Building a new rig, looking for opinions

Hey, all. I'm in the process of getting ready to buy the parts to build myself a new rig that I'll be using for gaming (planning around playing BF3 and Skyrim), HD video editing, and 3d modeling.

I just started, so I don't really have much planned out yet, but there's something that I've been stuck on, decision-wise.

I'm being told by some people that I should get this CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

Is it worth it? Or should I get a different CPU and a graphics card, instead?

Keep that CPU, now you just need a appropriate z68 mobo.

If you tell us your budget, then we can make you a build. I take it you will want a higher end graphic card if you are doing modeling. I'm not sure how workstation cards are doing now. Might be better to just get a gaming one.

If you tell us your budget, then we can make you a build. I take it you will want a higher end graphic card if you are doing modeling. I'm not sure how workstation cards are doing now. Might be better to just get a gaming one.

LordsLoss

[QUOTE="LordsLoss"]

If you tell us your budget, then we can make you a build. I take it you will want a higher end graphic card if you are doing modeling. I'm not sure how workstation cards are doing now. Might be better to just get a gaming one.

drkessence

Will the 3d programs take advantage of CUDA or not? and your HD editing, will they use Intel's quicksync?

Will the 3d programs take advantage of CUDA or not? and your HD editing, will they use Intel's quicksync?

GTR12

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

Will the 3d programs take advantage of CUDA or not? and your HD editing, will they use Intel's quicksync?

drkessence

Its basically Intel's way of using their GPU to encode vids.

Is it? The article I was reading mainly talked about it helping with transcoding, rather than the encoding process beforehand.

That's a great CPU. Very powerful for the money. This coming from someone who's owened a 990x (way overpriced IMHO). I'd pick up a decent Z68 enabled motherboard from Asus, Gigabyte or MSI and then throw in a EVGA 560 ti graphics card. It will be able to handle most games nearly maxed at 1080p. It's not the most powerful, but for the price it's a great performer. Check in with your budget and I can give you better options.

That's a great CPU. Very powerful for the money. This coming from someone who's owened a 990x (way overpriced IMHO). I'd pick up a decent Z68 enabled motherboard from Asus, Gigabyte or MSI and then throw in a EVGA 560 ti graphics card. It will be able to handle most games nearly maxed at 1080p. It's not the most powerful, but for the price it's a great performer. Check in with your budget and I can give you better options.

JFRocker

Integrated graphics are not for games... at all. You will certainly want a video card.

I assumed so, but people were making it seem like this newer CPU's graphics were really good.

-edit-

At the moment I'm planning on getting this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517010

I was cheap buying the case for my current rig, which turned out to be made of cheap metal, had horrible airflow, poor placements, and wasn't even big enough to fit everything (I had to bend the back of the case to get the graphics card in)....soooo, basically, I'm going for the exact opposite and wanting to get this case which I'm hearing good things about. Large size and supposedly has great airflow.

I figure I should mention that I'm not exactly tech stupid. I know what things are called, what they do, what (most) of their specs mean, how to put it together, what it's used for, etc. My only issue with hardware is that I don't keep up with it so I never know what is considered better than this or that, or what kinds of new things different stuff is capable of.

I assumed so, but people were making it seem like this newer CPU's graphics were really good.

-edit-

At the moment I'm planning on getting this case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517010

I was cheap buying the case for my current rig, which turned out to be made of cheap metal, had horrible airflow, poor placements, and wasn't even big enough to fit everything (I had to bend the back of the case to get the graphics card in)....soooo, basically, I'm going for the exact opposite and wanting to get this case which I'm hearing good things about. Large size and supposedly has great airflow.

I figure I should mention that I'm not exactly tech stupid. I know what things are called, what they do, what (most) of their specs mean, how to put it together, what it's used for, etc. My only issue with hardware is that I don't keep up with it so I never know what is considered better than this or that, or what kinds of new things different stuff is capable of.

drkessence

CPU graphics have improved alot, especially the AMD fusion, but not enough for gaming yet.

Ah, well that's good to know.

So would I still be better getting this CPU and a GFX card or would it be better to get a different CPU?

Ah, well that's good to know.

So would I still be better getting this CPU and a GFX card or would it be better to get a different CPU?

drkessence

Keep that CPU for now, unless it means a getting a bad GPU, the extra threads of the 2600k will help you.

Alright. Then unless anyone has any recommendations, I'll probably spend some time tomorrow picking out a mobo, gfx card, and GPU and then post them here to get opinions.

I wish SSDs were cheaper and larger cause I'd love to get some. I'm just not willing to pay a couple hundred bucks for only a couple hundred gigs....

Alright. Then unless anyone has any recommendations, I'll probably spend some time tomorrow picking out a mobo, gfx card, and GPU and then post them here to get opinions.

I wish SSDs were cheaper and larger cause I'd love to get some. I'm just not willing to pay a couple hundred bucks for only a couple hundred gigs....

drkessence

Why no a 60GB boot drive and maybe installing a CAD program, and a larger 1-2TB for files.

i purchased a 60gb SSD from a guy on craigslist fr like 70 bux a lil while ago. When i start up my computer it sometimes feels like it was only really sleep8ing, thats how fast it loads up. Other than a boot drive, SSD's are pretty much useless though.

[QUOTE="drkessence"]

Alright. Then unless anyone has any recommendations, I'll probably spend some time tomorrow picking out a mobo, gfx card, and GPU and then post them here to get opinions.

I wish SSDs were cheaper and larger cause I'd love to get some. I'm just not willing to pay a couple hundred bucks for only a couple hundred gigs....

GTR12

Why no a 60GB boot drive and maybe installing a CAD program, and a larger 1-2TB for files.

Man, I need more help than I thought :/

Anyone have any suggestions for the rest of the hardware?

I'm looking at z68 mobos, but I don't know what the difference is between these since most seem to have the same specs.

I don't even know what the higher end gfx cards are these days.

Man, I need more help than I thought :/

Anyone have any suggestions for the rest of the hardware?

I'm looking at z68 mobos, but I don't know what the difference is between these since most seem to have the same specs.

I don't even know what the higher end gfx cards are these days.

drkessence

Theres the ASUS P8Z68 V-Pro, the Gigabyte Z68X-UD4 and the Asrock Z68 Extreme4.

Are any of those in your budget?

[QUOTE="drkessence"]

Man, I need more help than I thought :/

Anyone have any suggestions for the rest of the hardware?

I'm looking at z68 mobos, but I don't know what the difference is between these since most seem to have the same specs.

I don't even know what the higher end gfx cards are these days.

GTR12

Theres the ASUS P8Z68 V-Pro, the Gigabyte Z68X-UD4 and the Asrock Z68 Extreme4.

Are any of those in your budget?

[QUOTE="drkessence"]

Man, I need more help than I thought :/

Anyone have any suggestions for the rest of the hardware?

I'm looking at z68 mobos, but I don't know what the difference is between these since most seem to have the same specs.

I don't even know what the higher end gfx cards are these days.

GTR12

Theres the ASUS P8Z68 V-Pro, the Gigabyte Z68X-UD4 and the Asrock Z68 Extreme4.

Are any of those in your budget?

well there's the 6xxx series now, with 7xxx coming.. uh... someday. lol

do you want to go amd or nvidia? or just whatever gives the best value?

well there's the 6xxx series now, with 7xxx coming.. uh... someday. lol

do you want to go amd or nvidia? or just whatever gives the best value?

theking52_TDK

[QUOTE="theking52_TDK"]

well there's the 6xxx series now, with 7xxx coming.. uh... someday. lol

do you want to go amd or nvidia? or just whatever gives the best value?

drkessence

How about you keep the 5800 card you got, and wait for next gen GPU's?

[QUOTE="drkessence"][QUOTE="theking52_TDK"]

well there's the 6xxx series now, with 7xxx coming.. uh... someday. lol

do you want to go amd or nvidia? or just whatever gives the best value?

GTR12

How about you keep the 5800 card you got, and wait for next gen GPU's?

Can't. Selling this rig to a friend. It's also a low-end 5800 so its not all that great. Has a hard time with good bit of games at max graphics. It lags a lot when I play Deus Ex.

drkessence

Ok then, well the 2 most powerful GPU's are the 6990 and the GTX590, from AMD and Nvidia respectively. If your looking at single-GPU's its the GTX580 from Nvidia. The 6970 is a bit further down the list.

[QUOTE="drkessence"]

Can't. Selling this rig to a friend. It's also a low-end 5800 so its not all that great. Has a hard time with good bit of games at max graphics. It lags a lot when I play Deus Ex.

GTR12

Ok then, well the 2 most powerful GPU's are the 6990 and the GTX590, from AMD and Nvidia respectively. If your looking at single-GPU's its the GTX580 from Nvidia. The 6970 is a bit further down the list.

6990 and 590 are dual gpus. As in there's literally 2 video cards combined together.

Single card GPU is what most people use. 580 for example and 6970. 580 is faster than 6970 itself but if you want dual cards then 6970 x 2 would be the mre value efficient choice. One of the best values you can get is 2 x 6950.

How much do you want to spend on this? Cause prices can range from just over 100 to 600+ ($)

6990 and 590 are dual gpus. As in there's literally 2 video cards combined together.

Single card GPU is what most people use. 580 for example and 6970. 580 is faster than 6970 itself but if you want dual cards then 6970 x 2 would be the mre value efficient choice. One of the best values you can get is 2 x 6950.

How much do you want to spend on this? Cause prices can range from just over 100 to 600+ ($)

theking52_TDK

Can you give a recap of what parts you have listed for now? This thread is all over the place with parts. 6950 is roughly $250. 6970 is $350. And 570 is about $325. If you go with just one card and are willing to spend upto $400 I'd go with the 570. Best value would be 2 6950s but that would be closer to $500.

edit: another option is get a 6970. By itself the 570 is overall better than 6970 but if in the future you plan on adding a 2nd same card for sli/cf then the 6970 will be better. As of right now, either will run pretty much anything so as far as I can see that's not the issue. If youre looking towards the future the 6970 will be better overall. Again that is only if you plan on adding a 2nd card. Otherwise... 570 is the one to go with.

Can you give a recap of what parts you have listed for now? This thread is all over the place with parts. 6950 is roughly $250. 6970 is $350. And 570 is about $325. If you go with just one card and are willing to spend upto $400 I'd go with the 570. Best value would be 2 6950s but that would be closer to $500.

edit: another option is get a 6970. By itself the 570 is overall better than 6970 but if in the future you plan on adding a 2nd same card for sli/cf then the 6970 will be better. As of right now, either will run pretty much anything so as far as I can see that's not the issue. If youre looking towards the future the 6970 will be better overall. Again that is only if you plan on adding a 2nd card. Otherwise... 570 is the one to go with.

theking52_TDK

Alright, so this is what I'm looking at now:

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K

GPU: Antec BP550

GFX: EitherPowerColor PCS+ AX6970 or SAPPHIRE 100311-2SR

MOBO: Either ASRock Z68 Extreme4 or Gigabyte Z68X-UD4

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB)

Adding those up, on the high end I'm getting 986.95 and on the low end I'm getting 941.95. I haven't added either an HDD or a case yet, just because the total is getting dangerously close to capping my budget.

Any recommendations for any cheaper alternatives?

Or for a good case? I wanted to get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517010 but its $150 price is going to be pushing everything overboard.... I wanted to get that since its very large (which is a problem I have with my current case, I could barely fit everything inside), its supposed to have great airflow, and it has spots to put cords so they aren't just hanging around willy-nilly.

You can save about $100 if you go with a 2500k instead. If you aren't doing heavy video editing or something similar, definitely get the 2500k.

I definitely recommend getting a graphics card separate from the CPU's integrated graphics. As for a motherboard the Asus Sabertooth is a good option for about $200. It'll allow for 2 way SLI should you decide to add an additional card at some point. No matter what you get, make sure it's socket 1155 to match your CPU. The 2600k CPU is your best bang for buck and you can pick up good ram for about $60 from Mushkin, Corsair, Kingston or Patriot. Make sure it's dual channel though. Now all you need is a case and a power supply. I recommend 750 watts so you have some head room to grow. Corsair and Seasonic are two of the best and you can get a Seasonic 750w for under $200 now. Anything else, just ask. I'd be happy to help.

I definitely recommend getting a graphics card separate from the CPU's integrated graphics. As for a motherboard the Asus Sabertooth is a good option for about $200. It'll allow for 2 way SLI should you decide to add an additional card at some point. No matter what you get, make sure it's socket 1155 to match your CPU. The 2600k CPU is your best bang for buck and you can pick up good ram for about $60 from Mushkin, Corsair, Kingston or Patriot. Make sure it's dual channel though. Now all you need is a case and a power supply. I recommend 750 watts so you have some head room to grow. Corsair and Seasonic are two of the best and you can get a Seasonic 750w for under $200 now. Anything else, just ask. I'd be happy to help.

JFRocker

2600k IS not the best bang for the buck. That goes to 2500k. Only reason to get a 2600k is if you do a lot of video editing or other things that take advantage of Hyperthreading. Stop making this guy spend $100 more (unless he does need the HT and I didn't see it, then appoligizing in advance).

2600k IS not the best bang for the buck. That goes to 2500k. Only reason to get a 2600k is if you do a lot of video editing or other things that take advantage of Hyperthreading. Stop making this guy spend $100 more (unless he does need the HT and I didn't see it, then appoligizing in advance).

theking52_TDK

Actually, I might even go ahead and do that. Downgrading the processor a wee bit free up just enough funds to get the case I want and still have money left for the rest of the gear I need....Hmmmmm....decisions decisions.

Actually, I might even go ahead and do that. Downgrading the processor a wee bit free up just enough funds to get the case I want and still have money left for the rest of the gear I need....Hmmmmm....decisions decisions.

drkessence

What if you just save up a bit more and get a higher quality PSU, cos the last thing you want is a cheap-o PSU blowing up and taking all the parts with it.

[QUOTE="drkessence"]

Actually, I might even go ahead and do that. Downgrading the processor a wee bit free up just enough funds to get the case I want and still have money left for the rest of the gear I need....Hmmmmm....decisions decisions.

GTR12

What if you just save up a bit more and get a higher quality PSU, cos the last thing you want is a cheap-o PSU blowing up and taking all the parts with it.

[QUOTE="GTR12"]

What if you just save up a bit more and get a higher quality PSU, cos the last thing you want is a cheap-o PSU blowing up and taking all the parts with it.

drkessence

Ok wth, Antec is a great brand, I must have missed that part, Im using th TP650 myself, and its powering 2 high-end cards, well the 8800GTS is just physx, but its as power hungry as the GTX470.

I take back what I said, keep the Antec.

Hah sorry I didn't read the lots of Video Editing part. In that case 2600k will be useful to you. Is it worth another ~45% over the 2500k (220 for 2500 + 100 for the 2600) ... well that's upto you to decide. I guess you already have decided that though.

Hah sorry I didn't read the lots of Video Editing part. In that case 2600k will be useful to you. Is it worth another ~45% over the 2500k (220 for 2500 + 100 for the 2600) ... well that's upto you to decide. I guess you already have decided that though.

theking52_TDK

From what I've heard, people who want the 2600k KNOW they want it, as in they know it will be worth it to them. Questioning whether or not its worth it for you says its not really worth it after all. Those $100 would be useful elsewhere. Like getting a better case that you wanted like you said, or maybe even a graphic card update? Or just get your gf a special treat : P

From what I've heard, people who want the 2600k KNOW they want it, as in they know it will be worth it to them. Questioning whether or not its worth it for you says its not really worth it after all. Those $100 would be useful elsewhere. Like getting a better case that you wanted like you said, or maybe even a graphic card update? Or just get your gf a special treat : P

theking52_TDK

Edit-

Possibly this disk drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151222

And then this HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148697

I'd like to get a SSD as a boot, but I'm not really seeing any with a decent mount of space that aren't over 80 bucks.

Since youre already tight on budget right now, i wouldn't look into getting an SSD. Yet. Itll, I believe, save you about 10 seconds on boot and load whatever program is on it instantly. Most programs open up in a second or two anyway, so really it'll be the 10 sec you save with booting the comp. Unless, your video software takes a while to open, but even then with money being tight, not worth a few seconds of savings.

If you really really do want the 2600k though, i say get it, and instead downgrade on other parts, since mobo/cpu (imo anyway) are the hardest to upgrade. That plus, upgrading from 2500k to 2600k would just be... uh well... weird.

Since youre already tight on budget right now, i wouldn't look into getting an SSD. Yet. Itll, I believe, save you about 10 seconds on boot and load whatever program is on it instantly. Most programs open up in a second or two anyway, so really it'll be the 10 sec you save with booting the comp. Unless, your video software takes a while to open, but even then with money being tight, not worth a few seconds of savings.

If you really really do want the 2600k though, i say get it, and instead downgrade on other parts, since mobo/cpu (imo anyway) are the hardest to upgrade. That plus, upgrading from 2500k to 2600k would just be... uh well... weird.

theking52_TDK

Alright, just ordered all of my parts. It totaled up to around $1500, but I figured its better for me to get what I know I'll end up making good use out of, and will do so for several years, rather than having to replace parts later.

Anyways, here's everything I ordered:

Case: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811517010

GFX: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130595

RAM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231314

MOBO: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157250

PSU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

Disc Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151222

HDD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185

And I just got my pay from M.com so I used that to pick up these:

Speakers: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121034

Mouse: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153055

It might be a little late since I already ordered everything, but, opinions?