Computer parts advice

qwerty123 on 22/12/2013 - 12:42

I'm thinking of building a computer and it'll be my first time attempting it. I'm not very familiar with computer parts but I tried my best to select parts I thought were great considering my budget. I know there's several knowledgable people here and would like to ask whether the parts are "good"; if the parts are compatible with each other and if the PSU is enough for this build. Thank you in advance.

CPU: $205 Intel i5 4440 http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11516
Motherboard: $94 Asus B85M-G http://www.scorptec.com.au/computer/49972-b85m-g
GPU: $176 Gigabyte 2GB GTX 650 Ti http://www.centrecom.com.au/gigabyte-geforce-gtx-650-ti#
RAM: $98 Kingston HyperX (4GBx2) 1600Mhz http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11890
SSD: $182 Samsung 840 EVO 250GB http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11452
CASE: $125 NZXT Phantom 410 http://www.centrecom.com.au/nzxt-phantom-410-white
PSU: $85 Corsair CX500 http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=9675
NETWORK ADAPTOR: $18 http://www.centrecom.com.au/tp-link-tl-wn781nd-150mbps-wirel… <- I just chose the cheapest one, does it matter?

TOTAL: $983

Computing

Comments

  • ProspectiveDarkness on 22/12/2013 - 13:05
    +1

    Looks good, I can't see any problems. The PSU should be fine, unless you plan on upgrading to a GTX780 or two any time soon. You might be able to pick up a better graphics card on sale, if you can be bothered holding out for one.

    And FWIW, unless you're picking up from the store, it might end up being cheaper overall to get it from one place.

    • qwerty123 on 22/12/2013 - 13:14

      I don't want to spend anymore than $200 on a graphics card; which graphics card do you recommend? Thank you.

      • cannedhams on 22/12/2013 - 14:32
        +1

        You could probably get a HD 7850 for $20 more or so. It is a considerably better card.

        I dont know if you are using this machine for gaming, but if that is its primary purpose, its a bit lopsided. You have some good components but you are capping it all off with an ordinary GPU. The GPU really is the pivotal aspect of the machine as far as gaming is concerned.

        • qwerty123 on 22/12/2013 - 15:02

          Yep, this will mainly be for gaming but I don't really play high graphics games. I want it to be able to play games like Team fortress 2 and Dota 2 on high but also meet the minimum requirement for most games in 4 years time. How much do you think I should invest in the GPU? Thanks.

        • exit on 22/12/2013 - 17:20
          +2

          Yeah i have to say the gtx 650 ti isnt that good for the price. Best to wait out for a sale otherwise buy it if you want.

          Edit: Buy the 2gb asus radeon hd 7850 on clearance at clayton Msy for $189. It is tons better. Cant go wrong.

        • exit on 22/12/2013 - 17:22

          Yeah i have to say the gtx 650 ti isnt that good for the price. Best to wait out for a sale otherwise buy it if you want.

        • cannedhams on 22/12/2013 - 21:55
          +1

          I have a similar CPU to you, my overall system is about on par with yours but my GPU is a 7950.

          You can get a 7850 for about what you are paying anyway, for a few dollars more about $219 you can get a 7870. I would try and stretch it to the 7870 if I were you.

          TF2 is not very graphically intensive so just about anything can handle it. Dota perhaps needs a bit more juice. Hard to say what the next four years will bring but my own experience has been that I can buy a mid range card and get four years out of it before it starts to chug with new games even under low settings.

          BTW you're doing the right thing by sticking to Asus gigabyte etc for cards. The cheap cards are tempting but they are often a pain in the arse re reliability.

        • humdingaling on 23/12/2013 - 14:06
          +1

          if you cant find 7870 (seems like only a few XFX/powercolor on floating around)

          r9 270 is another good option, 220-230 at the moment
          head to head the 270 and 7870 very close but leaps and bound ahead of the 650ti

          http://www.hwcompare.com/16564/geforce-gtx-650-ti-vs-radeon-…

        • nubix on 24/12/2013 - 10:20
          +1

          7850s are dirt cheap http://www.computeralliance.com.au/search?search=7850

        • Pr0XyD on 24/12/2013 - 22:59

          computer alliance had a deal for 7850s around 110 when I got it iirc

      • Brouw3r on 23/12/2013 - 15:33

        I would get a considerably cheaper case and put the extra money into a better GPU. Also, you are missing an OS

  • blighst on 22/12/2013 - 14:45
    +1

    Instead of a network card you can get a USB adaptor which I've found to work better. I've got the TP Link TL-WN722N which is cheaper.

    What are you using it for? I'd downgrade your ssd to a 120gb Evo and grab a 1TB Caviar Blue HDD as well.

    You can get 8gb of 2133mhz ram from G.Skill from MSY http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=8836

    Alternatively if you don't want to spend more they've got the ram you quoted for $92 http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=7684

    • qwerty123 on 22/12/2013 - 15:14

      Like this? http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=11711

      I'll mainly use this for gaming and watching HD movies/videos. 250GB is more than enough for me, I have a few HDD so I'll use them if I ever need it. Thanks for the suggestion though.

      I'll probably buy the G.Skill then. The motherboard isn't compatible with 2100MHz so I'll buy the Kingston RAM you linked instead.

      Thanks.

  • blighst on 22/12/2013 - 14:45

    Also I presume you live in Melbourne? If you're in Sydney there are far cheaper options.

    • qwerty123 on 22/12/2013 - 15:15

      Yeah, I live in Melbourne.

  • ethereal88 on 23/12/2013 - 06:17
    -2

    Get a better CPU. That one is too slow. Its boosts to a slow 3.2GHz max, get a 4670 minimum. GPU is also weak, you won't be running Ultra anyway, more like Medium with a touch of High at 1080p with no AA. PSU also won't allow for many upgrades and its a cheapo basic model too.

  • ibelynn on 23/12/2013 - 08:38
    +1

    have a look at cnettech.com.au under gaming , hard to beat their prices, I just bought one

  • Ramrunner on 23/12/2013 - 08:51
    +1

    My only comments as I agree on the comments for the graphics card is for the wireless.

    I also feel you'd be better off with a USB3 one (easy to move to the next system), but I'd go a step further and forget about the single channel Wireless N one you list, and future-proof your system better.

    I've been using D-Link DWA-182 for w while now with my customers. Dual Band 1200 Wireless AC.

    You'll thank yourself for doing it later when your next router becomes Dual Band AC and you're transferring 10Gb MKV files or games.

  • Parentheses on 23/12/2013 - 20:49
    +3

    Head on over to www.reddit.com/r/buildapc for a whole heap of great guides, starting systems you can tweak to suit and a lot of price watching people/websites. Pretty much guaranteed to find at least 10 people who want what you do and already asked the tough questions.

  • ankor on 24/12/2013 - 09:51
    +1

    Hello,

    I think your GPU is insufficient for the next 3 years of gaming, and it also bottlenecks your current system. While there are a lot of games that don't require that much horsepower, you are better off going a higher spec gpu because it gives your system much greater longevity. Therefore I think you should ditch the SSD for a HDD and aim for something like an R280X or a gtx760. You can always add an SSD later with a reformat of your system.

    I used to think like you, and not worry so much about the graphics, but ever since I upgraded (originally for skyrim), my eyes have been thanking me.

  • ProjectZero on 24/12/2013 - 10:12
    +1

    For an extra dollar, you can get a G.Skill Ares 2x4Gb 1866Mhz RAM with 9-9-9-27 from CPL online

    Also, if you are going to game, i'd spend a lil more for the GPU and get a 270x upwards or perhaps a GTX 770?

    • qwerty123 on 24/12/2013 - 12:04

      I don't think the motherboard support 1866Mhz.

      • ProjectZero on 24/12/2013 - 13:50

        lol you're right, my bad… thought all haswell mobo support 1866…

  • MementoMori on 24/12/2013 - 11:51
    +1

    Also check on Whirlpool under the 'best budget gaming' threads.

  • qwerty123 on 24/12/2013 - 12:50

    Thanks for the feedback. Okay, it looks like I really should get a better GPU. I've considered what everybody has said and if I didn't do as you said, it's only because of my personal preference; thank you though. Here's my updated build:

    CPU: $205 Intel i5 4440
    GPU: $369 Gigabyte GTX 770 OC 2GB Boxing Day sale.
    Motherboard: $88 Gigabyte B85M-D3H
    RAM: $98 Kingston HyperX 1600Mhz
    HHD: I have a spare 1TB HHD at home.
    SSD: $105 Samsung 840 EVO 120GB
    PSU: $95 Corsair CX600
    NETWORK ADAPTOR: $20 still looking for a 2.4GHz/5.0GHz one
    CASE: $125 NZXT Phantom 410
    OS:$115 Windows 8.1
    TOTAL:$1220
    Hopefully some parts will be on sale when I get them on Boxing Day. I know it's unlikely.

    • humdingaling on 24/12/2013 - 13:22
      +1

      that 770 is well priced
      hope you are able to grab one

      does explode your budget of 200 bucks quiet abit though hahahahhah

      might want to see if you can grab that 250gb EVO SSD for extra 60 bucks while your at it

      also noticed with the ram
      http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=7684
      why not just get the kit instead of two singles
      save 6 bucks and kits are guaranteed to work together

      • qwerty123 on 24/12/2013 - 15:54

        The SSD is really tempting but I don't think I'll use 250GB let alone 120GB for my OS and applications. I've read that installing games on an SSD will only improve the map loading speed but the actual game play will still perform equally compared to a 7200RPM HDD. What other things would you store on SSDs? I might bite if it's appealing but I don't want to spend an extra $60 on top of the current $200. >.>

        That kit was sold out a few days ago and I didn't check on it since. It's in stock now, thanks for telling me.

        • humdingaling on 25/12/2013 - 00:35

          games are very large these days
          doesnt take many games to fill up the HDD

          if your like me and want to have multiple games installed "incase" you want to play it
          you dont have to find the back up and reinstall it…..as often

    • Willy Bargin on 25/12/2013 - 10:17
      +1

      Wow $125 on a case - dude get a $40 case and build a better PC , I rather save my money build a milk crate case and have a uber PC then a cool case with a shit PC that lags .
      The different of $100 on gpu is huge difference

      • cannedhams on 29/12/2013 - 17:41
        +1

        Yeah but you can keep a case. I bought a good one two builds ago because I figured it would be the only thing I kept. Everything else gets upgraded.

    • donkeydoc on 20/01/2014 - 14:21

      Did you end up getting the card? You can save some coin with a cheaper case, a mid sized tower for around $55 is great. The motherboard is fine too, upgrading to 2 cards is silly anyway.

  • ankor on 24/12/2013 - 16:23
    +2

    Once I stuck bf4 on the ssd, I went from waiting 2minutes for a map to load to waiting about 15sec. Strangely enough, I didn't notice a significant difference with starcraft 2. I have win7 ultimate OS, starcraft 2, and bf4 on the 120gb hdd. I currently have about 18gb free on that drive. Just make sure that you disable any sort of defragging/indexing stuff in your windows settings. I think win 8.1 does it already, but best to check.

    I have an i5-4130 haswell, and with a stock heatsink it's a great, quiet performer that allows me to play games and stream media from my pc to other devices at the same time. I'm quite certain that you will be happy with yours.

  • Tnetennba on 24/12/2013 - 23:38
    +1

    I would just spend an extra $10-20 on a better power supply. 500w is good, and will be enough, but if you plan on ever upgrading something like the graphics card (like I am, I have 500w), you will need to also upgrade the power supply. Even 600W would give you a lot more leeway.

    Up to you, but in my opinion the PSU is one of the most important parts of the computer. A shit one will mean you are risking all those other expensive parts, and a good one gives you a lot of peace of mind.

    • qwerty123 on 25/12/2013 - 00:20

      I've changed the PSU to a 600W but I've also went with a higher end graphics card. Is that PSU good for that build? If not, can you please recommend me a more suitable one? (Check the comment above). Thanks.

      • humdingaling on 25/12/2013 - 00:57

        the PSU you are going with is absolutely fine for your build
        you wont run into SLI issue because you cannot do it with your board anyway

        not a bad watch but mind you he is only using a gtx680
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiWThqgFfI4

  • Willy Bargin on 25/12/2013 - 10:12
    +2

    Just a free tip

    Psu is the most important thing - you don't want to fry every other item in your computer . Also psu some time have 7 year warrnety and I have heard sone time last up to 10-15 year so most PC builder would upgrade every 3 year but keep the same psu and case

    Get 1x of 8gb of ram …. Then you can always upgrade later if you want try not to populate all the slots up front because you will have to throw away the old stuff to upgrade / or just add another later

    Pretty nice build . Your going to get heaps of opinion

    Personally with your budget I would build a AMD build ( high end gaming PC intel are always better )

    You can get
    a fx-6300 for $140 which is unlock ( over clockable if you into that )
    A cheap 990fx motherboard with more slots for gpu , more ram , better fan support for fan cooling , hdmi out , better sound , for around ) $100-$130

    Could save you $100 or so going with amd

    That mother is really low . Yea it will work I guess but For $88 you could spend $10 -$20 more and you will get many more feature

    Also maybe have a look at a new cheap AMD gpu R7 270 are quite nice

  • bb_hunter on 25/12/2013 - 10:30

    Get the H87 or Z87 mobo, B85 is for business PC and lack many of the performance features. Also, if you are not planning to use SLI/crossfire get a cheaper case and PSU (600w should be enough) and spend more on the CPU and GPU. I5-4670 and R9-270 should be better.

  • bravotwo on 19/01/2014 - 21:28

    http://www.pccasegear.com/sc/BhN

    Planning on building my first gaming pc as well, I'm having difficulty picking the psu, is 600w enough?

    • demiurge on 20/01/2014 - 01:43

      It's enough unless you put in two graphics cards.

    • donkeydoc on 20/01/2014 - 14:17

      It's overkill, not a concern, unless you want to use 2 cards, inefficient and a waste in power, also requires an expensive motherboard, best to stick to 1 graphics card, 600 w is fine

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