First time building need lots of advice =)

[chaoticham]

Approximate Purchase Date: in the next 3 weeks

Budget Range: ~$1000 not 100% sure yet

System Usage from Most to Least Important: gaming all the way XD

Parts Not Required: mouse, keyboard, speakers, monitor.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: http://www.pccasegear.com/

Country of Origin: Australia

Parts Preferences: none

Overclocking: yes when i learn how but i don't need to immediately.

SLI or Crossfire: yes also dont need to immediately just want to get it built with about $1000 then i'll get extras later.

Monitor Resolution: using a 42" LCD can run 1920x1080 or 1360x768 if needed but 1920x1080 is preferred.

Additional Comments: none


Hi everyone this is the first time iv'e posted on a forum before so forgive me if I do something wrong XD anyway here's my question to anyone willing to answer =)

in the near future i wish to upgrade my computer, anything remotely close to what I'm about to post is a huge upgrade for me but i want the best possible upgrade to avoid wasting money later on upgrades that could have been avoided.

some of these parts are from the system builder marathon $1000 enthusiast http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-pc,2969.html

also it should be noted iv'e never built a computer before so everything is quite foreign to me but here is what i'm looking at.

Motherboard: MSI P67A-G43
LGA 1155, Intel P67 chipset

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K
3.3 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo), Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache

CPU Cooler: ???

Memory: Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=15517

Graphics: ASUS Radeon HD6950 DirectCU II 2GB or... 2 x Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 1 GB GDDR5
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1179&products_id=16856

Hard Drives: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_344&products_id=12711

Case: Antec Three Hundred Case
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_733&products_id=6754

Power: Corsair TX-650 V2 Power Supply
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=17211

and that's it the main questions i have is, performance.. is this going to run games well at reasonably high settings?, with the CPU cooler if you could point me in the right direction on the site i linked a bunch of times that would be greatly appreciated and aim for around $30-$50 that would be awesome ><

Which of the graphics card options would be better keeping in mind i would like to crossfire even if i have to save for another card if i got the 2gb one, will the case be able to fit all of the things i need?, with the power supply i'd like to know if i'm going to be putting much pressure on it with the other components, andthe last question i think is are all these parts compatible with each other basically.

thank you in advance to anyone able to help me, if there are any parts that you think would make a better replacement without too much extra cost if any please try to find them on the site here http://www.pccasegear.com/ so i can order the goodies and receive them asap =)

 

[sonicfantom]

There is a 6950 1GB variant, you may want to look around for one. A single 6950 is more than enough to play games at max settings at HD resolutions, you really don't need two. A 6950 can also be "unlocked" into a 6970 - free gaming power.

If you don't plan to go beyond a mild overclock, the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ CPU cooler has pretty good performance for a low cost.

 

[boiler1990]

Motherboard: MSI P67A-G43
LGA 1155, Intel P67 chipset

Pretty Standard motherboard. I'd look around at Asus and Gigabyte as well and balance out the ports/speeds and cost.

Processor: Intel Core i5-2500K
3.3 GHz (3.7 GHz Turbo), Quad-Core, 6 MB L3 Cache

Best choice for games

CPU Cooler: ???

The Hyper 212+ is a great cooler, and is very similar to the Xigmatec Gaia (get whichever is cheaper). The Hyper 212+ is able to support some high OCs on older (i.e. hotter) chips, so it should be more than capable to handle a good OC on the 2500K. You may not even need to up the voltage to OC somewhat.

Memory: Corsair CMX8GX3M2A1333C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=15517

This RAM is the same price except faster (1600 MHz vs 1333 MHz), and G.Skill makes good stuff. I have a similar model, and it's great stuff.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=186_538_913&products_id=13931

Graphics: ASUS Radeon HD6950 DirectCU II 2GB or... 2 x Gigabyte Radeon HD 6850 1 GB GDDR5
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1179&products_id=16856

I'd go with the Sapphire 6950 2GB instead of the Asus DirectCU II 2GB; sure it cools better, but that's only because it has a dual slot cooler instead of a normal single slot cooler. You'll save $40 and get the same great performance @ 1920x1080. You'll also have room to Crossfire later (hard with the triple slot design of the Asus; doable, but you need to get the right mobo and you can't have a ton of expansion cards).
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=193_1179&products_id=17637

Hard Drives: Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB HD103SJ
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=210_344&products_id=12711

Best choice for a platter drive, by far.

Case: Antec Three Hundred Case
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=25_733&products_id=6754

I would say to get the Cooler Master HAF 912, but it's almost $60 more In the US, it's the same price. It's a better case IMO, but not $60 better.

Power: Corsair TX-650 V2 Power Supply
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=17211

This will be enough if you ran this system stock. However, you'll need another 100-150W for a second 6950, and another 100W of headroom for upped voltage when OCing, so take your future plans into consideration when selecting the PSU.

 

[chaoticham]

wow thanks so much for the reply's =) this is directed to boiler, I'm just wondering are the parts you suggested all compatible with each other assuming I'm going to use all your suggestions with the rest of the parts I posted, and if it's not too much trouble can you point me in the right direction for a different motherboard and power supply please as I said I'm totally new to all of this so it's kind of gibberish to me XD

 

[boiler1990]

These parts will all work fine - the only real thing you need to match up these days are the CPU and motherboard (just need to be the same socket).

For motherboards, there are tons of options out there. My network connection at work is far too slow to browse around pccasegear, or I totally would. However, the P67/Z68 motherboards have most of the same features, and it's really the small things that make them different.

For general requirements, make sure the board has:
- 2 PCI Express x16 slots capable of running at x8/x8 (Crossfire and SLI certified) - will keep your system upgradeable in the future
- SATA III and USB 3.0 - it's hard to not find these on the new boards
- Brands - Asus, Gigabyte, ASRock, *some* Biostar boards are all reputable and perform similarly within the price ranges

I prefer Gigabyte's expansion slot layout as opposed to Asus because I use a lot of cards (have a GPU, sound card, and wifi card) that wouldn't fit on an Asus board.
That said, I only purchased my P67-UD4-B3 because it was only $130 on a forum ($50 below retail). I was going to go with an ASRock Extreme4.


As for power supplies, I'm not sure what's available. Safe bets are always Corsair (a bit pricey sometimes), Antec, Seasonic, XFX (OEMed by Seasonic), and PC Power and Cooling's Silencer Series. Again, I'd be looking in the 850W range.

 

[chaoticham]

hey thanks again for the reply iv'e been looking at different ones now and iv'e found these can you advise on these for me if it's not too much trouble? http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=17210

and...http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=15_354&products_id=15251

the price difference is quite a bit different but being new to all this I'm unsure as to why XD, this is the motherboard also please let me know what you think.
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=138_711_1183&products_id=17724

 

[boiler1990]

Corsair has 4 series of PSUs: CX, TX, HX, and AX.
The CX line has low power (up to 600W) consumer-grade power supplies.
The TX series is the standard consumer line (up to 950W - I have the TX950), and the cables are non-modular (i.e. you can't remove cables that you're not using)
The HX series is a bit better than the TX series - it generally provides more wattage than it is listed for, and the cables are modular.
The AX series is the for the high performance enthusiasts- it has an 80+ Gold efficiency rating, modular cables, and the longest warranty out of any Corsair PSU.

The TX850 is a great PSU, and comes highly recommended. Another good PSU that is a little (~$10) cheaper is the Antec High Current Gamer 900W, but I personally will buy a Corsair every time I can afford it.

That motherboard should serve you well. Gigabyte's UD3 boards across every chipset sell pretty well.

 

[chaoticham]

ah ok thanks for the advice I'm pretty much just looking at getting everything your suggesting =P, I think the last few questions I have is, is everything that has been listed going to be enough to get me up and running or am I missing something? (not including OS and Disc Drive) and... water cooling, is it better option considering I'm looking to OC?

http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=207_160_45&products_id=17961

It's quite a bit more expensive BUT I'm curious to know whether it will benefit me in the long run. iv'e found out I wont be getting paid for another 2 weeks but when I do I'll have double my original budget so I don't mind spending that little bit extra =)

 

[boiler1990]

IMHO the H100 isn't quite worth its extravagant price. It'll probably perform really well, but something like the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ ($30 USD vs. $120 USD) will still support some very high OCs as long as your case airflow is set up properly (usually is by default).

Another cooler similar in cost and performance to the Hyper 212+ is the Xigmatek Gaia.

 

[chaoticham]

ok then thanks very much for the help also is everything that has been listed enough to get me up and running excluding operating system and a cd drive?

 

[boiler1990]

Yep everything is good to go!

 

[chaoticham]

awesome thanks for all the help once iv'e ordered it all in if I have any trouble when i start building it i'll probably be posting about it again XD