Need advice on building a $2500 Gaming PC

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: October 2009

BUDGET RANGE: $2500, but if it is worth the extra money in the long run I am willing to go up to $2800

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Movies, Web browsing, Listening to music.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Speakers, OS. So basically the hardware for the tower only.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com, ZipZoomFly.com, Amazon.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: Full tower case (I like the Cooler Master Stacker 830, but I haven't really looked too much at cases), Nvidia graphics card, Intel processor, and at least 2 DVD burners for copying. I am using a 2.1 speaker setup (Logitech Z-2300) and I don't plan on upgrading, so I don't think I need much in the sound card department.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe. I have no plans to overclock, but it might be something I might interested in doing in the future.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes. I want to do SLI, but I only want one graphics card right now. I will get the other one a few months after I complete the system. Will quad SLI help with games like Crysis, or is dual SLI enough?

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Like I stated before, I want to build a $2500 gaming computer. The $2500 will be for the system unit ONLY. My basic goal is to be able to play games like Crysis at high settings at a playable frame rate and have plenty of room to expand in the future. I will be running Linux and I have heard that Nvidia seems to be the most compatible, but if I am wrong I am willing to go to ATI if it is better. $2500 only needs to include 1 video card, as I will be getting another card later (when it is cheaper). I have no idea if I should go with 32 or 64 bit. I am leaning towards a 64bit system because it doesn't feel right to spend $2500 on a computer that will be maxed at 4gb of RAM.

I already have a monitor in mind (24" Asus VW246H for $219 @ Newegg), but I am am willing to take suggestions for monitors in the $200-$250 range (this won't count towards the $2500).

I hope I covered everything and I look forward to all your suggestions!

I went ahead and made a wish list on Newegg. Let me know what you think.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] r=10665471

I thought I did make it public. I selected it and clicked on "Share". Am I doing something wrong? Maybe it takes awhile?

The only reason why I am going with Nvidia is because I am using Linux and I have read that Nvidia video cards tend to have a higher compatibility with Linux.

i7-950 Bloomfield is a waste of money

Go with:

i7-920 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

Dominitator waste of money:

Go with OCZ Plat:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820227381

Motherboard - With your kind of budget I would go with EVGA Classified:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188048

Or not go with the A1:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188039

Zalman CPU Coolers are not that good at all on a 1366 go with Xigmatec DK:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233029

Or Sunbeam Core Freezer:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835207004

1366 Bracket http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835207005

I like Antec 1200 Cases:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129043

Also on your video card, personally I would go with GTX 275 Superclocked SLI'd (2 of them) instead of the 295:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130478

Power Supply is way overkill! Go with Corsair 750



I did not go through and do Combo's for you but if that is the kind of setup let me know and I will do combo's.

Those are some great recommendations.

I went with the slower processor, but I might go back to the i7 950 if I see a huge price drop in the next 2 months.

The EVGA Classified looks awesome, so I'll go with that.

Is it best to buy DDR3 in sets of 3? If it is I will probably go with 12GB (4GB x 3), because I would like to put the max in each slot so I would never have to replace it.

I went with the Xigmatec Dark Knight cooler because several reviews for the Sunbeam Core Freezer said that it was very difficult to install and since this will be my first build, I don't want to run into a problem like that. Also, in a few years I might decide to upgrade the processor and it just seems like the task will be easier with the Xigmatec.

The Antec 1200 case looks nice. It seems to be less bulky and have better cooling than the Stacker 830. I think this case already comes with 6 fans, with room for 2 more. So wouldn't I just need 2 (instead of 3) of the 120mm Scythe S-Flex case fans?

As far as the video cards go, the 275 seems like a much better deal than the 295, but if I wait a couple months do you think the 295 will be at a better price that makes buying it a better choice?

The only reason I went with a 1200W power supply is because when I used Newegg's Wattage Calculator, it recommended that I needed a 1200W power supply. Do you think that a 750W PSU is sufficient for the life of my system? I plan on upgrading the ram to the full 24GB in a few years. I am sure I will add more hard drives and more external 5.25 devices in the future.

I agree that 2 275s are better than one 295, but I don't plan on just getting one 295. I plan on getting the other 295 when its price drops significantly. So is it better to get the 2 275s now or get one 295 now and another one later? Or should I just get 2 275s now and then just upgrade to an unreleased card that is better than the 295 when I feel that the 275s aren't good enough anymore.

Build looks fairly good, but there are some areas where it can be better and also some areas that you have some problems with it.

It is a nice case, but it will be problem if you use the side door 4 fans mounting system using a 1366 CPU HSF Cooler.

This Case has the best Airflow around, check out this Case/CPU Combo.
1. Antec Twelve Hundred: $169.99

2. Intel BX80601920: $279.99
Free Shipping*

Combo Discount: -$25.00
Combo Price: $424.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.233336

Here is a Mobo/PSU Combo you should look at and the PSU is more then enough for what you need.
1. Corsair Memory, Inc. CMPSU-1000HX: $239.99
Free Shipping* plus MIR

2. EVGA 141-BL-E757-TR: $229.99
Free Shipping* plus MIR

Combo Discount: -$20.00
Combo Price: $449.98
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate Card
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.233388

You should look at, Ram/HDD Combo.
1. OCZ Technology, Inc. OCZ3P1600LV6GK: $112.99
Free Shipping*

2. Western Digital WD1001FALS: $94.99
Free Shipping*

Combo Discount: -$7.00
Combo Price: $200.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.231013

I would get a pair of these and run them in SLI, will be faster then the GTX 295 card.
EVGA 017-P3-1175-AR GeForce GTX 275 1792MB 448-bit DDR3 $299.99 ($279.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130476

Here is a very good price on a 24" Monitor.
ASUS VH242H 23.6-Inch Wide 16:9 5ms $199.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ [...] R&v=glance

Here are some of the best 1366 CPU HSF Coolers' thaat you beed to check out.
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail $44.98 Free Shipping*
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233029

Scythe MUGEN-2 $36.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185093

Thermalright Ultra120 eXtreme-1366 RT Premium Heatpipe Cooler for Intel LGA1366 $74.95
http://www.performance-pcs.com/cat [...] s_id=24727

CoGage True Spirit Heatpipe CPU Cooler with 120mm PWM Silent Fan for Intel LGA1366 $37.95
http://www.performance-pcs.com/cat [...] s_id=26022

Info about Cogage.

http://pro-clockers.com/forums/arc [...] t-501.html

Items you will need.
Thermal Compound and Thermal Cleaner.
Noctua NT-H1 Thermal Compound - Retail $9.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835608008

You will need this 8-pin Power Extension Cable for most Cases that has Bottom Mounted PSU.
1ST PC CORP. 12" 8-pin EPS extension cable Model CB-8M-8F - Retail $8.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6812706004

Now to the Operating System. My suggestion would be to download Windows 7RC and then buy the full version when it comes out. You should get the 64-bit version, but if that is too much of a chore, then go with Vista Prem. 64-bit.

Download Link for Windows 7 RC
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/w [...] nload.aspx

Your choices on Blu-Ray and DVD Burner are good.
LG Blu-Ray = $124.99 Free Shipping*
LG DVD Burner = 27.99

Subtotal without CPU Cooler choice, shipping costs and MIR's deducted.
$2047.87 and that is with 2 Evga GTX 275's
$60.00 in MIR's, could be another $20.00 if Evga allows double rebate.

*note: Do not forget to get one of those CPU Cooler.

Hope this helps you out some.

I do not think anything in the near future that you will require anything more than 2 275's to run any game out there on max settings. If you need to upgrade in the future they have a step it up program. 2 295's would just be so overkill it would be ridiculous.

I am using the 3X2 for 6 GB of ram and that is plenty for me.

OK, I will go with 2 275s. Now which one should I get?

EVGA GTX 275 Superclocked (Faster Core, Shader, & Memory clock)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130478

or

EVGA 017-P3-1175-AR GeForce GTX 275 (More memory - 1792MB vs 896MB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130476

Total: $2,281.88

• CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
• MOBO: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
• RAM: OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
• HSF: Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
• SSD: OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail
• HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
• PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
• GPU: 2x EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
• DVD: SAMSUNG DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223L LightScribe Support - OEM
• Case: COOLER MASTER ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
• Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
• Monitor: Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 27.5" 3ms Widescreen LCD HDMI Monitor 500 cd/m2 800:1 Built-in Speakers - Retail

If you want to go with the Classified MOBO, then it is an additional $130.00

Also, the Classified MOBO will not fit into the Antec 1200. The 1200 doesn't support E-ATX, which the Classified is.

I am just trying to be reasonable when it comes to what he will get out of the system. There is no reason to go 2 295's at all right now.

If I do end up going with a E-ATX motherboard, what would be the best case for that?

Either will do, it is what case you like the most. Here is the 840 that has a window, but it is $100 more.

Cooler Master ATCS 840 Full Tower Classic Case w/ Custom Bolt-On Full Window - Black (RC-840-KKN1-GP) $299.99
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/ [...] g1c297s738

I'm a fan of the 840, myself. I don't really like the looks of the HAF932 but it has one of the best air flows for a case. For your uses, there is no difference between the two constructions. It really comes down to a personal perference on which one you like.