Spec me a gaming rig

Andrew@Home · 19 Nov 2009 at 23:57

Hi guys, I'm a long time lurker from 4 years ago checking back in. Back then opteron's were the must have chips and mine has been running smooth all this time, but finally I think it's time for me to build a new gaming rig and get Win 7.

I'm not very up on the latest hardware so I need ideas for CPU + mobo + ram + gfx combination. Budget is flexible.

Thanks

cmndr_andi · 20 Nov 2009 at 00:08

This is what I would get:

You could go for the i5/p55, but I chose the i7/X58 as it overclocks so easily and you get the benefit of x16x16 crossfire.

The 5850 graphics card is very difficult to get hold of, but I suggest waiting to get your hands on - they are worth it.

As for the cooler - allows you to overclock the CPU to 4GHz.

Andrew@Home · 20 Nov 2009 at 01:25

Thanks for quick reply. I'm not so keen on the idea of watercooling, as I'll probably fudge it up. Any recommendations for an big arse copper HSF? And what speeds can I expect on air cooling?

How soon do the 5850's come out? Tbh it's a bit more than I'm prepared to spend on a gfx card, the 5770 is appealing to my wallet. How do they compare to the nvidias?

Also, for PSU I'm thinking:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-031-OC&groupid=701&catid=123&subcat=

Undecided on what case to get atm, possibly this:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-101-AN&groupid=701&catid=7&subcat=160

cmndr_andi · 20 Nov 2009 at 01:33

The H50 is actually a fully sealed system - so you'd have to put some effort in to fudge it up. It is just as easy to instal as a big backplate-using tower heatsink. Here is a review showing installations.

However, if you want to stick wit air cooling - this is a great heatsink (plus a good 120mm fan).

For the PSU, I'd recommend sticking with Corsair if you can due to their high quality and reliability. This PSU is what I would suggest.

The antec 300 case is great.

As for the graphics card, the 5850 is out - its just that demand is completely outstripping suuply. The 5770 is a decent little card, and for £120 it makes a lot of sense.