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System-building followup - My final decision
14 years ago
General
Okay; as the title implies, I think I've worked out a good system for me to use. Here's what I've got:
-Processor: Intel core i5 2400. I know, I know, everyone on the internet recommends the 2500k. But here's the thing: the 2500k is made for overclocking; since I have no plans to overclock in my new system, what's the point of having an overclocking chip? And the 2400 is substantially cheaper without a significant loss in speed, so making that the alternative wasn't a hard decision.
-RAM: Two four-gigabyte sticks of Patriot G-series DDR3-1333. This one I'm choosing more on price than anything: $45, and a $30 mail-in rebate - why wouldn't I? :3
-Video card: An XFX Radeon HD 6870 1 GB card. I was prepared to spend up to $200 on a video card, but as it turns out, I didn't even need that - just a $150 card can cut it for me. I had some others recommended to me, but the 6870, at $150 after MIR, seems to offer the best bang for my buck. I'm still a little unsure whether to continue with it, though, if the rebate goes away before I get a chance to purchase - I suppose I'll revert to my original choice, the 6850, if that happens.
-Motherboard: An MSI H67MS-E43 (B3) LGA1155 MicroATX board. Four memory slots, six SATA connections, and enough PCI Express slots for any expansion ideas I might have. All for $70; not terrible.
-Hard drive: To start me off, a 500-gigabyte Seagate Barracuda at 7200 RPM. Not too much space, but just enough to start me off; I'll always have room to expand later, with my...
-Case: Antec 300 ATX. Big, not-super-flashy, and plenty of room for more - 6 hard drive slots, 3 optical slots, and only $50. Throw in the free cooling fans, and it seems like the perfect case.
-Power supply: Seasonic SS-500ES. I've been told SeaSonic is an extremely reliable brand; which is good for me, because it's also cheap as far as reliable PSUs go: $57.
-Optical drive: I've found an LG CD/DVD burner for only $17. They've gotten surprisingly cheap; must be all the Blu-Ray stuff they're putting on the market.
That about covers my hardware; monitors (I'm getting a ViewSonic VX2450WM...for FREE!), peripherals, and software come later, and presumably they'll be much more painless to choose.
-Processor: Intel core i5 2400. I know, I know, everyone on the internet recommends the 2500k. But here's the thing: the 2500k is made for overclocking; since I have no plans to overclock in my new system, what's the point of having an overclocking chip? And the 2400 is substantially cheaper without a significant loss in speed, so making that the alternative wasn't a hard decision.
-RAM: Two four-gigabyte sticks of Patriot G-series DDR3-1333. This one I'm choosing more on price than anything: $45, and a $30 mail-in rebate - why wouldn't I? :3
-Video card: An XFX Radeon HD 6870 1 GB card. I was prepared to spend up to $200 on a video card, but as it turns out, I didn't even need that - just a $150 card can cut it for me. I had some others recommended to me, but the 6870, at $150 after MIR, seems to offer the best bang for my buck. I'm still a little unsure whether to continue with it, though, if the rebate goes away before I get a chance to purchase - I suppose I'll revert to my original choice, the 6850, if that happens.
-Motherboard: An MSI H67MS-E43 (B3) LGA1155 MicroATX board. Four memory slots, six SATA connections, and enough PCI Express slots for any expansion ideas I might have. All for $70; not terrible.
-Hard drive: To start me off, a 500-gigabyte Seagate Barracuda at 7200 RPM. Not too much space, but just enough to start me off; I'll always have room to expand later, with my...
-Case: Antec 300 ATX. Big, not-super-flashy, and plenty of room for more - 6 hard drive slots, 3 optical slots, and only $50. Throw in the free cooling fans, and it seems like the perfect case.
-Power supply: Seasonic SS-500ES. I've been told SeaSonic is an extremely reliable brand; which is good for me, because it's also cheap as far as reliable PSUs go: $57.
-Optical drive: I've found an LG CD/DVD burner for only $17. They've gotten surprisingly cheap; must be all the Blu-Ray stuff they're putting on the market.
That about covers my hardware; monitors (I'm getting a ViewSonic VX2450WM...for FREE!), peripherals, and software come later, and presumably they'll be much more painless to choose.
