Gaming Build. Advice Needed!

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jayysonic

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GPU: Radeon 6870
PSU: Corsair TX650W Enthusiast
RAM: G SKILL Ripjaw 2x4gb

Thats pretty much all i have so far
AMD or Intel doesnt really matter to me :)
I do plan on OC
And I would like an SSD in there also...

Also, Can I use an externall harddrive for now(160gb) opposed to buying an internal HDD since theyre so expensive right now :$ If not will a 250gb HDD do me until now? I plan on installing WoW/Skyrim/Photoshop and illustrator and all that.
I dont need an OS, keyboard, mouse...

I do plan on using my 1080p samsung tv as my monitor so i will need components that will support HDMI

I plan on this build being under 950... since it will be my first
I would love it to be able to play skyrim on ultra/high smoothly, as well as crysis 2....
Thanks for any help givin :)
 
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jemm

jemm

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thesnappyfingers

thesnappyfingers

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gtx 580 is a bit overkill for your monitor resolution, not to mention overpriced.

Look at a gtx 560 ti or a gtx 570, or a hd 6950 if you prefer AMD.

The 6950 slightly beats the gtx 560 ti in benches but they are near in performance.

any of the cards suggested will be able to run Skyrim on ultra, 6870 probably would be able to run the game at near max settings.
 
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madchemist83

madchemist83

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Jul 21, 2011
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i5-2500k
Asus P8Z68-V Pro
Those two if you have microcenter close by
if not
same cpu and for mobo Asus P8P67 as suggested above
GPU GTX 560ti - I don't think budget will allow u to go higher ( 560ti 448 or 570)
what about case ?
PSU - any 600+ decent quality PSU will be sufficient
don't forget to get aftemarket cooler for ur CPU - good budget coolers Xigmatek Gaia, CM Hyper 212+ or EVO
better quality Corsair A70 or Thermalright (IF U CAN FIND ANY)
for RAM I would stay away from large heatsinked ones .. like gsKILL :)
go for low profile as they will not interfere with your cooler
for SSD I would go with at least 60Gb ... and u can use your external HDD perfectly fine
 
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jayysonic

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Ooops didnt mean to have that ram in there haha....
And its a diaoblatek or whatever that is. 600w

It basically has the graphics card and CPU i want in a bundle... although i would like to pick 1600 ram....and a better psu
Unless i can find a combo somewhere else.
 
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rmiiirusty

rmiiirusty

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You have allot of really good advice so far.
Not much to add, just wanted to give my specs to the pc i just built and suggest this mobo.

Case: Coolermaster Storm Scout $69 Newegg or Amazon..Mobo: Asus Maximus IV Gene-z $169.00 Newegg or Amazon..CPU:i5-2500k o.c.'d to 4316mhz @ the touch of a button..RAM: Crucial Ballistix Sport ddr3 1600 $45.00 Amazon..PSU: Galaxis 650w 80+ modular $49.00(sale) @ PcDirect..Cooling: Coolermaster v8 $29.00(after $20 m\i rebate) Newegg..Reused a cheap lightscribe dvd,rw optic dr. SSD: OCZ 60 gig sataIII for op sys.and Cache $94.00 Amazon.. HDD: Samsung 500g f3 spinpoint 7200rpm 32m cache $79.00 Amazon...GPU: Asus 560ti firmi DCII 1g $150.00 Ebay.
I only have a 20 in widescreen monitor @ 1600x900 res but thats what I want.
With my hardware I can run crysis II and Skyrim on high settings and still maintain playable frame rates. (one of the reasons I like a smaller monitor as apposed to spending hundreds more on larger graphics cards).
I have less than a grand invested and am completely happy with it.

Definately check out the mobo at newegg where they have a video to go with it.It is microatx but has all of the features as its big brothers in the $300 range making it one of the best deals to be had in the mid $100-$200 range. Toms Hardware did an article called Building a Liquid Cooled Micro Gaming Monster, and this is the Mobo they used.
 
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jacknhut

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Good choice in the GTX 570
For mainboard, I agree with the above poster regarding the ASUS Maximus IV GeneZ due to its low price and offer tons of overclocking features and other things, not to mention it looks cool as well since it has almost everything or close to it's bigger brother Maximus IV ExtremeZ (which costs in the 330 bucks btw).

For SSD, I suggest either Kingston Hyperx/Muskin Chronos/Vertex 3/Force GT/Patriot Wildfire, if you can find any of those for cheapest price, go for it and DON'T FORGET to UPDATE firmware.
 
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rmiiirusty

rmiiirusty

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This may very well be a nice bundle its just hard to tell as I cant zoom in or bring up specs. i.e. The hard drive is 1tb but is it a good spindle and cache, The power supply is sufficient size but what is the brand and is it 80+ etc. The i5 is the right processor, the motherboard is good and I cant tell about the ram either. The antec 300 is a descent case. All in all a pretty good setup if quality parts,but I find it more fun to find parts individually. Then you dont have to settle for parts you may not be happy with. besides you can usually find a deal or two on individual components that will more than match your discount on the bundle.
 
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jayysonic

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With the gtx570 it kinda goes over my budget seeing as its 300+ bux....
I would like to keep the i5 2500k....and Ill probably get that ASUS mobo.
So thats already
CPU-220
MOBO-185

Lets just say thatll bring it to 320 with sales tax.. shipping etc...

So If you guys could help me out with the rest that would be great :)


I figure i can just buy a 500gb or even a 250gb HDD right now until prices go down?
But i would like to get a 60gb ssd for my boot times etc.

As for the GPU anything that will play SKYRIM maxed out at 1080p... would the 560ti be better than the 6870 or is there any other above those for a little more cash that would be better in the long run?


And do any of you recomend amd CPUs or should i stay intel?
THANKS AGAIN!
 
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jacknhut

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Yes 560Ti is definitely faster than 6870.
 
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rmiiirusty

rmiiirusty

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I recommend asus for your gpu for the warrantee and just for the quality. If you get the 560 or 570 try to stay away from the factory o.c.'d ones. There is nothing wrong with them except they charge more for them for what you can do easy yourself. Not sure about all brands but asus includes software called smartdoctor and gputweek for overclocking.

As far as your cpu you have already picked the best bang for the buck with the i5 2500k stick with that and don't back up to the amd

The Asus 560ti DCII fermi 1gb ddr5 can be had for around $214 Newegg and will handle your games nicely. if you get a larger monitor later or if you go dual moniters in the future you can afford to sli easier than with a more expensive card
 
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jayysonic

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Alright so how bout this.

CPU-I5 2500k-220
GPU-560ti-250
MOBO-ASUS-185


Thats around 655...
Any suggestions for the rest of the equipment?
Case and all that...
Im gunna see f i can try and find a cd drive from an old desktop from this year.
 
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rmiiirusty

rmiiirusty

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Just make sure your psu is good name like corsair,seasonic,Thermaltake etc. and is 80+ efficiency. With the 1 graphics card a 600w would do nicely. If you plan to sli later with another gpu then maybe go 700w or so,(what ever is good name and good deal),It is handy to get a modular psu for cable management.
For ram I would get 2x4gb of ddr3 1600mhz of a brand you choose as the price is the best right now on that configuration. I went with Crucial

http://www.amazon.com/Crucial-Ballistix-Channel-240-Pin-BL2CP51264BA160A/dp/B004UQ1KK4/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323125476&sr=1-2

Your case is a matter of preference just make sure your gonna like the way it looks and cools 'My preference at the moment is coolerMaster'.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Tower-RC-922M-KKN1-GP-Black/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_6?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126725&sr=1-6

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Enforcer-Interior-SGC-1000-KWN1/dp/B004WK3KKQ/ref=sr_1_8?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126725&sr=1-8

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-SGC-2000-KKN1-GP-Storm-Scout/dp/B00243HHNY/ref=sr_1_11?s=pc&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126725&sr=1-11

I went for the scout because I like the handles and price, and I loved it. There are lots of cases to choose from just read the reviews (skepticly) to find issues that others found with the products.


I would definately get an small ssd in the 60 g or so size range for my operating and system cache only, and make sure it is sataIII.
Your hdd size is also preference based on your need , but also try to make sure it is sataIII as well and go for at least 7200 rpm and at least 32mb cache. I like the f3 spinpoint from samsung
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-3-5-Inch-Internal-HD103SJ/dp/B002MQC0P8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323125925&sr=1-1

500g versions of this hdd can be found as well if you look around.

If overclocking make sure to purchase after market cooler for your cpu to keep it cool. lots to choose from in that area and the hyper series seem to be the most cost friendly for the quality.
I went with coolermaster v8 because I love the way it accents my red and black theme.

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Nickel-Aluminum-Heatpipes/dp/B001KUV2KQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126310&sr=1-1

they also have v6 and v10

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-V6GT-220-Watt-RR-V6GT-22PK-R1/dp/B003XNG6LI/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126310&sr=1-2

http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hybrid-2400rpm-Bearing/dp/B005BMYWEC/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1323126410&sr=1-4 just cause I like them I hear the v10 is massive.
Again just shop the deals on the different sites.
 
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