Component recommendations for a gaming PC

[MNL17]

Hi all,

I'm finally going to reward myself with a nice gaming PC. The thing is, I've never built a PC before and know next to nothing about motherboards and how all the other parts come together.

I was hoping you can recommend a motherboard, power supply, cooling devices, and whatever else is missing for the following parts (other comments and recommendations would be very welcome too!):

■ Intel i7 930
■ 2x Nvidia GTX 460's in SLI
■ 4Gb Corsair XMS3 1333 (2Gb x 2)
■ 1.5 Tb (or so) HDD
■ Something to allow for wifi (like a card or something)
■ Whatever DVD drive is typical


I have no plans of overclocking or anything, so whatever allows this setup to perform as it should out of the box will do - no need for high-end features if I probably won't use 'em. Also, I plan to some day upgrade to a 2x 480 (or whatever's in the market then) SLI setup in a year or so, so I'd like some power for that if needed.

I plan to connect this to my HDTV so no need for a monitor

Thanks a lot!

 

[calguyhunk]

Mobo : GIGABYTE GA-X58A-UD3R

RAM : 1366 demands triple channel - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB)

If you want Corsair - CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB)

HDD : SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB

GPU : GTX 460 (Fermi)

ODD : LG SATA 22X DVD Burner with LightScribe Support

PSU : Antec TruePower TP-750

 

[MNL17]

Thanks calguyhunk!

Sorry, but I'm not quite sure what you mean by "1366 demands triple channel." Are there certain specifications that my memory would have to meet in order to be compatible with the socket or would your recommendation just make the whole setup a lot better?

Thanks again!

 

[tecmo34]

1st... Please edit your original post with the template in this thread.... ( http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice ). It provides all the information we need to recommend a build.

Couple of Recommendations:
■Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-X58A UD3R
■HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
■HSF: If you don't plan on overclocking, there is no need to run anything else beside the stock heatsink.
■PSU: Corsair CMPSU-850TX
■Case: Cooler Master HAF 922
■DVD: Cheapest 22x or 24x DVD burner you can find... no big deal

edit:... Okay I missed the post by calguyhunk ... but we are on a similar page.

What calguyhunk means is LGA 1366 utilizies triple-channel memory meaning you want to purchase your memory in sets of three (3x1GB, 3x2GB, 6X2GB... etc) and the tyipcial recommendation is a 6GB (3x2GB) setup for an X58 motherboard.

 

[calguyhunk]

The i7 9xx's (920, 930 etc) run on socket LGA 1366. Triple channel (3 X 1/2 GB) performs better than 2 X 1/2 GB. Not mandatory, but just better for optimum performance.

 

[MNL17]

Thanks calguyhunk

Thanks for the advice tecmo34, I'm sorry I didn't notice that sooner. Here it is in the standard template!!!

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Next Sunday (August 29, 2010)

BUDGET RANGE: $2,000 or so

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, watching movies, folding@home, nothing else

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, keyboard, mouse

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Not applicable

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Somewhere in Southeast Asia

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel i7 930, 2x Nvidia GTX460 in SLI, 4Gb RAM, 1Tb HDD

OVERCLOCKING: No

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, SLI

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 via HDMI

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I need recommendations for a motherboard, memory, power supply, and any other parts that would affect gaming performance

Thanks again!

 

[sp12]

Triple channel is less than a half percent faster than dual channel. There is no benefit worth the cost. Can you purchase from Newegg in South Asia?

Honestly, I would look in to a P55/i5-750 build with a single 470. For 1920 resolutions there's just no need for SLI unless you must run Metro maxed (which takes 3 GTX 480s).

i5-760 (Better than i7-930) 200$
GA-P55a-ud3 130$
4GB G.skill eco series 1600 speed 102$
Samsung F3 1tb 75$
XFX black edition 850watt (105$ at Newegg)
MSI GTX 470 (260$ at Newegg)
Generic OD 20$
Haf 922 90$

1000$. That leaves money for an SSD (150$) and a GPU upgrade in 6 months when the next-gen comes out.

 

[MNL17]

Thanks sp12, that's some valuable advice right there, whether or not I do the prudent thing and follow it! :lol:

No, I can't order online without a third-party-provided receiving address, but my supplier's prices aren't WAY off.