BF3/Good Wow Build

[Rainey]

1. Will Be Playing BF3, MW3, WoW, and The Old Republic
2. Anywhere from $1100 to $1300.
3. United States
4. Intel/Nvidia Fanboy
5. Razer Naga, Logitech G13, and SteelSeries Shift.
6. Not really I hear from my friend like everyday he is telling me how awesome and helpful people are on here so I thought I would post on here.
7. Would like to overclock but if not needed than why overclock.
8. 1080p ftw..
9. November early December.
10.I would appreciate critques and many suggestions.

ASUS P8Z68-V LE LGA 1155
NZXT Crafted Series Phantom Black / Green Trim Steel
MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge
G.SKILL Sniper Gaming Series 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
Arctic Silver 5
Comes out to about $1048 without tax. Help and comments are very helpful thank you.

 

[Ken g6]

First thing to note: LGA 1155 boards take memory in pairs, not triples. 1600 might give you a couple percent advantage over 1333; just make sure it's 1.5v and not 1.65v.

Second thing to note: Your PSU is overpowered, unless you're buying two 560ti's. Good brand, though. Look for deals on Antec, Seasonic, or Corsair 500-600W PSUs.

If it matters to you, I notice that your motherboard has the option of using USB 3.0 headers for the front ports, but your case doesn't.

If you want to spend a couple hundred extra, consider a 128GB SSD.

Notice I haven't mentioned or linked specific parts here? By November, Bulldozer should be out and Intel might have price changes to challenge it too. By December it's possible - if unlikely - that the AMD Radeon 7000 series will be out.

 

[R4in]

1600 might give you a couple percent advantage over 1333

For gaming purposes would it be a viable option to pick up 2x4GB of 1333 rather than the 1600?

Also, reading reviews on alot of boards, people are saying newer boards have trouble seeing 1600 and default it to 1333. Only a quick BIOS change, but one I feel worth mentioning.

 

[Rainey]

Yeah I've heard that 1333 is just as good as 1600 for gaming. and okay 1.5v sounds good.
Yeah I knew my psu was a little overpowered lol I just never changed it from my wish list when I was tweaking.
I know I'm still looking at plenty of cases. That one just appealed the most to me because of the looks.
I have heard ups and downs about Solid States. So if you could give me some knowledge on that side of things the pros and cons that would helpful.
That is all very true because AMD likes to put out stuff with more affordable price ranges for...well everyone.

 

[R4in]

So if you could give me some knowledge on that side of things the pros and cons that would helpful.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2186372
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2069761

'nuff said

 

[Capt Caveman]

Go with 2x4gb of DDR3 1600 1.5v, you may need to select XMP in the bios but that's it.

SSD - highly recommend the Crucial M4. Installed one a couple of weeks ago, zero hassles and fast as heck.

I have the Asus P8Z68V-Pro mated with a 2500k and Hyper 212+. To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the mounting system of the Hyper 212+ and would recommend something else. I believe in the CPU forum on heatsinks, there are several better options for the same price.

 

[R4in]

highly recommend the Crucial M4

agreed, its only 196.99 for the 128GB on newegg

for the mobo, i was actually looking at the pro as well, but i decided i wont be going SLI so the LE was a better option, and $70 cheaper. it still has all the same features as the pro minus x8/x8

 

[Justinator]

I too went with that MoBo and feel good about it. One of the biggest reasons I choose this board though is because it had the USB 3.0 header so that I could run the USB 3.0 that is available in the front of my case. The case I went with is the Cooler Master Storm Enforcer. You should check it out. Great price too.

 

[R4in]

im getting the HAF 932 advanced, but yes the 3.0 header is still needed for that case

 

[mfenn]

First thing to note: LGA 1155 boards take memory in pairs, not triples. 1600 might give you a couple percent advantage over 1333; just make sure it's 1.5v and not 1.65v.

Second thing to note: Your PSU is overpowered, unless you're buying two 560ti's. Good brand, though. Look for deals on Antec, Seasonic, or Corsair 500-600W PSUs.

If it matters to you, I notice that your motherboard has the option of using USB 3.0 headers for the front ports, but your case doesn't.

If you want to spend a couple hundred extra, consider a 128GB SSD.

Notice I haven't mentioned or linked specific parts here? By November, Bulldozer should be out and Intel might have price changes to challenge it too. By December it's possible - if unlikely - that the AMD Radeon 7000 series will be out.

Agree with all this. In particular, I would:
- Replace the GPU with this Galaxy to save $25.
- Replace the PSU with the XFX Core 550W.
- Replace the RAM with this 8GB DDR3 1333 kit.
- Replace the HDD with this Samsung F3 1TB.

 

[lehtv]

Just posted a $1200 kickass build in another thread. I'll just quote it here.

CPU 2500K $170 (microcenter)
Cooler Scythe Mugen 3 $50 + Noctua NT-H1 +$10
mobo Asus P8Z68-V LE $130
RAM G.skill 2x4gb 1333 $45
GPU Galaxy GTX 580 w/ Arctic Cooling triple-fan $415 AR
Sound Asus Xonar DG PCI $30 (microcenter)
HDD Samsung F3 1tb $60
SSD Crucial M4 64GB as system cache $95
ODD $25
Case Corsair 400R $95 AR
PSU Seasonic X-650 80+ Gold $110 (ends soon act fast)

Total = $1235 + tax + shipping.

If you wish, you could just get the XFX Core 550W power supply with a lesser GPU e.g.

XFX 6950 2GB dual-fan $250
MSI 6950 2GB power edition $280
EVGA GTX 570 $320

and upgrade to some 28nm GPU next year if it's not fast enough then. This way you'd save cash but would end up upgrading the GPU sooner and you'd have less performance until then. I don't think you can go wrong either way

 

[R4in]

lehtv, sometimes i wonder if you just piss excellence

 

[Zap]

I have heard ups and downs about Solid States. So if you could give me some knowledge on that side of things the pros and cons that would helpful.

PRO
Faster than any HDD
All the cool kids use them
Has a bigger effect on making a system feel "snappy" than any other part you can buy
WoW becomes more enjoyable (most games load everything at once, WoW loads stuff as needed)

CON
Expensive
Whatever you buy now will become outdated quickly (that's true with all computer parts, but SSDs are on the fast track right now)
New models often have teething issues (but then again so does a lot of new hardware - ask early adopters how many motherboard BIOSes they go through)

 

[Rainey]

I've done some changing to my build can you let me know what you think now? I decided no on solid stat because I'm okay with my computer booting up a little slower and such.

Corsair 650 W ATX 12V
Corsair Vengance 8g 1600 mhz
Asus P8Z68 V Pro
EVGA 570 HD w/Display Port (Fermi)
Corsair CAFA70
NZXT Phantom Case
i5 2500k
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
Asus 24x DVD Burner

 

[lehtv]

Don't pay the extra for Corsair Vengeance it's not worth it. G.Skill 1333MHz CAS9 is much cheaper, just as reliable and just as fast on Sandy Bridge.

Why do you need P8Z68-V Pro? It's $80 more than P8Z68-V LE! The only real difference is SLI/crossfire compatibility and maybe slightly higher overclockability. Is the possibility of SLI/crossfire worth that much? No. You could get a gigabyte SLI board for $150 if you're seriously thinking of going dual-GPU within a year or two.

Samsung F3 1TB is cheaper than WD Caviar Black 1TB. Get it instead.

The PSU, CPU, cooler, GPU and ODD are fine. The case is alright too but you're paying mostly for looks.

 

[Rainey]

I'll look into the Ram the Vengeance isn't worth it your right. But if you get 1600mhz can't you overclock your cpu to run your ram at that speeds?

I do what an SLI Capable board. I was thinking about it today and I def think about in the future going SLI when 570s get down to 100-150 eventually that is. What Gigabyte motherboard are you looking at? Because I want one that also supports the Sandy Bridge integrated graphics for the choice of dual monitors if I want.

The Samsung F3 doesn't have 6 gbps capabilities like the WD Caviar Black.

I do like the cases looks and the NZXT Reviews got great customer service. I have looked into the Corsair cases what do you recommend.

I really do appreciate the help!

 

[anti.machine]

I agree with you lehtv on the Case, I am a big fan of the corsair cases and I will be using one in my next build. The Corsair carbide 400r hits the sweet spot as far as cost is concerned and includes features such as cable management, includes three fans, tool-free drive installation, and a clean black interior for sub 100$.

As for the memory, I say go with the 1600MHz its cheap enough and although it may not run that much faster, every little bit counts right

And a final note for the motherboard I know we have been looking a tons of boards the last couple weeks and first it was the P8Z68 PRO then it was the P8Z68 V LE that was cheaper, but lacked support for SLI. Like lehtv mentioned I have been looking at the Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 and it seems to bridge the gap between the two ASUS boards with comparable price to performance ratio with support for SLI. What does everyone else think?

UD3

 

[titan131]

I'll look into the Ram the Vengeance isn't worth it your right. But if you get 1600mhz can't you overclock your cpu to run your ram at that speeds?

I do what an SLI Capable board. I was thinking about it today and I def think about in the future going SLI when 570s get down to 100-150 eventually that is. What Gigabyte motherboard are you looking at? Because I want one that also supports the Sandy Bridge integrated graphics for the choice of dual monitors if I want.

The Samsung F3 doesn't have 6 gbps capabilities like the WD Caviar Black.

I do like the cases looks and the NZXT Reviews got great customer service. I have looked into the Corsair cases what do you recommend.

I really do appreciate the help!

Here is an anandtech article testing memory at various speeds with sandybidge:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3/6
Quote from the article "gaming with faster memory just doesn't make any notable difference."

The Samsung F3 is just as fast as the WD Black, having sata III really makes no difference to performance on these drives. Here's a review comparing the two:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/10/06/samsung-spinpoint-f3-1tb-review/10

 

[lehtv]

I'll look into the Ram the Vengeance isn't worth it your right. But if you get 1600mhz can't you overclock your cpu to run your ram at that speeds? (1)

I do what an SLI Capable board. I was thinking about it today and I def think about in the future going SLI when 570s get down to 100-150 eventually that is. What Gigabyte motherboard are you looking at? Because I want one that also supports the Sandy Bridge integrated graphics for the choice of dual monitors if I want. (2)

The Samsung F3 doesn't have 6 gbps capabilities like the WD Caviar Black. (3)

I do like the cases looks and the NZXT Reviews got great customer service. I have looked into the Corsair cases what do you recommend. (4)

(1) CPU OC'ing is multiplier only with Sandy Bridge so memory speed is irrelevant

(2) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128502 if you don't mind not having USB3 in the front panel

(3) HDD's don't come even close to saturating the Sata 3gb/s bandwidth. What small advantage there may be to a Sata 6gb/s HDD is definitely not worth the extra $$$. If you want better disk performance an SSD is money much better spent.

(4) There are many cases I could recommend at the $90-$150 range. Fractal Design R3 if you care about silence. The 400R is a good midrange choice that's overall well built and nice to work with and offers a lot of cooling potential. Then there are Coolermaster HAF series cases which are excellent for SLI setups but may not be for everyone's eyes. And then there's Silverstone Raven series which are a bit more unique which I like. I'm sure there are even more great cases but these are just ones I'm familiar with

I really do appreciate the help!

As for the memory, I say go with the 1600MHz its cheap enough and although it may not run that much faster, every little bit counts right

Not worth it for gaming. If you're big on video encoding and multitasking and you're paying a lot for the core components in the first place, then you might be able to justify the 1-3% performance increase
http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3/1
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/memory/2011/01/11/the-best-memory-for-sandy-bridge/

 

[Rainey]

I'm gonna go with the F3 HDD. So thank you for showing me that one. I think I'm gonna stick wht the 1600mhz ram just for the fact that its not that much more expensive and I'm gonna be doing a little more than just gaming with the computer but I appreciate the input on the differences. I'm still looking into the cases I'll let you know which one I decide to go on .

 

[lehtv]

:thumbsup:

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I love the HAF series cases....

 

[mfenn]

I do what an SLI Capable board. I was thinking about it today and I def think about in the future going SLI when 570s get down to 100-150 eventually that is.

Wanna guess how many times have I heard that? It turns out to be a big waste for the following reasons:
- You have to buy a more expensive PSU up front
- High-end GPUs do not drop in price that much. Instead, they hover around the same price until the supply simply dries up
- Adding a second GPU makes your system much hotter and louder
- SLI has many more driver issues than a single GPU
And the big one:
- A couple years down the line, you will be able to upgrade to a new single GPU that's faster, quieter, uses less power, and costs less. 2x will never beat 2^x, Moore's law is a killer.

 

[R4in]

Wanna guess how many times have I heard that? It turns out to be a big waste for the following reasons: - You have to buy a more expensive PSU up front - High-end GPUs do not drop in price that much. Instead, they hover around the same price until the supply simply dries up - Adding a second GPU makes your system much hotter and louder - SLI has many more driver issues than a single GPU And the big one: - A couple years down the line, you will be able to upgrade to a new single GPU that's faster, quieter, uses less power, and costs less. 2x will never beat 2^x, Moore's law is a killer.

I think it only took one of these reasons for you to talk me out of SLI lol

 

[lehtv]

2x will never beat 2^x, Moore's law is a killer.

If only you could upgrade to 1<x<2 Gpus

I think it only took one of these reasons for you to talk me out of SLI lol

He just listed the downsides but none of the upsides. Read here why I think you or anyone could want SLI one day: http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=32341400&postcount=13

On the whole though, I agree it's not a good idea to plan for the possibility of SLI. Only pay for SLI-compatibility when you're certain you'll do it now or soon.