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new gaming build, what to get for around 2k

V

VINMAN

Senior member
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
- Gaming (BF3, MW3, Black ops, Diablo 3 etc)
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
-say around 2k
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
-USA
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.
-Thinking Intel
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
-Will use existing monitor
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
y
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
- was thinking of new i7 2600k as seems can run up to 5ghz well with cooling etc.
8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
1080p
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
before christmas

10. Don't ask for a build configuration critique or rating if you are thin skinned.
dont really have build config, just looking for the experts here to guide in the right direction as its been a few years. just looking for something that will run those games with out lagging, dropping etc, runs cool, quiet (ie doesnt sound like a jet next to me 🙂

thx for any input
Vinman
 
Do you need to buy keyboard, mouse, mousepad, headphones, Windows?

A 1080p gaming-only PC doesn't really need a $2000 budget. $1500 is enough, even for a GTX 570 SLI setup. But you can spend $2k if you set insane component quality requirements.

The core components should be:

CPU 2500K (2600K does not benefit gaming at all) $220
Cooler At least Coolermaster Hyper 212+, it'll get you to 4.5 $25
Mobo Z68 SLI-capable, between Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 and Asus P8Z68-V $125-180
SSD Crucial M4 64GB or 128GB $100-200
HDD Samsung F3 1tb $60

Subtotal = $530 to $685

The rest of the components give you a bit more room to maneuver, and of course paying more in one category may limit your choice in others.

PSU: 650W for a single high-end card. 850W for GTX 570 SLI / 6970 Crossfire and less. Anything from 80+ bronze non-modular to 80+ gold fully modular. Recommend at least 5 year warranty. Choose from Corsair, Seasonic, Antec, XFX.

Case: Anything from a midrange Corsair 400R, Fractal Design R3, Coolermaster HAF912 or similar, to a high-end Silverstone/Lian-Li. Make sure the case has a side fan if you consider dual-GPU.

GPU: Two choices: Dual-GPU right now, or a single GPU to hold you off until gaming requirements go up and 28nm GPUs are available (early next year). At that budget, I would get a single 6950 or GTX 570, and replace it with one or two NVIDIA 6xx series next year.

Extras: Do you want a sound card? I recommend Asus Xonar. Do you want lots of fans and a fan controller? Do you want more HDD space? (If so, just buy more 1TB drives, 2TB drives suffer from a bit higher failure rate, I've been told.) Do you need to include any peripherals into the budget? I highly recommend you get high quality headphones at that budget, as part of the enjoyment of gaming comes from clear audio, good sounding music and effects etc.

I'd recommend you to come up with your own full build now, and let us comment on your choices.
 
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Do you need to buy keyboard, mouse, mousepad, headphones, Windows?
nope have all these already,
thx for the input,
for the storage i was leaning towards sdd drive, for more storage i have a NAS/raid setup that i keep most things on, so shouldnt be an issue.
for the GPU ya im not sure if want to go single or 2x still debating that.

thx for the inputs.
 
get a single GPU for now and wait for the 28nm GPUs to come out next year, sell off the card you bought and buy 2 28nm ones
 
VINMAN said:
Do you need to buy keyboard, mouse, mousepad, headphones, Windows?
nope have all these already,
thx for the input,
for the storage i was leaning towards sdd drive, for more storage i have a NAS/raid setup that i keep most things on, so shouldnt be an issue.
for the GPU ya im not sure if want to go single or 2x still debating that.

thx for the inputs.
Click to expand...

What resolution? If it's 1080P or less, you're wasting your money by buying a $2K machine.
 
hows this look for build possibly ?

Case - ? not sure want something quiet/cool would like connections space on top as i keep this next to my desk, like to hook in devices (phone,mp3, camera, etc)
Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W
Processor - Intel Quad Core i7 2600K 4.8-5.0GHz 8MB Cache - 850Mhz Graphics Processor
CPU Cooling - CORSAIR CWCH80 - WaterBlock (For 5.0Ghz OC)
Intel Motherboard - Asus P8Z68-V PRO (For 5.2Ghz OC) SLI+CrossFire/32GB DDR3/1xBluetooth v3.0/6xUSB2/2xUSB3/1xIEEE1394a/4xSATA2/4xSATA3/1xeSATA/HDMI/ATX
DDR3 Memory - Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1600 8GB(2X4GB) CL9
Graphics Card - EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB
Graphics Card 2 - EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB
SSD HD - ?
Hard Drive - Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX 1TB SATA3 7200rpm 64MB
Optical Drive - Sony Optiarc AD-7240S-0B 24X SATA DVD+/-RW

not sure if want to go sli now or just get 69XX now and better single early next year
 
Alright, here we go 😀

VINMAN said:
Case - ? not sure want something quiet/cool Corsair 400R or Fractal R3 + a couple of extra fans + Y-splitter cables. control fan speed in BIOS or buy a 5.25" fan controller. If you want something more exotic - and I believe it would be worth it - buy Silverstone Raven RV02-BW $155.
Power Supply - CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W newegg: $50 for Antec HGC-620 (seasonic-built), or for a SLI setup: $120 for Antec HCP-850 (80+gold, huuuuuge discount 🙂)
Processor - Intel Quad Core i7 2600K don't need it for gaming, get 2500K
CPU Cooling - CORSAIR CWCH80 - WaterBlock (For 5.0Ghz OC) not worth it, when a $25 212+ will get you to 4.5GHz. If you want high OC just for bragging rights which is basically a waste of money, get NH-D14 - better and quieter than H80 for the same price
Intel Motherboard - Asus P8Z68-V PRO not worth it, Asrock Z68 extreme3 supports SLI for just $125 will get you to 4.5
DDR3 Memory - Corsair XMS3 DDR3-1600 8GB(2X4GB) CL9 1600mhz memory is useless for games and near-useless for anything else. G.Skill Ripjaws 1333 is $10 less
Graphics Card - EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB
Graphics Card 2 - EVGA nVidia GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB Could work... 6950 2GB Crossfire could also work. But I would stick to one card. MSI GTX 570 Power Edition. Sell and upgrade to 28nm next year
SSD HD - There is no "SSD HD", there is Solid State Drive or Hard Disk Drive. Buy Crucial M4 64GB for OS+programs, install games on HDD. Or 128GB, install 3-5 games on SSD.
Hard Drive - Western Digital Black WD1002FAEX 1TB SATA3 7200rpm 64MB HDD's don't benefit noticeably from SATA III and thus make SATA III capable HDD's a waste of money. Get Samsung F3 1TB for $50
Optical Drive - Sony Optiarc AD-7240S-0B 24X SATA DVD+/-RW
Click to expand...

The main problem here is that you want to pay $150 more ($250 more if you count 2600K) just to get a bit higher OC. The extra performance is not worth that much money. 2500K at 4.5ghz is already an insanely good CPU for any task - don't spoil its excellent price/performance by spending money on overpriced components.

GL
 
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lehtv said:
Alright, here we go 😀



The main problem here is that you want to pay $150 more ($250 more if you count 2600K) just to get a bit higher OC. The extra performance is not worth that much money. 2500K at 4.5ghz is already an insanely good CPU for any task - don't spoil its excellent price/performance by spending money on overpriced components.

GL
Click to expand...

Took the works right out of my mouth. OP, unless you want 5.0GHz simply to impress your friends, it isn't a good value. You're essentially paying $250 for another 500Mhz.

You could get SLI/CFX if you want, but it's really kind of pointless for 1080P gaming.
 
ok so 2500k seems fine and prob go with single 6950 or 570 for now.
any thoughts on OWC Mercury 6G ssd drives? wondering if just go 240g and forgo reg hd as i can store other stuff on nas. that raven case looks nice, was also looking at the corsair 600t. want it to be cool and quiet, whats your thoughts on those, or any other good cool /quiet case.
thx
 
any thoughts on OWC Mercury 6G ssd drives? wondering if just go 240g and forgo reg hd as i can store other stuff on nas
Click to expand...
Aren't those more expensive than M4? I'd rather stick to M4 + internal HDD than an expensive 240gb SSD. If you just want more than 128gb to benefit from fast reads, configure a 64gb ssd as a system cache so your frequently used HDD files can take advantage of it.

that raven case looks nice, was also looking at the corsair 600t. want it to be cool and quiet, whats your thoughts on those, or any other good cool /quiet case.
Click to expand...
The Raven RV02 is a cooling monster out of the box, but since fan speed can always be controlled via the motherboard BIOS or a separate front-panel fan controller, it can be silent too. The triple 180mm fans will move a lot of air even at near-inaudible RPM.

Fractal R3 which I own has a ton of fan slots for any kind of cooling you want. I've got 5 fans in it at the moment at 600-800RPM, I can just about hear the thing. My monitor actually makes more noise. Corsair 400R can be similarly arranged. Like the R3 it has a meshed top for hot air to escape naturally, so you can set it up with medium RPM intake fans and let the positive air pressure do its job. Or you can install a fan to the top-rear slot to improve air exhaust at the expense of air pressure. To achieve anything close to the cooling performance of RV-02 you do need to buy a couple of extra fans though, which makes it about the same price too.
 
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VINMAN said:
ok so 2500k seems fine and prob go with single 6950 or 570 for now.
any thoughts on OWC Mercury 6G ssd drives? wondering if just go 240g and forgo reg hd as i can store other stuff on nas. that raven case looks nice, was also looking at the corsair 600t. want it to be cool and quiet, whats your thoughts on those, or any other good cool /quiet case.
thx
Click to expand...

The OWC Mercury's are Sandforce drives, which are kind of iffy, but at least they are better than OCZ. Lehtv is right though that the 256GB M4 will give you similar performance for less money and more peace of mind.

Normal people wouldn't get such a big SSD, but it isn't the worst thing in the world to spend a bunch of money on, especially if your mass storage needs are already being met.
 
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