Want a NO-LAG gamin rig.

Angelz3

Angelz3

Weaksauce
Joined
Oct 30, 2011
Messages
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My current rig:
Case: Rosewill Challenger mid-tower case
Mobo: biostar micro atx (going to upgrade to: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131754, unless there are better suggestions)
CPU: amd phenom II x2 castillo 3.2GHz (going to upgrade to: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103913, unless there are better suggestions)
GFX: nVidia geforce gtx 460 (going to upgrade, need suggestions)
harddrive: 1tb hdd
atm I also have just a 20" monitor, but I want to get the eyefinity setup with three monitors.

All right guys, I am trying to build a pc that can withstand bf3 and crisis on three monitors with absolutely no lag in any part of the games on the most max settings that they can go. I am trying to do this as "economically" as possible, therefore I am thinking about just going with dual http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102951, then unlocking them to their 6970 potential.

If you guys have any other suggestions on the mobo/cpu/gpu/anything else, let me know.
Thanks!
-Angelz3
 
What PSU do you have?
What's your max budget for these upgrades?
What's the max resolution of your monitors?

Right off the bat though: Ditch the AMD route. For best bang for the buck performance and higher performance to begin with for games, go with the Core i5 2500K + Intel Z68 mobo that fits your needs. Check out these mobos:
$160 - MSI Z68A-GD55 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$155 - MSI Z68A-GD55 (G3) Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$165 - Gigabyte GA-Z68X-UD3H-B3 Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$180 - MSI Z68A-GD65 (G3) Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$178 - Asus P8Z68-V Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
$210 - Asus P8Z68-V Pro Intel Z68 ATX Motherboard
 
Oh sorry forgot about psu. Well, basically I'm almost relpacing my entire PC. I'm even upgrading to 8 gigs of ram. I'll have to buy another psu because a 630W psu will not fair with dual gpus. I'm just trying to get the best possible rig that I can for the cheapest. I have been exposed to the "lag" for many years of my life and I hate it. I want something that will be beast and have absolutely no frame rate drop in ANY part of the games mentioned. I'd rather not tho spend thousands of dollars on this. I would like to try and keep it in the $1000-1100 range if possible. My max resolution will be about 1600/900 or probs 1920/1280.
 
My recommendation:

CPU: Core i5 2500K
Mobo: ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 750W
GPUs: 2x Radeon 6950 2GB

Overclock the 2500K to ~4.5GHz, and then crank the 6950s as high as you can. Lag will be a thing of the past for you.
 
Buying another 2 monitors is going to eat up at least $200 of your budget...

I'd skip the eyefinity for now and focus on buying the best core components you can.
 
When are you doing these upgrades?

Angelz3 said:
My max resolution will be about 1600/900 or probs 1920/1280.
Click to expand...
Which is it? Here's the deal: a single HD 6970 2GB or GTX 560 TI SLI might be enough for an eyefinity resolution of 4800x900 (i.e three monitors with 1600x900 resolution each). However, HD 6950 2GB Crossfire or HD 6970 2GB Crossfire might be needed for an 5760x1080 or 5760x1200 (i.e three monitors with 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution each).

So what's it going be? Three monitors with 1600x900 resolution each or three monitors with 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution each? Though if you want to go a little overkill for 4800x900 with HD 6950 or HD 6970 Crossfire, go for it if you have the cash.

And yes, you will be going past your $1100 budget if you really want no lag and eyefinity:
$220 - Intel Core i5-2500K CPU
~$160 to $210 for the motherboard
~$50 to $55 for 8GB of DDR3 1600 RAM rated at 1.5V (very important that the RAM be rated at 1.5V for Intel CPUs)
~$200 for two 20" monitors with 1600x900 resolution
~$600 for two HD 6950 2GB (if going for slight overkill for 4800x900)
~$105 to $135 for a quality 750W to 850W PSU
----
$1335 to $1500
 
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EuphoricRage470 said:
My recommendation:

CPU: Core i5 2500K
Mobo: ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 750W
GPUs: 2x Radeon 6950 2GB

Overclock the 2500K to ~4.5GHz, and then crank the 6950s as high as you can. Lag will be a thing of the past for you.
Click to expand...

Thanks bro! will seriously consider that.

Hostile said:
Buying another 2 monitors is going to eat up at least $200 of your budget...

I'd skip the eyefinity for now and focus on buying the best core components you can.
Click to expand...

The extra monitors are not part of the $1000-1100 range. That range is only for psu, cpu, gpu, mobo, and maybe aftermarket cpu cooling.


Danny Bui said:
When are you doing these upgrades?


Which is it? Here's the deal: a single HD 6970 2GB or GTX 560 TI SLI might be enough for an eyefinity resolution of 4800x900 (i.e three monitors with 1600x900 resolution each). However, HD 6950 2GB Crossfire or HD 6970 2GB Crossfire might be needed for an 5760x1080 or 5760x1200 (i.e three monitors with 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution each).

So what's it going be? Three monitors with 1600x900 resolution each or three monitors with 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 resolution each? Though if you want to go a little overkill for 4800x900 with HD 6950 or HD 6970 Crossfire, go for it if you have the cash.
Click to expand...

Will probably be three monitors with 1920/1080 each. They are only going to be 20" monitors.
 
Angelz3 said:
Will probably be three monitors with 1920/1080 each. They are only going to be 20" monitors.
Click to expand...
What 20" monitors have you been looking at that have 1920x1080? The smallest monitor I can find with 1920x1080 is a 21.5" monitor. Most 20" monitors have a max res of 1600x900 to 1600x1200.

Also I do not recommend the AsRock mobo that EuphoricRage470 on account of its 1 to 2 year warranty. That's pretty crappy considering that other motherboards in that price range have 3 year warranties.
 
Danny Bui said:
What 20" monitors have you been looking at that have 1920x1080? The smallest monitor I can find with 1920x1080 is a 21.5" monitor. Most 20" monitors have a max res of 1600x900 to 1600x1200.

Also I do not recommend the AsRock mobo that EuphoricRage470 on account of its 1 to 2 year warranty. That's pretty crappy considering that other motherboards in that price range have 3 year warranties.
Click to expand...

Let me clarify something. I don't know much about monitors and resolutions except the basic concept of "the bigger the better." I may go up to the 22" monitor depending on the specs of the graphics card that I get. The main thing is that I want no frame rate drop at all in bf3, skyrim, and crisis 2. Also the resolution of 1920x1080 would be nice seeing that it would increase the amount displayed on each screen.
 
Angelz3 said:
Let me clarify something. I don't know much about monitors and resolutions except the basic concept of "the bigger the better." I may go up to the 22" monitor depending on the specs of the graphics card that I get. The main thing is that I want no frame rate drop at all in bf3, skyrim, and crisis 2. Also the resolution of 1920x1080 would be nice seeing that it would increase the amount displayed on each screen.
Click to expand...
In that case, go for at least a 23" monitor if you want 1920x1080 resolution since it won't be as tiny as 21.5" or 22".

And you didn't answer one of my questions: When are you doing these upgrades?
 
Danny Bui said:
In that case, go for at least a 23" monitor if you want 1920x1080 resolution since it won't be as tiny as 21.5" or 22".

And you didn't answer one of my questions: When are you doing these upgrades?
Click to expand...

All right, then I'll go with 23" monitors.

Didn't see the other question, I will probably be doing these upgrades in December or early January so that I will have all of my research done by then and I will know exactly what I am going to get.
I don't like rushing into things and just buying w/e, that philosophy has never worked for me. That is why I am posting here, so that I can become as educated about this as I possibly can and make the best decision.
 
If you're planning on some aftermarket cooler action, I recommend one of the following:

- Noctua NH-D14: this thing is a HUGE BEAST, but it gets the job done damn well. Also it's pretty expensive.

- Corsair H50: it's a closed loop easy to install water cooling setup. One caveat to this is making sure that the radiator fits in your case (I had to do some extensive metal cutting with pliers to get it to fit into a client's case)

- Hyper 212+: cheap and effective.

My order of preference from these 3 would be: Hyper 212+ > Noctua NH-D14 > Corsair H50 (unless you're a hardcore overclocker, then swap the Hyper and the Noctua)
 
I should also note: I build custom gaming PCs professionally (it's my job to maximize price/performance), and to get the kind of performance you're looking for, you probably don't even need to spend anywhere near the budget you have allocated.

Here is a svelte, cost-optimized setup that will get you where you wanna go:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition ($120)
Mobo: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ ($110)
GPU(s): 2x Radeon 6870 ($350)
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 750W ($100)
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO ($35)

Overclock the GPUs and CPU for even more of a boost and you'll be in top shape for any game. And you'll have extra cash for more games, an SSD, etc. The trend seems to be to simply go with SNB all the time, and while they are exquisite CPUs, they are totally overkill for a gaming PC, especially one that will be primarily GPU limited. The motherboard I chose also leaves room to upgrade to a Black Edition Phenom II X6 or an AMD FX 8 core CPU.
 
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The OP stated surround/eyefinity with max settings and no lag in Battlefield 3. You will need atleast three gpu cores to meet this requirement.
 
EuphoricRage470 said:
I should also note: I build custom gaming PCs professionally (it's my job to maximize price/performance), and to get the kind of performance you're looking for, you probably don't even need to spend anywhere near the budget you have allocated.

Here is a svelte, cost-optimized setup that will get you where you wanna go:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition ($120)
Mobo: ASRock 970 EXTREME4 AM3+ ($110)
GPU(s): 2x Radeon 6870 ($350)
PSU: Antec High Current Gamer 750W ($100)
CPU Cooler: CoolerMaster Hyper 212 EVO ($35)

Overclock the GPUs and CPU for even more of a boost and you'll be in top shape for any game. And you'll have extra cash for more games, an SSD, etc. The trend seems to be to simply go with SNB all the time, and while they are exquisite CPUs, they are totally overkill for a gaming PC, especially one that will be primarily GPU limited. The motherboard I chose also leaves room to upgrade to a Black Edition Phenom II X6 or an AMD FX 8 core CPU.
Click to expand...

And you think with that cheap setup that I would be able to run BF3 in 1920x1080 on three 23" monitors on ultra settings with absolutely no lag in any part of the game?
 
If I max everything in BF3 over a resolution of 5760x1080 I get 38-50 fps.

sli gtx 570 2.5gb cards
i7 2600k
 
noteworthy said:
If I max everything in BF3 over a resolution of 5760x1080 I get 38-50 fps.

sli gtx 570 2.5gb cards
i7 2600k
Click to expand...

Interesting, three gfx cards tho is not easy at all to fit on any motherboard.
What do you recommend?
 
Angelz3 said:
And you think with that cheap setup that I would be able to run BF3 in 1920x1080 on three 23" monitors on ultra settings with absolutely no lag in any part of the game?
Click to expand...

You're seriously not going to do it on your budget unless you stick with a single monitor.
 
Yes. 1-1.1 grand will not give you no lag considering two GTX 580's at 2560x1440 can barely hold 60+fps average.
 
The problem with sandybridge is the cpu is pcix lane limited. Would the benefits of a X58 16x pci lanes justify the use of older technology over 1156? I am also unfamiliar with the AMD side of motherboards(Athlon 64 754 was my last amd cpu).

What's the loss of performance of three cards on sb over x58?

Another option is buying a 6990 and a 6950 to trifire. This should negate the pci bus issue somewhat but this kills your budget.
 
refraxion said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Dang...
I guess I have no choice then but to make a one monitor setup.

Can you guys recommend something for a max res 27" single monitor?
Like, what card/cards will I need... Will I still need to crossfire/sli cards or will one be enough?
What cpu do you recommend?
 
Chibo said:
The cheapest 23" on newegg that supports 1920x1080 is $140 (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009266). You're killing $420 of your budget on the monitors. It's not happening.

edit: Thread moved fast.
Only CPU to recommend is the 2500k.
Click to expand...

I previously posted that monitors are not part of the budget. The 1-1.1 grand is only for cpu, gpu(s), mobo, psu, and maybe aftermarket heatsink/fan. (I hate water coolers).
 
aoXS7.png


If you want to save $120 you could get two of these:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102951
and hope to god they both unlock to 6970s.
sxM5W.png
 
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Thanks Chibo. Couple questions though. What psu should I get with the second option? and Will all of that fit in a mid-tower case (such as a Roswill challenger--my current case)?
 
Do you have a Microcenter near you? If you do, there should be some good deals during holiday sales. For example, about a month ago, i5 2500k was going for $150 and $40 off MB if purchased together.

i5 2500k - $150 ($180 normally)
Asus P8Z68-V - $140 ($180 - $40 combo deal. There are many other MBs to choose from.)
$290 + tax + gas

If Microcenter is also pretty close to you, then reserve the above combo and pickup at the store. You'll receive an email coupon giving you 20% off to many components like video card & PSU. Use that to make another trip to Microcenter to pickup what's on sale. The coupons are good for a month.
 
snowcrash said:
Do you have a Microcenter near you? If you do, there should be some good deals during holiday sales. For example, about a month ago, i5 2500k was going for $150 and $40 off MB if purchased together.

i5 2500k - $150 ($180 normally)
Asus P8Z68-V - $140 ($180 - $40 combo deal. There are many other MBs to choose from.)
$290 + tax + gas

If Microcenter is also pretty close to you, then reserve the above combo and pickup at the store. You'll receive an email coupon giving you 20% off to many components like video card & PSU. Use that to make another trip to Microcenter to pickup what's on sale. The coupons are good for a month.
Click to expand...

Fortunately enough, I live within 22.2 miles of one. I'll go check it out. Thanks a lot!
 
a little more info about microcenter would be nice though. Like, how do I find the deal? (i.e. just walk in and ask for it maybe?)

EDIT: nvm, I called the store closest to me and they said that their next round of deals starts tomorrow so I'll call back then to see what the best deals are atm.
 
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Bman123 said:
Good luck picking out parts, I know that's gotta be a head ache
Click to expand...

Thanks.
It sort-of is. Finding the right price/performance ratio is difficult for the newer products, but it is definitely worth it to find the best deals at the best places.
Of course, that's why this forum exists right?
 
Angelz3 said:
a little more info about microcenter would be nice though. Like, how do I find the deal? (i.e. just walk in and ask for it maybe?)

EDIT: nvm, I called the store closest to me and they said that their next round of deals starts tomorrow so I'll call back then to see what the best deals are atm.
Click to expand...
You can also sign up for Microcenter's email list. Also, discount on Intel SB processors is very rare. A $30 off an already discounted i5 2500K would be major news everywhere as it was with the sale I mentioned. You'll have to shut off internet to not know about it.:)
 
Angelz3 said:
Dang...
I guess I have no choice then but to make a one monitor setup.

Can you guys recommend something for a max res 27" single monitor?
Like, what card/cards will I need... Will I still need to crossfire/sli cards or will one be enough?
What cpu do you recommend?
Click to expand...


Do you still want to run three monitors in the future?

If so, you should tell these guys. The cpu/motherboard/ram and basically everything else will be the same (except for psu size and videocards, make sure the motherboard does SLi/Crossfire). You should buy an appropriate PSU if you know you will be using three monitors later. Though you could get a smaller one now and just replace it later (or stick with it if you never go triple mon).

As for a monitor, you should remember that there is screen size and resolution. Sometimes you can find a screen size that has choices with different resolutions. Like the 27", it comes in 1920x1080 and 2560x1440.

The best bang for the buck will be the 1920x1080 choices. I like my 24" a lot (its an Asus). The 27" 1920x1080 models will have a lower pixel density than smaller monitors with the same resolution. You should probably look at some in person to see if you like them. There are a lot of different choices but you can find several Asus 24" models in the $160~220 range and 27" models in the $260~330 range. Check newegg for reviews on them. Asus models usually have a lot of reviews and they tend to be positive.


I think you should get everything as you planned except for the videocard(s). Try using your GTX 460 to see how it works. Mine is at 850MHz and with the default medium settings I'm getting 60~80fps almost all the time. The lowest I've seen it drop to is the low 50s. This is at 1920x1080 w a 2500K


There is a new generation of videocards coming out next year and that is when I think you should consider triple monitor/dual videocards. You will get a lot more bang for your buck then.
 
So after seeing how your GTX 460 runs it you still will probably want to upgrade the videocard as it won't be able to do Ultra (at anything reasonably playable).

Consider getting just a single videocard. This is because you will most likely want to sell it if you decide to go triple mon. I haven't followed all the reviews but it appears that the 6970 is pretty close to a GTX 580 but costs a lot less. So one of those or even a 6950 overclocked should do you great for a single card and sticking with your philosophy of keeping this an economical no-lag build.
 
needmorecarnitine said:
So after seeing how your GTX 460 runs it you still will probably want to upgrade the videocard as it won't be able to do Ultra (at anything reasonably playable).

Consider getting just a single videocard. This is because you will most likely want to sell it if you decide to go triple mon. I haven't followed all the reviews but it appears that the 6970 is pretty close to a GTX 580 but costs a lot less. So one of those or even a 6950 overclocked should do you great for a single card and sticking with your philosophy of keeping this an economical no-lag build.
Click to expand...

Ahh. Thanks for a very informative post. I will definitely consider that.
So now that I am more educated, I guess I'll be going with a 2500k OC'ed @ 4.5GHz, and a sapphire toxic 6950 OC'ed to the 6970 settings.

Thanks so much guys!
 
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