Building new machine-? on using for gaming w/TV

[carito10]

Hello. Well my old XPS is getting old and needs to be upgraded. So I am looking at upgrading to something along these lines:

Case- HAF922
Corsair 850TX PS
CoolerMAster Hyper 212 Plus
Gigabyte GA-X85A MB
Intel Core I7 - 950
6GB DDR3 running in TriMode
Radeon HD 5770 Graphics Card
Possibly a 60GB SDD Drive
1 TB HDD for storage
Win 7 Pro x64

Anyways, that's what I have so far. Waaaay better than what I have now. Well anyways, I never got into gaming or was originally also thinking about getting a console system.

My question is aside from how does what I have picked out so far sound, how can I connect this machine to my 42" plasma in another room??? I'm guesing a could use a repeater and run a 50' HDMI cable for video and audio, but how do I handle using a controller, keyboard and or mouse? Anyone think going wireless with that would also work as long as I use an IR repeater?

Anyone have some other suggestions? Also, how will this current system Im looking at with the Radeon HD5770 look on a 42"TV compared to say a PS3 or something. Will the graphics etc scale that large.

Thanks,
Carito

 

[fffblackmage]

What is the purpose of this rig? What is the budget?

Assuming the most you'll do is gaming, either wait for Sandy Bridge, or get an i5-760. You're paying a huge price premium for the LGA1366 platform (i7-9xx) with no significant performance gain over the LGA1156 platform (i5 and i7-8xx).

Since you can save a ton of money from getting the i5-760 instead of the i7-950, you can get a better gfx card. Something like a 6870 or GTX 460 1GB is much better than a 5770. An i5-760 + GTX460 will perform much better than an i7-950 + 5770 for gaming.

850W is overkill. For a computer with only an i5-760 and GTX 460, a good quality 500W PSU is all you need.

I don't think an HDMI cable can go 50 feet.

how will this current system Im looking at with the Radeon HD5770 look on a 42"TV compared to say a PS3 or something. Will the graphics etc scale that large.

The physical size of the TV doesn't matter to the graphics card. What matters is the resolution. If you wanted to just watch movies, onboard graphics will work just fine even if the TV was 60".

 

[mfenn]

Blackmage has given you some good advice. An i7 950 paired with a 5770 results in just a hopelessly imbalanced system.

Here's a much better build that should come out to about the same price:

i5 760 + P7P55D-E LX $299 AR
G.Skill DDR3 1333 4GB $57
Radeon 6870 $255
Mushkin Callisto 60GB $120
Samsung F3 1TB + Win 7 Pro 64-bit $180
Samsung DVD Burner $20
Seasonic S12II 520W $60
HAF 922 $90
Total: $1082 AR

Regarding the cabling, a 24AWG HDMI cable should be able to go 50ft. For the USB, you can buy extender cables that run USB over a length of Cat5 (ie. network) cable up to 150ft.

 

[betasub]

^ Sensible recommendations for a balanced gaming build in the two post above.

OP doesn't explicitly state a budget or intended usage (other than a long cable connection to a plasma TV). Answering the questions in the sticky would help get advice specific to your needs:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=80121

 

[carito10]

I appreciate the feedback, kinda all new. While I have always only purchased new computers, say a Dell or something, I decided to ventrure out and try this route.

I have read and heard about the Sandy Bridge coming out. Like everything though, there will always be something "new" around the corner.

While I understand the I7 may be a little more expensive, it was my understanding that it is somewhat more overclockable, supports hyperthreading- which a lot of games as of now do not support but will. Aside from that the various websites including overclocking and pcmag both list the I7's performance greater than the I5 overall. I also will use the PC as a primary means of connecting to work over a VPN Tunnel to various servers etc we use. Does this justify a $100 price difference. Maybe not for some. But I dont plan on changing anything for some time.

As for the graphics card I chose. Well...to be honest I dont have a clue. I basically just sorted the page of results on NewEgg I think by total ratings and looked at them that way. I am defintely open to suggestions.

I know I can hook the card to the TV using a 50' HDMI cable and repeater. In addition to games I would also like to view whatever else. But I do not want to have a long usb cable running out to a use a keyboard. The HDMI will be run through the atic and dropped into the wall space like all the other wires and plug into the HDMI switcher I have.

As for the overkill PS. I was looking at a 750w. I would rather spend another $50-75 for a 750 thatn a 500. The pc will only pull what it needs regardless and the extra power from a 750 or 850 will give me what I need should I decide to experiment with SLI or something. Some of this is just for fun even if it means spending a little more money.


1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
----While I do not game now, I would like to get into doing some gaming instead of purchasing a console. I also do some video editing, normal web stuff, computer may also act as a DC for the other 7 computers I currently have and will be for remote vpn access back to work.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
---- Current budget is $1500

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
----US, primarily via NewEgg or Amazon

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
----No brand preference as long as there is a reliability trend.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
----May use one of DVD burners. Thats about it.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
----Yes.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
----Never overclocked a system but am open to it just for fun and experience.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
----currently have a 22" monitor running 1680x1050. But want to also use the 42" plasma of which I have no idea what resolution it is set at.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
----By christmas or soon after

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
----Nope not thin skinned.

 

[fffblackmage]

Regarding the cabling, a 24AWG HDMI cable should be able to go 50ft. For the USB, you can buy extender cables that run USB over a length of Cat5 (ie. network) cable up to 150ft.

Ooooo, that's pretty cool. I thought HDMI had a pretty limited max cable length, but guess not.

 

[Sp12]

I have read and heard about the Sandy Bridge coming out. Like everything though, there will always be something "new" around the corner.

While I understand the I7 may be a little more expensive, it was my understanding that it is somewhat more overclockable, supports hyperthreading- which a lot of games as of now do not support but will. Aside from that the various websites including overclocking and pcmag both list the I7's performance greater than the I5 overall. I also will use the PC as a primary means of connecting to work over a VPN Tunnel to various servers etc we use. Does this justify a $100 price difference. Maybe not for some. But I dont plan on changing anything for some time.

As for the overkill PS. I was looking at a 750w. I would rather spend another $50-75 for a 750 than a 500. The pc will only pull what it needs regardless and the extra power from a 750 or 850 will give me what I need should I decide to experiment with SLI or something. Some of this is just for fun even if it means spending a little more money.

Well, depends on how badly you need the system now. SB will be ~25% faster than current models with UEFI at the same price points. If you're not planning on building until then anyway then it makes a lot of sense, if not, current desktop applications are not really CPU bound.

i5s are actually theoretically better overclockers than i7s (lower TDP, no hyperthreading), though both will max out at about the same clock. i5s are a fair bit faster in games/single threaded apps, and unless games become hugely threaded monsters in the next 3 years (unlikely), the i5 will continue to be faster than the i7 for games.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/109?vs=47 Here's identically clocked i7s/i5s so you can compare the performance delta.

The price delta is also larger than 100$. It's 100$ for the CPU, ~40% more for ram, and probably 80-120$ more for the mobo.

Load power consumption in a synthetic power-stress test on an overclocked i7 system with SLI 460s is 528 watts. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/181 I would personally use a 600 watt for 460 SLI, but going much higher doesn't make a lot of sense since a system will pull a lot less than that, even while gaming. A higher power PSU has to run at lower efficiencies to produce the typical ~130 watts a single-GPU system would use at desktop, so it's not all that smart of a decision.

 

[mfenn]

Well, depends on how badly you need the system now. SB will be ~25% faster than current models with UEFI at the same price points. If you're not planning on building until then anyway then it makes a lot of sense, if not, current desktop applications are not really CPU bound.

i5s are actually theoretically better overclockers than i7s (lower TDP, no hyperthreading), though both will max out at about the same clock. i5s are a fair bit faster in games/single threaded apps, and unless games become hugely threaded monsters in the next 3 years (unlikely), the i5 will continue to be faster than the i7 for games.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/109?vs=47 Here's identically clocked i7s/i5s so you can compare the performance delta.

The price delta is also larger than 100$. It's 100$ for the CPU, ~40% more for ram, and probably 80-120$ more for the mobo.

Load power consumption in a synthetic power-stress test on an overclocked i7 system with SLI 460s is 528 watts. http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/181 I would personally use a 600 watt for 460 SLI, but going much higher doesn't make a lot of sense since a system will pull a lot less than that, even while gaming. A higher power PSU has to run at lower efficiencies to produce the typical ~130 watts a single-GPU system would use at desktop, so it's not all that smart of a decision.

:thumbsup:

 

[mfenn]

Listed to Sp12, he gave a very good explanation as to why your current plan is foolhardy.

I know I can hook the card to the TV using a 50' HDMI cable and repeater. In addition to games I would also like to view whatever else. But I do not want to have a long usb cable running out to a use a keyboard. The HDMI will be run through the atic and dropped into the wall space like all the other wires and plug into the HDMI switcher I have.

And I linked a product that solves that problem. You simply run some Cat5 along with your HDMI cable. Then you can use those USB extenders that I linked to put a USB hub or whatever near your TV. From there, use an RF wireless USB keyboard and mouse.

 

[betasub]

OP: The i7 comes either on the mainstream LGA1156 platform (i7-8xx), or the premium LGA1366 platform. It is possible that enterprise/pro-level requirements might push you towards the latter, but unless you specifically know otherwise you are best to stick with the less costly LGA1156.

The only significant difference between the i7 and the quad i5-7xx is HyperThreading. Possibly useful in your case, but not for most gamers (which is why the i5-7xx are often recommended for gaming builds). As your usage seems to justify a quad, the lesser i5 & i3 CPUs don't need to be considered.

 

[carito10]

Thanks for the help. I did go back and look at the link you sent Mfenn. Yeah those catt5/6 usb extenders are cool. I didn't them before.

In regards to the Sandy Bridge, my assumption would be since it's going to be really new, it will probably be really expensive and the new MB's may need some time to get any kinks ironed out. JMHO I really have no idea.

I will go back and look at the other suggestions as well. One of my reasons for needing to do this was to replace the wifes computer with this one I'm using. Yeah I get the new one.

So in regards to the video, Im gussing I would need the cat 5/6 cable, the usb to cat converters, and then the IR repeater on the one end in the LR where the TV resides.

In regards to gaming as opposed to surfing the net on the TV, and going with the better video card, what can I expect out of a game like Call of Duty with a setup like this as opposed to just getting a PS3 or XBox? Will it look great, not as good, better?

 

[mfenn]

Thanks for the help. I did go back and look at the link you sent Mfenn. Yeah those catt5/6 usb extenders are cool. I didn't them before.

In regards to the Sandy Bridge, my assumption would be since it's going to be really new, it will probably be really expensive and the new MB's may need some time to get any kinks ironed out. JMHO I really have no idea.

I will go back and look at the other suggestions as well. One of my reasons for needing to do this was to replace the wifes computer with this one I'm using. Yeah I get the new one.

So in regards to the video, Im gussing I would need the cat 5/6 cable, the usb to cat converters, and then the IR repeater on the one end in the LR where the TV resides.

In regards to gaming as opposed to surfing the net on the TV, and going with the better video card, what can I expect out of a game like Call of Duty with a setup like this as opposed to just getting a PS3 or XBox? Will it look great, not as good, better?

No prob.

Regarding the graphics quality, the PC version of pretty much any game is going to look a lot better and play more smoothly.

 

[fffblackmage]

Regarding the graphics quality, the PC version of pretty much any game is going to look a lot better and play more smoothly.

Look better? Sure. Play more smoothly? Not if the game is a crappy console port.... D: