High-End Gaming Build

[HardwareSearcher]

1. What YOUR PC will be used for:
Heavy Web and Streaming Video Browsing, Basic Windows & Web Development (non-graphic intensive), 1080P Video Viewing (non-physical media), High-End Gaming.

2. What YOUR budget is:
I do not really have a set-in-stone budget - my main financial objective would be to avoid "wasteful" spending.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from:
USA. Do not live near Fry's/Microcenter.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference:
No.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are:
No.

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

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds:
Yes. Heavy overclocking but not "extreme" overclocking (I am hoping for 100% stable 4.5ghz (or more) at a long-term safe voltage and temperature).

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
1680x1050

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
ASAP, as I am having ongoing issues with my current system - including the fact that my video card is 100% dead (and out of warranty).

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
*Closes visor on anti-flame helmet* "Give it all you got!"

CASE: SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02B-EW = $190
I am looking for the very best air cooling case, as I have zero interest in ever watercooling or using any other kind of non-air cooling with this build. Obviously, build quality is also important and I would prefer something that isn't a struggle to use. In my research, two cases seemed to come up most with these attributes: the Silverstone Raven RV02(E revision) and the Cooler Master HAF X. I read multiple discussions on this and it appears that the Raven RV02-E is more efficient with its positive, bottom-to-top airflow - as long as the case is not cluttered.

PSU: SeaSonic X Series X650 SS-650KM 80 Plus GOLD Modular Active PFC = $140
It appears that this PSU is the cheapest (and also exceeds my power needs) of the "best of the best" tier of PSUs when it comes to stability, efficiency, and overall quality.

MB: ASUS P8P67 (REV 3.0) = $155
Looks like all the Sandy Bridge motherboards are having problems Since the problems can't be avoided, it looks like ASUS has the best BIOS and "smoothest" overclocking features, and it does not appear the PRO or higher models give any features that are useful to me. I simply won't do SLI/Crossfire until it is near-100% scaling and near-100% the same stability and game-compatibility as single-card systems. Clearly, neither of these are true and likely won't be for the life of this sytem.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K = $220
Not doing anything that will take advantage of 2600K's limited advantages.

CPU COOLER: Thermalright Silver Arrow ~$90
If I understand correctly, lower-tier coolers are hit-and-miss when it comes to adequate performance for a safe, low-temp, long-term stable 4.5+ ghz overclock. I know there are other slightly cheaper coolers that may be adequate, but the silver arrow is supposed to be pretty quiet as well...and I don't think the cost savings is big enough to warrant not going ahead and getting the best? I keep my room temperature at 24C/75F.

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1333 = $45
Seems to be the cheapest brand-reputable 8GB Kit DDR3 1333 or higher that is on ASUS's P8P67 official memory compatibility list.

VGA: MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III PE/OC 2GB = $300
I want 2GB VRAM because I may play Oblivion and Fallout 3/NV with heavy mods. The Twin Frozr III seems to be the only 6950 worth the money and the good 6970s are too expensive.

OS/App Drive: Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW160G3K5 2.5" 160GB SATA II MLC = $298
I am not going anywhere near those SF-controller drives, 120GB seems to be a bit tight, and the Intel 510/Corsair/Crucial 200+ GB drives are too expensive.

Data Drive: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" = $80
Just a data drive so I don't see the need to spend more money on the Western Digital Black that may be marginally faster.

DVD Drive: Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 24X = $20
Supposedly this is one of the higher quality DVD drives remaining (with all of the former top-quality drives long gone over the years). However, as I almost never use my DVD drive, the attributes most important to me here are stability/reliability and quietness. I don't care about having slightly better read speed, and I don't care about the write capabilities at all (never make DVDs).


If anyone has any opinions or suggestions, let me know. Even if it conflicts with my current opinions, I would appreciate any feedback. I don't want to make a mistake because I missed something.

Thanks!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

If you are serious about gaming and into first person shooters, you'll want better input devices like your KB, Mouse, and Monitor

Mechanical Keyboard guide
Get a mouse that polls at 1000Hz
120Hz Monitor
Mine are listed in my sig, rig 2

While I have the Seasonic 650X Gold, the Kingwin Laser 550w is a little bit better with a marginal price performance difference. If I were building i'd go with the Kingwin - Kingwin Lazer review

Here is a nice 4g kit for 36.99$ free shipping CL8 @ 1.5v

I would go for a Z68 board, too.

 

[mfenn]

You can cut several hundred dollars out of that build without affecting performance at all. That money can be reinvested into places that matter or simply saved:
- Case: The Raven is a nice case, but if cooling performance is your goal, it is a waste of money. According to reviews with actual methodology, the In-Win BUC performs within a few degrees and is nearly a quarter the price
- PSU: Again, a very nice PSU but a waste of money given your stated goals. The HCG 520W (also a Seasonic) is within a few percent efficiency-wise, and is a third the price.
- Mobo: I see no reason to go P67 at that price point. Z68 is the same price and all-around better. Since you don't need SLI/Crossfire support, the ASRock Z68 Pro3 would be a good choice.
- CPU: Good
- HSF: Good cooler, but overkill for your goals. The amount of voltage that you need to hit 4.5Ghz is more a function of the CPU and not the cooler. Even the stock Intel cooler can do 4.4Ghz. A Hyper 212+ clone like the Corsair CAFA50 will get you to 4.5Ghz no problem.
- RAM: Good
- GPU: The 6950 2GB is pretty much the sweet spot these days, but the particular one you picked out isn't worth the money. Check out the normal Sapphire version instead.
- SSD : I can see the reasoning behind not wanting to get an OCZ drive, but writing off Sandforce altogether is just silly. That being said, the 320 is a good drive at a reasonable cost per gig.
- HDD : Good
- ODD : Good

Now, take all that money I just saved you and buy a nice screen. :awe:

 

[HardwareSearcher]

Thanks for the feedback.

INPUT DEVICES:
I will be considering a mechanical keyboard at a later point (but I am really interested - just not going to go that route at this time). At the moment I have a Logitech G11 keyboard, Logitech MX518 mouse, and a LG Flatron L227WTG monitor (back when I bought it, I think December 2008, it was considered the very best in terms of response time and hardcore gaming performance, as listed in the old LCD Thread on these forums - but obviously it no longer holds that title).

PSU:
I too have read that the Kingwin Laser Platinum is the very best quality PSU currently available. However, I had concerns about customer service. Both SeaSonic and Corsair have superb reputations for customer/technical support and RMAs. In fact, my first PSU in my current system was Corsair, but was part of a known faulty batch and eventually died. The RMA process was extremely convenient, efficient, and fast. It was difficult finding out if Kingwin had a similar reputation (obviously it would be on a smaller-scale, not being as well known). Can anyone shed light on this?

As for the Antec, well I should have mentioned that I definitely want Modular. Sorry, I went the non-modular route twice in my current system and regretted it. I just don't want to deal with that clutter, especially since modular power supplies seemed to have advanced past the days when they provided noticeably less stable power.

Now if there is a recommendation for a good modular power supply that will provide stable power for my overclocked system, should be able to power the "value" top-end single-GPU, single-card solution at the time (aka 6970, 570 - I just want some upgrade room, just-in-case I find a good deal now or in the future), and is made by a reputable company, I am all ears. More savings is better.

I was going by this list, which seems to be the most discerning I could find (perhaps though, I do not necessarily need a "Tier 1," especially if the power is excessive for my system):
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?108088-Official-XS-Power-Supply-Ranking-Phase-I

RAM:
I want to go ahead and start with 8GB. I think that if mainstream games do not require more than 4GB by time I build a new system, you will at least need more than 4GB to multi-task with a game continuing minimized/in-background. For example the Crysis 2 DirectX 11 and High-Res Texture Pack patches recommend 8GB RAM already (no, I'm not going to be buying/playing Cryconsole - just an example). And since prices are so cheap now and there is a risk they may go back up...

CASE:
I have never heard of IN WIN (or at least I do not remember - don't regularly keep up-to-date with the latest cases). Heard anything about their customer service? Currently I have an old Cooler Master 690 (the original, not Advanced/II). It too is a Mid-Tower case and felt a bit cramped when I first built it, but it was my first time building, so it may have just been inexperience? I see the Buc's newegg-listed physical dimensions are similar. I guess I would also have to definitively rule out the Silver Arrow if I got the Buc? In addition to cooling and ease-of-use, I am also concerned about noise (I am not a silent-PC-consumer, but I would like to keep noise low). One big advantage I see right off for that In Win Buc is its weight - I wish my Cooler Master was lighter. I know I am trying to balance so many directly-conflicting criteria lol.

MOBO:
I was not aware that there were reasonably cheaper motherboards that still had effective and cool/stable overclocking. Thanks for having me take a look at the Pro3. However, the P67 version of the Pro3 is $10 cheaper and has +2 USB2.0, +1 PCI, and eSATA (though shared with one SATA III port) so I am considering it as well. I know $10 is not a lot, but any particular reason you guys were recommending the Z68 over the P67?

CPU Cooler:
The Hyper 212+ is $5 cheaper at Amazon (I have Amazon Prime, so no S/H). Would that be a better choice between the two? Also, how are these lower-tier coolers in the noise department? I guess the fan(s) could be replaced (if that even helps?), but then that increases the cost as well (the Silver Arrow from what I read, already has two quality-and-quiet fans). But if the noise on these lower-tier coolers is louder, but still not noticeable much over everything else, who cares at that price. Thoughts on these issues?

GPU:
The only AMD brands I consistently (well, overall - none are 100&#37 hear good things about are: XFX, MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS. Has Sapphire changed from how they used to be a year or so ago concerning support/RMAs? Also, I am uninterested in the basic 6950/6970s since their fans are supposed to be pretty loud at load. But yes, what you linked me is not one of the regular ones - it is the brand that concerns me in this case.

SSD :
I was under the impression that the entire SF-controller family of SSDs had long-term stability, performance, and/or drive health problems (in addition to the intentionally-downgraded OCZ drives fiasco). If this is not the case, I guess I wouldn't rule them all out. But price is also a significant factor in my SSD choice, since the range it varies is huge.

MONITOR:
As both of you have suggested, I am looking into monitors again. As is the case with sandy bridge motherboards, my initial research is showing potential problems with everything available...but I guess that is becoming the norm these days - extremely poor design forethought and quality control everywhere. Is there currently any consensus on the "best" full-hd (not higher) gaming monitors both in the TN and IPS categories? I know IPS is not going to have the same response, but since I do not only play FPS games, I am also interested in image quality - so I may be willing to try one out that doesn't destroy FPS gaming. But I am still interested in the best among TNs as well. I hear a lot of hype about 120hz, but I also hear some opinions that realistically they do not really help except under certain conditions. I just know that I am certainly not changing to another TN unless it is full-hd and has response time, input lag, and image quality that, all three of which, is as good or better than my current monitor. I have no preference between 16:9 or 16:10. So any recommendations to consider here (not promising anything though)?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I too use to have a "hardcore gaming" 2ms pc monitor, i bought a 120Hz 3ms monitor and the difference is night and day.

 

[mfenn]

PSU:
As for the Antec, well I should have mentioned that I definitely want Modular. Sorry, I went the non-modular route twice in my current system and regretted it. I just don't want to deal with that clutter, especially since modular power supplies seemed to have advanced past the days when they provided noticeably less stable power.

I'll never understand the obsession with modular power supplies to be honest. In a reasonably stacked system, you will save one or two cables at most. I stand by my original HCG 520W recommendation, but the Seasonic M12II 520W is a good alternative if you absolutely must have a modular unit. It is basically the same thing as the HCG, just Seasonic-branded and modular.

CASE:
I have never heard of IN WIN (or at least I do not remember - don't regularly keep up-to-date with the latest cases). Heard anything about their customer service? Currently I have an old Cooler Master 690 (the original, not Advanced/II). It too is a Mid-Tower case and felt a bit cramped when I first built it, but it was my first time building, so it may have just been inexperience? I see the Buc's newegg-listed physical dimensions are similar. I guess I would also have to definitively rule out the Silver Arrow if I got the Buc? In addition to cooling and ease-of-use, I am also concerned about noise (I am not a silent-PC-consumer, but I would like to keep noise low). One big advantage I see right off for that In Win Buc is its weight - I wish my Cooler Master was lighter. I know I am trying to balance so many directly-conflicting criteria lol.

The Anandtech review will answer most (all?) of your questions about the BUC. The BUC scores highly in all performance-related categories (check the later reviews for more points of comparison). In Win has your typical Taiwanese OEM customer service (i.e. not great, not terrible), though I am at a loss trying to think of what could go wrong with a case beyond 30 days. If something were broken on arrival, you'd of course return it to Newegg.

MOBO:
I was not aware that there were reasonably cheaper motherboards that still had effective and cool/stable overclocking. Thanks for having me take a look at the Pro3. However, the P67 version of the Pro3 is $10 cheaper and has +2 USB2.0, +1 PCI, and eSATA (though shared with one SATA III port) so I am considering it as well. I know $10 is not a lot, but any particular reason you guys were recommending the Z68 over the P67?

It's newer and has more features (graphics, SSD caching, Virtu, etc.) than P67. There are places to save $10 (your build has plenty!) but Z68->P67 isn't one of them IMHO.

CPU Cooler:
The Hyper 212+ is $5 cheaper at Amazon (I have Amazon Prime, so no S/H). Would that be a better choice between the two? Also, how are these lower-tier coolers in the noise department? I guess the fan(s) could be replaced (if that even helps?), but then that increases the cost as well (the Silver Arrow from what I read, already has two quality-and-quiet fans). But if the noise on these lower-tier coolers is louder, but still not noticeable much over everything else, who cares at that price. Thoughts on these issues?

The CAFA50 is basically a Hyper 212+ clone, so performance is very similar. The fan will be louder going flat out, but it should rarely do so. When it is, you most likely won't be able to hear it over the GPU anyway.

GPU:
The only AMD brands I consistently (well, overall - none are 100%) hear good things about are: XFX, MSI, Gigabyte, and ASUS. Has Sapphire changed from how they used to be a year or so ago concerning support/RMAs? Also, I am uninterested in the basic 6950/6970s since their fans are supposed to be pretty loud at load. But yes, what you linked me is not one of the regular ones - it is the brand that concerns me in this case.

Sapphire is about the same as the other Taiwanese OEMs IMHO.

Oh, and I'll let you in on a little secret about GPUs, loud is a relative term. :awe: None of the cards are what you are going to consider quiet at load; they will all make their presence known. Sure, some will be louder than the others, but the difference isn't going to be night and day.

MONITOR:
As both of you have suggested, I am looking into monitors again. As is the case with sandy bridge motherboards, my initial research is showing potential problems with everything available...but I guess that is becoming the norm these days - extremely poor design forethought and quality control everywhere. Is there currently any consensus on the "best" full-hd (not higher) gaming monitors both in the TN and IPS categories? I know IPS is not going to have the same response, but since I do not only play FPS games, I am also interested in image quality - so I may be willing to try one out that doesn't destroy FPS gaming. But I am still interested in the best among TNs as well. I hear a lot of hype about 120hz, but I also hear some opinions that realistically they do not really help except under certain conditions. I just know that I am certainly not changing to another TN unless it is full-hd and has response time, input lag, and image quality that, all three of which, is as good or better than my current monitor. I have no preference between 16:9 or 16:10. So any recommendations to consider here (not promising anything though)?

First, some terminology: "Full HD" means 1920x1080, no more no less. Be careful when you throw that around, because saying "full-hd (not higher)" technically excludes 16:10 panels.

I assume from your other comments that you are OK with 1920x1200, the 16:10 equivalent. In that case, I recommend the U2412M that I linked below would be my recommendation for a reasonably-priced IPS display.