# Need Help building a gaming PC



## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

My current budget is US$1800, can push to $2000,

I've read multiple articles, guides, tutorials or what not, but I'm still lost...

My current monitor is a: AOC 2436Vw - 24" - widescreen TFT active matrix LCD display

Don't need mouse or keyboard

Help is appreciated

* side note I have Fantom GD2000EU GreenDrive External Hard Drive - eSATA, USB 2.0, 2TB, 32MB Cache at TigerDirect.com that I can disassemble the case and put into the tower


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## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

Take look at our thread with some suggested builds. I think the sweet spot in these builds is the $1200 Intel build.

http://www.techsupportforum.com/for...evised-2011-and-updated-regularly-448272.html


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Yea I've read those, seems interesting none the less, though a friend of mine told me about this setup

CPU: Intel Core i7-990X BX80613I7990X Extreme Edition Processor - Six-Core, 12MB L3 Cache, 3.46GHz, Socket B (LGA 1366), Retail at TigerDirect.com $999.99
MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth P67 B3 TUF Edition Motherboard - ATX, Socket H2 (LGA 1155), Intel P67 Express, 1866MHz DDR3, SATA 6.0 Gb/s, RAID, 8-Channel Audio, Gigabit LAN, SLI/CrossFireX Ready, USB 3.0 at TigerDirect.com $229.99
RAM: Corsair CMT6GX3M3A1866C9 Dominator Triple Channel 6144MB PC15000 DDR3 Memory - Tri Channel, 1866MHz, 6144MB (3 x 2048MB), DHX, 9-9-9-24 at TigerDirect.com $149.99
GPU: EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 Ti FPB Video Card - 1GB, GDDR5, PCI-Express 2.0 (x16), Dual DVI, HDMI, DirectX 11, SLI Ready at TigerDirect.com $259.99
PSU: Thermaltake TPX-775M Toughpower XT 775W Power Supply - ATX, 775 Watts, 80PLUS Bronze, SLI Certified, CrossFire Certified, Status LEDs, 140mm Fan at TigerDirect.com $99.99
CPU cooler: Corsair CWCH50-1 Hydro H50 CPU Liquid Cooler - 120mm Fan, Copper Cold Plate, Aluminum Radiator, LGA775, LGA1366, LGA1156, AM2/AM3 at TigerDirect.com $59.99
HD: Western Digital WD10EARS Caviar Green Hard Drive - 1TB, 3.5, SATA 3G, 64MB Cache, GreenPower at TigerDirect.com $64.35
CD/DVD Drive: Sony Optiarc DDU1678A-0B 18x DVDROM Drive - 18x, E-IDE / ATAPI, Black, OEM at TigerDirect.com $19.99
CASE: NZXT Zero 2 Craft Series Full Tower Case - Steel Chassis, Quad 120mm Fans, Dual 120mm Exhaust, Top Mounted USB, Audio, eSATA at TigerDirect.com $99.99

Total would be $1984.27

what would the opinion of people with experience on this?


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## johnny333 (Jan 24, 2010)

*Power supply*

If I was spending that much I would go with a Corsair 850 power supply. I tend to go on the + side of power supply.
Good Luck and God Bless Johnny
65++ and still ticking
PS I known it would be a lot more but a 580 video card would put it on top. This comes for someone that was on top of the world playing Kings Quest on a IBM PC Jr. How time changes.


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

The motherboard needs to be switched out for a X58 LGA1366. The X58 Sabertooth is also a good board. The one you chose is not compatible with your processor.

I also wouldn't spend $1,000 on any CPU, way overkill.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> If I was spending that much I would go with a Corsair 850 power supply. I tend to go on the + side of power supply.
> Good Luck and God Bless Johnny
> 65++ and still ticking
> PS I known it would be a lot more but a 580 video card would put it on top. This comes for someone that was on top of the world playing Kings Quest on a IBM PC Jr. How time changes.


If I do go with what he told me. He told me that I can the upgrade the GPU later on with 2 of the one mentioned above or a better one and as for the PSU get a better one now or later?



> The motherboard needs to be switched out for a X58 LGA1366. The X58 Sabertooth is also a good board. The one you chose is not compatible with your processor.
> 
> I also wouldn't spend $1,000 on any CPU, way overkill.


Thanks on the insight on the MOBO, as for the CPU, well I told him I wanted something to last me a long time, I intend on spending the max I can get for my budget at the moment and later on upgrading.

*also what about the external Hard Drive? any thoughts? its a Samsung HD haven't opened it up to see what exactly speeds and other things are.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Mobo and CPU you listed are not compatible. The Mobo is 1156 and the CPU is 1366.
Have you looked at the link hhnq04 posted?
All of out builds are top quality, all parts are compatible and all links are to a more reptuable online vendor.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Tyree said:


> Mobo and CPU you listed are not compatible. The Mobo is 1156 and the CPU is 1366.
> Have you looked at the link hhnq04 posted?
> All of out builds are top quality, all parts are compatible and all links are to a more reputable online vendor.


Yes I have read those, as I said previously they do look interesting, but I wanted an opinion on what my friend told me. 

On the MOBO duanomo replied telling me the incompatibility isue, took note of it. 

And yes I do know about newegg.com. 

thank you for the responses so far


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

When you get a list of compatible hardware composed, post it and we can advise.


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## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

$1000 on a CPU is an extreme waste of money. There's $200-250 CPU that are beasts and will last several years.
WD drives are good, but I'd avoid the caviar green and opt for caviar black line.
I like Corsair TX/HX/AX PSU lines as well as Seasonic's PSUs.


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## lovely_31 (Apr 2, 2011)

why do you want to build a PC for game? whu dont u switch to XBOX it so cheap and reliable


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

lovely_31 said:


> why do you want to build a PC for game? whu dont u switch to XBOX it so cheap and reliable


FPS/RTS is unplayable on consoles...


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> If I do go with what he told me. He told me that I can the upgrade the GPU later on with 2 of the one mentioned above or a better one and as for the PSU get a better one now or later?
> 
> Thanks on the insight on the MOBO, as for the CPU, well I told him I wanted something to last me a long time, I intend on spending the max I can get for my budget at the moment and later on upgrading.
> 
> *also what about the external Hard Drive? any thoughts? its a Samsung HD haven't opened it up to see what exactly speeds and other things are.


I see no benefit in paying such a large premium for a processor that will only be "the best" for a few months, but it's your money and you will decide on how to spend it.

I would at least consider taking a small step back for almost half the price by getting the i7 970 which is still a six-core Gulftown processor:
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-970 Gulftown 3.2GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7970

You can spend more on a GTX 570 or 580 then (if your intention is to max out your budget), since this PC, I assume, is for gaming and not for CAD or video editing. Two GPUs is almost never better than a single better GPU.

Why do you want to open up an external hard drive?? It was built for external use.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> see no benefit in paying such a large premium for a processor that will only be "the best" for a few months, but it's your money and you will decide on how to spend it.
> 
> I would at least consider taking a small step back for almost half the price by getting the i7 970 which is still a six-core Gulftown processor:
> Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-970 Gulftown 3.2GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7970
> ...


Thanks for the input, and yea I get the idea about the $1k CPU price tag.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Here's what I came up with not sure if the parts are all compatible as I'm not 100% certain on what to look for in the compatibility

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-970 Gulftown 3.2GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7970 $594.99
MOBO: Newegg.com - ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $194.00
RAM: Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 Desktop Memory Model CMT6GX3M3A1866C9 $159.99
GPU: Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $519.99
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $ 182.99
CPU Cooler: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Hydro H70 CWCH70 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler $104.81
HD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.99
DVD Drive: Newegg.com - LG Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners $19.99
Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $89.99

Total: 1936.74

Thoughts and opinions please.

Also what would the difference between the GTX 570 and 580 be?

Thank you in advanced.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Personally, I would go with different RAM, There is no need for a cooling fan for RAM. 
G.SKILL (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 $110:
Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI

If you do not intend to OC, drop the aftermarket CPU cooler.


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> Thoughts and opinions please.
> 
> Also what would the difference between the GTX 570 and 580 be?
> 
> Thank you in advanced.


The 580 is slightly better than the 570, but costs much more. Here are some benchmarks, not that they are that relevant: PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmarks - High End Video Cards

Agree 100% with Tyree regarding memory selection and CPU cooling.

I understand that you want to spend your maximum budget, but I would personally get the cheaper GTX 570, go with a decent aftermarket air cooler (if you plan to overclock) and 1600 G.Skill or Mushkin ram; memory does not need additional cooling.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> Personally, I would go with different RAM, There is no need for a cooling fan for RAM.
> G.SKILL (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 $110:
> Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI
> 
> If you do not intend to OC, drop the aftermarket CPU cooler.


noted on the RAM, also can you explain why drop the aftermarket CPU cooler?



> The 580 is slightly better than the 570, but costs much more. Here are some benchmarks, not that they are that relevant: PassMark Software - Video Card Benchmarks - High End Video Cards
> 
> Agree 100% with Tyree regarding memory selection and CPU cooling.
> 
> I understand that you want to spend your maximum budget, but I would personally get the cheaper GTX 570, go with a decent aftermarket air cooler (if you plan to overclock) and 1600 G.Skill or Mushkin ram; memory does not need additional cooling.


If I drop the CPU cooling, which way to go?


* One of my concerns is temperature
* Do I need to buy extra fans to put into the tower?
* Is the current PSU overkill? or keep it?

* Will be buying by end of this week.


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> noted on the RAM, also can you explain why drop the aftermarket CPU cooler?
> 
> If I drop the CPU cooling, which way to go?
> 
> ...


The CM 690 II case you picked has great airflow and includes all the fans that you need.

You are paying premium for the AX series for full modularity, but they are good PSUs. The TX or HX series are fine as well.

Do you plan on overclocking the processor? You really don't need to given that the six-core is already overkill and will be able to handle everything you throw at it.

Some popular CPU cooler choices:

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

Newegg.com - ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro Rev.2 92mm Fluid Dynamic CPU Cooler

For more serious overclocking, you can go with the Prolimatech Megahalams or the Noctua NH-D14 but they're overkill for most situations.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Hopefully this will be final:

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-970 Gulftown 3.2GHz 6 x 256KB L2 Cache 12MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7970 $594.99
MOBO: Newegg.com - ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $194.00
RAM:Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI $109.99
GPU: Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $364.99
PSU: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $ 182.99
CPU Cooler: 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 $34.99
HD: Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.99
DVD Drive: Newegg.com - LG Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners $19.99
Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-692-KKN2 CM690 II Advanced Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $89.99

total would be: $1661.92

* just found this Case, maybe switch with one mentioned above?: Newegg.com - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case

thoughts and opinions please 

Thank you in advance for the help guys. I actually learned a lot.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

lovely_31 said:


> why do you want to build a PC for game? whu dont u switch to XBOX it so cheap and reliable


I disagree (RRoD) not remember that 

But yeah i have recently just spent £2200 on building myself a new gaming pc, I also agree that spending $1000 is a waste, In my system i went for I7 960 and i have overclocked that to 4GHz stable easly

Also people forget, the 960 is technically an 8 core 'thread' processor so your effectively getting 8 cores, Im assuming that the extreme edition with 6 cores is also a 12 'Thread' processor but TBH i have never had to push my 960 to 100% (apart from stress testing)

Also on a side note i was going to go for 1 580 Graphics card but through looking i eventually bought two 480GTX's and i have them running in SLI that will our preform that one card and cost the same


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> * just found this Case, maybe switch with one mentioned above?: Newegg.com - NZXT Phantom PHAN-001BK Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
> 
> thoughts and opinions please
> 
> Thank you in advance for the help guys. I actually learned a lot.


Cases are mostly personal preference beyond the size (mid tower, full tower, etc) and sometimes airflow, so get something that you think looks good.

For a full tower case, I would recommend the Haf 932:
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

I can't understand why you are going for an expensive 1366 cpu when an core i7 2600k only costs a fraction of what you are paying for the cpu you have picked.. And the 2600k have better gaming perf also... Only downside is that they can be hard to get a hold of as the motherboards where recalled...


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

P4k3 said:


> I can't understand why you are going for an expensive 1366 cpu when an core i7 2600k only costs a fraction of what you are paying for the cpu you have picked.. And the 2600k have better gaming perf also... Only downside is that they can be hard to get a hold of as the motherboards where recalled...


You dont read much do you? he has already changed that CPU for another.

My current case i am using right now is THIS one It looks amazing if you switch all the fans out and get some cathodes :tongue:

Post back your final build


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

A1tecice said:


> You dont read much do you? he has already changed that CPU for another.
> 
> My current case i am using right now is  THIS one It looks amazing if you switch all the fans out and get some cathodes :tongue:
> 
> Post back your final build


The i7 970 is still not a better choice... IMO anyways... i7 2600k - 315USD, i7 970 costs 595USD... i7 2600k performs better than the i7 970 in gaming...


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Yes i agree the 2600K can overclock to higher rates than the 970 but its his build not ours, and spending $595 is allot better than the original $1000+


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> The i7 970 is still not a better choice... IMO anyways... i7 2600k - 315USD, i7 970 costs 595USD... i7 2600k performs better than the i7 970 in gaming...


I still have a couple of days before I buy, so what would you suggest, along with what I have linked in the previous post?


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## Markgg88 (Jan 7, 2011)

I would agree on the CPU. If the main purpose of this machine is gaming, then you don't need to have a 6 core CPU, a quad core will be perfectly sufficient. I'd go with the i7 2600k, it's the latest from Intel and will last you a long time. The original MoBo that you were intending to get(post#3)will be compatible with it. The rest of the build looks solid.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Thanks for the information and helpful replies so far, here's what I've come up with as my final I think.

https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtyOn4ybN4rvdENwVmp6Vlc2aHVBd1o5UzBrbFFIOEE&hl=en&authkey=CMLU75AN


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## Markgg88 (Jan 7, 2011)

Please post them here so we would have easy access to them.


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

I think i fixed the link, forgot too earlier. if not I'll post them here


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> Thanks for the information and helpful replies so far, here's what I've come up with as my final I think.
> 
> https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AtyOn4ybN4rvdENwVmp6Vlc2aHVBd1o5UzBrbFFIOEE&hl=en#gid=0


Google spreadsheet requires gaining permission, so I would just post your build here.

If you do decide to go the LGA 1155 road instead of with the X58 LGA 1366, just realize that the sandy bridge processors were meant to replace LGA 1156 and not LGA 1366.

Sandy bridge is still new tech so the bugs are still being worked through. That is why the forum hardware team does not currently recommend sandy bridge builds.

If you decide to go with sandy bridge, you'll need to change out the memory for a dual channel set (2x2gb).

For high-end gaming, the FPS is only partially a result of the CPU; the GPU is what matters for most games.


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## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

Good advice given by duanomo ^


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## brobarapas (Sep 26, 2009)

Ciphre said:


> Yea I've read those, seems interesting none the less, though a friend of mine told me about this setup
> 
> CPU: Intel Core i7-990X BX80613I7990X Extreme Edition Processor - Six-Core, 12MB L3 Cache, 3.46GHz, Socket B (LGA 1366), Retail at TigerDirect.com $999.99
> MOBO: ASUS Sabertooth P67 B3 TUF Edition Motherboard - ATX, Socket H2 (LGA 1155), Intel P67 Express, 1866MHz DDR3, SATA 6.0 Gb/s, RAID, 8-Channel Audio, Gigabit LAN, SLI/CrossFireX Ready, USB 3.0 at TigerDirect.com $229.99
> ...


the CPU is crazy money,what do you intend to use this build for


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> Google spreadsheet requires gaining permission, so I would just post your build here.
> 
> If you do decide to go the LGA 1155 road instead of with the X58 LGA 1366, just realize that the sandy bridge processors were meant to replace LGA 1156 and not LGA 1366.
> 
> ...


Noted, though I didn't use the sandy bridge cpu. just lowered the CPU again to a quad core.



> the CPU is crazy money,what do you intend to use this build for


This pc will be only used for gaming, as some other helpful members pointed me out to waste money on the more expensive CPU

*I'm still having trouble of deciding on a video card. I've been reading on some articles online. I will be playing FPS games mainly, dunno if there's something I need to know. Nvidia or ATI:4-dontkno


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Here's what I got atm:

CPU 
Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor BX80601950 279.99 
MOBO 
Newegg.com - ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard 194 
RAM 
Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI 109.99 
GPU 
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card 364.99 
PSU 
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply 182.99 
CPU Cooler 
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Hydro H70 CWCH70 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler 104.81 
HD 
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive 69.99 
DVD Drive 
Newegg.com - LG Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners 19.99 
CASE 
Newegg.com - NZXT ZERO 2 Crafted Series CS-NT-ZERO-2 Black Steel / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case 119.99 

total 1446.74 

I could switch the CPU Cooler for: 

CPU Cooler 
Prolimatech Megahalems Rev B. Intel CPU Heatsink (LGA 775 / 1156 / 1366 / AM2 / AM2+ / AM3) - FrozenCPU.com 61.99 

total 1403.92


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Looks good!

I would not buy the H70 for such a price premium. Those water cooling systems might look flashy but they don't cool better than the Megahalems or other top-notch air coolers.

Even if you buy two quality high flow fans for the Megahalems in a push-pull configuration, it will still be cheaper.

I'm also not a fan of the NZXT case. I would prefer the CM 690 II Advanced you had picked earlier, or the HAF 932. Cooler Master makes top quality cases.


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## shotgn (Aug 10, 2008)

duanomo said:


> Looks good!
> 
> I would not buy the H70 for such a price premium. Those water cooling systems might look flashy but they don't cool better than the Megahalems or other top-notch air coolers.
> 
> ...


Agreed with above, All looks compatible. That will make a great gaming pc


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## hhnq04 (Mar 19, 2008)

ditto^


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

Question, does the megahalems come with fans included? 

Also should I buy 2 fans for the push-pull? if so what should I be buying?

*will replace the tower with the HAF 932
*will go with the Megahalems for cpu cooling


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

If your wanting to OC i would recommend a custom Liquid cooling system like in my gaming pc i can push my I7 960 to 4GHz with ease. Thats why i would suggest switching your current core to a 960 for the $10 difference 3-3.20GHz is a nice boost to have.

I also suggest for your hard drive to try and switch your 3GB/S out for the newer 6GB/S models as your mobo can support it.

The current megahalems you selected do not come with fans but THIS one does.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Sufficient cooling can be done with air and no concerns over leaks and damage to hardware.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Tyree said:


> Sufficient cooling can be done with air and no concerns over leaks and damage to hardware.


Leaks only occur if you don't take proper precautions for checking your system 

eg, running it outside your system for 24 hours on paper towel to check for leaks

I agree that its more maintenance to fill up with coolant but i would much prefer to do that than my pc getting too hot when OC'ing


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

A1tecice said:


> Leaks only occur if you don't take proper precautions for checking your system
> 
> eg, running it outside your system for 24 hours on paper towel to check for leaks
> 
> I agree that its more maintenance to fill up with coolant but i would much prefer to do that than my pc getting too hot when OC'ing


A custom liquid cooling system is expensive and not worth the price premium. If desired, the OP can easily overclock the i7 950 to 4GHz with the Megahalems, not that it is necessary.



Ciphre said:


> Question, does the megahalems come with fans included?
> 
> Also should I buy 2 fans for the push-pull? if so what should I be buying?
> 
> ...


Great choices! You will need to buy fan(s) separately. The fan you choose depends on how much you want to balance noise with performance. Faster spinning fans are generally louder.

A lot of people like using Scythe fans with that cooler:
Newegg.com - Computer Hardware,Scythe USA,Case Fans


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

What about this one?

Newegg.com - Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan

*would I need 2 for push-pull?

*would all the items I have fit in the HAF-case without any problems?

*spend the xtra $10 for the i7 960?

After I get help with these I'll post what I will be buying 

thanks for all the help guys


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

A1tecice said:


> If your wanting to OC i would recommend a custom Liquid cooling system like in my gaming pc i can push my I7 960 to 4GHz with ease. Thats why i would suggest switching your current core to a 960 for the $10 difference 3-3.20GHz is a nice boost to have.
> 
> I also suggest for your hard drive to try and switch your 3GB/S out for the newer 6GB/S models as your mobo can support it.
> 
> The current megahalems you selected do not come with fans but  THIS one does.


A regular harddrive doesn't get ANY better performance by switching from sata2 to sata3 as they aren't fast enough. With ssd the story is quite different..

Would definatly recommend that he buys a ssd.. Makes a huge difference in performance! Personaly I would go for ocz vertex 3, it peaks at around 500MB/s. A regular hdd can in best scenario get around 120MB/s but thats if the hdd is completly empty (or data is stored in the beginning of the platter) and if the data is lined up next to eachother...


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

SSD's do offer faster boot times but little else and are certainly not a good bang for buck.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Tyree said:


> SSD's do offer faster boot times but little else and are certainly not a good bang for buck.


I agree, i have a 40GB ssd for my windows installation only and a 2TB for other programs, and i have to say the effort to get windows user account and all programs to automatically install on the 2TB isn't worth the hassle of a tiny boot time increase were talking about registry edits in the 100's

I would spend the extra $10 for then 960 because if your not overclocking that extra 0.20*8 'threads' = 1.6GHZ fpr $10... well worth the price


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> What about this one?
> 
> Newegg.com - Scythe S-FLEX SFF21F 120mm Case Fan
> 
> ...


Yes, the HAF 932 will fit everything.

The one thing that might not fit is the Megahalems in push-pull with that memory selection, which has really tall heatsinks. One fan in pull will definitely work though. You need two fans for push-pull configuration (one on each side of the heatsink)

The fans you picked are out of stock. These will probably work well, but may be louder than you want:
Newegg.com - Scythe SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

Tyree said:


> SSD's do offer faster boot times but little else and are certainly not a good bang for buck.


If you buy a ****** ssd the I can agree with that statement. With a good one almost everything gets noticable faster... Not just booting windows... An 120GB vertex 2 isn't so expensive either..


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

P4k3 said:


> If you buy a ****** ssd the I can agree with that statement. With a good one almost everything gets noticable faster... Not just booting windows... An 120GB vertex 2 isn't so expensive either..


The cost of SSDs are still too high relative to what you get. The OP can always purchase one a couple years down the line when the pricing/gb ratio improves.

Premature failure of many SSDs, including top rated ones, is also an issue.


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

duanomo said:


> The cost of SSDs are still too high relative to what you get. The OP can always purchase one a couple years down the line when the pricing/gb ratio improves.
> 
> Premature failure of many SSDs, including top rated ones, is also an issue.


I don't agree... 

HDD for storage.. SSD for system...


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> I don't agree...
> 
> HDD for storage.. SSD for system...


I'm not a fan of SDD, for now anyways.

Thanks for all the information guys, I actually learned a lot, here's what I will be buying:

CPU 
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 $289.99 
MOBO 
Newegg.com - ASUS Sabertooth X58 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard $194 
RAM 
Newegg.com - G.SKILL PI Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7T-6GBPI $ 109.99 
GPU 
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card $364.99 
PSU 
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply 182.99 
CPU Cooler 
Newegg.com - Prolimatech Supermega Intel Socket 1156, 1366 and 775, 6 Dual Heatpipes, Twin Tower CPU Cooler $84.99 
HD 
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6402AAEX 640GB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $69.99 
DVD Drive 
Newegg.com - LG Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners $19.99 
CASE 
Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 932 Advanced RC-932-KKN5-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Compucase Case with USB 3.0 and Black Interior $159.98 
CPU fans 2x 
Newegg.com - Scythe SY1225SL12SH 120mm "Slipstream" Case Fan $27.98 

Total: $1504.89

*as for the 2 Fans, well if it doesn't fit along with the RAM's, I'll have an spare CPU fan
*also since the tower itself will be around $1.5k, decided to buy new Keyboard, Mice, OS

OS 
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 32-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems $139.99 
Keyboard 
Newegg.com - RAZER Lycosa Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard $ 79.99 
Mouse 
Newegg.com - RAZER Lachesis 5600 Black 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser 5600 dpi Mouse $79.99 

Total: $1804.86


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> OS
> Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 32-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems $139.99
> Keyboard
> Newegg.com - RAZER Lycosa Black USB Wired Gaming Keyboard $ 79.99
> ...


Everything looks great!

Do you need backwards compatibility for older programs? There's no need for Windows 7 Professional otherwise, so I would go with Home Premium.

I would definitely get the 64-bit version which can make use of all your ram:
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

or
Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

> Everything looks great!
> 
> Do you need backwards compatibility for older programs? There's no need for Windows 7 Professional otherwise, so I would go with Home Premium.
> 
> ...


hmm for some reason I posted the 32 bit , I will be using 64bit OS and I will stick with the professional version as I already have home edition on my laptop.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...cm_re=windows_7_64-bit-_-32-116-758-_-Product


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Also, I would not spend that much on a mouse and keyboard, but that's personal preference.

I noticed that you changed the CPU cooler to the Super Mega. I would purchase the Megahalems instead: it's cheaper and some reviews even show that the Megahalems perform better.

ProlimaTech Super Mega Heatsink CPU Cooler | ProlimaTech,Super Mega,Megahalems,Review,Heatsink,Best CPU Cooler,ProlimaTech Super Mega Heatsink CPU Cooler Performance Review


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## Ciphre (Apr 4, 2011)

So get this: Newegg.com - Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler

instead of the one mentioned above? * also does this come with the extra fan clips needed to make push-pull if able?


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## duanomo (Dec 30, 2010)

Ciphre said:


> So get this: Newegg.com - Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler
> 
> instead of the one mentioned above? * also does this come with the extra fan clips needed to make push-pull if able?


Yes it comes with "Two sets of fan clips for a duo-fan installation."


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

I would also suggest 7 Home Premium. The higher costs of the upper version aren't useful. 
32Bit 7 is ok but get whatever you want.
Goof choice on dropping the SSD. That money could be better spent.


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## A1tecice (Jun 1, 2010)

Looking good mate, nice to see you switched to the 960 for the $10 difference ... have fun building your new system.

Remember your anti static bracelet!


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Before assembly, thoroughly read the Mobo manual and do a bench test on a non-conductive surface. Doing so, you should avoid any problems.


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## P4k3 (Apr 4, 2011)

If you are like me Home Premium isnt an option as it doesn't allow incomming remote desktop sessions... A feature I use every single day... Sure there are other ways to remote control a computer but none that performs as good as rdp...


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