For Skyrim, the above should be more than adequate.

(I'm running a i5 2500K with 2 HD 6950 in CrossfireX and Win7 Ultimate x64 on a Gigabyte Z68 motherboard and Kingston HyperX 8GB DDR3 1600MHz. Runs Skyrim well at 1920x1080 - the resolution I game. And this setup is about 2 years old now.)

Generally I like Asrock motherboards, and approving that here may be biased on my part, but I like that choice.

Since you're just making the purchase now, you might want to "future-proof" your RAM by getting 16GB of RAM - if the price difference is not much, and if you're planning to keep this system for a few years more.

I'm using the exact same casing.

GM-M8000
4&5 buttons are very high so if you want to have them always ready to press, you need to keep mouse in a very inconvenient position that makes it hard to pick the mouse up -> not useful for gaming.

BTW what games require 4GB gfx memory?
I know gta4 required 2GB but it is a 2008 year game so wondering whether we already have games requiring more. And if there are games requiring more than 4GB. I wonder how much will GTA5 need for max details.

BTW2 does anyone know if Gainward 680 Phantom is silenter than Asus DirectCUII? Any test of that card that shows db?

I pretty sure I could use 4gb of gfx in skyrim with enough texture mods 😀

You need to wait when it comes to the gpu as prices are likely to drop over the next month or two. The rest of the system is decent and should last a long time.

nforce4max wrote:

You need to wait when it comes to the gpu as prices are likely to drop over the next month or two. The rest of the system is decent and should last a long time.

i think cpu prices should drop cause of the same reason

I recently built a new system myself for a little less (at least, before taxes) than what you're looking to spend, rgart. I went with an AMD FX-8350 CPU and a GT660-based video card, and am getting a perfect 60 FPS in Skyrim at all times with maximum detail settings, not counting anti-aliasing since I always leave that off. (To me, AA is not worth the performance hit it can bring at high settings and barely does anything at low settings.)

Compared to what I picked, your CPU is slightly less powerful overall (though has stronger single-thread performance), while your GPU is slightly more powerful. However, since Skyrim isn't too CPU intensive, your GPU will be the deciding factor in the game's performance. You should be able to not only run max details and maintain 60 FPS, you may be able to add a little anti-aliasing without affecting your framerate. ;)

TBH: I haven't actually tested AA performance on my rig yet... I should do that sometime today. :)

I cant help myself with Skyrim. I tend to add about 60 mods to make the virtual world more involved and even more stunning to look out. There are some insanely large textures out there.

I bought one of those flash razer gaming keyboards and boy what a disappointment it was. Having those extra keys all over the place change the dynamics of the keyboard and what Im used to. When Im typing in the dark Im hitting the wrong keys. I have to retrain my typing just because of the shape of this crappy keyboard.

Tab, Escape, Space should be on the edge 😀

Can someone recommend a solid and decent WIRED Keyboard and Mouse for gaming but without all the flash. I dont need extra buttons or glowing keys but I want maximum responsiveness.

I don't need a glowing mouse with extra buttons and scroll wheels on all sides.

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM $99.00 $9.00 $99.00
CoolerMaster RC-912A-KWN1 HAF912 Advance Ver w Window $98.50 $8.95 $98.50
Microsoft Wired Keyboard 600 $11.00 $1.00 $11.00
GM-M8000 Xtreme High-performance USB Pro Laser Gaming Mouse, 6000dpi $54.50 $4.95 $54.50
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO w Transparent 12cm $35.00 $3.18 $35.00
G Skill 16G(2x8G) DDR3 1600MHZ PC3-12800 CL10(10D-16GBXL) $135.00 $12.27 $135.00
SilverStone ST75F-G 750W Strider Gold Power Supply $169.00 $15.36 $169.00
Asrock Z77-EXTREME4 Z77/4 x DDR3/2 x PCI-E3.0/4 x SATA3/6 x USB3.0/HDM $120.00 $10.91 $120.00
Intel Core i5 3570K LGA1155 CPU 3.4Ghz 6Mb Cache Ivy Bridge $239.00 $21.73 $239.00
SanDisk Extreme SSD 120G - SATA3/MLC/SF-2281/3Yrs $112.00 $10.18 $112.00
eVGA GTX670 4GB SC(super clock) w/BP $589.00 $53.55 $589.00
Asus DRW-24D3ST SATA 24X DVD-RW Black Retail Nero12 $22.00 $2.00 $22.00
Total $1684

That 670 looks a bit pricey. PLE in Perth have a 680 for that price and they aren't a bargain shop when it comes to video cards.

it seems the 4gb + factory overclock is quite a bit more expensive.
for some reason the EVGA GeForce GTX 670 Superclocked+ 4GB was recommended to me for Skyrim.

I want to use a massive amount of HD textures.

What should I choose?

The prices vary substantially.

Gainward GTX 670 2G 2DVI/Display Port/HDMI [1] Preorder(2 Ava)ETA $362.00 $372.00

Gigabyte GTX 670 PCI-E 3.0 2GB 256-bit DDR5 N670WF2-2GD Preorder(5+Ava)ETA $385.00 $395.00

Gigabyte GTX 670 OC EDITION PCI-E 3.0 4GB 256-bit DDR5, Base: 980 Boost: 1058/6008 MHz, 2x D Preorder(2 Ava)ETA $465.00 $475.00

Asus GTX680 DirectCU II Edition PCI-E 3.0, 2GB 256-bit DDR5, Base: 1019 boost: 1084/6008 MHz, 2x -DV [1] Instock $545.00 $555.00

Asus GTX680 DirectCU II PCI-E 3.0, 4GB 256-bit DDR5, Base: 1006 boost: 1058/6008 MHz, 2x -DVI, Instock $595.00 $605.00

Leadtek GTX 680 PCI-E 3.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual Dual-Link DVI HDMI DP SLI 3D Outofstock $499.00 $509.00

Asus GF GTX670 DirectCU II PCI-E 3.0, 4GB 256-bit DDR5, Base: 915 Boost: 980/6008 MHz , 2x -DVI Preorder(5+Ava)ETA $465.00 $475.00

Gainward GTX680 Phantom 4G 2D/H/DP.4096 MB 256 bit GDDR5 Phantom HDMI 2xDVI DSP Preorder(1 Ava)ETA $595.00 $605.00

eVGA GTX670 4GB SC(super clock) w/BP Preorder(3 Ava)ETA $589.00 $599.00

Leadtek GTX 680 PCI-E 3.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual Dual-Link DVI HDMI DP SLI 3D Outofstock $499.00 $509.00
is this line correct? 680 4gb for 509$?

robertmo wrote:

Leadtek GTX 680 PCI-E 3.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual Dual-Link DVI HDMI DP SLI 3D Outofstock $499.00 $509.00
is this line correct? 680 4gb for 509$?

Leadtek GTX 680 PCI-E 3.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual Dual-Link DVI HDMI DP SLI 3D Outofstock $499.00 $509.00

Yes absolutely

Outofstock anyway 😉

I've read 680 Phantom is quieter even than Asus 680 DirectCU II. I would like some more confirmed info as Gainward is rather cheap company so may be hard to believe although the card looks almost like passive 😉

CM Storm Quickfire - it's one of the best keyboards I've owned. Real solid, well built. For mouse, I suggest the Logitech G500.

For ram, you really should get a dual channel kit, 2x4gb or 2x8gb, and not 1x8gb as you'll be running in single channel mode only and losing performance needlessly. Unless that was a typo on your part.

Good choice of PSU, but you could get away with a 500-650w on this system. 750w could power 2 GTX670s if that's what you're planning for.

Never used a Sandisk SSD before, you should check to see if anyone is having compatibility problems with your choice of motherboard. I really reccommend Kingston and INtel SSDs- they've worked with anything I've thrown at them.

Other than that, all looks good. Enjoy.

Logitech mice have scroll button hard to press tiring your finger quickly if you use it a lot

thanks for all the input.

I had no idea dual channel ram gives better performance..

based on whats been said and further research I have gone with:

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64bit OEM $99.00 $9.00 $99.00
Logitech G500 Gaming Mouse $55.00 $5.00 $55.00
CoolerMaster RC-912A-KWN1 HAF912 Advance Ver w Window $98.50 $8.95 $98.50
Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO w Transparent 12cm $35.00 $3.18 $35.00
SilverStone ST75F-G 750W Strider Gold Power Supply $169.00 $15.36 $169.00
Intel 520S 120G Series, SATA III 6Gb/s,OEM(no bracket) $145.00 $13.18 $145.00
Asrock Z77-EXTREME4 Z77/4 x DDR3/2 x PCI-E3.0/4 x SATA3/6 x USB3.0/HDM $120.00 $10.91 $120.00
Intel Core i5 3570K LGA1155 CPU 3.4Ghz 6Mb Cache Ivy Bridge $239.00 $21.73 $239.00
Cooler master Quickfire Pro Black Switch Gaming Keyboard $98.00 $8.91 $98.00
G.Skill 16GB DDR3-1600 Dual Channel [NT] F3-1600C11D-16GNT $133.00 $12.09 $133.00
Leadtek GTX 680 PCI-E 3.0 4GB GDDR5 Dual Dual-Link DVI HDMI DP SLI 3D $499.00 $509.00
Asus DRW-24D3ST SATA 24X DVD-RW Black Retail Nero12 $22.00 $2.00 $22.00

$1722.50

any further opinions or criticism?

as for the display Im going with a

PANASONIC TH-P50ST50A 50" SMART FULL HD & 3D SLIM PLASMA

looks good!

rgart wrote:

as for the display Im going with a

PANASONIC TH-P50ST50A 50" SMART FULL HD & 3D SLIM PLASMA

Question...

Why plasma?

LED technology is currently the best to go with on every front, granted it is the most expensive one to go with right now. Plasma has better contrast than LCD but may suffer burn-in over an extended period of time, especially when used as a computer monitor. Also, those "600 Hz" ratings that Plasma screens get at electronics stores are a technicality and they don't actually get that high in terms of frames per second. :P

I think plasma has faster response time.