Could use some help with my first gaming rig build.

[Elysnoss]

Hi there! I just installed SWTOR and realized I can't even play the game because of how horribly laggy it is. This isn't the only issue I have been having with my current laptop so for the first time I am looking to build my own gaming rig. I'm not that great with hardware but think that with a lil help I should be able to make this happen.

Basically looking for something beast that could play multiple graphic intensive games simultaneously using dual-monitor like Skyrim, SWTOR, WoW, ect with no lag and that will have room for upgrades to stay working great for years to come. After doing some research and getting advice from this thread this is what I have thrown together:


-Case (really like this chassis)
Thermaltake Level 10 GT UGK Combat Snow Edition (VN10006W2N-B) Ultimate Gaming Kit White and Black SECC / Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case with Tt eSPORTS MEGA G1 Keyboard, Black Gaming Mouse and Shock Gaming Headset ($400)

-Power Supply
Thermaltake TPG-1200M ToughPower Grand - 1200W, 80+ Gold ($300)

-Motherboard
ASUS P8Z68 DELUXE/GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard with UEFI BIOS ($260)

-CPU
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 3000 BX80623I72600K ($300)

-RAM (can upgrade to 32GB later on 4 x 8GB)
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (2 x 8GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL10D-16GBXL ($150)

-Hard Drive (probably wont be needing more than 1TB for a while, and If I do I can always add another HD later)
Seagate Barracuda 1TB ($130)

and

Crucial CT128M4SSD2 m4 2.5" Solid State Drive - 128GB, SATA 6Gb/s ($200)

-Optical Drive
Lite-On Internal 24x CD/DVD Drive ($18)

-Video Card
2 X EVGA GeForce GTX 580 (1536MB GDDR5) ($980)

-Sound Card
Asus Xonar Essence STX PCIe 7.1 ($180)

-Operating System
Microsoft Windows 7 Professional ($70)

Not counting tax and shipping that puts me at $2,988 total with room for upgrading.


I already have 2 decent 24" flatscreen monitors but I'm not sure what I will need to do in order to use both of them on a desktop. I'm used to using laptops which already come with a place to plug in a secondary screen. Also already have a decent speaker system.

Not sure about the prices posted as I haven't shopped around for them yet. Mostly just want to make sure all of this is compatible and will work together well. Maybe could get some ideas on better components that could be used instead of what I have listed.

Also, is there anything I have missed that I will need to have a complete working build? And what tools will I be needing to put everything together? Hopefully I won't need to do any soldering.

Any advice is welcome. Thanks!

 

[Talyor]

why not get i7 3930k or the Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73960X

 

[Roark]

If you want a good upgrade route I would not go for the i7 990X, socket 1366 is essentially dead.
While it is a great CPU, and may last years for you, its the best you can do with that socket, so no upgrade.
I'd go for either an i7 2600K (socket 1155) or, if you're just looking for a cash dump, i7 3960X (socket 2011).

If you change the CPU you'll need to switch motherboards to the correct socket, and RAM to dual-channel.

Also, would seriously consider an SSD for your OS and games.

 

[Elysnoss]

why not get i7 3930k or the Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-3960X Extreme Edition Sandy Bridge-E 3.3GHz (3.9GHz Turbo) LGA 2011 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80619i73960X

Not really sure but that IS why I am here afterall. I'm not really that great with hardware or choosing components though I know enough that I should be able to put the thing together without too much trouble. Is that better than Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-990X Extreme Edition Gulftown 3.46GHz LGA 1366 130W Six-Core Desktop Processor BX80613I7990X? And compatible with everything? It is only like $20 more so I see no harm in using that instead if it is recommended.

Not sure what motherboard and cpu I need to get but I am looking for something that supports 24gig of ram and future upgrades. Something that could make decent use of the extra space the level 10 case provides. I'm not really good with the hardware when it comes to choosing components although I know enough that I should be able to put this thing together without too much difficulty. All in all I would like to be able to build this thing for less than $4,000 preferably in the $3,000 - $3,500 range. Or less just depending.

Also, what is this SSD you speak of?

Oh yea, and I will need some time to save up money. I plan on buying all the components I need simultaneously sometime around 5-6 months from now. So I have plenty of time to research stuff and get opinions. Reading up on hardware stuffs now.

 

[Antec 200 V2 Rocks!!]

A SSD (solid state disk) is a non-mechanical storage device which is alot faster than HDD's. Like Roark said it is very useful for the OS and games because it loads data faster so your computer will boot-up quicker and game levels will load faster. I would say one would be essential for a serious gaming rig.

 

[Roark]

Choices I'd go with for CPU and motherboard:
1) $560 i7 2600K + Asus P8Z68 Deluxe/GEN3.
2) $1,330i7 3960X + Asus P9X79.

You have 2 other choices for CPU, currently out of stock at Newegg.
1) +$70 i7 2700K.
2) -$450 i7 3930K.

I highly doubt you'll need the 3960X, from initial tests I've seen it can beat the 2600K by only about 5 FPS in games.

SSDs use microchips that retain data in non-volatile memory chips and contain no moving parts. Compared to electromechanical HDDs, SSDs are typically less susceptible to physical shock, are silent, have lower access time and latency, but are more expensive per gigabyte (GB). SSDs use the same interface as hard disk drives, thus easily replacing them in most applications.

SSDs (solid state drives) are much, much, faster that regular mechanical drives. Due to the cost though they are usually used for minimal storage.
You can get a 120GB SSD for < $200 and have enough room for Windows and quite a few games, then put all your music/movies/etc on a larger mechanical drive.

 

[Elysnoss]

Ok thanks a bunch for the help Roark and other posters. ^^ I updated my first post changing the mommaboard and processor also adding a second harddrive. Does everything else like the ram and such still fit in? Let me know if anything needs tweaking.

If I have to I could settle for 16gb ram and no less but I really would like to have the 24gb if possible. Hate not having enough ram and I like to run multiple programs at once.

I currently have 8gigs of ram on my laptop, can't add any more, and it simply isn't enough.

 

[Roark]

The RAM won't fit, new motherboard has 4 slots instead of 6.
Not really following the budget, but you can do 16 or 32GB depending on where you're at.
Best suggestion I can say is $150 16GB (2x8GB) G.Skill Ripjaws X 1600/CAS9.
Gives you 16GB of RAM and leaves 2 open slots if you decide you want to bump it up to 32 with another set.

I would also do some research and/or ask people with that case if the H100 will fit inside, e-mail Thermaltake if need be.

 

[Elysnoss]

Ok cool, thanks again for the help. Should still be within the budget after the changes. Switching to 32 gb of ram that puts me at around $3258 without tax if I pick Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. Which btw, should home premium be sufficient or should I go for Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate?

Also, do I really even need the cpu cooler? It says the level 10 case comes with, "Three oversized 200mm ColorShift fans and one 140mm TurboFan ensure your high-end graphic cards, CPU and hard drives are all quietly cooled."

"QuadFan power Cool and Liquid Cooling Ready
High tech components are prone to heat impacting longevity and performance. For this vital reason the implementation of Thermaltake's QuadFan Ventilation concept creates an ideal environment for your components to unfold their full potential. Thermaltake incorporated not one or two, but rather three true 200mm fans into the Level 10 GT Snow Edition, along with an additional 140mm TurboFan embedded into the back of the case. Ready for water cooling, 120mm or 240mm radiators can be easily attached to the top side of the chassis (top 200m fan needs to be removed) so you can reset assured to keep your coolness."

 

[HAVOC]

You want to play Multiple games simultaneously? Interesting.