2012 Gaming Rig Build

[Gagzila]

COMPONENT LIST UPDATED 8-10-11 @ 7:06PM UTC+10 - Melbourne, Canberra

 

Hi Everyone,

 

New to the forum, but I've read many great reviews recently on this site regarding my upcoming build and so thought it the best place to ask questions about the new build I am just about to complete and order.

 

I've spent the last week going over each of the components, reading reviews, checking out comments and watching youtube videos where relative. I have changed a few components from my original list and tweaked it in my opinion to a pretty respectable state and was just wondering if others could please review my hardware line-up as well as post their opinion on my theories responsible for my decision in going with some of the components.

 

My current build component list as it stands:

 

System

- Corsair Graphite 600T Special Edition White Case [LINK]

- Intel Core i7 2600K [LINK]

- Corsair Hydro Series H80 CPU cooler [LINK]

- ASUS Maximus IV Extreme Z [LINK]

- Corsair Vengeance 8GB DDR3 x 2 (2x4GB - CMZ8GX3M2A1600C8R ) [LINK]

- MSI Radeon HD6950 2GB Twin Frozr III PE/OC x2 in crossfire [LINK]

- OCZ ZX Series 1250W PSU [LINK]

- OCZ Agility 3 60GB 2.5" SSD for windows and app install [LINK]

- OCZ Agility 3 120GB 2.5" SSD for game install [LINK]

- Western Digital Green 2TB x4 in RAID 10 configuration [LINK]

- Using onboard audio to power a Logitech X-540 system, also use G35 headphones 30% of the time.

- Pioneer DVR-219L DVDRW [LINK]

- Aerocool V12XT Touch Panel [LINK]

 

Peripherals

- ASUS VE248H 24" LED LCD Monitor x3 using AMD Eyefinity [LINK]

- Logitech G510 keyboard [LINK]

- Logitech G700 mouse [LINK]

- Eikon TCRD5 Solo USB Desktop Fingerprint Reader [LINK]

 

Build Theories

- To build a gaming system to a $4 - 4.5K (AUS) budget that will last me the next 4-5 years without any need for upgrades and will run games at or very near max settings @ 1920x1080 at good FPS for at least the first couple years of service life.

 

- Originally wanted to run two SSDs in RAID 0 to get an even greater performance boost in data read/write rates and IOPS...found out from a friend that there may be issues with RAID not passing through or supporting TRIM, meaning the SSDs would degrade in performance over a year or so to a stage of being worse than normal HDDs. I then looked at maybe going a OCZ 120GB Renodrive for more money but later came across some information that seemed to make sense...run one SSD for the windows install and another SSD on a seperate SATA3 channel for the game installs and this would in effect provide similar performance to the original RAID 0 idea but with full TRIM support. Hence my now above choice for one 60GB SSD for the windows install and one 120GB SSD for game installs, this actually saves me money and gives me an extra 60GB of space over the original idea.

 

- For general data storage I am running four 2TB 7,200rpm SATA HDD in a RAID 10 configuration for data backup & HDD redundancy...I had an external USB HDD that used two HDD in RAID 0 and one of the drives mechanically failed causing me to loose most of my precious and hard sought data, I only managed to recover my music which was at least something.

 

- I am a racing simulator fan (rfactor anyone? ) and so wanted a more involved experience which accounts for my 3 monitor setup that I will use AMD's eyefinity software to span the image across 3 monitors, I won't mind at all using it for other games as well though

 

More / Summarised Info

- Running Windows 7 Enterprise 64bit

- Running at 1920x1080 across three 24" 16:9 LCD monitors

- Want at least 60FPS on games being released in 2012 (see a couple examples in below edit section list)

 

So that's basically the whole story so far, let me know what you all think.

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

 

Edit

 

Games I am looking to run on this system at least at a minimum of 60FPS (I would hope):

- TES V: Skyrim (buying when it comes out 11-11-11)

- Tribes: Ascend (can't wait, old time big Tribes fan)

- Aliens vs Predator (currently own but would like to play with decent FPS with decent looking graphics )

- Starcraft 2 (currently own but FPS really drags once a battle gets to big)

- A few other games I have but the current system simply can't cope with

 

Also I just found out about the ability to flash my HD6950s with the HD6970 BIOS, nice little surprise which will come in handy after 2-3 years when this system starts as well to show its age.

 

Edit 2

 

Components are all linked up now thanks to Stonerboy's inspiration

 

Will look into 3TB HDD point soon and update component list above with any changes.

Edited October 8, 2011 by Gagzila

[Stonerboy779]

Case -Corsair Graphite 600T Special Edition White Case Case is personal and always your choice imo

CPU - Intel Core i7 2600K don't use an older socket it is stupid. Also even a 2600k is a bit much for a gaming build when a 2500k will suffice but oh well.

Cooler - Corsair Hydro Series H80 CPU cooler if you want water.

Mobo - Gigabyte GA-Z68XP-UD5 Motherboard should give you great over clocks especially on water.

Ram - G.Skill Ripjaws X F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM (2x4GB) DDR3 1600MHz Cas 8 no need to fan cool get high enough airflow in your case you will be fine

GPU - ASUS Radeon HD6950 DirectCU II 2GB triple slot cooling ftw also 8+6 pin connectors instead of 6+6 like the msi so probs a better chance of flashing even if it doesn't overclocks like a beast

SSD - OCZ Agility 3 120GB SSD 2.5" no need for two get a single 120gb for os

HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB WD5002AALX Run two of these in Raid 0 for games you will also be able to fit more.

Aditional HDD - Western Digital Green 2TB WD20EARX 3tb is not really worth it atm over 2tb drives you could buy 4 2tb for total 8gb for less than 2 3tb

Sound Card - before you get one what speakers are you running? Do you use headphones, if so what ones? ASUS Xonar DX here is a recommendation anyway

Optical Drive - ASUS DRW-24B3ST 24X DVDRW Drive

Fan Controler - Aerocool V12XT Touch Panel

 

 

Addressing your racing sim fanboism

 

Aavara AV-TS743 Triple Monitor Stand with three ASUS VE247H 23.6in Widescreen LED Monitor

With the money saved on your CPU and RAM Playseat Evolution White Cockpit and if you don't already have wheels and pedals the Logitech G27 is solid you could pick those two up cheaper elsewhere tho probably.

 

Edit: Cost of build no peripherals, with 2x 500 wd caviar black and 2x 2tb greens as well as sound card, $2,426AUD + shipping which will be free if you live down in melb and can drive to dingly to pick your stuff up.

 

Another ~$800 for monitors, ~$200-300 for mouse, keyboard, mat and what I think is a silly unneeded gadget a fingerprint reader.... sure have it on your lappy but not the desktop.

 

Then if you set up the sim properly with chair (oc but awesome none the less) and new wheel and pedles) another ~$800-900

 

Edit2: Also what happened when they released the 5870 (40nm) to replace the 4870 (55nm) is anything to go by, an approximate 100% or even greater performance boost should be expected from the 7970 (28nm) over the 6970 (40nm). So if you can hold out on your GPU till the 7xxx series is released it will be greatly in your favor.

Edited October 7, 2011 by Stonerboy779

[Muchoman1]

the build seems mostly ok, aside for a few things.

 

if you can wait, the sandy bridge e and amd 7 series are coming out later this year...

 

apparently the sandy bridge e 6 core can overclock like a boss (6GHz +) and costs less than a 980x

 

and the amd 7 series are going to be twice as powerful as the 6 series. so it will be much better performance to wait 2 months

 

also why 2 split ssds? you should just get a 240 gb model

[Gagzila]

Hi Stonerboy779,

 

Thanks for your great informative response, I like how you linked everything for easy viewing of what you are talking about...for a bit I thought you had just linked all my components for me ...will have to go back and add the links to my OP.

 

Yeah I've had enough of the black chuncky cases everyone (including myself, current system is a Coolermaster Ammo 533) else has, the 600T white edition really caught my eye and is an awesome case space wise with great cable management and cooling.

 

We must think extremely similarly as that is the exact tripple monitor stand I have already ordered as off earlier today in readiness for the system, I also already have a Logitech G25 and was thinking about working the playseat into my build but the budget got eaten up fairly quick by the main system and monitor setup...no worries, give it another half a year and I'll get one and my setup will be complete! (sith emperor voice )

 

I'm not up to speed on the socket issue, I had heard something about the 1366 coming to an end and another gen coming out....I'm not to worried here though as I'm not planning to upgrade the CPU in the future, as with my last build I intend it to last 4-5, 6 years if possible (current is 7 years old from a $2k system specific budget - ie. no peripherals). Also looking at the MB you listed, I can't run two graphics cards and maintain x16 on both slots as they share a channel and I would have to go to a Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD7-B3 to overcome this costing me another $75 and I can't run a audio card or anything else really in the PCIe slot as the huge heat sink gets in the way. If 1155 really is the way to go, I will look into it a bit deeper but at the moment I like my current selection better.

 

Fair enough about the RAM...with it being so cheap I just went that little bit further for the "cool" (no pun intended ) factor.

 

Damn! That ASUS HD6950 IS a beast taking 3 slots...but still I like my choice better sorry ....I like my MSI cards and running two is crossfire should get me heaps of performance for years to come before evening flashing them both to a 6970 BIOS and OC them.

 

Yeah only getting one 120GB SSD for the game install. The theory from what I've read is that by running the OS on one SSD and the games on another via a separate SATA III channel, you get a similar performance affect to running two same sized SSDs in a RAID 0 config but with TRIM support so that you don't compromise the performance of the SSDs over time.

 

Advice noted on the 3TB HDD, will review this area....thanks in advance for saving me money / getting more for my buck

 

I'm running the Logitech X-540 sound system, so nothing over the top just want some decent off board sound and maybe the option to run optic fibre out but this isn't a must. Also have Logitech G35 headphones which have their own sound card so no worries there.

 

Why do you say the ASUS DVDRW over the Pioneer? As I heard the Pioneer is really good at a cheap price and I've seen plenty used that always perform well.

 

Edit: Cost of build no peripherals, with 2x 500 wd caviar black and 2x 2tb greens as well as sound card, $2,426AUD + shipping which will be free if you live down in melb and can drive to dingly to pick your stuff up.

 

Another ~$800 for monitors, ~$200-300 for mouse, keyboard, mat and what I think is a silly unneeded gadget a fingerprint reader.... sure have it on your lappy but not the desktop.

 

Yeah live a couple of hours from Melb so that won't happen LOL....yeah the finger print reader certainty isn't needed, just thought for the throwaway price its a cool little gadget addition to the PC to give it some extra character

 

Edit2: Also what happened when they released the 5870 (40nm) to replace the 4870 (55nm) is anything to go by, an approximate 100% or even greater performance boost should be expected from the 7970 (28nm) over the 6970 (40nm). So if you can hold out on your GPU till the 7xxx series is released it will be greatly in your favor.

 

When are these expected to come out? As like Systematic posting on here, I am looking at ordering this weekend at the latest unless I find a really good reason to hold off and be patient (which is incredibly hard as it is, plus I want the system ready for when Skyrim comes out - 11/11/11)

 

the build seems mostly ok, aside for a few things.

 

if you can wait, the sandy bridge e and amd 7 series are coming out later this year...

 

apparently the sandy bridge e 6 core can overclock like a boss (6GHz +) and costs less than a 980x

 

and the amd 7 series are going to be twice as powerful as the 6 series. so it will be much better performance to wait 2 months

 

also why 2 split ssds? you should just get a 240 gb model

 

Hi Muchoman1,

 

Yeah no idea what sandy bridge is, saw the name mentioned around a few places...will google it but please feel free to enlighten me to any good details, as said though I'm not up to waiting off for to long on ordering and I think the system I've put together so far should do me pretty good anyway by which time I go to build a new one again a newer tech will probably be coming out again anyway.

 

Split SSDs explained above

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

Edited October 7, 2011 by Gagzila

[Gagzila]

Just realised I haven't been completely savy about the cost differences in going to the 1155 socket...by going to the i7 2600K, I save $300 which I can then invest in the MB I require to suit my setup such as the ASUS Maximus IV Extreme Z while still being $150 ahead ...so definitely looking into this now!

 

What kind of performance difference is there between the 1366 i7 980x and the 1155 i7 2600k?

 

Thanks,

 

Craig

 

Edit

 

Looked into 980X vs 2600K a bit and there seems a lot of debate about the 2600K not being as powerful (obviously 2 cores less) as the 980X, especially if you might do some virtualistaion which I may run some virtual machines to play some of my older games that I am guessing would not run on a 64 bit system. But disregarding number cores I would have thought the top end next gen CPU would be well up in performance on a CPU seeing out its last days?

Edited October 7, 2011 by Gagzila

[Stonerboy779]

Newer socket performs better unless you go ridiculously high in the older something just wasting money. As I also stated even the 2500k is more than enough for gaming although if you have programs that need the hyperthreading 2600k all the way.

 

Also the difference between x8 and x16 is not really noticeable. That is because current gen cards don't use up the full bandwidth of the pci-e socket.you are more likely to be bound by CPU before x8 sockets however I wouldn't ever go lower than x8. Asrock has a board at around the same price or slightly more with separate 16channel pci-e slots not a shared 1 and 2 like the gigabyte board.

 

In regards to the triple slit cooler I took it into concideration. One you are using a sata SSD not pci

Two the sound card uses the x4 slot above the top card with no other pci cards in use.

So three I decided the asus with the 6970 power design would provide or should provide a better platform for flashing to a 6970 bios and as I said if not it should allow for some good overclocks from one the 8+6 pin power design and 2 the larger quieter cooling that will let you push harder while slightly cooler and quieter.

 

You probably won't see much difference from onboard to a soundcard with your current speakers but if you have the money then why not. And I was asking about headphones specifically invade you would benefit from a headphone amp however you have USB audio and it is not of current concern.

 

That monitor stand is awesome and I have been eyeing it for a while now.

 

And Asus because it was slightly cheaper I am running almost the exact same modle currently except I have lightscribe which I haven't used yet buy have considered toying with.

 

Socket issue as such well sandy bridge is in it's second revision so well the one that works with all the bugs opened out. Sb-e is coming and so is ivy and 1366 is pretty much finished up for people looking for home builds although as server boards and dual xenon workstations with the 1366 socket is still being used.

 

And cases yeah black is getting old which is why my next shall be titanium

 

In regards to SSDs I think especially considering you want this to last some time HDDs would be better than replacing an SSD at least until the cost of an SSD drops more but it's up to you if you want those slightly faster load times.

 

Must see pics when your sim is set up

 

 

Sorry about the random order

 

Michael

 

Edit: regarding edit, look at the price of the older CPUs the newer range was made with different intentions and OCs something special. Also your performance while using vm will be just fine on the 2600k there are a lot of people doing it. Btw what are the games/programs you wanted to use? Just curious are we talking ms-dos here because there are a few games there I have been meaning to play

Edited October 7, 2011 by Stonerboy779

[Gagzila]

Hi Michael,

 

Thank you again for taking time to reply in such detail

 

I am definitely looking into going the 1155 route, thinking now of the below:

 

- Intel Core i7 2600K [LINK]

- ASUS Maximus IV Extreme Z [LINK]

- Corsair CMT8GX3M2A1866C9 8GB (2x4GB) Dominator GT x2 [LINK]

 

Thats $946 for an 1155 setup versus $1279 for the 1366 setup which is a big difference with another 4GB of DDR3 and like you said, much better OC results with the 2600K.

 

I really want to go the two HD6950 cards in crossfire over a single card and haven chose the motherboard accordingly...only thing I need to check, is its ATXe...the 600T case is suppossed to be "cavernous", almost like a full tower made into a mid but must make sure just in case

 

I believe the SSDs should last a fair while now that I've sorted the issue of having TRIM support, by the time they do need replacing SSDs should be cheaper again.

 

I've also crossed the sound card of the list as onboard for this level of MB I would think should be pretty decent?

 

Yeah will definitely post some pics up, how could I not after all the help you've been sorting through this stuff and saving me money

 

Some of my old games include:

- Severance: Blade of Darkness

- Dark Reign

- Freespace 2

- DOSBOX emulated games such as DOOM, Blackthorne, Flashback, etc...they aren't a priority but are great to play in the little lapses where I get bored of the current games

- Also just for any recent 32bit games that aren't happy running on 64bit

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

 

Edit

 

I'm a little worried after seeing the below comment when reading this review on the motherboard, that it is leaning towards NVIDIA support and as such do you think I would run into any compatability issues or performance loss in running the AMD graphics cards with the mobo?

 

The extra PCI Express x16 lanes are provided by an Nvidia nF200 chip which is paired together with a PLX branded PCIe controller/switch.

 

Edit 2

 

Found some information that leads me to believe the ASUS Maximus will fit fine in the 600T as its the exact same size as this ASUS Rampage 3 shown in this photo posted up on the corsair forum by someone saying the case does fit E-ATX no worries. So at least that hurdle is out of the way if I go with 1155.

Edited October 7, 2011 by Gagzila

[Fogel]

Well I like your changes, especially:

- Going Sandy Bridge instead of overly expensive older i7

- Going dual channel memory instead of tri-channel memory

- Getting rid of the sound card since you will be using G35 ...headset uses software in place of hardware

 

Sounds like Stoner has you on the right path, but I will say I absolutely looooooooooove my 600T case ...so glad I didn't listen to people here who said it was too much to spend on a case. Granted I waited till I got a got it on a good deal. The H80 looks really nice in this case.

 

As far as the graphics cards go, I heard OC was limited if you BIOS flash the 6950 but I have absolutely no hard proof on that. I would make sure you can OC it further since your whole strat is OC/Flashing them. Personally I don't like buying hardware I am not happy with prior to modding, but this is definitely a personal choice and I know its addictive for enthusiasts to turn a civic into a viper.

 

Far as your NVidia chipset concern I don't see why it should be an issue. Lots of people believe if you go Intel you should also go with NVidia where as if you AMD you can with either NVidia or ATI. Honestly though, people mix and match both no problem. For example, some people here believe G.Skill has nothing but issues but many of the people here run G.Skill with no issues.

 

I think the motherboard you picked is a little over the top. As Stoner said, you really shouldn't see much of a difference with the 2nd video card reduced to x8. Though you truly want a machine you won't have to upgrade in 5yrs, I would wait till the new architecture rolls out. Some say AMD is releasing theirs on Oct 12. Intel is releasing theirs supposedly Q1 of 2012. Supposedly ATI is releasing their 7000 series sometime Q4 of this year. Nvidia is scheduled for Q1 of next year I believe. Wait sucks, I know ...I ran out of patience and just built one as well

Edited October 7, 2011 by Fogel

[Stonerboy779]

That nividia chipset is there purely to add extra pci lanes that it is branded nividia shouldn't affect amd parts. However there have been issue with how this has been implemented.

 

I would suggest settling for x8/x8 $150-200 board until the new z77 chipset comes along with ivy bridge as it will likely have better support for x16/x16 plus you could upgrade your CPU to the new ivy bridge 22nm CPUs. So just a small upgrade in the near future.

 

Also I know the dominator ram looks cool and has an awesome name.... But the g.skill I linked runs 1600MHz at cas 8 which will perform better than 1866MHz cas 9 not super amounts however it will be less than half the price so you could even go 16gb but I don't see you needing more than 8gb.

 

Onboard sound is pretty decent and not an issue at all when using USB audio. It's amazing how far onboard audio has come along.

 

DOSBOX ftw for me it's arena, daggerfal and redguard love that game series and it's funny looking at was top class graphics once apon a time.

 

Oh and 4gbpatch will be your friend for games that run fine on 32bit and not 64bit no need to vm that way.

 

Good luck with everything Craig

 

Edit: have you worked out which version of windows you want? I suggest professional unless you reall want/need 36-languages. Professional because it looks like you will make use of xp mode

Edited October 7, 2011 by Stonerboy779

[Black64]

You are a little early for a 2012 build. I would wait until the new Intel CPUs and the ATI 7XXX series come out. Its not to long to wait!

Edited October 7, 2011 by Black6464

[medbor]

Also I know the dominator ram looks cool and has an awesome name.... But the g.skill I linked runs 1600MHz at cas 8 which will perform better than 1866MHz cas 9 not super amounts however it will be less than half the price so you could even go 16gb but I don't see you needing more than 8gb.

 

Not true!

The have the same latency, but the 1866 has higher bandwith. cas is related to mhz. cas 7 1333mhz have same latency as cas 9 1600 mhz (in nanoseconds) and therefor the 1600 cas 9 will be slightly faster... cas is not everything...

 

@op: At least wait for bulldozer (12 oct) to see what amd has to offer (both shrink and totally new architecture)

In november Sandy Bridge-E (the repacemant for 1366) will be released with a lot of pcie lanes and quadchannel memory.

Buying right now is not wise, and a dead (expensive) socket too, without looking at the newest technology is not wise either. spending that much money you must look at all options and dont rush...

 

What i heard there are a lot of production issues with 28nm, so the 7000 series won't be out until new years.

[Gagzila]

- Getting rid of the sound card since you will be using G35 ...headset uses software in place of hardware....but I will say I absolutely looooooooooove my 600T case...As far as the graphics cards go, I heard OC was limited if you BIOS flash the 6950 but I have absolutely no hard proof on that. I would make sure you can OC it further since your whole strat is OC/Flashing them. Personally I don't like buying hardware I am not happy with prior to modding...Far as your NVidia chipset concern I don't see why it should be an issue...I think the motherboard you picked is a little over the top. As Stoner said, you really shouldn't see much of a difference with the 2nd video card reduced to x8. Though you truly want a machine you won't have to upgrade in 5yrs, I would wait till the new architecture rolls out. Some say AMD is releasing theirs on Oct 12. Intel is releasing theirs supposedly Q1 of 2012. Supposedly ATI is releasing their 7000 series sometime Q4 of this year. Nvidia is scheduled for Q1 of next year I believe. Wait sucks, I know ...I ran out of patience and just built one as well

 

Hi Fogel,

 

Sweet, good to hear I chose well with the case and cooler ....sound wise I probably use the G35 30% of the time (which has its own inbuilt sound card) so I still want to make sure I have good on board audio before crossing of the ability to go a sound card.

 

In regards to the OC once BIOS flashed, this is the article I got my info from and basically flashed and OC the same as the HD6970 returns the exact same FPS as it basically is the exact same card at this point. But I'm not too concerned as I'm not actually choosing these for their BIOS and OC ability, it was just a nice surprise on cards I had already chosen and am really happy with. Good to hear the nvidia chip wouldn't cause issues as well.

 

Yeah will look into the x16 vs x8 a bit more...but just to clarify on the other board it doesn't just restrict the 2nd card to x8, it does it for both cards as they share the same PCIe channel. Also I don't really mind going Maximus Mobo as I'm still $150 ahead over the 1366 route, plus it gives me more headroom on OC down the track for future proofing with the components I already have instead of needing to upgrade.

 

How concrete is the release date of the new architecture, ivy-bridge? I could wait another week but if it looks like it could be delayed till next year or something like that I'm not going to wait as I will definitely be buying this system this year. Also what kind of prices do you think similar or better performing CPUs and MB would be going for in relation to the 1155 option I'm looking at now? I think if it's going to cost me the same for same performance or more because its the brand new gen, it's not worth hanging around to get and will just go with the best I can get now for my budget.

 

That nividia chipset is there purely to add extra pci lanes that it is branded nividia shouldn't affect amd parts. However there have been issue with how this has been implemented....I would suggest settling for x8/x8 $150-200 board until the new z77 chipset comes along with ivy bridge as it will likely have better support for x16/x16 plus you could upgrade your CPU to the new ivy bridge 22nm CPUs. So just a small upgrade in the near future...Also I know the dominator ram looks cool and has an awesome name.... But the g.skill I linked runs 1600MHz at cas 8 which will perform better than 1866MHz cas 9 not super amounts however it will be less than half the price so you could even go 16gb but I don't see you needing more than 8gb....Onboard sound is pretty decent and not an issue at all when using USB audio. It's amazing how far onboard audio has come along...DOSBOX ftw for me it's arena, daggerfal and redguard love that game series and it's funny looking at was top class graphics once apon a time...Oh and 4gbpatch will be your friend for games that run fine on 32bit and not 64bit no need to vm that way...Edit: have you worked out which version of windows you want? I suggest professional unless you reall want/need 36-languages. Professional because it looks like you will make use of xp mode

 

Good morning Michael (didn't get to bed till 2am with your posts drawing me back to more research and posting ),

 

Sweet, love extra confirmation on things like the nvidia chip concern. Your upgrade idea sounds like a good idea but I just can't bring myself to buy two core components of a build only to spend more money on upgrades shortly down the track...I basically want this "performance car" up and running from the start on the best "motor" and don't want to be swapping out the "block" and "pistons" shortly after matching all "aftermarket performance parts" to the specific "engine" which has been fully researched to make sure it fits, works and gives me full performance in my "performance car"...hows that for an analogy?

 

Regarding the RAM Medbor's response below seems to make sense, would you agree with his info?

 

Cool with the audio...yeah old school games are awesome, gota get back into some carmedegon for quality pixelation ...what's the 4GB patch?

 

Yeah I already have a copy of Windows 7 Enterprise x64 so all sorted there

 

You are a little early for a 2012 build. I would wait until the new Intel CPUs and the ATI 7XXX series come out. Its not to long to wait!

 

Hmmm, the purpose of my 2012 build is to have it ready for 2012...we will see

 

Not true! The have the same latency, but the 1866 has higher bandwith. cas is related to mhz. cas 7 1333mhz have same latency as cas 9 1600 mhz (in nanoseconds) and therefor the 1600 cas 9 will be slightly faster... cas is not everything...@op: At least wait for bulldozer (12 oct) to see what amd has to offer (both shrink and totally new architecture)...In november Sandy Bridge-E (the repacemant for 1366) will be released with a lot of pcie lanes and quadchannel memory....Buying right now is not wise, and a dead (expensive) socket too, without looking at the newest technology is not wise either. spending that much money you must look at all options and dont rush

 

Hi Medbor,

 

I have read similar things about the RAM, that low latency is better over top end speed but I believe a balance between the two would work best and the Corsair seems to fit the bill pretty good...plus it's just my favourite RAM

 

Another new name LOL, what's Bulldozer? And what's Sandy Bridge-E, I thought the new gen was Ivy Bridge?

 

Yeah Stoner has pretty much gotten me on the 1155 bandwagon, just have to make sure that I can get a 1155 Mobo that will do everything I want it to. Once that is found I'll lock in the 1155 solution and update the components in my OP...but then I may be hanging around to see what happens on the 12 Oct with the new gen release.

 

Thanks everyone for their very helpful and though provoking advice, it will all be taken into consideration, weighed against what I want and can afford and afford to wait for...please keep it coming though if anyone else has different ideas.

 

Cheers,

 

Craig

Edited October 8, 2011 by Gagzila