First time builder - High end gaming rig 3500$

[cheebamaster]

Hey all,

I am looking for some help in building a computer for the first time. I have very basic knowledge of how it's done and want to make sure I get everything right! The rig will be for my girlfriend who also plays a lot of video games and wants a machine that can easily handle games like Skyrim at max settings and high res textures.

I already have 2x 580 GTX waiting for her and will just need the other parts. My budget is 2500$ (vid cards not included!) so in total looking for around 3500$ rig

I really want liquid cooling in this machine. Where we live it tends to get a bit hot and I want to make sure that I can achieve maximum overcloks on my CPU and GPU. I hear that custom liquid cooling is a pretty tough to do and I have no idea where to start and have no idea what parts I need to get or where to buy. If someone could shoot me some links to everything I need to buy it would be great!

Thanks in advanced

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Liquid cooling days have pretty much come and gone ..... CPU / GPU designs have just become so much more efficient that we hit electronic walls before we hit temperature walls these days. Here's something I think a lady will like:

http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=674&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=5

It's almost ironic that coolers like this are becoming available just as processors transition to designs that may ultimately render them unnecessary; even overclocked to 5GHz, an Intel Sandy Bridge 2600K doesn't need anywhere near this level of cooling.

Case - $ 290 - Thermaltake Level 10 GT Snow http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133192
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=843&Itemid=61

Case Fan - $ 12 - Thermaltake Blue120 mm http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106149

PSU - $ 260 - Corsair AX1200 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139014
Took it over the Antec HCP-1200 cause of the $20 rebate. Both scored equally well at jonnyguru.com

MoBo - $ 220 - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131790
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8Z68V_PROGEN3/

CPU - $ 205 - Intel Core i5-2500K http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
2600k provides Hyperthreading which games don't use .... save $100 and get the 2500k

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
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=674&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=4

TIM - $ 5 - Shin Etsu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150080

RAM - $ 65 - (2 x 4GB) Corsair White CAS 8 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233199

HD - $ 180 - Seagate Barracuda XT 3TB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148736
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=708&Itemid=60&limit=1&limitstart=10

SSD - $ 230 - 120 GB Vertex 3 Max IOPS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227714
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-nand-reliability,3021-6.html

DVD Writer - $ 59 - Asus 24X DRW-24B3L w/ LS http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135247

Card Reader $ 50 AeroCool FP-01 55 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820314001

Keyboard - $ 100 - Logitech G510 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126100

Mouse - $ 50 - Logitech G500 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104318

Monitor - $ 320 - ASUS VG236HE Black 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236104

OS - $ 100 - Win 7-64 Home Premium OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Total $ 2,229

I left $270 on the table ..... $353 when ya eliminate the air cooler which should leave ya enough for ya water cooling if ya go that way.

But if ya don't, it gets me half way to my 1st upgrade suggestion

+$640 Add Two (2) more 120 Mhz monitors
http://www.nvidia.com/object/3d-vision-surround-technology.html
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236104

Water cooled GFX cards gonna cost ya closer around $400 more than the than $1000 ya set aside
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&DEPA=0&Order=BESTMATCH&N=100006519&isNodeId=1&Description=580+hydro&x=0&y=0

Get in touch w/ dangerden.com folks for ya WC set up if ya go that way. The self contained units made by Asetec and sold by Antec and Corsair offer little to no advantage over air coolers for greater cost and much greater noise. Most of the kits ya gonna find for $200-300 will cool ya CPU but that leaves ya GFX cards. But again, when ya can hit 5.0 - 5.2 GHz on air with SB, what's the point of investing in WC for just the CPU

 

[beamj]

Hey all,

I am looking for some help in building a computer for the first time. I have very basic knowledge of how it's done and want to make sure I get everything right! The rig will be for my girlfriend who also plays a lot of video games and wants a machine that can easily handle games like Skyrim at max settings and high res textures.

I already have 2x 580 GTX waiting for her and will just need the other parts. My budget is 2500$ (vid cards not included!) so in total looking for around 3500$ rig

I really want liquid cooling in this machine. Where we live it tends to get a bit hot and I want to make sure that I can achieve maximum overcloks on my CPU and GPU. I hear that custom liquid cooling is a pretty tough to do and I have no idea where to start and have no idea what parts I need to get or where to buy. If someone could shoot me some links to everything I need to buy it would be great!

Thanks in advanced

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 - processor - $220

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506 - mobo. $180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233144 - memory - $52

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139009 - case - $140

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341045 - PSU - $200

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017 - Water cooling rig $120

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233191 - SSD boot drive - $205

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284- Gaming HDD - $85

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136926 - Storage HDD - $155

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106346 - Blueray burner - $100

Alternate H2O cooling - http://www.frozencpu.com/products/11705/ex-wat-158/Swiftech_H20-320_EDGE_Series_Liquid_Cooling_Kit_Universal_Mount_Hot_Item.html?tl=g30c83s137 $340

Total: $1457 with H100 cooling
Total: $1677 with Swiftech cooling.

PSU at 1K due to dual 580s and fans for water cooling.

 

[cheebamaster]

Thanks guys this stuff looks great