Help w/ new Gaming PC for $1500-1700- been a long time.....

[johnnyt333]

Hello,
I've been reading a lot on this site and a few others.. Seems like you can get some good honest answers on good HW.
I wanted some thoughts / opinions on this gaming pc I am about to order.
I am buying win7 pro and already have a monitor keyboard / mouse.
I have everything priced out at around $1600.. I am willing to go a little higher in some things if we think they are crucial or if I can save a buck or two that would be good also. I picked most of this from what I've read on tom's and I thank everyone for their great input on these forums!
OK her goes...
--Intel Core i7-2600K
--ASUS P8P67 Pro Intel P67
--EVGA 012-P3-1470-AR GeForce GTX 470 Video Card - 1280MB GDDR5
--Patriot PSD34G13332H Signature PC10600 4GB DDR3 Memory Upgrade - 1333MHz
--Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler
--Cooler Master RSA00-AMBAJ3-US Silent Pro M 1000W Power Supply
--Cooler Master RC-942-KKN1 HAF X ATX Full Tower Computer Case
--Western Digital WD5001AALS Caviar Black Hard Drive - 500GB
--DVDROM? DVDRW?

I'm not sure if there is a disadvantage of using the patriot memory (cheap)but open to suggestions.
Also open to suggestions on the PSU and case.
I'm willing to spend little more in the not so distant future.. thinking maybe buy another 470 then. I play mostly FPS and want to do some Photo / video editing. Any help is Appreciated!!! THANKS!

 

[Why_Me]

Your monitor's resolution ???

This isn't exactly what you had on your list of things to get... but this build will allow you to run / afford two of those vid cards and still not break the bank. The SSD was an after thought...

btw... unlike the 1156, you don't need a $50+ h/s the size of a house to run these sandy bridge cpu's cool on a decent o/c.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RC-922M-KKN1-GP-Tower-Black/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1294619944&sr=1-1 $99.98 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case (Black)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009 $129.99 $109.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227551 $218.99 $198.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303 $64.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065 $29.99
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154003 $6.99 FREE SHIPPING
Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157217 $152.99
ASRock P67 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185 $69.99 FREE SHIPPING
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814133370 $349.99 FREE SHIPPING
PNY VCGGTX570XPB GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118040 $19.99 FREE SHIPPING
Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM

Total: $1,073.90 *not including rebates, shipping, etc..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 $224.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

or...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070 $329.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz

 

[johnnyt333]

Thanks for the reply Why_me!
Resolution is 1920x1080 .. maybe upgrade in near future too!
I'm still learning how to oc so i'm a neebie actively learning.... I am up in the air on the video card.. I don't want to spend too much and still wind up replacing in 2 yrs... I was going evga gtx470 because of thier reputation and the card is supposed to be good. a 570 at 350 sounds nice but lil cheap and dont trust why it is..hehe
I am still wondering about the i5 - 2500k Vs i7- 2600k? is it really worth it to not spend the extra $ on a the cpu??.. anyway.nice list and considering your suggestions!. thanks for the tips / list!

 

[amk09]

I was going evga gtx470 because of thier reputation and the card is supposed to be good. a 570 at 350 sounds nice but lil cheap and dont trust why it is..hehe

you dont trust why it is?!? That's absolutely preposterous.

If you get a 470 instead of the 570 I might have to donkey punch you in the back of the head.

 

[Why_Me]

Thanks for the reply Why_me!
Resolution is 1920x1080 .. maybe upgrade in near future too!
I'm still learning how to oc so i'm a neebie actively learning.... I am up in the air on the video card.. I don't want to spend too much and still wind up replacing in 2 yrs... I was going evga gtx470 because of thier reputation and the card is supposed to be good. a 570 at 350 sounds nice but lil cheap and dont trust why it is..hehe
I am still wondering about the i5 - 2500k Vs i7- 2600k? is it really worth it to not spend the extra $ on a the cpu??.. anyway.nice list and considering your suggestions!. thanks for the tips / list!

2500K FTW ! The 2600k is over kill for your current use imo.

That card is a "newegg weekend special". PNY vid cards don't have the big name like EVGA and a few other brands, but they are rock solid cards imo. The reviews speak for themselves.

*But you touched on something... I'm a believer of one great vid card instead of running two lower end cards. Later on when the card becomes obsolete then ebay your current card, and get whatever is out there that's bigger and better and suites your budget/resolution...etc... Running dual vid cards with scaling and heat issues is a pain in the arse imo. So that allows you to change up on the mobo and psu to save some money...like putting it towards the vid card, new snow blower...whatever ....

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130546 $129.99
MSI P67S-C43 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096 $79.99
SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

 

[johnnyt333]

you dont trust why it is?!? That's absolutely preposterous.

If you get a 470 instead of the 570 I might have to donkey punch you in the back of the head.

What I meant was that PNY cards... I didn't really know if i trust after reading some reviews .. if they mean anything... i didln't know but after a lil more shopping around I'm more into a GTX 570. EVGA's warranty is attractive and is legit... idk about some of these off brand makers thats all.

 

[Why_Me]

What I meant was that PNY cards... I didn't really know if i trust after reading some reviews .. if they mean anything... i didln't know but after a lil more shopping around I'm more into a GTX 570. EVGA's warranty is attractive and is legit... idk about some of these off brand makers thats all.

EVGA cards are top of the line and it's hard to go wrong with them.

Also if you decide to go with the 2500k and change over to a single card set up you just saved yourself over $200 on that buld...you could even go for the gtx 580 and that psu down below would push it just fine, and still leave you juice to o/c.



http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130546 $129.99
MSI P67S-C43 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151096 $79.99
SeaSonic S12II 620 Bronze 620W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS 12V V2.91 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 $224.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.584425 <--- combo deal

 

[johnnyt333]

Thanks for all the advice!
Yeah I may be set on the evga until I get burned......
now i guess the debate is would i be better off in the future having .......a system with:
i7- 2600k $330
EVGA GTX570 $370 approx
= $700

or for around same price

i5-2500k $225
EVGA GTX580 - $530 approx
=$755

...or how about:

i7 2600k $330
EVGA GeForce GTX480 - $419 (w$20 rebate)

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Superclocked-PCI-Express-Graphics-015-P3-1482-AR/dp/B003EEMFWU/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1294645192&sr=1-2

=$749


the case is my other debate... looking at the HAF X its a full tower and has usb3.0 in front( not a real big deal to me)... any other differences than this one recomennded?
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case (Black)
Do you have any experience with this case? is it big enough / air circ good? any other differences that its $100 cheaper .. the 932 is $150 and I was also considering it..
I've been advised to spend some $ on a good case but if i can save $100 than that can go toward other things like gpu. but I don't feel too good bout spending $500+ on a vid card.. I know in a year it wont be worth half..
so I am kind of leaning toward the i7 2600k $330
EVGA GeForce GTX480 - $419 (w$20 rebate)
=$749
What do you think? great advice so far.. I wanna pull the trigger and buy this week maybe monday eve and get things rolling... just want to be sure.
Thanks Again!

 

[johnnyt333]

Bumpity Bump

Cant make my mind up. .....leaning toward a

i5 - 2500K
EVGA GeForce GTX480 - $419 (w$20 rebate)
= $634
- save a few bucks and still good system or

i7- 2600k $330
EVGA GTX570 $370 approx
= $700

or for around same price

i5-2500k $225
EVGA GTX580 - $530 approx
=$755

...or how about: (lol)

i7 2600k $330
EVGA GeForce GTX480 - $419 (w$20 rebate)

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Supercl [...] 192&sr=1-2

=$749

What do you think? great advice so far.. I wanna pull the trigger and buy this week maybe monday eve and get things rolling... just want to be sure.
what case do you think is better? 922, 932 , or the X - $50 difference between each - any higher priced cases worth it?
Thanks Again!

 

[NeoElemental]

Nobody with a single card and 1 HDD needs a full tower. Get a mid tower. The 922 is fine. You could also get an Antec 900 or Lancool PC-K62

I would recommend the ATI 6950 for $300 actually. It's pretty on par with the performance of the 570 for $50 dollars less. If you're brave enough, you can flash the firmware and unlock it to be the equivalent of the 6970 for free (well you void the warranty). That's what I'm planning to do. The 570 might be competitive against a 6950, but the 6970 is a clear winner. If you get a free upgrade, you should take it.

Make sure you get 1600 ram. The G.Skill that was recommended above is just fine.

 

[johnnyt333]

Nobody with a single card and 1 HDD needs a full tower. Get a mid tower. The 922 is fine. You could also get an Antec 900 or Lancool PC-K62

I would recommend the ATI 6950 for $300 actually. It's pretty on par with the performance of the 570 for $50 dollars less. If you're brave enough, you can flash the firmware and unlock it to be the equivalent of the 6970 for free (well you void the warranty). That's what I'm planning to do. The 570 might be competitive against a 6950, but the 6970 is a clear winner. If you get a free upgrade, you should take it.

Make sure you get 1600 ram. The G.Skill that was recommended above is just fine.

I see your point with the case and I'm strongly considering the 922... I'm thinking of adding a HD or two in the future but this case looks to fit everything fine .. just wondered why it was so cheap - just being a mid tower and 50 - 100 less. minus the 3.0 usbs on front.
I'm not sure if I would want to do the flash to the 6950 just because it voids warranties.... I like having some insurance in case it smokes. lol

thanks for the advice on the memory and psu's - not really sure what is good or bad and don't want to find out the hard way...

any thoughts on whether the i7 better than i5? the price difference is about $100 and wondering if its worth it?
TY!

 

[johnnyt333]

bump

 

[Why_Me]

I see your point with the case and I'm strongly considering the 922... I'm thinking of adding a HD or two in the future but this case looks to fit everything fine .. just wondered why it was so cheap - just being a mid tower and 50 - 100 less. minus the 3.0 usbs on front.
I'm not sure if I would want to do the flash to the 6950 just because it voids warranties.... I like having some insurance in case it smokes. lol

thanks for the advice on the memory and psu's - not really sure what is good or bad and don't want to find out the hard way...

any thoughts on whether the i7 better than i5? the price difference is about $100 and wondering if its worth it?
TY!

The i7 enables hyper threading and the i5 does not. The i7 is for people who use a lot of proggy's that allow hyper threading...not so many do atm that I'm aware of. And I don't know of any games other than MS Flight Simulator that use hyper threading.

 

[jedi940]

Actually, the i5-2600k has hyperthreading. That's the biggest difference over the 2500k. And that only matters in highly threaded tasks, and even then, its not that helpful. For general use/gaming the 2500k is plenty and will easily match the 2600k. Unless you are doing a lot of video encoding and other threaded applications, you won't see the $100 difference.

 

[NeoElemental]

Jedi: the 2600K is an i7 chip. Other than that misunderstanding, you guys are saying the same thing.

 

[Taylor422]

I'd stay away from the GTX 480. Unless the prices changed since I last checked, the 570 is less expensive, runs cooler and quieter, and performs better.

 

[jedi940]

Jedi: the 2600K is an i7 chip. Other than that misunderstanding, you guys are saying the same thing.

Yep, my mistake.

 

[johnnyt333]

Thanks Everyone for their input on this! I'm glad I posted and feel a lot better about my purchase. I have learned a lot here ... more than if I just read through articles and benchmark tests.
I think I am gonna put this together and pull the trigger and order!


EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1280MB
ASUS P8P67 Pro Intel P67
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series - 8GB
Seagate 7200.12 ST3750528AS Barracuda Hard Drive - 750GB
Corsair CMPSU-850TX 850-Watt
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case

anything I should change? upgrades?
Thanks Again!

 

[amk09]

Looks very solid man.

Only that I PERSONALLY would change would be to get a samsung hard drive instead of seagate.

You are going to have one heck of a computer, thats for sure.

 

[johnnyt333]

Only that I PERSONALLY would change would be to get a samsung hard drive instead of seagate.

Thanks for the advice! I am kind of wondering... why do people recommend samsung? I would think a WD black or a seagate.... I have been out of the 'game' for a bit.

 

[amk09]

Well the samsung spinpoint f3 is the quickest drive in that price/capacity range and is generally more reliable than seagate, so that's why its recommended. WD is still good, too.