Upcoming build - critique needed

[Mombo]

Alright I have a build coming up I have started to order but I will be watching deals and probably have it all ordered by Oct 22 ish. Goals of the build will be to play games at 1920x1200 on hopefully max. Which will include overclocking the cpu of course I cant resist the capabilities of the new i5's and hopefully some decent overclocking on the GPU as well if possible. Main game I think will strain it is BF3. Other games I will be using it for include Skyrim, SWTOR, Diablo 3. Not to worried about swtor and d3 though they should be easy to max.

 

Items I own already are

 

Case- Antec P180

PSU- PC P&P 750W Silencer

DVD Drive- LG BD/HDDVD combo drive

OS HD- WD Raptor 72GB (being reused from my current system)

 

Parts I have ordered

 

Ram- G.Skill Raptor 2x4GB 1600 9-9-9-9-24

CM Hyper 212+ and a Extra CM Blademaster 120

Sennheiser 380 Pro

Asus Xonar DX

New case fans - Scythe Slipstreams 88 cfm

 

Parts on my list to order

 

CPU- Intel i5 2500k http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

MB- ASRock P67 Extreme4 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157229

HD- WD Black 750GB x 2 for Raid0 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136794

GPU- Nvidia 570 (reference cooler) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130593

 

 

I am trying to spend less then 900 bucks on the rest of the stuff I have to order if I got under 800 I wouldnt complain though. Right now I am sitting at 863 so I am good but saving more money or using the money more efficiently is always a good plan. So I do have some money to work with on it if I need to spend more on certain parts. I think if I watch the sales over the next month I can get it under 800 though. With all the GPUs coming with Batman right now they dont have really decent sale prices on them.... Not that the one I picked ever does....I might go ahead and pick up the gpu next just so I get the free game. Oh and no I am not by a Micro Center or a fry's B&M

 

A few things I wonder about -

 

1. GPU It seems like the ATI cards are pretty affordable are there any that will out perform the 570 in the price range or less then the price of the 570.

2. MB I dont think I need a Z68 do most people concur with that. ASRock seems to be taking off as a brand any other brands worth looking at for less money?

3. HS/F I decided on the Hyper 212 after reading quite a bit on here is that still the bang for the buck cooler to get? Will I likely be able to get above 4.5ghz with it? House temp is 22c. I do have some money to play with here though.

4. GPU if I go with the 570 is that the one to go with? I read quite a bit about the 570 reference cooler being the better of the ones out. Will I have any room to OC that one?

 

To note I was considering doing the SSD route and no raided HD's but from reading on here it sounds like Raid0 blacks will perform similar to a SSD for gaming. Then I can have all my games installed at all time instead of limiting myself to 1-3 games at any one time. Then I can always get a smaller cheaper SSD for my OS later if I need a boost at start up.

 

So thats it sorry a lot to read there. If you have any suggestions or comments on anything please do tell. Or just say YES BUY IT ALRD!

 

-Mombo

Edited October 6, 2011 by Mombo

[Stonerboy779]

Do not go the reference cooled 570

Also why raid 0 storage go the smaller 500gb blacks if they are going to be for games specifically, to decrease load times. I dont think you will have enough games to fill the space but i may be wrong.

Then you can Put 2tb eco drive from whatever quality brand is cheapest, for storage of all other things music, movies, documents ect.

Have a look at twin frozor III from msi vapor X from sapphire and DC-II from asus as they are all great aftermarket coolers with plenty of headroom (air environment) for oc.

Considering you have the p-180 I would choose the Vapor x because from all it's review It is performing very well especially for how quite and small it is (in comparison to both dc-II and tf III)

Another option is go Radeon it will be cheaper. I would say 6950 vapor x it will save you a lot.

Then spend some of that money on some quality fans to push lots of air quietly you will thank yourself for that.

The p-180 can be a great performing and quite case

[Mombo]

Ya I have had the P-180 for years now and love it when I first got it I bought some decent fans for it so I think it pushes air pretty well. I will take a look at those 570's you suggested. It seems that the 570 beats the 6970 in a lot of things when under the 1920x1200 resolution so I dont think I would want to drop down to the 6950 just to save money there. I still want that performance.

 

The reason I went for the 750gb Blacks is because a lot of the time they are the same price as the 500gb's and or only 5 bucks more. So not only would I get more space but the 750gb's have 64mb cache instead of 32mb cache of the 500gb's. I assumed that the larger cache would be desirable for gaming but do yall think that the larger drives will slow down my raid so I could have better performance from 2x500gb's rather 2x750gb's? I have file server that I store everything on so space for stuff other then games is already well covered. The 2 blacks are just for performance really.

[Stonerboy779]

Ya I have had the P-180 for years now and love it when I first got it I bought some decent fans for it so I think it pushes air pretty well. I will take a look at those 570's you suggested. It seems that the 570 beats the 6970 in a lot of things when under the 1920x1200 resolution so I dont think I would want to drop down to the 6950 just to save money there. I still want that performance.

 

The reason I went for the 750gb Blacks is because a lot of the time they are the same price as the 500gb's and or only 5 bucks more. So not only would I get more space but the 750gb's have 64mb cache instead of 32mb cache of the 500gb's. I assumed that the larger cache would be desirable for gaming but do yall think that the larger drives will slow down my raid so I could have better performance from 2x500gb's rather 2x750gb's? I have file server that I store everything on so space for stuff other then games is already well covered. The 2 blacks are just for performance really.

The difference in cache size isn't going to provide any real world performance boost faster ram however would but if it is only going to be $5 difference then sure go for 750s

 

Fair enough one other option is to go 6870 cf. Here is a comparison between 6870 cf and 570.

One negative there is no room to expand that further in the future however cost should be the same as single 570.

[Rosco]

Well to say that the 570 beats the 6970 on almost everything is only half correct.

I have the Sapphire 6950 2gb toxic and when I'm running at stock clocks I'm basicaly overpowering my friends Gigabyte GTX 570 when he runs at stock and I was R1500 (I'm in South Africa) cheaper than he was and my temps are a lot better.

So you should'nt ignore the AMD cards coz there are some of them that are real powerhorses for a heck of a lot less.

Just my 2c

[Mombo]

Hmm definitely don't mean to overlook AMD cards I guess I just need to look at more comparisons between the two. I am not really stuck on Nvidia I just want the one that will last the longest performance wise with the amount of money I have. The motherboard I am looking at does support crossfire and seeing as the 6950's are quite a bit less 6 months from now I could always grab another and put it in there. Does crossfire give decent gains? Think I could beat out a 580 with 2x6950's? Also do you think my current PSU could handle Crossfire of SLI?

[wevsspot]

Mombo - If you go with the twin WD 750Gb drives in RAID0 - short stroke them down to between 500 - 640Gb.

 

Check your PMs.

 

I agree with your decision to go with a P67 board over the Z68 for cost savings. And I'm a fan of ASRock boards so of course I like your choice there

[Stonerboy779]

Hmm definitely don't mean to overlook AMD cards I guess I just need to look at more comparisons between the two. I am not really stuck on Nvidia I just want the one that will last the longest performance wise with the amount of money I have. The motherboard I am looking at does support crossfire and seeing as the 6950's are quite a bit less 6 months from now I could always grab another and put it in there. Does crossfire give decent gains? Think I could beat out a 580 with 2x6950's? Also do you think my current PSU could handle Crossfire of SLI?

That would be a pretty good idea. If you also go the 2gb version for slightly more you could also multi-monitor in the future very well if you decide on that path.

 

580 sli beats out 6950 cf at about 5-10 fps, although it costs nearly twice as much. Also 6960cf is far better for high res and lots of memory usage. Depends what you play at what res. However just for the massive cost saving 6950 all the way.

And the new vapor x cooling chamber from sapphire is what I am recommending.

I don't believe you will be quite as willing to spring for 580 sli or even 570 sli.

 

A good 750watt psu should be fine although I don't know much about your psu brand.

[Fogel]

Nothing wrong with that PSU - it is a good brand.

 

Nothing wrong with the stock reference cooler of the 570 either, so I am not sure why people are telling you to avoid the reference 570. The HD version of the card will exhaust heat back into the case so maybe that is the confusion? Neither the Vapor X or Toxic are in stock ...well from sites I would buy from. If people are going to recommend cards like these at least find a seller that has them in stock.

 

That takes the OP back to the tier of performance of 6970 - he stated more than once he wanted this level of performance. No matter what he picks he should be happy as both cards operate so close in performance he won't be disappointed either way. You could tailor your choice to the games you play the most to squeak out that extra 5fps. You could go down to the price range of the 6950 / 560 Ti ...and again, you'd be happy with either choice.

 

There really is no sizeable gain or even price difference to justify the fanboyism. The prices are roughly the same and so is the performance. The 6970 is $20 more but if I really wanted the 6970 I would go with ATI. You can eat Mac & Cheese two nights to cover the diff.

 

 

I don't see anything wrong with this build or the OP's train of thoughts. If you are waiting till Oct 22 or around about the only thing I might say is wait till mid-Oct to see just how soon AMD can deliver BD. Performance might be better. Even if you want to stick with Intel their prices might drop. If I was waiting till late Oct I would wait if nothing more than to see how prices will be affected. I am sure BD will be sold out quick and it will be hard grabbing one before it is. Also first rev of any product is a gamble.

[Mombo]

I was reading a bit about the Toxic 6950 its pretty cool that it has a decent chance of unlocking to a 6970 but the price is still 270 which still puts me at the price that I doubt I would crossfire it and it would drive me nuts if it didnt unlock. If I were to get the 6950's that were cheap I would consider it in a few months. At the moment I think I am leaning towards the 570. It does seem like the 570's run hot as hell though from the reviews on them. I just want to be able to play BF3/Skyrim on max at 1920x1200 really. If it can do that then any of the other games I plan on playing will play just fine.

 

The GPU I think will be the last thing I decide on. I guess ill wait on the CPU as well just in case BD appears in the nick of time. I doubt I would buy it though...mostly to see if there is some price fluctuations.

 

The 570 with the reference cooler went OOS hopefully it will come back. I know the HD cooler isnt that great are any of the other systems worth looking into or perform and OC better then the reference?

 

edit: Oh I guess the reference one is now back in stock on newegg.

 

Edit2: Alright NCIX has a few pretty good sales going on right now.

 

For my CPU HS/F I picked the CM 212 Plus but they have the Corsair A70 for about the same price which one is better do yall think? From the reviews I have read the A70 seems to perform quite well with temps 5c below the 212+ BUT that also might be because it has 1 more fan... If I got a 2nd fan for the 212+ it might be better then the A70.....BLEH

 

What do yall think about the MSI cards? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-127-552&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=3#scrollFullInfo

 

That card I have seen for 250 after rebates and it still comes with Batman -AC which is a pretty sweet deal. I am a little afraid from the reviews though. Looks like it had pretty high failure rates 5 months ago think they fixed there issues? Or is it not worth the risk?

Edited September 30, 2011 by Mombo

[Stonerboy779]

I was reading a bit about the Toxic 6950 its pretty cool that it has a decent chance of unlocking to a 6970 but the price is still 270 which still puts me at the price that I doubt I would crossfire it and it would drive me nuts if it didnt unlock. If I were to get the 6950's that were cheap I would consider it in a few months. At the moment I think I am leaning towards the 570. It does seem like the 570's run hot as hell though from the reviews on them. I just want to be able to play BF3/Skyrim on max at 1920x1200 really. If it can do that then any of the other games I plan on playing will play just fine.

 

The GPU I think will be the last thing I decide on. I guess ill wait on the CPU as well just in case BD appears in the nick of time. I doubt I would buy it though...mostly to see if there is some price fluctuations.

 

The 570 with the reference cooler went OOS hopefully it will come back. I know the HD cooler isnt that great are any of the other systems worth looking into or perform and OC better then the reference?

 

edit: Oh I guess the reference one is now back in stock on newegg.

 

Edit2: Alright NCIX has a few pretty good sales going on right now.

 

For my CPU HS/F I picked the CM 212 Plus but they have the Corsair A70 for about the same price which one is better do yall think? From the reviews I have read the A70 seems to perform quite well with temps 5c below the 212+ BUT that also might be because it has 1 more fan... If I got a 2nd fan for the 212+ it might be better then the A70.....BLEH

 

What do yall think about the MSI cards? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=14-127-552&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&Pagesize=10&PurchaseMark=&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&VendorMark=&IsFeedbackTab=true&Page=3#scrollFullInfo

 

That card I have seen for 250 after rebates and it still comes with Batman -AC which is a pretty sweet deal. I am a little afraid from the reviews though. Looks like it had pretty high failure rates 5 months ago think they fixed there issues? Or is it not worth the risk?

Nice find on the card, also it not only comes with arkham city but 2k11 as well.

212+ with two fans should perform the same or better but you should be happy with either cooler.

 

@fogel sorry I didn't check to see if things were in stock but even if they are not, it is still a possibility that can be looked into. I live in aus and don't exactly know a vast majority of different us computer hardware stores. So I cant really recommend specific pricing or availability past newegg, however can make suggestions on what the performance/price differences usually are.

[Mombo]

From what I have read the A70 should be better the the 212+ because it has slightly bigger copper tubes which should be able to handle more heat. Although the 212+ has a better fan. BUT I was thinking about buying some new 120mm fans and it I up'd the CFM fans that come on the A70 then it would perform even better.... Plus the copper tubing seems to be closer together on it. Which there is the new 212 evo that just came out that fixes that but still the size is larger on the A70.

 

As for the MSI 570 the reviews for it on NCIX are pretty good making think that it would have been a great buy at 250 for a 570 plus a free game but damn the reviews on newegg hit it pretty hard and it is kind of putting me off a bit on it. Def gonna have to think about it and read a bit more on it.

 

 

My current plan for Case and HS fans are this - 4x Scythe Slip Stream Kaze Jyuni 33db 88CFM for the case and 2x Scythe Slip Stream Kaze Jyuni 37db 110CFM for the HS/F.............Not sure how loud that will be maybe I should take them a step down and do the 88s on the HS and the 69CFM@24db on the case.

Edited September 30, 2011 by Mombo