Is this good?

[Kill2Fill]

Intel 2500k, p8p67 (idk which version), hd 6950(unclock to 6970), haf x case, coolermaster silent pro gold 800W, hyper 212+, WD caviar blue 500gb, g. skill 2x2gb ddr3 1333(not 1 of the fancy 1s), ASUS ML228H monitor

I think it's good for gaming, but my budget was 1200$ with shipping and taxes and it passed that by allot. How can I make it cheaper w/o making it unusable for games in coming years? My original plan was with Phenom II X2 555BE (unlock to X4), ASUS M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3, and hd 6850

I'm planning on overlocking and probably crossfiring in the future

 

[mnewsham]

The psu is beyond overkill, get the samsung f3 500gb instead

 

[Kill2Fill]

k ty for psu, and WD 500gb has 20$ instant rebate right now

 

[Kill2Fill]

how many watts for psu shud i get?

 

[mnewsham]

500 or so is my thoughts, you could get by with a 400w if you had to though. But I recommend 500w

 

[mfenn]

Yeah, a 520C would be good.

 

[BoomerD]

Coolermaster cases are fabulous...their power supplies...not so much.
Corsair, XFX or Seasonic...or even Antec are all far better units.

 

[fffblackmage]

p8p67 (idk which version)

If you don't know, just get one of the cheaper ones with the features you know you need.

WD caviar blue 500gb

Cheap is fine, but the WD Blue 500GB is gonna be sloooooow.

I think it's good for gaming, but my budget was 1200$ with shipping and taxes and it passed that by allot. How can I make it cheaper w/o making it unusable for games in coming years?

haf x case

Well there's your problem. A nearly $200 case just ate a huge chunk of your $1200 budget, and it doesn't do a single thing to make your computer a better gaming rig over a much cheaper case.

Either get a cheaper HAF case, or an Antec 300.

...and probably crossfiring in the future

It's either now or never. Just what's the point of boosting performance in the future at the cost of higher power consumption, higher heat output, possible microstutter, xfire profile issues, and higher upfront cost? It's not like it's cheaper (because of higher initial costs) and it probably won't outperform newer graphics cards by a significant margin (probably on par in terms of performance, but you'd be stuck with the cons of xfire). Don't get me wrong, xfire has its benefits, but future upgrades isn't really one of them.

 

[Kill2Fill]

tyvm all. Switched to haf-932 and f3 500gb. and also to 520C. but I asked around and a friend told me 650W would be good for it...

 

[mfenn]

tyvm all. Switched to haf-932 and f3 500gb. and also to 520C. but I asked around and a friend told me 650W would be good for it...

Check out the chart that I linked to in my post. Those numbers are with a 130W CPU to the best of my knowledge, so with a SB CPU, you're probably looking at something like 300W under load.

 

[BoomerD]

tyvm all. Switched to haf-932 and f3 500gb. and also to 520C. but I asked around and a friend told me 650W would be good for it...

The HAF 932 is a very nice case. It's what I chose for my newest build...but would have preferred the HAF X...I just couldn't justify the extra $60. THe HAF 932 was on sale at NewEgg for $119 the other day...oops, it's back to $139.

Here's my HAF thread:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2125015

 

[mnewsham]

tyvm all. Switched to haf-932 and f3 500gb. and also to 520C. but I asked around and a friend told me 650W would be good for it...

650w is about double what you will ever pull on that machine, SB is a very power efficient CPU, and your GPU isnt going to be pulling more then 150-200w (less with normal usage). You really are looking at around 325w for a fully max load, Going with a 500w allows you to expand but 650w is just overkill and not needed.

 

[zagood]

I'm planning on overlocking and probably crossfiring in the future

I'd go with the 650w. You should listen to your friend Billy Zane, he's a cool dude.

 

[Zap]

p8p67 (idk which version), hd 6950(unclock to 6970)

Remember the graphics card unlock is not 100% guaranteed. Maybe 95% of the time (for now) but if it would make or break your gaming rig, just be aware of that fact.

Regarding the Asus P8P67 versions, if you plan to overclock then do not get the lowest end "LE" version because it doesn't have UEFI(BIOS) OC settings. The vanilla version (with no letters after it) supports x16/x4 Crossfire and overclocking in UEFI. The next one up is the Pro version, which supports x8/x8 Crossfire/SLI, plus has the LAN chip upgraded from Realtek to Intel. You probably don't need to look any higher than the Pro version, so either that or the vanilla version should suffice.

I think it's good for gaming, but my budget was 1200$ with shipping and taxes and it passed that by allot. How can I make it cheaper w/o making it unusable for games in coming years?

No matter how many thousands of dollars you pour into a rig right now, in several years it'll be a dog in the new games out by then.

If you really want to go higher end, how about just saving more money and waiting until you do have enough?

 

[Kill2Fill]

The vanilla version (with no letters after it) supports x16/x4 Crossfire and overclocking in UEFI. The next one up is the Pro version, which supports x8/x8 Crossfire/SLI, plus has the LAN chip upgraded from Realtek to Intel.

What's the difference between x16/x4 and x8/x8

 

[mnewsham]

What's the difference between x16/x4 and x8/x8

it means one card will run at x16 the other will only run at x4

 

[Kill2Fill]

is that good or bad?

 

[mnewsham]

is that good or bad?

I would rather have x8/x8 then x16/x4 x16/x4 means that one card runs at full speed but the other runs at x4 speeds (slower) overall however it wont make a big difference (at least not noticeably)

 

[Kill2Fill]

OK thanks. Now which graphics card should I pick on a 1920x1080 monitor. 6870 or 6950 and unlock it?

 

[mfenn]

OK thanks. Now which graphics card should I pick on a 1920x1080 monitor. 6870 or 6950 and unlock it?

The fastest one you can afford. The GPU defines the performance of a gaming rig more than any other component.