Help with High End Gaming Rig!

S

Hello Everyone,

First timer on this site, but not new to The Digit Mag.

Requesting help with sorting out some doubts over my config List. Here we go -

1. What is the purpose of the computer?
A:Hardcore Gaming esp. MMORPG , been with World of Warcraft since last 6yrs, before that was in Q Ragnarok Online and Everquest. But have now decided I will move on to Rift and SW: ToR when it gets launched.

2. Are you open to alternate ideas/products giving similar better performance but offering more VFM/ sellers? If not- why?
A: Yes, I am.

3. What is your MAX budget?
A: 100 - 120k

4. Planning to overclock?
A: Yes totally gonna OC.

5. Which OS are you planning to use?
A: Win 7 Ultimate 64 bit

6. How much hard drive space is needed?
A: 120GB SSD (OCZ maybe) / 1 or 2 TB HDD SATA 3 (WD maybe)

7. What resolution will the screen run at & whats the size of the screen you want? If you already want have one and want to use it, mention its resolution and size.
A: Want a screen with 1920×1080, Full-HD, 24" maybe LED 2ms G2G, was thinking of going with - BenQ G2420HD.

8. How would you rate your hardware knowledge from the count of 1-10? (1 being the lowest, 5 being you are somewhat in sync with the current performers and 10 being the highest)
A: 8-9

9. Have you ever built a desktop before or will this be done by an assembler?
A: Done a few times earlier around 98' - 05'.

10. When are you planning to buy the system?
A: In a week max.

11. Are you one of the types looking out for "future proof" configurations?
A: Yes totally.

12. Are there going to be any components that you don't want to include in this new rig? If yes, do mention.
A: Dont want - Keyboard/ Mouse/ DVD+-/ Speakers/ Headphones/ UPS.

13. Which city do you live in and are you open to buying from shops from other city/states?
A: Hyderabad, AP. Can accept suggestions to buy from other states, but prefer not to.

14. Mention any other points if deemed necessary
A: Finally, this is a list that I been working on and narrowed down to a few particular items -

Processor - Core i5 2500k (OR) Core i7 2600k

Motherboards: Asus Maximus IV Extreme (OR) Asus P8P67 PRO
( This is were I have totally lost myself. Maximus 4 is amazing by the reviews, but then it also has quite a few features that I am sure wont be using like Bluetooth OC etc.. But then again, I read Asus P8P67 PRO has issues with using DDR3 RAM 1600Mhz Speed. I dont care much about B3 since I will be using SATA 3 x 2 drives )

RAM: 4/8 GB 1600Mhz DDR 3

GPU: GeForce GTX 580
( I am thinking of going SLI x 2 with this card later in a couple of months )

SSD / HDD -
Corsair Force Series F 90 120GB (OR) OCZ 120GB PCIe Solid State Drive

HDD - WD VelociRaptor 450 GB (OR) Black 1/2 TB

PSU / Case - Looking for one that can handle my future upgrades in SLI/ HDD, and a very well ventilated Case, air based that can handle OC ( I am thinking of going Water cooling, but need to get some more info about that first I guess lol )
Maybe, NZXT Phantom Black. Crafted Series ATX Full Tower Steel Chassis.

Phew that is one long post, but I wanted to be as clear as I possibly could so I receive the best Advices :smile:

Thanks All and Warm Regards,
Sohail

Check the 130K config of our PC Component Configurations Thread over here. Since you don't requires a lot of components, the price will be lesser than 120K.

Also if you want some extra performance boost then you can go for some Crossfire/SLI setting. The HD 6950 1 GB is available @ 14.5K. Crossfiring 2 of them will give you huge performance boost, better than GTX 580.

Ok, here are the compnents for your config.

* CPU: Intel i7-2600k -- 16.2k

* Mobo: Asus P8P67 deluxe -- 16k

* RAM: GSkill SB 1600MHz DDR3 4GBx2 -- 5.5k

* HDD:
- WDC Black 1TB -- 4.5k
- WD VelociRaptor 450GB -- 15.5k
- WD VelociRaptor 300GB -- 12.5k
- Intel 120GB SSD -- 14k
- Corsair 120GB SSD -- 12.8k

* PSU:
- GalciaTech GP AX 950 AA 950W -- 8k
- Corsair 1000W HX -- 14k
- TAGAN 1300W -- 16k

* CASE: NZXT Phantom -- 8k

* MONITOR:
- DELL UltraSharp U2311h 23'' -- 13.5k
- Benq V2410 24'' HD LED -- 14.3k
- Benq V2400 24'' eco HD LED -- 15.3k

* GPU: ATi Radeon HD 6950 -- 17k

My config suggestion:
* CPU: Intel i7-2600k -- 16.2k
* MoBo: Asus P8P67 Deluxe -- 16k
* RAM: GSkill SB DDR3 1600MHz 4GBx2 -- 5.5k
* HDD:
- WDC Black SATA-3 1TB x 2 -- 9k
. +
- Corsair 120GB SSD -- 12.8k
* PSU: TAGAN 1300W -- 16k
* CASE: NZXT Phantom -- 8k
* Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U2311h 23'' -- 13.5k
* GPU: ATi Radeon 6950 -- 17k

Total ---- 114.0k

You are better off buying a Full Tower Case like the Cooler Master HAF - X or the Corsair Obsidian 800D in that budget..

^ Exactly, NZXT Phantom cannot handle a liquid cooling solution easily like HAF X. So it makes HAF X easily the best case to go for, at a very competitive price point too.

I am not sure, but you can go in for HD6990 if price is not an issue for you, as it has 2 GPUs on it already. This is only if you are going in for ATi gfx. Else you can go in for a Nvidia gfx card.

As for your mobo, I am not sure you will be able to find B2 stepping easily as most vendors have shipped their stock to get the B3 replacements. Ofcourse my knowledge about this comes from online sellers, I have no idea about the dealers in your city.

for monitor samsung px2370 will be better i think!!

S

Thanks all for the suggestions :smile:

I will definitely take the CoolerMaster HAF X (RC-942-KKN1) Cabinet. Can someone help me with suggestions regarding Water cooling - which product, company, where to get the products from, keeping in view my system config.

Today I have also confirmed with Asus Mumbai HQ that Maximus Extreme 4 B2 is available there but they aren't willing to exchange for B3 stepping unless the mobo gets any fault during its warranty.

And regarding Asus P8P67 PRO with B3 revisions(confirmed), Mumbai Asus confirmed this particular mobo will land there in next few days and I can get it but the supply is very limited and almost fully pre-ordered.

Thats why I got a huge dilemma regarding which Mobo to go with.

Also with RAM, I heard G.Skill doesn't have any after sales in India? Quite a few recommended I go with Corsair brand.

And lastly, I know going ATi or nVidia is totally a personal choice for SLI/ Crossfire, but on a truly performance basis which Brand is better and also please do mention the product name/ number for future dual/quad setup.

Thanks all again.

I think it is better that you wait for B3 stepping, in case the board fails after the warranty period.
About the P8P67 PRO, what exactly do you mean pre order? From what I know, I can only pre order something before it is released for sale.
Does it mean that paying SMC to get me the B3 version is considered as pre order?
I feel that going in for P8P67 DELUXE will give you a better performance than PRO, not to mention the USB 3 support and all.

As for you gfx card, if you plan to increase the number of cards to 2 or more, then ATi is the way to go. As ATi gives a better scaling with higher number of GPUs.
But if you plan to use UNIX or Linux with your computer, then you will have to go with Nvidia, as they have a better driver support.

For RAM, G Skill gives you life time warranty(I have no idea about Corsair). I do not think it is too difficult to RMA it, but it is better if others can confirm it too.

S

I would request to visit this link and read the first para, this is what changed my views regarding B3 stepping and made me think to dont worry about it much.

Asus P8P67 Pro: Upstanding Member of the LGA1155 Mainboard Family - X-bit labs

The reason I went with Asus P8P67 Pro was because, Jaskanwar Singh included this mobo in his High End Gaming list in PC Buying Guide, plus it has almost same features as Deluxe including USB 3, SATA 3, I think its by default with the Intel P67 chipset features.

Asus Mumbai said the P8P67 PRO mobo are for replacements and a few Cash Orders.

I will be staying with Windows platform, and will consider ATi, Thanks.

I do agree Jas has included the PRO version in his reference configs. So understand that is just reference configs and not a config tailored for you. I am not sure if you will understand what I am trying to convey.
As for the B3 stepping problem, it is safe for you to use the B2 board if you do not use more than 2 HDDs. But what if you have to? Can you predict the future? In the end, it is your decision.

The reason I recommended DELUXE is that it has 3 PCIe slots. Ofcourse it is not 3 way SLI/CFX(I am not really sure about this

). But it still provides you a connectivity option that you can take advantage of, rather than get back to your drawing board and come up with a entirely new config.
I am not sure if it is just me, but I find that the PRO version has a lesser build quality than the DELUXE verison. Take a closer look at the rear and the buttons on the board, if you want to see it for yourself.

As a last point, do post your finalized config and photos here once you purchase it.

^with 120k budget case should be nothing less than HAF X!!

HD 6990 when arrives in India, it will be launched at 40k pricing.
After a month or so the price of it will decrease.

N

100K for PC..wtf man !!!!
seriously, you spending 100K on a PC ?
I don't mind it,however cant you get a good config in 50-55K ??

S

Thanks all for the lovely inputs and esp. Jaskanwar, thanks man for your valuable advice.

I dont think I will go dual monitor setup anytime soon, but going ahead with your setup including GA-P67A-UD7 and Asus GTX 580 SLI.

I saw reviews of 6990, the performance is beast, but with horrible thermal /noise issues, I am kinda sad with its outcome when its priced 55k on street.

The only real concerns are with the mobo right now, the first PCI-E slot is very close to the heatsinks, I dont know for sure if I could slot in the GTX 580 card in there....

And yea definitely CoolerMaster HAF X

Still searching for Water based cooling Ideas, products, will appreciate any help in this matters.

Thanks.

masterkd said:
^with 120k budget case should be nothing less than HAF X!!

no need if you are compromising on other components. if you have enough funds left then haf x!!

Storm_Alias said:
Thanks all for the lovely inputs and esp. Jaskanwar, thanks man for your valuable advice.

I dont think I will go dual monitor setup anytime soon, but going ahead with your setup including GA-P67A-UD7 and Asus GTX 580 SLI.

I saw reviews of 6990, the performance is beast, but with horrible thermal /noise issues, I am kinda sad with its outcome when its priced 55k on street.

The only real concerns are with the mobo right now, the first PCI-E slot is very close to the heatsinks, I dont know for sure if I could slot in the GTX 580 card in there....

And yea definitely CoolerMaster HAF X

Still searching for Water based cooling Ideas, products, will appreciate any help in this matters.

Thanks.

where did you get that 55k price! is it launched here?

that gigabyte is a monster board. its 17k AFAIK.

you cant complain of thermal issues of 6990. its a high end dual card and its temp is almost as of 580 sli or 6970 cf etc etc. and noise is also 4db more than 580 sli at stock.
AMD's Radeon HD 6990: The New Single Card King - AnandTech :: Your Source for Hardware Analysis and News

dont forget an ax1200w if 580 sli.

@Storm_Alias

I suggest you go with the Gigabyte board coz it really is somewhat better than its Asus counterpart..
As for the RAM, don't worry about going for G.Skill it'll serve you well..
You have also mentioned that you want future proofing with your rig, then i really suggest the Corsair AX1200 Watts as you might SLI/X-fire in future..
Also do you want to play your games in 3D ???

SID are DFI lanpartys available here.?

M

@jas, sid_gamer: just asking in wat way is the ud7 better than the Maximius IV Extreme? Gigabyte has stuck to the old bios..does it overclock better?

S

Reviews - Even though the review was done on a reference card, I read on other sites about its thermal shutdowns aswell, so I wont be holding my breathe to get this one right now /shrug
Overclock3D :: Review :: AMD HD6990 Review :: Introduction and Technical Specifications

Price Quotes - I also called my local distributor and he said its 55k ( Inc. taxes)
AMD Radeon HD 6990 Price in India - AMD 6990 Graphics Card Fastest

And Jaskanwar, can you give me your inputs regarding the GA-P67A-UD7 in regards with its first PCI-E Slot on the mobo and if its possible to insert the GTX 580 in there.

Thanks

M

ya rashi launched the xfx 6990 in india for 55k

@jas, sid_gamer: just asking in wat way is the ud7 better than the Maximius IV Extreme? Gigabyte has stuck to the old bios..does it overclock better?

is it ok to add 1 Caviar black 1tb hdd and one ordinary 1tb seagate

@msaiashwin
look for overclocker3d reviews of these. you will know.
uefi is not everything.

@Storm_Alias
those prices are false. out its 699$ so even if you add 6-7k more it will come to max 40k!! i have read that review already.

i think you can easily insert a 580 there. check gigabyte website for pic.

M

@ jas check dis out:
*www.techshout.com/hardware/2011/11/xfx-radeon-hd-6990-gpu-graphics-card-delivers-immersive-gaming/

its way too highly priced in india.

also chk out digit's link
XFX Radeon HD 6990 lands in India - Online Best Latest XFX Radeon HD 6990 lands in India Price Reviews | Features in India

@msaiashwin
we should wait for stores to have it? like smc.

I contacted smc about the Gigabyte P67A-UD7-B3 motherboard. They are telling me that it is not available in India at all.
I also went to extent of telling them that it can be found in another web site. But I was told that they wait for a number of orders before they procure it and give to their clients.
I want to know if smc is bluffing or are they serious?

J

lordirecto said:
I contacted smc about the Gigabyte P67A-UD7-B3 motherboard. They are telling me that it is not available in India at all.
I also went to extent of telling them that it can be found in another web site. But I was told that they wait for a number of orders before they procure it and give to their clients.
I want to know if smc is bluffing or are they serious?

smc is always serious. no bluffing.

why not call the site which has it & ask them whether they have or not???? most site just update themselves randomly.

@Jas
Yes bro DFI Lanparty boards are available in India, I bought mine last year from Lamington Road, Mumbai...

@Storm_Alias
The price quoted about the 6990 will be around 40K or a bit more but not 55k...But i guess you should wait for some days until the 6990 is widely available here, then you might get to know it's actual price....

Joker said:
smc is always serious. no bluffing.

why not call the site which has it & ask them whether they have or not???? most site just update themselves randomly.

I sent a mail to the site which showed that they have it. They have not replied to me at all, so far.

^^their mail responding service is bad....i agree

rather you should call them and then see their service/response

I would hate to see only one GPu in a 120k budget PC.

C

i7 2600k----16.4K
MSI P67A-GD65(sli ready AND VFM)--- 9.8K
8GB GSKILL RIPJAWS 1600mhz ----4.5K
CM HAF X -----12K
CORSAIR AX 850/1200W---- 10.5K/16k APPROX
NOCTUA NH D14----4.75K
GTX 580 LIGHTNING----31K
HDD WD BLACK SATA3 1TB---4.5K
SDD OCZ VERTEX 2 120GB----12.8K
TOTAL-----112K WITH 1200W PSU
REST KB+MOUSE+SPEAKERS+SOUNDCARD+FANS OF OT's CHOICE

Asus gtx 590 is 48k. 6990 must also be in that price range.

---- guys OP is gone ----