Hello,
I have not built a gaming rig for about 2 years now and this will be my 6th computer. I like to consider myself pretty knowledgeable and I have done my research but I want to make sure I am getting the best deal for my budget. I am going to list the parts I have picked out through Newegg with their links and I ask you guide me toward a better choice if one exists. My current budget is $1000-1200 but I would like to stay on the low end of that.
Current parts list:
[CASE] Xigmatek Utgard Window ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815007
[MOBO] ASUS P8P67 LGA 1155 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131705
[CPU] Intel i5 2500k "Sandy Bridge" @ 3.3 GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
[HSK] Corsair H80 Liquid CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181016
[GPU] MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II OC 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127562
[RAM] G.SKILL Ripjaws X (4*4) 16GB DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 or CORSAIR Vengeance (2*4) 8GB DDR3 1600 7-8-7-20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233219
[SSD] Patriot Pyro 60GB SATAIII
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220602
[HDD] Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATAIII
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
[PSU] hec Zephyr MX 750w ATX12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339002
Approximate Cost after rebates: $1050
Here are my current thoughts on this build:
I love the design of the Utgard case, plenty of space, wire management holes, screwless bays/pci and its simplistic aesthetics. I decided to go with the P8P67 because it appears to be the premiere chipset for the the Sandy Bridge processors I chose this version because the other versions appear to be different only in cooling technology, cap designer or possess added SLI functionality. I am definitely going to be overclocking this beast so I got the Corsair H80. I didn't get the H60 because it doesn't have the added fan mount for push-pull. As far as dollar per fps goes I found through studying benchmarks and comparing prices of both ATI and NVIDIA cards that the MSI R8950 Twin Frozr II was the best choice. However, this was only because of the ability to unlock the pixel shaders and overclock to near 6970 performance. I have heard A.) Conflicting accounts on whether this card can be unlocked. and B.) People saying its just a matter of time after modding it before you start to notice artifacts. I believe this video card to be the best choice for my budget but I remain unsure (PLZ HELP!). I have always used G.SKILL memory and I have never had a problem but I have a dilemma regarding this set of Corsair Vengeance. The set of Corsair has a much better cas latency and although it is not a 16gb set who is really going to be utilizing 16gb in the first place? What do you guys think 16gb vs better cas latency? The Patriot Pyro seems to be an absolute steal for a SATAIII SSD, it has much better reviews and a price tag of 89.99 after rebate vs the Corsair Force that seems to be leading the market. I want the SSD for my OS, daily use programs and my favorite games. The Seagate is also Sata III and 1tb is plenty of storage for me. The hec Zephyr has all of the power I need for overclocking, gives me the ability to add a second 6950 in the future, and reportedly has long cables for a bottom mounted PSU. I wish it was modular but I can't seem to find one in this price range.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Brent
I have not built a gaming rig for about 2 years now and this will be my 6th computer. I like to consider myself pretty knowledgeable and I have done my research but I want to make sure I am getting the best deal for my budget. I am going to list the parts I have picked out through Newegg with their links and I ask you guide me toward a better choice if one exists. My current budget is $1000-1200 but I would like to stay on the low end of that.
Current parts list:
[CASE] Xigmatek Utgard Window ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815007
[MOBO] ASUS P8P67 LGA 1155 ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131705
[CPU] Intel i5 2500k "Sandy Bridge" @ 3.3 GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
[HSK] Corsair H80 Liquid CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181016
[GPU] MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II OC 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127562
[RAM] G.SKILL Ripjaws X (4*4) 16GB DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 or CORSAIR Vengeance (2*4) 8GB DDR3 1600 7-8-7-20
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231429
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233219
[SSD] Patriot Pyro 60GB SATAIII
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220602
[HDD] Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 RPM SATAIII
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697
[PSU] hec Zephyr MX 750w ATX12V
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817339002
Approximate Cost after rebates: $1050
Here are my current thoughts on this build:
I love the design of the Utgard case, plenty of space, wire management holes, screwless bays/pci and its simplistic aesthetics. I decided to go with the P8P67 because it appears to be the premiere chipset for the the Sandy Bridge processors I chose this version because the other versions appear to be different only in cooling technology, cap designer or possess added SLI functionality. I am definitely going to be overclocking this beast so I got the Corsair H80. I didn't get the H60 because it doesn't have the added fan mount for push-pull. As far as dollar per fps goes I found through studying benchmarks and comparing prices of both ATI and NVIDIA cards that the MSI R8950 Twin Frozr II was the best choice. However, this was only because of the ability to unlock the pixel shaders and overclock to near 6970 performance. I have heard A.) Conflicting accounts on whether this card can be unlocked. and B.) People saying its just a matter of time after modding it before you start to notice artifacts. I believe this video card to be the best choice for my budget but I remain unsure (PLZ HELP!). I have always used G.SKILL memory and I have never had a problem but I have a dilemma regarding this set of Corsair Vengeance. The set of Corsair has a much better cas latency and although it is not a 16gb set who is really going to be utilizing 16gb in the first place? What do you guys think 16gb vs better cas latency? The Patriot Pyro seems to be an absolute steal for a SATAIII SSD, it has much better reviews and a price tag of 89.99 after rebate vs the Corsair Force that seems to be leading the market. I want the SSD for my OS, daily use programs and my favorite games. The Seagate is also Sata III and 1tb is plenty of storage for me. The hec Zephyr has all of the power I need for overclocking, gives me the ability to add a second 6950 in the future, and reportedly has long cables for a bottom mounted PSU. I wish it was modular but I can't seem to find one in this price range.
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, Brent