Aion/Gaming Rig questions

[dimmzeta73]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: 1-2 months from today

BUDGET RANGE: about 1100 dollars with tax/s&h

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: GAMING: Aion, Fallout 3

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS:Newegg, Tigerdirect, Have a Microcenter close by

PARTS PREFERENCES: None, i welcome all suggestions


OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe


MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001319&Tpk=samsung%202243

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would like it to be quiet and run on windows 7 64bit home

Hey guys I'm researching parts for my first computer and I want it to run Aion smooth as butter in any situation. Well, almost any I guess sieges are still rough but after seeing

http://www.aionsource.com/forum/technical-discussion/95824-siege-fps-test-video.html

i feel all is not lost. Anyhoooooo so here is the part list I have come up with, I would love comments/criticism so I can end up spending my moneyz well!

LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support - Retail

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Retail

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail

Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply - Retail

ASUS SABERTOOTH 55i LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail

Total before tax, s&h is 1,053.91


I guess the biggest concerns I have are these. Is the ram that I selected a solid choice for my system and is the graphics card I chose overkill? I know older cards can play aion well but stutter when things start getting hectic on the screen. I know mmo's need a fast cpu to help with the fps and I eventually plan on getting a cpu cooler and overclocking the i5 to 3.5 but I want to run it stock for a couple of monts to really appreciate the overclock when I do it.

The other card I was looking at was the 5770, it costs 100 bucks less on newegg, BUT, they don't have a free power supply option in a bundle for it at the moment. So with the 5850 I'm saving 70 bucks cuz it comes with a free powersupply! I guess that makes the 5770 only 50 bucks cheaper than the 5850 because its best power supply bundle is just 20 bucks off instead of the psu being free. So for a 50 dollar difference is it worth jumping up to a 5850?

Also, would i see significant performance increaces if i went the other way and snagged a 5870? I want to get an ATI card because their 5k line has really good price points.

Would booting the game from a 10k rpm hard drive increace game performance or just load/start up times as i login?

Oh and I plan on building this computer within 2 months time so I can sit and stew over parts while hopefully prices drop FAST!

OH! and my screen will be a Samsung Syncmaster 2243 21.5 screen (thank you spare parts around the house!). For that native resolution is it worth getting the nicer 58xx card line? I'm not really sure about how buff a gpu should be to pump games out on that high res without choppyness.

Other games i'm interested in playing are Fallout 3, Diablo 2, Diablo 3, Crysis, Crysis Warhead, Baldur's Gate 1-2 L4D 2, Mass Effect 2, and I want to be set with this build when Visions comes out.

So yea, thanks for your time in advance and I'll be checking this thread often!

 

[MadAdmiral]

The GPU is overkill, but I'd keep it if you ever want to use Eyefinity or play other games. Do NOT consider it because of the free PSU. After all, you get what you pay for. Thermaltake doesn't make very good PSUs. I highly recommend you get another one for the actual build and sell that one. I recommend the OCZ StealthXStream 700W for $55 after rebate.

You could drop to an AMD build and get a 5870. I don't think it's worth it for your uses.

No. That HDD is actually crap anyway. Get a Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB for $55.

You should sit and wait. I doubt prices will drop significantly, but it certainly can't hurt. If you see a good deal on a case or quality PSU, get it then.

So here are part specific suggestions:

PSU: Don't use that Thermaltake. Get an OCZ StealthXStream 700W for a very cheap price. Or get a Corsair, Antec Earthwatts, Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling or FSP. All of these are much better choices than that free unit.

Mobo: You're spending a little too much on it. Get an Asus P7P55D-E Pro for $190. It saves you some money and give you USB 3/SATA III support for future proofing.

HDD: WD sucks right now. Grab a Samsung Spinpoint F3 500 GB. It's faster than the VelociRaptors at 1/3 of the price.

RAM: Might want to spend the extra little bit and get CAS Latency 7 Ripjaws.

Rest is fine.

 

[dimmzeta73]

Thanks for the fast reply! I'd love to hear what everyone has to say on this because I'm a computer parts noob! Keep em coming!

Any thoughts on having a 10k rpm hard drive in regards to gaming? Does it increase fps or just make things like my OS/games boot faster?