$2500-ish PC. Mainly Gaming, need advice.

Everything look ok.

Replace the 580 GTX with the 7970 for starters, it's faster even at stock and cheaper, overclocks like a dream too

I assume you mean the 6970, because the 7970 definitely is not cheaper than a gtx 580, and since I can only afford one card at the moment, I'd choose the 580 anyway and buy a second later

I meant the 7970, I got mine for 540, and you'd want to be nuts to invest in a 580 GTX when taking into account the following benchmark results:

http://www.hardocp.com/article/2012/01/09/amd_radeon_hd...

The 7970 OC on stock voltage is 30+% faster than an OC 580 GTX

The 7970 is a better card, but I dont know of a place where I could get it for less then a 580. A 580 is all I need to begin with, and when I need it, I'll buy a second.

Your choice, just giving some advice, it's on newegg for 550$, though out of stock at the moment, good luck with the build.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=E...

Thanks.

OP is in Australia, Currently in Australia 7970's are retailing for a min price of $730 and upwards near $800
which is the only reason i myself am not jumping on the 7970 boat yet

Aha!! Sorry dude !

I probs should have brought that up. Didn't think about that.

As far as case goes there is a Zalman Z6PLus that includes all fans for around $60. I was very impressed for $60 and thought it could easily pass for $120. I personally own this and a big Antec Twelve hundred,

That's a lot of money for a CPU cooler. A Tuniq Tower Extreme is a better performer at only $65.

CPU is fine. But Motherboard. Asrock for a $2500 system. I always thought of them as Asus' Budget line. Why not a full Asus board?

Looking quickly an Antec TruePower Quattro 1200W Power Supply can be had for $210. From experience over the past 15 years as a dealer I find Antec to be bulletproof power supplies with a rock solid 5 year warranty.

As for the SSD I'd tend to lean towards the Crucial M4 series. They seem to be the more reliable mainstream SSD.

Ditch the Optical drive and just get a Blueray burner. It's only $25 more and I already saved you well over $25.

Those monitors are NVidia 3D ready. Is this the reason for going NVidia? And if you want 3D then I guess it's good to go.

I'm happy with the HAF X (even though it is a bit pricey) due to its ample room for sli and its great airflow. Also, it looks pretty cool.


I chose the Noctua because its a cooling beast, which should keep my CPU cool throughout overclocking. I am open to other suggestions though. (I couldn't find a local retailer that sold the Tuniq)


I thought the same, but the Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 has all the features I need for a great price.


Where I am, the Antec is barely $20 cheaper then the CoolerMaster, and I like the CoolerMaster's silence.


The two SSD's seem pretty similiar for me, but the corsair is cheaper, so I might stick with that unless anyone can convince me otherwise.


Could you recommend one?


The 3D does appeal to me. Will Dual GTX 580 SOC play with 3D well? Thanks.

You make great points. Crucial is the more reliable SSD, aside form Intel which you pay a premium for. If you wanted a full tower have you looked at something like the Antec twelve hundred V3. I love that case. Otherwise you have a nice build.