Maximum PC

Hey ALL,
Its been about 3 years since I have made any major upgrades to my computer, but now is the time for another overhaul; an early Christmas present.
I will be using a few pre-existing parts from my current computer but will be buying a lot of new parts.

I plan to use this computer primarily for Photoshop, Maya 2008 and to play "high end" games (arma II, Crysis games, , FarCry3 etc. Dirt series, Fifa Series etc.)

Here is a list of what I currently have/re-using and then a list of new parts needed.


Re-use:

MONITOR-Samsung Syncmaster 2494(24 inch)at 1920x1080.
SECOND MONITOR (17 inch)-NEC LCD71V at 1280x1024
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6824001338
FULL TOWER CASE-IN WIN Ironclad Black SECC Steel ATX.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product
-Keyboard, mouse
RAM-OCZ Obsidian 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227495
SSD-OCZ Agility Series OCZSSD2-1AGT60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227461
HDD-(???) Seagate Barracuda 3.5 in. SATA 1 TB 32 MB internal kit 7200 (ITS 2 YEARS OLD)
OS-Windows 7 OEM (can I reuse it if I get a new motherboard?)

I will need a new:
-Power Supply
-Video Card (XFX has done really well for me in the past)
-DVD Burner(?)
-HDDs (two 500GB as a mirrored raid to automatically back up my files..?)
-MotherBoard (Gigabyte preferable) I currently have a P55m-UD2 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128405) but Im assuming I should upgrade..?
-Processor (Intel preferable)
-More RAM (4GB more)

My budget is around $800.


Please let me know what parts you might suggest or if I missed anything.
And THANKS AGAIN for all of your patience and time as I ask questions and figure out my build.

I started looking for parts based on some web sites and what not...Im not sure if these are the best but I thought I would give it a shot...

Here are a list of parts that I think would work well together:

MOBO: GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128544

PROCESSOR: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz $230
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... =ExtBanner

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 $40 (TO GO ALONG WITH THE 4GB I allready have listed above)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231314

VIDEO CARD: XFX Core Edition FX-787A-CNFC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB $240
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... =ExtBanner

DVD DRIVE: Asus or Samsung drive $20 (not sure which DVD is the best)

POWER SUPPLY: Im stumped on this one. I know that ultimately the quality of the PS is more important then having a TON of wattage, but I really dont know what one to pick, I assume I can get a good one at around $ 50-80..?

HDD: Same here, Im not sure what route to take here. I have the 1THDD listed above but I was thinking it might be nice to have 2 500GB HDDs running on a raid so that the one HDD automatically backs-up/copies the other..? Maybe two of these? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822148767 or maybe someon out there has a better/cheaper solution. I do a lot of art work for myself and for clients, so its nice to have the files backed up fairly easily.

I think that is everything. I plan to use my current copy of Windows 7 OEM, I have heard that I can just call up the Windows to be able to put the OS on a new MOBO...is that true?


that comes to around $800 if I only get one HDD.

THANKS AGAIN for taking a look.

Imho, not bad at all. Seems you have done and will continue to do your homework and not be spoonfed simple answers to simple questions. Right on

If you are near a Micro Center retail store, you can purchase a 3570K & mobo combo at a $50 discount. It's a good deal actually. The Gigabyte you selected is a solid choice, and if you are partial to the brand, that board should serve you well.

The 3570K is probably the best all around gaming CPU for the money right now.

It's probably not a good idea to mix RAM, so I'd suggest going with a new set. If I'm not mistaken, Photoshop and Maya will benefit from the added RAM, so go with a 16 GB kit (8 GB x 2 sticks) of RAM similar to the one you've selected. For gaming though, 8 GB is all you need.

The Radeon 7870 GPU is a solid bang-for-buck gaming card right now. You'll get mid to high settings at 1080 resolution with new games no problem.

ASUS or Samsung optical I think matters little.

PSU - one of these or similar will suit your build methinks:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817151094
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817139028
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817371044

If you are set on RAID, then imho the lowest cost per GB drive may be a good option. Lately, that goes to the Seagate Barracuda - the Egg prices are:
1 TB = $70
1.5 TB = $80
2 TB = $100

But if your current HDD is in good working order, there shouldn't be a problem with using that. You can even use your old HDD along with a new HDD in a RAID 1 setup. I don't know the details, but performance does suffer when drives in RAID are not identical so that may not be a good option. My point is, your old drive probably has a decent lifespan left in it (two years isn't that long) and it would be a little wasteful if it was not utilized.

You should be able to transfer your Windows 7 to your new build with a telephone call.

Also, I'd suggest adding a CPU cooler since the stock i5-3570K fan runs hot. The Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus or Evo is another one of them best bang-for-buck parts for about $30. The Plus is only $20 after rebate on the Egg right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103065

Seasonic. I don't like the Antec Earth since they don't ship with a power wall cable since I don't have those lying around but if you do then its no biggie. Nice thing is the Corsair and Antec have $20 rebates so you only spend $40-$50.

Thanks guys.

I have a few more little questions and another breakdown of the components to buy based on the feed back from you and others.

-Are there any other easy and effective ways of backing up files without using a RAID?

-I recieved some feedback from someone else suggesting that if I dont want to OVERCLOCK (which i DONT plan to because it scares me and I dont want to blow up my computer haha) then I can get this processor and this Mobo without any performance loss.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115234
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128550
Does that sound accurate to you all?


Here is the new suggested build:

$0-IN WIN Ironclad Black SECC Steel ATX Full Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

$100 to 140-GIGABYTE GA-H77-DS3H or GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD3H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128550
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813128544

$200-ntel Core i5-3470 Ivy Bridge 3.2GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115234

$30-COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 CPU FAN
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6835103065

$65 ($40 after rebate)-Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W (I decided on this one because of the great deal and because I DO have an extra power supply "wall power cord"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817371044

$240 ($220 after rebate) XFX Core Edition FX-787A-CNFC Radeon HD 7870 GHz Edition 2GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... =ExtBanner

$70-G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820231486

$70-Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB (this seems like a SWEET deal)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6822236339

$0-OCZ Agility Series OCZSSD2-1AGT60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227461

$0-Windows 7

Total PRICE:
$730 with rebates and cheaper Mobo, $815 without rebates and with more expensive Mobo

That means I can put in a few extra bucks towards something if I get the rebates and the less expensive Mobo...better video card? Better Mobo etc..what do you all think???

THANKS AGAIN!

Some points here:

RAID is not a backup solution. It's a performance/security solution. Performance in that you'll always get better read performance (RAID 0 doesn't really count). Security in the sense that if one drive goes, your who system isn't hosed. However, it can be used in a backup solution. At the cheapest, you'd have an external hard drive that is only on when you need it to be that you put what you want backed-up in. If you want a proper setup, same thing, but multiple hard drives in RAID 1 or some such, with shadow copying so you can roll back versions.

If you're going to use this computer for gaming, the video card is what matters most of the time.

Get a better power supply. As much as it's an Antec, it's also their cheap line. Seasonic would be much better.

... And that's all I can think of. Mobos tend to perform the same regardless of how much money you throw at it.

Thanks, i think I'll just avoid the raid for now.

Im going to double check the compatibility of the cheaper mobo and if it seems compatible, I'll probably get it to save money.

Of the seasonic power supplies, are there a few you can recommend at a price under 80?

My main purpose for the build is for high end gaming and Photo shop.

So I was thinking about my current power supply in my computer...its like 5 years old but has worked well. Do you think it is worth using in my new build or do they tend to have a "life expectancy"? How do I know if it is compatible?

PC Power & Cooling / Silencer / 610-Watt / PCI-Express / SATA-Ready / Copper Power Supply, 80Plus
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=1483

thanks

Well in that case, with the savings from that and the change to the less expensive mobo ans processor, i can put about $100-150 towards something else. I'll have to research getting a better video card at a good price. Any suggestions on a video card that is faster than the xfx i listed but still a good value for the performance boost at around $100 more?

Thanks again for all your thoughts and insight!

At about $330, I think the GTX 660Ti is around there. $400 though goes to the HD7970.

After looking around and reading about the 660ti vs the 7870, I thinkn that the 7870 will be a better deal for what I need




My only concern now, with my old power supply, is if the "4 pin CPU power connector" is on it..? It doesnt look like it is but maybe Im not looking in the right place..?
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=1483
The mother board I want to get has a 4-pin CPU power connector vs an 8. Am I out of luck with using my old PS?

Okay,so i think Im ready to order my parts but I thought I would put up the build one last time to see if you had any input or if I made any compatibility errors:

Here are the parts Im buying on PC Part Picker- http://pcpartpicker.com/parts/partlist/

Here is a breakdown of ALL the parts for the build, including re-used parts (Im purchasing most of the parts through Amazon and a few through Newegg, but most of the links are to Newegg):

NEW:
Intel Core i5-3470
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus CPU Fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

GIGABYTE GA-H77-DS3H LGA 1155 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

Western Digital WD Blue WD10EZEX 1TB 7200 RPM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

XFX Double D FX-787A-CDFC Radeon HD 7870 GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

ASUS 24X DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Keyboard (I decided to get a new keyboard since I had a bit of money left over in the budget.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 38566&SID=

RE-USE:
PC Power & Cooling / Silencer / 610-Watt / PCI-Express (its about 5 years old, I was worried about compatible. It looks compatible to me, but please let me know if you see any issues.)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications ... CatId=1483

IN WIN Ironclad Black SECC Steel ATX Full Tower
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... -_-Product

OCZ Agility Series OCZSSD2-1AGT60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC SSD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820227461

Seagate Barracuda 3.5 in. SATA 1 TB 32 MB internal kit 7200 (ITS 2 YEARS OLD)

OS-Windows 7 OEM

My total comes to about $760 - $30 rebate =$730

Please let me know if you see any compatibility issues or anything that might look bad...Im hoping to buy the parts tomorrow night (11/2/12)

Thanks!