$1200 gaming PC

[fizban140]

Approximate Purchase Date: Next couple of weeks

Budget Range: $1000-$1300 (but only if it is a significant increase over $1000)

System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming

Parts Not Required: Case, mouse, keyboard, speakers, sound card, HDD, Monitor

Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg

Country of Origin: USA

Parts Preferences: by brand or type nope

Overclocking: Yes

SLI or Crossfire: Maybe

Monitor Resolution: 1920x1200

Right now I am pretty set of SLI 560ti but some people have tried to talk me out of it stating the trouble with SLI, and also the mobo might not be worth it compared to others. The total price is $1200

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125363
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231311
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813157271
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115072
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835103065
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820148442
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.749913

 

[Ken g6]

Looks pretty good. Just a couple of suggestions:

1. Use this bundle for your CPU/RAM. (Unless you're near a Micro Center or want to try price matching the processor with NCIX against Micro Center.)
2. Use the money you saved there for the Hyper 212 Evo instead of the plus. (Got thermal grease?)

 

[fizban140]

I have some tuniq thermal grease from my last build about 2 and half years ago. Pretty sure it is still good.

 

[mfenn]

I have some tuniq thermal grease from my last build about 2 and half years ago. Pretty sure it is still good.

You'd be surprised.

As for the build, it looks OK, but I would not do SLI for 1920x1200. I'd swap:
- GPUs for a 6950 2GB and unlock it
- PSU for an XFX Core 650W
- CPU/mobo for Ken's combo

 

[fizban140]

Why the 6950s? The performance seems pretty bad compared to the 560s.

 

[mfenn]

I am talking about getting a single 6950 2GB. The performance will be lower, but is costs about half as much once you figure in the SLI tax on the PSU. You also don't need SLI for 1920x1200.

Also, it won't have any issues with bad minimum framerates, microstutter, bad/negative scaling on release day, and won't be nearly as loud and hot.

 

[fizban140]

This is what keeps frustrating me with this build, the graphics card. At first I was trying to decide between 560, 560ti, 570 and 580. I know people with 580s that weren't able to run BF3 on high settings. I am building this PC with BF3 in mind so I hesitate when I hear that anything less than 580 will be more than enough.

 

[mfenn]

The BF3 beta isn't terribly optimized, so I expect performance to improve a bit before the game actually comes out. Also, it is still the FrostBite engine, so you should do the standard tweaks such as disabling SSAO because it doesn't improve the graphics quality but sucks FPS like no tomorrow.

 

[fizban140]

Alright that makes sense but what kind of performance does the 6950 have on games that come out recently? I am having trouble finding results for things like RAGE or Deux Ex.

 

[Sunburn74]

Not sure where you live but right now at microcenter, if you buy a 2600k at 279usd, you get 80 dollars off any z68 motherboard. There are good z68 boards that at 80 dollars off will cost about 20 dollars. Its unbelievable.

 

[mfenn]

Alright that makes sense but what kind of performance does the 6950 have on games that come out recently? I am having trouble finding results for things like RAGE or Deux Ex.

Deus Ex is a console port, so it is easily handled by a 6950. Rage likes AMD cards and VRAM for its huge textures, but otherwise isn't terribly intensive.

Regarding SLI, here's a quote from Dustin Slavkos over on the main site that I agree with:

"Once multi-GPU solutions are brought into the equation, things tend to veer more in favor of NVIDIA's solution, but we remind you that two isn't always better than one: it may look better on charts, but benchmarks don't tell the stories of micro-stuttering and sometimes inconsistent performance. There's a reason none of our editors would recommend a multi-GPU solution in a desktop, and so I personally can't really recommend it in a notebook either."

 

[fizban140]

Deus Ex is a console port, so it is easily handled by a 6950. Rage likes AMD cards and VRAM for its huge textures, but otherwise isn't terribly intensive.

Regarding SLI, here's a quote from Dustin Slavkos over on the main site that I agree with:

"Once multi-GPU solutions are brought into the equation, things tend to veer more in favor of NVIDIA's solution, but we remind you that two isn't always better than one: it may look better on charts, but benchmarks don't tell the stories of micro-stuttering and sometimes inconsistent performance. There's a reason none of our editors would recommend a multi-GPU solution in a desktop, and so I personally can't really recommend it in a notebook either."

I should probably mention, I am very fickle with what I buy. I change my mind easily and I make sure I am getting the best deal I can. This concerns me, I am going to do some more research on this. I posted this on several other sites and they all reccomend the SLI 560.

I found this article on tomshardware
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-geforce-stutter-crossfire,2995-15.html
First one that came up on google, looks really detailed. Has me favoring a GTX 570 or possibly a 580, not too sure. According to the article micro-stuttering is a problem. I did not even know about this.

 

[mfenn]

Yes, that's why I recommend single cards if at all possible. There is nothing wrong with Nvidia cards, it just so happens that AMD is a better value right now IMHO.

 

[fizban140]

I currently have the 4890 but I have had a few problems with the card and for some reason I just feel like I want an nvidia card, especially since I always like to match CPU and GPU (intel and nvidia or AMD and ATI, I like things in order). I will shop around but right now I am looking at http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-performance-radeon-geforce,3018-5.html
and the 570 looks pretty tempting.

 

[mfenn]

especially since I always like to match CPU and GPU (intel and nvidia or AMD and ATI, I like things in order)

That makes no sense to be honest. Either card works just as well with either CPU.

 

[fizban140]

That makes no sense to be honest. Either card works just as well with either CPU.

I know it makes no sense

 

[lehtv]

Intel and NVIDIA aren't even in order. I mean... they're different companies. AMD+AMD is a bit more orderly however, but it's still irrelevant

 

[fizban140]

Also intel and nvidia have similar colors, lighter shades, amd and ati have similar colors as well.

 

[lehtv]

Wut?

 

[fizban140]

Wut?

ATI brand colors and black and red, AMD is green and red, they completment eachother well.
Intel is white and blue, nvidia green and white.

 

[mfenn]

ATI brand colors and black and red, AMD is green and red, they completment eachother well.
Intel is white and blue, nvidia green and white.

The things you learn in GH! :awe:

But seriously, I think that that 6950 2GB is the best value out there right now.

 

[fizban140]

I have been reading up a lot on it all and I think I am going to settle with a single 570. I have seen the performance of the 6950 and I don't think the 2gb will really benefit me on my resolution will it?

 

[mfenn]

2GB does help out in today's games if you use high-resolution textures and/or anti-aliasing. The 1.25 GB in a GTX 570 is OK, but not great. Also, I would not pay anything north of $310 for a GTX 570 because the value proposition doesn't make since (IMHO) above that point.