Comment on my mid-high gaming build

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ares640

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Approximate Purchase Date: Today

Budget Range: Under $1500 preferably

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, movies, internet, music

Parts Not Required: At the moment, I will reuse my 20 inch monitor, and my keyboard/mouse/speakers. Will be upgrading later.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.ca

Country of Origin: Canada

Parts Preferences: Full tower case. Prefer Nvidia and Intel to AMD.

Overclocking: Yes on CPU and GPU.

SLI or Crossfire: Possible SLI once Kepler is released.

Monitor Resolution: 1680x1050. Will upgrade to 24" - 26" 1080p soon.

Additional Comments: I do not care how loud my system is, performance is more important.

Newegg.ca has some good deals on for the next 72 hours, so I finally decided its time to upgrade my ancient dell. This is my first time building my own computer, but I am not new to the concept. This is a mid-high ranged gaming build.



Case: HAF 932 Full ATX
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16811119160

MOBO: MSI Z68A-GD55 (On sale)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16813130606

CPU: 2500k (On sale)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16819115072

GPU: MSI GTX 570 TF3 PE/OC
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16814127582

RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8gb 1600
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16820233147

PSU: Corsair Professional HX850
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16817139011

HDD: Hitachi 1 TB SATA 3.0 Gb/s 32 MB (On sale)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16822145304

CPU Cooler: CM Hyper 212+ (with a second fan)
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...82E16835103065

Crucial M4 128 GB Sata III SSD
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442

Total cost with tax and shipping is $1600.

What do you think? My biggest concerns are the 570 vs 560ti vs 6950 and if I should include a SSD or not. I will very likely pick up a second cheap 570 for SLI once Kelper is released.
 
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AdrianPerry

AdrianPerry

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Nice build! You've done your homework!

570 is a good choice, if it fits budget, stick with it :)

I would also highly recommend a 60GB SSD for a boot/applications drive. It will drastically improve day-to-day performance.

If its a case of GTX 560Ti + SSD or just a GTX570, id probably suggest The 560Ti and SSD.

Gigabyte GTX 560Ti and MSI 560Ti are both good choices priced at $235/$240
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007708%20600094002%20600107147&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20560%20Ti%20%28Fermi%29



 
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ares640

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I very much like MSI's Twin Frozr 3 models of graphics cards. The gtx 570 is $100 more than the 560, but I think in the long run it may be worth it. I have never had more than one HDD in a computer before, so having the OS and other programs on the SSD will take some getting used to. Should i get a 120 gb SSD so that I can install important games on it? (BF3, Skyrim, etc) Or will they be fine on the HDD? Im assuming it will only affect load times.
 
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AdrianPerry

AdrianPerry

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120GB SSD is great if you can afford it.

As you say, that's plenty of space for your OS, more than likely all of your desktop applications and a good few games as well.

GTX 570 is a good choice, it will "last longer" in terms of maxing out gaming performance than the 560Ti since its a more powerful card.

It really all comes down to budget. You don't want to go crazy and build something insane, but getting the best "bang-for-your-buck" is important.

 
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ares640

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If I decide to get a SSD say a year from now, I will need to reinstall windows right? Likely making it easier to just start over from scratch than copying files. If that's the case, it would be wise to get a SSD now when I am starting over. Does everything else look fine? Is the MSI mobo good? It is on sale for $135, that is the main reason I chose it.
 
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chesteracorgi

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You can set up a Windows partition that will be easy to clone when you buy an SSD if you do a little planning. Just create a partition a little smaller than the SSD that you plan to buy (a 115 GB partitiion for a 128 GB SSD or a 52 GB partition for a 60 GB SSD) and install windows. When you back up the OS you be able to close it to the SSD when you get it.
 
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AdrianPerry

AdrianPerry

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Its easier to buy one when you start fresh yes.
 
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ares640

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Okay, 60 GB or 120? SATA 2 or 3?

OCZ Agility SATA 3 60gb: $105 with $20 rebate
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227725

OCZ Agility SATA 3 120gb: $190 with $30 rebate
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227726

OCZ Vertex SATA 2 120gb: $165 with $20 rebate
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227739

Roughly how much space will I have left on a 60 gb after installing Windows 7 64 bit plus drivers ect?

Do I need a 3.5" to 2.5" converter to mount it in a HAF 932? I don't think the case comes with one.

Converter:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817997013
 
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ares640

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How bad? The Agility series are a very good price. I do not want to pay $200+ for a SSD, as I was not even going to get one in the first place.

How about this? Good reviews:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148441
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148442
 
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