Building a new computer for games/normal use---need help

[Blamo]

Hey guys, I am planning to soon build a new computer in the upcoming months. I am mainly building this computer for Star Wars: The Old Republic. This game should be released by the end of the year...but there is still no set release date. I feel like it's the best idea for me to wait until a month before the release date to order parts as I can get the best deal/parts. I do not need a computer upgrade until this game.

My goal is to be able to run SWTOR on max graphics/resolution/settings in the fastest manner. I know that there may be bandwidth problems from time to time, but that is unstoppable. I am particularly interested in what components/specs will effect my MMORPG playing. Things that would increase my effectiveness in PvP, seeing very far terrain, loading into a new city/planet etc.

Enough of that though, lets talk about the new build.
Parts I will be reusing from my current computer. I have generic speakers that will do for now. I will be purchasing Windows 7 64bit.
Samsung T260 Rose-Black ToC LCD Monitor
Razer Lycosa Keyboard
Razer DeathAdder Mouse

My current wishlist on newegg:

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
ASUS M5A97 EVO AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V v2.2 / EPS12V v2.91 SLI Certified
AMD Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition Thuban 3.3GHz, 3.7GHz Turbo
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 (PC3 14900) Desktop Memory
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Palit NE5X56T01142-1041F GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Now I really do not have much experience with choosing computer hardware, so please tell me what looks out of place/cheap/stupid. Also please advise what I'm asking of out of this computer. I would like it ready to play any other game I may be interested in in the next 5-8 years without a problem (not saying on max settings, but pretty decent).

I don't have a really set budget but I would like to see it stay around where it is, not exceeding $1200.

Thanks in advance!

 

[95BlackGA]

I'd change out the Phenom with an i5 2500K and the motherboard for an Intel supported board. It'll be a little more expensive, but you'll see an improvement in performance. That is unless you want to go ahead with the AM3+ board, and wait for Bulldozer to come out, and see if it stands up to the hype. Even then, I would change out the X6 for an X4, you won't notice a difference really, most games will not come close to utilizing 6 cores.

 

[Jbarton2009]

yea i agree with 95BlackGA about the cpu, i just bought i5 2500k and z68x-ud3h mobo and have no regrets at all, works beautifully. and also, it is my understanding that 16gb of ram for gaming and general use would be quite a bit over kill? but maybe wait for someone to confirm that

 

[Jagged.Edge]

I agree with the two posts above. Although if you're feeling the need for some extra power, you can go for the i7 2600K, but the i5 performs brilliantly, I've heard.

And stick with Asus for the motherboard, get one from their P8P67 series. It's got UEFI, so overclocking is so much easier, especially with the 2500K & 2600K (K standing for Unlocked)

 

[Roark]

+1 on i5 2500k, 6 core is unnecessary (as is the i7 2600k), for gaming.
+1 on 16GB of RAM being overkill for gaming, even 8GB is more than enough.

Also, there is nothing wrong with having more power than you need (other than a higher electric bill), but you could drop that PSU down to a 650w and still run that build.
Corsair HX650w $99.99 w/ MiR, free shipping, its modular and 80+ bronze (more efficient).

 

[Slaymate]

Also, there is nothing wrong with having more power than you need (other than a higher electric bill)

The size of the power supply has no effect on your electric bill. If your system uses 500w then that's all the power supply will generate. If you have a 1000w power supply then it has the capability of producing 1000w, but it only generates whats needed.

 

[Blamo]

Thanks for the reply's.

I have always been loyal with using a AMD CPU and a Nvidia Graphics card. But I am not apposed to using a Intel CPU or a Radeon graphics card, it's all about what is going to work best for this system. With that said, can you please explain why the Intel i5 is a better choice over the AMD Phenom II x6. I realize that 6 cores will not be utilized, but help me understand the specs.

AMD Phenom II x6

Brand
AMD

Series
Phenom II X6

Model
HDE00ZFBGRBOX

CPU Socket Type
Socket AM3

Core
Thuban

Multi-Core
Six-Core

Name
Phenom II X6 1100T Black Edition

Operating Frequency
3.3GHz, 3.7GHz Turbo

Hyper Transports
4000MHz

L2 Cache
6 x 512KB

L3 Cache
6MB

Manufacturing Tech
45 nm

64 bit Support
Yes

Hyper-Transport Support
Yes

Virtualization Technology Support
Yes

Multimedia Instruction
MMX, 3DNow!, SSE, SSE2, SSE3, SSE4a, ABM, AMD 64, EVP

Voltage
1.0V-1.475V

Thermal Design Power
125W

Cooling Device
Heatsink and Fan included

Manufacturer Warranty

Parts
3 years limited

Labor
3 years limited


Intel i5 2500k Sandy Bridge

Brand
Intel

Series
Core i5

Model
BX80623I52500K

CPU Socket Type
LGA 1155

Core
Sandy Bridge

Multi-Core
Quad-Core

Name
Core i5-2500K

Operating Frequency
3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost)

L2 Cache
4 x 256KB

L3 Cache
6MB

Manufacturing Tech
32 nm

64 bit Support
Yes

Hyper-Threading Support
No

Virtualization Technology Support
Yes

Integrated Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 3000

Graphics Base Frequency
850MHz

Multimedia Instruction
SSE4.1/4.2, AVX

Thermal Design Power
95W

Cooling Device
Heatsink and Fan included

Manufacturer Warranty

Parts
3 years limited

Labor
3 years limited


The Intel is $30 more than the AMD. What I notice off the bat is a lot of the specs are equal, like the operating frequency's and L3 Cache. Intel has Integrated Graphics, but do I really need that when I am going to be purchasing a nice graphics card? The AMD has a higher L2 Cache with 6 x 512kb instead of Intel's 4 x 256kb.

The Intel's manufacturing tech is a bit smaller so it uses a bit less wattage and in turn should run a bit cooler, correct?

Both have a 3 year warranty. I don't see any reason by specs why I should spend $30 more on the Intel, what am I missing? Thanks for the education!

 

[Jagged.Edge]

If you're going to OC, the 2500K is the way to go. I'm not sure how overclockable the Phenom II is, but the 2500K is definitely for the OCers.

And, forgive me if I'm wrong, isn't the Phenom II a tad outdated right now?

And as many have said above, you don't need a 6-core processor. Better to have a hardworking, trusty 4-core, than a 6-core which won't all be utilized, so will never really operate at full potential, right?

 

[95BlackGA]

If you're going to OC, the 2500K is the way to go. I'm not sure how overclockable the Phenom II is, but the 2500K is definitely for the OCers.

And, forgive me if I'm wrong, isn't the Phenom II a tad outdated right now?

And as many have said above, you don't need a 6-core processor. Better to have a hardworking, trusty 4-core, than a 6-core which won't all be utilized, so will never really operate at full potential, right?

Many programs and games will definitely come to utilize those 6 cores. However, clock for clock, the INTEL is FASTER than the Phenom II.

Good comparison on the two chips : AnandTech - Bench - CPU

 

[SunTannedKitty]

Looks pretty good, if you wan't a better performance for a little more cost I would probably change your processor to an Intel i5 or i7. Also you really don't need 16 Gigs of RAM; I would suggest keeping the same brand but reducing from 16 to 8 Gigs. But it is your preference, the rest looks pretty good for that price.