merlyn73 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 So I tend to be the kind of guy who likes to stick with a particular build for as many years as I can ride it out, but I am fast approaching my next five year upgrade cycle. One really important skill I have learned while living in a remote area (Costa Rican rainforest) is how to make a PC last despite environmental challenges. My current flagship rig has survived ash clouds spewed from the local volcano, unbelievably humid and hot conditions, and five rainy seasons that brought along terrifyingly active thunderstorms. But it's time to retire her and give her to my kids as a gaming / learning PC. The hot days are slowing her down to the point where between the hours of 11AM and about 2PM, the performance is so sluggish and awful that I have to turn it off and wait for the daily rain to cool the air and my tin roof. Current Stats of my Five Year Old Soon To Be Retiree PC Intel Pentium 4 Prescott Dual Core @ 3.2GHz Stock Intel CPU cooling fan and heatsink AOpen i915 Motherboard 2 GB PC3200 RAM 1GB Nvidia 9500GT 2 240 GB WD 7200 rpm SATA hard drives Lite-On DVD-RW Optical Drive Generic El Cheapo Bought In Latin America 600 Watt Power Supply Generic El Cheapo Bought In Latin America molded plastic and aluminum case 1 120mm Case Fan in Rear 21 inch Acer AL1914 This setup was built the first week I was here, and has lasted me almost 6 years, give or take. I have had to replace the PSU and video card only once. But it's era has ended. My games are bluescreening the OS, the cooling simply isn't enough for this overworked mb and cpu, and it sounds like a tortured moose when I put it under load. So I have meticulously selected parts from NewEgg for my new build which I have dubbed 'Project Gojira' in honor of both the gigantic lizard and the black and green color scheme it will have. Stats and Components of 'Project Gojira' AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core APU GIGABYTE GA-A75-UD4H FM1 AMD A75 Motherboard G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Zalman CNPS20LQ Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express (achieves a hybrid Crossfire with the APU) Corsair Force Series 240 GB SSD for OS, apps, and games Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 5900 RPM SATA drive for storage Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 10X BD-ROM KingWin KX-1000 1000W Modular PSU InWin 'Dragon Rider' Black Steel ATX Full Tower Case 6 Apevia Greeen LED 120 mm Case Fans to distribute in the tower 27 Inch Acer H274HLBMID Black 5ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor The money I have saved by not going with another Intel chip, like a Sandy Bridge, has allowed me to put more emphasis on the other components. I also like the concept of the hybrid Crossfire capability of the built in DirectX 11 APU with the discreet 6670. This is my first foray into liquid cooling, and I am curious to see if it tackles this tropical heat and stays reliable. This is also the first time in building my own rig where I have taken aesthetics into consideration. I have never used LED fans, but am looking forward to the green glow coming from the side panel and dorsal areas of the case. The grand total for all of these components, along with some new accessories (XBox 360 Wireless controller, wireless keyboard and mouse, wireless gaming headphones, etc.) is $2149. Buying them down here in San Jose, the capital, would cost me about $3k USD. I'd love to get some input from some fellow geeks on this setup, and maybe some advice if anyone has any experience with any of these components. I only do this once every five years, do you think these parts will last that long? And how 'future proof' do you think this beast will be for the next five years? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Nathan Posted May 26, 2012 Administrators Share Posted May 26, 2012 Everything looks good, did I read your RAM correctly? You are going to have 32 gigs? That's crazy, but cool. I would really go with an Intel chip though. I have had both and for years I switched to AMD to save some money. After 3 builds with AMD I decided to try out Intel again. I'm very impressed and wouldn't buy an AMD again. I haven't compared equally rated chips vs each other and not saying that AMD is bad. I just haven't been as impressed when I got my new AMD's as my new Intel chip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetutato Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 If this is for hardcore gaming, I wouldn't go for that GPU... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlyn73 Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 Everything looks good, did I read your RAM correctly? You are going to have 32 gigs? That's crazy, but cool. I would really go with an Intel chip though. I have had both and for years I switched to AMD to save some money. After 3 builds with AMD I decided to try out Intel again. I'm very impressed and wouldn't buy an AMD again. I haven't compared equally rated chips vs each other and not saying that AMD is bad. I just haven't been as impressed when I got my new AMD's as my new Intel chip. That's why I am hoping 32 GB of high powered RAM will take up the slack if the CPU turns out to be less than adequate. Plus, at this price, I can afford to get duplicates of both the chip and the mobo if something should happen. This will be my first AMD chip and first 64 bit system. And like it's namesake, Gojira, it will have a teeny tiny brain, but nuclear capabilities. I guess if I end up falling on my face, I can get a cheap enough i3. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetutato Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 That's why I am hoping 32 GB of high powered RAM will take up the slack if the CPU turns out to be less than adequate. Plus, at this price, I can afford to get duplicates of both the chip and the mobo if something should happen. This will be my first AMD chip and first 64 bit system. And like it's namesake, Gojira, it will have a teeny tiny brain, but nuclear capabilities. I guess if I end up falling on my face, I can get a cheap enough i3. I didn't even notice that you have 32GB Ram... THAT WON"T EVEN HELP to ANYTHING! Unless you're planning to run some massive MC servers... Even 8GB RAM is overkill merlyn73 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlyn73 Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 I didn't even notice that you have 32GB Ram... THAT WON"T EVEN HELP to ANYTHING! Unless you're planning to run some massive MC servers... Even 8GB RAM is overkill Sure it will. It will help me look over at my fellow geeks and say, "hey, I got 32 GB of RAM". But I see your point, but my big thing is that I upgrade my entire machine every five years. Sure, the OS won't do much with the other 24GB, but no one can predict the future, and that's what I have to keep in mind due to my remote location. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetutato Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Sure it will. It will help me look over at my fellow geeks and say, "hey, I got 32 GB of RAM". But I see your point, but my big thing is that I upgrade my entire machine every five years. Sure, the OS won't do much with the other 24GB, but no one can predict the future, and that's what I have to keep in mind due to my remote location. still, I'm sure even 8GB will be a good future-proof solution. You can spend the extra dollars towards GPU/CPU which require upgrade more often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHiLL Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) Even 12GB of RAM is overkill, and by the time a system needs more than 12GB of RAM for normal use, even gaming...then todays technology would already be outdated and useless anyway, requiring you to upgrade again. I built a gaming computer at the end of last year, which cost about £1200. It has 8GB of RAM. Even that is enough to play games on maximum graphics, encode video and browse the web at the same time. Since you've got a high budget for this computer, I would recommend going for an Intel Core i7-2600K processor, and a GeForce GTX580 or better for graphics. Why? Because they basically blow anything that AMD can offer out of the water. Sure, they cost more, and AMD are more 'bang for buck', but if you have the money, which you clearly do, then Intel/Nvidia are the way to go for performance. Edited June 2, 2012 by CHiLL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crimsawn Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 (edited) So I tend to be the kind of guy who likes to stick with a particular build for as many years as I can ride it out, but I am fast approaching my next five year upgrade cycle. One really important skill I have learned while living in a remote area (Costa Rican rainforest) is how to make a PC last despite environmental challenges. My current flagship rig has survived ash clouds spewed from the local volcano, unbelievably humid and hot conditions, and five rainy seasons that brought along terrifyingly active thunderstorms. But it's time to retire her and give her to my kids as a gaming / learning PC. The hot days are slowing her down to the point where between the hours of 11AM and about 2PM, the performance is so sluggish and awful that I have to turn it off and wait for the daily rain to cool the air and my tin roof. Current Stats of my Five Year Old Soon To Be Retiree PC Intel Pentium 4 Prescott Dual Core @ 3.2GHz Stock Intel CPU cooling fan and heatsink AOpen i915 Motherboard 2 GB PC3200 RAM 1GB Nvidia 9500GT 2 240 GB WD 7200 rpm SATA hard drives Lite-On DVD-RW Optical Drive Generic El Cheapo Bought In Latin America 600 Watt Power Supply Generic El Cheapo Bought In Latin America molded plastic and aluminum case 1 120mm Case Fan in Rear 21 inch Acer AL1914 This setup was built the first week I was here, and has lasted me almost 6 years, give or take. I have had to replace the PSU and video card only once. But it's era has ended. My games are bluescreening the OS, the cooling simply isn't enough for this overworked mb and cpu, and it sounds like a tortured moose when I put it under load. So I have meticulously selected parts from NewEgg for my new build which I have dubbed 'Project Gojira' in honor of both the gigantic lizard and the black and green color scheme it will have. Stats and Components of 'Project Gojira' AMD A8-3870K Unlocked Llano 3.0GHz Socket FM1 100W Quad-Core APU GIGABYTE GA-A75-UD4H FM1 AMD A75 Motherboard G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM Zalman CNPS20LQ Ultimate Liquid CPU Cooler Radeon HD 6670 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express (achieves a hybrid Crossfire with the APU) Corsair Force Series 240 GB SSD for OS, apps, and games Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB 5900 RPM SATA drive for storage Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 10X BD-ROM KingWin KX-1000 1000W Modular PSU InWin 'Dragon Rider' Black Steel ATX Full Tower Case 6 Apevia Greeen LED 120 mm Case Fans to distribute in the tower 27 Inch Acer H274HLBMID Black 5ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor The money I have saved by not going with another Intel chip, like a Sandy Bridge, has allowed me to put more emphasis on the other components. I also like the concept of the hybrid Crossfire capability of the built in DirectX 11 APU with the discreet 6670. This is my first foray into liquid cooling, and I am curious to see if it tackles this tropical heat and stays reliable. This is also the first time in building my own rig where I have taken aesthetics into consideration. I have never used LED fans, but am looking forward to the green glow coming from the side panel and dorsal areas of the case. The grand total for all of these components, along with some new accessories (XBox 360 Wireless controller, wireless keyboard and mouse, wireless gaming headphones, etc.) is $2149. Buying them down here in San Jose, the capital, would cost me about $3k USD. I'd love to get some input from some fellow geeks on this setup, and maybe some advice if anyone has any experience with any of these components. I only do this once every five years, do you think these parts will last that long? And how 'future proof' do you think this beast will be for the next five years? Let's clear up a few things first, shall we? G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM You don't NEED 32gb of ram it will NOT future-proof your system trust me on this, you'll be fine if anything requires more then 12gb ( 8gb is already overkill) by that time you would already be upgrading by then. KingWin KX-1000 1000W Modular PSU You don't need a 1000W power supply, that's not going to "future-proof" anything, it all boils down to the wattage you REALLY need and the brand your using ( Heck, it might even blow up and you have to get a new one.) 650,750,850 is the most you will ever need ( Unless you are going insane on the graphic card department). You don't need any SSD's like honestly focus on your most important specs that really impact your performance in gaming. just like what Chill said get an i7, and a 580 or higher don't get liquid cooling Edited June 2, 2012 by crimsawn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Nathan Posted June 2, 2012 Administrators Share Posted June 2, 2012 I see people saying the ram is overkill and you only need 8 gigs. I beg to differ I would at least get 12 or 16 if your going to lower it at all. I have 12 gigs currently and my usage gets up to 7-8 gigs at times. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetutato Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 I see people saying the ram is overkill and you only need 8 gigs. I beg to differ I would at least get 12 or 16 if your going to lower it at all. I have 12 gigs currently and my usage gets up to 7-8 gigs at times. O.o what do you do on your computer that takes up so much RAM? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Nathan Posted June 2, 2012 Administrators Share Posted June 2, 2012 When I'm doing development work it stacks up. Such as having open all the tools I need at once: -Several Browswer Windows -Microsoft SQL Server -SQL Server Management Studio -Visual Stuidio -Filezilla -Logmein -Trillian -Outlook -Skype -IIS7 - Worldwide Web Services -Notepad ++ Maybe a few more I'm forgetting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tetutato Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Ah, a lot of server processes I see. Well server computers do require more RAM then avg computers but I doubt the OP would be doing any of those stuff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merlyn73 Posted June 3, 2012 Author Share Posted June 3, 2012 Ah, a lot of server processes I see. Well server computers do require more RAM then avg computers but I doubt the OP would be doing any of those stuff. I think the most intensive thing I do with my PC would probably be one of my games or the Seti@Home program that I leave running. I try to keep my options open though, and I do use Sql quite a bit during the course of my home based 9-5 job. Thank you all for the input, and I guess I can see not throwing so much money (about 400 clams) down on RAM that isn't neccesarily needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 3, 2012 Share Posted June 3, 2012 In all honesty, looking at that spec the very first thing I would do is knock the ram down by half and spend that on getting an intel chip instead. Having used both I can honestly say the difference between similar (and even sometimes with a lower spec intel) is quite large. Nathan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ridwan sameer Posted June 4, 2012 Share Posted June 4, 2012 I's Switch the AMD and the ATI for a i7 And a GTX 560 or 580. Better choice overall But good build mate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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