$1500 Gaming Build need opinions!

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Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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Approximate Purchase Date: In about three weeks.

Budget Range: $1500~

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming (BF3, GW2, Diablo III...currently SC2), Music Production, and Movies etc.

Parts Not Required: speakers, mouse, keyboard, monitor, optical drive

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: Newegg

Country of Origin: United States

Parts Preferences: Intel, Nvidia

Overclocking: Maybe (push the CPU a little higher)

SLI or Crossfire: Yes

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080

Additional Comments: Debating a lot between graphic cards, such as whether to get a 570 GTX vs. a 560 GTX now and SLI it if it fails to handle BF3 adequately for me. Currently I have a 1680x1050 monitor so it isn't absolutely essential that I get the 24in listed and it might make the single 560 GTX go a lot further to stay at a lower resolution for now until I SLI. I might SLI fairly soon or even with this build if I feel like pushing my budget that way.

Another concern is the storage drive. I currently have my 1 TB drive filled so was looking and found this "cheap" alternative eco drive from Samsung. The concern is the 5400 RPM speed, which I've read isn't too much of a deal with this drive due to the platter positioning. I'll probably end up installing not played often games on this drive to offset the low capacity of the SSD, so I wonder if this will be good enough or if I should splurge and get a Caviar Black.

Feel free to give me some comments about this build in case I missed something ;-). This will be my second build, first one was done four years or so ago so just want to make sure I didn't overlook anything.
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Case: COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

PSU: CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular High Performance Power Supply (This just came out but it is based on the great TX series but this is modular which is a huge plus for me)

Mobo: GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD3P LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor

CPU Fan: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1

Video Card: MSI N560GTX-Ti Hawk GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

SSD: Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Storage HDD: SAMSUNG EcoGreen F4 HD204UI 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Case Fans (side slot): Scythe DFS123812-3000 "ULTRA KAZE" 120 x 38 mm Case Fan x 2

PCI Slot Fan: EVERCOOL SB-F2 PCI Slot Case Cooler

Wireless-N Adapter: ASUS PCE-N13 Wireless Adapter IEEE 802.11b/g/n PCI Express Up to 300Mbps Wireless Data Rates 64-bit/128-bit WEP, TKIP, and AES WI-Fi alliance WPA, WPA2

Monitor (1080p): ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) (will probably change this as I hate glossy monitors)
 
AdrianPerry

AdrianPerry

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Nice overall build.

I personally built my 560Ti build a couple of months ago, and looking back on it now, i wish i had stretched for a 570. The 560 does play every game I own at maxed details with very high FPS.

Just knowing that a 570 wouldn't have cost me too much more, would have lasted longer as a single card and as an SLI set up, kinda bugs me.

Although the same could be said for a GTX 580....its just knowing when to stop.

Simply put: If your budget can accommodate it, stretch for the 570. If it cant, the 560Ti is still an amazing card, with lots of overclock ability and some great benchmark scores.

Also, im not sure the reasoning behind the PCI slot cooler thing, ive not seen anyone use one of those before.

+rep for the CM Storm Scout :)
 
Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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Yah I've been wrestling for a while between all the current options out there for GPU. I was leaning towards getting SLI 460 GTX instead of the 570 GTX, but decided against it as I felt any SLI issues were not worth a 10-15% increase.

Then I was trying to decide between the 560 and the 570, as it is cheaper to get a 560 now and even cheaper to SLI it later. What's been holding me up is the random reports of people running Bad Company 2 where some say they can't max it while others say they are smoking it. Granted, that depends on the individuals system specs, but even geforce.com shows bench marks for the 560 on BC2 as getting sub 60 fps maxed out. Considering BF3 will be a bit more intensive than BC2, the 570 seems like a safer choice. Coupled with overclocking it a bit higher, then I'm sure it is the "safe" way to go.

I would probably have to get a custom cooler for it if there aren't any factory OC 570s out there with decent coolers. This is the reason for the PCI slot cooler, as I have one currently that basically takes any heat the GPU is pushing and helps exhaust it. It might be overkill though...

Maybe I'll try getting two non-Ti 560 GTX such as:

ASUS ENGTX560 DCII OC/2DI/1GD5 GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP

for 400$ instead of 350$ for a 570 GTX...

Hopefully that CM Storm has massive airflow ;-). My current case, which was a rookie mistake in my first build, only has one 120mm exhaust and a couple extra 80mm fans I added so the ambient temps are terrible (hence the PCI slot cooler). I leaned towards the CM Storm over the Antec 900 mostly because the Antec 900 is WAY over used (though the Storm is still massively bought as well) and the handles will be awesome for LAN tournaments ;-). I'm sure with the extra two 120mm fans on the side it will be very chill in it. Should I get any fan filters for these (heard they don't come with)?
 
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

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that motherboard is 20$ cheaper at amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Gigabyte-Intel-Express-Motherboards-GA-Z68X-UD4-B3/dp/B004ZQ6F7C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312472286&sr=8-1

that psu is hardly modular here is a fully modualr psu gold rated same price after mail in rebate cheaper after shipping- http://www.amazon.com/OCZ-Fully-Modular-80PLUS-Performance-compatible/dp/B004NMF9ES/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312472571&sr=1-1

i5 2500k- http://www.amazon.com/Intel-i5-2500K-Processor-3-3GHz-LGA1155/dp/B004EBUXHQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312472614&sr=1-1 5$ cheaper

hyper 212 plus- http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Hyper-Sleeve-RR-B10-212P-G1/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312472669&sr=1-1 2$ cheaper

the ram you picked is out of stock- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428 65$ one case latency wont make a difference in performance really

wireless gaming isnt recommended so drop the wireless card and plug your computer into the internet directly via ethernet

case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147107&Tpk=rosewill%20blackhawk here is one with amazing wire management which i think u'll like it has 5 fans stock so drop the extra fans and the pci slot cooler

now since you have an 850w psu invest in a gtx 570- http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-GeForce-DisplayPort-PCI-Express-Graphics/dp/B004L9LT24/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1312473132&sr=1-4 it is just a little more and i saved you some money.....



 
Why_Me

Why_Me

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Jan 17, 2008
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http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-560-amp-edition-gtx-560-directcu-ii-top,2944.html <---- Stick with the "ti" version of those cards

Like mjmpfaff pointed out, that board is $20 cheaper @ amazon.

A 750w psu will be more than enough to push two 560's and leave you juice left over.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371049 $89.99 - $64.99 after mail-in rebate FREE SHIPPING
Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W ATX12V v2.3 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply
 
jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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Err, you did save him some money, however, "one cas latency" as you put it DOES make a difference, considering that on DDR3 ram, cas latency only stretches from 6-9, and occasionally 10. I suggest g.skill pi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231353
I agree that you should just plug in directly from ethernet though. Also, he doesn't need a modular power supply, but yes, they are nice.
 
Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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I don't feel like ordering random parts off of amazon to save "2$", "5$", etc. Even the 20$ saving is not cheaper for me to not patronage newegg and go with them.

What exactly is "semi modular"? I also DO NOT trust mail in rebates. I have never gotten one in my life even time after time filled them out correctly. My current PSU is from OCZ and it died 3 years ago and I had to RMA it. Then the RMAed one died and I'm on a third one from them. I do not want to get a product from them again, so really it is not a saving for me as I do not trust the MIB.

The RAM I picked WAS in stock, it JUST went out of stock today. I'm sure they will get more.

I do not like Rosewill, and that case you linked does not impress me. The Scout has great airflow and the addition of the handles is awesome.

"Wireless gaming isn't recommended..." and what are you basing this off of? Have you looked up anything about wireless-n at all? I used to be hooked up at home with my 50ft ethernet cable because that card was getting lag spikes like crazy in my old apartment. I tried it again in the house I just moved into and it is working completely fine. I am getting my full cable speeds (10mbit down/3.3mbit up) and am no longer getting the lag spikes. I am getting sub 50ms pings in games with this wireless card, so why is it not good for gaming? Of course at a LAN I would be hooked up with an ethernet, that is a no brainer.

The 850W power supply is about 20$ more than the 750W corsair so I went with that for extra room when SLI-ing 560GTX. I am still debating between that and a 570 GTX. Though in the future having the extra 850W for SLI 570 GTX will be ideal.

Sorry to sound rude, but you are very condescending in this post. Though an opinion is an opinion, thank you for yours :).

 
Why_Me

Why_Me

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There are semi modular psu's, and that Corsair is one of them. It even says so on the newegg link you provided.

Click the Details in that link and scroll down and you will see where it says Semi Modular. It's the same 850w psu that Seasonic manufactures for XFX. The cables that aren't modular are the ones you will most likely be using. The modular cables for the most part are SATA connectors and the extra PCI-E connector.

Also with the CM Scout, chances are your going to lose use of a fan when using a decent size cpu h/s. I would look at the CM HAF 922 for more room, and better cooling.
 
Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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True, I edited my post when I went and looked for the semi-modular again. I'll have to look around again at PSUs then, as I'm not really sold on that Antec you linked.

I'm still on the fence for case. While the CM HAF 922 is larger, I don't think I will be running into issues with the CPU heatsink being too large. I could be wrong though so I'll try to do some guesstimates. Th heatsink is about 160mm, while the Stealth is about 220 mm wide. Giving about a 50mm loss for mobo placement, and another 25mm for the height of the fans, that means 220mm - 75mm = 143mm. So while my estimates might be off, you're right and I might get unlucky and only be able to use one of the side fans...



I had that worry for a little while, but I can't justify the extra 100$ to double the size of the SSD. My friend has a 64 gb SSD + 1 Tb storage drive. All he has on his SSD is windows, some apps, and Starcraft 2. He actually had SC2 on his storage drive for a while and he still loaded faster than the majority of people. Usually you have to end up sitting and waiting for other people to finish loading so it isn't imperative that it is super fast.

In my case I can see the need for BF3 and some other games to be on there as you are not dependent on other people for load times.
 
Why_Me

Why_Me

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That Antec is manufactured by Seasonic as is that Corsair you linked. Nothing wrong with semi modular, and if your looking for the same psu but cheaper, check out the XFX psu's. Corsair marks the prices up. Seasonic manufactures the psu's for Antec (upper tier ones), Corsair (upper tier ones), XFX (all of them), and PC Power & Cooling (all of them). Corsair has never manufactured a psu in it's history, it has other companies do it for them.

Also check the Cooler Master forums on their site and let them know what case and h/s you plan on using to find out if your going to lose the use of that top fan.
 
Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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Hmm good to hear, I was a bit naive with my understanding of Corsair then, as I have constantly heard good things about them. If the same manufacturer supplies them as Antec then there isn't much worry in my mind. I really like the modular PSUs as it helps immensely with cable management (though you still end up having to use most cables anyways), but at the pricepoint of that Antec it is hard to pass up. Also, it has four 12V rails, correct? This means the amps are split on all 4, so I don't need to worry about not having enough amps to drive everything?

I'll check on the CM forums for information about that. I posted some "guesstimates" in an edit to my original post if you are interested. I like that HAF 922 though, it has superior cooling and almost 1.5in width increase. I was kinda getting used to the prospect of those handles though :).
 
mjmjpfaff

mjmjpfaff

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i am not condescending at all. i didnt say anything mean and you cant hear the tone of my voice since you are reading it...so that is out of the way.

i know the ram just went out of stock so i showed you some quality gskill because u might be buying it tomorrow

ya a lot of people go with that case because they want portability

it is your choice to go with newegg.

there is only 2 spots on the psu to plug cables in. most of the wires are already hooked in

if it works for you than use wireless. hooking it up directly is cheaper and usually more reliable.



 
AdrianPerry

AdrianPerry

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Im not sure where the reports are coming from that aren't able to max BFBC:2 on the 560Ti. You should be able to run it maxed details with at least 75-80FPS and that's on a stock card. Overclock it and your looking even higher (up to 20% increase).

 
Paddiruku

Paddiruku

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I think I'll end up sticking with the factory OC 560gtx TI and just sli it when I see it get cheaper than 200$.

I decided to go with this CPU cooler:

CORSAIR CWCH60 Hydro Series H60 High Performance Liquid CPU Cooler

As it removes the need to worry about the CPU heatsink being too large. It also isn't too much more expensive as I can drop the arctic silver I needed to buy and I can also drop one of the extra 120mm fans I was going to pickup as I will just use the rear fan as one of the side fans. I also dropped my PCI slot cooler as I can't really justify the extra noise for minimal heat drops.

I've been wrestling between the storm scout and the storm sniper (for a bit more cost of course), in addition to the Nvidia edition CM 660 II advanced based on looks.

I'm leaning towards getting a 128gb SSD instead, and saw this on newegg spotlight today:

Plextor PX-M2 Series PX-128M2S 2.5" 128GB SATA III Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Which in my eyes is an amazing deal (nearly 100$ savings) with great reviews. Is Plextor a reputable company?

Still thinking about saving some money and getting that Antec 750w supply for 90$, though I won't be buying for a couple weeks so these deals will likely be gone.

Also wanted to point out one of the shell shockers today:

CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory

50$ for 8gb? Amazing :O
 
D

DJ YUSIE

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HI GUYS
im new here so dont xly know how it works i sold my q9550 rig now im want to build me a sandybridge rig

SORRY FOR HIJACKING YOUR THREAT PADDIRUKU
so here it goes :

Case: nzxt-phantom choice between three colours(black white & red) http://www.guru3d.com/article/nzxt-phantom-review/
OR
hafx 932 http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6632

PSU: 600w isonic 18a x4 rails

Mobo: MSI P67A-C43 R1000

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge

CPU Fan: :stock im going to upgrade the cooler in the future to the corsair h60

Video Card: gtx 470 R1500


RAM: 4 x Kingston Hyper-X KHX1333C7D3/2G 2GB DDR3 1333MHz R680
OR
2 x 2gb ocz reaper 2000mhz R500

HDD : 15000 rpm cheetah drive with a iCYDOCK MB123iK-1B
 
jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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Yeah it's not cool to hijack a thread. It can get you bad reports, etc. Make your own and maybe us higher ranks will respect you. ;)
 
jrwizbang

jrwizbang

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You don't. And even if a thread is done, it's just as easy, if not easier to start a new thread. :D
 
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