# [SOLVED] Desktop Build Redux



## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

And now, the conclusion.

I'm sure you've seen at least some of the threads I've put up in the past week. Many thanks to everyone who replied as it helped me a great deal. I believe I've now finalised my build, but I've been at it for over six hours straight now so I don't know how clearheaded I am. 

I've compiled a spreadsheet with all of the alternatives I've considered. I'll go ahead and attach that as well. The second attachment is the build list you can also find below. Total cost comes out to 820 £, which is 1296 $ or 970 €. In terms of main components, this build is comparable in price and performance to the 1000$ Intel build in the sticky, although optimised for my needs and with some extra components, the main expense being the SSD. Target usage is gaming, programming and media editing/encoding. Expected lifetime should be over 3 years.

*Part List (see attachments):*

```
MOBO	Gigabyte	Z77X-D3H 		£96
CPU	Intel		Core i5 3570K		£165
RAM	Corsair		Vengeance 16GB		£79
GPU	Sapphire	HD 78 50		£144
HDD	Samsung		840 250GB		£130
PSU	Seasonic	S12II-620		£67
Case	Fractal Design	Define R4		£93
DVD	LG		GH24NS90		£13
Fan	Fractal Design	SS R2 140mm		£9
Cable	Akasa		SATA R Black 50		£5
MISC	Akasa		3.5"/5.25" Mount	£7
```
Links, in order. I'd spoiler-tag these but apparently that doesn't exist so here goes:
Gigabyte SKT-1155 Z77X-D3H Motherboard: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Intel 3rd Generation Core i5-3570K CPU (4 x 3.40GHz, Ivy Bridge, Socket 1155, 6Mb L3 Cache, Intel Turbo Boost Technology 2.0): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Corsair CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9 16GB 1600MHz CL9 DDR3 Vengeance Memory Four Module Kit: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD7850 2048 Mo HD7850-2048 Version OC (11200-00-10G) - Achat/Vente SAPPHIRE Radeon HD7850 2048 Mo HD7850-2048 Version OC (11200-00-10G) - RueDuCommerce
Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5 inch SATA Solid State Drive: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
SEASONIC ALIMENTATION S12II 620 WATTS (SEA-S12II-620) - Achat/Vente SEASONIC ALIMENTATION S12II 620 WATTS (SEA-S12II-620) - RueDuCommerce
Fractal Design Define R4 - towermodel - ATX | Mijnitshop.be
LG GH24NS90.AUAA50B 24x SATA Bare Internal DVD Rewriter - Black: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Fractal Design Silent Series 140mm Case Fan: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Akasa AK-CBSA01-05BK SATA 3.0 6Gbps Rounded Cable - Black(50cm): Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories
Akasa 2.5/3.5 inch to 5.25 inch Mounting Adapter: Amazon.co.uk: Computers & Accessories​

I'd welcome any suggestions or recommendations. My budget is flexible so if you can suggest an upgrade/downgrade to maximise the potential of this build please do so. I'm holding off on ordering for now since it's the weekend and all, but I'll likely be locking my choices in tomorrow. The euro is also dropping rapidly against the pound so I'd best not wait too long. :hide:


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

No reason to get the 3750K version. The i5-3570 will do just fine and save you money.

16GB of RAM is an overkill as nothing could use that much RAM. Infact very little can use over 8GB. Did you make sure to get 1600Mhz as the speed?

SSDs are not recommended right now as they are not cost effective. They really only offer a faster boot time. Stick with a normal HDD.

I would change the Case to either NZXT, Corsair, Antec, or Cooler Master but its your choice. Same goes for the DVD drive, ASUS or Samsung is what I like to recommend.

No reason to buy the 140mm Fan. The case won't heat up that much.

Why are you buying a SATA cable?


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> No reason to get the 3750K version. The i5-3570 will do just fine and save you money.


The locked version was removed from Amazon UK. All other sites I can use either don't offer it or ask more for it than the 3750K would cost me on Amazon.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> 16GB of RAM is an overkill as nothing could use that much RAM. Infact very little can use over 8GB. Did you make sure to get 1600Mhz as the speed?


Yes, they're CAS9 running at 1600. And I'm aware that it's overkill in general usage. I intend to use it as background cache and possibly as a RAM drive. If it turns out that I truly don't need it I can repurpose it for my server build that may follow later but I like the idea of an 8 gig cache.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> SSDs are not recommended right now as they are not cost effective. They really only offer a faster boot time. Stick with a normal HDD.


I'm aware of that, but I'd like to go ahead with it all the same. Several friends and colleagues have recommended using an SSD. Additionally, a mechanical drive would be a giant waste of space, as I don't intend to keep any documents or videos on my boot/app disk. Right now my Caviar Black is running with 500 out of 600 GBs available. It will be repurposed as a document storage disk mirrored to an identically sized Blue disk.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> I would change the Case to either NZXT, Corsair, Antec, or Cooler Master but its your choice.


Any particular reason? Most other cases I've looked at don't seem to offer the soundproofing, size and quality of the FD, while occupying the same pricepoint and generally looking pretentious as all hell.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Same goes for the DVD drive, ASUS or Samsung is what I like to recommend.


Thanks for the tip. I wasn't sure what brand to go with. I heard they were all identical and I won't be using the drive much so I went with the cheapest I could find. I'll be replacing the LG with an ASUS or Samsung, depending on availability.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> No reason to buy the 140mm Fan. The case won't heat up that much.


My main concern is if I'll be able to keep the case cool with the fans on the lowest, 5 volt speed. I may delay this purchase until I've had a chance to test the build as I'm not restricted by delivery costs on Amazon.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> Why are you buying a SATA cable?


Three of them actually. One for the SSD and one for the optical, both of which are OEM and don't come with them. The third will be for the secondary HDD. My current blue UV cables will remain with my old desktop.


Thank you for your reply, I do believe it's time for me to head to bed for now.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

I picked those case manufacturers due to the build quality and air cooling. I own a NZXT and love it. But like I said if you like the one you picked then keep it.

If the LG drive is cheaper then its fine to keep the LG one but I find Asus to be the best and quiet.

After your comments the rest of the build looks fine. :thumb:


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> If the LG drive is cheaper then its fine to keep the LG one but I find Asus to be the best and quiet.


I'll definitely keep it mind.



Masterchiefxx17 said:


> After your comments the rest of the build looks fine. :thumb:


Thanks, glad to hear it.


One further question: the retail CPU will come with its own thermal compound right? Should I bother getting another? My previous build used the stock TC I believe. I've also heard that some CPUs come with some sort of patch instead in an effort to eliminate user error. :nonono:


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

16GB is a waste. Few games/apps can utilize over 3GB. We suggest 8GB for new builds simply because RAM is cheap.
LG optical drives are fine. 
Cases are a personal choice and the one you list looks to be well made.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*



Tyree said:


> 16GB is a waste. Few games/apps can utilize over 3GB. We suggest 8GB for new builds simply because RAM is cheap.


I understand and I appreciate your opinion but as I've explained above it makes sense to go for 16 in my situation. At worst 4/8 GB will be re-used elsewhere.



Tyree said:


> LG optical drives are fine.


Guess I might as well settle for the cheapest then.


I've just realised that while my drives are OEM, the motherboard of course isn't. It comes with 4 SATA cables (in matching colours even) so I can shave another 15 quid off the build. :dance:


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*



> One further question: the retail CPU will come with its own thermal compound right? Should I bother getting another? My previous build used the stock TC I believe. I've also heard that some CPUs come with some sort of patch instead in an effort to eliminate user error.


Yes the CPU will come with thermal paste and its own fan. No need to spend any extra money on more paste.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

And it's done. I've just finalised all my orders. One major delivery will be coming via UPS from France, the rest of the items will come separately from Amazon. Odds are the local taxipost will be ramming 80-150 pound chips in my mailbox again, I just hope they take a little care this time. :nonono: At least they won't park my components in a cardboard box in a leaky garden shed, during a monsoon and without notice like Novatech did last time. 

Then again, it _is_ snowing...


Thanks everyone for your kind assistance, it was invaluable! :beerchug:


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

You're welcome and best of luck.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

No problem! Enjoy the build!


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

The first half of the parts arrived from Amazon. Delivery guy put the 600$ cardboard box outside on the windowsill so it's a good thing it wasn't raining. At least it was out of sight of the street though.

Unfortunately the French site I ordered the other parts from delayed my order for a whole day waiting on "confirmation of residence" documents and then proceeded to send everything via parcel post while I paid for delivery by UPS. I'm looking to vent my displeasure but apparently their customer service doesn't have a single viable email address. I'd call them but my French is too rusty to sound convincingly angry. :dance:


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

All parts have arrived and I'm in the process of building everything into the case.

I didn't feel like doing a bench test though perhaps I should have, the package I received that contained my GPU, PSU and SDD had a label claiming that my package was opened as it was "damaged in transit" and they had to "improve the packaging". That's what you get with parcel post I suppose. Time will tell if I'll have to brush up on French cuss words. :whistling:


Now, to figure out which of these 4/8, 6/8, 8 port PCI connectors I can put in my GPU without frying it... :dance:


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

Was anything damaged in the shipping? I would look over each part very carefully.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

A bench test should always be done before assembling in the case. 
Mounting the CPU to the Mobo on the bench insures the heatsink is securely locked to the Mobo.
It only takes a few minutes to insure all components are working and can save a lot of time if they're not.
Reading the manual thoroughly, prior to any assy., will take the guess work out of connections.
Assembling a PC is only as hard as you make it.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

Or, in this case, as hard as the manufacturers make it. The case manual is all of 2 pages long so I had to figure everything out on the go. Thankfully I didn't break anything off. The GPU also came without a manual and the mobo manual doesn't mention anything about connecting power cables. I've managed to work it all out though. But I'm puzzled why my PSU would offer two (1+1ATX/EPS) EPS12V cables.

Anyway, nothing looked damaged and upong building everything into the PC it all worked fine. My only concern was that on powering up, the CPU fan turned on for a second than went off again. This repeated twice before it booted completely. Installation of W7 64b Professional is now done. It froze on "expanding files" but evidently finished later as it was ready when I came back half an hour later.

My GPU arrived in a mere anti-static bag wrapped in a padded envelope, wasn't aware that I'd be receiving an OEM version. I'm somewhat concerned that they dumped a refurbished drive on me as the included driver CD fails to install its drivers. I'll have to have a look later.

The only other part that worries me is the LG DVD drive, which sounds like an android abattoir, trashing horribly and taking ages to read data. It seems like it might have to return it.

For now I'll head to bed, more updates tomorrow. I'll see if I can get a picture of the insides up as well. (Once I've jammed all the cables out of the way.)


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

If you have problems, post back.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

Well it seems all turned out well. I'm typing this from my new build with most settings and applications already ported over. I spent about an hour rerouting cables and sourcing old IO to connect my old PC to my home network as well, only to then take 2 minutes to set up remote desktop and put the remote session on my second monitor. So I tore everything down again so I have a headless desktop. :grin: I can really recommend it to others building a new PC, it seems to work really well in 7.

I'll upload a few build pics once I've got all my software back. I must say I'm enjoying USB3 and an SSD. It feels like I finally got a visible performance increase with upgrading, which I never had with my previous build.

Prime95 ran for a few hours with an open case so my hardware should be in working order. I'll be running it overnight as well, I'll run some benchmarks and games to test the rest of the build. I'll probably also stress-test my dvd drive as I'm still somewhat concerned about it.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

Glad it worked out.


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

I just ran Prime95 for over 5 hours. With an ambient temperature of 17-20 °C and fans running at full speed, the cores never ran hotter than 78-79 °C (when the thermostat kicked in). Interestingly enough the fourth core maxed at only 73 °C.

I take it that this is a safe operating temperature? When idle the cores run at 35 °C so I think my cooling should be all right.


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## Masterchiefxx17 (Feb 27, 2010)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

Looks fine to me for idea temps.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

*Re: Desktop Build Redux*

As above ^


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## Vadigor (Apr 19, 2009)

Thanks, that's good to know.

I've been running my case fans at maximum whenever I'm running a game for an extended period of time but I doubt it's actually required. The components won't run any colder because of it since my case temperature is probably cold enough even with the fans running at 5V.


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