[Solved] Closer and closer...

a 14 year old with $3500 on a gaming computer wtf are you doing to make that much and how long did it take you to save all that. I know when I was younger I told my parents that I'm spending that amount on a computer she would kill me. But thats beside the point...

Lets hook you up I'm gonna try and keep it well below 3k mark and still give you all the performance you need. What games will you be playing on it?

Edited: Noob mistake forgot PSU please standby...

Biggest problem is storage. You are also better off with a 240GB ssd or a 120GB SSD and 1TB HDD instead of a 60GB one and a 150GB velocipede.

Try to get better gpu and have surround monitor before all of the gaming keyboard/mouse and headphone stuff. Graphics and screen space is more important.

But to tell you the truth, I think the $3500 build is unwise because your $2500 build is already really good and the extra $1000 gives you diminishing return.

Better split up the $3500 into a $2500 build and a $1000 upgrade. Build it now and upgrade around 2013.

What do you mean?

Ok, sorry, I was in a bit of a rush.

This is everything in detail and just the components.

G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM (2x4GB) DDR3
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=16934 $79

Prolimatech Genesis CPU Cooler
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=17341 $85

Intel Core i5 2500K
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=16531 $229

Corsair Force Series 3 60GB SSD
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=17788 $129 (For boot up and applications)

ASUS P8Z68-DELUXE Motherboard
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=17497 $315

CoolerMaster MegaFlow 200 Blue
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=11185 $76 (x4 case fans)

Gigabyte GeForce GTX 580 Super Overclock
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=17355 $599 (don't plan on going SLI)

Corsair Force Series 3 90GB SSD
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=18387 $189 (I don't need lots of space for games, I usually only have 1 or 2 main games that I play)

Corsair HX-750 Power Supply
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=12110 $189 (enough?)

ASUS VE248H 24in Widescreen LED Monitor
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=16558 $215 (I am actually getting the VS model but they don't have it)

Prolimatech Blue Vortex 140mm Fan
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=15866 $38 (x2 for CPU cooler)

CoolerMaster 120mm Silent Blue LED Fan
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] ts_id=8022 $30 (x2 case fans)

Thermaltake VN700M1W2N Overseer RX-I Case
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=18313 $145 (I really like this case)

Western Digital VelociRaptor 150GB WD1500HLHXhttp://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=18151 $175 (to back up everything on my other 2 drives)

Samsung SH-B123L 12X Blu-Ray DVD Combo Drive with Lightscribe $85

NZXT Sentry Mix Fan Controller
http://www.pccasegear.com/index.ph [...] s_id=18295 $59 (for case fans)

Scythe Kaze Master Ace 3.5" Fan Controller Black $39 (for CPU fans)

Sub total = $2686 + $214 for shipping and parcel protection

Total = $2900

NOW what do you think?

considering Ivy Bridge would not be much more powerful than Sandy Bridge on a per clock basis, I'd say buying a sandy over a ivy is not bad, but GPUs matter a lot more in gaming and 28nm to 40nm is a big leap.
and Dont worry, AMD should have their HD7ks out during early december like the HD6k launch.

No. If you start the waiting game you'll be waiting for ever. There's always something new coming out, that's how the industry works. If you want to buy now, do so. If you want to wait until the new GPUs for example arrive (TBA as of yet AFAIK), do it.

If you wait for Ivy Bridge - which might be a good option - you could be waiting anywhere from 3-6 months. You might have to wait that long or longer for the new PCI-E 3.0 video cards.

I agree with the comment on the GTX 580 - I think it is overpriced and it will be outdated in 6-12 months. Right now two 6950s in crossfire outperform the 580 and cost less. Really, you could purchase just one 6950 for $225 and buy Ivy Bridge compatible components and then upgrade at your convenience.

The 6950 is more than powerful enough to game with while you wait and when the next better video card comes out you won't be out $500 or more for the 580. There are several Gen 3 Ivy Bridge motherboards out there right now that are getting rave reviews. The AsRock extreme 7 Gen 3 board is one of them. It is highly unlikely that you will need to run three GPUs and these boards fully support two SLI or crossfire setups.

BTW your Thermaltake case looks like a good design - just make sure to read some reviews on it before you buy it. It is not listed on Newegg and therefore it may be an older outdated case. Check it out before you buy it. There may be a better version out there - check out the Newegg page here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] se&x=0&y=0

It looks a lot like the Cooler Master HAF X 942, you may want to look at the HAF X. I think that the Corsair cases are better but the HAF X is a great case.

The Velociraptor HDD is a waste of money. Seagate is getting read to ship 1 TB single platter drives which will blow the doors off of any current HDD and they should be cost competitive. For now just buy a $50 Samsung F3 Spinpoint - they are very fast and cheap (I own one and it has read and write speeds around 115 mb/s)

Don't get the Force 3 90 GB. I own the Corsair Force GT (emphsize the GT) - the GT does not cost much more and it has better performance. Also look at the Kingston Hyper X Extreme and other SSDs that I recommended above - these are the best out there right now. Don't mess around with the 60 and 90 GB sizes - get a 120GB. They provide you the most bang for your buck and give you enough room to put your favorite games on them. Also look at the Crucial M4 - it is also one of the best SSDs right now and it comes in a 128GB size. The M4 or the Mushkin Chronos Deluxe are probably the fastest 120 GB SSDs on the market right now.

The Asus Deluxe motherboard you list is not Ivy Bridge, Gen 3 compatible. I think that it is a mistake to not get a next generation motherboard. The AsRock Gen 3 Extreme 7 supports two 16 x 16 lanes and has several other features that the Asus Deluxe does not have.

The Promaltech Genesis does not perform as well as the Corsair H100 or the Noctua NH-D14 CPU coolers. I would strongly suggest that you go with one of these two coolers because you want to overclock. The H100 and the Noctua NH-d14 are the best reviewed CPU coolers on the market right now. I own the D-14 and my non-overclocked CPU temperature stays under 38C, which is phenomenal. The H100 is even BETTER than the D-14.

Get the Corsair HX 850 not the HX 750. I own both of these PSUs and so I am speaking from firsthand experience and the HX 850 is the way to go. It is much more powerful than the HX750 and it will operate at about 91% efficiency in your build. It will also be more quiet and cooler than the HX 750. This is especially important because you will probably run two GPUs in the future. The HX850 is a much more capable PSU to power a crossfire/SLI setup.

OP's spending a lot in unnecessary parts like SSD and fan controller and a lot of other peripherals like a 100buck keyboard...

Why are you saying this? Just because the OP is 14 does not mean that they are not capable or learning to build a computer - in fact I believe the opposite; I think it is a great time for this young person to build a computer. I also think it is great that Shaq is humble enough and smart enough to go to Tom's Hardware to ask advice.

I agree that for his/her needs that he/she does not need a $3500 computer with two fan controls. I think Shaq should start off with a conservative $1500, Intel I-7 2500K build and it will be a great experience for him/her.

Anyway - I think that several people are trying to help this sincere young person. The components I have suggested probably can be found for around $1500 with rebates and a couple of good sales. I know that a couple of other people have suggested some more conservative choices along with me.

Look at it this way. This young person is going to build a computer. They will either build a well thought out system that gives them a good gaming computer for a reasonable price or they will buy a bunch of unnecessary components (like fan controls) and have a system that really costs too much. You can help the OP to make wise choices. However, in the end, this person is a 14 year old. They may choose some components that you or I don't think are the best. However, it will be learning experience for them.

Shaq if your smart, you will listen to what this poster is trying to say. You can have a great gaming computer for around $1500 - you don't need to spend $3500.

Also Shaq, make sure that you get some help building your first computer from someone who actually knows what they are doing (not your buddy down the street who has never built a computer). It is very easy to ruin an expensive motherboard or a CPU or GPU by not knowing what you are doing. Do your homework or you could brick a $200-$300 component in a heartbeat.

Best answer selected by shaqxolotl.

rofl

I am not sure what is so funny - you were 14 once. I am willing to bet you may not have exhibited as much good sense as Shaq in several areas of life when you were 14. He was smart enough to start a thread and ask the questions and put together a prospective build - that says a lot doesn't it?

Thanks everyone.

Computers are my passion, I have just started learning about them this year and that is why I got a job to buy and build one for myself. I really enjoy learing about computers and watching videos on YouTube about people building them, info and reviews on products and online benchmarks.

I wish to do something along the lines of computer technology when I'm older, preferably something to do with hardware like a computer hardware engineer.

Thanks again everyone.