Well, 80+ Gold has to be 90% at 50% load, but meeting Gold/Platinum/Titanium reliably (so a product can be certed it) is definitely the exception, not the norm.
Funny story, multiple +12V rails was actually not ATX complaint until a certain revision of the spec (forgot which one), so lots of PSUs were going around with "ATX-complaint" logos when they didn't actually meet it.
But, you know, it all worked just fine so nobody really cared in that case, and it got added to the spec anyways.
I was using AMD before I did a rebuild, and while it certainly works, it always felt a bit more underpowered than an Intel processor. Sure you can overclock to all-hell with an AMD pretty easily and stay low in temps, and it's cheaper, but it just seems to perform worse in some games--especially emulation of recent-ish systems. I'd especially be cautious of games primarily developed for consoles, that receive a PC release, as sometimes the games are more optimized towards the processor than the GPU. In cases like these, I've found games to perform worse. However, games that are properly optimized to take advantage of the GPU tend to perform better, as they defer a large chunk of the load to a different processor altogether. If that makes sense?
Just find your budget, stick to that budget, and know what you need for what you want, not what you want because you want it. A lot of money goes out on superfluous purchases when it comes to building gaming rigs--people tend to purchase things for their novelty or psychological benefit (which often greatly outweighs the practical, actual benefit). In recognizing this, you can often shave off a large chunk of money, which you can either pocket or reinvest in a better processor/GPU.
Bleedin'eck, you guys are monsters! I'm trying to give just a little advice from my phone whilst on the train to/from work, and you have a full on debate all the while! Well, now I'm home with coke in hand and a pair of monitors to work with, so I'll try typing up a proper reply to the freakin' thread.
OP needs:
Competent in general purpose (CPU + HDD + RAM)
Performance in gaming (mid-range GPU+)
Temperature control (case + CPU cooler)
$1000-1300 budget from newegg.
OP selection:
CPU: i5-3570 (suitable)
Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V LK (mid-range, similar performance to others of the same price range)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600Mhz (popular choice, nothing to discredit)
GPU: GTX 660 Twin Frozr (good for single-screen gaming - more than enough for a 23" screen)
HDD : WD 1TB Blue (good as storage, although if you're getting a SSD, green tends to be a better choice)
Case: Antec 900 (902 does exist, but Antec 1200 has done be very well to date and with all the fans attached, airflow is very good)
PSU: Antec 550W (I've had bad experiences with Antec PSUs. They work well enough, but there are better choices)
Cooler: CM V8 120mm (I would prefer either Arctic Freezer 7, i30, Gelid Tranquillo, or a Corsair H60. However since you're not overclocking, just about any cooler would do, even stock).
Moving on...
SSD choice: Crucial M4 or Samsung 830/840. OCZ have released a few more since which use more stable controllers, and they've updated the firmware to Vertex to fix failure rates, but Samsung has never gone wrong (and keep good performance and cost) and Crucial are the best value (if cost is more important than performance). OCZ still scores highest for those who don't mind paying a little bit extra for a little extra performance.
Mobo choice: Since most Intel motherboards not only perform similarly but also have similar price/feature lists, then it's mostly about comparing features from a good brand (EVGA are a good brand too, but I don't see them as often so I don't have experience with them). Gigabyte are always reliable at stock speeds, MSI tends to run cooler, and Asus has better feature lists. The more features, the higher the price (for all brands). Get any (as long as it's not Asrock, Foxconn, Biostar, etc).
PSU choice: 550W is enough, 650W if you think you'll be overclocking (or adding an extra graphics card) in the future. With that as a guide, just pick a good brand (like Corsair, Enermax, Seasonic, Tagan, etc. And you can find affordable 750W PSUs, but brand is more important than wattage (or efficiency for that matter - not to say it's not important). Also, I have nothing but good experiences with half a dozen Corsair PSUs.
RAM choice: I would stick with the Corsair Vengeance, but Alexrose is right in saying that the heatsink might get in the way. This is why I would not go for the CM heatsink but rather one of the others that I listed. There will be no problem with the ones I listed. Otherwise, 4GB is all you need. 6GB is the sweetspot for the current market, and 8GB is what I recommend because the price is right. 16GB is only for those who actually need it (you don't) or those who want to use the extra as a RAM drive (you don't). Keep things simple. Also, since the price difference between 1333Mhz and 1600Mhz is marginal (and sometimes 1600Mhz comes out cheaper), there's no reason not to get 1600Mhz. Performance is nearly identical anyway.
And since it's just been mentioned, CPU choice: I've said for years how equivolent AMD/Intel CPUs have around 30% difference in performance, which has been noticable in games. The current market is divided by purpose. AMD is the only choice for budget gaming rigs (or just budget rigs) thanks to FM1 and FM2. Intel is the only choice for mid-upper gaming rigs (thanks to Core i5). As for people with specialized needs (triple monitors, servers, graphic animation/rendering), well, that deserves a new thread.
I'm not aware of any PSU that is 90% efficient. Closest I have seen is 87%.
To add on to your post, there are PSU that while it doesn't explode, will still fry your components. I'm talking about low quality one like Apevia and Diablotek. Usually these PSUs exceeds ripple tolerance set by ATX standards, yet they still claimed to be ATX compliant.
I was using it as an example. 80+ gold PSUs are common, and some 2012 Seasonic PSUs do hit the 90% mark at 50% load (87% at 100% load). Not the point of the example.
Alexrose vs Rydian debate: I'm siding with Rydian in this case. Whilst advocating more RAM does little harm (RAM is cheap and extra RAM, even if never used, could maybe possible someday end up being useful somehow, even if only as a RAM drive), it's an unnecessary expense for now, and there's always the option to buy a couple extra DIMMs in future if it ever does become necessary. Besides, DDR4 just got announced, so DDR3 may become obsolete by the time OSs/apps/games actually need 16GB of RAM (@Rydian: I<3U2).
Now here's a build I whipped up from newegg:
CPU: i5-3570 (K is $15 more if OC is ever considered)
Mobo: MSI Z77A-G45 (CPC recommended)
RAM: 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz (I would go for XMS3 instead, but these look better)
GPU: MSI GTX 660 Twin Frozr (OC ed) ($10 more for a factory OC on warranty is worth it, although I would prefer the Ti version... and you can save $50 by getting a HD 7850 which is only about 10% weaker)
Case: Antec 900 (because it has good airflow, and the Raven RV03 costs $60 more)
PSU: Corsair HX650 (80+ Gold, plus modular. The CX600 only costs $80 but is only 80+ bronze and not modular.)
Cooler: Gelid Tranquillo (because silence is golden, although the Corsair H60 is only $20 more and is liquid cooling)
SSD : Samsung 840 120GB (ALL 60-64GB drives are sold out/pre-order, and they've priced Crucial M4 at the same price. Samsung wins)
HDD : WD Green WD15EZRX 1.5TB (nearly same price as 1TB, $20 cheaper than 2TB... matter of budget)
Monitor: Asus VH238H (because I don't know enough about monitors to recommend anything better)
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech MK120 (cheap, chearful, has 2 extra USB ports. Handy. And it's black.)
DVD : Samsung SH-224BB (Could go with Asus, LiteOn or any number of other DVD drives. $18, meh.)
Well, 80+ Gold has to be 90% at 50% load, but meeting Gold/Platinum/Titanium reliably (so a product can be certed it) is definitely the exception, not the norm. Funny story, multiple +12V rails was actually not ATX complaint until a certain revision of the spec (forgot which one), so lots of PSUs were going around with "ATX-complaint" logos when they didn't actually meet it. But, you know, it all worked just fine so nobody really cared in that case, and it got added to the spec anyways.
I never said that future games will use a lot more RAM, although, given that we are about to enter a new console generation, we can expect a bump up in required hardware for all games.
Using a crystal ball to see the future? No, I'm being sensible. Yeah, Rydian, you're right, in 5 years time everyone will use the same specs your midrig has now. Totally. Like has totally been the trend throughout the whole history of computing.
As I said, 16GB is generally around 1.25x as expensive as 8GB. IN A PACK. If you buy 8GB once, and then a few months later you decide you want the next 8GB, you will pay TWICE, as opposed to 1.25x. So, on the assumption that you're already buying the mid range, since the high range is only at a slight extra cost, it makes way more economical sense to go for the highly specced stuff and not have to buy a new standalone pair.
Modern programs won't use that much. No shit. Do you run one program at once? How much do you think just a 64 bit OS takes on its own? Right now I'm running 4GB RAM and that's just using firefox and having left a few things open (pdfs, tweetdeck, thunderbird, filezilla, word, visual studio, excel, I'm doing a bit of light work in the background). What if he wants to leave his browser on, run a media player and Steam and a 64 bit game, obviously his OS runs, maybe he wants teamspeak too. He will appreciate the extra RAM in that case.
By considering "one program at a time", you're being absolutely ridiculous. What if he goes dual monitor in a couple of years and has a bunch of stuff constantly running on both screens? You can't know that, hence: future proofing. And if you're going to drone on "If you use more than 8GB at once that's your own fault", I frequently use more than 8GB of RAM, but guess what? Because I spent the extra £15 on top of the £60 I was already paying (as part of the £800 I was paying total), now I have the luxury of never having to worry about how much stuff I run.
Likewise, you're not OP. You don't even know for sure everything he wants to run now, let alone where he will go with his life in the next 5 years, what new things he might decide to learn etc. . If he's computer literate enough to build his own build, it's not much of a stretch to say he might become an avid 3d modeller, artist, programmer, scientist in the forseeable future and NEED that RAM, and since neither of us know that, why tell him "Yeah, don't pay those few extra bucks for the security of knowing your PC will be able to cope with anything you throw at it for the half decade, just leave it"?
Holy hell people, I came here to get advice, not to start debates or semantic arguments on what I don't/do need. I know what I need, and I appreciate the suggestions people give me, and yes, 16 GB is nice, but I know for myself that I do not need that much memory for my PC. If I ever decided to add two more 4 GB modules, I'll do just that, but until then, I'm fine with 8 GB of DDR3 SDRAM 1333/1600. I will use 8 GB and that's that. I have no programs that even use 4 GB of RAM, much less 16. I don't want to have this thread turn into a battlefield for hell's sake, I just need advice, and so far, the advice I have received has been greatly appreciated, don't get me wrong, but I'll not stand by and watch you two bicker like an old married couple How many f***ing times must I make it clear that I only need 8 GB of RAM?
Getting back on topic....
I must reiterate what it is I plan on running:
- Programs used for 3D modeling, including 3DS Studio Max, Maya, Blender, etc
- Possible AVI capture/TAS recording and playback
- Programs used for gaming, PCSX2, Dolphin, Bsnes, Desmume, any CPU-intensive emulator out there
- Games in general, Skyrim, Sonic Generations, Splinter Cell Conviction, any GPU or CPU-demanding program, you name it, I'll run it.
I'm hoping that the CPU and GPU can handle it. As for the PSU, I've yet to decide or study what I need.
*Sigh* Oy gevalt people.... Sorry Axelrose, I'm siding with Rydian on this one.
Well, I've been an Intel guy for a long time and never regretted it once. I had an AMD as well, but somewhere down the line, the CPU fried and went with Intel ever since. Same with nVidia over AMD GPUs.
Bleedin'eck, you guys are monsters! I'm trying to give just a little advice from my phone whilst on the train to/from work, and you have a full on debate all the while! Well, now I'm home with coke in hand and a pair of monitors to work with, so I'll try typing up a proper reply to the freakin' thread.
OP needs:
Competent in general purpose (CPU + HDD + RAM)
Performance in gaming (mid-range GPU+)
Temperature control (case + CPU cooler)
$1000-1300 budget from newegg.
OP selection:
CPU: i5-3570 (suitable)
Mobo: Asus P8Z77-V LK (mid-range, similar performance to others of the same price range)
RAM: Corsair Vengeance 8GB 1600Mhz (popular choice, nothing to discredit)
GPU: GTX 660 Twin Frozr (good for single-screen gaming - more than enough for a 23" screen)
HDD : WD 1TB Blue (good as storage, although if you're getting a SSD, green tends to be a better choice)
Case: Antec 900 (902 does exist, but Antec 1200 has done be very well to date and with all the fans attached, airflow is very good)
PSU: Antec 550W (I've had bad experiences with Antec PSUs. They work well enough, but there are better choices)
Cooler: CM V8 120mm (I would prefer either Arctic Freezer 7, i30, Gelid Tranquillo, or a Corsair H60. However since you're not overclocking, just about any cooler would do, even stock).
Moving on...
SSD choice: Crucial M4 or Samsung 830/840. OCZ have released a few more since which use more stable controllers, and they've updated the firmware to Vertex to fix failure rates, but Samsung has never gone wrong (and keep good performance and cost) and Crucial are the best value (if cost is more important than performance). OCZ still scores highest for those who don't mind paying a little bit extra for a little extra performance.
Mobo choice: Since most Intel motherboards not only perform similarly but also have similar price/feature lists, then it's mostly about comparing features from a good brand (EVGA are a good brand too, but I don't see them as often so I don't have experience with them). Gigabyte are always reliable at stock speeds, MSI tends to run cooler, and Asus has better feature lists. The more features, the higher the price (for all brands). Get any (as long as it's not Asrock, Foxconn, Biostar, etc).
PSU choice: 550W is enough, 650W if you think you'll be overclocking (or adding an extra graphics card) in the future. With that as a guide, just pick a good brand (like Corsair, Enermax, Seasonic, Tagan, etc. And you can find affordable 750W PSUs, but brand is more important than wattage (or efficiency for that matter - not to say it's not important). Also, I have nothing but good experiences with half a dozen Corsair PSUs.
RAM choice: I would stick with the Corsair Vengeance, but Alexrose is right in saying that the heatsink might get in the way. This is why I would not go for the CM heatsink but rather one of the others that I listed. There will be no problem with the ones I listed. Otherwise, 4GB is all you need. 6GB is the sweetspot for the current market, and 8GB is what I recommend because the price is right. 16GB is only for those who actually need it (you don't) or those who want to use the extra as a RAM drive (you don't). Keep things simple. Also, since the price difference between 1333Mhz and 1600Mhz is marginal (and sometimes 1600Mhz comes out cheaper), there's no reason not to get 1600Mhz. Performance is nearly identical anyway.
And since it's just been mentioned, CPU choice: I've said for years how equivolent AMD/Intel CPUs have around 30% difference in performance, which has been noticable in games. The current market is divided by purpose. AMD is the only choice for budget gaming rigs (or just budget rigs) thanks to FM1 and FM2. Intel is the only choice for mid-upper gaming rigs (thanks to Core i5). As for people with specialized needs (triple monitors, servers, graphic animation/rendering), well, that deserves a new thread.
I was using it as an example. 80+ gold PSUs are common, and some 2012 Seasonic PSUs do hit the 90% mark at 50% load (87% at 100% load). Not the point of the example.
Alexrose vs Rydian debate: I'm siding with Rydian in this case. Whilst advocating more RAM does little harm (RAM is cheap and extra RAM, even if never used, could maybe possible someday end up being useful somehow, even if only as a RAM drive), it's an unnecessary expense for now, and there's always the option to buy a couple extra DIMMs in future if it ever does become necessary. Besides, DDR4 just got announced, so DDR3 may become obsolete by the time OSs/apps/games actually need 16GB of RAM (@Rydian: I<3U2).
Now here's a build I whipped up from newegg:
CPU: i5-3570 (K is $15 more if OC is ever considered)
Mobo: MSI Z77A-G45 (CPC recommended)
RAM: 2x8GB Corsair Vengeance 1600Mhz (I would go for XMS3 instead, but these look better)
GPU: MSI GTX 660 Twin Frozr (OC ed) ($10 more for a factory OC on warranty is worth it, although I would prefer the Ti version... and you can save $50 by getting a HD 7850 which is only about 10% weaker)
Case: Antec 900 (because it has good airflow, and the Raven RV03 costs $60 more)
PSU: Corsair HX650 (80+ Gold, plus modular. The CX600 only costs $80 but is only 80+ bronze and not modular.)
Cooler: Gelid Tranquillo (because silence is golden, although the Corsair H60 is only $20 more and is liquid cooling)
SSD : Samsung 840 120GB (ALL 60-64GB drives are sold out/pre-order, and they've priced Crucial M4 at the same price. Samsung wins)
HDD : WD Green WD15EZRX 1.5TB (nearly same price as 1TB, $20 cheaper than 2TB... matter of budget)
Monitor: Asus VH238H (because I don't know enough about monitors to recommend anything better)
Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech MK120 (cheap, cheerful, has 2 extra USB ports. Handy. And it's black.)
DVD : Samsung SH-224BB (Could go with Asus, LiteOn or any number of other DVD drives. $18, meh.)
Liquid cooling is nice, but isn't there a chance that the liquid could leak and make its way to the motherboard, ruining everything it touches? I've been told that LiteOn isn't the best, so I could g with Asus instead. For AMD/ATI, I've heard numerous horror stories about drivers being problematic and unstable with Catalyst, not sure if that's true though. MSI, I haven't had much experience with and the copious negative reviews on Newegg worry me, I've used Asus for ten years as well, but that's just me. I'm not trying to shoot down your suggestions by being negative, it's just my experience with certain brands is all. What's the difference between Caviar Green, Blue Red/Black HDDs?
You picked the right monitor!
Whatever you do, don't get a SAMSUNG brand monitor, they have diagonal lines from bad refresh rates ( you can't fix these )
I've tried that exact ASUS monitor, it is amazing in quality. GET IT.
You picked the right monitor!
Whatever you do, don't get a SAMSUNG brand monitor, they have diagonal lines from bad refresh rates ( you can't fix these )
I've tried that exact ASUS monitor, it is amazing in quality. GET IT.
My suggestions are just that, suggestions. I make them to give ideas and evolve your choices.
Now for the advice:
WD Black is for high performance. It uses more energy and makes more noise, but access speeds are faster. Blue is cheaper and a middle ground for their range. Green is Eco friendly, using less energy, making less noise, producing less heat, at the cost of slower access times. Red is redesigned for 24h use, so it is ideal for NAS devices and servers.
Since I included a SSD in my list, I picked the green HDD since the one thing that it makes a huge difference on is Windows itself. If the OS is installed on a SSD, then the access speeds of the HDD don't matter (except for games with huge maps, that means longer loading times, but the difference is only a few seconds). If you do not get a SSD and install the
OS on the HDD, then it's best to get a WD Blue, Black or Samsung F3 HDD.
You mention you will be 3D modelling. That means that you will want the best graphics card you can afford, because the more FLOPS the graphics card processes the quicker it will carry out projects. That said, the GTX 660 2GB is fine for the modelling itself, but when it comes to rendering, etc, it will take longer to finish than flagship graphics cards like the 680/690. Also, depending on the size of your projects, you may actually end up needing the extra RAM.
On that point, since I don't know enough personally (my brother is the one with all the 3D modelling/animation/rendering software - I just built his computer for it on an unlimited budget), I would say stick to the 8GB plan for now and if you actually do end up using 6GB+ when rendering, then you might want to double the RAM.
Edit: also, AMD gets higher framerates in games (per price point) but nVidia drivers are better suited to 3D software (thanks to CUDA and the various other GPGPU features)
A couple of questions....
RAM - Corsair Vengeance or Kingston HyperX Blue?
should I go with the cheaper one? or there is a noticable difference betwen the two? (both are 1600 Mhz)
MOTHER - ASUS Z77 Maximus V Gene or ASUS Z77 Sabertooth
I've read that the Maximus series has the most stable overclock (which is something I plan to do)
Both RAM will perform identically. Either get the cheaper, the better looking, or the Corsair because I've had bad experiences with Kingston DDR2. Your choice. Also consider Corsair XMS3 RAM which I currently have.
Asus Maximus V Gene is one of the best motherboards to buy. The Maximus V Formula is also good, but more expensive. With Sabertooth, the Thermal Armor looks good, but interferes with airflow for cooling the chipset.
My suggestions are just that, suggestions. I make them to give ideas and evole your choices.
Now for the advice:
WD Black is for high performance. It uses more energy and makes more noise, but access speeds are faster. Blue is cheaper and a middle ground for their range. Green is Eco friendly, using less energy, making less noise, producing less heat, at the cost of slower access times. Red is redesigned for 24h use, so it is ideal for NAS devices and servers.
Since I included a SSD in my list, I picked the green HDD since the one thing that it makes a huge difference on is Windows itself. If the OS is installed on a SSD, then the access speeds of the HDD don't matter (except for games with huge maps, that means longer loading times, but the difference is only a few seconds). If you do not get a SSD and install the
OS on the HDD, then it's best to get a WD Blue, Black or Samsung F3 HDD.
You mention you will be 3D modelling. That means that you will want the best graphics card you can afford, because the more FLOPS the graphics card processes the quicker it will carry out projects. That said, the GTX 660 2GB is fine for the modelling itself, but when it comes to rendering, etc, it will take longer to finish than flagship graphics cards like the 680/690. Also, depending on the size of your projects, you may actually end up needing the extra RAM.
On that point, since I don't know enough personally (my brother is the one with all the 3D modelling/animation/rendering software - I just built his computer for it on an unlimited budget), I would say stick to the 8GB plan for now and if you actually do end up using 6GB+ when rendering, then you might want to double the RAM.
Edit: also, AMD gets higher framerates in games (per price point) but nVidia drivers are better suited to 3D software (thanks to CUDA and the various other GPGPU features)
And I can't tell you how much I appreciate your patience with someone as seemingly noobish as I am. The 3D model rigging will be for, *cough* Super Smash Bros Brawl hacking *cough* (sorry, I've had a cold), but the actual 3D rendering itself isn't a real issue for me per se. I should have been more specific, as I can't really afford a more potent card with budget restrictions or what have you. For gaming however, the card performs very well based off the benchmark tests I've seen. I'll keep looking for hard drives, but 8 GB will suffice. Sorry for not specifying just what kind of 3D work I'd be doing, whoops. I'll do 3D rigging, etc, but gaming is the primary purpose, and even then, I can't afford a super high-end machine.
Both RAM will perform identically. Either get the cheaper, the better looking, or the Corsair because I've had bad experiences with Kingston DDR2. Your choice. Also consider Corsair XMS3 RAM which I currently have.
Asus Maximus V Gene is one of the best motherboards to buy. The Maximus V Formula is also good, but more expensive. With Sabertooth, the Thermal Armor looks good, but interferes with airflow for cooling the chipset.
I thought about getting the Sabertooth model as well, but the thermal guard looks rather intrusive for heat/thermal dissipation, especially if people like freak out when the Celsius gets on the high side. I still need to settle on a motherboard, not too cheap and not overpriced.
I'll post a second revision of the rig thus far momentarily
One piece of advise..... Get a soundcard
I recently bought one after using the onboard thingy and it doesn't stop to amaze me o.O
(Got a Soundblaster Zx)
You'll even hear the difference in youtube -.-"
5.1 works way better than on onboard (tested it with my roccat Kave 5.1)
One piece of advise..... Get a soundcard
I recently bought one after using the onboard thingy and it doesn't stop to amaze me o.O
(Got a Soundblaster Zx)
You'll even hear the difference in youtube -.-"
5.1 works way better than on onboard (tested it with my roccat Kave 5.1)
Can't really afford one (I'm not much of an audiophile), onboard audio is good enough for my needs to be honest, my quota for the system budget is at its cap unfortunately.
My laptop's perfectly fine for lugging around to home or school to do homework and some gaming, but for true gaming, this rig is gonna be one helluva system to do it on, and speaking of which...here's what I have for another revision I saved as a wishlist on Newegg -
CPU - Intel Core i5 3570 3.4 GHz (3.8 via Turbo Boost) Ivy Bridge (3rd Gen, not 2nd) http://tinyurl.com/76u4pn2
$214.99
Not too shabby if I say so myself. Programs like PCSX2 and Dolphin shouldn't have much trouble for most games, right? Rest assured, I plan on using more powerful programs on this sucker.
For thermal paste, I'll probably go with Arctic Silver, but one has to be careful not to get it on the PCB. I can always find a good brand nonetheless. And since my apartment complex primarily uses wireless, I'll also need to find a good wireless network adapter. I think I've pretty much narrowed down what I'm looking for, but I'm still open to tweak it a bit if need be. This is my first real build I'll be assembling from scratch, so I'm a little hesitant on the motherboard; I've seen many people get them DOA, malfunction, but it's a risk I'll have to take.
I shouldn't have issues running most games and PS2/Gamecube emulators, right?
Yeah, I can play some games on Dolphin and many games on PCSX2 with older specs (C2Q, HD 5770), those are pretty much the recommended specs for emulating with those programs anyways (well the GPU's way more than needed, but non-emulation gaming loves all the GPU power).
Like I said earlier Corsair Vengeance low profiles would be the way to go. And if your motherboard specs permit, I would get one 8GB stick first or (2) 4GB sticks, whichever is affordable for you. In regards to the PSU, since you're planning on using the 2nd gen i Core processor, I forgot that they conserve energy compared to the first gen so 650W will suffice. I just hope you don't go the route of adding additional hard drives in the future because you probably will need to upgrade that PSU.
My computer's specs are as follows: *i7 950
*EVGA X58 4-Way SLI Classified Mainboard 170-BL-E762-A1
*Cosair Vengeance 16GB (4X4GB) DDR3 1600 MHZ
*EVGA GTX 480 SC
*Western Digital 600 GB VelociRaptor
*Western Digital 1 TB VelociRaptor WD1000DHTZ
*OCZ Technology Vertex 2 SSD 180 GB
*Thermaltake ARMOR+ VH6000BWS Full Tower Case
*SilverStone 1200-W
*Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler
*ASUS BW-12B1ST 12X Blu-Ray Internal Burner
Like I said earlier Corsair Vengeance low profiles would be the way to go. And if your motherboard specs permit, I would get one 8GB stick first or (2) 4GB sticks, whichever is affordable for you. In regards to the PSU, since you're planning on using the 2nd gen i Core processor, I forgot that they conserve energy compared to the first gen so 650W will suffice. I just hope you don't go the route of adding additional hard drives in the future because you probably will need to upgrade that PSU.
My computer's specs are as follows: *i7 950 *EVGA X58 4-Way SLI Classified Mainboard 170-BL-E762-A1 *Cosair Vengeance 16GB (4X4GB) DDR3 1600 MHZ *EVGA GTX 480 SC *Western Digital 600 GB VelociRaptor *Western Digital 1 TB VelociRaptor WD1000DHTZ *OCZ Technology Vertex 2 SSD 180 GB *Thermaltake ARMOR+ VH6000BWS Full Tower Case *SilverStone 1200-W *Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B CPU Cooler *ASUS BW-12B1ST 12X Blu-Ray Internal Burner
You got that right .
My laptop's perfectly fine for lugging around to home or school to do homework and some gaming, but for true gaming, this rig is gonna be one helluva system to do it on, and speaking of which...here's what I have for another revision I saved as a wishlist on Newegg -
CPU - Intel Core i5 3570 3.4 GHz (3.8 via Turbo Boost) Ivy Bridge (not going to overclock, should be sufficient for my needs) http://tinyurl.com/76u4pn2
$214.99
My brother has the same processor, not-overclocked (yet), and a 560ti, and he plays tons of Wii/Gamecube games at acceptable frames. However, be awares of the sound compatibility, where numerous games will have messed up sound emulation, unless you use a specific plugin which just EATS your processing up. I've heard you can use a dump of some sound thing from the actual wii and get better performance, but my brother never tried it, I don't think.
From my experience with the same processor (again, non-overclocked [yet]), I've been playing Final Fantasy XII at 3x the native resolution, 8x MSAA and rarely, if ever, drop beneath 60 fps. That being said, certain games are going to be more compatible/better supported than others, as these emulators are more geared towards running games than actual accurate emulation. So keep in mind the haphazard performances, potentially. That said, there are dedicated wikis for both the Dolphin and PCSX2 emulators that attempt to document overall support for the game, with optional user sections who give their computer specs and their performances with certain games, as well as suggested tweaks for better performance.
A new Nintendo Switch firmware update is here. System software version 18.0.1 has been released. This update offers the typical stability features as all other...
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Nintendo has officially announced that a successor to the beloved Switch console is on the horizon. As we eagerly anticipate what innovations this new device will...
While rumors had been floating about rampantly as to the future plans of Nintendo, the President of the company, Shuntaro Furukawa, made a brief statement confirming...
Nintendo might just as well be a law firm more than a videogame company at this point in time, since they have yet again issued their now almost trademarked usual...
With Apple having recently updated their guidelines for the App Store, iOS users have been left to speculate on specific wording and whether retro emulators as we...
The time has finally come, and after many, many years (if not decades) of Apple users having to side load emulator apps into their iOS devices through unofficial...
As each year passes, retro games become harder and harder to play, as the physical media begins to fall apart and becomes more difficult and expensive to obtain. The...
A new Nintendo Switch firmware update is here. System software version 18.0.1 has been released. This update offers the typical stability features as all other...
TheFlow has done it again--a new kernel exploit has been released for PlayStation 4 consoles. This latest exploit is called PPPwn, and works on PlayStation 4 systems...
After rumour got out about an upcoming NES Edition release for the famed Nintendo World Championships, Nintendo has officially unveiled the new game, titled "Nintendo...
DOOM is well-known for being ported to basically every device with some kind of input, and that list now includes the old retro game console in Persona 5 Royal...
How many f***ing times must I make it clear that I only need 8 GB of RAM?
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