Pulling the trigger today on $975 build?

[cmiychludwig]

Hey guys. I have been working on a build for a while and am thinking of pulling the trigger today. Total cost $976. Please help me make sure I'm not overlooking anything and don't have any sever bottlenecks or chose unreliable components. Much appreciated.

Approximate Purchase Date: Today, if I pull the trigger

Budget Range: 700-100

System Usage from Most to Least Important: (Gaming [The Old Republic, primarily], Surfing Internet, Movies/Video Streaming, Light Video Editting)

Parts Not Required: keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitor (maybe), HDD (existing 1TB)

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg (not firm)

Country: US

Parts Preferences: Originally was building a AMD box, but tom's has convinced me to go with the 2500k

Overclocking: Likely

SLI or Crossfire: Not immediately, maybe in future

Monitor Resolution: 47" Samsung TV via HDMI *Not convinced this is a good idea*

Additional Comments: Important that it's quiet, valuable, and will last a long time. Will be working, gaming, and running media through this unit.


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Refurbished: MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II/OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127619
^Seemed like a great deal, though I am concerned somewhat about refurbs...

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650M 650W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular High Performance Power ...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139031
^At this price point, should I get the CORSAIR 750 non M?

G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory Model F3-14900CL9D-8GBSR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231460
^Should I save $10 and downgrade to 1600?

ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271
^Extreme4 instead?


Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072
^You win, tomshardware...

Corsair Force Series GT CSSD-F90GBGT-BK 2.5" 90GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233205
^Not set in stone, very open to recommendations here.

COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196
^Reviews say good airflow, base mounted power supply, looks good, easy to transport if needed

 

[cmiychludwig]

Also, I have an DVD-RW drive that I'll eventually upgrade to Blu-ray. However, it's not a priority. I DO want to make sure that I can run 7.1 Audio through the board, but I'm not a HUGE audiophile.

 

[azeem40]

Yeah, Monitors are much better for gaming because of the better picture quality.

 

[cmiychludwig]

Thanks, azeem. I wasn't sure. I have a 21inch older LCD monitor that I can use and upgrade at a later time - just wasn't sure.

 

[boiler1990]

Yeah, Monitors are much better for gaming because of the better picture quality.

You generally get better response times with monitors, which is the key difference.

The PC will definitely work for your work, but the games aren't guaranteed. Your TV may have a game mode that will shorten the response times, but even that may not help. Obviously you can give it a shot before you pull the trigger on a new monitor.


What sort of warranty do you get with the Refurb card? You can find a used 6950 on some forums for about that price or less, and some may still have a warranty left on it. Since you're not using multiple monitors, the 1GB model is plenty, which is about $25 more than the one you listed (last time I checked). Better deal for a new card.

 

[cmiychludwig]

Thanks, boiler. My TV does have a game mode, so I'm going to TRY it and then buy a new monitor with next paycheck if I'm dissatisfied.

When it comes to video cards, how significant is the difference between say the 6950 and the 6870?

 

[azeem40]

The 6870 is a little bit worse than the 560ti but the 6950 is on par with it.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995-9.html

 

[boiler1990]

You have a few choices of 6950 1GBs for about that price, and XFX's cards have lifetime warranties. I'd personally go with a 6950, but maybe that's just my preference. I had a pair of 6950 2GBs and they were pretty good, although the drivers just absolutely failed me - couldn't play Skyrim above 30FPS in Crossfire, but one should have been enough to run at 60FPS.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150523
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150524
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161388
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125385