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Gaming Build - Needs Tweaking

F

FMX

Gawd
Joined
Dec 31, 2006
Messages
574
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming primarily.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
No more than $1200 hopefully.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
US
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Card, Mobo, CPU, PSU, Ram, SSD
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
6) Will you be overclocking?
No
7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
1920 x 1200 - 24"
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
ASAP
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video (as a backup or main GPU)? etc.
Would like crossfire for down the road. Other than that - nothing really.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes - 64bit Win 7

Here is what I have in mind:

Case-
LIAN LI PC-A05FNB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ( link )

CPU-
Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 ... ( link )

Mobo-
ASUS Maximus IV Gene-Z LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard ( link )

RAM-
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL ( link )

GFX-
XFX HD-697A-CNFC Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity ( link )

PSU-
CORSAIR Professional Series Gold AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active ... ( link )

SSD-
SAMSUNG 830 Series F-MZ-7PC064DAM 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) ( link )

Total = ~ $1,175 before rebates.

I basically went by reviews on Newegg and ratings. I checked CNET for reviews on SSDs. Sammy isn't in stock atm but I am not in a huge rush.

I am curious if I can save in the mobo/PSU department. I notice a lot of users here using the AX850 so I assume it to be a good unit. I feel like the modular capability is a must have.

I know Asus makes quality components so I have no doubts that the board is good, but is it too good for someone who won't bother to overclock?

Thanks in advance.
 
If you aren't going to overclock, you could go with the i5-2400 and a cheaper P67 or Z68 board. Speaking of motherboards, you shouldn't buy the Asus Maximus IV Gene-Z as it is a microATX board that would leave very little air circulation for a dual-card SLI or CFX setup. You can find a much cheaper motherboard for your needs, like the MSI P67A-G43 (B3).

Aside from the motherboard and processor swaps, the best way to lower costs are to find combo deals or alternative parts that are on sale. Regarding the power supply, you're not going to find a considerably cheaper (yet still good quality) modular PSU than the Corsair AX850. The savings that you would find with models like the SeaSonic M12II 850 and the Silverstone ST85F-P are somewhat negated by their shipping costs. But if you don't plan on going with a dual-card setup for at least another year (if not longer), you could save a considerable amount of money by going with a 620- to 750-watt power supply instead. There are several good models available for under $100.
 
I have the maximus gene-z and I wouldn't recommend for one reason. The vccio and vccsa are linked so you either overvolt one or you undervolt the other. I'm doing the latter because I don't want to find out what happens to my 2600k when the vccsa is overvolted to 1.05v for the vccio to be in spec.
 
Since I am going to be using an SSD, shouldn't I take advantage of P68?
 
If you plan on doing CrossFire down the road, maybe consider getting a full size ATX motherboard like the Asus P8Z68-V (if you want to stick with Asus). The mATX board will be pretty cramped with CrossFire dual slot cards. Unless you plan on doing a mATX build, which your case choice doesn't make clear.

You don't need Z68 for the SSD, unless you plan on just getting a small one and using it for caching. Better, overall, to get a 120GB SSD and use it for the OS/commonly used programs. Maybe try to stretch your budget for something like the 128GB version of the Crucial M4.
 
FMX said:
How is this board?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005GKY33E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

Its a MSI z68 gen 3

The Asus P8Z68-V doesn't mention crossfire support. Will it still have it?

If the Asus is as good as the MSI I would obviously go with the Asus.
Click to expand...

That MSI board is a fine choice. The P8Z68-V does have both Cross Fire and SLI support, so no worries there.

Multi-GPU Support
Supports NVIDIA® Quad-GPU SLI™ Technology
Supports AMD Quad-GPU CrossFireX™ Technology
Supports LucidLogix® Virtu™ Technology
Click to expand...
 
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