New gaming rig

[zul448]

Hi! It is finally time for a new rig. My current one was built to play HL2... before it was released, so its way past time for an upgrade!

I'm going to build almost totally from scratch, using only my current display (Samsung T240 24", 1920x1200 native res), speakers, and sound card - granted the new mobo i get has a legacy pci port.

It will be primarily for gaming. Secondary uses may or may not include surfing the web, watching movies, playing music and the occasional 3d mapping/level design. I do like lots of windows open at once

I trust newegg and prefer to buy parts online from them. I may also run into my local Fry's for some stuff... its easier to return if something is DOA that way. I'm in the US, Oregon BTW.

My budget is between $1000 and $1500. I'm trying to stay top-end, without going crazy. Lower $ is better

I'd like to have it all bought and put together in no more than two weeks. Preferably DONE next week as I have lots of time off to tinker before going back to work on the 7th.

So what do i need? well, almost everything! Luckily I have already picked out a few things: (prices marked dont include shipping or rebates)


Case: Antec nine hundred two $120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129058


Mouse: Logitech G500 $55
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104318


Keyboard: I would like volume controls and a standard layout. Black. Lighted keys would be a plus! Anything noteworthy in this area?


CPU & Motherboard Phenom II X6 1055T; GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H $320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.382692
Sold in combo. Seems to get decent reviews.
I plan to overclock. I'll use the CM Hyper 212 Plus $50
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065


Video: EVGA Geforce GTX 470 $370
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130549


RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws 4GB (2 x 2GB) $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277&cm_re=ripjaws-_-20-231-277-_-Product


HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533


Optical drive: Just need a DVD/CD reader that works. Ideas?


Power supply: CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W $150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139013&Tpk=corsair 950w


OS: Windows 7 64bit OEM $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116758

Total costs after shipping/rebates: $1319

And I still need a keyboard, PSU, optical drive and memory. If you see any bottlenecks, please tell me! Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[TheFlyingSquirrel]

i'd go for a 5850 because it has similar performance and is cheaper

i think this is a better case and it's cheaper
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-216-_-Product

for the psu buy something like a 650w corsair

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Samsung F3 1/2 or 1TB
650w PSU unless you end up running to GPUs then i'd suggest 650w & >

 

[zul448]

Updated OP to reflect my changes.

I chose an overpowered PSU because I want it to last for a long time - I dont upgrade often. I just want the flexibility to add whatever I may need in the future.

I'm going with 4gb RAM to start. I can always add another two sticks later.

I may change the case. I've heard the nine hundred two is a bit cramped.

As for the HDD, the F3 and WD black have both been recommended to me. I chose the WD because it has SATA 6.0gb/s whereas I could only find 3.0 for the Samsung. And at newegg the WD black is on sale with free shipping, for a total cost of $90, which isnt much more than the F3.

I am going with Nvidia because I have always been very happy with their stuff. On the other hand, I have had nothing but headaches with ATI products. Im just burnt out on ATI and dont want to go through the hassle of getting their stuff working properly again!

 

[RaistlinZ]

950W!

You don't need anything that big for only running one video card. I'd go with a 650TX to save yourself some cash. Or maybe a 750TX if you plan to run two 470's.

No qualms with the rest of the system. HDD is a personal choice, but most people swear by the Samsung F3's.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

You will never saturate SATA III 6.0gb/s anytime in the near future on conventional HDDs. The F3 is the smarter choice.

 

[busydude]

Buy CM hyper+ from amazon use that $20 saved on 5870 for $400.

Get your self a seasonic X-750 instead of the corsair.

 

[zul448]

You will never saturate SATA III 6.0gb/s anytime in the near future on conventional HDDs. The F3 is the smarter choice.

What about the larger cache? Does 64mb make much of a difference over 32mb?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

What about the larger cache? Does 64mb make much of a difference over 32mb?

Yes it makes a difference. It's just 32mb more than 32mb. As it applies to performance, simply no. Can someone else better explain this, thanks.

 

[mfenn]

What about the larger cache? Does 64mb make much of a difference over 32mb?

Pretty much no performance difference. Both caches are too small to really be useful, they're really just there as a sort of working memory for the controller. Even Seagate's new hybrid HDD for laptops that has gigabytes of NAND acting as a cache doesn't see that much of a performance increase.

In short, get the F3, it is just as fast and cheaper.

 

[zul448]

well ok then, you've convinced me, i'm going with the F3!

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

well ok then, you've convinced me, i'm going with the F3!

Smart choice

 

[zul448]

Ok final list, please critique!

Case: COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper $140
Bought this locally after inspecting several, including the CM HAF 932, CM 690, and Antec 900 2. It was more expensive but had more of the features I wanted.


Mouse: Logitech G500 $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16826104318


Keyboard: Logitech Illuminated Keyboard $67 (local)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126043


CPU & Motherboard Phenom II X6 1055T; GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H $320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.382692
Sold in combo. Seems to get decent reviews.
I plan to overclock. I'll use the CM Hyper 212 Plus $30 (Bought locally)


Video: EVGA Geforce GTX 470 $352
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130549


RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) $110
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-277-_-Product


HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822152185
I was convinced to go with the F3 after learning the WD black's advantages didnt really equal any performance boost.


Optical drive: LITE-ON Black DVD/CD writer $29
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106335


Power supply: CORSAIR TX Series 950W $125
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...air%20950w


OS: Windows 7 64bit OEM $140
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116758

Total costs after shipping/rebates: $1428. Yikes! Numbers sure do grow fast when you add them together! Oh well I already bought the case and HSF so that's 170 down. Only 1258 to go! haha

 

[MisterDonut]

Drop the Thuban for i7-860, imo. 6 cores won't help you much in games.

 

[Terzo]

I can't comment on the components as much, as I'm not really up to date with that stuff, but as for the OS is there a reason you want Windows 7 Pro? If you're fine with Home that will save you about $40. If you really want Pro, you can get it at Frys for $5 less (I'm pretty sure Oregon has no sales tax, right?).

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

I still say if you are not going with SLI then that PSU is way overkill.

Check out JonnyGuru.com for the best in PSU reviews. He is also an absentee mod here but he knows his stuff.

 

[zul448]

I'm having second thoughts about the power supply. Not because the wattage, but because it's not modular. That's a LOT of cables to hide. I was looking at the Antec TPQ-850 850W (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371009) which looks good on paper. It's around the same price after discounts and still has plenty of power. Pus it's modular. Thoughts?

Terzo: Thanks for the tip! I'll pick it up at fry's (should have done it last night when i got the case and HSF!)

 

[modestninja]

Terzo: Thanks for the tip! I'll pick it up at fry's (should have done it last night when i got the case and HSF!)

The biggest part of the tip is that unless there is something super-specific you need from pro (like the ability to join a corporate domain), then home premium will do everything you need.

 

[zul448]

The biggest part of the tip is that unless there is something super-specific you need from pro (like the ability to join a corporate domain), then home premium will do everything you need.

Maybe you're right. But on the other hand i hate the way microsoft bloats up their software with things that are supposed to be user-friendly and cool. I'm an experienced computer user, i dont need little wizards for everything. I can handle a window with more than 8 icons in it. In my experience, the pro versions have less of that.

 

[mfenn]

Maybe you're right. But on the other hand i hate the way microsoft bloats up their software with things that are supposed to be user-friendly and cool. I'm an experienced computer user, i dont need little wizards for everything. I can handle a window with more than 8 icons in it. In my experience, the pro versions have less of that.

That comparison might have been true when talking about WinME vs. Win2K, but it's no longer valid. Each higher version of Win7 is a strict superset of the previous versions.

 

[zul448]

Oh really? That is good news. I didnt realize that. So the pro version is exactly the same except for the few network/security features? interface is the same?

How useful is the "windows xp mode"? For backward compatibility. Are there alot of compatibility issues with win 7?

 

[mfenn]

Oh really? That is good news. I didnt realize that. So the pro version is exactly the same except for the few network/security features? interface is the same?

How useful is the "windows xp mode"? For backward compatibility. Are there alot of compatibility issues with win 7?

Yes, the interface and everything is exactly the same between HP, Pro, and Ult. Starter loses the Aero glass effect. Here's a table that lists pretty much anything you would want to know about the different versions.

I've got Ultimate (from Technet, wouldn't actually pay extra for it), and I've honestly never bothered with XP Mode. I've never had a problem getting the things I want to work.

 

[zul448]

Awesome. I'll go with home premium then and save some $$. Thank you!

 

[Jhatfie]

Couple quick comments:

If this is for gaming, the i5-750 and a P55 mobo would be better for frame rates at about the same cost. However the 1055T is still good, just not quite as fast in games and loses out a bit more if you go multi gpu.

I see your cpu/mobo choice is crossfire capable, might want to consider a HD 5850, you can get them for $265 if you look around after Bing cash back and they perform close to a 470 and use way less power allowing you to crossfire later without turning your computer into a complete furnace. Nothing wrong the the GTX470, just the ATi card is more cost effective for performance.

If you are going single gpu the power supply you got is overkill (still a nice psu though), so you can save money there. Look at the Antec TPN-750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371022 as I run one with my OC'd and crossfired combo and it does not break a sweat and it is $85 with discount code atm. Jonnyguru and others have given it great reviews.

 

[Terzo]

Oh really? That is good news. I didnt realize that. So the pro version is exactly the same except for the few network/security features? interface is the same?

How useful is the "windows xp mode"? For backward compatibility. Are there alot of compatibility issues with win 7?

I don't have old programs that I need to run in XP, but if you find that to be the case I've heard that using a virtual machine (VM Player or Virtual Box) will do a better job than the XP mode built in with 7 Ultimate.

You'll need an XP key and install disc, and playing games in a virtual machine probably wont work well. Granted, XP mode isn't made for gaming either; they're both aimed towards "work" users. If you just want to play games, there is a compatibility mode that you can use (right click on a program and click on trouble shoot compatibility).