Computer Builds: Specs, Consoles & Suggestions

[Nakita]

I am looking to do a major upgrade to my computer this upcoming spring. I am going to be upgrading the CPU, Motherboard, and RAM, with the possiblity of the powersupply.I already have the case, harddrives, and the new GTX 460 2win from EVGA that I got for free.

I am currently using a Core2 Quad at 2.4ghz, 4gb of RAM, a EVGA 750i motherboard, a GTX 9800 and a Corsair 750 watt PSU.

What I would like to jump to is a Quad Core(Or more if in price range) processor at 3.0ghz or higher, 8gb of ram, and a good 850 watt (or higher if needed) PSU.

AMD or Intel is fine, and I would like to peg this all around the $500 mark with reasonable leway. So go ahead and shoot any and all suggestions you have for parts, brownie points if you can squeeze a nice SSD in there.

[Vinnie Lei]

Both the Q6600 and 9800GTX are consuming pretty much the same, if not more power from the PSU then the parts you're thinking of getting*, so investing in a new one wouldn't make so much of a difference.

If I go from a site like Newegg; the following would be a nice upgrade, within budget.

Intel Core i7 2600 - $300

Asus P8P67 LE(v3) - $133

Kingston ValueRAM 2x4GB $43

Total: $476

Obviously a similar set can be made with an AMD Phenom II X6 processor, but from personal experience going from such CPU to the i7 2600, the Intel platform wins in performance. Heck, I hardly felt any difference when I originally upgraded from my Q6600 to the AMD Phenom II X6 (1100T).

edit; if you settle for an i5 (eg 2500), which is still pretty good, or similarly from the AMD platform, you can squeeze in your beloved SSD with maybe just a margin over the $500 line; since the i5 is around $200.

* eg; Q6600 has a TDP of 105, while the i7 2600 has one of 95W and has more clockdown/saving-features.

Edited November 23, 2011 by Vinnie Lei

[Nrom Normandy]

Go with a Core i5 2500k instead of the i7. If your computer is being used for gaming, the hyper threading on the i7 2600 isn't going to be useful. The i5 is nearly half the price of the i7 processor. You can also overclock it if you have pretty good cooling in your system. If you're waiting until summer to buy parts, the i7 will be cheaper since early 2012 a new architecture is coming out from Intel.

The asus board should be fine, I'm using the ASRock board http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-Motherboards%20-%20Intel-_-ASRock-_-13157271&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID=

Ram is cheap. I'd get that now if you can afford it. Both motherboards should be able to support DDR3-1600.

Your power supply is fine.

[Lanny Ansar]

(Got all of my suggestions from Newegg, so not only do you get a few shiny discounts, but some of the parts rock free shipping.)

AMD Athlon II X4 640 Propus 3.0GHz Socket AM3 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - $99.99, free Shipping, has the possibility of being overclocked to 3.75 ghz stable.

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model (Black) - $44.99, free shipping. I also picked the black ones because they're just damn-sexy.

ECS A880GM-M6(1.0) AM3 AMD 880G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - $82.99, $2.99 shipping. This motherFfffer can rock up to 32gb of RAM. >_>

AZZA Dynamo 850 850W ATX & EPS 12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply - $84.00, $9.65 Shipping. SLI-ready, about 75% efficiency, 140mm cooling fan with blue LED's. From what I see on its reviews, it's solid as a rock.

OCZ Solid 3 SLD3-25SAT3-60G 2.5" 60GB SATA III MLC - $104.99, Free shipping. You said i'd get brownie points for adding an SSD, lolz.

Total: $429.60

No SSD: $324.61

Whatever you do, I want that Core2Quad and that MB you're tossing out. >_> My ol' bitch needs an upgrade.

[Nakita]

Whatever you do, I want that Core2Quad and that MB you're tossing out. >_> My ol' bitch needs an upgrade.

I can work out a deal with that.

Also, I will be using this to game mainly, so i5 will most likely be perfect.

[Xoza]

Upgraded a few months ago

Manufacturer: Me

Motherboard: MSI 990XA-GD55 AM3+ AMD 990X

Processor: AMD FX™-6100 Zambezi Six-Core Processor 3.3GHz

Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB RAM

PSU: CORSAIR GS700

Video Card: nVidia GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Sound Card: Onboard

Computer Case: Corsair Carbide Series 300R Black (6x140m Fans)

Hard Drive/s: WD 600 GB, WD 1.5 TB, Seagate 2 TB External/Backup, LaCie 1.5 TB NAT

Opticals: Some DVD burner I picked up somewhere

Monitor: LG 23" Widescreen LCDs

Speakers/Headphones: Creative Labs SBS560 5.1 Speaker System

Keyboard: Logitech G15 1st Gen

Mouse: Logitech G700

Additional Devices: Brother HL4040CN Color Laserjet

Operating System: Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Rating:

Processor: 7.3

Memory (RAM): 7.8

Graphics: 7.3

Gaming graphics: 7.3

Primary hard disk: 5.9

Average ((Add all)/5): 7.12

[Xoza]

Just installed a Corsair H80 Hydro, woo 32deg. Thing's pretty bulky though, had to remove one of my 6 140mm fans to fit it :(

[McFailboat]

I built this in June

Case: Cooler Master Storm Sniper Mid Tower

Mobo: ASRock Z77

CPU: Intel i5-3570K Ivy Bridge OC'd 4.4GHz

RAM: G Skill Ripjaw 16GB

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 FTW 2GB

PSU: Silent Pro 1200W gold cert

[UNKNOWN USER]

a

Edited June 15, 2016 by UNKNOWN USER

[DurbanCommando]

Intel core i-7 3630qm at 2.4 ghz (8 CPUs)

8 GB corsair 1600 ram

Nvidia 670m GTX 3GB

750 GB HDD @ 7200

15.6 HD laptop screen @ 1920x1080

Blu-ray Re/wr

[Xoza]

Intel core i-7 3630qm at 2.4 ghz (8 CPUs)

8 GB corsair 1600 ram

Nvidia 670m GTX 3GB

750 GB HDD @ 7200

15.6 HD laptop screen @ 1920x1080

Blu-ray Re/wr

How is the 600 series btw? I've heard some good and bad things, but still 'nothing can beat the 580'.

[Heavy666 Bolden]

Desktop

22 Inch Moniter

AMD Phenom x4 965 Black Edition 3.4 GHZ

8 GB 1600 Ram

Nvidia GTS 450 1GB DDR5

1TB HD

(Backup)

Laptop ~ Alienware lol

10.5 Inch display

Core i7-2617M 1.5 - 2.6 GHz Dual Core (How is a dual core an i7 beats me)

6GB ram unknown speed

Nvidia GeForce GT 540M

750 GB HD

[or10nsharkfin]

Laptop

ASUS Republic of Gamers G74Sx

17.8" Display @ 1600x900 Widescreen Resolution

Core i7-2630QM @ 2.00 GHz

8.00GB RAM

NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560M 2GB

Windows 7 - 64 bit

1TB HD

+ 1.5TB External HD (500GB + 1TB)

Razer Naga MMO Gaming Mouse (1st Gen)

Razer Anansi MMO Gaming Keyboard

Razer Onza Xbox 360 Controller w/ Windows Live support

Corsair Vengeance 1500 5.1 SS Headset

Logitech G13 Gaming Keypad

[SalemAdams Wobbit]

Current Desktop:

COUGAR Evolution Black SECC ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Antec EA-750 (750 watts)

AMD FX-4100 Zambezi 3.6GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)

ASUS Republic of Gamers Crosshair V Formula

nVidia GeForce GTX 550 Ti 1GB (ASUS Overclocked)

8GB DDR3 1600

1 TB HD

Windows 7 Pro - 64-bit

LG Black 12X Internal Blu-ray Drive 3D Playback & M-DISC Support (and it supports Lightscribe)

Asus VG236H 3D monitor with nVidia 3D vision kit

Logitech G930 Wireless headset

Logitech G110 Keyboard

Logitech G300 Mouse

Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Receiver for Windows

Laptop:

HP Pavilion dv6t-2000 CTO (Custom to Order)

Windows 7 Professional 64-bit

Intel® Core™ i7-720QM Processor (1.6GHz, 6MB L2 Cache, 1333MHz FSB)

4GB DDR3 System Memory (2 Dimm)

500GB 7200RPM SATA Hard Drive

1GB Nvidia GeForce GT 230M

15.6" diagonal High Definition LED HP Brightview Widescreen Display (1366x768)

Lightscribe Blu-Ray ROM with SuperMulti DVD+/-R/RW Double Layer

Webcam + Fingerprint Reader

Intel Wireless-N Mini-card with Bluetooth

HP Integrated HDTV Hybrid Tuner

12 Cell Lithium Ion Battery

Edited December 25, 2012 by SalemAdams Wobbit

[McSpuds]

Just built my box about 2 months ago. Here is my invoice for parts list and prices at the time.

I love the CASE!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139015

Great box, runs very quiet and smooth!

1 x ($309.99) Intel Core i7-3770 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770

1 x ($239.99) ASUS GTX660-DC2O-2GD5 GeForce GTX 660 2GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

1 x ($207.99) ASUS P8Z77-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

1 x ($189.99) CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Full Modular Active PFC Power Supply

1 x ($139.99) Corsair Vengeance Series C70 Military Green Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

1 x ($139.99) Corsair Neutron Series GTX CSSD-N120GBGTX-BK 2.5" 120GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

1 x ($129.99) CORSAIR Dominator Platinum 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMD16GX3M2A1600C9

1 x ($99.99) Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

1 x ($27.99) Corsair Air Series AF120 Quiet Edition CO-9050002-WW 120mm Twin Pack High Airflow Case Fan

Subtotal: $1485.91

Tax: $0.00

Shipping and Handling: $17.63

Total Amount: $1503.54

Edited December 26, 2012 by McSpuds

[Hunter Abrams]

Asus Sabertooth P67 Mobo
Corsair 850tx PSU
Gigabyte gtx560 TI OC 1gb
hitachi 1tb 7200 RPm 32 mb cache HD
Corsair 600t case
I7 2600k 3.4 ghz

 

_____________________________________________________

 

DO NOT BUY FROM CYBERPOWER! Monkies can build better computers than them. But they do use sound parts. THey just can't wire worth a damn.

 

CyberPower P67 Configurator (NO MONITOR) CFGP67Z,
• *BASE_PRICE: [+715]
Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
• CAS: CoolerMaster Elite 430 Mid-Tower Gaming Case with Side Panel Window [-63]
• CASUPGRADE: 12in Cold Cathode Neon Light [+10] (Blue Color)
• CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
• CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-2600K 3.40 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified) [+84]
• CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+15] (Blue Color)
• FAN: XtremeGear Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) (Dual Enermax Enlobal Silent High Performance 120MM Fans (Push-Pull) [+29])
• FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
• FREEBIE_CU1: FREE Game - Shogun 2 Limited Edition Coupon: Total War
• FREEBIE_RM: 30 GB Kingston 2.5 inch SATA Gaming MLC Solid State Disk
• HDD: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
• KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
• MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Kingston HyperX [+66])
• MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX/SLI] MSI P67A-GD55 (B3) Intel P67 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 3 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI [b3 Stepping] [+51]
• MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
• MULTIVIEW: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
• NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
• NOISEREDUCE1: Power Supply Gasket [+5]
• NOISEREDUCE2: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts [+9]
• OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Professional [+135] (64-bit Edition)
• POWERSUPPLY: 950 Watts - CyberPowerPC Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply [+57]
• RUSH: 5% Instant Rebate for Non-Rush Delivery Order over $999 - Ships within 3 Weeks - Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout
• SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
• SOFT1: Free Microsoft® Office® 2010 STARTER EDITION (Reduced-Functionality versions of Word and Excel that include advertising)
• SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
• USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
• VC_PHYSX: None
• VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+165] (Palit Sonic Powered by NVIDIA [+54])

[Xoza]

Just added a 2gb WD Black... going to have to spend a few days re-installing/re-downloading some things.

[d3rp3nguin]

Home Built

 

Processor: Intel i5 2500

Graphics Card: GTX 550 Ti (1056 MB)

Memory: 8GB DDR3

Hard Drive: 500 GB Western Digital Blue Caviar

 

Mouse: Razer Abyssus

Keyboard: Microsoft Sidewinder X4

Monitor:  16:10 ration 1920 x 1200 resolution monitor (No idea what diagonal that translates to)

 

Windows 7

[BlackSergal]

Processor: Intel 286sx

Graphics Card: 16MG

Memory: 8MG

Hard Drive: 40 MB Western Digital

2400 speed modem

3 color monitor

[NotMateo]

Post your computer specs. I'm curious to how I stack up against everyone else. (Terribly I bet)

 

i3 550 3.2Ghz

4GB DDR3 PC3-12800

Galaxy GTS 450 1GB GC Edition

1TB Caviar Black (WD1002FAEX)

 

1650x1050 or something Monitor

Logitech G510 Keyboard

Shit mouse I want to throw at cats instead of keep.

[Guest Afevis]

NZXT S210-001

ASROCK H61M-HVS

i5-3570K @ 3.8GHz

8GB DD3 1333

GeForce 660 2GB

x2 WD Caviar Blue 500GB (16MB Cache)

Seagate Barricuda 1TB (32MB Cache)

Corsair TX750 V2

Windows 8 Pro (Which is awesome, so screw you haters)

 

Mouse: Razer Deathadder 3500DPI Edition w/ Goliathus Fragged Speed edition pad

Keyboard: LITE-ON SK2352

Joystick: Saitek X52 Pro

Headphones: JVC HA-RX700

Mic: Samson C01UCW

Monitor: ASUS VS247H-P

[Xoza]

Post your computer specs. I'm curious to how I stack up against everyone else. (Terribly I bet)

 

i3 550 3.2Ghz

4GB DDR3 PC3-12800

Galaxy GTS 450 1GB GC Edition

1TB Caviar Black (WD1002FAEX)

 

1650x1050 or something Monitor

Logitech G510 Keyboard

Shit mouse I want to throw at cats instead of keep.

 

(moved your post to the correct thread, should be able to just look at previous posts. Your's isn't all bad, a lot of us are gamers and geeks so we prioritize it. It's all about what you do with it, or what you need it for in your life.)

 

 

Windows 8 Pro (Which is awesome, so screw you haters)

 

I've upped mine to Win8 also, it does still have some issues, but it's smoother and for once my OS demands less resources than my other programs.

[Deadmon]

Ive got about a 1100-1200 budget. I need a new PC terribad. I wont have said-budget till about mid june after sim + a few weeks of store moneys ect. 

BUILD ME A PC :D

I NEED at least a quad core, with 16GB ram. 32GB Preferably. This wont just be for gaming, itll primarily be 3D modeling and rendering. Which takes a ton of resources. My PC crashes and gimps along as-is. 

 

Optional Items:

• New cooling efficient case
• self-contained liquid cooling. Not the large sets with tubes everywhere. Just the fans that have a individual set.
• In terms of Graphics Card, It doesnt have to be top of the line. I can upgrade that later. Just something relatively good.

 

Right now nothing from my current case is salvageable. The Graphics card -maybe- but in reality even that could use an update.

Edited May 8, 2013 by Deadmon

[Xoza]

 

Ive got about a 1100-1200 budget. I need a new PC terribad. I wont have said-budget till about mid june after sim + a few weeks of store moneys ect. 

BUILD ME A PC :D

I NEED at least a quad core, with 16GB ram. 32GB Preferably. This wont just be for gaming, itll primarily be 3D modeling and rendering. Which takes a ton of resources. My PC crashes and gimps along as-is. 

 

Optional Items:

• New cooling efficient case
• self-contained liquid cooling. Not the large sets with tubes everywhere. Just the fans that have a individual set.
• In terms of Graphics Card, It doesnt have to be top of the line. I can upgrade that later. Just something relatively good.

 

Right now nothing from my current case is salvageable. The Graphics card -maybe- but in reality even that could use an update.

 

Any company/brand you prefer?

Edited May 10, 2013 by Xoza

[Deadmon]

usually an AMD person but since itll be more for work than play I think the stability of intel/nvidia would be fine.

Currently have HDRadeon6570 

Nothing -too- off brand for memory ect. I dont wanna get it for cheap only for it to die in a few weeks :P


Also, I think I can salvage my power supply, so dont include that.