Looking to Build a New Gaming PC

Hello all, i know these new computer threads are endless, but i appreciate the help. I'm looking to build a new computer for Christmas, and i really don't have a price limit on the parts that I'm going to be buying.

I'm looking to be able to play on max settings on plenty of games. I also do video editing, as well as some after effects / photoshop / cinema 4d work.

Please help me out. I've had a few friends compile this build for me. Please don't hold back from telling me what i should get or should not get, thanks!

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 i7 920
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004 heatsink+fan
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362&Tpk=ud5 ud5 mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 1tb western digital hdd
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173 samsung dvdburner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 corsair 750w 80+ xfire/sli ready psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145220 corsair 6gb (3x2gb)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130398 evga gtx 260 core 216 896MB

(I am still undecided about a case)

 

i really want to point out that your building an i7 rig. and those new chips are great, no doubt about it, but right now they are really expensive for what they can do. i know you said that you dont really have a budget, but if you want to get the most bang for your buck, i would go with the LGA 775, like the Q9400 or the Q6600. im just pointing that out. if you really want to build a top notch computer and have no price limit, then by all means, get the i7.

also, what monitor do you plan on using? what resolution? if your gaming on a 24" screen with 1080p, then i would suggest a stronger video card, like the GTX 280, or HD4870x2. if not, then the GTX 260 would be sufficient.

as for the case, the usual thing most people will get is the Antec 900, Cooler Master 690, or NZXT Tempest. it really depends on your needs, but those 3 cases are usually good cases for the average pc builder.

 

I would recommend the HD 4850x2. It's $20 more, but performs better than a GTX 280. If you want to save some money, get an HD 4870. It will perform about equal to the GTX 260, but about $50 cheaper. If money is truly no object, then the HD 4870x2 is the fastest card currently available.

 

Never mind saving him money on the GTX260 216, that's not too bad compared to the fact that he's chosen an i7 build. Fortunately, he mentions video editing, so the i7 is actually of some use, but I will tell you now, the i7s are actually slightly lower in the games that matter than the Core 2 Quads, such that the $780 CPU/Mobo/RAM combination is outperformed by a $480 combo (of Q9450, EP45-DS3L and 4GB of Corsair DDR2). However, an i7 920 will lay waste to any Core 2 Quad when the going gets tough encoding video, so your call really. Do you do enough of it to warrant the extra 300 dollars?
Sunbeam stuff is generally a bit meh, cheap and 'does the job' but unexemplary. Given that i7 chips produce the most heat of almost any desktop intel CPU to date except the early Pentium Ds, I would strongly recommend a more adept cooler, this one to be specific:
http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24727

Running your CPU maxed out for long periods of time encoding video is going to get HOT with that Sunbeam.

The rest of your build is excellent, but for the fact you chose an EVGA graphics card. Whether you choose the GTX260, or the comparatively better value HD4870 (about 5% slower for 30% less cost) is up to you, but if you do go nVidia, buy XFX or BFG, not EVGA. They've sold too many dud cards in the past, I don't trust them.

 

ok thanks

 

Yeah I agree. Stick with the Q6600, costs less and alot more overclockable. You can put the rest of the money towards water cooling and try and get a 280 if you can. Much better than the 260 and just as good as the 4870 x2.

 

Lol, no offense, but don't listen to this guy. The Q6600 may be alright, but it's the lowest of the quad cores performance wise. More importantly though, the GTX280 is a terrible card to buy, it is almost no faster than a GTX260 yet costs 50% more, it's miles behind the HD4870X2.

 

Yeah sam, thats what i've heard. I am going to stick with the core i7 due to the video editing and because i plan on keeping this pc for a good amount of time, so i want it to be top of the line.

As far as my resolution goes, i have a 22" Samsung Syncmaster 226cw and I ALWAYS use its native res of 1680x1050.

Thanks for the cooler choice as well sam. I looked into the XFX cards and decided on this card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329 This is the same one as in the original build, correct?

Also, i have heard that this: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225 would be better for the i7 than the ram that i have in my build above. Is this true?

 

To be honest, you may as well get this one, for the little extra:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330
This one even beats a GT280. Using 1680x1050, this will run pretty much any game that comes out for possibly multiple years at high detail. I'm generally not fond of pre-overclocked cards but that one is such a performance leap, and XFX offer good warranties.

i7 seems to love memory speed for video editing, so 1600mhz RAM makes sense. G-Skill make good memory, so I've no problem with you using that.

 

Thanks man! I will definitely get the Black Edition card you mentioned. And i think im going to use the G-Skill ram, most of the reviews on newegg said it was a perfect match for the Core i7.

 

From what i have heard on some other forums, my 750TX PSU is good, but will NOT run two core 216s in SLI (for when i get a second one in the future). They have recommended the Corsair 1000HX but i'm not completely sure if this is even true.

 

They're idiots. Two 216 cores will work fine on a 750W TX. I run an HD4870X2, which barely uses any less power, on a mere 520W HX.
These are the sort of people that buy 750W power supplies to run celerons.

 

So would you suggest that PSU? Or is there a better one that i should think about getting?

 

Neither, I'd suggest you stick with your 750W TX. The reason for people thinking that two 260s will be too much for a 750W unit is that nvidia cards are sometimes prone to power usage spikes, and spikes can destroy cheap PSUs. Cheap 750W units can often only really produce 400W anyway, so a spike of say 600W, would kill one off. Properly made units not only will actually produce their rated amount, but will also withstand spikes without issues. (For reference, an overclocked Core 2 Quad system with two GTX260 216s in SLI will normally use about 430W at full load, so with a stock i7, probably about 420, an overclocked i7 still less than 500 - plenty of room to spare)

If you're not happy though, feel free to buy the HX1000 though, it's possibly the best 1KW PSU you can buy.

 

Alright, so here is the final build (excluding case):

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 i7 920

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=24727 heatsink+fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362&Tpk=ud5 ud5 mobo

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284 1tb western digital hdd

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173 samsung dvdburner

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 corsair 750w 80+ xfire/sli ready psu

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231225 G.Skill 6gb(3x2gb) DDR3 1600

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330 XFX GTX260 Core 216 896mb Black Edition

Does it look good and is it all compatible?

Also, i use a 500GB External Hard drive so i'm assuming there will be room for that to plug into whatever case i choose with this build.

 

Looks fine to me.

 

Thanks, so the cooling shouldn't be a problem?

I'm thinking about getting this sound card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102006 for the PC gaming.

I'm also looking for a case that has the usb ports / audio ports / etc. on the front of the case so that they're accessible for my headset to plug into. With my current tower, it is placed to the left of my monitor up on my desk, so the ports being on the side or the top would be an inconvenience. I am currently thinking towards the Antec p182, but i'm not completely sure.

Oh, and i should get Vista 64bit i'm assuming so i can utilize the cores and the 6gb of ram?

 

Yea if your using 6gb of ram, go with the 64-bit version.

As your case, I personally have no experience with it, but with those computer components, I suggest something with better air flow. I'm also assuming your not planning on watercooling. I already noted some more than adequate cases before, too

But I also want to say there are a lot of cases out there that will cool your stuff efficiently, it's just your prefferences. Like do you want your case to be on the floor or on the desk (because seometimes the ports will be positioned on the top or bottom)? Or maybe you don't want those glowing cases or a case with a window side panel.. Just make sure you don't pick a poor quality one. Hopefully someone will be able to comment on the antec case, but to me, it looks like you need something with better airflow

 

SoundBlaster cards don't have a front panel connection on them, so your headphones will have to use the onboard sound if you buy that card. I am not sure which sound cards do as I use an external sound card to make it even easier

The Antec P182 has better airflow than the average case, certainly better than any of those crappy XClio Windtunnel cases with the giant fans. However to get the best airflow out of it, you destroy the reason for which it was designed - silence.

 

I am currently using a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Fidelity card, and i'm plugging my headset into the headphone jack on the front of the computer.

What other good cards could i use that would allow me to plug my headset into the headphone jack on the case i buy?