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Opinions/Preferred Changes on Gaming Rig.
Recently I have been adding to my newegg wishlist for a gaming rig. This is what I have come up with and would like some critiques on what I have chosen since I am not a huge PC guru.
Just be honest and if anyone could suggest cheaper items that might be better in itself or a better bang for its buck. Than let me know because I would glady spend less, haha. But beforehand, thanks to all that respond.
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Blue RC-932-KKN3-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower - $159.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119213
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard - $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W - $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808
Western Digital Caviar Blue WD10EALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136534
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - $22.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
COMBO DEAL - $249.98
XFX HD-577A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.431559
The total came out to around 1,007.90 bucks with the OS, etc. Thanks gents.
Comments
For the HD I would get the Black Version rather than the WD Blue: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
I have 2 in my PC and they are FAST!
Cases are really a personal preference to some degree.
Consider the Raven to http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811163154
Or the New Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 with the USB 3.0 to go with your mobo.
Best advice is to time the buy with some kind of holiday day sale.
That PSU I picked up for father in laws build for $80 on sale. If you can save in places you could go higher with the GPU.
Just food for thought.
I checked out that HD and looks good. Same price, haha. But I am going to think about it.
As for the case, I am going to stick to it and trying to look for some good sales/combo deals. Thanks for the input.
Just as any FYI, the fastest 7200RPM drives on the market are the Samsung Spinpoint F3 drives, and they're comparable in price to other 7200rpm drives.
That said, I'm a long-time Western Digital fan, the Caviar Blacks are pretty good drives too (all of the WD Caviar drives are)
Agreed. I am a WD fan also, I have changed the HD black.
But recently been reading some bad reviews on the motherboard. Dunno what a good second choice might be. Any ideas, gents?
I dunno about the samsungs I looked into them a lot before my purchases. Many sites put and use the blacks in tests against SSD's for comparison. The latest WD blacks are even fast than end of last years model. The latest review I found put the blacks at top, especially multi-threaded tests. At the end of the day I had some issues in the past with previous Sammy's.
Some Mobo's I would consider:
MSI 790FX-GD70 AM3
GIGABYTE GA-MA790FXT-UD5P if it was in stock is not a bad board
GIGABYTE GA-890FXA-UD5 AM3
ASUS M4A79T Deluxe AM3
Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4 - previously used this in a build and can recommend
The ASUS Crosshair III Formula is also a good board. (Also used before) Now that version IV is out might be able to pick this somewhere at a steal price.
From experience I can always say never skimp on the motherboard! I got this sucker and couldn't be happier!
I don't know what OS you are thinking of getting but I thought I'd point out that with a 32 bit OS, your total addressable RAM is 4GB and *GPU RAM is included in this total*. There are also usually a few other bits of memory that have to be mapped, so you will end up with less than 3GB of usable RAM. This article explains in a bit more detail. In short - get a 64 bit OS if you want to use all of your 4GB of RAM!
Everything looks pretty good. I do not see a way to upgrade your gaming experience without additional investment. I am recommending similar builds to a lot of my gaming custormers.
Really the only suggestion that I can make (that is not personal preference) is your case. It is a little pricey. I would recommend the Antec 900. After shipping costs, you should save about $85.
"Those who dislike things based only on the fact that they are popular are just as shallow and superficial as those who only like them for the same reason."
To reply to my last two posts.
I am indeed using Windows 7 64-bit, so a steap ahead of you my friend. But thank you for the reminder.
As for the case, I looked at your suggestion and thought well of it. Alot of people who have critiqued have told me I could get a cheaper case. So I am looking into it. The Antec 900 is a possibility. But I made a few changes which lowered the price. Instead of the combination deal, I got these two. Just worried the PSU might not be enough power. If someone could let me know, I would appreaciate it.
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
XFX HD-487A-ZWFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150436
I also recently changed the case, but going to again because I think I can get cheaper on it. I wanted a full-ATX because of the room and possible airflow and dunno how well mid-towers do in that aspect. But I chose this case, but as I mentioned going to change it again very soon. I am currently looking for others at the moment. (Antec 900 might look good).
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - $139.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
This dropped the price from around $1,032.90 to $995.90. So maybe if I change the case I for a lower price, I could get drop a bit more. Also, I appreciate the responses so far guys. Thank you very much.
UPDATE!
I chose another PSU, which was better at a lower cost.
OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - $84.99 (59.99 after $25 mail-in rebate)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018
..and I am going with the Antec 900 case. So this is what the new build looks like so far if the prices don't change by next week when I purchase it.
CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - $99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119213
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard - $139.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131631
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W - $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103808
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - $74.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - $22.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ700MXSP 700W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - $84.99 (59.99 after $25 mail-in rebate)http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018
XFX HD-487A-ZWFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150436
(Using Windows 7 64-bit)
Some of the changes I made were due to price. The Antec 900 was a good suggestion. I chose the 4870 card because it is better performance-wise than the 5770, just not as much extra things. Same with the HD, I heard the black was better than blue so I made that change, plus a lower GB capacity meant a lower price. This is because I don't load my computer with much and 1TB is too much for me. The OCZ PSU was better and cheaper than the Corsair and had good reviews.
After these changes the price went from $1032.90 to $935.87 and I am content with the price/parts that are chosen.
Now just want to know what you guys think of the build! As mentioned thank you for the input, gents. Very helpful and cannot stress that enough.
The Antec 900 is a *mostly* fantastic case, just be warned that it's an absolute nightmare for wire management. I have it, and love it mostly, but it took me awhile to get at least most of the wires straightened out.
I have a 900 in a second case and a '300' in another. Honestly I would get the 300 or the 2nd generation 900 simply because of the dust filters. The 900 lets tons of dust in. The 300 with some seperate fans for the price can't be beat.
Hmm, so the Antec 300 might be nice? I figured if the 900 I chose was 99.95 and the 300 in 59.99 I could spare some money for some case fans.
The 2nd generation 900 is out of the topic, because I am trying to lower some costs a bit. You mentioned the 300 with seperate fans for the price, can't be beat. How is the wire management in that case? Since someone mentioned it is hard for the case that I chose.
Actually, pardon my last response. I might choose the Antect 902. I actually think I am going to choose it, since you mentioned the dust filters and I read some nice reviews on it.
Plus it has more room than the 300 and I have a 120mm fan for the side panel. The big negative I heard about it, was that it sucks getting to the filters, haha. But oh well, I heard more positives. Plus it is $99.95 after mail-in-rebate.
So it is now $955.87 without the mail-in rebates. So it would be cheaper than that price. After the mail-in rebates, the price of the whole rig is a NICE $885.87! What do you guys think?
I think you've got a pretty good setup there overall, though honestly, it seems like you're spending WAY too little on the video card setup for a gaming rig.
You were originally meaning to spend $1000 or a hair more, and I think you still need to. Even then I think you're spending too little on the GPU(s) (I like to typically spend about 30-40% on the video cards, depending on the price range), but some of the places where you've allocated money, like the case and possibly the PSU, will probably last you through your next rig, so that's justified (The Antec 900 and 902 are great cases, and yes, the original 900 lets in tons of dust, so you made the right choice).
What I think you should do, frankly, is either get a second 4870 (a 700W PSU will support it with plenty of power to spare), get 2 cheap 5770s (this would actually be my recommendation), or get a 5850. That's in order from most powerful to least powerful (2 4870s slightly beat two 5770s, which beat a 5850), though DX11 is going to be nice to have down the road.
Dude, quotes on this forum are completely out of whack, don't worry about it.
As for the 4870 vs 5770, I had a single 4870, and rather than buy a second, I gave it to a friend who needed a card, and bought two 5770s, because they really don't perform that differently (the 4870s edge is relatively small), but having things like tesselation, DX11 GPGPU, and other such features (DX11 depth of field effects comes to mind) seems more than worth the small hit in performance, especially given that either two 4870s or two 5770s will really scream along and be able to play anything maxed out... except Metro 2033, but nothing lower than a 5970 can do that
Two 5770s should also consumer less power and run cooler.
If I were you, what I'd do (if money is getting stretched a bit here) is buy one 5770, get all the rebates worked out, and then buy another after I got the rebate money back.
Outstanding idea my friend. So I guess I could do a 5770. Yeah because that is what I heard. 4870 was better performance, but 5770 had the perks to go with it.
So 5770 it is, my friend. Then as you mentioned, rebates would help pay for other one later on. I planned on Crossfiring soon after either purchase anyways.
Thanks for the helpful input. Any other ideas on the build or looks pretty good? Because the budget is great where it is.
Nope, that looks outstanding. In fact, that's almost exactly what my system is
I have a Phenom II X4 965 (I would have bought the 955 if I had thought about it; it's just a difference of 200mhz, which can be overclocked out of the 955), and then I've paired it with two 5770s, and 4GB DDR3. It runs great. I have the Antec 900 as well, though the first generation, not the 902 revision.
I also think you picked out a good PSU, because the Antec 900's/902's cable management is a nightmare (hint: use the two holes next to where the motherboard is mounted and run cables through underneath the left side panel). You PSU is modular there, so that will help out big time.
That looks like a system ready to go
5770 is a good choice and you can possibly XFire it later if need be. Enjoy the system, you seem like you're very prepared and well researched. I appreciate that around here..... and you will reap your rewards from it!
Good luck,
Beo
The best government is a benevolent tyranny tempered by an occasional assassination. - Voltaire
i5-750 OC'd to 4.0Ghz - PNY GTX 470 Performance Edition - Western Digital 2X2TB in RAID 0 - Samsung BD Drive - 4GB DDR3 2000Mhz - CM Storm Scout
Thanks, pal. I did research alot and got alot of critique from various people on the build. So thanks to you gents, also. Got a nice budget that I can work with and a good build.
You know Astrostex, I wouldn't worry about this for awhile, but if you were willing to put down a little for an aftermarket CPU cooler later on down the road, you could also overclock the CPU by a lot. Phenom IIs make pretty good overclockers (My 965 hits 4ghz without much trouble, but it gets way too hot for the stock cooler).
For now though, just get it together, and follow up with a benchmark or two!
We will have to wait and see, sir. But yeah, most builds I have got an after-market cooler for my CPU.
I don't know how hot the room gets where this thing will run, but in the North Carolina summer, in my room (which accumilates heat and often hits the 80s F even with air conditioning on), the stock cooler with Artic Silver Ceramique barely keeps the CPU cool at stock clocks!
I'm looking at a Thermalright TRUE right now, because it's the only thing that seems able to really handle a modern quad core in serious overclocking as far as air coolers, but it's $60 not including a needed $15 fan
Do you have heating problems with the stock fan, because I am in Texas and it gets hot also.
Also with that thermalright heatsink what kind of fan are you looking at? 80mm, right?
The TRUE takes 120mm fans.
To answer your question, I'd say in an antec 900, you should be good with the stock cooler with an abient temperature of up to 85F or so (that's about how hot it takes to get the CPU to its max). Even with a simply 400mhz overclock, with a very, very tiny voltage increase (just one notch up on my motherboard), the computer froze on Civilization 4 (not a very intensive game). The computer was stable, because in cool weather it did fine, but when it got hot it overheated.