Building new rig for gaming&streaming purposes

[kullmar]

Hi, my computer is becoming outdated and I'm interested in starting to live stream games. The games I plan to stream are League of Legends and World of Warcraft. Firstly; is a quad core a must-have for this seeing as I want to stream with high settings (HD quality, using XSplit software to stream)? and is streaming only CPU-heavy or will I need a good GPU as well?

I want a Sandy Bridge Intel processor, and I've come down to 2 choices. The first one is Intel's Core i3-2100 and the second one is Intel Core i5 2400. Will either of these be sufficient to live stream with good quality while maintaining a steady and high FPS?

I haven't really looked into GPUs yet, but will a $150 card be enough? Both ATI and Nvidia works for me.

Atm I have 4GB of RAM but they're only running at 667MHz. I really don't know much about what these frequencies do, but I'm guessing I'll have to replace those too?

I currently have an Antec Sonata III case with a 500W power supply, is this still enough for today's hardware? I've got 2 hard drives and a DVD-drive. And yeah my mobo supports LGA-775 atm so I know I'll have to buy a new one. Any suggestions? just need a cheap one with one PCI-e x16 slot. I'm not really interested in overclocking either.

TL;DR: Does live streaming only require a good CPU, do I need to buy new RAM, and is 500W enough for a new rig?

Edit: My monitor's max resolution is 1680*1050, which I use. I also use a 40" TV though which supports 1080p and I might use it for gaming too. Dunno if this matters but thought I'd mention it anyway

 

[WR2]

Hello kullmar;
Your TV resolution does matter. If it's 1920x1080 resolution you want a graphics card that can support that when gaming. Can you confirm it's actually 1920x1080 and not some other resolution that 'supports 1080p'? If you list the make/model we can check.

The PSU size will match what the video card requires for power. 500W is a pretty good match.

Core i3-2100 is actually dual core CPU. So the quad core options would be Core i5-2300 2.8Ghz or Core i5-2400 3.1Ghz.
And you'll need a 1155 socket motherboard. A H67 option is a good match for i5-2300 2.8Ghz or Core i5-2400 and a no-overclock goal.

 

[WR2]

Your 4GB of 667 is almost certainly DDR2 and the new build will need DDR3. A good set of 4GB can run $40, or ~$85 for 8GB.

What is your total budget for this project?

 

[iloveroo]

Todays graphics card mostly all require 500W and thats the minimum.
I think you should try atleast over 600W+

A GOOD processor would be wonderful if youre going to be streaming hence the multi-tasking:
http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6730552&Sku=A79-0970

If you want a really good graphics card within the range of $150-$200, you can either go with Radeon 6850 or Nvidia GTX 460.

That 4GB of ram with 667MHz is not all that good trying to aim for atleast 1337MHz since most mobo has 1337MHz memory support.

You have to be more specific on your motherboard can't just tell us its LGA-775.
If your building a completely new computer you would need to look at the mobo and case before anything else since everything revolves around the mobo & you gotta check the form factor on it to match it with an appropriate gaming case.

For the hard drive just make sure its 7200rpm and the DVD-Drive just get the cheapest one you can get.

In my opinion it looks like your whole computer needs a rework. I sugguest you should just build your own computer from scratch.

**This is not professional help this is from doing research on my own computer that I am currrently trying to build. I have spent several months trying to get the ultimate gaming experience with the lowest price., so all the stuff I have mentioned is all in my own opinion**

 

[WR2]

Firstly; is a quad core a must-have for this seeing as I want to stream with high settings (HD quality, using XSplit software to stream)? and is streaming only CPU-heavy or will I need a good GPU as well?

I haven't really looked into GPUs yet, but will a $150 card be enough? Both ATI and Nvidia works for me.

TL;DR: Does live streaming only require a good CPU, do I need to buy new RAM, and is 500W enough for a new rig?

http://www.xsplit.com/

The software is in beta testing ATM.

No where did it list system requirements or talk about it's performance with various hardware options that I could find.

Ask the people that use or develop the software what works best.

 

[iloveroo]

http://www.xsplit.com/

The software is in beta testing ATM.

No where did it list system requirements or talk about it's performance with various hardware options that I could find.

Ask the people that use or develop the software what works best.

I have had my friends install xsplit and do livestreams. He has the worst laptop but is able to play games such as League of Legends and WoW on the lowest settings. But when he starts streaming his FPS gets reduced gradually.
I know youre an "expert" and all, but you do need decent cpu/gpu and such to stream so you won't get lag and fps issues.

 

[kullmar]

Thanks for the fast replies.
I'm pretty sure it supports 1920*1080 @ 60Hz, but the model is Samsung LE40C535.
And yeah I figured the quad core would be the way to go. I would definitely go with the i5-2400 since it's only like 10€ more than the i5-2300. Do you think it'll be fast enough?
The GPU I'm leaning towards is the ATI Radeon 5770 1GB. Will my power supply be able to handle that? and does it sound like a good choice if I plan to use the TV?
My is indeed DDR2. But $40 is no big deal. Is there a big difference between different RAMs? because I'm finding sets of 4GB range from $40 to over $100.. would Kingston 4096MB PC1066 1066MHz DDR3 for example be good enough? it's the cheapest I found

iloveroo, thanks for your input but I'd really like to have an Intel processor. I've always liked them more and from what I've read, Intel seems to give more bang for the buck than AMD does atm.

I'd like to stay under $500 (mobo, cpu, gpu and ram), but if I have to replace my power supply I guess I'll have to go up to $650. Just another note on the mobo... I'm probably going to buy a 5.1 or 7.1 audio system in the future so need a slot for a sound card too

 

[iloveroo]

from what I've read if you want an intel mobo, just wait till I THINK april, Sandy Bridge is coming out with new mobo around the $250 range i think.

The 5770 is abit old, I think you should either go for 6850,6870,5850,5870

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsjabpq4dFE

 

[WR2]

Your Antec Earthwatts EA 500W PSU will handle a HD 5770 and everything else just fine.

Samsung LE40C535 is a 1920x1080 native resolution TV. HD 5770 is OK at this resolution but might not run smooth when the highest graphics settings are used.

How much would 4GB of DDR3 1333 Kingston Hyper X cost you?

GigaByte GA-H67M-D2-B3 H67 or Asus P8H67-M LE motherboards would be a good match.

 

[WR2]

GigaByte GA-H67M-D2-B3 should run about $100US.

Here is a shopping list for you to try and find prices:
CPU: Core i5-2300 2.8Ghz / Core i5-2400
MB: GigaByte GA-H67M-D2-B3 H67 / Asus P8H67-M LE
RAM: 4GB Kingston Hyper X DDR3 1333 / DDR3 1600
Video card: HD 5770 / HD 6850 / HD 6870

 

[kullmar]

I found the Core i5-2400, Asus P8H67 and HD 6850 for about 450€ (~$500 probably a bit more but Finland is expensive ) which sounds reasonable. I also found a Kingston HyperX blu 4GB (2x2GB) 1600MHz DDR3 CL9 (no clue what blu stands for) for a OK price, which makes it about 500€ altogether. Do you care to explain the difference between 1333MHz and 1600 MHz? I guess it's self-explanatory that 1600MHz is faster but is it a big difference? and does it have to be a Kingston Hyper X or could I buy a Transcend instead? and does it matter if it's 2x2GB or 1x4GB? sorry for so many questions haha.
And just to make sure... are you 100% positive my PSU will handle the 6850?

 

[WR2]

Core i5-2400, Asus P8H67 and HD 6850 for about 450€! Excellent.
If the price difference between 1333 and 1600 is more than a few Euros, the 1333 will be fine. Sometimes the price is very close between 1333x1600.
1333vs1600 is bandwidth/speed rating but the difference is very minor.

You want 2x2GB kit and not 1x4GB. Transcend would be 'OK' but I think Kingston Hyper X have a better reputation.

Yes on the power supply. Your Antec Earthwatts 500 is better than a budget/generic 500W PSU that is the recommended size for a HD 6850.


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[kullmar]

Perfect! Thanks a lot for your time, made everything much clearer to me and I think I've got my rig ready now

 

[WR2]

Be sure to let us know how things work out.

Here is a Step-by-Step Guide to Building a PC
Look over the forum's "System won't boot" checklist to see some of the common build errors and how to avoid them.
-> The usual advice; read the manual / install guide; look at the parts, read the manual again and if everything makes sense and looks right - then go ahead with the install.

While you're waiting you can download the online version of the motherboard manual and start getting familiar with it.