PC in the Works

Going to be building a PC this summer, and I've been looking for what to buy (PSU, CPU, Mobo, etc.) and I completed most of the parts I was looking for with the help from Artie .

Would appreciate all feedback on what to change etc. Max I really want to spend is around 500-600 dollars. Don't care about running Skyrim, Crisis 2, and Diablo 3 all at max at once, but I would like to be able to play Diablo 3 with pretty good settings if I feel like it.

CPU
Between the 3450 and the 3550.. Is the new Ivy Bridge worth the $10?

Mobo
Micro Atx - Let me know if ya'll have any other suggestion(s.)

Case + PSU
Challenger Tower and 650W PSU

Optical Drive
Haven't decided if I plan on getting one yet.. Any suggestions?

HDD
Got 3 500 GB Sata's just sitting around..

Gfx Card
Planning on a Radeon HD 6850 not sure yet though

Ram
Got 6GB of DDR3

Feedback please .

 

Do you really need optical drive? I haven't had one for years and never really needed it.

I would get this processor instead http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BX80623I52500K-Core-i5-2500K-Processor/dp/B004EBUXHQ

I would really consider not buying a graphics card and putting that money to a better motherboard + cooler for the CPU and buy a better graphics card later on but that's up to you, save for the graphics card and overclock your CPU and you will be easily able to max any game if you resolution is somewhere around 1920x1080.

 

Get the 2500K like he said - it's oveclockable and that makes a big difference

Other than that - you need the optical drive to install the OS and it's not expensive enough to matter

Get Moar ram

And absolutely ignore what he said about GFX cards. If you want to be able to play D3 on anything higher than low it's absolutely necessary. Use whatever cash you have left over to get the best one you can.

 

I wouldnt go with micro atx boards if your going to be using a full size graphics card. Get the 3570k cpu with a z77 chipset motherboard.

 

Windows OS can be installed with a flash drive too, a 4GB will do it. But if you'd still like here's a cheap & reliable on from asus: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204. That's a nice case you've picked, I have it my house and it's pretty sleek and big. The PSU should be more than enough for your build, with plenty of upgradability. The 6850 should be able to handle D3 just fine, hard/ultra settings would work. The mobo you picked can support Ivy bridge, so if you want to go with it you can. Has only one slot for a dedicated GPU, so don't plan on SLI/CFX. 2 ram slots so you'd have to swap out your current ram for a 8 gb model if you'd ever want to upgrade.

My only concern is placement on the mobo, make sure the parts won't interfere, a full-size GPU may cause problems. If you choose to upgrade the mobo, try the z68 chipset, or of you have enough money go for the z77.

Edit: Oh nevermind the board has 2 pci express slots. May obstruct the sata ports though.

 

Get an Nvidia card instead of an AMD card. I'd say either the GTX480 or the 560.

 

Optical drive is still expensive enough when you can put that cash into graphics card.

And why ignore when I'm telling the truth? He can wait and get a little more money and get better performance out of games instead of having to deal with lower framerates and lower settings.

 

Id go with an optical drive anyways, $20 wont break your bank.

Also, the thing about saving and buying a gfx card later, is the wait. He might not want to wait, i certainly wouldn't. He could always sli/crossfire in the future.

 

Processor - $169.99
Motherboard - $44.99
Memory - $46.99
Solid State - $72.99
DVD Burner - $16.99
Graphics Card - $129.99
PSU & Case - $104.98

 

He already has a hdd, so id take out the ssd and put the money towards a better gfx, like a 2GB 6870 or 560

 

Alright thanks for the feedback everyone..

Ya'll think a ssd is worth it for the OS, or no?

 

Well if you turn your computer off/on alot, and willing to spend the extra money for a luxury. Your current HDD will work just fine IMO.

 

No, take graves build, but replace the ssd and videocard for one of the two i mentioned a few posts ago.

 

And if you really want to play some games, don't get AMD. Just not capable of competing with Intel at the moment.

 

Read the OP. For what he wants amd is more than sufficient. And for the price.

 

Processor, pretty good choice. Although the 2500k will rip through anything you can throw at it. Not to mention you could OC up it up to 5 Ghz if you wanted to. http://www.amazon.com/Intel-BX80623I52500K-Core-i5-2500K-Processor/dp/B004EBUXHQ

Motherboard: Not bad, although how about something like this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771R&Tpk=ASUS%20P67%20PRO

Case + PSU: Both very nice, I have the same PSU and it has yet to disappoint me. As for the case, it seems decent enough for what you want. You normally don't need to spend a ridiculous amount on cases anyway.

Optical Drive: Don't need anything special, something similar to this is fine: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136247
You can indeed install an OS without it, but it's always useful to have an optical drive, especially as they're so cheap now.

HDD: I have two Western Digital's at the moment (500GB). You could go for an SSD if you wanted to, but there's nothing wrong with HDDs today.

GPU: Why not go for Nvidia? More games are better optimsed for that brand, especially for the ones you mentioned. I would say at least the 560 ti would do you good, although it would be good to know what resolution you're going to play at. Something out of the 600 serious will last you a very long time however. As for AMD, I don't use them, so I can't offer any advice in that brand.

RAM: What brand you looking at? 6GB is alright, although I find 8GB is good enough for me. Nothing wrong with 6 though. I assume you're going for DDR3.

Not a bad build, would be nice to know your resolution though

 

For what he wants on OP, older AMD is also sufficient and even cheaper, it's just the fact that by putting a little more money u can get alot more performance. Making smart choices pays off.