Sandybridge GPU

[cmd187]

Something like:

CPU: Intel i5 2500K

MOBO: Asus Z68 Pro

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB (600GB is not big enough)

RAM: Crucial 8GB DDR3 or Kingston KVR 8GB DDR3

GPU: Nvidia GTX 570

PSU: Seasonic X-750

Pick a case and monitor.

 

[Skulblaka]

I'm going with P67 motherboard and 600GB is enough for me. Right now I have a 500GB HDD, I'm using only 119GB.

My system is organized...

 

[cmd187]

New games can swallow 15GB each with another couple of hundred for save games. I've already used 600GB for my media collections. A 2TB black HDD is a better choice.

 

[Skulblaka]

I have an external 2TB HDD for my video "Collection". I'm not new to computers, I know the size of games and media and I know what I need.

 

[Fumz]

So performance is identical. I'll get that then and save myself $100.

I might go with dual display, still haven't made up my mind. I need to look at Radeon cards if going with dual monitor display.

nVidia can do dual monitors just fine. It's only if you want to run 3 monitors that you have to go with AMD/ATI.

Btw, I was checking out $100.00 SSD's today for you... so if you stick with one monitor, and maybe add a little extra to that $100.00 you saved getting the 2500k, then you'll be looking pretty sweet.

The thing about SSD's isn't really their speed, although that's nice too, it's their access time... and just about every SSD has the same access time, give or take a few milliseconds.

80GB/90GB
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD3-2VTX90G 3.5" 90GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE90G 2.5" 90GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGT80G 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW080G3K5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

60GB
Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Callisto Deluxe MKNSSDCL60GB-DX 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Mushkin Enhanced Callisto DX2 Series MKNSSDCL80GB-DX2 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Corsair Force Series CSSD-F60GB2-BRKT 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - SAMSUNG 470 Series MZ-5PA064/US 2.5" 64GB SATA II Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC064MAG-1G1 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

 

[Skulblaka]

Very interesting, so I may need to run multiple SSD for space. Unless I have a HDD to... not sure how this should work.

 

[Fumz]

Well, I dunno about multiple SSD's; they're still far too expensive to be used as storage drives. I use mine just for my OS... and I'm going to put BF3 on it , but for the rest of my games and stuff, a regular HDD is just fine. When you don't have an OS on it, drives are much faster, so my F3 is more than adequate and more than speedy enough.

 

[Skulblaka]

Well, I dunno about multiple SSD's; they're still far too expensive to be used as storage drives. I use mine just for my OS... and I'm going to put BF3 on it , but for the rest of my games and stuff, a regular HDD is just fine. When you don't have an OS on it, drives are much faster, so my F3 is more than adequate and more than speedy enough.

That's what I was thinking, also, how would you do that? OS on SSD and files on the HDD.

 

[Fumz]

Well, I dunno about multiple SSD's; they're still far too expensive to be used as storage drives. I use mine just for my OS... and I'm going to put BF3 on it , but for the rest of my games and stuff, a regular HDD is just fine. When you don't have an OS on it, drives are much faster, so my F3 is more than adequate and more than speedy enough.

That's what I was thinking, also, how would you do that? OS on SSD and files on the HDD.

Yep, exactly... I also ran through the guide here in the Tutorial section to optimize things. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/70822-ssd-tweaks-optimizations-windows-7-a.html?filter[2]=Performance%20Maintenance

 

[Skulblaka]

About the SSD setup, when installing a game, will the files go onto the SSD or the HDD? The SSD will fill up pretty fast if so.

 

[Fumz]

Yes, by default everything you install will go to C drive. What I've done is create a folder named Program Files on my E drive, and whenever I install something I either just change the path when prompted, or I select "custom install", then direct it towards E:\Program Files.

Once a program is installed, the updates find the correct path... at least they all have so far. Another thing to note, not that it's important: when you don't have programs installed in C\Program Files, you're not bothered with that pesky UAC anymore.

 

[Skulblaka]

Yes, by default everything you install will go to C drive. What I've done is create a folder named Program Files on my E drive, and whenever I install something I either just change the path when prompted, or I select "custom install", then direct it towards E:\Program Files.

Once a program is installed, the updates find the correct path... at least they all have so far. Another thing to note, not that it's important: when you don't have programs installed in C\Program Files, you're not bothered with that pesky UAC anymore.

... You can always disable the UAC in; Start-Control Panel-User Accounts-Change User Account Control Settings-Never Notify.

The UAC is simply annoying and useless against stopping anything harmful.

Creating Program Files on another drive seems strange but possible to work with... I may need to think about this.

I don't understand why people start going nuts when relating lifetime of HDD over SSD, performance matters but people start to say HDD suck.

 

[Fumz]

Yeah, I know how to disable it; I just don't think it's a very good idea. It's pesky and I gripe, but really, it doesn't matter to me. My fingers can handle that one extra click.

I named it Program Files only for organization... it could be named anything... like Willy Wonka's Mad Phat Games Folder.

 

[Skulblaka]

It just seems disorganized to me.

... ...

Disable UAC, save that one click, over time that one click could account for hours of wasted time.

 

[Fumz]

It just seems disorganized to me.

... ...

Disable UAC, save that one click, over time that one click could account for hours of wasted time.

lol... as if that one click is what we do with computers that's a waste of time...