Official "System Builders" Thread

[Wesley]

Out of interest, I looked up the Core i7 CPU to see the price compared to the G860 you recommended. It is.. quite a big difference. The Core i7 itself is nearly two thirds of the price of the entire Core i7 rig I linked to. Does that mean they pretty much skimped on everything else for the sake of including the pretty CPU, and if so would I be understanding correctly that the parts you recommended would be a far more balanced machine?

.. and yes. I do need a OS. Thankfully I had thought of it and realized I need about R1000 for that. Would you recommend forking out a little extra for Professional instead of Home Premium?

Yeah, the PC you looked at would have been the most basic of basic builds. It mentioned a Foxconn chassis, so that means its actually a Mecer-assembled chassis with the Core i7 2600, a H61 board, RAM, HDD, PSU, DVD-writer and probably Windows 7 Starter/Home Basic. Hell, those parts must be going at less than cost price together, since I can't even build a case for that price, since it even undercuts Matrix Warehouse by some margin. Its a decent fit for a work machine, but not much else unless you're adding in extra stuff on your own.

As for the OS, there's not much of an incentive choosing Professional is you're only going to be mainly gaming and web surfing on it. In fact, most of what I'd expect you'll be doing doesn't even need Home Premium, so you can also go the Home Basic 64-bit route to save R300 more.

[bonus]

Is this a decent build

i5 2400 @ R1 916
CM 690 II @ R738
4x 140mm fans @ R249 (for chassis)
gtx 560 @ R1 767
2 x 4gb ram @ R502
Asus p8h61-m @ R497
Gigabyte superb 620w @ R632
dvd drive @ R147
500gb hdd @ R708

total:R7 156

and does anyone have some experience with rebel tech, is it a decent place to do online shopping?

[@@GJC@@]

Is this a decent build

i5 2400 @ R1 916
CM 690 II @ R738
4x 140mm fans @ R249 (for chassis)
gtx 560 @ R1 767
2 x 4gb ram @ R502
Asus p8h61-m @ R497
Gigabyte superb 620w @ R632
dvd drive @ R147
500gb hdd @ R708

total:R7 156

and does anyone have some experience with rebel tech, is it a decent place to do online shopping?

Just bought the best part of my new rig at rebeltech, great service and quite speedy delivery and also very good prices. I would definitely recommend them.

[Wesley]

Is this a decent build

i5 2400 @ R1 916
CM 690 II @ R738
4x 140mm fans @ R249 (for chassis)
gtx 560 @ R1 767
2 x 4gb ram @ R502
Asus p8h61-m @ R497
Gigabyte superb 620w @ R632
dvd drive @ R147
500gb hdd @ R708

total:R7 156

and does anyone have some experience with rebel tech, is it a decent place to do online shopping?

I can't post links right now, but off the top of my head this is what I'd recommend you do:

Bump the processor up to the Core i5-3450, bump up the motherboard to Gigabyte's B75M-D3H, change the RAM to two TEAM Xtreem Dark 4GB modules, change the chassis to Cooler Master's Elite 311 Plus or the Storm Enforcer and only purchase two fans for it , drop the power supply to Cooler Master's GX400W, bump up the DVD drive to a 24x speed LG for about R30 more and change the hard drive to Western Digital's 500GB.

[bonus]

I can't post links right now, but off the top of my head this is what I'd recommend you do:

Bump the processor up to the Core i5-3450, bump up the motherboard to Gigabyte's B75M-D3H, change the RAM to two TEAM Xtreem Dark 4GB modules, change the chassis to Cooler Master's Elite 311 Plus or the Storm Enforcer and only purchase two fans for it , drop the power supply to Cooler Master's GX400W, bump up the DVD drive to a 24x speed LG for about R30 more and change the hard drive to Western Digital's 500GB.

thats some nice info you gave, thank you, but why should i get a 400w PS when the Minimum System Power Requirement for the gtx 560 is 450w?

[tarisma]

Ok so I will be getting a new system at the end of the month here is what I am gonna go for. any suggestions?

600 w PSUhttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
MSI z77Ahttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
8 Gigs Geil http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Western Digital 500gigs http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Gigabyte 7850 http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Ivy Core 3570 http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Thermatec chassishttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
and Sony optical drive for about 150
This all comes to a total of R9848 including windows 7, I would prefer to keep the cost under R10000.

[Wesley]

thats some nice info you gave, thank you, but why should i get a 400w PS when the Minimum System Power Requirement for the gtx 560 is 450w?

Well the recommended requirements are often because people pair graphics cards with overclocked or overvolted processors and occasionally crappy PSUs. Manufacturers just state those requirements to cover their end because if the card magically blows and it finds that your PSU was overloaded with other components, they can blame that and say you voided your warranty.

In reality a system like I mentioned would only draw around 280watts from the wall and the GTX560 is an especially efficient GPU. You can power the whole system on that 400w and still have some headroom for mild overclocks on the GPU and processor. Plus, Gigabyte's Superb range is only rated for peak power draw- that means that if your hardware has a spike in power draw the PSU will do up to 620watts for a limited amount of time. In reality the real power rating is closer to 500w and it isn't a very efficient design either.

If you're still unsure, the SilverStone ST50F-ES isn't that much more expensive.

Ok so I will be getting a new system at the end of the month here is what I am gonna go for. any suggestions?

600 w PSUhttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
MSI z77Ahttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
8 Gigs Geil http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Western Digital 500gigs http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Gigabyte 7850 http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Ivy Core 3570 http://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
Thermatec chassishttp://www.rebeltech.co.za/index.php...877ecf24946956
and Sony optical drive for about 150
This all comes to a total of R9848 including windows 7, I would prefer to keep the cost under R10000.

Good build, I don't really have any problems with it aside from that Thermaltake chassis. If it were my money...

Intel Core i5 3570 @ R2084
ASRock Z77 PRO3 @ R1184
TEAM Xtreem Dark DDR3-1600 8GB @ R476
Sapphire HD7850 2GB DDR5 @ R2874
Western Digital Caviar Blue 500GB @ R718
LG GH24NS90 @ R162
Cooler Master GX 550w @ R802
Cooler Master Elite 311 Plus @ R425
Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit @ R1120

Total: R9945

[Wesley]

Laptop Buyer's Guide: July Netbooks to R7000

Goooooooooood Morning Naglings! I'm glad you popped over with a cup of coffee and a mind to drool over some hardware because today we're back onto the Laptop Buyer's Guide for the peeps who don't want to follow the sheep. I'll be looking at netbooks and laptops up to R7000, with a nod to any Ultrabook alternatives for those who need something more light and portable. bear in mind that many of the systems here aren't actually capable of playing many games at any kind of decent visuals, but I may get lucky here or there. Follow me to see what's in store for you!

Remember, I'm also doing another System Builder's Guide for Thursday for AMD fans, since I've got a feeling they're a bit neglected and would like a helping hand in component choice. Make sure you stop by for that one as well.

Linky

[tarisma]

Good build, I don't really have any problems with it aside from that Thermaltake chassis. If it were my money...

Total: R9945

Cool thanks for the advice whats the reasoning behind the dislike for the chassis? And I spoke to the nice people at rebeltech and they said the 660 is set to come out halfway through the month. So if it does things may change. and I will have to repost

[Wesley]

Cool thanks for the advice whats the reasoning behind the dislike for the chassis? And I spoke to the nice people at rebeltech and they said the 660 is set to come out halfway through the month. So if it does things may change. and I will have to repost

Well for one it was the AMD Armor A60 edition, so right off the bat you're doing it wrong there :-P To start off the chassis uses raised humps instead of spacers, meaning there's a greater chance of a system short somewhere down the line. The front panel doesn't use a USB 3.0 header but rather a cable snaking its way along the inside of the chassis to the back of the motherboard. There's crude support for SSDs and there's no cable management whatsoever.

The Elite 311 Plus, on the other hand, does have cable management and can also have one of the hard drive cages removed. It still uses the same crappy USB 3.0 cable to the back but then again its a much cheaper chassis. If you were interested in more front USB 3.0 ports, the Antec One S3 is the chassis I'd recommend.

[tarisma]

Well for one it was the AMD Armor A60 edition, so right off the bat you're doing it wrong there :-P To start off the chassis uses raised humps instead of spacers, meaning there's a greater chance of a system short somewhere down the line. The front panel doesn't use a USB 3.0 header but rather a cable snaking its way along the inside of the chassis to the back of the motherboard. There's crude support for SSDs and there's no cable management whatsoever.

The Elite 311 Plus, on the other hand, does have cable management and can also have one of the hard drive cages removed. It still uses the same crappy USB 3.0 cable to the back but then again its a much cheaper chassis. If you were interested in more front USB 3.0 ports, the Antec One S3 is the chassis I'd recommend.

Thanks so much for the help! For the price it doesnt seem to be worth it.

[brazed]

I'm looking to get a new gfx card, but not sure which to get. My Radeon 4800 series card has kept me pretty well, but it's about time to see some dx11. I'm not looking to spend an arm and a leg, but I don't want to to be bothered too upgrade in a year or two's time either.

Any thoughts?

I don't have a brand loyalty, so any one will do.

(Is this the right thread?? or should this go in upgrade...? I'm not going to double post, I'll move if necessary).

[Wesley]

Basically any Radeon HD7850 2GB should do you well enough for the next two years. It'll use about half the power of your HD4870 and just about doubles performance in every area.

Gigabyte HD7850 2GB DDR5 @ R2624

[brazed]

MUCH appreciated good sir. Thank you.

[Wesley]

MUCH appreciated good sir. Thank you.

Cool beans. There's also the Geforce GTX660Ti cards coming out in about two weeks, so if you're able to be a patient dragon that will be a better and faster card in every way.

[brazed]

Nah, there are always things coming out...

Also, I immediately placed the order hahaha.

[Toxxyc]

Nah, there are always things coming out...

Yes, but some are worth waiting for... :)

660Ti is said to be a 570 beater.

[Wesley]

AMD System Builder's Guide: July R4000 to R6000

In my System Builders Guide I regularly recommend Intel processors for all of my builds. The reason for this is because socket LGA1155 is a lot more scalable than the options AMD has for the consumer, with both FM1 and AM3+ motherboards competing in the same price points, often with the latter ending up cheaper in the long run. I realise that not everyone is a fan of Intel, but for whatever reason you may come up with, there's no denying that they have the faster and more efficient platform at the moment. That's not to say, though, that AMD rigs aren't being built - they are and by the dozen too. So if you're moving up finally from your old Sempron single-core or your original Phenom quad-core, where can you spend your money best for the most value?

Linky

[Sylar_dl]

Hey guys I am looking to buy this http://www.evetech.co.za/Computer-sy...top-pc-32.aspx but I need to buy a card as well so any ideas on how to reduce the price I am hoping to spend R6300 on it but any less would be highly appreciated, so any ideas on how to reduce it to R6300 with a card, could I get another motherboard for less, build the whole thing myself for less or am I kidding my self hoping to get a gaming pc for R6300, I got a screen already and a keyboard and mouse, any ideas, tips and/or links would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

[D34thByCh01c3]

Hey guys I am looking to buy this http://www.evetech.co.za/Computer-sy...top-pc-32.aspx but I need to buy a card as well so any ideas on how to reduce the price I am hoping to spend R6300 on it but any less would be highly appreciated, so any ideas on how to reduce it to R6300 with a card, could I get another motherboard for less, build the whole thing myself for less or am I kidding my self hoping to get a gaming pc for R6300, I got a screen already and a keyboard and mouse, any ideas, tips and/or links would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

What about Wesley's AMD R6000 budget Rig?

LINK