Specs for ultimate gaming pc?

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computing34

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Apr 27, 2013
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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!
 
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No one can this.

I would get the msi hd 7950. it cost only 310$. when overclocked its about as fast as a hd 7970.
if a hd 7950 is too slow, so does a hd 7970.

From that saved money, you have some cash to upgrade in future.




 
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No one can this.

I would get the msi hd 7950. it cost only 310$. when overclocked its about as fast as a hd 7970.
if a hd 7950 is too slow, so does a hd 7970.

From that saved money, you have some cash to upgrade in future.




 
Upvote 0 Downvote


No one can this.

I would get the msi hd 7950. it cost only 310$. when overclocked its about as fast as a hd 7970.
if a hd 7950 is too slow, so does a hd 7970.

From that saved money, you have some cash to upgrade in future.



 
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OK thanks, i dont plan on overclocking and ill use that board. Also, what case should i get?
 
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if i dont go tri monitor i wont need xfire right, just a 3gb 7970, and would i stick with the extreme6? Also what case would i use, i want something with great space, airflow, and great built in fans.
 
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Depends on what you mean by "years to come". You might be able to handle the next round of AAA releases on max on that setup (though I wouldn't bet on it), but two 7970s won't max Crysis 3 on that resolution, much less whatever will be on the market in, say, five years. Future-proofing is pretty much impossible beyond a fairly short window. Computers change and advance too quickly, and the requirements of software advance with them.
 
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If you do not go for triple monitor, a 7970 will max most games. However, as we have said before, the length of time that you seem to want to future-proof for is literally impossible.

The Extreme6 and Extreme4 are both good choices.

The Silverstone Fortress 2 seems to be held in quite high regard for its cooling, and has the added merit of being fairly quiet.
 
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so if i go with 1 monitor ill still need xfire for those aaa games?
 
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You will need CrossFire, based on benchmarks, with at least one current game: Crysis 3. However, given that the Crysis series is deliberately designed to overtax current systems, I feel that building to max Crysis is unwise. For most if not all current games at 1080p, a Vapor-X 7970 Ghz. Edition 3GB is more than enough.
 
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Define "next few waves". A single 7970 should be okay for the next generation or two of games (though you may need to reduce settings somewhat for some of them), but we can't really be sure. We don't know what future games will require, because we are designers, not oracles. We can guess, but there is a reason that nearly every member of this forum will advise you to buy a good, price-efficient build and upgrade frequently: it lets you roll with the punches when requirements suddenly rise and it lets you take advantage of new advances as they happen.
 
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Ok so for current and upcoming games like bf3, fc3, metro last light, fc3 blood dragon, bioshock infinite, bf4, cod ghosts, ac4, and their predecessors after, and other games for at least a good while etc. I know that you cant predict the future, but will these be able to handle games at max settings for at least 2-3 years? When they become to strong will i be able to pop in another video card for xfire or a whole new card? With xfire if i upgrade to 3 monitors will it be able to handle these games on max?
 
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A single 7970 Ghz. will handle all the current releases there other than, according to some benchmarks, Far Cry. Theoretically, on a single monitor, one will handle all of the games you listed. Adding in a second 7970 in CrossFire when it becomes needed, this build would easily last 2-3 years, I would say. With three monitors, you could have more problems. I don't have the benchmarks for tri-monitor setups as well memorized as the 1080p ones, but I don't think that it would be up to it. At present, a CrossFire of Ghz. Editions has trouble maxing Battlefield 3 at 2560 x 1440p, so I don't really see it handling BF4 on a tri-monitor configuration.
 
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ok so if i keep it one monitor and one card for now, ill do fine, and when it becomes too much (in 2-3 years) i add in another card (still for one monitor), and if i decide to go 3 monitors, i get a whole new card with them?
 
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I am uncertain as to when it will be too much, as I said. It could well be that next year you would need to add a second card. That said, if you're willing to CrossFire in the future and you stick to one screen, the 7970 Ghz. is a great card choice.
You would probably want to ask someone with a wider base of experience if you wanted advise on a three-monitor rig (beyond "A 7970 won't cut it for maxing things"). I've never built nor designed one before, so I'm going purely on theory, which is not stable ground for designing something.
 
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ok thanks. BTW do you have any advice on a case that i should get?
 
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My pleasure.

My favourite cases are the NZXT Phantom 820, which is both good-looking and highly fuctional, and the Silverstone Fortress 02, which has exceptional cooling but will not accommodate all coolers. I ended up using the Phantom due to the Silverstone not supporting the NZXT Kraken x60 CPU cooler I had selected, though it would no doubt work marvelously with an air cooler (the case has superb airflow). The drawback of both is cost. They both run around $250, which is a hell of a lot to spend on a case.

 
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ok thanks, ive done some research and this is what ive come up with:
Either the Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, COOLER MASTER HAF 912, or NZXT Phantom 410. I am confused whether or not the Cooler Master comes with fans, the description was somewhat vague. So which of these should i pick? I want the one with the best airflow, space, and built in fans. Also i am thinking about getting a ssd. I am wondering how much to gb to get. I'll either want to get a 32 or 64 and just put windows 8 (64 bit OEM) on it. Or, i'll get a 128 or even possibly a 256 and put my games and os on it. How many games could i put on it, and how much better would their performance be compared to hdd?
 
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ok thanks how many games could i put on 120 or 256? also what case should i get (based on my most recent post, the one asking about the ssd)
 
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