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My new/first gaming build

post #1 of 113
10/18/11 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
Here she is...

Props go out to N8DOGG, Formulanerd, BD2003, & RobertR1 for helping me put this together. Bascially everything is set in stone at this point with the exception of the sound card and mouse. Although I do think the Deathadder is probably the perfect mouse for me b/c it looks like buttons on the side are fairly big (which is a good thing for me).

CPU- Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor

CPU Cooler- Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler

Motherboard- EVGA 130-SB-E675-KR ATX LGA1155

Memory- G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333

HDD- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM

SSD- Crucial M4 128GB 2.5"

Video Card- MSI Radeon HD 6950 2GB

Case- COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower

Power Supply- SeaSonic 850W ATX12V / EPS12V

Optical Drive- Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

Monitor- 42" Panasonic Viera TC-P42S30 Plasma

Operating System - Windows 7 Enterprise 64 Bit

Keyboard- Corsair K60

Mouse- Black Razor Deathadder

Thanks for any input or suggestions...
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post #2 of 113
10/18/11 at 6:29pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by OmfgItzThaMack View Post

Here she is...

Props go out to N8DOGG, Formulanerd, BD2003, & RobertR1 for helping me put this together. Bascially everything is set in stone at this point with the exception of the sound card and mouse. Although I do think the Deathadder is probably the perfect mouse for me b/c it looks like buttons on the side are fairly big (which is a good thing for me).

CPU- Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor

CPU Cooler- Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler

Motherboard- EVGA 130-SB-E675-KR ATX LGA1155

Memory- G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333

HDD- Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM

SSD- Crucial M4 128GB 2.5"

Video Card- MSI Radeon HD 6950 2GB

Case- COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower

Power Supply- SeaSonic 850W ATX12V / EPS12V

Optical Drive- Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

Monitor- 42" Panasonic Viera TC-P42S30 Plasma

Operating System - Windows 7 Enterprise 64 Bit

Keyboard- Corsair K60

Mouse- Black Razor Deathadder

Thanks for any input or suggestions...

Do you plan on hooking up your computer to an AVR or directly to the tv? I ask because a sound card would not be needed if you hdmi directly to a receiver because modern video cards can pass through sound. My build is quite similar and i hook up my pc to my receiver. In fact, i believe your mobo has built in sound as well if you want to hook it up via analog audio.
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post #3 of 113
10/18/11 at 10:04pm
Nice setup! Make sure your 2500 CPU is a 2500K unless you choose not to overclock (an unlikely choice with that cooler).
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post #4 of 113
10/18/11 at 10:24pm
Yes, definitely make sure it is the 2500K you are getting as opposed to the 2500. The overclocking potential of the 2500K is too significant to ignore for a gaming rig.

As mentioned, new graphics cards have their own onboard audio controller. If you will use an AVR with HDMI audio capabilities, then you already have 5.1/7.1 PCM output covered for modern games.
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post #5 of 113
10/19/11 at 12:18am
Thread Starter 
Actually guys I just spent the past 4 hours over at my buddies house who's actually doing the build for me. We made a few changes...

Here's what we finally ended up going with 100%...

Just placed the order with newegg...



*CPU- Intel Core i5-2500 3.3GHz Quad-Core Processor

***We actually ditched the other SPU Cooler I had because we realized that one already came with the processor & no I will not be overclocking (no need)

*Motherboard- EVGA 130-SB-E675-KR ATX LGA1155

*Memory- G.Skill Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1333

*HDD- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500413AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"

***Downsized from the 1TB

*SSD- Crucial M4 128GB 2.5"

*Video Card- MSI Radeon HD 6950 2GB

*Soundcard- Creative PCI Express Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Champion Series w/the external box

*Case- COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower

*Power Supply- COOLER MASTER Silent Pro M600 RS-600-AMBA-D3 600W ATX12V V2.3 SLI

***Downsized this as well

*Optical Drive- Asus BW-12B1ST/BLK/G/AS Blu-Ray/DVD/CD Writer

*Monitor- 42" Panasonic Viera TC-P42S30 Plasma

*Operating System - Windows 7 Enterprise 64 Bit

*Keyboard- Corsair K60

*Mouse- Black Razor Deathadder

Overall really pumped about this build...can't wait to get everything in and put together. This is going to be my first real PC and am so stoked...
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post #6 of 113
10/19/11 at 4:09pm
The sound blaster titanium isn't a great card. I understand it's probably $80 but it hasn't had a driver update since 2009. That's pretty terrible support! You could use the new pax drivers but you'd be better off going with the forte.
The Hard drive doesn't really matter as it will be mostly a storage drive anyways.
IMO i would have kept the seasonic PS. Watts are not the only thing that makes a power supply. Its the quality of the parts, the voltage regulation, efficiency. If you ever want to crossfire or sli 2 cards you probably will run out of power. I know you may not think you will but you should still leave that option open. That seasonic is one of the better power supplies. The coolermaster is still good but the Sea 850 is a beast!
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post #7 of 113
10/19/11 at 6:35pm
Very nice build, I think you will be able to run Solitaire pretty well

Joking, what games are you planning on running with this machine?
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post #8 of 113
10/19/11 at 10:14pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG View Post

The sound blaster titanium isn't a great card. I understand it's probably $80 but it hasn't had a driver update since 2009. That's pretty terrible support! You could use the new pax drivers but you'd be better off going with the forte.
The Hard drive doesn't really matter as it will be mostly a storage drive anyways.
IMO i would have kept the seasonic PS. Watts are not the only thing that makes a power supply. Its the quality of the parts, the voltage regulation, efficiency. If you ever want to crossfire or sli 2 cards you probably will run out of power. I know you may not think you will but you should still leave that option open. That seasonic is one of the better power supplies. The coolermaster is still good but the Sea 850 is a beast!

Yeah...I can call and cancel the order I'm sure. Plus the thing I like about that Forte is it can come with a I/O drive as well...maybe I'll do that first thing in the morning.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dashboard View Post

Very nice build, I think you will be able to run Solitaire pretty well

Joking, what games are you planning on running with this machine?

MW3...and that's pretty much it.
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post #9 of 113
10/19/11 at 10:24pm
Your gonna ahve a great thime with the new machine! Wait till Bf3 comes out! woo hoo!!
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post #10 of 113
10/19/11 at 11:34pm
Thread Starter 
UPDATE on the Sound Card issue...

I just called Amazon (at 1:40am) and was able to cancel my order with for the Sound Blaster card and ended up ordering the Forte with the I/O drive which is what I really wanted in the first place!

I am so stoked on getting all this stuff in. My friend who's putting it together for me said he's pretty confident he'll get a 20 second startup time out of this beast.

No more console for me hehe...

As for BF3 goes though...not sure I can swing that one. Unfortunately I'm not a fan Strictly COD guy here. Maybe that'll change but I doubt it.

If any of you guys plan on playing MW3 definitely let me know as I'll be playing a lot of that game...I think I ended up putting about 80 days on MW2 in the two years it's been out (I didn't like/play Blops).

But yeah, hit me up!
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post #11 of 113
10/19/11 at 11:47pm
Your rig will undoubtedly give you a great experience with Modern Warfare 3 in 1080p.

Enjoy, and welcome to the light side that is PC gaming.
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post #12 of 113
10/20/11 at 12:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by MSmith83 View Post

Your rig will undoubtedly give you a great experience with Modern Warfare 3 in 1080p.

Enjoy, and welcome to the light side that is PC gaming.

What would you say the main differences are between console and pc as far as type of people who play both in terms of maturity, ect. And what about hackers? I've heard they can be out of control? of course that's just what I've heard...but yeah, if you were to compare the two???
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post #13 of 113
10/20/11 at 7:17am
Quote:
Originally Posted by OmfgItzThaMack View Post

What would you say the main differences are between console and pc as far as type of people who play both in terms of maturity, ect. And what about hackers? I've heard they can be out of control? of course that's just what I've heard...but yeah, if you were to compare the two???

I say the maturity level is mixed on PC. Really depends on the game your playing online. If your playing BlackOPs theres always some punks who try to ruin it for others. But in Battlefield games I find theres less of that and teammates actually work as a team. Playin PS3 version I found randoms on my team just rambo it and could careless about the team ~personal experiences~ Hackers ya there are some out there but if the developer actually supports the game properly and community reports the incidents usually they go away. Worst case scenario when you see a hacker is leave the game and find another..not a big deal. Get your PC and join the AVS Steam group..add me and others to your friends list..Have a blast.
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post #14 of 113
10/20/11 at 11:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by WiseGuy2k7 View Post


I say the maturity level is mixed on PC. Really depends on the game your playing online. If your playing BlackOPs theres always some punks who try to ruin it for others. But in Battlefield games I find theres less of that and teammates actually work as a team. Playin PS3 version I found randoms on my team just rambo it and could careless about the team ~personal experiences~ Hackers ya there are some out there but if the developer actually supports the game properly and community reports the incidents usually they go away. Worst case scenario when you see a hacker is leave the game and find another..not a big deal. Get your PC and join the AVS Steam group..add me and others to your friends list..Have a blast.

Yeah I'll definitely link up with you guys on Steam. So pumped!
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post #15 of 113
10/20/11 at 12:57pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by WiseGuy2k7 View Post

I say the maturity level is mixed on PC. Really depends on the game your playing online. If your playing BlackOPs theres always some punks who try to ruin it for others. But in Battlefield games I find theres less of that and teammates actually work as a team. Playin PS3 version I found randoms on my team just rambo it and could careless about the team ~personal experiences~ Hackers ya there are some out there but if the developer actually supports the game properly and community reports the incidents usually they go away. Worst case scenario when you see a hacker is leave the game and find another..not a big deal. Get your PC and join the AVS Steam group..add me and others to your friends list..Have a blast.

There is an AVS steam group? What should I search for to find it? I'm getting BF3 Tuesday and need some good people to play with.
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post #16 of 113
10/20/11 at 1:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RemoWilliams84 View Post

There is an AVS steam group? What should I search for to find it? I'm getting BF3 Tuesday and need some good people to play with.

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/avsforum
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post #17 of 113
10/20/11 at 4:41pm
The hackers I find are more rampant on consoles that the PC for any of the games i play. I'll be playing MW3 as well as BF3 and a few others
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post #18 of 113
10/20/11 at 7:34pm
Thread Starter 
Cool N8 we'll definitely link up. All my stuff should be in by Mon or Tues so I'm pretty pumped. I think I'm going to get on eBay now and see about ordering a used copy of MW2 just so I can start getting a little practice in and get used to the mouse/keyboard.

Another question for you guys...although there's a lot of perks to pc gaming opposed to console, I am going to miss kicking my feet up on the ottoman and sinking into that comfy chair.

What have you guys found that helps make your pc gaming sessions more comfortable?
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post #19 of 113
10/20/11 at 8:59pm
To be honest, I like playing at my desk. I have a good sound system, a 30" monitor, a super comfortable chair. I find I'm much better at FPS's on my desk that on my HT. Maybe it's because your sitting up or something, I dunno. My HT projector setup is mostly for sports games, car racing and games like GTA and saints row.
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post #20 of 113
10/21/11 at 4:41am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG View Post

To be honest, I like playing at my desk. I have a good sound system, a 30" monitor, a super comfortable chair. I find I'm much better at FPS's on my desk that on my HT. Maybe it's because your sitting up or something, I dunno. My HT projector setup is mostly for sports games, car racing and games like GTA and saints row.

Yeah I was looking on amazon for a good chair....they didn't have squat at the local office supply stores around here. Seems like you practically have to order everything online these days I swear. Well I did get that xxl ripper mousepad that's like 3 feet long that formulanerd reccomended so hopefully that will double as an armpad and keep my arm comfy. Guess I'll just continue the search for a good chair and some kind of table/desk. My only concern with a desk is it won't be big enough and I'll be right up on my monitor which is a 40" plasma...maybe I should of went with a smaller led monitor like a 32". Will have to wait and see. I'll upload some pics when I get everything set up.
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post #21 of 113
10/21/11 at 10:59pm
Thread Starter 
Ended up going with this bad boy...still have to figure out the desk situation.

http://www.amazon.com/Z-Line-ZL3005-.../dp/B002HTYNXC
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post #22 of 113
10/21/11 at 11:14pm
Looks like a good chair! Pretty similar to mine. I'm sure it will be comfy.
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post #23 of 113
10/22/11 at 12:24pm
Thread Starter 
Damn dudes...my 42" Viera just came in and I'm having some serious buyers remorse. Really should have went with a 32" LED TV or even one of the bigger 27" LED Samsung monitors. I don't know what I was thinking this thing is a little too big I feel *shrug shoulders*.

Just felt like I'd share that.
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post #24 of 113
10/22/11 at 1:37pm
Can you mount it on the wall and just sit a bit farther back? It may take a bit to get used to it but I'm sure you will adapt. When I first go my 30", I though "OMG it's huge" but I wanted something bigger within 2 weeks of having it.
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post #25 of 113
10/22/11 at 5:24pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG View Post

Can you mount it on the wall and just sit a bit farther back? It may take a bit to get used to it but I'm sure you will adapt. When I first go my 30", I though "OMG it's huge" but I wanted something bigger within 2 weeks of having it.

Well...here's the thing...I'm actually moving from Florida to Arizona in April so after seeing the size of the plasma I'm going to have to go with a smaller screen; even if it's just for the time being. My main concern is that I'm not going to be able to fit all this stuff and my size L frame Cannondale Bad Boy into the car when it's time to move. So I set out on a quest looking for a 32" LED since they don't make plasmas in that size. I saw two screens I was interested in buying...actually three now that I come to think of it. I ended up pulling the trigger on one of them but haven't taken it out of the box or anything so it'll be an easy return if I decide to do that...have a look.

*I saw this one & am seriously considering getting it...

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...ustomerreviews

*Also saw this one but feel it's a little overboard as I'm not really interested in gaming in 3D (although it'd be nice for Blu-Ray)...also it's pretty pricey.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...203d&cp=1&lp=1


*This is the one I got...it's actually a monitor and has a 2ms response time which is kinda the reason I got it.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Samsung+...&skuId=2099051

The dude at Best Buy was a PC gamer and was saying the response time is quite different in TV's than it is on monitors so I just said eff' it and grabbed the monitor. I think it's going to be between the monitor I just got and the first LED I listed up there. What do you guys think?

I'm going to start doing some more research on response times now vs. the two.

Peace.

EDIT: Ended up finding that first LED, the 32" online for $768 with free shipping do I went ahead and ordered it. I'm going to go ahead and take the monitor back tomorrow. Question though...what type of HDMI cables are you running? I want some that support high refresh rates and 7.1...any suggestions?
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post #26 of 113
10/22/11 at 8:41pm
www.monoprice.com they have everything you need for super cheap. They all work perfect.
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post #27 of 113
10/22/11 at 9:22pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG View Post

www.monoprice.com they have everything you need for super cheap. They all work perfect.

Dang bro those are crazy cheap cables...no doubt.

Do you this is fake or what?

http://www.amazon.com/Ultra-1000-HDm...ata/B000FIS7KC
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post #28 of 113
10/23/11 at 11:02am
I doubt it's fake as it is amazon but don't buy into any cable marketing. Monoprice is the OEM for most of the higher end hdmi cables. They are digital cables, they either work, or they don't, there is no in between. The 0's and 1's get there or they don't. The markup for cables is insane. We sell monster stuff to and in general a $100 hdmi costs us $15. We also have no name stuff that we get for $1.33 for a 6 foot cable and sell for $5. They both work fine.
Buy you stuff from monoprice dude, save you money for something that matters. I have a 20K home theater and run monoprice everything. Heck, my wife has a doctor friend who we did and install for that has 200K worth of gear and he has monoprice everything too. Save your cash for some games!!
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post #29 of 113
10/23/11 at 3:46pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by N8DOGG View Post

I doubt it's fake as it is amazon but don't buy into any cable marketing. Monoprice is the OEM for most of the higher end hdmi cables. They are digital cables, they either work, or they don't, there is no in between. The 0's and 1's get there or they don't. The markup for cables is insane. We sell monster stuff to and in general a $100 hdmi costs us $15. We also have no name stuff that we get for $1.33 for a 6 foot cable and sell for $5. They both work fine.
Buy you stuff from monoprice dude, save you money for something that matters. I have a 20K home theater and run monoprice everything. Heck, my wife has a doctor friend who we did and install for that has 200K worth of gear and he has monoprice everything too. Save your cash for some games!!

Oh for sure...I actually was doing a little research and found the #1 voted best cable for 2011 was the Monster HD 1000 that sells for upwards of $150. The the #2 voted best cable, the dCables one that sells for $10 on amazon so I went with that. I'm just finishing up a few things but I hooked my 27" Samsung LED monitor that I picked up last night to my Xbox and I have to say it looks damn good. I'll take a picture in a minute and attach it to my next post.
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post #30 of 113
10/23/11 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
Loving the 27" actually...just got done playing some COD on it and looks great after making some adjustments in the menu.

I know you can't tell much by looking at the pic but thought I'd share.

Can't wait to get that PC up and running around mid week...

Just in time for some B3.
LL
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