About to buy my first ever gaming rig..

Alright, I made a post a week or two back about building my gaming rig and have used the feedback to list a build and get a quote from my local PC-building store.. I asked them if they could recommend any changes and I got a reply and now I'd like your comments to ensure it's decent. I'll also list the prices I've found on "IT Estate", an Australian PC component distributer that I've read people use (so it's $AUD):

• 1TB Hard Drive ($90) - I asked for a Seagate, but in the reply that didn't list the brand. I'll make sure it's a quality brand before I spend anything though.
• 8GB DDR3G-Skill Ripjaw 1600 RAM ($51) - I asked for Kingston 8GB because I heard it was a good brand, but they recommended this. I think this is also cheaper.
• CoolerMaster Storm Trooper ($200)- I was initally going to see about a Cosmos II, but they're so massive.
• Antec EarthWatts 750W PSU ($122) - I asked for a 620W Antec brand, but they recommend this. It's more expensive, but as long as it's quality I don't mind. The difference was about $30. I'm worried because I hear a low-quality PSU can fry a system, though it is Antec?
• GTX 670 GPU ($487)
• i5 3700k ($235)
• Gigabyte [GA-X79-UD3] ($270)- This is where I'm skeptical. I asked for either the ASUS P8Z77-V ($221) or GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UD5H (~$280) but they recomendded this. I know very little about stuff like this, but I'm curious as to why this was chosen? I initially looked a guide that people on the technology section of a certain site use to build PC's and both of the CPU's I asked for were thought of very highly in the guide, yet the one the store has recommended isn't listed. Is it something to do with the sockets? As I said, I have no idea but I would have felt more comfortable with the others.
• Noctua nh-u12p CPU cooler ($77)
• Windows 7 (~$300) - I'm not sure which version to get, but they recommended Premium

All up, this calculates to $1832 AUD. The quote they gave me was $1892, and they charge $60 for labour so it matches up perfectly (though I'm not exactly sure on the price of windows, it was $300 for the Home Premium copy).

• Thought's on the rig?
• Will this play any game I throw at it now, and in the next year or so?
• Will it play those games at the high-to-ultra settings?

It's a lot of money.. So I'm really trying to make sure I'm spending it wisely. Thanks a lot for any feedback.

Edit:

Decided that I'll probably try to buy a solid build now to run less system-intensive games for much cheaper:

1TB - ($90)
8GB DDR3 - G.Skill Ripjaw ($48)
Corsair 500R - ($157)
Antec EarthWatts - ($122)
GTX 560 TI - Gigabyte ($255) - Might wait for the GTX 660 TI, though I want to keep things quite cheap.
i5 3570K - ($230)
Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 - ($129)
Samsung DVD Optical Drive - ($25)
Windows 7 Home Premium OME ($99)

Total = $1155

How will this handle most current games?

• 8GB DDR3G-Skill Ripjaw 1600 RAM ($51) - I asked for Kingston 8GB because I heard it was a good brand, but they recommended this. I think this is also cheaper.
• Antec EarthWatts 750W PSU ($122) - I asked for a 620W Antec brand, but they recommend this. It's more expensive, but as long as it's quality I don't mind. The difference was about $30. I'm worried because I hear a low-quality PSU can fry a system, though it is Antec?
• Noctua nh-u12p CPU cooler ($77)
• Windows 7 (~$300) - I'm not sure which version to get, but they recommended Premium

Twin-Blade

Nothing wrong with the RAM they suggested. As for the PSU, if you plan on running dual GTX 670s then the 750W would be very nice to have. If not, then it's overkill. Then for the cooler - unless you plan on trying to overclock as much out of the CPU as you can get, you may want to look for something that works good and is slightly less in cost like the Hyper 212+ from CoolerMaster.

On a side note - does it really cost 3x as much to get a copy of Windows 7 OEM Home Premium 64bit of what it costs in the States? I'm thinking they're giving you a complete retail copy and not an OEM version. If you don't plan on constantly swapping out parts (such as the MB and CPU), the OEM would be just fine for you and cheaper.

Only reason to get a retail copy over OEM is if you love to swap out hardware componenets and rebuild your system ever 6-12 months....and yes, there are some people out there like that. I've been on an OEM copy of Vista for the past 4 years (before 7 came out). I've reformatted my HDD twice since then, but kept the same MB and CPU (have swapped out HDD, RAM and GPUs) and haven't had any issues re-installing. Just something to think about.

As for Windows 7 editions and what to get - if you plan on being part of a networking system or running one yourself from your PC, you'll need Professional or Ultimate. If you are some parinoid person about keeping tight security on all your important files and are looking for a very secure way to protect your important files - Ultimate offers BitLocker. That would be the only reason I would suggest Ultimate to anyone over Home and I wouldn't suggest Professional unless you need to get a on a networking system and don't need the use of BitLocker.

[QUOTE="Twin-Blade"]

• 8GB DDR3G-Skill Ripjaw 1600 RAM ($51) - I asked for Kingston 8GB because I heard it was a good brand, but they recommended this. I think this is also cheaper.
• Antec EarthWatts 750W PSU ($122) - I asked for a 620W Antec brand, but they recommend this. It's more expensive, but as long as it's quality I don't mind. The difference was about $30. I'm worried because I hear a low-quality PSU can fry a system, though it is Antec?
• Noctua nh-u12p CPU cooler ($77)
• Windows 7 (~$300) - I'm not sure which version to get, but they recommended Premium

neatfeatguy

Nothing wrong with the RAM they suggested. As for the PSU, if you plan on running dual GTX 670s then the 750W would be very nice to have. If not, then it's overkill. Then for the cooler - unless you plan on trying to overclock as much out of the CPU as you can get, you may want to look for something that works good and is slightly less in cost like the Hyper 212+ from CoolerMaster.

On a side note - does it really cost 3x as much to get a copy of Windows 7 OEM Home Premium 64bit of what it costs in the States? I'm thinking they're giving you a complete retail copy and not an OEM version. If you don't plan on constantly swapping out parts (such as the MB and CPU), the OEM would be just fine for you and cheaper.

Only reason to get a retail copy over OEM is if you love to swap out hardware componenets and rebuild your system ever 6-12 months....and yes, there are some people out there like that. I've been on an OEM copy of Vista for the past 4 years (before 7 came out). I've reformatted my HDD twice since then, but kept the same MB and CPU (have swapped out HDD, RAM and GPUs) and haven't had any issues re-installing. Just something to think about.

As for Windows 7 editions and what to get - if you plan on being part of a networking system or running one yourself from your PC, you'll need Professional or Ultimate. If you are some parinoid person about keeping tight security on all your important files and are looking for a very secure way to protect your important files - Ultimate offers BitLocker. That would be the only reason I would suggest Ultimate to anyone over Home and I wouldn't suggest Professional unless you need to get a on a networking system and don't need the use of BitLocker.

Australia gets ripped blind on most things compared to in the states. We have a higher minimum wage as far I know, though are dollar is worth slightly more also. Overall, we're still getting charged a lot more. I'll have a talk with them and see why they recommended the Professional copy. What about the CPU? Any idea why the chose that one over the ones I had asked about? Do you know if it's better than the other two?

And any idea on how it will handle most games?

Hey TC, where do you live in Australia? I've seen things for cheaper in Sydney. Btw, building a rig is not always about spending as much as you can and hoping it to last for years. Sometimes it's about spending on parts that'll give you the best performance/ price ratio and replacing each parts individually when they start holding back your computer.hoplayletsplay

I live in Western Sydney, though have very little knowledge in building a PC and therefore the prices of components. I had a quick look online for a site which seemed popular for ordering PC components online and used that to get an idea of the cost of things; I assumed it would be cheaper to purchase online that from a retails tore. My intentions when putting together this list was to be near the top performance-wise without being overkill. I'd be willing to pay a little bit extra for convenience; for example, if I didn't have to travel to a store an hour or so a way because something was slightly cheaper.

Something I forgot to ask in my last post: Is the CPU cooler worth having if I have no intention of overclocking (I know very little about it), though will probably be playing during hot Australian summers? My air-conditioning is average at best and so my house/room can get quite hot during hot days. Will the CPU cooler help much?

Basically, I've got to the point where I'm starting to have trouble justifying the price unless I'm positive it could play everything now and within the near future at the higher settings.

Australia gets ripped blind on most things compared to in the states. We have a higher minimum wage as far I know, though are dollar is worth slightly more also. Overall, we're still getting charged a lot more. I'll have a talk with them and see why they recommended the Professional copy. What about the CPU? Any idea why the chose that one over the ones I had asked about? Do you know if it's better than the other two?

And any idea on how it will handle most games?

Something I forgot to ask in my last post: Is the CPU cooler worth having if I have no intention of overclocking (I know very little about it), though will probably be playing during hot Australian summers? My air-conditioning is average at best and so my house/room can get quite hot during hot days. Will the CPU cooler help much?

Twin-Blade

I'm not sure what other two you asked about. I know that the i7 supports HyperThreading (HT) - though it doesn't really make any difference for gaming. If you were doing encoding/video editing/large file transfers constantly and such things like that the i7 would be a good CPU to buy. If you're mostly using the PC for gaming, then an i5-3570K would be just fine. It should be a bit cheaper and give the same performance in gaming.

As for the CPU cooler - even the best closed water loop or air cooler can only keep your CPU as cool as the ambient room temperature is. If you're room temp is around 23 or 24C, the cooler can't make the CPU run any cooler then that. However, the better the cooler, the lower the load temp will be. If you're not overclocking do not get that cooler.

I hear that the stock heatsink/fan that comes with the CPUs are just a basic heatsink/fan and work okay. If you really want an aftermarket cooler to keep things cooler than the stock heatsink/fan, maybe find something cheap but very effective like the Hyper 212+. Should be easily half the cost of the one you have listed (if not more), plus put a second fan on it and you have one hell of a cooler if you do want to play with overclocking in the future.

TC, don't hurry yourself just yet, you should definitely get more opinions before putting down that much money. I can't tell you if you computer is overkill or not because I don't know what application you are using that computer for. But $1800 for any games out right now are certainly an overkill.

I am currently running BF3 on very high settings at 50-60 FPS with a 6950, which is like half of what your graphics card cost.

And about that the cpu, I think you meant i5 3570k. It's a very power cpu without OC. And since you can always OC later on, stick with the stock fan for now. But you should definitely OC it later on because that is what the i5 3570k meant for.

In terms of the M/B, once again, you need to know what you are using it for. A cheaper M/B often means less features but not less performance. I'm worried that you won't be able to get the most out of an expensive board before the next revolutionary socket comes out lol.

TC, look what I've found you,http://www.pccasegear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1411&products_id=20843

for 1849 without shipping, look ar that SSD!

System components:

• CPU:Intel Core i5 3570K
• Motherboard:ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard
• Graphics:Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 2GB Overclocked 1137MHz
• Memory:Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
• Solid State Drive:SanDisk Extreme Solid State Drive 120GB
• Hard Drive:Seagate Barracuda 2TB ST2000DM001
• Optical Drive:Samsung SH-222BB SATA DVDRW
• Case:Corsair Graphite 600T Special Edition White Case
• Power supply:Silverstone Strider Plus 750W ST75F-P
• Operating System:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
• Warranty: 1 year return-to-base warranty on assembly, see individual product pages for warranty duration on each component

Please note:

• All assembled system orders incur a $200 non-refundable deposit prior to system assembly. For store pick up orders, please contact our customer service team on 03 9560 2122 once you have placed your order to make payment.
• Monitor and peripherals not included.
• Please allow 24-48 hours for assembly, testing and dispatch.

This is from pccasegear, a very reputable online store in Australia.

Edit: TC, I'm not asking you to buy it, I'm just saying you need to do more research before buying a computer that expensive

Is a PC that expensive necessary to play most of the modern games on the highest settings? I'm talking games like Skyrim, Crysis, etc? Perhaps it would be wiser to just play games like that on my consoles and purchase a cheaper rig capable of running games like Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, Minecraft etc, very well. I'd imagine that would be much cheaper? Having little knowledge in PC's, hardware-wise, it's hard for my to gauge exactly what I need to be able to run the games I'd like to play.

Do you think you could give an estimate of the cost of a build that is capable of playing games like Guild Wars 2, Stalker, DayZ, WoW, Torchlight 2, Minecraft, etc, and play them at or near the highest setting? While I've been debating with myself over whether I should just go out a buy a high-end gaming rig, I might settle for a much cheaper rig to play exclusive, relatively lower system-intensive PC games and just get the other games for my consoles.

System components:

• CPU:Intel Core i5 3570K
• Motherboard:ASRock Z77 Extreme4 Motherboard
• Graphics:Gigabyte GeForce GTX 680 2GB Overclocked 1137MHz
• Memory:Corsair Vengeance CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3
• Solid State Drive:SanDisk Extreme Solid State Drive 120GB
• Hard Drive:Seagate Barracuda 2TB ST2000DM001
• Optical Drive:Samsung SH-222BB SATA DVDRW
• Case:Corsair Graphite 600T Special Edition White Case
• Power supply:Silverstone Strider Plus 750W ST75F-P
• Operating System:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit
• Warranty: 1 year return-to-base warranty on assembly, see individual product pages for warranty duration on each component

hoplayletsplay

It's good. Based on the TC's initial comments, he'd be wise to check on the 600T - for a mid tower case, it's very large, particularly its width. It's an excellent case, but if TC needs to fit it into a specific space, it could be less than ideal.

[QUOTE="Twin-Blade"]

• 8GB DDR3G-Skill Ripjaw 1600 RAM ($51) - I asked for Kingston 8GB because I heard it was a good brand, but they recommended this. I think this is also cheaper.
• Antec EarthWatts 750W PSU ($122) - I asked for a 620W Antec brand, but they recommend this. It's more expensive, but as long as it's quality I don't mind. The difference was about $30. I'm worried because I hear a low-quality PSU can fry a system, though it is Antec?
• Noctua nh-u12p CPU cooler ($77)
• Windows 7 (~$300) - I'm not sure which version to get, but they recommended Premium

Nothing wrong with the RAM they suggested. As for the PSU, if you plan on running dual GTX 670s then the 750W would be very nice to have. If not, then it's overkill. Then for the cooler - unless you plan on trying to overclock as much out of the CPU as you can get, you may want to look for something that works good and is slightly less in cost like the Hyper 212+ from CoolerMaster.

On a side note - does it really cost 3x as much to get a copy of Windows 7 OEM Home Premium 64bit of what it costs in the States? I'm thinking they're giving you a complete retail copy and not an OEM version. If you don't plan on constantly swapping out parts (such as the MB and CPU), the OEM would be just fine for you and cheaper.

Only reason to get a retail copy over OEM is if you love to swap out hardware componenets and rebuild your system ever 6-12 months....and yes, there are some people out there like that. I've been on an OEM copy of Vista for the past 4 years (before 7 came out). I've reformatted my HDD twice since then, but kept the same MB and CPU (have swapped out HDD, RAM and GPUs) and haven't had any issues re-installing. Just something to think about.

As for Windows 7 editions and what to get - if you plan on being part of a networking system or running one yourself from your PC, you'll need Professional or Ultimate. If you are some parinoid person about keeping tight security on all your important files and are looking for a very secure way to protect your important files - Ultimate offers BitLocker. That would be the only reason I would suggest Ultimate to anyone over Home and I wouldn't suggest Professional unless you need to get a on a networking system and don't need the use of BitLocker.

You can also swap parts including mobo with an OEM copy you just have to reactivate Windows online or by phone. So I dont see the problem. robertoenrique

Technically you're not supposed to be able to, thankfully MS doesn't prod too much and enforce their rules on the license agreement very well.

Decided that I'll probably try to buy a solid build now to run less system-intensive games for much cheaper:

1TB - ($90)
8GB DDR3 - G.Skill Ripjaw ($48)
Corsair 500R - ($157)
Antec EarthWatts - ($122)
GTX 560 TI - Gigabyte ($255) - Might wait for the GTX 660 TI, though I want to keep things quite cheap.
i5 3570K - ($230)
Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 - ($129)
Samsung DVD Optical Drive - ($25)
Windows 7 Home Premium OME ($99)

Total = $1155

How will this handle most current games?

Decided that I'll probably try to buy a solid build now to run less system-intensive games for much cheaper:

1TB - ($90)
8GB DDR3 - G.Skill Ripjaw ($48)
Corsair 500R - ($157)
Antec EarthWatts - ($122)
GTX 560 TI - Gigabyte ($255) - Might wait for the GTX 660 TI, though I want to keep things quite cheap.
i5 3570K - ($230)
Asrock Z77 Extreme 4 - ($129)
Samsung DVD Optical Drive - ($25)
Windows 7 Home Premium OME ($99)

Total = $1155

How will this handle most current games?

Twin-Blade

I personally wouldn't mind a cheaper case but it's really a personal personal preference. hoplayletsplay

Putting a little extra cash into the case is worth it. A decent case is easy to install into and easier to organise; it also tends to give you better temperatures thanks to that improved airflow.

[QUOTE="hoplayletsplay"] I personally wouldn't mind a cheaper case but it's really a personal personal preference. LordRork

Putting a little extra cash into the case is worth it. A decent case is easy to install into and easier to organise; it also tends to give you better temperatures thanks to that improved airflow.