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Need advice on new gaming rig

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This is going to be my first ever home build gaming rig. I don't have an exact budget, but i'd like to keep it to $1500 or less. Obviously the main use of it is going to be gaming. However, i'm also gonna use it for 3D-modelling, work and some other stuff as well.
I have already taken a look at some components and started to put together a list of possible components to my system. However, i am not quite sure if they are compatible (fx. motherboard and gpu) and i have absolutely no idea which power supply to get. So i would really appreciate any help and advice. And also feel free to come up with whole new system build suggestions - just make sure to keep the price at or below $1500.

My list of components:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K or Intel Core i7-2700K
Motherboard: Asus P8P67 WS Revolution ATX LGA1155
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 X 8 GB) DDR3-1600
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 Black Edition 2GB or Gainward GeForce GTX 660 2GB
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80

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Gaming Authority

If it's mainly gaming then yes, just get the i5-3570k, and the z77 mobo, cause it was made for the ivybridge cpus, especially for the K series, since you want to overclock the cpu, also many features like plenty of sata III ports, usb 3.0, SLI/Crossfire support(dual pcie 3.0 slots), etc.
I don't recommend going with older z68 mobos.

I would tweak the parts, and get something like this.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/w19X

1. Changed the board and cpu to newer gen.
2. Memory is optional, you could stick to your choice. but you can also down it to 8gb. it is still more than enough.
3. You could change the cooler also, if your preference is water cooling.
4. If you plan to sli, just change the psu. 750w I think will do. check this out for brands/series. http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/permalink/323050/323050/...

djangoringo said:
If it's mainly gaming then yes, just get the i5-3570k, and the z77 mobo, cause it was made for the ivybridge cpus, especially for the K series, since you want to overclock the cpu, also many features like plenty of sata III ports, usb 3.0, SLI/Crossfire support(dual pcie 3.0 slots), etc.
I don't recommend going with older z68 mobos.


Yea makes sense, thanks
Gaming Authority

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£163.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X Performa CPU Cooler (£27.47 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD55 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£102.49 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£70.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.50 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (£309.00 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower ATX Mid Tower Case (£68.95 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£73.99 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer (£17.76 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £929.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

UK£ 929.05 = 1 145.2294 Euros

Amazon.co.uk offers free Super Saver Delivery to the following countries:

Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Andorra, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Vatican city, Poland.

admbautista said:
I would tweak the parts, and get something like this.

http://pcpartpicker.com/p/w19X

1. Changed the board and cpu to newer gen.
2. Memory is optional, you could stick to your choice. but you can also down it to 8gb. it is still more than enough.
3. You could change the cooler also, if your preference is water cooling.
4. If you plan to sli, just change the psu. 750w I think will do. check this out for brands/series. http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/permalink/323050/323050/...


About the memory. I see you've changed it to 4 X 4. Is it better have 4 X 4 or 2 X 8? Or is there no difference? Just curious.

And about the cooler, i heard its better to have water cooling instead of air in case i wanna OC, cause then it'll be way more effective.

djangoringo said:
He's in denmark those prices could be over the budget there.
Unless he provides a local website to check the parts, it's hard to say what it fits.


I could provide you with some websites, but i don't think it would do any good cause the price is in my local valuta.

djangoringo said:
PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor (£163.94 @ Amazon UK)
CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS10X Performa CPU Cooler (£27.47 @ Amazon UK)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-GD55 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard (£102.49 @ Amazon UK)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory (£34.98 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Sandisk Extreme 120GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (£70.97 @ Amazon UK)
Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (£59.50 @ Amazon UK)
Video Card: Asus GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card (£309.00 @ Amazon UK)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower ATX Mid Tower Case (£68.95 @ Amazon UK)
Power Supply: XFX 750W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply (£73.99 @ Amazon UK)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7280S-0B DVD/CD Writer (£17.76 @ Amazon UK)
Total: £929.05
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)

UK£ 929.05 = 1 145.2294 Euros

Amazon.co.uk offers free Super Saver Delivery to the following countries:

Belgium, Denmark, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Andorra, Finland, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Vatican city, Poland.


Are you sure that this system is buildable? I mean, is everything in this build compatible and will all fit in the case?
Gaming Authority

100% compatible, it fits all in the case, sufficient power for two 670 gtx, the mobo supports SLI, the psu has juice even for two 670 gtx.
The cooler is compatible with lga 1155, it's a good cooler : http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/Zalman-CNPS10X-P...

The ssd(sansdisk extreme) is out of stock, the same for the dvd drive(you can buy that in any shop in your country).
If you want a ssd get this one from amazon co uk : http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/part/crucial-internal-hard-d...

Zanduz said:
About the memory. I see you've changed it to 4 X 4. Is it better have 4 X 4 or 2 X 8? Or is there no difference? Just curious.

And about the cooler, i heard its better to have water cooling instead of air in case i wanna OC, cause then it'll be way more effective.

get 2x8GB. ivy bridge only has a duel channel memory controller. also gives you room to upgrade if you ever had the need. and even then are you sure you need more then 8GB or ram?

the newest sealed liquid coolers are about the same as the high end air. it really depends on preference and price. if you are talking about doing a custom loop that's a different story.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/h100i-elc240-seidon...
Gaming Authority

Zanduz said:
How do you for sure? I mean, do you have this build yourself or have you seen it or what?
And also how du you know which psu to take?
Its not that im doubting you or anything, im just curious and want to learn about this.




It's a standard atx mobo, it fits a case with standard atx, the fractal is a quality case, the msi mobo is a good one, i don't see nothing wrong with it, the psu is a seasonic oem, really good quality psu with 750w, it has plenty of sata connectors and pcie pins connectors.
The cooler i can assure you also that fits.
The rams is low profile, no problems with clearance for the cooler, and it's supported by the mobo.

Case :
Supports graphic card lengths up to 290mm when removable HDD-Bay is in place
Supports graphic card lengths up to 470mm without removable HDD-Bay
Supports CPU coolers with height of 180mm

Asus card : 271.78 millimeters

djangoringo said:
It's a standard atx mobo, it fits a case with standard atx, the fractal is a quality case, the msi mobo is a good one, i don't see nothing wrong with it, the psu is a seasonic oem, really good quality psu with 750w, it has plenty of sata connectors and pcie pins connectors.
The cooler i can assure you also that fits.
The rams is low profile, no problems with clearance for the cooler, and it's supported by the mobo.

Case :
Supports graphic card lengths up to 290mm when removable HDD-Bay is in place
Supports graphic card lengths up to 470mm without removable HDD-Bay
Supports CPU coolers with height of 180mm

Asus card : 271.78 millimeters


All right thanks!
Gaming Authority

Both are good ones, the z77 extreme is a bit shorter mobo, but has 8 sata ports(4 sata III) vs msi 6 sata(2 sata III, 4 sata II), also has more power phases, both supports SLI.
Both has good uefi bios, they're at the same price, you can get also the asrock one if you like.

djangoringo said:
Both are good ones, the z77 extreme is a bit shorter mobo, but has 8 sata ports(4 sata III) vs msi 6 sata(2 sata III, 4 sata II), also has more power phases, both supports SLI.
Both has good uefi bios, they're at the same price, you can get also the asrock one if you like.


What are those sata ports exactly?
Gaming Authority

Any mobo can handle 4 ssd at once, only need 4 sata ports.
But for good SSD SATA III, yes, it has the 2 intel sata III ports that support raid, and two asmedia sata III ports, i doubt you'll be using 4 ssds, the two sata ports of the intel is enough for two ssds(and it's recommended using it not the asmedia)...it's just useful if you're planning to add a lot of hdds.

Zanduz said:
This is going to be my first ever home build gaming rig. I don't have an exact budget, but i'd like to keep it to $1500 or less. Obviously the main use of it is going to be gaming. However, i'm also gonna use it for 3D-modelling, work and some other stuff as well.
I have already taken a look at some components and started to put together a list of possible components to my system. However, i am not quite sure if they are compatible (fx. motherboard and gpu) and i have absolutely no idea which power supply to get. So i would really appreciate any help and advice. And also feel free to come up with whole new system build suggestions - just make sure to keep the price at or below $1500.

My list of components:

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K or Intel Core i7-2700K
Motherboard: Asus P8P67 WS Revolution ATX LGA1155
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 X 8 GB) DDR3-1600
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7870 Black Edition 2GB or Gainward GeForce GTX 660 2GB
CPU Cooler: Corsair H80

i would think you only need a 600-750w psu check out corsair's gaming series psu's there designed for gaming, also check out 3xs for you compatibility issues they'll build your computer install everything and test it.

Zanduz said:
About the memory. I see you've changed it to 4 X 4. Is it better have 4 X 4 or 2 X 8? Or is there no difference? Just curious.

And about the cooler, i heard its better to have water cooling instead of air in case i wanna OC, cause then it'll be way more effective.


I just fast picked from the pcpartpicker but I would go for a 2x8. There is difference ofc. It owuld depend on your memory controller. But 8gb is more than enough too. so you can go also for 2x4.

About the cooler, depends on how high you want to OC. but there are alot of air coolers like hyper 212 evo matches or even beats water coolers.
Gaming Authority

Zanduz said:
Corsair Vengeance 8 GB (2 X 4 GB) DDR3 1600 MHz CL7

or

G.Skill Ripjaws-X 8 GB (2 X 4 GB) DDR3 1866 MHz CL8

Which is better?


What prices ?
But the corsair vengeance is better, has lower timings, but if both are expensive ones, drop it, and get 2x4 GB 1600 MHZ cas9 (it's cheaper).
Also i didn't see your question about fractal case, but it's the midi one, not the mini, it fits any standard atx mobo.
Keep in mind i listed all the parts in amazon uk with free deliver for euro countries, i don't know if you can get cheaper parts in your local shops, cause i don't know.

Here's an updated list, change some things cause they're all out of stock : http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/p/whEg

The hdd and dvd drive is out of stock, those thing along with the os buy in your country, if you also see that you can buy cheaper parts in the list get it.

admbautista said:
I just fast picked from the pcpartpicker but I would go for a 2x8. There is difference ofc. It owuld depend on your memory controller. But 8gb is more than enough too. so you can go also for 2x4.

About the cooler, depends on how high you want to OC. but there are alot of air coolers like hyper 212 evo matches or even beats water coolers.


Yea, about the ram. I have decided to go with 8 GB (2 X 4 GB), because it is enough. Then i can upgrade to 16 GB at a later time if i feel like doing so.

Oh okay, didn't know that. Thought water cooling would be way more efficient, hence waters ablity to absorb heat. But i think i'll go with the hyper 212 evo!

djangoringo said:
What prices ?
But the corsair vengeance is better, has lower timings, but if both are expensive ones, drop it, and get 2x4 GB 1600 MHZ cas9 (it's cheaper).
Also i didn't see your question about fractal case, but it's the midi one, not the mini, it fits any standard atx mobo.
Keep in mind i listed all the parts in amazon uk with free deliver for euro countries, i don't know if you can get cheaper parts in your local shops, cause i don't know.

Here's an updated list, change some things cause they're all out of stock : http://pcpartpicker.com/uk/p/whEg

The hdd and dvd drive is out of stock, those thing along with the os buy in your country, if you also see that you can buy cheaper parts in the list get it.


The prices at my local shop are pretty much the same. But i think i'll go with the 8 GB (2 X 4 GB) Corsair Vengeance 1600 MHz CL7. It's rather good.

And about the updated list. How come you've changed the video card?

Honestly, i do prefer nvidia. And i have decided to go with the gtx 670. But i can't decided whether to go with Gigabytes version or Asus'. The gigabyte card is about 38 euros cheaper at my local shop and assassin's creed 3 is included. However the asus is more powerful and outperforms the gtx 680 and has gotten a lot of awards. And btw they are both in stock at my local shop.

Gigabyte: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/gigabyte-video-card-gvn670...

Asus: http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-video-card-gtx670dc2t... The speed of the card at my local shop is 1137 MHz and not 1.06 GHz.
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