First Gaming PC Build (suggestions welcome)

[HeadsUp]

Hey all, I'm looking to build my first Desktop PC. I've been gaming for some time now and have just used ASUS G series laptops to get the job done, but now that I'm settling down now I want to trade it in for a desktop. I love the idea of building my own gaming setup. I'm not an overclocker, I would like to stay around the $1300 USD range after rebates and I've come up with the following so far:

Case

Corsair Carbide Series 300R ATX Mid Tower

I like the case because it's compact for a tower and still looks great, it seems to have great access to the internals and a solid construction.

Power Supply

Kingwin Lazer Platinum Series LZP-550 550W

This power supply seems to fit my power needs and is also efficient which I'm sure will help make up for the price on the energy bill.

Motherboard

ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 (REV 3.0)

The specs seem good to me for what I'm looking for, I like the armor plate also to help protect the motherboard and keep it cool. I've heard good things about ASUS motherboards.

CPU

Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge @ 3.3 GHz

I've heard great reviews from this CPU from a few hardware review websites.

CPU Cooler

Corsair H60 Hydro CPU cooler

I like the idea of liquid cooling in such a compact form, The radiator screws onto one of the fan slots in the case freeing up more room while still getting the job done.

Memory

G.SKILL Sniper Series 8GB RAM DDR3 1866

Also another pick based on reviews and what the product is made for... gaming.

GPU

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 1GB

Though I've never used EVGA products, I am familiar and very happy with nVidia graphics, I hear the 560 Ti is a good buy and it's in my price range.

HDD

Western Digital Caviar Black 7200RPM 1TB

I have used Western Digital before and like the brand. I also have a 1TB My Passport drive for portable media storage, the 7200RPM seems fast enough and I don't want or feel I need to pay for and deal with an SSD quite yet, I'm just going to keep waiting for the prices to drop.

Cooling

XIGMATEC Crystal Series 140mm Case Fans

There's not much airflow difference between the 140mm and 120mm fans, these are quieter and fit the case better.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Sounds like a pretty solid build to me, but I might as well throw you a few suggestions.

That power supply is nice, but that price is way overkill. You're much better off by getting a different name-brand one with more power:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

Also, I do strongly recommend a SSD. You'll absolutely thank yourself for going that route.

Get a 120GB for Windows and any games/apps you would like to open instantly. Then you can get a regular HDD for your mass storage for music, movies, etc.

I personally like OCZ and have had great experiences, but Corsair also makes good ones. Intel also, but they tend to be overpriced.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227726

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

If you go this route, I think you'll be saving yourself $50ish and will have a much much faster build.

[HeadsUp]

Do you think I'll need 700W? I mean, more is always better but I'm not looking to overclock it really. I'm looking to just get everything set up then leave it.

So you would keep your games and whatnot on the SSD? How would this affect gameplay for an online game?

[Phantom Spaceman]

I was gonna go OCZ for an SSD but was unimpressed with the reviews, so I settled on an intel. I ended up getting a 1k PSU, I know it's overkill currently but I will, down the road, be SLI/Crossfire top of the line graphics cards, so eventually I'll use it all. Personally I would go with a min. 800 watt PSU, just gives you some more room to grow.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-gaming-performance,2991.html for your SSD question.

[Blackhearted]

If you're not an overclocker why pay the extra $20 for the "K" model of the i5? Without overclocking that extra money spent is a waste.

[+Warwagon MVC]

People who don't want to get SSD's have never experienced SSD's :laugh:

[Motoko.]

I would feel a bit uneasy about an open box mobo. I wouldn't want anything to be missing from the box

[Phantom Spaceman]

I would feel a bit uneasy about an open box mobo. I wouldn't want anything to be missing from the box

I didn't notice that at first, now that I went back though, yeah it says box contents might vary, not quite reassuring.

[Boxster17]

I'd stay away from the openbox mobo as that means you'd likely need to be purchasing extra SATA cables if they aren't included, and so on.

The build looks fine to me for the most part though as a couple others mentioned, no point in grabbing the K processor if you don't plan on overclocking. Though if you're going with the CPU cooler that you are than I'd really recommend with staying with that CPU going with at least some sort of overclock on it. It's not too hard at all, and the H60 will have no problem keeping the thermals down at reasonable levels.

Also if you can afford an SSD they are completely worth it, and anyone who says otherwise has never tried them. They're not too badly priced now so if you can fit one in your budget for your OS and some programs/games it will definitely be worthwhile.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Do you think I'll need 700W? I mean, more is always better but I'm not looking to overclock it really. I'm looking to just get everything set up then leave it.

So you would keep your games and whatnot on the SSD? How would this affect gameplay for an online game?

That power supply is a good deal, so I don't see any reason to downgrade to save $5. This way you'll be able to use this power supply for future builds if more juice is required. It also leaves you the option to get an additional graphics card and run SLI down the road. You don't need to worry about your power bills because it's not pulling 700W consistently.

I keep the graphic intensive games on my SSD. Battlefield 3 loads insanely fast on it compared to a regular HDD. Same with Starcraft.

[capr]

People who don't want to get SSD's have next experienced SSD's :laugh:

I think you mean never. and it's totally true. It's one of those things where you take forever to pull the trigger but when you do, you are so glad you did and you can never go back...

It's amazing how big a different it makes in day to day use. More often than not, PC components make differences in gaming or with certain applicaitions. but SSDs make a difference in day to day stuff. it's awesome.

Totally recommending an SSD. Save money wherever you can so you can afford an SSD. 60GB is enough if you are smart about it.

oh and with today's hard drive prices. You should really go for an SSD if you have storage drives already.

[Motoko.]

I didn't notice that at first, now that I went back though, yeah it says box contents might vary, not quite reassuring.

Ditch it and pick up this mobo

[pickytech]

Hey all, I'm looking to build my first Desktop PC. I've been gaming for some time now and have just used ASUS G series laptops to get the job done, but now that I'm settling down now I want to trade it in for a desktop. I love the idea of building my own gaming setup. I'm not an overclocker, I would like to stay around the $1300 USD range after rebates and I've come up with the following so far:

I don't tend to comment on PC builds, but I wanted to throw my own ideas into the mix.

First, if you wait a month or two, then Ivy Bridge processors will start to come out. They will run faster using less power, and supposedly be in the same price range. If that does not make you excited, then you should see the benefit of price reductions on Sandy Bridge CPUs. Ivy Bridge motherboards will also natively support USB 3.0 on them, rather than having a separate USB controller on the board doing the heavy lifting. If you're interested (and I am), then you may also be interested in the Thunderbolt motherboards that will start to come out around launch as well, which will finally bring Thunderbolt to the PC (excusing the one or two non-Mac laptops, and Sony's non-standard connection).

Also, do not neglect the onboard memory on your chosen video card. Why not get a graphics card with 2 GB of RAM? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681412760 ($15 more after the rebate)

I must also add that it is worth it to splurge a little on the case. I do not mean that you should get one based solely on looks, but you should consider the size of the internal case and the ability to work within it as you start to cram things into it, such as your cables. I went to scary the end of the spectrum when I built my last machine in late August with the Thermaltake Level 10 GT (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133188). It's an attractive case to me, but more importantly it is the easiest case that I have ever worked with. There is tons of space and hard drive management could not be any easier. It's certainly expensive, but it was worth it to me.

Do not depend on mail-in rebates. I sent all of my rebate claims in on time and I still only received two of the four (they claimed to have mailed them). Free "gifts" (e.g., DVD drive) and instant rebates are definitely the way to go, but they are much rarer.

I built this in August for just under $1200 (I only broke $1000 because of the case). A lot of it was on sale, which I mostly got through the Newegg newsletters, which you must sign up for if you have not already because they send out coupon codes almost every other day!

Core i7-2600: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115071

Sapphire FleX Radeon HD 6950 2 GB: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102929

Corsair Vengence 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820233143 (this was a Shell Shocker deal for $85; you probably don't need 16 GB, and I have even seen places suggest that too much memory can actually be a negative, but I wanted 16 GB)

OCZ ModXStream (600W): http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817341017

ASUS Motherboard that sucks: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131773 (DO NOT GET THIS ONE; it has extremely annoying feedback when using the onboard audio)

OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB SSD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820227729

Thermaltake Level 10 GT: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133188

Other than the onboard audio issues that ruins the motherboard for me, I love this machine. It is incredibly fast and I have my video card driving two 24" monitors, as well as my 1080p TV simultaneously (I can use the TV as a third desktop, but I never do; I generally use it to run Hulu videos while I program). In terms of video cards, I have nothing against nVidia, but my current preference is AMD and they seem to enjoying a better performance/dollar ratio for now. My video card is actually capable of driving the sound to my TV and it removes the onboard audio issue when I do that (as it has its own sound hardware).

I have G.Skill RAM in my laptop, as well as my girlfriend's laptop. I have nothing to complain about it except it increased my posting time, but that is the BIOS' fault. I bought the power supply because it came with a free DVD burner. There are slightly better power supplies out there, but this is both efficient and extremely convenient in terms of cable management.

As everyone has said, go with an SSD. You will not regret it. Windows 7 boots in under 30 seconds for me; it spends longer posting than it does booting.

[HeadsUp]

I don't tend to comment on PC builds, but I wanted to throw my own ideas into the mix.

First, if you wait a month or two, then Ivy Bridge processors will start to come out. They will run faster using less power, and supposedly be in the same price range. If that does not make you excited, then you should see the benefit of price reductions on Sandy Bridge CPUs. Ivy Bridge motherboards will also natively support USB 3.0 on them, rather than having a separate USB controller on the board doing the heavy lifting. If you're interested (and I am), then you may also be interested in the Thunderbolt motherboards that will start to come out around launch as well, which will finally bring Thunderbolt to the PC (excusing the one or two non-Mac laptops, and Sony's non-standard connection).

Also, do not neglect the onboard memory on your chosen video card. Why not get a graphics card with 2 GB of RAM? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681412760 ($15 more after the rebate)

I must also add that it is worth it to splurge a little on the case. I do not mean that you should get one based solely on looks, but you should consider the size of the internal case and the ability to work within it as you start to cram things into it, such as your cables. I went to scary the end of the spectrum when I built my last machine in late August with the Thermaltake Level 10 GT (http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133188). It's an attractive case to me, but more importantly it is the easiest case that I have ever worked with. There is tons of space and hard drive management could not be any easier. It's certainly expensive, but it was worth it to me.

Do not depend on mail-in rebates. I sent all of my rebate claims in on time and I still only received two of the four (they claimed to have mailed them). Free "gifts" (e.g., DVD drive) and instant rebates are definitely the way to go, but they are much rarer.

I built this in August for just under $1200 (I only broke $1000 because of the case). A lot of it was on sale, which I mostly got through the Newegg newsletters, which you must sign up for if you have not already because they send out coupon codes almost every other day!

Core i7-2600: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16819115071

Sapphire FleX Radeon HD 6950 2 GB: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16814102929

Corsair Vengence 16 GB (4 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820233143 (this was a Shell Shocker deal for $85; you probably don't need 16 GB, and I have even seen places suggest that too much memory can actually be a negative, but I wanted 16 GB)

OCZ ModXStream (600W): http://www.newegg.co...N82E16817341017

ASUS Motherboard that sucks: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16813131773 (DO NOT GET THIS ONE; it has extremely annoying feedback when using the onboard audio)

OCZ Vertex 3 120 GB SSD: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16820227729

Thermaltake Level 10 GT: http://www.newegg.co...N82E16811133188

Other than the onboard audio issues that ruins the motherboard for me, I love this machine. It is incredibly fast and I have my video card driving two 24" monitors, as well as my 1080p TV simultaneously (I can use the TV as a third desktop, but I never do; I generally use it to run Hulu videos while I program). In terms of video cards, I have nothing against nVidia, but my current preference is AMD and they seem to enjoying a better performance/dollar ratio for now. My video card is actually capable of driving the sound to my TV and it removes the onboard audio issue when I do that (as it has its own sound hardware).

I have G.Skill RAM in my laptop, as well as my girlfriend's laptop. I have nothing to complain about it except it increased my posting time, but that is the BIOS' fault. I bought the power supply because it came with a free DVD burner. There are slightly better power supplies out there, but this is both efficient and extremely convenient in terms of cable management.

As everyone has said, go with an SSD. You will not regret it. Windows 7 boots in under 30 seconds for me; it spends longer posting than it does booting.

SSDeez huh? Well, I can certainly wait another month or so, is there a solid release date?

[TEX4S]

Get an antec or seasonic PSU instead.

G. Skill RAM ? really ?

WD HDD - I have that HDD its fast

[HyBry]

Get an antec or seasonic PSU instead.

G. Skill RAM ???really ?

WD HDD - I have that HDD its fast

Don't neglect Kingwin. They have a very solid build quality on par with Seasonic.

But I would suggest OP to go with Seasonic X-650. It is $20 cheaper on newegg and has extra 100W. Which might come handy down the line.

SSD would be a nice option, as would be waiting for Ivy bridge release.

And what about overclocking? If by 'you are not overclocker' you mean you will not do it, then as said before drop the K CPU and drop the aftermarket cooler. Stock cooler will be more then sufficient!

[pickytech]

SSDeez huh? Well, I can certainly wait another month or so, is there a solid release date?

Yeah, April 8th: http://www.tomshardware.com/news/intel-cpu-ivy-bridge-processor,14386.html

[Blackhearted]

Get an antec or seasonic PSU instead.

G. Skill RAM ? really ?

WD HDD - I have that HDD its fast

What's wrong with the g.skill ram? I've never had any issues with them.

[Astra.Xtreme]

What's wrong with the g.skill ram? I've never had any issues with them.

Agreed. G.skill is a great brand.

[ShiFteDReaLitY]

G.Skill makes really good RAM nothing wrong with them, one of the only brands I never had fail on me besides Corsair RAM. As for the Kingwin PSU, they are very good. The Maker of almost all the KIngwin PSU's is Super Flower a very good OEM.

With Ivy Bridge being close you could also opt for a i3 2120 CPU which is pretty fast itself and is only 129.99, then upgrade to a IVY bridge later this year. Just throwing options out there for you.:)

[HeadsUp]

Don't neglect Kingwin. They have a very solid build quality on par with Seasonic.

But I would suggest OP to go with Seasonic X-650. It is $20 cheaper on newegg and has extra 100W. Which might come handy down the line.

SSD would be a nice option, as would be waiting for Ivy bridge release.

And what about overclocking? If by 'you are not overclocker' you mean you will not do it, then as said before drop the K CPU and drop the aftermarket cooler. Stock cooler will be more then sufficient!

When I said I wasn't an overclocker, its because I've never tried it. I really don't know much about it, I wouldn't even know where to start. What makes the K CPU better than the other processors?

[TEX4S]

Dont get me wrong G.Skill is good name brand stuff - and I know Kingwin makes some respected PSU. I just thought for the $$ he could find better.

Like the Seasonic mentioned - more power, cheaper price - a better decision. RAM - if one were to choose between all of the manufacturers and there was a tiny price difference - I dont think G.Skill would be my top pick - however I have built 3 rigs for people using the Ripjaw stuff - and of course there has been no issue.

So I wasnt saying something was wrong quality-wise - I just think there is a better decision to be made

[Astra.Xtreme]

When I said I wasn't an overclocker, its because I've never tried it. I really don't know much about it, I wouldn't even know where to start. What makes the K CPU better than the other processors?

Overclocking is super easy nowadays. Most likely you can go into BIOS and there will be preset overclocks you can pick from. All automated and takes about 5 seconds to set it.

You can also pick voltages and timings manually, but that's more for enthusiasts that want to push the limits. More than likely, the highest preset overclock will gain you about 1.0GHz and it will be a tested and true setting. I also have an ASUS board and the presets work great.

[HyBry]

When I said I wasn't an overclocker, its because I've never tried it. I really don't know much about it, I wouldn't even know where to start. What makes the K CPU better than the other processors?

as said before OCing is easy al long as you do not try to do too much too soon.

And there is nothing much better in K series, they are just unlocked so that you can overclock.

[doctorBurg]

I was gonna go OCZ for an SSD but was unimpressed with the reviews, so I settled on an intel. I ended up getting a 1k PSU, I know it's overkill currently but I will, down the road, be SLI/Crossfire top of the line graphics cards, so eventually I'll use it all. Personally I would go with a min. 800 watt PSU, just gives you some more room to grow.

http://www.tomshardw...mance,2991.html for your SSD question.

I got the OCZ Vertex 3 and have been really happy with it.