9 replies to this topic

[Honey Badger]

A few months ago, I made a post talking about building a new PC since I play on a Dell Inspiron 14Z laptop with Intel HD graphics 3000. It's playable, but I know I'm at a disadvantage when I brawl or am in a light mech. A few months ago I did a post talking about a AMD build to keep it on the cheap, but since then I decided to push my budget envelope and get an Intel-based build with a consumate GPU. Please let me know what you think. I could have gone the route of a i7-3770K, but for the gain I would get, it didn't seem worth the extra $100. Also I could have gone with a i5-2500K, but the place I'm ordering it from (microcenter.com) has a special knocking $50 off the MB if you get a i5-3570K. Also, I'm getting the K version, so I can overclock. So, without further adieu, here it is:

CPU: Intel i5-3570K
MB: Asus Maximus V Gene
CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Water 2.0 Performer
Memory: Kingson HyperX or Corsair Vengance DDR3 1600 - 8gb
Storage: Samsung 830 128gb SSD
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 7850 OC
Case: Silverstone TJ08B-E
PSU: OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular

Adding this up, it will run approximately $1000. I thought not bad for something with some gaming balls! And a little room to grow, by upgrading memory and CPU and x-firing the GPU. ;-)

Let me know what you think.

Edited by Honey Badger, 18 October 2012 - 01:02 PM.

[Joe3142]

That should max the game no problems- it is a better build than my system and I can max it, and get 45-60 fps

[Greyrook]

Yeah you should be great, although I personally like having a smaller SSD and just use it for my OS and a couple read/write intensive programs and then getting a large HDD for everything else. The graphics card will be fine for a while, but I'm not too sure of its staying power.

Oh, and you aren't missing anything with the downgrade to the i5, in my opinion. Unless you're doing a lot of HD video encoding or rendering, you're not going to be bottlenecking at your CPU any time soon.

I'm not sure how much that thermaltake closed-loop cooler costs, but you may consider looking at the Corsair H100 if the price is comparable and your case can fit a 240mm radiator. I've seen a lot of positive reviews of the H100 with a push-pull setup. Edit: nvm, I don't think you can get that radiator in a micro-atx case

Edited by Greyrook, 18 October 2012 - 01:29 PM.

[Adakias]

What's your resolution? If you run anything above 1080, like 2560x1440, I'd recommend spending the extra $ and getting a 7970. Otherwise the 7850 is plenty.

[choobert]

ssds are amazing, if you have the money they are great to have. ssds poop on old hds, i would recomend not getting a smaller ssd. get a 1tb hd for storage and games you dont play often.

[christophermx4]

I have nearly this exact same build, and it runs great. Max settings on this game is no problem whatsoever. The only difference between my rig and your proposed rig is the graphics card. I have a MSI Twin Cooler Nvida 660.

[CarpeDeesNuts]

I run a Radeon 6850 with a core i5 (overclocked 4.8ghz each core) on an asus MB. Asus boards are the way to go, the bios is amazing and can be accessed at any time while running windows. Make sure that you get a larger power supply, the radeon cards require 2 ATX power inputs- one for the GPU and one for the fan onboard the card. Be prepared for some noise from the GPU fan. AMD has their Catalyst control center which allows you to overclock your GPU/ adjust fan settings ect. DO NOT OVERCLOCK YOUR GPU - it can cause a lot of graphical "stutter" in the game. The radeon cards are Crossfire enabled and come with a crossfire cable, but for any game out there I have no problem running it in Ultra high - Skyrim, Diablo III, MWO, Crysis 2 you name it - a single 6850 or higher card will handle it no problem, especially with a fair amount of ram. I would maybe pick another manufacturer for the card... I'm skeptical of Sapphire's overall quality (and their customer support SUCKS.) The rig you've got built up will be solid for years to come.

[Honey Badger]

I've got a Dell U2410 LED flatscreen. It maxes at 1080p. I'm not sure the walking boss will approve a bigger monitor purchase when I drop the dough on this system. At least not right away, and my monitor does 1080p great,so I'm in no hurry either. I 've got to save for some new Mizuno forged irons for the spring.

Since the case is a Micro-ATX, it can't handle the side-by-side twin 120mm fans for a water cooler. The Thermaltake has a single push/pull fan set up. I went for the Silverstone case because it didn't cost me near as much as going with a regular mid-tower case, like a Coolermaster elite 430 or Thermaltake V3. While the case was cheap, I usually had to get 4-5 extra fans for proper cooling, thus pushing the overall cost of the case over $100. The Silverstone case venting-wise is pretty straightforward. Large intake fan (provided and @ 120CFM) and one exhaust fan which, for this build, is the water cooler fan (85 CFM). Since the case was engineered for positive pressure, the GPU fans will be able to pull air as necessary because of their proximity to the simple front to back pathway for venting. From all the reviews I read, this is a top-shelf case, especially for cooling.

As for the video card, I will note that. Also considering HIS, Powercolor, MSI and Gigabyte 7850 OCs. I intentionally went with the 7000 series and specifically the 7850 because they only require a single 6-pin PSU connector. From what pcpartpicker.com tells me, even crossfired, I shouldn't draw more than 500W power with this set-up. So I got a 600W PSU to cover me. Even with that steady-state rating, most quality PSUs are able to peak at 20-30% above their rated power. I may opt for a Corsair modular PSU, but I thought the OCZ was sufficient.

Appreciate the input. THANKS!

Edited by Honey Badger, 19 October 2012 - 05:45 AM.

[Robovski]

I run 1440x900 on that spec at max settings. You'll be good to go.

[Dr B00t]

i dont really understand why people overclock such powerful video cards...shortened life-span for no in-game benefit