Feedback on possible system

[matrix86]

I guess before I list the parts, I should state what it will be used for:
Numerous amount of multitasking, visual basic programming (possibly some flash stuff as well), camtasia for making video tutorials, surfing the net, checking email with thunderbird, possibly some graphic art stuff (depending on how happy my wife is with her new laptop), watching movies, and maybe some very light gaming (i'm not much of a gamer).

So here we go (prices include shipping and discounts):

Case: Cooler Master 335 Elite - $45.24
*Note: I plan to replace the air duct with a 120mm intake fan

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3 - 115.99

CPU: i5-750 - 199.99

GPU: Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - 116.97
*Note: I currently run 2 monitors, both VGA but plan to replace the crappy CRT monitor (that I bought at Salvation Army) with either a DVI or HDMI touch screen (I think it has both connections...it'll most likely be a year before that happens, though). Either way, i'm keeping my stock Dell LCD VGA monitor for a long while. I don't ever really plan on having more than 2 monitors, so I will most likely never need to upgrade to 2 graphics cards.

PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W - 70.00
*Note: this one turned out perfect. It has 6 SATA power connectors, and I plan on eventually having 6 SATA devices in my computer at some point. I even did the PSU calculator on Newegg and with the future add-ons I plan to put in, the max wattage came to 573W. So this gives plenty of room for any power fluctuations.

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 1600 - 109.99
*Note: I have been debating between this and the 1333. The mobo lists this 1600 as compatible, but not supported. I also know that the i5-750 will only read 1333 unless overclocked (which I actually plan on doing, I think). But, would I really notice any difference in performance between the 1333 and 1600? Whether the CPU is overclocked or not?

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 7200RPM - 47.99
*Note: this will eventually be replaced with an SSD. I'm just waiting for prices to come down.

Optical: Lite-On 24X DVD burner - 28.99

HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus - 25.98
*Note: had trouble deciding between this and the slightly smaller Freezer 7 Pro. But evetually went with this for both cost and performance (it seemed more popular and had higher ratings). I only hope it won't be too big as I do want to add a side fan to the case. I had considered the Corsair H50 (found one at my local Best Buy on sale for only $20) but I wasn't sure if it would be such a good idea. I would have to give up either the rear output fan or the side intake fan...neither of which I want to do.

~Fans
Side fan to replace the air duct: Rosewill RFA-120-K 120mm - 7.48

Front fan: Rosewill RFA-120-BL 120mm 4 Blue LEDs - 8.98

This brings my total to $777.60. Just under my planned budget ($800). When I get all of this depends on how soon I get the money. If my mother-in-law doesn't have to fix her roof, I might be able to get a loan from her. Otherwise, it'll take me about 6 months to save up for this depending on how much money I have left over from Financial Aid (I start school in August).

So let me know what you guys think. I'm excited about my first build and can't wait to get it together...I sense this is just the beginning of custom builds (i'd like to eventually build one for my wife and my child...when she's old enough, lol).

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

I would just go with a 5750 and a corsair 400w.
Secondly, 500gb and 640gb hdds hardly cost more than $50...so I would consider one of those.
I just don't really like rosewill that much.

Oh yeah you will probably want a bigger hdd if you're going to do a lot of multimedia.

 

[Ritwik7]

You needn't purchse an aftermarket HSF if you're not planning on a very heavy overclock.

I'll second HK as far as the GPU and HDD are concerned. With the money saved from the HSF you could look towards getting the Radeon HD 5770.

 

[Relic]

Hey Matrix, nice setup. I can relate to some of your dilemmas as I'm in a similar situation with what I want to do with my build.

First off I agree with HK, you really should get a larger HDD. Check out this 500GB WD Caviar Blue that's only $55, and if you buy it today you get it for $45. That's pretty good deal and would complement an SSD down the line nicely.

Regarding your GPU here is a $130 5750 with $30 MIR if you are interested in something from this generation. But as you said you don't game much and you could even go for a cheaper alternative like a 4770. But I am a bit biased as I love the little card =P.

On a side note, did you factor in needing an OS? Or do you already have one lined up?

 

[mailpup]

I used the earlier version Arctic Cooling 7 Pro and Arctic Cooling Freezer 64 Pro for AMD CPUs and I was happy with them. They are certainly quieter than the stock HSF. I'm not saying your choice is poor. I'm just saying what my experience was with the other HSF you considered.

For what it's worth, I've used the same Rosewill 120mm 4 Blue LED fan in a couple of builds for myself and they are quiet and work just fine. I haven't used the black Rosewill fan so I can't say anything about it.

 

[matrix86]

~I've decided to go for the 500GB. It can be recycled to another computer once I start putting in an SSD and other hard drives.

~Will start looking at other PSUs. I 'm assuming the PSU calculator on newegg is worthless, then? It said I would need a max of 575W (after I put in everything I plan to have in the future). I did want to have 6 SATA connectors, but I guess if I just get some 2TB HDDs and partition them to 1TB per partition, then I could easily reduce the number of needed connectors. So I guess right now i'm looking at an SSD, all-in-one card reader, and two 2TB HDDs (so i can have 1TB for movie, another for music, another for pictures, and another for random stuff [office documents, work stuff, projects]). So then ya'll would still recommend 400W PSU with all of that, still? Considering ya'll have actually built computers before, I guess it would be smart enough to go by what ya'll say.

~HSF: this will actually be a "later" purchase. I want to try out the stock fan first, but still wanted to include it in my budget just in case. There are mixed reviews about it (even for people who didn't overclock).

~GPU: I'll keep looking. I originally had the 5770, but thought it to be a bit overkill for what I plan to do.

 

[Route44]

Quite a few of us here like the excellent Cosair line. They have the following for sale and some have rebates in addition to the prices listed:


400CX = 400 watts for $50

450VX = 450 watts for $70

550VX == 550 watts for $80

 

[hellokitty[hk]]

Yeah the corsair 400 would still be fine.
You could easily just go down to a 5750 or 5650; something the hd 5000 line is most likely great.

 

[slh28]

I think even a 4850 is overkill for your needs - a cheaper 5xxx series e.g. a 5550 should be fine.

I would definitely include an aftermarket HSF in your budget, they don't cost that much and do lower the temps a lot when the processor is overclocked (which you should do btw, as you can get a lot of free performance out of the i5 750).