Problem With Gaming Build

[ForeverHeartless]

[strike]I am planning on putting together a gaming desktop within the next two month or so. My purchase date hinges on when ivy bride is released and when the new nvidia cards are released. That said, I have begun researching and compiling the other parts of the build. I am having trouble narrowing down the components and I have two or three possibilities for some of the components such as the motherboard. I will list my selected parts below, please help me decide.

I do need all components for a computer, including a mouse and keyboard. Also, the monitor selected has no speakers so I may need to purchase some of those as well. I do have a headset for gaming but I doubt that will suffice.

All suggestions are welcome, don't hesitate to tell me something is too overpriced or unnecessary, but please link me to a better option.

-Thanks!
[/strike]
Cannot decide between these parts, can anyone help me weigh the pros and cons?

7950 or 560Ti?

P67 or Z68?

Which out of the three monitors I have linked below?

Is everything compatible?

Thanks!!
________________________________________________________

Case

Option 1 - [strike]Corsair Obsidian Series 650D - $179.99[/strike]

Option 2 - [strike]Corsair Carbide Series 400R - $99.99[/strike]

Option 3 - [strike]Corsair Carbide Series 500R - $128.54[/strike]

Option 4 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R White - $129.03 PURCHASED

Option 5 - [strike]NZXT Phantom White Steel - $129.99[/strike]

CPU Cooler

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO - $34.99 PURCHASED

Keyboard

[strike]RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow - $111.99[/strike]

Lefty Mouse

[strike]RAZER DeathAdder - $59.99[/strike]

Memory

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB - $46.99

Monitor

ASUS VS248H-P Black 24" - $199.99

Motherboard

Option 1 - ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 - $149.99

Option 2 - [strike]ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 - $121.99[/strike]

Option 3 - [strike]ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 - $189.99[/strike]

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99 - PURCHASED

PSU

Option 1 - [strike]CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 750W - $149.99[/strike]

Option 2 - Corsair Enthusiast TX V2 Series 750-Watt - $114.49

HDD/SSD

[strike]Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB - $129.99[/strike]

Mushkin Enhanced Chronos 120GB SATA III SSD - $142.99

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz - $224.99

SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 7950 3GB - $479.99

Asus 24xDVD±RW Optical Drive - $20.99 PURCHASED

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - $12.98 PURCHASED

~

Projected Price: $1,787
Desired Price: $1,600
Surplus Price: $187

Possible Routes to Lower Price:

EVGA GeForce GTX 570 - $340

or

MSI Twin Frozr III GeForce GTX 560 Ti- $309.99

Crucial M4 64GB - $89.99

ASUS VS247H-P 23.6-Inch LCD Monitor - $182.00

or

ASUS 23" 2ms HDMI LED Backlight Widescreen LCD Monitor - $174.99

Seagate Barracuda 1TB - $124.99 PURCAHSED

________________________________________________________

-Heartless

 

[g-unit1111]

Due to the fact that I am a first time computer builder I would like to get a user-friendly case that isn't too difficult to assemble. Are there any really prominent differences between the cases?

You really can't go wrong with any of Corsair's cases. I have the Graphite 600T and it's been amazing so far - really big, lots of interior room (can fit the biggest PSUs, heat sinks, GPUs, you name it), lots of drive bays, and really easy to work with. The Carbide would be the cheapest on your list but both the 400R and 500R are great - the 500R will give you a bit more interior room for the price.

Alternately you could check out Fractal Design's Arc MIDI - I love the minimalist design of it and with the polished metal it still looks attractive in any room (not to mention has a great cable management system), but the 2 x 5.25" drive bays might be a bit limiting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007

Can all of these motherboards support ivy bridge and the upcoming nvidia graphics cards? Also, what are the major differences in these three motherboards?

As long as it supports PCI Gen 3 you're good. Ivy Bridge will support 1155 motherboards and will support PCI 3.0 cards like Keppler and the new Radeon 79XX series. I'd actually recommend this even though it's not on your list:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506

Are there any significant differences between these two PSUs? I need modular because as a novice pc builder I don't want to deal with a non-modular PSU.

One's modular and one isn't. I've actually come to prefer non-modular PSUs. There's a myth that having fewer cables in your system will mean less obstructed air flow but it's actually all in how you ROUTE your cables - the Corsair cases you linked to are one of the best on the market for that reason.

Keyboard

RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow - $111.99

Lefty Mouse

RAZER DeathAdder - $59.99

One thing I will tell you is that I'm really in the minority here when I say I seriously hate spending $170 on peripherals when a $40 Logitech keyboard and mouse set will do. Put that $130 difference into upgrading your GPU or cooling solution. Get the expensive peripherals after you get your build up and running, don't include these in your budget for now.

I am waiting until I purchase the CPU and GPU before I buy these because both will be priced lower.

Not necessarily. You can get a Crucial M4 SSD for $110 (64GB version) or $170 (128GB version) and those are a steal compared to what they used to be. Mechanical HDs are slowly starting to be reduced in price. If you look you can get a 5900RPM 2TB HD for $130 and use that as your secondary.

 

[tooldc4205]

I agree with what he said as far as the keyboard goes.

as far as other rec's:

SSD: Corsair Force 3 or Force GT

RAM: G'Skill ripjaws or Corsair Venegance

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black (Wait for a few months on prices to hopefully drop)

Case: Corsair Graphite 500T (As stated above) is a wonderful case. Would have that in my recent build, but due to space couldn't fit it in my desk due to height

 

[g-unit1111]

SSD: Corsair Force 3 or Force GT

That's not really a good choice - there's a lot of issues surrounding the Sandforce drives that are included with it. I use the Crucial M4 and it's been great so far - no issues at all even after two reformats and reinstallation of Windows.

RAM: G'Skill ripjaws or Corsair Venegance

The Vengeance is a good choice but watch for the tall heat sinks. The Crucial Ballistix is another good choice:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148544

Case: Corsair Graphite 500T (As stated above) is a wonderful case. Would have that in my recent build, but due to space couldn't fit it in my desk due to height

It is a good choice but the Carbide 400R or 500R would be a better fit for most desks. It's also big, heavy, and not easy to transport but that's the only real downside.

 

[terpsfan726]

Here is a great psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341052
completely modular

And here is a great case for a good price if you are still looking for a case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146088

 

[ForeverHeartless]

Due to the fact that I am a first time computer builder I would like to get a user-friendly case that isn't too difficult to assemble. Are there any really prominent differences between the cases?

You really can't go wrong with any of Corsair's cases. I have the Graphite 600T and it's been amazing so far - really big, lots of interior room (can fit the biggest PSUs, heat sinks, GPUs, you name it), lots of drive bays, and really easy to work with. The Carbide would be the cheapest on your list but both the 400R and 500R are great - the 500R will give you a bit more interior room for the price.

Alternately you could check out Fractal Design's Arc MIDI - I love the minimalist design of it and with the polished metal it still looks attractive in any room (not to mention has a great cable management system), but the 2 x 5.25" drive bays might be a bit limiting: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811352007

Can all of these motherboards support ivy bridge and the upcoming nvidia graphics cards? Also, what are the major differences in these three motherboards?

As long as it supports PCI Gen 3 you're good. Ivy Bridge will support 1155 motherboards and will support PCI 3.0 cards like Keppler and the new Radeon 79XX series. I'd actually recommend this even though it's not on your list:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128506

Are there any significant differences between these two PSUs? I need modular because as a novice pc builder I don't want to deal with a non-modular PSU.

One's modular and one isn't. I've actually come to prefer non-modular PSUs. There's a myth that having fewer cables in your system will mean less obstructed air flow but it's actually all in how you ROUTE your cables - the Corsair cases you linked to are one of the best on the market for that reason.

Keyboard

RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow - $111.99

Lefty Mouse

RAZER DeathAdder - $59.99

One thing I will tell you is that I'm really in the minority here when I say I seriously hate spending $170 on peripherals when a $40 Logitech keyboard and mouse set will do. Put that $130 difference into upgrading your GPU or cooling solution. Get the expensive peripherals after you get your build up and running, don't include these in your budget for now.

I am waiting until I purchase the CPU and GPU before I buy these because both will be priced lower.

Not necessarily. You can get a Crucial M4 SSD for $110 (64GB version) or $170 (128GB version) and those are a steal compared to what they used to be. Mechanical HDs are slowly starting to be reduced in price. If you look you can get a 5900RPM 2TB HD for $130 and use that as your secondary.

Can you link me to a solid keyboard and mouse to replace the gaming ones I have selected? Also, i think both of the PSUs I have selected are modular, so why is one like $35 more?

And why do you recommend that motherboard over the three options i listed?

And do you know of any solid speakers i can get that are in-between cheap and excessively expensive?

-thanks!

 

[g-unit1111]

Can you link me to a solid keyboard and mouse to replace the gaming ones I have selected? Also, i think both of the PSUs I have selected are modular, so why is one like $35 more?

To me the keyboard / mouse is the least important part of the build as it's so easy to add those later on. You could get something like this and then get the quality keyboard / mouse later on: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126195

And why do you recommend that motherboard over the three options i listed?

I actually own that board and it's been really solid. For the price it has one of the best feature sets on the market, has a great UEFI utility, plenty of SATA ports and tons of USB and Firewire ports.

And do you know of any solid speakers i can get that are in-between cheap and excessively expensive?

Depends on how much you want to spend. These are the ones I use and they are great for the price - $149.
http://www.klipsch.com/promedia-2-1-computer-speakers

Alternately a lot of people seem to like these and Corsair makes excellent products (for the most part) but I can't really judge a set of speakers unless I've heard them myself: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836852001

 

[ForeverHeartless]

I actually found a basic usb keyboard and mouse in my closet and those will work fine for the time being. Im still unclear on the motherboards, why is there a $70 difference between some of the ones i chose, dont they all do the same thing? Are the more expensive ones simply more relaible/better built?

Also, I watched a few indepth videos on assembling a computer and it lead me to a series of questions.

- - - - - - -

Best/easiest way to install thermal paste on the cpu for an aftermarket cpu cooler?

How do you know which drivers need to be updated/installed and how do you know if youve missed any?

Which is the best anti-virus program?

- - - - - - -

-Thanks!

 

[dalauder]

Wow...you're buying a lot of expensive parts. Just make sure you don't up being one of those guys trying to sell this in eight months because the mainstream parts sell better.

If your focus is gaming, remember an i5 matches an i7 and that about 30%+ of your build (at this price point) should be on graphics.

 

[ForeverHeartless]

Wow...you're buying a lot of expensive parts. Just make sure you don't up being one of those guys trying to sell this in eight months because the mainstream parts sell better.

If your focus is gaming, remember an i5 matches an i7 and that about 30%+ of your build (at this price point) should be on graphics.

I have no intention of selling the computer i build anytime in the near future, but what do you mean the mainstream parts sell better?

Also, I am trying to hold out until ivy bridge and the new nvidia cards come out

And can anyone answer the aforementioned questions?

-Thanks!

 

[aqe040466]

I am planning on putting together a gaming desktop within the next two month or so. My purchase date hinges on when ivy bride is released and when the new nvidia cards are released. That said, I have begun researching and compiling the other parts of the build. I am having trouble narrowing down the components and I have two or three possibilities for some of the components such as the motherboard. I will list my selected parts below, please help me decide.

I do need all components for a computer, including a mouse and keyboard. Also, the monitor selected has no speakers so I may need to purchase some of those as well. I do have a headset for gaming but I doubt that will suffice.

All suggestions are welcome, don't hesitate to tell me something is too overpriced or unnecessary, but please link me to a better option.

-Thanks!

________________________________________________________

Case

Option 1 - Corsair Obsidian Series 650D - $179.99

Option 2 - Corsair Carbide Series 400R - $99.99

Option 3 - Corsair Carbide Series 500R - $128.54

Due to the fact that I am a first time computer builder I would like to get a user-friendly case that isn't too difficult to assemble. Are there any really prominent differences between the cases?

CPU Cooler

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO - $34.99

Keyboard

[strike]RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow - $111.99[/strike]

Lefty Mouse

[strike]RAZER DeathAdder - $59.99[/strike]

Memory

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB - $46.99

Monitor

ASUS VS248H-P Black 24" - $199.99

Motherboard

Option 1 - ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 - $149.99

Option 2 - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 - $121.99

Option 3 - ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 - $189.99

Can all of these motherboards support ivy bridge and the upcoming nvidia graphics cards? Also, what are the major differences in these three motherboards?

Operating System

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium - $99.99

PSU

Option 1 - CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 750W - $149.99

Option 2 - Corsair Enthusiast TX V2 Series 750-Watt - $114.49

Are there any significant differences between these two PSUs? I need modular because as a novice pc builder I don't want to deal with a non-modular PSU.

HDD/SSD

I am waiting until I purchase the CPU and GPU before I buy these because both will be priced lower.

________________________________________________________

-Heartless

If you are waiting for the release of Ivy Bridge CPU then, Wait also for the arrival of Z77 chipset motherboard. Although the Ivy Bridge CPU are also compatible with the board you listed. The equation is: New CPU=New MOBO.

 

[ForeverHeartless]

If you are waiting for the release of Ivy Bridge CPU then, Wait also for the arrival of Z77 chipset motherboard. Although the Ivy Bridge CPU are also compatible with the board you listed. The equation is: New CPU=New MOBO.

when are the ivy bridge chips and the Z77 motherboard suspected to be released?

 

[g-unit1111]

I actually found a basic usb keyboard and mouse in my closet and those will work fine for the time being. Im still unclear on the motherboards, why is there a $70 difference between some of the ones i chose, dont they all do the same thing? Are the more expensive ones simply more relaible/better built?

Also, I watched a few indepth videos on assembling a computer and it lead me to a series of questions.

- - - - - - -

Best/easiest way to install thermal paste on the cpu for an aftermarket cpu cooler?

How do you know which drivers need to be updated/installed and how do you know if youve missed any?

Which is the best anti-virus program?

- - - - - - -

-Thanks!

1. All you need is a dab of thermal paste and then use a lint-free cloth or your finger to spread it around.

2. Your motherboard and graphics card will come with driver discs - those are the ones you really need to install. Pretty much all peripherals will come with their own drivers as well. Most update automatically anymore. It's always wise to perform a BIOS update on your motherboard once you get the build up and running.

3. That varies - I use Vipre and really like it. Bit Defender is a pretty decent program as well. Norton and McAfee are the worst though. Norton used to be the best but once they switched to the Norton 360 format it turned into a huge resource hog. I like Vipre because it uses very minimal resources and can run in the background without using a lot of RAM. AVG is also a really good anti virus program as well.

4. As far as the motherboard goes - some have different feature sets over others. It's best to research and compare the ones that have the features you want to use - if you plan to ultimately run an SLI setup or run say, 32GB of RAM, you need to buy a motherboard that will have those features.

 

[aqe040466]

when are the ivy bridge chips and the Z77 motherboard suspected to be released?

There are some rumors that it will be released on April but, Intel will ship it by bulk on the market until June.

I also stumbled on one article here in Tom's Hardware about the introduction of Z77 by BIOSTAR. I suggest go to their websites and searh about the release and features of this new Z77 chipset MOBO.

 

[dalauder]

I have no intention of selling the computer i build anytime in the near future, but what do you mean the mainstream parts sell better?

Also, I am trying to hold out until ivy bridge and the new nvidia cards come out

And can anyone answer the aforementioned questions?

-Thanks!

I mean that it's a lot easier to sell a $40 keyboard for $30 than a $110 keyboard for $80.

I strongly agree with waiting for Kepler and Ivy Bridge. What are you gaming on right now, btw?

 

[ForeverHeartless]

1. All you need is a dab of thermal paste and then use a lint-free cloth or your finger to spread it around.

2. Your motherboard and graphics card will come with driver discs - those are the ones you really need to install. Pretty much all peripherals will come with their own drivers as well. Most update automatically anymore. It's always wise to perform a BIOS update on your motherboard once you get the build up and running.

3. That varies - I use Vipre and really like it. Bit Defender is a pretty decent program as well. Norton and McAfee are the worst though. Norton used to be the best but once they switched to the Norton 360 format it turned into a huge resource hog. I like Vipre because it uses very minimal resources and can run in the background without using a lot of RAM. AVG is also a really good anti virus program as well.

4. As far as the motherboard goes - some have different feature sets over others. It's best to research and compare the ones that have the features you want to use - if you plan to ultimately run an SLI setup or run say, 32GB of RAM, you need to buy a motherboard that will have those features.

how do you do a BIOS update?

i saw a video where someone simply downloaded the drivers for his hardware off the sites of the manufacturers instead of the actually driver discs, is that just as effective?

and for the motherboard I do not plan to sli/cf, and i doubt id ever go over 16gb of ram

 

[ForeverHeartless]

I mean that it's a lot easier to sell a $40 keyboard for $30 than a $110 keyboard for $80.

I strongly agree with waiting for Kepler and Ivy Bridge. What are you gaming on right now, btw?

xbox 360 /shame

my computer is an 07 iMac, and I am quite deprived of gaming at the moment

I primarily want to play guild wars 2 on this computer build, which won't be out for another 2 months or so..but the open beta sign-ups just started and I can't participate..sigh..haha

 

[dalauder]

Most the thermal interface material (TIM) guieds I've seen lately say to put a dot or line (depending on architecture) and let the heatsink spread it out: http://www.arcticsilver.com/instructions.htm

Z77 is coming sometime in Q2.

I use Avast! Antivirus. I've seen AVG used a lot and I'm satisfied with that. Microsoft Security Essentials is actually solid too. All are free.I assume g-unit's suggestions are solid as well.

 

[dalauder]

xbox 360 /shame

my computer is an 07 iMac, and I am quite deprived of gaming at the moment

I primarily want to play guild wars 2 on this computer build, which won't be out for another 2 months or so..but the open beta sign-ups just started and I can't participate..sigh..haha

Well the 360 should hold you over 'til Ivy Bridge and Kepler.

As far as SLI/Cfx, consider all the questions here too: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice
Most moderate to high-end mobos support SLI & crossfire

Updating a bios...well that's a bit of a pain. You *shouldn't* update from Windows. You should do it from a disc. I always use a flash stick though, which I find easiest. You'll need to download something like HP USB Disk image format tool, Windows 98 system files, and awdflash (or amiflash if it's not an Award bios). It's a pain when you're not used to it and easy once you are. You'll need a basic understanding of DOS or command prompts.

I ALWAYS get ALL my drivers off of the Internet. The sole exception in my last 20 or so Windows installations is with this wireless Printer I have that uses some proprietary software.

 

[ForeverHeartless]

Well the 360 should hold you over 'til Ivy Bridge and Kepler.

As far as SLI/Cfx, consider all the questions here too: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice
Most moderate to high-end mobos support SLI & crossfire

Updating a bios...well that's a bit of a pain. You *shouldn't* update from Windows. You should do it from a disc. I always use a flash stick though, which I find easiest. You'll need to download something like HP USB Disk image format tool, Windows 98 system files, and awdflash (or amiflash if it's not an Award bios). It's a pain when you're not used to it and easy once you are. You'll need a basic understanding of DOS or command prompts.

I ALWAYS get ALL my drivers off of the Internet. The sole exception in my last 20 or so Windows installations is with this wireless Printer I have that uses some proprietary software.

I don't think id be able to update the bios, is it a mandatory thing to do before using the computer?

 

[dalauder]

I don't think id be able to update the bios, is it a mandatory thing to do before using the computer?

Not mandatory. But it is definitely something you are capable of doing. Just start a new thread (and PM me) when you want to do it. I'll post all the links.

You can just check the manufacturer's website when you get the motherboard in and compare the version the bios has with what's available on the website. If none of the updates seem to address any issues pertinent to you, you really don't have to update it.

 

[ForeverHeartless]

Not mandatory. But it is definitely something you are capable of doing. Just start a new thread (and PM me) when you want to do it. I'll post all the links.

You can just check the manufacturer's website when you get the motherboard in and compare the version the bios has with what's available on the website. If none of the updates seem to address any issues pertinent to you, you really don't have to update it.

okay thanks, is there any way to know/check if you missed downloading a necessary driver online?

also, what do you think about the 3-4 motherboards in this discussion, do you prefer/recommend one over another?

-thanks!

 

[Luckster]

Let me just drop in and say the Corsair 500r is an awesome case, so much ROOM and it looks looks so cool. The ventilation on it is very good as well. How do i know? I own one.

 

[ForeverHeartless]

Let me just drop in and say the Corsair 500r is an awesome case, so much ROOM and it looks looks so cool. The ventilation on it is very good as well. How do i know? I own one.

i looked up the white version of the 500r and it is simply awesome, I have decided that that is the one. Its also only $121 compared to the obsidian series $180

Any recommendations for the hdd and ssd?

-thanks!

also im reposting my aforementioned questions

"okay thanks, is there any way to know/check if you missed downloading a necessary driver online?

also, what do you think about the 3-4 motherboards in this discussion, do you prefer/recommend one over another?"

 

[dalauder]

okay thanks, is there any way to know/check if you missed downloading a necessary driver online?

also, what do you think about the 3-4 motherboards in this discussion, do you prefer/recommend one over another?

-thanks!

Just go to device manager and see if anything has the yellow caution or question mark symbols. Other than that, if there's anything you know you should have (like Virtu), go download it. You'll also want to update the graphics drivers.

Motherbaords--I haven't commented because you'll probably be buying a Z77 motherboard anyways, so the discussion is irrelevant. If you do get anything else, it'll be a Z68. Stick to Asus, Gigabyte, ASRock, or maybe MSI or EVGA. It's only worth getting an expensive one if you're a hardcore overclocker. Otherwise, Gigabyte's SLI capable $110 Z68 boards will do.