High Budget Gaming Rig (Opinions and Advice Much Appreciated!)

[3scape_]

Hi guys, I'm planning on building a new rig and placing my order on Monday. It would be great if I could get some suggestions and opinions from you guys.

Since I've been saving up money quite some time in order to buy a new rig, I was hoping I could get the most out of it. Although not realistic, I do wish that my build would be a bit "future-proof" as I plan on using it for the next 4-5 years. Also, I love gaming, and am currently playing on 1920X1200 resolution.

I have a basic list in my mind, but please feel free to help tweak it if you find that it is needed. I currently live in Toronto, Canada. Since I'll use NCIX to price match, prices below will be using the prices on BestDirect.ca.

The highest amount of money I'm looking to spend is around 2600 after HST.


CPU:
Intel Core i7 950 Nehalem 3.06GHz --- CAD 289.99

CPU Cooler:
Noctua NH-D14 --- CAD 89.99

Motherboard:
ASUS Rampage III Formula --- CAD 289.79

Video Card:
2X EVGA GeForce GTX 570 Superclocked --- CAD 379.99X2 = 759.98

Memory:
I haven't really decided about the ram yet. Which brand and model should I get? Corsair, G-Skill, Mushkin? And is it worth getting 12GB VS 6GB?

=============================================
SSD:
Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB SATA3 6Gbps --- CAD 134.58

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 6GB/S --- CAD 85.68
=============================================

My first intention was to use the above setup, and use the C300 as a boot drive, and pair it with a normal HDD for storage. However, after looking more into SSDs (I'm very new to this area), I've been considering just getting two OCZ Vertex 2 Extended Sandforce 120GB and running them in Raid 0. However, I have read some posts regarding how Trim is not supported in Raid. This is the area that I am most concerned about. Would love to get more insight on SSDs and different setups from you guys.

SSDs:
2X OCZ Vertex 2 Extended Sandforce 120GB --- CAD 228.80X2 = CAD 457.60

DVD Burner:
Not sure about this too. Should I get a Blu-Ray Drive? I don't really plan on watching Blu-ray movies, but will installation discs in the future switch to Blu-ray?

Power Supply:
Corsair Professional HX850W 850W ATX12V --- CAD 170.54

Case:
Coolermaster Storm Sniper Black Edition --- CAD 121.83


Assuming that I go with the SSD Raid setup (most expensive), the total now is CAD 2463.08 (after tax), which leaves around CAD 150 for the drive and Ram.

Thanks in advance guys. I really appreciate you taking the time to read this and giving me suggestions.

[Jamula66]

That build looks pretty good, the only thing i would consider changing is the case, for example the 600T is very high quality
You also mentioned future proofing so i suggest you should watch this:
YouTube - Futureproofing Your PC - Dispelling Some of the Myths NCIX Tech Tips

[ilya]

You can still PM everything lower, use a shopbot.
For the CPU, it can be had for less on sale, but none going on ATM so you're going to have to settle for saving only $10.
INTEL i7-950 CORE I7 3.06 1366 8M BOX
Same goes for the NH D14, it can be PMed to ~$80 I believe.
For the 570, consider the Zotac for a lot less: Zotac Video Card GTX570
Still a lifetime warranty, but so far my experience with their RMA is only average, compared to EVGA which is typically outstanding. But they've been learning pretty quickly and aren't like their sister company Sapphire. Plus you'll be saving $80
Consider the AX750, it can be had for ~$160 ATM with a $10MIR at NCIX. It's almost internally identical to the AX850, and both models will be adequate for your build.
Looking at the rest of the build, most of the parts are good picks, but they can all be had for less, look around. (about $5-$20 on most parts) You should be able to come well under budget.

As for the RAM, I personally really like G.Skill, but TBH, they aren't any better than Mushkin/Corsair. Since you're gaming you realistically don't even need 6GB, but since the prices are going down and you're under budget you may as well get the fastest 3x4GB set you can get.

A Blu Ray drive can be had for ~$60(read only) or ~$100(burner) compared to a standard DVD which would be ~$20. It's up to you, I highly doubt installation discs will ever use Blu-Ray, but I could very easily be wrong.

[rjbarker]

I've always insisted that the PSU and Case are your 2 Components that can last a very long time....

[3scape_]

Originally Posted by ilya

You can still PM everything lower, use a shopbot.
For the CPU, it can be had for less on sale, but none going on ATM so you're going to have to settle for saving only $10.
INTEL i7-950 CORE I7 3.06 1366 8M BOX
Same goes for the NH D14, it can be PMed to ~$80 I believe.
For the 570, consider the Zotac for a lot less: Zotac Video Card GTX570
Still a lifetime warranty, but so far my experience with their RMA is only average, compared to EVGA which is typically outstanding. But they've been learning pretty quickly and aren't like their sister company Sapphire. Plus you'll be saving $80
Consider the AX750, it can be had for ~$160 ATM with a $10MIR at NCIX. It's almost internally identical to the AX850, and both models will be adequate for your build.
Looking at the rest of the build, most of the parts are good picks, but they can all be had for less, look around. (about $5-$20 on most parts) You should be able to come well under budget.

As for the RAM, I personally really like G.Skill, but TBH, they aren't any better than Mushkin/Corsair. Since you're gaming you realistically don't even need 6GB, but since the prices are going down and you're under budget you may as well get the fastest 3x4GB set you can get.

A Blu Ray drive can be had for ~$60(read only) or ~$100(burner) compared to a standard DVD which would be ~$20. It's up to you, I highly doubt installation discs will ever use Blu-Ray, but I could very easily be wrong.

Thanks a lot for the tips!

Actually I did use Shopbot.ca and the lowest prices always seemed to be from BestDirect. I will make sure to look into prices one more time before checkout.

Yeah it is a shame. I think NCIX had a i7 950 and Noctua NH-U12P SE2 selling for around CAD 300 (Not sure if it was that low but it was pretty low). I've been kicking myself for not buying it.

And as for the PSU, what is the main difference between the HX series and AX series? The efficiency?

Anyways, many thanks.

[3scape_]

Originally Posted by Jamula66

That build looks pretty good, the only thing i would consider changing is the case, for example the 600T is very high quality
You also mentioned future proofing so i suggest you should watch this:
YouTube - Futureproofing Your PC - Dispelling Some of the Myths NCIX Tech Tips

I think I came across this video in the past but never really looked into it. I'll make sure to give it a watch!

[rjbarker]

And as for the PSU, what is the main difference between the HX series and AX series? The efficiency?

Single Rail vs Multi Rail and Gold vs Silver

[Luay79]

Great build and great tips from the guys!

+1 for the Corsair AX series. I think AX850 is a better value than the AX750 as their prices are not that far from each other.
12GB RAM kits are priced very aggressively these days. Corsair released a new high-end budget "Vengeance" series and it got nice reviews. Awesome value.
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz 12GB Kits Review - Conclusion
Quick Review: Corsair Vengeance Series PC3-12800 12GB Kit :: TweakTown USA Edition
You could shave a $100 off for the smaller Asus Sabertooth X58. Performance wise you won't lose.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-t...-x58-review/19
If you're not sure about Blue-Ray, just a get a DVD burner and add or replace later. I don't think we'll see software on Blue-ray anytime soon.
Switch the Crucial to OCZ, It's not hard managing your apps, OS and a game or two on 60GB, but that's your call. Pair it with a bigger WD Caviar Green, which is meant for storage as speeds won't affect your experience.
1920x1200, one GTX 570 will gobble up anything you throw at it at this resolution and still go over 60FPS.
Get a newer case! Pimp it up a bit ;)

[xlilmissmjx]

+1 for the AX750/850 & 600T suggestions, those would be my choices as well

Also for the SSD, just 1 OCZ Vertex 2 120GB will do you fine, as when the 2 are in raid they lose TRIM (as mentioned) which sucks! You could consider a 240GB capacity if you have the budget.

[3scape_]

Originally Posted by Luay79

Great build and great tips from the guys!

+1 for the Corsair AX series. I think AX850 is a better value than the AX750 as their prices are not that far from each other.
12GB RAM kits are priced very aggressively these days. Corsair released a new high-end budget "Vengeance" series and it got nice reviews. Awesome value.
Corsair Vengeance DDR3 1600MHz 12GB Kits Review - Conclusion
Quick Review: Corsair Vengeance Series PC3-12800 12GB Kit :: TweakTown USA Edition
You could shave a $100 off for the smaller Asus Sabertooth X58. Performance wise you won't lose.
http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-t...-x58-review/19
If you're not sure about Blue-Ray, just a get a DVD burner and add or replace later. I don't think we'll see software on Blue-ray anytime soon.
Switch the Crucial to OCZ, It's not hard managing your apps, OS and a game or two on 60GB, but that's your call. Pair it with a bigger WD Caviar Green, which is meant for storage as speeds won't affect your experience.
1920x1200, one GTX 570 will gobble up anything you throw at it at this resolution and still go over 60FPS.
Get a newer case! Pimp it up a bit ;)

Thanks! I think I'll switch to a AX850 then.

And also about the case, I've been looking into the Haf X and 800D. What do you guys think? Are there any other cases that you would recommend?