Gaming Rig - 1920x1080

[Fogel]

UPDATED BASED ON RESPONSES (up to Computer Ed's post) AND ADDTIONAL RESEARCH:

 

MOTHERBOARD:

• MSI P67A-G43 (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 - $130
  
• Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 - $160 <<< Sale Price
  
• BIOSTAR TP67XE (B3) LGA 1155 Intel P67 - $130 (16GB max mem, 8+2 power phase, nice layout tho)
  

CPU:

• Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge - $220 (no longer near a Microcenter )
  

HSF:

• Cooler Master Hyper 212 - $25
  

GRAPHICS CARD:

• XFX HD695XZDDC Radeon HD 6950 1GB - $270 >>> $250 (after MIR)
  
• EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GTX570 HD - $320 >>> $300 (after MIR)
  

MEMORY:

• G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) - $65
  

PSU:

• Corsair HX850 - $175 (if i go SLI / XF can i get by with less? GS700 is $110)
  

HDD:

• O/S / App HDD: OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX120G 2.5" 120GB - $180
  
• Storage HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - $60
  

CASE:

• NZXT Guardian 921 RB - $70
  
• NZXT Guardian 921 RB - $65 < Red Version
  

 

TOTAL = 1225 ...if going with the expensive Video Card, or $1175 with the 6950.

 

I noticed a few more posts popped in while I have been editing this post and doing research and looks like some really good posts too, it will take me time to go research those options so I will have to just leave these edits in fer now. Not only that but I have some questions.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Fogel

[ir_cow]

a quick look and i see you are on the right track. personally i think MSI, Gigabyte and ASUS are all great brands but i would get ASUS if you want to be super geeky but it does require you to read the manual atlest once.

 

For a cooler, i don't know since i would rather used watercooling since i have the setup (someone else can fill you in on a good Air cooler)

 

When it comes to memory it's all about marketing. the sandy bridge starts at DDR 1333 and can go up to 2100. now the big issue is i believe the maximum voltage for the dimms has to be 1.5v. just like the older socket (1366 with 1.64v) it's based on the CPU memory controller since it's no longer on the MB itself but embedded in the cpu much like AMD has done for years.

 

The rest of the stuff idk

[jdm_freek]

evga has the gtx 570 on b-stock for $249

[El_Capitan]

I believe I built my current computer back in 2006 so it is time for a new PC - one that is BF3 rdy!

 

I haven't been following up on PC hardware in a LONG time despite hanging out here so I am going to need some help. I did do some research before making this post, but you will see I obviously could have done better. For example, I have no absolutely no clue which motherboard to pick so I picked two semi-randomly to see what comments I could stir up. Is Gigabyte still a good brand? Are the features on that board pretty standard (don't care about touch bios - care more about the geeky stuff) and do they justify the price? I learned the hard way not to skimp on the motherboard as it pretty much locks in your entire build and since I don't build computers often I don't mind spending an extra $20 here and there for something I will be happy with for 5 years.

If you're overclocking, the Gigabyte is the better overclocking board compared to MSI as far as LGA 1155's are concerned. You don't need a Z68 unless you're going to utilize Virtu to do media encoding faster.

 

Also what memory timings/latency should I go for? I put two options. Not sure which brand is better. Bowtie usually helps me out on which ones work better with what settings, etc..

Any memory timings and latency is fine. http://www.anandtech.com/show/4503/sandy-bridge-memory-scaling-choosing-the-best-ddr3

Get any decent 1600MHz 2x4GB at 1.5V's at 9-9-9-24-1T and you're be set.

 

I will provide links to Newegg just because it is accessible by all just so you can see which ones I'm looking at exactly. I will worry about where I buy the stuff later once I figure out what I want. I will probably buy most from Newegg as it is a site I trust, but I also trust ZipZoomFly.

ZipZoomFly isn't bad, but Newegg is the way to go on some items as well.

 

MOTHERBOARD:

• Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155 - $190
  
• MSI P67A-GD65 (B3) LGA 1155 - $183
  

I vote for the Gigabyte motherboard, but you can get this instead: MSI P67A-G45 for just $99 after MIR

 

CPU:

• Intel Core i5 Sandy Bridge - $220 (seems to be the standard suggestion here)
  

Definitely.

 

HSF:

• Zalman CNPS 9700 NT 110mm - $55
  
• Cooler Master Hyper 212 - $30
  

NOTE: No clue what to pick here.

Cooler Master Hyper 212.

 

 

GRAPHICS CARD:

• EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GTX560 Ti - $235
  
• EVGA 012-P3-1571-KR GTX570 HD - $320
  

NOTE: I am an EVGA fanboy but I've tried most brands so I'm not opposed to a different brand, especially since I realize this is where I could save the most money.

I suggest getting two Zotac GTX 460 2GB's and put them in SLI for the price of $252 after MIR and will be faster than a GTX 580, which you can then save up for an upgrade to the next generation of cards coming out next year.

 

MEMORY:

• G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB (2x4GB) // Timing 8-8-8-24 // Cas 8 - $80
  
• Corsair Vengeance 8GB (2x4GB) // Timing 9-9-9-24 // Cas 9 - $80
  

NOTE: The Corsair memory says... "Only qualified 1.5V XMP RAM on Intel Core i3/i5/i7" - not sure what that means and why i should care. It only says it on the Black and Blue versions, not the red that I currently have linked so not sure if there is a difference or not. Currently there is a daily deal on the Black for $70, but I'm not buying it today.

Either are good.

 

PSU:

• Corsair HX850 - $175 (seems to be the standard suggestion here)
  

It's a good solid PSU. Definitely don't need more than that with Sandy Bridge being so efficient.

 

HDD:

• SSD - Probably 80GB - Thinking X25-M first, then Vertex 2 as second choice // ~$180 either way approx
  
• Storage Drive - (Optional but most likely so I can store my rendered movies
  

 

Either are good. Buy the cheapest you can get and you'll be fine. Then buy a Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB for $50 for your storage.

 

CASE:

• Corsair Special Edition / Mid Tower Graphite White - $180
  

 

You can find really good cases in the $50 - $100 range, no need to go higher than that. Just click a few links in my sig, they will be helpful.

[IVIYTH0S]

Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD80 $145

CPU: 2500K at Microcenter if you live near one $180+tax

CPU Cooler: Hyper 212+ from Amazon $29.50

GPU: GTX570 from EVGA B-Stock $250

RAM: Patriot 8GB 1600mhz $43 after MIR

PSU: Corsair 850TX $85

Case: This is too personal to ever suggest but I agree that there are plenty cases that are perfect under $100

SSD: Vertex $180

HDD: WD Green 2TB $71

Edited July 26, 2011 by IVIYTH0S

[hierovision]

Motherboard: MSI P67A-GD80 $145

CPU: 2500K at Microcenter if you live near one $180+tax

CPU Cooler: Hyper 212+ from Amazon $29.50

GPU: GTX570 from EVGA B-Stock $250

RAM: Patriot 8GB 1600mhz $43 after MIR

PSU: Corsair 850TX $85

Case: This is too personal to ever suggest but I agree that there are plenty cases that are perfect under $100

SSD: Vertex $180

HDD: WD Green 2TB $71

 

Nice, a couple hundred worth of savings right there.

 

The GD80 has an excellent configuration, definitely a huge upgrade over the GD65 IMO. I would say it's more comparable with the Gigabyte UD4's than the GD65. The price on newegg fluctuates wildly though... I saw the GD80 for $145 (before a $30 rebate) the other week, and literally the next day it went up to $210 (before $30 rebate). I say grab it at $145 ASAP.

 

Also, I wouldn't hesitate to use eBay for as many items as possible as long as you're getting new items from 100% feedback sellers with a decent number of transactions.

[Fogel]

lol you can only upvote 3 ppl per day, wtf?

 

Anyhow, thanks for input everyone! Still not sure I will buy used parts at this time as my experiences haven't been the best them. The worst was frying a whole build. Litterally none of the parts in that build worked in other machines. So i'm a bit jaded now toward used part as it costed me more money making an entire new build ...and I tested each of those parts in every possible configuration I could think of in 3 builds over the course of 3 weeks. LOTS of time and money wasted. Definitely wasn't worth the few bucks I "saved".

 

The biggest things I am still debating on are the motherboard and video card(s).

 

 

I realize how much I love my NZXT Guardian case so I think I am just going to go with the upgraded model:

NZXT Guardian 921 RB

may go with the Red one for a different look

 

They lowered the price on the Gigabyte to $50 savings, so it is now $160. That seems very tempting like I wanna hop on it now tempting but no one here really seemed to recommend that board, so I am hesitating.

Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD4-B3 LGA 1155

 

 

Video Card I just have no clue on. Think I will worry about it more once I figure out which motherboard I want. No one recommended anything else for HSF than the Cooler Master Hyper 212 so I guess I will go with that one.

 

BTW:

- Thanks for the Memory Benchmark link, I love those kind of articles!

- The case thread is awesome!

[VaporX]

Okay first, if you can hold off a little longer I would to wait and see what Bulldozer offers. That being siad right now this is a solid build that can be tweeked for value.

 

I would go with a less expensive motherboard, Gigabyte and MSI makes some good boards using the Z68 for less money. You might lose 100 Mghz in the overclock or so but overall the performance will be equal.

 

Graphics I would go with a 6950 based solution, the performance would be right on par with the 570 but would have better image quality. However if you want PhyX, 3D or folding then nVidia all the way.

 

For the SSD do not go with the 80 Gig. Either get a 60/64 Gig cheap drive and use the Smart Response or pony up for a 120 gig and put your OS, apps and main games on the SSD to really enjoy what it offers.

 

For the base you could get by with less case but you knwo what, if you can afford it I would not tell you to not get the 600 White, that thing is SEXY!

 

If you are going to overclock I would make sure I get a good cooler, the H60 is a solid choice since it makes it easy to work within the system. However with a case that supports a 240mm radiator in chimney position the H100 really has my attention.

 

For the PSU you can back a bit and still have good headroom. The GS700 has the ability to switch fan color so you have some bling factor to play with and the TX750M lets you enjoy the benefits of a hybrid modular design.

 

Any of the above choices however will give you a solid build.

[hierovision]

Anyhow, thanks for input everyone! Still not sure I will buy used parts at this time as my experiences haven't been the best them

...

Definitely wasn't worth the few bucks I "saved".

 

 

I personally wouldn't hesitate to buy used either, but I said "as long as you're getting new items from 100% feedback sellers". Never suggested used items.

[dr_bowtie]

Okay buddy I am going to work on a list of parts for you...upper end and midrange so I will be editing this post as i get to them....

 

Upper range....

 

CPU 2600K

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

 

Mother board

 

Asus P8P67 Deluxe

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131701

 

Or

 

Gigabyte P67- UD4

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478

 

SSD:

 

Patriot Wildfire (pricey but worth it...)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220599

 

Video card:

 

GTX570 Asus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121432

 

Ram:

 

G-Skill 4x4gb (16gb) ddr3-1600 (awesome ram I have 2 kits)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231441 (good preice too at 114.00)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

middle range

 

CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115072

 

Mother board

 

Gigabyte P67-UD4

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128478

 

or

 

Biostar TP67XE (awesome board clockswell and CHEAP)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813138317

 

SSD:

 

G-Skill 120gb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231463

 

Video card

Gigabyte 560Ti (just looks badass)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125369

 

ram:

 

G-Skill Rip Jaws

2x4gb ddr3-1600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314 (catch it on sale for 20.00 less)

 

 

now Mr. Fogel these rigs are not set in stone but if I was looking to do a build for myself or one of my customers this is the way I;d probably go. not for myself I;d watch the daily and weekly newegg deals and get what i could out of the sales...thats how I shop though....

[wevsspot]

Hey Fogel. I can't really nitpick about any one thing on your wish list. But if I were going to put together my own Socket 1155 rig here are the components I'd use;

 

ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131771

$179.99 + $7.87 shipping = $187.36

 

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz

$219.99 + free shipping = $219.99

 

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

$79.99 + free shipping = $79.99

 

Cooling Option #1 - Moderate Overclocking

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-na-_-na-_-na&AID=10446076&PID=4011352&SID=skim3031X597717Xbffae6580e6d9b665ba7fab00f309e28

$24.99 + free shipping = $24.99

 

Cooling Option #2 - Aggressive Overclocking

Antec Kuhler H2O 620

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835209049&SortField=0&SummaryType=0&PageSize=10&SelectedRating=-1&VideoOnlyMark=False&IsFeedbackTab=true#scrollFullInfo

$64.19 after MIR + free shipping = $64.19

 

eVGA GTX570 (B Stock)

http://www.evga.com/products/prodlist.asp?switch=20

$249.99 + $10.00 shipping = 259.99

 

CORSAIR Professional Series HX850

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

$164.99 after MIR + $5.99 shiipping = $170.98 (you could save a little here if you went with the HX750 instead - which would still be more than enough juice for your system)

 

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 (for OS)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148348

$231.86 + free shipping = $231.86

 

Seagate Barracuda Green ST1000DL002 1TB

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148764

$54.99 + free shipping = $54.99

 

Case

Your call but let's budget $180.00

 

Lowest price options = $1410.15

[wevsspot]

Now, if you need to trim another $30 off of the build you could sub the Corsair HX750 for the Corsair HX850 - even the 750 would be plenty powerful enough if you decided to go that route.

 

Personally I'd shy away from a smaller SSD and go with at least a 120 or 128Gb SSD - I chose the Crucial C300 because it is a SATAIII drive and would work great with the SATAIII capabilities of the Intel P67 chipset.

 

CPU cooling = here is a tough choice. The Hyper 212+ is more than adequate, but personally I'd spring for the self contained Antec H20