10-28-2012, 05:28 PM
This thread is intended to serve as a planning and discussion center for the construction of a new PC during the spring or summer of 2013. It will be updated piecemeal as time progresses
After 3-4 years on my current PC, I've decided to build a new rig. I'm making this thread far in advance because I want to give myself plenty of time to understand the parts, market trends, and some other nuances in not only PC construction but also designing a good workstation. To give some context, I am finishing my last year of undergraduate education, and will (hopefully) be enrolling in medical school immediately afterwards. There, I expect my gaming to decrease significantly, but not quite come to an end. I certainly don't want to have to deal with the prospects of a system build during the academic year, nor do I want to deal with the numerous problems my current PC experiences, so I'd like to get it done before then. To that last point, I am drawing a lot of inspiration from my mixed experiences with my current desktop PC. While something of a powerhouse, it suffers from a wide range of problems, from the mundane to the just weird. I credit this to a shoddy job constructing and optimizing, as well as not creating a good environment for the rig. A lot of those goals I hope to achieve are under the other consideration sections below.
I intend this thread for discussion and evaluation of just about anything that can go into this PC. If you have anything to contribute or comment on, please do share it. I will be updating the OP several times in the future.
Build (Victor)
My existing one will go to my girlfriend, so I won't be salvaging many parts, save for what is currently my primary display.
PCpartpicker list
CPU - Intel Core i5-3570k - Purchased ($185)
Motherboard - ASRock Z77 Extreme4 - Purchased ($105)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3-1600 - Purchased ($50)
Storage - OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD - Purchased ($75)
Storage - Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - Purchased ($110)
Graphics - EVGA GTX 660 - Purchased ($230/$210)
PSU - OCZ Fatal1ty 750W - Purchased ($85/$60)
Optical Drives - Reusing a DVD burner from my current PC until Blu-ray becomes more affordable/common (if optical discs don't get phased out altogether).
Case - Cooler Master Storm Enforcer - Purchased ($75/$65)
Cooling & Airflow - Cooler Master HYPER 212 EVO - Purchased ($30/$25)
Cooling & Airflow - CM 200mm Red LED fan for exhaust - Purchased ($20)
Cooling & Airflow - CM 120mm Sickleflow fan for exhaust - Purchased ($10)
Other Accessories - A few things - Purchased ($50)
Operating System - Windows 7 Professional (thanks HeK!)
Display - Reusing my current asymmetric setup (24.6" Samsung HDTV/Monitor hybrid + Small Dell monitor flipped to portrait display)
Peripherals - CM Storm Trigger (MX Black) - Purchased ($80)
Peripherals - Reusing my Logitech G500 (easily the best mouse I've ever used).
Peripherals - Reusing my Razer Carcharias. If that goes, I'll try out the CM Storm Ceres.
Total Spent: $1105 ($1045 if all MIRs work)
Rebuild (Tango)
All internal components recycled.
Operating System - Windows 7 Ultimate*
Display - BenQ GW2250 21.5" LED Monitor - Purchased ($110)
Peripherals - Reusing my Logitech G510
Peripherals - Reusing a simple 3.5mm headset
Peripherals - Logitech M500 - Purchased ($25)
Total Spent: $135
Budget
Victor: $1300
Tango: $200
Workstation: $500
Total: $2000
Workstation
I want to create an environment for play (and perhaps work) that is both productivity-boosting and pretty. Something I can be proud of, and not mind spending the better parts of my days at! I'll update this with desks or design ideas. Here is what I want out of my station:
Other Considerations
After 3-4 years on my current PC, I've decided to build a new rig. I'm making this thread far in advance because I want to give myself plenty of time to understand the parts, market trends, and some other nuances in not only PC construction but also designing a good workstation. To give some context, I am finishing my last year of undergraduate education, and will (hopefully) be enrolling in medical school immediately afterwards. There, I expect my gaming to decrease significantly, but not quite come to an end. I certainly don't want to have to deal with the prospects of a system build during the academic year, nor do I want to deal with the numerous problems my current PC experiences, so I'd like to get it done before then. To that last point, I am drawing a lot of inspiration from my mixed experiences with my current desktop PC. While something of a powerhouse, it suffers from a wide range of problems, from the mundane to the just weird. I credit this to a shoddy job constructing and optimizing, as well as not creating a good environment for the rig. A lot of those goals I hope to achieve are under the other consideration sections below.
I intend this thread for discussion and evaluation of just about anything that can go into this PC. If you have anything to contribute or comment on, please do share it. I will be updating the OP several times in the future.
Build (Victor)
My existing one will go to my girlfriend, so I won't be salvaging many parts, save for what is currently my primary display.
PCpartpicker list
CPU - Intel Core i5-3570k - Purchased ($185)
Motherboard - ASRock Z77 Extreme4 - Purchased ($105)
Memory - Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3-1600 - Purchased ($50)
Storage - OCZ Vertex 4 128GB SSD - Purchased ($75)
Storage - Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - Purchased ($110)
Graphics - EVGA GTX 660 - Purchased ($230/$210)
PSU - OCZ Fatal1ty 750W - Purchased ($85/$60)
Optical Drives - Reusing a DVD burner from my current PC until Blu-ray becomes more affordable/common (if optical discs don't get phased out altogether).
Case - Cooler Master Storm Enforcer - Purchased ($75/$65)
Cooling & Airflow - Cooler Master HYPER 212 EVO - Purchased ($30/$25)
Cooling & Airflow - CM 200mm Red LED fan for exhaust - Purchased ($20)
Cooling & Airflow - CM 120mm Sickleflow fan for exhaust - Purchased ($10)
Other Accessories - A few things - Purchased ($50)
Operating System - Windows 7 Professional (thanks HeK!)
Display - Reusing my current asymmetric setup (24.6" Samsung HDTV/Monitor hybrid + Small Dell monitor flipped to portrait display)
Peripherals - CM Storm Trigger (MX Black) - Purchased ($80)
Peripherals - Reusing my Logitech G500 (easily the best mouse I've ever used).
Peripherals - Reusing my Razer Carcharias. If that goes, I'll try out the CM Storm Ceres.
Total Spent: $1105 ($1045 if all MIRs work)
Rebuild (Tango)
All internal components recycled.
Operating System - Windows 7 Ultimate*
Display - BenQ GW2250 21.5" LED Monitor - Purchased ($110)
Peripherals - Reusing my Logitech G510
Peripherals - Reusing a simple 3.5mm headset
Peripherals - Logitech M500 - Purchased ($25)
Total Spent: $135
Budget
Victor: $1300
Tango: $200
Workstation: $500
Total: $2000
Workstation
I want to create an environment for play (and perhaps work) that is both productivity-boosting and pretty. Something I can be proud of, and not mind spending the better parts of my days at! I'll update this with desks or design ideas. Here is what I want out of my station:
- Good use of vertical space. Too often I see a battlestation that is sleek and sexy, but is just stuff splayed on flat on a desk with an empty wall above. A desk with a hutch would be great.
- Compartmentalization. Like above, I don't want a plain flat surface to pour all my junk onto. Integrated storage, somewhere to put a printer, all good.
- Backlighting. Optimal viewing conditions involve some soft lighting behind a display, like so. I figure some red LED ropes behind my displays will do the trick.
- Cable management. I don't want pesky cables running around looking ugly and getting tangled! At the very least, find a way to hide them
Other Considerations
- Make the computer easy on the eyes. My current rig features bright blue LEDs, so powerful that I have difficulty sleeping with the computer running. To this end, I have some aesthetic preferences: Mostly black or red coloring, and subtle lighting. Not that I necessarily want a bland, black box either. Just if I'm going to light it up like a christmas tree, it'll be mostly red (as red is much, much easier on the eyes than blue or green).
- Dust-proof it. Current PC suffers from serious dust choking, so I have to clean it quite often. This is due to it being on the floor (something I can't easily change now) as well as not having dust filters, something I demand of my next case.
- Optimize it and keep it well maintained. This will probably be a software thing, but I believe that proper physical maintenance will lend itself to a more stable experience.