New Build. What RAM/GPU do you recommend?

[soarwitheagles]

I am building a new computer. What RAM and what GPU do you recommend?

Here is what I have so far:

Intel i5-3570
ASRock Z77 Extreme4
OCZ ZX-850 Watt Gold
CM HAF X Blue
Antec H20 620
Intel 180GB SATA III 520

I also have a XFX 6870 Double D card and a non-branded 560ti.

Just wondering what the difference would be to upgrade to the new PCI-E 3.0.

Finally, will I really see a difference between a 1600MHz and something like 1850 or 2100MHz RAM?

Ok, thank you.

Soar

 

[jasonalwaysready]

it will be worth it to upgrade to the 3570k
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 4000 BX80637I53570K

the psu that you picked out is probably not the most reliable and is certainly more wattage than you need. assuming that you wont want to sli or crossfire the cards that you have, i would recommend:
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

you will see no difference with those cards on a pci e 3.0 it is possible you might see a difference with the latest of cards pushing the most out of them.

you might see a difference with the more powerful ram, but it will probably take some tinkering to get there and imo the price difference on the ram is probably a toss up on worth it. i would rather use the $20 to upgrade something else. 1600 speed is at a very good price point.

 

[PP Mguire]

I am building a new computer. What RAM and what GPU do you recommend?

Here is what I have so far:

Intel i5-3570
ASRock Z77 Extreme4
OCZ ZX-850 Watt Gold
CM HAF X Blue
Antec H20 620
Intel 180GB SATA III 520

I also have a XFX 6870 Double D card and a non-branded 560ti.

Just wondering what the difference would be to upgrade to the new PCI-E 3.0.

Finally, will I really see a difference between a 1600MHz and something like 1850 or 2100MHz RAM?

Ok, thank you.

Soar

If you are just gaming the difference between the 2500k and the 3570k isn't worth the extra 220.

OCZ PSUs aren't reliable at all anymore sadly. Even though they bought out PCP&C their quality is considerately less than one would think.

You wont see any difference at all with those cards on PCI-E 3.0. The only cards that need those are 680s and 7970s in dual card configuration on the 1155 platform because PCI-E 3.0 8x is essentially the same thing as PCI-E 2.0 16x.

There are no real world gains having faster RAM than 1600mhz.

 

[soarwitheagles]

If you are just gaming the difference between the 2500k and the 3570k isn't worth the extra 220.

OCZ PSUs aren't reliable at all anymore sadly. Even though they bought out PCP&C their quality is considerately less than one would think.

You wont see any difference at all with those cards on PCI-E 3.0. The only cards that need those are 680s and 7970s in dual card configuration on the 1155 platform because PCI-E 3.0 8x is essentially the same thing as PCI-E 2.0 16x.

There are no real world gains having faster RAM than 1600mhz.

PP Mguire,

Thanks for opening my eyes again. Well, I already purchased the Intel i5-3570 last week and the OCZ ZX 850 Gold I purchased over 2 months ago.

After all rebates and such, I only paid $77 for the Intel i5-3570. I thought that was an ok deal for a new Gen. 3 processor. The reason I wanted to upgrade from my i5-2500k was because the i5-2500k was getting old and I have been using it 24/7 for over 18 months [I like to upgrade every 18 months so I do not have components that have been used for over 10,000 hours [I know, most stuff is rated to last far longer]...

The OCZ ZX 850 Gold was only $79 after mail in rebate, so I hope it works a long, long time.

I was torn between going for the Seasonic 750 Modular that was on sale last week, but decided to stick with the OCZ ZX 850 Gold after reading the comprehesive review by Johnny Guru.

Thanks for pointing me away from purchasing a PCI-EX 3.0 GPU. I definitely do not need one and it sounds as if the benefits are very minimal. Thanks also for the heads up on the faster RAM. I suppose I will not upgrade to the 1850 or 2100 [I have over 16 sticks of new RAM sitting around and most of them are the Corsair Vengeance 1600's. Time to finally use them and the good news is that with the Antec H20 620, there will be no heat sink to cover any of the RAM slots.

Ok, last question: Would you use the XFX 6870 Double D or the unbranded 560Ti?
The 560Ti appears to give better graphics and seems a wee bit more powerful, but the XFX 6870 Double D has glowing reviews and has never given me any problem whatsoever.

The 560Ti, I have no idea who made it, where it came from, or what type of quality it is.

Please help me make a good decision on this.

Thanks again guys!

Soar

 

[PP Mguire]

PP Mguire,

Thanks for opening my eyes again. Well, I already purchased the Intel i5-3570 last week and the OCZ ZX 850 Gold I purchased over 2 months ago.

After all rebates and such, I only paid $77 for the Intel i5-3570. I thought that was an ok deal for a new Gen. 3 processor. The reason I wanted to upgrade from my i5-2500k was because the i5-2500k was getting old and I have been using it 24/7 for over 18 months [I like to upgrade every 18 months so I do not have components that have been used for over 10,000 hours [I know, most stuff is rated to last far longer]...

The OCZ ZX 850 Gold was only $79 after mail in rebate, so I hope it works a long, long time.

I was torn between going for the Seasonic 750 Modular that was on sale last week, but decided to stick with the OCZ ZX 850 Gold after reading the comprehesive review by Johnny Guru.

Thanks for pointing me away from purchasing a PCI-EX 3.0 GPU. I definitely do not need one and it sounds as if the benefits are very minimal. Thanks also for the heads up on the faster RAM. I suppose I will not upgrade to the 1850 or 2100 [I have over 16 sticks of new RAM sitting around and most of them are the Corsair Vengeance 1600's. Time to finally use them and the good news is that with the Antec H20 620, there will be no heat sink to cover any of the RAM slots.

Ok, last question: Would you use the XFX 6870 Double D or the unbranded 560Ti?
The 560Ti appears to give better graphics and seems a wee bit more powerful, but the XFX 6870 Double D has glowing reviews and has never given be any problem whatsoever.

The 560Ti, I have no idea who made it, where it came from, or what type of quality it is.

Please help me make a good decision on this.

Thanks again guys!

Soar

Well I suppose only 77 bucks that's a deal
Seriously though, even overclocked most processors can last in constant use for 10 or more years.

Yea I just noticed you have that PSU in your sig. I just hope it doesn't crap out on you.

I would use the 560ti for its performance. A no sticker brand usually means it is an Nvidia Reference board. Nothing wrong with that.

As for the PCI-E 3 thing, I think I misunderstood you. If you were to upgrade to a PCI-E 3 enabled card like the 670, 680, 7950, or 7970 then yes the gains are worth it, but not because they are PCI-E 3 cards. I was just saying that right now the bus isn't worth the upgrade just in itself because no single card solution saturates it. Getting one of those cards is though.

 

[soarwitheagles]

Well I suppose only 77 bucks that's a deal
Seriously though, even overclocked most processors can last in constant use for 10 or more years.

Yea I just noticed you have that PSU in your sig. I just hope it doesn't crap out on you.

I would use the 560ti for its performance. A no sticker brand usually means it is an Nvidia Reference board. Nothing wrong with that.

As for the PCI-E 3 thing, I think I misunderstood you. If you were to upgrade to a PCI-E 3 enabled card like the 670, 680, 7950, or 7970 then yes the gains are worth it, but not because they are PCI-E 3 cards. I was just saying that right now the bus isn't worth the upgrade just in itself because no single card solution saturates it. Getting one of those cards is though.

PPM,

The PSU in my sig has been there a long time. This new OCZ is a full modular [ZX] whereas the other one in my i5-2500k rig is a partial modular.

Ok on the 560Ti. I was concerned it may have been some cheap knock off with really poor capacitors. I wish I could know what it is and what type of quality it is. Found it new for only $139 when other versions were going for $250. So, not sure with what to do with it.

I did notice when experimenting with Crysis and COD MW4 the 560Ti seemed to give significantly better graphics than the the XFX 6870 and that was a shock to me.

I rarely play games, so going for a new card that cost hundreds of $$$ is not an option for me. I simply do not need it.

So, thanks again for helping me in so many areas!

Have a wonderful day there!

Soar