Planned gaming rig needs updating

[AdamFaulkner]

Hey everyone, I need some help updating the parts I had picked out to put together and make my gaming rig. I had chosen these parts some time ago, thanks to the PCMech Forums actually, but I haven't been able to purchase any yet. I know since then, there have been some major releases of certain parts, like the nVidia 9000 series video cards and I want to keep my gaming rig plans up-to-date. Here are the parts..

Thermaltake SOPRANO VB1000BWS Black 0.8 mm SECC Chassis, Plastic Front Door ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811133145

ASUS P5K SE LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16813131189

CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W Power Supply - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16817139004

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115029

Patriot Extreme Performance 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model PDC22G6400LLK - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16820220144

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16822148140

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16827106072

Microsoft Windows XP Home Upgrade with SP2 - Retail http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16837116194

Logitech G15 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys 29 Function Keys USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126034

Logitech G5 2-Tone 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Laser 2000 dpi Mouse - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104076

This is just a lay-out for the ideal gaming system I want, some or all of the parts can be changed. My current monitor is a 15 inch so I would like a larger monitor and if possible, an SLI setup. The video card I had picked out, a XFX 8800 GTX, has since been discontinued, which is why I don't have one listed. The budget I had originally set was $1,200 and now I've changed it to $1,500. The keyboard and mouse aren't included in the budget. I wanted/want a gaming rig that can run the newest games at decent settings, has the latest parts, and is a good price. Thanks for the help!

[Masaki 7-11]

Here is a build list for a faster gaming rig (The E8400 is currently out of stock, but if you can find it in stock, it is has better performance than the E6750 and costs little extra) with 22" monitor for $1500:

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106072
$32.99

Thermaltake SOPRANO VB1000BWS Black 0.8 mm SECC Chassis, Plastic Front Door ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811133145
$79.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140
$79.99

SAMSUNG 220WM Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001261
$269.99

EVGA 512-P3-N871-AR GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130339
$299.99

Antec NeoPower 650 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371011
$99.99

Logitech G15 2-Tone USB Wired Standard Gaming Keyboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126034
$89.99

Logitech G5 2-Tone 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Laser Mouse
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104076
$49.99

mushkin 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 996527
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146118
$44.99

ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131225
$139.99

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6750
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115029
$188.99

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116056
$89.99

Subtotal: $1,466.88

[Katreat]

I agree with Masaki's suggestions. I would stay away from SLI. It will give a performance boost but you will pay alot for it. Generally SLI is best left for people without a budget or for builds with very large monitors (>24") where the SLI technology sines.

Few points:

Definately try to find the E8400, it goes in and out of stock, but you can usually pick it up every week or so.

I would probably stick with a 8800 GT. I still think it represents the best bang for the buck and would just hold off on a higher card for a future upgrade. I always plan on one video card upgrade in the life of my gamers anyway so try to buy at the sweet spot in the market.

I would personally try for the newer 7200.11 HD with 32 mb cache. But think they start at 500 GB so that might be a bit big for your needs.

I would look at the G-11 keyboard. Has about the same features but without the little screen. That little screen is not supported in most games I have tried.

Kat

[rich218]

There are actually 320GB 7200.11s out there, tend to go out of stock quite often like the e8400, definitely worth having a look for though.

[Doom]

I just built an SLI machine and the total cost with two cards put me just over $1800. I don't believe it was worth the cost with a 22" monitor. I've only seen about a 10% increase now that I've got 2x 9600GT cards. My advice, don't go SLI unless you want to get a +26" monitor. Even with only one EVGA 9600GT I was running Crysis in high graphics settings and only had frame rate problems at the very end of the game in the most demanding scenes. I got 142fps with Half Life 2: Lost Coast... so one good card with a good E8400 processor is going to knock your socks off.

If you really really want to go SLI, I recommend the EVGA 780i motherboard. I really like mine and I've had fantastic experiences with EVGA tech support. But if I was doing this all over again, I'd go with a single card setup and put my money into a better card such as the 9800GTX Masaki 7-11 picked out.

[AdamFaulkner]

Thanks for the list Masaki, the 22" looks nice! I've heard those same things about SLI for a while now and have strayed away from it for that reason. I figured the price of video cards these days were low enough for SLI but I was wrong, I'll folllow your guys' advice on it. Based on what you've all posted, and a couple reviews, I've decided to go with the 9800GTX for the video card. Thanks a lot for the advice and I'll be sure to get back to you guys when I get it all together!