800-1100 gaming rig

[xtremcarl]

This is my first build so pretty clueless but have read through a lot of threads and talked to friends and this is what I came up with so far. Its similar to some other builds but didn't want to hijack a thread so sorry for repetitive parts.

Purchase date - next few weeks to a month

Budget range - 800 to 1100 would love to stay on the lower end unless heading up to 1100 is a huge benefit

System usage - gaming, surfing the internet

Parts not needed - mouse, keyboard, monitor(i have one but its very old and would like a new one if there is room in the budget) not looking for the best just a good monitor at a good price

preferred website - newegg, tiger direct, i have a microcenter very close by also

Overclocking - Yes

Crossfire - Yes

Monitor resolution - would like a widescreen monitor with good resolution

Parts preferences -

CPU i 2500K
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589

MOBO ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271

RAM G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

HD HITACHI Deskstar 750gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145532

Case Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147153

PSU RAIDMAX RX-850AE 850W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817152043

GPU SAPPHIRE 100314-3L Radeon HD 6870 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948

Fan COOLER MASTER Hyper 212
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

DVD drive LITE-ON DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

Windows 7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986


Additional Comments - I like the i 2500k processor but for the rest of it i am really up in the air. I am not sure what a good power supply for the system would be but I would like enough to crossfire in the future. I don't really care about how the case looks as long as it all fits. SSD's seem to be really cool but I can't seem to fit one in the budget. Any tips on getting windows 7 cheaper, spending 10% of the budget on the OS sucks. Any and all help welcome and thanks in advance.

 

[inzone]

COOLER MASTER HAF 912 RC-912-KKN1 Black SECC/ ABS Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$59.99 and a $10 rebate makes it $49.99

Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-900 900W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
$129.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371050

For the most part you have made good selections and the computer build shouild be a good one , the changes I have suggested are for the case and psu. The case is always a personal preference as to what you like and dislike. the psu that you chose is a middle of the pack model and if you wanted to you could get the Antec model which I think is better but that choice is your to make. If the computer is to be for gameing then I would suggest a better video card , like a 6950 , it is a suggestion and may or may not be in your budget range but it would certianly be a good increase in performance.

SAPPHIRE 100312-3L Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$259.99 and a $20 rebate makes it $239.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102954

Naturaly this is more money and may not be in your budget range but it could be a consideration if you came accross a better price someplace.

 

[sosofm]

2500K , Asrock Z68 EXtreme3 , Antec 750W 80+ bronze ( enough for future crossfire), 2 X4GB ram 1600Mhz, Sapphire 6870,case with three fans preinstaled, 23" fullhd monitor,OS.
MOBO : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
CPU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
RAM : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544
GPU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102948
HDD : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148767
PSU : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371051
CPU COOLER : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
DVD-RW : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135204
CASE : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147144
MONITOR : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824262012
OS : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
TOTAL : $1,090.89 without rebates.
You can buy the CPU from microcenter is cheaper with 40$.

 

[xtremcarl]

inzone, thanks for the advice I have changed my case to the cooler master HAF 912,

for that power supply is it the extra wattage I need or is it simply a overall quality of the product or reputation of the company?

for the SAPPHIRE 100312-3L Radeon HD 6950 2GB, that comes at almost 100 dollars more than the 6870 I currently have selected and its only a few points better on http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html
I know thats not the end all of what makes a good GPU but is it worth the extra 100? I am not a super hardcore gamer but do like to enjoy modern games on good graphic settings. Would saving my money or buying a better monitor a better idea?

 

[xtremcarl]

also when selecting a monitor how important is an hdmi connection? I had a friend tell me that before he had his monitor hooked up through hdmi he was getting 30-40 fps on a game then after he was up near 100 fps.

 

[inzone]

for that power supply is it the extra wattage I need or is it simply a overall quality of the product or reputation of the company?

All of the above , if you intend on going with two or more video cards then you need the extra watts , maybe not 900w but somewhere between 650w and 900w , it would all depend on what is on sale or what rebate one might have. I would try to stay with , Seasonic ,Antec , Silverstone , Corsair or Enermax for top brands and there are some that would be midrange that you could go with. OCZ , XFX , PC Power and Cooling , Thermaltake and Cooler Master. When it comes to gameing the single most important part is the video card and most monitors are now 1080p so a better monitor is hard to get , unlike a video card. I only threw that in there to see what you would think , there are a lot of options to go with when it comes to a video card.
For budget puposes you could go with the 6870 for now and then later on get another if needed for better performance. I would then go with a minimum of a 750w psu so you will be able to crossfire later without changeing the psu.

 

[inzone]

also when selecting a monitor how important is an hdmi connection? I had a friend tell me that before he had his monitor hooked up through hdmi he was getting 30-40 fps on a game then after he was up near 100 fps.

I can't say that I have ever heard of that and it sounds a little far fetched to me. Did he say what the connection was before he switched to HDMI? I know of no way to increase the fps by that much unless you add another video card and even then you would only double the fps at a maximum , so if adding another card you would go from 30-40 to 60-80.

 

[xtremcarl]

he said he had a standard connection before maybe it was doing the graphics processing on the motherboard instead of the GPU?? I am just guessing since I really don't know how that all works together. Thanks for listing a bunch of good PSU companies I will do some research on newegg and see what gets good rating and has a good brand name also. I have read some people say that there 800 watt PSU really only can put out 650. I don't really understand what that means. If someone could help explain it to me it would be great. PSU's seem to be the most confusing area to me

 

[aznshinobi]

i5 2500K $180
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589
Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 $122
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
Patriot 8GB DDR3 1600 $35
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220570
OCZ ZS 750w $100 ($25 MIR)
http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-80PLUS-Bronze-Performance-compatible/dp/B005A2RJOI%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB005A2RJOI
Gigabyte 560 Ti $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125401
Corsair 400R + Seagate 500GB $165 ($10 MIR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.812374
Asus DVD Drive $19
http://www.amazon.com/Asus-24xDVD%C2%B1RW-24x8x16x-48x32x48x-DRW-24B1ST/dp/B0033Z2BAQ/ref=pd_bxgy_pc_img_b
Cooler Master Hyper 212+ $27
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0%3FSubscriptionId%3D19BAZMZQFZJ6G2QYGCG2%26tag%3Dsquid1240995-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB002G1YPH0
Acer 23.6" 1080P $130 after promo code
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009305&cm_sp=Cat_Monitors-_-Hot_Deal-_-24-009-305
Total: $988 before rebates

 

[inzone]

he said he had a standard connection before maybe it was doing the graphics processing on the motherboard instead of the GPU??

Now that would make more sense to go from intergrated graphics to a graphics card would give you a tremendous boost in fps.

With the psu's you want to make sure that you have the 80+ certification in either Bronze , Silver or Gold , or you will get that situation where the psu will put out way less then the rated amount. The certification is a requirement that shows the psu is going to put out over 80% of the rated watts.

 

[aznshinobi]

Actually, 80+ is the efficiency in which it pulls power out of the wall. If it's a 600w unit and the efficiency is 60% then it'll be drawing 1000w of power from the outlet and wasting 400 watts from heat.

Another example, a 750w PSU with 80% efficiency would be drawing 937.5w from the wall but wasting 187.5w to heat. While a 60% efficiency 750w would be drawing 1250w from the wall but wasting 500w to heat.

 

[xtremcarl]

Thanks for everyone that had a response to this thread. I have my final build that I plan on buying in about 12 hours but want to post it just in case some of the parts are not compatible. I have done my best and don't see any problems but since this is my first build I am being careful not to screw it up. Also, if there are any extra things I will need like thermal paste please let me know. I know some comes with the CPU but if its not good enough or something ...

CPU i 2500K
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0354589

MOBO ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=4176827&SID=ytnj4ii89h9z

Hard drive Western Digital Caviar Blue 500gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136769

CD burner Lite-on
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

GPU GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 560 Ti
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125401

PSU Antec High Current Gamer Series 750W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049

CPU cooler COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

Case COOLER MASTER HAF 912
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

RAM G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

Monitor SAMSUNG ToC Rose Black 21.5" 2ms
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001484

Windows 7 Home Premium
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

In case anyone cares this build comes to 1056.95 after the bundles, promo codes, rebates, shipping and taxes.

 

[shell shocke]

I'm actually doing a similar build except our specifications are a bit different I got different brands and I have a i5-2400 to save cash because i'm not over clocking same os monitor pretty similar except my budget is $900/$1000. I really like the CM HAF 912 love the looks IMO. Have fun with your build

 

[xtremcarl]

haha nice ya have asked a few friends and they are saying its going to be a good fun pc so i am excited. Have fun with your build also

 

[inzone]

This looks like it will be agreat performing Pc for you. If you want you can pick up a small tube of Artec Silver 5 compound which is a great thermal compound to use for the cpu heatsink. The heatsink will come with a small amount of thermal compound and it is just a standard type with enough for the install . By buying the Artec silver it comes in a small tube with a cap and there is enpugh for several applications which if you have to remove the heatsink for any reason then you will have some to use to reapply.
Another thing that you can think about and either keep in the back of you mind for now or get one to install now is a SSD. This is just a suggestion that will improve the overall performance of your Pc and that is to have the SSD as the OS drive and use the hdd as storage and other applications.

Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F90GBGT-BK 2.5" 90GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$149.99 and a $30 rebate makes it $119.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233205

The 90gb version is large enough for the OS and your current game and a few important applications and will speed up the overall performance of the OS , faster reloads , quicker opening of applications and in gameing the game maps will load quicker. Of course this is just another thing to consider.

 

[xtremcarl]

Thanks inzone, i have been looking at the ssd's for a bit. I would love to have one but I just don't think the value is there for me yet. I will prob re install the os and put games and stuff on it in about a year or so when the price per gb drop. I will check out that thermal paste and might get some.

 

[inzone]

I only posted the SSD because right now Corsair is offering some good rebates on thier SSD's which brings the cost per gb down. When you are ready keep in mind the model I posted as right now it is probably one of the faster SSD's.
You won't be sorry with the Artec Silver 5 thermal compound , I have been using it for years and have tried others here and there but have always come back to it.

 

[aznshinobi]

Looks good xtremcarl. You're good to go. AS5 is nice to have it'll be a pretty good compound to lower temps. You don't HAVE to get it but it's always an option. You can always get it later. I personally use IC Diamond which was a promo when they gave forum members the paste by just posting in the thread. Been a year though, it's still good.