Specs for ultimate gaming pc?

[computing34]

Hello, I am planning on building an ultimate gaming machine that will be able to run games at max settings for years to come. I've done a lot of research and here's what I've come up with:

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570k Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo)

Video Card: Sapphire Vapor-X HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB

RAM: Corsair Vengence 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA115 Intel

Power Supply: Rosewill Tachyon-750 750W

Hard Drive: Seagate SV35 Series 1TB Internal Hard Drive Bare Drive

Optical Drive: ASUS 24X DVD Burner

Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

OS: Windows 8 64-bit OEM


Peripherals:

Monitor: ASUS VE248H 24" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/built in speakers

Keyboard: RAZER DeathStalker RZ03-00800100

Mouse: I already have one(standard not gaming)


I also want to record my gaming footage, are these good for that?:

TV Tuner(to record it): Haapauge WinTV HVR-1250 Hybrid TV Tuner w/ Video Recorder

Recording my console: Usb 2.0 Video and Audio Capture Creator

To edit the videos: SONY Movie Studio 11


QUESTIONS: (these are the things that i want to know most)

Are all of these compatible?

BIG NOTE: I plan on putting another vapor-x video card in x-fire mode in a few years. Should I do that or get a better video card up front? Do I need a bigger motherboard if I go x-fire, I have heard that i might.

Is this good enough for me to be able to play games on Max settings for years to come, especially with the next-gen games? (The Most graphically intense games out there like bf4(when it comes out) the next cod, fc3, bioshock, crysis 3, and every other new game for years to come)

Should I go i7 instead of i5? (I heard that I dont need to, but i do plan on maxing out these games)

Should I get an SSD?

Is my 850w power supply strong enough to handle all of this? (possible x-fire or monster video card)

Will these parts fit into my case and still have room to breathe? (cooling wise)

Nvidia or stick with AMD?

Is there anything that I should improve on? (please keep in mind that this build is $1,815 so far)

Are there any other things that I need?

Is my monitor good enough for my Video Card? (Monitor: 1920x1080)


Thank You!

 

[tiny voices]

Your monitor is fine.

The i7 is no better in gaming than the i5. Only heavy video encoding will show a difference.

850w is plenty.

On this budget, get a 120gb SSD. Samsng 840 PRO or Crucial M4 or OCZ Vertex 4

I Would get a better case. Have a look at the Corsair 300r.

This will easily max any game.

 

[computing34]

Your monitor is fine.

The i7 is no better in gaming than the i5. Only heavy video encoding will show a difference.

850w is plenty.

On this budget, get a 120gb SSD. Samsng 840 PRO or Crucial M4 or OCZ Vertex 4

I Would get a better case. Have a look at the Corsair 300r.

This will easily max any game.

OK thanks, what about the gpu?

 

[Jack Revenant]

A single 7970 will not max Crysis 3 or Far Cry 3 (although in the latter case, some blame it on poor coding). Future-proofing, honestly, is essentially impossible. You can lump on the power, but you never know what's around the corner, and it's often more efficient to buy a functional build now, and another in three years rather than an uberbuild meant to last half a decade.

 

[computing34]

Your monitor is fine.

The i7 is no better in gaming than the i5. Only heavy video encoding will show a difference.

850w is plenty.

On this budget, get a 120gb SSD. Samsng 840 PRO or Crucial M4 or OCZ Vertex 4

I Would get a better case. Have a look at the Corsair 300r.

This will easily max any game.

and motherboard?

 

[computing34]

A single 7970 will not max Crysis 3 or Far Cry 3 (although in the latter case, some blame it on poor coding). Future-proofing, honestly, is essentially impossible. You can lump on the power, but you never know what's around the corner, and it's often more efficient to buy a functional build now, and another in three years rather than an uberbuild meant to last half a decade.

ok is there anything that i could do about the gpu? I want to have every game be crystal clear. And will i nedd a better mother board/psu?

 

[computing34]

Your monitor is fine.

The i7 is no better in gaming than the i5. Only heavy video encoding will show a difference.

850w is plenty.

On this budget, get a 120gb SSD. Samsng 840 PRO or Crucial M4 or OCZ Vertex 4

I Would get a better case. Have a look at the Corsair 300r.

This will easily max any game.

what should i do about the gpu?

 

[tiny voices]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

 

[thor220]

First off I have that video card and I would have to suggest you get a reference board instead of it. The cooler is awesome but the voltage is locked. You won't be able to get a good overclock for when the card is in it's twilight years.

On the hard drive, get a western digital black instead. Better performance, better quality, and a 5 yr warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

On the case, rosewill isn't a quality brand and this case below is awesome for the same price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Your psu is over-priced. Try this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

It's a top brand PSU

On your questions:

You should just get a better video card and avoid crossfire when possible. When running more than one card in a system you introduce many additional problems and hassles. If you were to crossfire, that board supports it but at reduced speed.

That rig is more than enough to play games on max for years to come

You should stick with the i5 for gaming

You should get an SSD, they are quite cheap right now.

You PSU size is fine

As mentioned above, check out the case I linked

You monitor is good for gaming, not professional work.

 

[computing34]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

the gtx 680 benched in better than 7970 ghz. what's your opinion on what i should get?

 

[computing34]

First off I have that video card and I would have to suggest you get a reference board instead of it. The cooler is awesome but the voltage is locked. You won't be able to get a good overclock for when the card is in it's twilight years.

On the hard drive, get a western digital black instead. Better performance, better quality, and a 5 yr warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

On the case, rosewill isn't a quality brand and this case below is awesome for the same price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Your psu is over-priced. Try this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

It's a top brand PSU

On your questions:

You should just get a better video card and avoid crossfire when possible. When running more than one card in a system you introduce many additional problems and hassles. If you were to crossfire, that board supports it but at reduced speed.

That rig is more than enough to play games on max for years to come

You should stick with the i5 for gaming

You should get an SSD, they are quite cheap right now.

You PSU size is fine

As mentioned above, check out the case I linked

You monitor is good for gaming, not professional work.

thanks those look great. about my gpu, should i go 680 or 7970? (w/out x-fire)

 

[tiny voices]

I personally prefer AMD. If you have the money, grab a 7990 or a gtx690. The 680 plain isn't worth it.

 

[thor220]

First off I have that video card and I would have to suggest you get a reference board instead of it. The cooler is awesome but the voltage is locked. You won't be able to get a good overclock for when the card is in it's twilight years.

On the hard drive, get a western digital black instead. Better performance, better quality, and a 5 yr warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

On the case, rosewill isn't a quality brand and this case below is awesome for the same price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Your psu is over-priced. Try this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

It's a top brand PSU

On your questions:

You should just get a better video card and avoid crossfire when possible. When running more than one card in a system you introduce many additional problems and hassles. If you were to crossfire, that board supports it but at reduced speed.

That rig is more than enough to play games on max for years to come

You should stick with the i5 for gaming

You should get an SSD, they are quite cheap right now.

You PSU size is fine

As mentioned above, check out the case I linked

You monitor is good for gaming, not professional work.

thanks those look great. about my gpu, should i go 680 or 7970? (w/out x-fire)

I would go with the 7970. It's performance is on par with the 680 and comes with a bunch of free games. Not to mention I like to support AMD. Without then who would compete with intel and nvidia?

 

[computing34]

First off I have that video card and I would have to suggest you get a reference board instead of it. The cooler is awesome but the voltage is locked. You won't be able to get a good overclock for when the card is in it's twilight years.

On the hard drive, get a western digital black instead. Better performance, better quality, and a 5 yr warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

On the case, rosewill isn't a quality brand and this case below is awesome for the same price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Your psu is over-priced. Try this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

It's a top brand PSU

On your questions:

You should just get a better video card and avoid crossfire when possible. When running more than one card in a system you introduce many additional problems and hassles. If you were to crossfire, that board supports it but at reduced speed.

That rig is more than enough to play games on max for years to come

You should stick with the i5 for gaming

You should get an SSD, they are quite cheap right now.

You PSU size is fine

As mentioned above, check out the case I linked

You monitor is good for gaming, not professional work.

thanks those look great. about my gpu, should i go 680 or 7970? (w/out x-fire)

I personally prefer AMD. If you have the money, grab a 7990 or a gtx690. The 680 plain isn't worth it.

ok thanks ill go with 7970

 

[computing34]

First off I have that video card and I would have to suggest you get a reference board instead of it. The cooler is awesome but the voltage is locked. You won't be able to get a good overclock for when the card is in it's twilight years.

On the hard drive, get a western digital black instead. Better performance, better quality, and a 5 yr warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

On the case, rosewill isn't a quality brand and this case below is awesome for the same price
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119233

Your psu is over-priced. Try this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139021

It's a top brand PSU

On your questions:

You should just get a better video card and avoid crossfire when possible. When running more than one card in a system you introduce many additional problems and hassles. If you were to crossfire, that board supports it but at reduced speed.

That rig is more than enough to play games on max for years to come

You should stick with the i5 for gaming

You should get an SSD, they are quite cheap right now.

You PSU size is fine

As mentioned above, check out the case I linked

You monitor is good for gaming, not professional work.

thanks those look great. about my gpu, should i go 680 or 7970? (w/out x-fire)

I would go with the 7970. It's performance is on par with the 680 and comes with a bunch of free games. Not to mention I like to support AMD. Without then who would compete with intel and nvidia?

thanks ill go 7970, but will the parts you reccommended be compatible with the parts i selected?

 

[computing34]

and guys, a single 7970 ghz edition will be able to max out 1080p for years to come?

 

[thor220]

and guys, a single 7970 ghz edition will be able to max out 1080p for years to come?

It has about double the output of the next gen consoles FYI. So assuming you don't overclock you may have to turn it down from ultra to high 3 years from now. Of course you prob. could squeeze another 20% from an OC and have it running like a champ on ultra for 4 years.

 

[computing34]

and guys, a single 7970 ghz edition will be able to max out 1080p for years to come?

It has about double the output of the next gen consoles FYI. So assuming you don't overclock you may have to turn it down from ultra to high 3 years from now. Of course you prob. could squeeze another 20% from an OC and have it running like a champ on ultra for 4 years.

Ok thanks, should I oc it or would that cost too much?

 

[Jack Revenant]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

The 7970 Ghz. is an amazing card, and I highly advocate it. My point it more that there's not such thing as proper future-proofing, and no build is guaranteed to max everything, no matter what's in it.

 

[bryonhowley]

On the GPU I would get a Sapphire HD 7970 I just think Sapphire makes the best AMD/ATI GPU's. I have built a couple of Computers for friends with the Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 and it really is a quality case and found it much much better than Cooler Master HAF for one in person they are ugly as sin.

As for the CPU I would agree with that one get the i5 3570K for a gaming rig it will perform very well and in a lot of cases better than a i7. And again the case you picked is really good.

 

[Deleted member 217926]

Ummm tag abuse anyone?

 

[computing34]

On the GPU I would get a Sapphire HD 7970 I just think Sapphire makes the best AMD/ATI GPU's. I have built a couple of Computers for friends with the Rosewill CHALLENGER-U3 and it really is a quality case and found it much much better than Cooler Master HAF for one in person they are ugly as sin.

As for the CPU I would agree with that one get the i5 3570K for a gaming rig it will perform very well and in a lot of cases better than a i7. And again the case you picked is really good.

Ok thanks, should Ill stick with those parts

 

[computing34]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

The 7970 Ghz. is an amazing card, and I highly advocate it. My point it more that there's not such thing as proper future-proofing, and no build is guaranteed to max everything, no matter what's in it.

Ok thanks ill use it. Would x-firing make a dramatic somewhat long term difference? If I x-fire would I need a bigger motherboard?

 

[tiny voices]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

The 7970 Ghz. is an amazing card, and I highly advocate it. My point it more that there's not such thing as proper future-proofing, and no build is guaranteed to max everything, no matter what's in it.

Ok thanks ill use it. Would x-firing make a dramatic somewhat long term difference? If I x-fire would I need a bigger motherboard?

Don't crossfire now. It will just cause problem. In 3 or 4 years when it starts to show it's age, then add another card.

 

[computing34]

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/768

7970 GHZ benchmarks. Look at the 1920x1080 ones.

The 7970 Ghz. is an amazing card, and I highly advocate it. My point it more that there's not such thing as proper future-proofing, and no build is guaranteed to max everything, no matter what's in it.

Ok thanks ill use it. Would x-firing make a dramatic somewhat long term difference? If I x-f
SAPPHIRE VAPOR-X HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB GDDR5
ire would I need a bigger motherboard?

Don't crossfire now. It will just cause problem. In 3 or 4 years when it starts to show it's age, then add another card.

So when it slows should I just get a better card? Or x-fire it? And should get a bigger, better motherboard now?(for x-fire/ future better card)