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Rig Review Please

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Last response: June 18, 2012 4:32 PM in Systems

TannerMT

June 18, 2012 3:18:56 PM

CPU: Intel Core i5-2400 3.1GHz Quad-Core Processor ($139.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500 AT Ball Bearing CPU Cooler ($38.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ECS H61H2-M2(1.0) Micro ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($44.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Value Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333 Memory ($39.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($69.99 @ Microcenter)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 560 1GB Video Card ($159.99 @ NCIX US)
Case: Cooler Master HAF 912 ATX Mid Tower Case ($52.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($87.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Asus VH236H 23.0" Monitor ($129.99 @ Newegg)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 (64-bit) ($98.99 @ B&H)
Keyboard: Lite-On SK-1788/BS Wired Standard Keyboard ($14.97 @ Newegg)
Mouse: V7 M30P10-7N Wired Optical Mouse ($6.43 @ Amazon)
Total: $902.29

Gaming rig; mainly built to dabble in newer games.
Is the mobo good? Will it bottleneck the SSD? Concerned because the SSD's at 6Gb/s but the MOBO's at 3Gb/s.

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obsama1

June 18, 2012 3:33:09 PM

That's a mediocre mobo. And the GTX 560 is woefully underpowered. The HD 6870 beats in singlehandedly for about $130-$140. The i5 3570k is only $50 more, and you get $50 off your motherboard, so you get a better CPU and motherboard for the same price.

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TannerMT

June 18, 2012 3:54:57 PM

Is the HD 6870 the best card for money? I chose the GTX 560 based on newegg rating. I don't enjoy overclocking and was wondering if the i3-2120 was a better idea for my purposes of just checking out new games. In short: If I modified the build to have the HD 6870 and i3-2120 would this still suit my purposes? Or is the i5 3570k still advisable despite the lack of interest to overclock?

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obsama1

June 18, 2012 4:14:06 PM

The i5 is a lot better. It's quad-core, faster, Ivy Bridge, supports PCI-E 3.0/SATA III/USB 3.0, etc. When your computer starts to bottleneck(not in the forseeable future), you can overclock to overcome the bottlneck. It's very easy, and all it needs is a CPU cooler. The CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ is $20 and very good and you'll go up to 4.5GHz. I recommend it above all else. If you want to save $20, get the Sandy Bridge version (2500K) which is slightly slower. However, i recommend the 3570k as you will not spend extra over the cost of the i3. Some games like Skyrim are CPU hogs, and they need that quad-core power. Skyrim with the hi-res texture pack needs at minimum a quad-core CPU, and in the next few years, most games will fully use quad-core CPU's. The 6870 can max BF3 on Ultra at 60FPS. The 560 is slower. The 6870 also overclocks better. Heck, it performs better and it's cheaper! I myself am getting the 6870 and i5 3570K this summer to build my own rig.