# Brand new builder seeking advice on first gaming desktop



## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Hello tech support forums. Just registered and I'm looking for some advice from all you experienced builders out there. I'm new to building machines but I can't wait to get started, and I've done quite a bit of research on parts on what not, but I wanted to run by tentative build by every (I say tentative because obviously things could change from now until the end of Feb..). So, without further ado, here are the parts to what I'm hoping to build:

NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Newegg.com - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor (planning to OC to ~ 4.0 GHz)
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler Compatible Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7

ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Newegg.com - ASUS P8P67 PRO LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

AMD Radeon HD 6990 (this is why this build is tentative right now as I believe this should release around the end of February and I'm HOPING at not more than a $600 - $650 price point)

CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL (was actually planning doing corsair 8bg dominator but couldn't find the exact link to it, but this is hopefully a good alternative. Clueless about timing by the way)
Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

OR

Zalman N Series SSD0128N1 2.5" 128GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
Newegg.com - Zalman N Series SSD0128N1 2.5" 128GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X 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 LightScribe Support - OEM
Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X 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 LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners

SONY Black Blu-ray Burner SATA BD-5300S-0B - OEM
Newegg.com - SONY Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 8X DVD+R 5X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA Internal Blu-ray Burner Blu-ray Burner BD-5300S-0B - Blu-Ray Burners

Ok, I think that's everything. Let me know if I missed anything.

So, please let me know if you see any sort of compatibility issues or any wasted money.

Also, I'm completely clueless about several things such as what fans I would need to or might be good to buy if necessary, and what cables I will need to buy for any of this stuff (I'm not sure what cables come with any of these parts..)

THANK YOU for your input in advance. I hope y'all like the build and I look forward to learning something.


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Forgot to mention that I need advice on "burning in" the system too. I'm very new to the idea and would like recommendations about what software I could download to accomplish this or somewhere where I could take the rig to do it for me. 

Thanks.


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## stringcheese166 (Nov 27, 2009)

what do you mean by burning in? and you have a huge price range if you can speng 500 dollars on a graphics card have you looked into crossfire and sli? the amd 1090/1100t 6 core they are amazing and easy to overclock


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

stringcheese166 said:


> what do you mean by burning in? and you have a huge price range if you can speng 500 dollars on a graphics card have you looked into crossfire and sli? the amd 1090/1100t 6 core they are amazing and easy to overclock


By burning in the system I mean putting the components through an extended period of heavy load. I've read there is software for that and that it extends the life of the parts as well as testing to see if anything is faulty? As I said before, I'm not to familiar with the process..

And yes, I'm looking to spend around $2000 dollars on this rig. I've done the math and even with a $600 video card and SSD it comes in around that price range. I have also looked into crossfire and sli, and while I could most likely get similar performance with maybe 2x evga gtx 580's in sli or perhaps 2x Radeon HD 6950's in crossfire, I would rather deal with one card (the 6990 has 4GB video memory - something I know I could get with two 6950's - and yes, I'm aware that the 6990 will have 2 gpu's just like with the 5970, but it will come all come within one nice package..)

Also, the reason I want to go with the i7 2600k sandy bridge is because it is also easy for noobs to overclock even on air cooling because of turbo boost 2.0, and since this is primarily a gaming rig I don't think it's necessary to have a 6-core processor - something I would consider it it were more of a workstation rather than a gaming rig.

Thanks for commenting!


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Also, to clarify on some things I definitely should have mentioned in the OP, I will be running windows 7. I plan on giving linux ubuntu a try (I come from mac OSX so I'm not too fond of the windows OS and am willing to give something else a try, but if there are compatibility issues for linux I probably won't go with it.)

If you couldn't tell by the build already, I do plan on playing the brand spankin' new games as well as the ones from a few years back that I already own.

I already have a monitor, a Samsung syncmaster 23" 1920x1080 widescreen display. 

I live in the U.S.

I prefer Radeon cards over Nvidia due to lower power consumption.

I prefer Intel processors.


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## mjsmjs (Jan 15, 2009)

Same exact build I'm doing minus the GPU im getting a 580gtx, and RAM on 4GBs, also my case is the white one. link to my post http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/f255/new-high-end-gameing-pc-542919.html


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

No real reason for burn in. Assemble and power up. 

As for video cards, a single card solution is better than using multiple cards. Unless of course you have an unlimited budget and feel the need to use two of the latest cards, but that is a very small crowd.

With that amount of RAM, you will have to use Win 7 64, but I'm sure you know that already.

And I don't see the need to spend money on SSD, but that's just me. Aside from quicker load times, there is no real world noticeable difference. After building my latest PC, moving to Win7 and using a WD Black HDD, I can say the boot times are easily 1/3 to 1/2 of my last PC using XP.

Aside from that, your choices are fine. 

Good luck and enjoy!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

well its your choice but here goes;


the intel 2500K makes more sense; damn near the same speed, just as easy to overclock and $100.00 cheaper

there are plenty of people having troubles with 4gb sticks / I would personally stick with 2 x 2 gb kit with a CAS latency of 7 and capable of voltage 1.65V for overclocking (mushkin blackline has several awesome sets)
>>>> once you get this thing built; I dare you to show me 3 gigs of memroy "used" without using photoshop or autocad or commercial video rendering

I would also go with the PSU's below 

this one is a seasonic OEM built unit with 80 Plus silver rating!
Newegg.com - XFX Black Edition XPS-850W-BES 850W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Newegg.com - CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-850HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply



on the video card topic; IMHO the 6990 will be an absolute waste of big cash; the 6950 is the sweet spot and most games cant even make that card break a sweat much less encounter a game which you will not be satisfied with the 6950 / game software is just plain not designed to work efficiently with dual engine cards; in fact, many times the dual engine cards will be forced into droolign mode while a single engine card is humming along in overdrive. Just think about it; if you were the CEO of Mass Effect; would you spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on programing staff to optimize your titles for dual engine cards and SLI or Crossfire ? how many of your game title customers do you think have these configurations ?

nothing worse in the world than to pay $600.00 for a video card and 6 months later its selling for $400.00


enjoy your build / it will be a screamer


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

linderman said:


> well its your choice but here goes;
> 
> 
> the intel 2500K makes more sense; damn near the same speed, just as easy to overclock and $100.00 cheaper
> ...


Ok so if I wanted 8 gb of memory you would suggest getting 4x 2gb sticks? I chose the original 1600 MHz sticks because that seems like a good speed and wasn't planning to overclock because frankly I don't know how.

Thanks for the recommendation on the processor and PSU's..i'll have to check them out..

The decision to wait for the 6990 mainly is due to not wanting to have to deal with two separate cards while still getting the 4 gb dedicated video memory. It's just an attempt to be forward thinking; I'm aware that no game (save crisis and metro 2033 probably) will be able to make this card even wake up. And yes, I'm also aware that it will be probably $450 bucks by the end of this year (I watched the same thing happen end of last year with my brother who bought the 5970). It's more of a decision based on probably not doing another build for a good 3-5 years; I would want something that is going to perform well for a long time. Hope it makes more sense in light of that. 

Even so, the build will be less that $2000, especially if I go with your i5 recommendation.

Thanks!


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Dogg said:


> No real reason for burn in. Assemble and power up.
> 
> As for video cards, a single card solution is better than using multiple cards. Unless of course you have an unlimited budget and feel the need to use two of the latest cards, but that is a very small crowd.
> 
> ...


Why would there be no reason to burn in? I thought it was kind of thing that everyone is "supposed to do" just to be safe? 

Also, I want the SSD for a boot disc and to put some games and maybe photoshop on. I chose the Crucial because it's sata III (350 mb/s read) which should be significant. The damn thing will probably be $100 by the end of this year but I guess that's the nature of the beast.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

SSD's offer little else than a faster boot time. IMHO they are no where near worth their asking price at this time.
No reason to "burn in" any hardware.
And, IMHO, there is no GPU worth over $300.
For RAM, I would use a 2X2GB pair of 1333 with that Mobo.


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Tyree said:


> SSD's offer little else than a faster boot time. IMHO they are no where near worth their asking price at this time.
> No reason to "burn in" any hardware.
> And, IMHO, there is no GPU worth over $300.
> For RAM, I would use a 2X2GB pair of 1333 with that Mobo.


Can you explain why there isn't a need to burn it in? Like the situations that would call for that?

Also, why that RAM choice for that motherboard? 

Thanks!


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

stress testing is mainly used to verify overclock settings are stable / tests like Intel Burn Prime95 Orthos OCCT

as for ram you will have quite a challenge on your hands to ever see three gigs of ram used!


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

Why would you ever need to "burn in" any hardware? Do you have to burn in a new TV or DVD player? No. They are electronics. They either work or they don't. 


On a side note... I can understand the need to try and be "future proof", as well as wanting to be cutting edge. But in my years of building PC's, I have lost count of the number of times I've paid extra for hardware with extra features "just in case" I might need them...and then not used them at all. Spend the money wisely on the important components. Build a solid core (ie: motherboard, cpu, and power supply), and if you want to splurge, this is the place to do it...on the core. Items such as the video card or HDD's are simple to replace. Buy what works for your current needs. In a year or three, when you need a boost, that "6990" (for half the price) will be a good buy and a great upgrade. Spending 10 minutes to swap video cards isn't that great of an inconvienence to improve your PC speed.

Things to consider and items that are easily updated without much work:

RAM: As noted above by several members 2x2GB. Start with 4GB and monitor your RAM useage. If (and I highly doubt it) you see your useage reaching and/or exceeding 3GB, you can upgrade. It's not a major deal to install two sticks of RAM. 

*Note: using over 4GB requires the use of a 64bit OS. Not a major deal, and with new hardware, shouldn't be much of an issue. But the 64bit version of drivers don't seem to be as refined or frequently updated as the 32bit versions. Something to keep in mind.

Video: Also noted above be several members, there is a sweet spot for video cards. Cards that perform very well and can save you some money. I still recommend a single card solution over a multi-card solution. $200-300 saved here will cover the cost of a replacement card in the future, and you won't get raped by the cost of the latest tech. Again, an easy upgrade, and it keeps money in your pocket.

SSD: also covered by several members. ONLY benefit is boot/loading times...no real world performance increase. Spend the money on a quality HDD (which you will be doing anyway for storage). The WD Black series drives are fast, quiet, and dependable. It's hard to justify their cost simply to decrease Windows boot times by a few seconds.

There are plenty of other places to spend money, such as monitor(s) or audio (speakers) where you will see/hear real world benefit and enjoyment from the cost.

Just something to think about. We are just trying to help you spend your money wisely. But in the end, it's your money, and it will be your PC, so it is all your decision.

Good luck.


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

@dogg

Ya I appreciate your guys' advice, don't get me wrong. 

I guess I have something the think about as far as video cards go. I mean, I have it all budgeted out, and 'the best' card could help to max the new games coming this next year and probably beyond, but it's still something to think about. Can you tell me what role a good video card could play in something like image and video editing/rendering?

Also, for the RAM, I wanted to go with 8 GB initial because, now that I think about it, I'd probably be in both photoshop and illustrator for certain projects here and there, and usually when that happens there's also an open browser too. I've been in this situation countless times on my MB pro which has 4gb of RAM and it will end up breaking the performance of the machine sometimes. So that's my logic there. 

And yes, the SSD would be used primarily as a boot drive, as well as to save off the long load times of certain games and design software.

I could benefit from new speakers, but I'm not really very picky when it comes to audio; right now I have a simple logitech set up (2 speakers and a sub) that was mid range when bought...about 10 years ago : ) 

Already bought a decent monitor.

And finally, the "burn in"/stress test/whatever was just something that I heard people did. My dad has done it for his machines in the past...I guess it would be to see early on if something was faulty. I guess if it's not a big deal here it's not as big of a deal as I had initially thought. Just want to take as many precautions as I can to make sure things play well and to get the most life as possible out of the machine. 

Thanks for your input.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

enjoy the new build; you have done your research well!


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

linderman said:


> enjoy the new build; you have done your research well!


Thanks!  I intend to


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## JimE (Apr 16, 2009)

The video card has no effect on image/video editing, it is simply displaying the image. And you won't see any difference or likely notice any playabililty issues between your current selected card and any of the cards we would recommend. Just trying to get you out of the "paying extra for the latest tech" category.

As for the RAM, Photoshop can make use of the extra RAM. But again, I would recommend some testing first. If you think your current "slowness" is RAM related, do some testing and watch the RAM useage to see if it is being maxed out. Slowness, when using a bunch of apps, is typically cpu and OS related, especially if the slowness is noticed when switching between apps. 8GB has it's uses, but most users will never see the need for 4GB. I'm also leary of the 64bit OS. I see too many posts trying to find or resolve driver issues, and the 64 bit issues less likely to be resolved.


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## linderman (May 20, 2005)

dogg said:


> the video card has no effect on image/video editing, it is simply displaying the image. And you won't see any difference or likely notice any playabililty issues between your current selected card and any of the cards we would recommend. Just trying to get you out of the "paying extra for the latest tech" category.
> 
> As for the ram, photoshop can make use of the extra ram. But again, i would recommend some testing first. If you think your current "slowness" is ram related, do some testing and watch the ram useage to see if it is being maxed out. Slowness, when using a bunch of apps, is typically cpu and os related, especially if the slowness is noticed when switching between apps. 8gb has it's uses, but most users will never see the need for 4gb. I'm also leary of the 64bit os. I see too many posts trying to find or resolve driver issues, and the 64 bit issues less likely to be resolved.



*amen brother*


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## cobe2121 (Jan 13, 2011)

Dogg said:


> The video card has no effect on image/video editing, it is simply displaying the image. And you won't see any difference or likely notice any playabililty issues between your current selected card and any of the cards we would recommend. Just trying to get you out of the "paying extra for the latest tech" category.
> 
> As for the RAM, Photoshop can make use of the extra RAM. But again, I would recommend some testing first. If you think your current "slowness" is RAM related, do some testing and watch the RAM useage to see if it is being maxed out. Slowness, when using a bunch of apps, is typically cpu and OS related, especially if the slowness is noticed when switching between apps. 8GB has it's uses, but most users will never see the need for 4GB. I'm also leary of the 64bit OS. I see too many posts trying to find or resolve driver issues, and the 64 bit issues less likely to be resolved.


As for wanting me to get the most value for the money, again, I appreciate that advice; don't get me wrong.

And ya when I have many design programs open + browser I would open up activity monitor and check the RAM usage, and it was being devoured. I had allotted quite a bit of it to Photoshop because it's a mem *****, so when the needs arose to use multiple programs + PS things tended to implode. I haven't considered OS issues with that though, so who knows. OS X seems to be the more stable in my experience, but I can't really say based on something that would mean something to you guys. 

Thanks for the help!


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