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New Gaming System Advice

E

Explosion

n00b
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
8
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming with games such as Crysis on highest settings with a smooth, playable framerate. I will also be video editing, web browsing, watching blu-rays, and listening to music.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
I prefer to stay as close to $2000 as possible. I will spend more if it can be justified.
3) Where do you live?
Sarasota, FL
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.
Case with USB 3.0, CPU, Processor, RAM, Blu-ray drive, DVD Burner, SSD Drive, SATA Drive, Video Card, Case Fans, CPU Cooler, Power Supply, Mouse.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Keyboard, Monitor, Speakers
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not right away, but I might do some minor overclocking in the future.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
24"
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
1/28/11
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
USB 3.0, SATA 6Gb/s, SLI support (for future expanding),
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Yes I already own a legit copy of Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit.


Here is what I had in mind so far.

After some good advice, my other goal is to try to get the setup down to as close to $2000 possible
I would also like to know what a good fan setup would be if I end up going with the HAF X, even if I have to replace every fan that it comes with.
 
Yeah don't go for a Core i7 950 based setup: It's been outperformed, outclassed, out priced by the Core i5 2500K and Core i7 2600K CPUs. So wait for those CPUs to show up on Newegg and go with those instead. It also means swapping out motherboards to a socket LGA 1155 or P67 motherboard chipset.

Also that RAM is stupidly overpriced. Same goes for that case: That case is in no way shape or form worth $200.

Bump this thread up in about a week or two. By then we'll have more solid recommendations. But for now, don't go with that setup. It's simply a bad buy for the money.
 
Alright, it is almost a week before I am buying anything. As requested, I am bumping this to the top.

My ultimate goal with this computer is to get something that will last a long time with only requiring minimum upgrades through its life. So the motherboard needs to be a winner. Also, if overclocking will be needed to increase the life of the computer, then so be it.
 
Key changes that I would make to your planned build:
$485 - Intel Core i7-2600K CPU + MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 ATX Motherboard Combo
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156
$78 - G.Skill Value Series F3-10600CL9D-8GBNT 2 x 4GB DDR3 1333 RAM
$265 - Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC0128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SSD
$65 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
----
Total: $923 plus tax and shipping

Notes:
- The relatively cool Core i7-2600K CPU does not require that much of a high-end HSF to keep cool. So that $30 Coolermster HSF will suffice.
- The HD 6950 has a better price to performance ratio than the GTX 570.
- That Crucial SSD is a little faster than the Intel 160GB and has a better GB per $ ratio than the Intel.
- If you buy the SSD before January 22nd, there's a promo code for it that knocks off $30: "HARDOCPX119B"
- That Samsung F3 1TB drive is just as fast as that Western Digital 1TB drive yet costs $25 less. So no good reason to go with that Western Digital 1TB drive unless you really really hate Samsung

Case wise, as mentioned before, the HAF 942 is a poor poor choice for the money. There are better bang for the buck cases out there:
$80 - NZXT Tempest Evo TEVO-001BK ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K58 ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K56 ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-60FN ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$110 - NZXT Whisper WHI - 001BK ATX Full Tower Case
$120 - Velocity Micro GX2-W Silver Classic Aluminum Case with Side Window
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001WT White Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Full Tower ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver ATX Case (US Shipping Factored in) (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$160 - Corsair Graphite Series 600T ATX Case
$160 - Silverstone RV02B-W ATX case
$200 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$200 - Lian Li PC-B25F ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT02B ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-A71F Black ATX Case
$300 - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Full Tower ATX Case
 
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Thanks for the speedy reply. I have a few questions.

1.) How does that board compare to the ASUS P8P67 Pro?

2.) That RAM seems to be pretty low end. Is that really the best choice?

3.) I prefer to stick with a Nvidia card. I have a Windows 7/Linux dual boot and I have had nothing but problems with ATI cards with Linux. Nvidia seems to have better support.

4.) As far as hard drives go, I am pretty open to suggestion. I chose Western Digital because I have used them for a long time with no problems. The only one I would stay away from is Hitachi, because I have had the worst luck possible with them. I don't know too much about Samsung drives, but I will get one if they are as reliable as Western Digital. However, the drive I chose in my list was a 6 Gb/s drive. The Samsung drive you suggested is only 3 Gb/s. Are they really the same speed?

5.) One of the reasons I went with a HAF X is because I wanted a full tower case with a built in USB 3.0 port. Can you recommend any cases that have this?
 
1) It's just as good as the Asus IMO in terms of features

2) Yes. You won't see any sort of real world performance increase with higher speed or lower latency RAM. Not to mention that

3) Hmmm, in that case, wait and see if the GTX 560 gets released on January 25th. If not, then pick up the GTX 570 then.

4) Yes those drives are the same speed. Not a SINGLE mechanical hard drive in the world can ever approach SATA 6.0Gb/s speeds. So despite having the larger interface, the design of the WD 6.0Gb/s 1Tb drive is still a mechanical designa and therefore barely touches SATA 3.0Gb/s speeds. So in other words, that WD 1TB drive cannot take advantage of that SATA 6.0Gb/s interface at all. In addition, interface or even rotational speed alone does not show that a drive is faster than another.

So yes that Samsung F3 1TB, despite using the SATA 3.0Gb/s interface, is stil just as fast, if not faster, than that WD 1TB Black drive due to the platter density, platter design, etc. The only reason why WD 1TB Black 6.0Gb/s exists in the first place is as a marketing gimmick to lure gullible buyers into paying more for a hard drive that provides the same performance as other drives.

5) Hmmm, the only good ATX case I can think of and recommend that comes with USB 3.0 is the Corsair 600T. Maybe the Rosewill Blackhawk case as well.

I really cannot recommend the RC-942 case at all since it's basically the same as the RC-932 casebut with a window, wheels, two extra expansion ports, and two USB 3.0 ports. Not really worth the extra $60 IMO. In addition, after getting some hands on time with the RC-942 case, I honestly cannot see how that case is worth $200.
 
I have always admired the Corsair 800D. I guess I could always buy that and then purchase a USB 3.0 front panel with it.
 
Get the Haf X. It is the most amazing case out there to be honest. Watch some youtube videos and read the reviews on it. It blows most cases out of the water!

However, my suggestion is SHOP AROUND...don't just NewEgg everything.

I got all my parts at various places - price matching all the way and saved a LOT of money.

For example, I got the HAF X for $130...cheaper than the 932.

GL
 
What are your thoughts about the ASRock P67 Extreme4? It seems to be getting some great benchmarks, but I have never heard of the company.
 
Explosion said:
What are your thoughts about the ASRock P67 Extreme4? It seems to be getting some great benchmarks, but I have never heard of the company.
Click to expand...

ASRock is an offshoot of Asus and is pretty much their low cost and short support product line. IMO, the fact that mobo only has a one year warranty yet costs $156 shipped is a deal breaker to me.
 
Well the day is closing in fast...

Any thoughts on the Sabertooth P67? It has a 5 year warranty.
 
The price of the Sabertooth P67 is a concern to me. Why are you considering that board over the P8P67 Pro?
 
Danny Bui said:
ASRock is an offshoot of Asus and is pretty much their low cost and short support product line. IMO, the fact that mobo only has a one year warranty yet costs $156 shipped is a deal breaker to me.
Click to expand...

The ASRock mobo is $32 less than the ASUS. For an additional $35, I can get a 2 year extended warranty and match the 3 year warranty on the ASUS. Is the warranty the only thing that the ASUS has over the ASRock?
 
The Asus P8P67 Pro, compared to the ASRock P67 Extreme4, has built-in Bluetooth and a better (Intel) Gigabit Ethernet port. I don't know about the two boards' overclocking capabilities, so I can't really comment on that area.

However, should you pursue the ASRock's extended warranty, you're spending $3 more on an inferior board (and that's not taking into account the possibility that you could save more money on the Asus board via a NewEgg combo deal).
 
Explosion said:
The ASRock mobo is $32 less than the ASUS. For an additional $35, I can get a 2 year extended warranty and match the 3 year warranty on the ASUS. Is the warranty the only thing that the ASUS has over the ASRock?
Click to expand...
Well better quality and better customer support are the other items that Asus has over ASRock,

As tiraides noted, it does not make sense to spend the extra $35 for that AsRock motherboard as it puts squarely in range of the higher quality Asus P8P67 Pro and the MSI P67A-GD65 motherboards.
 
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