First gaming build - Need input! $1600-1800

[gitaroo]

This is my first time building so I would appreciate any input!

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

Battlefield 3, Guild Wars 2, ect.

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

$1600-1800 US

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

The US

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.

Intel/nVidia

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

None! Well, except my current monitor

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

Yes, only thing I found was that i2500K is what I am looking for not i2700k...

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

No

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Highest if possible, at first.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?

Within the next month



Here is what I have so far:

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel ...

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL

EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 (CMPSU-650HX) 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular ...

OCZ Vertex 3 Series – MAX IOPS Edition VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional 70SB088600002 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM

NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Chose these 3 fans to add to it:

XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1455 140mm White LED Black Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender included

NZXT FN-200RB 200mm Case Fan

COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200 R4-LUS-07AB-GP 200mm Blue LED Case Fan



Comes out somewhere around $1700 depending on current prices on Newegg. Any input is appreciated!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

First Person Shooters games are better played with "gaming" input devices like a 120Hz pc monitor, mechanical keyboard, and a high polling rated mouse (1000Hz) IMO

 

[DaveSimmons]

> COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel ...

You don't need this for stock speed or even a mild overclock, the retail HSF is fine.

> OCZ Vertex 3 Series – MAX IOPS Edition VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

If you check out the storage forum, OCZ has a bad rep for reliability, you might consider Intel instead.

Also, Sandy Bridge CPUs run cool so I'm not sure you need all (any?) of the extra fans. Still, if the budget isn't an issue and you have fan controls to lower the speed for low noise, then why not?

 

[IGemini]

NZXT Phantom comes with 4 fans out of the box, you won't need to load every fan mount it has with this setup.

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

None! Well, except my current monitor

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.

Highest if possible, at first.

Omniscience would be nice, but we don't know exactly what monitor you already have.

 

[mfenn]

What you've picked out will work, but you're wasting a ton of money on parts that don't affect gaming performance.

- CPU: Good
- HSF: Fine, but unnecessary if you're not going to OC (-$30)
- Mobo: Way overkill. The ASRock Z68 Extreme3 will do everything that you need (-$95)
- RAM: Silly heatspreaders that will block any large HSF. Get the bare version instead (-$4)
- GPU: $340 is way too much to be spending on a GTX 570. This Galaxy is $285 AR (-$55)
- PSU: Somewhat too expensive. The XFX Core 650W is $70 AR (-$30)
- SSD : Fast, but not that fast and you get the "legendary" OCZ unreliability. Get the Crucial M4 128GB instead (-$70)
- Sound: For that kind of change get an outboard DAC or go digital to your HT receiver (-$50-150)
- Case: Fine, but try it with the stock fans first

Either pocket that $284 or grab an XFX 750W and another GTX 570.

 

[gitaroo]

Thanks for the input so far.

My current monitor is a Samsung SyncMaster T220HD.

As for sound cards - do I really need one or is the on board audio good enough?

 

[IGemini]

T220HD runs at 1680x1050, shouldn't have any problems running games at full resolution with the current config...you could even get a bigger monitor. MFenn has some really good points.

Unless you have pro-grade audio devices, the onboard sound should do fine.

 

[mfenn]

T220HD runs at 1680x1050, shouldn't have any problems running games at full resolution with the current config...you could even get a bigger monitor. MFenn has some really good points.

Unless you have pro-grade audio devices, the onboard sound should do fine.

Agree totally! You should spend that $284+ of savings that I showed you on a new 1080P or higher monitor. Something like the ASUS VH242H or Dell U2312HM.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

I like that ASUS (ay SOOS) monitor

 

[gitaroo]

Hm, those monitors are tempting.

For motherboards: so when I want to SLI and OC in the future, a lower end MB (like that ASRock) will be OK? Out of curiosity - would I ever take advantage of any of the features the one I selected has?

 

[T_Yamamoto]

ASRock is not low end -_-

 

[gitaroo]

Yeah, sorry, wrong word choice. A cheaper MB with less features than the P8Z68-V PRO. Basically, I'm just curious as to what the real advantage for one vs. the other is.

 

[lehtv]

Three things about the CPU:

1) To buy high end SB and not overclock is crazy. They overclock so well, and the process of doing so has never been simpler. Do it.

2) If you're absolutely sure you won't OC, don't buy 2500K, buy 2500 since it's $10 cheaper. If you just want to keep the option of OC open, then it's fine to buy 2500K.

3) Coolermaster Hyper 212+ is not a bad buy even if you don't OC (while it certainly will achieve a decent OC). It will keep the CPU cooler and make less noise doing so, in comparison to the stock cooler. That's never a bad thing. And it's dirt cheap.

As for sound cards - do I really need one or is the on board audio good enough?

That depends on how much you value sound quality. To help you make a decision:

- A decent sound card is cheap and certainly within your budget. I recommend Asus Xonar DG or DX - the latter is better quality, but the former is cheaper and includes a headphone amp!
- There is most certainly a difference between onboard sound and dedicated sound. I can notice it instantly, and hearing onboard sound makes me want to puke. It didn't use to do so, but after I got used to my Asus Xonar DX with its customizable equalizer profiles and Dolby Headphone enhancement, I will never go back to onboard sound. To me, sound has become almost as important as graphics.
- A sound card is most important for high quality headphones. If you pair a nice set of headphones with onboard sound, you're not getting your money's worth from the headphones. If you pair low quality headphones with a sound card, you won't notice the difference to onboard sound. Finally, the difference between onboard and dedicated is less noticeable on speakers, mostly because the sound doesn't go directly into your ear but becomes modified by your room environment. But remember, the quality of your speakers is important here as well. High quality speakers scream for dedicated sound.

 

[DaveSimmons]

> 1) To buy high end SB and not overclock is crazy.

Not really. If it won't improve performance for the games you are playing now, why do it "just because"?

It may stress the CPU more than running at stock (which already does Turbo Boost OC) and might only be 99.9% stable, causing random glitches. It can add heat, noise, and extra power use. It's probably worth paying the extra $10 as cheap future proofing, but overclocking can be held in reserve until you actually need it.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

oh. haha.

go with a p68 mobo

 

[gitaroo]

Do you mean P67 by any chance?

And I currently alternate between Klipsch 2.1 speakers and Sennheiser HD 280 pro headphones for audio, FYI.

 

[TheAdvocate]

With that kind of budget, you can build a killer gaming machine. just depends on what your priorities are. Personally, I'd get a 27" high res monitor, remembering the nvidia 2 monitor limitation if you try to do multi monitors. If you decide you'd rather go 3+ monitors, I like the idea of taking three 20'-23" monitors, such as the Asus ones on sale at Newegg, and turning all the on their side, for a better resolution ratio -widescreen but not ridiculously so:

Or, SLI the best two nvidia cards you can afford, to drive that one higher res monitor, and watercool the cpu and gpus, (the latter if at all possible - might break the budget). I'd get a Corsair or Coolermaster case, like the Corsair R400, or the 600T. I love the cable management in those and it's easy to add a Corsair H series water cooler & rad to those cases. For mobo, I'd go with an Asus Maximus Extreme and a Core I5 2500k. I'm running my using the lazy Asus Bios auto overclock at 4.2 GHz, though Ive had it up to 4.6GHz stable.

------------------

But to critique your specs:

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K - Yes

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel - Yes

ASUS P8Z68-V PRO LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS - Agree with the earlier poster - get the ASRock.

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL Unless its noticeably cheaper, I'd probabply get PC 1600, even though there's supposedly no performance benefit. My asus board does recognize it though, and the price difference is so minimal.

EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - As I said before, I'd probably try an SLI rig, such as 2x Asus 560Ti GTX Top or MSI GTX 560 Ti Hawk. This EVGA superclock might match the ASRock board better, and EVGA has a great trade up program. If you want a single card, I'd probably get a Asus ENGTX 580 DCII probably just because I want one so bad, but it won't fit in my case.

The important thing to realize is that these top end 560Tis perform on par with 570s, and might save you $150 on your SLI config

CORSAIR Professional Series HX650 (CMPSU-650HX) 650W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular If you plan on an SLI rig, I'd probably try something like this - Modular or Non Modular (and cheaper)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

OCZ Vertex 3 Series – MAX IOPS Edition VTX3MI-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) I have the OCZ Solid 3, which is the next step down, supposedly. It is fast as hell. I know it got panned hard on here, but so far, no problems. I love it

Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional 70SB088600002 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card Meh, I find add on soundcards to be a waste of money, but some gamers swear by them. The XiFi onboard my Asus sounds great and I dont think it eats up performance much, especially with my cpu overclock

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM Yep

NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic Enthusiast ATX Full Tower Computer Case - As I said above, I prefer Corsair or Coolermaster cases, but NZXT seems to be decent as well

Chose these 3 fans to add to it:

XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1455 140mm White LED Black Case Fan PSU Molex Adapter/extender included

NZXT FN-200RB 200mm Case Fan

COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200 R4-LUS-07AB-GP 200mm Blue LED Case Fan

If you add fans, please try positive pressure. This is the first build Ive tried it and I love it. Good explanation here - Silverstone Positive Air Pressure

Above all, I'd go for a clean build. Here's a good example, IMO:

Corsair H series water cooler, Corsair 400R case, 2x EVGA GTX 580's in SLI (air cooled). That is am extremely clean build that should produce superb air flow, and it will look fantastic too. I like how they kept the blue/black color scheme. Oh yeah, it's a beast too. You might not be able to swing two 580's on your budget, but you could probably replicate that with two 560ti's or 570s.

 

[lehtv]

> 1) To buy high end SB and not overclock is crazy.

Not really. If it won't improve performance for the games you are playing now, why do it "just because"?

But it will. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/03/intel-sandy-bridge-review/10

Not that it's all about gaming performance. A faster processor will be faster in everyday tasks as well.

It may stress the CPU more than running at stock (which already does Turbo Boost OC) and might only be 99.9% stable, causing random glitches. It can add heat, noise, and extra power use. It's probably worth paying the extra $10 as cheap future proofing, but overclocking can be held in reserve until you actually need it.

Of course it'll stress the CPU more. But it'll give you more. And these CPUs will last long enough anyway that by the time you're thinking of upgrading, it's nowhere near the end of its life. Besides, as far as I know, 2500K will OC quite a bit even with stock voltage.

Adding heat and noise is a non-issue, as you should overclock with a third party cooler anyway.

Also it's not about future proofing, there's no such thing. It's about getting the most out of your hardware now. You don't need to go for the highest stable overclock, even 3.4ghz to 4.0 is a great OC, it's basically free processing power since the downsides to doing that are practically nonexistent.

 

[mfenn]

Hm, those monitors are tempting.

For motherboards: so when I want to SLI and OC in the future, a lower end MB (like that ASRock) will be OK? Out of curiosity - would I ever take advantage of any of the features the one I selected has?

Yes, the Extreme3 can SLI/Crossfire. I don't have a crystal ball, so I can't help you with the second one. My magic 8-ball says no though!

 

[mfenn]

But it will. http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2011/01/03/intel-sandy-bridge-review/10

Not that it's all about gaming performance. A faster processor will be faster in everyday tasks as well.

Of course it'll stress the CPU more. But it'll give you more. And these CPUs will last long enough anyway that by the time you're thinking of upgrading, it's nowhere near the end of its life. Besides, as far as I know, 2500K will OC quite a bit even with stock voltage.

Adding heat and noise is a non-issue, as you should overclock with a third party cooler anyway.

Also it's not about future proofing, there's no such thing. It's about getting the most out of your hardware now. You don't need to go for the highest stable overclock, even 3.4ghz to 4.0 is a great OC, it's basically free processing power since the downsides to doing that are practically nonexistent.

Overclocking is definitely a great way to get more bang for your buck, but there are always risks. Take a look at the guys who bought 2500Ks when they came out, pumped a bunch of volts into them (perhaps using mobo auto OC), and 9 months later are having problems holding that OC. There are threads on this very board like that.

If you are careful (and lucky!) an overclocked CPU can indeed last you a long time. A novice isn't going to know where the limits are without potentially expensive trial and error.

Somebody who is coming from a 2+ year old system is already going to be so blown away by a Sandy Bridge + SSD system that the incremental improvement on overclocking isn't worth it IMHO. A better plan is to run it at stock until it starts to feel slow, then overclock to get a little more life out of it. At that point, the components will all be sunk costs anyway, so more "free" useful lifetime is just gravy.

 

[gitaroo]

OK, I've replaced some components:


New case:
Corsair Obsidian Series 650D (CC650DW-1)

New motherboard on your recommendations:
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

New PSU - modular this time:
SeaSonic X Series X650 Gold ((SS-650KM Active PFC F3)) 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD

New SSD :
Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Bare RAM:
G.SKILL Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT

Added an optical drive that I forgot...:
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

Thinking about ditching the sound card and, if I want one later on, picking it up then.

 

[T_Yamamoto]

Sound cards arent that important.
onboard is more than enough

 

[lehtv]

Sound cards arent that important.
onboard is more than enough

discrete sound is much better quality than onboard
and sound cards aren't expensive
so why not buy one

 

[T_Yamamoto]

good ones cost 100 dollars

 

[lehtv]

Even the cheapest ones are good compared to onboard sound.