# Advice needed for computer gaming build.



## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Im not very skilled in the art of computer build, but I am tired of hearing, "just get an alienware excuse". I am attempting to make a computer to fit my gaming needs and also for a reasonable price, that is in regards to alienwares price. I have done some research and this is what I have come up with so far:

*Shell*: Corsair Obsidian 800dw - 263.99
*Processor*: Intel Core i7 2600k - 359.34
*Power Source*: Corsair Professional HX1050 - 269.99
*MotherBoard*: Intel Desktop Board DP67BG - 189.99
*Video Card*: EVGA Geforce 580 HD superclocked - 580.00
*Hard Drive*: Intel 510 Series SSDSC2MH120A2K5 2.5" 120GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive - 284.99
*Ram*: Corsair Dominator GT CMT12GX3M3A2000C9 - 234.99

My question is will all these parts fit together properly? Am i missing any parts? Can my mother board handle two video cards? Is there something that you could advise that could save me money or perhaps work out better in my favor?


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## gcavan (Aug 13, 2009)

Will these parts fit together properly? *Yes*
Am i missing any parts? *Storage* (Unless 120GB is enough to hold all your audio/video files)
Can my mother board handle two video cards? *Yes* (1 PCIe @X16 or 2 PCIe @ X8)

Is there something that you could advise that could save me money or perhaps work out better in my favor? *Yes*

Case: Spending that kind of money on a case, while trying to save money doesn't cut it.
Proc: Go with the i5-2500. You won't see a difference in gaming
Motherboard: If you are planning on going multi-GPU, (and budget allows) look for a board with at least 2 PCIe X16 slots.
Video: your choice here
Hard Drive: Even with their high cost as compared to mechanical drives, I feel SSDs have a place in todays computers. However, you can do much better than the Intel 510. For instance a 128GB Crucial M4 will run you $100 less, and a 256GB maybe $20 more.
Memory: That's a 3 x 4GB kit. You're throwing money away. You want a 2 x 4GB kit which should cost you no more than $75 or so.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

For a high-end build, I would recommend something roughly along these lines:

CPU: i5-2500k/i7-2600k
GPU: Radeon HD7950/7970
Motherboard: ASUS/GIGABYTE P67/Z68, around $200 range
Hard Drive(s): one normal 500gb/1tb 7200 SATA 6.0gb/s HDD + 128/256gb Crucial M4 SSD
RAM: 2x4gb DDR3-1600 (if you want faster RAM, get lower timings before higher hz)
Case: Nothing more expensive than a HAF 932: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case with USB 3.0, Black Interior and Four Fans-1x 230mm front RED LED fan, 1x 140mm rear fan, 1x 230mm top fan, and 1x 230mm side fan
Power Supply: use a wattage calculator (such as Newegg's) to add up your wattage needs (including likely upgrades), then add 30% by multiplying by 1.3, then select a top-quality PSU that meets or exceeds that value. The PSU you listed is excellent, but if you want the headroom to SLI/Crossfire a second 580 or 7970 then you will need 1200w or more.

It looks like you're going to have a very high-end system here. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions you may have about hardware selection. I would love to see your finished product be top-quality and cost-efficient.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Thank you for such quick replys. I went with the corsair obsidian 800dw because I am fully aware on how fast computer parts get outdated. From what I am told that this case is fairly big and offers quick and easy installation and removal of its parts. Im always up for the education on computers but I was just merely making easier on myself for preparing easy swapping. Im not looking for a throw away computer. I only want to buy one and have it easily adapt lol. I was dead set on the Intel Core i7 2600k. The reviews on it have been nothing but great. As for the motherboard I talked with customer support at intel and they advised me that board. However I am counting on putting 2 high end video cards in so I will need a board that can handle that. The EVGA Geforce 580 superclocked looked like a good quality choice. I am looking to save money but I would perfer not to sacrifice quality.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

gcavan said:


> Will these parts fit together properly? *Yes*
> Am i missing any parts? *Storage* (Unless 120GB is enough to hold all your audio/video files)
> Can my mother board handle two video cards? *Yes* (1 PCIe @X16 or 2 PCIe @ X8)
> 
> ...


 I've done most of my research on newegg and ncix. I was always a little hestitant on the Intel 510 because the SSD's i really know nothing about. My whole purpose in this computer is quality and I made my choice with intel based on that. If a Crucial M4 or perhaps something else will work for me better or maybe cheaper that sounds great but only if Im not losing the quality. Im more so going for realiable and fast.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

ASUS and GIGABYTE make the best-quality motherboards with superior customer service. For all of the purposes you've listed, I would prefer this beauty:
Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Excellent motherboard will great overclocking and dual-GPU support.

Being that you wish to use an SSD, the z68 chipset will offer SSD caching of your HDDs, making it a better choice for you than p67.

For SSDs, the Crucial M4 series are the top pick for quality and speed.

The GTX580 is an excellent card, but the newer Radeon HD7950 is a little superior at the same price. This can vary depending on the game, so look up your favorites first, but generally the 7950 is better. There is also the 7970 for about $100 more.

The Obsidian 800dw is most certainly an amazing case, but I sincerely doubt that you will find a single need disappointed with a less expensive case such as the HAF 932 I linked above. There are even cheaper cases that match your listed needs. If before purchasing you find you need to shave some costs, this would be the first area I would recommend looking. Otherwise, just get the case that appeals to you. It's mostly about personal preference. I, for example, use a $40 mid tower case with efficient ventilation that has yet to disappoint me.

For PSU, you stated you wish to eventually run SLI/Crossfire. With the GTX580, for example, you will need a minimum 1200w top-quality PSU for your system. The PSU is the most important part of the build to require top quality. I would recommend one of the best power supplies on the market for this:
Newegg.com - SeaSonic X-1250 1250W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

This is going to be a very nice machine.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

toothman said:


> ASUS and GIGABYTE make the best-quality motherboards with superior customer service. For all of the purposes you've listed, I would prefer this beauty:
> Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
> Excellent motherboard will great overclocking and dual-GPU support.
> 
> ...


That looks like a nice board. I will certainly be running two video cards. I was told to stay away from the z68 and that the p67 would suit me better. Gcavan stated I should look for one with 2 - pci x 16. What exactly is that and does the board you suggest have it. I was set on the gtx 580 but if the Radeon hd7950 is the same price and better I would rather go with that. So to sum up I need a motherboard, video card, memory, and 2 hard drives?


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

P67 is usually preferred, but in your case you will be using an SSD. The Z68 has that additional SSD functionality, giving it an advantage. Either chipset will work fine for you, however, as long as you purchase a good quality board.

"x16" refers to the speed at which that slot will run the device connected to it. x16 is the highest. For dual-GPU setups, they will actually both run at x8. That motherboard has two x16 slots that will run both cards in the SLI/Crossfire setup at x8. This is ideal for dual-GPU setups.

The additional hard drive is just for the storage you will inevitably need. Your SSD will be large enough for Windows and some games, but you will eventually want a conventional HDD for mass storage. $340 for 256gb on an SSD, $130 for 1tb on an HDD. Quite a bit of difference in the cost-per-gigabyte.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Quick note: the power usage of the 7950 is less than that of the 580 and 7970, so if you do choose the 7950 and to Crossfire in a second some day, you can spend a little less on the PSU and get a 1050w unit. Once again, and especially for this high-end of a build, I would only recommend a very high quality unit. Here's a couple examples:
Newegg.com - SeaSonic X-SERIES X-1050 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
Newegg.com - XFX ProSeries P1-1050-BEFX 1050W ATX12V 2.2 / ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Use our suggested build list for ideas. All use top quality known compatible parts: http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2012-and-updated-regularly-448272.html
SSD's are not a good value at this time and offer little more than faster boot times.
One better GPU is almost always the better option. Two GPU's cost twice as much, consume more power, generate more needed heat inside the case and to get a small performance gain the the games & apps that can utilize two GPU's.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

I will be going for two video cards. So what I take from this is that before I can really purchase a mother board I have to first decide on either going with a SSD or a regular hard drive for example a 1tb drive. Is it possible to have both? Is there really a difference in performance beside the boot up with the SSD?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Your money - your choice on the two GPU's. We can only offer our advice based on our knowledge and experiences.
You can go with either/ or for the Hdd or you can use noth.
The SSD will give you faster boot times but you will not see a marginal performance increase to justify the added cost.


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Yes, both is what we were suggesting. As Tyree points out, SSDs are not very cost-effective for what you get out of them, so if you want to use one I would recommend one SSD for Windows files and some games, then a larger HDD for storage.

SSDs are significantly faster than HDDs. The problem is that this only affects loading tasks. Opening applications, loading screens, antivirus/malware scans, etc. are much faster but everything in between is the same. Basically, your game will open more quickly, but your FPS won't change.

For comparison, I've played a lot of Skyrim and Reckoning off of my HDD. Skyrim loading screens are 5 seconds or less. I never even finished reading Reckoning's, and if I hadn't played Skyrim on the xbox first then I wouldn't know what any of its loading screens say, either!

In League of Legends, I normally finish loading first. Then I have to wait on the other nine people to finish, too  this will be true in any online game you play.

I've never felt like my conventional HDD was slowing down my system.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Tyree said:


> Your money - your choice on the two GPU's. We can only offer our advice based on our knowledge and experiences.
> You can go with either/ or for the Hdd or you can use noth.
> The SSD will give you faster boot times but you will not see a marginal performance increase to justify the added cost.


 The reason being is I do plan on running two monitors on this computer as well as a dvd burner. I was told the double GPU's was best for 2 monitors, and I do greatly appreciate the advice and fast responses. The boot up time is not a whole lot important to me but I have heard many people say that an SSD is just superior over normal hard drive. But from what you guys have told me so far, the cpu that best fit my needs is the Z68 over the P67. Especially with the SSD and the two video cards.

So in an end result:

*Shell:* COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced Blue Edition - 169.99
*Processor:* Intel Core i7 2600k - 359.34
*Power Source:* SeaSonic X-1250 1250W - 269.99
*Mother Board:* ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s - 204.99
*Video Card:* - ASUS Radeon HD 7950 DirectCU II 900MHZ 3GB 5.0GHZ - 499.99 x 2
*Hard Drive:*Crucial M4 CT256M4SSD2 2.5" 256GB SATA III MLC - 369.99
*Memory:* Western Digital 1TB SATA3 6GB/S 7200RPM - 149.98

Total: 2524.26

This actually turns out to be a lot cheaper lol. Does everything look like it will fit together? Will the change in case affect my list of parts? Anything that perhaps use more improving or a better/cheaper way?


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

The 7950 comes with 3gb of Vram, which is more than enough to run two HD monitors. The 7950 can also max out any game on the market right now with huge framerates.

I gotta let you know, 2x 7950 is quite some overkill. You'll only ever use the full strength of these cards if you construct an Eyefinity setup. Otherwise a single 7950 will max out any game you want on an HD monitor.


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## PoWn3d_0704 (Aug 17, 2009)

One 7970 will run two monitors. You only need dual GPUs if you want 3-5 monitors.

But heck, if I had the money, I'd do the dual GPUs all the way.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Awesome guys, thanks for your input. Ill stick to just the one gpu. Still undecided on the Evga gtx 580 super clocked or the asus radeon 7950..... But what I will do is stick with a corsair power source of 1050w since I won't be doing 2 gpus. Parts look like they will fit okay with new shell? Parts compatable? Can i have a crucial m4 and a western digital hdd for storage? (listed in previous post) Am I missing anything?


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## toothman (Jul 13, 2008)

Sounds good. Can you list/link the specific model of PSU you are referring to?

You can very easily have an SSD for boot drive then a separate HDD for storage. Simply do not connect your HDD when you install Windows and put the HDD in afterwards. When you install games, install them onto the SSD. Store everything else on the HDD.

Right now the 7950 is a better deal than the 580. AMD cards also support multi-monitor gaming through Eyefinity, which Nvidia cards do not. Good option to leave open.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

legend34 said:


> The reason being is I do plan on running two monitors on this computer as well as a dvd burner.


The GPU will have two monitor connections and will effectively run two monitors. 



toothman said:


> Sounds good. Can you list/link the specific model of PSU you are referring to?


Corsair only sells one 1050W PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series HX1050 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Power Supply


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## MonsterMiata (Jan 5, 2010)

I would prefer to see a gtx 580 in your system instead of a 7950 at this point in time. The 7950 drivers are still quite new with some bugs. New hardware and software will always have a few bugs that need sorted out. As for the SSD, I have one. A mushkin 128gb. Its been great too me. My buddy is using an older 500gb seagate drive. Other then me booting faster and loading "some" things faster he is no slower then me.

SSD's are neat but you wouldn't miss it if you didnt buy it. I would also suggest you go with the 2500k. The performance difference is small, very small. Too small to justify the huge increase in price.

It will be a long while before anything in a pc like yours will need replaced.


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## Azeem40 (Jan 28, 2012)

toothman said:


> P67 is usually preferred, but in your case you will be using an SSD. The Z68 has that additional SSD functionality, giving it an advantage. Either chipset will work fine for you, however, as long as you purchase a good quality board.
> 
> "x16" refers to the speed at which that slot will run the device connected to it. x16 is the highest. For dual-GPU setups, they will actually both run at x8. That motherboard has two x16 slots that will run both cards in the SLI/Crossfire setup at x8. This is ideal for dual-GPU setups.
> 
> The additional hard drive is just for the storage you will inevitably need. Your SSD will be large enough for Windows and some games, but you will eventually want a conventional HDD for mass storage. $340 for 256gb on an SSD, $130 for 1tb on an HDD. Quite a bit of difference in the cost-per-gigabyte.


The SSD caching is only worth it if he won't be using it as his primary drive. It is not that good of a feature IMO.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Well I am still thinking of going with solid state drive. I've had problems with just using hdd. I like the idea of booting up faster and I'm thinking the direction of improvements will be going. I was really sold on the GTX 580, I read the description and it sounds unreal. And yes corsair only makes the one psu 1050w under the proffesional listing. It's the exact one that he had linked to on new egg. However is there something that would work out better? I heard corsairs psu are alright.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

You money - your choice on using a SSD. We can only offer advice per our knowledge/experience as builders/repairers.
The 1050W Corsair is a top quality SeaSonic made PSU. For the one GT 580 you could save a few dollars going with an 850W.


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## legend34 (Feb 28, 2012)

Will that still give me power to spare?


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

A good quality 850W (SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair) will have ample power for a GT 580.


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