Building a high end gaming system

[stevenchen]

I need a gaming system and I don't want to spend more money on this for 4-5years. So I came up with this.

ASUS P8Z68-V Pro GEN3 Z68 LGA1155 ATX 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2 PCI B3 Motherboard

Intel Core i7 2600K Quad Core Unlocked Hyperthreading Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Sandy Bridge 8MB

ASUS GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II Fermi 782MHZ 1536MB GDDR5 2xDVI Mini-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card

Kingston KHX2133C11D3K4/16GX 16GB 2133MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 4) XMP

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB 3.5IN 16MB Cache SATA3 Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD

ASUS BC-12B1ST Internal 12X Blu-Ray Reader & 16X DVD Writer Combo Drive OEM

Thermaltake Level 10 GT LCS Black E-ATX Computer Case W/ Built-In CPU Liquid Cooling USB3.0 2X5.25


My budget is around 2000CAD. Is there any advice?thx

 

[Anusha]

Really bad time to get a video card though. Cannot u wait for Keplar? (Gtx670 or 680)

 

[jgrahl]

Use an SSD for increased speed. I know price might be an issue here. With fewer available GB, the SSD will just need to be managed for storage space. Other than that, any recommendation would be of personal preference.

 

[entropy13]

Do away with that Level 10 GT LCS system.

Actually if you can wait, wait some more, a month or so.

 

[Lionheart]

Most of it looks great, I would take out the RAM as you don't need a 16GB kit, just by looking at it I can tell its for the X79 platform, being quad channel, just buy a good branded dual channel 8GB kit (2 x 4GB)

I would also grab an SSD for a boot up drive, 60GB - 120GB would be perfectly fine....and I wouldn't buy the GTX 580, AMD's new cards are out and obviously are beastly but I would wait for Nvidia's kepler to launch which should be in a couple of weeks to see how they compare too each other

 

[Dent1]

^ I think 16GBs is fine, RAM is so cheap why not? Also he isnt upgrading for atleast 5 years, who knows if his gaming requirements might change to something more memory intensive within that time frame.

I need a gaming system and I don't want to spend more money on this for 4-5years. So I came up with this.

ASUS GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II Fermi 782MHZ 1536MB GDDR5 2xDVI Mini-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card

Not really the best choice of card considering what AMD offers. There is no guarantee that any card or component we recommend can last 5 years as hardware requirements and gaming requirements move so fast. All we can do is shoot for the best and hope to be lucky.

Also I would look at Intel Ivy Bridge, reviews show it consistently faster than Sandy Bridge

 

[Fourstaff]

Wait a bit for IvyBridge, if you are going to build the PC for 4-5 years you should be able to wait for a bit more. Wait for Nvidia's 6xx series graphics card too. 8Gb of ram is good enough for now, you can add more down the road (sure this is considered upgrading, but its so minor I wouldn't consider it any more than plugging a new keyboard to your system). SSD is a must if you want to last for 5 years. Case is shit, get something more sensible like Corsair 600T.

 

[Aquinus]

I agree, unless your building a SB-E system, you're options will open up a lot more if you wait a month because you should have Kepler around as well as IVB. Not to say you shouldn't build a new rig yet, but it might be worth while to wait to at least see how fast these new technologies are.

 

[stevenchen]

Ok Thx
So I'll wait for nvidia 6xx(but what exactly is the difference between 6xx and gtx5xx?)
Also Do I really need a water cooling system for this fit?

 

[phanbuey]

Watercooling takes constant maintenance... it is definitely not a "set it and forget it" system.

I as for the case, I would get something like the corsair line of cases - I personally like the corsair 650 D, or the raidmax monster...

 

[cadaveca]

I need a gaming system and I don't want to spend more money on this for 4-5years. So I came up with this.

ASUS P8Z68-V Pro GEN3 Z68 LGA1155 ATX 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2 PCI B3 Motherboard

Intel Core i7 2600K Quad Core Unlocked Hyperthreading Processor LGA1155 3.4GHZ Sandy Bridge 8MB

ASUS GeForce GTX 580 DirectCU II Fermi 782MHZ 1536MB GDDR5 2xDVI Mini-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card

Kingston KHX2133C11D3K4/16GX 16GB 2133MHZ DDR3 NON-ECC CL11 DIMM (Kit of 4) XMP

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB 3.5IN 16MB Cache SATA3 Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD

ASUS BC-12B1ST Internal 12X Blu-Ray Reader & 16X DVD Writer Combo Drive OEM

Thermaltake Level 10 GT LCS Black E-ATX Computer Case W/ Built-In CPU Liquid Cooling USB3.0 2X5.25


My budget is around 2000CAD. Is there any advice?thx

My advice is to not get GTX580. Either wait for Kepler to come, or...

Get a 570, and add an SSD instead(even if only 60GB). The ssd can be used with the mechanical drive on Z68 to increase the speed of the mechanical drive, and commonly used files will be left on the SSD for fast access.

Also, drop the watercooling...LGA 1155 rigs do not need watercooling. If you plan to overclock, invest in a decent air cooler, as these chips do not comsume so much power that watercooling is required. Mind you, if you are getting the case with that built in, go for it, I guess. That's not my first choice of cases, but maybe that's a personal choice of mine. Cases come in all shapes and sizes.

 

[lilhasselhoffer]

Ok Thx
So I'll wait for nvidia 6xx(but what exactly is the difference between 6xx and gtx5xx?)
Also Do I really need a water cooling system for this fit?

Short answer:
6xx is the next generation of the Nvidea cards.

Long answer:
The 6xx series (generally seen as 6x0) is the first die shrink in three generations. It has the potential to boost performance, and decrease operational temperatures, substantially. The release of Kepler (name of the 6xx series architecture), depending upon who you talk to, is going to be a substantial leap forward from the current 5xx series.


Don't water cool. While the system can be overclocked more efficiently using water, you wind up with a heck of a lot more work. Even the sealed pre-fab water coolers (corsair H series, etc...) only hold a warranty of a few years. Air coolers don't have a functional lifetime, as fans are easy to make very reliable. None of this even considers that low end water cooling and high end air cooling share similar prices and performances. If you're going for a sit and forget unit that should last five years skip the water cooling.

 

[Vulpesveritas]

Ok Thx
So I'll wait for nvidia 6xx(but what exactly is the difference between 6xx and gtx5xx?)
Also Do I really need a water cooling system for this fit?

The 6xx series are running a new architecture and on 28nm.
Right now, AMD has the fastest GPU with the Radeon HD 7970, however we're waiting to find out if the GTX 680 beats it.

Which the Radeon HD 7950 is the same price as the GTX 580 right now and is faster by the way, sadly you don't get PhysX, although you get eyefinity.

Also, yes wait for IB if you're going with an Intel motherboard and have a decent budget.

Water cooling... you don't need it unless you are trying to reach high OCs (without going to extremes like liquid nitrogen). The corsair hydro series closed loop systems are nice, but otherwise there is a lot of hassle.
Case wise it is up to your aesthetic choices mainly. But get something with decent airflow as well. But yeah ditch the 10 lcs.

But yeah, wait for kepler and ivy bridge to come out, and go ivy bridge and either AMD or Nvidia, whichever is faster at the high end.

 

[stevenchen]

which one is better?
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H40 Core High Performance CPU Cooler System LGA1366 1156 AM2 AM3 No Fan
OR
Corsair Cooling Air Series A70 HIGH-PERFORMANCE DUAL-FAN CPU Cooler LGA1155 LGA1156 LGA1366 AM2 AM3

I don't like lot of noise, so i prefer first one. But I still post it up for some professional advice.



BTW I change my fit to this
ASUS P8Z68-V Pro GEN3 Z68 LGA1155 ATX 3PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 2 PCI B3 Motherboard or Z77

Corsair Enthusiast Series TX850M 850W ATX Modular Power Supply Active PFC 120MM Fan 5 Year Warranty

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 500GB 3.5IN 16MB Cache SATA3 Internal Hard Disk Drive HDD

Corsair CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9 Vengeance 16GB 4X4GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 Dual Channel Memory Kit

Corsair Obsidian Series 650D Mid-Tower Case ATX 4X5.25 6X3.5INT USB USB3.0 1394 Fan C

OCZ Vertex Plus 120GB 2.5IN SATA2 Indilinx Solid State Disk Flash Drive SSD

i7 IB

gtx6xx or 7970

 

[eidairaman1]

have you thought about LGA 2011? 1155 is being replaced by 1150 in near future

 

[NanoTechSoldier]

have you thought about LGA 2011? 1155 is being replaced by 1150 in near future

If You Want A Intel Socket 1155 Board.. That Supports The Gen 3 Intel CPUs, In The Near Future..

Wait For The Republic Of Gamers, Maximus V GENE Motherboard.. OverClockers Board..
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/Maximus_V_GENE/

An 1155 MB Can Support 1150.. With A BIOS Update..

 

[eidairaman1]

recheck your thinking

http://www.techpowerup.com/154867/All-s-Well-That-Haswell-.html

 

[erocker]

recheck your thinking

http://www.techpowerup.com/154867/All-s-Well-That-Haswell-.html

Ivy Bridge isn't even released for 1155 yet. I'm pretty sure the OP is looking for a system now, not next year.

Skt 2011 isn't needed and is quite expensive for a gaming rig.

 

[stevenchen]

Ivy Bridge isn't even released for 1155 yet. I'm pretty sure the OP is looking for a system now, not next year.

Yes but I can wait a month or two.

 

[Aquinus]

Ivy Bridge isn't even released for 1155 yet. I'm pretty sure the OP is looking for a system now, not next year.

Skt 2011 isn't needed and is quite expensive for a gaming rig.

You can easily get a 3820 and an X79 motherboard for under 500 USD and you still get quad-channel memory, keep your options open for upgrades, and get a quality chipset, and get a boatload of PCI-E lanes (and IVB-E if they're still planning on releasing it on 2011, which I've heard nothing to the contrary.) Granted the more you spend on a good motherboard, typically the more gets returned in functionality, but with the 3820 around now, SB-E isn't totally unreasonable. I don't see it being much more expensive than a good i7 2600k system.

 

[Lionheart]

You can easily get a 3820 and an X79 motherboard for under 500 USD and you still get quad-channel memory, keep your options open for upgrades, and get a quality chipset, and get a boatload of PCI-E lanes (and IVB-E if they're still planning on releasing it on 2011, which I've heard nothing to the contrary.) Granted the more you spend on a good motherboard, typically the more gets returned in functionality, but with the 3820 around now, SB-E isn't totally unreasonable. I don't see it being much more expensive than a good i7 2600k system.

What he said, I agree

 

[brandonwh64]

which one is better?
Corsair Cooling Hydro Series H40 Core High Performance CPU Cooler System LGA1366 1156 AM2 AM3 No Fan
OR
Corsair Cooling Air Series A70 HIGH-PERFORMANCE DUAL-FAN CPU Cooler LGA1155 LGA1156 LGA1366 AM2 AM3

I must say, I love my Corsair A70! Idle is 28-29Deg and full load is no greater than 54deg cel with IBT running max. Only thing I have done is changed out the stock fans for two zalman 110CFM fans low noise.

 

[Huddo93]

Id switch to a X79 MB and a i7 3820 Quad Core, and on top of that I'd wait till the end of this month to see how well the GTX680 holds up against the HD7970 before upgrading, good luck!

 

[brandonwh64]

Id switch to a X79 MB and a i7 3820 Quad Core, and on top of that I'd wait till the end of this month to see how well the GTX680 holds up against the HD7970 before upgrading, good luck!

Why? If he is just gaming and light video/GFX editing then a SB/IB 1155 will be fine. If you absolutely NEED quad channel memory then X79 would be the way to go but as of now the 1155 is the best bang for buck gaming wise.

 

[JrRacinFan]

If you absolutely NEED quad channel memory then X79 would be the way to go

Agreed. If this was more casual gamer with heavy encoding and use of virtual machines then I would say go X79. An alternate to all this could potentially be an AMD 8 core FX(the newer one), it would give a mixture of both realms while being cheaper. It would give an encoding boost over a 2500K, but game just as good.