Help building gaming rig

[murraydemonicskull]

Hi guys,

I want to build my first gaming rig, I have never done it before and dont know much about the best way of choosing components and whether they are compatible with each other. In a "pc building" website I came out with the following specs:

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0564 101.6 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock 990FX Extreme4 ATX AM3+ Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: A-Data S599 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk + Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Videocard: Sapphire Toxic HD 7970 GHz Edition 6 GB
Soundcard: Asus Xonar D1 24-bit 192 KHz Sound Card
Wireless: Asus PCE-N15 802.11b/g/n PCI-Express x1 Wi-Fi Adapter
Powersupply Antec TruePower Quattro 1200W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
Optical drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Case: Lanboy Air Red

I also have the dilemma of whether I should go on and build a nice pc or whether I should stick to the next gen consoles and save lots of money upgrading it, also how long do you think a pc would last with the mentioned specs?

Thanks a lot, any comments are welcome.

 

[Fourstaff]

I would go something like this instead:

3570K
Z77 extreme 4
2x 4/8Gb 1866mhx ram
"Standard" 3gb 7970
600w PSU, corsair antec or equivalent (unless you are going to overclock and run multiple graphics at the same time600w is more than enough)
Samsung 840 250gb and long term storage of choice ( WD black/green/Seagate/whatever)
Parts like wireless and soundcard and optical are not needed nowadays.you can choose a cheaper case too if you so wish.

PC will last at least 3 years assuming no parts fail, longer if you upgrade the graphics card sometime in the future.

I am not much of a console gamer, but the games I play on consoles are different to those of PCs (dark souls, Gundam VS, etc), so it largely depends on what kind of gamer you are.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Thanks for the prompt reply, I am both a pc and console gamer so I very much understand what you mean.

Sorry for being a noob, when you say "Parts like wireless and soundcard and optical are not needed nowadays." do you mean that in order to have sound and wireless I dont need those? Also, I would use 7.1 headphones, wouldnt a sound card be required?

Regarding the case, I would like to buy one that would last and would have enough space for whatever I decide to put inside in the future, so I am pretty much looking at the long-term.

I agree with the "standard" 7970 but there are so many, would you recommend sapphire, xfx, etc.?

Thanks a lot for the help.

 

[Jack1n]

your headphones are USB which means they will not utilize the sound card,only get a sound card if your going to get analog headphones.

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Get a brand of 7970 with the longest warranty, Diamond for example.
That board does not have wireless, so if you want wireless, you will need a wireless card.
A sound card is only necessary if you have really good stereo grade headphones, motherboard audio is fine.
For case, pick something mid/full tower, that looks good! Personally I would not pick the lan boy, as it is known to be the mechanical dust magnet.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Ok thanks, so let´s say I buy astro 50 (would you recommend other headsets?) will I be able to get the maximum performance out of it just with a usb connection?

 

[HD64G]

FX8350 all the way my friend. Let Intel fans talk about IPC and such and look at here: http://www.pcgameshardware.de/Crysis-3-PC-235317/Tests/Crysis-3-Test-CPU-Benchmark-1056578/

I don't see memorable IPC difference. And remember it is in low res in order to see the CPU gaming power. In 1080p or bigger res, differences will be even lower and depend mainly from the GPU.

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Ok thanks, so let´s say I buy astro 50 (would you recommend other headsets?) will I be able to get the maximum performance out of it just with a usb connection?

If it is designed to be used with a USB connection, then that would be just fine.
Just some other questions-
What is your budget? What will the system be used for?

 

[Fourstaff]

Sorry for being a noob, when you say "Parts like wireless and soundcard and optical are not needed nowadays." do you mean that in order to have sound and wireless I dont need those? Also, I would use 7.1 headphones, wouldnt a sound card be required?

Regarding the case, I would like to buy one that would last and would have enough space for whatever I decide to put inside in the future, so I am pretty much looking at the long-term.

I agree with the "standard" 7970 but there are so many, would you recommend sapphire, xfx, etc.?

If you are going to game on your rig (online with others where lag/ping are important) then you will want wired connection (from lan port in any new motherboard). Audio out from your motherboard is good enough for most, but if you want something better you can always grab it later. No need to buy a dedicated soundcard (often with frustrating drivers) until you have decided that you cannot live with one.

As for case I don't see us migrating from the ATX standard anytime soon, or the graphics card getting too long to fit, so getting something cheaper like cm690 II will not hurt you much in the long run.

As for brands, get one which offers good warranty in your place (varies according to country), or one which is the cheapest. There are too many variants out there, and I have only personally came across few (sapphire vaporX and Asus CU ii among others). They are mostly good, but worth doublechecking back here once you find something.

Stock cooler is good enough if you are not over clocking, if you are a new overclocker cm 212+ is a good one. It is powerful enough for most over clocks other than the extreme (on 3570k), but take a look at the aio loops like h60 for 8350

 

[Kaynar]

You can go for that 8core AMD processor but the optimal way for a "good gaming build" is an overclocked 3570K, mostly cause the majority of games wont use multiple CPU cores.

Also, dont buy a very expensive motherboard, just something proper that you can see in reviews will easily give you 4.5ghz overclock. The Z77extreme4 is a good economic choice. You could use an AIO watercooling system especially if you want to easily reach 4.5ghz.

A total of 8GB ram is optimal for now, later on you may buy more if needed but current games wont even get you close to 4gb. Pick at least 1600mhz 2x4gb with as low timings as possible, but dont spend to much either as RAM is the least important factor for gaming once you exceed what i mentioned.

Depending on the prices and your budget you might want a 7950 or 7970. The perfomance difference is not big (15%?) but usually the price difference is about 30%. The 6GB versions are too expensive for nothing, they matter only if you will have 1 card and 3 screens (very large resolution). Pick the cheapest card from the following brands: Asus, sapphire, MSI, XFX (more could be mentioned here, but thats a start) and probably a model with 2 fans. It doesnt need to be GHZ or BOOST, cause this stuff is the same as you sliding one slider in the control panel to reach the same clocks and speeds (its only for marketing reasons these exist).

I would not advise an Asus sound card for gaming. Better stay with on board or buy a proper Creative card (though I dont know if the new ones have driver problems).

1200W for this system? LOLWUT! how about Corsair AX650 Gold rated? its a good choice found of under £100 in the UK. Pick at least 600W and a brand with a good name and preferably gold or platinum rating, though everything does the job when not overclocking. Also should be modular for your own convenience.

Samsung is the king of price/performance while also being 100% reliable atm. They simply are the best. the 840 pro is better but not much needed for gaming, you could go for a simple 840.

That Lanboy case is "meeeh". The case choice comes mostly at your own preference if you are on a budget pick something cool that gets good reviews. My advice on that is either NZXT or Corsair.

Why do you need a wireless card? That website you mention is either noob or is trying to rip you off most choices where far from optimal!

You could take the next PS4 but its not a PC, its a gaming machine. Remember that you must compare the performance of a console with a GPU only, as you are supposed to have a PC for your own convenience anyway. The 7950 is about where I expect the PS4 to be in terms of performance when comparing to PC (as the console games are optimized to run on a single version machine, unlike PC being fully custom)

EDIT: WTF when did i write all this wall of text? lol! was busy with other things and took me some time during breaks

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Yeah I heard lanboy had some "dust problems", in any case would you guys recommend getting a a full ATX or would a mid tower suffice?

 

[Kaynar]

Any size is good as long as it fits your needs. Dont go too big if you will only have 1 GPU and 1 or 2 HDDs

The CM690 II metioned above is an excellent choice too.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

"1200W for this system? LOLWUT!" I laughed at this cause when I was choosing the components I had no idea whatsoever about how much I would need so just decided to play safe and get the maximum possible

The PC will be used mostly for gaming and would like it to have a good performance for the next 2-3 years?

Regarding the case, I will no longer get lanboy, so which one of these do you guys recommend:

Antec DF-85 (full tower)
Antec Twelve Hundred

I was looking for a good case with a cool design but unfortunately I cannot afford thermaltake level 10 designed by BMW.

My budget for the desktop is about € 1000.

Thanks!

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Antec, corsair, lian li, and silverstone are all good brands. Just have a look through all their cases, and pick something that stands out to you.
Where will you be purchasing your parts from?

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Ok guys this is where I stand now:

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0564 101.6 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 (Does it have wireless?)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: A-Data S599 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk + Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Videocard: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB
Powersupply: CORSAIR AX650 GOLD (Will this be enough even if in the future I might crossfire?)
Optical drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred (Is a fulltower preferable to a mid ATX, considering I want to continue upgrading it as a relatively powerful gaming rig?)

 

[ALMOSTunseen]

Ok guys this is where I stand now:

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0564 101.6 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 (Does it have wireless?)
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: A-Data S599 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk + Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Videocard: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB
Powersupply: CORSAIR AX650 GOLD (Will this be enough even if in the future I might crossfire?)
Optical drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred (Is a fulltower preferable to a mid ATX, considering I want to continue upgrading it as a relatively powerful gaming rig?)

That motherboard is a Z77 motherboard, which means it is only compatible with intel cpu's.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Ops...then what motherboard would you suggest? I heard the motherboard is the most important thing when building a rig, so I was planning to invest in a good one, it should have wireless and hdmi (or is this in the graphic card).

 

[TRWOV]

That build you picked up is fine but, as others have stated, you could lose the sound card if you're keeping those phones. Also, get a regular 3GB 7970, the extra 3GB on the Sapphire Toxic won't do much unless you do multi-monitor gaming. A 600w PSU would be enough for your system but if you're planing to add a second graphics card in the future those 1200w might come in handy. Still, I think a 850w PSU would be enough for Crossfire though.


edit:Nevermind, I see you already did that.

 

[Dent1]

Ops...then what motherboard would you suggest? I heard the motherboard is the most important thing when building a rig, so I was planning to invest in a good one, it should have wireless and hdmi (or is this in the graphic card).

The motherboard is one of the least important main component because it doesn't offer any performance. The exception is only if you're planning on a significant overclock, but even a decent overclock could be achieved on an average chipset or if you need a specific feature like two 16x CF lanes or quad fire.

If you're building a gaming rig the most important component is the video card, followed by the CPU.

Also HDMI is a common feature on today's video cards.

 

[MT Alex]

You will be sorely disappointed with that Antec 1200. It was a good case in it's day, but lacks so many of the features of modern cases. The cable management is poor and changing drives is a royal pain and has no options for easily putting in any type of water cooling, even an all in one unit. Plus, it is overly tall and you will get over the disco LED fans before your next build.

 

[TRWOV]

The motherboard is one of the least important main component because it doesn't offer any performance. The exception is only if you're planning on a significant overclock, but even a decent overclock could be achieved on an average chipset or if you need a specific feature like two 16x CF lanes or quad fire.

If you're building a gaming rig the most important component is the video card, followed by the CPU.

The way I see it, a good motherboard and PSU are the foundations of a good build. Skim on any of those and your build might be limited for future upgrades.

And different motherboards do offer different performance. I used to think the same way as you until I found out myself that wasn't always the case. I used to have a GA-H61M-D2P-B3 and it would take my i5 up to 3.1Ghz in Turbo and my HD6950 wouldn't go farther than 840/1325. I later got my current GA-Z77X-UD3H and now my i5 can Turbo to 3.5Ghz across all cores and my 6950 could reach 890/1375. Both systems were the same except for the board.

Of course, the Z77X cost me about twice than the H61 so yeah it isn't a good upgrade on the price/performance ratio but if you've got the funds you shouldn't limit yourself with a cheap board.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

Ok guys, I updated the motherboard, videocard and am unsure about the powersupply.

CPU: AMD FX-8350 4.0GHz 8-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake CLP0564 101.6 CFM CPU Cooler
Motherboard: ASUS Crosshair V Formula-Z AM3+ AMD 990FX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Gaming Motherboard with 3-Way SLI/CrossFireX Support and UEFI BIOS
Memory: Corsair Vengeance 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR3-1600 Memory
Storage: A-Data S599 64GB 2.5" Solid State Disk + Seagate Barracuda 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive
Videocard: Sapphire Radeon HD 7970 GHz Edition 3GB
Powersupply CORSAIR AX650 GOLD (Maybe more is advisable?)
Optical drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer
Case: I would like a modern bad-ass case, am open for suggestions.

Forgot to mention

Mouse: CYBORG RAT 9 or Thermaltake Level 10 ?

Keyboard: Razer black widow tournament keyboard\ razer deathstalker\ saitek cyborg\ razer lycosa?

After I finished building this beast I look forward to play online with u guys

 

[TRWOV]

Depends on what's badass for you: Lots of angles or curves? A big towering monolith?

 

[Dent1]

And different motherboards do offer different performance. I used to think the same way as you until I found out myself that wasn't always the case. I used to have a GA-H61M-D2P-B3 and it would take my i5 up to 3.1Ghz in Turbo and my HD6950 wouldn't go farther than 840/1325. I later got my current GA-Z77X-UD3H and now my i5 can Turbo to 3.5Ghz across all cores and my 6950 could reach 890/1375. Both systems were the same except for the board.

Changing motherboards shouldn't have any effect on the maximum stable overclock of your video card. If your video card is running a stable overclock it should be able to maintain the same memory and GPU clock on any board. Your GPU's OC is either stable or it isnt. The only logical explanation is the old board generated more heat, thus created more heat within the case and limited the stability of the GPU's overclock. But if the GPU should be stress tested for any temperature increase.

 

[murraydemonicskull]

I want something that I can fit everything inside with eventual future updates but nothing so full of curves as the nzxt case.

Maybe Cooler Master HAF X is a good choice?