Question from a Noob Re: Gaming Rig

[Mythilas]

Hello, I was hoping to get some feedback here. I'm looking to build a new gaming computer, and I'm a little unsure which way to go re: the graphics card. I'm going for an Alienware with: i7-2600K OC 3.9GHz
8G DDR3 1333MHz RAM(is 1333MHz too slow? Will 16G make a noticeable difference?)
1920 x 1080 monitor resolution
875W PSU
Nvidia GTX 590 (Is this overkill for a single monitor at my resolution?)

Basically, I'd like to be able to run the games I play, which at the moment include The Witcher 2, Age of Conan, RIFT, DAII, at max settings with no FPS/stuttering issues. I'd appreciate any recommendations and feedback! Sorry for my noobness.

 

[jackspeed]

Not sure if you are upgrading anything else but you could check this computer out if you are worried about the ram. http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadode.asp?id=566401 2.5k without shipping or the monitor The warantee is the same realistically it is a 1 year warantee.

If you feel comfortable installing your own ram you could buy this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 saves a pretty penny. on you gtx 590 it is the best video card on the market another good option would be the 580 saves you 200 but It future proofs you computer a little more so I would go with the 590.

EDIT: @ P07H34D the power supply could and would power the 590 he is not building a pc from cyber-power I have a hard time believing that alienware or digital storm would build a pc that cant power the gpu. from nvidia itself http://www.geforce.com/Hardware/GPUs/geforce-gtx-590/specifications Maximum power 375W minimum psu 700W. I also agree with him on building it would save I would guess closer to $500

 

[Mythilas]

Thank you both for the responses. @PO7H34D, I don't live near a microcenter, and I'm totally clueless and not comfortable with the idea of building my own PC. Although, I do have friends who swear by it, so perhaps they could show me...

@Jackspeed, thanks for the link to that computer! That is around the max price range I was looking at, and while I'm unfamiliar with Digital Storm, that computer is really tempting.

 

[jackspeed]

with building your own pc you will save money but it may not be right for you. Unless you need your warantee do not spend the extra 350 on the ram upgrade. and have a friend help you out. DIgital storm is supposedly a good company that competes with alienware type companies. From what I have heard they do have good customer service. That was a prebuilt computer you could play around with there cutomizer or another option would be the step down from that 1 this link http://www.digitalstormonline.com/comploadode.asp?id=566405 the difference is it is 2 570s in sli instead of a 590.

 

[AbdullahG]

@Jack The Radeon HD 6990 is the fastest card on the market, not the GTX 590. There is a 9% difference.

I would forget getting the GTX 590 if you are using 1 monitor. Get a GTX 570 or GTX 580. Swap the CPU for an i5 2500k. Drop the 8GB of RAM and get 4GB. More RAM won't make a difference honestly. That should get you going. Like mentioned before, Digital Storm is a nice sight for pre-built PCs. Try CyberPowerPC as well to see which gives the better deal.

 

[jackspeed]

on alienware the price difference between a 590 and a 6990 is $100. also the 2500k is more money than the i7 and get the 8 gigs. It wont make a difference now but if he doesn't want to build a computer he may not want to upgrade his computer.from toms hardwares article "These titans are forced to grudgingly share the high-end space, as their performance is often too close to call a winner. " about the 6990 and the 590 so that is why I said it was the best card. I like to future proof if I know I will not be upgrading again without buying a new computer.

 

[Mythilas]

Ah, I meant to ask whether or not I should just go with a GTX 580, so thanks for mentioning that, Abdullah.

 

[AbdullahG]

When is the i5 2500k more than the i7 2600k? And like you said about the $100 difference, you have a good point. Most games do not use 4GB of RAM. At most 3GB, but either way games are mainly GPU and CPU based and having 4GB of RAM is fine enough for the games of today. If you want more RAM go ahead. If you want to save a few bucks, get 4GB. It really depends on your perspective.

 

[jackspeed]

for your needs a 580 will suffice. the question I would ask you is if you upgrade will you be getting a new computer? Do you plan to use 2 monitors in the future. If you were building you won computer I would say get the 580 and SLI it when it doesn't preform how you want.

 

[jackspeed]

@AbdullahG Alienware charges more for messed up stuff

 

[tsnor]

re video: I find this reference helps. It's refreshed monthly. First the recommendations are good. Second the hierarchy chart on the last page is a great reference where you can compare cards.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,2997.html

With 1920 X 1080 resolution on your monitor you can choose good, excellent or exceptional gameplay.

re: "i7-2600K OC 3.9GHz " Everyone is different, I would not OC the 2600. Some people would go for the i5-2500 which is very very very close in performance and costs a lot less because it's not the biggest.

8GB is plenty. Adding more later is really easy, but 8GB is plenty.

I'd go with two disk drives in a striped (raid 0) configuration. You motherboard puts half the data on one drive, and half on the other. This means you can load data twice a fast, giving moderately improved boot times and game level load times. Disks are cheap.

 

[jackspeed]

My vote for a prebuilt would probably be an digital storm ode because it has both a boot hard disk and a large hd. They will be cheaper than alienware and they don't charge you $350 to upgrade to 1600mhz ram

 

[Mythilas]

Thanks for the input guys! @Jackspeed, you're guess is correct; assuming I remain at my current knowledge level re: building/upgrading computers (i.e. none), instead of upgrading, I would be more inclined to buy a new computer. I'd like to get one that will tide me over for about two years, give or take.

@Tsnor, thank you for the feedback. It seems that Jack is correct in that, at least if I bought it from Alienware, the i7-2600 is cheaper than the i5-2500. It's odd.

 

[jackspeed]

the alienwares or the odes (the top 3 models) should last about 3-4 years(no promises). If you want alienware get the 590 as it might last you a little longer. And if you were configuring elsewhere I would tell you to look into the 2500k but the 2600k is slightly better. and it MAY turn out that games in 2 years will utilize hyper threading.