Contemplating that do-it-yourself - 1k-2k rig

[beany323]

After getting more involved in my research and while not wholly on the, do it yourself its easy bus..some of you have made it hard not to consider it.
I am nimble, and patient enough to maybe attempt this.

Down side. wow! there is so much info on components! wow!

Let me add, this is for gaming. I presently have a 30" gateway monitor as my main and a 24 dell to the left and a 24 to the right. Not sure if its feesable or unwise to run a screen across all 3 for gaming. Looking at bf3, mw3 and any kick ass games that require a good strudy system to run. (i do some online fps but turn the stuff down to increase my lag)

Am considering sli/crossfire. so the mb has to support that. I am aware that have to use onboard sound card but did read about a external one.

so far:

Cases: I like them large and to allow for more airflow. Also am considering at some point to add water and maybe initially add a wc to the proc.

- Thermaltake ArmorPlus(Armor+) VH6000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811133056

- Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1) Black Steel structure with black brushed aluminum faceplate ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139006

HDD: (intend to make this boot and unsure if i should place gaming programs on this also)

Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW120G3B5 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820167051

Would have liked to not spend so much on this one, so unsure whats wise on this setup.

I have like a couple of hdd's on present system that i can use for data or backups.


Processor: Seems solid. not sure if the i7 is cost effective.

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/Produc...82E16819115072



Motherboards: (this is turning out to be annoying! (choosing that is)):

GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128512

GIGABYTE GA-Z68A-D3H-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128502

And the one i see the most recommended as a basic mb:

GIGABYTE GA-Z68P-DS3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128520

I dont know if i will be comfortable overclocking but if its a few bucks extra now, then i think i would rather err on the side of caution.
I am reading on so many boards on others. confusing. Maybe once i know what i need and what i am reading i can make a more informed decision.

Video card:

SAPPHIRE 100312-3SR Radeon HD 6950 Dirt3 Edition 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102945

2 gb x 2 sounds kick ass.. is it to much? or better off getting one .. or even waiting..

Power Supply. Wow, again. still unsure whats easier or reliable. I am pretty sure i need something solid and a high wattage. should have 2 - 8 pins if i am not mistake. and really lost on the modular, semi mod and the other one.. (total noob on this feature!)

Got win7 a normal dvd drive. WOuld like to find a way to make the cables look neat and add water cooling with neon lighting. (its a replacement for my nite light).

Think i got it all together. Its that or buy a dell. (alienware) also looked at some maingear and falcon prebuilts. cyber and the other one.. just thought i would maybe take the plunge.

Cost: well.. like to keep it cheap but i know that sometimes expectations are always higher then reality. (or hide the bills from the ol' lady!)

thanks again.

/bow

 

[dma0991]

I'd rather choose the Corsair 650D over the Thermaltake based on simplicity, aesthetics and features. A 120GB SSD has plenty of space to accommodate a few games if necessary and you could set up a RAID 1 array with two 2TB drives for backup.

The Core i5 2500K should be good for current games and if you could then chip in a few more $$ to get a cheap aftermarket cooler like the Hyper212+. If you're spending that much money already, add another $15 to your motherboard and get this instead. It looks great compared to the baby blue layout that I dislike about Gigabyte boards.

You could have 2 cards in Crossfire if your budget permits and it definitely helps when you have that many monitors running at the same time. This 750W Corsair PSU should be more than enough to power up two HD6950s. Add in 8GB of RAM too before you forget about it. ^_^

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

The 2500K will be sufficiently cooled with a decent HS&F. Many people are going with the Cool-master Hyper 212 which is a good balance of cost/effective but not the best, where the price increases rapidly for the performance of the HS&F.

The 800D was the first for Corsair in the Obsidian series. The 650D is now the 3rd and I think Corsair made their best with the 650D. If you want or need larger the 800D is just that, larger. But carries a less efficient airflow. There is a 700D, not to mention.

Read up at JonnyGuru for THEE best PSU reviews out there.

 

[mfenn]

Is your Gateway 30"-er 2560x1600? If so, you will definitely want to go Crossfire for best performance at native res. As an added bonus, you could also run Eyefinity across all 3 monitors if you so desire.

Dma and BTRY B's recommendations are solid. As for mobo, I would grab the Z68XP in combo with this Vengeance RAM (effectively $45 for the RAM) because the PCIe x16 spacing works out better for Crossfire.

The SSD you picked out is good. For bulk storage media and such, grab the Samsung F4 2TB.

 

[beany323]

thanks for the help guys! looking over your recommendations and appreciate the guidance!

I forgot about the hs&f and am going to look at some water cooled thingys. (technical name). if i need to save about 100 bucks i can go with air. Looking at

IN WIN Dragon Rider Black 1.0 - 0.8mm SECC Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811108376

but the thermalake 10 series.. extra cash, but.. i dont think i want to hurry with this. would like to make it a small project.

I like the motherboard and its a great combo with the ram.

thanks again and as i look more into it, any questions, you will all be the first to know. or ask...lol!

/bow

 

[HendrixFan]

Eyefinity in windowed mode across monitors with different resolutions is currently hacked to work but not officially supported. From what I've read, running crossfire with windowed eyefinity is a recipe for disaster. No personal experience in that matter though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AEAhExuaaM


I game at 2560X1600 with one card, most games run fine at that resolution with a good card.

 

[beany323]

Eyefinity in windowed mode across monitors with different resolutions is currently hacked to work but not officially supported. From what I've read, running crossfire with windowed eyefinity is a recipe for disaster. No personal experience in that matter though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AEAhExuaaM


I game at 2560X1600 with one card, most games run fine at that resolution with a good card.

well let me ask, can i maintain current setup with monitors and just change the settings on something to go across all 3? Ya.. at one time i had just the 2 -24's and was looking at getting a 3rd 24. then the 30 dropped in my lap... have thought of attempting to sell it off and get a 27 acer... hmmm..

food for thought.. looking up bench marks and trying to get some decent numbers.




hmm, i think i get it. for me to run a game across all 3 screens, i need to set the 30" to be, 1950x somenumber... (or in other words, be the same as the other 2) unless i find some app that changes that. (i think i saw one in the pc extreme magazine recently when they did 3 monitors)


edit 3: just looked at the 30 settings. max is 1920 x 1200, going to see if i can change that.. (i have a 5770 vc since my 8800 took a dump on me on gaming weekend) thinking thats why..

 

[mfenn]

I game at 2560X1600 with one card, most games run fine at that resolution with a good card.

I guess it depends on what games you play and what your framerate tolerance is. I'd consider BC2 (for example) to be unplayable on anything less than 6950 CFX at 2560x1600.

 

[beany323]

I guess it depends on what games you play and what your framerate tolerance is. I'd consider BC2 (for example) to be unplayable on anything less than 6950 CFX at 2560x1600.

unlike the women in my life who seem to have higher expectations, i like that in games!. Going with one card for now. I think i saw somewhere they can be oc'd to a 6970 but i can play that by ear.

offline, i like it to shine, on line. i just need to see you first. @_@

thx.

 

[HendrixFan]

I guess it depends on what games you play and what your framerate tolerance is. I'd consider BC2 (for example) to be unplayable on anything less than 6950 CFX at 2560x1600.

I get 60 to 90fps at that res in BC2 (via FRAPS). I have all the settings on High except shadow quality which I keep at Medium. 2X MSAA and 16X AF. When I record video with FRAPS of BC2 I never drop below 60fps.

 

[mfenn]

Exactly! You've had to lower two settings (i.e. not running at max).

 

[HendrixFan]

Exactly! You've had to lower two settings (i.e. not running at max).

I wouldn't call lowering one setting to medium "unplayable". Having medium shadows and everything else at max is quite playable. I'm not sure upping shadow quality is worth another $300 to run crossfire and the OP is on a budget.

 

[beany323]

thanks for the input. budget... well yes and no. i dont want to spend 2k.. but.. lol..

good insights.. reading more into sleeving and water cooling.. all looks like fun. i do find some time on weekends to relax.. unsure if this is it.. lol!

 

[mfenn]

I wouldn't call lowering one setting to medium "unplayable". Having medium shadows and everything else at max is quite playable. I'm not sure upping shadow quality is worth another $300 to run crossfire and the OP is on a budget.

OK, you missed my point entirely. Lowering two settings (shadows and AA) doesn't make the game unplayable. It does however mean that you're not running the game at max. At max, you will need 6950 2GB CF to sustain a framerate over ~40.