approx $1500 gaming build

Toggle sidebar Toggle sidebar
S

sbl

Honorable
Jun 19, 2013
12
0
10,510
I havent built a system in years however I think I'm ready to pull the trigger. Thanks for any advice.

Want triple monitors ( have 2 2001fps). Only have starcraft2 now so any bundles with games esp the starcraft 2 expansion would be great.

Approximate Purchase Date: e.g.: this week or next

Budget Range: around $1500 for system not including s new monitor

System Usage from Most to Least Important: 1) surfing 2)gaming 3) watching movies. Need lots of harddrive space for media files. At least a 2tb and 3tb drive and ssd I guess? Are 1tb drives better? Also want to be able to play the original starcraft.

Also need at least 2 usb3.0 ports (more better) for external harddrives.

Are you buying a monitor: Maybe. Currently have two old dell 2001fp 1600x1200 monitors. Really want three monitors. Can I get a reccommediation for a 24" or larger third monitor for under like $500 or so. Don't really like 1080 monitors that much however would that be best for gaming? I dont like how few vertical pixels there are but would buy if that's best.

Only need to game on one monitor don't need the game to play accross all the monitors.

Parts to Upgrade: none

Do you need to buy OS: Yes win7 I guess?

Preferred Website(s) for parts.any with easy return policy. Is it best to buy all parts from single source?

Location: City, State/Region, Country - sf bay area

Parts Preferences: by brand or type ive always used intel

Overclocking: no

SLI or Crossfire: not sure

Your monitor resolution. Have 2 1600x1200 monitors need a third

Additional Comments: Mainly play console games. Currentlly only play starcraft 2 on a pc However will prob start playing fps on the pc. Doesn't have to play at super high settings. Would be happy if looks better than a console.

Would prefer if whatever I buy has a possibility of being upgraded later (like adding additional vcards or whatever. And room to add more harddrives.

Why upgrading? My laptop stopping working with starcraft 2. Also want harddrives and to start playing games
 
Solution
R
32gb of RAM is overkill, even for video encoding.
A 256gb SSD is not a must, its a luxury. Having 128gb is enough for a SSD and a handful of programs already.
Here's a better system:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)...
Sort by date Sort by votes
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360
Slightly over but here is something to get started with


CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($199.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus Z87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($169.99 @ NCIX US)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($109.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7870 XT 2GB Video Card ($248.98 @ Newegg)
Case: Corsair 650D ATX Mid Tower Case ($164.83 @ Amazon)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($83.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($18.99 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.91 @ Amazon)
Total: $1472.15
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)


CPU/RAM don't need to be any higher for a gaming system. Won't see much benefit for the price.
6TB of HDD storage + fast and reliable SSD. Could put the 2 hard drives in RAID0 if you want.
Got 6 USB3 ports on back of Mobo + 2 on front of case.
Power supply is large enough to support a 2nd graphics card in Crossfire if you decide it's needed in future. Mobo supports this too. Case has space for up to 6 hard drives. Next gen intel CPU's will use the same motherboard socket so you could drop in a brand new i7 in a few years time if needed (provided you update the BIOS)


EDIT:
Updated the CPU and Cooler as I just realised you don't want to overclock. Within budget now :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($108.98 @ Outlet PC)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($55.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($109.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($439.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($54.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1209.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-19 19:42 EDT-0400)

-Un-overclockable.
-Has a SSD for fast loading/boot times with a 1tb HDD for mass storage.
-7970 ghz edition is AMD's top line gpu (other than 7990, which is just a dual 7970)
-Silent case with great airflow and cable management.
-550w psu so you can't crossfire. I am against 2-way crossfire because it scales very badly due to micro-stuttering.

For the monitors, I'll give you some options.
1: Since you don't like 1080p monitors, I thought I'll suggest a 1920x1200 monitor since it'll have more vertical pixels. It's also an IPS panel for better images and has a pretty fast response time compared to other IPS panels to prevent ghosting: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vs24ahp

2: If you can accept a 1080p monitor, here's a really high quality 1080p monitor. Superb quality stand with 144hz and 1ms response time for a great gaming experience: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-monitor-vg248qe

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

sbl

Honorable
Jun 19, 2013
12
0
10,510



So this looks pretty good. However I was thinking I should get more ram since I encode video sometimes. I read somewhere that 4g sticks are more stable than 8g sticks so should I just get 4x 4gigs of the ram?

Also I might want to get a 2560x1440 monitor so in reading about the 7870 I think maybe I should get the 7950? Is this a good idea? And can I add another 7950 in the future if I want? And which version of the 7950 shoukd I get? Thanks for the help.


 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ballerslife

ballerslife

Distinguished
Jan 26, 2013
517
0
19,010
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Microcenter)
Motherboard: Asus H87-PLUS ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($111.00 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Intel Extreme Master, Limited Ed 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($229.27 @ Amazon)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($157.55 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($419.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($45.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224BB DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Microcenter)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1500.74
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-20 23:23 EDT-0400)

32GB RAM for video encoding, enough for any kind of editing in the world. Good i5 CPU, and a great motherboard to match. GTX 770 will max any game out there without a hiccup. I kinda skimped on the case though, a better case would be the R4. A pretty solid build to do anything.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
Oh...didn't see you need lots of storage lol
If you plan to get a 1440p monitor, you want all the gpu power you can get. In such a big budget like yours, you should be getting atleast a Radeon HD 7970 (comes with free games) or GTX 770 (performs better but no games).

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($104.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($117.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1490.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-20 23:27 EDT-0400)

16gb of ram should be enough
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ballerslife

ballerslife

Distinguished
Jan 26, 2013
517
0
19,010


Mine is basically the same thing, but better. First off faster CPU, better MOBO, 32GB RAM, faster SSD with bigger storage. Although you have a better case and PSU.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
The difference between the i5-4430 and i5-4570 is negligible. you won't notice the 200mhz difference.
The Gigabyte is a good one. I don't see what more you'll need on a H87 one.
Both SSDs are good. It'll be hard to notice the difference in speed between two good quality SSDs. Although you give more SSD storage, mine has much more mass storage.

However, I did kind of rush my build. I forgot to remove the 8gb set and the motherboard won't really support SLI.
There's no H87 motherboard that can correctly run SLI so you'll need the cheapest Z87 board to SLI. 1440p is very demanding, especially if you play games like Crysis 3 maxed out.

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme3 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($137.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($117.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1458.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-21 15:40 EDT-0400)

-Able to SLI in the future.

OR

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4430 3.0GHz Quad-Core Processor ($184.98 @ Outlet PC)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H87-D3H ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($103.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($117.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: XFX 550W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($45.99 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1370.88
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-21 15:41 EDT-0400)

-If you don't plan to SLI
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
g-unit1111

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Jul 27, 2011
42,545
819
104,940


6TB????? That's an absolutely ridiculous amount of overkill, and don't overspend on storage at the expense of your graphics card. If the OP decides to branch out into gaming beyond strategy games then it will help to have a good GPU. With all the movies, shows, music, etc that I have I barely top 500GB.

Try this:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U9B SE2 37.9 CFM CPU Cooler ($60.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock Z87 Extreme4 ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($64.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: OCZ Vector Series 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($144.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($354.99 @ Newegg)
Case: NZXT Phantom 410 (Gunmetal/Black) ATX Mid Tower Case ($111.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 650W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($56.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer ($17.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Total: $1439.39
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-21 16:08 EDT-0400)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360


Made some changes with your comments in mind.

CPU: Intel Core i5-4570 3.2GHz Quad-Core Processor ($198.87 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: Asus H87-PRO ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($127.55 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Samsung 840 Pro Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($359.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Case: Antec Three Hundred Two ATX Mid Tower Case ($62.99 @ NCIX US)
Power Supply: Corsair Enthusiast 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($73.50 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($90.91 @ Amazon)
Total: $1478.77

At that resolution you will definitely benefit from the better graphics card. Not saying the 7870XT would be poor but it might struggle at high/ultra settings in some games.

Also upped the RAM to 16GB. I don't know where you read about an 8GB stick being less stable than 2x 4GB but there is no truth in it. 2x 4GB would be slightly (and I mean very slightly) faster because they run in dual-channel. Stability though... no difference.

Obviously to accommodate these updates I had to cut back other stuff :( Dropped down to a cheaper motherboard. Differences aren't too huge though. Still has 4x rear USB3 ports (Plus 2 at front), supports Crossfire etc.

Also got a cheaper case. Still has plenty of hard drive bays (6x 3.5" and 2x 2.5") and is good build quality.

I should also mention the $1478.88 price is after $70 of mail-in rebates meaning it would be $1548.88 upfront. Hell of a machine though :)
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360


I don't see how 6TB is overkill when the requirements state "At least a 2tb and 3tb drive and ssd." I didn't go overkill, you went underkill ;)

I accept the 7870XT is relatively low for the budget available but don't make out it's a piece of junk. More than strategy games? It will play high, nearing max, settings on just about any game at 1920×1200 or less.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
g-unit1111

g-unit1111

Titan
Moderator
Jul 27, 2011
42,545
819
104,940


Yeah but "at least" doesn't mean go with "2 - 3 times as much". :lol:

The thing about hard drives is you can always add more as you need them. I don't personally know anyone who even comes close to using 6TB.

I didn't say that the 7870XT is a bad card, I'm saying if you've got the cash, why not get better?

I have the best build out of all of yours. 32GB RAM, 256 SSD, 4 TB HDD, better video card.
Click to expand...

You mean you have the most overkill build out of all of ours. The OP will never need or come even remotely close to using 32GB of RAM. Unless some heavy duty Photoshop is needed. You don't need that much storage to start with. You can add more drives as needed.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
@Ballerslife: You don't have the best build. 32gb of ram is extremely overkill. You are wasting money on a 256gb SSD, which is un-necessary and forces you to take a budget case. My build performs like yours except it has a much better case and more storage and cheaper.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360


I think you are reading it wrong. "At least a 2tb AND 3tb drive" - that is 5TB

The OP also asks for room to add more hard drives in the future along with USB3 slots for external hard drives. Storage is clearly a big issue with this system.

Now do you see why 6TB makes sense?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
ballerslife

ballerslife

Distinguished
Jan 26, 2013
517
0
19,010


Hey, he said he's doing video encoding. The more RAM the merrier.
I think you are missing the point about space here. He clearly states he needs a lot of hard disk space, what part about that do you not understand? He may be a camera man, encoding and storing hundreds of HD videos.
You are missing the part about my GPU, so far the best one out of everyone's.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
32gb of RAM is overkill, even for video encoding.
A 256gb SSD is not a must, its a luxury. Having 128gb is enough for a SSD and a handful of programs already.
Here's a better system:

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-4670K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($239.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z87-G45 Gaming ATX LGA1150 Motherboard ($159.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Patriot Viper 3 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($88.00 @ Newegg)
Storage: Kingston HyperX 3K 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($119.15 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 3TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($119.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 770 2GB Video Card ($399.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($84.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V Power Supply ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: LG GH24NS95 DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (OEM) (64-bit) ($89.98 @ Outlet PC)
Total: $1457.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-06-21 20:59 EDT-0400)

-Cpu/motherboard combo $80 off at Newegg. Great deal even if you're not overclocking.
-Allows for SLI.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
Solution
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360


Can't fault this. Very nice build.

 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

sbl

Honorable
Jun 19, 2013
12
0
10,510


So is this the best setup then? Will I be able to drop in another videocard and more harddrives in the future with no problems? (yeah i need a bunch of harddrive space). Also, I cannot see on newegg how to get $80 off the CPU/motherboard.

Also newegg has this card SAPPHIRE 100351SR Radeon HD 7970 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card OC with Boost for $299 with 5 free games. Would this work in this system? $100 cheaper with 5 free games is pretty tempting (and its frontpage of slickdeals so I guees its a good deal?). If I got this card could I add another one in the future in this setup with no problems using crossfire?
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
casper1973

casper1973

Distinguished
Dec 30, 2012
942
0
19,360


Yes the motherboard supports both Crossfire (AMD) and SLI (Nvidia) with the 750W PSU being enough to power them.

The case has 8 hard drive bays but the motherboard only has 6 SATA ports which will be the limiting factor. One SATA port will be used by the optical drive, another by the SSD and one by each of the two HDD. This would leave you with space to add two more hard drives.

Good offer on the 7970 as they usually start around $350. It won't match the GTX 770 for performance but it's still an awesome card and $100 cheaper with 5 free games makes it such a good deal. And yeah you could add another 7970 in Crossfire if you wanted.

Maybe these benchmarks will help you decide - http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/770?vs=829
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
R

realchaos

Distinguished
Jan 30, 2013
5,287
0
19,960
The $80 off cpu/motherboard combo: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.1352786&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&cm_sp=&AID=10446076&PID=3938566&SID=

The 770 is stronger than the 7970, but free games may be the deciding factor for you. If you actually want to play those games, then the 7970 would be the better idea. I wouldn't really suggest a 2-way crossfire because there are lots of problems with it and a lot of micro-stuttering, so you wouldn't be getting a huge performance increase. However, if you still want to go with a crossfire 7970 in the future, I would grab a 850w psu because 750w is really cutting it close: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/pc-power--cooling-power-supply-ppcmk3s850
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
S

sbl

Honorable
Jun 19, 2013
12
0
10,510


Thanks for the quick reply! I ended up buying the 7970 because of the free games. There was another combo where you add another game for $6 less so I had to get it. I also ended up buying most of the other stuff too. Only stuff i havent bought is the case and SSD.

However the Microcenter around here closed. So the cheapest i can get the r4 case is $110. Is the corsair 650 case you originally recommended a better buy if its only $55 more? I also havent bought the SSD yet. I can easily fit the 256GB SSD you recommended into my budget do you think its worth it or overkill?

Finally a few extra questions:

1) What cables/adapters will I need to get? or will everything be included in the components?

2) So it seems like theres monitor outputs on the motherboard. Do these just turn on by default? Would it be best to attach the 2 1600x1200 monitors I have to the motherboard and add one or two 2560x1440 monitors to the vcard? The last system I built I had to buy a videocard for each monitor so it was kinda simpler to hook monitors up to.

3) When I play games on one 2560x1440 monitor, is it better/necessary to turn the other monitors off? Or does having the desktop open on other monitors not have an effect on game performance on one of the other monitors.

4) Should I get extra fans for the case? I am almost definitely going to add 2 more 3TB harddrives at some point (so 4 3TB hds and the SSD) if that matters.

Thanks again for all the help.
 
Upvote 0 Downvote
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Latest posts

Moderators online

Share this page

COMPANY
RESOURCES
FOLLOW
Top Bottom