Trying to build a new Gaming Rig, please help!

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jyanez16

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First off, I really hope I posted this in the correct section. So, as will be evident from this post, I am total noob when it comes to hardware, but I've finally gotten the courage to go for it. It's sad that I have over 100 steam games and I can't even run most of them . So, I've been doing a lot of research, and I'd like some advice on what I've chosen. Any input is welcome, please don't hold back. I'm really new at all this so here it goes:

CPU
i7 2600k- $320
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-070-_-Product

GPU
2x GTX260ti SLI 200x2= $400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-661-_-Product

MotherBoard
Asus P8P67 Pro- $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-703-_-Product

RAM
Corsair Vengeance 8GB- $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-180-_-Product

PSU
Corsair HX850 $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...rsair%20HX-850

Case
Corsair Obsidian 650D: $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811139006

HDD
Samsung SpinPoint 1TB $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...int%20F3%201TB

DVD LiteOn $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-289-_-Product

Cooler Thermalright Silver Arrow $63
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-021-_-Product

Windows 7 OEM 64bit $100
Overall: $1598

EDIT: For some reason my links don't work, but I placed another post down in this thread with an updated build. Really sorry, don't know what happened. Here is the new build:

CPU and MOBO
i5 2500k with a P8Z68 PRO MOBO: $410
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Comb [...] mbo.657718

RAM
Corsair Vengeance 8GB- $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-180-_-Product

PSU
Corsair AX850- $190 (For future possible SLI and maybe OCing)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] &Tpk=ax850

GPU
GTX580 Superclocked- $530
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

Case:
HAFX full Tower $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

Cooler: $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] -_-Product

DVD $20 HDD $65 Windows $100

Total $1655



So, what do you all think? Will this get me some nice graphics and performence? Also, is installing two cards in sli difficult? I've seen guides online, but they normally only deal with one card, never SLI so I have no idea how to do it (will have to research more). Finally, is going with two GTX560 sli good or would going for a single GTX580 be better? Will I be able to run games like Metro 2033, Crysis 2, and BF3 in the near future?

My budget is ideally 1500 but I can go up to 1700 max. Please help and thanks in advance.
 
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mdd1963

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Two 560Ti cards should be quite formidable up thru 1920x1200, easily surpassing a single GTX580.

You could also opt for the 2500k over the 2600k, saving nearly $100, as the former provides 98% of the 2600k's gaming performance, but without a 50% price bump for a 100 MHz clock bump....

I'd think I'd look for a Z68 board over a P67, just in case you decide to dabble in video encoding....
 
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jyanez16

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What if I went with a single GTX580 to make my life easier (since I'm not to knowledgeable at this). Would the parts above be suitable to support to 580s sli in the future (if I ever I actually needed it)?

Also, could I just go with the intel stock cooler or should I actually buy an aftermarket one?
 
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dalauder

dalauder

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Aug 30, 2010
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FYI: An i5-2500K will do as well as an i7-2600K in gaming.

I'll work with a ~$1500 budget.

CPU: $215 i5-2500K (buy on Amazon). OC to 4.0GHz minimum.

Mobo: $190 AsRock Z68 Extreme4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157250&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Motherboards+-+Intel-_-ASRock-_-13157250

RAM: $65 8GB (2x4GB) 1600CL9 DDR3 on Newegg Sales

HDD: $55 Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB on Newegg Sales or $58 on Amazon

Graphics: $640 two Radeon 6970's
Considering Crossfired 6950 2GB's outscale two GTX 570's in SLI, you may as well get dual 6970's. I suggest XFX because of the lifetime warranty.

PhysX: $40 A GT240 or similar GeForce card.

PSU: $140 950W Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, or XFX only. Okay, PC Power & Cooling is good too. You could get one of these for $120 if you find a deal. Corsair's TX series is good enough in my opinion.

DVD: $20 Anything will work well

Case: $190 Anything. I personally have an Azza Solano 1000R I got for the airflow (live int he tropics) for $80. Bottom mounted PSU is a must.

Windows: $100

Cooler: $30 Xigmatek Gaia http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082&Tpk=xigmatek%20gaia

TOTAL: $1685


You could save $20 if you find a deal on the PSU, $20 if you find a deal on the graphics cards, $40 if you already have a GeForce card (9600GT or better), $90 if you get a non-expensive case, $20 if you find a deal on RAM like Newegg had last weekend ($45 for 8GB), and $5 on an HDD sale.

So you could do a system with identical performance for $1490 if you wanted. Graphics wise, this is ridiculous overkill if you're playing at lower than 1920x1200 resolution and really designed for more than that.

EDIT: changed cooler
 
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jyanez16

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Alright so I've changed things up a bit, here's the new build I'm thinking of doing (thanks for the all info guys); however, I'm still not sure and could use some more input.

Budget: $1500-$1700
Parts Not Required: Monitor, Keyboard, Mouse, etc. Budget purely for the actual PC
System Usage: Gaming, photoshop, internet browsing, very little video editing on Premiere.
Preferred Website: Newegg, Amazon, or any other reliable website you guys can recommend.
Country: US
OC: Maybe
SLI: Not anymore
Resolution: Currently 1440x900 but upgrading to a full HD one soon.
Additional Comments: Would love to have led in the case and sorry for not formatting my original post correctly, hope this is better.

Specs:
CPU and MOBO
i5 2500k with a P8Z68 PRO MOBO: $410
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.657718

RAM
Corsair Vengeance 8GB- $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-180-_-Product

PSU
Corsair AX850- $190 (For future possible SLI and maybe OCing)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139015&Tpk=ax850

GPU
GTX580 Superclocked- $530
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130590&cm_re=GTX_580_superclocked-_-14-130-590-_-Product

Case:
HAFX full Tower $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225&cm_re=haf_x-_-11-119-225-_-Product

Cooler: $80
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118074&cm_re=9900max-_-35-118-074-_-Product

DVD $20 HDD $65 Windows $100

Total $1655

So what do you guys think? Is that better or is there still something missing? I decided to go with a single card in order to avoid the woes of SLI (since it's my first build). Also, just wanna make sure that the cooler will fit well with all the other components or is it too large?
 
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jyanez16

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My only worry is that the Corsair Vengeance RAM might not fit with a larger cooler.. Nonetheless, that cooler looks a lot nicer and more efficient. Do you think it'll fit alright?

@R3xx3r

I really have no idea why the links don't work, checked them yesterday and they worked fine, really sorry about that.
 
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dalauder

dalauder

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A couple changes:

Get your i5-2500K on Amazon.com (from a highly rated seller) for $210 (w/ shipping and no tax)

ASRock Z68 Extreme4 is just a better moterboard: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/asrock-z68-extreme4-asus-p8z68-v-pro-gigabyte-z68x-ud3h-b3,2939-18.html

Corsair Vengeance is expensive, but okay.

The AX series really is overkill. I personally think the TX is plenty good enough. My TX850 was $90 after rebates. That $100 is always better spent on graphics. $630 of dual 6970's absolutely thrashes a GTX 580. Also, can the AX850 handle dual GTX 580s? Yeah...I guess it can...but I don't know if it can handle overclocking everything...yeah it probably could.

GTX 580? At 1400x900, a GTX 560Ti can play pretty much any game maxed out. I just want you to have an idea of what kind of overkill you're talking about here. Get a Radeon 6970 for $300 and spend $200 to upgrade to a 24" LED 1920x1080 monitor. Use the $30 that saves to get a PhysX card (which the ASRock Z68 Extreme4 has the PCI-e slots to run) and you won't be missing any features that GeForce provides over NVidia.

That's a good cooler, but it is LOUD and EXPENSIVE. It's your money, but I can guarantee you that a cooler louder than about 50dB will be audible--of course if you have excellent acoustic dampening, that might not be an issue. But that would also mean your case doesn't have windows, which defeats the point of a great cooler. I suggest the Tuniq Tower 120 Extreme instead. It's cooler, quieter, cheaper, and good looking. Just make sure it fits in your case.

I really think we should talk over your build some more. The build I put together was MUCH faster at gaming at the same price point.

If you save $100, on the case, $90 on the PSU, $40 on the cooler, $10 on the HDD, and $30 on the RAM, which is all very possible, you save $270. That's a 120GB Vertex 3 with no performance lost anywhere noticeable. I cannot, in good conscience, recommend the build you proposed above knowing that you intend to game on a 1440x900 monitor with a GTX 580. I really think you should buy a single Radeon 6970 (since they scale in dual mode so much better than GeForces) and see if that's fast enough for you.

Can you give me a reason you prefer GeForce over Radeon? If not...then do what the benchmarks tell you to do.
 
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jyanez16

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Thanks for the heads up on Amazon. Alright, so one question, is crossfiring to HDs difficult? That's my main issues, since I'm new to this, I'm kinda worried. Also, that motherboard you listed, can it support the two 6970s and an extra card for phsx? And also, how exactly do you do that? You place both 6970s crossfired and then just install the other card? Or do I have to connect it with the two 6970s? I think I'm gonna get the gaia cooler you listed above instead of the one I had, since you recommend that and I'll check out the case (though I do really like the HAFX). Seriously man, you've been a big help and I'm looking forward to more advice.. Please, continue helping me especially with that physX issues cause I don't quite get how that would work (2 6970s + an extra card??).

I checked out some 6970 crossfired articles, and it really peaked my interest, I just want to know if it's difficult and how the third card for physX factors in? I really don't mind whether it's Nvidia or AMD as long as it's good and you're def. right, the 6870s are far better. If I can only get one or the other, I'd rather get the two 6970s and no physX or two GTX560s (which is better?)

I plan on running games at full HD, so I'd like to go with crossfire. The 1440x900 is just the crap monitor I have right now, but I've got a separate budget for a new HD monitor (No More 1400x900! HOORAY!!). The 1500-1700 bucks is solely for the PC so feel free to recommend anything within that range. Just those questions I have.
 
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dalauder

dalauder

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Sure, feel free to keep this thread open or PM me if you have any questions.

Now you'll want to look at Newegg reviews to see if various cases can fit a 6970--it's a long card.

It supports Quad SLI and CrossfireX. That's pretty much plenty of PCI-e lanes to handle all the graphics cards. According to this thread, it shouldn't be a problem to Crossfire and add a PhysX card: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/265601-33-crossfire-physx

When you install NVidia's drivers (which you would have to do for an NVidia card), you select which card does Physics. Select the GeForce card, not the CPU and voila!

GTX 560's are not GTX 560Ti's. GTX 560's compete with 6870's and 6950 1GB's. GTX 560Ti's compete with 6950 2GB's. Here, compare some crossfire vs. SLI scaling:
http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188

They don't have all the benchmarks, but you should be able to tell that the 6000 series does better in dual mode. 2 6970's>2 6950 2GB's>2 6950 1GB's>2 GTX 570's>2 GTX 560Ti's>2 GTX 560's. My guess is 2 6870's fit in there somewhere between the 560Ti and 560. Now the 6950 1GB doesn't have enough memory to use the resolutions that two of those cards would benefit.

The ASRock Z68 Extreme4 has a lot of PCI-e lanes, so you could do two Radeons plus a PhysX.

As far as a full HD 1920x1080 monitor--a single 6970 can do all of that right now and max out pretty much all games. So I still strongly recommend you only get a single graphics card to start. Then upgrade later on since it will be cheaper in a month or two anyways. My GTX 470 can run almost everything on very high settings (with my 8800GT for PhysX). That matches a GTX 560Ti, which is markedly worse than a 6970. So keep in mind what you're looking to do because you might just be throwing money out the window. Keep in mind that you also can overclock your graphics card if its initial awesomeness is lacking.

At the resolutions where two GTX 580's are useful, their frame buffer is limiting so you'd want the 3GB version. Otherwise, the 2GB frame buffer of the 6970's can help them catch SLI'd GTX 580's in extreme HD (4000x2000) resolutions.

If you were talking about a single card, I would likely be suggesting a GTX 570 for you. However, you want dual cards and Crossfiring the 6000 series thoroughly handles SLI'd 500 series.

There's nothing wrong with a Haf X. It's a great case. I would spend less, but it's your call. I actually spent less and got my case because I live in Guam (tropical island) and need a TON of airflow through my case to keep it cool while overclocked.

EDIT: I also wanted to say that the Corsair TX series is NOT modular. That doesn't matter to me because my case lets me hide all the cables in the back panel. Any Antec, Corsair, Seasonic, or XFX PSU will do. I'd start picking parts up if I were you as they came on sale. Make all your purchases over the course of two weeks.
 
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jyanez16

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Lots of good info, wow. When I started researching I never thought there would be so many options! Alright, so, were I to go with a single card setup and avoid the hassle and expense of going with two, should I go with AMD or with Nvidia? I've been reading a lot of articles, but there's no clear winner and often times I see a lot of fanboys. Which single card from either of those two would be best? Like you said, I feel it'd be easier if I upgraded at a later time whenever it became necessary. You mentioned the GTX570 and the 6970. I've also read that crossfiring yields better percentage upgards than sli.

Therefore, were I to go with a single 6970, what good card could I use for physx? And after installing both cards, how do I make sure that the main card is the 6970 and not the other physX card? I've looked a lot of building guides and I'm pretty sure I can build the machine, my only real worry is the software and driver part especially that part with using another nvidia to get physX. And is physX really all that great? Or can I pass it up and still get good gaming performance?

Also, when putting the two different cards on the motherboard (AMD and Nvidia) would I have to bridge them in some way or do they go their separate ways?
 
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dalauder

dalauder

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The link I gave you will give you a good comparison between two individual cards.

Personally, I think the 6970 tops the GTX 570 in the majority of benchmarks (definitely not WOW or Civ V). But it lacks some features like NVidia 3D vision and PhysX. The 6950 tops the GTX 570 in dual mode. So the 6970 beats the GTX 570 in dual mode by a wide margin. If you are planning to add a second card down the road, go with Radeon. You will miss out on PhysX. According to reviews, Radeon's 3D gaming works (not as established as NVidia's), but that only matters if you have an 3D Ready monitor.

These are my opinions.

Of course, quite frankly, you could have a perfectly awesome gaming experience with a single GTX 560Ti/6950 2GB and use a 650W PSU. But your budget allows a faster machine.

It won't help in gaming, but if you like to brag, an i7-2600K is a good bragging CPU.
 
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