New Plan. Help me build a new gaming PC please

[Mupepe]

I'm looking to build a new gaming PC.  I'd like to keep it under $1000.

However, I have no idea what's going on in the processor and GPU markets right now.  I know nothing about the products that are out.  I want it to be decently upgradeable in the near future (2-4  years) where I can just drop in some more RAM, maybe a different processor and a new GPU and be good to go for a bit longer.  I don't want to have to throw out the entire system and start over again in 2 years.  I assume that's possible?

Thanks homeboys!

Edit: Also, would a gaming laptop be an alternative I should consider based on what I've said?

[Joe Molotov]

Get some Intel Ivy Bridge stuff and a Nvidia 560/70.

[Mupepe]

Get some Intel Ivy Bridge stuff and a Nvidia 560/70.

See.  This is where i feel stupid.  I can find the Nvidia 560/70 stuff easily enough.  But I'm on newegg looking at intel processors and I see nothing saying Ivy Bridge.  I assume it's an i5/i7 variant?  I haven't kept up with this shit in 2 or 3 years.

Edit: nvm.  Found it.  Damn I feel dumb

[pilonv1]

Edit: Also, would a gaming laptop be an alternative I should consider based on what I've said?

No

I don't want to have to throw out the entire system and start over again in 2 years.  I assume that's possible?

My i5-750/5850/8gb ram machine I built in November 2009 is still going strong for me. I've overclocked the CPU though.

Also get an SSD.

[Mupepe]

What's the real world performance difference between these two?  There's a 70 dollar difference...

Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K$239

Intel Core i7-3770S Ivy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 65W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770S $319

Or should I make the jump to this one for $349?
Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I73770K

[Mupepe]

Edit: Also, would a gaming laptop be an alternative I should consider based on what I've said?

No

I don't want to have to throw out the entire system and start over again in 2 years.  I assume that's possible?

My i5-750/5850/8gb ram machine I built in November 2009 is still going strong for me. I've overclocked the CPU though.

Also get an SSD.

Thanks.  Last I saw SSD's weren't noticeably faster than HDD's.  Has that changed?  I assume so.  Thanks.

[Mupepe]

I'm looking at some GTX570's and I'm wondering if the jump from 1280 to 2560mb's is worth the price increase?  And holy shit there are a lot of options and I can't see much of a difference in these cards.

[cool breeze]

SSDs are faster.  If you're on a budget, a smaller SSD for Windows/programs and a second HD for storage might be the best plan.  Cost per GB on SSDs is considerably higher than a regular hard drive. 

and you can find comparisons for all these CPU, GPU, and Hard Drive speeds by typing the model and 'benchmark' into Google.  You'll find tons of enthusiasts sites that run all sorts of tests.

[Mupepe]

Thanks!  Will do

[Mupepe]

Okay.  I think I've got it.  Let me know if anyone sees any issue with this setup.  Like I said, I've been out of the game so I may have picked some parts that are incompatible or that just aren't a good choice.  I already have monitors, keyboards, DVD writer/reader and 1TB of HDD space.  The 32 GB SSD will be for OS installation.  Should that be enough?  Also, is 16GB of RAM useful or am I throwing my money away over 8 GB? 

http://i.imgur.com/SaOtU.png

[Mupepe]

BTW, the motherboard I chose doesn't have any PCI 3.0 slots.  Is that a big deal?

[Himu]

what is the total

[fistfulofmetal]

RAM is so cheap, there's no reason not to fill it up.

[Mupepe]

what is the total

1028 with still 70 dollars in mail in rebates.  A little more than I planned to spend but fuck it. 

RAM is so cheap, there's no reason not to fill it up.

so should I go to 32gb?  It's only an extra 100 bucks.

[Mupepe]

Ruzbeh: Can you link me to some bench marks of the 7870 vs the 570?    and yeah, this will pretty much be only for gaming.  I barely turn on my pc unless i'm looking to play some civ or something. 

This is just a starting point to work from.  I'm going to buy up parts over the next 1 or 2 months.  I'll wait for deals, shop around and ultimately compare some more.

Also, why no less than 64gb SSD?

[Mupepe]

Well shit, just realized for 10 bucks more i can get a 64 gb.  I guess I'll do that.  No reason not to

[huckleberry]

Do you have a Microcenter near you? If so, they have better prices on Sandy and Ivy - as well as nice combo discounts for buying the motherboard (50 off if I remember).

[fistfulofmetal]

so should I go to 32gb?  It's only an extra 100 bucks.

16 SHOULD BE OK

[Mupepe]

Do you have a Microcenter near you? If so, they have better prices on Sandy and Ivy - as well as nice combo discounts for buying the motherboard (50 off if I remember).

Cool.  Yeah i do.  I also have Fry's near me and closer too and they'll price match pretty much anything whether it's online or in store.

so should I go to 32gb?  It's only an extra 100 bucks.

16 SHOULD BE OK

sweet.  thanks.

[Verdigris Murder]

The biggest pro about building your own PC is that it's innards don't look like an orgy of electric tentacles.

[Verdigris Murder]

Okay, maybe not the biggest pro, but still.

[Madrun Badrun]

64GB SSD is really small as well.  My 90GB SSD is on the verge of filling and I only use it from OS and programs.
8 or 16 ram is fine 32 is overkill

[Mupepe]

so should I go to 32gb?  It's only an extra 100 bucks.

16 SHOULD BE OK

16 GB sounds like not enough for Windows 7.

I suggest 64 GB because you might want to install some games on there too, and SSD makes loading times amazingly short.

He's talking about RAM, not an SSD

And I drink like once a year, Ruzbeh.  I also don't buy drugs   wtf?

I also already replaced the 32gb with the 64 GB, homeboy.  I'll determine whether the speed difference bugs me enough after I get the parts together.  If it does, I'll just pick up a larger drive.

[Mupepe]

The 7870 is a PCI-E 3.0 card only, correct?  I'll need a new motherboard if that's the route I go.

[huckleberry]

if you get a 64gb ssd you can turn off hibernation and some other stuff and save alot of space. I have a 64 and still have 31gb free.

[Mupepe]

Sweet.  Outside of games i don't use many applications.  I think I have a few video converters installed and that's it.  I'll see how games are on my HDD.  But I'm not generally one to really care much about load times.  It'd have to be an outrageous difference for me to care. 

[fistfulofmetal]

The 7870 is a PCI-E 3.0 card only, correct?  I'll need a new motherboard if that's the route I go.

theres no such thing as pci-e 3.0 only. it's backwards compatible.

[Verdigris Murder]

Guys, since you all have PC's, does the correlation exist between that PC assembled by a company and wiredageddon inside said PC. As opposed to something you can do yourself.

What I'm trying to ask is when you buy a psu, can you choose the amount of wiring coming out of the psu. Or is it always overkill. Are there psu's with power-points.

[huckleberry]

There are modular PSUs that work well.  Easiest way is to buy a case with great cable management.  That way you can just hide the wires you don't use.

[Mupepe]

The 7870 is a PCI-E 3.0 card only, correct?  I'll need a new motherboard if that's the route I go.

theres no such thing as pci-e 3.0 only. it's backwards compatible.

ah okay cool.  so I can seat the 7870 into my 2.0 slots just fine?  Will there be any performance difference between using the GPU in a 3.0 vs 2.0 slot?

Guys, since you all have PC's, does the correlation exist between that PC assembled by a company and wiredageddon inside said PC. As opposed to something you can do yourself.

What I'm trying to ask is when you buy a psu, can you choose the amount of wiring coming out of the psu. Or is it always overkill. Are there psu's with power-points.

There are modular PSUs that work well.  Easiest way is to buy a case with great cable management.  That way you can just hide the wires you don't use.

I have always just used twist ties to manage my cables inside and outside the PC.  Works well for me.

[fistfulofmetal]

ah okay cool.  so I can seat the 7870 into my 2.0 slots just fine?  Will there be any performance difference between using the GPU in a 3.0 vs 2.0 slot?

negligible.

[Verdigris Murder]

So there's no physical drive in your build ?

[Verdigris Murder]

Huh. What's a slot loading drive? Tbh it sounds like weaponising commuters.

[Verdigris Murder]

Computers obv.

[Verdigris Murder]

Can I ask you questions tomorrow.

[Momo]

Just for interest sake, what is the AMD equivalent of an i5 Ivy bridge and is it even worth a shit?

[Cormacaroni]

64GB SSD is really small as well.  My 90GB SSD is on the verge of filling and I only use it from OS and programs.
8 or 16 ram is fine 32 is overkill

top tip, just in case you haven't done so already - move your iTunes library, and the backups it makes of any iOS devices you have. No need for that shit to be on an SSD and it takes up HUGE amounts of space.

[pilonv1]

i5s overclock like nobodys business as well.

[Momo]

Just for interest sake, what is the AMD equivalent of an i5 Ivy bridge and is it even worth a shit?

AMD FX-8150 and no. Especially not for gaming.

Do they have any plans on trying to challenge in the performance arena or have they pretty much retreated into the budget PC world?

[Momo]

Fine I'll go google for an AMD roadmap myself. Thanks for not enabling my laziness

Bulldozer hasnt set the world alight really, which was why I was asking about their roadmap going forward. I need a competitive AMD in the game to keep Intel honest, we all do.

[Cormacaroni]

FWIW, I continue to be super-impressed with the gtx680. I barely notice it's there most of the time. It drives 3 monitors at once, and lays every game I've tried to absolute waste even with 3D Vision on (which chops the frame rate in half). I haven't tried any AMD cards recently though.