Gaming Rig - 1920x1080

[El_Capitan]

Sandy bridge is so efficient, I've only seen it go up to 650W's from the wall with my i7 2600k at 4.8GHz and my GTX570's in SLI at 890MHz (1.050V's) on full load (Prime95 Blend tests running while also running Unigine Heaven v2.1 benchmark). You'd be okay with a decent 750W PSU.

[dr_bowtie]

Both SSD's I picked are 120gb and the Patriot Wildfire is an awesome fast drive....

 

I did not select a PSU as thats a given...the list is a basic ballpark guide and can be trimmed to fit your needs...

 

Now if all you do is gaming you could get by with much less and go AMD and maybe trim 200.00+ off the cost of the build...

[wevsspot]

Yep the Patriot is a wicked fast drive for sure.

[Fogel]

1ST POST UPDATED up to Computer Ed's post

 

WOW now the responses are pouring in, sweet!

 

Bowtie and Wevvspot dropped some excellent suggestions that I need to research more and didn't see till I was pretty much done editing my 1st post. Though I have some questions.

 

1. I don't know much about SSD but I heard to only go with OCZ and Intel. I know you guys know more about this subject than I do, so maybe I just need some myths dispelled but any reason for the different brands (Patriot and Crucial)?
    
   
2. I see people keep putting the H20, H60, H100 as cooling suggestion but the look like they are for water cooling. I was planning on going air cooled simply b/c I hear liquid cooling is kinda of a pain to set up for a first timer. Or are these devices standalone liquid coolings and don't require a full water cooled system?
    
   
3. People keep recommending B-Stock from EVGA. I don't see an explanation on their website exactly what the B-Stock is. I am guessing it is returned products that were refurbished. Is that accurate?
    
   
4. What is lowest wattage you want if you think you might go with a SLI / Xfire setup later down the line?
    
   
5. When looking at video cards on NewEgg I see a lot of the EXACT same card, but hell if I can figure out why there are multiple entries and why some are $5-$10 more. Clock speeds etc. all match up - every detail on the 'Detail' tab match up. Anyone know why the duplicate, multiple-priced entries?
   

[El_Capitan]

Never go with B-Stock unless you're going mid-ranged. The warranty only lasts for 90 days. You'll still get better prices buying used from someone trusted that still has a year or two or longer on their warranty. ASUS and MSI you don't need a receipt to RMA, other companies you do, but some companies allow the transfer of warranty if you sell the card.

[Fogel]

Ahh good call on the warranty. You make a good point for picking someone's used video card over B-Stock.

 

So I decided to have fun with Bowtie's "upper range" suggestions but keep things in reason and take Wevsspot's suggestions and go nuts where the most enjoyment will probably be had. I don't really know if there is a big enough difference between i-7 2600 and the i-5 2500 so I stuck with the i-5 as the $100 could go to a different part with bigger gain ...or the case for bling factor!

 

I am not counting the more expensive HSF until someone can answer Question #2 in my above post.

 

 

So here would be my fun rig that encompasses suggestions so far:

 

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P8P67 PRO (REV 3.1) LGA 1155 - $180

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

 

CPU: Intel Core i5 - $220

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

 

MEMORY: G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) - $115 < way nuts, who needs 16GB???

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231441

 

HSF: Cooler Master Hyper 212 - $25

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065

 

PSU: CORSAIR HX850 - $175

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

 

GC: ASUS ENGTX570 DCII/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB - $350

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

 

PRI HDD: Patriot Wildfire PW120GS25SSDR 2.5" 120GB SATA III - $300

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

 

SEC HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB - $60

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

 

CASE: Corsair Special Edition / Graphite White - $180

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811139005

 

$1605

 

That ignores MIRs which are questionable and probably offset shipping cost anyway.

 

 

This was mostly for fun to see what I would buy if I decided to splurge and buy myself a really nice rig.

Edited July 27, 2011 by Fogel

[wevsspot]

Fogel, I really like your last build list. Very solid.

 

On the subject of CPU coolers, the H50, H60, H70, H100, Antec H20 are all self contained closed loop water cooling units. No harder to install than a regular air cooler, they come with everything you need (except maybe a second fan for push/pull). However, no reason to even consider unless you plan on attempting some very healthy overclocks. On the H50 buyer beware because I don't think it fits socket 1155 (at least not according to the specs).

 

On the subject of SSDs, I wouldn't hesitate to personally use Crucial, Patriot, Intel or OCZ - but anyone that's telling you that the ONLY one to use is OCZ is either a fanboy or just plain nutz.

 

I love the speed of the Wildfire that Doc recommend - but personally couldn't justify the price premium myself. Given the two choices I'd still pick a Crucial C300 - mainly for price and plus the fact that you get 8 more GB. Keep in mind that you'll lose anywhere from 8-10Gb for over provisioning etc. and you're going to start out with around 119Gb on a 128Gb drive or 112Gb on a 120Gb drive before you even start with the OS installation. I'm personally using the C300 and this is my second SSD - I started with an OCZ Vertex 2 that failed not long after I got the OS installed and updated first go around

[hierovision]

The Antec and Corsair (and CoolIT, but they're not selling to the public anymore) "liquid" cooling systems are closed-loop. That means all you have to do is mount the CPU block, mount the radiator and fan(s), and you're done. Same effort as a typical air cooler. No maintenance, and they're under warranty.

 

Please avoid that video card if you're planning on going SLI in the future. All of those Asus DC cards take up 3 slots, and your motherboard only has two slots between your first two PCIe slots. This means if/when you add a second card, the first card will be completely suffocated and temps will be MUCH worse. It will still be bad with a 1 slot gap, but it's MUCH WORSE with one card sitting directly on top of another.

[wevsspot]

I agree with Hiero on the honkin' huge Asus GTX 570 card. You're really going to limit your ability to slap another card in there someday.

 

On the subject of eVGA B stock. Returns flow from three sources;

 

Consumer returns / RMA / Defective

Factory 1s Pass Quality Failures

Samples (i.e. sales, quality control etc.)

 

Sure, you only get a 90 day warranty but I can assure you that all of their B-Stock goods are repaired/refurbished to factory specs. and undergo thorough 100% testing before they are resold. Of course I have to plug the electronics repair/refurbishment process because that's a huge part of my business

 

The reality is that if the cards are repaired/refurbished correctly, by a legitimate company you've got a better chance of getting a functioning card than you do straight from the factory in China. The reason - EVERY repaired/refubished card is 100% inspected for all critical characteristics, in the factory they only pull quality samples.

 

Now, add approx. $100 savings and I think you might start to make a case that buying B-Stock makes sense if you're willing to gamble on the warranty. Also keep in mind, if a piece of electronic or computer equipment is going to fail, it's going to fail right away or soon thereafter (excluding heat, overvoltage, overclocking etc.)

[Fogel]

Thanks for confirming the H20 coolers were standalone. It sounded like they were but dummies like me need products to clearly state those sort of things in their product descriptions. Throwing phrases like "self-contained unit" in the description does no good for someone new to these types of HSF. It sounds like it doesn't need a full water cooled system, but I don't like guessing on my purchases.

 

Speaking of misleading products, I did some searching around answered Q5. The reason there are two EVGA 570 (for example) with the exact same specs is one a North America 3yr warranty (model KR) and one is a North America limited lifetime warranty (AR model).

 

On the topic of warranties thanks for taking the time to explain B-stock to me. That does fill me with more confidence. Still can't say I'm ready to purchase. I like new ...especially after that used part burned my PC I'm still jaded. Though the logic dictates it has probably been through tougher quality controls than a new product has, that whole burned once twice shy is hard to shake even though it wasn't even a b-stock part and a used part i got from someone else. B-stock is back on the map and in consideration.

 

Thanks for the warning on the ASUS card. While I wasn't sure I wanted to spend that much on a video card I also did toy around with the idea of buying a pimp card with the fuzzy hat and spinners.

 

Not sure I need 16GB though buying a 16GB RAM kit now would be better than upgrading down the line. Any reason to go for 16GB?

 

 

 

If I trim to 8GB, go with the Crucial SSD that wevsspot uses, standard EVGA 570 gc and go with the Guardian 921b Case (less bling) that would make the total $1347. Or $1287 if I went B-Stock.

 

I say total but I would still need burners and a 1920x1280 monitor.

[wevsspot]

Fogel, sounds to me like your sorting everything out in your head

 

On the SSD - if your budget allows it you should certainly consider Doc's recommendation about the Wildfire. Please understand that I'm not trying to dissuade you from buying it. My only point is that I personally couldn't afford or justify the drive.

 

And, on the subject of the eVGA yucked up part number naming conventions - you're exactly right. But be vigilant, sometimes you'll find the limited lifetime warranty cards (AR) priced a few bucks cheaper than the 3 year (KR) cards. Just gotta catch 'em when you can.

 

And if you do get a new AR card - make sure to register it within the specified time frame or you lose your llw warranty.

[Fogel]

Awesome thanks and yup I have narrowed the choices and doing that decision making of what I can get by with, what helps the most, and what i want. I found this crazy cooler while reading reviews and inspecting their builds. This definitely wins for the coolest looking HSF I have ever seen - COOLER MASTER V6 GT.

 

Narrowed monitor choices to these two:

- ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG)

- SAMSUNG S24A350H ToC Rose Black 24" 2ms

 

 

So out of curiosity where does it help to have the 2600k over the 2500k? Where and how in real world apps does the Hyper Threading count because benchmarks for games and stuff don't really suggest it is worth the $100. I would imagine if you are bottlenecked by the CPU on the 2500k the 2600k wouldn't solve it.