Hello everyone,
 
I just got badly burned at cyberpowerpc (go figure) so i'm looking to buy a new rig. I would like the following to play all latest titles on ultra on a single, 27inch 60hz monitor:
 
i7 2700 (upgrade from the i7 2600 a good idea?), stock
2xSLI 570s, stock
1600mhz RAM, either 8GB or 16GB (what do you think?)
 
I am not into overclocking. I am a minimalist but cooling is still critical, right? In the future, I would evolve with more VRAM, so maybe 2xSLI 2GB 680s etc, whatever comes up, so i'll need a PSU to handle that change, 1000W?
 
I'll throw in a HD, bluray and no SSD.
 
I am thinking about Digital Storm, Falcon Northwest, Maingear or Origin? What do you think? I would like to spend some money but keeping it on the tighter budget, aiming at system reliability. I would love to hear your feedback! Also, is wooden crate shipping a must?
 
Thank you,
 
J

Build your own.  There is no such thing as  "budget gaming rig" from a maker, especially Falconware in the specs your talking about

Thanks for the response. I've never built my own though. Do you have an opinion on those brands that i mentioned or anything to add regarding the specs?
 
J

Definitely look at building yourself if you can. By the way stay away from Digital Storm. They have some real lousy pc part choices and recommendations. They actually tend to recommend their OWN Digital Storm branded psu and memory parts over other well known name brand parts. I actually am boggled as to WHY they get so many glowing reviews from magazines and pc users even though they have lackluster choices.

If your willing to pay the difference between the i7 2600K and the i7 2700K then i'd shoot for it. But... Just so you know, the K series processors are for overclocking. It's very simple and takes no time to do it, so... If your willing to give it about an hour of your time to read up on an overclocking guide to increase your speed to 4.5GHz or so you might want to save your money and just go with an i7 2600K.
 
I'd shoot for a single GTX 580 for your video card:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130704
 
If you went the GTX 680 route, you would be okay with a solid 700w PSU. SLI GTX 680's do not even top 500w. 
http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-680-sli-review/4

what resolution is that 27"? 

it's a 1080 27inch.
Ok, I'll go down the self build route! Any ideas where i can locate a good guide to build a PC? Also, any guides on how to configure BIOS correctly? Are there any pitfalls that i should be aware of, something i should really look out for?
Thanks,
Jonathan

Biggest pitfalls to avoid:
-make sure to ground yourself from ESD (static discharge) before handling the components outside of their anti-static bags
-make sure to invest in as decent a motherboard as you can afford. the mobo is one component you never want to skimp on as all the other parts are more easily upgradeable
-16GB of RAM is plenty for gaming, only get 32GB+ if you actually need it for things like virtualization or RAM Disk and if the price difference between the 16GB kit is negligible
-speaking of RAM, try to buy what you'll need all in a single kit, as RAM kits have sticks that are matched to work together with the fewest headaches.
-get good thermal paste like Arctic Silver for your fan/heatsink assy. don't use the default gunk that come preinstalled on the heatsink
-when turning on your new machine for the first time, enter the BIOS splash screen first (usually by pressing DEL at startup) and make sure your SATA controller (for the hard drive/s) is set to AHCI instead of IDE. do this before installing Windows 7 or whatever OS you're going to use (XP will require some extra steps to enable AHCI but I'm assuming you won't be using that fossilized OS?)
-I don't care what some people may say, SSD's are TOTALLY worth it! invest in a Samsung 830 series SSD for the right balance of price/capacity/performance/reliability
-carefully check the specs of any motherboard you're considering and post any question you might have regarding features and functions here. I'd recommend EVGA (obviously), ASUS, ASRock or Gigabyte as good brands to buy a mobo from
 
If I think of anything else I'll post it later. Good Luck!

Hello everyone,
 
Ok, I've been reading and it looks like i'm going to build my first rig! I wouldn't be able to do it were it not for your advice, thank you very much!! And thank you for all the tips on what to really watch out for, i'll be careful.
 
I'm am thinking about this setup:
i7 2700k - i read that the 2500 is sufficient but how about future-proofing this core component to a certain degree?
ASUS P8Z68
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600
2xSLI GTX570 stock - you posted that single 580 is a better idea, but how about taking advantage of price drop in 570 and having an SLI setup, wouldn't it outperform the single 580? Also, read that OCing is sometimes giving issues on BF3
SeaSonic Platinum 860W
500GB hardrive 7800
blurayR,DVDRW
 
I don't know what case i could get, Corsair, Thermaltake maybe? Also, CPU cooling looking at the H80, or could i go for the H100? And how can i install extra air cooling fans in my case?
 
The story with my current cyberpowerpc rig is the following: i've RMA'd 3 times, worked with EVGA tech and cyberppc tech on devices, drivers, mem tests, GPU tests, etc etc, OS re-install to no avail. I have just given up. So i might cannibalize the rig for my new one or just swipe it. I've had TDRs, BSODs, graphics annomalies, freeze ups, says that there are disk errors when i install new games (DVD dirty, bad cab. etc), just a nightmare. Finally, my last game Skyrim, running smooth on Ultra with 4xAA and High Res Textpack, just started crashing, so that was the last straw OMG!
 
Here are the specs of my current rig:
i7 2600 3.4
Corsair XMS 16GB
Asetek 510 LC 120MM watercooler
Gigabye Z68A D3H B3
Raidmax 850 Gold
2xSLI GTX560 TI DS (2x1GB)
Win 7 home
 
First time i got it, it was DOA with no sound, broken fan. Second RMA one GTX was out, 3rd RMA i can't even remember! Well, at least i learn't alot, before this i was on a Mac.
 
Anyway, not giving up!
 
J

Looks good, although I'm not sure about spending the extra $40 for the 2700k vs 2600k when there isn't much difference.  The 2500k/2550k is plenty future proof - games hardly take advantage of four cores still.  Installing fans is as easy as screwing them in where they fit.  The H80/H100 are great choices if you plan on overclocking, and as for a case, the Silverstone RV03 is the mid-budget case to beat.  Airflow design is the best out there, and it has great cable management too.  

hi,
 
any thoughts on the tj04 evolution? Pressure dust prevention?
 
J

jonathancoleevga


hi,

any thoughts on the tj04 evolution? Pressure dust prevention?

J

 
I wouldn't get it since its GPU cooling and overall airflow design looks rather poor.  If you like more sleek cases, try the Lian-Li PC-A70F.  

Thanks for all of your information!
 
I'm am thinking about this setup:
i7 2700k - i read that the 2500 is sufficient but how about future-proofing this core component to a certain degree?
ASUS P8Z68 - is this good enough of a MoBo? I am not planning on doing any OC'ing.
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600
2xSLI GTX570 stock - having an SLI setup, wouldn't it outperform a single 580? Also, read that OCing is sometimes giving issues on BF3
SeaSonic Platinum 860W - should i go for 1000W?
500GB hardrive 7800
blurayR,DVDRW 
Case, how about a Corsair Carbide 500R or a Thermaltake Element T?
CPU cooling looking at the Corsair H80, or could i go for the H100?
Do you have any ideas on how to get the best fans for that case?
 
Thank you,
J

As others have said, building your own will be a rewarding experience. It will not only cost less, but give you a better selection of higher quality components and more importantly, build your confidence in working with hardware. If you simply don't want to BYO, then I'd recommend Maingear over others for value and reliability.
 

jonathancoleevga
I'm am thinking about this setup:
i7 2700k - i read that the 2500 is sufficient but how about future-proofing this core component to a certain degree?
ASUS P8Z68 - is this good enough of a MoBo? I am not planning on doing any OC'ing.
Corsair Vengeance 16GB DDR3 1600
2xSLI GTX570 stock - having an SLI setup, wouldn't it outperform a single 580? Also, read that OCing is sometimes giving issues on BF3
SeaSonic Platinum 860W - should i go for 1000W?
500GB hardrive 7800
blurayR,DVDRW 
Case, how about a Corsair Carbide 500R or a Thermaltake Element T?
CPU cooling looking at the Corsair H80, or could i go for the H100?
Do you have any ideas on how to get the best fans for that case?

 
I would really skip the closed-loop water cooling solutions. They're not always as good as regular old air-based coolers, and worse: they can add unnecessary vibrations to your case producing more unwanted noise. Even the "good" Corsair water coolers are not great. Save your money and go with an air-cooler that has good reviews. Best value for performance would be Xigametk, but there are many better performers out there. Just don't buy Zalman coolers, as they're overpriced for what you get out of them.  But if you *really* wanted water-cooling, roll your own system, which I wouldn't recommend for your first PC build. Use air-cooling for your first build. Cheaper and easier to work with. Can you tell I have an aversion towards liquid cooling? lol.
 
Best fans: I used to love the Scythe SFF fans, but they no longer make those. If you want some of the best fans, there's a good variety out there. If you want highest airflow per fan, Delta or Rexus is ideal, but they're also NOISY! If you want the most quiet fans I'd go with Noctua or SilenX. The absolutely most quiet fans I've ever had the pleasure of working with are Noiseblocker models. You can't get Noiseblocker from Newegg, though, so have to hit up the hardware enthusiast etailers/resellers for those.
 
Also, I'd highly recommend going third-gen SSD for your boot drive. They're worked out pretty much all of the stuttering issues with the latest Sandforce, Samsung, and Indilinx controllers. Go with either an OCZ, Samsung, Kingston, Corsair, or Intel SSD. I'm really liking the new Samsung 830 series and the Kingston V200 series. I used to be a fan of the OCZ Vertex line, but their firmware issues always leave me POed. Intel SSDs are the shinning example of reliability with performance (but not bleeding edge performance), yet you pay a premium price for them.
 
For your data drive(s), go with Western Digital Black or higher-end Seagate Barracuda drives. I like WD because you know the "Black", "RE", and "Velociraptor" series are higher performing drives. For Seagate, their models are all over the place, same great, some cruddy. Both WD and Seagate have good track records for reliability. Avoid Toshiba and Samsung HDDs like the plague.

PM Sent

cipher,
 
THank you for that complete and detailed answer! I feel that i'm getting pointed in the right direction and getting good support, excellent!!
 
Do you feel that air cooling with be enough for my setup with SLI cards etc? Is liquid cooling just for OCing the CPU? I can afford to get a liquid cooler, i am really looking for stability after my last experience with cyberpowerpc :-(
 
J
 

As far as CPU coolers go, with the Core i7 2600K/2700K setup it's easy to go past 4.0GHz on even a midrange air cooler. I'd recommend anything Noctua makes for the LGA1155 socket. The only thing I hate about their fans/heatsinks is that hideous tan coloration but they perform like a champ.
 
As far as fans, you want the right balance of performance to noise. Some fans are really quiet but don't move much air at the same time. Others (*cough* Delta *cough*) move more ait than a jet engine but make your PC sound like it's taking off for flight everytime you boot it up (good effect if you like MS Flight Simulator X though hehe). Scythe fans are always a good balance as well as Noctua fans (if you can stand that god-awful coloring scheme).
 
I also second what boredgunner said about the difference between the 2600K and the 2700K. The extra .1-.2 GHz isn't worth the added expense, especially when OC'ing renders that difference completely negligible anyways.
 
Asus X68 Pro is a fine choice in my opinion. You don't want the bottom-tier Asus models but the Pro version is a nice midrange option.

Sorry, I missed the part where you said you don't care about overclocking >.<
 
In that case definitely stay away from the Corsair H80/100 as they are complete overkill. Also, if you want to cut some expense and you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you don't want to OC in the future, you *could* go for the Core i7 2600 (non-K locked-multiplier version). Only if you are 100% sure you don't want overclocking ever in the future since this chip is not able to OC at all.

anony-moose
Others (*cough* Delta *cough*) move more ait than a jet engine but make your PC sound like it's taking off for flight everytime you boot it up (good effect if you like MS Flight Simulator X though hehe). Scythe fans are always a good balance as well as Noctua fans (if you can stand that god-awful coloring scheme).

 
QFT. Isn't it funny that Noctua wants to keep their fans that unique color scheme? It's the only thing keeping me buying Noiseblocker and Scythe fans instead.
 

anony-moose
Asus X68 Pro is a fine choice in my opinion. You don't want the bottom-tier Asus models but the Pro version is a nice midrange option.

 
Asus is also first choice on my list for motherboards. EVGA used to be my first pick in the X58 and earlier days, but not anymore.
 
OP, pretty much if you want to go expensive enthusiast, you have X79 chipset with Core i7 CPUs ~or~ 990FX chipset with AMD FX CPUs. For mid-range you can go Z68 chipset with Core i5 CPUs ~or~ the 970 chipset with any AMD AM3+ compatible socket CPU. I'm partial to Intel ever since the Core 2 days, so I wouldn't really recommend AMD unless you wanted to save some money.
 

anony-moose
In that case definitely stay away from the Corsair H80/100 as they are complete overkill. Also, if you want to cut some expense and you are ABSOLUTELY POSITIVE you don't want to OC in the future, you *could* go for the Core i7 2600 (non-K locked-multiplier version). Only if you are 100% sure you don't want overclocking ever in the future since this chip is not able to OC at all.

 
And again, QFT. :)

hello again,
 
Awesome stuff, thank you. I feel guided out of the fog and ready to start looking for items.
 
Looks like i'm going to go the air cooling system with Noctua since  this is also my first build and it sounds like it's easier to install and work with.
 
Regarding the MoBo, if i'm going to get a quality item, shoudn't i focus on that one? Is my choice good enough? Could i up it a bit while staying with ASUS and the same architecture, i7? ASUS seems to get excellent reviews.
 
Scythe fans sound good, I'll see how i can install those in my case. Any feedback on the Element T by Thermaltake or the Carbide 500R by Corsair? In the latter, i'm worried about external fax controls interferring with BIOS setup? Doesnt' the MoBo/BIOS control the speed of the fans? I would rather not have an extra fan controller. What do you think?
 
Since i'm in the nitty gritty, any recommendations on a DVD read/burn and Bluray read?
 
Finally, should i go for 1000W PSU?
 
thank you,
 
J
 
 
 

hi,
 
regarding RAM, should i go for dual or quad channel kit for 16gb 1600 corsaire vengeance 9-9-9-24? same price on newegg.
 
j

jonathancoleevga
Regarding the MoBo, if i'm going to get a quality item, shoudn't i focus on that one? Is my choice good enough? Could i up it a bit while staying with ASUS and the same architecture, i7? ASUS seems to get excellent reviews.

When you're looking at mid-range and high-end motherboards, I'd always recommend ASUS, every time. ASUS has an impressive record for performance and reliability in motherboards targeting the gaming market. I've never seen solid reliability from Gigabyte (seen various issues from thermal sensors to on-board chips die). I've never, ever liked MSI. Foxconn reliability is fine, as they make a wide range of boards for a ton of manufacturers including Dell, but they don't compete much in the high-end market. ASRock is part of ASUS, but its product range is targeted at the value side of the market. I completely avoid ECS, even though they're a huge manufacturer like Foxconn, as I just don't trust them (but that taint is personal). EVGA is usually reliable, and I used to love their motherboards, but their X79 offerings just can't compete in the high-end market anymore for features and capabilities. So as a mid-range board they're too expensive. So from all of that, ASUS for the win.
 
ASUS X79-based motherboards (high-end Intel): http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001315%20600238945&IsNodeId=1&name=LGA%202011
 
ASUS Z68-based motherboards (mid-range Intel): http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001315%20600158412&IsNodeId=1&name=Intel%20Z68
 
ASUS 990FX-based motherboards (high-end AMD): http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007625%2050001315%20600166242&IsNodeId=1&name=AMD%20990FX
 
ASUS 970-based motherboards (mid-range AMD): http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007625%2050001315%20600166260&IsNodeId=1&name=AMD%20970
 

jonathancoleevga
Since i'm in the nitty gritty, any recommendations on a DVD read/burn and Bluray read?

Just about any one is fine. The different brands vary in performance and reliability, but I've never gone wrong with a Lite-On, LG, or Plextor. The Plextor models used to be amazingly robust drives, but now they're just like anything else.
 

jonathancoleevga
Finally, should i go for 1000W PSU?

The +12V amperage rating is more important than overall wattage. It depends upon what CPU you want to run, what video card, how many video cards, and how many hard disk drives. An 850W or better would be fine for just about any system with a single video card. Once you narrow what you want, look for a power supply to match. I love Seasonic power supplies, as they're the closest I've seen to the reliability of PC Power & Cooling power supplies before OCZ bought them out. If at all possible, get a model with either a single or double +12V rail. Don't fall for the quad or more rail power supply hype. A single rail will have fewer issues and less complication.

jonathancoleevga
regarding RAM, should i go for dual or quad channel kit for 16gb 1600 corsaire vengeance 9-9-9-24? same price on newegg.

 
For AMD and Intel Z68 systems, you would use dual-channel kits.
 
For Intel X79 systems, you would use quad-channel kits.

cypher, once again, you are a great source of knowledge, thank you!
 
It looks like i'm going to hit the 1000W mark, since i'm planning on i72700k + 1HDD + 1bluray + 2xSLI570 + high end air cooler + max fans to start off with, and then another HDD and a SSD down the line. Better be safe than sorry on the PSU side? Can you recommend one that has the right amperage, i have no clue regarding electrical setups?
 
what's your take on avoiding the vanilla colored Noctua cooler? (Noctua sounds like a brand of sleeping pills)
 
j

jonathancoleevga
It looks like i'm going to hit the 1000W mark, since i'm planning on i72700k + 1HDD + 1bluray + 2xSLI570 + high end air cooler + max fans to start off with, and then another HDD and a SSD down the line. Better be safe than sorry on the PSU side? Can you recommend one that has the right amperage, i have no clue regarding electrical setups?

SSDs and optical drives don't take up much power. CPUs and GPUs (on video cards) demand the most, with the motherboard second, and 3.5" hard drives last.
 
If you want to run SLI, then yes, I'd go ahead and get anywhere from a 1000W to a 1200W. Here's some of my recommendations...

• $220 SeaSonic 1050W, 80Plus Gold rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151110
• $220 Corsair 1050W, 80Plus Silver rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139034
• $260 Enermax 1000W, 80Plus Gold rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194101
• $260 SeaSonic 1000W, 80Plus Platinum rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151105
• $280 Corsair 1200W, 80Plus Gold rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139014
• $290 Enermax 1000W, 80Plus Platinum rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194097
• $330 Enermac 1200W, 80Plus Platinum rated: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817194096

To give you an idea about "80Plus" ratings, it's a measurement of efficiency. The more efficient a power supply is, the less input power is wasted as heat. Platinum is the highest rating, followed by gold, silver, bronze, and the regular 80Plus. http://www.plugloadsolutions.com/80PlusPowerSupplies.aspx

jonathancoleevga
what's your take on avoiding the vanilla colored Noctua cooler? (Noctua sounds like a brand of sleeping pills)

Noctua makes some great fans, it's just that their color scheme is a turn off to many. The only other disadvantage is that they're expensive. Then again so is Noisebreaker and some other brands.
 
PS: I'd wait for the other 600-series NVIDIA cards by EVGA to be released instead of buying the 570s. Of course you can buy the 570s now with a Step-Up program from EVGA for 670 or whatever models in the future.

If you plan on installing Windows on an HDD then upgrading to an SSD later, be aware of disk-cloning issues. SSD alignment is an important thing to maintain when installing/cloning to a solid state disk. It can affect performance, which would make spending the money on an SSD kinda pointless. On the other hand, reinstalling Windows, fresh install, is the bane of my existence, and I'm positive there are a lot of other people who are completely annoyed with fresh installs.
 
I might write a tutorial about disk-cloning and SSD-alignment in the future. I'm not sure if most commercial disk-image programs have updated features to accomodate SSD's yet. I use DriveImage XML which, at the time of my "Great Migration" from hard drive to solid-state, was the only way to keep partition alignment. I'm not sure if Norton Ghost or Acronis TrueImage have fixed this now, though. Any thoughts from people who've recently used those softwares?

Hi,
 
Regarding the MoBo, any advantages to taking the Deluxe versus the Pro on the ASUS P8Z68?
 
j

I think the Deluxe has 2 ethernet ports instead of just 1, but either board, it still comes with Intel ProSet integrated LAN (one of the best options available).
 
I'm not sure but I think the Deluxe has an NF chipset to accomodate more PCIe bandwidth. This is important if you run SLI and want an additional expansion slot like an audio card.
 
There are probably more differences, but these are just the ones I can think of off the top of my head

Hi,
 
I'm leaning towards either the Corsaire Carbide 300R or 500R, does anyone have any opinion? The 300R is supposed to be smaller, but i'm wondering if too small is a bad thing for air flow? The only reason i would go for the 300R is the esthetics.
 
 
 
J

The carbide 500R. My personal preference is that I absolutely hate working with small cases. I feel cramped with my components and it makes cable management a lot more of a chore. Hope this helps your decision