Please help me decide which components are best to use on this build

soarwitheagles

Lookin' for higher ground
Messages
1,111
Location
Sacramento
Hi everyone!

Ok, I need to begin a build tonight and have it finished by tomorrow.

I need to get this done this weekend so I may capitalize on the Windows 8 deals and add-ons that will expire at the end of this month...

Yeah, I know, I should have posted sooner....

I am torn between two different configurations. I have all the components, but not sure which way to go. Here are the two choices I have:

Build Choice #1

Intel i5-2500K [used for 2 years in my personal rig].
EVGA Z68 FTW 160-SB-E689-KR [new, but many reports of BIOS issues]
GTX 560Ti or XFX 6870
Corsair Vengeance 16gb 1600 DDR3
Seasonic X750
CM HAF 932

Build Choice #2
AMD FX 8350
Gigabyte 990XFA-UD3
GTX 560Ti or XFX 6870
Corsair Vengeance 16gb 1600 DDR3
Seasonic X750
CM HAF 932

My computing needs:

This rig needs to be able to do the following functions:

Run a Hauppauge 2250 to record OTA movies, documentaries, etc.
Eventually run and record 5-8 home security cameras
Do a little video rendering [not much]

I do not play any games, so that is not even an issue on this build.

When I finally set up all the cameras, I am hoping the rig will not use too much juice because I plan on it running 24/7.

Ok, your turn.

Please help me make a good educated decision.

It's me,

Soar
 
If there is no gaming involved then there isn't a reason to have all the extra business going on with the rig. For instance, you don't need a GPU or a huge PSU in either setup. If it was up to me, I personally would use the 2500k and the onboard as it'll put video on the screen while using way less power than the AMD rig which is essentially all you need with this setup. Personally I would take that Seasonic and put it in your sig rig and toss the OCZ in this thing. Wouldn't waste a better PSU in a system that will just sit and have no real load.
 
Like Mguire said if this computer won't be used For gaming at all then you really won't need a graphics card. But if you're wanting to spend that bit of extra money on a graphics card as maybe in the Future then why not get something like the Radeon 7750? It won't be able to compete with the GTX 600 Series but For light gaming/Film/video use that should be Fine, also at only £60 You can't really complain. Also I know I'm replying a bit late seeing as it's Sunday and you may or may not already have whatever parts you ordered, inase you haven't have you thought about AMD-A series Processors? Also may I ask why a 750W PSU? I don't know if business rigs require more power than others but even with some of the high-end gaming rigs a 600W works good. So just For business use you could save yourself the extra money and go with a 500W, maybe 600 If you really want.
 
Last edited:
Like Mguire said if this computer won't be used For gaming at all then you really won't need a graphics card. But if you're wanting to spend that bit of extra money on a graphics card as maybe in the Future then why not get something like the Radeon 7750? It won't be able to compete with the GTX 600 Series but For light gaming/Film/video use that should be Fine, also at only £60 You can't really complain. Also I know I'm replying a bit late seeing as it's Sunday and you may or may not already have whatever parts you ordered, inase you haven't have you thought about AMD-A series Processors? Also may I ask why a 750W PSU? I don't know if business rigs require more power than others but even with some of the high-end gaming rigs a 600W works good. So just For business use you could save yourself the extra money and go with a 500W, maybe 600 If you really want.
He already has the hardware.
 
If there is no gaming involved then there isn't a reason to have all the extra business going on with the rig. For instance, you don't need a GPU or a huge PSU in either setup. If it was up to me, I personally would use the 2500k and the onboard as it'll put video on the screen while using way less power than the AMD rig which is essentially all you need with this setup. Personally I would take that Seasonic and put it in your sig rig and toss the OCZ in this thing. Wouldn't waste a better PSU in a system that will just sit and have no real load.

PPM,

Great advice again. Ok, I will give your idea a shot. And no, I have not built the rig yet simply because I let myself get way too busy. I took today off work [please do not tell my supervisor] and will first go to my doctor's appointment [with Dr. PPM], then finish some tax work [BOE is due on 31st], then slap this rig together on the work bench, and load Windows 8 Pro 64-bit with the Free Media Package today [will put everything nicely in the case this weekend]

I picked up the new EVGA Z68 FTW for only $60, but many people have had trouble with the BIOS, USB 3, and vdroop or something like that. Others have had no problem at all. I just hope this will work for me!

I kinda regret purchasing the AMD 8350 this last weekend and I may return it. The reason I am kinda shying away from it is because it sucks nearly double the wattage of the 2500K when rig is pulling load. Ouch!

Thanks for your great advice!

Soar

Like Mguire said if this computer won't be used For gaming at all then you really won't need a graphics card. But if you're wanting to spend that bit of extra money on a graphics card as maybe in the Future then why not get something like the Radeon 7750? It won't be able to compete with the GTX 600 Series but For light gaming/Film/video use that should be Fine, also at only £60 You can't really complain. Also I know I'm replying a bit late seeing as it's Sunday and you may or may not already have whatever parts you ordered, inase you haven't have you thought about AMD-A series Processors? Also may I ask why a 750W PSU? I don't know if business rigs require more power than others but even with some of the high-end gaming rigs a 600W works good. So just For business use you could save yourself the extra money and go with a 500W, maybe 600 If you really want.

Nice ideas too MrTechProWannabe! Well I still have 10-15 new cards laying around that are new in the box and never used yet. Which do you recommend that will run Blu Ray and other HD movies really, really nice, yet sip the electricity very, very little?

AMD 7770
XFX 9600 GSO [but I think these soak the wattage]?
XFX 520
Galaxy 430
Gigabyte 210
Gigabyte 6450
EVGA 550ti

Please help me out with these last few choices if you could guys!

Today is the big day!

Thanks!

Soar
 
Last edited:
PPM,

Great advice again. Ok, I will give your idea a shot. And no, I have not built the rig yet simply because I let myself get way too busy. I took today off work [please do not tell my supervisor] and will first go to my doctor's appointment [with Dr. PPM], then finish some tax work [BOE is due on 31st], then slap this rig together on the work bench, and load Windows 8 Pro 64-bit with the Free Media Package today [will put everything nicely in the case this weekend]

I picked up the new EVGA Z68 FTW for only $60, but many people have had trouble with the BIOS, USB 3, and vdroop or something like that. Others have had no problem at all. I just hope this will work for me!

I kinda regret purchasing the AMD 8350 this last weekend and I may return it. The reason I am kinda shying away from it is because it sucks nearly double the wattage of the 2500K when rig is pulling load. Ouch!

Thanks for your great advice!

Soar



Nice ideas too MrTechProWannabe! Well I still have 10-15 new cards laying around that are new in the box and never used yet. Which do you recommend that will run Blu Ray and other HD movies really, really nice, yet sip the electricity very, very little?

AMD 7770
XFX 9600 GSO [but I think these soak the wattage]?
XFX 520
Galaxy 430
Gigabyte 210
Gigabyte 6450
EVGA 550ti

Please help me out with these last few choices if you could guys!

Today is the big day!

Thanks!

Soar
TO the first part, yes the 8350 sucks a ton of power. m15 architecture is just a total power hog and that is reason #2 why I always recommend Intel.

To the eVGA board. I love their cards but geez their boards have gone to hell since X58. I had a P55 FTW 200 and it was great, took phase change cooling and everything. I wouldn't pay 50 bucks for any modern eVGA board though. Something about them screams "we got real popular so now we can cheap out on the motherboad and still sell like hot cakes" to me.

The AMD 7770 is the best in performance/watt but the cheapest crappiest lowest wattage card will work too. That would be the 210. People tend to get a little carried away with thinking that 1080p videos take a lot of horsepower. When they first came out slow dual cores and incapable GPUs were the norm. By the time the 8000 series came out the GPU was capable of the load and the cheap CPUs could handle 1080p.

I guess I could put it this way. BD players that go under your TV aren't powerhouse PCs. They are very cheap low wattage machine barely capable of playback smoothly. That being said, anything modern will handle a 1080p video quite easily. For instance, I use an 8400GS attached to my projector for 1080p BD playback.
 
TO the first part, yes the 8350 sucks a ton of power. m15 architecture is just a total power hog and that is reason #2 why I always recommend Intel.

To the eVGA board. I love their cards but geez their boards have gone to hell since X58. I had a P55 FTW 200 and it was great, took phase change cooling and everything. I wouldn't pay 50 bucks for any modern eVGA board though. Something about them screams "we got real popular so now we can cheap out on the motherboad and still sell like hot cakes" to me.

The AMD 7770 is the best in performance/watt but the cheapest crappiest lowest wattage card will work too. That would be the 210. People tend to get a little carried away with thinking that 1080p videos take a lot of horsepower. When they first came out slow dual cores and incapable GPUs were the norm. By the time the 8000 series came out the GPU was capable of the load and the cheap CPUs could handle 1080p.

I guess I could put it this way. BD players that go under your TV aren't powerhouse PCs. They are very cheap low wattage machine barely capable of playback smoothly. That being said, anything modern will handle a 1080p video quite easily. For instance, I use an 8400GS attached to my projector for 1080p BD playback.

Ok,

Well, what motherboard do you recommend? Geez, I should have asked you a long time ago! Now I am so terribly close to the MS deadline! Part of wishes I would have picked up another ASRockZ77 like I have now. This ASRock has worked real well for me.

Let's see, here is what I have laying around right now:

BIOSTAR TZ77XE3
MSI 61M-P31

But in my opinion, both BIOSTAR and MSI products are junk...

Hopefully I am mistaken?

Soar
 
Ok,

Well, what motherboard do you recommend? Geez, I should have asked you a long time ago! Now I am so terribly close to the MS deadline! Part of wishes I would have picked up another ASRockZ77 like I have now. This ASRock has worked real well for me.

Let's see, here is what I have laying around right now:

BIOSTAR TZ77XE3
MSI 61M-P31

But in my opinion, both BIOSTAR and MSI products are junk...

Hopefully I am mistaken?

Soar
Lol you say this every time. :p

Uhhh I personally do not like Biostar. Had a few of their boards, not a fan.
MSI doesn't make junk but they aren't my first go to company either. That being said, if it was up to me I would use the MSI as both the Z68 and Z77 are overkill for a rig that wont OC or play games.
 
Lol you say this every time. :p

Uhhh I personally do not like Biostar. Had a few of their boards, not a fan.
MSI doesn't make junk but they aren't my first go to company either. That being said, if it was up to me I would use the MSI as both the Z68 and Z77 are overkill for a rig that wont OC or play games.

PPM,

Ok, well, unfortunately, I had to go with the AMD 8350 and the Gigabyte GA-990XFA-UD3.

It went together easily, the install and updates all went flawlessly, and installing the free Windows 8 Media Center Pack also went like a charm.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find a motherboard for the Intel before the deadline. My fault 100%. Another lesson on the evils of procrastination!

The good news is the rig works really well.

Now I am trying to decide on which CPU cooler to use.

Presently I am using the CM Hyper 212+.

I am trying to decide which of these 4 CPU coolers to use:

ThermalTake H2O Peformer
Zalman CNPS 12X
CoolerMaster V8 or Hyper 212+

Have you any suggestions?

I have all 4 of em' sitting on the bench looking at me...

Soar
 
Back
Top Bottom