Gaming PC to last a few years...

[FacetiousPizza]

So, firstly hello everyone, brand new user here =)
I've always wanted a gaming PC, and now have the money to buy one, preferably one that will last a few years. I started looking at Alienware, but was put off by their prices (massive rip-off) and then a friend suggested building my own. However, I have no experience working with PCs, so I decided on PCS.

Anyway, here is my first build, I have a budget of roughly £2,500, everything but the case from PCS:
Case - Coolmaster Cosmos 1000 Pure
CPU - i7-2600k
Mboard - ASUS P8P67 PRO
RAM - 8GB 1600Mhz
GPU 1 - 1.5GB GTX580
GPU 2 - 1.5GB GTX580
Hard Disk - 2TB Caviar Black
PSU - Corsair 1000W PRO series
Cooling - COOLIT ECO C240 ALC
Sound Card - SoundBlaster X-Fi Xtreme Audio
Network Card - Bigfoot Killer 2100
OS - Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
Monitor - IIYAMA E2710HDS
Keyboard - Logtech G110
Mouse - Logitech G9x

£2480 total. Any suggestions on how to improve it would be great and welcome. Also, will I need such a powerful water cooling unit? I will be attempting some overclocking, which is why I went with the K option.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Rakk]

Hiya and welcome to the forums.

Are you planning on overclocking the machine, if you're not going to then you could drop down to the i7-2600, since the 'k' variants are really meant for overclocking, also if you're not overclocking the water cooling may be considered slightly OTT (admittedly though with two GTX580's it is going to get quite toasty in there), and the Samsung 1333Mhz RAM would work just as well as the 1600 stuff.

Many people reckon the Bigfoot Killer 2100 network card isn't really worth it, so you might want to read up on it before shelling out cash for it : http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/forum...ller-2100-gaming-network-card-read-here-first

And remember to check that the case you've chosen isn't too big for PCS to package.

 

[Meds]

The spec you have gone for looks great, almost perfect. The only pointers I'd make is the Bigfoot Killer Network Card & Soundblaster Sound Card - do you really need them?

The case should be fine, we sell the Cosmos 1000 so it shouldn't be an issue.

 

[FacetiousPizza]

Thanks for the replies guys, especially the link to the Bigfoot Killer 2100 Network Card, I've decided to remove that now.
As for the overclocking, I am hoping to learn how to overclock the CPU, then possibly later overclock the GTX 580s if I feel confident.
I only added in a sound card as I am hoping to get some very good sound quality for movies and games, I'm not too sure how necessary a sound card is for that.

Couple of new questions though:
1) Would you recommend the i7-2600k or AMD Phenom II X6 1100T? I've heard that the Sandy Bridge chip is better, just thought I'd check.
2) Would I be better off using 2 2GB AMD 6970s?
3) Is it true that Nvidia cards work better with Intel CPUs and AMD cards work better with AMD CPUs? Or is that just rumours?

Thanks again for the help!

 

[TobyI]

1) Sandy Bridge is alot faster
2) Personally, i would choose Single card over Crossfire
3) So AMD say, but i have yet to see proof...

 

[FacetiousPizza]

OK. thanks for the help.

So I'm definately sticking with Sandy Bridge, and Nvidia, but I have one final question;
Should I go with 1 of the new GTX 590 or stick with 2 GTX 580? I've had a quick look at the Nvidia site, and it seems to me that there is no real advantage of using the single 590, but as I've said, I'm not great with computers...

 

[pez]

As my sig says, I'm by no means an expert in this area, but from all the threads I've read, most have said go Single with the top end card. Then again, if you did this, you could always buy another 590 in the next 3 mths and SLi them?

 

[FacetiousPizza]

Hmmm, now you mention that possibilty, it is becoming more appealing...

I see 2 problems with GTX590. The first is the temperatures. Looking through a few reviews, a single GTX 590 seems to generate the same temperatures as the GTX 580 sli with lower performance. This means I would eventually go with GTX 590 in sli. So would I be correct in thinking the dual GTX 590 setup will be generating more heat than a single GTX 590? And if so, is my build likely to be cool enough?

Secondly, they seem quite noisy. I share a flat with a few others (I'm a student) and I'm trying to keep the noise of the system down, which is why I opted for the Cosmos PURE case, as it has noise reduction foam. How loud is the system likely to be?

I realise I am asking quite a few questions, really appreciate all the help you're giving me guys!

 

[pez]

Again, disclaimer... lol

However, my limited experience tells me it's down to a spacious case, big ass fans and a clean install with tidy cables.

There will be a few GPU Guru's here who can answer this better

Also, just a small thing, I've always wondered why people go for the 1x2TB type drives rather than 2x1TB. Surely for data protection, you'd be safer. The odds on 1 dying is remote, I grant you...although I say that after I lost everything on a .5TB F1. Now, I will always have 2 drives, one to back up on Just a thought.

 

[Meds]

So would I be correct in thinking the dual GTX 590 setup will be generating more heat than a single GTX 590? And if so, is my build likely to be cool enough?

Yes, dual GTX590's will generate more heat than a single GTX590. The Cosmos Cases are good and have plenty of room, but there are better cases for cooling as the soundproof foam can bump temps up. I think the HAF-X would probably do a better job.

 

[FacetiousPizza]

I was originally looking at a HAF case, but there is a massive problem with it..... my girlfriend thinks its ugly, and since this PC is going in our room (no-where else to put it) she has to agree with the way the case looks. I suggested a Coolermaster Cosmos S, but she wouldn't even go with that =(
The Cosmos PURE seems to be the best case available that she will agree to. This is the same reason that I want one with noise reduction foam, as it's one of her requests, so I'm pretty limited.

So, is there anyone else that could possibly give some insight to what temperatures I could expect? As i said, Coolermaster Cosmos PURE with maximum fans, the Coolit Eco C240 ALC, and lets assume dual GTX 590s?

Screw the £2.5k budget, I want a system that will last a LONG time...

 

[LFFPicard]

Personally to keep temps down etc due to your limit in case.

Stick with the GTX580 - Perfectly fine for anything out there at the moment and in 2-3years just get another one that will be a lot cheaper by then and stick it in as Sli

 

[FacetiousPizza]

OK, so I'll be sticking with the GTX580s in sli and removing the sound card too.
However I have one more question before I place the order;
Since I will be overclocking, should I go for the ASUS P8P67-PRO or the ASUS SABERTOOTH P67? I like the sound of the thermal armour directing airflow to crucial areas of the motherboard, and the extra protction from heat coming from the GPUs, but I have read that some watercoolers do not lower temperatures to sufficient levels as the thermal armour gets in the way. Need some opinions guys?

 

[LFFPicard]

The thermal armour is not worth the price tag to be honest.

Dependant on the case you chose etc there will plenty of airflow to be had.
I have the HAF 932 and my system runs so cool it is currently my gaming machine and my air conditioner as it blows nice cold air out as well. I am running the Pro board.

 

[FacetiousPizza]

Well, the difference between the PRO and the Sabertooth is only £30, but if that will help to keep the system cool while overclocked then it might be worth it. I have never overclocked before, so I'm not sure which temperatures to expect.
The case I'm going for is the Coolermaster Cosmos Pure (the same as the Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 offered by PCS, but in black) and has noise reduction foam, so I'm not too sure about the airflow in that case, but I imagine it is worse than the HAF cases.

 

[Meds]

To be honest I think you'd be fine with the P8P67 Pro Motherboard. With the specifications which you have, and the case you have, there is plenty of room & good airflow - albeit not as good as other cases but you can't have it all, the missus has spoken... I know the situation you're in

 

[FacetiousPizza]

OK guys, thanks for all the help. Will have the order for this placed in a few days, will have the full spec and pics soon =)

 

[pez]

Hope it all goes smooth Pizza. I know what the ladies are like. The only reason I got mine is that I hit a massive target at work and the boss forked out for it. He stated "These bonus' MUST be something your wife would never allow you to spend the money on".

Thus, a gaming laptop was the only answer

 

[Killzoned]

Nice build, a Beast too, will last you more than a few years =P I don't see gaming graphically evolving dramatically anytime soon. I mean Consoles are what 4-6 years old and theres not a much difference with Beautiful looking games such as Uncharted 2/Killzone/Crysis/Gears of war and so on.
Pro has more overclocking abilities than the Sabertooth as the Sabertooth board is more of a basic board with basic overclocking abilities but more reliabile and more cooler. If you are looking to overclock and experiment with the CPU i would say the Pro would be a better choice but if you are looking for better cooling and such than it would be sabertooth, its pretty much a opportunity cost right now lool.

I do have a few suggestion that you COULD change but its entirely up to you.

1. I have an GTX 580 and i max out Crysis 2 easily with 60FPS + So a Sli right now might be a bit Too Too Overkill
2. You could down yourself to a Single GTX 580 and Add an SSD (SolidStateDrive) Install all your programs on the SSD for a much better performance, Load up faster, Boot up faster, Shut down faster.
3. Or you could remove the Bigfootkiller + Sound card (Intregrated soundcard sounds good already) and Keep your Sli GTX 580 and then ADD an SSD although it might abit pricier

Other than that its pretty much a Monster

 

[Grinder]

Don't forget to get it pre - overclocked by pcs , if you do it yourself you will void your warranty on the cpu