Sandy Bridge oh Sandy Bridge, how long must our gaming build wait

[nima620]

Now that we are all patiently waiting for the fixed Sandy Bridge Motherboards to hit newegg... thought it would be a good time to tweak my gaming build with help from the best resource on the internet.... the toms hardware forum regulars!

Before the build, does anyone have any type of timeline on when the new MB's will be available? All the news seems to point to April, but if Intel is shipping to OEM's does that mean we have a chance of a March purchase?? This is the newest article i could find TECHSPOT ARTICLE

Anyways, here is what I have in mind & what i'm contemplating changing....BTW this is my first build in 6 years and I am new to this forum so please be nice =)

I had set an initial price range of 1500-1700max with a focus on gaming (old school gamer moving away from console back into PC) I would mostly be playing diablo 3 & starting to get back into shooters w/ maybe call of duty and Brink.....

CPU i7-2600K ~ $330

Video Card GTX 560 or 580 ~$249 or ~$529
(input? I want to leave the option open for SLI later so i'm thinking just get a 580 now and maybe upgrade somewhere down the line?.... )

Motherboard - 1155 P67 right? any idea on pricing? i'm sure there will be a combo available on newegg on release right?

Case - Haf X ~ 179
(what do you guys think about the Thermaltake Level10 GT? THERMALTAKE

Power Supply: ~129 for POWER SUPPLY
(I know this is more than enough for 1 gtx card, will i have to upgrade if I go to 2 cards in the future?)

CPU Fan: ~$44 for CPU FAN
(looking for confirmation that his is sufficient for the sandy bridge processor...)

RAM: ~169.99 for MEMORY
(ok i understand this is overkill but if i would want the system to last why wouldnt i spend more on some memory? it is pretty cheap compared to the other components right...?)

HD#1: ~219 for SSD HD
(this is where i had the most trouble with my research. I want to boot SSD and get 2nd HD for media, etc... Would i get a 128GB or 64GB? for windows 7... and if so, which models are most stable and last the longest?)

HD#2: ~64 for EXTRA HD

DVD: ~ 18 for DVD

This is already
1401 + tax w/ the gtx 560
1681 + tax w/ the gtx 580
& i haven't even included Motherboard or windows 7 pro.....

Maybe the community can help me in cutting the cost down a little. First thoughts were going with 6GB Ram. I don't want to take out SSD but maybe there are better options available? Also, is there anything i missed? i already have a Dell 22" Flatscreen Monitor and Keyboard/Mouse are already purchased...

Sorry if this post looks bad and there are errors.... and thank you for anyone who is able to contribute..

 

[nima620]

ah man... already sorry for links not posting right and messing up the title... bad start =/

 

[Why_Me]

You have DDR3 triple channel up above...that's for a 1336 board...you want DDR3 dual channel. Try this down below.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231416 $99.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR

With the vid card set up...man there's two options I like. Either get a 560 ...a solid 750w is what you want for two of those cards, or get one o/c 570 like this gigabyte card down below and then go with a solid 850w psu and add another card later on down the road.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127564 $359.99
MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr II OC 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=N82E16817151100 $124.99 FREE SHIPPING
Seasonic SS-850HT 850W ATX12V v2.31,EPS12V v2.92 80Plus Silver Certified, Active PFC Power Supply - OEM

or a modular 850w...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207001 $149.99 - $109.99 after mail-in rebate FREE SHIPPING
XFX Black Edition XPS-850W-BES 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

or the 560 route...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363 $249.99
GIGABYTE GV-N560OC-1GI GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207003 $129.99 - $99.99 after mail-in rebate 10% off w/ promo code PSU11FEB, limited offer
XFX Black Edition P1-750B-CAG9 750W ATX12V v2.2 / ESP12V v2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

And your correct...there's going to be a lot of combo's @ newegg with the mobo + cpu and also cpu + h/s.

 

[banthracis]

You should edit the post to fix the links.

No one knows for sure when new mobo's will reach customers, not even Intel right now.

Don't need a 2600k for gaming. 2500k is fine. Save $100. Hyperthreading hurts performance in gaming, and games don't benefit much from > 3 threads.

GTX 580 isn't worth the money. Go with either 560 or 570.

Don't get either HAFX or level 10. the level 10 is just a waste of money.

Good cheaper cases for air are CM 690 II, HAF 922, antec 1200, 902.
Higher up are the silverstone Raven and Fortress 2.

I use a Element G for my current PC and that thing cools extremely well. Not as popular though since cable management is a harder than the 922 which once you add a side fan cools about the same. At the time I got it, it was cheaper than a 922 + side fan.

PSU is fine.

Don't go with the Dark Knight, Scythe Mugen or Megahalem if you want top notch cooling, Hyper 212 if you want a cheaper alternative.

Mugen does block RAM slots if you use RAM with tall heat spreaders like those ripjaws.

RAM you linked is a triple channel kit. With gaming you're better off with less memory with tighter timings.

This G Skill 8gb Eco kit for ex. It also doesn't have those stupid tall heat spreaders.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231330&cm_re=g_skill_eco-_-20-231-330-_-Product

SSD wise I recommend 80gb as the Min. 120 is fine as well. Also, you can save some money and grab an agility 2 instead. You'll see no difference in performance.

F3 is a fine HD choice.

 

[nima620]

Thank you guys for such a quick and detailed response, i went ahead and fixed the links...

So recommendations are:

CPU: 2500K CPU is better for gaming

Video Card: OC'ed 570 570 CARD

Case: i actually like the Element G... not to worried about cable management, think i can figure it out. Element G

Memory: Can you please explain the difference between getting these 2 Items as far as performance?
G Skill ECO 8GB
G Skill Sniper 8GB

Thanks again for input....

 

[Why_Me]

Thank you guys for such a quick and detailed response, i went ahead and fixed the links...

So recommendations are:

CPU: 2500K CPU is better for gaming

Video Card: OC'ed 570 570 CARD

Case: i actually like the Element G... not to worried about cable management, think i can figure it out. Element G

Memory: Can you please explain the difference between getting these 2 Items as far as performance?
G Skill ECO 8GB
G Skill Sniper 8GB

Thanks again for input....

The "eco RAM" is lower voltage and faster timings. But unlike the Intel boards/cpu's of the past, RAM means zero in regards to o/c these 1155 cpu's...so no real need to o/c your RAM and pay more $ for that RAM while your at it. That and if you get 4x2gb stick of RAM you have all your RAM slots full, and sitting side by side creating heat...sans the reason 2x4gb would be the way to go imo.

 

[nima620]

Ok so looks as if these have been the best suggestions so far:
CPU + MB: Sandy Bridge 2500K + Motherboard = waiting for fixed chipset release ~ 230 + MB PRICE

Video Card: GTX 570 OC'd ~$359

Memory: G Skill Sniper 8GB ~$99

PSU: XFX 850W ~$129 ($99 after MIR)

HD#1: 128GB SSD ~$219

HD#2: SAMSUNG F3 1TB ~$64

CASE: to be decided... so far good suggestions are
ELEMENT G @ $119
SILVERSTONE RAVEN @ $229
HAF 922 @ $99

DVD: LG DVD $18
That comes out to:
$1088 w/o case chosen or MB
seems like such a good deal to get such a strong build for less than 1400!! thanks guys and as always looking for any more suggestions....

 

[Why_Me]

Ok so looks as if these have been the best suggestions so far:
CPU + MB: Sandy Bridge 2500K + Motherboard = waiting for fixed chipset release ~ 230 + MB PRICE

Video Card: GTX 570 OC'd ~$359

Memory: G Skill Sniper 8GB ~$99

PSU: XFX 850W ~$129 ($99 after MIR)

HD#1: 128GB SSD ~$219

HD#2: SAMSUNG F3 1TB ~$64

CASE: to be decided... so far good suggestions are
ELEMENT G @ $119
SILVERSTONE RAVEN @ $229
HAF 922 @ $99

DVD: LG DVD $18
That comes out to:
$1088 w/o case chosen or MB
seems like such a good deal to get such a strong build for less than 1400!! thanks guys and as always looking for any more suggestions....

The CM 922 HAF has my vote. Lot's of room, great cooling/airflow, and it doesn't break the bank. Also here's a quick yet nice way to get that black interior for that case. It may sound like a pain in the arse, but it took me only a few minutes with some masking tape and a can of this down below...

http://www.amazon.com/Rust-Oleum-7778830-Enamel-Bar-B-Que-12-Ounce/dp/B0010O0C94 $10.16 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping
Rust-Oleum 7778830 High Heat Enamel Spray, Bar-B-Que Black, 12-Ounce

 

[4ktv]

I think a PCIe SSD would be a better idea for a SSD. They are alot faster and are about 50% more, but 2 to 3 times faster.

Here is one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227578.

If you got this SSD it would so not be the bottleneck.

I will list some simple pros and cons of this type of SSD:

PRO'S:
1) It's alot faster.( 2 to 3 times faster.)
2) It does not need to take a x16 to do max speed.
3) Does not take up a SATA. (Not much of a pro, but it's true.)

Con's:
1) Write speeds may take a small hit over 3 years.( It would still be faster than a SATA SSD, but still.)
2) Bit more likely to die on you.
3) You must put this SSD in and put your OS on it before any HDD is installed.

So you may or may not want this, but I was just saying there faster SSDs out there.

 

[nima620]

For anyone interested in Sandy Bridge D3 chipset updates according to Rajiv Kothari MSI PR Manager:
"Users will get 100% new boards from MSI. This was a notice sent out to editors to let them be aware we have received Intel's shipment and we are manufacturing new boards.

We didn't issue a press release because, well, we didn't really need this posted to you guys. However, Kyle wants to keep you guys updated and I'm 100% ok with that.

Board replacements will happen mid-March most likely.

If you have a questions, I'll be checking back on this thread.

and then this:

All I can say is that the replacements are coming earlier than expected. When they arrive in our offices, I'll have Kyle and his team post a press release.

Thanks!

Rajiv Kothari
MSI PR Manager

You can follow here: hardforum.com//showthread.php?