Could someone please review my test build?

[plasticslug]

1 Patriot Gamer 2 Series, Division 2 Edition 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model PGD316G1333ELQK

Patriot Gamer 2 Series, Division 2 Edition 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory
Item #:N82E16820220613
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy
$92.99
-------------------------------------------------
2Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Western Digital Caviar Blue 320GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Item #:N82E16822136074
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$119.99
-------------------------------------------

3 CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-650TX 650W Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
Item #:N82E16817139005
Return Policy: Iron Egg Standard Return Policy
$119.99
$104.99

---------------------------------------
4 EVGA 03G-P3-1591-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Hydro Copper 2 3072MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

EVGA GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Hydro Copper 2 03G-P3-1591-AR Video Card
Item #:N82E16814130665
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy
$729.99

--------------------------------
5 Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K

Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor
Item #:N82E16819115070
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
$319.99
------------------------------------
6 ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS
Item #:N82E16813131792
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$189.99
------------------------------------
7ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - OEM

ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS
Item #:N82E16827135204
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$18
-------------------------------
Total $1,576.93

[birddog_61]

Im not sure what your asking for, if its is everything compatible then yes. If its are the parts the best then yes and no, I would rather see corsair ram, and a bigger PSU if your going with a 580. Also the 580 you have chosen is a water cooled unit, and I know that hdd are expensive at the moment but I would still rather see a caviar black if your using it as your main drive. I am assuming this is a gaming rig since you are wanting a 580, if so then you might look at dropping down to the 2500k processor and saving some coin, there isn't much difference in gaming performance between the two.

[glc]

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M4A1600C9B

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

Newegg.com - HITACHI Deskstar 7K1000.D HDS721075DLE630 (0F13179) 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CT040G3K5 2.5" 40GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Newegg.com - EVGA 03G-P3-1588-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Classified 3072MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Use the SSD as a cache, using Intel SRT.

[plasticslug]

Man, that EVGA graphics card looks great, it seems to be sold out everywhere though...


Newegg.com - EVGA 03G-P3-1588-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Classified 3072MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Should I wait till new egg gets it back in stock?

[birddog_61]

I asked in your other thread, but it was closed. What resolution will you be gaming at?

[plasticslug]

Originally Posted by birddog_61 I asked in your other thread, but it was closed. What resolution will you be gaming at?

My monitor is here...
Dell SP2309W Specs - LCD Monitors - CNET Reviews

I have not pc gamed in a long time, so dont really know how to answer, As high as I can get I suppose.

[birddog_61]

Originally Posted by plasticslug My monitor is here... Dell SP2309W Specs - LCD Monitors - CNET Reviews I have not pc gamed in a long time, so dont really know how to answer, As high as I can get I suppose.

Ok your monitor is 2048 x 1152 which is close enough to just call it 1920 x 1080 as far as performance goes. Honestly unless you just have your heart set on a 580 you really don't need it for that resolution. You can max every game out with a 570 and save some money, or the evga gtx 560 2 win will max anything current out and still have plenty of breathing room for future games. The 580 was a fantastic card 5 months ago, but really kinda falls in a niche market now. As far as I am concerned the 580 should only be bought if your going to buy two of them and run a high resolution multiple display set up, but even then the 6990 is a better card for that. The 560 2 win card is just a better card for high end gaming on normal resolutions, its faster than the 580 on most things, it has more ram, and cost less than a 580 from a good company.

[plasticslug]

Originally Posted by birddog_61 Ok your monitor is 2048 x 1152 which is close enough to just call it 1920 x 1080 as far as performance goes. Honestly unless you just have your heart set on a 580 you really don't need it for that resolution. You can max every game out with a 570 and save some money, or the evga gtx 560 2 win will max anything current out and still have plenty of breathing room for future games. The 580 was a fantastic card 5 months ago, but really kinda falls in a niche market now. As far as I am concerned the 580 should only be bought if your going to buy two of them and run a high resolution multiple display set up, but even then the 6990 is a better card for that. The 560 2 win card is just a better card for high end gaming on normal resolutions, its faster than the 580 on most things, it has more ram, and cost less than a 580 from a good company.

Could you post a link if you dont mind. I see 560's in the mid 100's -600's

Also, i want the best I can afford.. and willing to go up to 600-700 dollars. But wondering what i really would be getting vs a $300 card. It bugs me, how lost I am....

Will the extra $300 dollars in the card give me better results than a $700 dollar card? '

Or will they be optimized (maxed out) with what the $300 dollar card has to offer.

[birddog_61]

Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P3-1569-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win (Fermi) 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win review

[glc]

If you get that card, you might want to get even a stronger PSU.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

[plasticslug]

Ok here is an updated build. I understand that this card is not sli compatible... It may not be a problem now, but in the future could it be a regret?

Would you recommend an i5 over an i7 for gaming, will it make a difference?
Would this work?
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760

Is a Western Digital black - strongly recommended over others?
Do I really need 16 gigs of memory?
Am I spending too much on my mobo?

Current price $1563

Mobo -
Newegg.com - ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

CPU -
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

GFX
Newegg.com - EVGA 02G-P3-1569-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win (Fermi) 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

EVGA 02G-P3-1569-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti 2Win (Fermi) 2GB 512-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready Video Card

PSU
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W

Solid state
Newegg.com - Intel 320 Series SSDSA2CW120G3B5 2.5" 120GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

HDD
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM

MEMORY
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CML16GX3M4A1600C9B

CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3

Case
Newegg.com - Rosewill CHALLENGER Black Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, comes with Three Fans-1x Front Blue LED 120mm Fan, 1x Top 140mm Fan, 1x Rear 120mm Fan, option Fans-2x Side 120mm Fan

[glc]

1. The i5-760 is not compatible with that motherboard but the i5-2500K is.

2. The WD Black has a 5 year warranty, but it's very expensive. That's why I recommended the Hitachi, it's a good drive.

3. I don't think you need 16 gb of ram, 8 should be fine.

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9

4. I'm going to disagree a bit with birddog - I think you should get a single GTX570, and you will have the option of getting another later for SLI if you need it. This one is factory overclocked:

Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

The 850 PSU is strong enough to support 2 of them.

Another option is the new 560 Ti 448 core:

Newegg.com - EVGA 012-P3-2066-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 448 Cores FTW 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

[birddog_61]

Originally Posted by glc 1. The i5-760 is not compatible with that motherboard but the i5-2500K is. 2. The WD Black has a 5 year warranty, but it's very expensive. That's why I recommended the Hitachi, it's a good drive. 3. I don't think you need 16 gb of ram, 8 should be fine. Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9 4. I'm going to disagree a bit with birddog - I think you should get a single GTX570, and you will have the option of getting another later for SLI if you need it. This one is factory overclocked: Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1573-AR GeForce GTX 570 HD w/Display-Port (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card The 850 PSU is strong enough to support 2 of them. Another option is the new 560 Ti 448 core: Newegg.com - EVGA 012-P3-2066-KR GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 448 Cores FTW 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

How dare you!!!!!!!


The 570 is a great choice, and if in the future SLI is something your interested in than it or the 560 448 core are good options. The 560 2win is already SLI, its 2 560's on one board.

[plasticslug]

Ok guys after careful consideration here is my near final build.

Trim the fat if needed, combatibility issues, anything please let me know, almost ready to pull trigger..

Lastly any SSD suggestions would be greatly appreciated... Want around
80-120 gb

CPU
Newegg.com - Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I52500K

MOBO
Newegg.com - ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS

Memory
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile Desktop Memory Model CML8GX3M2A1600C9

PSU
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

GFX
Newegg.com - EVGA 03G-P3-1588-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) Classified 3072MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

HDD
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD5002AALX 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

CASE
Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Burner
Newegg.com - ASUS 24X DVD Burner - Bulk 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM Black SATA Model DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS - CD / DVD Burners

[glc]

I still recommend a Z68 board over a P67 - and that Intel 40gb SSD for cache.

[plasticslug]

Originally Posted by glc I still recommend a Z68 board over a P67 - and that Intel 40gb SSD for cache.

Awesome will make the changes. I have researched a lot into this build, but I still just haphazardly select my mobo...

1. What am I looking at when I shop for boards?
2. What does the board I selected have or does not have compared to z68?

3. Should I purchase the card I selected (Which I personally think would be a great card) or should I wait for the new Radeon 7000 series to come out?

Lastly I am also assuming that my PSU will be sufficient?