Budget: $1200 Main uses of intended build: Gaming (BF3, MW3, CSS, SC2) + movies/tv shows + usual work Parts required: Everything apart from keyboard/mouse (have a noppoo mechanical/mx518), and have already purchased a 1tb spinpoint f3, can grab a dvd burner from old computer Monitor resolution: N/A, would like a 24 inch Storage requirements: Already have 1tb, SSD is apparently a must Will you be overclocking: yes (one day) Any motherboard requirements (no. of USB, Xfire/SLI, fan headers): considering SLI So far here is what I have btw in Australian dollars from local stores: CPU: Intel Core i5 2500K $215 Motherboard: Asrock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 $132 RAM: 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3-1600 - gskill $45 GPU1: 1GB AMD Radeon HD6870 $169 ?? GPU2: 1GB AMD Radeon HD6870 $169 ?? Case: Antec 100 $65 PSU: Corsair TX650 V2 $113 CPU HSF: Coolermaster Hyper 212 EVO $39 Items in contention are the GPU. All I want is to play BF3 on high settings with a good frame rate. I don't to be disadvantaged/laggy... I was considering ONE 6950 as it costs $269 + apparently crossfire can have issues + potentially upgrade in a year as new tech. is near.. but can that run bf3 on high with a good min fps? Secondly, is the Mobo adequate/compatible? and will it be for future upgrades? In terms of cooling, the noctua nhd14 is $74. Is it worth paying an extra $34 / do I need it? I have never overclocked but intend on trying it. Lastly, I am clueless about a monitor. I was going through posts on this forum and others and was thinking about the Dell U2311H for $230. or 23" LG E2341V-BN for $145. + oh and solid state hard drives. I want one but it seems like it is out of my budget atm and they are pretty expensive in Australia + are set to rise apparently due to the Thailand floods Thanks!
Yay exciting! ^^! I would go for one graphics card instead of two. You always have the option to cross-fire in future, and the 2nd gpu will likely be cheaper by then. In terms of what graphics card to go for, it depends on the resolution of the monitor that you choose. If its 1080p then a 6950/560ti should get good fps at High settings on bf3 (Well mine does). If the resolution is above that then you're looking at probably needing a 570 to achieve over 60fps on high. All the rest of the parts look cool.
ok so the 570 would be the same price as the dual. Doesn't the sli outperform this though? if this runs bf3 I probably would be able to run most games for a while.. also, ideas on the monitor?
The SLI would probably outperform it but people (including bit-tech themselves) seem to recommend plumping for a single graphics card over two or more. I think there can be issues with driver support and micro-stuttering. You can always SLI the 570 a couple years down the line when prices have dropped
I have to agree about the GTX570. I've recently installed a 570 Superclocked (EVGA) and with the help of watercooling have it running at (so far) 975/1950/2200 (and am still testing higher clocks) and my temps have never reached 40C. I would think, based on the clocks when the voltage started to jump, that you could get around 930 core with the stock cooler (as you mention overclocking). Different cards will vary, of course, but that will give an idea of what my card (EVGA GTX570SC) and some others can do. Based on the UK market, a lot of GTX570 (especially reference models, useful if you ever decide to watercool) were out of stock almost everywhere 2 weeks ago (I didn't check today), so they may be getting phased out to keep buyers ready for the next generation cards next year. I found 5 UK retailers (out of almost 30 that I checked) who had it in stock at a reasonable price. Also, in your first post you mentioned SSDs. The Thai floods affected hard drive prices a couple of months ago (or at least it seems that long!), because a couple of manufacturer plants, some parts suppliers and a couple of transort routes were flooded. Because of flooded equipment, mechanical drives may take a few months to normalise, but SSDs don't seem to have been affected. Again, based on UK prices, it has been possible to buy 60-128MB SSDs for around £1/GB recently. I'm not a gamer, so can't comment on that side of things, but will have some bechmarks up within the next 2-3 days.
Go for a single 570 like debs suggested this will run bf3 @ ultra with minimum of about 40fps. If you need more you could clock it to match a 580. One thing I would do on a new card is change the Tim on them to knock the temps down as the manufacturers just slap it on. Would defo recommend evga hd sc monster of a card
