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Feb 1, 2013 1:06 pm GMT
I've played Skrim since it came out over a year ago. Started on the PS3. Moved to the 360 - which improved the gameplay by a lot.
Now I'm interested in the PC version, particularly the ability to mod Skyrim, Oblivion, FO3 and FONV. I've never played Morrowind, but I would like to.
Anyhow - I have been a mac fanboy for the last 7-8 years. I may not NEED a PC to play Skyrim, I do need one if I want to enjoy the game on ultra. I used to build PC's back in the day - back when the AMD Athlon was the fastest processor on the market. All 800MHz/second of it.
So I'm building my own gaming box, and would appreciate any feedback you guys might have.
While I don't have a set budget for this build, I would like to get the most bang for my buck.
Monitor: I will be using a 70" Sharp LED HDTV
Case: No set brand in mind. But I do want full tower for future modding projects.
Power Supply: I have no clue. I'm figuring on the higher end though, 850W - 1KW, but I'm not sure.
CPU: Pentium i5 3550. Not locked into that specific cpu, but definitely no AMD chip, plus the i7 si not THAT much better for the extra money.
M/B - No set board in mind. Is bigger better for gaming? USB 3.0 and 6gb/sec SATA architecture is a must. I think all MB's I've looked at have both o/b video and sound. I don't want o/b video, but not sure about the sound.
RAM: How much is too much? I will be running a 64bit OS, so why not stick in 32gig DDR3?
HDD - No question - Primary drive will be Samsung 512gb SSB. Secondary will be a 1 - 3 TB 7200rpm 6 gb/sec SATA drive. I'm not sure how important the cache size is, but will probably get one with a 64mb cache.
Graphics Card: Again, not real sure but am leaning towards the Radeon HD 7870 for cost/benefit reasons. Totally open to suggestions here.
Sound: I want to run the sound through my Bose system. If the M/B sound has optical out I will use it. If not, then I'll have to buy a sound card that does have an optical out.
OS: I hate Win8, so most likely Win7 Ultimate 64bit.
Tell me what you think, and let me know what I'm missing.
Feb 1, 2013 2:16 pm GMT
I spent about $1000 on this build a couple of months ago.
CPU: 3570k (for overclocking)
GPU: GTX 670 (I got the basic galaxy version. I wish now I had spent a bit more and gotten a more overclocking friendly brand, but this card is still a beast)
PSU: Corsair 750w
MOBO: Gigabyte z77x
Case: Thermaltake Overseer full size
8 Megs of ram.. I think that's plenty but there's never any harm in going more
I also added a bluray burner, 1TB hard drive and a Enermax ET T40 air cooler
My computer can play any game on max, even the Witcher 2 with ubersampling runs at 30fps. If you want even better performance and money isn't an issue, you can always got with the GTX 680 card, or even put a couple of those bad boys in SLI.
Feb 1, 2013 2:41 pm GMT
Thanks.
The 680 video card is probably a better choice than the 7870. I think there's only 40-50 bucks difference between them. I think the 690 is over $900, which is almost a 600 jump from the 680 - if I recall.
I'm not big into overclocking, but there's not a whole lot of price spread between the 3550 and the 3750 - so maybe I move up a little.
I forgot about the Blu Ray player. Certainly a must have anymore.
As for cooling - either super quiet fans, or splurge for liquid cooling. The folks at the computer store advise against liquid cooling. The cool factor and zero noise make me want to try it.
Feb 1, 2013 3:23 pm GMT
Liquid cooling is a pain...trust me. And if you're not overclocking like a fiend, you don't need it.
If you just want liquid cooling to avoid fan noise, you are out of luck. You still need a fan for the radiator, and one for the case in general in most cases. Plus, you have the noise from the water pump. I think there is a passive water cooling system out there, but I have no experience with it, and don't know how effective it is, or how difficult to set up.
The best way to reduce fan noise is to use large diameter fans (120mm). They can turn at slower speeds and move more air. This keeps them quieter. The best option is to use a case with multiple large fans running at slower speeds.
There are several silent fans on the market. Many fans are also temp controlled variable speed fans with manual overrides. Noctua is supposed to have some very quiet 120mm fans, but I have never used them, so I can only offer hearsay.
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It is a capital mistake to theorize before one has data. ...one begins to twist facts to suit theories.... Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Feb 1, 2013 4:16 pm GMT
Seems like a solid setup. Doubt you can find a motherboard with optical audio out. I would buy a Creative soundcard.
Would throw in the extra cash for an i7 though, since the price difference isn't that big, especially when you compare it to the total price you'll end up paying, although if it's a system purely for gaming, an i5 will do fine.
Also, stick with nVidia, either 670 or 680, I would personally go for the 670.
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Feb 2, 2013 7:46 am GMT
Thank you for the information on liquid cooling.
Overclocking, if at all, will be minimal. So other than the opportunity to see neon colored cooling fluid flowing through clear tubes, and the obvious bad assness associated with it, Liquid cooling is a wasted effort.
And thanks for the i7 information. I think I will go with an i7.
My ultimate goal is to take a super tower case and build an ultimate gaming machine in it. Then with the rest of the room, crack open the PS3 and 360 and put them inside the case as well. Basically, I want to every component sitting on the entertainment center shelf into one box.
Starcraft (PC)
Pandora's Tower (WII)
Neverwinter (PC)
Wii U (WIIU)
Star Trek (PC)
ShootMania Storm (PC)
