Here is my new build. Tell me what you think!

[Docphil]

I've had my trusty old machine for a good few years now. I've come into enough to enough for a budget gaming rig (about $1500). I've been deployed so I haven't been able to keep up with what is the latest and greatest now days so your opinions are more than welcome here. After reading around a bit and some looking on Newegg below is what I've come up with. I won't be buying the hardware for about 2 more months once I get moved into my new place. I plan on using this for some serious FPS online play as well as WoW when the wife needs an extra raid member.

Video Cards (crossfired):
Interface: PCI Express 2.1 x 16
AMD Radeon HD 6870
Memory: 1GB 256-bit GDDR5
Ports: 1xHDMI, 2xMini Displayport, 2x DVI
Max Res: 2560x1600
DirectX 11

Mobo:
EVGA X58 FTW3 132-GT-E768-KR LGA 1366 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
CPU Socket Type: Core i7 LGA1366
# mem slots: 6x 240pin
Mem standard: DDR3 1600MHz
Max mem: 24GB
PCI slots: 2.0x16(3), x1(1), PCI 2
SATA 3Gb/s - 6
SATA 6Gb/s - 2
USB ports: 2.0(8), 3.0(2)
Audio ports: 6
Form factor: ATX 24pin power pin

CPU:
LGA 1366
Core i7-960 Quadcore 3.2 Ghz

SSD:
Samsung 470 series
64GB
SATA II

HD:
SATA 6.0 Gb/s
1TB Capacity
7200 RPM
3.5”

RAM: G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
240 pin DDR3 1600
12GB (6x2GB)
Triple channel

Power Supply: XCLIO STABLEPOWER 1000W 1000W ATX CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply

[Deleted]

Old tech. Go for sandy bridge build...

[Asmekiel]

Change the CPU to an Intel i5 2500K. It's a cheaper CPU, but still way better.
A motherboard to accompany it: Asus P8P67 Pro
Since LGA1155 works with dual channel, you're better of with 2 sticks instead of 3. Corsair Vengeance 8GB(2x4GB) 1600MHz

For the PSU, 1000W is a bit much. The Corsair AX850W would be a better choice, maybe you can even get away with the 750W version.

But that's all with what's currently on the market. AMD's Bulldozer will be released somewhere next month and nobody knows how it will perform. So everything might change.


A link worth looking at: Fuzzykins "Sweet Spot" Builds

[Docphil]

Thanks for the help. I've been out of the loop for almost a year now so any tips are more than helpful. I'm all for saving money if I can keep the performance up!

[Deleted]

Even performance wise (for games and common tasks), the 2500K is superior - so its a win-win all around.

I would however -not- go for 12GB of RAM. Please do keep in mind that there are no 64-bit games available, which basically means that with a few exceptions - all game processes are incapable of using more than 2GB, and even those exceptions are stopped at 4GB, in theory. (In practice, even those barely and often don't breach 2GB)

You need to multitask _very_ heavily to make use of 8GB of RAM for gaming and traditional use; and as of yet I've been unsuccessful despite firing up multiple EVE Online clients, WoW, and numerous other games alongside browser and move playback... all at the same time. You end up with GPU or CPU bottlenecks long before RAM ever becomes a problem.

[kailtas]

Downgrade CPU, MOBO, Ram and PSU as listed above. As in downgrade in money spent, not performance.

And upgrade either GPU or SSD with the cash u save on downgrading.

[bals]

II won't be buying the hardware for about 2 more months once I get moved into my new place.

By then the new amd chips will be out (and possibly other things). Hard to plan to build something that far in advancec

[Drunkenvalley]

For the PSU, 1000W is a bit much. The Corsair AX850W would be a better choice, maybe you can even get away with the 750W version.

Even the TX650w should do.

[Asmekiel]

Even the TX650w should do.

Hm, true, seems I overestimated power consumption of crossfired cards.

[Drunkenvalley]

Hm, true, seems I overestimated power consumption of crossfired cards.

Naw, cards will be using up to 30A or so according to a good guide I came across. So a +12v rail with 53A is fine.

[llDemonll]

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz
MB: [Z68] MSI Z68MA-ED55 Micro ATX
GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked
RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws 8GB (2 x 4GB) 1600
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA III
PSU: SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W 80 PLUS Gold
CPUHS: Cooler Master Hyper 212+
CASE: Fractal Design Define R3 (Black) Mid Tower
Total Price: $1185 (+30% ~ 842€)
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Is my suggestion