$1100 Sandy Bridge Gaming

Loggerhead87

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Mar 28, 2011
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18,510
First time builder here! Found this forum the other day and thought I'd post my build so far. I'd like to build it in April. The parts with no cost are parts I own. Gaming > Web > Office > Other. Thanks for looking!

Will the video card fit in the case?
Would the case be too cramped for a future crossfire setup with the same GPU?
Is it worth buying the 2G version of the GPU to flash it to a 6970?
Are the 64MB Cache and SATA 6.0Gb/s specs on the HDD going to have any noticeable performance gains over a cheaper HDD?


Approximate Purchase Date: April

Budget Range: up to $1100

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming > Web > Office > Other

Parts Not Required: Listed below @ $0

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: no preference

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: built around a sandy bridge CPU

Overclocking: Compatible; In the future

SLI or Crossfire: Compatible; In the future

RAID: Compatible; In the future

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080, maybe higher

Additional Comments: don't want it to sound like a lawn mower




CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
$225
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

GPU: 6950 2GB
$275
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102914

PSU: Antec 850W
$0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371009

Mobo: MSI P67A-GD53
$150
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130572

RAM: Mushkin Blackline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 1600
$60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226103

HDD: 640GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s
$70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136544

Optical: DVD Burner
$20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Case: Cooler Master Storm Scout
$90
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196

OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 Bit
$0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116718

Mouse: Logitech G9
$0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104079

Keyboard: Logitech Ultra-thin
$0
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126043

Monitor: ASUS 23" HD
$190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236117

Total: $1080
 

Loggerhead87

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Mar 28, 2011
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18,510
Thanks, mosox.

That case looks nice, and it's about the same price. The video card they installed in the demonstration video looks like a tight fit. I couldn't tell which card they used. It'd be nice to compare the size with a 6950 to get an idea of how much space there is. A few addition questions below for anyone who'll share their expertise!

Does the 2GB version of the 6950 scale better in crossfire than the 1GB version?

Would the 64MB cache and 6.00GB/s HDD scale better in RAID than a drive with weaker specs?

Is there anything I should be paying attention to with the mobo I picked?

Are there any other mobos I should consider?
 
That case can take any single card and two cards up to 290mm long (11.41").
http://www.lancoolpc.com/en/product/product06.php?pr_index=15&cl_index=1&sc_index=25&ss_index=62&g=f

No, they don't scale better but the reference 2GB HD 6950s can be flashed into 6970s only they run hotter and are noisier. Here's the reference one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-150-518&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=2#scrollFullInfo

The 2GB version is useful if you want to run multiple monitors, that's where the extra memory counts, otherwise it doesn't.

http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/257965-14-black-wd6402aaex-640gb-64mb-help

For the mobo I would get one of those, I trust more those producers but that MSI shouldn't be bad either.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157229
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478
 

Loggerhead87

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Mar 28, 2011
4
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18,510
Thanks for the links. Here's another one about storage density for any other newbies reading through this thread. Price check on electron quantum holography drive? J/K!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memory_storage_density#Effects_on_Performance


Two 1GB versions of the HD 6950 below with a $25 difference in price. Is it worth paying more to have the one that's clocked at 830/1300 out of the box vs. 800/1250? That's the only major difference I can see. The brand too, of course. Also, the more expensive 1GB versions of the card are essentially the same price as the 2GB versions, so where's the incentive to get the 1GB version?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150527
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131389


It seems like RPM and storage density are the biggest factors in HDD performance. Is a 500GB platter still high-end? It's been almost a year since the post you linked. Do you know of any good website listing HDDs by storage density? Anything else regarding HDD performance I should be brainstorming?