New Build and video card help

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

i think this is the new build i finally settled on, and i just wanna make sure that this will all work well together, im also wondering about the video card, it says PCI express 2.1 but the mobo says it had PCI express 2.0, whats the deal with that? will they still work together? and finally, how does the video card in my build stack up against similar ones like
Radeon HD 6850

Radeon HD 6870

GeForce GTX 560

GeForce GTX 550 Ti

Build

 

[danraies]

The build looks pretty good. I would change the RAM to the 1600 version because it's going to be about the same price.

The power supply you picked is not the best choice. I would replace it with the following Seasonic unit for only $3 more:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093
It's an excellent power supply and it's a very good deal.

Don't worry about PCIe 2.0 vs. PCIe 2.1 - they're all compatible.

I'm not the biggest expert on graphics cards, but it is my understanding that most of the cards you linked are similar to the one on your list. Obviously the 6850 is worse than the 6870 and the 550ti is worse than the 560. The next "tier," I think, would have been either a 560ti or a 6950.

 

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

Ok thanks. Will that power supply be enough for what I need?
And I just wasn't sure if one of those video cards stood out above the rest. I have no real preference for brand, and they're all around the same price, so just whichever one of those is the best out of the 4 is probably the one I would get.

 

[danraies]

The power supply is enough, yeah. If you want to go SLI or Crossfire in the future you should go a little bigger but I assumed you weren't based on your original power supply.

I would say that the performance order would be GTX 550ti (worst), HD 6870, GTX 560, and then a tie between the 1GBHD 6950 and GTX 650ti. That's about the price order, too.

 

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

I didnt have a 6950 Or a 560 ti up there, way too much money for those haha. but I assume the 6870 is better than the 6850, so does that mean that the 560 is probably the best of the bunch?

 

[danraies]

I didnt have a 6950 Or a 560 ti up there, way too much money for those haha. but I assume the 6870 is better than the 6850, so does that mean that the 560 is probably the best of the bunch?

Yes, that is my understanding.

 

[majorgibly]

A GTX 460 Superclocked is still a good contender. Maybe the money saved could be used to upgrade another part of the PC. But up to you.

 

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

That's a good idea, I'm not sure how to superclock a video card though. Would that require a better power supply?
Oh, something else I meant to put in the OP, how much trouble is it to change a heat sink? I'm not sure if I'm going to overclock the CPU, so if it's not that much trouble to change one I might drop the aftermarket cooler from the build to save some cash. I just don't know how much of a pain it is if you have to like strip off the thermal paste and reapply it or whatever

 

[danraies]

It's not that hard to replace the heat sink, really, but you will probably have to take the motherboard out of the case to do it which is a bit of a pain. They make thermal paste remover but you can use high-concentration rubbing alcohol or acetone. Those will act as solvents and you want to use coffee filters to remove the paste. Some people suggest q-tips but coffee filters are lint-free and you don't want any lint. The hardest part sometimes is physically yanking the old cooler off. The thermal paste cures and hardens after a while and can get really stuck onto the chip. It will take some force, but obviously there is a point that is too much force. Sometimes it's helpful to run the computer for 5 minutes or so to heat up the paste and make it easy to remove. (Do not ever take a heat sink off while the computer is running, though.)

The 460 is still a competitive card and deserves to be in the conversation, but it is the worst of the cards we've discussed. In a gaming build you should put as much as you can afford into the graphics and cutting back to a 460 doesn't let you upgrade anything that can use the cash more than the GPU.

Now that I look at it, you can actually cut down the case if you want to a $60 Antec Three Hundred and free up some cash for the 1GB 6950. If you drop the Hyper 212 and reduce your case by $30 you can replace the 6870 with one of the best 1GB 6950's on the market:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385
That is definitely what I would do. With the Three Hundred you probably won't need the 200mm fan, either.
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

 

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

That's great advice. Depending on how my late Xmas goes I'll probably end up doing that. Thanks
I might end up getting the 212 anyway just to save the trouble of changing it later on down the road. Plus it gets pretty hot in the summer so some extra cooling wouldn't hurt

 

[xJACKTHERIPPERx]

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