Finally Purchased Everything For My Gaming Rig!

[E85BMW]

I also have an i5-4570, Cooler Master CPU cooler, ASRock Z87 Killer motherboard, GTX 770 4GB FTW w/ ACX Cooler, 8GB of memory, and a 550W PSU on the way, which hopefully gets here tomorrow.

The case itself is a Rosewill Thor V2-White Full Tower case.

[geost]

Nice rig man. What games you plan on playing? And how big is that side fan on the panel? Don't forget to take pics of everything after you assemble it! /nerdporn haha

[E85BMW]

Originally Posted by geost

Nice rig man. What games you plan on playing? And how big is that side fan on the panel? Don't forget to take pics of everything after you assemble it! /nerdporn haha

I plan on playing Battlefield 4, Assassin's Creed 4, Diablo III, Titanfall, South Park, anything from Valve, too many games to list haha

The fan on the side is a 230mm fan. It has 3 of them.

Definitely will.

[tony20009]

That looks nice.

I don't game all that much -- no time -- but my two youngest kids do. I assume you are a bit older than they (they are college and high school age), but maybe you can give me some good insights...

How do you find the "build it yourself" option as compared with the "buy it" approach?

How often do you have to upgrade or replace them? I don't know why it is that my PC seems to be just fine for about 5-7 years, but my sons' seem to only be any good for about three years.

I've been buying them for my kids, but if building it would be better, I may "motivate" them to do that instead the next time round. It's been about three years since I bought the last one for my youngest son, (he's on his third one currently) and he has been "hinting heavily" that it's about time for a new one. The other one seems content with his existing machine, so I'm not giving him any ideas. My daughter seems to have found other amusements in her life, but she "gamed" for a time.

FWIW, the Fragbox they've been choosing is something along these lines:
- 1 video card -- whatever they think is the top one
- 2 solid state drives (I think these are the "raid" ones)
- 1 jumbo hard drive
- whatever they think is the top processor and motherboard at the time
- a sound card
- as much memory as they can get in the thing

TY for any input.

All the best.

[Templar]

As far as building one goes, it's the best bet IMO. You can build a high quality PC for a lot cheaper, and it's actually quite easy. I built my first PC in Dec of 2012. It's still going strong with no issues.

The build you posted above can easily be built for a lot less than something you would buy pre-built. You could easily drop one of the SSD's for an even cheaper option. Not too sure why you'd need two setup in RAID config. I only have one, it has my OS on it and a game I play most often. The rest of my stuff is on a large 1TB HDD. I have a dedicated 1TB HDD in addition to it for backup purposes. So total of 3 hard drives in mine.

Don't really need a sound card either. Most motherboards have decent integrated sound. Either way, sound cards aren't too expensive unless you're looking at something professional.

Don't forget, you may need a CD/DVD drive (or blu ray). Also, I put a better fan on my CPU for cooling instead of the one that came in the Intel box. I also added a couple of fans on the chassis for better flow. Don't forget the power supply. Make sure the power supply is big enough (in W) to support the stuff you're putting inside. Last but not least, you'll need to buy a copy of Windows since your newly built PC won't have an OS.

There are tons of resources on the web. I used the internet to figure out how to build my first one. When I put it together, I was almost certain I messed something up and it wouldn't turn on. But, I plugged it in and flipped the switch and it powered up with no issues.

[E85BMW]

I was going to go for a high end processor [Intel i7-4770k], but since the computer was just going to be for gaming and not something that would be cpu-taxing like video and imagery editing, the i5 cpu was enough. I might do SLI later on with my current graphics card. Honestly, your parts can last a while before they need to be upgraded. Personally, I think once they start going near or below the recommended settings requirements for a game you want to play. It could be that your sons just want the most up to date graphics cards when they're released. Your computer will do fine with 1 SSD for the OS and a few games and primarily used programs, while the massive hard drive would be used for everything else.

[E85BMW]

Originally Posted by Templar

Don't forget, you may need a CD/DVD drive (or blu ray). Also, I put a better fan on my CPU for cooling instead of the one that came in the Intel box.

I personally didn't put an optical drive in mine because I knew the only thing I would need it for was to load the OS onto the computer, but since I was able to install the OS from a flash drive, it made the drive irrelevant.

I did the same, going for an aftermarket CPU cooler.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Templar

As far as building one goes, it's the best bet IMO. You can build a high quality PC for a lot cheaper, and it's actually quite easy. I built my first PC in Dec of 2012. It's still going strong with no issues.

The build you posted above can easily be built for a lot less than something you would buy pre-built. You could easily drop one of the SSD's for an even cheaper option. Not too sure why you'd need two setup in RAID config. I only have one, it has my OS on it and a game I play most often. The rest of my stuff is on a large 1TB HDD. I have a dedicated 1TB HDD in addition to it for backup purposes. So total of 3 hard drives in mine.

Don't really need a sound card either. Most motherboards have decent integrated sound. Either way, sound cards aren't too expensive unless you're looking at something professional.

Don't forget, you may need a CD/DVD drive (or blu ray). Also, I put a better fan on my CPU for cooling instead of the one that came in the Intel box. I also added a couple of fans on the chassis for better flow. Don't forget the power supply. Make sure the power supply is big enough (in W) to support the stuff you're putting inside. Last but not least, you'll need to buy a copy of Windows since your newly built PC won't have an OS.

There are tons of resources on the web. I used the internet to figure out how to build my first one. When I put it together, I was almost certain I messed something up and it wouldn't turn on. But, I plugged it in and flipped the switch and it powered up with no issues.

TY

Yes, I do recall having to get his last one with a power supply. Had something to do with the video card being what I call a "fake me out" single card. It was supposedly one card, but it was really two, if that makes sense. Needed a beefier power supply. I still don't know why the power coming in from the socket in the wall isn't sufficient.

Also, yes, they come with some sort of blu-ray drive. I think he said he uses the blu-ray to backup stuff and save stuff on.

I think the SSD pair is/are his main drive for programs. The jumbo hard drive is where he stores stuff.

All the best.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Kitsune sama

I was going to go for a high end processor [Intel i7-4770k], but since the computer was just going to be for gaming and not something that would be cpu-taxing like video and imagery editing, the i5 cpu was enough. I might do SLI later on with my current graphics card. Honestly, your parts can last a while before they need to be upgraded. Personally, I think once they start going near or below the recommended settings requirements for a game you want to play. It could be that your sons just want the most up to date graphics cards when they're released. Your computer will do fine with 1 SSD for the OS and a few games and primarily used programs, while the massive hard drive would be used for everything else.

TY. Appreciate the advice.

All the best.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by tony20009

TY

Yes, I do recall having to get his last one with a power supply. Had something to do with the video card being what I call a "fake me out" single card. It was supposedly one card, but it was really two, if that makes sense. Needed a beefier power supply. I still don't know why the power coming in from the socket in the wall isn't sufficient.

Also, yes, they come with some sort of blu-ray drive. I think he said he uses the blu-ray to backup stuff and save stuff on.

I think the SSD pair is/are his main drive for programs. The jumbo hard drive is where he stores stuff.

All the best.

Every computer has a power supply, it's not an optional piece of equipment. The only part of one that is kind of optional is the wattage that they come in (like a size), which still has a minimum requirement depending on the load your overall system has. The purpose of the power supply isn't to generate a supply of dedicated power, it's to regulate and change the power coming from the wall socket.

Most computers utilize what's called a switched-mode power supply, which takes the power from the outlet and filters it to become a DC voltage from an AC input. They also internally monitor the current being used by the system, and regulate it to maintain a relatively constant voltage. Power straight from the wall without being filtered or regulated would destroy the internal parts of the computer pretty much instantly.

In the computer building world, some things are put inside PC's because they are actually useful, and then some are just for "bragging" as I call it. For instance, having two top of the line graphics cards in SLI configuration sounds pretty sweet, but for the average user it is not necessary. Even having one top of the line GPU isn't necessary IMHO. Unless you're working to do intense video editing, you do not need to go all out with the graphics card. Video games, for the most part, do not have such high requirements that require multiple cards in SLI. One card, with good card memory, can often handle a lot of things better (overall system performance and cooling). I have seen it quite often. It really becomes more of a bragging point for people to simply have the best, when in reality it isn't needed. Ideally, for me anyway, I'd like to build a very nice PC that plays games and does not run slowly, but also doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.

For example, the AMD Sapphire HD 7990 card is going for $1,299 on Newegg right now. That is pretty absurd. What average video gamer needs that card? For that price alone, I could build a relatively average PC (the whole thing) and have something that performs rather well under regular use.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Templar

Every computer has a power supply, it's not an optional piece of equipment. ...

Most computers utilize what's called a switched-mode power supply, which takes the power from the outlet and filters it to become a DC voltage from an AC input. They also internally monitor the current being used by the system, and regulate it to maintain a relatively constant voltage. Power straight from the wall without being filtered or regulated would destroy the internal parts of the computer pretty much instantly.

...

For example, the AMD Sapphire HD 7990 card is going for $1,299 on Newegg right now. That is pretty absurd. What average video gamer needs that card? For that price alone, I could build a relatively average PC (the whole thing) and have something that performs rather well under regular use.

TY for the low down on power supplies.

$1300!!! Say what? I've been paying ~$4k-$6K depending on which year we are talking about for these gaming computers my kids want. Are you totally sure they can game just as effectively for less than half the price?

Please confirm and TY for the insight.

Papa wants a new watch...any of several, even a pricey one with that kind of savings. LOL.

All the best.

[Templar]

The desktop I built in Dec of 2012 runs all the games I play perfectly. I have no issues with it at all.

No offense, but I used to waste money on computers like you as well. I put 6 grand into a monster, top of the line Alienware desktop. I had the money, so I didn't care. It was completely badass and it lasted a while. I look back now and kick myself for wasting so much money.

A high end system now, built from all parts, with some "future proofing" might cost $2,000. I spent approximately $1,500 on my build if I remember correctly. Below I list all the parts I bought. I had two hard drives from my old PC that I used until I upgraded to 1TB drives recently. The prices are estimates since some of these items are no longer in stock.

Tower - Rosewill Blackhawk ATX mid tower ($80)
Motherboard - GIGABYTE GA-Z77X-UP4 (LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0) ($100)
CPU - Intel Core i7 3770k 3.5 GHz (3.9 turbo) ($330)
CPU Fan - CoolerMaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU fan/heatsink ($35)
Graphics - EVGA GeForce GTX 680 FTW+ 4 GB GDDR5 ($600)
Hard Drive - Samsung 840 PRO series 128GB SSD ($120)
RAM - GSKILL Ripjaws 16 GB DDR3 1600 ($150)
Storage - 2x Seagate Barracuda 7200 RPM 500GB HDD (parts from old PC)
Power Supply - Antec High Current Gamer Series HCG-750 750W power supply ($150)
OS - Windows 7 Pro ($140)

You'll need to add more in for peripherals like a mouse, keyboard, monitor etc. I just use the same one's I have from before, so I didn't need to purchase anything else. When I built this, it was pretty high end (and still is). There are a few things I could probably do to upgrade, but in my gameplay and use I haven't seen the need to upgrade anything.

What games are your kids playing that they need a $6,000 desktop? My guess would be none. A little bit of education on this will save you a ton of money. Unless your kid wants to play Crysis on max settings with max FPS, that type of money is being wasted. The overwhelming majority of games do not require that much power in a desktop. We're really only talking hardcore gamers, or video editors who need massive amounts of memory, storage, and graphics power to do that kind of stuff. Every game I have played on my desktop (and I've played quite a few), plays extremely well at max settings.

The real bottom line is that MOST people don't need the top of the line everything on a computer. They may WANT it, but they don't really need it.

[E85BMW]

Originally Posted by tony20009

TY for the low down on power supplies.

$1300!!! Say what? I've been paying ~$4k-$6K depending on which year we are talking about for these gaming computers my kids want. Are you totally sure they can game just as effectively for less than half the price?

Please confirm and TY for the insight.

Papa wants a new watch...any of several, even a pricey one with that kind of savings. LOL.

All the best.

$1300 is what I spent on my build and I play my games on Ultra settings.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Kitsune sama

$1300 is what I spent on my build and I play my games on Ultra settings.

Wow! What size and how many monitors?

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Templar

...

What games are your kids playing that they need a $6,000 desktop? ...Unless your kid wants to play Crysis on max settings with max FPS, that type of money is being wasted. ...

Even I briefly played Crysis on my machine. It's been some years since I played it and it's been a long time since I played any other as well. Crysis, Call of Duty, Dungeon Seige and Batman were the last games I bought to play myself.

His mother and I gave him a slew of them last year for his birthday and Christmas. I can't believe I still have the lists he sent me, but here they are: Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2, Bioshock Infinite, Total War: Rome, Call of Duty: Ghosts, Splinter Cell, Company of Heroes, Command and Conquer, Crysis 3, Battlefield, and Eschalon Book 3. I know Call of Duty is a first person shooter. Ditto Crysis. The rest I have no idea what sort of games they are.

At home, he has two monitors that he uses with the PC there. At school he uses just one monitor. All three are 22 inch HD LCDs.

TY again and all the best.

[TheSt|G]

Originally Posted by tony20009

How do you find the "build it yourself" option as compared with the "buy it" approach?

How often do you have to upgrade or replace them? I don't know why it is that my PC seems to be just fine for about 5-7 years, but my sons' seem to only be any good for about three years.

Cheaper, more reliable, and generally faster out of the box as you have no OE bloatware.

Depending on initial specs/desire to always max out graphics, you can get 3-7 years from them.


Also, holy crap your kids are fleecing you.

[Templar]

I have played all of those games on max settings with no issues on my desktop.

You would be fine building a PC for approximately $1500. No need to spend 6 grand anymore.

My desktop does dual displays no problem. Crysis used to be used as kind of a "benchmark" for PC performance because it is so graphics intense. Some people still use it, and some have moved away from it. I guess I still tend to view it as that. The sequels were not as rough on the GPU requirements as the original though, from what I have read. You can find lots of comparisons out there for different games on ultra/max settings, what card was used, and what the FPS was. Overall, it's better to have a good AVERAGE FPS in games instead of one that peaks at a super high number but drops when things get intense.

With my GeForce 680, I've played Crysis and it did fine. I've also played quite a few intense first person shooter games at Ultra and have done just fine.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by TheSt|G

...
Also, holy crap your kids are fleecing you.

...so how are mine any different than any other kids? ...

Now you tell me...And all this time I thought the whole point of having kids was to have the most effective way to minimize my own personal spending.

All the best.

[tony20009]

Originally Posted by Templar

I have played all of those games on max settings with no issues on my desktop.

You would be fine building a PC for approximately $1500. No need to spend 6 grand anymore.

My desktop does dual displays no problem. Crysis used to be used as kind of a "benchmark" for PC performance because it is so graphics intense. Some people still use it, and some have moved away from it. I guess I still tend to view it as that. The sequels were not as rough on the GPU requirements as the original though, from what I have read. You can find lots of comparisons out there for different games on ultra/max settings, what card was used, and what the FPS was. Overall, it's better to have a good AVERAGE FPS in games instead of one that peaks at a super high number but drops when things get intense.

With my GeForce 680, I've played Crysis and it did fine. I've also played quite a few intense first person shooter games at Ultra and have done just fine.

TY

[E85BMW]

Originally Posted by tony20009

Wow! What size and how many monitors?

I'm currently using a 23" [1920x1080] monitor at the moment (About to buy a second one), but I already had that plus a keyboard/mouse prior to the build, so it wasn't factored in with the overall cost.

[E85BMW]

Here's a screenshot of my benchmark using the demo version of 3DMark 11. Nothing impressive, but my games do look good

[E85BMW]

After some clean up, here's a pic of my computer's insides