$1500-$2000 gaming machine

[travishuynh]

Approximate Purchase Date: 1 or 2 weeks(can wait though)

Budget Range: $1500-$2000 excluding rebates

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, and Animes

Are you buying a monitor: Yes

Parts to Upgrade: Everything including monitor

Do you need to buy OS: No, I have a full version of Win7 ultimate

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: I prefer Amazon, Newegg and NCIX but if price is a huge difference i might buy over there

Location: California

Parts Preferences: Any reputable brand

Overclocking: Yes, i always wanted to try to do some heavy OCing, might even try out the IHS removal method i have seen on youtube

SLI or Crossfire: Yes, in the future

Your Monitor Resolution: don't have one currently

Additional Comments: Silent but cool

And Most Importantly, Why Are You Upgrading: Just need an upgrade of GPU, and i thought i might as well upgrade my whole system

Build of what i am currently thinking of

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX US)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek AEGIR SD128264 89.5 CFM CPU Cooler ($66.98 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: MSI Z77 MPOWER ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Memory: Crucial Ballistix Tactical 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 1.5TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($69.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: OCZ Vertex 4 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($212.95 @ Mac Connection)
Video Card: Asus Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB Video Card ($499.99 @ Amazon)
Sound Card: HT Omega eClaro 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card ($184.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Cooler Master Storm Stryker (White) ATX Full Tower Case ($144.98 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 850W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($144.49 @ Amazon)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $2462.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-14 19:27 EST-0500)

 

[manshiny]

Everything looks okay, but I'd make these changes:

I'd personally change the CPU cooler, I have no idea what Xigmatek is, as it's not available in my country, so I presume it's a lower ended brand. Maybe something like a Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo if you want great performance at a low price, it's considered the best of the best, or for great performance on a loose budget, I'd pick the Noctua D-14.

I'd also change the SSD to a Intel 520 250GB or Samsung 830/840 Pro 256GB, I feel those two choices would provide more stability and reliability.

There isn't any need for a soundcard, especially not a $180 one.

Grab a 750W PSU, most hardware nowadays are using less energy, as new hardware comes out, they will continue using less. 850W seems pretty overkill.

I'd also probably change the ram brand, I don't know much of Crucial and their ram, so I'd pick something from Mushkin, Corsair or the likes. But that's just me

 

[travishuynh]

But if i add inside a second card, it says i will use close to 750W

 

[manshiny]

But if i add inside a second card, it says i will use close to 750W

I'll be honest, I'm not exactly a pro when it comes to measuring power with multi GPU set ups, but in my experience, I've run both Crossfire 6950's and SLI GTX580's, both were OC'ed and I did it all on a 750w Cooler Master PSU. Most newer graphics cards use far less power, at least from what I've read. I doubt you'd even hit 650w on a crossfire setup.

 

[travishuynh]

I heard that Corsair's power supplies are made from seasonic, and that seasonic one is priced just as high and is at gold rating

 

[manshiny]

heres a better and revised build for ya.

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDAo
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDAo/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDAo/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler ($69.70 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.74 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: G.Skill Phoenix III 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Phoebus 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($187.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black/Orange) ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic M12II 850W 80 PLUS Bronze Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($140.17 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2378.51
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-14 19:41 EST-0500)

Once again, is there really any need for a 850w power supply and a $190 sound card? I have a sound card in my current system (which I'm also trying to sell >.<) and I barely notice a difference, then again, I'm not audiophile.

In my opinion, grab a 750w Power supply, of either Corsair or Seasonic and if you desperately want a soundcard, I'm sure a $40 one will do just as well.

I'd even cut down to 8gb of ram unless you're video editing or use the computer for more than gaming. You said it's a $1500-$2000 gaming build, therefore, you shouldn't, in theory, need more than 8gb of ram, unless you venture into rending and editing.

You want something silent and cool, I'd grab a Fractal Design Define R4, it's considered the best case for quietness and performance + it's got amazing cooling options, as long as you don't intend on water cooling.

And you already have Win7 Ultimate, don't need to worry about buying a new operating system.

 

[manshiny]

I heard that Corsair's power supplies are made from seasonic, and that seasonic one is priced just as high and is at gold rating

I've heard similar stories, apparently Seasonic distributes all the power supplies to the major company, so it doesn't really matter who you choose from, as long as it's a trusted brand.

 

[UVB076]

SeaSonic PSU is most likely better, since (this isn't even a rumor or a story, this is a fact) SeaSonic is the OEM for Corsair AX650-850 power supplies, and I think the platinum line too. The "reliability" issues with OCZ was just a numbers trick. More people bought OCZ drives when Sandforce controllers had issues, thus more problems. Xonar Essence STX is a better sound card than the Phoebus and the since OP wanted silence, a Fractal Design R4 would have fit him better. I would also recommend the D14 over the Silver Arrow, and a Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH since MSI still uses analog power delivery

 

[UVB076]

Phantom has OPEN PANELS and no sound proofing. It IS louder than the Fractal. RAM is always upgradeable so I do suggest 2x8GB. 850W is more like it since 2 7970s kind of pushes the envelope of a 750W PSU, especially if he overclocks. Also read my previous post. There are some serious concerns there.

 

[manshiny]

PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant / Benchmarks

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-D14 65.0 CFM CPU Cooler ($80.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: Asus P8Z77-V PRO/THUNDERBOLT ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($233.98 @ SuperBiiz)
Memory: Mushkin Blackline 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($47.99 @ Newegg)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Samsung 830 Series 256GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($189.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Case: Fractal Design Define R4 (Black Pearl) ATX Mid Tower Case ($89.99 @ Microcenter)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($135.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 8 (OEM) (64-bit) ($87.99 @ NCIX US)
Total: $2260.87
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-14 19:59 EST-0500)

I agree with the Gigabyte Z77X-UP4 TH, but I just prefer Asus over Gigabyte, hence I put in the V-Pro Thunderbolt. I'd personally grab a GTX670, but really only because I prefer nVIDIA over AMD.

 

[UVB076]

He doesn't need Windows. So with that money upgrade the power supply to something that will support that system + CFX + overclock. I prefer Asus too, but Gigabyte is quite a bit cheaper.

 

[manshiny]

He doesn't need Windows. So with that money upgrade the power supply to something that will support that system + CFX + overclock. I prefer Asus too, but Gigabyte is quite a bit cheaper.

Whoops, I forgot to remove that. I was wondering why the price was higher than it should have been. I mentioned that earlier anyway. Thanks for pointing that out
A 750w is heaps, I can overclock my 5970 AND my CPU and still have a ton of breathing room with my Power supply (I use an 850w, but I'd still be completely fine with a 750w)
As I stated earlier, I've run multi GPU (2 seperate graphic cards) setups with 6950's and GTX580's, with everything over clocked on a not-so-great Cooler Master bronze PSU. That was also with a 2500K OC'ed to about 4.2-4.5.

 

[TheBigTroll]

he wants an expensive sound card, and 80+bronze or gold isnt an issue, if theres enought voltage and quality caps on the ps.

also 8gigs isnt as futureproof as 16gig, and isnt much more for 16.

the phantom isnt that loud and has better cooling than the fractal design case.

heres my revised build with a full tower.

and yes 750watts is more future proof if hes gonna run 2x7950s and more in the future

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDIA
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDIA/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDIA/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler ($69.70 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.74 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: G.Skill Phoenix III 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Phoebus 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($187.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black/Orange) ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair Professional Gold 750W 80 PLUS Gold Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($135.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $2286.34
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-14 19:53 EST-0500)

heres what i would say is wrong

-id get a d14 any day. more compatable with ram and mounting is a lot more easy. like a lot more
-i wouldnt recommend cheap motherboards. sure it has thunderbolt and all that but the odds are that you dont have a thunderbolt device. and the fact that msi doesnt have anything near the quality of the components used on the gigabyte board. digital power delivery is always better
-id rather get a samsung SSD
-stx will sound better.
-the R4 will be more silent. its a guarantee

 

[manshiny]

heres what i would say is wrong

-id get a d14 any day. more compatable with ram and mounting is a lot more easy. like a lot more
-i wouldnt recommend cheap motherboards. sure it has thunderbolt and all that but the odds are that you dont have a thunderbolt device. and the fact that msi doesnt have anything near the quality of the components used on the gigabyte board. digital power delivery is always better
-id rather get a samsung SSD
-stx will sound better.
-the R4 will be more silent. its a guarantee

Just backing up what TheBigTroll is saying, the AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 will do you justice, and it's priced at about $130 or so.

 

[TheBigTroll]

heres what i would get instead
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDTM

CPU cooler is not compatable from the box but all you have to do is email noctua and they will send you a free 1155 mounting bracket. the reason i chose the 2011 edition is that it comes with pwm fans

 

[TheBigTroll]

Just backing up what TheBigTroll is saying, the AsRock Z77 Extreme 4 will do you justice, and it's priced at about $130 or so.

id still rather get a gigabyte. the extreme4 doesnt have a digital power delivery as well

 

[manshiny]

id still rather get a gigabyte. the extreme4 doesnt have a digital power delivery as well

I'd still pick Asus over any brand lol, but this isn't my build so I'm just trying to be helpful

 

[TheBigTroll]

true say but asus doesnt offer the most hardware for the buck like gigabyte

 

[UVB076]

Asus offers the most cool factor by not choosing the ugliest shade of blue known to mankind -cough- MSI -cough-

 

[manshiny]

true say but asus doesnt offer the most hardware for the buck like gigabyte

I guess at the end of the day, it's up to the buyer. I know Asus is more pricey than Gigabyte, but I'd much rather go with Asus, even though their customer support is apparently terrible. I've had no trouble with them in the past though, so I figure, why not?

 

[iceclock]

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDYW
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDYW/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/xDYW/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($189.99 @ Microcenter)
CPU Cooler: Thermalright Silver Arrow CPU Cooler ($69.70 @ NCIX US)
Motherboard: MSI Z77A-G45 Thunderbolt ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($144.99 @ Amazon)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($73.74 @ NCIX US)
Storage: Seagate Barracuda 2TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($89.99 @ NCIX US)
Storage: G.Skill Phoenix III 240GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($179.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: XFX Radeon HD 7970 3GB Video Card ($379.99 @ Newegg)
Sound Card: Asus Xonar Phoebus 24-bit 96 KHz Sound Card ($187.99 @ Amazon)
Case: NZXT Phantom (Black/Orange) ATX Full Tower Case ($99.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Silverstone Strider Plus 850W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($129.98 @ NCIX US)
Optical Drive: Asus BC-12B1ST/BLK/B/AS Blu-Ray Reader, DVD/CD Writer ($55.98 @ NCIX US)
Monitor: Asus PB278Q 27.0" Monitor ($678.00 @ Amazon)
Total: $2280.33
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-01-14 20:16 EST-0500)

1. the phobus is just as good as the stx. 2. msi isnt garbage and ive owned many quality boards from them.

3. the gskill is just as good as the 830 and similar priced.

4. the dh14 doesnt cool really better than the arrow and cost 13-14$ more.

and is larger.

 

[travishuynh]

What is the difference of the UD5H and UP4?

 

[UVB076]

It is preference, but it's around $80 cheaper is it not? Don't worry we both have Asus mobos.

 

[UVB076]

What is the difference of the UD5H and UP4?

The basics are that the UP4 has thunderbolt and the UD5 has dual ethernet.

 

[travishuynh]

Also i don't use optical drive much, what other kinds of benefits will you gain from using one?