Outside looking in

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

Ok I'm tired of watching videos of this game so I'm gonna try to build something that will play this as well as other high end games. These are my thoughts on what will work well together. What does everyone think.

CPU: Intel Core i5-2500 Quad-Core Processor 3.3 GHz

GPU: EVGA GeForce GTX 550 Ti 2048 MB

RAM: Corsair 16 GB Vengeance Blue Low Profile

OS: WINDOWS 7 64 BIT

MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P8Z68-V/GEN3 LGA 1155

HARDDRIVE: Western Digital Caviar Black 1 TB SATA III 7200 RPM 64 MB Cache

With the case I picked out this keeps me under a grand which was my goal.

[rustledmyjimmies 361]

If you want to run high end games on max then pick something higher than the 550

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

Ok.....how about a EVGA GeForce GTX 560 Superclocked 2048

Also another question....do I really need to buy a fancy case or can I just gut the Dell studio xps I have an us that for the case.

In case anyone is wondering I'm a total noob at builds this would be a first.

Edited September 22, 2012 by TheFrog

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

Get a case with front USB and headphone / mic ports.

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

Get a case with front USB and headphone / mic ports.

The Dell case I have has all that.....so using the old case would work?

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

Yeah no issues, check length of graphics card make sure it fits case!

[fully 51]

I would go SSD and GTX 680.

Here is a guide to overclock that beast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fxXB5iiVS0

[TheAndrewTaco1337 2]

If you can't afford the 680, go for the 640 or higher. Anything less is not designed for gaming.

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

How about this card.

EVGA GeForce GTX 660 SUPERCLOCKED 2048MB GDDR5 DVI mHDMI DP Graphics Card 02G-P4-2662-KR

It would still keep me under a grand using my old case.

[Hank_scorpio 41]

You guys are wrong . I just built a oc for 500 euro

Intel I-5 quad core 3.3ghz

Nvidia gts 250 - got this from an old pc

Asus motherboard bundle 4gb ram and cooling block

And a case to top it off

Runs all games fine ESP dayz looks great and runs great , for the price of those cards these guys are suggesting you could build a pc

Newer is not always better just more expensive you don't need a massively powerfull pc to run games like dayz . Games like crysis or arkam asylum really do push the limits of graphics but you have to ask yourself is it worth spending a couple if hundred more quid just so things look shinier or a little bit better cos believe me the difference is very little between a new card and one from a year ago except the price which is just ridiculous . Think about it just my 2 cents .

If you have the cash then disregard everything I just said and buy the biggest and best pc on earth !

And check these guys out ! Very good deals !

Www.overclockers.co.uk

[christopherwright_75@hotmail.co.uk 109]

Dont use the old Dell case lots of Dell cases use propetariary mobo mountings a normal off the shelf board has a high chance of not fitting. Also those types of cases are shockingly shite for airflow.

[cevune 2]

a 560 or 660 superclocked may fly. I know I run max settings fine (read: up to server latency) on a gtx 580. For what it's worth, I'd suggest going G.skill ripjaws X (1600) to save some cash per chip on the RAM. on that note, unless you're doing video/3D rendering, 16 gigs is pretty overkill. If you're looking at running games more smoothly or something of the sort, I personally run 8 gigs (for now until my super build with 64 gigs [but again, that's for CG rendering purposes]) and it runs perfectly. More RAM isn't going to make a difference at that rate. truth be told, i'd chop down to 8 or so gigs and use that extra cash saved to beef up the video card.

for the case specifically, just make sure the mobo mounting is compatible and the case dimensions allow for everything you're going to throw in it. Aside from that, read some reviews and try to pick one that has good airflow. No sense in scrimping on a case if it's only going to superheat your equipment and lead to poor handling.

[Sula 1205]

Are you building it or buying it and having it made to order?

I agree with voodoo. I couldn't cope without my front access ports and sockets. :thumbsup:

Edited September 23, 2012 by Sula

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

I'm going to build it....looking at this case now.

Cooler Master HAF 912 Mid Tower Computer Case with High Airflow Design

Just have to put off buying everything a bit longer sense I will have to buy a dvd drive as well.

[IIII_joshua 16]

16GB is a waste of money in a gaming PC, pure and simple. There is not a video game that doesn't run perfectly with 4GB of ram. Also, faster is nice except your 'uber cpu' is designed to run ddr3 1333, so that's really fine too. I don't mean to talk you down from buying what you want, but I'm simply giving you a more factual view of the subject. going to ddr3 1600 will increase your MINIMUM fps (~7%) but not noticeably increase maximum. 8GB will allow you to alt tab faster. Don't pay a lot of extra money if ram prices at time of purchase do not justify the benefits. If you can pay +$20 for a faster ram kit vs +20 for a faster CPU/GPU always upgrade ram last. It's almost always a bigger difference to upgrade something else instead.

AS for motherboard. The baseline cost for a functional Intel motherboard is $40.00 (ecs motherboards from Newegg) Yes, reading the features makes me frown, but damn if the thing doesn't work. You want to overclock? Add at least $30 for a decently powerful/cooled mobo. USB 3.0? probably in the same(40+30=$69) range. PCI express 3.0? Don't even bother, get it in 3 years when you get your next new motherboard, you're going to get ~1% performance increase unless you are running tri or quad graphics cards. PCI 2.0 are rarely saturated so there is no reason to pay a premium for a wider 3.0 atm. Again, pay the price depending on features, but know what you're paying and why.

CPU is nice but make sure it's not more expensive than a better, more modern model. Some times the old ones (like the i5 2400 or 2500) run about the same price as a i5-25xx or 35xx just because there are less of them on the market. Not a bad cpu choice though.

GPU is going to depend solely on your resolution and budget. Put as much money as you can here if you are trying to play at 1080p. Put less money here if you are running at 1600x1050 or less. Here's are some pro sources on CPU/GPU value:

http://www.tomshardw...eview,3107.html

http://www.tomshardw...clock,3106.html

ALSO:: you seem to be having trouble picking a case. MY baseline (This one is not scientific, just my experience) is the Cooler Master Elite 430 (34.99).

It is a very very solid case for the price. I've used it in my last 4 builds and I've never had anything less than complements. it's decently cheap, not too big, looks nice and slightly understated (at least it's not gaudy and 'designed for l33t gamers') and has plenty of fan slots/vents. Maybe more people will chime in on this point, but this is at least a solid budget recommendation in case nobody else has one for ya.

Edited September 23, 2012 by IIII_joshua

[TheFrog (DayZ) 0]

Guys I really am thankful for all the info you are passing on. I've already made a few changes in what I'm doing thanks to you.

joshua....from what you passed on I'm thinking of going with either the

ECS LGA1155/Intel H77/DDR3/SATA3/USB3.0/A/GBE/MATX Motherboard H77H2-M3(1.0)...or the...Gigabyte LGA 1155 Intel B75 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 Micro ATX DDR3 1600 Motherboards GA-B75M-D3H

Either one would save me quite a bit...any comments....I've already cut the RAM in half to 8 gigs