New Extreme Gaming Computer

Elegidos

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Hi,

I wanted to build a PC and saw this in the forum. It seems like a very powerful and complete computer. But I have heard that the graphic card GTX 580 is already out for sale. Would this build at the bottom be good enough or should I try to make a configuration with the cards GTX 580? Any suggestions or help would be great full.

Thank you


Enthusiast - Extreme: $2,091.88 (Thanks for the RAM feedback... saint19)

CPU: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950

MOBO: ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 998805 - Retail

HSF: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler, plus two Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120mm, 3 Speed Setting, Beveled Blade Tips Design, SSO Bearing Fan for Push - Pull setup

SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX100G 2.5" 100GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

HDD: SAMUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

GPU: XFX HD-597A-CNB9 Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition 2GB 512 (256 x 2)-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
PSU: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

DVD: LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

Case: SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02-BW Matte black 0.8mm Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

 

kingnoobe

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Glancin at it looks pretty nice. With sandy bridge/bulldozer and the high end 6 series to come out.. I'd wait if I could. even if you don't plan to go with them should help knock down the prices some more.
 

Elegidos

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Glancin at it looks pretty nice. With sandy bridge/bulldozer and the high end 6 series to come out.. I'd wait if I could. even if you don't plan to go with them should help knock down the prices some more.


Thank you for the reply. When you say "With sandy bridge/bulldozer and the high end 6 series to come out" what components are you talking about? Any other suggestion would be grateful.

Thank You
 

Elegidos

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Ohhh I see. Would it be to much asking if some one could get me a list of the new components. Also of the new 6 series graphic cards. Thank you
 
Keep an eye on the front page here, as it comes out, it will be on there, until then its just speculation I'm afraid but the ati 6xxx series has been released and details are all over the web if you want to find some reviews to go over,
Moto
 

Elegidos

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Thank you Moto for the quick reply.

I guess I can´t wait becuase I live in Spain and I have family on vacation over there and are going to order it for me.

So you think I should make some changes on what I have posted above? Anything that needs to be changed. Thank you again.

 
Assuming your gaming only on it,

I cant see anything out of place and it would last you 2-3 years as is,
as long as you dont want the 'in' thing I.E. latest gfx cards etc, but you can always add things like that if you wished ofc
Moto
 

GoldenI

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Why not get an 1156 socket mobo with a Socket 1156 Intel Core i5 3.2GHz processor with Hyper Threading? Acts as a quad core. Games are only starting to be made with more quad-core support now. No point in spending extra money when you can save. :)
 

Elegidos

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Thank you Moto again for quick response.


Hi GoldenI,

So you think it no point of getting the i7 right now because it would be used at its max or something? If changing the i7 or and i5 would I have to change any components to the list above?

Thanks again
 

GoldenI

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The RAM, depending on which 1156 board you get. If you get the i5 650 you get a higher stock speed and it acts pretty much the same as a quad core, like I said. A lot of dual-cores have HT but the reason that they are not advertised as being the same as quad cores is because of marketing. Quad-core SOUNDS better so therefore must BE better, which isn't true, but a smart way to sell in the world of marketing. Not to mention that the i5 650 doesn't require as much power, so you'll be saving on power as well which could be used towards something else (ie your graphics or something like that).

A lot of the time people spend money on high-end processors because it "future proofs" their system. Future proofs it from what? Gaming is just beginning to utilize the quad core. Why waste the extra $$$ on a quad core when you can get the same functionality for $150 cheaper? If you can successfully overclock your CPU (the i5 650 3.2GHz) to a 4.0GHz and maintain its stability you will have a very good system for a good three to five years. No need to go i7 or Sandy Bridge when you have an excellent processor for cheap.

i7 and Sandy Bridge/Ivy Bridge enthusiasts are probably going to say I am wrong because they don't want to admit that they've wasted money (they want to think that they got a "bang for their buck") but... they did. I am just looking out for you. Don't fall into marketing ploys. The i5 650 just came out in Q1 of this year. That is still a fairly new processor, and for $210... that's a steal.

Think about it this way. The Xbox 360 has been out since 2005, and games still look amazing on it. Its processor isn't very high end nor are its GPUs/CPUs.

Cheers and best wishes, brother.

- GI
 

Elegidos

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That is some great help GoldenI. Can I still get some help from you if it is ok about the MOBO. Not very good in choosing parts for the correct components.



CPU: Intel Core i5-650 Clarkdale 3.2GHz LGA 1156 73W Dual-Core Desktop Processor

MOBO: Some help on this please ;).

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 998805 - Retail

HSF: Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler, plus two Noctua NF-S12B FLX 120mm, 3 Speed Setting, Beveled Blade Tips Design, SSO Bearing Fan for Push - Pull setup

OPTIONAL - SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX100G 2.5" 100GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

HDD: SAMUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

GPU: XFX HD-597A-CNB9 Radeon HD 5970 Black Edition 2GB 512 (256 x 2)-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
PSU: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

DVD: LITE-ON CD/DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM

Case: SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02-BW Matte black 0.8mm Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Thermal Compound: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM

 

coldsleep

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I agree with GoldenI that going 1156 would be more than fine, though I don't agree on the choice of processor. For gaming, Tom's Hardware recommends the i5-750/760, which is a full quad-core without hyperthreading. For a few dollars more than the i5-650, you can get 4 true cores, rather than 2 (+2 logical).

I would go with the GTX 580, as it's less expensive and less limiting for future upgrade options. The 5970 is a great card as well, though.

CPU - i5-750 - $200
Mobo - Asus P7P55D-E Pro - $180 - SLI/Crossfire at 8x/8x, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0 Gb/s
RAM - Mushkin CL7 1600 MHz Blackline 4 GB kit - $80 - slightly higher timings than the CL6 Redline, but not a difference you'll notice in gaming
HSF - whatever you like, Megahalems or Noctua NH-D14 are top of the line, the Hyper 212+ is a good value HSF
SSD - Corsair Force 120 GB - $220 - 20 GB more and less expensive than the 100 GB Vertex 2
HDD - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB - $70 (or Seagate 7200.12 for the same price)
GPU - Palit GTX 580 - $520 - single card solution that's just about as fast as the 5970, and newer
PSU - XFX 850W 80+ Silver PSU - $150 - same quality as the Corsair, less expensive
DVD - cheapest SATA DVD burner - $19 & free shipping
Case - personal preference
OS - Win 7 Home Premium - $99

Total including OS - $1538 + case + HSF (if overclocking)

Or you could go with the i7-950 & X58 mobo and 6 GB RAM instead, which would add about $150 or so.

SSD alternatives:
OCZ Agility 2 90 GB or Mushkin Callisto 90 GB- $180
Mushkin Callisto 60 GB - $120
 

Elegidos

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Hey, tell you the truth it is much better and you save some $$. Great help coldsleep. I believe I will do the purchase next week ;). I hate asking so many questions but I want it to be just right. I like the case that I have posted, it seems simple. But what I am searching more for is a case that is extremely quiet. I mean something that just seems like the computer is off jejeje. Not sure if it is too much asking for. Thank again for all the help.


CPU - i5-750 - $200
Mobo - Asus P7P55D-E Pro - $180 - SLI/Crossfire at 8x/8x, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0 Gb/s
RAM - Mushkin CL7 1600 MHz Blackline 4 GB kit - $80 - slightly higher timings than the CL6 Redline, but not a difference you'll notice in gaming
HSF - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
SSD - Corsair Force 120 GB - $220 - 20 GB more and less expensive than the 100 GB Vertex 2
HDD - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB - $70 (or Seagate 7200.12 for the same price)
GPU - Palit GTX 580 - $520 - single card solution that's just about as fast as the 5970, and newer
PSU - XFX 850W 80+ Silver PSU - $150 - same quality as the Corsair, less expensive
DVD - cheapest SATA DVD burner - $19 & free shipping
Case - SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02-BW Matte black 0.8mm Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
OS - Win 7 Home Premium - $99
 

GoldenI

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It has a higher and better stock speed than the i5 750. There's no difference. There's very little difference between the HT dual core and the true quad core. Why pay $20 more for 500MHz less? :)
 

GoldenI

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Better performer, marginally. I still don't think it's worth the extra $22 though. :) Also, it doesn't say that hyper-threading was enabled.
 

coldsleep

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I'd rather have the additional real cores, honestly. While hyperthreading can simulate additional cores, it's possible to saturate the 2 real cores, and then you can't get any more work done with hyperthreading. That's likely what is happening in the Dragon Age Origins benchmark, as well as the Excel benchmark.

That's just personal preference though, the i5-650 is a fine processor, certainly. I have an i3 for my HTPC, where I don't intend to stress the machine much, but for my main gaming machine, I have a true quad-core.

I would actually anticipate that hyperthreading was on for that test, as it's stock vs. stock, not an overclocking benchmark. Though I could be wrong.

elegidos, I don't have a lot of experience with different cases, so most of what I know is what I read. Anandtech recently did a holiday buyer's guide, and they suggested the Antec P183, which has sound-deadening panels. You might also read silentpcreview.com to see if they have any recommended cases that you like. If you liked the Raven RV02 in your original post, that one is on the list (which appears to mostly be Antec and Silverstone).
 

Elegidos

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OK, thanks again everyone for the help.

Coldsleep, that´s the case I was looking for but could not remember what the name was jejeje.

I guess this is my config for the computer:


CPU - i5-750 - $200
Mobo - Asus P7P55D-E Pro - $180 - SLI/Crossfire at 8x/8x, USB 3.0, SATA 6.0 Gb/s
RAM - Mushkin CL7 1600 MHz Blackline 4 GB kit - $80 - slightly higher timings than the CL6 Redline, but not a difference you'll notice in gaming
HSF - Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
SSD - Corsair Force 120 GB - $220 - 20 GB more and less expensive than the 100 GB Vertex 2
HDD - Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB - $70 (or Seagate 7200.12 for the same price)
GPU - Palit GTX 580 - $520 - single card solution that's just about as fast as the 5970, and newer
PSU - XFX 850W 80+ Silver PSU - $150 - same quality as the Corsair, less expensive
DVD - cheapest SATA DVD burner - $19 & free shipping
Case - Antec P183 Black Aluminum / Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
OS - Win 7 Home Premium - $99

If everyone o almost everyone think it is a good computer to buy next week a few thumbs up would be great.

Thanks again for everyones help.
 

Elegidos

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I have another question. I just realized that the graphic card says "Palit" GTX 580. I have never heard of Palit before. Is there any difference from any other name brand that is out there like Asus, Gigabyte, EVGA?

Thank you
 

Elegidos

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Thank you Moto again for the help. I have to admit this is a great forum with great people who help out a lot. Especially for people like me who don´t stop asking questions jejeje. Which by the way here goes another 2 questions.

Palit´s Graphic Card is out of stock like many other brands. Is there a list of choice of brands from best to worst?

Windows 7 home premium, which one 32bit or 64bit?

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 32-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

They are the same price.
 
64bit for the O/s,
don't even consider 32bit on a Rig like this or you wont do it any justice at all and as they are the same price to you....
would you buy a car for 500 euro's that could do 60mph or one that could do 100mph?
graphics card choices, heres another huge argument coming up lol,
Palit and asus are usually considered up the top of the list, Sapphire/msi/gigabyte are also good,
XfX cards can have cooling problems and pny cards are/were lower end,

best bet is find the card you want I.E. 5870, then check whichever site you buy from for different makers models of that card,
then review each one to see what users think of them, you can have a great potential chip and some manf's dont use it to its full ability so it can be a bit overwhelming hehe
Moto
 

Elegidos

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64bit it is jejejeje. For same price and even if it were a few $$ more you are right. Much better for the configuration I have.

I guess I will be reading a few reviews from buyers and see what will be better for me. But I guess I will read more reviews about Palit and Asus and see differences between them.

Thanks again Moto for the quick reply, great help.
 

coldsleep

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Hah, Palit was in stock and was the lowest price available yesterday.

I believe that all of the 580s out right now are still reference cards, so I don't think it makes much difference which manufacturer you go with, as none of them have added any special cooling solutions or anything yet. Newegg only appears to have PNY and Zotac in stock right now, though if you're not ordering until next week, that could easily change by then.

And yes, 64-bit is the only way to go with a new build.