Well I'm finally going to do it. I'm going to upgrade this rig. With BF3 just around the corner, and such. I need your help and insight with my upgrade. It's time to say goodbye to this 780i, and some of the other parts. BTW, my wifes computer is older than mine, so I will be giving her this rig. First of all, let's go over the following:> Graphics card:> Has to be an Evga card. I was thinking about the 580 3gb card. I wanted the 590 dual gpu card, but people tell me it gets too hot. I don't want to watercool, so I may have to go with the 580. Motherboard:> Again, has to be an Evga brand motherboard. Not sure which one would be right for me. CPU:> Has to be an Intel CPU. (Please don't suggest the other brand.) ;) Ram:> I have always preferred Corsair, but I'm open to suggestions of other brands. Power Supply:> My PSU is about 4 years old now, and I want to get a new one. I have always liked Thermal Takes PSU's, but I am open to other suggestions. I want at least 1200 watts. Nothing less please! Case:> I want a full tower. The PSU has to go on top. I'm not a fan of PSU's being on the bottom of a case. The case has to be one that has a reputation for having good airflow. Fan in front, and a fan in back. DVD/CD Rom Drive:> I want to replace my Sony 22x drive. It's a few years old. * The budget is around $1500. I can go slightly higher if I need to. The rig will be built for gaming. EDIT: Ok, I done picked the parts:> Video Card: Evga GTX 580 3GB "Classified" Motherboard: Evga P67 FTW CPU: i7 2600K Ram: Corsair Vengeance 1600mhz (16GB) PSU: Corsair 1200AX (Modular) Case: Cooler Master, HAF 932 Advanced, RC-932-KKN5-GP
post edited by XrayMan - 2011/11/01 22:04:22
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rjohnson11
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:17:07
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I'm going to recommend Corsair for your RAM and PSU. I recommend a Corsair H100 for your CPU cooler. I really think you should reconsider your PSU placement at the bottom. However, you should only do so if there is proper airflow and filtering at the bottom of the chassis. If you decide to reconsider then look at a Corsair 650D. Yes a 650D is a mid-tower but it has lots of room.
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:25:18
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:37:02
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Thanks for the comments so far. We have a long way to go here. It starts with the Motherboard. Have to build on that. Not sure what to get. The SR2, X58, P55 etc. Not sure which one is the best. The Motherboard is where i will need the most help on.
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:38:51
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SR2 is not worth it for a gaming rig for your purposes. X58 is outdated and surpassed by Sandy Bridge. P55 was a good choice before, but for your budget it has no place.
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:47:57
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Im thinking socket 2011 board?
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:51:37
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Sleinous Im thinking socket 2011 board? I'm thinking the wife will change her mind by then.
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doorules
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:55:13
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Been on a p67 with 2600k chip since Jan, very fast and stable system. I came from an evga 762 with 980x, 3 gpu's , etc. I would never go back. If you have made the decision to spend money than I think by far the best bang for your buck would be a p67 system. Not much a fan of the z68, just doesn't bring much to the table over a p67.
RIVE BE X79 4930k 2 x EVGA 780 ti SC ACX 16 GB Gskills 2666 2 x Samsung 840 pro 256 gb 1 Samsung EVO 250 GB Dell 30" & 24" Corsiar AX 1200i
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 00:59:36
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doorules
Been on a p67 with 2600k chip since Jan, very fast and stable system. I came from an evga 762 with 980x, 3 gpu's , etc. I would never go back. If you have made the decision to spend money than I think by far the best bang for your buck would be a p67 system. Not much a fan of the z68, just doesn't bring much to the table over a p67.
I was told in a Steam PM a few minutes ago that the best combo would be the P67 and the 2600k. Your proving their point. Thanks for the info. *Ok then. So far we have the P67 FTW motherboard, with an i7 2600K CPU. Now, how about the Ram?
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doorules
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 01:08:35
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Corsair vengence has proved to be very stable and even cheap. When I got mine I got 2 4 gb sticks of 1600 cas 8, cost around $130 at the time, even cheaper now I think. I don't see any point in getting ram faster than 1600 for the p67 myself. tried many bench's with ram at 1600 as opposed to 1866 and no diff in scores. And I had to go over 1.5v to run at 1866, didn't much like that.
RIVE BE X79 4930k 2 x EVGA 780 ti SC ACX 16 GB Gskills 2666 2 x Samsung 840 pro 256 gb 1 Samsung EVO 250 GB Dell 30" & 24" Corsiar AX 1200i
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 01:41:13
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doorules
Corsair vengence has proved to be very stable and even cheap. When I got mine I got 2 4 gb sticks of 1600 cas 8, cost around $130 at the time, even cheaper now I think. I don't see any point in getting ram faster than 1600 for the p67 myself. tried many bench's with ram at 1600 as opposed to 1866 and no diff in scores. And I had to go over 1.5v to run at 1866, didn't much like that.
What do you think about 4x4gb memory on that board?
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rjohnson11
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 01:49:32
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Since the memory uses a much lower voltage 4 x 4GB is not a problem at all.
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Simba123
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 03:33:28
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Where are you shopping at? Newegg, microcenter or what? this can make a difference. No-one puts PSUs in the top anymore, they go on the bottom. Quite simply because if you put one on the top, the case (especially a full tower) will be too top heavy and fall over at the touch of a feather! You're pushing it with those specs and that budget! PSU: Corsair AX 1200 professional $280 M/B : Evga P67 FTW $240 or Evga P67 FTW w/evguage &Ecpv4 $280 CPU: either 2500k or 2600k (180-280m/c) or 220-300 at Newegg CPU cooler: Evga cooler $55 or better CM Hyper 212+ $27 Graphics: evga 580 3gb classified $580 RAM: G-Skill Ripjaws 2x4gb kit $52 or $104 if you really want 16gb DVD: Asus cd/dvd burner $21 Case: Rosewill V2 full tower $130 (This comes with 4 fans as standard - saves you buying extra fans until later) That all adds to a minimum of $1509 and a max of $1747 (D'oh!) That's the best I could come up with. It was bl00dy hard trying to meet your specifications and stay within budget. I think realistically you are going to end up around $1600. Which is very good for a system with those specs. Hope my research proves useful.

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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 04:46:34
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IMHO, I would wait and get a X79 board. As for the memory, Corsair and G.Skill would be my preference. If I were to build a computer today, I would probably go with a Z68 or P67 mobo, GTX 580 (Not the 3GB IMO), 8GB (4 x 4) of Corsair Vengeance Ram , 128GB Crucial M4 SSD, (2) WD TB drives in RAID, Corsair 600T, Corsair H80, and a Core i7 2600k.
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T-Wolf
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 05:03:54
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Do you plan on SLI later? The 2600K will run a lot cooler than any X58 processor and I would go with the HCP-1200 Antec, it's $279 at Newegg with free shipping. T
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kram36
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 05:12:13
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 08:32:01
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Simba123
Where are you shopping at? Newegg, microcenter or what? this can make a difference. No-one puts PSUs in the top anymore, they go on the bottom. Quite simply because if you put one on the top, the case (especially a full tower) will be too top heavy and fall over at the touch of a feather!
I will be shopping at the place that has the lower price. So probably both places. Also I will consider PSU at the bottom, but not sure yet. Drerex
IMHO, I would wait and get a X79 board.
Depending if it comes out or not when I'm ready to buy. T-Wolf
Do you plan on SLI later? The 2600K will run a lot cooler than any X58 processor and I would go with the HCP-1200 Antec, it's $279 at Newegg with free shipping.
T
Probably. Thinking about one 580 now, and another one later. kram36
This gets you the GTX 590 you've always wanted, but slightly over your budget at $1,667.62 after EVGA $15 MIR. Just keep your Sony drive if you're not having issues with it.
Several people have told me that 590 runs too hot. I won't be watercooling, so that may not be a good idea.
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 08:58:22
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 09:04:22
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Why spend so much money on such a huge PSU when it is not necessary?
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 09:06:30
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Blizzie
Why spend so much money on such a huge PSU when it is not necessary?
I have had a 1200 watt for a few years. Really don't want to go lower now. (Peace of mind). Also, why do you think I have 8gb's of Ram in my 780i? It's not necessary, but I have it.
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 09:14:47
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Xray, since you can't/ don't want to wait for X79..... Evga Z68 / or P67 Evga 580 - 3gig ( because a 1.5 gig minimum has been fast approaching on video cards lately, even on single monitors ) Mushkin, Corsair or Gskill for the ram ( all good ) 2500K / 2600K ( toss a coin at time of purchase ) Corsair AX1200 ( or the new Enermax ) ...and case really needs to be a personal choice of style, color, function . Good luck & have fun
Intel Core i5-6600K SKYLAKE ~ MSI Z170A-G45 gaming board~ EVGA 1080 FTW ACX 3.0~ G.SKILL Ripjaws V series 16 GB DDR4 3200 ~ CORSAIR Vengeance C-70 Military Green case~ EVGA SuperNOVA 750 Platinum2 PSU~ CORSAIR Force GT 240 Gig SSD~ CORSAIR H80i V2 cooler~ Logitech G502 Proteus Core mouse~ CORSAIR K70 mech. keyboard~ HGST NAS -2TB Hd & 4TB Hd.~ Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24" LED @ 1920 X 1200~ Win 10 x64 STEAM
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 09:21:37
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STEVEBABCOCK2002
Evga 580 - 3gig ( because a 1.5 gig minimum has been fast approaching on video cards lately, even on single monitors )
I think your the only one so far who thinks that the 3gb card would be better with only one monitor. ;)
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Simba123
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 16:11:58
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ok, so narrowing down your spec list (2600k & 3gb 580) MB: Evga P67 FTW m/b $ 280 or $ 250 (240 after mir) Graphics: Evga 3gb 580 classified $600 RAM: Gskill Ripjaws 2x4mb $52 or $104 for 16mb (Which you don't need for gaming) I picked these cause the coloring goes with the motherboard, and they are a good set of ram. CPU: i72600k $315 at newegg or $280 at microcenter (pickup only) PSU: Corsair AX1200 professional $280 DVD: Asus cd/dvd burner $21 <edit> CPU cooler: [link=../products/moreInfo.asp?pn=M020-00-000234&family=Peripherals&sw=22]Evga cooler [/link]$55 or better CM Hyper 212+ $27 You are at $1500 minimum and $1655 max before case and delivery. Start buttering up the missus for an $100-250 bucks! 
post edited by Simba123 - 2011/10/06 16:15:22
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 16:51:12
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Simba123
ok, so narrowing down your spec list (2600k & 3gb 580)
MB: Evga P67 FTW m/b $ 280 or $ 250 (240 after mir) Graphics: Evga 3gb 580 classified $600 RAM: Gskill Ripjaws 2x4mb $52 or $104 for 16mb (Which you don't need for gaming) I picked these cause the coloring goes with the motherboard, and they are a good set of ram. CPU: i72600k $315 at newegg or $280 at microcenter (pickup only) PSU: Corsair AX1200 professional $280 DVD: Asus cd/dvd burner $21 <edit> CPU cooler: [link=../products/moreInfo.asp?pn=M020-00-000234&family=Peripherals&sw=22]Evga cooler [/link]$55 or better CM Hyper 212+ $27 You are at $1500 minimum and $1655 max before case and delivery.
Start buttering up the missus for an $100-250 bucks! 
I'll drive to Microcenter, and save a little money. Also, I have some Evga bucks to help pay for the video card/ motherboard. What do you think about this Ram?:> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231431
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 17:43:20
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I have it; uses more voltage and the timings are unnecessary unless you want the lowest possible.
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boredgunner
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 17:55:46
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Good recommendations, although EVGA's cooler probably isn't the best because of the HDT design. Another PSU to consider is the Antec High Current Pro 1200W, which is built better than the AX1200 and performs better, plus it's 20mm shorter and likely to be quieter. On the other hand, the AX1200 has a fully modular cable design (which probably doesn't matter if you need a 1200W PSU, given the hardwired cables on the HCP 1200) plus an extra 2 years on the warranty. Either one is a great choice for a powerful rig. Don't get Enermax's Platimax 1200W though, it performed much worse in reviews. Their MAXREVO 1350W is a better value. I have to add, any one of these PSUs just for a single GPU rig is ridiculous and a waste of money. You can just drop in a Seasonic X-660 and cruise along. If you think you might SLI with Kepler then you can go for a Corsair HX1050 or OCZ ZX1000. As for a case, Lian-Li is probably your best bet especially considering that you want a top mounted PSU. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112342 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112343&Tpk=pc-a71f
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 18:05:03
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boredgunner
I have to add, any one of these PSUs just for a single GPU rig is ridiculous and a waste of money. You can just drop in a Seasonic X-660 and cruise along. If you think you might SLI with Kepler then you can go for a Corsair HX1050 or OCZ ZX1000.
As for a case, Lian-Li is probably your best bet especially considering that you want a top mounted PSU.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112342
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112343&Tpk=pc-a71f
I will probably sli the video card later on. I've had this 1200w PSU for a few years now. It would kill me to go down to 850 LOL! To me, it's like going from a Cadillac PSU to a moped. ;) BTW, cases are surely expensive these days. Way back when, I got my Ultra case on sale at Frys for 20 bucks. Those days are over! ;)
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maniacvvv
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 18:15:53
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 18:23:00
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lehpron
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Re:Help me to pick the right parts to upgrade to a new rig.
2011/10/06 18:23:51
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When do you need this upgrade done by? Drerex IMHO, I would wait and get a X79 board. +1, it is literally just 5 weeks away. 780i and X38 were in competition, succeeded by 790i and X48, respectively. Since nVidia didn't have a licence for QPI, the succession went to X58 only. While P67 chipset CPUs are faster than X58 quads, they are NOT successors. Technically 2600K replaced 875K (both in the $300 range, unlocked with 8 threads) while 2500K replaced 650K (both $200 range, unlocked with 4 threads). 750i would be the ancestor to P67, and thus be a step back from your 780i than forward. 750i had 16 lanes of PCIe in its chipset, same with P67 CPUs, while 780i had 24 lanes; so you're taking a hit if you ever want to upgrade for future high-end graphics or multiples of them. Sure dual GTX580's barely take a hit now in dual x8's, just don't assume it will stay that way for a pair of GTX680's or GTX780's should you get into them. The one constant in the past several years is that higher specs have always needed more bandwidth; plan ahead. Core i7 3820 might perform a little bit better than 2600K and certain cheaper even at debut. I'd figure like the first X58, EVGA's first X79 might cost $300. Memory costs are dropping, 4x 2GB could cost you $50 if you're lucky, twice for 16GB. Bare minimum the cost toward Z68/P67 system is the same except LGA2011 CPUs have 40 PCIe lanes with as much future-proofing as you want. Plus quad-channel DDR3, so DDR3-1600 gives you 51.2GB/s bandwidth, you'd need DDR3-3200 in dual-channel tog et the same value.
post edited by lehpron - 2011/10/06 18:34:24
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