Recommendations for my new gaming build (i5-2500)

[zeliscar]

1. What my PC will be used for.
mostly gaming and multitasking, some video encoding

2. What country I will be buying my parts from.
EU

3. What my budget is.
700-900€ (but could even go up to 1000€ if suggested)
i guess that equals about $700-900 worth in US since items cost more here

4. IF I have a brand preference.
Not a fanboy of anything but I already concluded i5-2500 is something I want since AMD Phenom II 965 build wouldn't cost alot less here. Both that and Sapphire Radeon HD 6850 1GB look like a very good deal at the moment but I'm open for any suggestions.

5. If I intend on using any of my current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
none

6. IF I have searched and/or read similar threads.
enough to know what kind of items are out there and their differences, but obviously not enough to know exactly what I want:biggrin:

7. IF I plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I've never overlocked before but it this something I consider doing to keep the computer up to date when it becomes old. This is the main reason I'm having problems deciding on what to buy. I don't know whether I should go with a cheaper nonOC build and save money or fork out additional bucks for one that will allow me to do so (in the future).

8. What resolution I plan on gaming with.
1680x1050 currently but I plan on buying a better screen soon (24")

9. WHEN do I plan to build it?
ASAP

 

[endlessmike133]

GPU: GTX 570

CPU: i5-2500k

those are the 2 MUSTS in todays gaming world; will plow through any current and future (1-2 years) game beautifully

 

[mnewsham]

where are you buying from? (what store)

 

[endlessmike133]

where are you buying from? (what store)

probably some crazy european store you never heard of

 

[mnewsham]

probably some crazy european store you never heard of

it would still help so i can price out a build.

 

[Davidh373]

Sapphire Radeon HD 6850

I would get at least a 6870 for your budget. A 560 would be really good if you can wait for the 25th.

4GB 1333 1.5V RAM (1.5V is important, 1333 < 1600 but it also saves money)

P67 Mobo from either MSI, Gigabyte, or ASUS.

PSU at 500W-600W from Antec, Seasonic, or Corsair

1TB Samsung F3 or Western Digital Caviar Black (if you have to) 6GB/S SATA does not increase performance, so don't waste money on that.

SSD with a Sandforce controller (OCZ Vertex 2/ Agility 2, Corsair Force, GSkill Sniper/ Phoenix Pro)

Case from Antec (300, 900), Cooler Master (Haf, Storm Scout, CM690), Rosewill (Challenger, Destroyer, Blackhawk), or NZXT (Phantom).

 

[mnewsham]

I would get at least a 6870 for your budget. A 560 would be really good if you can wait for the 25th.

4GB 1333 1.5V RAM (1.5V is important, 1333 < 1600 but it also saves money)

P67 Mobo from either MSI, Gigabyte, or ASUS.

PSU at 500W-600W from Antec, Seasonic, or Corsair

1TB Samsung F3 or Western Digital Caviar Black (if you have to) 6GB/S SATA does not increase performance, so don't waste money on that.

SSD with a Sandforce controller (OCZ Vertex 2/ Agility 2, Corsair Force, GSkill Sniper/ Phoenix Pro)

Case from Antec (300, 900), Cooler Master (Haf, Storm Scout, CM690), Rosewill (Challenger, Destroyer, Blackhawk), or NZXT (Phantom).

That about sums up 8 out of every 10 builds we do.

 

[zeliscar]

where are you buying from? (what store)

probably some crazy european store you never heard of

Yeah, I'm probably buying at a local store for warranty purposes but the prices are about the same all over EU. None of the site I use are in english to give an example though.

I would get at least a 6870 for your budget. A 560 would be really good if you can wait for the 25th.

25th of?
I don't think I can afford a 570 since it cost like $520 here. Any idea how much the 560 will cost and how it compares to 6870?

Hopefully this build is within my budget, it sounds real nice, will check now

Thanks alot! :thumbsup:

 

[Davidh373]

25th of?

January, as in day after tomorrow!

I don't think I can afford a 570 since it cost like $520 here. Any idea how much the 560 will cost and how it compares to 6870?

It will likely compete with the 6950 at the $300 pricepoint.

Hopefully this build is within my budget, it sounds real nice, will check now

The Build SHOULD be, but we can't predict nor see prices at your local store. I know a Sandy Bridge i5 with P67 mobo and 4GB RAM together costs around $600 here in the states, so if that translates even to 700 quid, then you still have 200-300 for a GPU

 

[zeliscar]

CPU: i5-2500k
MBO: GA-P67-UD3
PSU: Corsair VX 550W (too crappy? kinda cheap)
case: Cooler Master Centurion 690II
RAM: 2x2GB of cheap KINGSTON 1333 1.5V CL9 (too crappy?)
GPU: Sapphire(does it matter which) Radeon HD 6970 1GB
disk: Samsung 1TB F3
DVDR: Samsung with LS

= 890&#8364; at a random local store


if I buy a 500GB disk instead and add Crucial C300 RealSSD (does it have Sandforce controller?)

= 998&#8364;

worth it? (edit: worth to add the SSD to go over budget I mean)

 

[mnewsham]

CPU: i5-2500k
MBO: GA-P67-UD3
PSU: Corsair VX 550W (too crappy? kinda cheap)
case: Cooler Master Centurion 690II
RAM: 2x2GB of cheap KINGSTON 1333 1.5V CL9 (too crappy?)
GPU: Sapphire(does it matter which) Radeon HD 6970 1GB
disk: Samsung 1TB F3
DVDR: Samsung with LS

= 890€ at a random local store


if I buy a 500GB disk instead and add Crucial C300 RealSSD (does it have Sandforce controller?)

= 998€

worth it?

Id say go with the OCZ vertex 2

 

[zeliscar]

January, as in day after tomorrow!

Ah, It's already 24th here(there too now!) so I was a bit confused

It will likely compete with the 6950 at the $300 pricepoint.

6870 cost over $300 here and 6950 is way over $400

 

[zeliscar]

Id say go with the OCZ vertex 2

40GB OCZ costs the same as 64GB Crucial but I guess speed > size here?

 

[mnewsham]

40GB OCZ costs the same as 60GB Crucial but I guess speed > quantity here?

i just suggest the OCZ because it is a well rounded drive it's read/write is good while the C300 only the read is good the write sucks.

 

[fffblackmage]

...Crucial C300 RealSSD (does it have Sandforce controller?)

The C300 uses a Marvell controller.

40GB OCZ costs the same as 64GB Crucial but I guess speed > size here?

Depends if you can live with just 40GB. Should be doable. I'm currently using 26.6GB out of 59.5GB on my OCZ Agility. Just Windows 7 and apps that I use. No games.

Whichever you get, it'll still be orders of magnitude faster than a HDD.

 

[zeliscar]

Thanks guys, you've been real helpful. I got my build now

 

[mfenn]

Thanks guys, you've been real helpful. I got my build now

Sounds good! I may be a little late to the party, but I would say to grab the 64GB C300 over a 40GB Sandforce. Normally, I'd recommend the Sandforce because it performs better IMHO and is at price parity with the C300, but there is no sense in paying a huge premium for one.