Need Help On My Next Build

[curly1991]

I'm currently looking to build a gaming pc on a budget of around $3500 (Australian moneys) and this is what I've come up with so far, any feedback on possible problems or improvements would be much appreciated

 

CPU: Intel i7 2600K

 

MOTHERBOARD: Asus P8P67 deluxe B3

 

GRAPHICS: Asus GeForce GTX580 1536mb DirectCU II

 

MEMORY:Corsair Vengeance 16GB (4x4GB) DDR3

 

HDD: OCZ RevoDrive PCI-Express SSD 120GB (as my boot drive and to install my most played games)

2x Seagate Barracuda Green 2TB ST2000DL003 for basic storage  

 

POWER SUPPLY: corsair AX1200 Gold

 

CASE: ThermalTake level 10 GT

 

COOLING: XSPC Rasa 450 RS120 Universal CPU Water Cooling Kit

  

OPTICAL DRIVE: samsung DVD burner/ blu Ray player

 

plus there will be a uv light to light up the coolant

 

I intend to get a second gtx580 to run in sli later down the track and will integrate my VGA cards into my water loop when that happens (I'll also get a second 120mm radiator to run the cards off while the original cools my CPU)

 

let me know if this build is safe and sound or if there's anything worth changing

cheers

[eisbar]

firstly, welcome bud

 

Looks like a good build.

but if you willing to save the money;

1. you will not see a difference between 8gb of ram and 16 for gaming

2. you could get a i5 2500k instead seeing as gaming doesnt take advantage of the full i7. here's a comparison

 

Other than that, it looks good mate, but as i said, thats only if your wanting to save money

 

Cheers

[curly1991]

thanks for the feedback

it's only like $100-$120 difference for the extra ram and I guess the only reason I've got the extra ram

and the 2600k is I wanna make sure my pc is reasonably "future proof" lol

thanks again for the feedback, much appreciated mate

[eisbar]

thanks for the feedback

it's only like $100-$120 difference for the extra ram and I guess the only reason I've got the extra ram

and the 2600k is I wanna make sure my pc is reasonably "future proof" lol

thanks again for the feedback, much appreciated mate

Fair enough saves the future upgrade anyway,

goodluck with it! Tell us how it goes

 

Cheers

[joel.monteiro]

Why thermaltake lvl10 gt,i would rather go for haf x.

[Alexandre]

Welcome to OCC mate!

 

Looking great my friend.

 

I know you said you want to future proof but I would probably have to agree with eisbar on this one and say that unless you want to do some serious graphics designing/rendering and/or extensive photoshop editing, getting 16gb of RAM right now would probably be a waste of money.

I would say 6 to 8 gbs would be more than enough for the life of your computer, as RAM usage in standard applications is not going up that fast and generally standard programs and games these days use no more than 3-4 gigs of system memory.

Considering the 2600k supports dual channel - 8 gbs would probably be the best for your computer (the extra 4 gig head room is future proofing enough IMO).

 

You can always buy more RAM in the future if you need it and by that time the price would probably have dropped as well

 

Your PSU is a good pick - solid build quality and high efficiency - but a bit expensive. You computer even with three 580s in SLI and a CPU overclock of 4.5GHz will need only about 800-900w with 72A on the combined +12 volt rail(s) while running a full graphical load and about 700w for two in SLI with only approximately 58A on the +12 volt rail(s).

 

So unless you can get the AX1200w for a cheap price, I would probably go for a decent 900-1000W PSU with a combined maximum current of at least 60A on the +12 volt rail(s) (still has plenty of headroom for future upgrades) if you want to save some money.

If you want, check out OCC's Recommended PSU List for more ideas on what you can get.

 

If not, then the AX1200, while being more than you will ever need, would still be a fine pick.

 

Just curious, where you planning on buying your computer hardware from in Newcastle?

 

Cheers

[curly1991]

Everyone is so bloody friendly haha awesome!

tbh joel, it's a reall big toss up between the haf x and the level 10 (I was looking at the nvidia haf x but I think a bright green case will probably get annoying after a while lol) but I've got a mate who has the level 10 and I just really like it.

 

and I do a fair bit of graphic design for work, which requires quite alot of 3D rendering at times (I make online advertisements and manage the websites for a few of the yamaha dealerships in the hunter region) and I'm sick of not being able to bring my work home, so I will need the memory, and I just figured for less than

$300, why not get the 16gig...but I see what you're saying so I'll probably drop back to at least the 12gig kit (at least I can upgrade if need be)

and I plan to run 3 580s in sli by Christmas time and I've been told (not that it really means it's true lol) that I'll need a power source with at least 1000w to do that and not have to worry...plus with a 7 year waranty, I'm not gunna need to replace the AX1200 for a while, even if I decide to get a completely different build in 4 years or so

I'm planning to just order frm pccasegear.com but there's a computer fair on in Newcastle basketball statium every second weekend that I might check out, who knows, might snag a good buy

...any recomendations of places to get parts from cheap would be sweet

[curly1991]

and even though it probably won't be untill the end of

April that I actually get this system built (hopefully the hardware will be a bit cheaper then)

I'll put a few progress snaps and some finished project photos up when I'm done

[Alexandre]

Hey mate.

 

I usually buy from MSY since they seem to be the cheapest in Australia. I bought my rig from them last year about April for about $1500 AUD and I'm still loving it. The only problem with them is that they are usually out of stock so you have to get in fast when they get new stock and really keep pestering them until they have what you need (that is assuming what you need isn't in stock at that time).

 

Ok I see your point about the RAM, if you need it then go for it mate get the 12 gbs

 

I don't know where you heard that you need a 1000w supply (note that I am still all for getting that wattage if you want) but I want you to know that generally companies and resellers will suggest you buy a power supply bigger than you actually need just to keep you safe.

I get my information about the power you will need from this PSU calculator (the only difference is that I have access to the "Pro" version which allows me to see the recommended amperage on each voltage rail which is more important than total wattage). While it isn't perfect and it is also known to overrate on the wattage it is a good guide IMO.

 

That calculator give me a minimum wattage of ~762w for your build and mind you it is known to overestimate. People don't really know how little power their computer actually uses most of the time.

 

Having said that I do see you point about the 7 year warranty and it is an excellent point I have overlooked.

Again if you want that warranty and are willing to spend the money then getting the AX1200 is a great idea!

 

Overall it is looking good mate. Really happy to see you talk some time out to get to know what you are buying and why - it is a wise move

 

Good luck!

[eisbar]

i have bought all my systems and mates systems through pc case gear and honestly, you couldnt find a better place. the service is incredible. If you happen to have a problem, they are more than happy to help .

I tend to favor them over msy but thats just me.

 

With the 12gb, just make sure its dual channel not tri channel

 

other than that, good luck

 

Cheers

[curly1991]

yeah I was told pccg was the best by a friend of mine (who is helping me build my system when I get it)

also I was considering replacing the gcard with the -EVGA_GeForce_GTX_580_FTW_Hydro_Copper_2 (copy and pasted that lol)

is it worth it or would the air cooling from the asus be enough do ya reckon?

cosidering I will eventually be running 3 way sli in a fairly overclocked system.