Building a gaming rig! Need assistance

[BarTmaN]

I want to build a rig that will be able to pretty much handle any game. I don't need something that is over-the-top crazy, but something that can run any game good! I need everything, including a case.

-I prefer an Intel processor (unless someone can sell me on an AMD one)
-I prefer Nvidia video card(s)

I don't know if it's better to run one beastly video card, or setup SLi with two. I will only be running one monitor if that matters at all (Sony Bravia 26" LCD HDTV).

I don't really know much about motherboards

Can you guys reccommend me some hardware for a rig?

Budget ~$1500 (possibly a little more if needed)


Sorry if this is the wrong section. Feel free to move, or even lock if you don't 'allow' threads like this.

Thanks

 

[DarkXeno]

Hey there,
Im myself am not in the Intel game I have lost track of how they rate their chips.
As for gaming your better off going with a single high end card and then down the road grab a second card of the same kind when the price drops and games are requiring more power. The other thing to look at is ram i would do 8 gigs of ram to give the games more room to load and a fast hard drive.

 

[AstaLaVista]

1500 can get you a nice looking rig, more so if you don't have to spend money on a Monitor... what about Keyboard and Mouse? Do you need that as well?

I also like Intel/Nvidia over AMD/ATI but last time I built my rig the new Intel chipsets were not out so I won't do much.

All I can tell you is that the most important thing is to have patience as here is when you can get the best deals, if you hurry, you won't save or buy as much. Another thing I learn the hard way mind you, is that motherboard/RAM/CPU is something you must check before you buy, compatibility issues are a mother bear

So, chillax and sitback, we'll start finding something for you yet!

 

[BarTmaN]

1500 can get you a nice looking rig, more so if you don't have to spend money on a Monitor... what about Keyboard and Mouse? Do you need that as well?

I also like Intel/Nvidia over AMD/ATI but last time I built my rig the new Intel chipsets were not out so I won't do much.

All I can tell you is that the most important thing is to have patience as here is when you can get the best deals, if you hurry, you won't save or buy as much. Another thing I learn the hard way mind you, is that motherboard/RAM/CPU is something you must check before you buy, compatibility issues are a mother bear

So, chillax and sitback, we'll start finding something for you yet!

I have keyboard and mouse as well. So all I need is the tower.

And yes that it what I am worried about, compatibility issues!

Thanks

 

[mlevy]

I'm an AMD guy but that's just me. Here's what I would build if I didn't already have my rig.

AMD Phenom II x4 965BE ($160)
8 GB memory (not sure here as the OCZ memory that I have and love isn't made anymore)
Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 ($105)
Antec TP-750 ($130)
CoolerMaster HAF-932 Advanced ($160)
CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ ($35)
WD1001FALS, 1 TB WD Black ($90)
Win 7 HP 64-bit OEM ($100)
XFX HD-687A-ZNFC, Radeon 6870 ($225)

Total (not including memory) is just over $1000. All prices are USD priced from Newegg. With my gaming system I could play MW2 while it ran a system backup or virus scan and had little lag or performance hit, and that was before I upgraded to 8 GB memory and got the correct memory for my system (originally had OCZ Platinum, OCZ recommends the Black Edition for the AMD BE CPU, replaced and it resolved issues I was having).

I'm not certain on the video card, I'm an nVidia guy but I know guys playing Black Ops on the 5770.
For the HDD, I wouldn't go super crazy on SSD just yet, I'm running a WD Black 1 TB (same as the one I spec'd out) and am consistently one of the first to load into maps on Black Ops.
My 955 BE with GTX470 gets 70-100 FPS in Black Ops, I really don't see a HUGE need for more than a quad-core for gaming.
You may not HAVE to get the Hyper 212+ (aftermarket CPU cooler) but with those it's best to get it and install it when you build rather than decide later that you need/want it and have to take the system apart to install it.

 

[AstaLaVista]

Nice looking combo and a very good price... and a Sandy Bridge to boot!

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

If you decide to pull the pin, go to the Asus site and check what they recommend for RAM and then we'll start looking for a good price as well.

GTX460... 110.00 after MiR
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...ex-_-DesktopGraphicsVideoCards-_-14121390-L0A


Another nice Combo... I don't know whether the PSU will do for everything you will need though... someone here will chime in for sure.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Combo..._-EMC-041211-Index-_-Combo-_-Combo632095-LM1A


Here you can find some good prices on Drives and other things you may be missing.
http://promotions.newegg.com/neemai...EFL041211-_-EMC-041211-Index-_-E0-_-PromoWord

 

[stevepoolstock]

I'm an AMD guy but that's just me. Here's what I would build if I didn't already have my rig.

AMD Phenom II x4 965BE ($160)
8 GB memory (not sure here as the OCZ memory that I have and love isn't made anymore)
Gigabyte GA-870A-UD3 ($105)
Antec TP-750 ($130)
CoolerMaster HAF-932 Advanced ($160)
CoolerMaster Hyper 212+ ($35)
WD1001FALS, 1 TB WD Black ($90)
Win 7 HP 64-bit OEM ($100)
XFX HD-687A-ZNFC, Radeon 6870 ($225)

Total (not including memory) is just over $1000. All prices are USD priced from Newegg. With my gaming system I could play MW2 while it ran a system backup or virus scan and had little lag or performance hit, and that was before I upgraded to 8 GB memory and got the correct memory for my system (originally had OCZ Platinum, OCZ recommends the Black Edition for the AMD BE CPU, replaced and it resolved issues I was having).

I'm not certain on the video card, I'm an nVidia guy but I know guys playing Black Ops on the 5770.
For the HDD, I wouldn't go super crazy on SSD just yet, I'm running a WD Black 1 TB (same as the one I spec'd out) and am consistently one of the first to load into maps on Black Ops.
My 955 BE with GTX470 gets 70-100 FPS in Black Ops, I really don't see a HUGE need for more than a quad-core for gaming.
You may not HAVE to get the Hyper 212+ (aftermarket CPU cooler) but with those it's best to get it and install it when you build rather than decide later that you need/want it and have to take the system apart to install it.

For that money he can get much better than you just stated. PSU and case are way too expensive in your setup and there are a few (legal) ways to get Windows 7 a bit cheaper than that. Also, I wouldn't go with the 965 as the 955 is better priced at the moment. The motherboard seems to be a bit too expensive for such an AMD setup.

I suggest to the poster to get a higher end PC than this mid-range AMD PC. Not saying I dislike AMD.

This is more like it (using european currency here):

Intel Core i7 2600K Boxed
€260,-

Asrock P67 Extreme4 (B3)
€135,-

OCZ Obsidian DDR3 PC3-12800 Triple Channel
6GB Triple Channel Kit DDR3-kit
€65,-

Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 800W
€135,-

Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EARS, 1TB
€50,-

MSI R6970-2PM2D2GD5
€270,-

Corsair Obsidian CC650DW
€140,-

------------------------------------
This would give a total of about €1055. This is a great High-end system and with this motherboard there is room to add another HD6970 (or even a third one ) later.

 

[BarTmaN]

Thanks for all the input guys! I am going to look into further about the hardware you suggested and reply back again.

**NOTE - I do not need to purchase Win 7, as I already have it waiting to be installed.

 

[vierasniper]

I would also recommend the Phenom X4 965, im gonna upgrade to that one soon. As for a case i would recommend the NZXT Lexa S. Newegg.com - NZXT LEXA S LEXS - 001BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

 

[Clinkz]

Though you probably have plenty of configurations to go by, take a took at this. The last configuration ( with the removal of second GPU would be right in your budget). You could also get the Second GPU later when the price dropped and you wanted an upgrade. Prices are Australian.

 

[mlevy]

Robin,
Not sure what you consider "way too expensive" for the case, but the case I suggested was only $160 where the one YOU suggested is $210 from the same source. The PSU you suggest is $160, vs. the $130 one I suggested.

Also, what exactly is wrong with the 965? For GAMING, CPU has much less impact than the GPU. As I mentioned, my 955 system consistently loads me into maps faster than the rest of the players on servers when I'm playing Black Ops, with this "mid-range" 955 and a standard HDD (no SSD).

A Caviar GREEN? You DO realize that's a 5400 RPM drive, right? That's a ludicrous suggestion for the primary drive in such a system. I would hope you suggest an SSD to go with that. Caviar Black is a great drive.

 

[BarTmaN]

Thanks guys, I appreciate all the help! I am going to start piecing together a rig and then post it and see what you guys think of it.

Couple questions first:
-How would two GeForce GTX460's be for gaming
-What size case do I need, mid or full?

Thanks

 

[mlevy]

For the 460, a mid SHOULD do, the picture below shows a GTX 470 in a Coolermaster Cosmos case. You can compare the card to the MB.

PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmark Charts has comparison charts for video cards.

If you're going to spend the money on 2 GTX460's, why not just get a GTX560 or GTX570 now and then SLI it down the road. One thing to watch out for, SLI boards for an AMD system can be hard to come by if you're looking for a good board. You may HAVE to go with an Intel system if you want SLI, but Crossfire will be possible on the one I put together, which is why I put on a 1-step-down video card from AMD/ATI. I've never been one to buy the absolute top-line card, the huge cost difference (I think it was on the order of $100 more for the 480 when I got my 470) just doesn't seem comparable to the performance difference.

 

[Zepher]

Those 955 and 965 chips will bottleneck Battlefield Bad Company 2 and COD Black Ops.
AMD 1090T or higher 6core, i7 870, i7 2500K or i7 2600K would be what I would choose.

My rig and my brothers rig play both of those games great at 1920x1080 with max settings.
His is an AMD 1090T 6 core, Asus board, 12GB DDR3 (2x4GB & 2x2GB sticks) AMD 6850, 650watt Antec PSU 5 internal hard drives.
Mine is an Intel i7 870, Asus Board, 16GB Ram, AMD 5850, 650watt Antec PSU, 9 internal hard drives, BluRay combo drive.
Build one that is better than either of ours and you will have a decent gaming rig.

 

[smarteyeball]

If you're going to spend the money on 2 GTX460's, why not just get a GTX560 or GTX570 now and then SLI it down the road.

+1

A single fast card would be a better option.

And for gaming, 4GB is plenty. 8GB+ is nice, but definitely not necessary.

 

[BarTmaN]

Here is what I came up with as of now.

EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 SLI 3 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 SLI 3 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80601960

GeForce GTX 570
Newegg.com - ASUS ENGTX570 DCII/2DIS/1280MD5 GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

G.Skill Ripjaws 8GB (2 x 4GB)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL9D-8GBRL

Western Digitial Cavair Black 1TB
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Antec 1200 V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower
Newegg.com - Antec Twelve Hundred V3 Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Antec TruePower 750W
Newegg.com - Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC "compatible with Core i7/Core i5" Power Supply

Samsung CD/DVD Burner
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner - CD / DVD Burners


This would set me back below my budget which is good!
Only thing I am a little unsure about is if that mobo will be compatible with all the other hardware.
Does this look like a solid rig? And am I missing anything?

 

[Zepher]

i7 2600K costs a little more and is 30% more powerful
i7 2500K is cheaper and is the same power as the i7 960.

Only thing you would need to change if you choose the i7 960 is the ram, you want a triple channel set, so you will either go with a 6GB or 12GB kit (3 sticks of 2GB or 3 sticks of 4GB)

Rest of the parts look fine.

If you go with the 2500 or 2600 procs, you have to select a different mobo.

 

[BarTmaN]

Okay so I changed it to the i7 2600k and then changed the mobo and ram for this combo
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!

Does that look good?

That still puts me just below $1500 which is good.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

The motherboard looks OK, but why do you need 16 GB of RAM?

 

[BarTmaN]

Are there any better motherboards that you suggest? And that is true, 8GB is probably more than enough!