Computers & Electronics

Let's Build a Gaming Rig!

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  • Nov 26th, 2012 5:17 pm
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Deal Addict
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Jan 8, 2007
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Ontario

Let's Build a Gaming Rig!

I know this has been done over and over again, but lets do it one more time :)

Please let me know what you like or dislike, what would you change? I haven't done this in about 8 years, so I might be rusty... I already have a G500 mouse, and I'm holding out for a 24" Dell Ultrasharp, so I'll use my old e-series Dell 22" 1680x1050.

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz
Motherboard: ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77
Video Card: Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 OC 2GB GDDR5
PSU: CORSAIR HX Series HX750 750W
Memory: CORSAIR Vengeance 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Profile
HDD: Western Digital WD Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM
SSD: Intel 330 180GB
Cooler: COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 EVO
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi
Keyboard: Logitech 920-000914 Black 106 Normal Keys USB Wired Ultra-thin Illuminated Keyboard
DVD: ASUS 24X DVD Burner

All said and done it comes to approximately $1400 tax in, after rebates where applicable. Pricing from multiple sources online.
21 replies
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Jun 7, 2001
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Asrock mobo only has a 1 year warranty....better off with Asus, Gigabyte or MSI....each has at least a 3 year warranty on mobos.

Corsair memory is okay, but I think that there are better brands. I would probably choose a HD 7950/7970 over a GTX 670...better value right now.

Dave
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Can you specify which mobo exactly you are referring to? Great point re: warranty.

About the card I've been reading a lot the last few days. I don't care about the games bundle, I care about performance and noise and the GTX seems to have the upper edge here. I'm really an NVidia guy when it comes down to it. But I'm open to be converted!

I need low profile ram to clear my heat sink. Suggestions on other brands?
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Slawek wrote: Can you specify which mobo exactly you are referring to? Great point re: warranty.

About the card I've been reading a lot the last few days. I don't care about the games bundle, I care about performance and noise and the GTX seems to have the upper edge here. I'm really an NVidia guy when it comes down to it. But I'm open to be converted!

I need low profile ram to clear my heat sink. Suggestions on other brands?
Mobo brand and model depends on your needs....SLI, crossfire and other features. If you are planning to crossfire/SLI, get one that does x8/x8. Cheap Z77 mobos (eg. those under $100-$130) only do crossfire in x4/x4. Mobos that do x8/x8 start at around $130+. Most (if not all) Z77 mobo do crossfire (multiple AMD)...less do SLI (nVidia).

Stick with the GTX 670. 660 Ti are limited by bandwidth.

I have G.Skill memory in my PC.

Dave
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Sep 29, 2012
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DavidY wrote: Asrock mobo only has a 1 year warranty....better off with Asus, Gigabyte or MSI....each has at least a 3 year warranty on mobos.

Corsair memory is okay, but I think that there are better brands. I would probably choose a HD 7950/7970 over a GTX 670...better value right now.

Dave
Asrock Extreme 4 has a 3 year warranty it just has to be done through distributor.

Extreme4 Z77 is one of the best mobos on the market right now. Ignore all these people who have never built with the board. I have built with it many times and it's a solid board.

It has all the features you need. SLi, Crossfire, enough USB 3.0 ports, eSata, solid caps, 7.1 audio, etc.

The only reason to get another board is...

- same features for a cheaper price.
- going for a color scheme. I would think only an enthusiast cares about. Asrock is black, Gigabyte is blue, etc.
- combo deal.
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Thx gangsta i sorta figured that after days of non stop research. It's a solid board. If I buy through NE/CC/NCIX/ME does that mean I get a 3 yr warranty?
Sr. Member
Sep 29, 2012
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Slawek wrote: Thx gangsta i sorta figured that after days of non stop research. It's a solid board. If I buy through NE/CC/NCIX/ME does that mean I get a 3 yr warranty?
Should be good. They are all authorized distributors.
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Slawek wrote: Thx gangsta i sorta figured that after days of non stop research. It's a solid board. If I buy through NE/CC/NCIX/ME does that mean I get a 3 yr warranty?
NCIX and CC is 1 year for this mobo. ME doesn't list this mobo. NE has it for more $$, but it lists it as having a 3 year limited warranty. http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.as ... 6813157294
Deal Fanatic
Feb 11, 2005
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Same kind of price range, slight modifcations to the parts:

PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/nnCq
Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/nnCq/by_merchant/
Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/ca/p/nnCq/benchmarks/

CPU: Intel Core i5-3570K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($219.99 @ NCIX)
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO 82.9 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($34.98 @ NCIX)
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-Z77X-UD3H ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($139.99 @ Memory Express)
Memory: Samsung 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($18.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Memory: Samsung 4GB (1 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($18.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Storage: Hitachi Deskstar 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ NCIX)
Storage: Samsung 840 Series 250GB 2.5" Solid State Disk ($184.35 @ DirectCanada)
Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 670 2GB Video Card ($339.99 @ NCIX)
Case: Fractal Design Arc Midi Tower ATX Mid Tower Case ($69.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Power Supply: XFX ProSeries 750W 80 PLUS Silver Certified ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($94.99 @ NCIX)
Optical Drive: Asus DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD/CD Writer ($16.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Keyboard: Microsoft SIDEWINDER X4 Wired Gaming Keyboard ($54.99 @ Newegg Canada)
Total: $1254.23
(Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.)
(Generated by PCPartPicker 2012-11-11 21:33 EST-0500)
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I never even know about pcpartpicker, wow... Thanks!

Interesting config. I did a quick google search and I am not fond of the reviews on the PSU by xfx nor the MSI card as they were caught over volting their cards.

Don't know why I should pick one mobo over the other, it's basically down to what is most bought and best reviewed. Great feedback on the ASRock from Newegg
Sr. Member
Sep 29, 2012
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If there's a cheaper mobo with the exact same features, go for it. All I can tell you is have built with Asrock many times and had no problems.

I am not sure if you are waiting until Black Friday, but I expect some cpu/mobo combo deals.

For myself I am buying whatever is the cheapest and has the features.

Also I want to see some pictures of this case when you do your build.
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Of course! I'm debating waiting till the Intel 330 SSD is back in stock before buying anything. What do you think of that SSD? I've never owned one so it would be my first.

I definitely think 120gb is too small for my needs so 180gb is minimum, but I also don't want a junk SSD.

And am I "future proof" with my video card, or spend the extra on the 680?

And finally the ram, I'm not super keen on over clocking it, and I need low profile, so I'm not sure if this is a good choice or not. I mean, 9-9-9-24 is probably fine right? I'm not the type to benchmark all my results but I also don't want crap.
Sr. Member
Sep 29, 2012
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My favourite ram is Samsung low profile 8GB. Low voltage, low profile, easy overclock.

I also don't believe in future proofing. It's a waste of money and you can't really future proof when the technology changes so fast.

The 670 is a good card if you can get it for the right price.

I would rather get a 7950 by MSI or Gigabyte which is a very solid card and overclocks very well.

SSD I would get Intel 330, Crucial M4, Samsung 830, or a Plextor. Don't go anywhere near OCZ.
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What's the right price? ATM it's $324 after pm and rebate
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Gotoff wrote: gtx 670?

really?
You have blown my mind with your thoughtful input.

I have a simlar setup to the one proposed but much more ram.
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Feb 11, 2005
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Slawek wrote: I never even know about pcpartpicker, wow... Thanks!

Interesting config. I did a quick google search and I am not fond of the reviews on the PSU by xfx nor the MSI card as they were caught over volting their cards.

Don't know why I should pick one mobo over the other, it's basically down to what is most bought and best reviewed. Great feedback on the ASRock from Newegg
You're welcome regarding pcpartpicker - of course, it's probably best to get everything you can from NCIX/ME in order pricematch and save on shipping. As far as the PSU goes, both Jonnyguru and HardOCP recommend the XFX Pro Series; both sites put power supplies through some heavy testing, so if they get a recommendation there you can be sure it is a quality unit.

You probably won't find a huge difference between the motherboards, but the Gigabyte does have better power regulation circuity; Anandtech did a review including both these boards, and found that the VCore was more stable on the Gigabyte board, although overclock results were still similar: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5793/inte ... -and-msi/3

I hadn't heard about the MSI overvolting, tbh I just picked the cheapest overclocked GTX 670 I could find. Personally, I would stick with the GTX 670 over a 7970 - the benchmarks I've found between the two suggest that although the GTX 670 will trail a little in some games, in others is blows right past the 7970, personally I've had more success with Nvidia drivers so that's what I tend to stick with these days.
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Jul 22, 2006
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ASUS P8Z77-V = the motherboard to get

GTX 670 also has CUDA so that is a huge plus for some... But the HD7950 etc are a really good bargain with all the free games

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