Mid Range Gaming Config

 
I'm looking to get a decent computer that can play most things on high but is still cheap enough to not break the bank. I currently have a $2500 budget and I think this is a decent build but I am concerned about a few things.

Spec Ticket Number: 655325

Specifications:

Chassis Model:  Cooler Master 942 HAF X Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish

Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)

Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Intel P67 Chipset) (New & Improved B3 Revision Without SATA 3G Issue)

System Memory: 16GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)

Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible)

Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 320 Series)

Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x) Optical 

Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 1.5GB (Includes PhysX) (Overclocked EVGA Edition)

Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Noctua NH-D14 SE2011 Extreme Performance

Boost Processor: Standard Intel Turbo Boost 2.0 Automatic Overclocking Boost  OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)

 1. From what I have seen the P67 motherboard is one of the better ones and I don't seem to have any need for the extra features of the Z68 but is there a better one in the same category?

2. Digital Storm RAM, is it just as good as the name brands, reliable long life? The specs look about the same and I have seen quite a few people recommending it. If I decide to upgrade the RAM will the Noctua NH-D14 interfere with the heat dispersion boards that are on a lot of the newer enthusiast RAM? Eight GB or 16GB?

3. I calculated the power needs and it would seem that the max I would need is 700W but I'm wondering if its just better to go a little higher for future upgrades.

4. Is there really too much of a difference between the GTX 570 and the GTX 580 to make it worth the extra price? I see about 15% difference on the specs and benchmarks but if i'm just going to be playing things like Skyrim will it make that big of a difference? I'll be using a 24" at 1920x1080.

5. I'm a little confused on the case, in the description it says it has space for 7 different fans but what does it actually come with? How do I add extra fans, I'm not seeing an option to configure it with a specific amount?

6. Is the Noctua needed especially with a case like this and if I'm not planning on overclocking anything for at least a year?

7. This system seems like it will be viable for at least a couple of years, the new Ivy Bridge CPU's don't seem that much better for gaming and I don't see a major difference in GPU's and RAM coming any time soon but I could be wrong, that's why I'm here.

I appreciate any input and look forward to purchasing from Digital Storm, I chose to go with them because the quality, support, and community all seem top notch.




Edited by Kael - 14 Feb 2012 at 1:53pm

Thanks for the quick response bprat22.

The resolution i'll be at is 1920x1080 but from what I see for specs on the gtx 570  2.5GB card it should support it just fine.

Thanks for the suggestion on the ODE system but it seems like the 942 HAF X will have more room in the future to upgrade with and I also can't stand the ODE white case, if I have to stare at it for the next 5 years I don't mind sacrificing a little bit of extra cash.

Hi Kael,

I have made a few changes to your build to make it more expandable. The main think I did was change the PS to the 1050 so you are good to go with SLI GPUs. You mentioned future upgrades and the bigger PS will give you more flexibility. That is only important if you are considering SLI operation. I added a 1TB HDD. You don't want to store data on your SSD. The SSD should be used for your operating system and your games. The 1TB is probably larger than you need but it has good performance.

One thing to consider is the 5xx series of GPUs are nearing the end of their life cycle. Nvidia will have new GPUs out in April. ATI all ready has a new model out. If you are considering SLI operation in the future I would go SLI with this purchase.

Frank

Configuration: 655678 Cost: $2409

Chassis Model: Special Deal Hot Seller - Cooler Master 942 HAF X
Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish
Trim Accents: - Standard Factory Finish
Processor: Intel Core i7 2600K 3.40GHz (Unlocked CPU for Extreme Overclocking) (Quad Core)
Motherboard: ASUS P8P67 Deluxe (Intel P67 Chipset) (New & Improved B3 Revision Without SATA 3G Issue)
System Memory: 8GB DDR3 1600MHz Digital Storm Certified Performance Series (Highly Recommended) (Hand Tested)
Power Supply: 1050W Corsair Pro Silver 1050HX (Dual/Triple/Quad SLI Compatible)
Expansion Bay: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 1: Operating System: 1x (160GB Solid State (By: Intel) (Model: 320 Series)
Set 1 Raid Options: - No Thanks
Hard Drive Set 2: Multimedia\Data: 1x (1TB Western Digital Caviar (7200 RPM) (Model: Black Edition)
Hard Drive Set 3: Backup\Misc.: - No Thanks
Optical Drive 1: DVD-R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 24x / CD-Writer 48x)
Optical Drive 2: - No Thanks
Internet Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections)
Video Card: 1x NVIDIA GeForce GTX 570 2.5GB (Includes PhysX) (EVGA 025-P3-1579-BR)
Add-on Card: - No Thanks
Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio
Extreme Cooling: AIR: Stage 2: Corsair A70 Dual 120mm Fans High Performance Cooler
H20 Tube Color:- Not Applicable, I do not have a FrostChill or Sub-Zero LCS Cooling System Selected
Chassis Airflow: Standard Factory Chassis Fans
Internal Lighting: - No Thanks
Enhancements: - No Thanks
Chassis Mods: - No Thanks
Noise Reduction: - No Thanks
LaserMark: - No Thanks
Boost Processor: Stage 2: Overclock CPU 4.5GHz to 4.8GHz (Requires Pro or Deluxe Series Motherboard)
Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s)
Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory
Boost OS: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system
Windows OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional (64-Bit Edition)
Recovery Tools: Windows Recovery Toolkit (Bundled with Windows 7 CD)
Virus Protection: - No Thanks
Office: - No Thanks
Game: - No Thanks
Display: - No Thanks
Surge Shield: - No Thanks
Speakers: - No Thanks
Keyboard: - No Thanks
Mouse: - No Thanks
External Storage: - No Thanks
Exclusive T-Shirt: FREE: Digital Storm T-Shirt - Black (Medium)
Priority Build: - No Thanks, Ship Within 5-15 Business Days After Order Is Successfully Processed
Warranty: Life-time Expert Customer Care with 3 Year Limited Warranty

Hi Kael,

You don't have to worry about the 2600K and the stage 2 OC. With the HAF-X case and the A-70 cooler the 2600K does stage 2 OC with ease. As long as you request DS not to exceed a Vcore of 1.4 you are good to go. The 2600K is a terrific CPU for gamers.

Frank

Hi Kael......Very nice build.      The 750hx is great for single gtx 570, but not for sli.    If sli, 2 gpu, isn't a consideration than good to go.    The single 570 will allow great gaming on medium to high with your resolution.     I think you order and send them from newegg,etc. the case you want and they use it in assembly, no extra charge, but I'm m not 100% sure.   Ask them would be best.        Good luck

The gtx 570 2.5gb, even the 1.2 gb, will give you gaming on ultra settings with Skyrim, with your 24" monitor. 

Edited by bprat22 - 13 Mar 2012 at 7:27am

I read the same review as bpratt I think, and with FXAA one of the Kepler cards (not necessarily the 680) can perform at the same level as dual SLI 570s with a third for PhysX processing. This implies the 6xx series can be almost 3x as powerful as the 570, but I don't recall seeing the system specs the 570s were in, so there could be other stuff going on behind the scenes that we don't know of (e.g. the SLI 570s running x8 x4 and the PhysX 570 being x4 as well).

The Kepler cards are also rumored to be faster than the Southern Islands cards from AMD, including the Tahiti ones (that's the 7950 and 7970). We'll find out next week, I believe, but for now the rumor mill is all there is to go on.
Regardless, expect to pony up for the performance, as always.

Not at all actually, I had chosen it because of the great things I had heard elsewhere about airflow. I will not touch water cooling and the case looks pretty nice, especially the blue special edition.

We're going to be removing it soon. The Z68 chip-set is newer and better anyways, it's a good upgrade!

That's what I was told, its just once you have a specific setup in mind it sucks to get it changed around but it's understandable.

At least I get another t-shirt out of the deal which is great!