I want to start by saying that I am new here and I am fairly new to building computers. I know that, with me being a novice, I am setting my sights high by choosing to plan a modern gaming rig and that it is a little presumptuous. And on one final note I have nowhere near the means to build a modern gaming rig or buy one. I am just doing this for fun, learning, and perhaps as a business venture. I can definitely see myself manufacturing and selling custom computers. Enough of all that. Thinking about what computer I would like to have, I decided to head over to Newegg and see what I could come up with. My goals were to select components for a modern gaming rig that could run all current and past games at full quality and most future games (within the next 5 years) at full or functional quality. Despite being a newbie, I am aware of the competition between AMD and Intel. I decided to go against looking into quad cores even though they are the technology of the future because I am building a modern rig, not ultra-modern. This may be unfounded, but I also believe brand new hardwares are unstable? And when comparing dual core processors, it is generally agreed that AMD is better for gaming. I selected the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor. It appears to meet my performance requirements and the price looks very appealing. Moving on to the graphics card, I selected the GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card. It is a great card and I like the Vista and DirectX 10 support. On a side note, what would the differences be between having one versus having two? Really what I'm asking is can one handle the latest games on max quality with Windows Vista Aero running as the OS. The prices hurt compared to other things, but it is a top of the line item and if I get the chance to build this soon, I want to know. Some difficult and confusion arose during the selection of a mobo. I chose the ASUS CROSSHAIR AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard because it appears to be compatible with the above CPU and GPX. If it is not PLEASE correct me! Assuming that they are compatible I moved on to selecting memory and chose 4 sticks of GeIL Value Series 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory to gain max RAM on the computer. My primary concern is that it is a company I've never heard of. Are the products reliable? There were no reviews. I want the best sound for the buck so I decided I am going to replace the mobo onboard audio with a Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card. I've heard it is the best for gamers. My concerns are: Will it use the PCI Express x4 slot if I have both x16s holding graphics cards? Is it a reliable product? I've heard a few complaints. Not enough to turn me off, but enough to make me cautious. The hard drive I selected is the Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive. I can purchase an external hard drive if I need to store things in an archive. All the games which I would purchase will fit in 160GB. I don't need anymore size. Is it the best type for my mobo? I'm sure it works, but are access times the best? I am running short of time while writing this so here are two more things to consider. The optical media drive is the ASUS Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 14X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe, the NIC is the Intel 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter 1 x RJ45, and the power supply I selected is the PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR EPS12V 1000W Continuous @ 50°C Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, TUV, RoHS. I had the most trouble with that and I'm not sure if it is sufficient or reliable. I know this is a lot to ask. I would like you to analyze this to make sure everthing is compatible and reliable, with special consideration for overclocking. I am confident I can safely overclock. I just want to know if there will be any problems with the selected hardware and what the limits will be. Also, I know internal temperatures will be high. I am certain I will need water cooling. Are additional fans necessary? I would appreciate recommendations for cooling systems. I need to select a case. I want to be able to view the interior of the computer and have cool lighting with everything fitting inside, so appropriate size. Any suggestions? On a final note I would like to know where I can get these cheapest at. I am sure Newegg is one of the best, but almost all of these parts had no rebates or OEMs. Can I get deals if I have a small business manufacturing and selling computers? I would also appreciate it if you reviewed these parts for effectiveness. If you know something better please tell me. I will have a new post for external hardware and peripherals. I am sorry for asking for everything but the kitchen sink, but I'm inexperienced. Please take a little time to help out a noob and don't be frustrated. I've come a long way and I'm sure I can go a lot further with your help. Thank you!
Building a Modern Gaming Rig
- Thread starter lrh9
- Start date
Too lengthly, don't want to read. Can you just type the list?
I saw you said AMD is best for gaming!? Are you joking?
And you choose 8800GTX... I know you want to build a ultimate gaming machine, but I personally will not spend that much of money on GPU with already known that 8800GTX is only DX10 not supporting DX10.1, PCI-E 1.1. 8800GT is the way to go at this moment IMO.
4 stick of 2GB RAM?? What for?
Also you are building gaming machine, why you use X-Fi Xtreme Audio? You should get X-Fi XtremeGamer or X-Fi XtremeGamer FPS
Even though you have AMD x2 6400 and 8800GTX, it doesn't mean you need a $580 1000W PSU. What for? A OCZ GameXStream 700W will probably enough!
If it is the way you think a business should be, I will say you get it wrong.
I saw you said AMD is best for gaming!? Are you joking?
And you choose 8800GTX... I know you want to build a ultimate gaming machine, but I personally will not spend that much of money on GPU with already known that 8800GTX is only DX10 not supporting DX10.1, PCI-E 1.1. 8800GT is the way to go at this moment IMO.
4 stick of 2GB RAM?? What for?
Also you are building gaming machine, why you use X-Fi Xtreme Audio? You should get X-Fi XtremeGamer or X-Fi XtremeGamer FPS
Even though you have AMD x2 6400 and 8800GTX, it doesn't mean you need a $580 1000W PSU. What for? A OCZ GameXStream 700W will probably enough!
If it is the way you think a business should be, I will say you get it wrong.
Let me help everyone to do some highlight.
I want to start by saying that I am new here and I am fairly new to building computers. I know that, with me being a novice, I am setting my sights high by choosing to plan a modern gaming rig and that it is a little presumptuous. And on one final note I have nowhere near the means to build a modern gaming rig or buy one. I am just doing this for fun, learning, and perhaps as a business venture. I can definitely see myself manufacturing and selling custom computers. Enough of all that. Thinking about what computer I would like to have, I decided to head over to Newegg and see what I could come up with. My goals were to select components for a modern gaming rig that could run all current and past games at full quality and most future games (within the next 5 years) at full or functional quality. Despite being a newbie, I am aware of the competition between AMD and Intel. I decided to go against looking into quad cores even though they are the technology of the future because I am building a modern rig, not ultra-modern. This may be unfounded, but I also believe brand new hardwares are unstable? And when comparing dual core processors, it is generally agreed that AMD is better for gaming. I selected the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor. It appears to meet my performance requirements and the price looks very appealing. Moving on to the graphics card, I selected the GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card. It is a great card and I like the Vista and DirectX 10 support. On a side note, what would the differences be between having one versus having two? Really what I'm asking is can one handle the latest games on max quality with Windows Vista Aero running as the OS. The prices hurt compared to other things, but it is a top of the line item and if I get the chance to build this soon, I want to know. Some difficult and confusion arose during the selection of a mobo. I chose the ASUS CROSSHAIR AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard because it appears to be compatible with the above CPU and GPX. If it is not PLEASE correct me! Assuming that they are compatible I moved on to selecting memory and chose 4 sticks of GeIL Value Series 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory to gain max RAM on the computer. My primary concern is that it is a company I've never heard of. Are the products reliable? There were no reviews. I want the best sound for the buck so I decided I am going to replace the mobo onboard audio with a Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card. I've heard it is the best for gamers. My concerns are: Will it use the PCI Express x4 slot if I have both x16s holding graphics cards? Is it a reliable product? I've heard a few complaints. Not enough to turn me off, but enough to make me cautious. The hard drive I selected is the Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive. I can purchase an external hard drive if I need to store things in an archive. All the games which I would purchase will fit in 160GB. I don't need anymore size. Is it the best type for my mobo? I'm sure it works, but are access times the best? I am running short of time while writing this so here are two more things to consider. The optical media drive is the ASUS Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 14X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe, the NIC is the Intel 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter 1 x RJ45, and the power supply I selected is the PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR EPS12V 1000W Continuous @ 50°C Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, TUV, RoHS. I had the most trouble with that and I'm not sure if it is sufficient or reliable. I know this is a lot to ask. I would like you to analyze this to make sure everthing is compatible and reliable, with special consideration for overclocking. I am confident I can safely overclock. I just want to know if there will be any problems with the selected hardware and what the limits will be. Also, I know internal temperatures will be high. I am certain I will need water cooling. Are additional fans necessary? I would appreciate recommendations for cooling systems. I need to select a case. I want to be able to view the interior of the computer and have cool lighting with everything fitting inside, so appropriate size. Any suggestions? On a final note I would like to know where I can get these cheapest at. I am sure Newegg is one of the best, but almost all of these parts had no rebates or OEMs. Can I get deals if I have a small business manufacturing and selling computers? I would also appreciate it if you reviewed these parts for effectiveness. If you know something better please tell me. I will have a new post for external hardware and peripherals. I am sorry for asking for everything but the kitchen sink, but I'm inexperienced. Please take a little time to help out a noob and don't be frustrated. I've come a long way and I'm sure I can go a lot further with your help. Thank you!
I want to start by saying that I am new here and I am fairly new to building computers. I know that, with me being a novice, I am setting my sights high by choosing to plan a modern gaming rig and that it is a little presumptuous. And on one final note I have nowhere near the means to build a modern gaming rig or buy one. I am just doing this for fun, learning, and perhaps as a business venture. I can definitely see myself manufacturing and selling custom computers. Enough of all that. Thinking about what computer I would like to have, I decided to head over to Newegg and see what I could come up with. My goals were to select components for a modern gaming rig that could run all current and past games at full quality and most future games (within the next 5 years) at full or functional quality. Despite being a newbie, I am aware of the competition between AMD and Intel. I decided to go against looking into quad cores even though they are the technology of the future because I am building a modern rig, not ultra-modern. This may be unfounded, but I also believe brand new hardwares are unstable? And when comparing dual core processors, it is generally agreed that AMD is better for gaming. I selected the AMD Athlon 64 X2 6400+ Windsor 3.2GHz 2 x 1MB L2 Cache Socket AM2 Processor. It appears to meet my performance requirements and the price looks very appealing. Moving on to the graphics card, I selected the GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card. It is a great card and I like the Vista and DirectX 10 support. On a side note, what would the differences be between having one versus having two? Really what I'm asking is can one handle the latest games on max quality with Windows Vista Aero running as the OS. The prices hurt compared to other things, but it is a top of the line item and if I get the chance to build this soon, I want to know. Some difficult and confusion arose during the selection of a mobo. I chose the ASUS CROSSHAIR AM2 NVIDIA nForce 590 SLI MCP ATX AMD Motherboard because it appears to be compatible with the above CPU and GPX. If it is not PLEASE correct me! Assuming that they are compatible I moved on to selecting memory and chose 4 sticks of GeIL Value Series 2GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Desktop Memory to gain max RAM on the computer. My primary concern is that it is a company I've never heard of. Are the products reliable? There were no reviews. I want the best sound for the buck so I decided I am going to replace the mobo onboard audio with a Creative SB X-Fi Xtreme Audio 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card. I've heard it is the best for gamers. My concerns are: Will it use the PCI Express x4 slot if I have both x16s holding graphics cards? Is it a reliable product? I've heard a few complaints. Not enough to turn me off, but enough to make me cautious. The hard drive I selected is the Western Digital Caviar RE WD1600YS 160GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive. I can purchase an external hard drive if I need to store things in an archive. All the games which I would purchase will fit in 160GB. I don't need anymore size. Is it the best type for my mobo? I'm sure it works, but are access times the best? I am running short of time while writing this so here are two more things to consider. The optical media drive is the ASUS Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 14X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner with LightScribe, the NIC is the Intel 10/ 100/ 1000Mbps PCI PRO/1000 GT Desktop Adapter 1 x RJ45, and the power supply I selected is the PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR EPS12V 1000W Continuous @ 50°C Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, TUV, RoHS. I had the most trouble with that and I'm not sure if it is sufficient or reliable. I know this is a lot to ask. I would like you to analyze this to make sure everthing is compatible and reliable, with special consideration for overclocking. I am confident I can safely overclock. I just want to know if there will be any problems with the selected hardware and what the limits will be. Also, I know internal temperatures will be high. I am certain I will need water cooling. Are additional fans necessary? I would appreciate recommendations for cooling systems. I need to select a case. I want to be able to view the interior of the computer and have cool lighting with everything fitting inside, so appropriate size. Any suggestions? On a final note I would like to know where I can get these cheapest at. I am sure Newegg is one of the best, but almost all of these parts had no rebates or OEMs. Can I get deals if I have a small business manufacturing and selling computers? I would also appreciate it if you reviewed these parts for effectiveness. If you know something better please tell me. I will have a new post for external hardware and peripherals. I am sorry for asking for everything but the kitchen sink, but I'm inexperienced. Please take a little time to help out a noob and don't be frustrated. I've come a long way and I'm sure I can go a lot further with your help. Thank you!
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Very true!
We don't mean to be rude or to belittle you by any means. But We read a lot of requests every day, and to try to read yours, well... it's not easy to do.
Making it all one paragraph like that makes it confusing. In the future, please break it up. And you tend to bounce all over the place, from one topic to another, then back to a previous topic.
Who told you that lie?
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Alright. I will use more paragraphs. That was more of a train of thought thing, so it did go back and forth a little. I got very hurried at the end too.
Thanks for highlighting the main points daisymtc. I don't think it is that much to read myself.
I said I was new at this. I am still looking for the best deals and the best configurations. I have no intention of working based on what I know currently.
"I am just doing this for fun, learning, and perhaps as a business venture."
I am thankful for the constructive criticism though.
I trust CNET and they give the following information for gaming with AMD or Intel: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-3.html?tag=lnav
And the following for overall: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-9.html?tag=lnav
Go here to see the entire thing: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html?tag=lnav
8GB of RAM is the max, and on second thought is probably too much. But what is recommended in this case? What is the minimum?
I searched the internet for the best audio and all I found was "X-Fi". Nobody ever mentioned anything about ones for gamers, even thought that was the topic. Thanks for informing me.
My first ideas were like a rough draft. They are enduring a first revision and will probably have a second or even third. Thanks to everyone who read and helped out! I'm looking forward to more posts.
Thanks for highlighting the main points daisymtc. I don't think it is that much to read myself.
I said I was new at this. I am still looking for the best deals and the best configurations. I have no intention of working based on what I know currently.
"I am just doing this for fun, learning, and perhaps as a business venture."
I am thankful for the constructive criticism though.
I trust CNET and they give the following information for gaming with AMD or Intel: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-3.html?tag=lnav
And the following for overall: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-9.html?tag=lnav
Go here to see the entire thing: http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6389077-1.html?tag=lnav
8GB of RAM is the max, and on second thought is probably too much. But what is recommended in this case? What is the minimum?
I searched the internet for the best audio and all I found was "X-Fi". Nobody ever mentioned anything about ones for gamers, even thought that was the topic. Thanks for informing me.
My first ideas were like a rough draft. They are enduring a first revision and will probably have a second or even third. Thanks to everyone who read and helped out! I'm looking forward to more posts.
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holdenssx
New Member
Uhhhh, did you happen to read the date on that article? If you didn't its November 23, 2005.
That article is way old. At this point in time, Intel has the edge over AMD with its Core 2 Duo processors.
Yep, your way behind on the times with that article. Intel far surpasses AMD at this time on every front. The highest end AMD chip is not even close to the highest end Intel chips. That AMD 6400 compares to an Intel E6750 or a E6850 in benchmarks, but the Amd chip runs hotter and uses more wattage to run. But the Amd chip is cheaper, so it's up to you.
http://xtreview.com/addcomment-id-3115-view-Athlon-64-X2-6400+-review-and-benchmark.html
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2173092,00.asp
http://www.trustedreviews.com/cpu-memory/review/2007/09/27/AMD-Athlon-64-X2-6400-Black-Edition/p2
Unless you are going to use a 64 bit OS, then 3 gigs is the max for a 32 bit windows OS. If you are going to run a 64 bit then 4 gigs is about all you need.
Todays onboard sound is adequate for most people, but if you are into listening to music on a high end stereo system, and you want to port the music to that system, or you have high end speakers for your computer, then by all means get that xfi. Otherwise just stay with the onboard sound.
http://xtreview.com/addcomment-id-3115-view-Athlon-64-X2-6400+-review-and-benchmark.html
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1558,2173092,00.asp
http://www.trustedreviews.com/cpu-memory/review/2007/09/27/AMD-Athlon-64-X2-6400-Black-Edition/p2
Unless you are going to use a 64 bit OS, then 3 gigs is the max for a 32 bit windows OS. If you are going to run a 64 bit then 4 gigs is about all you need.
Todays onboard sound is adequate for most people, but if you are into listening to music on a high end stereo system, and you want to port the music to that system, or you have high end speakers for your computer, then by all means get that xfi. Otherwise just stay with the onboard sound.
ceewi1
VIP Member
Expecting modern hardware to play games at high quality in five years time is probably unrealistic, even if you go with the best that's on offer today.
Your choice, of course, but if I were looking for something to be playing future games at high settings, I'd definitely go quad-core. More and more games are coming out with the ability to utilize multiple cores.
As everyone's said, Intel's high end chips offer better performance.
Geil aren't exactly top-end, but reliable enough. 8GB is absolute overkill, In fact I'd only even go with 4 if it's paired with SLI'd video cards and a top end CPU (unless you have specific programs in mind which will utilize the extra RAM). Keep in mind you'll need a 64bit OS to recognize that much RAM.
The Turbocool 1KW was once the best PSU you could buy, but I no longer consider that to be the case, although it is still one of the most expensive. It's also absolute overkill for a system like yours. Take a look at http://www.computerforum.com/90118-useful-psu-case-guides.html, in particular http://www.computerforum.com/90117-ceewi1s-psu-recommendations.html. For a single 8800GT or 8800GTX something like the Corsair HX520W or Corsair VX550W would be quite sufficient (and about a fifth the price!). For SLI'd 8800s, take a look at some of the 750W PSUs I've listed there.
Yes, but you need to be buying in large quantities to receive significant discounts.
In all honesty, there's not really an enormous amount of money to be made building and selling PCs, the markups are quite low. In particular high-end gaming systems like this aren't in huge demand, as most people interested in them will either build their own or have it built to spec. If you're selling these PCs, you'll also need to be responsible for warranty and troubleshooting, which might be difficult for you.
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I now agree about the processors. I looked into the high end Intel dual-cores and they have great reviews. Not to mention that their performance clearly surpasses AMD. The Intels are a bit pricey. But I noticed that they can be overclocked very high. Is it unreasonable to think they could run future games very well? Or will developers create games that soon that utilize quad cores to look their best?
5 years is probably a little too far anyway. Besides. I'm an rpg junkie, and the ones I use probably won't be getting expansions or new games within the next 2 or 3 years.
As for the memory, I wasn't aware that 4GB and up required a 64-bit OS. Honestly though, I don't know the difference between 32 and 64. Don't worry though, I'll look it up. Anyway, 3GBs add up, and I hear the recommended RAM for Windows Vista Aero alone is 1GB. Add a game that requires a recommended 1GB and your up to 2. I do not like to kill processes everytime I play a game. So I would probably go with 3. Is there any flaw in this logic?
The graphics card is a little too much? This one: GeForce 8800GT SSC 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card would be sufficient?
What would you recommend if I did want to play future games at full quality? I know at least a quad-core cpu.
Thank you.
5 years is probably a little too far anyway. Besides. I'm an rpg junkie, and the ones I use probably won't be getting expansions or new games within the next 2 or 3 years.
As for the memory, I wasn't aware that 4GB and up required a 64-bit OS. Honestly though, I don't know the difference between 32 and 64. Don't worry though, I'll look it up. Anyway, 3GBs add up, and I hear the recommended RAM for Windows Vista Aero alone is 1GB. Add a game that requires a recommended 1GB and your up to 2. I do not like to kill processes everytime I play a game. So I would probably go with 3. Is there any flaw in this logic?
The graphics card is a little too much? This one: GeForce 8800GT SSC 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card would be sufficient?
What would you recommend if I did want to play future games at full quality? I know at least a quad-core cpu.
Thank you.
32bit OS - 3.25GB maximum memory
64bit OS - 128GB maximum memory
2GB - Enought for now - 2GB + Dual Channel = Fast speed
3GB - Good... but you lose dual channel support... So you can loose some speed...
The 8600GT's are poor in DX10. They are pretty good with Vista though. I'd go with nothing under an 8600GTS... I would recommend an 8800GT though. The price is worth the performance increase.
64bit OS - 128GB maximum memory
2GB - Enought for now - 2GB + Dual Channel = Fast speed
3GB - Good... but you lose dual channel support... So you can loose some speed...
The 8600GT's are poor in DX10. They are pretty good with Vista though. I'd go with nothing under an 8600GTS... I would recommend an 8800GT though. The price is worth the performance increase.