Building a Gaming PC

[Twixey]

Hey guys this is my first time building a gaming PC so i just wanted some help as to make sure that all the parts are compatible and if its a decent gaming rig.
These are the parts i have:
Auzentech GMC R-4 Bulldozer Case
EVGA P55 LE Motherboard - Intel P55, Socket LGA1156 PhysX + Crossfire
Corsair Dominator GT RAM - Airflow Fan, 4GB, DDR3, PC16000, 2000MHz
Power Up / 550-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA-Ready / Power Supply
Intel Core i7 930 Processor BX80601930 - 2.80GHz, 8MB L3 Cache, 4.8GT/s QPI or
Intel Core i7 860 Processor BX80605I7860 - 2.80GHz, LGA 1156, 8MB L3 Cache I dont know which to get
Turtle Beach Riviera 5.1 Digital PCI Sound Card
Western Digital WD10EARS Caviar Green Hard Drive - 3.5", SATA 3G, 1TB, 64MB Cache
EVGA 01G-P3-N958-LR GeForce 9500 GT Video Card - 1GB DDR2, PCI Express 2.0, SLI Support, DVI, HDTV, VGA

P.S. ill of course be slowly upgrading this as i get more money for im pretty broke atm
and i know that the sound and HD isnt good but i dont know what to get, so if you can give advice please do

 

[Muffin Man]

hi, welcome to Tech-Forums

if you were go to with the i7 860, then it looks like everything would be compatible. not with the i7 930 though, it uses a different socket so it wouldn't work.

but, as it is right now with a 9500gt, it's not really a good gaming rig, unless you just play old games.

also, you could try the onboard sound on the mobo first, as see how that works for you. if it really isn't what you're looking for, you could always add a sound card later on.

tell us your budget and where you're located (US, UK?) and we can help you rework your build for a better gaming rig.

 

[Twixey]

Ok thanks im in the US and my budget is somewhere around $1000-1300, so what graphics card would you recommend?

 

[Muffin Man]

well, with a bit of reworking to your build, you would get a much more powerful HD 5850.

Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!
Newegg.com - Computer Parts, PC Components, Laptop Computers, LED LCD TV, Digital Cameras and more!
Newegg.com - XFX P1-650X-CAG9 650W ATX12V 2.2 / ESP12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Power Supplies
Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Computer Cases
Newegg.com - ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner - Bulk - CD / DVD Burners

those parts would total $1,118 + shipping. you can also get $20 off the psu with promo code XFX65.

so as you see, you would still have some money left over from your budget, which you could use the buy an OS if you need one, or if you also need a monitor or keyboard/mouse.

but, like i mentioned, a 5850 would rip that 9500gt to pieces. the i7 860 would still be included, with a good mobo that would support crossfire, which leaves the option open for you if you would like to add a second 5850 later on, along with a better power supply, and a faster HDD.

 

[Twixey]

Wow thanks so much ill take a look and yea im going to get a new OS and i have a keyboard/mouse as well

 

[captain_clayman]

for the processor, you can't get then 930 unless you change your motherboard, which means you'll have to change your ram too. so i suggest you get the 860. it's practically identical.

ALSO, for a gaming machine, a 9500 is extremely weak, unless you're using it for dedicated physX. maybe start out with that for a while and then upgrade to something better (5850 maybe?) and then use the 9500 gt as dedicated PhysX.


ALSO, unless you're into that funky style, i suggest you change your case from that to something more like...the Cooler Master 690 II Advanced. it's 100 bucks but it's WAAAAAY better and it's not fugly. i'm gonna get one for my build and i don't think you can go wrong. it has tons of features, it's pretty, it'll fit 12" video cards and it's affordable.