I threw something together pretty quickly, let me know if you want anything changed.
[LEFT]http://pcpartpicker.com/p/91xu[/LEFT]
[LEFT] [/LEFT]
[LEFT]The only downside to PC part picker is that it doesn’t take various combo deals into account.In example, if you swap the motherboard, CPU, and RAM, you will actually save $10 to go Ivy Bridge. (which I recommend you take advantage of)[/LEFT]
[LEFT]http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.942851[/LEFT]
[LEFT] [/LEFT]
[LEFT]Shopping around for the best price including group deals make everything a lot more reasonable.[/LEFT]
[LEFT] [/LEFT]
[LEFT]I chose a 60gb SSD for installing a the OS. I assume you already have a regular hard drive you can use for normal data and application storage. The same can hopefully be said about a monitor, keyboard, and mouse.[/LEFT]
[LEFT] [/LEFT]
[LEFT]I’m also not sure on what case you were referring to, so I have placed the Fractal Design Core 3000 in the build on PC Part Picker as of now.[/LEFT]
Fractal Design Define R3/Define Mini are quiet cases.
If you do get an mATX motherboard (easy to tell since it only has four expansion slots) consider getting an mATX case. Define Mini is just a mATX version of the R3, though it is still quite big for its form factor.
SUPER team poverty here:
AMD Phenom X4 9650 (2.3 ghz)
Gigabyte GA-MA790GP-DS4H
Corsair XMS PC6400 DDR2(1GBx4)
EVGA GTX 550Ti
Seagate Caviar 120GB
Hitachi 1TB
This is my current streaming setup, lol. I’m using the Coolermaster Elite 360 since it’s a super small case that supports full ATX form factor. It’s seriously crazy small and I wub it. 
http://www.productwiki.com/upload/images/cooler_master_elite_360.jpg
Thanks for the rundown. The R3 or something similar is what I had my eye on for the case; what I have now is a bit noisier than I’d like. I’ll keep an eye online to see if the prices there beat Microcenter (since one is local, if I can go pick the parts up, why not?). I’m flip flopping between a 60 and 120gb SSD, only because I worry about setting up links or not having enough room to put programs on the SSD (as installing on the bigger drive may be problematic). I suppose since I’m starting from scratch going Ivy Bridge makes sense.
Worked with Gootecks to put this together.
http://clockworkit.net/blog/project/clockwork-flow/
:tup:
FYI, a case is only as silent as it’s power supply. I have the R3 and I love it, but I also invested in a Nexus quiet power supply. Since the PSU’s fan is always exposed, you can have a completely insulated quiet case, but it will still sound like a jet engine when running. If you’re running low-wattage across the system (i.e. low clock processor, not a lot of drives, low video card) you can go for a fan-less PSU that will cut down on noise more than any case you can buy. Also fan-less CPU coolers and VGA cards will help more than a case as well. Just keep in mind that if you’re going fan-less on everything and still want a higher end system (i5 or above, lots of drives, higher end VGA card) then you’re going to have to have a pretty much open case with a couple monster fans (120mm x 4 minimum) in order to keep your PC from becoming an expensive EasyBake Oven. The nice thing is the bigger the fans, the quieter they are.
PS: I am a composer so my system is mainly for music production and gaming.
As a partner and reseller of Fractal Design cases, I highly recommend the R3 or the Define Mini. The R3 is a bit big, and it weighs a metric ton, but for good reason. It is an extremely solid case and it is extremely quiet. The sound padding on the doors and fan covers make a huge difference in the sound. When I was shopping around for cases to carry, the quality of FD with their sound dampening interior sold me immediately. The Define Mini is my favorite case in the series as its still a fully featured case, though in a smaller form factor. I’m all about that small footprint.
No I don’t get a commission when people buy them. I just really really dig those cases and I highly recommend them, haha.
Microcenter will probably always be cheaper. I barely even get FD cases at a comparable price from my supplier. I say pick everything up from Microcenter and you can save hundreds of dollars.
Go with a Crucial M4 128gb SSD. Your OS is going to take anywhere from 20-30gb, and it will only increase as updates come out. You can optimize the SSD to clear up about 10-15gb of space that is wasted (HDDs make use of a lot of stuff that SSDs just don’t need), and end up with ample space to save a lot of stuff. I have the mentioned SSD and I’m never going back to HDDs. I have a 2tb external HDD connected via USB 3.0, and all of my media saves there, while programs I use daily save to my SSD.
As SavingPrincess stated above, your PSU will effect the overall sound your machine produces quite a bit. However, the case does make all the difference in the world. PSUs you may want to look at are NZXT, Seasonic, and Silverstone. Seasonic actually turns the fan off unless its needed. NZXT and Silverstone are just a great quality, ridiculously quiet, and extremely reliable.
Thank you both for the advice. I had a quick look at the R3 and the Define online. It was hard to judge the size on the screen, so I’ll have a good look when I head up to Microcenter (though I think that Define may be right up my alley). I’m thinking 3570K may be the way to go. From there it’s mobo, psu and gpu, which should be the big questions.
So I just built a new computer last week and forgot to post specs here (and take pics…)
Intel i5 2500k
Gigabyte GA-Z77-D3H
G Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB PC3-12800 Dual Channel DDR3 RAM
Zotac Geforce GTX 550 Ti 1GB
Thermaltake TR2 600W PSU
OCZ Agility 3 120GB SSD
LG SuperMulti 24x DVD Writer
Antec Three Hundred Two Case
The total ran me $826 with 35$ in mail in rebates. I probably could have saved a ton of money if Memory Express had the items I was planning to price match in stock though…
Loving the fact that this computer is much faster, more reliable, more powerful, more quiet and doesn’t heat up my room like crazy when compared to my old computer. Also, once you go SSD you can’t go back (came from having to boot up my computer twice each time with lengthy boot times to extremely fast boot times)
Looking to get the Sager NP9150 with the 7970 video card
Will be getting it from XoticPC
Has anyone had experience with Sager? I’m almost positive I will buy this unless something crazy is bad with it.
I know the keyboard has some ghosting issues. Apart from that, this will be the first laptop I buy since 2004, and I want it to be good.
Save yourself the 100 bucks and grab a GTX 670.
Just ordered a Thermalright True Spirit 120 and some Prolimatech PRO-PK1-5G PK-1. Let’s hope it is worth it 
So, I will be buying these pieces in stages, since I’ve got other more serious things to worry about at the moment (like getting a new car for my wife…). Checked Microcenter and I think the 1st wave will be:
Core i5 3570K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 Processor
ASRock Z77 Pro4-M 1155 mATX Intel Motherboard
Patriot Extreme Performance Sector 5 G Series 8GB DDR3-1333
With tax that only comes up to $312. They don’t have the Define Mini or many Seasonic PSUs, (which would you guys recommend, BTW?) so those may be Newegg purchases. Still torn about the GPU though. On the one hand, my long standing theory of paying more for a card than my PS3 is insane, especially if I’ve got absolutely no interest in COD, MW or D3 (just 3 games I picked off the top of my head; I never did any PC gaming so don’t shoot me!). On the other hand, if I’m doing a build that can handle gaming, I may as well give it a shot and not have something too low budget. What say you guys?
Just finished an anime con here and now I can buy parts!
Getting an i5 2500k, ASRock Extreme3 Gen 3, and some Gskill ripjaws in 4GB configs.
Now I can keep a streaming rig available and have a desktop for normal use! Whoopwhoop.
Hey y’all,
I’ve been looking around for a light-duty gaming or high end laptop and I’ve found one that had the desired spec:
Sony Vaio S series
[LIST]
[]3rd gen Intel® Core™ i7-3612QM quad-core processor (2.10GHz / 3.10GHz with Turbo Boost)
[]Genuine Windows® 7 Home Premium 64-bit
[]15.5" LED backlit Full HD display (1920 x 1080)
[]NVIDIA® GeForce® GT 640M LE (2GB) hybrid graphics with Intel® Wireless Display technology
[]500GB (7200rpm) hard drive
[]6GB (4GB fixed onboard + 2GB removable) DDR3-1333Mhz
[]Blu-ray Disc™ player / burner
[]Internal lithium polymer battery (4400mAh)
[/LIST]
Is this a good laptop for this kind of application? Do you guys have any good or bad experience with Sony Vaios? Or perhaps you would recommend another manufacturer? I first wanted another Thinkpad but their line up have yet to be updated with more recent technology.
sup guys, it’s time for me to buy a new pc. i really don’t know much about building my own computer, but thats what everyone is suggesting i do because its cheaper. i have about a 700$ budget. i was gonna buy a prebuilt one from ibuypower via newegg. here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16883227392
now if i build my own pc, how much cheaper would it be? i don’t really need a mouse/keyboard/monitor. just the tower.
I don’t know much about desktops, but after reading the reviews about that pc from newegg I would avoid that company from the sounds of it. One guy said all of the wires in his pc were tied in knots, another said the fan was never mounted and shipped hanging from the wires. Just what I read, disregard this if you want to oORYUOo.
It’s always cheaper to build your own PC unless you are in low budget territory, as you wouldn’t get bulk OEM discounts. $700 can get you some pretty decent hardware if you price it out right and take advantage of newegg’s combo deals.
I will offer you some advice though. Never skimp on the case. It doesn’t seem that important, but upgrading my crappy generic midtower case to a NZXT phantom and I could never go back. Allot to the case what you can, but try to get something worthwhile, most importantly you should look for good reviews from experienced builders.
Totally Agreed. Even a small upgrade from a generic mid tower to my Cooler Master Elite 360 was a huge jump in quality and build.