[Theo77]

So I built my first PC about 5-6 years ago, and decided it was time to build a new one. I don't have a set budget but figure it will cost around $1500. It will be mostly for gaming, and I already have most of the parts in mind. However since it has been so long I wanted to run some of my ideas off the experts lol.


CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor
Motherboard - ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 ATX LGA1155 Motherboard
Memory - G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Hard Drive - OCZ Vertex 2 60GB 2.5" Solid State Disk (this will be main drive for OS)
***Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive (storage drive)
Video Card - EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti - 448 Cores 1.25GB Video Card
Case - Rosewill THOR V2 ATX Full Tower Case
Power Supply - Antec 620W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical Drive - Lite-On iHAS124-04 DVD/CD Writer
Monitor - Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor
***Asus VE248H 24.0" Monitor
OS - Windows 7 (retail, already owned)

So I do have a couple concerns with the setup I currently have picked out. First one being that since this is a gaming rig, and I have not kept up-to-date on video cards, I'm a little unsure if this card will be enough, or if I should bump up a little and get one a little higher. Also dual monitors has always been a pipe dream, but now I have the means to actually afford it, I am unsure again if they will do ok with this mainly being a PC just for gaming. Also a little concerned that the video card might not handle dual monitors very well. I apologize if any of these have been covered before, or are just generally "noob" questions lol. I really look forward to hearing back, and appreciate in advance any advice or suggestions people have for this current setup.

I did not get links for any of the items due to this being copied directly from notepad, but I can provide links if needed.

Edited by Theo77, 22 January 2012 - 10:46 PM.

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Hi Theo77,

I apologize if any of these have been covered before, or are just generally "noob" questions lo

No need for any apology, I think questions are best asked and answered in the post.

That is a pretty good build and of course I will suggest a couple or 10 tweak.

A GTX, Nvadia, will only support 2 monitors per card. AMD Redeon HD, see below, will support 3 monitors. some deeeep research needed there.

http://www.newegg.co...4^14-131-394-TS

I would definitely up that boot drive to 120GB.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820233191

Your PSU would need to be calculated after everything else is selected.

I think once you have 2 monitors, you will want 3. That's from the gamers I know.

Any particular reason for choosing the case?

[iammykyl]

Hi Theo77,

I apologize if any of these have been covered before, or are just generally "noob" questions lo

No need for any apology, I think questions are best asked and answered in the post.

That is a pretty good build and of course I will suggest a couple or 10 tweak.

A GTX, Nvadia, will only support 2 monitors per card. AMD Redeon HD, see below, will support 3 monitors. some deeeep research needed there.

http://www.newegg.co...4^14-131-394-TS

I would definitely up that boot drive to 120GB.

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820233191

Your PSU would need to be calculated after everything else is selected.

I think once you have 2 monitors, you will want 3. That's from the gamers I know.

Any particular reason for choosing the case?

[Theo77]

I have always used Nvidia cards, which is why I picked this one, and didn't even really look at an AMD card. I have seen a couple 3 monitor builds, and definitely love the look of it, and it may be something I try out next year but definitely cannot do it this year. So that brings up another question. If I do get the GTX and 2 monitors this year, next year could I SLI another GTX and add another monitor?

Also for the case, I actually had a few things I really wanted to get for this new case that I thought were upgrades from the current case I have. I really wanted the painted inside, a case that had good wire management capabilities, a case that had good air flow, and finally wanted to find one that had usb 3.0 on the front I/O. The Thor was actually one of the first ones I stumbled on that kinda met all the criteria and it looked ok from the outside so kinda just stuck with it. Would definitely be open to other suggestions.

As for the boot drive, any reason it should be bumped from 60 to 120? I initially hadn't even included the SSD into this system, but thought since a 60G wasn't too expensive I could put it in strictly as a boot drive.

[Theo77]

On a side note, is there any real benefit from getting 3 monitors over 2?

[iammykyl]

On a side note, is there any real benefit from getting 3 monitors over 2?

The below site shows what dual or triple displays look like.

2 screens, image split down the middle. image is left and right.

3 screens, centre screen, centre of image, sides screens, left and right of image.

AS most action is in the centre of the screen, is easier to game on a triple display, but, with 3 x 24in screens = 6ft, that is a lot of real estate to watch, so something sneaky from the side can get you quick. 



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Edit to remove link. Please see post #8.

Edited by iammykyl, 24 January 2012 - 03:59 AM.

[Theo77]

I was under the assumption that not many games actually utilize dual monitors, and for the most part I would have 1 monitor for gaming and the other would be for a media player/internet or what ever. But yeah I can see how if a game will let you use all 3 that would be pretty cool.

Also your link is for this thread

Edited by Theo77, 23 January 2012 - 11:01 PM.

[iammykyl]

. If I do get the GTX and 2 monitors this year, next year could I SLI another GTX and add another monitor?

Unless there is something new out there, no,
The cards work in tandem with one being a slave passing information to the master which, connected to the display, passes the information along.

I think, (anybody?) you can have 2 separate cards but cannot span over more than 2 screens.

If you want a second card later, you will need to ensure the PSU is selected with that in mind. There is also an issue with SLI and Crossfire, jitter or stutter, this article is very long. http://techreport.com/articles.x/21516

Asked about the

Rosewill case as I had not come across it before, gets excellent reviews, would be very interested in what you think of it"s performance. My choices would be $50 more.

I suppose going for a larger SSD is fairly personal. I do think 60GB is ok for a fast boot drive but 120GB more usable.

Anne has a very messy 120Gb SSD with lots of rubbish installed, hasn't slowed down, still plenty of room left, very usable as a desktop HDD.
In benchmarks almost every instance a larger SSD is faster as it can spread the throughput over more chips.

Check out this site, SSD and HDD.

http://www.hardware-...d-january-2012/

[iammykyl]

I was under the assumption that not many games actually utilize dual monitors, and for the most part I would have 1 monitor for gaming and the other would be for a media player/internet or what ever.

A game can be displayed on 1-6 monitors, (more with special hardware) and is dependant on the video card and display drivers, not the game software. You can display the game on one monitor and browser on the other or step up, this one supports 5, http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102957 and this one supports 6 http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102957

Also your link is for this thread

Unable to repair the link in post #6, goes to multi screen displays. http://www.multi-mon...Wall_s/5197.htm

[Theo77]

I really appreciate the help. I am at work right now on my phone so I am unable to read the articles you posted but I will read them tonight. Again I really appreciate the time and effort you put in to helping a stranger over the Internet build his dream gaming rig lol

[Theo77]

Still haven't had a chance to check articles, but did have a quick question regarding the graphics card. I really love the one you suggested, even more so that it comes with BF3 and that alone will save me $60, but lately on other boards I have seen other GTX 560 TI 1g cards anywhere from $229, all the way down to $199. I dont think the other cards had the 448 cores and was wondering how much that would really help.

I had about $300 listed for a card, and don't mind spending that, I just want to make sure I get the best one in that price range.

[Theo77]

I have a couple final questions for anyone able to answer, and would love to get an opinion from as many people as I can.

1. If I run 2 of the Nvidia cards you listed (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814500231) would I eventually be able to run 3 monitors total. And would it even be worth it to run this particular card SLI.

2. Would the 620W PSU I have picked out be enough to run 2 of these. I looked at all the details on newegg and couldn't see anywhere where it said how much it takes to run just 1.

If anyone could help me out here I would really appreciate it. Thank you!

[iammykyl]

even more so that it comes with BF3

Not according to the article below, seems it is a marketing ploy.

but lately on other boards I have seen other GTX 560 TI 1g cards anywhere from $229, all the way down to $199. I dont think the other cards had the 448 cores and was wondering how much that would really help.

Lowest price without 448 cores. More explanations in the same article.

http://www.xbitlabs....ores.html#sect0

2 more,

http://www.tomshardw...hmark,3082.html
http://www.hardwareh...troduction.html

Different sites get slightly different results, but you can see a trend across the board.

I think the question would be, would I likely to use 2 or 3 monitors in the future? What price do I want to pay for the performance?

[iammykyl]

1. If I run 2 of the Nvidia cards you listed (

http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814500231

) would I eventually be able to run 3 monitors total. And would it even be worth it to run this particular card SLI.

Please look back at Post #7.

2. Would the 620W PSU I have picked out be enough to run 2 of these. I looked at all the details on newegg and couldn't see anywhere where it said how much it takes to run just 1

No, 620W would not be enough, we will have to recalculate after parts selection anyway. You have to go to the Manufacturers website and find the system requirements,

I honestly don't think you will need 2 cards. You would need a large PSU, the cards would generate a lot more heat, you may have to go for a case with better air flow and control.

I would put my money into the monitor.