Buyer's Guide II: Extreme, High-End, Mid-Range, Budget, and Entry Level Systems - Part 2

[DBSK_OT5]

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75M-DGS @ $324
Ram: G.Skill 1600mhz 2x4GB @ $54
HDD: Hitachi 500GB @ $62
SSD: Intel 330 120GB @ $117 (Tradepac)
Case: Sharkoon T5 @ $65
PSU: FSP Raider 450W @ $75
OS: Windows 8 Pro VUP @ $89

Total: $786
Buy and build at PC Themes except for SSD.

Buy Windows 8 Pro VUP and do a clean installation.
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/w...all-non-legit-win-7-all-answered-3951685.html

Can make the specs abit lower?

 

[manutd1972]

For your case & psu, you can still go for it but you will need to top up $10 to $108, no promo discount. For odd, I compare my lg odd button and hp odd button, hp feels better and easier to press. Not so sure about Samsung..

ok thanks both ah hui and nipp0n for your feedback on the odd, plus the casing and psu.

 

[sephunr]

Hi guys

I need recommendations for a building a desktop. Budget's around ~$1.5k and mainly used for work and light gaming(dota2 at max settings?)

Monitor & wireless adapter needed. Thanks!

 

[nipp0n]

Can make the specs abit lower?

Any lower will be i3. Though you can still game at i3, but in the future, if you intend to play more graphic intensive and cpu intensive games, dual core cpu will bottleneck the optimal performance of higher end gpu.

If you are on a tight budget, maybe you can skip the SSD. Buy it later.

 

[nipp0n]

Hi guys

I need recommendations for a building a desktop. Budget's around ~$1.5k and mainly used for work and light gaming(dota2 at max settings?)

Monitor & wireless adapter needed. Thanks!

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $347
Ram: G.Skill 1600mhz value ram 2x4GB @ $54
ODD: HP DVD RW @ $25
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB @ $90
SSD: Plextor M5P 128GB @ $155
GPU: Powercolor 7770 @ $159
Case: Sharkoon T5 @ $65
PSU: FSP Raider 450W @ $75
Monitor: Dell U2312HM @ $255 (Tradepac)
Wifi adapter: TP Link WN722N High Gain @ $26 (Fuwell)

Total: $1251
Buy and build at PC Themes except for monitor and wifi adapter.

Basic entry level gpu like 7770 is able to play dota2 at max settings smoothly at that given monitor resolution.

If you wish to maximise your budget, can go for Powercolor 7850 PCS @ $279.

By the way, what is your internet plan, router and distance from desktop to router?

 

[sephunr]

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $347
Ram: G.Skill 1600mhz value ram 2x4GB @ $54
ODD: HP DVD RW @ $25
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB @ $90
SSD: Plextor M5P 128GB @ $155
GPU: Powercolor 7770 @ $159
Case: Sharkoon T5 @ $65
PSU: FSP Raider 450W @ $75
Monitor: Dell U2312HM @ $255 (Tradepac)
Wifi adapter: TP Link WN722N High Gain @ $26 (Fuwell)

Total: $1251
Buy and build at PC Themes except for monitor and wifi adapter.

Basic entry level gpu like 7770 is able to play dota2 at max settings smoothly at that given monitor resolution.

If you wish to maximise your budget, can go for Powercolor 7850 PCS @ $279.

By the way, what is your internet plan, router and distance from desktop to router?

MaxOnline Express, 16mpbs / 1.2mbps.

Cisco DPC3925, about 3m+ away from router with one wall in between.

 

[nipp0n]

MaxOnline Express, 16mpbs / 1.2mbps.

Cisco DPC3925, about 3m+ away from router with one wall in between.

The wifi adapter should work fine. I was trying to find out more info regarding your router.

Apparently, some people experienced frequent disconnection using this router.
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/internet-bandwidth-networking-clinic-4/big-problem-starhubs-new-cisco-dpc3925-modem-3425882.html

 

[sephunr]

The wifi adapter should work fine. I was trying to find out more info regarding your router.

Apparently, some people experienced frequent disconnection using this router.
http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/i...starhubs-new-cisco-dpc3925-modem-3425882.html

Been using it for a few months and haven't experienced any frequent disconnections. Speed wise have been okay as well.

Please bear with me if I ask some noob questions. This is the first time I'm seeing all this parts stuff because this is my first desktop

For the build, what differences will a 16gb ram have over the 8gb ram as suggested?

450W PSU vs 550W PSU?

 

[nipp0n]

Been using it for a few months and haven't experienced any frequent disconnections. Speed wise have been okay as well.

Please bear with me if I ask some noob questions. This is the first time I'm seeing all this parts stuff because this is my first desktop

For the build, what differences will a 16gb ram have over the 8gb ram as suggested?

450W PSU vs 550W PSU?

Not sure what kind of work you are doing. Normally. 16gb ram is recommended for those who does frequent photoshop/video editing or intensive graphic rendering. If your work is using Microsoft office and reading emails plus some light gaming, 8gb is sufficient.

Powercolor 7770 is pretty energy efficient gpu which doesn't consumes a lot of power. I think for your system, it will hardly consume up to 300W. So 450W is more than enough to power the entire rig without any problem. Higher watt doesn't mean it is a better psu. FSP raider 450W had a silver to gold efficiency and doesn't cost you much.

 

[sephunr]

Not sure what kind of work you are doing. Normally. 16gb ram is recommended for those who does frequent photoshop/video editing or intensive graphic rendering. If your work is using Microsoft office and reading emails plus some light gaming, 8gb is sufficient.

Powercolor 7770 is pretty energy efficient gpu which doesn't consumes a lot of power. I think for your system, it will hardly consume up to 300W. So 450W is more than enough to power the entire rig without any problem. Higher watt doesn't mean it is a better psu. FSP raider 450W had a silver to gold efficiency and doesn't cost you much.

No problem for 7850pcs+ as well?

 

[nipp0n]

No problem for 7850pcs+ as well?

No problem with 7850 and 7870.

 

[Kevinkzw]

Hi ya'll

I need help to build my first computer(desktop), which will be a mid-high(?) tier gaming rig and might do some OC-ing in the future. It will be used primarily for gaming, movies, surfing the Internet. I'll be needing a full rig (monitor, mouse, keyboard, OS, speakers & etc) and help in assembling. My budget is around 2k-2.5k. I've done some research and came up with the following specs:

CPU+Mobo: i5-3570k + Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo
Ram: Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz CL9 2x8G/ 4x4
ODD: Samsung SH-224 24x DvD+-RW
HDD: WD 1TB Caviar Black
SSD: Necessary to have one?
GPU: Gigabyte GTX670 2GB OC Windforce DDR5 or Gigabyte GTX 660Ti 2GB DDR5 OC
Casing: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced USB3.0 (Should change stock fans?)
PSU: Corsair GS700
Monitor: DELL ST2320L 23"
Wifi Adapter: Planned to use a 10m CAT 6 cable instead
Mouse: Razer Naga
Keyboard: Razer Arctosa
Speakers: Logitech Z323 2.1
OS: Windows 8

My friend recommended me to buy most parts from Fuwell, what do you guys think? Thank you.

 

[nipp0n]

Hi ya'll

I need help to build my first computer(desktop), which will be a mid-high(?) tier gaming rig and might do some OC-ing in the future. It will be used primarily for gaming, movies, surfing the Internet. I'll be needing a full rig (monitor, mouse, keyboard, OS, speakers & etc) and help in assembling. My budget is around 2k-2.5k. I've done some research and came up with the following specs:

CPU+Mobo: i5-3570k + Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo
Ram: Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz CL9 2x8G/ 4x4
ODD: Samsung SH-224 24x DvD+-RW
HDD: WD 1TB Caviar Black
SSD: Necessary to have one?
GPU: Gigabyte GTX670 2GB OC Windforce DDR5 or Gigabyte GTX 660Ti 2GB DDR5 OC
Casing: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced USB3.0 (Should change stock fans?)
PSU: Corsair GS700
Monitor: DELL ST2320L 23"
Wifi Adapter: Planned to use a 10m CAT 6 cable instead
Mouse: Razer Naga
Keyboard: Razer Arctosa
Speakers: Logitech Z323 2.1
OS: Windows 8

My friend recommended me to buy most parts from Fuwell, what do you guys think? Thank you.

CPU+Mobo: i5-3570k + Gigabyte Z77X-UD3H @ $517
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Evo @ $59
Ram: Corsair Vengeance 1600MHz CL9 2x4GB @ $68
ODD: HP DVD RW @ $25
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB @ $90
SSD: Plextor M5P 128GB @ $155
GPU: Powercolor 7970 V2 @ $529
Casing: CoolerMaster HAF 912 Advanced USB3.0 @ $139
PSU: Corsair HX650W @ $159
Monitor: DELL U2312HM @ $255 (Tradepac)
Mouse: Razer Naga @ $129
Keyboard: Razer Arctosa @$79
Speakers: Logitech Z323 2.1 @ $76
OS: Windows 8 Pro VUP @ $89

Total: $2369
Buy and build at PC Themes.

For ram, 8GB is more than enough for gaming and normal office usage. 16GB will be recommended if you intend to do graphic intensive rendering. You can also consider value ram @ $54 for 2x4GB. Performance same as corsair vengeance. Only difference is value ram has no heat spreader to cool the ram when you oc it. If you don't intend to oc ram, value ram will be better.

Get SSD for OS and games for faster boot up and loading time. It is way much faster compared to WD Black. Get a WD blue for normal storage.

7970 is better than GTX 670. With slight oc, it is able to meet stock performance of GTX 680.

Corsair HX650W comes with 7 years warranty and has gold efficiency. Since you are spending so much on high end gpu and CPU, don't save on psu. Get a good quality and efficient psu for lesser heat generated in the rig and save your electric bill.

IMO, Dell ST2320L color is very yellowish compared to Dell U2312HM IPS panel. Nowadays, IPS panel monitor is very popular. Since your budget allows, get one too.

You can do a clean installation using windows 8 pro VUP at $89. This way, you save close to $80 and get a professional version.

 

[temasekcity]

CPU & Mobo: i5-3470 & Asrock B75 Pro 3M @ $347
Ram: G.Skill 1600mhz value ram 2x4GB @ $54
ODD: HP DVD RW @ $25
HDD: Western Digital Blue 1TB @ $90
SSD: Plextor M5P 128GB @ $155
GPU: Powercolor 7770 @ $159
Case: Sharkoon T5 @ $65
PSU: FSP Raider 450W @ $75
Monitor: Dell U2312HM @ $255 (Tradepac)
Wifi adapter: TP Link WN722N High Gain @ $26 (Fuwell)

Total: $1251
Buy and build at PC Themes except for monitor and wifi adapter.

Basic entry level gpu like 7770 is able to play dota2 at max settings smoothly at that given monitor resolution.

If you wish to maximise your budget, can go for Powercolor 7850 PCS @ $279.

By the way, what is your internet plan, router and distance from desktop to router?

1. Waste money on highend cpu. i3 will do.
2. Lousy PSU. get a gold one.
3. no need 128G. 60 or 64 will do.

 

[noinimod]

1. Waste money on highend cpu. i3 will do.
2. Lousy PSU. get a gold one.
3. no need 128G. 60 or 64 will do.

Disagree on 3rd point. At current SSD prices, no reason not to get 128 gb. Maybe you can live with 60/64, but most people will find it challenging.

 

[nipp0n]

1. Waste money on highend cpu. i3 will do.
2. Lousy PSU. get a gold one.
3. no need 128G. 60 or 64 will do.

1) I agree i3 is good enough. But if TS decides to move on to play more latest games in the future at high settings, not only does he need to change a higher end gpu, he will also need to change his CPU as well. I find that i3 dual core processor is going to bottleneck the full potential of high end gpu. So I think it would be better to invest in a quad core CPU now and just change the gpu in the future.

2) May I know what is the reason why you label FSP Raider a lousy psu? For your info, FSP raider has a silver to gold efficiency.

3) IMO, the price to size ratio is pretty reasonable for this 128GB SSD.

 

[[T]oo[P]ro[L]an[L]iao]

this is my current system

CPU : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+ x 1 ‎(1.71Ghz)‎

RAM : 1GB

GPU : NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT ‎(PS3.0/VS3.0)‎

VRAM : 512Mb

If the only game I want to play is Dota 2, which currently I play with the lowest setting available, lag here and there a bit but still manage to play despite it .

Can I ask if i wan for a smoother graphics and gameplay, no need to be maximum, i upgrade my core to this AMD Athlon II X2 250 & Biostar A880G+ ~ $143 and add another 1Gb Ram..Will it be fine to play Dota 2 with may be moderate setting? or low also can as long as when 5v5 combat wont lag?

Thanks for advices,

 

[DBSK_OT5]

Samsung 830 128 GB or plextor m5 128 gb

 

[nipp0n]

this is my current system

CPU : AMD Athlon(tm) 64 Processor 3200+ x 1 ‎(1.71Ghz)‎

RAM : 1GB

GPU : NVIDIA GeForce 9500 GT ‎(PS3.0/VS3.0)‎

VRAM : 512Mb

If the only game I want to play is Dota 2, which currently I play with the lowest setting available, lag here and there a bit but still manage to play despite it .

Can I ask if i wan for a smoother graphics and gameplay, no need to be maximum, i upgrade my core to this AMD Athlon II X2 250 & Biostar A880G+ ~ $143 and add another 1Gb Ram..Will it be fine to play Dota 2 with may be moderate setting? or low also can as long as when 5v5 combat wont lag?

Thanks for advices,

Why not consider Intel upgrade? I think intel Pentium G860 will be a better option compared to the one you stated.

I will suggest you get this,
CPU & Mobo: G860 & Asrock B75M-DGS @ $148
Ram: G.Skill 1333mhz 4GB @ $26

Total: $174
Buy from Tradepac.

 

[nipp0n]

Samsung 830 128 GB or plextor m5 128 gb

I think both are equally good. You can post this question in storage clinic and see if the expert can provide you with better opinons.