$1000 Gaming Rig Critique Wanted

[jackofhearts495]

Hi, just wanted some critique on a $1000 gaming rig (as per the title) that I plan on building soon before I ordered the parts. Here's what I have in mind...


CD/DVD: Asus 24x CD/DVD Burner - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

Case: Coolermaster HAF 912 Mid-Tower - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Extra Fans: 2 x Scythe "Slipstream" 120mm 1900RPM - $18
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185060

Fan Controller: Lamptron 5.25" 5-Channel, 60W per channel - $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811997017

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 7200RPM 500gb SATA III - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136795

CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K 3.3GHz - $220
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

Mobo: MSI P67A-G45 - $133
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130582

RAM: 2 x 4gb Wintec Ampo 1333MHz 1.5v 9-9-9-24 - $65
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820161364

CPU Cooler: Xigmatek Gaia SD1283 120mm - $30
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233082

PSU: Raidmax Blackstone Series 700W Bronze Plus - $60
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152042

GPU: Diamond Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCIe 2.1 x16 - $295
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814103181


TOTAL: $994
Total after MIRs: $954

---------------------------------------------
***Edited so far***: PSU (+/-$0)
---------------------------------------------

Thoughts, comments, critique?

 

[bigbang]

you are pushing that psu as you are using a 6950.
get :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371031
instead
do not get a random brand graphics cards!
heres what u should get instead
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127588&cm_re=6950-_-14-127-588-_-Product
mind you if you are using a low resolution monitor and depending on when u want to upgrade next , i would recommend a crossfire setup with a slightly more powerful psu (just 50w or so)
get a proper cooler! provided you want to overclock (which granted thats a very overclockable cpu ur buying) then u want to boost ur cpu's performance to the limits, which needs a better than average cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103057
and finally, no to random brand rams. get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231449
again the arguement being the faster memory will boost ur gaming performance, rather than the size of the ram. you may want to go for something slightly slower for 6gm space, but you cant really justify that for a gaming rig, unless u plan to run and play mutiple games at the same time >.>

 

[jackofhearts495]

First off, I'm not worried about my PSU. I'm not gonna hit its max wattage, and I want a modular power supply.

Secondly, Diamond is a perfectly reputable company that makes great cards. I'm paying the price premium on this particular 6950 because it has a great cooling solution and is extremely well reviewed.

I'm not using a low-res monitor; I'm at full 1080p and plan on getting at least one more monitor.

The CPU cooler I have is fine, too. I don't plan on maxing out my 2500k, so it more than fits my needs (and it will especially once I put one of those Slipstream fans on the cooler so it's push-pull).

I also see no reason, after looking at benchmarks, to spend the same on 4gb of 2133 RAM as I would 8gb of 1333. I want 8gb to be more future-proofed. What's the problem with off-brands, too? I'm not going to spend a premium just to get a big brand; there's no reason to.

 

[ice919]

The only thoughts I had was first you can get the 750 gigabyte version of that hard-drive for the same price: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136794

Second you are really going to be pushing it with that power supply. If you used Neweggs power supply calculator it is generally a little low. I plugged it into extreme's calculator and it peaked at 528 watts with just a mild oc of the processor. I would recommend this if you want to stay with OCZ: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017

Or if you ever plan on dropping in a second gfx card you definently will need more power such as this:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152042

 

[jackofhearts495]

Yeah, I was just looking at that PSU. Since it's the same price as the OCZ I was looking at (and still modular), I edited the OP to reflect the change.


Anything else?

 

[bigbang]

if diamond graphics cards are so well reviewed, why cant i find a single review on a reputable computer site which includes their card? I recommended an MSI for you, a brand which promises performance based on a history of successful component designs, customized under their own name. and a slow ram is gonna clog up your processor so much that you are theoretically wasting money on a faster processor when u cannot utilize it in terms of memory speed. there is no way you can run any application in the foreseeable future thats gonna take up 4gb of ram, unless you do image editing for a magazine or else...
and if you do read what i was writing above carefully, youll notice that i am taking the assumption that you are overclocking, and should that be the case then you do not have sufficient cooling for your cpu's potential at max oc, hence why a good cooler will drop the temps, promising stability and noiseless operation.

 

[capt_taco]

Diamond isn't a random brand GPU. They've been around forever. I distinctly remember putting a Diamond graphics card in my 386 machine back in 1993, at the same time SimCity 2000 came out. They may not be the most high-profile brands today, but they've been putting together decent cards for going on 20 years now.

 

[aznshinobi]

That 6950 is probably one of the longest running names. My 5850 is a Diamond card, thank god they used the reference design allowing me to OC with unlocked voltage.
But I suggest this, cheaper and good cooling. Great Newegg reviews don't always mean good card, the Diamond although stable, uses a reference cooler which runs hot.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102945&cm_re=6950_2gb-_-14-102-945-_-Product

 

[bigbang]

like it or not, you have no way of proving a diamond card will perform the same as an asus or his which are widely benchmarked. msi promises cards of similar performance at at a reasonable price. better knowing than being almost certain.

 

[need4speeds]

A system with (under-clocked down to reference card clocks) 6950's in crossfire and a mild overclocked 2500K with it's factory cooler.

Grand Total:* $1,005.91

CD/DVD: Asus 24x CD/DVD Burner - $20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827135204

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133094
$39.99 Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148701
$39.99 Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371044
$74.99 Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE +12V1@38A, +12V2@38A

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145278
$34.99 CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 Desktop Memory

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138308
$79.99 BIOSTAR TH67B LGA 1155 Intel H67

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
$219.99 i5-2500K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385
$495.98 ($247.99 each) GIGABYTE GV-R695OC-1GD Radeon HD 6950 1GB
Core Clock:870mhz. It is a factory overclocked card with 3 fans. 800 is the normal speed.
To work with the antec's two 38 amp 12volt rails, the card would run better at the reference card 800mhz gpu clock so that each card stays below 38amps. (it is possible to try it later and see if it runs ok at 870mhz). The case takes extra fans, you might have to add extra fans to run it at its factory overclocked setting.

 

[bigbang]

lol that psu is seriously going to get barbequed (replying to need4speeds) with 2 6950s on load....

 

[apache_lives]

dont buy MSI there rubbish

stick with ASUS or Gigabyte seriously

 

[z_4]

Here's my build based around i5-2500K & GTX570 or 6970 (your choice) :

CPU & Motherboard : $325-i5-2500K & MSI P67 G45 (same but cheaper with combo)

Cooler : $28- Xigmatek Gaia (Same)

RAM : $60- Corsair Vengeance 2x 4GB(Don't know how long this will last)

Power Supply : $100- Antec High Current Gamer HG 750 (Capable of powering two cards )

Graphic Card : $325- EVGA GTX570 or HIS Radeon 6970

HDD : $65- Samsung Spinpoint 1TB

Case : $60- Cooler Master HAF 912 (Same)

Optical Drive : $19-Lite On

Total (Excluding Rebates ): 982 USD

Rebates : 75 USD

If you need to accomodate and SSD worth $120 possible suggestion would be :
1. Drop the graphic card to Sapphire Radeon 6950 2GB worth $270.Save $55.
2. Downgrade the power supply to Antec Neo ECO 620 worth $70. Save $30.
3. Drop the case to Sentley Black worth $35. Save $25
That should save money enough to buy an SSD like Crucial M4 64GB worth $120

Hope that helps.

 

[aznshinobi]

Apache you are way tooo bias company wise.
Also you don't need a 6970/570 when the 560 Ti or the 6950 2GB/1GB can easily OC past that level. It's a waste of $75 more IMO or $50

 

[need4speeds]

38amps for each card should work at stock clocks,(my 4870 is 28 amps in comparison) but if someone can edit that build to include a better power supply it would be nice.


The antec 750 listed above should work and is $69.99 is the rebates come in, that would work better than the 650.

-The case needs all the fan spots filled up with fans too.

- $1100? A bit over budget to have crossfire 6950's and a 2500K is worth going a bit over budget for.

- Try and edit my build to make it work somehow.

 

[need4speeds]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-builder-gaming-pc,2961-16.html

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/system-builder-gaming-pc,2961.html

Its 2600k/6970's 2500K/6950's would be a bit less power. But that build has a 850 seasonic. It looks like the antec 750 watt would work.

It would also be almost as fast as the $2000 pc.

 

[need4speeds]

I changed the build a bit to make budget.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813138308
$79.99 Biostar TH67B LGA 1155 Intel H67

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115072
$219.99 i5-2500K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811133094
$39.99 Thermaltake V3 Black Edition VL80001W2Z Black SECC / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814125385
$495.98 ($247.99 each) GIGABYTE GV-R695OC-1GD Radeon HD 6950 1GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049
$99.99 $69.99 after mail-in rebate Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679788
$52.48 LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50 Bulk - OEM
bundled with:1x Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146748
Now: $34.99 $24.99 after mail-in rebate Mushkin Enhanced Essentials 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

Grand Total:* $1,023.41 ($983.41 after mail in and pray rebates)

 

[aznshinobi]

^ What's point of having 2500K then?
The links are dead BTW for many of those links.

 

[jackofhearts495]

What's this $1100 budget talk?

And by the way, I want to keep those extra fans and the fan controller.

I also don't want an SSD for this build; I've tried them and I don't consider them worth the price (at least not for this budget build).

I'd also rather start the build with one card so that when I want to upgrade, I can just add a card instead of ditching an old one (therefore wasting $200-300).

 

[aznshinobi]

He's trying to fit 2x6950's in which would give you a significant bonus in performance.

 

[jackofhearts495]

And again, I don't want to sacrifice the fans and the controller to fit two cards in the budget. I also want future expandability.

 

[need4speeds]

That system i was trying to build would give tom's recent $2000 a build a run for it's money in benchmarks and fps in gaming.

It is the system you are planning to upgrade to in the future, but you can have it now. Why wait when you can have that system now?

I was thinking it would be easier to add the fans and fan controller and a better cpu cooler later on. When you have the case and system together and see how it works and what fans will fit, and how much room you have for a large cooler.

It's nice to have matching cards, ones that are the same speed, brand, model, clock. Later a second card would likely be a different brand, maybe the clocks are a bit different. That still works, but its not as good as matched cards.

Ok i see some links are not working,

I will try and repost them. But it's not hard to find them on the newegg site too.
Deals change all the time so if the links are dead you will have to search for a replacement.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146748
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133094
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138308
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679788
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385

 

[need4speeds]

http://www.biostar.com.tw/app/en/mb/introduction.php?S_ID=530

It does say it allows cpu overclocking, crossfirex. Hopefully it's a good board.

 

[need4speeds]

I found a different case, it's a bit cheaper too. It has 4 12cm fans with a fan controller, its in the build below.

 

[need4speeds]

I managed to get it within budget. Grand Total:* $998.41 ($983.41 with $15 mail in rebate)
I changed a few parts, case with fan controller and 4 fans, memory with heat spreaders, 850 watt atx.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811322020
$34.99 Free Shipping Sentey Black Box Series BX2-4284 Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385
$495.98 ($247.99 each) GIGABYTE GV-R695OC-1GD Radeon HD 6950 1GB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817121069
$79.99 KINGWIN ABT-850MM 850W ATX 12V

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226092
$34.99 $19.99 after mail-in rebate Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138308
$79.99 Biostar TH67B LGA 1155 Intel H67

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.679788
$52.48 LG DVD±RW SuperMulti Drive Black SATA Model GH22NS50 Bulk - OEM
bundled with:1x Seagate Barracuda ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA
(There is a combo for $72 that has the 1tb seagate instead)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
$219.99 i5-2500K