What is good enough for high-end gaming?

ocgeorge

ocgeorge

ocgeorge

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15 Aug 2012
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Hi all

For the first time in my life I am able to finally afford (and slightly justify) the purchase of a gaming machine on the higher end of the spectrum. For once I would like to be able to get the latest game, move the menu sliders all the way to the max, get a decent frame rate and then maybe even use a higher res texture pack.

The only problem is that I have absolutely no idea what is considered "good enough". I have always only gamed on the lower end of mid-range.

My requirements:
  • Only one monitor
  • I would prefer to use the monitor's native resolution
  • System need to be fairly upgradable for the future
  • Preferably a single GPU solution (no crossfire/sli)

CPU and GPU benchmarks give an idea of what is acceptable, but I would much rather also take into account the opinions of the experienced.

Please share you wisdom.

Thanks!
 
MissileMoose said:
What's your budget?
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I have absolutely no idea. At the moment I just want to get an idea of what would be required. Will then adjust my expectations and focus on the depressing bits (like money).

Speed said:
Monitor resolution is a key factor, any idea what you are going for or already have?
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No monitor yet. Actual monitor size will probably be at least 22'' (preferably bigger). Will probably not be able to find a monitor with a native resolution of less than 1920x1080, but I might be happy with 1600x900. I am also planning on using this pc for software development, so I need quite a bit of desktop space and crisp text.


[edit]
I apologise for the lack of detail and general vagueness. I am currently at that stage where I am still trying to convince myself that "it will be worth it" and "you can afford it". It will be easier to get an actual plan/build/budget once I have a baseline to compare to. That baseline should be the absolute minimum spec that can achieve my ideal of being good enough.
 
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YOUR BASKET
1 x KFA2 GeForce GTX 670 EX OC 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £329.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £184.99
1 x IIyama Prolite E2473HDS 24" Widescreen LED Monitor - Black £159.95
1 x Samsung 128GB SSD 830 Notebook/Apple Series SATA 6Gb/s KIT with Norton Ghost - (MZ-7PC128N/EU) £89.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £83.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) £64.99
1 x OCZ ZT 550W '80 Plus Bronze' Modular Power Supply £63.98
1 x Fractal Design Core 3000 Midi Tower Case - Black £54.98
1 x Logitech G110 Illuminated Gaming Keyboard (920-002241) £39.98
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 612S CPU Cooler (Socket LGA1366/1156/1155/775/AM3/AM2+/AM2) £32.99
1 x GeIL Black Dragon 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (GD38GB1600C11DC) £31.19
1 x Logitech G400 3600DPI Gaming Mouse (910-002279) £24.98
1 x Sony Optiarc AD-7280S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,286.10 (includes shipping : £20.10).

 
 
Are you guys blind???

ocgeorge said:
[edit]
I apologise for the lack of detail and general vagueness. I am currently at that stage where I am still trying to convince myself that "it will be worth it" and "you can afford it". It will be easier to get an actual plan/build/budget once I have a baseline to compare to. That baseline should be the absolute minimum spec that can achieve my ideal of being good enough.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for the input so far. Due to the vagueness of what is considered good enough, I was expecting some vastly different opinions.

Bacon?, I really appreciate the slightly lower budget suggestions. Was getting worried that this might all end up costing a lot more than expected.


Socrates470BC said:
Not sure where 'bare minimun' was mentioned by the OP.
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Sorry, I added it in an edit to my second post. Should probably have added to the top.
 
Yeh I think some people misread your posts. A i5 and 7850 currently can play any game at high fps on ultra at 1080P.
 
Bacon? said:
Bit over the top? Hes looking for the bare minimum which cost around £800 - £900
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it isnt really ott, if you're referring to my spec, if you less the screen/windows/peripherals, its a 950 quid rig.
but as always, depends on what op is willing to spend. he didnt specify a budget.
and 950 quid on a base rig is pretty decent for a high end spec
 
I have thought about this a bit more and have decided - why not. Lets see if one can buy happiness.

How does the build below look? I have probably made a few stupid choices. Please feel free to point that out.

I ended up with a slightly higher budget than I had originally thought, but I struggle with the "for just a little more I can get something better" way of thinking. I would really appreciate any advice on lowering the cost without lowering the performance. Would also probably be willing to pay a little more for a significant performance boost.


YOUR BASKET
1 x XFX HD 7970 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card - AMD 3 for FREE Promotion £319.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - OEM £179.99
1 x BenQ GL2450 24" Widescreen LED Monitor - Black £119.99
1 x ASRock Z77 Extreme4 M Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £101.99
1 x Samsung 128GB SSD 830 Notebook/Apple Series SATA 6Gb/s KIT with Norton Ghost - (MZ-7PC128N/EU) £89.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £83.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) £64.99
1 x Cooler Master Silent Pro Modular 500W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £54.98
1 x BitFenix Outlaw Gaming Case - Black £34.98
1 x OcUK Value 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit £29.99
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Evo CPU Cooler (Socket Intel® Socket LGA1366/1156/1155/775/AMD Socket FM1/AM3+/AM3/AM2+/AM2) £25.79
1 x BitFenix SoftTouch Front Panel Quad USB3.0 Bay - Black £18.98
1 x OcUK 22x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £13.99
1 x Logitech K200 Media Keyboard (920-002733) £10.98
Total : £1,167.12 (includes shipping : £13.75).




Questions:
  • With the price drop of the 7950, is it worth it to get a 7970?
  • Any suggestions on plain, sleek cases? Should not be able to see it in the dark. This and this looks amazing, but slightly pricy for just a case. Would rather spend money on performance, than on aesthetics.
  • Better suggestion on a monitor? Preferably not glossy - hate reflections.
  • Suggestion for a larger SSD? 128GB will probably fill up quickly with windows, games and steam.
  • Might want to overclock sometime in the future. Can this build handle that? (cooler, component choices etc.)
  • Do I need "fancier" branded RAM? Will more expensive RAM provide any noticeable benefits?
  • Do I need more fans?

Sorry for all the questions. I really appreciate all the help so far.
 
Choice is quite good overall.

- I would pick up a GTX 670.
- I would pick up the Z77-D3H.
- 500W PSU is too close for comfort. I would take a Antec HCG 520, which as more power for the GPU and CPU (more amps on 12V).
- Not sure about monitor. You can try a IPS, 23''.
- 128GB for OS and programs. Put steam on the HDD.
- The fractal R4 is a good case, but much more expensive. Even more expensive is the Corsair 550D, or the Antec P280. Else a Shinobi. Also a Corsair 300R, if you want something in between. Dunno about the Anidees, looks decent.
- Do you really need the USB front panel? cases have between 2-4 front ports already.
- I would pick up some decent RAM. Not sure about the Corsair Value, stats looks good.
- Fans, usually, one front, one back. See how it goes. Then a roof exhaust fan, maybe another front intake fan. And for the price of fans, you are often better off with a better case.
- The Hyper 212+ should give you 4.2GHz overclock.
 
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im still gaming on a
amd x6 1055t
890gpa-ud3h
amd 7850 (just upgraded from a dead 460gtx)
8gb of memory (just upgraded from 4gb)
added a 128gb ssd (because it was on offer.

i game at 1920x1080 max settings in every game and hit 40+ fps as a minimum

you do not need to spent 1600 to play games.

i could go out and buy a £1500 computer right now if i wanted to , i used to need the top spec components but ive learned over the years its not really worth it.

stick to a budget of £800 (i would say 600-700 but you need a monitor)

do you have any components you can recycle into a new build?

dvd writer , keyboard , mouse case, maybe a hdd , operating system etc? if you do then that money would be better put towards a gpu+mobo+cpu

The core components of bacons build are pretty solid
x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £184.99
1 x HIS HD 7850 IceQ X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card (H785QN2G2M) w/ Nexuiz & Dirt Showdown PC Games £179.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £84.98


work from that and figure out exactly what you dont need because you already have it and use any extra money on a better gpu if you can afford it although a 7850 is a damn fine card and will see you on max settings for any game released so far wtih solid fps
 
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The case is up to your pick,

YOUR BASKET
1 x Gigabyte GeForce GTX 670 Windforce 3X 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £359.99
1 x Intel Core i5-3570K 3.40GHz (Ivybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor (77W) - Retail £184.99
1 x BenQ GL2450 24" Widescreen LED Monitor - Black £119.99
1 x Samsung 128GB SSD 830 Series SATA 6Gb/s Solid State Drive - (MZ-7PC128B/WW) £89.99
1 x Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 64-Bit - OEM (GFC-02050) £83.99
1 x Gigabyte Z77-D3H Intel Z77 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard £77.99
1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200RPM 1TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache - OEM (ST1000DM003) £64.99
1 x OCZ ZS Series 650W '80 Plus Bronze' Power Supply £58.98
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 612S CPU Cooler (Socket LGA1366/1156/1155/775/AM3/AM2+/AM2) £32.99
1 x GeIL Black Dragon 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C11 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (GD38GB1600C11DC) £30.95
1 x Sony Optiarc AD-7280S 24x DVD±RW SATA ReWriter (Black) - OEM £14.99
Total : £1,134.83 (includes shipping : £12.50).

 
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