Parts for my new PC

[Dieter Meyer]

Hello, escapists! surely a long time since I have posted here, but I call out to you hardware geeks:
I'm going to get a new desktop PC for my apartment, and in that occasion I thought I'd give a go at building my first computer. I found this website that offers these "premade" computers; you get all the parts and everything you need (cables and things - and obviously these parts are able to work together). However, I am torn between two setups, one Intel based and one AMD based.

I really dont know anything about hardware anymore since the last time I had to deal with them was like 4 years ago, after that I basically just checked out from there.

So I'm wondering which of these two would be the best for me. I'm not a avid PC gamer, meaning I dont intend to play the games of 2013 on ultra high with 60fps. All I'm looking for is something that would run games like Anno on at least respectable settings without being down on 10fps

Anyway, here are the setups:

INTEL:
- Cooler Master Centurion 5 II Midi Tower Fan: 1x 140mm Front, 1x 120mm Rear, 19dBA, ATX, mATX, Blue LEDs On/Off
- Silver Power SP-SS500 500W PSU ATX 12V V2.2, 80 Plus, Standard, 1x 6pin+1x 6+2pin PCIe, 6× SATA, 120mm Fan
- Intel® Core? i5-2400 Processor Socket-LGA1155, Quad Core, 3.1Ghz, 6MB, 95W, Boxed w/fan
- Gigabyte GA-Z68AP-D3, Socket-1155 ATX, Z68, DDR3, 2xPCIe(2.0)x16, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0, HDMI, DP, LPT, COM, mSATA
- Crucial DDR3 1333MHz 4GB KIT, CL9, Kit w/two matched DDR3 2GB, 240pin
- XFX Radeon HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 "Dual Fan", PCI-Express 2.1, 2xDVI, HDMI, 2xmini-DisplayPort, 900MHz
- Seagate Barracuda® 1TB SATA 6Gb/s (SATA 3.0), 64MB Cache, 7200RPM, 3,5"
- Antistatic arm chain, 1,8m. BW-106BL-L4

AMD:

- Cooler Master Centurion 5 II Midi Tower
- Silver Power SP-SS500 500W PSU
- AMD AM3+ FX-4100
- Gigabyte GA-970A-UD3, Socket-AM3+
- Corsair XMS3 1333MHz 8GB KIT CL9
- Gigabyte Radeon HD 7850 2GB GDDR5
- Seagate Barracuda® 1TB SATA3.0
- Lite-On DVD±RW Writer IHAS124-19, SATA

Also, if someone would take the liberty of explaining to me if there are any major differences running a AMD based system vs Intel based

PS: These setups are premade so I cannot change any parts.

Thanks in advance

 

[Dieter Meyer]

but as I'm more inclined to build my own computers, neither looks dazzling.

I have been playing with the idea of building the entire thing from scratch, but the issue is that I dont know everything I need (cables and such) and I'm afraid that if I ordered parts separately I'd just end up missing some stupid vital part that I had not thought of, but if you would be so kind as to make me a check list of everything I need...

Its not like I've never touched the inside of a computer before, but I'm just afraid I'd wind up missing something if I decided to go from scratch (or run into non-compatible parts)

 

[Dieter Meyer]

but as I'm more inclined to build my own computers, neither looks dazzling.

I have been playing with the idea of building the entire thing from scratch, but the issue is that I dont know everything I need (cables and such) and I'm afraid that if I ordered parts separately I'd just end up missing some stupid vital part that I had not thought of, but if you would be so kind as to make me a check list of everything I need...

Its not like I've never touched the inside of a computer before, but I'm just afraid I'd wind up missing something if I decided to go from scratch (or run into non-compatible parts)

As far as I recall my own experiences, you typically get all of the wires you need as part of the motherboard or power supply packages, including SATA leads for the hard drive and optical drive and the power leads for the various points on the motherboard, graphics card and disk drives. The checklist which I would follow would contain the following parts:

- Case
- Motherboard
- Power supply unit
- Central processing unit
- Graphics processing unit
- RAM sticks
- Hard drive
- Optical drive (DVD/Blu-ray)
- Operating system software

The most important places for compatibility would be with the motherboard and CPU, and the RAM slots (although DDR3 seems to be the standard at the moment, so that's mitigated to some extent). Ultimately, it's not all that hard to put a computer together, although you have to schedule a few hours for it. That said, four or five hours for a computer that might last me several years with minimal upgrades doesn't seem like a bad trade-off.

Thanks!
What about soundcards and networkcards? Are they integrated somewhere, or are they not needed?
I'm not worried about it taking time, I have the entire summer to do this I'm just slightly scared of building it entirely from scratch on my own!

 

[number2301]

Go for a full custom build and post your parts on here for advice, it isn't that hard as all the things you need come with the motherboard/whatever.

For compatibility as above, check your motherboard, CPU and RAM. Then check your PSU choice has the right connectors and enough power for your GPU.

AMD chips are AWFUL at the moment. Go nowhere near.

Just as some pointers on that Intel build -

Case - get whatever you like the look of. Something around £60 will usually be good, the rest is down to size and taste. I'd always for a full ATX case rather than an mATX case.

PSU - Get a reputable brand (i.e. Corsair, there are others but I can't remember them right now), get 650w. The PSU in that build is likely pretty crappy.

CPU, Mobo and RAM - That build is outdated, the latest stuff is i5 3XXX CPUs and Z77 motherboards. Tom's hardware recently had a good roundup of Z77 boards. You want 1600MHz RAM, again from a reputable supplier (i.e. Corsair, Kingston)

GPU - The 6870 is also outdated, I feel like whoever put that build together is trying to shift old stock. Look at a Geforce 560Ti 448 core, or a Radeon 7850 depending on your budget.

HDD - Try get an SSD, they are dirt cheap right now and make a huge difference!

 

[the doom cannon]

Why is everyone hating on AMD right now? It's not as if their chips don't function. And their chips are made for affordability. Second everything else said above tho.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

Go for a full custom build and post your parts on here for advice, it isn't that hard as all the things you need come with the motherboard/whatever.

For compatibility as above, check your motherboard, CPU and RAM. Then check your PSU choice has the right connectors and enough power for your GPU.

AMD chips are AWFUL at the moment. Go nowhere near.

Just as some pointers on that Intel build -

Case - get whatever you like the look of. Something around £60 will usually be good, the rest is down to size and taste. I'd always for a full ATX case rather than an mATX case.

PSU - Get a reputable brand (i.e. Corsair, there are others but I can't remember them right now), get 650w. The PSU in that build is likely pretty crappy.

CPU, Mobo and RAM - That build is outdated, the latest stuff is i5 3XXX CPUs and Z77 motherboards. Tom's hardware recently had a good roundup of Z77 boards. You want 1600MHz RAM, again from a reputable supplier (i.e. Corsair, Kingston)

GPU - The 6870 is also outdated, I feel like whoever put that build together is trying to shift old stock. Look at a Geforce 560Ti 448 core, or a Radeon 7850 depending on your budget.

HDD - Try get an SSD, they are dirt cheap right now and make a huge difference!

Thanks for your response, I have decided to go for a custom build, however I'm still ending up with a 6780 it would seem as my budget is really tight, however - if any of you would take the liberty to look at the parts I'm getting and see if there's anywhere I could cut down. Cause if I'm getting a 560 Ti I'll have to find somewhere to cut in those 50$

Here's what I'm currently looking at:

PSU - COOLMASTER Silent Pro 600W (110$)

CPU - Intel Core i5 2500k (270$)

GPU - Sapphire HD 6870 1GB (225$)

HDD - WD Caviar Blue 500GB (I really dont need more than a 500GB HDD, and SSDs are far too expensive for my budget, not interested in going with a 100GB HDD) (100$)

Mobo - Asus P8Z78-V LX (142$)

RAM: Crosair 8GB 1600mhz (72$)

Case: COOLMASTER HAF 912 Plus (97$)

Total: 1019$

My budget is around 1000 USD. I'm mainly a console gamer, meaning all new games I am most likely to get for console, the only games I play on PC are League of Legends and other strategy games. Meaning I'm not looking for something that can run Crysis 3 when it comes out at max with 100fps. (It's also a big plus if the system is relatively quiet as this will be standing next to my bed)

EDIT; Added prices so that you can see how much things cost here in Norway, also the 1000 USD budget is for the parts only, not keyboard, mouse, monitor etc.
Also, before anyone points it out: Yes, I know that if I spend some extra cash on a gfx now it will save me money later when I dont need to upgrade it after a year or two. Now obviously if I had the money I would go for a more expensive card, but I dont. So I cant.

 

[the doom cannon]

Noise level will be largely from your case and your fans. The case you are looking at looks fine, as long as the card will fit inside. I would suggest purchasing the optional side and top fans as well. Also, I don't know power ratings in Norway, so make sure the parts you get are made for your region.

I am not finding your motherboard of choice. are you sure that's the model and not P8Z68? This 560 Ti is the same price as your 6780: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604

You should look for a sale on that hard drive. I recently purchased a 2 TB WD drive and it was only 110, so I would suggest looking for a cheaper one. This is much cheaper: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

Assuming your RAM is 240 pin, 1600 MHz ddr3 and 2x4 GB, the this is again much cheaper than the prices you listed: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233202

It seems to me like your prices are significantly higher than what they should be. I would suggest looking around, and if Newegg sells compatible products to Norway, I would start there. By that I mean power ratings are different, and I'm not quite sure how that all works in Norway vs USA. I realize that I could be completely wrong and prices really could be that much higher there, but even if that's the case I would suggest shopping around and looking for better prices.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

I dont even think newegg ships to Norway? anyway, I have looked around ALOT and these prices are as cheap as it gets (within Norway). I dont want to order from a site outside of Norway because there's gonna be alot of taxes and shit so thats not really an option (not to mention long delivery times) so the price is just something I'm gonna have to live with. If only I lived in the US, huh :<

I am not finding your motherboard of choice. are you sure that's the model and not P8Z68? This 560 Ti is the same price as your 6780: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604

Ah yes, sorry! its the Z68

 

[the doom cannon]

Could you direct us to some Norwegian sites then? The setup you have will work for what I gather you want it to do, but it doesn't hurt to get a couple extra eyes out

 

[Dieter Meyer]

www.dustinhome.no is what seem to be the overall cheapest Norwegian site, others are www.komplett.no and www.multicom.no

I know that the 6780 is slightly out of date. What I wonder though, is it really worth it to spend the extra cash on a 560 ti? (its 50$ more expensive in Norway) is it really THAT much better? I've been reading reviews and they dont seem to be THAT far apart tbh.

Quick Norwegian dictionary

CPU = Prosessorer
Mobo = Hovedkort
GFX = Skjermkort
RAM = Minne
PSU = Strømforsyning

 

[number2301]

Posting from my phone so this'll be a little curt.

You could save a few quid (or Euros/Krone/whatever) by going for a P67 motherboard and an i5 2400. You'd lose overclocking but it might just save you enough cash for the 560ti. I'm not that familiar with the card you were looking at though, so if the reviews say there's not much difference maybe just go for it.

It's a perfectly decent rig you've listed there in any case.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

Posting from my phone so this'll be a little curt.

You could save a few quid (or Euros/Krone/whatever) by going for a P67 motherboard and an i5 2400. You'd lose overclocking but it might just save you enough cash for the 560ti. I'm not that familiar with the card you were looking at though, so if the reviews say there's not much difference maybe just go for it.

It's a perfectly decent rig you've listed there in any case.

Like someone pointed out, graphics card seem to get outdated alot faster than CPU, so will this be worth it? I mean isnt the 560 ti well over a year old already? wouldnt it be wiser to go with a slighly better mobo and CPU, then upgrade the gfx when I'm feeling I cant keep up any longer? or do you think that my entire system will be going out of date by that time?

 

[number2301]

That is true, and now I'm back at my PC I've just looked up the 6870 and it's only one tier below the 560Ti on Toms Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html]. In that case your plan sounds sensible, but can you find a Z77 mobo within your budget? It's the newer version of the board you're looking at and will be a bit more futureproof.

 

[Dieter Meyer]

That is true, and now I'm back at my PC I've just looked up the 6870 and it's only one tier below the 560Ti on Toms Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html]. In that case your plan sounds sensible, but can you find a Z77 mobo within your budget? It's the newer version of the board you're looking at and will be a bit more futureproof.

Would ASUS P8Z77-M Z77 S-1155 M-ATX IVY be sufficient?

also they seem to vary alot in the prices, what are the differences?

 

[the doom cannon]

google full site translation button is ftw. Anyway, so your price range looks like it's around 1100 kroner for the gfx? Try to see if you can go to the 6850/70 and stay in your price range. The nvidia cards look to be a bit pricey, so I'd suggest sticking with amd. These guys have a 560 for 1100, never heard of the brand before tho: http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=746846
This one is well priced too: http://www.multicom.no/Radeon-HD6850-1024MB-DDR5e-DX11e-PCI-E-2xDVI-HDMI-DisplayPort-HDCP-DDR5-Fan-MSI/cat-p/c100133/p3657829/gr_0

Cheapest 8GB ram i am finding is on multicom.no at under 400 kroner.

Everything else looks ok to me. Just make sure everything works together before purchasing.

 

[number2301]

That is true, and now I'm back at my PC I've just looked up the 6870 and it's only one tier below the 560Ti on Toms Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html]. In that case your plan sounds sensible, but can you find a Z77 mobo within your budget? It's the newer version of the board you're looking at and will be a bit more futureproof.

Would ASUS P8Z77-M Z77 S-1155 M-ATX IVY be sufficient?

also they seem to vary alot in the prices, what are the differences?

That board looks fine, as long as you don't ever plan on using two graphics cards. The differences usually come down to features, so amount of PCI-E x16 channels, USB 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth etc

 

[Dieter Meyer]

google full site translation button is ftw. Anyway, so your price range looks like it's around 1100 kroner for the gfx? Try to see if you can go to the 6850/70 and stay in your price range. The nvidia cards look to be a bit pricey, so I'd suggest sticking with amd. These guys have a 560 for 1100, never heard of the brand before tho: http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=746846
This one is well priced too: http://www.multicom.no/Radeon-HD6850-1024MB-DDR5e-DX11e-PCI-E-2xDVI-HDMI-DisplayPort-HDCP-DDR5-Fan-MSI/cat-p/c100133/p3657829/gr_0

Cheapest 8GB ram i am finding is on multicom.no at under 400 kroner.

Everything else looks ok to me. Just make sure everything works together before purchasing.

My bad, have typo! 6870 is the one I currently have in my build. Thanks for finding that cheap one, but I've heard not so good things about MSI? also its the 560 Ti I'm looking to maaaybe upgrade to, I believe the 6870 is better than the 560, no?

thing is if I use other sides than dustinhome.no I will have to pay an additional 100 kroner for delivery from their websites. So if its not alot cheaper its not worth the hassle.

That is true, and now I'm back at my PC I've just looked up the 6870 and it's only one tier below the 560Ti on Toms Hardware [http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-graphics-card-review,3107-7.html]. In that case your plan sounds sensible, but can you find a Z77 mobo within your budget? It's the newer version of the board you're looking at and will be a bit more futureproof.

Would ASUS P8Z77-M Z77 S-1155 M-ATX IVY be sufficient?

also they seem to vary alot in the prices, what are the differences?

That board looks fine, as long as you don't ever plan on using two graphics cards. The differences usually come down to features, so amount of PCI-E x16 channels, USB 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth etc

How good would the wifi be on a mobo priced slightly higher? cause I'm likely to get a network card too later on (dont think I can run a cable to the PC :/ ) but I've not yet decided how to solve this..

and let me just say it - I really appreciate the help, all of you!!