$900 gaming computer w/ SSD build advice

[seifer8ff]

Hey guys, I wanted to upgrade to an SSD for my system, but decided to just upgrade the whole damn thing I'm planning on buying all the components next week and wanted to see what everyone thinks...Staying around $900, definitely below $1000

Altec Lanboy Air Red
Case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129091

MSI Z68A-GD55 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Motherboard- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130606

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I52500K
CPU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

OCZ Vertex 3 VTX3-25SAT3-120G 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive
SSD- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227706--I've read a lot of review saying this is very buggy...any suggestions?

HDD- 1 TB reusing from old system

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL
Ram- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231428

OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom
PSU- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017 --Reusing from old system

SAPPHIRE 100283-3L Radeon HD 5770 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Graphics cards(2 in crossfire)- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873 --reusing from old system


System will be used for gaming, but not the newest releases, usually play games 6 months to 1 year after they're released, mainly concerned about older games running smoothly. My main issue is the SSD, all the bug reports make me nervous but I can't find an equal alternative


Thanks for the suggestions

 

[Sky03]

Based from reading other threads, it seems like the crucial m4 120gb is the only (almost) ssd being recommended.

 

[WR2]

Hello seifer8ff;

Is that $900 without a graphics card or HDD, since you're reusing the current 5770s & HDD?

That $140 case is eating up a HUGE chunk of your budget - especially for a part that doesn't help it game better. What's your thinking there?

 

[seifer8ff]

Hello seifer8ff;

Is that $900 without a graphics card or HDD, since you're reusing the current 5770s & HDD?

That $140 case is eating up a HUGE chunk of your budget - especially for a part that doesn't help it game better. What's your thinking there?

yes the $900 is without graphics card or new HDD..as far as the case, I just can't stand the case I have now and wanted to get one that I won't get tired of. I'm almost satisfied with my single graphics card, and so I figure buying one more and putting them in crossfire will last me for awhile. Is there something that you think I should be getting instead of that particular case?

 

[seifer8ff]

Based from reading other threads, it seems like the crucial m4 120gb is the only (almost) ssd being recommended.

Now from looking at the specs on the crucial, it has slower read/write and slower random write...

 

[WR2]

Now from looking at the specs on the crucial, it has slower read/write and slower random write...

That's only relative to some other SSDs.
It's still a SSD, a Fast SSD. One you can probably afford in your budget.

 

[seifer8ff]

That's true, I'll probably end up getting it just to avoid any hassle/returns from a buggy OCZ SSD. Any thoughts on the rest of the build? I wasn't too confident with picking out the ram, so I'm not sure if that's the best bang for my buck

 

[WR2]

What LCD resolution are you using / going to be using?
And what's your final goal for GPU setup?

You'll want to make sure you have the right PSU for that.

 

[WR2]

CPU / MB / RAM are a good match.
Have you thought about a CPU cooler?

 

[seifer8ff]

Monitor is 1920X1080, and the goal for the gpu is 2 hd 5770s.
Haven't thought about a CPU cooler. Doesn't it come with one? Should I be considering upgrading that?

 

[WR2]

It comes with the wimpy stock Intel cooler. It doesn't quite match the quality and capability of your other parts. It's not an easy upgrade if you try and do it after the build - you'd need to take the motherboard out and clean the CPU, etc.
CM Hyper 212+ $28

That ModXStream Pro 600W PSU and 2x HD 5770 aren't bad @ 1920x1080 and the price is certainly right.

 

[WR2]

Stock Intel cooler:

CM Hyper 212+

 

[seifer8ff]

Alright, going with the Crucial M4 SSD and adding the CPU fan! Thanks for the help

 

[seifer8ff]

Best answer selected by seifer8ff.

 

[WR2]

Considering the color and lighting scheme of your case - you might want to think about a red CPU cooler fan too.
COOLER MASTER SickleFlow 120 120mm Silent Red LED case fan $10
Just a good option that's out there.