First Gaming Build, Need help/feedback!!

[Arkrival]

I would like to start off by saying that this will be my first time building a Rig from scratch so any help is greatly appreciated. In the past I have always bought something stock from Microcenter and just upgraded ram/graphics so please review my setup and let me know if you think I made any mistakes(or left out any parts). I obviously want to make sure all my components are compatible with each other and will flawlessly run my games on high settings (crysis2, cod, etc.)

I already have my case/power supply purchased and plan on purchasing the rest within the next 2 weeks. Please feel free to critique but keep in mind that I would like to stay within the planned budget of around $750 for the remaining parts.

Here's the setup I plan on rolling with:
Raidmax Smilodon ATX-612wb Case - Purchased
Raidmax 730watt power supply - Purchased
ASUS EVO AM3 sata 6gb/s ATX Mobo - $110
AMD Phenom II x6 1090T 3.2ghz - $200
Ripjaws 8gb ddr3 1600 ram - $100
MSI geforce gtx560ti(fermi) 1gb twin frozr/OC - $250
WD 500gb 7200 rpm Sata 6gb/s IHD - $60
18x dvd-rom sata Lite-on - $20


I also have some additional questions(sorry this ended up being a little more lengthy than I had expected):

1. Would I take any performance hits if I were to mix and match an amd cpu with an nvidia graphics card?? I only ask because I usually only see intel processors matched with nvidia graphics and amd processors matched with radeon graphics.

2. Is the mobo I chose sufficient for my gaming needs or should I dish out some more money?? Can I get SLI with this mobo if I later decide to purchase another card or does it only support crossfire(being an amd board)??
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131647

3. Am I correct in my understanding that I can plug my home theater system (which has the same looking optical port) into my mobo through the "Optical S/PDIF out"? It's a 6-7 yr old onkyo sound system that still blows me away, cost $1100 at the time of purchase. Just the thought of hearing my PC through the system gives me chills.

4. I currently have a version of windows xp home laying around. I am going to try and get my hands on windows 7 but I'm really not looking to pay $200 or pirate it. Would I be able to sufficiently run all my components on XP? or would they take performance hits? I do plan on getting windows 7 in time.

5. Should I pick up a better hard drive with more rpm for my gaming needs or does the hard drive really matter as long I have enough space?
currently looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136795

6. Do I need anything besides a Dvd-rom for running games?? I don't know much about blue-ray but I'm assuming that's only referring to movies?? I may add a burner later but that's not really a priority atm.

7. Have you ever had to buy additional cables outside of what came with the different parts?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Hi there and Welcome to the Anandtech forums

Any reason you want AMD over Intel? Just a brief look on the Anandtech review shows the i5 2500K doing really good in Crysis Warhead - but the review is not that thorough in terms of gaming.

The i5 2500K is a fantastic Overclocking CPU. All chips aren't created equally but alot of people are hitting 4.4Ghz on air. Add a Coolmaster 212 34$, or 29$ at MicroCenter, Heat-sink and fan and in 70F ambient temps you might only see low 60C full load temps on that chip :thumbsup:

I considered an i5 2500K and they are ~ 194$ after OH tax at Micro Center and if you can squeeze another 50$ into your budget or make some changes to save 50$ and allocate that into your Motherboard buy, Asus has a decent P67. I put it in a comparison with the next best P67 for ya Link They are both Rev 3 P67 boards and ATX

If you go the Intel route you can buy cheaper RAM and save possibly 40$
Muskin DDR3 1333MHz CL9 1.5v = 39$ Free Shipping and compatible with P67 motherboards.


MicroCenter also has the Samsung 1Tb F3 drive. And by looking at the New Egg page for the same drive, New Egg says "Sold Out" usually it'll say "Auto Notify" ... I can't remember seeing a big red "Sold Out" notification but anyways the price is the same at MicroCenter and the Samsung F3 1Tb is a bigger drive and a good solid choice in performance, quietness, and low heat. I have 8 of them

EDIT: The samsung F3 drives are back up for sale at New Egg 65$ Free Shipping

Funny, another poster almost has the same build over in this thread. Follow that for a little help also.

 

[wuliheron]

Ditto. The AMD hex core is great if you want to use it for something other then gaming like video transcoding. Otherwise the phenom II 955 or the i5 2600k for the best bang-for-your-buck when overclocked.

If it is just for gaming and you really need to save money then 4gb or ram is plenty.

 

[BoomerD]

Can you return the Raidmax PSU?

They're not very good...and are likely to take a dump...and kill the rest of your components. MANY are made by Andyson. (Not sure about your model, as it's not on my list of PSU's and manufacturers)

You definitely do NOT want to cheap out on your power supply. It's the heart of any good computer system...and is as important as the CPU of video card.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Can you return the Raidmax PSU?

I was going to ask this very same question, +2

They're not very good...and are likely to take a dump...and kill the rest of your components.

^This

You definitely do NOT want to cheap out on your power supply. It's the heart of any good computer system...and is as important as the CPU of video card.

^That

 

[tynopik]

The AMD hex core is great if you want to use it for something other then gaming like video transcoding.

Nope, it just sucks all the way around (relatively speaking)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/146?vs=288

Video transcoding

2500k wins:
- DivX
- x264 HD Encode 1st pass
- Windows Media Encoder
- Sorenson Squeeze

1090T wins:
- x264 HD Encode 2nd pass (barely)


And that's the 1090T's ONLY win out of all the benchmarks

 

[fffblackmage]

Pretty much what everyone else said.

i5-2500K instead of the 1090T. For practically the same price, the i5-2500K is generally way faster in most cases.

Raidmax PSUs are low-end crap. You can't go wrong with Antec, Seasonic, and Corsair PSUs.

And to answer some of your questions...

1. Would I take any performance hits if I were to mix and match an amd cpu with an nvidia graphics card?? I only ask because I usually only see intel processors matched with nvidia graphics and amd processors matched with radeon graphics.

No.

2. Is the mobo I chose sufficient for my gaming needs or should I dish out some more money?? Can I get SLI with this mobo if I later decide to purchase another card or does it only support crossfire(being an amd board)??
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131647

In general, just pick a mobo that's cheapest with the features you want.

Regarding SLI/CFX "down-the-road," if you're not planning to SLI/CFX within the next couple months, you're better off forgetting about doing it in a year or two. It's not cheaper because of higher upfront costs (beefier PSU and SLI/CFX-compatible mobo), and then there's potential cooling issues, microstutter, etc.... It's not bad if you know exactly how you'll benefit from SLI/CFX, but in most cases, a single high-end GPU is more than capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p.

Sidenote: Only some old nVidia chipset-based mobos for AMD cpus have support for SLI, I believe. If you really want SLI, you should probably stick with an Intel build. Actually, you shouldn't be thinking about an AMD build for a gaming rig unless you're very limited on budget anyways.

3. Am I correct in my understanding that I can plug my home theater system (which has the same looking optical port) into my mobo through the "Optical S/PDIF out"? It's a 6-7 yr old onkyo sound system that still blows me away, cost $1100 at the time of purchase. Just the thought of hearing my PC through the system gives me chills.

I don't have experience with digital sound systems, but I have no reason to believe that it shouldn't work.

4. I currently have a version of windows xp home laying around. I am going to try and get my hands on windows 7 but I'm really not looking to pay $200 or pirate it. Would I be able to sufficiently run all my components on XP? or would they take performance hits? I do plan on getting windows 7 in time.

It'll run just fine on XP, but if you want to make use of that 8GB of ram, you must have a 64-bit OS.

5. Should I pick up a better hard drive with more rpm for my gaming needs or does the hard drive really matter as long I have enough space?
currently looking at: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136795

7200rpm is fine. If you seriously want speed, consider an SSD instead of any 10k rpm HDDs.

6. Do I need anything besides a Dvd-rom for running games?? I don't know much about blue-ray but I'm assuming that's only referring to movies?? I may add a burner later but that's not really a priority atm.

No reason why you should be paying $20 for a DVD-ROM when you can get a DVD burner for the same price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136216

7. Have you ever had to buy additional cables outside of what came with the different parts?

You should not have to buy any extra cables. The mobo should come with a couple SATA cables, and that should really be all you need.

 

[Arkrival]

Can you return the Raidmax PSU?

They're not very good...and are likely to take a dump...and kill the rest of your components. MANY are made by Andyson. (Not sure about your model, as it's not on my list of PSU's and manufacturers)

You definitely do NOT want to cheap out on your power supply. It's the heart of any good computer system...and is as important as the CPU of video card.

Here is the link to the exact PSU I purchased :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...=raidmax%20730
Are you sure I should return this?? It seems to be a highly purchased PSU with decent reviews. Also, my case has LOTS of fans if that makes any difference. Can you refer me to a better PSU that will run my system around the same price??

As far as going with AMD over Intel, I've always been a bigger fan of AMD as my very first computer was an amd and It always treated me well. However, I am willing to go Intel if the difference is that dramatic. What about INTEL CPU's allows you to go with less ram?? I really had my heart set on 8gigs(keep in mind i'm looking to run crysis2).

I suppose I might switch my amd CPU/board for what you suggested:
intel i5-2500 cpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115073
Asus p8p67 LE ATX Intel mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131706


Edit:
I realized I posted the i5-2500 instead of the "i5-2500k", Is there really much of a difference? The price is only $20 or so more for the 2500k but I'm already seeping over budget.
Here's a link to the 2500k:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

If you have a MicroCenter nearby, you can pick one up for 194$ after 7.75% sales tax

The K model is a better buy if you are an enthusiast that would like to look into overclocking your CPU one day, then you deffinately want to pick one of these up... cmon, i mean 4.4Ghz on air cooling (with a 29$ Coolmaster 212 HS) That's sweet!!!

Of course your millage may vary.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

I really had my heart set on 8gigs(keep in mind i'm looking to run crysis2).

It will run just FINE on 4 Gigs...trust me Especially with your video card...4 is enough.

 

[BoomerD]

To begin with...if you're only running a single video card, you don't need a 730 watt PSU.

This one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371035

Should handle the load just fine. Raidmax is very poorly reviewed. They may work...or they may not...and when they die, IF you're lucky, they just die by themselves...
All too often, when a PSU goes, it takes expensive components with it.

Also, you asked:

Originally Posted by Arkrival
1. Would I take any performance hits if I were to mix and match an amd cpu with an nvidia graphics card?? I only ask because I usually only see intel processors matched with nvidia graphics and amd processors matched with radeon graphics.

Yes, you'll take a tremendous performance hit. Not because AMD processors and nVidia video cards aren't compatible, but rather, because AMD processors are significantly lacking when compared to the Intel processors...especially the Sandy Bridge units.

I disagree (somewhat) with CDC Mail Guy...if you can afford it...and if you have a 64 bit OS, get 8 Gb of RAM. IMO, it's worth the price increase.

 

[mfenn]

Pretty much what everyone else said.

i5-2500K instead of the 1090T. For practically the same price, the i5-2500K is generally way faster in most cases.

Raidmax PSUs are low-end crap. You can't go wrong with Antec, Seasonic, and Corsair PSUs.

And to answer some of your questions...

No.


In general, just pick a mobo that's cheapest with the features you want.

Regarding SLI/CFX "down-the-road," if you're not planning to SLI/CFX within the next couple months, you're better off forgetting about doing it in a year or two. It's not cheaper because of higher upfront costs (beefier PSU and SLI/CFX-compatible mobo), and then there's potential cooling issues, microstutter, etc.... It's not bad if you know exactly how you'll benefit from SLI/CFX, but in most cases, a single high-end GPU is more than capable of delivering smooth gameplay at 1080p.

Sidenote: Only some old nVidia chipset-based mobos for AMD cpus have support for SLI, I believe. If you really want SLI, you should probably stick with an Intel build. Actually, you shouldn't be thinking about an AMD build for a gaming rig unless you're very limited on budget anyways.


I don't have experience with digital sound systems, but I have no reason to believe that it shouldn't work.


It'll run just fine on XP, but if you want to make use of that 8GB of ram, you must have a 64-bit OS.


7200rpm is fine. If you seriously want speed, consider an SSD instead of any 10k rpm HDDs.


No reason why you should be paying $20 for a DVD-ROM when you can get a DVD burner for the same price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136216


You should not have to buy any extra cables. The mobo should come with a couple SATA cables, and that should really be all you need.

:thumbsup: Great post!

 

[mfenn]

really had my heart set on 8gigs(keep in mind i'm looking to run crysis2).

Sorry, but you have to choose between these two:
1. Windows XP and 4GB of RAM
2. Windows 7 64-bit and 8GB of RAM

Windows XP is 32-bit, so you will not be able to use more than 4GB. This is because the biggest number that a 32-bit OS can handle is 2^32-1 (about 4 billion) and you need a number (an address) for each byte of memory.

 

[Arkrival]

To begin with...if you're only running a single video card, you don't need a 730 watt PSU.

This one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371035

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I have already got my RMA# and will be returning the raidmax PSU. I think that PSU you linked above will be a good replacement(if 500w is truly enough) as it is marked at the same price as my other PSU and will be an easy trade off without having to throw in extra money.

I have adjusted my parts list according to the advice you have all given me. This is what I have now: (additional critiquing is welcomed)

Case: Raidmax Smilodon ATX-612wb Case (purchased)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156063

PSU: Antec EarthWatts 500w atx 12v v2.3/eps12v
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

MOBO: Asus p8p67 lga 115 intel p67 sata 6gb/satx motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

CPU: intel i5-2500k
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tel-_-19115072

Graphics Card: MSI geforce gtx560ti(fermi) 1gb twin frozr/OC
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127565

RAM: still kind of undecided here, so I will probably buy ram last and see where I am on my budget. Also, depending on wether I have windows 7 by the time of build.

If I don't have much $$ left over & using windowsxp: Mushkin 4 gigs ddr3 1333
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&SID=u00000687

If I'm still comfortably sitting under budget & get ahold of windows 7: Gskills Ripjaws 8gigs ddr3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231428

DVD Drive(burner): LG Black dvdr/dvdrw/dvdrom/etc.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...SID=e55m4za1hg

Hard Drive: Samsung f3 HD 1TB 7200 RPM 3.0gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-185-_-Product

So yeah, that's what I got so far. This is all subject to change pending your feedback(given good reasons why I should deviate from what's currently posted)!! Thanks again!

 

[BoomerD]

You can save a little with this RAM:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311

Odds are, you'll never notice the difference between 1333 and 1600.

 

[mfenn]

500W is definitely enough for that build. Overall, it looks pretty good.

You could save $20 by going with the MSI P67A-C43. All you really lose is Firewire and eSATA.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

I disagree (somewhat) with CDC Mail Guy...if you can afford it...and if you have a 64 bit OS, get 8 Gb of RAM. IMO, it's worth the price increase.

Okay...point taken. Of course, I am still running an E8400 on LGA 775 board, BUT I AM running Windows 7 64 bit. HOW exactly will adding another 4 GBs RAM help me? Will I really notice a performance increase? I don't want to "hijack" the thread, especially since the OP has made up his mind, but I am curious.

 

[aphelion02]

Good list Arkrival, I would consider looking into this ram which is just $69.99 after EMCKFKC22 promocode. There isn't really a difference between 1333 and 1600 RAM for sandy bridge.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc..._-20231426-L0A

 

[mfenn]

Okay...point taken. Of course, I am still running an E8400 on LGA 775 board, BUT I AM running Windows 7 64 bit. HOW exactly will adding another 4 GBs RAM help me? Will I really notice a performance increase? I don't want to "hijack" the thread, especially since the OP has made up his mind, but I am curious.

Unless you're running out of memory with 4GB, you won't actually see much of a difference at all. 8GB is becoming the standard recommendation just because it is so damn cheap right now.

 

[CDC Mail Guy]

Yeah, I Googled it and as I don't do any video editing or anything like that, I don't need it. I am not even close to running out of the 4 I am using...thank you for the reply mfenn.

 

[mike420toronto]

Recently put together this rig. Runs Great! Cost me about $1100 + tax. And it should run anything you through at it. Keep in mind that the mobo isn't a good one for sli if that is something that you plan to do in the future. I avoid it. Nothing but trouble. Just sell card and upgrade later...

Core i5 2500k @ 3.30GHz ($230) / Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD3-B3 ($130) / G.Skill Ripjaws 1600MHz Dual Channel 2x4GB ($98) / EVGA GTX 570 Superclocked 1280MB ($370) / Cooler Master CM II Adv Black Mid Tower ($90) / Cooler Master eXreme PSU 700W v2.3 ($75) / LG 24x DVD +/- ($26) / West. Dig Caviar Blac 1TB 64MB Cacke ($80) / Enermaz TB Vegas extra fan for the case ($18)

The only things that I wanted but didn't get were:
- a solid state hard drive. The guy told me that the pci version, RevoDrives were glitchy when you install windows on them and that I should wait for the Vertex 3 which will be a sata 2.5" drive that should transfer at around the 500-600Mb/sec read/write
-I also didn't get an after market cpu fan. There was some confusion as to whether or not the 1155 socket CPUs can use the 1156 socket fans. So I decided to stick with the factory fan for now.

 

[mfenn]

The only things that I wanted but didn't get were:
- a solid state hard drive. The guy told me that the pci version, RevoDrives were glitchy when you install windows on them and that I should wait for the Vertex 3 which will be a sata 2.5" drive that should transfer at around the 500-600Mb/sec read/write

A SF-1200 based drive like the Corsair Force or Vertex 2 would have served you well. I doubt that you could tell a "seat of the pants" difference.

-I also didn't get an after market cpu fan. There was some confusion as to whether or not the 1155 socket CPUs can use the 1156 socket fans. So I decided to stick with the factory fan for now.

The 1155 and 1156 mounting holes are the same.