Newbie Needs Help With Build

[sramarino]

First off, I apologize if this is posted in the wrong section. If it is, please direct me to the appropriate section and I will delete/repost there.

A little background: I'm having this PC constructed for my hard-working husband as a Valentine's Day present (also our anniversary). He's not a serious gamer - I don't think - he mostly plays Guild Wars and Star Craft II. He *might* play other games, if he had a more up-to-date system, but that's what happens when you have kids. [shrug]

I'm using www.cyberpowerpc.com because they came pretty well recommended and they have (I think) some good Super Bowl specials. I don't know of someone to build this for me, and this is not something I can do myself, no matter how many of you tell me it's "super easy". If someone knows of a better/cheaper (but still reputable) site, I'm all ears.

I did research the components I chose. I didn't just go with what was the most expensive. I actually used this website for most of my research. I need this PC to not only be good for gaming (and possibly hard(er)core gaming than what he does now (just because you don't drive 90 in the minivan doesn't mean you wouldn't want to do 120 in a Porsche)) but I also need it to last for a few years (I'm thinking 5) because the second half of my Valentine's present to him is the sonogram showing our newest additions - a second set of twins!!

Okay ... sorry. Woman + Mother = Chatty Cathy. ) Unfortunately, the build I've selected was a lot more expensive than what I thought it would be. :-/ Help?!? I am open to any and all suggestions. My budget was really about $1000-$1200, which I have WAY exceeded. Please tell me if this budget is not reasonable for what I'm wanting to achieve.

Bottom line: I need *the best* gaming PC for the money, because I purchased him a laptop a few years ago, based on recommendations given to me at Best Buy and then it didn't even have enough @$$ to play StarCraft II and so I'm kind of in the doghouse when it comes to surprising my husband with new technology.

Thanks in advance!!


Case: Thermaltake Chaser MK-1 Full Tower Gaming Case W/ Side Panel Window [+59]
Laser Engraving: None
Laser Engraving Message:
Freebies: None
Internal USB Extension Module: None
Neon Light Upgrade: None
Extra Case Fan Upgrade: Maximum Enermax 120MM Case Cooling Fans for selected case (Maximum Silent Operation) [+29] (1,000 RPM Black Color with No LED Enlobal Magnetic Barometric Bearing 17 dBA)
Noise Reduction Technology: Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels [+29]
CPU: AMD FX-8150 3.60 GHz Eight-Core AM3+ CPU 8MB L2 Cache & Turbo Core Technology [+60]
Freebies: None
Venom Boost Fast And Efficient Factory Overclocking: No Overclocking
Cooling Fan: Asetek 550LC Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Advanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA) [+18] (Dual Enermax Enlobal Silent High Performance 120MM Fans (Push-Pull) [+29])
Coolant for Cyberpower Xtreme Hydro Water Cooling Kits: Standard Coolant
Motherboard: [CrossFireX/SLI] Asus Sabertooth AMD 990FX Socket AM3+ ATX Mainboard w/ UEFI Bios, TUF Thermal Radar & 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB 3.0, SATA-III RAID, 4 Gen2 PCIe X16, 1 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI [+132]
Memory: 8GB (4GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory [+3] (Kingston HyperX)
Video Card: AMD Radeon HD 6950 2GB GDDR5 16X PCIe Video Card [+246] (HIS IceQ X Turbo 840MHz Powered by AMD [+20])
Freebies: None
Video Card 2: None
Video Card 3: None
Free Game: None
Power Supply Upgrade: * 850 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-850TXV2 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+119]
Hard Drive: 120GB Corsair Force GT Series SATA-III 6.0Gb/s SSD - 555MB/s Read & 515MB/s Write [+82] (Single Drive)
Data Hard Drive: None
Hard Drive Cooling Fan: None
External Hard Drive (USB3.0/2.0/eSATA): None
USB Flash Drive: None
Optical Drive: LG UH12LS28K 12X Blu-Ray Player & DVDRW Combo Drive [+41] (BLACK COLOR)
Optical Drive 2: None
Sound: Asus Xonar Essence STX Virtual 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCIe 124 DB SNR / Headphone AMP Card [+189]
3D Vision Glasses: None
LCD Monitor: None
2nd Monitor: None
3rd Monitor: None
Speakers: None
Network: Killer™ 2100 - Gigabit Maximum Network Performance Online Gaming Network Interface Card [+89]
Network Switch: None
Keyboard: Corsair Vengeance K90 Performance MMO Mechanical Gaming Keyboard w/ 18 customizable Macro Keys [+124]
Mouse: Corsair Vengeance M90 Performance MMO 15-Buttons Laser Gaming Mouse w/ 9 Programmable Macro Keys [+70]
Mouse Pad: None
Gaming Gear: None
Extra Thermal Display: None
Wireless 802.11B/G Network Card: None
External Wireless Network Card: None
Wireless 802.11 B/G/N Access Point: None
Bluetooth: None
Flash Media Reader/Writer: None
Video Camera: None
Headset: None
Printer: None
Cable: None
Power Protection: None
IEEE1394 Card: None
Internal USB Port: Internal USB 3.0 4-Port Hub [+29]
USB Port: None
Operating System: None - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY
Media Center Remote Control & TV Tuner: None
Office Suite: None
Ultra Care Option: None
Service: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
Rush Service: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 10~15 BUSINESS DAYS
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[amuffin]

DO NOT USE THE FX 8150! Go with the i5-2500k! Get the z68 configurator!!!!!

 

[rds1220]

It all looks good but I WOULD NOT get the FX Bulldozer especially for gaming. Clock for clock it can't beat out Intel. I would get an I5 2500k. With the 2500k you can overclock. I would pair that with a Z68 motherboard. The Z68 1155 socket will be backwards compatible with Ivy Bridges in case he decides to upgrade later.

 

[sarinaide]

I think we should just call it a Dozing Bull?

Yeah I would take that out, throw in a 2500K or pad it a little extra with a 2600K for some extra future proofing, slap the sucker on a Z68 motherboard and badam boom you are happy gaming.

 

[sramarino]

I debated for a long time (days) on AMD versus Intel and eventually ended up going with AMD because Intel is pretty cost-prohibitive to me. In regards to the overclocking, I know it had been recommended to him before and he was vehemently against it. To be honest, I don't know enough about any of that to be able to make an educated decision. :-/ I just *really* need this to still be a good computer in 3-4 years. Because 5 kids (where we'll be in a year) means it'll be AT LEAST that long before we can afford a new build. It's a good thing I'm a Mac. Bash all you want, I'm still running a Macbook from 2006 with no problems (for what I use it for). Then again, I don't game. Not even on Facebook. ;-P

 

[rds1220]

Well them I would look for a four core Phenom II and pair it with the FX990 motherboard. Even the older Phenom II would be better than the Bulldozer.

 

[sarinaide]

Well anything can be catered to the individuals preferences, in some cases the FX may be sufficient to a end user who cannot tell the difference between 50FPS and 70FPS or nano seconds. But your "Best gaming system at cost" line is somewhat of a conflict point. If that is the case then Intel is still the better option.

The 2500K is significantly cheaper and a lot better and efficient.

 

[amuffin]

I debated for a long time (days) on AMD versus Intel and eventually ended up going with AMD because Intel is pretty cost-prohibitive to me. In regards to the overclocking, I know it had been recommended to him before and he was vehemently against it. To be honest, I don't know enough about any of that to be able to make an educated decision. :-/ I just *really* need this to still be a good computer in 3-4 years. Because 5 kids (where we'll be in a year) means it'll be AT LEAST that long before we can afford a new build. It's a good thing I'm a Mac. Bash all you want, I'm still running a Macbook from 2006 with no problems (for what I use it for). Then again, I don't game. Not even on Facebook. ;-P

If he does not overclock, you should get him the intel. The fx needs to be overclocked in order to have good performance. Look at some benchmarks, especially star craft ii. DO NOT GET HIM BULLDOZER. http://www.anandtech.com/show/4955/the-bulldozer-review-amd-fx8150-tested/8

 

[sarinaide]

Good lord, the overclock again crops up. Frankly a chip that doesn't need to be oc'd and gives superior performance is a lot better than a chip that quite literally needs to be oc'd to the point of screaming to deliver any performance, or maybe its just me that thinks oc'ing is overrated and reserved for the odd mess around and sunday hobby.

Lets put it this way, NOS is not good for a engine, it will seize the rings and pistons very quickly regardless of your parts. Similarly OC'ing will accelerate system failure, it will create instability and sadly the first component to go boom is the PSU, followed by the Mobo.

The real moral here is this. The Dozy Bull really is not a good option and costs a lot more than the 2500K, it may win the odd high threading benchmark but yet only marginally and largelly irrelevent for a gamer, it runs hot and is not a eight core contrary to AMD's poor marketing gimmick. In short AMD is not the better value for money here.

 

[sramarino]

Right. Okay. Onto Intel then. ) Is everything else okay? The video/sound card? The 8gb of RAM? The liquid cooling and fan options? I am worried that perhaps I've got a bit of overkill here and I am really starting to wish I knew someone locally who could put this together for us, because I don't want to be boxed into something that isn't the perfect fit for us. Are there better sites for configurations?

 

[sramarino]

Okay, the Intel chip is definitely looking to be the better option. I did leave out a bit of information on my earlier post, however. The "monitor" for this is a beastly 40" 1080 flatscreen. I want to make sure the graphics come across as they should on the larger screen, and there is some playing of movies (through the computer) because the computer is at the other end of our master bedroom and, well who doesn't like to watch movies in bed (especially when that bed is sometimes shared with 3 little girls who want to watch Tangled for the 47th time this week)?? Can you recommend a good video card (for gaming and HD video) that goes well with the 2600k and Z68 mobo combo? I had read (I thought) that NVidia was for one chipset and Radeon for another, but I'm seeing both as options. :-/ Also, while I'm picking your brains, is the onboard audio on the mobo sufficient or should I really upgrade to the Xonar? If you say Xonar, sub specify which (please). 7.1 audio is available via speakers, though rarely used due to the littler peoples (hubby is a chef; rarely home before midnight). Most gaming is done through Turtle Beach PX5 headset that does double duty with the PS3 downstairs.

And - the last question, I can nearly all but promise it - for the gamers out there, does the keyboard/mouse/headphones really make a difference? If so, which ones are the best value?

 

[13thmonkey]

There is NO need for liquid cooling, unless it is very high end water, air cooling is generally better, quieter and cheaper.

Can you get a 7950 for a similar price (i'm not sure how they compare) and you don't need an expensive mobo, the asus sabertooth is quite pricey I think.

 

[mobrocket]

2 comments - 1 stop having kids - we have 6 billion people why do u need 5?
2- macs are great for surfing the web, but so are linux or windows from 2006... that was a fanboy comment u made

 

[sramarino]

2 comments - 1 stop having kids - we have 6 billion people why do u need 5?
2- macs are great for surfing the web, but so are linux or windows from 2006... that was a fanboy comment u made

I'm going to assume "fanboy" is bad. Though, in my case, I think it'd be "fangirl"?? I was just talking out of turn. I wasn't implying that Mac is better than PC. We have both in our home and I have reasonable proficiency on both.

As for the child comment, I don't feel I *need* to defend myself, but I will say that this is our second set of natural twins. Since we are able to sustain our family without the need of public assistance, I don't think it's anyone's business how many children I choose to have. Just because we are making the choice to not build/upgrade a PC for the next five years should not indicate that the number of children we have is unsustainable, but rather that we - as a couple with children - have decided to not fall prey to "Joneses Consumerism". We are simply choosing to value family over electronics. I heard that's rare, these days, but we're old school like that. ;o)

[I did not take offense to your commentary, so I dearly hope that you will not take umbrage from mine. I came to this forum seeking counsel and advice, not to force my views upon the world. Thank you.]

 

[sramarino]

There is NO need for liquid cooling, unless it is very high end water, air cooling is generally better, quieter and cheaper.

Can you get a 7950 for a similar price (i'm not sure how they compare) and you don't need an expensive mobo, the asus sabertooth is quite pricey I think.

It was my understanding that liquid cooling was preferable when overclocking is present (which it won't be) or when the system is not in the most ideal of venting situation. The second would be our situation. Due to the design of our master bedroom and the desk itself, there is not a lot of free air flow. Also, there is a tendency for the tower to be left on for days at a time, simply because we don't realize it's on. I'm fine with scrapping it ... it'll save me a couple of hundred off the build price, I just want to be sure I'm scrapping it for the right reasons, and now just to be a little cheap.

 

[Mousemonkey]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

 

[sramarino]

This topic has been moved from the section CPU & Components to section Systems by Mousemonkey

Thank you for redirecting my post.