Gaming system 1800$

[Thordas]

Hi there , need to build a new gaming system. Wanted to get your opinion on the parts I'm ordering. This will be ordered this week. I don't need keyboard, mouse or monitor but i am looking for monitor recommendations for a 24". I went with a bigger gpu so I can get a second video card in the future.

Qty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM
Item #:
 
$19.99

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
Item #: N82E16820231428
$44.99


ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #: N82E16813157271
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$121.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ...
Item #: N82E16819115072
Return Policy: Iron Egg Replacement-Only Return Policy
$219.99

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-bit - OEM
Item #: N82E16832116986
Return Policy: Software Standard Return Policy
$99.99

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO RR-212E-20PK-R2 Continuous Direct Contact 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler Compatible with latest Intel ...
Item #: N82E16835103099
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$44.95

Crucial M4 CT128M4SSD2 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Item #: N82E16820148442
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy
$179.99



COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Gold Series RSA00-80GAD3-US 1000W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS ...
Item #:  N82E16817171056
Return Policy:  Standard Return Policy
Seagate Barracuda ST2000DM001 2TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:  N82E16822148834
Return Policy:  Standard Return Policy

$339.98

Subtotal: $1,071.91
This is before the hd7970

If someone can also recommend a good 24" gaming monitor that will be great

 

[a4mula]

Are you looking for 1920x1200 or 1920x1080. Do you want IPS (better colors and viewing angles, but also greater ghosting) or TN (crummy color and viewing angles but faster). Are you looking at 60hz or 120hz. 120hz is for 3D, but also provides much better performance in 2D over 60hz.

Lots of things to consider on the monitor front. If you just need a basic run-of-the-mill 24" than the Asus VE247H $159.99 (Till 1/12) is probably your best bet.

 

[jbakerlent]

^+1.

I went with a bigger gpu so I can get a second video card in the future.

Did you mean PSU? You don't need a KW power supply. The 7970 sips power and at worst uses about as much as a 6970. If you're looking to save some money you could drop it down to 850W and still be able to power two.

 

[Thordas]

Are you looking for 1920x1200 or 1920x1080. Do you want IPS (better colors and viewing angles, but also greater ghosting) or TN (crummy color and viewing angles but faster). Are you looking at 60hz or 120hz. 120hz is for 3D, but also provides much better performance in 2D over 60hz.

Lots of things to consider on the monitor front. If you just need a basic run-of-the-mill 24" than the Asus VE247H $159.99 (Till 1/12) is probably your best bet.

I was not aware I can get 1920x1200. does it work on games? what are the benefits?
my budget excludes the monitor. I want a nice monitor that will last me 4+ years. I don't see 3d benefits unless u can explain, I don't watch movies on my computer I have a 3d TV.. I want to get very good gaming monitor.

 

[a4mula]

Until the 1080p standard took over the monitor market, 1920x1200 was the standard resolution for 24-27" screens. It's a 16:10 ratio which gives you more vertical viewing than the 16:9 (1920x1080) aspect ratio. It means more pixels on the screen, and really helps to alleviate that stretched feel of 16:9.

16:10 has always been a gaming resolution, where 16:9 was created and pushed on us by HDTV. While 16:9 has really saturated the entire spectrum of screens today, there are many gamers that still prefer 16:10.

There are three main 16:10 resolutions: 1680x1050 (22" and smaller) 1920x1200 (24-27") and 2650x1600 (30"). Today you'll see a lot of larger 24-27" monitors that are using 1920x1080. The problem is as the screen size increases, the resolution has dropped. It creates a scenario where your pixel per inch count reaches a level that is easier to notice with the naked eye.

With all of that being said, the 16:10 format is dying a slow death. With the exception of professional or enterprise based monitors today, virtually every consumer LCD created is using the 16:9 standard.

To give you an example, the only 120hz capable monitor that supports 16:10 today is the 22" Viewsonic, and it only supports 1680x1050, which isn't even capable of HD playback without altering the image. It was also one of the very first 120hz monitors available. To my knowledge there hasn't been a 16:10 120hz built recently. So, as technology moves forward, We have to be somewhat concerned about the future of 16:10. There's no doubt that games will continue to support these resolutions, but as we can see with 3d, not all technologies will.

Phew, ok. TL;DR right? Now that we've got that novel over with let's talk about 3D or even better 120hz monitors. I've never experienced 3D gaming, so I can't speak about the immersion it offers or the benefits vs drawbacks. What I can say however is that even in 2D a 120hz monitor has very real benefits. For one it allows you to double your effective FPS from a standard 60hz, which can only display 60 FPS regardless of what your system is capable of producing. The 120hz can display a full 120 FPS which reduces stuttering, lag, ghosting, and gives greater clarity while moving. The downside to this is that you're effectively requiring 2x the gpu power to take advantage of it. I'd venture to say that 90% of competitive FPS gamers are running a 120hz setup as it offers a very real advantage over someone that's compteting at half their own FPS.

Now, as was said before, I've yet to find a 120hz monitor that was available at 1920x1200. There isn't that 'Perfect' monitor out there today that offers all the benefits in one neat package. It'd be wonderful if Dell would release a 120hz 1920x1200 IPS screen. Perhaps it's not possible. Perhaps it'd be too expensive for the target audience. I don't know, but I do know that it just doesn't exist.

Your best bet is to try to get yourself in person, in front of these different setups and see them with your own eyes. It's very difficult to judge the variance between 16:10 vs 16:9 and 120hz vs 60hz over the internet, even with images and video.

Sorry for the wall of text, but I hope this helps you figure out which direction you want to go. If you have specific questions regarding any of this, just post it.

 

[nick3232]

on the mobo i prefer asus or gigabyte better also good choice on the ssd they are super reliable and also why is that psu worth 202 i suggest you buy one $70-90 less around 800-850w and still get same preformance from those shiny expensive psu's also i recommend 80 plus

 

[nick3232]

oops forgot to tell why hasn't anyone told the op that 2tb is ridicoulous with the thailand floods the hdd factories are flooded and prices are going through the proof get a 500-1tb one or reuse your hdd

 

[Thordas]

Until the 1080p standard took over the monitor market, 1920x1200 was the standard resolution for 24-27" screens. It's a 16:10 ratio which gives you more vertical viewing than the 16:9 (1920x1080) aspect ratio. It means more pixels on the screen, and really helps to alleviate that stretched feel of 16:9.

16:10 has always been a gaming resolution, where 16:9 was created and pushed on us by HDTV. While 16:9 has really saturated the entire spectrum of screens today, there are many gamers that still prefer 16:10.

There are three main 16:10 resolutions: 1680x1050 (22" and smaller) 1920x1200 (24-27") and 2650x1600 (30"). Today you'll see a lot of larger 24-27" monitors that are using 1920x1080. The problem is as the screen size increases, the resolution has dropped. It creates a scenario where your pixel per inch count reaches a level that is easier to notice with the naked eye.

With all of that being said, the 16:10 format is dying a slow death. With the exception of professional or enterprise based monitors today, virtually every consumer LCD created is using the 16:9 standard.

To give you an example, the only 120hz capable monitor that supports 16:10 today is the 22" Viewsonic, and it only supports 1680x1050, which isn't even capable of HD playback without altering the image. It was also one of the very first 120hz monitors available. To my knowledge there hasn't been a 16:10 120hz built recently. So, as technology moves forward, We have to be somewhat concerned about the future of 16:10. There's no doubt that games will continue to support these resolutions, but as we can see with 3d, not all technologies will.

Phew, ok. TL;DR right? Now that we've got that novel over with let's talk about 3D or even better 120hz monitors. I've never experienced 3D gaming, so I can't speak about the immersion it offers or the benefits vs drawbacks. What I can say however is that even in 2D a 120hz monitor has very real benefits. For one it allows you to double your effective FPS from a standard 60hz, which can only display 60 FPS regardless of what your system is capable of producing. The 120hz can display a full 120 FPS which reduces stuttering, lag, ghosting, and gives greater clarity while moving. The downside to this is that you're effectively requiring 2x the gpu power to take advantage of it. I'd venture to say that 90% of competitive FPS gamers are running a 120hz setup as it offers a very real advantage over someone that's compteting at half their own FPS.

Now, as was said before, I've yet to find a 120hz monitor that was available at 1920x1200. There isn't that 'Perfect' monitor out there today that offers all the benefits in one neat package. It'd be wonderful if Dell would release a 120hz 1920x1200 IPS screen. Perhaps it's not possible. Perhaps it'd be too expensive for the target audience. I don't know, but I do know that it just doesn't exist.

Your best bet is to try to get yourself in person, in front of these different setups and see them with your own eyes. It's very difficult to judge the variance between 16:10 vs 16:9 and 120hz vs 60hz over the internet, even with images and video.

Sorry for the wall of text, but I hope this helps you figure out which direction you want to go. If you have specific questions regarding any of this, just post it.

Thanks for the great response. I'll go look at a few monitors but from what I can tell I probably should go with a 120hz 16:9 and with ips. Do u think 3d is needed as well? Also I see u have a 3 monitor setup any suggestions on that? How are games on the 3monitor setup and would I need 2 or 3 video cards for it? Also would I go with less expensive video cards or with 7970 with 3 monitors?

 

[Thordas]

Nick, I will prob go with 850 PSU also the 2 tb came as a good package deal.
Also can anyone tell me if I should go with i7-2600 CPU instead?

 

[a4mula]

Thanks for the great response. I'll go look at a few monitors but from what I can tell I probably should go with a 120hz 16:9 and with ips. Do u think 3d is needed as well? Also I see u have a 3 monitor setup any suggestions on that? How are games on the 3monitor setup and would I need 2 or 3 video cards for it? Also would I go with less expensive video cards or with 7970 with 3 monitors?

Eyefinity (3 monitors) is a mixed bag. If you do it right (IPS, 16:10) it makes for a very immersive experience. If done cheaply (TN, 16:9) it's not even worth doing imo. There are also other issues such as game support. While most games do support it (some take some finesse) there are those out there that just don't. MW2 and SC2 were major releases in the past 18 months that did not. Diablo 3 is a major release upcoming that will not. There are also driver issues as Eyefinity tends to take a backseat since it's not mainstream.

While a 7970 will definitely drive three monitors it's a question of what you are willing to sacrifice. You can find a few reviews @ 5760x1080 (3x 1920x1080) and while 3x 1920x1200 does represent higher pixel count the benchmarks would be close. Personally I don't like the landscape setup. If you google image 3600x1920 you can see some setups of what I'm talking about. These are in portrait mode which creates a much more balanced aspect ratio in the lines of 18.5 : 10.

http://www.hardwareheaven.com/reviews/1371/pg5/his-radeon-hd-7970-graphics-card-review-battlefield-3.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-7970-benchmark-tahiti-gcn,3104.html

Keep in mind that over the next few months you'll typically see ~5-15% improvements just from improved drivers.

Now, that's not to say a single 7970 is going to push games at ultra at these resolutions. Then again I've been pushing 3150x1680 (3x 1680x1050) with a single 5870 and while some games do need lowered settings, typically it's not a huge drop in quality.

It really just boils down to if you can live with the inherent setbacks that Eyefinity brings to the table. I can't even answer that for myself at them moment because I'm caught between Eyefinityx3 and 120hz. I'm personally really looking forward to D3 and the prospect of having to reorient my monitors and step down to a single screen every single time I play isn't a pleasant one.


I can't really comment on 3D. I'm personally not interested in it, and besides my research on 120hz screens really I'm not qualified to comment one way or the other.

I'm personally leaning towards a single 24" 1920x1080 (as much as I hate it) 120hz screen. They aren't available in IPS, and I'm not sure how well I'll go from IPS back to TN, but still. After two years of fighting with Eyefinity I think I'm ready for a non-headache build.

edit: If gaming is your main concern then the 2600K offers little. It's a hyperthreaded cpu meaning you get 4 cores, and 4 virtual threads for a total of 8 threads. This gives it an edge in heavily threaded apps like Photoshop and Blender but doesn't help in gaming at all.

 

[Thordas]

Thxs for all replies I'm getting close to posting my final specs for your review.