Gaming Rig, A Few Questions.

[Ali89]

Hey, I am planning on building a gaming rig but I am not sure which direction to go with a few of my PC parts. I will be getting all my parts from newegg unless if there is a better place or if newegg doesn't have the part and what ever I left out I left out on purpose. My budget is $1000 but I can break that easily up to 1200 or more but I don't really want to unless its either necessary or if its a good idea to shell out some extra cash. This would be my second build after upgrading my first build for over 5 years.


ITEM BRAND/MODEL

Case:______________________________________________________________________

PSU:_______________________________________________________________________

Mobo: Foxconn BlackOps X48 LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard - $160

CPU: Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 - $220

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" - $70

RAM: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - $85

Sound Card: ________________________________________________________________

Video Card:__________________________________________________________________

Monitor:____________________________________________________________________

Speakers:___________________________________________________________________


Sub Total $ ________________

Freight $ __________________

Total $___________________

[12twelve12]

Optical is your DVD/CD drive.

I don't believe too many here would recommend Foxconn motherboards. Look into ASUS and Gigabyte.

[Khalil]

Is this your first build?
What is your budget?
Hard to make recommendations without knowing what you want to spend.

[Ali89]

Oh, sorry I thought I put a budget in. My budget is 1000 but I can break that easily up to 1200 or more but I don't really want to unless its either necessary or if its a good idea to shell out some extra cash. This would be my second build after upgrading my first build for over 5 years.

Which type of Mobo would you recommend from either brand?

[glc]

What are you going to be using the computer for, and is there any particular reason you want a X48 board with DDR3 ram?

Cases are a personal choice so any recommendation you get on a case will be biased toward that person's preferences.

[12twelve12]

One of the most popular cases in recent times is the Antec Nine Hundred. I have one and it a solid choice. Easy to work with. Removable hard drive cages. Fantastic cooling. Other brands I like are Cooler Master, Lian Li & Silverstone.

[Ali89]

I was thinking of getting the Cooler Master. I don't mind the looks of the case as long as it has a great cooling system.

There was no particular reason why I picked the X48 board, it was the only choice I had on newegg.

I will prob replace the stock fans for better fans for this system and recommendations on what cpu and gpu fans to buy?

EDIT: What about a Intel Core i7 920 vs Intel Core2 Quad Q9400? I am planning on using this computer for DX11 gaming when it comes out next year, is the performance significantly better to get this processor over the Q9400? Also thinking of OC this system.

[Khalil]

By next year things will change drasticaly. I would not buy an i7 it is problomatic. AMD is releasing new CPUs later this year that will probably smoke the i7 but again thats all in the future.
For now you should stick to the LGA. Something like the Q9550 will probably own any game you dish out on it for the next 3 years pending you have the right video card.
The ATI 5000 series is almost out on the market. so...
I am going to have a hard time making recommendations for a computer build for next year when something or other is going to be coming out. I think most here can make recommendations based on today's market.

[Ali89]

Ok, So I will get the Q9550, When will the ATI 5000 series come out?

I read some articles about homebuilt projectors. I am thinking of building my own one instead of getting a monitor. Any help on this?

[glc]

I would recommend a P45 board with DDR2 memory. The Asus P5Q Pro is the most bang for the buck right now.

The bugs are pretty much out of the i7 now, but they aren't really cost effective. In your budget class I think you can do just as well with a fast 775, it will leave you more money for a video card. The i7 motherboards are EXPENSIVE. There's nothing wrong with the ATI 4xxx video cards, for a "now" build, go for it.

[Ali89]

Why DDR2 over DDR3 and can you point out which of the 4xxxx series would be great for a few years like 2-3 years before I have to upgrade again?

Also why can't I edit my first post? Is there a time limit to editing?

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by Ali89 Why DDR2 over DDR3 and can you point out which of the 4xxxx series would be great for a few years like 2-3 years before I have to upgrade again? Also why can't I edit my first post? Is there a time limit to editing?

Motherboards running on DDR2 are tried and tue, DDR3 is new therefore it is not stable and somewhat unreliable. We are seeing a lot of problems with i7 and AMD motherboards with DDR3 on them. It is not the Memory but the chipsets themselves.

ATI 4890 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121308 will do extremely well for you for the next couple of years. I have friends using ATI 1950XT (that is 4 gerenations old) and they play Crysis and such very demanding games without a problem.

[Masaki 7-11]

Here is a good build list for under $1000 that will provide good performance for a long time and has good upgrade options when the time to upgrade comes:


LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS322-08
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106286
$25.49

Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024
$119.99

Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136150
$69.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128387
$109.99

SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102801
$189.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231122
$42.99

AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103471
$189.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit for System Builders
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116485
$99.99

Subtotal: $848.42

[Ali89]

I will be going Intel for this build but I will be taking some items from that list to build my PC so thanks any way.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by Masaki 7-11 Here is a good build list for under $1000 that will provide good performance for a long time and has good upgrade options when the time to upgrade comes: LITE-ON 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model iHAS322-08 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106286 $25.49 Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024 $119.99 Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136150 $69.99 GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128387 $109.99 SAPPHIRE 100259-1GL Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102801 $189.99 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231122 $42.99 AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor Model HDZ940XCGIBOX http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103471 $189.99 Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 32-bit for System Builders http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116485 $99.99 Subtotal: $848.42

That is a kick axx build Masaki, can't beat it for the money. Will play anything out there and I wager anything coming out in the next 2 years with ease.
My Gaming build is very similar to that but I am using Vista64 so I have 16GB of memory, 2 4870X2 cards in Crossfire, Antec 900 and a much bigger power supply.
I love the 940 Deneb, specially now at $189 that is a steal! Dollar for dollar the best CPU on the market.

[Ali89]

Originally Posted by Khalil Motherboards running on DDR2 are tried and tue, DDR3 is new therefore it is not stable and somewhat unreliable. We are seeing a lot of problems with i7 and AMD motherboards with DDR3 on them. It is not the Memory but the chipsets themselves. ATI 4890 1GB http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814121308 will do extremely well for you for the next couple of years. I have friends using ATI 1950XT (that is 4 gerenations old) and they play Crysis and such very demanding games without a problem.

Well its just not about playing it, its also about playing it on HQ without any lag or problems. I will be using the Quad Core and upgrade later when the prices of i7 drops, so is it still a problem getting DD3 with it? Also I am not sure even if I should OC this system or not that is something I still did not deiced yet.

[jdeb]

Al89,

I am the only Foxconn (that I know of) guy on the board here. Here is what I can tell you about the Blackops... It is a great overclocking gaming board but not for a newbie. There is many tweaks and features within the bios and nice cooling options. The sound card that comes with the board is outstanding as well.Now I am not saying you are a newbie but if you are steer clear from this enthusiast board. It is a awesome board but you have to be very careful which memory you choose for this board, very critical... If you want to proceed let me know and I can get you through it. Based on your original post, I think glc has got you pointed in the right direction with the P45 chipset motherboard, and ati4xxx. I prefer the Foxconn P45 but the Asus will be a wise choice as well. In terms of the CPU, I would go with the E8400 or the Q9550 depending on your budget. Corsair or Gskill ddr2 800 should be fine 4 gig 2x2 or if you plan on overclocking then go with the ddr21066. Power supply is very important, let us know when you decide on a video card and we can give you a recommendation.

[Ali89]

Yeah...I am thinking I should start to OC this monster, I have some OC knowledge of doing it. Also prob gonna get 2 HDD so I can RAID them. Use one as storage and the other to play my games off of but not sure how.

[glc]

For a GAMING rig you get the most for the processor buck with a fast DUAL core. (Think E8500)

You don't want RAID - just get one big fast drive, or 2 drives, one for OS and programs and the other for data.

The WD Blacks are faster than the Green drive that was recommended.

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by glc For a GAMING rig you get the most for the processor buck with a fast DUAL core. (Think E8500) You don't want RAID - just get one big fast drive, or 2 drives, one for OS and programs and the other for data. The WD Blacks are faster than the Green drive that was recommended.

The difference between a 500GB Black and a 750GB Green in negligible due to the 750GB's higher density. Since both are the same price, it's a better idea to get the 750GB over the 500GB.

[glc]

The Blacks have twice the cache, a longer warranty, and always spin at 7200 rpm instead of varying from 5400 to 7200. The Black is built as a performance drive, the Green is built as an energy-saving drive.

[Ali89]

Ok, what about a cooling system? I will be needing one that is able to handle 2 gpu and 1 cpu. Similar to what I heard, the thermaltake company would be a bad buy for a cooling system so I would like to stay away from that. Also I don't mind buying a kit or just the pieces of the water cooling system.

I will want to stay with the Quad core so I don't have to upgrade for awhile.

[glc]

You do not need a cooling system. That is an unnecessary expense. Just make sure you use a large, well ventilated case.

[Ali89]

I won't be wanting to clean the case every month or two since I am allergic to dust-mites. Rather clean it every 6 months.

[glc]

A cooling system isn't going to help with that. Dust is dust, and it's going to be MORE difficult cleaning the radiator and associated parts. Get a case that has a cleanable/replacable intake air filter and make sure any fans that are not behind filters are blowing out. Wear a painter's mask when you clean it.

[scuderia]

I'd listen to glc, man.
A dust mask and a can of compressed air and you're set. Pop a Claritin a few hours beforehand if you're really worried.

[jdeb]

Ali,

I must be missing something here...Are you leaning on a overclocking board for gaming then? Are you interested in the blackops or enthusiast type board? If so you might check this website out...

http://www.quantum-force.net/default.aspx

You would use water cooled if your into overclocking and/or wanting a near silent system.

[glc]

I take mine outside and use a leaf blower on it.

[not important]

Heat and electricity attract dust. Fans help speed the process along.
PC's get dusty inside be air cooled or water cooled. Most Water-Cooled systems that I've been around are more noisy than air cooled.

[jdeb]

Originally Posted by glc I take mine outside and use a leaf blower on it.

You need to post a pic of that