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Help in finalizing gaming rig

F

freakzoid

n00b
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
4
Proposed system specs:

Intel Core i7 2600K 3.4GHz
Gigabyte P67A-UD3R-B3
Kingston DDR3 1333 CL 9 KVR1333D3N9/4G (8GB) 4GB x 2
OCZ Vertex 2 120GB or Intel 320 120GB
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB SATA3
3R System IceAge Prima Boss II or Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus
Asus HD6970 2GB EAH6970 DCII
Coolermaster CM690 II Advanced
Seasonic X-660 660W
Asustek Xonar Essence STX


I'm looking for input on the system as a whole. Am I going to run into any potential compatibility issues here and does everything look like it will fit where it should?

Hard drive: I'm also choosing between the Intel and the OCZ SSD. I've been told that OCZ has potential issues and Intel is more reliable?

Sound card: I'm afraid this might be an over kill but the STX seems to be strongly recommended. I'm be pairing it with the ATH-AD700 headphones. I'm looking for accurate 3D positional audio in FPS games and better audio quality for my music in general. Might this money be better saved and spent on faster RAM for example?

Also, I was wondering if my speakers (M-audio AV40) had to be connected via a specific interface (S/PDIF or something) to take advantage of the sound card? Right now I only have the standard 3.5mm connector.

CPU Cooler: Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus or 3R System iCEAGE Prima Boss II? Other suggestions for cooling are welcome.

Chassis: It has space for 7 additional fans. Will there be noticeable improvement for cooling if I add an extra fan? Where would be the best place to do this?

Link to positioning of fans: http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6638



Excuse my many questions. Thanks for all input! :p
 
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CPU wise, honestly, you're not gonna notice a difference between the 2500K and 2600K with your usage scenarios. However if you have cash to burn, then go ahead and pick up the 2600K.

Go with the Intel SSD hands down. It's gonna be faster, more reliable, and backed by better customer support.

HSF wise, go with the Coolermaster.

Case wise, yes there will be noticeable improvement if you add an extra fan. Personally I'd add another top fan.
 
Danny Bui said:
CPU wise, honestly, you're not gonna notice a difference between the 2500K and 2600K with your usage scenarios. However if you have cash to burn, then go ahead and pick up the 2600K.

Go with the Intel SSD hands down. It's gonna be faster, more reliable, and backed by better customer support.

HSF wise, go with the Coolermaster.

Case wise, yes there will be noticeable improvement if you add an extra fan. Personally I'd add another top fan.
Click to expand...

Cool okay thanks for the reply. Definitely going for the Intel SSD then.

The case already comes with stock front, top, and rear fans. I could just add a second one at the top then? Or would a side fan placement be better?

Any suggestions for doing away with the dedicated sound card and bumping up the RAM? I'm starting to think that I could settle for onboard sound.
 
You could try it for awhile and see how it works. I doubt you'll need more fans but I could be wrong. If it gets hot in the room that your computer is in (about 85 Fahrenheit, I think that's 27C but I'm posting from my phone so excuse any conversion errors) you might need more. Barring that scenario (due to climate or air conditioning) you should be okay with three fans.
 
lol I live in a tropical country. since I don't usually on the AC during the day it might quite easily hit 27C. =P
 
freakzoid said:
lol I live in a tropical country. since I don't usually on the AC during the day it might quite easily hit 27C. =P
Click to expand...

Now that I'm at a computer, I meant closer to 29C, but extra fans won't hurt except in the noise department. Also make sure that your intake fans are moving about the same amount of air as the exhaust fans. So if you have two 100 CFM fans on the intake side, you want about 100 CFM exhaust. Having negative pressure (90 CFM intake, 100 CFM exhaust) leads to better cooling, but the inside of your computer will collect dust like crazy (dust filters will help, but it'll come through cracks as well.) Being over pressure (110 CFM intake, 100 CFM exhaust) means less dust, but less efficient cooling. For me I'd prefer to have a slightly over pressure than negative pressure, but I'm a wimp with air conditioning. By the way, the above CFM numbers are just examples. Considering a single 120mm fan can do over 100 CFM you'll be looking at a lot higher volume of air moved in your situation.

Also, for intake/exhaust placement, have the intakes down low (usually in the front or side by the GPU) and the exhausts up high (in the back, top or by the CPU.)
 
tonytnnt said:
Now that I'm at a computer, I meant closer to 29C, but extra fans won't hurt except in the noise department. Also make sure that your intake fans are moving about the same amount of air as the exhaust fans. So if you have two 100 CFM fans on the intake side, you want about 100 CFM exhaust. Having negative pressure (90 CFM intake, 100 CFM exhaust) leads to better cooling, but the inside of your computer will collect dust like crazy (dust filters will help, but it'll come through cracks as well.) Being over pressure (110 CFM intake, 100 CFM exhaust) means less dust, but less efficient cooling. For me I'd prefer to have a slightly over pressure than negative pressure, but I'm a wimp with air conditioning. By the way, the above CFM numbers are just examples. Considering a single 120mm fan can do over 100 CFM you'll be looking at a lot higher volume of air moved in your situation.

Also, for intake/exhaust placement, have the intakes down low (usually in the front or side by the GPU) and the exhausts up high (in the back, top or by the CPU.)
Click to expand...

Wow this was really informative! haha thanks! :D

Another thing, I'm looking to use fraps to record 720p in game videos. I hope to get decent framerates while doing this, perhaps around 50-ish. Is this too much to expect? and what part of the system has the most impact on performance in this area? I have my eye on the G.Skill Ripjaws-X 1600MHz CL7 8GB kit but I've been advised to get CL9 instead. Would this affect my ability to do in game recording?

I also want to skype while running games.
 
freakzoid said:
Another thing, I'm looking to use fraps to record 720p in game videos. I hope to get decent framerates while doing this, perhaps around 50-ish. Is this too much to expect? and what part of the system has the most impact on performance in this area? I have my eye on the G.Skill Ripjaws-X 1600MHz CL7 8GB kit but I've been advised to get CL9 instead. Would this affect my ability to do in game recording?
Click to expand...

Generally hard drive speed and CPU speed dictates game recording. Getting that particular RAM will not help out at all.
 
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