Building a computer

[expandas]

The 212+ gets a lot of praise not because of its performance per se, but rather its price. More expensive coolers like the Phanteks or H100 will not only cool better but will also sound quieter. You can definitely pick one up, just don't jump blindly onto the 212+ bandwagon since Cooler Master tends to jack up its price from the 25 USD that made it famous to the mid-thirties.

I'll cook something up for you Cheesy, but I need you to answer a few questions. How do you want your case to look? Would you prefer something that's more minimalist or flamboyant? Towering or tiny? Color preference? Is having a quiet computer very important to you? How about quality components (e.g. Lexus vs Toyota)?

[TheYonderGod]

notsureifserious.jpg

There are lots of better coolers under $100. I listed 5 of them, and there are lots more.

I know you're from gladius, so you may not know me, but I'm always serious 100% of the time.

I think you're misunderstanding, though. I don't really care what coolers you think are better. My opinion is that the cooler master one is the best for a sub 100$ cost. Certainly for a typical non-overclocked CPU, it's one of the most affordable and effective options available. It has thousands of positive reviews and is probably one of the most commonly used coolers (that's because it's very cheap and very good). You can keep saying it isn't, but I'll just keep saying it is; this is how opinions work.

I see, your definition of "best" is different than mine To me, best means... best performance.

[Fields]

I see, your definition of "best" is different than mine To me, best means... best performance.

facepalm.jpg
You've successfully missed the whole point of my post, lol

Mine is perfectly silent. i don't really think there's such a thing as bandwagism with computer components; if something doesn't work well it usually doesn't become very popular and sells poorly. This cooler has lots of good reviews because it's affordable and performs fantastically for the cost and that's all that should matter. My cpu stays under 40 degrees centigrade under full load and I'm only out $30 for that kind of performance. I've used larger, more expensive coolers that have fared far worse.

[Cheesy]

I'll cook something up for you Cheesy, but I need you to answer a few questions. How do you want your case to look? Would you prefer something that's more minimalist or flamboyant? Towering or tiny? Color preference? Is having a quiet computer very important to you? How about quality components (e.g. Lexus vs Toyota)?

Good questions: minimalist, and black. It doesn't have to be totally boring looking, but I don't want it to look like OMGIMASUPERTRUCKCASEWITHLASERS. Quiet would be awesome. Also, my current computer has this really obnoxious light on it. Even after I put electrical tape over it, it's still so bright that I can't leave my computer on at night because it keeps me awake. So less of that please. Size doesn't matter ( ) much to me, but I'd prefer smaller.

Thanks everyone for the advice on this! When I get some free time I'm gonna put together some builds based on what you all said and get your opinions.

[haruky]

I see, your definition of "best" is different than mine To me, best means... best performance.

There is a great difference between performance per dollar and flat out performance. The Hyper 212+ gives you great performance per dollar.

Also,

I know you're from gladius, so you may not know me, but I'm always serious 100% of the time.

[expandas]

Have a look at these two cases. The first is a MicroATX tower and the second is a smaller Mini-ITX "shoebox". Is this too small for your liking?

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=303
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=94

[wizekraker]

Have a look at these two cases. The first is a MicroATX tower and the second is a smaller Mini-ITX "shoebox". Is this too small for your liking?

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=303
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=94

Why mico ATX, if we has $1000 to drop, I was say atleast go with ATX since its give more space meaning more airflow and also the option to SLI in the future.

[expandas]

Why mico ATX, if we has $1000 to drop, I was say atleast go with ATX since its give more space meaning more airflow and also the option to SLI in the future.

The TJ08-E actually has superb cooling in its class. Since larger cases require more fans to move the same percentage of air, you can have a smaller tower that cools just as well if it's more efficient.

Cheesy also said that he was looking for something smaller than his old PC, so I thought that changing form factors would be a no-brainer.

As for SLI, I've never been a real fan of the idea. The higher-tier HD7000 and GTX600 video cards already handle BF3 at the highest settings beautifully. One could fit a 2nd video card in the TJ08-E if they really needed though.

[Cheesy]

Have a look at these two cases. The first is a MicroATX tower and the second is a smaller Mini-ITX "shoebox". Is this too small for your liking?

http://www.silverstonetek.com/product.php?pid=303
http://www.fractal-design.com/?view=product&prod=94

Ok, that's actually too minimalist. I'm old fashioned, I want something that looks like a tower

[Cheesy]

Ok, I went through everyone's suggestions (thanks!) and tried putting something together. I cherry picked stuff from several people so I'm not totally sure they make sense together. Will this work? Where could I save some money? If I put in an extra $100 on something, what would get the most bang for the buck and what difference would it make?

BTW, I've replaced a lot of video cards / hard drives but this is my first time building a computer from scratch. So easy-to-buildness is an important factor for me.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.98 @ Amazon)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.98 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($127.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($46.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($99.00 @ NCIX US)
Video Card: Gigabyte Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($407.55 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar DG 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($26.99 @ Best Buy)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($88.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($22.98 @ Newegg)
Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Ultimate Wired Gaming Keyboard ($74.19 @ Amazon)
Mouse: Razer DeathAdder Wired Optical Mouse ($49.08 @ Amazon)
Total: $1334.70
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-15 02:12 EST-0500)

[Bock]

No special use case, just gaming. I do other stuff like Photoshop occasionally but nothing that will stress any particular component too much.
Thanks guys!

The only real difference between the i7 and the i5 is the i7 has hyperthreading (runs 2 threads simultaneously on one core). This will give you a little boost in Photoshop and other content creation tasks. However, in terms of gaming performance, the i5 and i7 are identical (unless you're recording/streaming/rendering stuff while you game). So you could save some dough by downgrading the processor. Otherwise, I wouldn't really change a thing.

[Fields]

I'm super jealous of that GPU. Also, you need to find a way to spend 3 more dollars to make it $1337.

[TheYonderGod]

Looks good.
Where could you save some money?
-What Bock said
-Get a Corsair CX600 http://pcpartpicker.com/part/corsair-po ... psu600cxv2
-You don't really need a aftermarket cpu cooler if you aren't overclocking.
-Get the Sapphire 7970 http://pcpartpicker.com/part/sapphire-v ... d-100351sr (I'd have to read some reviews to make sure but I think Sapphire is better anyways)

What could you spend $100 more on..
-Get some nice headphones if you don't already have some
-Save it and get a nice 120hz monitor
-Upgrade to a Xonar DS or DX
-You could get 16gb of ram, or get a 256 ssd, or get a better case if you want, but you don't really need to.

[undrt0w]

Yonder i would love it if you could suggest some good 120Hz monitors. My 60Hz and its lack of hdmi port is pissing me off.

I would also suggest going for i5.

Also, please share your input on the razer mouse and keyboard when you get them. I was reading that the deathadder although praised by everyone, has a cheap feeling compared to logitech g500 (too light and etc.) for example.

[KoffeinFlummi]

No special use case, just gaming. I do other stuff like Photoshop occasionally but nothing that will stress any particular component too much.
Thanks guys!

The only real difference between the i7 and the i5 is the i7 has hyperthreading (runs 2 threads simultaneously on one core). This will give you a little boost in Photoshop and other content creation tasks. However, in terms of gaming performance, the i5 and i7 are identical (unless you're recording/streaming/rendering stuff while you game). So you could save some dough by downgrading the processor. Otherwise, I wouldn't really change a thing.

How significant do you think that recording advantage would be? I'm planning to upgrade my CPU soon and i haven't yet decided whether or not i should actually get an i7.