i5 Gaming Build

[arr0w]

Hi guys, I'm about to build a new pc for gaming and want some feedback on it. This is what I came up with, what do you think?

Approximate Purchase Date: A couple weeks


Budget Range: Around $2000 NZD


System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies


Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS, hard drive, dvd drive


Preferred Website(s) for Parts: www.pricespy.co.nz www.playtech.co.nz


Country of Origin: New Zealand


Overclocking: Maybe at a later date


SLI or Crossfire: Maybe at a later date


Processor
Intel Core i5 2500K Unlocked Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz 6MB Cache Quad-Core Processor

Motherboard
[strike]ASUS P8P67 Intel P67 USB3 SATA3 DDR3 Sandy Bridge LGA1155 ATX Motherboard[/strike]
Asus P8P67 PRO Intel P67 ATX Socket 1155 4x DDR3-2200 RAID CrossFireX SLI 1394 USB3.0 SATA3

Case
COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
OR
COOLER MASTER HAF 912 Advanced Black w/Side Window ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
(more money for graphics card)

PSU
CORSAIR Professional Series AX750 750W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Graphics Card
EVGA 01G-P3-1556-KR GeForce GTX 550 Ti (Fermi) FPB 1GB 192-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

(Cant afford without dropping SSD and getting a smaller case)
EVGA 01G-P3-1561-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti Superclocked (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
OR
EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

RAM
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Sandy Bridge Optimized F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL

SSD
OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Sandforce Solid State Drive (SSD)
(Would have to ditch to get GTX 560 or GTX 570)

 

[ubercake]

I like everything in the build with two exceptions:

1) If this is a gaming machine, you should set yourself up with a motherboard that will allow you to add another video card in an SLI configuration at a later date. Get the P8P67 Pro or Deluxe.

2) That graphics card is very low-end. If you're trying to save money, I'd go so far as to say ditch the SSD, get a regular 320-500GB WD black and apply your savings to a 560 or 570 with the difference. SSDs will increase your overall performance where load times are concerned, but that is definitely one thing you can forgo if you want a rocking gaming system at an affordable price.

Another area by which you can save cash is with that case. It's USD $190. You could buy a sufficient HAF 912 for around USD $50 and apply another USD $140 (!) toward your video card. I just built a DAW with an HAF 912 this past weekend. If you're not going to be using more than two HDDs in your system (not counting SSDs because the have their own storage bay), you can remove the center drive bay. These cases also have a cutout in the tray behind the CPU for swapping out coolers, have decent cable management potential, and are easy to work in. It also has room for a hyper 212 plus cpu cooler. I was really impressed with this case (exceptions-quality of the standoff hardware and lack of dust filter at top fan area). You can still get some colored fans in there if you want them, but in order to give you a good chunk of change to apply to something better than a 550 video card, this is definitely another area of the build to consider downgrading. This, combined with my other suggestion, should get you GTX 570 money.

 

[arr0w]

I like everything in the build with two exceptions:
1) If this is a gaming machine, you should set yourself up with a motherboard that will allow you to add another video card in an SLI configuration at a later date. Get the P8P67 Pro or Deluxe.

Thanks for pointing this out, I hadn't realized.

2) That graphics card is very low-end. If you're trying to save money, I'd go so far as to say ditch the SSD, get a regular 320-500GB WD black and apply your savings to a 560 or 570 with the difference. SSDs will increase your overall performance where load times are concerned, but that is definitely one thing you can forgo if you want a rocking gaming system at an affordable price.

I guess I could ditch the SSD for now until I can afford one later.

Another area by which you can save cash is with that case. It's USD $190. You could buy a sufficient HAF 912 for around USD $50 and apply another USD $140 (!) toward your video card.

I could save $160 NZD by moving to a HAF 912 which would also help in getting a better graphics card. Would there be any issues with fitting the graphics card into this case? How much of a performance difference is there between a GTX 560 and GTX570?

Thanks for your feedback.

 

[ubercake]

I could save $160 NZD by moving to a HAF 912 which would also help in getting a better graphics card. Would there be any issues with fitting the graphics card into this case? How much of a performance difference is there between a GTX 560 and GTX570?

Thanks for your feedback.

You can remove the 912s middle HDD bay to fit any graphics card though I don't think you need to even do that. You'll still have bays available for 2 HDDs and 2 SSDs at the bottom behind the PSU.

The difference between the 560 and 570 is pretty substantial. You'll get near a 20% increase with a 570 with most titles.

 

[norleras]

Trust me, you're going to want that 570. I would completely advise against an ssd atm. Make sure that you have your key components down! Make sure that they are of essential quality as well. I've been down this road, and you're going to want to look at your cpu and gpu first and foremost, then figure out the rest!

 

[ubercake]

I see a good PSU as a must as well.

 

[IntelEnthusiast]

The build with the better video card and lack of an SSD look good for you. The Intel® Core™ I5 2500K is an outstanding processor for gaming and is going to really impress you with what it can do. At the start you can use the stock heatsink but you may want to look into upgrading it to a good aftermarket heatsink if you want to do the overclock. In the end looks like you are going to have some fun.

Christian Wood
Intel Enthusiast Team

 

[arr0w]

Best answer selected by arr0w.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been closed by Mousemonkey