Getting back to PC gaming

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pcperson

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Jun 19, 2005
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I want to build a new PC to handle all of the games coming out this year (BF3, Skyrim, SWTOR, etc.). The last machine I built for myself was 7 years ago, and after that I went mostly to gaming on Xbox. In an effort to get back into PC gaming, here's what I've got so far. Thanks for any help or thoughts you can offer!

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming; BF3, Skyrim, SWTOG, etc.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I'd like to keep it $1500 or less, I'm a little flexible if it means getting the best value for the money now
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
USA, Champaign, IL
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.
Mobo, CPU, RAM, GPU, HDD, Blu-Ray, PSU, Case.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
No parts will be re-used
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not at first, if it's easy enough and stable then I may in the future
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Gaming on my TV, so 1920 x 1080
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within the next month
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? eSATA? Onboard video? etc.
Would like it to be upgrade-ready, so RAID, CF/SLI, USB 3.0, SATA 6GB/s
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Win7 Pro 64bit

Build so far:
MOBO: ASRock P67 EX4 GEN3
CPU: i5 2500K
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
PSU: Rosewill BRONZE Series RBR1000-M 1000W
SSD:Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC
HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 1TB 7200 RPM
Blu-Ray: SAMSUNG Black 12X BD-ROM 16X DVD-/+R 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Combo
Case: LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CPU Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

I believe that's everything so far. Ideally, this system will run the upcoming games on high settings, but if I find that I don't get the graphics settings I want, then I can easily add another GTX 570 for SLI, and more RAM if needed, thus the need for the big PSU. Any thoughts or recommendations you guys/girls might have is much appreciated! Like I said I've been out of the custom PC world for a few years so hopefully I've got everything accounted for here. Thanks!
 
I had the 650 originally chosen, but I was hoping to pick a PSU first time around that would allow me to upgrade into an SLI setup further down the road without buying a new one. Do you think either of those, the 650 or 750, would be able to power 2 x GTX 570s? I could spend a bit more for a Corsair 850 if it meant a more reliable system than the Rosewill PSU. Thanks!
 
pcperson said:
Build so far:
MOBO: ASRock P67 EX4 GEN3
Click to expand...

pcperson said:
CPU: i5 2500K
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 HD
Click to expand...
There's a combo deal right now that saves you $18 and get you a eVGA card with a lifetime warranty:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.733472

pcperson said:
RAM: G.SKILL Sniper Low Voltage Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3 1600
Click to expand...
No point in purchasing this RAM since DDR3 1600 RAM doesn't offer a noticeable real world performance increase over DDR3 1333 RAM. So I recommend this RAM instead:
$48 - G.Skill Ripjaws F3-10666CL9D-8GBXL 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
pcperson said:
PSU: Rosewill BRONZE Series RBR1000-M 1000W
Click to expand...
I don't recommend this PSU at all. I recommend the Corsair 850TX V2 for GTX 570 SLI:
$135 - Corsair 850TX V2 850W PSU
 
Thanks Danny Bui. I haven't looked at the combo deals quite yet, Newegg wishlists don't let you load combo's into them but I did see that. Thanks for the heads up though. I didn't know that about the RAM, and I only picked that particular DDR3 1600 because it was on the mobo's compatibility list. The RAM you listed is also on there, so I can definitely switch them out. I knew the PSU would get some odd looks, I just wasn't sure how many watts would be safe for a potential future SLI rig. Newegg's PSU calculator is pretty vague. Since I've got two votes for the Corsairs so far, I'll take that as a sign that I should get one of theirs.
 
Totally forgot to address this:
pcperson said:
Build so far:
MOBO: ASRock P67 EX4 GEN3
Click to expand...
I don't recommend this mobo at all due to its one year warranty. In addition PCI-E 3.0 isn't gonna be useful for another 5 to 10 years at best judging from current rates of bandwidth usage with current video cards.

I recommend this three year warrantied mobo instead:
$170 - MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard
 
Danny Bui said:
Totally forgot to address this:

I don't recommend this mobo at all due to its one year warranty. In addition PCI-E 3.0 isn't gonna be useful for another 5 to 10 years at best judging from current rates of bandwidth usage with current video cards.

I recommend this three year warrantied mobo instead:
$170 - MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard
Click to expand...

I was going to try to beat you to the punch by mentioning that, but according to Newegg, that motherboard does have a 2 year warranty. Maybe only the Z68 board has the one year, or is Newegg wrong?
 
Forceman said:
I was going to try to beat you to the punch by mentioning that, but according to Newegg, that motherboard does have a 2 year warranty. Maybe only the Z68 board has the one year, or is Newegg wrong?
Click to expand...

I honestly can't tell: Neweg is the only official source I've seen that mentions a two year warranty on the AsRock Z68 mobos. I haven't been able to find anything on AsRock's website that confirms that two year warranty for Z68 mobos sold in North America.
 
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