First Build need suggestions

R

RoyalTurtle

New member
I'm going to build a computer around late November but no idea really what I want. So far the only thing I'm 100% on is the case xD Which is the CM Storm Stryker.
I have a budget of about $1100 more or less. I would like to be able to play games such as BorderLands2,BF3,Crysis 2, and etc. Just able to play the latest games and the games after them for a few years about 2-3.I would also like to have an SSD in it. I'm up for any suggestions at all!
 
Cooler Master Storm Stryker
Intel Core™ i5-3570K Processor, 3.40GHz w/ 6MB Cache
Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM CPU Cooler
MSI Z77A-G45 w/ DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 3-Way CrossFireX
Kingston HyperX blu 8GB DDR3-1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit 2 x 4G
Corsair Force Series 3 Solid State Drive SATA III, 120GB
Seagate 1TB Barracuda SATA III w/ 64MB Cache
MSI Radeon HD7870 Hawk OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ DVI, HDMI, Dual DP
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 Power Supply

That should play all the games you listed, and where I live comes to about 1150$. I'm no expert in this area so if other forum member think i've gotten somthing wrong it is completly possible i have.
 
Last edited:
The Storm Stryker is a nice case, but it's a bit overkill for for a build like that in my opinion. You could get away with spending half the cash on a case and still get something nice.

BitFenix Raider - ~$80
BitFenix Shinobi with window - ~$70
Corsair 400R - ~$90
Corsair 500R - ~$120 (got mine on sale for $99 with free shipping)
Fractal Design Arc Midi - ~$90
Fractal Design R4 - ~$100

The Stryker goes for around $170-180, which is obviously quite a jump compared to the ones above.

Buying the Shinobi instead would save you about $100 which would let you buy a 240-256GB SSD rather than the 120GB that tristan posted above.

And personally, I'd switch out the following from tristan's recommendations:

CPU heatsink - Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus (or Evo)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance LP 2x4GB
SSD - Samsung 830 128GB or Crucial M4 128GB (256GB if you have the cash)
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB if just using it for storage, otherwise WD Black
 
Last edited:
3570k, MSI Z77A G45, Crucial M4 128gb SSD, HD 7950, Corsair AX650, Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB, Case - I really like the CM 690 II Advanced and it is pretty cheap.
 
Also - the RAM tristan recommended is too high a voltage for Ivybridge really and can destroy the CPUs memory controller over time. Switch to something 1.5v or under.
I agree with comments about the case - and I do think any full tower case looks stupid with air cooling, but it's up to you at the end of the day.

Maybe go for a modular power supply instead too? TX750m? (even though it's overkill) or a silverstone 500w strider fully modular would be a good choice considering how much they cost.
 
tristan said:
Cooler Master Storm Stryker
Intel Core™ i5-3570K Processor, 3.40GHz w/ 6MB Cache
Cooler Master Hyper 612 PWM CPU Cooler
MSI Z77A-G45 w/ DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 3-Way CrossFireX
Kingston HyperX blu 8GB DDR3-1600MHz CL9 Dual Channel Kit 2 x 4G
Corsair Force Series 3 Solid State Drive SATA III, 120GB
Seagate 1TB Barracuda SATA III w/ 64MB Cache
MSI Radeon HD7870 Hawk OC 2GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ DVI, HDMI, Dual DP
Corsair Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 Power Supply

That should play all the games you listed, and where I live comes to about 1150$. I'm no expert in this area so if other forum member think i've gotten somthing wrong it is completly possible i have.
Click to expand...

Hmm Thanks for the suggestion! I think I'm getting the 3570k.
 
jimbo32 said:
The Storm Stryker is a nice case, but it's a bit overkill for for a build like that in my opinion. You could get away with spending half the cash on a case and still get something nice.

BitFenix Raider - ~$80
BitFenix Shinobi with window - ~$70
Corsair 400R - ~$90
Corsair 500R - ~$120 (got mine on sale for $99 with free shipping)
Fractal Design Arc Midi - ~$90
Fractal Design R4 - ~$100

The Stryker goes for around $170-180, which is obviously quite a jump compared to the ones above.

Buying the Shinobi instead would save you about $100 which would let you buy a 240-256GB SSD rather than the 120GB that tristan posted above.

And personally, I'd switch out the following from tristan's recommendations:

CPU heatsink - Coolermaster Hyper 212 plus (or Evo)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance LP 2x4GB
SSD - Samsung 830 128GB or Crucial M4 128GB (256GB if you have the cash)
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB if just using it for storage, otherwise WD Black
Click to expand...

I feel in "love" with the Stryker as soon as it was announced xD. Its around 160 for me. I don't think I would use/need a 240-256GB SSD Honestly.
Whats the difference between the CM 212 plus and evo btw?
I've been eyeing the Vengeance LP for a while it looks so nice in white.
 
jamesriley94 said:
Also - the RAM tristan recommended is too high a voltage for Ivybridge really and can destroy the CPUs memory controller over time. Switch to something 1.5v or under.
I agree with comments about the case - and I do think any full tower case looks stupid with air cooling, but it's up to you at the end of the day.

Maybe go for a modular power supply instead too? TX750m? (even though it's overkill) or a silverstone 500w strider fully modular would be a good choice considering how much they cost.
Click to expand...

Something 1.5v or under has been noted!
I was thinking of maybe getting the HX650 but don't know if the price is worth it.
 
sorry for the misadvice on the ram, as for the HX650 if you can afford it the fact that it is semi modular will make the build a lot cleaner than a non modular power supply.
 
RoyalTurtle said:
I feel in "love" with the Stryker as soon as it was announced xD. Its around 160 for me. I don't think I would use/need a 240-256GB SSD Honestly.
Whats the difference between the CM 212 plus and evo btw?
I've been eyeing the Vengeance LP for a while it looks so nice in white.
Click to expand...

As far as temps go, I don't think there's much difference between the plus and the Evo. I think the main difference is that the Evo has smoother contact at the heatpipes which can sometimes result in *slightly* lower temps. I don't think it's a huge deal though, so I would just buy whichever one is cheaper ("Plus" is usually ~$6-$15 cheaper).

And yeah, the LP white Vengeance is nice looking. 1.35v too!
 
jimbo32 said:
As far as temps go, I don't think there's much difference between the plus and the Evo. I think the main difference is that the Evo has smoother contact at the heatpipes which can sometimes result in *slightly* lower temps. I don't think it's a huge deal though, so I would just buy whichever one is cheaper ("Plus" is usually ~$6-$15 cheaper).

And yeah, the LP white Vengeance is nice looking. 1.35v too!
Click to expand...

Ah. The price difference between the Evo and Plus for me is around $2 wouldn't hurt to get it?
Oh I have a few questions about a MOBO/GPU, mind if I ask?
 
Looking around it seems alot of people are recommending the MSI GD65/55/45 I was wondering why? I havn't seen people recommend a NVIDA GPU so far too. And this may seems weird but I would like my MOBO and GPU brand to match would that cause any problems? Oh and not a MOBO/GPU question but would a 60/90GB SSD be enough just for OS and a 1 or 2 programs?
 
for the ssd i would recomend 120gb as they slow down as they fill up. as for why the amd video cards, they are cheaper.
 
It's about value for money. At similar prices, the ATI cards provide more bang for the buck. For instance, the HD7950 is around the same price as a 660ti, but has 3GB of memory (compared to 2GB for the NVidia) and usually performs better. You'll notice a lot of people recommending the HD7870 because that's pretty much agreed to be the best "bang-for-buck" card available at the moment and it overclocks fairly well.

I've read or watched a ton reviews lately (I'm also in the process of building a new system), and I don't think I'd consider an NVidia gpu until I got into 670 territory. Those are about the same money as an HD7970, but are arguably better on a single monitor setup and they can OC to nearly the same performance as a stock 680. So in that case, it's a matter of choosing the gpu that suits you best - 670 for single monitor, 7970 for multi. Imo anyway.

EDIT:
Also, for the SSD, 120-128GB make a lot more sense than a smaller one I think. At least where I shop, you'll get more GB/$ with a 120-128 than you would with something smaller. It's also a good size for having as your OS drive and leaving a nice bit of room for some games.
 
Last edited:
jimbo32 said:
It's about value for money. At similar prices, the ATI cards provide more bang for the buck. For instance, the HD7950 is around the same price as a 660ti, but has 3GB of memory (compared to 2GB for the NVidia) and usually performs better. You'll notice a lot of people recommending the HD7870 because that's pretty much agreed to be the best "bang-for-buck" card available at the moment and it overclocks fairly well.

I've read or watched a ton reviews lately (I'm also in the process of building a new system), and I don't think I'd consider an NVidia gpu until I got into 670 territory. Those are about the same money as an HD7970, but are arguably better on a single monitor setup and they can OC to nearly the same performance as a stock 680. So in that case, it's a matter of choosing the gpu that suits you best - 670 for single monitor, 7970 for multi. Imo anyway.

EDIT:
Also, for the SSD, 120-128GB make a lot more sense than a smaller one I think. At least where I shop, you'll get more GB/$ with a 120-128 than you would with something smaller. It's also a good size for having as your OS drive and leaving a nice bit of room for some games.
Click to expand...

I thought the 660ti's performed better guess I was wrong xD. They were just recently released too.... I guess I can try to squeeze a 7950 into my build. Are there going to be any GPU releases in a few months? Also I don't think I can afford a 670 for a while seeing as they are about $100 more then a 660/7950. I'm using a single monitor setup btw.
Guess a 120gb SSD it is. Are the Crucial SSD"s anygood too?
 
Well, the 7990 just came out. Not exactly a top value performer though. :D Other than that, I'm not sure about upcoming releases.

The Crucial M4's are sort of middle-of-the-pack as far as speed goes, but they have a very good reputation for reliability. Personally, I'll be buying either an M4, a Samsung 830, or an Intel 520 - whichever happens to be cheapest at the time. At "everyday" prices, the Crucials are usually a fair bit cheaper than the other two. But I think you'll be fairly safe no matter which brand you choose (as long as it's not OCZ). Just make sure whichever one you buy is SATA III (6Gb/s).
 
Last edited:
jimbo32 said:
Well, the 7990 just came out. Not exactly a top value performer though. :D Other than that, I'm not sure about upcoming releases.

The Crucial M4's are sort of middle-of-the-pack as far as speed goes, but they have a very good reputation for reliability. Personally, I'll be buying either an M4, a Samsung 830, or an Intel 520 - whichever happens to be cheapest at the time. At "everyday" prices, the Crucials are usually a fair bit cheaper than the other two. But I think you'll be fairly safe no matter which brand you choose (as long as it's not OCZ). Just make sure whichever one you buy is SATA III (6Gb/s).
Click to expand...

Yeah I heard bad things about the OCZ's. Anything about Corsair btw?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

AlienALX
The Fairchild Ghost subwoofer project
2
Replies
34
Views
581
AlienALX
AlienALX
J
Is LTT forum is choke full of spooks ?
Replies
5
Views
477
hmmblah
hmmblah
AlienALX
Building my dream N64. More in depth than you would think (and me !)
Replies
11
Views
1K
AlienALX
AlienALX
P
Do some people never learn from the past?
Replies
2
Views
851
Pugsport
P
R
New build gpu / cpu choice
Replies
2
Views
4K
Excalabur50
Excalabur50
Back
Top