Upcoming build - Comments/Opinions please

Cmar-Ireland

Hey Guys,

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new PC.
This is the list of components I've put together.
Really just want to run it by you guys to make sure I'm not missing anything in terms of compatibility etc...

My budget is flexible enough and I want a very quite system, hence the cooler, psu and 7970. The case is chosen for its aesthetics.

It's a gaming and general computing system.


Asus HD7970 DirectCU II top
Gigabyte Z77 UD5H
Intel Core i5-3570K
Seagate Barracuda 2gb
BeQuite Dark Rock Pro 2
Crucial M4 128gb
Corsair 750AX (would a 650 be enough?)
Corsair Vengence Low Profile 8gb
BitFenix Shinobi XL

So should I look at anything else before I pull the trigger?

Cheers

Procrastastudy

How much more expensive is the Top edition vs the standard?

Are you using resolutions in excess of 1080p?

Eboggles

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Hey Guys,

I'm just about to pull the trigger on a new PC.
This is the list of components I've put together.
Really just want to run it by you guys to make sure I'm not missing anything in terms of compatibility etc...

My budget is flexible enough and I want a very quite system, hence the cooler, psu and 7970. The case is chosen for its aesthetics.

It's a gaming and general computing system.


Asus HD7970 DirectCU II top
Gigabyte Z77 UD5H
Intel Core i5-3570K
Seagate Barracuda 2gb
BeQuite Dark Rock Pro 2
Crucial M4 128gb
Corsair 750AX (would a 650 be enough?)
Corsair Vengence Low Profile 8gb
BitFenix Shinobi XL

So should I look at anything else before I pull the trigger?

Cheers

I'm pretty sure that ASUS 7970 is voltage locked, better off getting another brand or getting a GTX 670 if you're gaming at 1080p or lower.

Cmar-Ireland

I have a 27" monitor @ 1920 x 1200.
The top edition is cheaper that the regular one on amazon at the moment.
I probably won't be overclocking the card so the top edition should last me a long time, and it's very quiet as well which is important to me.

Procrastastudy

Good build then other than I think the SSD is too small if you're a heavy gamer.

What CPU cooler are you using? Can you link it please.

PSU might be a little too beefy but it depends on whether it lies about its output

How much is that case?

Cmar-Ireland

Cooler is the BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 2.
It was that or the NH-D14, but the Noctua is just too ugly !

The 256gb M4 SSD is around €200 and the 128gb is €100, so is it worth the extra? I would have the OS, Office 2010 and a few games on it.

Another option I think I have is to put a small msata drive directly on the UD5H solely for the OS ? 64gb crucial msata is approx €80

Procrastastudy

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

Cooler is the BeQuiet Dark Rock Pro 2.
It was that or the NH-D14, but the Noctua is just too ugly !

The 256gb M4 SSD is around €200 and the 128gb is €100, so is it worth the extra? I would have the OS, Office 2010 and a few games on it.

Another option I think I have is to put a small msata drive directly on the UD5H solely for the OS ? 64gb crucial msata is approx €80

I tried running everything major on 128GB I'm literally reinstalling Windows now on a single 64GB waiting for the 128 to arrive (selling my other 64GB). I got BF3, Shogun, Skyrim and Fallout 3 on my 128GB RAID and it was full

johnmcdnl

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

I tried running everything major on 128GB I'm literally reinstalling Windows now on a single 64GB waiting for the 128 to arrive (selling my other 64GB). I got BF3, Shogun, Skyrim and Fallout 3 on my 128GB RAID and it was full

Is it really worth putting games on an SSD - you get a fastest loading screen but after that it they tend not to affect the game that much. I wouldn't be suggesting that someone go out and get a 256GB over a 128GB for an extra €100 just for a few seconds faster loading screen.

If you can afford the extra for the 256GB definitely it'd be nice to have but I wouldn't go breaking the bank just for it if you can't afford it. Some games may make much better use of an SSD but there are a lot of gamest that won't benefit at all so just keep that in mind before splashing out for the extra SSD storage space.

Procrastastudy

BF3 and Shogun 2 off a HDD is a freakin nightmare imo - especially Shogun 2!

Cmar-Ireland

I'm not a big gamer, so I'll just have a few on the go at any one time.
For me it more about having a fast quiet system which will last a few years before any major upgrades.

What about the msata fitted directly to the UD5H, good idea for the OS ?

Procrastastudy

Cmar-Ireland wrote: »

I'm not a big gamer, so I'll just have a few on the go at any one time.
For me it more about having a fast quiet system which will last a few years before any major upgrades.

What about the msata fitted directly to the UD5H, good idea for the OS ?

Do you mean use the Intel Caching tech?

Cmar-Ireland

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

Do you mean use the Intel Caching tech?

AFAIK the msata can be used as the boot drive. So could I use a small msata drive just for the OS and have a larger SSD for games, programs etc

Procrastastudy

I'm confused... does that mainboard have a SATA drive built in?

mSATA is a form factor isn't it?

Procrastastudy

You could use a drive under 64GB for windows but it's a PITA. You have to be careful where your App data and stuff goes. So the minimum is really 64Gb imo.

128 GB will give you enough for the odd game but I personally find it annoyingly small for OS + small amount of Data + Games.

The issue with 64Gb (and smaller) drives is the performance really suffers even on a given product line - take the Samsung 830 line as an example.

Cmar-Ireland

GCDLawstudent wrote: »

I'm confused... does that mainboard have a SATA drive built in?

mSATA is a form factor isn't it?

The gigabyte Z77 UD5H has an onboard mSata port.

From the Gigabyte website,

GIGABYTE 7 series motherboards feature an onboard mSATA slot allowing users to easily take advantage of advanced SSD-based technologies like Intel® Smart Response and Intel® Rapid Start. Mounting an affordable, low capacity mSATA SSD directly onto your motherboard can enhance your PC's performance with better overall desktop responsiveness, faster boot times and faster system resume from 'Suspend to Disk' and 'Standby' modes.

Procrastastudy

Must be some sort of direct link - something I'll need to go read up on. A top end SATA SSD (Samsung 830 256GB+ and Crucial m4) wouldn't saturate 6GB/s so I'm not sure what the benefit is - hopefully someone will enlighten me

Procrastastudy

Ah no its a smaller plug

Right there are several ways to use SSDs - imho

Tiny ones < 64GB for Intel Smart Cache - basically the computer learns what you use the most and copies it on to the SSD

Small Ones 64GB - for OS install and specific Apps

Medium ones 128 - for OS install, Apps and 2 or 3 Games

Big ones - Normally 256GB+ just for game storage with another one for the OS.

Ofcourse there is nothing stopping you shoehorning the OS onto a 30GB drive or using a 256GB drive for everything - or going down the 128GB route and installing the odd game.

All I am saying it I find 128GB or space in a gaming machine frustrating.

Hang on! Now I know why I was making assumptions about you being a gamer - What is the 7970 all about if you're not gaming?!

Cmar-Ireland

The 7970 is a powerful and quiet card that will do me for a good few years. So I don't mind paying a bit extra for it.
I'm not a heavy gamer (at the moment) but that could change when I have the hardware for it
My monitor is 27" @ 1920x1200

I think I'll forget about the msata ssd for the moment and get a 256gb M4 for OS, apps and games. The system should be plenty fast with that spec anyway, I hope!

Procrastastudy

To be fair given your spec - I'd invest the extra €100. Value doesn't appear to be a driving concern - thats not a criticism just a rationale for my thinking. At the same time 256GB is a good size without going bonkers.

Cmar-Ireland

Yeah, I know I could build it for less, but I would be compromising on quality or performance or quietness. I've had my current system for years without any upgrades, so if I get 4 or 5 years out of this one before needing any changes I'll be happy.
The whole system is coming in around 1.5k so it's not too bad if I get the years out of it.