Probably buying a new PC for DCS A-10C tomorrow...help!

[squinkys]

Gentlemen,

 

The check I have been waiting for has finally arrived, so I'm ready to purchase a new PC. Here is what I'm planning...please let me know if I'm overlooking something silly or foolishly spending money on things I don't need:

 

* Gateway i7 2600(3.40GHz) 8GB DDR3 2TB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883113197

 

* GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) 2GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130652

 

* 650W PSU

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020

 

My intention is to use this rig to run DCS A-10C on my 40" Samsung LCD. Is there anything I'm missing? Thanks guys!

[cichlidfan]

If it were me, I would take the $750 for the Gateway and buy parts. You can duplicate that with better parts for less (especially since you are ignoring the graphics on the MB and tossing the PSU). I would also probably up that PSU to a 750 and one of the better Corsair lines (HX or AX).

Edited May 3, 2012 by cichlidfan

[Daze]

Best off building your own pc, or buying the parts and getting someone to build it for you. As for parts; get the 2500k (just as good for gaming), the 560Ti (550 isn't the best)

[squinkys]

If it were me, I would take the $750 for the Gateway and buy parts. You can duplicate that with better parts for less (especially since you are ignoring the graphics on the MB and tossing the PSU). I would also probably up that PSU to a 750 and one of the better Corsair lines (HX or AX).

 

Best off building your own pc, or buying the parts and getting someone to build it for you. As for parts; get the 2500k (just as good for gaming), the 560Ti (550 isn't the best)

 

Thanks for the advice guys, but I'm not comfortable with the idea of me building a computer from scratch...it's been years since I have even used a PC, so I'm way behind the curve both hardware and software wise. Is it better to have a 2GB 550Ti or a 1GB 560Ti?

[Daze]

If you're planning on upgrading the PSU right from the start then you might as well just build from scratch as plugging in the PSU and all the other wires is probably the hardest part. There are countless video tutorials on youtube that walk you through the process step by step ensuring you won't mess it up. It's just so much better value for money compared to buying prebuilt, and the prebuilt pcs usually come clogged up with a lot of needless programs so you will more than likely have to format the HDD any way.

 

Although, it is all up to you. and I would chose the 1GB 560TI over the 2GB 550TI.

goodluck :)

[cichlidfan]

Hell, I bet you can find a forum member in LA that can help you with the build. It really is not that difficult, especially if you have help picking the parts. The assembly part is almost impossible to get wrong.

 

EDIT: As for the video card. The 1GB would probably be OK since you are only driving one 1920x1080 screen and the 560ti is significantly better than the 550 otherwise.

Edited May 3, 2012 by cichlidfan

[squinkys]

If you're planning on upgrading the PSU right from the start then you might as well just build from scratch as plugging in the PSU and all the other wires is probably the hardest part. There are countless video tutorials on youtube that walk you through the process step by step ensuring you won't mess it up. It's just so much better value for money compared to buying prebuilt, and the prebuilt pcs usually come clogged up with a lot of needless programs so you will more than likely have to format the HDD any way.

 

Although, it is all up to you. and I would chose the 1GB 560TI over the 2GB 550TI.

goodluck :)

 

Hell, I bet you can find a forum member in LA that can help you with the build. It really is not that difficult, especially if you have help picking the parts. The assembly part is almost impossible to get wrong.

 

EDIT: As for the video card. The 1GB would probably be OK since you are only driving one 1920x1080 screen and the 560ti is significantly better than the 550 otherwise.

 

Great, thanks for the heads up on the cards guys, there's barely a price difference between the two. I have built a PC once before (way back about 6 years ago) but I had a "safety net" in a friend who really helped me out along the way that I don't have currently out in LA! That, coupled with the fact that I haven't kept up with pc hardware for years (I moved to LA to work in a recording studio, and everything everywhere is Mac) makes me feel like it could be foolhardy to try and tackle building a PC myself. I'm going to research further before I commit to anything though...you guys certainly have me thinking over here!

[cichlidfan]

Seriously, if you did it once, even with help, only six year ago then you should be fine. Things have not changed that much, at the "plug-in-the-part" level. Some of the motherboard manuals I have seen almost have enough info for the entire assembly process.

[squinkys]

Seriously, if you did it once, even with help, only six year ago then you should be fine. Things have not changed that much, at the "plug-in-the-part" level. Some of the motherboard manuals I have seen almost have enough info for the entire assembly process.

 

You guys and some of the guys in the Reddit community "Hoggit" are making me think very hard about this. I'm actually putting together a list of parts and will post it here once I am done and ready for a review!

[squinkys]

Well guys, I'm onboard the "build-a-PC" bandwagon. Here's my first initial list of hardware:

 

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

 

CPU: Intel Core i7-3820 3.6GHz Quad-Core Processor ($289.99 @ NCIX US)

Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 ATX LGA2011 Motherboard ($234.99 @ NCIX US)

Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($87.99 @ SuperBiiz)

Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Video Card ($214.99 @ NCIX US)

Case: Antec Three Hundred ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Microcenter)

Power Supply: Corsair 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($79.99 @ Newegg)

Optical Drive: LG GH24LS70 DVD/CD Writer ($29.23 @ Compuvest)

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)

Total: $1177.15

(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-05-03 22:46 EDT-0400)

 

Any suggestions? Any ways I can save some money and still retain performance? Do I absolutely need a CPU cooler? Thanks again for all the help.

[cichlidfan]

In general it will do the job and the prices all seem acceptable.

 

I appologize in advance for harping on this but the given the quality of the rest of the package I would spend more on the PSU. It really is a very critical component. I would add at least 100watts and go for the Gold vs Bronze rating. The ratings have to do with how stable the unit is under load (you can look it up for details;)) which is also part of the reason for increasing the wattage (more headroom).

 

Corsair AX750 at NewEgg

 

It will cost about double but considering that a glitch in a PSU can easily take out your Mobo, CPU or Graphics card it is worth it. Plus, you will be able to use it for the next machine.