Hows this for cheap higher end gaming pc with ability to upgrade

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

My question is how is this setup for a new build that is a cheaper higher end pc with the ability to upgrade in future ? How will it preform gaming ? If you were to up grade anything first on this what would it be and why ? Thanks for all your help.

Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor (Model:BX80601960)
ASUS LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Motherboard (Model

6X58D-E)
MSI N450GTS CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTS 450 (Fermi) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card - Total of two units
G.SKILL PI 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Desktop Memory (Model:F3-12800CL6T-6GBPI)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 1.5TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive (Model:ST31500341AS)
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (Model:SGC-2000-KKN1-GP)
COOLER MASTER GX Series 650W ATX12V v2.31 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply (Model:RS650-ACAAE3-US)

Why_Me · Mar 30, 2011

Now you can upgrade your cpu later on (22nm Ivy Bridge) and add another one of those vid cards for SLI.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/100?vs=288 <----- i7 950 vs i5 2500K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196 $89.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.amazon.com/Antec-Truepower-TP-750-BLUE-Management/dp/B001RTPMM4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1301497989&sr=1-4 $89.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
Antec Truepower 23754 TP-750 BLUE LED 750-Watt PSU NVIDIA SLI Certified 80 Plus Bronze Advanced Hybrid Cable Management Power Supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 $224.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-P67X4B3&title=ASRock-P67-EXTREME4-B3-LGA1155-Intel-P67-B3-DDR3-Quad-SLI-Quad-CrossFireX-SATA3-USB3-0-A-GbE-ATX-Motherboard $153.99
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 B3 LGA1155/ Intel P67 B3/ DDR3/ Quad SLI & Quad CrossFireX/ SATA3&USB3.0/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125363 $239.99
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=N82E16820231427 $49.99 FREE SHIPPING
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBXL

http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=HD-HD103SJ&title=Samsung-SpinPoint-F3-HD103SJ-1TB-SATA2-7200rpm-32MB-Hard-Drive $59.99 Free Shipping
Samsung SpinPoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB SATA2 7200rpm 32MB Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204 $19.99
ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

http://www.madshrimps.be/articles/article/1000116#axzz1EqpvWFEN <---Review on that Asrock motherboard after the latest bios update

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1098/pg2/asrock-extreme4-p67-and-fatal1ty-professional-p67-vs-x58-with-core-i7-950-review-asrock-p67-extreme4.html <---Review on that Asrock motherboard after the latest bios update

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4080/welcome-to-sandy-bridge-with-the-asrock-p67-extreme4 <--- Review before the latest bios...and it still smoked the Asus and Gigabyte boards

http://www.asrock.com/news/events/201102ex/warranty.html <----- Asrock two year warranty

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

I'm not sure what posting those items mean but I was asking how good are the items im getting for a high end gamming machine with upgrade ability for around $1000.

Why_Me · Mar 30, 2011

Rob306 :

I forgot to add the links...sorry about that. Check that post now.

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

Thanks (why_me) those items look great and it looks like they would preform greatly. The problem is that someone has ordered this items for men (they are already on their way to me) in my origional post and I'm not up to date to well on the latest computer stuff and was asking how they would fair as far as a cheaper high end gaming machine with the ability to upgrade greatly in future? The reviews on what you have posted are great though, thanks for that.

Why_Me · Mar 30, 2011

Rob306 :

Usually people post on here before they order. That system of yours isn't bad at all but it's not the route most on here would go for the fact those vid cards are low end, there's no real upgrade path other than the cpu...and that's going to be major $$$, and that Seagate h/d is slow.

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

So what your saying is I can upgrade to a better cpu, better graphics cards, and more ram, & better hard drives later, and the system overall right now isnt that bad?

mrhoshos96 · Mar 30, 2011

Removed
Reason: FAIL!

ubercake · Mar 30, 2011

Rob306 :

Solid build that will take you into the next 2 or 3 years of gaming with the exception of the video card and power supply.

The system will perform well for gaming after you upgrade the video card (which may require a PSU update). Is your plan to SLI the 450? If you're going to run at 1280x1024 resolution this should be fine. Or is your plan to get a higher-end video card some day (and then SLI that?)?

I would get more power if you plan to go with two high-end video cards in the future. 900W and above will allow you to SLI or Crossfire just about anything. If you start with more power now, you only have to upgrade the video in the future.

ubercake · Mar 30, 2011

Why_Me :

Truth.

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

I'm sry, because someone ordered for me first is it still ok to post here and ask if the items I'm getting are decent and have ability to upgrade in the future? Did I post in the wrong section to ask about hardware items?

Rob306 · Mar 30, 2011

Hey ubercake, thanks for response, my plan in the future is to get the higest 6 core i7 cpu intel sells, 2 solid state hdd's, 2 top of the line or second to top of the line down running in SLI and 24 gb of ram. I could only afford a certian amount of money at the moment and wanted the ability to greatly upgrade into the future. I also in the future want a G-1 assassin gigabyte mother board.

The 2 low end vid cards above in my origional post are yes 2 of them and they are going to be running in SLI mode.

ubercake · Mar 30, 2011

Rob306 :

Hey no problem. You have a good foundation with definite upgrade options. You should get decent video performance at lower resolutions:

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gts-450-sli-review/6

Rob306 · Apr 1, 2011

First upgrade would be power supply to about 1200 watts but what brand and price is decent. Then would look to get a single high end graphics card that I could SLI in future but what card is good or great for the price ???? I also want to buy a corsair h70 water cooler and from what I understand the h50 is the same exact except that the h70 comes with another fan, I'm thinking I could put a second fan on the h50 cheaper ???? or is there a better cooler ? Any suggestions or help on these upgrades that I will be doing in the next 3 weeks to the above said system would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

ubercake · Apr 1, 2011

Rob306 :

The one video card you want to go for is a 580. A 570 would be the next-best and it's a great card too.

You'll only need 1200 watts if you're going for 2 GTX 590s or 3 GTX 580s. Otherwise, if you're going to go for 2 580s at some point, a 900+ PSU will do what you need it to and keep your system running for years. With 2 570s, I'd recommend 800 or more watts. Modular supplies are good because they facilitate good airflow:

If you go with 2 580s:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015&cm_re=corsair_ax-_-17-139-015-_-Product

If you go with 2 570s:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015&cm_re=corsair_ax-_-17-139-015-_-Product

Also, you might find room is tight with regard to the Storm Scout case and some video cards. Be sure the card you choose will fit.

The H50 really requires 2 fans to be effective. It will use one of your exhaust fan spots so plan accordingly. Corsair suggests pulling cool air into the case across the radiator, so the downside of using that cooler (or an H70 for that matter) is you'd only have a top exhaust. This may be enough. It's just something you have to mess with. Some people get better results turning the fans the other way and blowing the air out across the radiator. The H50 without a second fan only reduces the temp about 5C more than a stock cooler. I replaced the stock fan with 2 Xigmatek 1253 (green lights) in a push/pull configuration and this reduced temps another 8C. If you do this, I would recommend you use two fans of the same speed either way. I also removed the stock H50 thermal compound and used Arctic Silver 5. This was not worth it and made little to no difference in the temps (maybe 1C?). The stock thermal compound on the H50 is sufficient. What I do like about these coolers is they're lightweight and they're not very imposing like a 6" air cooler, though there are air coolers that will do a better job if you're looking to do some serious OC'ing.

One day we might need 24GB of RAM, though my guess is that's at least 5 or more years out. Your 6GB will be fine. If you're doing a lot of photo/video/audio work, you might need more 12GB, but you won't for gaming at this time.

Ten98 · Apr 1, 2011

Socket 1366 was a mistake, u should have gone for 1155.

ubercake · Apr 1, 2011

Ten98 :

Someone ordered the PC for Rob. He plans to upgrade the components. The 1366 platform is very relevant. Yes. There is newer tech (ie 1155) though there is no review out there that pits the 1366 vs 1155 with the same video cards and processors clocked to the same speed showing the 1155 is better.

Another thing to ask yourself is why review sites continue to do all their video card performance reviews on the 1366 platform when you know Intel is throwing the new stuff their way.

My 1366 "mistake" with 2 580s in SLI get the same darn performance listed in every video card review.

What are you running with Ten98?

Ten98 · Apr 1, 2011

I'm still on my Q6600 but planning a new Sandy Bridge build soon.

The 1366 socket is ok, but the CPUs are overpriced compared to Sandy Bridge. The 2500K beats most 1366 CPUs hands-down, you have to spend $500+ to do better, more than double. Unless you're prepared to spend that much, your CPU upgrade options will be very limited in the future as the high end 1366 chips are keeping their value pretty well.

However, we're talking gaming here so it's allll about the GPU. Your CPU is pretty much irrelevant after a certain level. Your i7-930 with the same amount of RAM, same GPU, same OS and software will get the same framerates in Crysis 2 as my Q6600, or Rob's i7-960, or an i5-2500K, or even a crappy AMD quadcore.

You might see a couple of FPS here and there but there is certainly no significant difference between a $100 CPU and a $1000 CPU.

ubercake · Apr 1, 2011

Ten98 :

I will not argue the 1155 processors offer exceptional performance for a great deal. When it comes to GHz and overclockability, you can't beat them. The 1366 platform is definitely no mistake, though.

From a pricing standpoint, I can get a 3.4GHz 2600k processor for $279 (I probably will pick one up soon as a matter of fact) and a 2500K 3.3GHz for $179 (microcenter pricing). From an all purpose standpoint, because there is no hyperthreading, I don't know if I would consider a 2500k, but it might serve the computing purposes of most users. Even most modern games take advantage of the additional concurrent processing hyperthreading offers. For example, BFBC2 will utilize 8 threads if they are available. So I wouldn't put the 2500K in a class similar to the 2600/K or 9xx series processors. Have you really seen a review by which they use new games and compare an i7-9xx to a i5 2500K processor with the same video card(s) anywhere? If so, let us all know.

I am finding the issue with the 1366 processors that you're mentioning. They are trying to sell them off (to get us ready for the LGA2011) and this is very advantageous to us consumers. Personally, I can find retail versions of the i7-950 for $199 and the i7-960 at $249 at my local microcenter. Even my 930 doesn't bottleneck any game at 1080p resolution with two GTX 580s. I have not played a game yet where I have to turn down the details/AA/AF/AA transparency. A 950 is a heck of a processor for under $200. Hell, I can't even upgrade my 775 machine to a decent quad-core CPU because they all seem to cost more than $300 these days and here I can start a 1366 build (processor and motherboard) for the same cost of a 775 quad-core processor. Talk about a bad upgrade path!?

To outright call getting a 1366 a mistake is a mistake. These processors will be set to rest toward the end of this year when we see the release of the LGA2011 platform. I would agree the time to upgrade the 1366 CPU (if you even need to?) would be prior to a year from now if you are going to upgrade a 1366 CPU. If you're running 1080p resolutions or higher with an i7-9xx series processor, you have a good video card setup, and you're playing newer game, you won't have to worry about bottlenecks in games for a few years before the software is going to start requiring more of you.

Ten98 · Apr 1, 2011

I disagree.

1: It's a legacy socket which has been surpassed by socket 1155 and is due to be replaced by socket 2011.

2: If you're a gamer, you don't need the super-high end 6 core CPUs with Hyper-Threading that is the main benefit of 1366.

3: 1366 offer poor value for money when compared with 1155.

Any way you look at it, it's a mistake.

I'm not saying he has a bad machine, far from it, I'm just saying he didn't get good value for money and his motherboard's CPU socket is about to be discontinued.

ubercake · Apr 1, 2011

Ten98 :

So let me ask you this, then....

How long ago did you buy your legacy socket 775 Q6600? 4 years ago (it was released Q1 of 2007)? Did you realize you can still buy socket 775 processors and motherboards?

If we go by that timetable, we should expect the i7-9xx series to continue selling at least until into Q4 of 2012.

And you're also saying an i7-950 at $199 is not a good deal. And an i5 2500k is a good deal because no one needs more than 4 non-hyperthreaded cores even though newer games are increasingly utilizing more cores (ie BFBC2 will use up to 8 threads)? With that kind of logic, I'd conclude it's a mistake, though my logic doesn't seem to follow the same path as yours.

chmcke01 · Apr 1, 2011

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/157?vs=288&i=2.3.4.5.6.25.26.27.28.29.30.31.32.33.34.35.36.37.38.39.40.41.42.43.45.46.47.48.49.50.51.52.53.54.55.56.57.60.61.62.63.64

A benchmark comparison of the i7 970 and the 2500k.

ubercake · Apr 1, 2011

chmcke01 :

The anandtech tool is novel, but doesn't compare apples to apples.

Regarding the games benchmarks, we don't even know if they're using the same video cards?

Even at that, in this comparison, we see the 2500k pull ahead in older games or those requiring fewer threads (anyone still playing L4D?). Though, in a game like Dragon Age Origins, the i7-970 pulls ahead. What's strange is, no matter whether you pick the 2500k or the 2600k, the numbers are close to the same or even lose a few fps with the 2600k? This is what makes me not put too much trust in a tool like this.

Also, all resolutions shown are 1600x1050? Even GPU benchmarks with the top GPUs rank lower at low resolutions.

I wish someone actually did a review though I wouldn't think Intel would want to "allow" such a comparison when they're trying to sell the new product.

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll see a real 1366 v 1155 comparison from review sites because Intel won't support it. If you're a review site, having Intel ticked at you can't be good for business.

Would be interesting though (without having to make the investment myself)?

Rob306 · Apr 2, 2011

The thermal compound I intend to use is a compound from innovation cooling called IC diamond which has diamonds in it and are suppose to be better for heat dissipation.

Rob306 · Apr 2, 2011

I wont be doing much more to this pc other then power supply, graphics cards, and big-foot killer 2100 network card, water cooling for minimal over-clocking and maybe doubling the memory to 12gb. Maybe 2 7200 rpm 250 gb hard drives running in raid 0 to speed load times of windows applications and games. But faster hard drives wont really help games all that much other then load times. Faster hard drive performance is designed for servers mostly IMO. That is the games that require load times after the initial load into the memory. The speed and amount of memory is of greater importance when it comes to games. My main and just about only game I play everday is BFBC2 and I'm looking forward greatly to BF3

I do want and will most likely install the NZXT Sentry LX Dual Bay Aluminum Fan Controller. One cause I like cosmetics as much as hardware. But mainly cause I just like the way it looks. http://www.xoxide.com/nzxt-sentrylx-fancontroller.html

Hows this for cheap higher end gaming pc with ability to upgrade

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