Building a "Beastly" Gaming Rig

A

arachn1d

Gawd
Joined
Jan 7, 2005
Messages
836
Previous thread:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1355991

Don't know why they didn't just move it, but whatever.

Here's my new setup after some revisions:

Thanks for the feedback guys.

How's this now?

1
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model DRW-2014L1T
Item #:N82E16827135156
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$39.99
$34.99

1
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black Computer Case
Item #:N82E16811119137
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$15.00 Instant
$89.99
$74.99

2
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Item #:N82E16822148288
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
-$5.00 Instant
$149.98
$139.98

1
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139006
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$60.00 Instant
$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$179.99
$119.99

1
Logitech 2-Tone Bluetooth Wireless Keyboard
Item #:N82E16823126008
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$30.00 Mail-in Rebate
$166.99

1
Logitech MX Revolution Black RF Wireless Laser Mouse
Item #:N82E16826104015
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$30.00 Instant
$99.99
$69.99

1
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Item #:N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy
$5.99

1
Rosewill RTK-045 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit
Item #:N82E16899261003
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$10.00 Instant
$29.99
$19.99

2
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820231145
Return Policy: Memory (Modules, USB) Return Policy
-$30.00 Instant
$195.98
$135.98

1
GIGABYTE GA-X48-DS4 ATX Intel Motherboard
Item #:N82E16813128336
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
$224.99

1
OKGEAR Serial-ATA Round Cable
Item #:N82E16812123262
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$4.99

1
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
Item #:N82E16819115036
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
$189.99

1
APEVIA CF12SL-UBL Blue LED Case Fan
Item #:N82E16811998121
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$7.49

1
XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Item #:N82E16835233003
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$36.99

1
XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket
Item #:N82E16835233019
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$6.99

1

SAPPHIRE transparent black premium silicone case for iPhone 3G
Item #: N82E16800102002
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy


SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 100243-1GL Video Card
Item #: N82E16814102795
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
-$19.99 Combo
$329.98
$309.99
Grand Total: $1,550.3
Click to expand...

So if I want to add another Radeon HD 4870 I could? And by itself it's already comparable to the nVidia card I had, ya?

I also removed the 10k drive and just put two 7.2k's and I'll set that up as a raid 1 (that's the redundancy raid ya? is it supported by the mobo i chose?)

I'd also have to choose Vista 64-bit to take advantage of 8 gigs of ram, ya?

Thanks again for the help guys. I really appreciate it.
 
Looks like Danny and the others had you covered.

Yes. I don't know what you had.

Yes. Yes.

Yes. You could also look into using RAMdrive software.

Post pics! :)
 
Awesome, thanks for your help.

The other drive I had was the GTX 260 1 gig of memory overclocked by eVGA I believe.

Someone mentioned that the GTX is rather a let down and ATI's 4870 is way better. Esp if you add another one for extra juice.

Is the power supply happy w/ two GTX's or should I get a different one?
 
Yah, the PSU is fine, but I'd save a bit of cash and get it elsewhere, like buy.com or amazon.com... or even provantage.com.
 
Because NewEgg often overcharges for certain PSUs, especially the Corsair models. You could save around $10-$15 by getting the TX750 elsewhere.
 
Well... if price isn't an issue – does everything look solid for quality gaming?
 
Go with the Western Digital 6400AAKS (it's a two platter HDD) for more capacity and more speed at a slightly higher price.

Also, why are you purchasing the SATA cable? Your PSU already comes with 8. How many storage devices do you plan to have? And can your motherboard support it?
 
yeh i think the 4870 will do you good for a while... i opted for crossfire 4850 @ that resolution and couldnt be happier.
 
Is that the 1G 4870? You will definitely want to go for it instead of the 512mb version.
 
-+1 for 2 WD6400AAKS, get more space for same price
-Get the deal on the Samsung DVD player as todays newegg shell shocker, and save some money
- Your paying alot for the keyboard and mouse. Yeah its cool but doubt it will be worth it. I regret paying 80 bucks for my keyboard..
- Dunno why you would want to crossfire with that resolution and the problems/compatability issues it has with many programs/games etc. one card = better. The 1gb version isnt worth the price premium, its pretty much a ploy to get mor emoney from people as you wont see any difference cept in benchies
- I think you are paying for more than you need, but that's me.
 
I'd drop the MX Revolution. I felt too much lag in it for gaming. I don't know about the MX1100 though. So far the only wireless mouse that is worth a crap for gaming has been the Logitech G7. It is absolutely indistinguishable from a wired mouse.
 
Not to thread crap or anything, but how is this "beastly"?

IMHO, Beastly would be something like a qx9770 at 5ghz, tri-sli or crossfire-x, a plethora of ram among other things.

I just find it odd that everyone seems to think your average gaming computer is "beastly" these days.

At any rate, it looks like a decent build for gaming. Your not going to get all the eye candy with just a 4870 thou, especially at 1920x1200. I also agree with Dan_D, ditch that MX Revolution.
 
How's it a beastly rig with a dual core and a single 4870? No offense. :p Seriously though, are you planning on going CF soon-ish?

Otherwise you could just go for a P45 board and take the money saved ($120-ish) and put it towards a quad core or a 4870x2 even. I mean, $120 won't get you all the way to either upgrade, but it'll get you pretty close. The cheapest 4870x2 is $500, so you'd be spending $70 more for a 4870x2 and a P45 than for a single 4870 and an X48 board, probably less if you find a P45 board you like cheaper than the $105 ASUS P5Q Pro.

If you think you're gonna add a second 4870 soon then that's fine, but getting an X48 or CF/SLI board as a future upgrade path has never really panned out for most people, just a warning. SLI/CF is usually something to invest in off the bat, not an upgrade path. :eek:

Also, as others mentioned, the 640GB drives from both Seagate and Western Digital will not only be faster (higher areal density, more GB per platter,320GB), but I believe they're both also cheaper per GB... Hell looking at your prices either of those drives are just plain out cheaper. $80 and $75 at Newegg if I recall correctly, where are those prices from? 500GB for $135 is pretty darn overpriced.

That memory kit is pretty darn overpriced too, 'specially if you're not OC'ing much (judging from the processor choice), you can get stock 2x2GB DDR800 kits for like $55 after MIR these days... Corsair/G.Skill kits with tight timings and good warranties. I'm sure higher speed rated kits can be found for not much more.

You can do better overall for the money imo.
 
You need to work those Newegg combos man. I am having a machine that will outperform that built for me by AVA (I know, I know, it's not [H]ard, but my main rig finally died and I don't have the time with work, I'll still OC it myself :) ) for $300 less. If money is no object, what you have is fine, but like Impulse said, you should be able to do a lot better for $1500.

--Get one of the 640GB hard drive mentioned.
--I'm sure there are combo deals available at Newegg for PSU's, CPU's, and cases. Check them out, that can drop off quite a bit (and I know for a fact they have deals on the Corsair PSU's right now).
--I personally don't think the 1GB 4870 is worth it in terms of real world performance for $100 more. You could get two 4870's for a littler more than the single 1GB edition.
--The DVD burner is ok, but I think you can get a Samsung for cheaper.
 
Could get two 4850's for the price of a single 4870 and still have money leftover for that matter. Agree on the burner as well, I've seen similar spec'd Lite-Ons and Pioneers for $10-15 less on the 'egg. Didn't mention it because the other stuff seemed like a bigger deal.
 
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