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General discussion (archive)Help me put together the gaming PC of my dreams!(14 posts)(14 posts)
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Posted August 24, 2012
While I love playing classics and indies, I'm tired of letting modern games pass me by. I want to create a rig that will allow me to run the latest games maxed out for the foreseeable future. I'm looking for the best possible components, within reason. I don't have a set budget in mind but I'm willing to buy things piecemeal, if necessary. I need your advice and recommendations. Here's what I'm looking for:

CPU: Intel Core i7-3770K Ivy Bridge 3.5GHz
Motherboard: One that's reliable and compatible with the selected CPU. Bonus points if you can find one with 8 RAM slots.
Video Card: Either NVIDIA GeForce GTX 680 or AMD Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition. Perhaps CrossFire or SLI.
Sound Card: Do I need one or will the sound from a good motherboard be sufficient?
RAM: G.SKILL Trident X Series 32GB (4 x 8GB) DDR3-2400
Monitor: While I'd like one eventually, for the time being I can use my 1080p TV.
Case: I'd like a simple yet aesthetically pleasing case that has plenty of space for future upgrades, quiet yet effective fans and a healthy amount of USB 3.0 ports. I'm not interested in flashy colors, lights or doodads.
Storage: Internal drive(s) with as much space and speed as possible.
Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Burner
CPU Cooler: What would you recommend for overclocking?
Power Supply: Enough to cover the additional power consumption of future upgrades.
OS: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64bit
Other: WiFi card. A functional wired USB keyboard and mouse.

Thanks for your time.
Post edited August 24, 2012 by Barry_Woodward
Posted August 24, 2012
Hi,

fortunately because the current console generation cannot keep up with the graphics in terms of performance, you can buy a config with you can max out settings at 1920*1080 or 1920*1200 relatively cheaply.

Here is my recommendation
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Barry_Woodward: CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K It's more than enough for every task you'll want to do. Only buy i7 if you are planning to use it heavily with render applications like Maya, Autocad, etc

Motherboard: You don't need 8 slots. In fact 2 slots is enough (that's why I like matx boards), but 4 is perfect. I'd recommend Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 because you can use SLI/CF in future, it has jolly good price/performance, you can overclock as well, and it is good quality. Paying for top notch motherboards are only wise if you plan to extreme overclock.

Video Card: I'd suggest GTX670 because it deliver more than enough craft for FullHd, so it will serve you perfectly for at least 2 years and you won't have to make compromises in graphics. It's efficient and with Asus DC2 it has literally no sound.

Sound Card: If you buy a decent Asus soundcard it'll make much greater impact than if you had bought an i7 processor The difference is earth and sky, and you won't want to go back when you experencied a discrete sound card. D2X or STX is the best, but cheaper one are ok as well. Also, keep in mind that you'll need a decent headphone or speaker to feel the difference.

RAM: Corsair Platinum Series Dominator 1600Mhz 2x4GB is my recommendation but just because I find them awesome looking. You'll be good with any pair of sticks 2x4GB 1600Mhz. To buy 32GB without need of vmware is like throwing money out of windows
Monitor: I use Dell U2311H and I find it perfect It's IPS pane, it has good refresh rate, it doesn't have input lag and it's in really good price range. This is a bestbuy.

Case: It's up to you to find one, but I like Corsair 650D It's everything you said, but more: it's gorgeous.
Storage: Now here come the most important part, that I can't highlight enough. BUY an SSD! Preferably 256GB. It's like an HDD built of memories, so it doesn't have any sound, any moving part and it's much-much-much faster than any HDD. You can't go wrong, for example with a Samsung 830 256GB. Install the OS and games and programs to the SSD, and store your data on an external or internal HDD, preferably 5400k because of the heat generation and longer life span.

Optical Drive: Blu-Ray Burner

CPU Cooler: Aplenföhn Matterhorn is my choice. It's silent and deadly efficient.

Power Supply: Corsair AX850W has many guarantee, gold efficiency so it'll serve you for very long time Also it has almost the latest internals.
OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit is enough Professional has feature that are good for enterprises.
Other: WiFi card. A functional wired USB keyboard and mouse. (If you'd like to game more seriously take a look at Razer's website)
I hope I could help, and feel free to ask.
Posted August 24, 2012
I'll second the SSD bit, or alternatively get a hybrid drive like this.
The hybrid being a bit slower (still plenty fast compared to traditional HD) but giving a lot more storage space.

The current console generation is going away soon(ish), expect a nice hop in game requirements sometime next year or so, when the new breed arrives. So makes sense to either buy low end PC and expect to replace soon, or a high end one with that in mind.
Post edited August 24, 2012 by Jarmo
Posted August 24, 2012
I don't think it'd be wise to spend like 1.5x more money on like 1.1x performance increase in graphics which is not measurable now. With this processor he'll only have to refresh his graphics card like, two years later and he still can sell the 670 so it won't hurt his wallett much.
Posted August 24, 2012
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HTBites: I don't think it'd be wise to spend like 1.5x more money on like 1.1x performance increase in graphics which is not measurable now. With this processor he'll only have to refresh his graphics card like, two years later and he still can sell the 670 so it won't hurt his wallett much.
True enough and 670 is a good choice as well.

My comment was mostly general rambling. But I'm also of opinion it's possible to put together a machine now, that'll carry through the whole of next console generation, which seems to be the OP's thought. 670 might do the trick, 690 almost certainly but that's one expensive card.

I'd probably go with a $200 card and swap to another $200 card in 2-3 years, but then I'm funny like that.
Posted August 24, 2012
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HTBites: fortunately because the current console generation cannot keep up with the graphics in terms of performance, you can buy a config with you can max out settings at 1920*1080 or 1920*1200 relatively cheaply.
While this is certainly true, be aware that it will also be short-lived, as the new generation of consoles over the next couple of years will drive up system requirements on PC as well.
Posted August 24, 2012
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jamyskis: While this is certainly true, be aware that it will also be short-lived, as the new generation of consoles over the next couple of years will drive up system requirements on PC as well.
You can never buy a config which will last for more than 2 years (with normal-high budget) that will run the newest games on max settings. It's the same every time: if you wait only 1 year you'll be able to buy the newest technology...but if you want to buy it know, then buy it. I think this is a really good time to buy a real good config which will serve well for long time.
Also, consider that for the games the VGA is the most important: he can always change that and pay only the margin.
Posted August 24, 2012
Does this help:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-a-pc-overclock-benchmark,3276.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pc-building-overclocking-buyers-guide,3277.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/pc-building-overclocking-buyers-guide,3282.html
Posted August 24, 2012
I second the 670 over the 580. Better performance according to these benchmarks, and the 6xx series has lower power consumption and heat generation than the 5xx series.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-670-test-review,3217-11.html
Posted August 24, 2012
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Barry_Woodward: Power Supply: Corsair AX850W has many guarantee, gold efficiency so it'll serve you for very long time Also it has almost the latest internals.
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HTBites:
Is a monster power supply like that really going to be needed? For most people a 500W power supply has plenty to spare. Personally I have a 450W power supply in my computer.

A really powerful power supply is really only going to be needed if you plan to put multiple graphics cards and/or processors into your computer.
Posted August 24, 2012
Concur with the consensus of the 670. It seems to be the standard.
Posted August 24, 2012
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AFnord: Is a monster power supply like that really going to be needed? For most people a 500W power supply has plenty to spare. Personally I have a 450W power supply in my computer.
Good point. luckily there are PSU calculators. I did a quick calculation of setup, with an Nividia 580. With no overclocking, and it recommended 442W, and with the CPU overclocked to 4GHz, it recommended 477W (but that didn't include things like water cooling or whatever you'll need). Keep in mind that you'll want a PSU that won't restrict you in the future in terms of upgrades. I personally like Antec's Earthwatts PSU's, which have very good power consumption under low load, and are literally green. That series tops out at 750W.

http://extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007657%2050001516%20600038000&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&SrchInDesc=earthwatts&Page=1&PageSize=20
Posted August 24, 2012
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AFnord: Is a monster power supply like that really going to be needed? For most people a 500W power supply has plenty to spare. Personally I have a 450W power supply in my computer.

A really powerful power supply is really only going to be needed if you plan to put multiple graphics cards and/or processors into your computer.
True story, I only wrote that because there is no efficient 500 or 600W PSU and if he buys one he won't have to have any concern about any overclock or multiple cards. But a quality 600-650W would allow a CF/SLI too, so it really depends on the budget.
Posted August 24, 2012
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HTBites: True story, I only wrote that because there is no efficient 500 or 600W PSU and if he buys one he won't have to have any concern about any overclock or multiple cards. But a quality 600-650W would allow a CF/SLI too, so it really depends on the budget.
The only reason you get Gold certification with high wattage PSU's is because the certifications are based on the percentage of overall power generation that is bled off. It's a lot easier to limit waste to only 5% (or whatever) when 5% is 43W. But when 5% is only 25W, that's a lot harder to achieve.
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General discussion (archive)Help me put together the gaming PC of my dreams!(14 posts)(14 posts)
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