# Ultimate flight sim/gaming PC



## Moby (Oct 29, 2011)

Howdy fella's,
First off I have to say I know shit about PC building.  But especially in the company of (forgive the term) super geeks in this forum.  You guys have forgotten more about PC's than I've ever known.  That being said.  I am a serious flight simmer and loving gaming.  So this ol Cowboy (yeah I'm an ol fart at 53 that never grew up) wants an Uber gaming PC.  I hope for one wicked ass, bull riding, ass kickin monster.  One I won't have to up grade for a good while.  I also need multiple PCIe slots as I need to add several USP items for flight sims because every darn thing I want, gauges, panels, TrackIR, etc is USP and some of them require big fast data transfers.  I can also add a second PC of less power I already own if PC's can be networked together to do different stuff.  But the one I currently have is old.  I was good in it's day.

So with a $3000-$3500 budget (for the one PC), what would you folks recommend for a parts list? I want a big ol power supply and nothing middle of the road.  All top shelf stuff.  I've got a super geek buddy that will help me put the stuff together.  I want clean wiring, I think I want liquid cooling.  But to be honest I know more about dogs and bulls than PC's.  This link will show you how passionate I am about virtual flying.  I'll want three monitors (one being a 42" HDMI TV) and two 22" touch screens.  I've already found those.  The touch screens are for maps, communications etc.  Only the 42" TV will be the in game monitor. (these are not in the budget for the PC)

Here's my current (or was) rig.  It's stripped now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4BP8i4Wv20

All below not in budget
*I'm thinkin this case*
http://www.coolermaster.com/product.php?product_id=6653
*This HOTAS*
http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/x65f.html
*These panels*
http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/fip.html
*These rudder pedals*
http://www.saitek.com/uk/prod/compedals.html
*TrackIR*
http://www.naturalpoint.com/trackir/products/trackir5/
*X keys *(already own)
http://www.piengineering.com/xkeys/xkbuttonp.php

I appreciate any help you big brain boys could give an ol man.

Thanks
Moby
=OUTLAWS=
www.beersims.freeforums.org


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## AsRock (Oct 29, 2011)

Forget Saitek their flimsy pieces of crap try some thing like the Cougar,  i cannot remember the names of  another which is bugging the crap out of me but you could try checking out SimHQ and the guys at www.wingwalkers.org will help you happily.

cougar review
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/thrustmaster-hotas-cougar,458.html


Has for the TIR5 the 4 or 5 will do as excellent job.  However keep away from 3 it's more fiddly as i always found my self always setting it up to were \ how i was seating were as with the tir4\5 once setup and got your settings how you like them you don't need any changing. and BTW TIR support is the best you can get.

Once you used a TIR4\5 or even 3 your in game flying driving will never be the same just watch out for feeling sick while using them for the 1st week or so as it makes some people that way.


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## Darkleoco (Oct 29, 2011)

I can say only good things about that case, very spacious and has nice cooling but you do need to buy an extra 200mm fan for the top of the case to get maximum air cooling potential. Also very sturdy so it will support whatever you put in it, my HAF-X with my setup weighs about 50 pounds lol yours will likely run 60-70 depending what you put in it.


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## CJCerny (Oct 29, 2011)

You want to stay as far away as possible from liquid cooling if you don't know much about PCs. Air cooling will suit you just fine.


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## Delta6326 (Oct 29, 2011)

Here's a nice quick build I put together.

NM was thinking of pci I just not for sure on the Motherboard as you need pci-E, but not many high end new boards have those... 

EDIT: Updated pic's


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## Neuromancer (Oct 29, 2011)

As a 5 year old game, I would imagine that you will be CPU limited more than anything, and would not need to go too crazy with GPUs. 

socket 2011 is being released in 2 more weeks, so might be a good idea to hold off on purchases until that settles and you can see how it performs compared to sandyB as well. Get 2 dual channel kits of ram for now, to run 4 dimms on sandy bridge as well as being ready for socket 2011 and quad channel memory if you do decide to go that route.

(You can still get PSU, case, GPUs and such, but hold off on board/CPU).


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## Darkleoco (Oct 29, 2011)

Delta6326 said:


> Here's a nice quick build I put together.
> 
> I just not for sure on the Motherboard as you need pci-E, but not many high end new boards have those...
> 
> ...



The components he listed look good to me other than the processor the i7 2700k released a few days ago for only $ 15 USD more than the 2600K and it comes with 3.5 Ghz stock clock which if you don't plan on overclocking would be nice in itself but some people have suggested they are just particularly good 2600K units that have had the stock clock upped slightly and either way it seems to suit your needs better to get a 2700K, as someone has already said I would not dabble with liquid cooling if you don't know what you are doing, I would get a high-end air cooling unit such as the CoolerMaster V6GT, the Prolimatech MegaHalem or something to that effect, the HAF-X has more than enough fans to keep your system cool no matter what you do to it (unless you get ridiculous with overclocking).

HAF-X improvement:
-Get an extra 200mm fan to install in the top.
-Get a better 140mm exhaust fan for the back 
-Get a nice fan controller like the Sentry Mesh so you have full control over your cooling.

Graphics Card suggestion:
I own 2 MSI cards myself and the Twin Frozr II/III cooling is superb even on 50% fan speed and 100% GPU usage my cards do not break 65 C if I crank the fans up to 100 % it may be loud but I can run 40 C at 100 % load on both my cards.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=253065&CatId=7005


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## Irony (Oct 29, 2011)

Sell all that junk and get a BD-5  


Whats your budget?

Edit: I see it now. *facepalm*


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## Darkleoco (Oct 29, 2011)

His budget is stated in the OP.


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## Irony (Oct 29, 2011)

Delta6326 said:


> Here's a nice quick build I put together.
> 
> I just not for sure on the Motherboard as you need pci-E, but not many high end new boards have those...
> 
> ...




ummm...virtually all boards have PCIE. New high end boards have several 2.0 as well as 3.0. see below.


 That looks pretty good. I concur with getting the 2700k for practically the same money. 

Take a look at these 2 boards. they both have lots of PCI and PCIE slots. 

GIGABYTE GA-P67A-UD7-B3 LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6G...

ASRock Z68 EXTREME4 GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI S...


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## Delta6326 (Oct 29, 2011)

Darkleoco said:


> The components he listed look good to me other than the processor the i7 2700k released a few days ago for only $ 15 USD more than the 2600K and it comes with 3.5 Ghz stock clock which if you don't plan on overclocking would be nice in itself but some people have suggested they are just particularly good 2600K units that have had the stock clock upped slightly and either way it seems to suit your needs better to get a 2700K, as someone has already said I would not dabble with liquid cooling if you don't know what you are doing, I would get a high-end air cooling unit such as the CoolerMaster V6GT, the Prolimatech MegaHalem or something to that effect, the HAF-X has more than enough fans to keep your system cool no matter what you do to it (unless you get ridiculous with overclocking).
> 
> HAF-X improvement:
> -Get an extra 200mm fan to install in the top.
> ...


Whoops I already forgot about the 2700k. And the Corsair water cooling is as easy as air cooling and it looks more high end. Also yes the 2x 6970 probably will be over kill but the OP said $3000

And my bad on the PCI-E thing I was thinking about old legacy pci stuff I was in a hurry.


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## Darkleoco (Oct 29, 2011)

Delta6326 said:


> Whoops I already forgot about the 2700k. And the Corsair water cooling is as easy as air cooling and it looks more high end. Also yes the 2x 6970 probably will be over kill but the OP said $3000



Depending on how he intends to run it they might not be overkill and could actually benefit from overclocking so thats why I suggested 2 MSI R6970 Lightning cards that utilize the Twin Frozr cooling system which would handle the extra heat from overclocking easily.


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## Moby (Oct 30, 2011)

WOW...I only know a little of what you folks are talkin about but it seems to me I've got loads of great suggestions.  I can't thank you enough!!!

Is 1200 watts more than I'll ever need?  I want to be sure I've all the power needed plus a bunch.  And is there a big difference in Battery backups?  We've a crappy grid here in Texas and one of my gaming buddy's says one of those protects stuff. I also read (and appreciate) that I do not need liquid cooling.  As for 3.5 Mhz on the CPU that will be just fine I think.  Flaming Cliffs 2 is CPU intensive I'm told. I also fly FSX, DCS tittles, and like shootem up games. If I don't need to overclock (and I wouldn't know how anyway) that's good. I hear if makes heat and that's bad.  So I'm good with the suggested CPU.  If ya'll don;t mind I may need to PM some of you fella's to ask a question or two about some of the suggestions.  It's all a bit much to digest at a glance when ya really don't know what your doing.

I am really surprised at how quickly this crowd offered help to me.  My hat's off to all of ya.  
I sure am grateful.  One things for sure...Ol Mrs. Moby is gonna kick my ass!!!!!
But she just always sends me to my Man Cave....which is often where I'd rather be.

Again thanks fella's.  This build is probably a month off maybe two.  But no doubt!  
This will be the Rockin Rig I've been wanting.  Might have to sleep in the barn for a week.  But Ol Dundee (horse)  He won't mind much.  

You young fella's are alright!


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## Darkleoco (Oct 30, 2011)

1200 watts is likely more than you will ever need for the setup unless it draws an insane amount of power for some reason which I find unlikely, the processor I suggest at 3.5 Ghz will literally laugh at anything called CPU intensive so no worries on that, also heat would not be a major concern if you use the HAF-X and get some nice fans into it.

If you need any questions answered just shoot me a PM.


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## AsRock (Oct 30, 2011)

You don't need a TIR5 if you already have a TIR4 as their is barely any thing different with them.

As i said in the pm reply i understand you not liking TM after your experience with them, as for the other company i was on about it's called CH Products. Although remember to shop around for their gear as the prices can very a lot.
http://www.chproducts.com/index_no_flash.html

I got out of flight sims due to the cost as i was going go for a CH product some 18 + month ago as i was after a true left handed one which there is some one who makes the casing for at least one CH Product i was after but wanted yet another $200+ for the casing after spending over that to get the gear.

I got out of it really as it was getting way to expensive and with being left handed did not help even getting used to using a expensive right handed joystick ( Couger ).

If you want user reviews on a joystick as i said in my last post a great place  to ask would be at www.wingwalkers.org some some of those guys have the top gear and the lower stuff.  Their great people to fly with too..


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## LordJummy (Oct 30, 2011)

Moby said:


> WOW...I only know a little of what you folks are talkin about but it seems to me I've got loads of great suggestions.  I can't thank you enough!!!
> 
> Is 1200 watts more than I'll ever need?  I want to be sure I've all the power needed plus a bunch.  And is there a big difference in Battery backups?  We've a crappy grid here in Texas and one of my gaming buddy's says one of those protects stuff. I also read (and appreciate) that I do not need liquid cooling.  As for 3.5 Mhz on the CPU that will be just fine I think.  Flaming Cliffs 2 is CPU intensive I'm told. I also fly FSX, DCS tittles, and like shootem up games. If I don't need to overclock (and I wouldn't know how anyway) that's good. I hear if makes heat and that's bad.  So I'm good with the suggested CPU.  If ya'll don;t mind I may need to PM some of you fella's to ask a question or two about some of the suggestions.  It's all a bit much to digest at a glance when ya really don't know what your doing.
> 
> ...



Where in TX are you exactly, if you don't mind me asking? I'm in The Woodlands (northwest of houston).


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## Moby (Oct 30, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Where in TX are you exactly, if you don't mind me asking? I'm in The Woodlands (northwest of houston).



I'm in Midlothian near Waxahatchie, about 30 south of Dallas buddy.

I've got a brother in Katy. I don't get down there enough though.

If you're ever in the area...I burn a mean steak!

Moby


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## LordJummy (Oct 30, 2011)

Moby said:


> I'm in Midlothian near Waxahatchie, about 30 south of Dallas buddy.
> 
> I've got a brother in Katy. I don't get down there enough though.
> 
> ...



Right on! I have family in Katy as well, and I do some contract work for a security firm there.

I've been thinking about planning a TX LAN party / gaming BBQ type thing for next spring. That is something that no Texan could pass up. I'm a bit of a pit boy myself  I spent a lot of time out on our family farm in Trinity too. My grandparents used to own and operate a badass country restaurant / grill house out there right next to the farm land. You should have seen his main pit. It was a gigantic custom cast iron smoker pit. Instead of a regular smoke stack / pipe it had a gigantic bull's head made of pure iron also. The smoke came out of the bull's head lol, it was so awesome. I think it was all iron anyways, maybe steel w/iron. Can't remember. I wish I had pics of that thing. Budweiser used to do some small events out there with bands and such. I loved it out there...

Anyways, way off topic. I'll have to PM you sometime.


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## Moby (Oct 30, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Right on! I have family in Katy as well, and I do some contract work for a security firm there.
> 
> I've been thinking about planning a TX LAN party / gaming BBQ type thing for next spring. That is something that no Texan could pass up. I'm a bit of a pit boy myself  I spent a lot of time out on our family farm in Trinity too. My grandparents used to own and operate a badass country restaurant / grill house out there right next to the farm land. You should have seen his main pit. It was a gigantic custom cast iron smoker pit. Instead of a regular smoke stack / pipe it had a gigantic bull's head made of pure iron also. The smoke came out of the bull's head lol, it was so awesome. I think it was all iron anyways, maybe steel w/iron. Can't remember. I wish I had pics of that thing. Budweiser used to do some small events out there with bands and such. I loved it out there...
> 
> Anyways, way off topic. I'll have to PM you sometime.



Please do buddy.  Love to chat


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## n-ster (Oct 30, 2011)

Noone suggested X79 / LGA 2011? It is the obvious choice...

Granted I didn't read through much of the thread lol

I'm tired of posting at TPU atm lol, I've posted far too much lately... I usually build high-end builds so if you have any questions etc, PM me a way you'd like to chat and I can respond much better. Else I'll make an effort and respond here


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## LordJummy (Oct 30, 2011)

n-ster said:


> Noone suggested X79 / LGA 2011? It is the obvious choice...
> 
> Granted I didn't read through much of the thread lol
> 
> I'm tired of posting at TPU atm lol, I've posted far too much lately... I usually build high-end builds so if you have any questions etc, PM me a way you'd like to chat and I can respond much better. Else I'll make an effort and respond here



Actually they did.


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## n-ster (Oct 30, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Actually they did.



Yea I see that now xD Well I am putting in my opinion here too, SB-E is the way to go, maybe even the 3930K


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## Delta6326 (Oct 31, 2011)

n-ster said:


> Noone suggested X79 / LGA 2011? It is the obvious choice...
> 
> Granted I didn't read through much of the thread lol
> 
> I'm tired of posting at TPU atm lol, I've posted far too much lately... I usually build high-end builds so if you have any questions etc, PM me a way you'd like to chat and I can respond much better. Else I'll make an effort and respond here



I would have brought it up but usually people don't want to wait for who knows how long last i heard it will be Q1 or Q2 of 2012 that can be as soon as 3 months or 6months. But I would say  X79 / LGA 2011 would be a awesome route.


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## n-ster (Oct 31, 2011)

It's November 15th LOL

And I think he will be following my advice of waiting until he wants to buy the rig before deciding anything... He said it could be at least 90 days (I chatted with him).


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## Delta6326 (Oct 31, 2011)

n-ster said:


> It's November 15th LOL
> 
> And I think he will be following my advice of waiting until he wants to buy the rig before deciding anything... He said it could be at least 90 days (I chatted with him).



Hm, I think I'm thinking of AMD's 7k series. Im slowly going insane I think.

In that case LGA2011 is the way to go 3D transistors!!


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## Moby (Oct 31, 2011)

Good morning Delta,

Nvidia 580 is supposed to be the fastest card out there right now according to some article I saw from a UK outfit.  What do you think?

Do you think the AMD 7 thing is better?  I'm gonna go with your recommendations cuz ya may not be able to ride a bull or a horse but ya sure as hell look like ya know what your talkin about in a PC. LOL   You've been doin this geek stuff a while haven't ya?


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## n-ster (Oct 31, 2011)

Noone knows for sure as we don't know ANYTHING about the performance, but AMD 7000 series should logically be better. It hasn't come out yet and there is no release date atm, but the higher-end should come out around Mid Jan~early Feb in my OPINION.

I mentioned it to you as one of the reasons we should wait before making plans


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## AsRock (Oct 31, 2011)

AMD's 7 series is not out yet m8.  But like we talked on the phone it be worth waiting for the intels 2011 socket there for might be worth waiting till AMDs 7000 series is out.

It all depends on how long you willing to wait but i would wait till feb time or if there is any solid news on when AMD is going release their next video cards.

Depending on your older system maybe use the video card out of that till AMD release their 7 series.

With you being in to DCS games you going need a high clocked CPU as i believe it's single core game still although gets a tiny boost from a multicore system.

That said waiting would be perfect as by time AMD release their 7 series you will know what CPU's will be good for overclocking too.


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## n-ster (Oct 31, 2011)

AsRock said:


> AMD's 7 series is not out yet m8.  But like we talked on the phone it be worth waiting for the intels 2011 socket there for might be worth waiting till AMDs 7000 series is out.
> 
> It all depends on how long you willing to wait but i would wait till feb time or if there is any solid news on when AMD is going release their next video cards.
> 
> ...



Damn we are a helpful bunch at TPU LOL

I'll also add to that. SB is, so far, the CPU that OCs to the highest clocks so far, so SB-E should be at least as god if not better in the clock department, and definitively better in the tech and multi-core department.

Also note AMD will be releasing their 7 series in a few steps... First, the mobile and low-end, then the mid-end, then the high-end, then the dual-GPU high-end. A 7870 might not be more powerful than a GTX 580, but a 7970 should be, which will come out later than the 7870


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## Widjaja (Oct 31, 2011)

If you are wanting to make a rig which can handle FSX with sliders all to the right, running smooth at 1080p I'd say forget about it.

My Brother is a flight sim fanatic and has constantly upgraded his rig in the pursuit of getting the game to run flawlessly at the mentioned specs.

With a 870k overclocked to 4Ghz, 8GB ram, an SSD, and dual GTX480s, Track IR he still doesn't get smooth frame rates on max settings and has finally given up.

But there is a new Flight Sim in the works so hopefully this will run 10 times better than FSX ever did.

Best of luck with your build.


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## Delta6326 (Oct 31, 2011)

Moby said:


> Good morning Delta,
> 
> Nvidia 580 is supposed to be the fastest card out there right now according to some article I saw from a UK outfit.  What do you think?
> 
> Do you think the AMD 7 thing is better?  I'm gonna go with your recommendations cuz ya may not be able to ride a bull or a horse but ya sure as hell look like ya know what your talkin about in a PC. LOL   You've been doin this geek stuff a while haven't ya?



Yes, the Nvidia 580 is a very fast card the only reason I didn't bring it up was due to power consumption/heat but with your PSU and Case it won't be a problem.

Like many have said technically the AMD 7k should be better in the high end segments.

Also I buy all my parts from Newegg.com but if your in the UK you will have to ask others for places to buy, as that place is USA/Canada.


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## n-ster (Oct 31, 2011)

He's in the US

This is a wait and see game, so let's just do that, no point in speculating any further  We will know more when the time comes


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## Irony (Oct 31, 2011)

Moby said:


> Good morning Delta,
> 
> Nvidia 580 is supposed to be the fastest card out there right now according to some article I saw from a UK outfit.  What do you think?
> 
> Do you think the AMD 7 thing is better?  I'm gonna go with your recommendations cuz ya may not be able to ride a bull or a horse but ya sure as hell look like ya know what your talkin about in a PC. LOL   You've been doin this geek stuff a while haven't ya?




I've been riding horses since I was 5. No bulls though...  

I personally prefer 4 wheelers and computers; you don't have to feed them.


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## AsRock (Oct 31, 2011)

Irony said:


> I've been riding horses since I was 5. No bulls though...
> 
> I personally prefer 4 wheelers and computers; you don't have to feed them.



You don't pay the electric bill then ?..  J/k


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## LordJummy (Oct 31, 2011)

AsRock said:


> You don't pay the electric bill then ?..  J/k



Not to mention gasoline & oil for the 4 wheelers...


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## Irony (Oct 31, 2011)

Still cheaper than a bale of hay and sweet feed


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## AsRock (Oct 31, 2011)

Irony said:


> Still cheaper than a bale of hay and sweet feed



Really working ya ass of every week.


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## Darkleoco (Oct 31, 2011)

Widjaja said:


> If you are wanting to make a rig which can handle FSX with sliders all to the right, running smooth at 1080p I'd say forget about it.
> 
> My Brother is a flight sim fanatic and has constantly upgraded his rig in the pursuit of getting the game to run flawlessly at the mentioned specs.
> 
> ...



He should be able to do it quite easily on his budget since he can afford significantly better graphics cards and a processor he can easily overclock to 4-4.5 Ghz


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## Moby (Nov 1, 2011)

WHOOOA   I stirred up a dust cloud.  Let me ask a question.  I think the wait and see thing is most likely a good idea.  i don't know if I want to wait until February.  As I said I'm a retired ol fart that never grew up and I want to play!  As for overclocking I don't know how to do that but I think I just found some folks that might tell me exactly how.  So my question is, don't all these part makers just keep on one upping each other?  Let's say I waited until Feb.  Would another be coming in June?  Then Oct? etc?  Those two MSI Radon 6970's together look like they'll kick some gaming ass.  Would a Nvidia 580 do as well and not take up PCIe slots?  I'd like to be flying here relativity soon, perhaps waiting until December.  But surely before Feb.  And does everyone agree that case with the best fans the company offers will do the cooling job?


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## n-ster (Nov 1, 2011)

Moby said:


> WHOOOA   I stirred up a dust cloud.  Let me ask a question.  I think the wait and see thing is most likely a good idea.  i don't know if I want to wait until February.  As I said I'm a retired ol fart that never grew up and I want to play!  As for overclocking I don't know how to do that but I think I just found some folks that might tell me exactly how.  So my question is, don't all these part makers just keep on one upping each other?  Let's say I waited until Feb.  Would another be coming in June?  Then Oct? etc?  Those two MSI Radon 6970's together look like they'll kick some gaming ass.  Would a Nvidia 580 do as well and not take up PCIe slots?  I'd like to be flying here relativity soon, perhaps waiting until December.  But surely before Feb.  And does everyone agree that case with the best fans the company offers will do the cooling job?



I'm not recommend to wait until Jan/Feb... I'm recommending to wait until you are 15 days away MAX from building your system. If the 7900 series has been announced or if it came out by then, GREAT, if not, we got some great options. Both the GTX 580 and 6970 are very comparable in performance, so 2x 6970 is close to 2x GTX 580. Prices will drop in the coming months though, and we don't have an accurate picture of what will be available for when you will be wanting to purchase the whole rig, so there is no gain to speculate about stuff now 

Who knows, maybe the 7870 will be close to 6970/GTX 580 performance and come out in Dec/Jan. The 7870 is rumored to consume FAR less power. However, do not expect the 7970 before January. You said 90 days to me though, meaning it should bring you easily to January if I am not mistaken? I might have misunderstood


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## Delta6326 (Nov 1, 2011)

After all these new computer parts come out(Jan. Feb.) it will be a while till the next stuff comes out, like 6+months

I have created a public wish list on Newegg so everyone can view it, I have updated some things to how you want it. here is the link.
 Once You Know, You Newegg

And here is the link to the GPU review I really like it.
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_580_Lightning/1.html


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## Moby (Nov 1, 2011)

Ya know partner your exactly right.  I did say 90 days.  I guess I just got so excited lookin up all these bitchin bad ass parts and reading about them that I'm getting ahead of myself.  I don't really want to do that.  There's enough tech horse power in this forum to answer any question anyone has and then some.  So I need to pull back on the rains a bit and do as ya'll have suggested.  See what's comin, think this through, and build one bass ass rig.  Cuz I'm probably only gonna do this this once.  I'm thinkin this PC will roll for a good 5 years in gaming.

What do ya'll do when it comes to wiring?  I've seen rigs so cleanly put together they are some what art.  That's what I want to do.  Do they make different length cables for inside the box to get that "just right" fit?


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## Irony (Nov 1, 2011)

Moby said:


> As for overclocking I don't know how to do that but I think I just found some folks that might tell me exactly how.



Just ask away here at the forums and you'll get plenty of help. There are quite a few very experienced OC'ers on here.   




Moby said:


> rains


*Reins  

sorry, it was bugging me




Moby said:


> What do ya'll do when it comes to wiring? I've seen rigs so cleanly put together they are some what art. That's what I want to do. Do they make different length cables for inside the box to get that "just right" fit?



You decided on a Cooler Master HAF X, right? If so, it has bulged sides to put your cables behind the motherboard and hide them. And most PSUs come with a pile of zip ties to hang everything up. then, you just pull out the length you need and hook it up, leaving the case very clean looking from the side window.


@ delta6326: There is only one GFX card in that order list.


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## Delta6326 (Nov 1, 2011)

Irony said:


> @ delta6326: There is only one GFX card in that order list.



Oh yes that was a question I had as I wasn't for sure. 
Moby do you want 1 or 2 GPU's? they will take up more of your pci-e slots but you will have more power.
Here's a link to that GPU http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/MSI/GTX_580_Lightning/ 

Here's a link to 2 580 in SLI http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/NVIDIA/GeForce_GTX_580_SLI/ 

All thanks to W1zzard.


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## BarbaricSoul (Nov 1, 2011)

I know your gonna wait, but just for shits and giggles, I put together what I would build today with a $3000-3500 budget.


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## Irony (Nov 1, 2011)

I want.....I think I need to get a job. I forgot whose sig its in, "your computer is never done; you just run out of money."


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## LordJummy (Nov 1, 2011)

BarbaricSoul said:


> I know your gonna wait, but just for shits and giggles, I put together what I would build today with a $3000-3500 budget.



Can't say I would do that. You're not taking into account redundancy or aesthetics with those hard drives and that case. But I guess if gaming performance is the only goal that would be okay.


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## Neuromancer (Nov 1, 2011)

Yes, I normally do not suggest waiting, but did suggest waiting for X79 (as it is only 2 weeks)

Radeon 7000 series will paper launch around Christmas with availability coming a month or two behind that most likely (assuming all goes according to plan that is)

I do not normally suggest waiting for the precise reason you brought up, if you wait you will always be waiting, but a new arch so close to launch, thats worth holding off for.



So I did a little research on the game.

Some of my guesses were right, highly CPU bound game.  Fast fast fast CPU required. Runs well on duals and quads but no more than 4 threads necessary.  Sandy B with an Ivy bridge update might be plenty. I would still wait and see what socket 2011 brings to the table. the game prefers nvidia cards, not because they are better, just because...

dual 570s for multimon or the new 560s if they are cheaper than 570s.  SLI is not really good because the game is so CPU bound, however for 3 monitor gaming you will need two cards.

Might as well go CPU water cooling as well and try and push it up towards 5 GHz 24/7


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## n-ster (Nov 1, 2011)

Neuromancer said:


> Yes, I normally do not suggest waiting, but did suggest waiting for X79 (as it is only 2 weeks)
> 
> Radeon 7000 series will paper launch around Christmas with availability coming a month or two behind that most likely (assuming all goes according to plan that is)
> 
> ...



Yes, but the AMD 7000 series will be better than NV most likely, even if theses particular games prefer NV.

I would not suggest Watercooling as he is not that experienced with computer parts, but if he does go watercooling, it better be a great setup. There is also some maintenance involved with WC that can get annoying as well


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## Irony (Nov 1, 2011)

I wouldn't suggest water cooling either. Maybe an H80 or H100, since they're pretty much as simple as it gets; but nothing with separate parts needing picked and assembled. And still, I don't know if that would be a lot better than a good air cooler like mine, or maybe a silver arrow. I've looked up a few results from testing both the H100 and the cooler I have, (Noctua NH-D14) and they seem to be within a few degrees of each other. The H100 gets very loud at higher speeds, to get the tempurature advantage. And after a couple hours of gaming, the water begins to warm up a little faster than it can be cooled. so then, it appears to be running hotter than normal. But with an air cooler, the maximum temperature doesn't really change with time. And when you drop the load, air coolers get the cpu cooled down to its idle temperture quicker.


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## LordJummy (Nov 1, 2011)

Irony said:


> I wouldn't suggest water cooling either. Maybe an H80 or H100, since they're pretty much as simple as it gets; but nothing with separate parts needing picked and assembled. And still, I don't know if that would be a lot better than a good air cooler like mine, or maybe a silver arrow. I've looked up a few results from testing both the H100 and the cooler I have, (Noctua NH-D14) and they seem to be within a few degrees of each other. The H100 gets very loud at higher speeds, to get the tempurature advantage. And after a couple hours of gaming, the water begins to warm up a little faster than it can be cooled. so then, it appears to be running hotter than normal. But with an air cooler, the maximum temperature doesn't really change with time. And when you drop the load, air coolers get the cpu cooled down to its idle temperture quicker.



Keep in mind something like an H100 is a lot easier to install for noobs in a lot of cases. The block is so small and easy to install on all the corsair LCS setups. It's a lot simpler than installing a tower cooler, IMO. They also don't really have to worry about air flow direction and messing with the RAM if it doesn't fit properly. Just sayin'...


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## Irony (Nov 1, 2011)

Thats true. My Noctua's a beasty. it weighs almost 3 pounds, and covers all 2 of my RAM slots. But in its defense, its the best air cooler, and the fan on that side is moveable. (Also, I installed the heatsink backwards,  so being asymetrical it sticks out more than it would if installed correctly. Since I did that, I didn't want to take it off and deal with thermal paste again, so I just put the fans on the other sides. )


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## LordJummy (Nov 1, 2011)

Irony said:


> Thats true. My Noctua's a beasty. it weighs almost 3 pounds, and covers all 2 of my RAM slots. But in its defense, its the best air cooler, and the fan on that side is moveable. (Also, I installed the heatsink backwards,  so being asymetrical it sticks out more than it would if installed correctly. Since I did that, I didn't want to take it off and deal with thermal paste again, so I just put the fans on the other sides. )



Totally agree. I have a NH-D14 also that is currently not in use. It is an awesome air cooler, definitely the best I have ever used. I don't see why people buy other high end air coolers when this thing is available and so amaazing 

If he is mechanically inclined he shouldn't have too much trouble following the instructions. The LCS coolers are really easy to install though. It really depends on what he wants I guess. Either way you go you can use custom fans and have a super silent cooler. The NH-D14 may offer better cooling with low RPM silent fans though. It would definitely be my top recommendation for air cooling.


I might go through newegg and do my idea of a good build for him.


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## BarbaricSoul (Nov 1, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> Can't say I would do that. You're not taking into account redundancy or aesthetics with those hard drives and that case. But I guess if gaming performance is the only goal that would be okay.



You want redundancy in the HD, add another one for RAID, the money is there in the budget. Persanally I prefer to have a fast SSD for the OS and the most used programs and a good big HD for storage. The case is the one the OP said he wanted. Personally I'd reuse my Lian Li if I was building this for myself.


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## n-ster (Nov 1, 2011)

I also backup my SSD array on my HDD array to give some redundancy 

I find that tower coolers are pretty easy to install. Plus, he is mechanically inclined so it shouldn't even be a problem, and he has someone that will help him build it.


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## Moby (Nov 3, 2011)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fc5VFnytm3o


That's about as high end a cooler as I think I'm gonna find. Installation looks pretty simple.

Pretty impressive.  Thanks fella's  I'm gettin more excited than a young stud in the spring!


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## Irony (Nov 3, 2011)

Yeah, it only took me maybe fifteen minutes to install, including removal and reapplication of thermal paste. Its a great cooler.

BTW, I like your analogies


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## Delta6326 (Nov 3, 2011)

Yeah thats a very good Cooler.

Also Newegg has some good deals going on today only can get 15% off your psu TODAY ONLY: 10 Tech Coupons for Up to 25% Off Memo...


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## n-ster (Nov 3, 2011)

meh, I suggest he waits till Black Friday weekend if he decides to buy anything early... Case, PSU, monitors, fans, CPU cooler, DVD-RW and accessories (ie wireless card), and perhaps even RAM, are all OK to buy if you find great deals.


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## Exeodus (Nov 3, 2011)

I use FSX pretty avidly, and CPU power is very important. My main rig consists of:


i5 2500K at 4.5Ghz (Turbo, 1.6Ghz on idle)
8GB DDR3 1600 RAM
GTX580 1.5GB

I use a few addons to enrich the flight experience:


Ultimate Traffic X
REX 2.0
FSDreamTeam O'Hare Airport
FSDreamTeam McCarran Airport (Las Vegas)
Aerosoft Las Vegas scenery
Numerous aircraft addons

At first I was using a i7 920 setup at 4GHz, then I switched to the i5.  the i5 is far superior and made a noticeable difference in performance, even running at stock clocks.  I have found that 4.5Ghz gives the added boost to maintain high frame rates while using all these addons.  I also run with scenery and weather effects maxed out with traffic around 60% at the airports (anymore and the airports become too busy).


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## n-ster (Nov 3, 2011)

How multi-threaded is FSX?


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## Neuromancer (Nov 3, 2011)

Its quad threaded like crysis.  meaning very little performance increase between dual and quad from what I read.


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## Moby (Nov 6, 2011)

Exeodus said:


> I use FSX pretty avidly, and CPU power is very important. My main rig consists of:
> 
> 
> i5 2500K at 4.5Ghz (Turbo, 1.6Ghz on idle)
> ...




Could I please ask some one to explain the difference between i5 and i7?
The poster says i5 gives him better results.  I assume i7 is a newer version.
sorry, I came to this forum cuz ya'll know a good bit more than I.  I hope this isn't a stupid question.


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## 3volvedcombat (Nov 6, 2011)

Moby said:


> Could I please ask some one to explain the difference between i5 and i7?
> The poster says i5 gives him better results.  I assume i7 is a newer version.
> sorry, I came to this forum cuz ya'll know a good bit more than I.  I hope this isn't a stupid question.



He had an older architecture i7 920, and upgraded to a newer revised version which is the i5 2500k (Notice the difference in Model numbers). There is also a i7 2600k and i7 2700k. 

There are technical cases were a game only uses a certain amount of CPU CORES and a higher clocked LOWER CORE (i5) CPU will give better performance. 

In this case above however, he upgraded to a newer i52xxx series 2500k, which overall overclocked better, probably had slightly better utilization, and overall was faster then his previous(older series) i7 920, which clocked nicely, but could not meet the new kid on the block.

Overall, maybe if he grabbed an i7 2600k(newest production i7) that overall would overclock within 10-5% as this person's i5, he would have even "BETTER" performance. 
(older line of chips) 
i5750
i5760
i7920
i7940
i7960
i7970
(newer line of chips)
i52400k
i52500k
i72600k
i72700k
The newer chips from INTEL, usually offer better overclock ability and numbers, better overall clock for clock performance, added features from previous series, and overall a better CPU Processors(or as our tech minds talk) Chips.


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## Moby (Nov 6, 2011)

So I want an i72700 right? That's the latest big bull on the ranch?


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## Irony (Nov 6, 2011)

Moby said:


> So I want an i72700 right? That's the latest big bull on the ranch?



Yeah, or the i7 2700k, but its a little more expensive. Price difference is less than $50 most places, don't know if that would justify it. maybe an Intel nut can say what the difference is, if any other than the higher stock clock.

Edit: I feel stupid. I though you said 2600.  :shadedshu


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## n-ster (Nov 6, 2011)

No you want the i7 3800K or i7 3900K series, which are coming out in a few days... They will be the best and latest

The 3800 series is 4 core and the 3900 series is 6 core... So far, from what I understand, you probably want the 3900 series, more specifically the 3930K.


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## Moby (Nov 8, 2011)

n-ster said:


> No you want the i7 3800K or i7 3900K series, which are coming out in a few days... They will be the best and latest
> 
> The 3800 series is 4 core and the 3900 series is 6 core... So far, from what I understand, you probably want the 3900 series, more specifically the 3930K.




Does that really slick cooler fit on this CPU?


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## n-ster (Nov 8, 2011)

You should choose the cooler only once LGA 2011 comes out, as of right now, not many LGA 2011 coolers exist. We don't know all the coolers that will include a LGA 2011


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## Exeodus (Nov 8, 2011)

Moby said:


> Could I please ask some one to explain the difference between i5 and i7?
> The poster says i5 gives him better results.  I assume i7 is a newer version.
> sorry, I came to this forum cuz ya'll know a good bit more than I.  I hope this isn't a stupid question.



The only difference is the i7 has Hyper-threading, while the i5 doesn't.  In my experience, Hyper-threading has no impact on games, even mutli-threaded ones.


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## LordJummy (Nov 8, 2011)

Exeodus said:


> The only difference is the i7 has Hyper-threading, while the i5 doesn't.  In my experience, Hyper-threading has no impact on games, even mutli-threaded ones.



some say hyperthreading affects some games negatively. I haven't noticed it myself, but I also haven't tried disabling HT for gaming. Maybe I should sometime to see.


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## n-ster (Nov 8, 2011)

LordJummy said:


> some say hyperthreading affects some games negatively. I haven't noticed it myself, but I also haven't tried disabling HT for gaming. Maybe I should sometime to see.



The impact that HT can have negatively is extremely small, and barely noticeable when measuring FPS. It is only in  a few games. Most games see little impact unless they are well multi-threaded, when they see a good improvement


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