Advice Needed to finish what I started.

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loops

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I need to pick up the last bits of my build and need some input. I want a gaming rig that comes in at $700-1k in price using newegg. I started off by gutting my old Gateway FX. So far I have the following:

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 = $50
MSI N560GTX-M2D1GD (non-TI 560) = $150.00
PC Power and Cooling Silencer 910W = $95.00
Win7 (not installed and free as a trade) = $0.00
Total thus far---------------------------------295.00.
I put this w/ a 4 core @ 2.5 + vista 64 + hard drive + optical drive from the old FX. I was hoping that I could limp along with this but at this point I am not happy with the rig. I can't really OC my current CPU/GPU given the MoBo does not allow for it. The result thus far is really varied FPS in games that dips below 30 FPS in games like BF3. Load time and boot times are painfully slow and I'd like to address this as well.

Help me with the rest of my build please. I'd like to spend about $450-600 to finish but I am willing to go above that only if the performance jump is notable.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500k at $220.00 is my desired pick leaving me with $230.00-$380.00.

From here I still need ram, MoBo that will SLI, and I would like a SSD just for boot/OS.

Please help me find the balance mix.
 
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mhokett
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mhokett

mhokett

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loops

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Thank You!

I have a question about the MoBO...I noticed that it has ports for monitors but I will be using a stand alone GPU. Would a P67 at a lower cost or other Z68 board at a lower cost get the job done and give me some room for a 2nd gtx560 for sli? Would a lower cost bard w/ SLI be a better option?

For example:
MSI P67A-GD65 (B3)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130574

After MIR its 60 buck lower than the Z68 and puts a 2nd gtx 560 w/n $100 dollars.

MSI P67A-G45 is $109 w/ MIR and that $50.00 closer to a 2nd GPU.

Again thank you for helping as I am looking to max out the dollar on things that we give me the best gaming out comes.
 
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mhokett

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both of those are good boards. however the Z68 chipset is more future proof and supposed to support the new ivy bridge processor.

also the asus board has pci-e 3.0 where as those two have pci-e 2.0. again more future proof.

and it has a 16 Phase Power Design
(12 -phase for CPU, 4 -phase for iGPU)

just some reasons why i recommended the board.

as for the monitor connectors, the integrated graphics are actually built into the CPU<, this board just gives you the option of taking advantage of it if you wish.

 
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geofelt

geofelt

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The 2500K is as good as it gets. I like that.
Ivy bridge is coming, and any motherboard that currently supports the 2500K will support ivy bridge. That said, I do not expect that ivy bridge will be a compelling upgrade to a 2500K with a conservative oc.
If you live near a microcenter, you can pick up a 2500K for $180.

But, consider if you really need to plan for cf/sli.
Today, you can buy a 7970 which can run any single monitor at the highest levels.
You can buy a gtx590 or 6990 which is the equivalent to sli GTX570.
Tomorrow, you will be able to buy the dual gpu version of the 7970, and who knows what from nvidia.

If you build around a single great card, you will have a less expensive motherboard, and fewer cooling issues.
If/when you want more graphics power, just sell the GTX560 and replace it with the next best thing.

How many motherboard slots will you need if you do not need sli? For most of us, none, exclucing the x16 pci-e slot.
Therefore, consider a less expensive m-atx motherboard. Even ITX would do if you valued tiny.
For your usage a p67 or a z68 based motherboard would do equally well. Each can oc a 2500K. I don't think new prices will differ much, and I would favor z68, simply because it is newer and has a few extra features you might use.
Here is a $85 asrock m-atx board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157270

Ram is cheap today, and sandy bridge is insensitive to ram speeds. I suggest the cheapest 8gb(2 x 4gb) kit you can find.

I love the SSD for the os and a few games. I think 60gb is ok, but a bit small. Look for 80gb.
Intel and samsung seem to be the most reliable.

Do plan on an aftermarket cpu cooler, particularly if you will OC. It need not be expensive. A $30 cm hyper212 or Xigmatek gaia will do fine.
 
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That makes two z68 recommendations. I think I need to better understand what the z68 offers over the p67, so I got some homework to do there.

mATX board? Did not think of that really. I am in this spot b/c I took a gamble that I might have been happy (i.e. stable fps in game) with just a gtx 560 non TI mixed in with what I have. Part of the gamble rational was that I could have went with a single gtx 580 but 560 in sli is about the same but for less and it gives me a chance to try and do it cheaper...meaning if the 560 alone did the trick then I could hold there for now and save some money...then add a 2nd when the price on the 560 dropped further if I needed the extra. This also drove the power supply pick in part.

If I started w/ the rational you have there, then I'd have spent less on a power supply and went with a better GPU. My current Mobo is a xATX and I would have loved to drop in a 2nd gts 250 at times especially when I saw the price on them drop as much as they did.

I fear that a 2500k and 560 combo may not be sufficient causing me to sell the 560 for a loss to then get another card. That does not feel very appealing?
 
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geofelt

geofelt

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I Think you did very well on price for the psu and graphics card.
There is no problem with using a quality psu with more power than you need.

I think part of your fps problem is the cpu, more than the graphics card.
If you have only 4gb, that could hurt too. 8gb seems to be the sweet spot for gamers.
Ram is cheap, and sandy bridge is insensitive to ram speeds. You can look for the cheapest 8gb kit you can find(2 x 4gb)
Don't pay extra for fancy heat spreaders on 1.5v ram either, they are mostly marketing.

To help clarify your options, run these two tests:

a) Run your games, but lower your resolution and eye candy.
If your FPS increases, it indicates that your cpu is strong enough to drive a better graphics configuration.

b) Limit your cpu, either by reducing the OC, or, in windows power management, limit the maximum cpu% to something like 70%.
If your FPS drops significantly, it is an indicator that your cpu is the limiting factor, and a cpu upgrade is in order.

It is possible that both tests are positive, indicating that you have a well balanced system, and both cpu and gpu need to be upgraded to get better gaming FPS.

In reality, Z68 offers you no real advantages over P67, you are unlikely to want to use the integrated graphics, and possibly not the ssd cache capability.

Synthetic benchmarks look great, and you might think sli with two cheap cards might be a good idea. But there may be an issue with microstuttering:
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995.html

The GTX560 is not a shabby card, and I would have expected good results.

Once you get the cpu part fixed up, you will be in a better position to determine what your graphics options should be.
 
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loops

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Heads up:

I went with the hyper 212 and the g.skill.

I also went with a z68 but went with a toms pick . It had more usb options than other boards and I got it for $144 (MIR). I love that it has a hdmi port rather then two ports for monitors. Given the use of a game pad, head set, keyboard, usb speakers, joystick, external usb hard drive, usb printer, two smart phones charged via usb, and usb based card reader,... I was happy to have MORE USB!

I also got the i5 and 2nd gtx 560.

Last, I picked up a Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) for $94.

Total came w/n budget.

The install was rather painless. I got BF 3 up and all seems well. The last issue is the OC for the CPU and GPU. I am not too sure how. Also, I have some heat issues with the top card in SLI. It runs about 10c hotter than lower card. After 2 hours of BF 3 the top card runs in the mid to low 70s and the lower card runs in 55-60c.

I am not sure that gives me a lot of room to OC the GPU but at this point it is not needed.


It may be that I lucked out, but so far no mico shutter issues that my eye can pick up on! :bounce:

Thank you guys to responding.
Much love.
Loops
 
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