[Gaberial]

Hey guys, was hopeing yall could check my current build specs. It is going to be a game rig. Want to make sure this will do the trick and not going totaly overkill on something that could be better spent on something else. The budget for this is going to be around 1300 hopefully.

Mobo: ASUS P8Z68-V PRO/GEN3
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131790
Wanted to get a fairly strong mobo for obvious reasons. Thought this was a a good choice without breaking my budget

CPU: I7 2600k
Not posting a link as this should be pretty obvious. Dont plan on overclocking right away but like the option to do so.

GPU: HIS IceQ X Turbo H695QNT2G2M Radeon HD 6950
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814161372
Everything ive read on various sights say this is a pretty good card. I know its out of stock atm so if yall have any other suggestions be my guest. keep in mind i plan on doing extended play times (I play an MMO Starwars the Old Republic to be exact) so thought a 2 gig card would be a good choice.

Ram: G.SKILL Sniper Gaming Series 16GB
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231534
Again this seems a good choice for extended play sessions but not sure how good the heat sinks on this would be.

PSU: Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817371049
Pretty sure this PSU will have the power to get the job done

Case 1: COOLER MASTER HAF 932
http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811119160
Am currently torn between this case and the one below. Both seem to offer enough room to accomadate aftermarket cooling later on for OCing but not sure which to get. Any suggestions?

Case 2: IN WIN Dragon Rider
http://www.newegg.co...in dragon rider

This is the basis for my rig so far.
I plan on reusing my old disk drive since its still working just fine and reuseing my old HDD till prices on HDDs drop back down from the flooding in tailand.

If yall have any suggestions on better picks or any adjustments to be made please let me know! Thanks again guys!

Gabe

PS an OEM copy of windows 7 Home Premium should work just fine right? Pretty sure it will be fine, but wanted to make sure. Thanks again.

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A couple comments.

As for cases, I will never have one without a removable washable air filter. The IN WIN has one for the PSU, but not for the case interior where many heat sensitive devices live. I would get a Antec Nine Hundred.

PS an OEM copy of windows 7 Home Premium should work just fine right?

As long as this is a new copy and not one used on another computer (or upgraded motherboard). For example, if this OEM license is currently installed on that old hard drive you are planning on using, transferring that to this new computer is not legal. OEM licenses are inextricably tied to the "original" equipment - in this case, to the old motherboard.

[Digerati]

A couple comments.

As for cases, I will never have one without a removable washable air filter. The IN WIN has one for the PSU, but not for the case interior where many heat sensitive devices live. I would get a Antec Nine Hundred.

PS an OEM copy of windows 7 Home Premium should work just fine right?

As long as this is a new copy and not one used on another computer (or upgraded motherboard). For example, if this OEM license is currently installed on that old hard drive you are planning on using, transferring that to this new computer is not legal. OEM licenses are inextricably tied to the "original" equipment - in this case, to the old motherboard.

[iammykyl]

Amen to Digerati's case choice.

Real world gaming between the 2600K vs 2500K, is virtually Nil.
http://www.anandtech...duct/288?vs=287
http://www.tomshardw...ock,3106-4.html

RAM. 8BF is more than enough for gaming. Consider using a faster RAM with lower latency. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820231445


there is a lot to be gained from using a SSD, suggestion. http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820233191 Is your existing


Is your Optical Drive SATA?

[Gaberial]

OK so far im getting, the I5 2500k is realisticly a better choice since price tag is lower, and stats are basicly the same for my purposes (i had heard this but didnt think to take it into account) ok and i can understand the filters on the fans for the computer but your thinking of the antec df 85 or something like that ... i know the antec 900 doesnt have any filters on the fans for one specific reason. Im useing one right now lol. Also if youll knowtice the cases i chose where full tower cases, was hopeing for those since they tend to have an easyer time with heat, cooling, and cable management. The 900 you suggested is a mid tower case. Sorry i should have mentioned that.

also yes my disk drive is sata, its about 4 or 5 years old but realisticly its been used less then 100 times in that span.

Everything ive read about latancy specs on ram from here, toms hardware and such says its got very little to do with the overall capabilities for the ram. I can understand 16 gigs being overkill but i didnt think the higher clock speeds meant that much. Now im not saying your lieing ,just i guess im not fully understanding the difference. (this is why i ask yall these questions cause i admit i dont have these answeres lol)

one last thing, the SSDs once more the only thing ive really read that it helps was OS boot times. Does it actualy help with performance of the games i wanna play? cause i could care less if it takes me 10 seconds (average for ssd) or 1.5 minutes to get into my OS. If there is other features of this new shiney peice of hardware people are raving about let me know and ill see if i can work it into my budget.

thanks again guys!

[Digerati]

i know the antec 900 doesnt have any filters on the fans for one specific reason. Im useing one right now lol.

Rats! I don't how I did that - I know not all Antecs have filters too. The Three Hundred surely does, and so does the DF-30, or the full ATX, Twelve Hundred V3.

Thanks for pointing that out - I think I have posted the 900 in a couple places I need to go back and check now.

A well designed mid tower case is easy to cool, and if you don't get a slim one, many provide good, even behind the motherboard cable management. Full towers are nice - especially when digging around inside, but they are really big and heavy and most people just don't need a full tower, unless they are using a whole bunch of disk drives - as a sever might.

[Gaberial]

Ok well i guess my last couple attempts at builds used mid tower cases and still had heating problems. I keep canned air around for the express purpose of keeping fans and heat sinks clean. Normaly a monthly thing to clean dust out (live in TX, lots of dust). Still have heating issues on my antec 900, the only way i have been able to keep heat to a manageable level is to leave the side off the case and if worse comes to worse is to put a high powered table fan on the mobo. Computer runs fine 90% of the time unless im doing intense play sessions on MMOs like raiding that pushes all components harder then i get crashes and freezes. So its made me paranoid, If you have some suggestions on cases that are well known to have cooling better then the 900 and still mid tower im all ears. water cooling has always had an appeal but simply not in the budget.

I guess since ill prolly be going with the i5 rather then the i7 i could reinvest the money into an aftermarket cooler for the CPU but im still paranoid about accidently cooking my shiney new system to be. My current system runs the old Q6600 which if i remember right always ran hotter then what was designed or something.

OH digerati said an OEM copy is only good for one install? if i bought a full retail (not oem) version of win 7 would it allow me to reinstall more then once? cause id rather spend the extra to get that incase something happens like the mobo takes a dive or heaven forbid a power surge fries the system (no one ever expects it to happen but we all know its possible)

gabe

ps if you need any other info to help me finalize this build let me know

[Digerati]

OH digerati said an OEM copy is only good for one install? if i bought a full retail (not oem) version of win 7 would it allow me to reinstall more then once?

Yes. You can install it over and over again - AS LONG AS it is install ONLY on one computer at a time.

Also, just to clarify, you can reinstall an OEM license on the SAME machine (with same motherboard) over and over again too. You just cannot (legally) install an OEM license on a new machine, or upgraded motherboard.

And finally, the issue with the Antec Nine Hundred has been cleared thanks imamykyl. The Antec Nine Hundred Two has washable air filters.

[iammykyl]

but i didnt think the higher clock speeds meant that much.

The performance gain is probable not that great for most applications, but it is there, so my thinking has been that the cost is not all that great and every bit of performance gain is worth having.

http://www.tomshardw...ng-i7,2325.html

"It's only when you get down to DDR3-1333 that you see a minor performance penalty. The sweet spot appears to be at DDR3-1600, where you will see a minor performance increase over DDR3-1333 with only a slight increase in cost. The performance increase gained by going up to DDR3-1866 or DDR3-2133 isn't nearly as pronounced." http://www.anandtech...the-best-ddr3/8

Does it actually help with performance of the games i wanna play?

http://www.tomshardw...t-ssd,3062.html

do you want some full towers listed?

[Gaberial]

ok so deffinently going with a full box copy of win 7. Never know when some catastrophic event trashes a system and i can see useing win 7 for at least 2 builds (this one and the next, by then win 8 should be out but not holding my breath, have not been impressed by the lil peeks ive seen of that OS)

as for the links for the memory ill re-read those tonight after work.

The case issues as i said im open to the idea of useing anouther mid tower case but after all the problems ive had with my current build useing an antec 900 even with regular cleanings of the fans and components heat has always been an issue, so i figured id give a full tower a shot but i do like the smaller profile and weight of the mid towers.

[iammykyl]

Have a look at the Antec Performance cases. http://www.antec.com...php?Family=Ng==
I have the slightly older P182for 3 years. It came with a 200mm top/120mm rear exhaust fans, I added a 120mm front intake. All fans are set at middle speed. I live in Queensland, temps often go over 36C, not rain for 5 weeks, gets very dusty. We do not have air conditioning. Room temp now is 29C. I clean the filter ever couple of months, never very dirty, the inside every 6 months, PSU fan gets quite dusty. I have never had an overheating problem.

Edit.

Easiest way to find out about filters is to look at the user manual for each case you are interested in.

Edited by iammykyl, 20 February 2012 - 07:10 PM.

[Gaberial]

Alright, well thank you for all your input but it seems my new computer is being put on hold as an issue has sadly drained the money id saved up but will be checking back in at some unknown time in the future to conferm a build once im not so broke again. Regardless you guys rock, and will always rank in my books at the most awsome Geeks on the web. Thanks again.

This is why i suddenly stopped responding .. FYI blown water pumps for household plumbing is rather expensive *cry* lol didnt want you guys thinking i just stopped careing what yall said.

Will continue to read your guys advice and learning everything i can!

Gabe

[iammykyl]

Hi gabe.

what a pain. Repairs, one of the joys of being a house owner, that or the car.


Yes, do keep in touch. The topic will not be closed, so when you are ready, "just whistle"