Building a New Gaming PC

[Buccaneer]

It's been four years and it is time for me to build another custom PC. Here was what I built 4 years ago and have made it last perfectly since that time:

Front Office Football Central - View Single Post - New Computer Thread (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showpost.php?p=1339049&postcount=26)

The intent, as last time (and the time before that), is build a good enough gaming PC to where I can meet minimum requirements on new games 3-4 years from now (if they still will be making PC games then). My budget is around $1200 because I have to get Windows 7 and an Office 2010 upgrade. I have been getting the parts in one at time, knowing that it will take a month to get everything built and configured, esp. since there's a lot of new stuff for me to learn. Here are my components:

Antec Twelve Hundred case ($150 from newegg) Newegg.com - Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043&cm_re=antec_1200-_-11-129-043-_-Product)
Probably the best gaming case for a good price. Lots of fans, including a huge one on top.

Silencer Mk II 750W power supply ($117 from newegg) Newegg.com - PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II PPCMK2S750 750W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703027)

Motherboard/CPU/RAM Combo from www.sysbuilder.com (http://www.sysbuilder.com)
This will be third or fourth time I have gotten a MB combo from sysbuilder and not only do they have fantastic parts to chose from, but they are very quick on delivery (ordered on Monday, getting it today).

Asus M4A78T-E motherboard ($128) - normally I would go cheaper on the motherboard and bump up the CPU but I needed a good mb with on-board graphics since I need to start working on building and configuring over Thanksgiving but I will not be able to get the new graphics card until next month.

AMD Phenom II X4 Processor 945 3.0GHz AM3 CPU ($149) - always have gone with AMD and with the Phenom II, they are now very competitive with Intel. Had originally speced out a 640 but Tom's Hardware charts Performance Charts - Tom's Hardware (http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/) convinced me to pay a little more for increase in performance.

Kingston 8GB DDR3-1600 RAM ($116) - I can go up to 16GB on the board

EVGA GeForce GTX 465 1GB SLI video card ($219)
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1467-AR GeForce GTX 465 (Fermi) Superclocked 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130557&cm_re=gtx_465_1gb-_-14-130-557-_-Product)
Not the latest and greatest but if I can make the 7900 GTS last 4 years, I can make this last 4 as well. I had thought I would pay a lot more for the graphics card but I think the performance (according Tom's Hardware) is good.

Windows 7 Professional and Office 2010

I'll probably need a new cheap Windows 7-compatible sound card. I also want an Asus VH242H 23.6-inch monitor but that might have to wait.

What do you think? What build issues should I expect?

[Tasan]

With all the high end pieces there, make sure you get a speedy hard drive to go along with all of it. A older, slow hard drive can drag down the performance of other components.

[Tasan]

Also, you won't need a sound card really. The days of not using the onboard sound from the motherboard are pretty much over.

[Buccaneer]

Thanks Tasan, I knew I forgot to list something. Here's my desired hard drive:

Western Digital WD10000LSRTL 1TB 7200RPM SATA 3.0gb/s ($105)

I want to use the on-board sound card but I have read that the VIA chipsets are quite inferior, hearing static and such.

[Tasan]

I don't know, your mileage may vary, but out of the 4 Vias I have in the house, I don't get static. My TV computer has one of the Via Realtek chipsets in it and I get great audio. As for the hard drive, that one looks good, the only caution I give there is watch out for newegg.com-purchased hard drives. I'm down to about a %50 failure rate across various brands due to newegg packing on hard drives. I've stopped ordering drives from them for this reason, and I've ordered quite a few.

[RedHawk00]

i used to love building my own pc, but with cyberpowerpc i was able to choose all my components and get the PC built for what the components basically cost on newegg.com. i would say check it out at least before you buy... unless you have already ordered some of those parts.

[Buccaneer]

Red, I have used CyberPower before with good results. I do love building my own, esp. when I can take the time and learn about everything. I guess it's a hobby of mine even though I only do it once every 3-4 years.

[the_meanstrosity]

I would skip the 465 video card. The 460 (1 GB RAM) is actually the newer card and runs a lot cooler and thus a better overclocker. The 460 1 GB can also be had for around $150 after MIR.

What resolution will you be running? If you're doing anything over 1680x1050 then I would go with a video card with a minimum of 1 GB RAM.

I actually like the TR system guide setups. They aren't for everybody, but I feel like it gives me a good starting point when I want to build a pc. Then I can visit a site like Hardforum.com or xtremesystems.org to see if this product is really recommended by system builders or if there is a better alternative.

http://www.techreport.com/articles.x/19868

[Buccaneer]

Yeah, I'll definitely go with the 460 1gb; hopefully on sale.

I also decided to go with two 320gb HDD instead of one 1tb. I had always gone with a backup HDD of some sort and can't imagine not having one. Still plenty of space. I'll keep software and games on C: and system image, music, videos and photos on the other.

I have started the build and there are lots and lots of cables. Going to have to think of some clever way of managing them. The Silencer 750w power supply thankfully comes with 7 fan power connectors and 8 SATAs. Should be good there.

Oh, got an OEM version of Windows 7 Professional for a little over $100 from newegg. They were running a bundled special that knocked $30 off of Windows. Knew I couldn't do an upgrade so I was glad to have thought of that (since that what I did with my current XP version).

[Atocep]

Looks like a good system. A friend of mine just bought a GTX 460 to run Blacks Ops with and he's loving it.

I have the Antec 1200 and it's easily the best case I've ever owned. Yes, it's huge, but I'd still recommend it to anyone building a gaming rig.

I just ordered an AMD X6 1090 to upgrade to. My processor was starting to become my bottleneck on games (I'm running an overclocked intel dual core rightt now). I sort of lucked on on the last video card I bought. I picked up a GTX 280 when it first came out and it went bad about 6 months later. EVGA ended up just shipping me a new GTX 285 so after 2 years my video card has only dropped about $100 in value so no need to upgrade there.

[Buccaneer]

Finally got the last component added - EVGA GTX 460 768mb (Fermi) video card. Very highly rated, great performance numbers and found one locally at a mom/pop PC store. Here are my current Windows Experience Index:

(on a scale of 1.0 - 7.9)

CPU = 7.3
RAM = 7.5
2D = 7.4
3D = 7.4
HDD = 5.9

[tyketime]

I just configured a gaming PC at CyberPower, and I had a simple question about the uninterruptible power supply. So I clicked on their <chat> <Chat> feature. "Danny" was the lucky person I chatted with. He could not answer the question. He pointed me towards a link that didn't provide the answer. I asked again and he said he didn't know the answer. He told me to go to the manufacturer's website.

Doesn't make me feel comfortable about dropping $1100-$1200 on them. I was ready to order today, but I think I may want to check out a couple other vendors first.</chat>

[fantom1979]

I sold computers for 6 years (1996-2002) and I know next to nothing about UPS. Maybe its more common now, but I didn't have much customer interest in them then.

My knowledge of them is that I know how they basically work and how long the battery lasts.

[tyketime]

I sold computers for 6 years (1996-2002) and I know next to nothing about UPS. Maybe its more common now, but I didn't have much customer interest in them then.

My knowledge of them is that I know how they basically work and how long the battery lasts.
I just wanted to know how many outlets in total there were, and how many of those were protected. I have one on my work computer, and it was 3x the price. So I wanted to make sure there were enough protected outlets to cover the CPU, Monitor, Speakers (just the basics). Unfortunately, that exact model number doesn't appear on the manufacturer's website. It seemed like a fairly simple question...

[fantom1979]

It seemed like a fairly simple question...

Yes, yes it does. I would have been able to answer that, but I also worked in a brick and mortar store, so I would have been able to look at the box/check the interwebs. The guy that you were talking to is probably not in the same building as the product. To me, it is totally inexcusable for any retailer not to have manufactures model numbers on their website. It drives me freaking crazy.

[Scoobz0202]

I'll just tag along to this instead of creating a new thread. Initially, I was going to get a laptop for gaming but the more I thought about I figured, fuck, how portable will it be and I hardly ever sit in the recliner anyways so what do I need that for. Add in the rig I can build for the same price as a laptop and there ya go..

Just want to get anybodies opinion. Think I will be set for awhile, anything I need to upgrade/should consider dropping because it's a waste of money. Any input appreciated. I'd like to use this for Skyrim, BF3, other new games. Will this be good for those to run on high? (Last pc I built was 5-6 years ago and since then I've kind of been out of the loop)


I will be getting a 24 in monitor to run 1920x1080. Going from 20 inch monitor so this will be a huge leap. Almost wondering if too big of a leap, but there she be.

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233)
Motherboard - MSI P67A-G45 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130582)
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072)
Video Card - MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127588)
Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231426)
Hard Drive - SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185)
SSD - Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441)
PSU - XFX P1-650X-CAH9 650W ATX12V v2.2 / ESP12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207007)
Burner - LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289)

[Buccaneer]

Scoobz, you have a lot of components I am not familiar with. I have found the user reviews at newegg and tom's hardware to be invaluable.

It has now been 6 months since I've put my new build into production and everything has been running perfectly. One of the concerns I had going in was keeping the rig cool while doing high CPU/GPU gaming and stuff. I got a dashboard that goes into the 5 1/4 slot that has a LED of the CPU temperature. Glancing at it while gaming shows that it had never gotten much above 46-49 C. Having 7 fans and a large case with great circulation have kept everything cool, much to my relief.

The only issue has to do with resolution. I am running native at 1920x1080 but having to set it at 125% display. Works great for most things except for some older software that spills out text. Also with older games and stuff, I'm having to change the resolution and/or display.

[cartman]

Scoobz, a couple of recommendations I have would be to look at the Z68 chipset motherboards that have recently been released, and also think about bumping up to an i7 CPU.

As for worrying about the size leap in monitors, it is bigger, but probably not as big a difference as you'd expect. You get used to the extra size pretty quickly.

[Scarecrow]

Scoobz (and anyone else):

NewEgg's Daily Deal: XFX HD-685X-ZNDC Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150516&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-14-150-516-_-Product) for $139.99

[MizzouRah]

I would go SSD HD and an Intel processor, but that's me.

[Scoobz0202]

I ended up ordering as is.

1. I read over quite a bit about what Cartman recommended I consider, about the Z68 board and the i7 cpu. Budget wise, I was already starting to exceed what I wanted. The monitor and having to order Windows really kind of sucked. But the i7 I was understood was much better for things I wouldn't be using it much for. I am sure that it improves gaming, yes, but I felt value wise the Sandy Bridge 2500K i5 would suffice. I am still kind of unsure on the Z68 board. Even reading some things I am still a little unfamiliar with motherboards and what not. I went solely off another forum telling me that it wouldn't be necessary for my needs. Only thing I saw was maybe my SSD won't reach its full potential? Not sure.

2.) Motherboard. I didn't get a top of the line motherboard, kind of like mentioned in point one. Hope that works out alright.

3.) GPU. The 6950 should be nice, I'm sure. But I didn't realize until after the fact that the one I specifically ordered can not be flashed to the 6970 bios like I had planned on doing. That kind of sucks. I can overclock, still. I am even thinking about just returning it right away and ordering one that can. But at the same time, I think with OC'ing it that it should be fine.

@ MizzouRah. I did order a 64 GB SSD. It will be for the OS and some applications. I would have liked to have gone bigger for some games and what not but the budget was just not there.



Even with my reservations about certain areas, I hope and expect it to be a pretty nice machine for my usage (Gaming). I am not real sure about its upgrade capabilities, but we'll see.

EDIT: I did finally join the world of the prepared pc people and ordered a nice size external hard drive for backups. I've been a dumbass for too long.

[Buccaneer]

Congrats on your order. I never worry about upgrading, preferring to re-build instead. Years ago I ran into lots of problems trying to upgrade a CPU and RAM and ended up ordering a new MB/CPU/RAM combo just to have something I knew that would work.

[Scoobz0202]

Thanks, Bucc. Now that the order is placed I feel like a little kid again. Been a couple years since I've been into computer gaming due to my computer kind of taking a dump and then just stuck with a laptop for general purpose. But now that I decided kind of spur of the moment to build one I can't wait. I love my PS3, Xbox360, but I've always been a PC gamer at heart. I can't decide which game to jump into first ha.

I re-read your original post just now just to see what kind of system you built 8 months ago. Did you ever end up going with the Asus 23? I actually ordered their 24 inch, or one of them, last night. Already have the speakers spread a few more inches apart to make room :p

[Buccaneer]

No, I couldn't find one locally. Like HDD, I'm not wild about getting monitors via shipment. I ended up going cheaper on the monitor since I went high on the CPU and graphics and got an Acer 24. Been very happy with it, brilliant high-definition that was a dramatic upgrade from my old Sony 19.

Let us know if you have any questions or issues.

[Scoobz0202]

I just realized as I sit here tapping my fingers waiting for UPS. I've never used anything but a single hard drive. Is there probably some easy ass guide that I could follow for setting up the SSD as the boot drive for Windows and using the 1TB for the rest? Or is it going to be pretty self-explanatory once I get going? Does this have to do with RAID that I always read about that I have no idea about?

[dzilla77]

I just realized as I sit here tapping my fingers waiting for UPS. I've never used anything but a single hard drive. Is there probably some easy ass guide that I could follow for setting up the SSD as the boot drive for Windows and using the 1TB for the rest? Or is it going to be pretty self-explanatory once I get going? Does this have to do with RAID that I always read about that I have no idea about?

No its easier than that - you go into your BIOS and set your drive boot order. Different BIOS have different methods for doing this but its usually pretty obvious when you get into your BIOS what menu selections to make.

[Scoobz0202]

Well, that was interesting.

Technology has come a long way in those five years I'll tell you that much. I went in confident as hell, but halfway into it I about gave up and was going to find somebody else. It started from the get go with the aftermarket cooler for the CPU being a pain in the ass.

Windows is being installed right now, then it's drivers. I'm still not completely confident I did everything right. Are there some programs I should install to test stuff? Like cpu temp and what not? Are there any things I can post on here results wise that you guys could look at and say, "Looks good from here!" Cause, GOD DAMN that was stressful. I was half expecting the damn thing to just blow up when I turned it on, or do nothing at all.

[Atocep]

Core Temp is a nice, lightweight program to check clock speeds on the CPU and temps. Other than that I'd just run DxDiag in windows to see if everything shows up then test a couple of games to see if they run ok.

If something isn't installed properly you'd know by then.

[Scoobz0202]

Yet to try a game yet. Copying Steam over to the new PC from the external. DxDiag looks good. Not sure how accurate it is but the Windows PC tester thing scores me at a 7.5 CPU, 7.6 RAM, 7.8 Graphics, 7.8 Gaming Graphics, and 7.8 HDD.


One major thing that I am seeing that I am hoping is me just missing something. When I go to Windows Explorer and then to Computer. It only shows my SDD. The 1TB drive is nowhere in sight.

[Scoobz0202]

dola -

Nm. Found it in disc management when at first I didn't see it. Now, I believe this system is complete. Now the fun begins.

[Buccaneer]

Yet to try a game yet. Copying Steam over to the new PC from the external. DxDiag looks good. Not sure how accurate it is but the Windows PC tester thing scores me at a 7.5 CPU, 7.6 RAM, 7.8 Graphics, 7.8 Gaming Graphics, and 7.8 HDD.


One major thing that I am seeing that I am hoping is me just missing something. When I go to Windows Explorer and then to Computer. It only shows my SDD. The 1TB drive is nowhere in sight.

Very nice scores!

[Arles]

Trying to build my own PC. Here are the components I've gotten fairly cheap:

power supply ($65):
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139020)

8 GB RAM ($59):
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231445)

Motherboard ($159):
GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128494)


Here are the next components I'm considering and would like your guys' thoughts. It doesn't have to be the "best of the best" for gaming, but I'd like it to be pretty solid:

Processor:
(219.99) Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819115072)

Case:
(99.99) Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811129021)

Hard Drive:
(149.98) 2 RAID 0 - Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Western Digital RE4 WD5003ABYX 500GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822136697)
(5.99) OKGEAR 18" Straight To Right Angle W/ Metal Latch SATA 3.0 Cable Model OK18A3RUB12
Newegg.com - OKGEAR 18" Straight To Right Angle W/ Metal Latch SATA 3.0 Cable Model OK18A3RUB12 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16812123286)

DVD:
(109.99) Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 8X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BDR-206DBKS
Newegg.com - Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 8X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Blu-ray Burner BDR-206DBKS (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827129066)

Video Card (not sure - prefer the first):
(299) EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130595)

(459.99) EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130590)

($234)EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814130604)

[FF]

whered you find such a deal on that psu? i shopped around for forever for my build and the best i did was $79 or something like that

[Buccaneer]

Sometimes it's just a matter of timing on specials, like when I got Windows 7 OEm from newegg.

Arles, here are is Gamer's Index performance chart with the 5XX:

Charts, benchmarks 2011 Gaming Graphics Charts, Gamer Index (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/2011-gaming-graphics-charts/Gamer-Index,Marque_fbrandx876,2673.html)

[Arles]

Yeah, there was $20 off instant special and a mail in rebate for the power supply.

[Arles]

Sometimes it's just a matter of timing on specials, like when I got Windows 7 OEm from newegg.

Arles, here are is Gamer's Index performance chart with the 5XX:

Charts, benchmarks 2011 Gaming Graphics Charts, Gamer Index (http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/charts/2011-gaming-graphics-charts/Gamer-Index,Marque_fbrandx876,2673.html)

Thanks, looks like the 570 is the best value.

[gstelmack]

The motherboard didn't come with SATA cables?

The Nine Hundred is a good case, I've got one at home, but I prefer the Nine Hundred Two that is used for my wife's machine. Just some minor improvements that make it easier to use these days.

[Arles]

Good question, I will check on it and see (motherboard should be here shortly). The 900 is on sale for $99, with the 902 at $119. Is there a big enough difference for the price?

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129097)

[gstelmack]

Good question, I will check on it and see (motherboard should be here shortly). The 900 is on sale for $99, with the 902 at $119. Is there a big enough difference for the price?

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021)

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129097)

I think so, just more convenience with cable routing and access. For example, the 900 does not have a cutout behind the CPU, so you have to remove the whole motherboard if you want to change heatsinks. Other little things like that. Depends on how important the $20 is to you.

[Arles]

I think you sold me on the upgrade :)

[Vince, Pt. II]

It's my turn to hop in and post the specs I'm looking at. My buddy and I have specced out this rig, and I'm looking for advice on places I can improve. Budget isn't a huge concern, but I'm not at all against saving a few bucks.

Processor: Intel i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4 GHz LGA 1155 Quad Core ($319.99)
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 EVO (Rev 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6.0 Gb/Sec USB 3.0 ($194.99) - I've also been recommended EVGA instead of ASUS because of their warranty.
RAM: 8 Gb (2 x 4) DDR3 - not sure what brand to go with here, I just know this is what I want.
Video Card: EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280 Mb 320-bit GDDR5 ($359.99)
Power Supply: Corsair HX750 750W SLI ready ($158.00) - I know next to nothing about power supplies other than what Wattage I need.
SSD: OCZ 120 Gb SATA III SSD ($189.99)
HD: 1 TB Western Digital Caviar Black HD

I already have a case, monitor, hard drive, DVD and peripherals. I also haven't shopped for prices, those are all simply off NewEgg (though the SSD in particular looks like a pretty good deal).

Thoughts? Opinions? I think the rig looks good, but I'm not really sure what I should be looking for in a Motherboard or a Power Supply.

[bigdawg2003]

I'm also getting the itch to build a new system, but the crazy prices on HDs due to the supply chain issues in Asia have convinced me to sit on the sidelines. Can't justify paying ~$250 for a HD that would normally cost ~$100 tops. Don't really play a ton of graphic-intensive PC games anymore, so the main thing I'm looking for is raw speed.

[Buccaneer]

Vince, those are great specs. Nice work. One of my best friends just upgraded to a GTX 570 (from a 260) over the weekend and it clearly made a difference for him playing Old Republic. Also the RAM, shop around. I've some brands twice as much as others. Too bad about the HDD; that's usually one of the cheapest components.

[Atocep]

For strictly gaming I'd recommend the 2500 over the 2600. For gaming performance you're paying $110 for maybe 3% performance. The main difference between the 2 is hyperthreading and games don't really take advantage of it.

For motherboards I prefer MSI and ASUS. I've never really dealt with a EVGA motherboard, but I can tell you that their customer service is pretty solid.

[Buccaneer]

ASUS, which I have always bought, and eVGA motherboards would be my only two choices.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Yeah. My laptop just isn't cutting it anymore, and I'd like to convert it to a workstation as opposed to the primary rig it is for me right now.

So it seems that Atocep gives good advice (not that I doubted you :) ) - Tom's Hardware has a ton of threads discussing why the i7 isn't really worth the price increase over the i5 unless you're doing heavy video editing. I'm going to do a little more research before pulling the trigger, but it looks like that's where I'm going to end up.

Thinking about it though, my hard drive is a Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Black, but it's also like three years old. Should I replace that as well, or will it matter?

[Atocep]

Yeah. My laptop just isn't cutting it anymore, and I'd like to convert it to a workstation as opposed to the primary rig it is for me right now.

So it seems that Atocep gives good advice (not that I doubted you :) ) - Tom's Hardware has a ton of threads discussing why the i7 isn't really worth the price increase over the i5 unless you're doing heavy video editing. I'm going to do a little more research before pulling the trigger, but it looks like that's where I'm going to end up.

Thinking about it though, my hard drive is a Western Digital 1 TB Caviar Black, but it's also like three years old. Should I replace that as well, or will it matter?

I don't know how much of a hurry you're in to build, but Intel's next line of processors are due out in March. You'll see price cuts on the current i5 and i7 line along with what is being reported as up 30% performance increases from the new i5 and i7 line.

The processors were due out in Nov/Dec, but intel pushed them back to allow retailers to clear their current stock.

[Vince, Pt. II]

I don't know how much of a hurry you're in to build, but Intel's next line of processors are due out in March. You'll see price cuts on the current i5 and i7 line along with what is being reported as up 30% performance increases from the new i5 and i7 line.

The processors were due out in Nov/Dec, but intel pushed them back to allow retailers to clear their current stock.

Damn. I was going to order everything tonight, but that's kind of a big deal. Hrm...

[dacman]

Vince --

CPU -- I'll echo the drop to the 2500K and save $100

Memory -- The really expense memory is really geared for overclockers (higher bus speed ratings, and lower CAS latency) -- if none of that matters to you, just get the base speed you motherboard supports in the size you want. Keep in mind you need a 64-bit OS to take advantage of more than 4 GB.

Motherboard -- does the EVO board have any specific features you really wanted? The base ASUS P67 board is $40-50 cheaper and should work just as well. As an overclocker, I can only recommend ASUS and Gigabyte.

Video card -- personally not a fan of the overclock, superclock, etc. boards from EVGA, too many RMAs in the past. Maybe (hopefully?) that's changed lately. If you feel like you can spend a bit more on your setup, step up to the GTX 580.

Power supply -- wattage is deceptive these days (kind of like GHz CPU rating) as it only tells a part of the story. For modern video cards, you need to make sure the PS can support the voltage required by your video card on the +12V rail. I do know that particular PS is more than enough.

Harddrive --- just reuse the old one if you can. Won't matter at all (unless you run out of space). HDDs are silly overpriced right now, mostly out of market fear.

[dacman]

Ehh, it'll be mid-to-late April before Ivy Bridge is readily available retail. The cheapest desktop (locked) Ivy Bridge will be in the $300 ball park, so you're not likely to save money by waiting. It is a fairly serious performance boost, though. I'd expect the current LGA1155 motherboards will need a BIOS update to boot (and the MB makers will be sure to market new MBs that "support" Ivy Bridge and charge more for them).

Don't expect the older chips to drop in price much given Intel's recent track record on prices. One anecdote : the core i7-920 (Bloomfield) I bought in April 2009 cost me $289 -- they're still priced $249 retail today.

[cartman]

Besides the Ivy Bridge CPUs, another reason to possibly consider a wait until the spring will be that the hard drive supply crisis should be over by then, and drives will be back down to a normal price level.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Memory -- The really expense memory is really geared for overclockers (higher bus speed ratings, and lower CAS latency) -- if none of that matters to you, just get the base speed you motherboard supports in the size you want. Keep in mind you need a 64-bit OS to take advantage of more than 4 GB.

I've never done the overclocking thing, but thought this time around that I'd give it a try. I don't imagine I'll be doing it for a little while, as I'm pretty sure these specs will be able to handle just about anything I can throw at it for at least a few months.

Motherboard -- does the EVO board have any specific features you really wanted? The base ASUS P67 board is $40-50 cheaper and should work just as well. As an overclocker, I can only recommend ASUS and Gigabyte.

As I mentioned, I know very little about Motherboards. Generally, I know how they work - CPU to Northbridge for graphics processing and RAM, Southbridge for peripherals - but I don't really know what I'm looking at. I know that the board we picked out works with my CPU/Graphics Card/etc...but that's about all. What features exactly should I be looking for? What specifics (outside of making sure that I have the right sockets and PCI slots etc) should I be concerned with in a motherboard?

Video card -- personally not a fan of the overclock, superclock, etc. boards from EVGA, too many RMAs in the past. Maybe (hopefully?) that's changed lately. If you feel like you can spend a bit more on your setup, step up to the GTX 580.

RMAs? Like factory recalls or something? Looking over benchmark tests, the one we picked seemed to have the most bang-for-your-buck potential. The GTX 580 has some awfully nice numbers, but that's a pretty huge jump in price (I'm seeing $500-$600 or so, versus the $330-$380 for the GTX 570) for relatively modest performance gains. Do you think it's enough of a performance hike to warrant the cost?

Power supply -- wattage is deceptive these days (kind of like GHz CPU rating) as it only tells a part of the story. For modern video cards, you need to make sure the PS can support the voltage required by your video card on the +12V rail. I do know that particular PS is more than enough.

Harddrive --- just reuse the old one if you can. Won't matter at all (unless you run out of space). HDDs are silly overpriced right now, mostly out of market fear.

Sounds good - it's what I had hoped, but was not sure about.

---

What it comes down to is that I've built machines before, and I've bought pre-made ones before. I've never had a top-of-the-line system; the one I built four years ago or so is probably as close as I've come. I don't want bleeding edge, that's too cost-prohibitive. I do, however, want to be able to play my current games (The Old Republic, Skyrim, etc) at my native resolution with near-optimum (or optimum) settings and get a nice framerate.

[dacman]

Mild overclocks are fairly easy to do on the last couple of generations of Intel CPUs (mild meaning bumping up the clock rate or multiplier without adding more voltage). Even in that situation (mild OC), I would want to make sure the memory I bought could handle 1 or 2 steps higher in speed to better effectively utilize the extra CPU horsepower (not much point in overclocking the CPU if all its doing is waiting on the RAM most of the time). So, your setup would be DDR3 1600MHz base, so I would get RAM rated to run 1866MHz or even 2000MHz. The 2nd generation core i3/5/7 chips (Sandy Bridge and later) have a seperate clock multiplier for the memory, so that rule of thumb is not nearly as important. I haven't played with these myself yet, so I'm not 100% sure. Just something to keep in mind -- if the higher rated memory is only $20 more, why not.


With motherboards, the pro, deluxe, etc. models tend to have better setups for SLI/Crossfire (multiple graphics cards) and better overclocking features/settings. They also tend to have more connections of every type and some nice to haves like native USB 3.0, WiFi, Bluetooth, and other similar frills. If none of that appeals to you, just get the base model. It should still leave you some overclocking room if you decide to.


One other note on overclocking, do not neglect CPU cooling (and frankly the overall cooling setup of your entire case). Stock Intel coolers are rather poor, so I would invest in an after-market cooler. E.g. this is what I have at the moment : Newegg.com - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018)


RMAs = Return Merchandise Authorization = I bought it, it doesn't work, take it back and give me a replacement. I personally think the GTX 580 is worth it, but I play heavily graphics intensive stuff on a monster sized monitor. YMMV.


Having said all that, if you're willing to wait for Ivy Bridge, I would just wait. The next generation of graphics cards will be out by then too. (In the next few weeks for the Radeon 7000 series rumor has it). Just keep in mind that an Ivy Bridge build will likely cost a little more.

[Scoobz0202]

Have you ordered your system, Vince?

I'd just have a couple questions.

1.) What resolution are you gaming at?

2.) Have you looked at comparisons for the video cards? For that price I'd consider going with a 560ti or a Radeon HD 6950. Unless I am incorrect, for a hundred bucks less I highly doubt you'd get much of a performance boost. At least not a hundred bucks worth. And way before going for the $500+ video cards I would go with SLI/Crossfire with 560ti's or something. Cheaper, too.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/441?vs=305

3.) I am not sure if their quality has improved or not, but I recall in June/July when I built my system there were some quality issues with OCZ. I would steer clear. I have read great things about these tho for a few bucks more (but could be offset by a drop in GPU if you decide to. If not, it's only 20 bucks more or so).

Newegg.com - Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2CCA 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) with Transfer Kit (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148448&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Solid+State+Disk-_-Crucial-_-20148448)

4.) I would go with 8GB of DDR3 1333. The performance difference really is pretty small. Not even noticable. But if your deadset then your money ;)

Newegg.com - G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231422)

[Vince, Pt. II]

I have not. I keep getting good advice, so I'm pushing back my ordering :)

Right now I run my monitor at 1920 x 1080, but that's the highest I can get it to. I'm not sure whether or not I'd enjoy 1920 x 1200 (heck, or even 2560 x 1600), but I wouldn't at all mind trying :)

Looking at the comparisons on the graphics cards, I think the 570 is probably right where I want to be. I'm giving up a little economy, but I like the performance level. Comparing the 560 and 570 (http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/441?vs=307) shows a performance increase I can live with for around $100.

The OCZ I looked at has a bunch of great feedback from NewEgg - 5 star ratings across the board. I'll look over the Crucial one before I decide though.

I had some issues with my last set of G.SKILL RAM. Not sure if I'll be going back there. I still haven't decided what RAM I'm going with - 8 GB of DDR3 is all I've decided on. What KIND of DDR3 is still up in the air.

[cartman]

Right now I run my monitor at 1920 x 1080, but that's the highest I can get it to. I'm not sure whether or not I'd enjoy 1920 x 1200 (heck, or even 2560 x 1600), but I wouldn't at all mind trying :)

I run at 2560x1600 on a 30 inch HP ZR30w monitor, and it is quite simply, fucking awesome. :D

[Scoobz0202]

I have not. I keep getting good advice, so I'm pushing back my ordering :)

Right now I run my monitor at 1920 x 1080, but that's the highest I can get it to. I'm not sure whether or not I'd enjoy 1920 x 1200 (heck, or even 2560 x 1600), but I wouldn't at all mind trying :)

Looking at the comparisons on the graphics cards, I think the 570 is probably right where I want to be. I'm giving up a little economy, but I like the performance level. Comparing the 560 and 570 (http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/441?vs=307) shows a performance increase I can live with for around $100.

The OCZ I looked at has a bunch of great feedback from NewEgg - 5 star ratings across the board. I'll look over the Crucial one before I decide though.

I had some issues with my last set of G.SKILL RAM. Not sure if I'll be going back there. I still haven't decided what RAM I'm going with - 8 GB of DDR3 is all I've decided on. What KIND of DDR3 is still up in the air.

Yea, resolution is fine. Didn't want to sound condescending, but without knowing you personally I just wanted to be sure you weren't attempting to run this rig on an outdated resolution.

In regards to everything else, of course it's your money. I am far from an expert and most of my advice stems from reading other nerds on various internet forums and anandtech and tom's hardware. Most of what I said is just general advice I have seen so take that for whatever it is worth. I do know that in the many times I have read about SSD's (mainly the internet forums) it is common to see somebody mention a SSD failure and somebody say, "Let me guess, OCZ?" and that person be correct. I do not follow the SSD industry close enough though to verify if the Vertex 3 (I am assuming that is the SSD you are eyeing) has improved recently. It very wel may have. I do know I have read a lot of positive things about the drive I mentioned, and I have also read from numerous sources that another SSD brand to look at are the Intels. From what I understand they are not the fastest (but relative to standard harddrives they are still fast as hell), but Intel's are bar none the most reliable if that is something that is important.

Same goes for memory, 1600 isn't much more then 1333. I just know when I built my system "It's only $20-30 more dollars" added up fast when I said that a bunch. Of course, YMMV

Either way, your system will be rocking. Good luck man

[Scoobz0202]

I run at 2560x1600 on a 30 inch HP ZR30w monitor, and it is quite simply, fucking awesome. :D

I would love to game on that type of monitor. I just don't have the cash to maintain the specs :(

[Vince, Pt. II]

Yea, resolution is fine. Didn't want to sound condescending, but without knowing you personally I just wanted to be sure you weren't attempting to run this rig on an outdated resolution.

In regards to everything else, of course it's your money. I am far from an expert and most of my advice stems from reading other nerds on various internet forums and anandtech and tom's hardware. Most of what I said is just general advice I have seen so take that for whatever it is worth. I do know that in the many times I have read about SSD's (mainly the internet forums) it is common to see somebody mention a SSD failure and somebody say, "Let me guess, OCZ?" and that person be correct. I do not follow the SSD industry close enough though to verify if the Vertex 3 (I am assuming that is the SSD you are eyeing) has improved recently. It very wel may have. I do know I have read a lot of positive things about the drive I mentioned, and I have also read from numerous sources that another SSD brand to look at are the Intels. From what I understand they are not the fastest (but relative to standard harddrives they are still fast as hell), but Intel's are bar none the most reliable if that is something that is important.

Same goes for memory, 1600 isn't much more then 1333. I just know when I built my system "It's only $20-30 more dollars" added up fast when I said that a bunch. Of course, YMMV

Either way, your system will be rocking. Good luck man

I totally understand, and don't worry about sounding condescending. I'm a long way removed from the hubris of my college computer programming days :)

Poking around a bit more, it does seem that OCZ 3 SSD's have some issues, so perhaps the Crucial is the one to look at.

As of now, I'm at around $1,200 - well under my $1,500 budget. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the extra $300 - save it? Put it into a sound system? Upgrade my monitor? We'll see. Here are the specs I'm currently at:

CPU - i5 2500k Sandy Bridge Intel
Motherboard - eVGA P67 FTW - 1155 socket, 3x PCIe x16/x8, 2x PCIe x8, 2x PCIe x1
SSD - Crucial M4 128 GB
Graphics Card - GeForce 570 (Fermi)
Power Supply - Corsair HX750 750W
RAM - Corsair 4 GB (x2) DDR3 1600

Probably going to pull the trigger tomorrow or Friday.

[dzilla77]

I totally understand, and don't worry about sounding condescending. I'm a long way removed from the hubris of my college computer programming days :)

Poking around a bit more, it does seem that OCZ 3 SSD's have some issues, so perhaps the Crucial is the one to look at.

As of now, I'm at around $1,200 - well under my $1,500 budget. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the extra $300 - save it? Put it into a sound system? Upgrade my monitor? We'll see. Here are the specs I'm currently at:

CPU - i5 2500k Sandy Bridge Intel
Motherboard - eVGA P67 FTW - 1155 socket, 3x PCIe x16/x8, 2x PCIe x8, 2x PCIe x1
SSD - Crucial M4 128 GB
Graphics Card - GeForce 570 (Fermi)
Power Supply - Corsair HX750 750W
RAM - Corsair 4 GB (x2) DDR3 1600

Probably going to pull the trigger tomorrow or Friday.

Don't forget the operating system, unless you already have that on the drive you are installing. But not sure if you will be able to move it to the SSD or not.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Yeah, I have Windows 7 already.

I guess the last thing I'm unsure of is the motherboard. My buddy is pretty deadset on the evga one, but I'm reading a lot of good things about the ASUS one. Wish I knew more about reliability and performance on these things.

I could also use some advice on a case - I think I'm going to give my dad my old gaming rig, so I'm in the market for one. Some of the cases mentioned earlier in the thread sound good, but there are several.

[frnk55]

I run at 2560x1600 on a 30 inch HP ZR30w monitor, and it is quite simply, fucking awesome. :D
Cripes Cartman! I'm not even sure my video card can do that. That is fucking awesome!

[cartman]

Cripes Cartman! I'm not even sure my video card can do that. That is fucking awesome!

One of my clients that do oil and gas exploration have workstations set up with two of these in a dual monitor configuration. It is a sight to behold. 5 feet of screen, 5120x1600 powered by Quadro 5000 cards.

[mckerney]

I totally understand, and don't worry about sounding condescending. I'm a long way removed from the hubris of my college computer programming days :)

Poking around a bit more, it does seem that OCZ 3 SSD's have some issues, so perhaps the Crucial is the one to look at.

As of now, I'm at around $1,200 - well under my $1,500 budget. I'm not sure what I'm going to do about the extra $300 - save it? Put it into a sound system? Upgrade my monitor? We'll see. Here are the specs I'm currently at:

CPU - i5 2500k Sandy Bridge Intel
Motherboard - eVGA P67 FTW - 1155 socket, 3x PCIe x16/x8, 2x PCIe x8, 2x PCIe x1
SSD - Crucial M4 128 GB
Graphics Card - GeForce 570 (Fermi)
Power Supply - Corsair HX750 750W
RAM - Corsair 4 GB (x2) DDR3 1600

Probably going to pull the trigger tomorrow or Friday.

That's pretty much the system I just ordered since my laptop is dying.

CPU - i5 2500k
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3
SSD - Crucial M4 128 GB
Power Supply - Corsair HX750 750W
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 GB x 2)

For Graphics I'll be adding a GeForce card in about a month or so. Not ideal, but better than the alternative I have right now.

[gstelmack]

8GB RAM, you'll be happy moving forward even if not all apps take advantage. The OS sure can, and you'll see more and more 64-bit apps and possibly games coming out. Be future-thinking.

Unless you mean 2 4GB sticks for a total of 8, in which case never mind.

[mckerney]

8GB RAM, you'll be happy moving forward even if not all apps take advantage. The OS sure can, and you'll see more and more 64-bit apps and possibly games coming out. Be future-thinking.

Unless you mean 2 4GB sticks for a total of 8, in which case never mind.

Ah, edited above. Was quickly copying from order and left off the 2 4GB sticks. I'll end up upgrading eventually, but right now I don't have a whole lot of money to work with so went with the cheaper option for now.

[Radii]

8GB RAM, you'll be happy moving forward even if not all apps take advantage. The OS sure can, and you'll see more and more 64-bit apps and possibly games coming out. Be future-thinking.

Unless you mean 2 4GB sticks for a total of 8, in which case never mind.

For someone who hasn't kept up with this stuff in the past few years, why are 2 4GB sticks not (as) useful as some other configuration?

[gstelmack]

For someone who hasn't kept up with this stuff in the past few years, why are 2 4GB sticks not (as) useful as some other configuration?

A pair of 4GB sticks is useful. What I meant but did not write very well is: go with more than 4GB of total RAM. 6 or 8 depending on your motherboard. I have a triple-channel Core i7 setup, so I have 6 and might go to 12, but most setups are dual-channel and so should be at 8.

So a pair of 4GB sticks is fine, but a pair of 2GB sticks is not.

[dacman]

To clarify:

1 stick 8GB (not fine, not using both memory channels)
2 sticks 2GB each, 4GB total (not fine in Greg's opinion, too little RAM, silly to not bump it up to the next "level" if you have a 64-bit OS)
2 sticks 4GB each, 8GB total (better)

Interestingly enough, 1st generation iCore3/5/7 chips are triple channel, Sandy Bridge chips (2500K, 2600K, etc) are dual channel, and Sandy Bridge-E chips (3930K, 3960X) are QUAD!! channel.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Purchased! Decided to pick up a few extra pieces, here's the final reckoning:

Antec 902 V3 Black Steel Case
eVGA Superclocked GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280 MB Graphics Card
Corsair Professional Series HX750 750W Power Supply
Intel Core i5-2500k Sandy Bridge 3.3 GHz Processor
eVGA P67 FTW Motherboard
Crucial M4 128 GB SATA III Internal SSD
Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600 RAM
Rosewill Mechanical Keyboard RK-9000
Creative 7.1 Channel Soundblaster X-Fi Titanium Sound Card

Total Damage - $1,600 and change. Can't wait until I get to play with it :)

[mckerney]

That's pretty much the system I just ordered since my laptop is dying.

CPU - i5 2500k
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD3
SSD - Crucial M4 128 GB
Power Supply - Corsair HX750 750W
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (4 GB x 2)

For Graphics I'll be adding a GeForce card in about a month or so. Not ideal, but better than the alternative I have right now.

Ordered mine too, only change I made was going to the Corsair 850W since it was only $.50 more than the 750W on Amazon. For a HDD I'm going to put the 1 TB drive I put in my old desktop last year and maybe buy a new one once prices come down, waiting until new NVIDIA GPUs are announced to make a decision if I want one of those or see if prices drop on current cards.

[Lonnie]

I picked up a ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 and a i5-2500K yesterday to upgrade from my AMD Phenom X4 810.

Looking through the mobo manual the Z68 has this Smart Response Technology which can use a SSD as an intelligent cache to your HHD. Anyone using that feature?

[mckerney]

I picked up a ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 and a i5-2500K yesterday to upgrade from my AMD Phenom X4 810.

Looking through the mobo manual the Z68 has this Smart Response Technology which can use a SSD as an intelligent cache to your HHD. Anyone using that feature?

I decided against using Smart Response and instead keep the OS and anything I want quicker load times for on the SSD. Since Steam doesn't let you chose what drive to install on I used this guide for installing some games on my SSD and others on my HDD (http://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/o57ik/scumbag_fraps/c3eiwmr).

Just got my video card the other day, decided on the GTX 560 TI 2 GB.

[Lonnie]

I went ahead and set it up mainly because I was able to preserve my existing Win7 installation. I set up 64GB cache on the SSD. It works great. The first time I run something or load a particular level I get standard load time, but subsequent loads are lightning fast. I still have 55 GB on the SSD I can utilize for anything I would rather have constant immediate response.

The alternative was a clean install and I really didn't feel like going through the effort.

[spleen1015]

I am in the market for a new video card.

I just had a XFX - ATI Radeon 5750 go out on me.

I am looking to spend between $150-$250 to replace this card. I want to avoid XFX since I just had one of their cards break on me.

I know pretty much nothing about video cards these days. I bought that one based on a recommendation from a friend.

Any suggestions or opinions from you smart fellers?

[dacman]

A GTX 570 is probably your best bet.

edit: Hmm..well the GTX 570 is a bit above your price range. A GTX 560 Ti or a Radeon 6950 would do it.

[spleen1015]

A GTX 570 is probably your best bet.

edit: Hmm..well the GTX 570 is a bit above your price range. A GTX 560 Ti or a Radeon 6950 would do it.

Thanks, dacman.

Do you recommend a certain brand? Does it really matter?

[mckerney]

Thanks, dacman.

Do you recommend a certain brand? Does it really matter?

I bought and EVGA 560 Ti last month, very happy with it so far.

[mckerney]

http://i.imgur.com/guE6E.png

Aw man, I knew I should have opted for multiple motherboards. Now I'm not hard-core.

[flounder]

Man, I was wondering my PC was so slow. I should have added a motherboard.

[mckerney]

I honestly don't know what's worse there, the $3000 PC, $800 monitor, or a "hard-core" gamer using a wireless mouse.

[mckerney]

I bought and EVGA 560 Ti last month, very happy with it so far.

A little more on this, the GTX 570 is a better card than the GTX 560 Ti, but with my budget the performance increase you see with the 570 didn't seem worth the extra $100 or so in added cost. The GTX 560 isn't a bad option either if you want to spend $190 as opposed to $250 for a GTX 560 Ti.

Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti Review: GF114 Rises, GF100 Rides Off : The GeForce GTX 560 Ti Review (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/nvidia-geforce-gtx-560-ti-gf114,2845.html)

The Nvidia GeForce GTX 560 Review: Take Off Your Ti : Meet The GeForce GTX 560 (http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-560-amp-edition-gtx-560-directcu-ii-top,2944.html)

[Scoobz0202]

Thanks, dacman.

Do you recommend a certain brand? Does it really matter?

I'd mostly look for whichever has the best warranty.

[Lonnie]

I like my MSI 560 Ti, it's the Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565)

I was thinking about getting a second one and running SLI, but that's probably overkill.

I also like EVGA products. I had a card go bad on my and they replaced it without much fuss.

[mckerney]

I like my MSI 560 Ti, it's the Newegg.com - MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565)

I was thinking about getting a second one and running SLI, but that's probably overkill.

I also like EVGA products. I had a card go bad on my and they replaced it without much fuss.

Probably no need for SLI on a 560 Ti right now, though I plan on doing it down the road when it's time to upgrade.

[Lonnie]

That's my thoughts, but if I wait too long then I might not find the twin to my card if it gets discontinued. So if I find some disposable cash then I might just snag another one.

[spleen1015]

What does Superclocked mean with some of these EVGA video cards?

[Lonnie]

NVidia sets a standard clock value when they release the GPU. The manufacturers sometimes overclock the chips on their board as a factory default.

For instance I have the MSI Frozr II 560 Ti OC. The core clock on the non-OC version is 822 MHz, the core clock on my OC version is 880 MHz.

They know people are overclocking them anyway, so they try to get a few more dollars from you when you buy it.

[gstelmack]

They know people are overclocking them anyway, so they try to get a few more dollars from you when you buy it.

They also add better cooling / power handling to deal with the increased power draw and heat that are generated when overclocking.

[spleen1015]

Like an idiot, I never thought about contacting XFX about this issue. I opened a ticket with them today and I have tried their suggestions with no luck. Hopefully they send me a new card since I only bought this one back in March.

[cartman]

Well, let me join the list of new purchasers. My current desktop, an Asus with a quad-core Q6600, has given up the ghost. It looks like something in the disk controller has gone bad. I'd been having intermittent issues for a while, but they finally got terminal. I've had it for over 3 years, so I was due for an upgrade. Here's what I ended up getting from NewEgg:

Antec P280 case
Antec HCP-1200 power supply
Asus P8Z68 Gen 3 motherboard
Intel Core i7-2700 CPU
CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ CPU cooler
G.SKILL 4X4GB DDR3 1866 RAM
two EVGA nVidia GTX 560 Ti video cards
OCZ Vertex 120GB SSD boot drive
two 2TB Seagate Barracuda Green data drives

Came in right at $2K. I was hoping to get an LGA 2011 CPU/Motherboard combo, but those chips are backordered for at least the next 3 weeks, and I need to have a functioning desktop for my home office. This ought to do quite well, as these motherboards are also supposed to support Ivy Bridge and PCI Express 3.0 once both of those techs come to market.

[mckerney]

Hard Choices: Graphics Cards | Rock, Paper, Shotgun (http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/02/07/hard-choices-graphics-cards/)

[cartman]

Just got done putting everything together, and it looks like I got a couple of bad memory chips. Time to start the troubleshooting.

[Mantle2600]

Based on this thread I decided to go with Cyberpower PC instead of building one myself. Prices were about the same for all the components.

Xion Predator 970 Gaming Series Mid Tower Case
Intel® Core™ i7-2600K 3.40 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155
GigaByte GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 Intel Z68 Chipset
2TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD
8GB DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB 16X PCIe Video Card
700 Watts - XtremeGear SLI/CrossFireX Ready Power Supply
Tt eSports Element Gaming Mouse
Tt eSports Challenger Ultimate Gaming Keyboard
Asetek 510LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan

Added a Crucial M4 128 GB SSD drive from newegg. Total price about $1450. Sure as hell beats my 8 year old Dell that still ran pretty good for its age.

[frnk55]

Hey Mantle I would reconsider going with Cyberpower. Have you checked out Digital Storm? Very professional company that builds quality pcs. I've bought 2 from them and had no problems. Check out the forums, they are very helpful.

[Vince, Pt. II]

So the DVD drive I lifted from my old desktop crapped out on me today. The tray is stuck, and I can't seem to figure out where the hangup is. I've been considering replacing it with a Blu-Ray drive, so now seems as good a time as ever. Anyone have any experience/recommendations? I haven't even looked yet, but I'll be hitting up newegg and Tom's Hardware tomorrow to see what I'm in for.

[Scoobz0202]

I don't have any experience with Blu-Ray drives but I have read some serious headaches with it.

First, you'll need some type of software to just watch the Blu-Rays. These usually cost around $100.

Something like: PowerDVD 12 No.1 Blu-ray & Media Player (http://www.cyberlink.com/products/powerdvd/overview_en_US.html?&r=1)

Second, Even with that I have read that there are numerous problems encountered with the software and Windows whether its drivers issues or just general pain-in-the-assness. When it's all said and done your probably going to spend close to $200 for a potential headache. No real software ships on Blu-Ray, so unless you plan on burning a lot of blu-rays or somehow do it for work or something then you may want to rethink it.

If you have a PS3 already then it may be pointless for your uses.

Do some research, obviously. Report back if you stumble across something that contradicts me as I'd love to know.

[stevew]

Agreed about the pain in the ass with the Blu Ray software. I wouldn't bother with the upgrade.

[weegeebored]

Here's what I ended up getting from NewEgg:

Antec P280 case
Antec HCP-1200 power supply
Asus P8Z68 Gen 3 motherboard
Intel Core i7-2700 CPU
CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ CPU cooler
G.SKILL 4X4GB DDR3 1866 RAM
two EVGA nVidia GTX 560 Ti video cards
OCZ Vertex 120GB SSD boot drive
two 2TB Seagate Barracuda Green data drives

...and I need to have a functioning desktop for my home office.Your "home office" desktop needs dual video cards? Not getting a lot of work done in there, are you? ;)

I hate this thread because I really want to build a new box but it's a bad time. There are some nice builds here. Good luck with them.

[cartman]

Your "home office" desktop needs dual video cards? Not getting a lot of work done in there, are you? ;)

Believe it or not, there is a work purpose for dual video cards. We do quite a bit of work with oil and gas exploration companies, and they do 3D viewing of seismic data. The customers usually have nVidia Quadro 5000 or 6000 cards, but there is no way I can afford one of those. So 2 of the GeForce cards get me to about 60% of the speed of the Quadro cards.

Also, for our encryption pieces, we do quite a bit of number crunching, and we have a way to use the CUDA cores for math, not graphics.

It is just a nice side benefit that it helps with games as well. :)

[tyketime]

Not technically a gaming PC question, but related. I currently have a LG 22 inch monitor that I really like. But am thinking about looking at 27-inch monitor as an upgrade. I hesitate, because an article I saw last night mentioned being able to see some defects in a few games since the monitor was bigger (and pixels more spaced out?). This is for my desktop, so usual position 2-2.5 feet back on my desk from my chair.

Do any of you have a 27'in monitor that you like? Looks like ViewSonic & Asus have some decent ratings. I hook up my desktop and my xbox to same monitor. I do not typically watch movies or TV on it. Although I suppose I could start streaming shows more than I do now.

[Vince, Pt. II]

Mine's only 23", so I can't comment from personal use. My roommate has a 27" monitor though, and she loves it (she is a gamer).

It does indeed look like a Blu-ray drive is probably going to be more trouble than it's worth, so I think I'm going to end up going with a regular DVD drive.

[Lonnie]

I actually just bought my fiancé a 27" for Valentines Day. It was a Samsung on sale at Costco for $250.

The image is great and games are fine on it. It has a 2ms refresh, which is great for games. It is just so big! It did not have a DVI connector, only VGA and HDMI, but I have adapters for that. Overall a good deal. I might get one for myself.