My New Planned Builds

Digerati said:
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Thank you, digerati, as well for the information...
 
Thanks. Also note there is no harm in buying too big of a PSU - other than your initial purchasing budget. The computer draws from the PSU only what the computer needs. So if the motherboard, CPU, RAM, graphics, hard drives, etc. all need 300W, the PSU will deliver 300W, regardless if the PSU is rated at 450W or 1000W. And the PSU will draw from the wall 300W plus another 15 - 30W per 100W, due to PSU inefficiencies (wasted in the form of heat). So it is critical to buy big enough to leave some comfortable headroom. This is so the PSU is not at or near capacity all the time - and the PSU's cooling fan is not spinning full speed and maximum noise, and also to allow for future expansion/upgrades - like more RAM or additional disk space, a bigger graphics solution, or a second graphics card.
 
As you know I selected the 750. I've considered going to an 800.

I know psu's lose capacity as they age. I've changed quite a bit around on my build. I might change some stuff on the netbook replacement as well but not sure.
 
I see no need to get an 800 if you already have a decent 750W.

Yes, ALL power supplies lose power as they age, but advances in technologies have improved in that area as well. But to address aging, note my canned text on sizing power supplies.

Use the eXtreme PSU Calculator Lite to determine your minimum and recommended power supply unit (PSU) requirements. Plan ahead and plug in all the hardware you think you might have in 2 or 3 years (extra drives, bigger or 2nd video card, more RAM, etc.). Be sure to read and heed the notes at the bottom of the calculator page. I recommend setting Capacitor Aging to 10% and setting both TDP and system load to 100%. These steps ensure the recommended supply has adequate head room for stress free (and perhaps quieter) operation, as well as future hardware demands. Setting Capacitor Aging to 30% will provide an even nicer amount of headroom. And remember, the computer’s components will only draw what they need, not what the PSU is capable of delivering. And the PSU will only draw from the wall what the computer demands, plus another 15 - 30% due to PSU inefficiencies. Buying way too big hurts only the budget. Make sure you buy a supply from a reputable maker and that it is 80 PLUS certified. I prefer Corsair and Antec PSUs.​
 
Ok, I ran the numbers, and set it to 100% load with a on 24/7 model and the 750 is just over 100 watts of a difference.

Maybe I should get the 800.

Digerati, no parts have been bought yet, these are new all-a-round.

And P.S. my main computer is so costly because I'm building it to last. Once I move out I won't have the money to make repairs.

Correction: I won't have the money to buy the exact same parts, let alone build once I moved out.
 
If you are saying the calculator said something around 650W, then 750W is fine.

And P.S. my main computer is so costly because I'm building it to last. Once I move out I won't have the money to make repairs.
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There is NOTHING that says spending so much will result in no required repairs. There is much to say about KISS - keep it simple stupid - as greater complexity and more options generally mean more potential points of failure - and NOT greater reliability.
 
Actually 666 :(

I understand that Digerati, repairs wasn't the correct word.

I mean't for new parts, like upgrades to the newest stuff.

The other reason why I'm looking at the 800 or maybe the 1000, is I might go crossfire. But gpus these days are so powerful I don't see my needs requiring that much processing power.

Majority will be CPU and RAM is where I'm sticking my cash, and into one good GPU.
 
I mean't for new parts, like upgrades to the newest stuff.
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Ah, well that makes sense. But note you really just need the board from a maker's most recent lines. You don't have to get their most expensive - which typically have many features you will never use. If it supports the latest SATA and USB versions and number of ports you need, DDR3, and the CPU you want, then you won't have to worry about becoming obsolete for at least a week! ;) It is just a fact of life new technologies will always be replacing, perfectly good but obsolete older technologies before they wear out.

And "newest" stuff does not necessarily mean more power hungry either. In fact, to be an advance in technology, it needs to do more work faster. And more efficiently too - that is, while consuming less power and generating less heat (wasted power).

I'm looking at the 800 or maybe the 1000, is I might go crossfire.
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Well, Crossfire works best with two identical cards. So go back to that calculator, plug in the second card and see what you might need, round up to the next 50 and get that size.

I am not trying to talk you out of buying something you really want, if that is something you really want. You stated you want a nice gaming rig that "must be able to withstand games maxed out", but you also said it has to do everything else too. So you want a computer for everyday use that you can race at the drag track and have room for a growing family. You want a minivan - pretty good everything, but not great at any one thing.

I am just saying, if you want a maxed out gaming rig, build a computer for gaming - a computer for play/entertainment. If you "need" a computer for other things like paying bills, school and work projects, taxes, music serving/storage, photos - build a good general purpose machine, or in your case, make your Main your gaming machine, and your Netbook Replacement, your Main Computer - the one that really matters to your personal life obligations.

I also note that game maker fully understand the vast majority of gamer cannot afford $2000 computers. For many, a $1000 is . So they code their games for good "game play" with lessor machines. The background resolution and detail may not be as sharp and some of the background "objects" may not be as animated, but the main point of focus typically provides the same level of entertainment.

As for your media machine. I would get 8Gb. That is the "sweetspot" for Windows 7 64-bit. That, less than that and the performance hit is noticeable. More than 8 and you get little, if any, "perceptible" bang for the money. Also, in 5 years when you want to upgrade that board, matching RAM may be very hard to find (read: expensive). Another reason for more RAM is Windows 7 will use it. And that mean it will have to shuffle less off the slow hard drive's Page File. And a noisy hard drive is not a good thing in media machine when you are watching a quiet movie passage.
 
Thank you Digerati.

Like I said I'm gonna take all the computers back to the drawing board.

I see room for improvement. Yes, Main = gaming, netbook replacement is for personal use, as for the media computer.... I dropped it off the list. An HTPC just isn't in the budget. I'd rather perfect my other two most needed computers first THEN go to building my HTPC as I can, as funds permit.

I'm off for work. I'll reply on my dinner break if I can, or when I get home for the evening. Whichever comes last.
 
THEN go to building my HTPC as I can
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Actually, a really nice HTPC can be built fairly inexpensively. For this reason, many motherboards designed and intended for HTPC environments are µATX or the smaller ITX size boards. Many come with surface mount CPUs and GPUs to save space and cost. Integrated graphics have come a long way in recent years too - BECAUSE many users are using them in HTPCs. After all, it really does not take a lot of CPU or GPU horsepower to play a HD or BluRay movie with full surround sound.

For this reason, many HTPC enthusiasts UNDERclock their systems - make them run slower so they generate less heat and can get away with passive (no fan) silent running. A good thing. An ample amount of RAM is always good, and SSDs for storage eliminate any mechanical noise from spinning drive motors and stepping R/W head assemblies.
 
It might become more than just an HTPC. I'm not 100% sure all it's duties yet.

Like I said, I want to deal with the gaming one and personal setup's first.
 
First things first, get my weekend vacation done, then work on my computers / apartment stuff.


On Another Note: If you're wondering why I'm planning now is so I get an idea of cost and the series I want to go with, as such like PSU, CPU, GPU, Storage options, ect ect.
 
On Another Note: If you're wondering why I'm planning now is so I get an idea of cost and the series I want to go with, as such like PSU, CPU, GPU, Storage options, ect ect.
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And that's fine, but I don't recommend you buy anything until you are ready to buy everything. This ensures you get the most recent versions.
 
That was gonna be my next thing, I'm debating on if I should buy as I go, like pile up paychecks and then buy parts in sections or just hit it all at once.

Part of me wants to do in sections. (more moving boxes for later)

But another part of me wants me to do everything at once. Then I can ensure I have everything and can build and test everything right from the get-go.
 
In addition to what Bill said about getting the most recent version by purchasing everything at once, consider also returns/warranties. Parts are parts and, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that a new part out of the box will work as expected. If it takes longer than expected to have all the needed parts, you could be past the return date.

As to boxes, ask at local store if they have recycled boxes. Liquor stores are supposed to be a good source of boxes. If you shop at Aldi or BJ's Wholesale, there are usually boxes around there as well.
 
Good point Corrine. The warranty periods don't start when you start your build, they start when you make the purchase.

And to the boxes issue, if you buy by piecemeal, you will get a bunch of small boxes, not something big for moving or storing.
 
Corrine said:
In addition to what Bill said about getting the most recent version by purchasing everything at once, consider also returns/warranties. Parts are parts and, unfortunately, there is no guarantee that a new part out of the box will work as expected. If it takes longer than expected to have all the needed parts, you could be past the return date.

As to boxes, ask at local store if they have recycled boxes. Liquor stores are supposed to be a good source of boxes. If you shop at Aldi or BJ's Wholesale, there are usually boxes around there as well.
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Corrine,
Do the re-cycled boxes come with liquor in them? hehehe
 
I decided to keep the netbook around. More or less as a network trouble shoot computer and as a backup for ordering materials if for whatever reason I need to do that.

I'm replying on my dinner break. I'll check for replies on my last break.
 
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