$2500 Gaming PC

[FubsyGamr]

Hey guys!

I'm looking to max out any and all future games, for the next few years. I am especially thinking of BF3, SW:ToR and Mass Effect 3.

I plan on getting a second 580 3GB, for SLI-ing, with Christmas money.

Thanks for any/all help!!!

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($24.99 @ SuperBiiz)
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($193.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($54.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 128GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($192.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 3GB Video Card ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Cooler Master 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($185.98 @ Newegg)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7260S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid 23.6" Monitor ($330.34 @ CompUSA)
Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid 23.6" Monitor ($330.34 @ CompUSA)
Total: $2348.07
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-10-04 08:20 EDT-0400)

 

[ariscov]

a single 580 arleady is enough to max out BF3, but i mean looks good if your going at this for the best, might as well pick up the 2600k and you will still be under $2500 (atleast at the prices where i am) SWTOR is not very graphics intensive as it is VERY optimized. on beta i could max it out with 30fps with an Nvidia 240m. Mass Effect i was able to max with that as well (with 45+fps). So i mean, single 580 should be fine. But if you want to, i say why the hell not get another lol

 

[cutebeans]

Wow I can make a cheap build with the GTX 580 alone.

 

[Emelth]

-Jaw drops-

Well he said he wanted to make it last for the next couple years just with the 2 GPUs that will last you I would say well into 2015 maybe even 2016

 

[cutebeans]

Yeah, It could last even more up to 5-7 years until the parts get broken.

 

[drew455]

until dx12 comes out, then you'll need new stuff

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

With your budget, i7-2600K is a MUST. Disregard any and all 2500K fanboys; anyone with a high budget must get the 2600K. Cooler? Hyper 212+ is good, but you could go better with your budget; depends what kind of OC you want.

Get 16GB DDR3 1600 RAM to make it more futureproof.

Go for Asus Z68-V Pro motherboard. And Asus DVD burner

Go for NZXT Phantom or Corsair 600T. Much better-looking cases than HAF series.

Stay the hell away from Cooler Master PSUs, Corsair is the way to go.

Get 6970's in Crossfire instead of 580's in SLI. Proof: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/298?vs=308

Screen? Tough choice. If you want 120HZ, your screen is great. I'd personally go for 27'' rather than 120 Hz, but it's up to you

 

[FubsyGamr]

With your budget, i7-2600K is a MUST. Disregard any and all 2500K fanboys; anyone with a high budget must get the 2600K. Cooler? Hyper 212+ is good, but you could go better with your budget; depends what kind of OC you want.

Get 16GB DDR3 1600 RAM to make it more futureproof.

Go for Asus Z68-V Pro motherboard. And Asus DVD burner

Go for NZXT Phantom or Corsair 600T. Much better-looking cases than HAF series.

Stay the hell away from Cooler Master PSUs, Corsair is the way to go.

Get 6970's in Crossfire instead of 580's in SLI. Proof: http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/298?vs=308

Screen? Tough choice. If you want 120HZ, your screen is great. I'd personally go for 27'' rather than 120 Hz, but it's up to you

I appreciate your input!

I took a look at the article that you provided, and I did some counting. It looks to me like they ran a total of 31 "tests", and that the 580SLI was superior in 21 of the 31 tests.

Doesn't that show that 580SLI would be...better than the 6970s?

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

Ummm... HOW superior was it? And the price difference between SLI 580s and CF 6970 is what, like $200? If you think it's worth it, get SLI 580, by all means, they'll slaughter any game at any resolution. Get 3GB versions, too, if you want. It's just the matter of how much you're willing to spend and how long you think it will last.

 

[FubsyGamr]

I just want to say thanks for all of your help and input!

I posted this build on a couple of other forums as well, and received great input from everybody, all around. I made some changes:
1- I decided to drop the second 120hz monitor, because even with 2, I will only be using 1 to game with, so it makes sense
2- I got a better CPU cooler, because I absolutely plan on overclocking it, and many suggested this brand/model
3- I changed the power supply, dropping it down to 850w, and changing brands
4- Dropped down the motherboard to the P67
5- Cut the SSD to 64 GB (I really only need Windows and a game or two on there, at a time)

Making the cuts like this, and changing some things around, I was able to get that second 580 for SLI right now, instead of having to wait around for christmas.

This means that, for Christmas-time, I can get two more monitors and work on my eye-finity setup (or whatever it's called).

Thoughts again?

Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor ($214.99 @ SuperBiiz)
CPU Cooler: Scythe SCMG-3000 74.2 CFM CPU Cooler ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Motherboard: ASRock P67 Extreme 4 (B3) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($158.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: G.Skill Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($69.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($49.99 @ Newegg)
Hard Drive: Crucial M4 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 3GB Video Card (2-Way SLI) ($569.99 @ Amazon)
Case: Cooler Master HAF X ATX Full Tower Case ($179.99 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: Corsair 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($189.99 @ Amazon)
Optical Drive: Sony AD-7260S-0B DVD/CD Writer ($19.99 @ Newegg)
Monitor: Acer GD235HZbid 23.6" Monitor ($330.34 @ CompUSA)
Total: $2493.73
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)
(Generated 2011-10-04 17:42 EDT-0400)

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

Thoughts? Changes 2-4 suck!

Better HSF? Noctua NDH14. Best air cooler.

Do NOT get P67. Get Z68. And 2600K to go with it; it will be more futureproof and future games WILL use 2600K's Hyperthreading.

Dropping down to 850 is not good, especially if you will OC... 1050W is good, I think.

Eyefinity is an AMD-exclusive So forget about it with nVidia SLI.

Ripjaws for $70? $52 is the proper price.

64GB SSD is good, just no further drops

Do you really like this ugly HAF X? 'Cause there're better-looking cases for the price, ya know... I posted the links already...

 

[g-unit1111]

The Crucial M4 is a great drive. I wish I had got 128GB instead of 64, that's my only complaint.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

tri monitor nvidia 3d is called nvidia 3d surround. dont worry it is possible

Lg 23" 3d- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005254 315$ movie theater 3d. no recharging glasses

i5 2500k- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 220$

Scythe Mugen 3- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185168&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-CPU%20Cooling-_-Scythe%20USA-_-35185168&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID= 50$ good choice. very good air cooler for its price

Gskill 8gb 1600- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428 52$ CL8 ram is not worth it at that price

motherboard- a z68 extreme3 gen3 is a better mobo for the price. you dont need the usb 3.0 header with the rv03 since they plug into the back usb 3.0 ports

case- silverstone raven rv03- http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Extended-90-Degree-Motherboard-RV03B-W/dp/B004X19B02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317788878&sr=8-1 140$ cools better than haf X thanks to its unique design

crucial m4 128gb the extra 64gb is worth it

850w is on the edge of running 2 580's since they pull 750w on their own- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028&Tpk=pc%20power%20and%20cooling%20950w great psu for the price and it will have no trouble running 2 580's

cheaper 580 3gb with better cooling- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125399

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

^ no, no, NO! NO 2500K with this budget!!! For hell's sake, doesn't anyone understand that HT will be used in games very soon (I think Crysis 2 already does that to some extent)?! 2600K only!

 

[FubsyGamr]

tri monitor nvidia 3d is called nvidia 3d surround. dont worry it is possible

Lg 23" 3d- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824005254 315$ movie theater 3d. no recharging glasses

i5 2500k- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072 220$

Scythe Mugen 3- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185168&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-CPU%20Cooling-_-Scythe%20USA-_-35185168&AID=10440897&PID=3938566&SID= 50$ good choice. very good air cooler for its price

Gskill 8gb 1600- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428 52$ CL8 ram is not worth it at that price

motherboard- a z68 extreme3 gen3 is a better mobo for the price. you dont need the usb 3.0 header with the rv03 since they plug into the back usb 3.0 ports

case- silverstone raven rv03- http://www.amazon.com/Silverstone-Extended-90-Degree-Motherboard-RV03B-W/dp/B004X19B02/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317788878&sr=8-1 140$ cools better than haf X thanks to its unique design

crucial m4 128gb the extra 64gb is worth it

850w is on the edge of running 2 580's since they pull 750w on their own- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028&Tpk=pc%20power%20and%20cooling%20950w great psu for the price and it will have no trouble running 2 580's

cheaper 580 3gb with better cooling- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125399

Thanks for the input! A couple of things...

I'm not looking to get 3D out of my monitor, I'm buying the 120hz monitor for fast-paced games and first person shooters.

I was told to look for RAM that had 1.35 volts. I'm not going to lie, I don't know exactly 100% why, but doing some research shows me that it is probably worth the extra $$. Thoughts? What about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231479 that RAM?

I have to be 100% honest...I don't really like the look of the rv03 case you provided. I'm coming from a world of Macs, so I suppose I'm kind of...oversaturated on the "sleek" looking things. I like the HAF series because they just look rugged and bad-ass, in my eyes.

As far as the 64GB SSD goes, I'm looking really to only install Windows 7, Battlefield 3, and maybe one or two other games. I don't play many different games at a time, so it wouldn't bother me to even download and save the installers on an external drive, then swap them back and forth. Either way, my budget has to stay below $2500 ($2600 absolute max), so I'll see what I can do to make 128 GB work.

Also, my research has been showing me that a good-quality 850w PSU should have no trouble powering everything that I have listed. Is that not true? If it isn't, I'm really looking for a modular PSU, any recommendations?

^ no, no, NO! NO 2500K with this budget!!! For hell's sake, doesn't anyone understand that HT will be used in games very soon (I think Crysis 2 already does that to some extent)?! 2600K only!

Really? Do you happen to have any proof? I have been researching all week, pretty in-depth, and I can't find any evidence to support that claim. I was told that Battlefield 3 doesn't even take advantage of an i7 and hyperthreading, and I'm willing to bet that will be one of the most intense games to come out for the next year or two.

 

[ervinelim]

^ no, no, NO! NO 2500K with this budget!!! For hell's sake, doesn't anyone understand that HT will be used in games very soon (I think Crysis 2 already does that to some extent)?! 2600K only!

Really? I heard that HT doesn't do jack for the games and sometimes even hurt performance. They haven't even gotten to the point that they could fully support quad cores yet . First quadcores then HT hopefully. Also, if the time does come when HT is fully supported then I seriously that the i7-2600k would be obsolete.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

It doesn't do anything for games yet, but definitely doesn't hurt performance. Look... you have a big budget and you'll be SLIing one of the best GPUs on the market, so why settle for a 2500K?

There's no point in 1.35V, 1.5V will do just fine. And why not 16GB right away? You have a huge budget.

If you like HAF X, by all means, go with it, it's a great case. Just some people don't like the looks.

I've just noticed that you mentioned Mass Effect 3 in the wishlist of the games to be maxed out, lol... how ironic

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Thanks for the input! A couple of things...

I'm not looking to get 3D out of my monitor, I'm buying the 120hz monitor for fast-paced games and first person shooters.

I was told to look for RAM that had 1.35 volts. I'm not going to lie, I don't know exactly 100% why, but doing some research shows me that it is probably worth the extra $$. Thoughts? What about http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231479 that RAM?

I have to be 100% honest...I don't really like the look of the rv03 case you provided. I'm coming from a world of Macs, so I suppose I'm kind of...oversaturated on the "sleek" looking things. I like the HAF series because they just look rugged and bad-ass, in my eyes.

As far as the 64GB SSD goes, I'm looking really to only install Windows 7, Battlefield 3, and maybe one or two other games. I don't play many different games at a time, so it wouldn't bother me to even download and save the installers on an external drive, then swap them back and forth. Either way, my budget has to stay below $2500 ($2600 absolute max), so I'll see what I can do to make 128 GB work.

Also, my research has been showing me that a good-quality 850w PSU should have no trouble powering everything that I have listed. Is that not true? If it isn't, I'm really looking for a modular PSU, any recommendations?



Really? Do you happen to have any proof? I have been researching all week, pretty in-depth, and I can't find any evidence to support that claim. I was told that Battlefield 3 doesn't even take advantage of an i7 and hyperthreading, and I'm willing to bet that will be one of the most intense games to come out for the next year or two.

why do you want a 120hz monitor? you wont see any difference at all between 60fps and above (even in fast paced games) unless you have some superhuman vision. if not it is a waste.

stick with 1.5v ram

580 sli will run at about 750w full load. they are in full load gaming. then there is an oc'd 2500k and ram and fans.... overall you are looking at at least 850w. you should have headroom so your psu runs as efficiently as advertized.

 

[FubsyGamr]

why do you want a 120hz monitor? you wont see any difference at all between 60fps and above (even in fast paced games) unless you have some superhuman vision. if not it is a waste.

stick with 1.5v ram

580 sli will run at about 750w full load. they are in full load gaming. then there is an oc'd 2500k and ram and fans.... overall you are looking at at least 850w. you should have headroom so your psu runs as efficiently as advertized.

I posted the PSU issue in a couple of places, and I got the same response as yours! So, what about this psu? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703028&Tpk=pc%20power%20and%20cooling%20950w

Also, I have done lots and lots of research, and discovered that, as long as your rig can put out at least ~80 frames per second, a 120hz monitor really is a dream. I read a bunch of articles, checked out lots of forum posts, and even went to a couple of shops to see for myself. I was fairly impressed.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[mjmjpfaff]

that psu is good i listed it in the build i posted . 80fps with 2 580's (at max playing bf3) with a tri monitor setup is a stretch.

 

[cutebeans]

why do you want a 120hz monitor? you wont see any difference at all between 60fps and above (even in fast paced games) unless you have some superhuman vision. if not it is a waste.

stick with 1.5v ram

580 sli will run at about 750w full load. they are in full load gaming. then there is an oc'd 2500k and ram and fans.... overall you are looking at at least 850w. you should have headroom so your psu runs as efficiently as advertized.

Dude 120hz and FPS is different. It's the monitors refresh rate.

 

[mjmjpfaff]

Dude 120hz and FPS is different. It's the monitors refresh rate.

"Dude" a 120hz monitor will allow you to see 120fps. a 60hz monitor will allow you to see 60fps.

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

clonazepam built a SLI 580s system recently and he says that a 120Hz monitor is very nice rather than a 60Hz one... here's his thread: http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/318590-31-finally-built-system-years

 

[mjmjpfaff]

"The problem with it is many games got kicked to 1920x1080x24p, so they didn't look too good. Crysis crashed to the desktop every time it finished loading a level. Also, in many games if vertical sync was enabled, the game would run at 24 fps lol... if disabled v-sync, it'd run games in 3d at higher resolutions but of course tons of tearing. Some games worked flawlessly though. It was wierd. Some games would run at the 24p in full screen, but windowed at 1920x1080 it would run fine at 60hz... go figure. It was an impulse buy b/c it looked great, but is definitely more a television than a monitor. I'll make due with the asus 23" and patiently wait for its 27" upgrade, i guess..." it was not that it couldnt run over 60fps it was that it was that it couldnt run over 24fps!

 

[amk-aka-Phantom]

^ That isn't what I meant. What I meant is the last posts where he DID get a 120Hz screen and was very happy with it - besides, I think it was also 3D. I'd say that 120Hz screen is more important than a 3D screen.