turbosocks

Hello fellers...



I am looking to build or buy an off-the-shelf computer and needed some suggestions.. I used to keep up with all the new stuff thats out, so I would have been able to pick some things out myself pretty easily. It has been at least a few years since I have been in the loop with computer stuff.



I am looking to build a tower only for ~700$ or buy a good one off-the-shelf for 650$. There isn't much of a reason to go with an off-the-shelf unit as I already have 'acquired' all the software that I will need (Windows, Adobe Pro, AutoCAD, Photoshop CS4, QuickBooks, 3D max, etc. etc.)



I was thinking about running 2 different OS to give linux a try also if thats possible.



The system that I am wanting to build would mostly be for streaming/storing media, downloading media and working in somewhat intensive programs like AutoCAD in 3D, learning 3D Max and possibly other modelling, animation software.



Some of the things that I am looking for in the machine:



Bluetooth connectivity

1TB HD

lots of ram

plenty of processor speed, but shouldn't need anything TO fancy

blu ray player/writer

HDMI output (using my new 32" LG as the prime monitor)

Wifi would be nice, but not neccesary



and possible recommendations on some other hardware that might be a good idea (video cards, heat sinks, power supply, better fans, etc)



I know some of you have some pretty impressive systems, so I'm hoping you can help me out here.



I used to be an AMD processor guy, but from some of the minor research I have been doing, seems an i5 processor would be a good fit for the machine I am looking to buy/build.



I will keep adding things as i think of them.

turbosocks

this is what i have come up with so far, just from some simple searching and comparing..



Intel Core i5-760 2.8GHz 210$

ASUS P7P55D-E - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6 Gb/s - ATX Motherboard 102$

Cooler Master RC-310-BWN1-GP Elite 310 ATX, MATX Mid Tower Case 40$

Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 32MB Cache 63$

Evga GeForce GT 430 1 GB DDR3 PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card 01G-P3-1430-LR 60$

LG Electronics 10X Blu-ray SATA Writer Drive with Software WH10LS30K - Bulk (Black) 102$

Corsair CMPSU-450VX 450-Watt VX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply 55$

Corsair 4GB Dual Channel Corsair DDR3 Memory for Intel Core i5 Processors 63$



right now im at: 700$ even



the board has an HDMI output already, not sure I really need a video card, but figured I would pick one up.

No need for a sound card in my opinion also.

I would assume the 450W power supply would be plenty.

Figured I would start with 4GB of RAM and expand if needed in the future.



the bluetooth adapters are cheap and wont need one right away.

iheartmyrd

video-

since you going to being doing cad stuff i would go with a better graphics card 1gb memory is fine for video but you will need high processing speeds.



ram-

i run 4 gb of ram and it runs decent with my visual studio which can be a resource hog.

o and if you run any more than 4gb you will have to have 64 bit operating system. for windows im not sure about linux or other.



truth is building a pc your self dosnt save you as much money as it used to. Sometimes you can find off the shelf deals, however most off the shelf deals won't have the video power rendering power you will need for cad. ie it will lag when turning the cad image if very extensive.

turbosocks

so, i was looking into the new 2nd generation intel chips today and they seem very intriguing over the first gen.



mainly for the fact that the K series have built in intel 3000 graphics. From what I understand, the 2500k or 2600k coupled with an H67 board will have some pretty impressive 'stock' graphics capabilities. the 2500k is 4x core and runs at 3.3ghZ which is quite the improvement over the 2.8 on the i5-760



the issue i am running into is finding a board to go along with the new 1155 socket. everything on amazon is :coming soon:



Now, I know with an h67 chipset, I wouldn't be able to utilize the overclocking as with the p67 (2500k runs stable at 4.4ghZ) but I would be able to probably get away without needing a graphics card (from what I can tell the 3000 series integrated graphics is supposed to work awesome for everything but extreme gaming) its also able to be overclocked using the h67 chipset.

turbosocks

well thanks for everyones input (sarcasm) besides iheartmyrd of course..



I bought everything for the build today after doing some extensive research.



I ended up going with a second generation i5 processor (knowing about the recalls on the MoBos) ill get to that in a minute.



The new i5-2500k processor was just to badass to pass up. Quad core 3.3ghz with 3.7 Turbo Boost, on board Intel 3000 HD graphics (clockable to +90%) rated 22 on passmarks CPU performance list.



The board i ended up going with was the ASUS p8H67-M EVO. I went with the H67 vs. the P67 because with the stock clock speeds, I doubt I would ever have the need to overclock and with the H67 you can take advatage of the on board GPU. And you can overclock the GPU in the K series since they are unlocked. The board has an HDMI out which means easy hook up to the new TV I have in the bedroom which will also be my main monitor, woo hoo!!



Now these boards were recalled by intel due to issues with the Sata 3gb ports, but I will only be using two SATA ports which happen to be the non-afftected SATA 6gb ports (blu-ray writer and HDD)



I picked up a 450W power supply which SHOULD suffice for what I will be doing. if not, can always upgrade later. Its a Corsair 80+ efficient power supply.



I went with a WD 6gb/s 64MB cache 1TB HD. I also use my GoFlex home for my media, so I felt there was no reason to go bigger than 1TB.



Also picked up a 10X LG blu-ray writer which is also a DVD/CD combo blah blah. I figured it would be really nice to backup onto 25-50GB discs instead of 4.5-9GB.



The case I went with is a simple 40$ coolermaster case, but I really dont think i need anything fancy.



Here are some pics of the system parts:

newgenesis

I wish I would have seen this thread earlier I could have made a few suggestions.



Personally I feel the case is where the quality of the build starts ... more airflow means more life and better functionality of your components. Being you said you plan on doing video editting your video cards and chip will be heating up pretty good. I would have suggested these cases:



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119196

or

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119215



I have both of these cases and they are incredibly quiet, have excellent airflow and I have never had issues with over heating. Add to that the outstanding expandibility of the case, I don't forsee buying another case if I feel the need to upgrade one of the comps.



Again sorry I missed the thread.

turbosocks

no problem on missing the thread. if i end up having issues with heat (will be watching closely and runnning a stress test on the system) i might try a different case.



The CPU arrives today, so it should be up and running tonight.



Right now, I will have the stock coolermaster 120mm fan acting as an 'intake' fan, an Antec 120mm 79cfm fan, the Thermaltake Sl1 slot fan to help move some air out of the case. I haven't picked out an 'aftermarket' CPU cooler yet which I would like to double as an extra exhaust fan.



With the H67 board, I can't overclock the CPU but can overclock the GPU. Not sure if i will need to or not.