Need help building computer. Will this $768 config handle PS2?

Lannce · 2012-08-14, 08:11 PM

Hi everyone. Lannce here, PS-1 vet from Emerald.

I'm a recent college grad with a 3 year-old macbook, and I'm eager to build my first gaming rig, hopefully in the $700-900 price range.

I'm building this computer almost specifically for Planetside 2. The only other function will be for Adobe Creative Suite products. I might be interested in hooking this up to my 40" LED HDMI tv, but in all likelihood will probably end up buying another monitor for around $200.

Anyway, after all my research, this is the rig I am currently considering. Please advise. I'm not entirely sure everything will fit. I also need help selecting an appropriate power supply (which is not included in list below)

GPU - $190
ZOTAC ZT-50709-10M GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CPU - $215
Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53570
Motherboard - $135
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
SSD (going to try going without HDD) - $105
SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PC128B/WW
Memory - $46
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Case - $52
ZALMAN Z9 Plus Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Optical Drive - $16
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM

Total Cost without power supply: $768

What settings do you think I'll be able to run reliably on PS2 with this rig? Also, any idea what kind of power supply I need, or how I can go about finding that out?

Thanks PSU community!

Goku · 2012-08-14, 08:26 PM

Switch out that motherboard as you will not be using its main feature of overclocking. You don't need a 3570 either. I suggest this 3470 and B75 combo for $261. That frees up $90 that you can use towards a stronger GPU like a 7850 to GTX 660 Ti.

I don't recommend going with a SSD either as your only hard drive. You will run out of space very QUICKLY.

Additional case recommendations. Antec One and HAF 912.

PSU wise I would look for something in the 500W-600W range. How much do you want to spend on a PSU? This Corsair 500W isn't bad.

Boone · 2012-08-15, 11:51 AM

If interested I have two 460 SE for sale. I'll give you a fair, if not better than fair deal. I think they're only like 7% slower than your basic 460, but just overclock them, which they are really good at from my experience.

One is new, the other is used. They are EVGA. You also want the "K" series for your CPU, if you want to overlclock.

I also have an 750 Watt PC & Cooling Silencer PSU (Bronze) if interested. I can prob save you some money to be honest.

I was thinking of selling the 460's for like $150 (both) and the PSU for like $50.

TitanX · 2012-08-16, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Lannce

Hi everyone. Lannce here, PS-1 vet from Emerald.

I'm a recent college grad with a 3 year-old macbook, and I'm eager to build my first gaming rig, hopefully in the $700-900 price range.

I'm building this computer almost specifically for Planetside 2. The only other function will be for Adobe Creative Suite products. I might be interested in hooking this up to my 40" LED HDMI tv, but in all likelihood will probably end up buying another monitor for around $200.

Anyway, after all my research, this is the rig I am currently considering. Please advise. I'm not entirely sure everything will fit. I also need help selecting an appropriate power supply (which is not included in list below)

GPU - $190
ZOTAC ZT-50709-10M GeForce GTX 560 (Fermi) 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CPU - $215
Intel Core i5-3570 Ivy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 77W Quad-Core Desktop Processor Intel HD Graphics 2500 BX80637i53570
Motherboard - $135
ASRock Z77 Extreme4 LGA 1155 Intel Z77 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
SSD (going to try going without HDD) - $105
SAMSUNG 830 Series 2.5-Inch 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD) MZ-7PC128B/WW
Memory - $46
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Case - $52
ZALMAN Z9 Plus Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Optical Drive - $16
SAMSUNG 22X DVD Burner 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 24X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA Model SH-222BB/BEBE - OEM

Total Cost without power supply: $768

What settings do you think I'll be able to run reliably on PS2 with this rig? Also, any idea what kind of power supply I need, or how I can go about finding that out?

Thanks PSU community!

I bought almost the same build last week. I opted for the 3450 i5, with a slightly cheaper motherboard to be able to afford a 7850. The 7850 is a monster and is having no problem running anything I throw at it (Crysis 2 DX11 w/hi rez textures, Just Cause 2, Civ 5) in 1920x1080 at max settings, even before overclock, which is easily pushing it an extra 40%. The Zalman case if pretty awesome for 60 bucks, coming with 4 fans (2 that can be controlled from the front panel, as well as a heat sensor you can place wherever you like.) And a tip to save yourself 20 bucks, buy a DVD drive that doesn't come in a sealed box, and return it after you've installed your OS/drivers. I also do heavy audio production, and even that doesn't strain the 3450 i5, so I'd also recommend downgrading from the 3570 and Z77 and putting the money into the GPU

Lannce · 2012-08-16, 10:23 AM

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to take Goku's recommendation and drop the cpu down to the 3470 / B75 mobo combo - I like that this saves me $90. The corsair 500w power supply looks fine, but I want to make sure that it is enough for my build, and POSSIBLY for future upgrades if I see an obvious need to.

I know how fast 128GB will disappear, but Planetside 2 is pretty much the only reason for me owning this rig. My company just bought me a 15" Macbook Pro, which I use for all my web design/programming. If I want to play music on this computer, I'll use the internet or plug in my external 1tb HDD.

These are my only remaining questions before I purchase this rig:
1) TitanX, do you own the Zalman case? Is it designed well?
2) Is the ZOTAC 2gb 256bit PCI 2.0 a good card for the money ($190)? I've seen similar GPU specs, but most are like $100 more. Is the $100 worth it, or should I really consider moving up to the $300-400 range. My goal is to be able to run PS2 at the highest settings, but if that is going to cost me an extra $400, I really need to justify the cost/benefit ratio of owning a better gpu.
3) Can someone take a look at the MicroATX Gigabyte B75 Mobo and talk some sense into me? I'm worried about the GPU not fitting or perhaps touching the Memory slots. The ZOTAC gpu kinda looks like a brick. Will this all fit in the Zalman case?

Ailos · 2012-08-24, 12:59 PM

Originally Posted by Lannce

Hey guys,

Thanks for the feedback. I'm going to take Goku's recommendation and drop the cpu down to the 3470 / B75 mobo combo - I like that this saves me $90. The corsair 500w power supply looks fine, but I want to make sure that it is enough for my build, and POSSIBLY for future upgrades if I see an obvious need to.

I know how fast 128GB will disappear, but Planetside 2 is pretty much the only reason for me owning this rig. My company just bought me a 15" Macbook Pro, which I use for all my web design/programming. If I want to play music on this computer, I'll use the internet or plug in my external 1tb HDD.

These are my only remaining questions before I purchase this rig:
1) TitanX, do you own the Zalman case? Is it designed well?
2) Is the ZOTAC 2gb 256bit PCI 2.0 a good card for the money ($190)? I've seen similar GPU specs, but most are like $100 more. Is the $100 worth it, or should I really consider moving up to the $300-400 range. My goal is to be able to run PS2 at the highest settings, but if that is going to cost me an extra $400, I really need to justify the cost/benefit ratio of owning a better gpu.
3) Can someone take a look at the MicroATX Gigabyte B75 Mobo and talk some sense into me? I'm worried about the GPU not fitting or perhaps touching the Memory slots. The ZOTAC gpu kinda looks like a brick. Will this all fit in the Zalman case?

I'll address the points that I feel qualified to:

2) Your Ivy-Bridge GPU and MB enable PCIe 3.0x16 data rate for your graphics card. I would recommend you take advantage of that, since PS2 is meant to be and probably will be a long-running game, and taking advantage of this modern technology will add to the longevity of your rig, and delay the moment when you feel you're ready for an upgrade. This means sticking to AMD's higher 7000 series or NVidia's 600s. The NVidia 660 Ti and Radeon HD 7870 trade blows when it comes to performance, however, the 660 is $300+ while the 7870 recently dropped $40 to $260. Both of these GPUs will put you on the high side of eye candy in PS2, especially if you play at 1080p or below. Personally, I'd recommend to sticking to the 7870 if it's value you're after, but is really more of a personal preference, and I don't think you'd be disappointed with either card.

3) Although the RAM slots are pretty close to the GPU slot on that mobo layout, you don't need to worry about anything. RAM sticks themselves do not go beyond the length of the slot (unless you buy the ones with massive heat spreaders, but that's something you should avoid since you've no need to overclock the RAM). The GPUs (especially the ones I listed above) usually hang down from the PCIe slot and simply continue at the level of the slot itself. So really, you won't have any issues with stuff touching anything, but you would probably just want to put the RAM in first, then put the GPU in its place, so that you have easier access to the side clips if you find you need to reseat it.

Duskguy · 2012-08-20, 02:26 PM

the gtx 560 should be good enough, but if you can, get the ti version. the difference is there. i run a 550ti and the SOE devs estimate mid range graphics without problems which would be perfectly fine for me. if you are looking for better than mid range graphics, the 560ti would be a step in the right direction. if you want GOOD graphics, look towards the gtx 600 series as they are currently the best in the nvidea line.

as for AMD, i dont know which are comparable, but im sure a simple google search will find what you are looking for. but i usually go nvidea for GPUs.

as for the case, if you are worried about the one recommended by the others, i have a Xion Predator 970 Gaming Series Mid Tower Case w/ 2 External Removable HDD Bays. it offers me PLENTY of room for any upgrading i plan on and has plenty of space for the biggest GPUs.
however i am not familiar with that mobo setup and spacing.

hope this helps at least somewhat.