Need help adjusting this Gaming build please

[Fayt19]

Hello, i bought a old computer off a friend and I just cant take the slowness and badness anymore.

E6600
2GB DDR2 Ram
7950GT

The case is terrible and needs to be replaced...I have to keep the side off because of overheating issues. I dont know if the power supply is good or not, im probably going to say no. however I can reuse the HDD and DVD Burner. I also have a 24" monitor.

My Budget is 1k but if you can reduce the price and maintain good performance then thats cool with me =P. The type of computer im looking to build is one that will last me a long time where the ONLY thing ill have to ever replace is the videocard and maybe the HDD to an SSD.

Heres a list I came up with:

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 922 $105
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K $225
Heatsink - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $30
MoBo - ASUS P8P67 PRO $170
Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 16GB DDR3 1600 $92
Videocard - Radeon HD 6950 2GB $270
PSU - Antec BP550 Plus 550W $70
Thermal Compond - Tuniq TX-2 $7

Total - $970

My concerns would mostly be the PSU, I dont want to have a bad PSU. Saving money is the main thing here. Is this a good build? What can be improved without going over 1k. Can you reduce the price without destroying the power/speed?

Also, is the HAF 922 too much? too little? Should I upgrade it to the HAF 932? I might do some small overclocking on the 2500k...maybe go to a 4.0 idk.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Sean W.]

you dont need 16 gigs of ram, get this instead:

Newegg.com - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL

we do need more juice to power that 6950...

Newegg.com - CORSAIR Professional Series HX750 (CMPSU-750HX) 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply


the 922 is a great case, its going to work out for you just fine

 

[Nukem]

Just for cost savings, I would suggest
Newegg.com - EVGA SuperClocked 01G-P3-1461-KR GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
Newegg.com - Kingston HyperX Blu 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model KHX1600C9D3B1K2/8GX
Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts Series EA-750 Green 750W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Continuous Power Supply

I have this case, and I'm really impressed with it.
Newegg.com - Rosewill BLACKHAWK Gaming ATX Mid Tower Computer Case, come with Five Fans, window side panel, top HDD dock

I also wouldn't recommend any ram with the extensions on the top, due to the 120MM fan on the Hyper 212 being so close to the slots. Mine just barely fits over the ram.

 

[Roark]

A 550W should be able to run this fine, but I agree with looking at something beefier for later GPU upgrades.
I would also consider the Corsair TX750 and OCZ ZT 750, but any option linked is quality.

I agree with going for 8GB of RAM, but would stick to 1.5v over 1.65v
Mushkin Blackline and G.Skill Ripjaws X are both good options.

The HAF 922 is a good case, I just don't agree with the pricing.
For ~$100 you should be able to get USB 3.0 on the front panel and a painted interior.
The Rosewill Blackhawk Nukem linked is nice, as well as the Corsair 400R and Cougar Evolution.
But its really personal preference, so go with what you want to look at.

I would also consider the Corsair CAFA70 CPU cooler.
$10 more up-front, $5 less after rebate, comes with 2 fans stock, slightly better performance.

I was going to suggest the MSI Z68A-GD55 (G3) motherboard, but considering budget you're probably better with the P8P67 Pro.
They are the same price, but the Asus has a ton more combo deals available.

Don't forget a copy of Windows, and to check for combo deals and rebate codes.

 

[Fayt19]

Thanks for all the feedback!

Here's the new list:

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 922 $105
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K $225
Heatsink - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $30
MoBo - ASUS P8P67 PRO $170
Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB DDR3 1600 $46
Videocard - GeForce GTX 560 1GB $200
PSU - Antec EarthWatts Series 750W $95
Thermal Compond - Tuniq TX-2 $7

Total - $884

The cases you guys suggested seem good but it only saves me like $5 so it doesnt seem worth the change. I can live with 8GB of RAM since if I ever need more in the future, that is an easy CHEAP upgrade. The power supply seems a bit much to me. 750W seems overboard since I will never SLI. I already have Windows 7 disc so im good there. My cousin has a spare 9800GT that he is willing to give me for FREE. Is the 9800GT a decent card to last me for a year? It would save me $200. Or should I just pay $200 for the GTX 560?

Thanks!

 

[Slaymate]

If your not interested in playing any modern games then the 9800GT will work.

You don't need a 750w power supply, the Antec 550 will work, but I would go with a 600-650w myself.

This is a good price on a 650w unit.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX650 V2 650W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power Supply

This Antec is priced pretty good also.
Newegg.com - Antec EarthWatts EA-650 GREEN 650W ATX12V v2.3 SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply

The price after a rebate is unbelievable on this OCZ unit.
Newegg.com - OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W Modular High Performance Power Supply compatible with Intel Sandybridge Core i3 i5 i7 and AMD Phenom

 

[Fayt19]

I like the price of the OCZ PSU! As far as the 9800GT goes. The games I might consider playing are:

Star Wars: TOR
Minecraft
League of Legends
Modern Warfare 3
Battlefield 3 (maybe)

Could I play these games? Basically is it worth it to save $200 if these are pretty much the only games in my sight or just spend the money?

 

[Nukem]

I would go with free.

 

[acerinpa]

I have that same OCZ 600 watt PSU on my 2500K build - working flawlessly. If your not going to do dual GPU's it will be a great PSU. Based on your list of games the 9800GT will not do the job well. However, that may depend on the resolution on your monitor and what settings you are playing the game on. Never hurts to try... as you can always add a new GPU at any time. And GPU's go down over time - so for $200 in three months you may be able to get a better card than a GTX560.

 

[Fayt19]

i have 24" monitor, so 1920x1080. i probably wont play battlefield, but Star wars and Modern Warfare 3 id like to play on as high of graphics as possible but not a huge concern as right now I cant play these games on low...other than League of Legends and Minecraft.

Here's the updated list:

Case - COOLER MASTER HAF 922 $105
CPU - Intel Core i5-2500K $225
Heatsink - COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus $30
MoBo - ASUS P8P67 PRO $170
Memory - G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB DDR3 1600 $46
Videocard - 9800GT FREE
PSU - OCZ ModXStream Pro 600W $75
Thermal Compond - Tuniq TX-2 $7

Total - $664

I wish I could get this amazing build down to $500 but its just not possible without sacrificing speed. How does this list look now? Any changes to be made?