Need help with a gaming build

[Jura]

Hello, my old PC is seriously lacking in performance, so I decided
to build a new one. It will be used mainly for gaming + some other non-demanding stuff. my budget is around 2000 USD. Keep in mind that I'm not from the US and the prices here are higher.

I already have it built, just wanted to ask if it is balanced. Originally I wanted to use AsRock Extreme 4 as the MB, but it's not available in the shop I'm buying from. So I chose Asus P8P67. I will overclock and I read good things about it, but I'd rather hear it from someone who actually has it.
The power supply may seem overpowered, but I'm planning on getting a second 580 later this year. Is 850W enough?
I wanted to ask about the SSD. I heard that Vertex 2 had some issues - it stopped working after 3 months in some review. Is it true? I don't wanna lose my data.


MB - Asus P8P67 Pro
CPU - Intel Core i7-2600K
CPU heatsink - Noctua NH-C14
GPU - EVGA GeForce GTX 580
RAM - Corsair Dominator 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1600
Power Supply - Corsair AX850 850W
HDD- WD Caviar Green RS - 2TB
SSD - OCZ Vertex 2 - 100GB
Case - LIAN LI PC-8FIB

 

[tiraides]

Though it's a moot point now, you don't really need the i7-2600k for gaming. The i7-2600k's Hyper Threading support would benefit you more with the Adobe CS5 programs, virtual machines, or other resource-intensive tasks or programs.

What voltage level does the Corsair Dominator RAM run at?

Based on what I read, the Corsair AX850 can handle a dual GTX 580 SLI setup. This assessment is based off the various forum threads that I've checked in which someone said they were using the AX850 with a dual GTX 480 setup. (The GTX 580 consumes about the same amount of power as the GTX 480.)

I don't know about any potential issues with the Vertex 2 SSDs, but you should already have a backup plan in place. Since you have two 2TB hard drives (are they in a RAID configuration?), you should have more than enough space to create an "image" of your SSD for data retention. (You should check out Acronis True Image Home or DriveImageXML to aid you in creating drive images.)

 

[Jura]

Though it's a moot point now, you don't really need the i7-2600k for gaming. The i7-2600k's Hyper Threading support would benefit you more with the Adobe CS5 programs, virtual machines, or other resource-intensive tasks or programs.

I know. I'm still thinking about getting 2500K, it would be a wiser choice. But then again, lust for "the best" is strong in me.

What voltage level does the Corsair Dominator RAM run at?

1.65V

Since you have two 2TB hard drives (are they in a RAID configuration?), you should have more than enough space to create an "image" of your SSD for data retention.

It's actually just one 2 TB HDD, not 2 terabyte ones. Backing up the data is a good idea, however I would rather not buy another SSD after few months - better buy a good SSD in the first place.

 

[E4g1e]

1.65V

That is at the absolute maximum of Intel's advised DIMM voltage range. To be safe, I do not recommend any RAM that runs at above 1.6V for the LGA 1155 platform.

 

[tiraides]

Wait... have you purchased the parts already?

Your second post suggests that you've only come up with the parts that you plan on buying.

 

[4LC4PON3]

I chose the Biostar board because its one of the most stable Sandy Bridge boards right now & is an excellent board for the money. some dont like Biostar but they are leading right now for stability & have some of the Highest OC's to date.

(394)
Intel Core i5-2500K
ASUS P8P67 PRO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.575884

($364)
BIOSTAR TP67XE
Intel Core i5-2500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.589453

($42.00)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4&cm_re=gskill_ripjaws-_-20-231-274-_-Product


The Results speak for themselves

7007: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/957022_pt1t_cpu_z_core_i5_670_7007_mhz
6761: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/760597_boblemagnifique_cpu_z_core_2_e8600_3.33ghz_6761_mhz
7153.9: http://hwbot.org/community/submission/1084958_namegt_cpu_z_phenom_ii_x4_955_be_7153.9_mhz

 

[Jura]

Wait... have you purchased the parts already?

Your second post suggests that you've only come up with the parts that you plan on buying.

Nah, I meant that I chose the parts I wanted. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

That is at the absolute maximum of Intel's advised DIMM voltage range. To be safe, I do not recommend any RAM that runs at above 1.6V for the LGA 1155 platform.

Thanks, I must have overlooked that one. ;-)

I chose the Biostar board because its one of the most stable Sandy Bridge boards right now & is an excellent board for the money. some dont like Biostar but they are leading right now for stability & have some of the Highest OC's to date.

(394)
Intel Core i5-2500K
ASUS P8P67 PRO
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.575884

($364)
BIOSTAR TP67XE
Intel Core i5-2500K
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.589453

($42.00)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...4&cm_re=gskill_ripjaws-_-20-231-274-_-Product

I wanted to buy Ripjaws as well, but they are not available in Czech Republic. Can you advise something similar?

 

[Dangman]

I wanted to buy Ripjaws as well, but they are not available in Czech Republic. Can you advise something similar?

Just get the cheapest DDR3 1333 RAM you can find whose voltage is at or below 1.6V. Thats all you have to look for. You don't need DDR3 1600 RAM since it doesn't provide that much of a performance increase over DDR3 1333 RAM or need to worry about timings since CAS 7 is really no different from CAS 9.

SSD wise, see if you can find the Crucial C300 SSDs as they are faster than the Vertex 2.

 

[tiraides]

Any DDR3 1333 RAM kit that runs at 1.5V would be good. IIRC, Mushkin, Corsair, and A-DATA also make 1.5V kits.

If you're gaming, go with the i5-2500k instead of the i7-2600k. The only difference between the two processors is the i7's Hyper Threading support. Hyper Threading is essentially useless for gaming as many games still don't fully utilize four cores/threads (which aren't the same thing).

If available/inexpensive, consider the Crucial C300 instead of the OCZ Vertex 2. The C300 outperforms the Vertex 2 in many benchmarks.

 

[4LC4PON3]

sorry i didnt get back in time. My bad didnt know you was in the Czech Republic. Like they said above any 1333 10666 1.5v will do. I try to stay away from OCZ

 

[tiraides]

DON'T go with any OCZ RAM. I haven't seen any kit that runs lower than 1.6V.

 

[4LC4PON3]

never mind this part I just noticed you will be doing your shopping at a local shop.