~$2000 Gaming/Photo editing PC

[Sovelin]

I am looking for help building a PC. I used to be a PC gamer, switched to Mac for editing purposes, and want to get back into PC gaming.

Approximate Purchase Date: This week (the closer the better)

Budget Range: I have ~$2000. I wouldn't mind saving a little money, but if the performance gain is worth it, I can go just a little higher, too (2150). All this before rebates.

System Usage: I will be using the PC for about 40% gaming, 40% photo editing, and 20% work, regular browsing, etc...

Parts Not Required: I already have a mouse/keyboard, and don't need blu-ray. Don't need speakers. Sound card can wait temporarily, if budget doesn't allow.

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: NewEgg (preferred) / Amazon (only if can't be found on NewEgg).

Country of Origin: MA, USA

Parts Preferences: Intel/nVidia (prob the 580)

Overclocking: Maybe

SLI or Crossfire: Yes (future only)

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200

Additional Comments:
CPU: core i7 (for photo editing)
Mem: 8GB ram, but 12GB would be more ideal (photo editing eats up a ton of memory).
I would like the best single GFX card I can get for now, but with the option of SLI in the future if my rig starts to slow down.
HDD: SSD for games/programs/windows. HDD for storage (I have a 4TB external so this isn't a necessity).
DVD Read/Write
Need external (or internal) mem card reader. I work with SD/SDHC/SDXC only.
I would like silent operation, but not if it effects performance.
Need a mic (nothing fancy)

Do you think this budget allows for a rig that can run BF3 on ultra, is future-proofed to run games on max, and can handle my photo needs?

 

[morgoth780]

I would recommend a gtx 580 at your price range, but since you prefer ati, I guess you'd want an hd 6970. Still, gtx 580 is better, unless you want an hd 6990 (dual gpu card, but you can crossfire 2 of them)

also, ram is so cheap you might as well go 16 gb, since it would actually be usable

 

[Sovelin]

Actually, I've been out of the loop on PC hardware for a very long time (since 2005). I was an ATI fan back then. Looking at these two cards, the 580 is better. I'll go with the 580, and add a second one later on when needed.

 

[morgoth780]

ok here's a fairly decent build

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

MSI N580GTX Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127567

PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 950W High Performance 80PLUS Silver SLI CrossFire ready Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028

GIGABYTE GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128499

G.SKILL Sniper Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9Q-16GBSR1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231480

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

OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706

COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

ASUS 24X 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 DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

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

Total: $2,005.90 (not including rebates)

I don't know much about card readers, so i'll just let you pick one. Also, whatever mic you want is fine. There's no need for a sound card, unless you have an awesome surround sound setup. I assumed you didn't need a monitor either. If you did, you could always drop to a smaller ssd, as well as 12 gb of ram.

 

[Why_Me]

This build allows you to add another one of those cards later on in SLI. That case down below is new on the market and they come with everything including multiple fan controllers, dust filters, 200mm side fan with option to add fans up top, 2.5" SSD bay, PCI-E 3.0 ports, etc...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009 $139.99 - $129.99 after mail-in rebate card
Corsair Carbide Series 500R Black Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

or that same case in white...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139010 $139.99 - $129.99 after mail-in rebate card
Corsair Carbide Series 500R White Steel structure with molded ABS plastic accent pieces ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341045 $199.99 - $179.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
OCZ ZX Series 1000W Fully-Modular 80PLUS Gold High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157269 $289.99
ASRock Z68 Extreme7 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070 $314.99 FREE SHIPPING
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099 $34.99 FREE SHIPPING
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R1 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233197 $104.99 FREE SHIPPING
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M4A1600C9

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118040 $18.99
Sony Optiarc CD/DVD Burner 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 AD-7261S-0B LightScribe Support - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697 $54.99 FREE SHIPPING
Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220603 $184.99 - $164.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
Patriot Pyro PP120GS25SSDR 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127567 $499.99 - $474.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
MSI N580GTX Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Total $1,843.90 *not including shipping and rebates

http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=Z68%20Extreme7%20Gen3 <----- A better look at that board

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/PCIe3/ <----- PCI-E 3.0 for the new generation vid cards and supported by Ivy Bridge due out next spring

http://www.asrock.com/microsite/IntelZ68/index.asp <----- Z68 Features

http://www.tweaktown.com/reviews/4272/asrock_z68_extreme7_gen3_intel_z68_motherboard_review/index.html <----- Review of that board with benchmarks

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/z68a-gd80-p8z68-deluxe-z68xp-ud5,3025.html <----- Review of that board done here on Toms last week...it won "Tom’s Hardware Best Enthusiast-Class Award"

*** this fan down below fits on that CM cpu cooler up above for a "push - pull" affect to lower your cpu temps even more.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-BladeMaster-Silent-R4-BMBS-20PK-R0/dp/B0030DL37I $11.06 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25
Cooler Master BladeMaster 120mm PWM High Air Flow Silent Case Fan R4-BMBS-20PK-R0

 

[Sovelin]

I have a few Q's, please bear with me.

Is the thermal paste the CPU comes with good enough, or should I use something else (like Arctic silver, which is what I used back in 2005)? Should I get that CPU cooler now, or is the stock one okay for now if I don't OC?

For these SSDs, I decided on the Pyro. Do I need any drive bay adapters for this? Is it simple to install and set-up? I've heard people saying things like firmware updates and etc can be a pain.

For the Mobos, do I need ones with so many PCIx16 slots? I'm not planning on doing a 3-way SLI. Could I get away with a Mobo with 2 of these slots, and lower on price? And which one would be good? The z68 series looks good and I would like to stick with this.

For memory, is there a noticeable dif between these 1600 ones, and one that is, say, 2133 for gaming?

I forgot to mention that I need a wireless card, as this beast will be in my basement. I don't need windows 7, as I have a copy already. I do need a monitor, but I suppose any monitor I find at a decent price will do. I can drop to 8GB for now in RAM to save some money.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

First decide whether you would benefit from Z68. Read this to decide .... Any of your apps use QuikSync ? If not, no reason to rule out P8P67.

http://www.ukgamingcomputers.co.uk/difference-between-h67-p67-z68-and-h61-chipsets-a-22.html

Then decide how long ya gonna keep ya system .... if it's > 2 years, keep in mind that some MoBo manufacturers (i.e. Asrock) don't offer an industry standard 3 year warranty.

You don't list a monitor among parts ya already have, so a significant amount needs to be set aside for a decent IPS monitor. Wait for specials here as Dell often offers deals like this:

http://www.logicbuy.com/deals/dell-ultrasharp-ips-lcd-monitor-roundup/30178.aspx

That reduces ya system cost to about $1,600 And with the photo editing, RAM and HT will help......certainly more so if you advance on to video editing.....$2,119 w/ IPS Monitor

Case - $ 160 - Antec 1200 V3 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100
Case Fans - later - Antec Blue 120 mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209011
PSU - $ 115 - Antec CP-850 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371024
MoBo - $ 460 - ASUS P8P67 WS Revolution http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.738296
CPU - inc - Intel Core i5-2600K included in above combo
Cooler - $ 83 - Thermalright Silver Arrow http://www.frozencpu.com/products/11676/cpu-tri-77/Thermalright_Silver_Arrow_Dual_160mm_x_140mm_Fan_Universal_CPU_Cooler_Sockets_775_1156_1366_AM2_AM2_AM3.html
TIM - $ 5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080
RAM - $ 95 - (2 x 4GB) Mushkin CAS 7 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226201
RAM Later Same
GFX - $ 230 - Asus GTX 560 900Mhz http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121425
GFX - Later - Same
HD - $ 180 - Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148736
SSD - $ 190 - OCZ Vertex 3 2.5" 120GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706
DVD Writer - $ 21 - Asus DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
OS - $ 140 - Win 7-64 Pro OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116992
Monitor - $ 400 - Dell u2412 http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-2676&baynote_bnrank=1&baynote_irrank=0&~ck=baynoteSearch
Card Reader $ 40 AFT XM-35U http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820176016

-Went with a case which allows tons of fans with built in speed control, sedate looks, relatively quiet w/ inlet air filters. Add the extra case fan(s) only if and when ya add the 2nd GFX card. Another plus is the ability to take CPX form factor PSU's which inherently run quieter and cooler than APX ones. jonnyguru gives the PSU a 10.0 perfomance rating and silentpcreview.com says the pairing gives Antec an almost an unfair advantage over the competition. Read conclusions section here:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article971-page7.html

Recommended alternative would be Corsair AX850 w/ HAF-X

- MoBo / CPU pairing gives ya HT for photo / video editing w/o giving anything away for gaming performance. Set up separate BIOS profile w/ gaming boot at 4.8 Ghz and HT off / HT applications boot at 4.6 Ghz / HT on.

-CAS 7 RAM will come in handy for photo editing....add a 2nd set if ya see the need.....don't think ya will .... my son did, but sees no difference w/ 8 or 16 doing photo editing (it's his minor in college)

-Cooler is prolly overkill for SB but in a system of this budget, why not go for the best air cooler there is. It's doesn't offer the best thermal performance (V6 GT does) but it's a hair below and runs whisper quiet compared to the V6's roar.

-GFX the twin 900 Mhz 560's deliver a whopping 40% performance increase in gaming over the single 580.....and cost less than a single 580. They also easily OC to 1000 Mhz thanks to their oversize coolers and great voltage regulation. If ya think ya wanna upgrade to tat 2nd 580 down the road.....think about the fact that $960 buys ya 953 fps in Guru3D's gaming test suite whereas the $440 900 Mhz 560's get ya 862 fps. I find most of the peeps I build for take the 862 fps now rather than spending an extra $500 later (plus a bigger PSU cost now) for a mere 10% performance increase after dropping that additional $500.

-The listed HD is huge, extremely fast and that comes at a significant cost.....but quite handy for photo processing and video editing. If ya don't need, ya can get a 1TB model (Seagate 7200.12, Spinpoint F3 or WD Black) for about $60.

-Monitor is Dell's newest IPS model. TFT central is very critical of the very best of the best and give it a great review. Photo editing on a TN panel is an exercise in frustration as the color accuracy just isn't there. If ya don't need this, then I'd add a 2nd 560 Ti and an extra 2 120mm fans (one in case window, one at back of HD cage) from the getgo.

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2412m.htm

Finally, how ya gonna edit photos w/o a decent card reader.

I don't see the need for a separate sound card as the on board sound on the MoBo is excellent.

 

[Why_Me]

I have a few Q's, please bear with me.

Is the thermal paste the CPU comes with good enough, or should I use something else (like Arctic silver, which is what I used back in 2005)? Should I get that CPU cooler now, or is the stock one okay for now if I don't OC?

For these SSDs, I decided on the Pyro. Do I need any drive bay adapters for this? Is it simple to install and set-up? I've heard people saying things like firmware updates and etc can be a pain.

For the Mobos, do I need ones with so many PCIx16 slots? I'm not planning on doing a 3-way SLI. Could I get away with a Mobo with 2 of these slots, and lower on price? And which one would be good? The z68 series looks good and I would like to stick with this.

For memory, is there a noticeable dif between these 1600 ones, and one that is, say, 2133 for gaming?

I forgot to mention that I need a wireless card, as this beast will be in my basement. I don't need windows 7, as I have a copy already. I do need a monitor, but I suppose any monitor I find at a decent price will do. I can drop to 8GB for now in RAM to save some money.

The Cooler Master cpu coolers come with MX-2 which is excellent thermal paste. The higher end cases like that Corsair case I posted come with a SSD bracket/bay so no adapter needed. Firmware updates are pretty simple, no probs there. That board I posted has a NF 200 Bridge which allows dual cards to be ran @ x16 x16 instead of the usual x8 & x8.

As far as the RAM goes there's a slight difference in regards to benchmarks between the 2133 and 1600hz RAM. If it's in your budget I would go for it. G.SKill has that 2133 1.5v RAM for these 1155 boards for around $100 for 2 x 4GB on newegg.

For a cheaper board look at the Asrock extreme4 gen 3 for about $190 on newegg or the Asrock extreme 3 gen 3 for around $125 on newegg.

 

[Sovelin]

Currently what I'm looking at:

Case (189.99): COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

Mobo (199.99): ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157264

CPU (314.99): Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

PSU (149.99): PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk II 950W High Performance 80PLUS Silver SLI CrossFire ready Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028

GFX (339.99) x2: EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-KR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130620

RAM (74.99): G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460

SSD (184.99): Patriot Pyro PP120GS25SSDR 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220603
This one seemed to have less reported issues than the Vertex 3.

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

DVD (20.99): ASUS 24X DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204

CPU cooler (34.99): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Monitor (204.99): ASUS VS248H-P Black 24" 2ms HDMI LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 ASCR 50,000,000:1
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236153

Wi-Fi card (49.99): Linksys WMP600N Wireless Adapter with Dual-Band IEEE 802.11a/b/g, IEEE 802.11n Draft 2.0 PCI WEP, WPA & WPA2 Personal, WPA & WPA2 Enterprise
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833124342

Total: $2164.27 before rebates.

A friend is giving me his memory card reader, so I'm set with that.

And thanks everyone for your help! Couldn't have put together this much without your help!

 

[Why_Me]

I would go for a Z68 board and not a P67 board or your going to kick yourself in the arse later on. Also those Asus boards are not set up with the PCIE 3.0 slots. Read those links I posted.

Your about to lose out on every Z68 feature available going with that P67 board.

 

[Sovelin]

According to the link JackNaylor gave, there didn't seem to be anything that the z68 offered that I would make use of. The PCIE 3.0 slots I didn't notice, but the two Asrocks run at x8 with 2 cards instead of x16.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

According to the link JackNaylor gave, there didn't seem to be anything that the z68 offered that I would make use of. The PCIE 3.0 slots I didn't notice, but the two Asrocks run at x8 with 2 cards instead of x16.

x16 and x8 is about 2% difference on the high side. the p8p67 ws revolution also clearly has some reliability issues as you can see in the reviews. i would not recommend that motherboard because you will probably have to order 3 until you get one that doesnt have any problems. now pcie 3.0 is something you should get in a motherboard. it gives you an upgrade path to new gpu's unlike the p8p67 ws revolution

 

[Sovelin]

x16 and x8 is about 2% difference on the high side. the p8p67 ws revolution also clearly has some reliability issues as you can see in the reviews. i would not recommend that motherboard because you will probably have to order 3 until you get one that doesnt have any problems. now pcie 3.0 is something you should get in a motherboard. it gives you an upgrade path to new gpu's unlike the p8p67 ws revolution

You make a good point. I updated the config with Asrock. I'm actually thinking about what JackNaylor said. I'm going with a 570 for now, and get a 2nd 570 in a month. Which 570 should I go for?

 

[Why_Me]

You make a good point. I updated the config with Asrock. I'm actually thinking about what JackNaylor said. Should I go for 2 560s, or go with 1 570 now, and a 2nd 570 a month from now?

Everyone has a different opinion on that. Seeing how the 560ti's are the best over clocking card on the market atm, and they can be had for $225 @ amazon it's tough to say now to two of them now. Some peeps will say one card now, and one later on...but by the time a lot of peeps think of picking up a second card there's something new and hot out there and chances are they don't get that second card. Also a 750w psu will push two of those cards and leave plenty of juice left over.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341049 $99.99 - $74.99 after mail-in rebate card FREE SHIPPING
OCZ ZS Series OCZ-ZS750W 750W ATX12V v2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Performance Power Supply

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004JLNZXU/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER $224.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
MSI GeForce GTX560 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card N560GTX TI TWIN FROZR II OC

for dual 570's you want a 850w psu.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207011 $119.99 - $89.99 after mail-in rebate
XFX Core Edition PRO850W (P1-850S-NLB9) 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004SAO0Z4/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER $329.99 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping
MSI nVidia GeForce GTX570 Twin Frozr II OC 1280MB DDR5 2DVI/Mini HDMI PCI-Express Video Card N570GTX TWIN FROZR II/OC

 

[Sovelin]

If I don't see any performance hits with a single 570, I might not have a need to SLI it. Since I'm at 1570 with the current set-up, so I can spend a little more on the monitor and go for something like the Dell u2410. That plus a wi-fi card and I should be set. At only 1920x1200, a single 570 should be able to handle everything with ease.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

most games but not everything

 

[Sovelin]

Made the decision for a cheaper monitor for now, and added in the second gfx card. Will prob order the parts in a day or two. Pretty excited! I just hope I remember how to put everything together without frying anything.

 

[Sovelin]

Do I need any additional cables? The case is pretty big. Will all the wires reach, or do I need any extensions?

 

[Sovelin]

Anyone?

 

[mjmjpfaff]

no you should be good

 

[Sovelin]

Hmm, one q about the pci 2.0 vs 3.0. I'm going for 2 570's, so they should both be in the 3.0. But would I be able to later on get another 570 and put it in the PCI 2.0 slot to do 3-way SLI? Would this cause any performance issues?

I ask because I may want to set-up a 3 monitor system later on.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Hmm, one q about the pci 2.0 vs 3.0. I'm going for 2 570's, so they should both be in the 3.0. But would I be able to later on get another 570 and put it in the PCI 2.0 slot to do 3-way SLI? Would this cause any performance issues?

I ask because I may want to set-up a 3 monitor system later on.

no sandy bridge only has enough bandwith for 1 pcie 3.0. once you upgrade to ivy bridge. you can run on over 1 pcie 3.0. the gtx 570 can and will run on pcie 2.0 without any (none whatsoever) bottlenecking

if you are thinking about a tri monitor setup go with 6970's. the extra memory will make them absolutely kill the 570 at higher resolutions

 

[Sovelin]

no sandy bridge only has enough bandwith for 1 pcie 3.0. once you upgrade to ivy bridge. you can run on over 1 pcie 3.0. the gtx 570 can and will run on pcie 2.0 without any (none whatsoever) bottlenecking

if you are thinking about a tri monitor setup go with 6970's. the extra memory will make them absolutely kill the 570 at higher resolutions

So I won't even be able to run 2 570's on this Mobo's pci 3.0? The asrock has 2 pci 3.0 and 1 pci 2.0.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

you dont need to run the 570 at pcie 3.0. it is meant to run on pcie2. the new gpu's (amd 7xxx gtx 6xx) are meant to run on pcie3.0. and when paired with ivy bridge you can sli/cf those gpu's while running them at pcie3.0. for right now dont worry about pcie3.0 for now. only need to take that part of the motherboards feature in mind when the new gpu's come out.

 

[Sovelin]

I suppose, but I wouldn't be able to run SLI now with this mobo with the 2 570s? I've read the frame rates on the 570 with BF3 on ultra can show some lag. That's why I wanted to SLI it. And I prob won't be able to take advantage of the 3.0 for a while. Maybe I should switch to a dif mobo for now that runs multiple 2.0s?