Credit Card in One Hand, Bottle of Whiskey in the other.

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530
Don't want to think, just want to buy. Started out wanting to spend 800.. now I'm thinking more along the lines of 1000-1500 $usd Here is what I got so far:

CPU:
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - $219.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

HSF:
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 - $27.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

CASE:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197

MOBO:
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - $124.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

RAM:
CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory - $52.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233186

HDD:
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

OPTICAL DRIVE:
LITE-ON DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model iHAS124-04 - OEM - $18.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

MONITOR:
ASUS VE247H Black 23.6" 2ms Full HD HDMI LED BackLight LCD Monitor - $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236112

OPERATING SYSTEM:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986


Now I need some help: Was looking at PSUs but can't decide which I should get for the price. I Think 750w would be enough if I even at somepoint add another video card. Which brings me to my next point.. Which GPU I should be going for... Dropping the cash for the gtx580.. is that worth it over something like a 560ti? Will mainly be using this rig for sc2, bf3, diablo 3.

Thanks guys for helping out a noob builder.
 

AdrianPerry

Distinguished
Certainly seems like you've done some research on the components! All looks very solid and nothing id immediatly change.

The "budget/mid-range" option is:
Buy a single 560Ti for now, it will play all current games maxed out with good FPS, buy a 750w PSU. (500w is enough for a single GTX 560Ti, buying 750w enables you to add a second card in SLI if you ever feel you need more performance). SLI 560's will also outperform a single GTX 580.

The "costly/high end" option is:
Buy yourself a 1000w PSU, a GTX 580 play it untill a new game is released requiring some SERIOUS GPU power and then just slam another GTX 580 in when you feel the need to upgrade.

The first option will certainly give you "best bang-for-buck" performance. You might also be able to stick with a single GTX 560Ti for a while and pick up a nice cheap deal on another in a few months down the line.

Reputable PSU brands include:
Cosair, XFX, SeaSonic, Antec, Enermax.
Modular cable type is recommended.
 

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530
Thanks for the replies guys.. I'll probably go the 560ti route since I'm already well above my budget and 300 buck difference might let me slap a SSD into this rig (would my current mobo/setup support an SSD? Thinking about just tossing the OS and a game or 2 on it)

That power supply I have been looking at, I just wish it was modular but I guess its nothing a few zipties can't fix. I will probably go with that PSU since I was leaning towards it anyway and now someone else recommended it as well.
 

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530


well now that is the exact opposite of what these other two replies said... They were saying dual 560ti is better than a single 580.
 

AdrianPerry

Distinguished
Direct Quote from the link rolli59 posted which can be found here on Toms:

"The same can be said for a couple of GeForce GTX 560 Tis in SLI, which, when combined, often outperform a single GeForce GTX 580 at a notably lower price."
 

genghiskron

Distinguished
Mar 15, 2011
1,115
0
19,460
im not saying a gtx 580 is going to perform better than two 560 ti's. i know almost nothing about the op other than the title and his brief description. to me, he sounds like someone better suited for a single card setup.
 

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530
So I am either going to go with the 560ti or the gtx580.. I always confused with GPUs since there are a million different names for the same ones???

So from both of those.. which ones would you recommend I get from new egg.. I just want my choices boiled down to one 560ti and one gtx580 b/c I think these are what best suit me.. just have to think about the $$.. And again.. thanks for an awesome community that I stumbled upon!
 

steelbeast

Distinguished
Sep 3, 2011
209
0
18,710


That RAM is NOT on the QVL list of supported RAM. if you buy it and have problems, ASRock will not help you. Here's the list

http://www.asrock.com/mb/memory.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme3%20Gen3

Note the speed and GB carefully in the list.

For a PSU, I would personally go 1000W. PSU's run most efficient at 80% or less capacity, plus you'll have room for upgrading and OC'ing no problem. Seriously, the PSU is the single most important component in the machine.

PSU: 1000W COOLER MASTER Silent Pro $130/AR (Newegg)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171049

Here's a link to provide you with a wealth of knowledge on choosing your GPU. If you want the one with most bang for buck, go with 6950 or 6970. The proof is in the link.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/GPU11/188

Enjoy :D
 

I personally would go with the GTX560Ti which is a very capable card at 1080P resolution http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_560_Twin_Frozr_II/23.html
 

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530
Help me one last time awesome community that is tom's hardware. I have been lurking for about a month and just reading about 8 hours a day at work and learning more about computers than I ever have in my life just from these forums. I have every piece of my new cpu selected and just need some clarification on what GPU to get. I have a full cart at new egg and want to check out but I am confused as to why when I type in 560ti I get 30+ results.... which one am I supposed to slap in and pay for?
 

steelbeast

Distinguished
Sep 3, 2011
209
0
18,710

MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

You can never go wrong with the customer choice award / highly rated one. :D

Also note, this one 2x fans, a GPU with 1x fan might suffer in your case.
 

gnarxy

Distinguished
Aug 29, 2011
47
0
18,530



for a generic check-out or if i get a gtx580?