Building a beastly gaming PC. Rep for help - Fantasy Sports Forums

Rylant · #1 10-30-2012, 09:50 PM

So, I have recently acheived a personal goal of mine, and I have decided to purchase the parts for, and build my own very high end gaming PC. I have a lot of money I am willing to throw at this thing; probably 4-5 k including the monitor(s).

I posted on a couple of different sites, and the biggest response that I got was that I was wasting my money; after around 2k on a gaming PC, you aren't increasing performance you are just increasing the price tag. A lot of times on these sites, I felt attacked because I was planning on spending this much money on a computer. I wasn't sure if it was genuine concern that I might waste my money, or if it was some absurd sense of jealousy.

My intent with my new build, is for it to be able to handle anything I throw at it. I want it to be future-proofed for years, and there are SOME bragging rights involved.

I thought I would ask the people of Dobber. I know that there are quite a few computer guys here. Here is the build I was considering.
http://pcpartpicker.com/p/k4ZN

Rylant

flyers9327 · #2 10-30-2012, 10:02 PM

Well the only two comments I have for your build are this. Don't spend $1200 on a 30 inch monitor. That is pissing money away at its finest. Like going to the car dealer and getting a $100 oil change when you can get one for $19.95.

My other comment is I would go lower end video card but purchase two and crossfire. This way if one goes its only a few hundred to replace instead of a grand.

Just my two cents for what it's worth. Make sure you water cool and get a beast of a case too. Overheating will be a big concern with that build.

praba · #3 10-31-2012, 12:02 AM

you dont need to spend 4k for a beast. for 1k you can pretty much have a computer better than any that a retailer sells, and for 2k you are pretty much guarenteed to have the best computer in your area lol.

focus heavy on the processor and ram. normally i dont care much about chasis but you definitely need good airflow if you're gonna crossfire/sli. coolermaster HAF is a pretty good case. you can always liquid cool but not really necessary if you have a good psu and fans and shit lol.

there are usually always good deals for motherboards, so make sure you find one that is compatable with your case and processor etc.

hard drive i would definitely get a SSD. 120gb would be more than enough to hold your OS and a few programs. but if you need more space for like photo editing software or multiple OS then you can go 240gb but they are more pricy. ssd's are coming down in price so i would wait a little longer if possible. either way i would invest in a NAS, that way you dont have to worry much about the size of your SSD, you can just store all your videos and music on there.

newegg.ca

tigerdirect.ca

canadacomputer.com

ncix.com

the sites above usually always have sales too, if you can wait a bit then scope it out.

dmvincent · #4 10-31-2012, 12:24 AM

You need forum member Nights here, that kid knows a lot about these things.

He's in one of my leagues, I could flip him an email for you?

Rylant · #5 10-31-2012, 03:24 AM

Thanks for the replies fellas. Flyer, the reason I went with the 30 inch monitor is because it can game at 2660 X 1600 resolution, which I hear is stunning. The problem with these monitors is that the best you can get is 60 hz and 7 ms response. My other choice, was to move to a 3 monitor set up, which I could do. As far as 1 video card, there are pros and cons. I could SLI 2 GTX 680s. I hear a 690 runs cooler, plus, in the future it opens up the possibility of getting a second 690 and SLI them. 2 GTX 680s VERY slightly outperforms 1 GTX 690, but draws more power and runs hotter. Another pro to running 2 680s, is that if 1 ever needs to be serviced, you can run quite well off 1 GTX 680 while the other is fixed. If I go with 1 card, the system is dead in the water if the video card ever needs service.

Praba, thanks for your input. A friend of mine has a 80 gb SSD, and he says he is constantly shuffling stuff around because it is too small. As I said earlier, money isn't really an issue, so I want to get something that will be easier to manage. I probably won't go with water cooling; I think I can achieve good numbers without it, and I don't do much overclocking, plus the idea of setting up a full watercooled unit is a little intimidating to me. I do like Cooler Master as a brand. For a case, I was looking at a Cooler Master Cosmos Ultra, which is a ridiculously sized case, but cooling and cable management is simple in it.

Dmvincent, thanks for your idea. More than anything, I was just kicking this around. It will probably be a month or so before I get the new system, so I have lots of time to research it. It certainly isn't necessary to get Nights involved, but I won't say "no" :-)

Rylant

C-Lo · #6 10-31-2012, 03:11 PM

PC forums can be rough for asking for good advice (and getting a respectful response).

My 2 cents is that you would be better served by spending 2-2.5k now, and then again in a couple years. PC tech gets out dated so quickly, there isn't really any such thing as future proof.

Spending a little over 1,000 will get you a computer able to scream through any current games. Especially considering the amount of titles that are now designed with the much slower consoles in mind. 30 inch monitor seems excessive in price and size to me. Don't get me wrong, a big screen is nice, but at the same time you have to remember that you are going to be sitting very close to your screen so size isn't as important as it is on a TV. There is no way I would spend over a thousand on that when you can get something only slightly smaller for 1/3 the price.

After installing an SSD in my latest build I would highly recommend it for your primary drive. It is unbelievable how much quicker they are. My drive is 120gigs which does fill up with a full windows install, and couple games. It is a little work shuffling stuff from there to my standard sata drive for mass storage, but honestly its worth it.

I haven't read up on the newest generation of video cards but I agree with the poster above; generally your will get a much better performance/dollar ratio if you SL/Crossfire a couple high end cards rather than paying for a single, over priced, top of the line model.

Anyway, just a couple thoughts off the top of my head. Good luck with the choices. Selecting the parts for my next build is always one of my favorite things to do.

Nights · #7 11-01-2012, 02:22 PM

Just to add to what C-Lo said above (which is pretty much a good portion of what I would say), the screen seems a bit overkill. The nicer resolution might be nice, but I don't believe that video technology can even abuse that kind of high resolution yet.

I personally built my own a year ago. I even probably overkilled it a bit in terms of using it only for gaming (I went, for example, for 16 GB RAM when 4 is enough and 8 is overkill. However, RAM is pretty cheap as it is). For gaming purposes, 8 GB of RAM is more then enough for the next few years. You only really need more RAM if you're doing some heavy video/audio editing work.

Also, depending on your kind of game, it can also change the areas od your build you'd want to focus. From my understanding, FPS's are more demanding from a Video point of view (so a better GPU) while Strategy games demand more from your processor.

My build has an i7-2600k, GTX 580, 16 GB RAM, 2 TB HDD (the important specs).

- From my knowledge, as of last year (and probably this year too) the i5 series by intel are best for gamers. The i7's are usually wasted potential, since no game really taxes those CPU's. An i5 will do a more then fitting job of it. Also, Intel seems to be making a huge leap in front of AMD for processors of late, so Intel is the way to go for the higher end machines.

- A single GTX 580 can run pretty much everything these days at max no problem. Maybe not if I were to run a 2 monitor setup (which the GTX can do on 1 card - unlike the AMD/ATI (however they are called now since the name change) which needed 2 cards for 2+ monitors. It's a big reason I went nVidia (if I eventually go a 2nd monitor).

- I also don't know if the 6xx is the same case as the 5xx, but the 590 was also esentially a single card with 2 580's in it. It was also overkill. Besides, 1 580 runs nearly anything these days, and worst comes to worst, I'll have to add a 2nd one and SLI in a few years from now if required. Going for 1 680 (which I haven't all that researched at all, to be honest) now and another one later when it is required (it will be cheaper) or upgrading your card then is an option as well. Or you can do the 690, but I don't know exactly how it fares since all my research for my last computer was last year.

- I also recall them releasing the 6xx series a few months after I built mine, which was in December.

- Also, a few more tiny details you likely know about, but nothing that doesn't lose value in repeating. Be sure the motherboard and processor use the same chip set (Mine, for example, is the LGA 1155 (iirc) and in your example build it was LGA 2011). Also, going with trusted brands is always the best. Asus, for example, for the motherboard, if a great choice.

- The Power Supply has to be good enough to run the PC. In your example, you got a huge power supply that has twice the max wattage on your machine. Mine runs a 750 (or 850) and that was only because I am likely to add a 2nd monitor + 2nd 580 in the future, which wold bring the wattage to the low 700's, while it is currently in the 400's. You can surely go down from that 1200W monster.

- Be sure that your motherboard is compatible with everything (RAM, Processor, etc). I had a problem with a wireless network card not being compatible and it would really screw with my computers ability to work. When you shell out this kind of cash, you want to be sure everything is the best possible (the card was a cheap piece of crap, my mistake there).

- Also, with power supplies, from research, some are more regarded. Corsair is the one I run and is highly reputed. Antec and Cooler Master were the other 2 companies that were held in high esteem. IT's also kind of ironic that when I had my build initially, the power supply (Corsair too) had failed and I had to get a new one. But it died right from the start (hardware malfuncton for sure - I turned it on and it immediately made a "spark" like sound and died).

- Also, I've read a lot about SSD's and heard nothing but good reviews. Usually used to store the OS and the main programs you will use, with the HDD used for storing documents and etc. However, I don't have one and even with the HDD I have my computer goes from closed to fully open and running in ~ 1 minute tops. Time to go for a glass of water or something. It's worth looking at.

- Also, for mice, try not to go too high in the "gaming mouse" stuff. Hardly are they ever worth it. I run a simple Razer Deathadder (60$) and it feels good, runs smooth, has 2 side buttons that are well placed and while it is Razer, it's one of their products that give the best bang for your buck.

- And lastly, take your time. Do some reading, comparisons, read up on some brands. I used NewEgg a lot to check out some prices and eventually bought from TigerDirect.ca . Once you're done, if you're buying everything from 1 website, send in an invoice and ask them if they can't give you a discount (wherever you go). Buying in bulk might have them take of shipping, for example. I also used a lot of benchmarks made from tomshardware (a website) for the processor + video card choices.

I finished with a 2.6k build by the end of it. Includes everything (case, motherboard, hardware, monitor, keyboard + mouse, etc...). All I really lack is an SSD (if I ever feel like it) and maybe a 2nd monitor. If all you're doing on it is gaming, then anything over 3k is a ripoff somewhere. Fine, your computer will eat games like Skyrim and Crysis for breakfast, but other computers can too, and still have some room to spare to tackle on next year's great graphically taxing, processor eating titles.

And last thing, always be sure that nothing will overheat either. I have an NZXT case with something like 6 fans in it and I don't think the computer runs hot at all. But some cases/setups could be problematic as well. Don't overlook that.

Ross The Boss Palmer · #8 11-01-2012, 04:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nights

Just to add to what C-Lo said above (which is pretty much a good portion of what I would say), the screen seems a bit overkill. The nicer resolution might be nice, but I don't believe that video technology can even abuse that kind of high resolution yet.

I personally built my own a year ago. I even probably overkilled it a bit in terms of using it only for gaming (I went, for example, for 16 GB RAM when 4 is enough and 8 is overkill. However, RAM is pretty cheap as it is). For gaming purposes, 8 GB of RAM is more then enough for the next few years. You only really need more RAM if you're doing some heavy video/audio editing work.

Also, depending on your kind of game, it can also change the areas od your build you'd want to focus. From my understanding, FPS's are more demanding from a Video point of view (so a better GPU) while Strategy games demand more from your processor.

My build has an i7-2600k, GTX 580, 16 GB RAM, 2 TB HDD (the important specs).

- From my knowledge, as of last year (and probably this year too) the i5 series by intel are best for gamers. The i7's are usually wasted potential, since no game really taxes those CPU's. An i5 will do a more then fitting job of it. Also, Intel seems to be making a huge leap in front of AMD for processors of late, so Intel is the way to go for the higher end machines.

- A single GTX 580 can run pretty much everything these days at max no problem. Maybe not if I were to run a 2 monitor setup (which the GTX can do on 1 card - unlike the AMD/ATI (however they are called now since the name change) which needed 2 cards for 2+ monitors. It's a big reason I went nVidia (if I eventually go a 2nd monitor).

- I also don't know if the 6xx is the same case as the 5xx, but the 590 was also esentially a single card with 2 580's in it. It was also overkill. Besides, 1 580 runs nearly anything these days, and worst comes to worst, I'll have to add a 2nd one and SLI in a few years from now if required. Going for 1 680 (which I haven't all that researched at all, to be honest) now and another one later when it is required (it will be cheaper) or upgrading your card then is an option as well. Or you can do the 690, but I don't know exactly how it fares since all my research for my last computer was last year.

- I also recall them releasing the 6xx series a few months after I built mine, which was in December.

- Also, a few more tiny details you likely know about, but nothing that doesn't lose value in repeating. Be sure the motherboard and processor use the same chip set (Mine, for example, is the LGA 1155 (iirc) and in your example build it was LGA 2011). Also, going with trusted brands is always the best. Asus, for example, for the motherboard, if a great choice.

- The Power Supply has to be good enough to run the PC. In your example, you got a huge power supply that has twice the max wattage on your machine. Mine runs a 750 (or 850) and that was only because I am likely to add a 2nd monitor + 2nd 580 in the future, which wold bring the wattage to the low 700's, while it is currently in the 400's. You can surely go down from that 1200W monster.

- Be sure that your motherboard is compatible with everything (RAM, Processor, etc). I had a problem with a wireless network card not being compatible and it would really screw with my computers ability to work. When you shell out this kind of cash, you want to be sure everything is the best possible (the card was a cheap piece of crap, my mistake there).

- Also, with power supplies, from research, some are more regarded. Corsair is the one I run and is highly reputed. Antec and Cooler Master were the other 2 companies that were held in high esteem. IT's also kind of ironic that when I had my build initially, the power supply (Corsair too) had failed and I had to get a new one. But it died right from the start (hardware malfuncton for sure - I turned it on and it immediately made a "spark" like sound and died).

- Also, I've read a lot about SSD's and heard nothing but good reviews. Usually used to store the OS and the main programs you will use, with the HDD used for storing documents and etc. However, I don't have one and even with the HDD I have my computer goes from closed to fully open and running in ~ 1 minute tops. Time to go for a glass of water or something. It's worth looking at.

- Also, for mice, try not to go too high in the "gaming mouse" stuff. Hardly are they ever worth it. I run a simple Razer Deathadder (60$) and it feels good, runs smooth, has 2 side buttons that are well placed and while it is Razer, it's one of their products that give the best bang for your buck.

- And lastly, take your time. Do some reading, comparisons, read up on some brands. I used NewEgg a lot to check out some prices and eventually bought from TigerDirect.ca . Once you're done, if you're buying everything from 1 website, send in an invoice and ask them if they can't give you a discount (wherever you go). Buying in bulk might have them take of shipping, for example. I also used a lot of benchmarks made from tomshardware (a website) for the processor + video card choices.

I finished with a 2.6k build by the end of it. Includes everything (case, motherboard, hardware, monitor, keyboard + mouse, etc...). All I really lack is an SSD (if I ever feel like it) and maybe a 2nd monitor. If all you're doing on it is gaming, then anything over 3k is a ripoff somewhere. Fine, your computer will eat games like Skyrim and Crysis for breakfast, but other computers can too, and still have some room to spare to tackle on next year's great graphically taxing, processor eating titles.

And last thing, always be sure that nothing will overheat either. I have an NZXT case with something like 6 fans in it and I don't think the computer runs hot at all. But some cases/setups could be problematic as well. Don't overlook that.

What he said. You're welcome.

dmvincent · #9 11-01-2012, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nights

Just to add to what C-Lo said above (which is pretty much a good portion of what I would say), the screen seems a bit overkill. The nicer resolution might be nice, but I don't believe that video technology can even abuse that kind of high resolution yet.

I personally built my own a year ago. I even probably overkilled it a bit in terms of using it only for gaming (I went, for example, for 16 GB RAM when 4 is enough and 8 is overkill. However, RAM is pretty cheap as it is). For gaming purposes, 8 GB of RAM is more then enough for the next few years. You only really need more RAM if you're doing some heavy video/audio editing work.

Also, depending on your kind of game, it can also change the areas od your build you'd want to focus. From my understanding, FPS's are more demanding from a Video point of view (so a better GPU) while Strategy games demand more from your processor.

My build has an i7-2600k, GTX 580, 16 GB RAM, 2 TB HDD (the important specs).

- From my knowledge, as of last year (and probably this year too) the i5 series by intel are best for gamers. The i7's are usually wasted potential, since no game really taxes those CPU's. An i5 will do a more then fitting job of it. Also, Intel seems to be making a huge leap in front of AMD for processors of late, so Intel is the way to go for the higher end machines.

- A single GTX 580 can run pretty much everything these days at max no problem. Maybe not if I were to run a 2 monitor setup (which the GTX can do on 1 card - unlike the AMD/ATI (however they are called now since the name change) which needed 2 cards for 2+ monitors. It's a big reason I went nVidia (if I eventually go a 2nd monitor).

- I also don't know if the 6xx is the same case as the 5xx, but the 590 was also esentially a single card with 2 580's in it. It was also overkill. Besides, 1 580 runs nearly anything these days, and worst comes to worst, I'll have to add a 2nd one and SLI in a few years from now if required. Going for 1 680 (which I haven't all that researched at all, to be honest) now and another one later when it is required (it will be cheaper) or upgrading your card then is an option as well. Or you can do the 690, but I don't know exactly how it fares since all my research for my last computer was last year.

- I also recall them releasing the 6xx series a few months after I built mine, which was in December.

- Also, a few more tiny details you likely know about, but nothing that doesn't lose value in repeating. Be sure the motherboard and processor use the same chip set (Mine, for example, is the LGA 1155 (iirc) and in your example build it was LGA 2011). Also, going with trusted brands is always the best. Asus, for example, for the motherboard, if a great choice.

- The Power Supply has to be good enough to run the PC. In your example, you got a huge power supply that has twice the max wattage on your machine. Mine runs a 750 (or 850) and that was only because I am likely to add a 2nd monitor + 2nd 580 in the future, which wold bring the wattage to the low 700's, while it is currently in the 400's. You can surely go down from that 1200W monster.

- Be sure that your motherboard is compatible with everything (RAM, Processor, etc). I had a problem with a wireless network card not being compatible and it would really screw with my computers ability to work. When you shell out this kind of cash, you want to be sure everything is the best possible (the card was a cheap piece of crap, my mistake there).

- Also, with power supplies, from research, some are more regarded. Corsair is the one I run and is highly reputed. Antec and Cooler Master were the other 2 companies that were held in high esteem. IT's also kind of ironic that when I had my build initially, the power supply (Corsair too) had failed and I had to get a new one. But it died right from the start (hardware malfuncton for sure - I turned it on and it immediately made a "spark" like sound and died).

- Also, I've read a lot about SSD's and heard nothing but good reviews. Usually used to store the OS and the main programs you will use, with the HDD used for storing documents and etc. However, I don't have one and even with the HDD I have my computer goes from closed to fully open and running in ~ 1 minute tops. Time to go for a glass of water or something. It's worth looking at.

- Also, for mice, try not to go too high in the "gaming mouse" stuff. Hardly are they ever worth it. I run a simple Razer Deathadder (60$) and it feels good, runs smooth, has 2 side buttons that are well placed and while it is Razer, it's one of their products that give the best bang for your buck.

- And lastly, take your time. Do some reading, comparisons, read up on some brands. I used NewEgg a lot to check out some prices and eventually bought from TigerDirect.ca . Once you're done, if you're buying everything from 1 website, send in an invoice and ask them if they can't give you a discount (wherever you go). Buying in bulk might have them take of shipping, for example. I also used a lot of benchmarks made from tomshardware (a website) for the processor + video card choices.

I finished with a 2.6k build by the end of it. Includes everything (case, motherboard, hardware, monitor, keyboard + mouse, etc...). All I really lack is an SSD (if I ever feel like it) and maybe a 2nd monitor. If all you're doing on it is gaming, then anything over 3k is a ripoff somewhere. Fine, your computer will eat games like Skyrim and Crysis for breakfast, but other computers can too, and still have some room to spare to tackle on next year's great graphically taxing, processor eating titles.

And last thing, always be sure that nothing will overheat either. I have an NZXT case with something like 6 fans in it and I don't think the computer runs hot at all. But some cases/setups could be problematic as well. Don't overlook that.

I told you he's an expert!

Nice job, Ced.

icevenom · #10 11-02-2012, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by C-Lo

PC forums can be rough for asking for good advice (and getting a respectful response).

My 2 cents is that you would be better served by spending 2-2.5k now, and then again in a couple years. PC tech gets out dated so quickly, there isn't really any such thing as future proof.

Spending a little over 1,000 will get you a computer able to scream through any current games. Especially considering the amount of titles that are now designed with the much slower consoles in mind. 30 inch monitor seems excessive in price and size to me. Don't get me wrong, a big screen is nice, but at the same time you have to remember that you are going to be sitting very close to your screen so size isn't as important as it is on a TV. There is no way I would spend over a thousand on that when you can get something only slightly smaller for 1/3 the price.

After installing an SSD in my latest build I would highly recommend it for your primary drive. It is unbelievable how much quicker they are. My drive is 120gigs which does fill up with a full windows install, and couple games. It is a little work shuffling stuff from there to my standard sata drive for mass storage, but honestly its worth it.

I haven't read up on the newest generation of video cards but I agree with the poster above; generally your will get a much better performance/dollar ratio if you SL/Crossfire a couple high end cards rather than paying for a single, over priced, top of the line model.

Anyway, just a couple thoughts off the top of my head. Good luck with the choices. Selecting the parts for my next build is always one of my favorite things to do.

I agree... spending because you can in the PC world is stupid. SURE, you will have crazy specs for a year or two... but then what??? better served to get more reasonable price point stuff and just upgrade more frequently. you will be running better stuff more consistently.

It is like having a 7pt night in hockey... once and then being shut out for 6 games... or have a pt a night for 7 games.

[It's a hockey forum after all...]

I purchased a crazy 300$ best you can buy video card one year and never really utilized it. Sure, it still works well but i would have been better served buying a mid range and then upgrading.

CPU / RAM... i tend to buy the best you get can get where the price point is pretty good for what your getting. When the marginal cost starts greatly increasing on the next level of CPU... that is when I cut off my limit for CPU.

Don't overdo it on overclocked stuff (in my opinion). It isn't as stable. I got some crazy OCZ ram that needed to be OC to run steady at the advertized clock time but I just left it at the slower speed for stability.

For boards, I tend to get ASUS (but they always seem to die). I also learned I didn't need double or triple SLI type stuff. I run a single high end card now and everything works excellent.

You are pissing money away if you buy stuff that is the best just to have the best. Spend that precious money on other cool stuff!

As for Monitor, I have my PC attached to my 42" TV.

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