WOW/SC2/D3/Some FPS Build Help

[airexaz]

Hi folks. I'm trying to get ready for Blizzard to drop Diablo 3. I will be playing a lot of Diablo 3 / WOW / Starcraft 2. I know these are not the most demanding games but I want to play them on the highest possible settings. I might play a FPS here or there or whatever the next big PC game might be so I want it to be able to tackle that.

I've put together the following list of parts. I'm trying to stay around 2000.00 or less. I've got room to play with if need be. I need a new monitor, kb, mouse, etc. Small stuff that can be grabbed along the way or just buy it all at once no huge deal.

I'm partial to ASUS mobo's but open to suggestions. As a rule of thumb I usually buy right in the middle in terms of performance/value. However I'm thinking about going all out on a GPU. Below are the items I've selected and if you have any suggestions for tweaking have at it.

There isn't a GPU selected yet because I don't know what to go with. I was going to go with the new 7000 series from AMD and rock a signle card but I'm up in the air. Also I havn't messed with a multi gpu solution since the Voodoo 2's in SLI. I hear complaints of microstuttering etc. Don't know what to really think. Anyhow have at it and the more help the better.

CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16819115070

Mobo - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813131791

Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811119225

HD's in raid 0 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822136795

Ram - I know I don't need this much but for the price http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820233143

Opticals x2 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820233143

OS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820233143

PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817171056

So there you have it. Keep in mind I still need a monitor/kb/mouse/speakers etc. But that isn't a huge concercn. I want the best performance/bang for my buck I can get. However I don't mind spending a little extra here or there like on a high end single gpu or a multi gpu setup. I think with what I have selected I should be quite capable of doing what I want with the rig. I know we have new CPU releases around the corner from what I've read but I think Diablo 3 will be out before then. Not sure. Any input welcome.

 

[Raiddinn]

Corsair RAM has the worst failure rates, I would get Crucial 4 x 4GBs instead.

Optical drives are the same link as RAM. So is the OS.

For optical drives, I would get the Asus 24x in my signature, it is very highly rated.

OS, get Windows 7 Professional 64 bit. Get an upgrade CD if you have a legal copy of XP or Vista or a 32 bit Windows 7. Avoid the OEM CDs because they aren't legal for what you are doing.

If you want a 1000w PSU, I would get one from Enermax instead of Cooler Master. I don't think you need that much juice, though.

If I were you I would take a HD 7970 and an XFX 750w and stick with 1 video card.

You are probably fine getting a 2500k processor now instead of waiting many months to get an Ivy Bridge. They are like 10 - 25% better but it is a long time to wait and you don't know how much they will cost either.

 

[airexaz]

My bad.

Here are the opticals - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16827106335

OS - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16832116997

Also, why aren't the oem OS's legal? I've got a boatload of legit XP discs.

What Crucial ram would you suggest that would be similar to the Corsair I listed above?

Why do you dislike the Cooler Master PSU? It has a single 12v tail rated at 80-90 amps I cant remeber exactly without pulling it up. Seems pretty solid. Don't know.

I want something that is going to last over the next few years and require minimal upgrages.

Thanks for the reply/tips.


EDIT:


Looks like the upgrade copy of Windows 7 Ultimate is cheaper by a few dollars. Which leads me to my next few questions. Can I use my "oem" XP disc for the upgrade disc check? Or will it kick it? Also isn't it kind of a PITA to have to put the other disc in all the time when reinstalling? That's one of the reasons I've never gotten the upgrades. I guess the upgrade would also come with the 32 bit version as well as the 64 bit version?

 

[inzone]

You can save $100 by going with the i5-2500k over the 2600k and since you are using the Pc mainly for gameing the 2600k has no advantage over the 2500k and is $100 cheaper.
You could tale that savings and get a top model psu'
SeaSonic Platinum-1000 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V 80 PLUS PLATINUM Certified Modular Power Supply
$259.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151105
Your power supply is just as important as any other component in the Pc and I usually get a top model for my computer. You also want enough watts for SLI/Crossfire if you do that later on.

I know that the ram prices are low but you would be better off not filling all the ram slots , it's been said that the ram functions better when all the slots are not filled. So 8gb would be a good choice.

Since you are up in the air about a video card and aren't sure about waiting for the 6xx series from Nvidia then here is an option for you to consider.
Evga has what is called the stepup program where if within 90 days of purchase you wish to trade in you card for a higher model you can. So you could get a GTX 580 and use it for now and when the 6xx is released then trade it in for it. The catch is when is the 6xx series going to be released? Within 90 days? If you opt for this option then when you buy the Evga card make sure you register it and upload your invoice.

 

[inzone]

The Windows install disk just wants to verify that you have a previous version of Windows and you just take out the disk and put in the XP copy and once it verifies then put the other one back in. You have to buy the Ultimate Windows version in order to get both 32 bit and 64 bit.

 

[airexaz]

Never heard of SeaSonic. It has a better warranty than the Cooler Master and is platinum cerified. It seems a toss up between the two. Have to research it more.

Back to the OS situation. Does Windows 7 allow just a disc check for a clean install or do I have to install XP then upgrade? Also what about the OEM xp disc aspect?

 

[inzone]

You have the option of doing a clean install or upgrade so you would do a clean one since you can't do an upgrade from XP to Windows 7. The OEM doesn't come into play since it's just a verification and not an install.

 

[inzone]

Seasonic atually makes power supplies for other psu makers(supplies the internals) and is actually one of the best psu makers out there. I would go with them over Cooler Master without question , no contest.

 

[airexaz]

I'm checking out SeaSonic now. So ALLLLLL of my copies of XP except a couple which I have to look for are all OEM. So regardless of them being an OEM lic. the upgrade of 7 Ultimate won't care and say thanks for putting in the disc?

 

[inzone]

Like I said , the install just wants to verify that you own a varsion of Windows. The issue with OEM comes into play when you try to INSTALL the OEM copy , which you are not doing.

 

[airexaz]

Any other folks care to chime in? Just looking for options. I guess I have a pretty solid build if the only things suggested thus far are PSU/RAM.

I guess the MOBO/CPU combo are good? Anything else, anyone?

 

[inzone]

Did you read my post on the cpu?

 

[airexaz]

Will 1000 watt psu's be enough to power two 7970's or is that pushing it?

Also does it matter if they pus's are certified for xfire or sli? Or is it just a money grab from amd/nvidia and a marketing ploy?

 

[inzone]

A 1000w psu will power two 7970's with no problem. If a psu has the 6 and 8 pin connectors for the video cards then they will work with that psu. The certification is something that the manufacturer has to purchase from AMD/Nvidia.

 

[Raiddinn]

Seasonic is the best maker of PSUs, but they generally stick to the sub-1000w range. Enermax is equally good and mostly sticks to the 900+ range.

Between the two, they have pretty much every wattage covered.

Cooler Master is just a very bad brand. They have repeatedly shown that the information they put on labels cannot be trusted. They test things in extremely cold conditions which lets them get more power out of a PSU. Better brands like Seasonic and Enermax test in regular or even hot conditions so their numbers can be trusted to actually work at the same level at the temperatures the computers will likely be used at.

As for the OS install disks, it is legal for DELL to install Windows on a computer using an OEM CD and then sell it to you.

Whoever installs an OEM license version of Windows must sell the computer and it can't be sold back to themselves for the personal use of the original builder. The license becomes legal once the computer has been sold.

Per this licensing webpage on microsoft.com

http://www.microsoft.com/oem/en/licensing/sblicensing/pages/licensing_for_hobbyists.aspx

There is a growing market for "do-it-yourself" home PC hobbyists who assemble PCs from components for their own use. Microsoft retail software licenses are the appropriate licenses for the do-it-yourself market. OEM System Builder software is not intended for this use, unless the PC that is assembled is being resold to another party.

All spelled out quite well in the license terms of the OEM CDs.

That being said, you don't have to validate anything during a Windows 7 install of any kind afaik. You can do a custom install of an upgrade disk onto a formatted drive with no operating system on it. As far as I know there is no check to see if you previously even owned Windows.

It is illegal for you to install an upgrade CD if you didn't already own Windows before, but I don't think there is an enforcement check.

I suppose they figure people would just use OEM CDs if they were doing something illegal anyway so it doesn't much matter.

However they try to police you, you can just get around it somehow anyway. Something like 95% of the Windows installs in Asia are pirated and I have never heard of Microsoft suing people over it.

Regardless, it is in the terms of this website that I must encourage you to act legally and on a personal level all of my own Windows installs are completely legal so I put my (very limited) money where my mouth is.

 

[airexaz]

The 1000w Seasonic leaves me enough room for 7970 in xfire and room to OC the system?

 

[Raiddinn]

I looked at a webpage that did some benchmark testing.

It said 270w for 1x and 525w for 2x 7970s.

That would leave some decent room for OCing if you had a 100w Seasonic or Enermax PSU.

 

[airexaz]

Any news on when Kepler will drop? I'm hoping Blizzard drops a release date for Diablo 3 so I can pull the trigger. Just guessing right now.

 

[dirtmountain]

Last I heard it was Feb.1st 2012, but it's still rumor. Also check out the old articles about Nvidia vs. ATI in graphics for Blizzard games (WoW,SCII), Nvidia usually wins by a good margin. It's worth the research on a big $$ item.

 

[airexaz]

I thought the whole AMD/NVIDIA thing went away years ago as far as performance in Blizzard titles?

 

[Raiddinn]

In some games ATI comes out ahead and in some games Nvidia does, but the difference is usually pretty small.

Some games do have glaring problems with one graphics card type or the other, but these sorts of problems are usually fixed quickly by the game maker.

 

[inzone]

The performance in games comes down to the drivers most of the time and which companies drivers do the best job of rendering the game. The company that has an inside track with a game developer will have the better drivers and that is why you will always see Nvidia do well in a certian game from a certian game developer and the same with AMD.