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Tom's Hardware > Forum > Systems > New Build > Gaming / Developer PC [Questions/Advice]

Gaming / Developer PC [Questions/Advice]

Forum Systems : New Build Gaming / Developer PC [Questions/Advice]

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Hello Everyone!

It's been about 8 years since I built my last PC. So I would like to ask for an extra pair(or more) of eyes to look over the specs for the system I'm looking to build. I'll keep this short.

What I was thinking of as I built this system.
A PC that will last (through minor upgrades, if any) over the next 5-8 years.
Will be used for gaming.
Will be used for developing games.
Ideally, would like to run both windows and Linux.
OS(64bit): Win 7 , Ubuntu

Have not looked into SSD technology that's out today, so I didn't consider that in this build. Though I am curious on how long a drive will last use under daily gamer/developer use?
I'll be adding one of these to the list as soon as I find a good one. :)


What I would like to know is the following:
Is there anything I overlooked?
Is there any known issues with the selected or combined hardware?
Will I run into any driver issues with Win7 or Ubuntu?
Any advice or recommendations you might have for me?

System Specs - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=V6DRH8PA

Notes: I'm looking to purchase in about 2 to 3 months time from today. Which will allow me to save up some cash to actually purchase the rig.

Thank you,

binarytoshokan

System Info:

[Case]
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0, Black Interior and Four Fans-1x ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119160

[Cables]
OKGEAR 24" SATA 6 Gbps Cable, Straight to Straight W/ Metal Latch, Black, Backward Compatible 3 Gbps and 1.5 Gbps
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6812123169

[Motherboard]
May change, see posts below.
ASRock P67 EXTREME4 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157229

[Extra Cooling]
Undecided.

[Video]
MSI N570GTX Twin Frozr III PE/OC GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814127582

[PSU]
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Gold Series RSA00-80GAD3-US 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817171056

[CPU]
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115072

[RAM]
[x2] Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3K2/8GX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820104173

Changing over to one of the recommended 1.5v types.

[Storage]
SSD - Not yet selected.

Western Digital Caviar Black WD2002FAEX 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136792

[Drives]
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827135204


Message edited by binarytoshokan on 10-11-2011 at 12:12:59 AM
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I wouldn't get that Kingston HyperX. It's 1.65V memory. True 1.5 V memory is more compatible. Look at:
1 x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820220609

Edit: I linked to the wrong RAM, meant to link to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820233198


Message edited by abekl on 10-10-2011 at 03:52:23 PM
Reply to abekl

+1 to that, although 2x4GB is plenty for now. And I would pick Corsair or G-skill
Also, you forgot to link your motherboard. Ill suggest Asrock extreme3 gen3 (so you can have access to ivy bridge and PCI-E GPU's in the future)

 

And, do you really want to look at that HAF for 5-8 years? It looks cool, but I would be afraid to grow very tired of it.

 

Nice choice of CPU, you might want to consider an aftermarket cooler so you can overclock (thats what the K models are made for afterall) the cooler master hyper 212 evo (or the old plus) is great value.

 



Message edited by koogco on 10-10-2011 at 01:42:04 PM
Reply to koogco

I like G.Skill Memory better- other than that (and missing a mobo) your build looks solid.

Memory (2x): http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231428

Reply to Inanition02

Quote :

Have not looked into SSD technology that's out today, so I didn't consider that in this build. Though I am curious on how long a drive will last use under daily gamer/developer use?



SSDs have MTBF of 1 000 000-2 000 000 hours. I would say with read/cycles, you should easily get min 5 years usage.

An SSD will not give you higher frame rates in games. However OS/Programs/Games will load faster and read/write files faster than HDDs.

The current trend is for an SSD for OS/Programs (min 60Gb) and a HDD for storage.

As mentioned, 1155 chipsets work best with 1.5V rated DDR3. Look into G Skill (Ripjaws XL CL9), Corsair (Vengeance series).

As for motherboards, Z68 chipset. Asus (P8Z68-V), Gigabyte (UD3R) or Asrock (Extreme3). My preference is with Asus.

Are you planning on SLI? A 1000W PSU seems overkill IMO. Corsair, Antec or Seasonic is better than CoolerMaster.

Black SATA3 cables should be bundled with motherboard. Same as ones you have chosen.

Finally, a CPU cooler. Hyper 212, Zalman Performa offer good price/performance.

Good luck with build.

Reply to hunuok

Quote :

I wouldn't get that Kingston HyperX. It's 1.65V memory. True 1.5 V memory is more compatible.


Quote :

+1 to that, although 2x4GB is plenty for now. And I would pick Corsair or G-skill


Quote :

As mentioned, 1155 chipsets work best with 1.5V rated DDR3. Look into G Skill (Ripjaws XL CL9), Corsair (Vengeance series).



Ah thank you. I had not even thought about looking at the voltage here.

Quote :

Also, you forgot to link your motherboard. Ill suggest Asrock extreme3 gen3 (so you can have access to ivy bridge and PCI-E GPU's in the future)



Doh! Fixed now.

I had selected ASRock p67 Extreme4 (B3), but I'm also looking at the ASRock P68 Extreme 4 gen 3. Which of the three would be the best?

Quote :

do you really want to look at that HAF for 5-8 years? It looks cool, but I would be afraid to grow very tired of it.



I'll be too busy looking at the screen to see that HAF in the corner. :p

But really, I don't have my heart set in stone on this one. I just wanted one that will have plenty of space for after market cooling, space to install/upgrade parts without removing any and space for wires. Also, the ease of installation and extra usb on the front are nice, but come secondary.

Quote :

Nice choice of CPU, you might want to consider an aftermarket cooler so you can overclock (thats what the K models are made for afterall) the cooler master hyper 212 evo (or the old plus) is great value.


Quote :

a CPU cooler. Hyper 212, Zalman Performa offer good price/performance.



Just the plans I had for this thing.

I had not started my homework in this area just yet, so I was going to hold off asking about this. But thank you for the recommendations. :)

Quote :

Are you planning on SLI? A 1000W PSU seems overkill IMO. Corsair, Antec or Seasonic is better than CoolerMaster.



I was considering SLI, but I think I'll hold off until a good pair of PSI-E3 cards come around. So yeah, this is currently overkill. Is there a PSU you would recommend?

Quote :

SSDs have MTBF of 1 000 000-2 000 000 hours. I would say with read/cycles, you should easily get min 5 years usage.



Ah, much longer than I thought it would last! That's great news! It'll also be of great help on the long compile times. ;)

I'll just go add one of these to the list and then update the first post.

Quote :

Good luck with build.


Thank you. And thank you to everyone else as well.


Message edited by binarytoshokan on 10-12-2011 at 01:30:17 AM
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