Finalizing bf3 build

[jckstein]

Hey guys, a little while back (during the beta) i was asking around for some help building a system that could run the game comfortably on ultra, but with all the uncertainty as to how demanding the game would actually be, i was never really able to settle on a decision. Now that the game is out and benchmarks have been found, I wanted to briefly ask again and try to get the last opinions on my setup.


CPU: i5 2500K 3.3GHz
Mobo: AsRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3
RAM: (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance
GPU: not quite sure but i have been really keen on a GTX 580 Twin Frozr

These are just the core parts basically, and i know im missing stuff like HDD and DVD drive, but this should give enough info to get a good performance index.

I know 560Ti in SLI is showing good preformance on Ultra, but i really dont want to get stuck in an SLI setup off the bat with cards that will soon be outdated. That is why im opting to go for a single more powerful card (580) in hopes of grabbing another one down the road and running a powerful set.

So, any idea how the setup i posted above will handle BF3 on Ultra? For the time being i will only be playing at 1680x1050 so keep that in mind.

Thanks

 

[zachcuden]

Hey guys, a little while back (during the beta) i was asking around for some help building a system that could run the game comfortably on ultra, but with all the uncertainty as to how demanding the game would actually be, i was never really able to settle on a decision. Now that the game is out and benchmarks have been found, I wanted to briefly ask again and try to get the last opinions on my setup.


CPU: i5 2500K 3.3GHz
Mobo: AsRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3
RAM: (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance
GPU: not quite sure but i have been really keen on a GTX 580 Twin Frozr

These are just the core parts basically, and i know im missing stuff like HDD and DVD drive, but this should give enough info to get a good performance index.

I know 560Ti in SLI is showing good preformance on Ultra, but i really dont want to get stuck in an SLI setup off the bat with cards that will soon be outdated. That is why im opting to go for a single more powerful card (580) in hopes of grabbing another one down the road and running a powerful set.

So, any idea how the setup i posted above will handle BF3 on Ultra? For the time being i will only be playing at 1680x1050 so keep that in mind.

Thanks

580 would do quite well with that resolution. Even more so if you add that little juice with oc. Also make sure you have a nice fan for your cpu and overclock that too. I mean, if you do. Which you should for a k series

 

[jckstein]

580 would do quite well with that resolution. Even more so if you add that little juice with oc. Also make sure you have a nice fan for your cpu and overclock that too. I mean, if you do. Which you should for a k series

Thanks for the reply. I know the 580 is quite a bit of money, but I think i would rather get a powerful single card, instead of a dual card setup that is only a little bit better.

If i were to upgrade to a 1080p monitor before getting a second 580, do you think Ultra will still be a playable situation?

Also, any recommendations for a good HDD, and DVD drive? Not sure if i should go SSD or not.

 

[zachcuden]

Hmm with 1080 it should be okay unless you have a very keen and picky eye. Or those huge battles and maps where its chaos. If you have the budget an ssd with your os and your main games on it would speed up loading times but not so much fps. For a dvd drive any of the top rated ones on newegg work plenty fine. Hdd just look for a nice size. I went with a bare drive nust to save money. Seagate and hitachi are big names.

 

[jckstein]

Ok, thanks for that extra information.

I guess my real struggle is just coming from making the final decision on a GPU.

I know the best performance to price route would be SLI gtx 570's, but I am a little hesitant to jump right into a SLI setup. At the same time, I am also reluctant to settle for a lower end card, and just get a single 570 to start. That is why I am really keen on getting a single gtx 580 and running that until i can afford to get a second one.

Am i being stupid in making a decision like this, or does this seem like a sound choice?

Thanks

 

[ares640]

Ok, thanks for that extra information.

I guess my real struggle is just coming from making the final decision on a GPU.

I know the best performance to price route would be SLI gtx 570's, but I am a little hesitant to jump right into a SLI setup. At the same time, I am also reluctant to settle for a lower end card, and just get a single 570 to start. That is why I am really keen on getting a single gtx 580 and running that until i can afford to get a second one.

Am i being stupid in making a decision like this, or does this seem like a sound choice?

Thanks

You do not need SLI 570 or 580 for BF3. Im running 1080p on max settings with a minimum fps of 40. GPU is oc'd to 825 Mhz. I suggest getting a single GTX 570 now, and when Kepler is released early ish next year, pick up a second 570 for a lower cost. That will set you up for gaming for 3 years.

 

[zachcuden]

You do not need SLI 570 or 580 for BF3. Im running 1080p on max settings with a minimum fps of 40. GPU is oc'd to 825 Mhz. I suggest getting a single GTX 570 now, and when Kepler is released early ish next year, pick up a second 570 for a lower cost. That will set you up for gaming for 3 years.

How much did that oc to 825 help you? I got the same card stock but was thinking about going 850. Is there much difference? Worth it or barely noticable?

 

[ares640]

How much did that oc to 825 help you? I got the same card stock but was thinking about going 850. Is there much difference? Worth it or barely noticable?

If you have a stock card then it will be more difficult to overclock than mine. I would not push a stock card past 800 really, the heat would not be worth it. With voltage increases I could potentially reach 950 while staying under 60 ish degrees but there really isn't a need. Even a stock 570 should be enough performance for most titles, don't even think about increasing the voltage until the card truly is not good enough for your needs.

As for your question, there is roughly a 2-3 fps increase going from 770 to 825 mhz. It isn't a big deal but there is no reason not to overclock it a little, it never goes past 55C anyway.

 

[zachcuden]

Oh I meant tfiii stock haha. Same exact card as yours. Oh okay. Hmm I guess ill keep it stock til I actually feel like I need the little boost

 

[jckstein]

Well considering that you guys are saying the 570 will be plenty, I think i am going to go for the 580 anyways
From what im hearing, that should be plenty for comfortable bf3 gameplay on ultra, and i like the confidence of having a very powerful system when i add a second card down the road.

My setup as it stands right now is..

CPU: i5 2500K
GPU: MSI Twin Frozr GTX 580
RAM: (2x4GB) Corsair Vengeance
Mobo: AsRock Extreme4 Gen3
HDD: I think im going to just stick with what i currently have in my PC (wipe it)
SSD: not sure..
DVD: same as HDD
PSU: Also going to stick with the 650W PSU i currently have (that should run this single car setup correct?) and then upgrade to a 1050W one at christmas, hopefully with a second 580.
CPU fan: need recomendations


so yea.. any glaring issues/tweaks that need to be made? hit me up

 

[zachcuden]

Yeah that sounds pretty good. Overclock the cpu. Cpu fan do you want water cooling or air? Water can get cooler and it's quieter. Looks pretty good for the most part. But make sure that mobo is big enough. With my a70 I have a really tight fit for ram and my graphics card. I can't even get two more sticks of ram in there. Just one. I have the asus p8p67 motherboard.

 

[jckstein]

How will a Corsair Obsidian 650D work for this setup?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139006

Also, i thought i would be able to use my old PSU for the time being, but it is too outdated to use with a 580. This means i need a new PSU, and I want to get one that will give me enough headroom to SLI this system down the road.
Ive heard some people say that the Corsair AX850 is a great PSU, and enough to run two 580's fine. Other people say there is no way that it is big enough. My other option was the Corsair HX1050. Which one would be my best option?

What makes you keep saying "pretty" good? What sort of stuff is holding this system back?

 

[zachcuden]

Sure make sure it has plenty of space and airflow. Any of the below will work. I have the NZXT Phantom and it has plenty of space and great cable management but with your budget you can go even better. All of those including yours are great cases. The one at the bottom is huge and extremely good if you have money to spare, which unfortunately many of us do not. The first link below is a wattage calculator. You're going to need the 1050 most likely. Especially if overclocking anything. Did you choose a good cpu cooler yet? The second link is an extreme water cooler. The reason I say pretty good is out of habit haha. To be honest it a very very good setup. I just say pretty a lot. Most of the top rated fans will do you good actually. Just compare each one. Be careful of size though, my fan covers some ram inserts and almost hits my gpu.

http://educations.newegg.com/tool/psucalc/index.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181017&Tpk=h100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119225

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119213

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129100

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139001

Also personally I would go with this motherboard but it's totally up to you. I didn't really check the differences in features but the z68 is a little more future proof per say. If you plan to go ssd later on z68 benefits a bit more in that category. Just check out the differences again.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131730

 

[jckstein]

Haha, i say "pretty" pretty often too. Just wanted to make sure there were no glaring issues.

As far as cases go, I am a real fan of sleek and refined cases. Not really into tons of lights and fancy shapes. That is why i have been looking into the 650D. My personal favorite is the 700D, but i cant seem to find it being sold anywhere, and i think the 800D might be a little on the expensive side.
I read a few reviews that said the 650d has plenty of room for 2 or even 3 GTX 580's so if thats the truth, things look good for that case.

Do you think a water CPU cooler is the best way to go? Would i have to run a full water-cooling setup, or would the CPU cooler replacing the fan be good enough?

About the motherboard.. I was initially looking at that same motherboard but when i looked at the tomshardware article for best motherboards around 200$, the AsRock was rated as the best one of them all.

"The real reason why we can’t hand the win to the P8Z68-V Pro is its compromised expansion card slots. Using the bottom slot at x4 results in two x1 slots and two onboard controllers being disabled. In other words, the bottom graphics card slot turns out to be more gimmick than feature, and may cause system builders to feel like they’ve been duped. That type of tomfoolery might be acceptable in lower-priced segments, but this is a $210 board! For $10 less, ASRock adds a PCIe bridge to its Z68 Extreme4. Anyone who really wants a x4 slot should view this as mandatory. So, ASRock wins our Recommended Buy award."

That was was reasoning for switching to the AsRock, but to be completely honest, im not entirely sure if i understand what the issue he talks about actually means.