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View Full Version : first build...questions on a few recommended hardware components



bdeuster
09-01-2011, 12:03 AM
I'm a rookie.... looking to build my first PC with the assistance of the my super pc site. Years ago my uncle helped me build a PC for a good price w/ quality components and believe it or not I'm still using that same PC 8 years later with no problems (added some memory in the past but that was about it). However, I'm maxing out my hard drive and know it's time to replace the PC before hardware failures start to creep up (I feel like I'm already pushing my luck).

I was planning on just going with the recommendation that are listed on the site however I have a few questions:

1. Processor: In the summary area it lists Intel Core i7-860 (quad-core) however further down it lists Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz. Is it worth going with the i7 (what is the big difference or what is gained)?
2. MoBo: MSI P67A-GD65(B3) LGA 1155 is listed in the recommendations however I saw mixed reviews on Amazon that sort of made me double think this component. Any thoughts or alternate recommendations?
3. Audio / Video: I was planning on just going with the recommendations for sound and video cards however in my current PC I have an ATI All-in-oneder (or something like that) which allows me to send audio to my stereo via component cables. Is there anything like this that I should consider (that will be compatible with all other recommended components, case, etc.) on the audio side as I like to have it hooked up to our home entertainment center which allows me to play iTunes on my PC for parties and then pump it throughout the house, garage, backyard, etc. through my A/V setup. I could care less about watching TV on the PC like I did in college (the reason I went with the ATI unit in the first place) so I'm really just looking for something that will put out good clean audio and will allow me to simply tie into my stereo. Side note...I currently have to run a wire from my office to the living room and manually hook it up when I want to play through the stereo - I purchased a Linksys media bridge in the past so I could send a wireless stream to the bridge which is hooked up to my stereo but that thing sucks and always looses connection half way through a party so I've given up on that. Anyone know of any new solutions that have better results for streaming music from a PC to a stereo via wireless?
4. I probably just missed this in my research so far but it looks like I do not need to purchase a network card - looks like it's included with the motherboard...is that correct?

I should mention that I'm not a gamer however I do want a solid system that will be fast and up-gradable so I can hopefully get years out of this PC.

Thanks in advance for any advice / opinions - this seems to be a great site that I've been checking out for the past two years and now that I'm finally going to move forward with building a new PC I'm hoping I can get a little assistance from the experts!!!

RickyTick
09-01-2011, 08:37 PM
Don't go with the i7-860. That's at least 1 generation old. You should be looking at something in the Sandy Bridge line. The i5-2500K is great, and so is the i7-2600k. You need to determine how much you're willing to spend and then buy the best components that fit within your budget.

bdeuster
09-02-2011, 10:25 AM
Thanks for the advice! Any thoughts on the motherboard? I see you have an MSI board, are you happy with the quality, etc.? As I mentioned, there were some negative reviews on the MSI P67A-GD65(B3) LGA 1155 so I'm nervous to go that route. Any other suggestions for boards that I should look into?
Thanks again!
Brian

RickyTick
09-02-2011, 10:04 PM
The MSI board that I have is outstanding. I couldn't be happier with the design or the quality.

There are negative reviews on every motherboard at Newegg. Some are justified, but I believe many are installation errors. If you're uncomfortable with the MSI board, take a look at Asus or Gigabyte. Both are excellent choices.

bdeuster
09-04-2011, 04:42 PM
Thanks again for the reply! I think I'm going to go with the "ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 LGA 1155 SATA 6Gbps and USB 3.0 Supported Intel P67 DDR3 1800 ATX Motherboard" It's a bit more but I'm willing to spend the extra cash.

I've also decided to go with i7 2600k processor - thanks for pointing me in the right direction.

Appreciate the help!