Sub-$500 i5 Build

[jp3]

LG DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH24NS50 $19.99

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD5000AAKX 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive $39.99

OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $69.99 + $20.00 Mail-in Rebate Card

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory $84.99

GIGABYTE GA-H61M-D2P-B3 LGA 1155 Intel H61 Intel Motherboard $77.99

Intel Core i5-2400 Sandy Bridge 3.1GHz (3.4GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52400 $189.99

Total after discounts: $457.82

Still need a case. Thinking COOLER MASTER Elite 430 RC-430-KWN1 Black Steel / Plastic Computer Case $50

[glc]

I'd change some parts. I'd get an Antec Earthwatts PSU, an Asus H61 board, and Corsair, Crucial, Kingston, or A-Data ram.

We never got any feedback from you on your last build:

HTPC Build

[Deringer]

I don't want to derail this thread, but your panning of G.SKILL RAM is many months old now and NewEgg is filled with satisfied users. Just wondering if it's time to re-evaluate.

Case in point, the 4GB version of the RAM the OP linked has 159 reviews with a 94% positive rating.

Again, don't mean to derail.

As to the OP's case comments, I've always been rather partial to the Antec 300. Granted it is $59.95 right now, but if you watch for deals, they are out there. I also feel the Rosewill Destroyer is a close second. I know Rosewill isn't always touted as the best, but any brand that is owned by NewEgg can't be that bad.

Just my $0.02

-Mark

[brianb]

Originally Posted by Deringer I don't want to derail this thread, but your panning of G.SKILL RAM is many months old now and NewEgg is filled with satisfied users. Just wondering if it's time to re-evaluate. Case in point, the 4GB version of the RAM the OP linked has 159 reviews with a 94% positive rating. Again, don't mean to derail. As to the OP's case comments, I've always been rather partial to the Antec 300. Granted it is $59.95 right now, but if you watch for deals, they are out there. I also feel the Rosewill Destroyer is a close second. I know Rosewill isn't always touted as the best, but any brand that is owned by NewEgg can't be that bad. Just my $0.02 -Mark

Mark, there's a big difference in going off reviews from customers on a storefront site and a personal recommendation. I buy parts for my home machine off newegg reviews sometimes. I have good luck usually, but when it comes to something important for the office I always stick with personal recommendations -- because they are parts known to be reliable in real experience. (Plus if I did run into any problem, I could always ask about it.) And after 15 years of pestering for parts recommendations, glc has never steered me wrong. (And I've asked for some weird specs over the years...) Much better track record than people who put a bad review cause they bought the wrong part, or who are upgrading/replacing one of the one worst parts out there.

In short, if you want a good solid personal recommendation, ask. If you want to experiment, feel free. I do both depending, and expect to hear "I told you so" when I do. It's all part of the adventure in doing your own work -- and that's what I like about building my own machines.

[Deringer]

Originally Posted by brianb Mark, there's a big difference in going off reviews from customers on a storefront site and a personal recommendation.

Understood. I didn't want to overstep my boundaries. Just stating that in 8 months time, G.SKILL might have gotten their act together.

Back to the OP's case question, the Antec 300 Illusion is on sale right now for $54.99 with free shipping. Unless you don't like blue fans.
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

[glc]

Yes, they may have. However, how much defective ram is still in the supply pipeline? I don't see the need to start recommending it again when there is such a wide choice of known good stuff out there. I still haven't gone back to recommending Seagate drives since the firmware fiasco.

[quartet-man]

Hey, when someone like G.Skill makes such a mess of things, costs me the time, expense and aggravation they cost me, it takes a long time (if ever) that they earn my trust again. As Glc asked. why take the chance when there is merchandise out there that has proven, reliable records? Sure everyone makes mistakes, but if companies can make major ones that can affect so many people negatively, then they can do it again. They should have had their act together to begin with and it is on them to deal with the consequences of their actions. Why companies don't take the care to create or maintain good quality and their name is beyond me. Maybe they try to cut corners to save a buck. Maybe other reasons. The fact remains is they don't do themselves any favors in the long run.

A question, Deringer, how many of those positive reviews of the ram were done before their problems? How many have been done since? It also could be the positive ones got a good batch of leftover ram, or had the right combination that at least for now works.

[rwest]

The thing is...ya gotta take the reviews and the advice given together. If one of the system builders here(or anywhere) says this part is not good - then it's wise to stay away from it. If that same part rates well everywhere else then it may be worth the chance to you, to try it. Expecially if it's a bargain.

ie. Seagate drives are currently better bargains per gig because they've lost a handful of loyal customers. Seagate is starting to get more of thier customers back because thier prices have been lower and thier drives are not having issues like they did.

Similar scenario with Gskill ram. I believe the only type that had an issue was the 1333 ripjaws. But once it started failing like a high school drop-out, Gskill lost an excellent reputation. A-data took its place.

Now take a look at intel. Sandy Bridge. Intel, being a top notch company released to the public that they made a mistake. Recalled and fixed it.

Seagate did finally admit to having an issue with specific models and took measures to correct the drives after the public said, "Hey wait a minute!"

Has anybody heard Gskill come out and say "Hey this brand and model of ram isn't made right?" i don't think so. They just replace it, if you send it back to them.

Yeh, I haven't heard nowhere near as many complaints about their ram as we did just a while back, but that may be due to less people buying their ram due to its issues, or more likely that we've made it thru the bad batch that they never openly admitted to having. Gskill at one time was a highly reccomended supplier. Thier ram may be back to its original state as being good ram. But as a company....well, they shoulda had a recall. I personally would rather buy A-Data. Business is business....and good business wins 'hands down' every time. I 'd bet intel hasn't lost one customer due to its Sandy Bridge recall.

[Deringer]

I'm a Kingston guy myself, that's all I have used ever since I bought my first pair of Hyper-X way back when. I only considered Corsair recently based on glc's recommendations here.

quartet-man: I'm not a system builder but I am a Quality Analyst for a stock transfer agent and review survey responses which allow me to drive continuous improvement. I was only hoping to make a point that companies do read customer feedback and make changes based on that feedback and perhaps G.Skill has corrected the issues based on the string of positive feedback. I agree though that I have never seen a G.Skill apology/recall.

rwest: I imagine Intel did lose some customers based on Sandy Bridge mobos being unavailable for a while. If anyone building a computer needed it ASAP, they probably went AMD. Case in point, looking back over the posts here, there was a period where only AMD Phenom II builds were being discussed and glc was telling people to either wait a month or consider AMD.

Now I will humbly step back into the shadows and lurk and let the experts retake the spotlight.

[rwest]

You do, kinda just lurk in the background, don'tcha'?

Yeh, you're probably right. Intel probably lost a few customers, but nowhere near as much as they woud have, if it wasn't handled as well as they did. Ya really gotta hand it to the business' that steps forward like that.

[Deringer]

Originally Posted by rwest You do, kinda just lurk in the background, don'tcha'?

That's where I do my best work.

[David M]

Much of it has to do with the accountants and other money decision makers who only think in terms of gains or losses, who sometimes have not much clue about the social side of things like customer service, admitting to and taking care of problems ASAP and company reputation decisions. Sometimes the money people have too much influence over big picture decisions.

The most successful companies take good care of their customers even when their money people say that is going to cost extra. It costs far more money to earn a new customer than the money you might save by screwing a customer.

Newegg apparently knows this. TigerDirect seems to have yet to learn this. You can only screw enough people within a given population before the word gets around and they get wise to you. In the long term, taking good care of your customers is required for business success.

With the internet we have an abundance of almost free information available to anyone who can read. This is probably the best thing that has happened to consumers for keeping capitalism honest. It's not perfect but it sure makes it easier for the consumer to find the good from the average from the bad.

[glc]

Originally Posted by Deringer I'm a Kingston guy myself, that's all I have used ever since I bought my first pair of Hyper-X way back when. I only considered Corsair recently based on glc's recommendations here.

Now - about 8 years ago Kingston had some bad batches of ram. I was also a Kingston user at the time. I dropped them like a hot potato and it took YEARS before my confidence was restored in their product.