New Desktop Build for Gaming - Need Advice

BiH115

BiH115

Gif Guy
Joined
May 12, 2011
Messages
9,327
Hey all, I threw up a thread quite a while ago asking for some support in picking out parts (don't keep up to date as much anymore due to time constraints), looks like I may need it again, please and thank you!


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, CS5-6, Programming + 3DS Max/Maya
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I was thinking something around $1,200. Would go up to $1,400 to get some more power.
3) Which country do you live in? If the U.S, please tell us the state and city if possible.
New Hampshire (May be a Microcenter in Massachusetts for me to use, if so, I'll go there for deals).
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.
I do need everything, but I'll list it out for specifics:
- Monitor (see below question)
- Motherboard (Does not need to be SLI/CFX capable, not a fan of the concept)
- GPU (Any chance of squeezing in a 670 or 7970?)
- CPU (Would prefer Intel, heavily. A sandy bridge (if cheaper) is fine, like a 2500K. If Ivy is on par price wise, I'd be down for that as well))
- CPU Cooling (I'd like aftermarket)
- RAM (8GB Minimum)
- CD/DVD Tray (If Blu-Ray cheaper/on sale, would prefer that)
- One ~300-500GB HDD / One 128-256GB SSD (if possible price-wise)
- PSU (a solid amount, best one possible price-wise)
- Case (best airflow, lights not necessary, but not against them. would prefer a case that allows easy access to cables and upgrades)
- Any additional fans or other accessories
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Not reusing anything.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Wouldn't be opposed to it..
7) 7) What is the max resolution of your monitor? What size is it?
Need a monitor, was thinking 1920x1080/1200 (Had a Hanns-G 27.5" monitor a while back, it's only $250, may think about getting that, here's a link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824254093). Would not be opposed to a solid, cheaper, 24" monitor.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Late this week, early next week.
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)? UEFI? etc.
Does not need SLI or Crossfire support, I doubt I'll be doing more than one card. UEFI would be nice.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes, Windows 7 - 64 Bit
 
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Exactly how far are you from this microcenter?
http://microcenter.com/site/stores/cambridge.aspx

If it's too far of a drive (an hour+ one way) then it's probably not worth the trip when you'll spend the savings in gas/time)

Also the smallest HDD we recommend in our builds are 1TB or greater. Simply because the price difference between a 500/750GB hard drive is so small compared to a 1TB, it's worth the extra $5 - $10 to almost double the size of your storage.

Additionally, you're getting towards the end of this months deals. If you're willing to wait towards the end of the first week of September, Microcenters and Neweggs new deals should be posted by then.
 
Skillz said:
Exactly how far are you from this microcenter?
http://microcenter.com/site/stores/cambridge.aspx

If it's too far of a drive (an hour+ one way) then it's probably not worth the trip when you'll spend the savings in gas/time)

Also the smallest HDD we recommend in our builds are 1TB or greater. Simply because the price difference between a 500/750GB hard drive is so small compared to a 1TB, it's worth the extra $5 - $10 to almost double the size of your storage.

Additionally, you're getting towards the end of this months deals. If you're willing to wait towards the end of the first week of September, Microcenters and Neweggs new deals should be posted by then.
Click to expand...

It's just under an hour away, so I could do that (basically next to Boston).

I can wait until the first week of September, no issues. From an estimation point, what do you think are the general components we'll be looking at with the allotted budget? If you don't know at the moment, that's fine too. Thank you!
 
You'll be looking at;

i5 3570K or i7 3770k CPU
ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard
670 GTX or 7950 Video card
1TB Hitachi 7k1000.d or Samsung F3 1TB HDD
Crucial M4 or Samsung 830 series 128GB or 256GB SSD
2x8GB kit of G.Skill DDR3 1600 RAM
650W or 750W Corsair, Antec or Seasonic PSU
Cases in the $100 - $190 price range (Danny has a list I'll present to you when the time comes so you can basically choose you own)
We generally recommend 23" to 24" 1080P monitors from major manufacturers in the $150 - $200 price range. If you want to get specific on a monitor, we recommend checking out the Display forum)
 
Skillz said:
You'll be looking at;

i5 3570K or i7 3770k CPU
ASUS P8Z77-V Motherboard
670 GTX or 7950 Video card
1TB Hitachi 7k1000.d or Samsung F3 1TB HDD
Crucial M4 or Samsung 830 series 128GB or 256GB SSD
2x8GB kit of G.Skill DDR3 1600 RAM
650W or 750W Corsair, Antec or Seasonic PSU
Cases in the $100 - $190 price range (Danny has a list I'll present to you when the time comes so you can basically choose you own)
We generally recommend 23" to 24" 1080P monitors from major manufacturers in the $150 - $200 price range. If you want to get specific on a monitor, we recommend checking out the Display forum)
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it. I do remember Danny's list of Cases he recommends, I've seen it posted all too often when browsing this forum. :)
 
BiH115 said:
Exactly what I was looking for, appreciate it. I do remember Danny's list of Cases he recommends, I've seen it posted all too often when browsing this forum. :)
Click to expand...

Yeah I use it a lot.

Sometimes we throw in either the 2500k or 2600k/2700k in the microcenter deal depending on your budget. Not much difference between the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge in terms of performance per clock (Around 3% better for Ivy Bridge) so keep that in mind as well.
 
Skillz said:
Yeah I use it a lot.

Sometimes we throw in either the 2500k or 2600k/2700k in the microcenter deal depending on your budget. Not much difference between the Sandy Bridge and Ivy Bridge in terms of performance per clock (Around 3% better for Ivy Bridge) so keep that in mind as well.
Click to expand...

Ah, thanks for mentioning that, I did know that actually, and the heat output is less as well if I recall. That's why I mentioned that a 2500K would still be perfect for me. :)

Thanks again.
 
Ivy bridge only runs hotter on the upper end of overclocks. When both processors are stock, ib uses less power and produces less heat.
 
Skillz said:
Ivy bridge only runs hotter on the upper end of overclocks. When both processors are stock, ib uses less power and produces less heat.
Click to expand...

That's what I figured. Very cool, hopefully some deals are available at my time of purchase. If not, no harm no foul.
 
I always felt SSDs were overrated. Though, I guess even a brief few seconds in a loading screen is something some people can't stand.

In terms of gaming performance the 2500k/3570k are nearly identical to their i7 counterparts. Those processors are basically the best CPUs available to gamers, since ever. An i7 is just a waste of cash, imo.

I'd recommend this PSU. A 750W GPU is a bit overkill though. The TDPs of the 600/7000 series set a new standard in efficiency. No doubt 700/8000 will continue to decrease the TDPs. 750W will just insure your system will never be limited by the PSU.

RAM, just slap some corsair Vengeance into it. Noctua makes great coolers. I've been using the Asus p8z68-v Gen 3 and it's been great for nearly a year. It's supposed to be able to support Ivy Bridge CPUs as well, however, it seems you need to update the BIOS to do so. Given the gaming performance between 2500k/3570k not using Ivy Bridge doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me in any event.

GPU. Hm. I'd haven't been keeping up to date on all the reviews. However, if I was going to buy a new GPU I'd want it to have 3GB vram.

I'm in the market for a new monitor as well.

As to extras I'd recommend a Xonar Essence STX and some AD700s with a Zalman Clip-on mic. Out of everything in my build those have provided a noticeably more enjoyable gaming experience.
 
LastQuestion said:
I always felt SSDs were overrated. Though, I guess even a brief few seconds in a loading screen is something some people can't stand.

In terms of gaming performance the 2500k/3570k are nearly identical to their i7 counterparts. Those processors are basically the best CPUs available to gamers, since ever. An i7 is just a waste of cash, imo.

I'd recommend this PSU. A 750W GPU is a bit overkill though. The TDPs of the 600/7000 series set a new standard in efficiency. No doubt 700/8000 will continue to decrease the TDPs. 750W will just insure your system will never be limited by the PSU.

RAM, just slap some corsair Vengeance into it. Noctua makes great coolers. I've been using the Asus p8z68-v Gen 3 and it's been great for nearly a year. It's supposed to be able to support Ivy Bridge CPUs as well, however, it seems you need to update the BIOS to do so. Given the gaming performance between 2500k/3570k not using Ivy Bridge doesn't seem like that big of a deal to me in any event.

GPU. Hm. I'd haven't been keeping up to date on all the reviews. However, if I was going to buy a new GPU I'd want it to have 3GB vram.

I'm in the market for a new monitor as well.

As to extras I'd recommend a Xonar Essence STX and some AD700s with a Zalman Clip-on mic. Out of everything in my build those have provided a noticeably more enjoyable gaming experience.
Click to expand...

Oh yeah, forgot about the Sound Card. I'd like to have one of those as well, and I've heard the Xonar's are quite good. I wouldn't mind a new pair of Headphones either...
 
BiH115 said:
Oh yeah, forgot about the Sound Card. I'd like to have one of those as well, and I've heard the Xonar's are quite good. I wouldn't mind a new pair of Headphones either...
Click to expand...

What kind of speakers/headphones do you intend to use on this system? Chances are the quality of those will be less than the quality of the onboard sound. In other words, your speakers wont even sound any different with a high end sound card vs onboard. So unless you intend to spend descent money on a nice set of speakers/headphones just use the onboard sound. It's come a long way in the past few years.
 
Skillz said:
What kind of speakers/headphones do you intend to use on this system? Chances are the quality of those will be less than the quality of the onboard sound. In other words, your speakers wont even sound any different with a high end sound card vs onboard. So unless you intend to spend descent money on a nice set of speakers/headphones just use the onboard sound. It's come a long way in the past few years.
Click to expand...

AD700s only cost ~$90.
 
Skillz said:
What kind of speakers/headphones do you intend to use on this system? Chances are the quality of those will be less than the quality of the onboard sound. In other words, your speakers wont even sound any different with a high end sound card vs onboard. So unless you intend to spend descent money on a nice set of speakers/headphones just use the onboard sound. It's come a long way in the past few years.
Click to expand...

Headphones (also a keyboard) are not in this budget, I have "another" budget for those. So not sure if it's worth it really then, if onboard is as good as you say. Would the AD700 be enough to warrant the sound card?
 
BiH115 said:
Headphones (also a keyboard) are not in this budget, I have "another" budget for those. So not sure if it's worth it really then, if onboard is as good as you say. Would the AD700 be enough to warrant the sound card?
Click to expand...

It is.I went from onboard to a Xonar STX. I even had a pretty decent DAC alongside the onboard which made things manageable(A40 Mixamp Pro). I could easily tell that difference between the onboard and the Mixamp. I can easily tell the difference between the Mixamp and the Xonar STX.

It's really as simple as this. I'd been using HD555s since...07? Years. Using them for years. When I got the Mixamp Pro in 09 I realized how much onboard sucks. When I got the STX...I realized the HD555s were far more capable than the Mixamp led me to believe. Onboard audio simply does not have the capacity to properly drive quality headphones. The quality of a headphone amp/DAC matter as the STX demonstrated to me. Beyond mids/highs/lows/bass the clarity...just everything is superior.

If you want really nice sound, you're going to have to buy a Xonar STX(not any of the lower models) or an HT Omega(barely researched them). The Xonar STX offers the best sound quality compared to it's competition. Even so, people who know audio and are more demanding modify the hardware of the STX to further improve quality. Not my cup of tea, but you can if you really want to.

I should also mention that while I'd been using HD555s since 07, and would also augment them with the A40s, I only started using AD700s in January. I now only occasionally use the HD555s as I prefer the soundstage of the AD700s a great deal. AD700s are awesome, they're affordable, and I really don't see how anyone could regret purchasing them assuming they have a decent soundcard.
 
I'm poor, so I got me some GameCom 780s. They look really nice, and feel reasonably sturdy. Want to have a go on the Tiamats, just 'cause.

If I had the money, I'd probably go with the A40s.

Just checked Amazon, and noticed that the A700s are <$100. Has that been the case for long?
 
LastQuestion said:
AD700s only cost ~$90.
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And they would barely benefit from a sound card or amp. The STX would be stupid overkill for something like that. For lower ohm headphones like the AD700's nothing more than a Asus DG would be needed.(onboard is fine for those headphones tho in most circumstances)

The STX would be beneficial if you want to run speakers and/or higher end headphones; especially if you were concerned with music more than gaming.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829132020&Tpk=asus dg

LastQuestion said:
I always felt SSDs were overrated. Though, I guess even a brief few seconds in a loading screen is something some people can't stand.

I'd recommend this PSU. A 750W GPU is a bit overkill though. The TDPs of the 600/7000 series set a new standard in efficiency. No doubt 700/8000 will continue to decrease the TDPs. 750W will just insure your system will never be limited by the PSU.
Click to expand...

SSD's are not overrated, if you've ever used one it's not a few seconds of difference it's multiple times faster.

As you noted that PSU is extreme overkill, he said he doesn't plan to run multiple GPU's ever so I'd go with something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151093

Keep an eye out for PSU sales on newegg you can sometimes pickup really good deals there, it seems like Seasonics X650 or X750 go on sale about once a month.
 
I've been using the AD900's since... 2006? 7? Love, love, love those cans for the stage presence it has. Playing Games on my headset is superb. I can hear everyone run around me in games (directionally and seamlessly). I also use a logitech desktop mic for communicating. Keep in mind, the longer you have your headset the better the sound...

I have the Auzentech Prelude sound card and a DAC. Never bothered to upgrade because I didn't have the need to.

Seamless audio is gives you the perfect edge in gaming. Their are a lot of alternatives, but I like this setup the best for gaming and music.
 
Damn, I wish I was buying right now haha, that all the deals were taking place this week, since I just saw another thread that was talking about the $258 7970 @ MicroCenter. So tempting.
 
DirtyB said:
And they would barely benefit from a sound card or amp. The STX would be stupid overkill for something like that. For lower ohm headphones like the AD700's nothing more than a Asus DG would be needed.(onboard is fine for those headphones tho in most circumstances)

The STX would be beneficial if you want to run speakers and/or higher end headphones; especially if you were concerned with music more than gaming.
Click to expand...

Barely benefit. lol. Did you not read what I wrote? I'd been using those phones for years, and noticed a benefit from the Mixamp Pro, and then again from the STX. The quality of the DAC increased, the capability of the amp as well. Amps aren't only about Ohms and neither is driving headphones. I don't know what your deal is but claiming that you wouldn't notice the difference in sound quality from a DG to a STX with AD700s seems rather silly.


DirtyB said:
SSD's are not overrated, if you've ever used one it's not a few seconds of difference it's multiple times faster.
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Um, sorry bro but what I said is true. You can cut load times in half, hell you can reduce them by 90%, but when games only load in a few seconds any difference in load times will be a few seconds.
 
I still stand by my statement. I do not think the OP needs a dedicated sound card, even if going with high end speakers. With that being said, it's easy to add a better speaker setup and/or a dedicated sound card later should the OP feel that the onboard sound isn't producing the quality sound he wants.
 
If you are looking for some descent sounding speakers/amp setup then I recommend this cheap setup.

$24.48 - Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply
$49.99 - Pioneer SP-BS21-LR Bookshelf Loudspeakers Pair

or if ya want a little more speaker than those
$99.99 - Pioneer SP-BS41-LR 2CH Bookshelf Loudspeakers Pair $50 off w/ promo code EMCNBHB95, ends 9/3
 
Skillz said:
If you are looking for some descent sounding speakers/amp setup then I recommend this cheap setup.

$24.48 - Lepai Tripath Class-T Hi-Fi Audio Mini Amplifier with Power Supply
$49.99 - Pioneer SP-BS21-LR Bookshelf Loudspeakers Pair

or if ya want a little more speaker than those
$99.99 - Pioneer SP-BS41-LR 2CH Bookshelf Loudspeakers Pair $50 off w/ promo code EMCNBHB95, ends 9/3
Click to expand...

Oh great, thanks for the recommendations, may look into those Pioneers with the promo code. I have a 2.1 setup with some solid logitech speakers, and they're perfect for what I need, so we'll see.
 
Judging from the "estimated parts" list from the first 2-3 posts on the first page, I'm assuming that's what I need to be going for. I may go pick up as many parts as possible from MicroCenter today...hopefully every single part. If I were to get it all from Micro today, what should I get? I'm just going to basically use the starting list as a jumping off point and walk around the aisles grabbing shit that's cheap/on sale and in line with what I see people using here.
 
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