>$2000 gaming rig - i5 2500k - GTX 580 -

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spastic-nutcase

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Hi Guys,

I have posted in 2 different forums so far, mostly Australian, and recieved 1 reply when other poorly writen posts with insufficient info get 6 - 10? So if theres something not right about this post please let me know?

This is my first build so i have been reading reviews and researching for the past 2 weeks and come up with the list of preferences below.

I would really appreciate it if someone could critique my choice of parts and if possible point out where i can get the same or better performance, with a cheaper alternative.

I understand after lurking here for a while, that newegg.com is the store of choice, however im in Australia and so will be sourcing parts from AU websites

Approximate Purchase Date:
As soon as the parts list is done and sourced

Budget Range:
>$2000 AUD

System Usage from Most to Least Important:
Gaming, Web browsing, Music and videos

Parts Not Required:
Monitor: 40" Samsung LCD
Speakers: Generic
Headfones: Turtle beach x41 Dolby 7.1 Surround (optical out port)
Keyboard & mouse

Preferred Website(s) for Parts:
Mostly using www.staticice.com.au to find cheapest prices for AU online stores

Country of Origin:
Australia

Parts Preferences:
Pretty sure:

CPU – i5 2500k---------------------------------------$250
GPU – Gigabyte GTX 580 Windforce 3X----------$570
SSD - Patriot Inferno 60GB-------------------------$160
OS – Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM----$100
HDD – Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB----------------$56
DVD - Sony Lite-on----------------------------------$40
MoBo – ASUS P8P67 Pro B3-----------------------$230

Unsure:

Cooler: Hyper 212?------------the GTX 580 is quite big, so i want everything to fit well

RAM – 6Gb (3x2Gb) G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 https://www.pcdiy.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=156_266&products_id=11119

Case ----- no idea yet?? Would idealy have a window on the side showing all the components. This is secondary to cooling/efficiency ofcourse but it would be nice to show off my accomplishment =P

Thinking about this one?? blue goes with the mobo and it has the lil window lol =] http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=986


PSU ------???? Enough to provide for OC on GTX 580 and i5 2500k

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: No

Monitor Resolution: best possible

Additional Comments:

I do plan to OC the 2500K and the GTX 580 when everything is up and running and after i have done enough research and picked out a cooler. But for the moment i am just looking to get everything ordered and working.

Any help appreciated guys. I have seen some good stuff out of these forums, keep up the good work.
 
Solution
Ten98
Ok. First things first. your PSU is the most important part of your build. If it's unstable or flaky, your system will be as well. I always use Corsair PSUs. It's a no-brainer decision to go for Corsair, as right across their range they have superb build quality and reliability, and are often the cheapest of the "big brands" as well. Their TX series is aimed at enthusiasts and has all the features you would want.

You do have a decision to make here however, are you DEFINITELY going to be adding another graphics card to that 2-channel specialist SLI-ready motherboard? The graphics card is the only component that draws a significant amount of power from the PSU, so you need to think carefully about how many you have, how much power they...
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mrclownface

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it looks very good to me,take a look at the coolermaster cm690 II advanced for your case,or the HAF cases they are very good,i just decided on a silverstone 100% modular power supply for my gtx560 core I5 2500k gaming build,if you are thinking of crossfire you need a good psu,maybe 850watt or more,i hope you receive more advice on the rest of the hardware for your pc..good luck
 
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Ten98

Ten98

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Ok. First things first. your PSU is the most important part of your build. If it's unstable or flaky, your system will be as well. I always use Corsair PSUs. It's a no-brainer decision to go for Corsair, as right across their range they have superb build quality and reliability, and are often the cheapest of the "big brands" as well. Their TX series is aimed at enthusiasts and has all the features you would want.

You do have a decision to make here however, are you DEFINITELY going to be adding another graphics card to that 2-channel specialist SLI-ready motherboard? The graphics card is the only component that draws a significant amount of power from the PSU, so you need to think carefully about how many you have, how much power they need, and how many you might have in the future.

If you are going to add a second card in future, then you need to leave enough headroom in your PSU to accommodate the second graphics card when you add it. 850W is enough for 2 severely overclocked GTX 280s.

If you are definitely *not* going to go for that second graphics card, then 650W would be more than enough.

850W Corsair TX PSU: http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=4992
600W Corsiar TX PSU: http://msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=4990

Personally, I find SLI a waste of time. By the time your single GTX580 is "slow", and you find yourself needing to upgrade, there will be a much faster, more energy efficient, DirectX12-supporting card waiting to take it's place. However, the huge size of your monitor might mean that you need two cards in SLI just to get a decent framerate at its native resolution in the first place.

You've gone for a 1.6V triple-channel RAM kit. This is intended for 1366 boards, not the 1155 board you've selected. It will work, but you'll be over-volting and wasting a lot of performance, which will limit your overclocking potential. Your motherboard is 1.5V and dual-channel, so you should select either a 4gb or 8gb 2-stick or 4-stick kit, rated at 1.5V. For example: https://www.pcdiy.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=156_266&products_id=10617 Don't worry about CAS latency, the important spec is the frequency. I feel 4gb is enough at the moment, and it's a very easy upgrade to bang in another 4gb later if you need to.

CPU Cooler & Case are very important if you're going to be overclocking on air. Your CPU cooler and Case will determine how much of an overclock you can apply. The best CPU air-cooler money can buy is the Thermaltake Frio http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=1387 and the best mid-size high-airflow case is the Antec Nine Hundred V3 https://www.pcdiy.com.au/product_info.php?cPath=164_215&products_id=13602 If you have space for a full tower, you will get more airflow, so the supreme Antec Twelve Hundred would be your best option (although I can't find it for sale at your two retailers). Remember to get some decent thermal paste as well. Arctic Silver V5 is a fine choice.

Antec cases are designed with full-size gaming cards and large CPU coolers in mind, so you will have no problem fitting your gear inside.

Everything else looks great. You've made an excellent choice on the SSD. I have a 60gb Sandforce SSD for my OS as well and it really flies. 60gb is a tight squeeze, and you have to be careful about what you install, but it works amazingly well. Having said that, If you have enough space in your budget, and if you can find one for sale, consider the OCZ Vertex 3 120gb, which is twice the speed and twice the capacity (but probably twice the price as well). :D
 
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spastic-nutcase

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Thanks for your input :D
I will definately go with the corsair 850W you linked to.
Aswell as the thermaltake frio and the Antec Nine Hundred is perfect!

I have come to my senses and dont think ill be getting another 580 in SLI.
I do plan to OC the one 580 however.
and as for the monitor resolution the 580 has enough power for a 'large' resolution doesnt it?
I didnt think one 40" tv would cause an issue and im kinda scared now.
If i was to set the resolution to 1920x1200 or higher it would be alright wouldnt it??

I've got a old laptop running on the tv now and it plays movies on the tv in the same quality as the laptop screen?
 
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Ten98

Ten98

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Oh, when you said "40 inch Samsung LCD" I thought it was a monitor not a TV...

If it's a TV, your native resolution is 1920x1080, so a single GTX580 is perfect. You will be able to run all games at full detail at that res no problems at all.

You can change down to a single slot motherboard, the main advantage of the Asus Deluxe is that it has 2x full-speed sockets for SLI.

This Asus board is $140 cheaper and just as fast. The main differences being it only takes one graphics card and doesn't have built-in bluetooth: http://www.msy.com.au/product.jsp?productId=7551

You should also go for 650W PSU I posted rather than the 850. The only reason you would want more than 650 is for a second graphics card.
 
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spastic-nutcase

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Thanks again Ten,

Everything you provided sounds good imo, but i think ill hang on to the ASUS Pro just incase i change my mind down the track and opt to upgrade to dual 580's, ill only have to replace the power supply and not the whole motheroard. Plus i think ill actually use the bluetooth lol

Well i think the decisions are final :D im going to update the desired parts list, source the parts, order and wait with a big grin lol

Will post when they arive. Cheers

EDIT: Quick question about the resolution. Im assuming that if i wanted to go over 1920x1080, i wouldnt be able to would i? Since my TV is only 1080p? I dont know if thats correct or if im totaly wrong but it sounds right lol
 
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JackNaylorPE

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GFX - With a dual slot board, I just can't consider a single 580 as a "best"solution.....can be hard for us judge w/ my limited knowledge of shopping sites down under. Up here, a single 580 costs $500 and will get me 616 fps in Guru3D's game test suite (1920 x 1200). Guru3D uses the following games in their test suite, COD-MW, Bad Company 2, Dirt 2, Far Cry 2, Metro 2033, Dawn of Discovery, Crysis Warhead. That works out to $0.81 per frame.

Twin 900 Mhz 560 Ti's in SLI get me 862 fps at a cost of $430 at a cost of just $0.50 per frame. In todays most demanding game, Metro 2033, the 580 gets 33 fps .... twin 900 MHz 560's get 46 fps

Down your way, the card is $265 .... two of em would cost $530 which would save ya $40 and give ya 40% better performance over a single 580.

PSU - Corsair's premium line is the HX series; the 2nd tier is the TX series. TX is agreat choice for moderate overclocking with moderate GFX loadings. With big GFX power draw and looking for the best OC's, I would use an HX750. At $190 down your way that's bit much.

The Antec CP-850 ($135 down by you) is always my 1st choice echoing many reviewers:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story4&reid=142

It is completely unmatched by any ATX unit on the market I can think of. You'd have to spend twice as much as this thing costs to find the next best thing, performance wise.
Click to expand...

Issue here is it needs a compatible Antec case (DF-85, 1200, P193, P183) which if ya don't like the aesthetics, ya don't like it. personally, the DF-85 is my current fav case to build in tho the styling is a bit aggressive for my tastes.

The XFX Black Edition is the best bang for the buck up here in the US. Like the CP-850 and HX750, it gets a 10.0 rating from jonnyguru as does the Seasonic X series and Corsair AX series. The XFX Black 750 runs about $100 up here but down under, it's running about $175. The HAF-X is the best alternative to the DF-85. The 1200 and HAF 932 are the predecessors of the DF-85 and HAF-X and are a bit "long in the tooth" (no front panel USB 3). Cleaning the air filters in the 1200 is and 8 minute exercise, in the DF-85 it's 8 seconds.

If ya want to go mid tower, the Antec 902 V3 (V3 version has USB 3 ports) or DF-35 are my favs....had the HAF 922 on my list but it's also gotten "long in the tooth".

RAM - You want to have a balanced system..... spending lotta dollars in one area and skipping on others gives ya an unbalanced system. Most builders go either 4GB or 8GB but 8 GB makes the most sense in a 580 build. Why ? Here's THG's test results w/ Half Life 2

Half Life 2 w/ 4 GB = 100.0
Half Life 2 w/ 6 GB = 106.8
Half Life 2 w/ 8 GB = 135.4
Half Life 2 w/ 12 GB = 135.6
Half Life 2 w/ 4 GB = 135.5

DDR3-1600 makes the most sense given current pricing and what CAS ya buy is a function of how much ya wanna spend. Up here, CAS 7 is about $50 more than CAS 9 for 8GB and gets ya 2 - 3 % performance improvement. Whether or not the 2.5 % extra cost on a $2k build is worth 2-3 % performance improvement, only you can decide.

Cooler - The 'king of the hill" often changes weekly so it's worthwhile to watch the web sites that cover these components and avoid those whose test platforms are based upon old CPU 's such as the LGA 775 platform. The heat signatures for the 775 and current 1155 CPU's are very different and performance on LGA 775 is not indicative of 1155 performance.

http://www.frostytech.com/testmethod_mk2.cfm

FrostyTech's Mk.II Platform delivers a 150W and 85W heat load to socket 775 compatible Intel Pentium 4/D/Extreme Edition, Celeron, Core 2 Duo & Core 2 Quad
Click to expand...

1155/1156/1366 platforms are quite close in heat signatures but still you will see rankings change even between a 920 and 930 for example, where the Scythe finished behind the Megahalems on the 920 yet topped it on the 930.

The best choices based upon BMR's tests on current CPU's are as follows:

1. Budget Category Air Cooler - Scyth Mugen 2 ($40)
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=447&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=15

2. Air Cooler - Thermaltake Silver Arrow ($70
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=674&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=4

3. Self Contained Water Cooler - Antec Kuhler 620
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=694&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=4

SSD - The one, the only Vertex 3 :)

HD - Seagate 7200.,12, WD Black and Spinpoint F3 trade wins in different categories with no "all around" winner. Pick the one that performs best in your apps

=on&prod[3016]=on&prod[2365]=on]http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2009-3.5-desktop-hard-drive-charts/compare,1016.html?prod[2777]=on&prod[3016]=on&prod[2365]=on
 
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Proximon

Proximon

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Heh, I got drawn in randomly by the best answer award :) All the advise has been excellent, and I agree with Jack on everything, something that doesn't always happen ;)

I have just two corrections about Corsair PSUs.

1. Not every PSU sold by Corsair is stellar. They sell good PSUs, but the low-end CX series seems to have some quality control issues. The CX series can still be a good choice, but if you are buying from newegg there are usually better choices at the same price.

2. The premium offering from Corsair is the AX series of PSUs, not the HX. Sometimes the difference in quality between the two is very small though. So, the TX series is more tier 3. Some of the TX series performs very well, and some of it is old and being replaced by V2 models.


One more point: When shopping for SSDs keep your eyes open for older, larger versions. If you have a certain budget a higher capacity SSD (that supports trim!) that is older might give you a better value. We have seen a few of these deals floating around lately. I would personally prefer a slower 256GB SSD over a faster 128GB SSD if prices were the same or nearly so.
 
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spastic-nutcase

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WOW. You guys are great, thanks.

I'm not sure if this is right, but since i'm using a 40" 1080P LCD TV as my monitor, i wouldn't be able to run a higher resolution than 1920x1080 would i? I'm not sure if that is correct, i just saw 1080P and 1920x1080 and made an assumption.


Your recommendations for the ram, psu and case sound great and I'll definitely be incorporating these into my list.

EDIT: couldnt find the thermalright silver arrow but i found it :D the cooler seems kinda big, would that pose a problem if i did decide to go the 580 SLI route later?

My 4 sources to choose from are www.pcdiy.com.au, www.msy.com.au, www.Techbuy.com.au and www.pccasegear.com
Although i really need to streamline this into ideally 2, or the postage will be nuts.

My real confusion is still sitting with the GPU

After reading Jacks suggestion for the 2X 560 TI's i looked around and did a bit of reading, and i would definately take that option over 1 single 580, but really only if i was planning to leave the one 580 in there. (I know i said i wouldnt SLI in future, my bad)


Further down the track if i wanted an upgrade from the 2X560 TI's i would have to replace both cards.

If i got the 580 i could just throw another one in there.
 
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Proximon

Proximon

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TVs don't normally have resolutions higher than 19x10, correct. I can't say they never do... I simply don't think so.

The Tt Frio is decent, and has one further thing going for it. The included thermal paste is GOOD. No need to buy different paste. If you can get it at a good price go for it. Coolers never interfere with video cards. All good CPU air coolers are huge.

I know it seems like a better idea on the GPU, but let me chime in on that too. Probably 80-90% of people that buy one GPU and say they will or might buy another one later NEVER DO. I have said it myself and then not done it. I have seen it happen with others over and over again.

Video cards move FAST! Next year all of these cards will be old and obsolete. By the time you really need an upgrade there will be a better option.

At the top of my parts list I have links for parts stores, and that includes a section for Australia... you might want to check it out:
http://tinyurl.com/yjord6a (I use tinyurl in my sig as sigs are limited to so many characters here)
 
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spastic-nutcase

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Hey Proximon,

I edited my initial post based off what i found on your links! They're extremely helpful.
and i think ill just go for the 560 Ti's since you're probably right about the upgrading part.
Im assuming a Corsair-HX850W would be sufficient?


Time to update the list and start figuring out which store im getting which part from lol
 
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spastic-nutcase

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As for the 560 Ti's

Which would you recommend?

MSI GeForce GTX 560 Ti Twin Frozr II OC 1GB
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1193&products_id=16578

ASUS GTX 560 Ti DirectCU II Overclocked 1GB
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1193&products_id=16652

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 560 Ti Overclocked 1GB
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1193&products_id=16576

Theyre all priced the same however the OC on each is different.
 
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spastic-nutcase

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CPU Core i5 2500K2 $250
MOBO ASUS P8P67 Pro $230
GPU 2X ASUS GTX560 Ti $280 x2 =560
RAM G.Skill 4GbX2 1600Mhz CAS8 $130
PSU Corsair HX-850 Power Supply $225
Case Antec 902 Nine Hundred V3 $138
HDD Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB $50
SSD OCZ Vertex 2 80GB $180
DVD Sony/LiteOn $40
OS Windows 7 Home $100
Cooler Thermalright Silver Arrow $90
Thermal Paste Arctic Silver 5 $9

Woohoo :D all done now to buy everything.
Im so excited lol
 
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