First ever gaming rig, opinions/advice appreciated :)

[skorpien]

Hi all,

I'm new to these forums and thought I'd list my recent build and see what you all thought.

[strike]Case: Antec Twelve Hundred Gamer Case V3[/strike] (listed wrong one by accident)
Case: Antec Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case

CPU: Intel Core™ i7-2600K Processor, 3.40GHz w/ 8MB Cache

Motherboard: Asus P8P67 PRO Rev 3.0 w/ Dual DDR3 1600, 7.1 Audio, Gigabit Lan, 1394, PCI-E, Quad CrossFireX / SLI

Memory: Patriot Gamer 2 Series, Division 2 Edition DDR3 8GB (2 x 4GB) PC3-12800 Enhanced Latency Kit

HDD: 2 x Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black 7200rpm SATA III w/ 64MB Cache in RAID 0

DVD Drive: Samsung SH-222AB 22x DVD-Writer, SATA, Black, OEM

Video Card: HIS Radeon HD 6850 1GB GDDR5 PCI-E w/ Dual DVI, HDMI, DisplayPort

PSU: Corsair HX 850W Power Supply w/ 140mm Fan

Keyboard: Razer BlackWidow Mechanical Keyboard

Mouse: Razer Imperator Ergonomic Laser Gaming Mouse

The monitor is something I already had, Samsung SyncMaster T220HD.

This is my first gaming rig ever (second complete build) and it's been something I've wanted to do for as long as I can remember. Just looking for your opinions on the build and/or any advice you may have.

I'm looking to get into some MMORPGs (WoW, Rift?) so I'm not needing too much graphics power (hence my decision not to go dual graphics just yet). I understand that the 850W PSU is overkill for my system, but I figured I might as well if I wanted to upgrade in the future.

Also, I'm thinking of modding my system a bit, UV lights, etc. Where would be a good place to buy those supplies that'd ship to Canada for reasonably cheap?

Thanks for taking a look!

PS - Would this community be interested in pictures? I'm still geeking out over this and kinda wanna show off/get some feedback on the looks of my build

 

[mlcaouette]

Well the Sapphire HD 5850 is cheaper and more powerful than the 6850. Also if this is primarily for gaming you should drop the 2600k for the 2500k and get an ssd with the savings.

Cost of shipping on newegg.ca looks reasonable.

 

[Why_Me]

I hope this isn't a gaming build because if so you went light on your gpu (6850). I have no idea what your budget is seeing how you didn't state it, but I would be looking at a 6950 or even dual 560's off the get go.

Also look at Direct Canada and Best Direct for better prices and free shipping throughout Canada.

 

[skorpien]

Thanks for the reply! I've been reading similar things in a lot of these threads, and I wish I'd found this forum earlier. I should've specified in my original post but I've already bought and built the rig. Oh well, live and learn I suppose!

Other than that though, would you say this is a decent build? It's not going to suffer any because of the 2600K and 6850 will it?

Thanks again!

Why_Me, yes this is a gaming build, and as I said I wish I'd found these forums earlier Would the 6850 suffice for WoW or Rift? I guess the GPU might have to be a future upgrade as well. Sorry for not listing my budget as I've already purchased and assembled everything, but as it is I don't think I'll be upgrading anything in the near future.

 

[jpw1234]

You did a very nice job with a first attempt at a gaming build.

I do think minor adjustments would benefit you. As follows:

--Get the i5 2500k instead of the i7 2600k. Pretty much the same performance and you will save big $$$.

--Because the rest of your system is so powerful, the 6850 is a little light. Don't get me wrong though, it will rip through 90% of games, including the ones you listed, with no problem. The other users suggestion of the 5850 being cheaper and more powerful is correct, even if they are both by small amounts. You may want to consider a 6950 2GB (which can be unlocked to a 6970) or a GTX 560. The other guy who claims you need to run dual 560's is totally unnecessary. These kind of people are super hardcore gamers.

--You did not mention a CPU cooler. The Xigmatek Gaia is very cheap and performs at the same level as much more expensive coolers. It also has the benefit of being one of the most silent coolers. You can check the web for benchmarks and comparisons.

--I would not choose the Antec case. I do not like the forward to back facing hard drives, as they make cable management + video card placement more difficult. I also do not like how the bottom mounted powersupply does not have a fan filter on the bottom. This defeats the whole purpose of having the fan facing downwards. If you simply flip the PSU upsidedown, the cables will come out of the PSU by the door of your case instead of by the back wall of your case, creating cable management problems. If you want a full size case I would choose something like the HAF 932. I personally use a midsize ATX case and the Lancool K62 has been great. Also make sure you get a 12v extension cable no matter what case you buy. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16812198006&cm_re=12v_cable-_-12-198-006-_-Product This will ensure you can route the cable around the back of the case for proper cable management.

-- The SSD recommendation is a good one as well. Small SSD for windows/main drive, secondary sata drive for storeage.

 

[striker410]

Very well put jpw. I agree on the fact that you don't need 2 560's, Why me is just trollin you a bit lol.
I Also agree that the HAF 932 is a good choice, although it's a tad large. Might I suggest the 922, it's slightly smaller brother? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=922-_-11-119-197-_-Product
And yes, get the 2500k instead of the 2600k. They perform about the same in most games.
Hope we helped!

 

[skorpien]

Thanks jpw1234! That's a very detailed answer, much appreciated I'm running the stock cooler on the CPU as I don't plan on OC'ing but I might be tempted to pick up that Gaia if it's cheap enough.

I just realized that I'd listed the wrong case. I actually have the Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case. I assume that has the same issues as the Twelve Hundred with the bottom mounted PSU? There are rubber feet to raise the PSU so it takes in some air, but would that be enough? Apologies if these are newbish questions.

 

[Why_Me]

Very well put jpw. I agree on the fact that you don't need 2 560's, Why me is just trollin you a bit lol.
I Also agree that the HAF 932 is a good choice, although it's a tad large. Might I suggest the 922, it's slightly smaller brother? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=922-_-11-119-197-_-Product
And yes, get the 2500k instead of the 2600k. They perform about the same in most games.
Hope we helped!

I wouldn't suggest an aging a 5850 and an SSD for a 2011 gaming build. I just posted a Canadian build with dual 560's the other day for $1,300 and change including the o/s. If this is a gaming build than the priority is FPS, not how fast a peep can load up Windows. I always suggest putting the money in the vid cards first, and then SSD later on. Dual 560's allows a person to play any new game out there at decent resolution with decent frame rates. An SSD gives a peep zero advantage in gaming.

 

[spentshells]

I wouldn't suggest an aging a 5850 and an SSD for a 2011 gaming build. I just posted a Canadian build with dual 560's the other day for $1,300 and change including the o/s. If this is a gaming build than the priority is FPS, not how fast a peep can load up Windows. I always suggest putting the money in the vid cards first, and then SSD later on. Dual 560's allows a person to play any new game out there at decent resolution with decent frame rates. An SSD gives a peep zero advantage in gaming.

If someone wants to run a 6850 or a 460 GTX then there is no reason not to use the 5850, brute force will in fact prevail for cheaper,

Although I must say I wouldn't pair that CPU with anything under a single 570, 6950/70 and add one later

 

[Why_Me]

If someone wants to run a 6850 or a 460 GTX then there is no reason not to use the 5850, brute force will in fact prevail for cheaper,

Although I must say I wouldn't pair that CPU with anything under a single 570, 6950/70 and add one later

It would be a shame imo to put anything less than a 560 or 6950 1GB even for a budget of +1,000 and that resolution. Those 560's @ stock settings out perform the 5850 by 15%. Seeing how most 560's can be o/c to run close to on par with a stock 570...well do the math.

 

[skorpien]

Best answer selected by skorpien.

 

[skorpien]

Thanks everyone for your advice and opinions, it's truly appreciated. I know now where to put money when I'm upgrading. As it stands I've no choice but to stay with my current configuration, but I'll be upgrading the GPU if the need (and funds) should arise. My gaming needs are currently light enough for the 6850. The SSD also sounds like a good upgrade down the line.

Thanks again and thanks for making a new forum user feel welcome here

 

[jpw1234]

Thanks jpw1234! That's a very detailed answer, much appreciated I'm running the stock cooler on the CPU as I don't plan on OC'ing but I might be tempted to pick up that Gaia if it's cheap enough.

I just realized that I'd listed the wrong case. I actually have the Nine Hundred II V3 Gamer Case. I assume that has the same issues as the Twelve Hundred with the bottom mounted PSU? There are rubber feet to raise the PSU so it takes in some air, but would that be enough? Apologies if these are newbish questions.

You are most welcome. Unfortunately you will run into the same issues with that case as I listed above. I just built a system for a friend with that exact case + i5 2500k + GTX 570. The issue is not about having to raise the height off the ground, it is the fact that the bottom of the case is solid metal, there is not square cut out for the PSU fan if you place it on the bottom. You'll see what I mean. Also we had to plug in the regular audio front panel header instead of the HD audio front panel header, because the cord wasn't long enough.

Anyways, his build still turned out overall great, and we worked around most minor issues. Cable management was good, not flawless.

The Gaia is $30 shipped over at newegg. Well worth it. The heatsink that comes with the i5 2500k was pretty thin, I was surprised. It is worse than what used to come with old dual cores such as the E2160 (which worked quite well actually). I have not tested it though, so cannot comment on how it will perform if you don't overclock.