My current gaming PC recently died (due to a nearby lightning strike) so I need to plan out a new build.
Lightning Details: (Click to show)
I think everyone here would agree that I am in need of a new build although my Core2Duo setup ran like a champ for almost 4 years. I was already planning to build a new pc this year but Mother Nature has accelerated my schedule.
My PC use is ~95% gaming so I was thinking of going with LGA 1155 for the socket. I want to stay with Intel for the CPU. I’ve read a lot of back and forth on Sandy vs. Ivy Bridge so I don’t want to start another debate. I was thinking about a 3570k just to go with the newer tech since the prices are so similar. I’m sure either would be a great upgrade compared to my E8500. I’m not really a hardcore OC’er so 4.2-4.4 GHz with decent temps would be fine.
For GPU I was thinking about switching to Nvidia for this build. I don’t have any complaints about the AMD hardware but I was never a fan of their driver support, especially with new releases. I would like to start out with a single strong GPU with the ability to add another in the future when I need more graphical horsepower. I will be playing on a single monitor at 1920x1080.
Also, I've never had an SSD so I was thinking about trying one out for a boot drive. I don't have a firm budget but $2000 seemed like a nice round number and I don't want to go too crazy. There isn't a Microcenter near where I live so I will be buying everything on Amazon and Newegg. And I don't really want to sit around for a month waiting on stuff to come in stock so I would like components that I could buy in the next week or so.
Here is what I have so far:
CPU: Intel i5-3570k (newegg, $239)
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB (newegg, $399)
MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth Z77 (newegg, $239)
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2x4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) (newegg, $59)
Storage:
PSU: CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 750W (newegg, $149)
Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner (newegg, $17)
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM (newegg, $99)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 Black ATX Full Tower (newegg, $169)
Monitor: ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms LCD Monitor w/ Speakers 300 cd/m2 20000 :1 (ASCR) (newegg, $169)
Current total: $1882 (Newegg Wishlist Link)
Questions:
I'm hoping that my mouse, keyboard, headphones, etc. are still in working order but I haven't tested everything yet. I also hope to salvage the hard drives from my old PC if they still work. I'm fairly sure my monitor still works as well but I want to get a new one anyway.
Sorry for that wall of text. Suggestions/advice would be appreciated!
Edited by Xealot - 6/2/12 at 8:35am
Lightning Details: (Click to show)
I was busily playing Diablo III with my monk in nightmare difficulty when there was a lightning strike very close to my house. I heard a pop and my PC turned off and would not restart although my monitor was still on. There was also a funny smell coming from the tower.
A quick inspection with the cover off did not show any obvious damage but I’m not sure I would trust any of the components in there in the future. In other news my router isn’t working and I think my 40 inch Samsung LCD was damaged as well. I am definitely going to get rid of my cheap $20 power strips and get some better surge protection (and backup my hard drives more often).
A quick inspection with the cover off did not show any obvious damage but I’m not sure I would trust any of the components in there in the future. In other news my router isn’t working and I think my 40 inch Samsung LCD was damaged as well. I am definitely going to get rid of my cheap $20 power strips and get some better surge protection (and backup my hard drives more often).
I think everyone here would agree that I am in need of a new build although my Core2Duo setup ran like a champ for almost 4 years. I was already planning to build a new pc this year but Mother Nature has accelerated my schedule.
My PC use is ~95% gaming so I was thinking of going with LGA 1155 for the socket. I want to stay with Intel for the CPU. I’ve read a lot of back and forth on Sandy vs. Ivy Bridge so I don’t want to start another debate. I was thinking about a 3570k just to go with the newer tech since the prices are so similar. I’m sure either would be a great upgrade compared to my E8500. I’m not really a hardcore OC’er so 4.2-4.4 GHz with decent temps would be fine.
For GPU I was thinking about switching to Nvidia for this build. I don’t have any complaints about the AMD hardware but I was never a fan of their driver support, especially with new releases. I would like to start out with a single strong GPU with the ability to add another in the future when I need more graphical horsepower. I will be playing on a single monitor at 1920x1080.
Also, I've never had an SSD so I was thinking about trying one out for a boot drive. I don't have a firm budget but $2000 seemed like a nice round number and I don't want to go too crazy. There isn't a Microcenter near where I live so I will be buying everything on Amazon and Newegg. And I don't really want to sit around for a month waiting on stuff to come in stock so I would like components that I could buy in the next week or so.
Here is what I have so far:
CPU: Intel i5-3570k (newegg, $239)
GPU: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB (newegg, $399)
MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth Z77 (newegg, $239)
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2x4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) (newegg, $59)
Storage:
PSU: CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 750W (newegg, $149)
Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner (newegg, $17)
OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM (newegg, $99)
Case: NZXT Switch 810 Black ATX Full Tower (newegg, $169)
Monitor: ASUS VH236H Black 23" 2ms LCD Monitor w/ Speakers 300 cd/m2 20000 :1 (ASCR) (newegg, $169)
Current total: $1882 (Newegg Wishlist Link)
Questions:
- Will 750 Watts be enough power to have headroom for OCing, another GPU in SLI, and more hard drives in the future?
- Any reason to get 16 GB of RAM for gaming? (Pros/Cons of 2 vs. 4 DIMMS?)
I'm hoping that my mouse, keyboard, headphones, etc. are still in working order but I haven't tested everything yet. I also hope to salvage the hard drives from my old PC if they still work. I'm fairly sure my monitor still works as well but I want to get a new one anyway.
Sorry for that wall of text. Suggestions/advice would be appreciated!
Edited by Xealot - 6/2/12 at 8:35am
Nephalem
(16 items) |
Sager NP9170
(10 items) |
| CPU | Graphics | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel i7-3630QM | nVidia GeForce GTX 680M 4GB | 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz | 128GB Crucial M4 SSD |
| Hard Drive | Optical Drive | OS | Monitor |
| 750GB 7200RPM | 6x Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW | Win7 x64 | 17.3" Sager Matte Screen (1920x1080) |
| Mouse | Mouse Pad | ||
| Razer DeathAdder | SteelSeries QcK Mini | ||
| View all | |||
|
Nephalem
(16 items) |
Sager NP9170
(10 items) |
| CPU | Graphics | RAM | Hard Drive |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intel i7-3630QM | nVidia GeForce GTX 680M 4GB | 2x4GB DDR3 1600MHz | 128GB Crucial M4 SSD |
| Hard Drive | Optical Drive | OS | Monitor |
| 750GB 7200RPM | 6x Blu-Ray Read/8X DVDRW | Win7 x64 | 17.3" Sager Matte Screen (1920x1080) |
| Mouse | Mouse Pad | ||
| Razer DeathAdder | SteelSeries QcK Mini | ||
| View all | |||
