Gaming rig - any improvements?

[chelos]

Hello guys. I'm building myself a gaming rig in March, with a budget of $1250, and I would greatly appreciate the opinions/guidance of those far more experienced that myself.

I'll mostly be gaming on this machine, but also might be using programs such as Pro/Engineer, Solidworks, etc.

Here is what I have so far: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/Ef4x

Take note that I have already purchased the i7-3770k and the case, so those are non-negotiable.


Any opinions are welcome.

 

[Vectronic]

Are you planning on overclocking? If so, at least step up to the Z77 Ext4. (if not, then why get the K?)

 

[Charlie98]

Take note that I have already purchased the i7-3770k and the case, so those are non-negotiable.

I was going to tell you to consider a different case... I have a HAF922 and unless you are running some sort of wide open gaming rig, there are better choices... but it's not a bad case and very easy to work in. You could have done worse.

Your components look pretty good but I know others are going to ask you to answer these questions about the purpose of your intended build...

 

[Sleepingforest]

Your build is really weak for gaming, but good for video editing. For either build, there is fat that can be trimmed to provide a better experience.

For gaming, definitely go with mfenn's $1000 build, but use a Fractal R4 case, and CPU cooler, and a copy of Windows.

 

[Torn Mind]

Your build is really weak for gaming, but good for video editing. For either build, there is fat that can be trimmed to provide a better experience.

For gaming, definitely go with mfenn's $1000 build, but use a Fractal R4 case, and CPU cooler, and a copy of Windows.

Well, he already has the 3770K anyway. I have no clue about CAD, etc but the 3770K might help out when using those apps he mentioned.



@OP. The XFX Core Edition Pro 550 or Seasonic S12II 520 should be enough for that rig,

 

[Sleepingforest]

I believe the extra threads do help; nonetheless, his RAM, HDD, and PSU choices are driving his cost up by a good $90 total (and leaving him with no RAM upgrade path). His GPU is also one of the more expensive 660s; with these savings, he could get a 7950 or a 660ti.

This RAM is only $70; This HDD is only $75 for a TB; the Corsair CX600 is only $50 AR (I assume he cannot buy today and take advantage of the $12 in savings).

Furthermore, OP, if you bought the case recently, you can return it. Even with the shipping and restocking fee, you'll a net savings of $40 or so after getting a better priced case.

 

[mfenn]

What prices did you pay for the items that you've already bought (i.e. what is left in the budget)? Are either of them within the return window?

Please answer the questions from the sticky, the components we recommend hinge upon those questions, especially with regard to overclocking.

 

[chelos]

Ok, let's try this again. From the sticky:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for: Mainly gaming, some CAD.

2. What YOUR budget is. $1250 including the components I already have.

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

5. IF YOU have a brand preference. None. I will go for any brand with a good reputation as long as it's the best component for my purposes.

6. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. As I mentioned the HAF922 case, plus the i7-3770K. The case I've had sitting around for a year, so no way to return it. The processor I gor for $280 a couple days ago which seemed like a very good price.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. I've never OC'd, but I do plan to give it a try.

8. What resolution, not monitor size, will you be using? 1920x1200 dual monitors (reusing monitors, may upgrade later int he year to better ones)

9. WHEN do you plan to build it? March

To answer some of the other questions asked: I do plan on getting Win7, I don't see the point of Win8 without a touchscreen.

Are you planning on overclocking? If so, at least step up to the Z77 Ext4. (if not, then why get the K?)

I do plan to OC, although it will be my first attempt at doing so.

Your build is really weak for gaming, but good for video editing. For either build, there is fat that can be trimmed to provide a better experience.

For gaming, definitely go with mfenn's $1000 build, but use a Fractal R4 case, and CPU cooler, and a copy of Windows.

May I ask why it's weak for gaming? I'm assuming that you mean I can go cheaper elsewhere and get a better GPU? I confess that I'm a bit at a loss as to which video cards are better between NVIDIA and AMD, and with what seems to me as nonsensical numbering schemes.

 

[Sleepingforest]

The first number always indicates the generation. Generally speaking, the higher the number the better. That's about it for the similarities between AMD and nVidia nomenclature.

AMD:

• 4 digits long
• The second number tells you roughly the power tier it's in. GPUs with the same second number consume roughly the same number of watts.
• The third number is a performance indicator. The higher the more powerful. However, within the same power tier, differences are small.
• The last number is always a zero.
• Sometimes have a GHz Edition. Ignore these, they're generally overpriced and you can overclock to 1GHz pretty easily by yourself.

nVidia:

• 3 digits long
• The second number tells you how strong it is. The higher the stronger.
• Having a "ti" suffix (like a 660ti) tells you the card is stronger than the normal card but weaker than the next tier (so 670 > 660ti > 660).
• The last number is always a zero.

Generally speaking, the cards go in this power order: 680=7970>670>7950>660ti>7870>7850>660. Anything below a 660 isn't really worth using on a computer as expensive as yours.


However, the tiering I just showed only applies at "stock speeds." AMD cards this generation are very conservatively clocked; you can get a 30-50% power boost in the 78XX cards and a 20-30% boost in the 79XX cards via overclocking. Therefore AMD cards this time around are generally considered better value if you overclock. Overclocking, thankfully, is very easy: you just download a utility and move some sliders to the right in increments between stability tests (there are many more in-depth guides on this).


Now, you said your budget was $1250; at that level, you can get a gaming machine with a top end card, plus amenities like a good cooler, quiet case, and larger SSD. Your card is simply much weaker than what was possible at your budget level. In gaming builds, the GPU can take up to half (though often more like a healthy third) of the budget simply because it's the most important part.

 

[chelos]

Wow, Sleepingforest, that was a fantastic post! It really clears things up for me.

Based on what you're saying, then I think I'll upgrade to a 7970 (I'll just pick up the one from mfenn's $1000 build thread).

I updated my build with it, but now I need to shed about $100 somewhere. I'm thinking I can drop to 8GB RAM instead of 16GB. It was probably overkill to go that high anyway. That still leaves me with $50 I need to shed somewhere.

 

[Sleepingforest]

No problem. I think PC makers just want to make things as hard as possible so they can trick you into buying what you don't need (VERY easy to do by accident).

Your budget actually does allow for a 3770K, cooler, and the case you chose in addition to the rest of mfenn's build, so if you don't want to go through the hassle of returns, you don't have to (although, it would be around $100 back).

 

[chelos]

No problem. I think PC makers just want to make things as hard as possible so they can trick you into buying what you don't need (VERY easy to do by accident).

Your budget actually does allow for a 3770K, cooler, and the case you chose in addition to the rest of mfenn's build, so if you don't want to go through the hassle of returns, you don't have to (although, it would be around $100 back).

I was thinking that the 3770K might be a very nice boost for all of the CAD. I think I will stick with it, especially since I got it at a discount.

I'm going to take your advise and stick with mfenn's build, with the exception of the parts I already have. I think that will being me nicely down to my budget.

 

[Sleepingforest]

Sounds good! Out of interest, what was the deal on the 3770K? If it was Microcenter, then well done--that's some good savings (well, before tax and gas anyway).

 

[chelos]

Sounds good! Out of interest, what was the deal on the 3770K? If it was Microcenter, then well done--that's some good savings (well, before tax and gas anyway).

It was at my local Tigerdirect store. $290, plus I had one of those $10 coupons from a previous receipt.