Building Semi New Gaming pc! Need your Opinion!

[Hellotalkie]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Gaming, Battlefield 3, Metro etc...Intensive gaming

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

Budget is under 600

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

U.S.A

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.

Nada

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

Corsair 650 Watt psu
Dvd drives
5870
Monitor

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

Yes

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

Maybe, after reading up on some material

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

1920*1080

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Today! Or asap


Anyways, currently have a q8300, with a generic mb (acer). POS actually, blue screens, bios always resets if loss of power (replaced battery still does it argh!). If I wanted to keep my current computer, I would have to upgrade the motherboard, ram and hard drive.

Soo.

Here is what I have come up with

Microcenter is running a deal right now:
Intel Core i5 2500k LGA 1155 w/
Gigabyte GA-Z68MX-UD2H-B3 Z68 mATX: 254.98 Bundle Price

http://www.microcenter.com/specials/...ding_0826.html
Good deal? Appears to be

Hard drives:
Samsung F3 1tb: 60.00 x2
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpo...P8/ref=lh_ni_t

Ram:
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB): 50.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311
Last time I checked, 8gb was about right? Anything above was overkill?

Case:
Lian Li: 100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811112099

Ehh, keeping my current dvd drives, gpu (ATI 5870) and PSU (corsair 650watt)

Now! Will I be seeing improvements in gaming or is my video card holding me back? Checking benchmarks, seems the i5 is twice as fast as the q8300.
I'm also seeing some people wanting to wait for bulldozer? Worth the wait? Will I be over budget if I wait for AMD

Thanks!

 

[T_Yamamoto]

You have a good set up there.
might be a good idea to upgrade your video card if you could and sell your 5870

 

[Hellotalkie]

5870 already that weak? What do your recommend?

 

[TheAdvocate]

5870 already that weak? What do your recommend?

I don't know why people say things like that...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/294?vs=293

Looks like it's about on par with a 6950, except forthose crysis benchmarks. I'd stick with it, at least until the next gen debuts.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

oh, i thought it would be weaker. my bad OP

 

[Hellotalkie]

I don't know why people say things like that...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/294?vs=293

Looks like it's about on par with a 6950, except forthose crysis benchmarks. I'd stick with it, at least until the next gen debuts.

Yeah, seems to be near the top. My bro has one that isn't being used so If I ran two 5870s, would my corsair be enough?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Also I don't plan to overclock, can I keep my generic ddr3 ram?

 

[Ken g6]

Any ddr3-1333 RAM is fine. If your existing RAM is slower, ehhh...give it a shot anyway, as long as it's not over 1.6V. (1.65V is over 1.6V.) You don't really need more than 4GB, if that's what you've got now; it's just that 8GB, like this $39 stuff, is so cheap that if you're buying there's hardly a reason to go with just 4GB.

Why are you getting 2 1TB HDDs? RAID? You'd be better off with one and an SSD - though I don't know of any SSDs around $60.

 

[Hellotalkie]

Any ddr3-1333 RAM is fine. If your existing RAM is slower, ehhh...give it a shot anyway, as long as it's not over 1.6V. (1.65V is over 1.6V.) You don't really need more than 4GB, if that's what you've got now; it's just that 8GB, like this $39 stuff, is so cheap that if you're buying there's hardly a reason to go with just 4GB.

Why are you getting 2 1TB HDDs? RAID? You'd be better off with one and an SSD - though I don't know of any SSDs around $60.

Don't really care for ssd's since I'm willing to wait the extra 30 seconds for boot up time

Plus I hear the F3 are the best out there as far as HDD so might as well get two. One for OS/Files and one for Backups.

 

[mfenn]

Don't really care for ssd's since I'm willing to wait the extra 30 seconds for boot up time

Plus I hear the F3 are the best out there as far as HDD so might as well get two. One for OS/Files and one for Backups.

:thumbsup: Your build looks pretty good, except swap the RAM with what Ken recommended.

 

[mfenn]

I don't know why people say things like that...

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/294?vs=293

Looks like it's about on par with a 6950, except forthose crysis benchmarks. I'd stick with it, at least until the next gen debuts.

I agree. Upgrading from one generation's high end to the next generation's high end rarely makes sense.

 

[Hellotalkie]

:thumbsup: Your build looks pretty good, except swap the RAM with what Ken recommended.

Ah! Just found out I had upgraded the ram in my current computer already. Somehow I forgot.
G.Skill Sniper Gaming series memory
DDR3-1333

 

[T_Yamamoto]

LOL

 

[Hellotalkie]

New computer is kick ass

I'm running dual 5870's. Had to buy a 850watt corsair to power them as my 650 watt corsair started to smell of burning plastic