewill to a Corsair 600w. And I saw that deal this morning :p, don't have the money atm though, just bought the case and I'm waiting to get paid and for my eBay/Craiglists offers to sell before I can buy anything else. Not that big of a saving though, only $5.

EDIT:

Updated the GPU to a 7850 instead of the 7770. It's twice as much, but performs a lot better and is probably a bigger bang for my buck.

yea I got a 7850 2GB version it is quite nice, I'm not too hard core gamer though

Added an optical drive and an RGB controller for the fan LEDs. Pretty much optional stuff, but useful/fun (and the price seems right :p).

I think that my parts list is pretty much complete now, unless I think of something else to add/find a better deal on another product. Only thing I might change yet is the CPU, I'm seeing how much the 4th gen processors will cost before ordering that and the motherboard.

Also, my dad said that he'll pay for the HDD, a pleasant surprise, so my cost will go a little down :p.

Updated the OP. Purchased the Case, RAM, HDD, ODD, and GPU so far.

Added dust filters. I think it's definitely worth the money for the extra longevity and easier maintenance of the computer.

From: Kasi
It's a popular Cooler ;)



Don't ever get the Noctua, the Hyper212 evo is cooler and cheaper.. if your gonna pay that much for an air cooler you might as well go for a H80. Also if your looking to get better temps, look to upgrade your fans.. I have 2 SP120's at 23-25deg under idle.

But the Noctua is quieter =I. Plus I can get it for $50-60 on eBay, is it still not worth it then? And for the case fans, I was going to use the ones that came with my case + 2 scythe gentle typhoon 120mms. They're quiet and have great static pressure, which I'll need for my dust filters. Do you think the SP's are better? I just looked them up and 2 of them would be $9 cheaper.

From: Austin
But the Noctua is quieter =I. Plus I can get it for $50-60 on eBay, is it still not worth it then? And for the case fans, I was going to use the ones that came with my case + 2 scythe gentle typhoon 120mms. They're quiet and have great static pressure, which I'll need for my dust filters. Do you think the SP's are better? I just looked them up and 2 of them would be $9 cheaper.

I've never had the Noctua, the Evo is pretty much all i've ever needed with a air cooler. If you think its too loud try reduce the fan speed. if you want static pressure fans i can garentee you the SP120's are beastly the ones i have are 2350rpm. ofcourse you dont have to buy them, your fans are great for the job, but noctua have some fans which are optimized for quietness. if you wanna look into them.

From: Kasi
I've never had the Noctua, the Evo is pretty much all i've ever needed with a air cooler. If you think its too loud try reduce the fan speed. if you want static pressure fans i can garentee you the SP120's are beastly the ones i have are 2350rpm. ofcourse you dont have to buy them, your fans are great for the job, but noctua have some fans which are optimized for quietness. if you wanna look into them.

Alright, I might go with the SP120's. They're only $28 for the twin pack on Amazon vs $40 for 2 Typhoons. I'll just have to adjust their speed so they're quieter. The blue color ring would match my blue/black color scheme too :).

And I guess I'll only get the NH-D14 if I see a really good deal on it (sub-$50). It does do a better job of cooling w/ a reduced noise level, but tbh it's kind of ugly (and big obviously). I mean who wants creme/brown in their setup, lol. I'm also not sure if I could get it to clear my RAM.

Also, what generation of CPU do you have? I plan on getting Haswell, which might need better cooling.

I'd recommend this case over the Phantom ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-HAF-922-Computer/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1371853085&sr=1-4
Your computer will get quite hot (especially if you're overclocking) and so airflow is REALLY important.

Edit: @Austin do NOT get a Haswell! There've been issues recently on retail version of Haswell, they aren't worth it at the moment. I'd recommend you get the 3570k, or even the 8350 if you want to save a bit of money.

From: Sin
I'd recommend this case over the Phantom ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-HAF-922-Computer/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1371853085&sr=1-4
Your computer will get quite hot (especially if you're overclocking) and so airflow is REALLY important.

Edit: @Austin do NOT get a Haswell! There've been issues recently on retail version of Haswell, they aren't worth it at the moment. I'd recommend you get the 3570k, or even the 8350 if you want to save a bit of money.

Well, I already bought the case (got it for $70), and the fan placements are set up for a real nice push-pull configuration. You can have up to 8 case fans, I'll be using either 5 or 6 of those. You can also remove the bottom HDD cage which I'll be doing, so I think I will have great airflow :). I mainly picked my case because I like how it looks and the features that came with it. That case does look great too though. I'm not quite sure if it's bottom HDD case is removable however.

Oh and about Haswell, I really thought a lot about getting it over Ivy or not, but in the end I decided too. The CPU isn't too exciting, but what made me decide to get Haswell is the new chipset. The new Z87 motherboards have some great features and they will allow some upgradeability for the future CPUs. It will only be about $35 more for the CPU/mobo anyways.

And the only problems I read about them having is having a luck-of-the-draw thing for overclocking, some can only reach 4.2GHz, while others can reach about 5GHz, but the average seems to be in the 4.4-4.6 range, which I would be happy with. The other problem is heat, which is why I want good airflow.

Sorry for double-posting.

In that case, go for it! But dood, u shuld buy a alienware mang. its gud

From: Austin
Alright, I might go with the SP120's. They're only $28 for the twin pack on Amazon vs $40 for 2 Typhoons. I'll just have to adjust their speed so they're quieter. The blue color ring would match my blue/black color scheme too :).

And I guess I'll only get the NH-D14 if I see a really good deal on it (sub-$50). It does do a better job of cooling w/ a reduced noise level, but tbh it's kind of ugly (and big obviously). I mean who wants creme/brown in their setup, lol. I'm also not sure if I could get it to clear my RAM.

Also, what generation of CPU do you have? I plan on getting Haswell, which might need better cooling.

i have a i7-3770k, idno about what Sin was saying, maybe they do have problems, havent really looked into them. if there is a problem intel will most likely fix it.

From: Sin
I'd recommend this case over the Phantom ;)
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-HAF-922-Computer/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_4?m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1371853085&sr=1-4
Your computer will get quite hot (especially if you're overclocking) and so airflow is REALLY important.

Edit: @Austin do NOT get a Haswell! There've been issues recently on retail version of Haswell, they aren't worth it at the moment. I'd recommend you get the 3570k, or even the 8350 if you want to save a bit of money.

yeah the HAF 922 is a good case..

From: Kasi
i have a i7-3770k, idno about what Sin was saying, maybe they do have problems, havent really looked into them. if there is a problem intel will most likely fix it.

Intel has no plans to fix it. They supplied different chips to factory manufacturers, and different chips to retail stores.

From: Sin
Intel has no plans to fix it. They supplied different chips to factory manufacturers, and different chips to retail stores.

What problems are you talking about in particular?

From: Austin
What problems are you talking about in particular?

Just the overclocking one :P

Alright, change #1 : @Sin Decided to go with Ivy anyways.. figured that Haswell might ruin my silent-type setup with the extra cooling needed, the new chipset can wait I guess :p

#2 : Went with GT 1850 RPM case fans for now, they seem to be the fans with the bext mixture of static pressure/low noise and decent CFM. Got them on a buy-it-now from eBay, they're usually $20 fans, got them for $15 a piece. They came sleeved as well, so an added $5 bonus.

@Kasi I saw another deal on eBay with the SP120s Twin pack for $20, I would've bought too, but I wasn't paying attention and missed the end of the auction by 30 secs..

#3 : Got my CPU for $155, it's MSRP is $220, saved $65. Found the deal on a site called Tom's Hardware, great place for computer questions and answers and great deals on stuff sold by people. Comes in the original box, brand new w/ heatsink, fan, and even the warranty/paperwork. Also got 1-day shipping for it :). Haven't received it yet, but the seller looked pretty legit and had previously sold a few to other people. I'll make sure to report back tomorrow or Tuesday when I get it.

Oh yeah, under $1000 now by a dollar. I'm trying to not spend over that amount now. The only critical parts I need now are the mobo and psu. Once I get those, I can start building away :).

That's it for now :)

Great :D

return your 7870 and get a 760 if you can, same price, huge increase

@Austin; All seems good. i saw thread yesterday but was too tired to reply, if grats says it's a better deal then it probably is. but its up to you if you wanna go through the hassle of returning stuff.

From: grats
return your 7870 and get a 760 if you can, same price, huge increase

You can get a 760 for $100? That's how much I'll wind up paying for the 7870 after I sell the 4 games that came with it. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier.

Here's the thread where I'm selling them at btw:

http://villavu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103958&highlight=

Selling on a few other sites as well.

From: Austin
You can get a 760 for $100? That's how much I'll wind up paying for the 7870 after I sell the 4 games that came with it. I guess I should have mentioned that earlier.

Here's the thread where I'm selling them at btw:

http://villavu.com/forum/showthread.php?t=103958&highlight=

Selling on a few other sites as well.

oh ok, yea I know they come with games, wasn't sure if you kept them etc
I know a lot of people keep them even though they don't play them lol

From: grats
oh ok, yea I know they come with games, wasn't sure if you kept them etc
I know a lot of people keep them even though they don't play them lol

Yeah, only reason I can think of for that is they're too lazy to sell them or they just have enough money that selling the games isn't worth it for them. I'm not either of those people lol.

Okay, while the site was down, I purchased the CPU Cooler, Motherboard, PSU, and Dust Filters in that order.

So I got the Noctua NH-D14 as my CPU Cooler. I was going to get the EVO, but saw this as an auction on eBay and decided to try and get it for cheap. I did. I got it for $45, it's normally $79, so I would say I got a good deal. 2 years old. I realllyyyy wanted that cooler anyways :p. But because I got that cooler, I had to sell my RAM (sold for same price I got it for) and got some low profile RAM instead (that cooler is MASSIVE). I got the same RAM, just LP. Got it for $49, normally $73.

I got the motherboard for a GREAT deal. I actually got it from a buy-it-now on eBay. I got it for only $71, almost HALF the price. My second best deal of the build. It came in the mail a week ago and it's in perfect-looking condition (haven't tested anything yet). It came 6 months used.

I actually got the HX750 model of the PSU instead of the 650 (the one grats originally recommended :s). I couldn't find any great deals for the 650, and saw a buy-it-now OBO for the 750 for $85. Offered $77 for it and got it. Normal price is $130. 1 1/2 years old, but that just shows it's reliability to me. It has a 7 year warranty as well (5 1/2 left)

I then stupidly got the dust filters last, and since they come from Africa, they'll take 2-3 weeks to get here (1-2 as of now) and I'm waiting for them to arrive before I finish the build (don't want it to get dusty).

So now I got my build under $900 (~$870) with these deals. I just need the SSD and Hue yet.

All of the buy-it-nows I got within an hour or two of it being listed. I get instant notifications from my saved searches on eBay when a new item is listed that I'm looking for. Really useful.

Okay, I'll update the OP in the morning with a pic. Just click on the link awhile to see the updated list. I'll also post a bunch of pics of the actual components as well. I'm on my phone atm with 3% battery life so I have to wrap it up :D

@grats
@Kasi
@Sin

just put the computer together.. you have to live outside in a desert for it to really get dusty, I've had machines that run for years that have almost no dust collected, if your house is even half way clean you should be ok for a long time.. (though I recommend cleaning a machine out every 3-6 months)

after a few years the biggest increase you'd see with a heatsink like that (at stock clocks) would be like 10C.. and still probably around 40C under its max TDP, so you'd never be too hot, nearly impossible.. I run overclocked at 4.5ghz on my 3570k and still am 30C under max TDP… when under 100% cpu load for 24 hours+
and I have no filters of any kind

From: grats
just put the computer together.. you have to live outside in a desert for it to really get dusty, I've had machines that run for years that have almost no dust collected, if your house is even half way clean you should be ok for a long time.. (though I recommend cleaning a machine out every 3-6 months)

after a few years the biggest increase you'd see with a heatsink like that (at stock clocks) would be like 10C.. and still probably around 40C under its max TDP, so you'd never be too hot, nearly impossible.. I run overclocked at 4.5ghz on my 3570k and still am 30C under max TDP… when under 100% cpu load for 24 hours+
and I have no filters of any kind

Yeah, I should just build it I guess.. I kind of was trying to wait for the SSD and Hue too so I could build everything at once and take better pics, but whatever.

And what cooler do you have?

OP updated with some new info. Here's some pics as well:

---

From: Austin
Yeah, I should just build it I guess.. I kind of was trying to wait for the SSD and Hue too so I could build everything at once and take better pics, but whatever.

And what cooler do you have?

custom liquid cooled, my radiator is dusty as hell.. don't really care

I only worry about my servers

Just got it finished. Took me a total of about 8-10 hours. Cable management took forever.. I'm okay with the cables in the front, the back kind of messy, but it doesn't really matter back there. Here's a few pics, I'll post more on PCPartPicker after I publish it there in a few days:


^In that last picture, the brown fans don't actually stand out that much, the flash makes it look that way. They actually blend in quite nice imo.

I'm surprised at how quite the fans are on this build. True, I did buy the fans with silence in mind, but they are a LOT quieter than I expected. There's a total of 7 fans (9 including the GPU) and I can only slightly hear them on the Max setting of the cases fan controller. When they're on low I can't hear them at all. I have an air conditioner near the computer so that drowns out some of the noise I guess (it's a very quiet air conditioner though). I might add a side fan soon as there's physical room for it and there's room for more noise as well. The built-in fan controller is pretty nice, so idk if I'll get a better one or not.

Right now I'm going to test PlanetSide 2 out and see how that performs (my first time playing it as well). I'll probably get into overclocking the beginning of next week as I'm going away this weekend.

@Sin
@Kasi
@grats

Looks fine, no boot drive?? or i just can't see it, is it in the bottom right corner?

From: Kasi
Looks fine, no boot drive?? or i just can't see it, is it in the bottom right corner?

2nd picture bottom right, you can see the bar code.

A thing just popped up for me though saying I have to activate Windows. I thought that If I transferred the HDD to the new computer I wouldn't have this problem. Is there an easier way of fixing this than re-installing Windows again? I don't really want to deal with that right now >.>

From: Austin
2nd picture bottom right, you can see the bar code.

A thing just popped up for me though saying I have to activate Windows. I thought that If I transferred the HDD to the new computer I wouldn't have this problem. Is there an easier way of fixing this than re-installing Windows again? I don't really want to deal with that right now >.>

yeah, your better off downloading an iso and running daz's loader. saves you a load of time. i have a boot USB with win7ult and Daz's loader on it, so useful. you should do the same. it'll be helpful whenever you run into problems with windows. @NKN;

From: Kasi
yeah, your better off downloading an iso and running daz's loader. saves you a load of time. i have a boot USB with win7ult and Daz's loader on it, so useful. you should do the same. it'll be helpful whenever you run into problems with windows. @NKN;

Still making fun of me?

I'd just run RemoveWAT does the same thing without reinstalling.

From: NKN
Still making fun of me?

I'd just run RemoveWAT does the same thing without reinstalling.

nope sorry. i didnt type that. it just appeared itself.

i dont know if RemoveWAT makes your copy genuine lol

From: Kasi
nope sorry. i didnt type that. it just appeared itself.

i dont know if RemoveWAT makes your copy genuine lol

It does. :(

From: NKN
It does. :(

well there you go, two options Daz's loader or RemoveWAT

Hey man, read the whole thread. Great build!! Perfect price point, almost exactly what I would like to build.

From: cause
Hey man, read the whole thread. Great build!! Perfect price point, almost exactly what I would like to build.

Thanks! And yeah, the price was certainly right for me. It's not even done yet. I want to add a 140mm side fan, the NZXT Hue, and an SSD in the next week or two.

You should build one as well! Tons of fun.

From: Austin
Thanks! And yeah, the price was certainly right for me. It's not even done yet. I want to add a 140mm side fan, the NZXT Hue, and an SSD in the next week or two.

You should build one as well! Tons of fun.

Nice. Ya I've built one before but finances are a little tight this year with university haha…crappy laptops for me! Although I will agree I am sold on SSDs…put one in my laptop and it's a whole new experience.

From: Austin
Just got it finished. Took me a total of about 8-10 hours. Cable management took forever.. I'm okay with the cables in the front, the back kind of messy, but it doesn't really matter back there. Here's a few pics, I'll post more on PCPartPicker after I publish it there in a few days:


^In that last picture, the brown fans don't actually stand out that much, the flash makes it look that way. They actually blend in quite nice imo.

I'm surprised at how quite the fans are on this build. True, I did buy the fans with silence in mind, but they are a LOT quieter than I expected. There's a total of 7 fans (9 including the GPU) and I can only slightly hear them on the Max setting of the cases fan controller. When they're on low I can't hear them at all. I have an air conditioner near the computer so that drowns out some of the noise I guess (it's a very quiet air conditioner though). I might add a side fan soon as there's physical room for it and there's room for more noise as well. The built-in fan controller is pretty nice, so idk if I'll get a better one or not.

Right now I'm going to test PlanetSide 2 out and see how that performs (my first time playing it as well). I'll probably get into overclocking the beginning of next week as I'm going away this weekend.

@Sin
@Kasi
@grats

yea, 120mm fans are usually pretty damn quiet, I have ones that aren't built for 'quiet' I don't really hear them unless everything is silent

From: grats
yea, 120mm fans are usually pretty damn quiet, I have ones that aren't built for 'quiet' I don't really hear them unless everything is silent

Aren't the bigger fans usually quieter? I thought they would be because they do less RPMs.

From: Austin
Aren't the bigger fans usually quieter? I thought they would be because they do less RPMs.

yea they are, 120mm though it seemed you thought they were going to be loud, pretty much all of them are damn quiet if you have any type of other noise you can't hear them


I have 60mm fans on an old server that are louder than my car idling, lol.

From: grats
yea they are, 120mm though it seemed you thought they were going to be loud, pretty much all of them are damn quiet if you have any type of other noise you can't hear them


I have 60mm fans on an old server that are louder than my car idling, lol.

Oh wow. And all the knowledge of how loud they were going to be was from dB readings lol. I didn't really know what to expect.

From: Austin
Oh wow. And all the knowledge of how loud they were going to be was from dB readings lol. I didn't really know what to expect.

think of it like, your room usually is around 30db from just random noise, so any fans under that are pretty much silent.. any fans slightly over it, you may barely hear.. me for example I always have music on, so anything under 50db I don't hear.. those server fans are stupid like 75db or so.. This is why I have them in a server room, though… I'd never get a desktop with any smaller than 120mm for all the fans, these days.

so you just watch for those 30db and you'll be alright

Nice build man!

I have the same case but red and it's BEAST :)

From: John
Nice build man!

I have the same case but red and it's BEAST :)

Yeah, the red one is pretty cool! I might have gotten it, but it would have not matched my room at all lol..

Ok, I need these parts yet to complete my build:

• NZXT Hue
• Samsung 840/840 Pro: 128/250/256GB models (whichever one I find the best deal on first)
• Noctua NF-A15 PWM 140mm fan (Maybe)
• NZXT Performance 140mm fan (Maybe)
• NZXT Sentry Mesh Fan Controller (Maybe)
• Corsair Vengeance M65 Mouse (Probably when I get my $35 worth of mail-in rebates back)

If you know anyone who's selling these items for a good deal, tell me please. And if you don't, you can keep you're eyes open for them. Thanks.

I'm currently looking for deals on PCPartPicker, Tom's Hardware, eBay, Craigslist (haven't found any deals at all on there yet though, I live in a small population area), and the popular retail sites.