New Rig: compatibility, case, and keepin' it cool

[Mikka]

I'm in the process of building my first rig. It's sort of weird: I've been saving up for this for years- I put aside 5000, although obviously I'd prefer much cheaper (3000 at most, if possible). I thought I knew what I was doing, but the more I research, the more I end up second guessing myself.

The computer is primarily going to be used for various tasks that aren't too important (writing, surfing the web, some fairly minor video editing (nothing major)), and for gaming. I don't do FPS('s?), but I do play various MMO's of the non-WoW kind, other RPGs, and tons of strategy games (which tend to be easy enough to run themselves, but the mods go crazy).

I'm hoping to get a computer that's pretty darn good for now, but can still be upgraded easily as the world changes (as it inevitably will do). Currently, I'm looking at...

Newegg.com - ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-960 Bloomfield 3.2GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - Processors - Desktops

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Power Supplies

Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 12GB (6 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model HX3X12G1600C9 G - Desktop Memory (I believe this is complete and total overkill, but I actually already have this- someone gave it to me as a gift as they had bought it without checking compatibility...)

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive (likely x2)

Newegg.com - SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards

Newegg.com - ASUS VW246H Glossy Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 ASCR 20000:1 (1000:1) Built-in Speakers - LCD Monitors

Newegg.com - Logitech MX310 6 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB or PS/2 Wired Optical Mouse - Mice

Newegg.com - SENNHEISER PC156 3.5mm/ USB Circumaural Headset

What do I need? Obviously, a case: I would like one that looks 'cool' if not obnoxious, but functionality is more important then anything- a case that's easy to work with for a newb is necessary. I also need to know about cooling: I've read article after article, all informative, but I'm uncertain about the practical pieces: what will this set up need (the computer will be used a lot- at least 12 hours a day, and unfortunately probably more like 20)? I'm missing an optical drive: I was considering just pulling out one of my old ones and using it, but if there are suggestions for a good one, I'll gladly look.

And should I consider an SSD drive (it certainly sounds lovely, but for that price...)? Should I buy two of the Sapphire cards and try the Crossfire thing (how difficult is that to set up? am I understanding how it works correctly?)? Is anything I grabbed junk, too overkill, or needing to be upgraded? Am I missing anything? Will this be buildable? Again, I never have before, but... I am pretty good at following directions, if nothing else.

I'm sorry for all the questions. I would really appreciate any help or wisdom that can be offered. Thank you for reading; I'm sorry for the trouble.

[Ty44ler]

The computer is primarily going to be used for various tasks that aren't too important (writing, surfing the web, some fairly minor video editing (nothing major)), and for gaming. I don't do FPS('s?), but I do play various MMO's of the non-WoW kind, other RPGs, and tons of strategy games (which tend to be easy enough to run themselves, but the mods go crazy).

I put aside 5000, although obviously I'd prefer much cheaper (3000 at most, if possible)

I'm no computer building expert, but I must say that $3,000 to surf the internet and play light games is wayyyy overkill.

I'm currently getting one together below $400 that could easily handle all that and still have looks to boot.

[Aaron_8015]

Woah....

As said above that is way overkill to be spent on a computer (let alone web surfing and some MMO's...)

Thats if this is $ we are talking about......

$1000 will get you an awesome rig that will play anything.....

First skip the 960... get the baseline 920....

Mobo is good.

6gb of RAM is good also... but nothing wrong with getting the extra....

PSU is way, way overkill...... That unit could run a quad GPU setup with ease....... A good 500-600W will be fine...

The 5850 is a great card....

I would pick up a new DVD drive (pretty cheap these days)..

As to hard drives its your call.... For what you plan on using it for I say skip it and go with the WD caviar blacks instead....

(sorry can't post lists atm, mabye later).

Welcome to TechIMO by the way.

[Mikka]

Mmm, I figured as much with the money. Saving it up for the 'computer' meant I wasn't spending it, though, which certainly didn't hurt.

I don't think I explained my gaming correctly, though: although I don't do FPS, I don't think I'd quite call it light (maybe I'm mistaken, though?), as I do play most other genres. I'd like to be sure I can run good games that were unfortunately badly optimized: be it Oblivion with RAND's, GTA or flight sims (although I'm certainly not going to screw myself over worrying about the horrific requirements for X), as well as (Empire) Total War, World of Conflict, heck, I'd like to be able to run Vanguard and not have it attempt to eat my computer, but I have a dim recolation that Vanguard attempting to eat computers is sort of inevitable.


I really almost went with the 920 but second-guessed myself, so, thank you. As for the power supply, I wasn't sure about that all: I'll definitely downgrade there, then. Thank you both (and thanks for the welcome!).

Any thoughts about a case?

[ShyguyXPC]

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases Case is personal preference, but this one is a good choice for ease of use, and cooling.

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x2 (forget SSD, for your needs, one drive set for OS and Some programs, the other for storage, and you should be good to go)

Newegg.com - MSI R5850-PM2D1G OC Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Desktop Graphics / Video Cards Factory Overclocked as fast as models costing almost $50.

Newegg.com - OCZ ModXStream Pro OCZ600MXSP 600W ATX12V V2.2 / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - Power Supplies Should be more than enough for the system, and is only $5 more than the 500W model, plus free shipping, sweet deal. also modular, so you won't have as many unneeded cables laying about in the case.

Newegg.com - A-DATA Gaming Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model AX3U1600GB2G9-AG - Desktop Memory DDR3-1600MHz, leaves head room for Overclocking the CPU should you want to do that later. cheap, quality stuff. 4GB is more than you'll need for what you described your needs are.

Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Intel Motherboards

Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor - Processors - Desktops Newer board, has a couple USB 3.0 ports (10 times faster than USB 2.0, and backwards compatible with older USB), and a couple SATA III ports, twice as fast a SATA II, but few drives out that even use those speeds, but its there for future upgrades, also backwards compatible with older SATA.

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems You'll need 64-bit with 4GB RAM, and a 1GB video card, otherwise you'll lose use of system RAM, since 32bit only addresses a max of 4GB memory for entire system (RAM, Video, various cache's)

Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Megaflow 200 R4-LUS-07AR-GP 200mm Red LED Case Fan - Case Fans For Case Side panel (case can use 2x 120mm fans or a single 200mm fan on side panel)

Newegg.com - SAMSUNG Black 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Combo Drive - Bulk Model SH-B083L/BSBP LightScribe Support - Blu-Ray Drives a simple DVD Burner can be had for $25 or so, but figured if your adding a LCD with 1080 resolutions, and a newer Radeon card, might as well throw in a Bluray combo drive instead, plays Bluray movies, as well as functions as a DVD Burner. for another $25 you can add on a 2nd Drive, add a dedicated DVD Burner, and have 2 Optical drives installed.


minus the LCD Display, Keyboard and Mouse, a complete up to date gaming system there, for just a hair over $1300 after shipping, not factoring in Rebates.

technically its overkill even for most MMO's, and Strategy games. but its still much less than your original list.


Hmm, didn't realize you already had the RAM, well, ex that off the list then, you save $98 removing that, so now your looking at a $1200 build minus the display, mouse, and keyboard.

for CPU cooler, no real need for an aftermarket one, unless your planning on Overclocking it.

or you feel the need for a fancy looking cooler (but with the above case and side fan, you won't see the cooler unless side panel is off, or no fans used, just side grill vent)

[ShyguyXPC]

Oblivion will FLY on the above spec'd system, as it is, it FLIES on my main Game rig, listed in my sig below my post above.

can run at full 1920x1080 and get at least 60fps or better in outdoors with everything nearly maxed (shadows and some options like that still occasionally tank the frame rates, but no big surprise there, I also run it in HDR mode in game, and force Anti Aliasing to 4x in the Nvidia Drivers)

games like Crysis, I can run in 1920x1080, DirectX 10 64-bit mode, and 4x AA and most levels I get a good 40-60fps with most settings set to high, a few set to medium.

as it is, a Radeon 5850 blows away a GTX 285, so frames per second wise, and what not in most games, the listed system above should just fly.

I have a 9800GTX in my system for an extra GPU for Folding@Home, and for games that use PhysX (if your wondering why thats listed in my sig).

about the only reason really to get Socket 1366 right now, is the better bandwidth and handling of Dual, Triple, and Quad SLI and Crossfire with the Socket 1366 i7's greater PCI Express bandwidth.

otherwise for a single GPU system, 1156 is good enough, unless your running really high end cards, in Dual GPU, 1156 is still plenty fine as well.