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silvertrace

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I'm attempting to build a mid-range gaming machine and have received a case, psu & video card as gifts. Any advice on how to round out my system would be greatly appreciated.

Have:

Case: ANTEC|THREE HUNDRED ILLUSION R
PSU: CORSAIR|CMPSU-550VX 550W RT
Graphics: XFX Radeon HD5770

Leaning toward buying an i5 2500k but would like recommendations for a motherboard, memory and any other bits of info I might be missing.

Thanks in advance
 
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silvertrace

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I'd like to spend $500-600 on my remaining parts. I'll be running win7 64 as my OS. Not ashamed to say all this is new to me, and one of my main concerns is compatibility of all of the components I buy.
 
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boiler1990

boiler1990

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From experience, the Asus and Gigabyte motherboards will be good. The P67 chipset will go nicely with the i5-2500k. Those will run you ~$130

I'd recommend a 4GB kit of Patriot, Corsair, Kingston, or G.Skill if you're just gaming. Look for something with a Cas Latency of 7 or 8 and a minimum speed of 1333 MHz. That should only run you $60.

You could throw in a SSD like the Crucial C300 with SATA III. Get at least a 64GB if you consider SSDs, as 64 bit will take up a ton of space. Those run ~$120.
Then you'll just need a hard drive (or more) for standard data storage.

The optical drives are relatively cheap (~$15 for a DVD drive), so just look for something with decent reviews.
 
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joelmartinez

joelmartinez

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I'm going to be a bit more precise than boiler1990

mobo+CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.575883 (300) it shows up higher, the free game isn't registering as free I'd contact newegg customer service about this
RAM: ripjaws x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231427&cm_re=ripjaws_x-_-20-231-427-_-Product (50)
HDD: samsung spinpoint f3 1tb http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&cm_re=1tb_samsung_spinpoint_f3-_-22-152-185-_-Product (55 after code)
ODD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204&cm_re=asus_dvd-_-27-135-204-_-Product (17)

Gut total: $422 (do you need the peripherals, monitor and OS as well? If yes it's gonna be a bit harder to meet that price point)
 
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boiler1990

boiler1990

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I just like giving people the option of researching the parts themselves. Plus, you learn more looking it all up, since it's hard not to come up with questions on your first build.

Also, the game isn't *free*. The coupon still costs $40, but then you get $40 off the game (free), and save $20 on the CPU+Mobo combo. I hate those kinds of combos...
 
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joelmartinez

joelmartinez

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@boiler1990 not looking to insult you just wanted to give the OP more info, I'm sorry if I have offended you

Okay now I get it with the game thank you, still the best combo with those parts to my knowledge Sorry OP guess you're gonna have to cough up the cash :(

Gut total: 457 (I hope you don't need everything else because this is gonna get tight)
 
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boiler1990

boiler1990

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Naw man, it's cool.

I think he could save a bit on RAM, with something with a lower cas latency like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231275

And for $5 more than the set you linked, he could get a CL 7 set:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231276

I think I also saw an Asus P67 + i5-2500k combo floating around, but I'm not sure (helping a friend with a SB build). I hate those stupid game combos that you don't really save any money; those games are old enough they should be free.

BTW even with those exact parts you picked out, the OP could throw a SSD into his system and make it a great build.
 
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varis

varis

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You can save a bit of money if you go with an AMD CPU, so you may want to do some research there. Intel CPU is what most builders would prefer at this time, though.

A 120GB SSD could be more useful - you can fit more than 2-3 games on it in addition to Windows 7 :) It will cost a bit though, so depends on your budget. I suppose SSDs cost now the same as in early December, so you might want to wait a bit for the price to drop and get one later as an upgrade.

Right now is the perfect time to build though, since sandybridge has just been introduced and the CPU will last you a while. And as you already have most of the parts it makes even more sense ;)

 
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joelmartinez

joelmartinez

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The reason I suggest not buying an SSD right now is the next gen ones are just on the cusp of being released, then buy a 120gb one (not sure what the best deal is gonna be but the sf-2000 (vertex 3 pro) looks amazing http://www.anandtech.com/show/4100/ocz-vertex-pro-3-demo-worlds-first-sandforce-sf2000)

Do you need the other stuff?

Buy the main stuff now and buy the SSD in 1-2 months (once next gen arrives). 120gb would be the ideal size.
 
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silvertrace

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UPDATE:

I've decided on these based on the info and research to this point. Re-listing the initial components for clarity. If anyone could share their thoughts or concerns feel free. Also, what is the optimal resolution for this setup. Other components(drives/monitor) will be covered and the OS will be Win-7 64 bit.

Already own:

Case: ANTEC|THREE HUNDRED ILLUSION R
PSU: CORSAIR|CMPSU-550VX 550W RT
Graphics: XFX Radeon HD5770


Set to buy:

Mem: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM $46.99

Mobo: ASUS P8P67 LE LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $139.99

Proc: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K $224.99

Fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 ($25, but reduced in package w/ i5)
 
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joelmartinez

joelmartinez

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No, if the cooler is only compatible with socket LGA 1136 and LGA 775 it won't work on SB if it is compatible with LGA 1156 as well it will work
 
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boiler1990

boiler1990

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Just as an added note, when installing the Hyper 212+, go to youtube and there is a video uploaded by Cooler Master on how to install it. Look carefully, because there are two videos: one for the Hyper 212 and one for the Hyper 212+.

Those printed instructions in the box don't make any sense....
 
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