My new gaming build

[llvllasta]

Hi everyone, I decided to build a new gaming pc and chose to order every part from newegg. I thought I would post my specs here and ask you guys for 2 things. First of, are all the pieces compatible (will they work well with each other). And secondly, do you guys have any suggestion on how I could upgrade the system without increasing too much the cost (not more then a couple hundreds). Btw, this pc will be used mainly for gaming.

So here are the specs:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two V3 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Gaming Case

CPU: 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

Memory: Kingston HyperX 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 Desktop Memory

Video Card: XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity

Motherboard: ASUS P8Z68-V LX LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

Liquid Cooling: I want one but have no idea which one to choose (Ideally under 100$)

SSD (primary hard drive): Corsair Performance 3 Series CSSD-P3128GB2-BRKT 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive

HDD (data hard drive): SAMSUNG EcoGreen F2 HD103SI 1TB 5400 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Optical Drive: LITE-ON Black 4X BD-ROM 8X DVD-ROM 32X CD-ROM SATA Internal 4X Blu-ray Disc Reader

Meter display: NZXT Sentry-2 5.25" Touch Screen fan controller

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - OEM

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade (it says upgrade, does this mean I need to have vista already installed on my pc, which is not the case)

Thank you everyone

PS: All those part go for 1750$ on Newegg (shipping included).

 

[roblaw42]

If you want to save money, you probably don't need a touch screen fan controller or sound card unless you are huge on music. You could also get the i5 2500K which is actually bettr for gaming than the i7. You would only get the i7 if you had programs that used hyperthreading like photoshop or CAD. You can then get an even better graphics card or get 2 mid range in SLI. 2 Geforce GTX 560 Ti's in SLI is really good.
For OS, you canot get upgrade because you have nothing installed to upgrade.

 

[rwayne]

I agree.

The I-5 2500k would be a good place to start.

May want to consider the Cooler Master Trooper instead of the Antec 1200 V3.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119245
The Antec 1200 series has had very few improvements / innovations since the first one was created years ago.

I don't recommend ECO / GREEN hard drives. They do not function nearly as well as standard drives. I know this is a back up to the SSD but for budget you are working with I would go with a 7200 RPM , 6.0GB per second drive.

I question if the 6970 is worth the +$80-$100 increase over the 6950. Espeically when the 6950s can be unlocked to higher performance levels.

May want to consider GSKILL ram. It has a very broad range of compatibility and tends to be cheaper than the competition (in price, not quality)

And yes, you will need a copy of Windows 7. The OEM versions come at fairly good prices.

 

[llvllasta]

Thank you very much. First of im going with a 902 antec (mid tower) since I dont really have the space for a full one. Should I try to make space. I mean is a full tower really worth the space? Also, do I need a liquid cooling system at all with a antec 902 and if so, do you have any suggestion?

 

[llvllasta]

Also I forgot, If I dont need a liquid cooling system should I get a air one? Maybe a dual fan for my GPU? I dont know, Im really concerned about the potential heat problem in my computer and I would like some advice on what would be best to keep it down (keeping in mind that im going for a antec 902). Thx

 

[rwayne]

No, liquid cooling is not needed at all, even for a mild overclock.

However getting an aftermarket CPU cooler is advisable.

If you want a nice low profile CPU cooler I would recommend this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103046
It will do a great job.

However if you want maximum cooling I would recommend the CM 212 EVO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099
However keep in mind the EVO is HUGE!!! and will definitely take up some space in your case.


To answer your other question. FULL Towers are nice. They are easier to work in however you do kinda have to lug them around. If you want to place this PC on a desk you may want go with a mini-atx case. However it will be harder to work in and you will have to be more creative with the cable management.

Some mini-atx cases which are nice:
NZXT Vulcan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146065
INWIN Dragon Slayer http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811108236
These will however require a mini-atx motherboard.

The Antec 902 however may be the best of both worlds so maybe you should stick with it.

 

[llvllasta]

Thank you very much for your time