Gaming Desktop

[Reece]

Any tips on building a cheap gaming desktop?

This is my current thoughts on a build which I will get once my funds are a bit more stable again.

[JC]

Hey Reece,

Looks like a fairly good setup really, certainly will cope with most current games at a sensible resolution (ie. anything under 2560*1440).

There's only one thing I'd strongly suggest you'd change and that's the SSD, Sandisk is one of the many that use "Sandforce" controllers which have a very bad reputation for unreliability.  I'd suggest either of these:

Samsung 830 128GB - AUD 119
Intel 330 Series 120GB - AUD 118
Crucial M4 128GB - AUD 145

In general, SSD wise Samsung, Intel and Crucial are considered the most reliable.  The Intel 330 series actually has a Sandforce controller, but they also wrote their own firmware for it which means they don't have the same issues.

I note your case is also out of stock.... I'd recommend looking at the Fractal Design cases as an alternative as they have a similar, fairly minimalist look and I've been very happy with my Fractal Design R3.  The R3 should be dropping in price at the moment/near future as the next revision has been released recently (Detailed review here).

Other things I'd suggest:

• You definitely don't need a soundcard, any decent Motherboard will have 'okay' audio (as good or better than a cheap soundcard anyway)
• Do you want to buy Windows 7 right now? windows 8 will be out in October
• The nVidia GTX 660 Ti is due fairly soon, should be 100 USD cheaper than the GTX 670 and looks to have very good performance (Tweaktown Review), it's due out in the next week or so I think and I'd expect to get it for 300-350 AUD.  Depends whether the $100-150 saving is worth the difference?
• There's no stock of that PSU, and I'd definitely recommend spending the extra and getting a modular PSU like this

I assume you've already got a decent screen, keyboard and mouse so don't need to worry about them?

[Reece]

Good call, I'm a newbie to this kind of stuff so anything helps me at all really thanks for that Sir jay see.

Will the GTX 660 Ti outperform the GTX 670? Specifically, will it out perform that specific gigabyte gtx 670?

Yeah also good point on Windows 7, made up this "wish list" so i could get the foundation more or less figured out, probably won't be ordering for another month or so alot of stuff is up for change  .

What's the difference with the modular PSU?

The monitor i plan on running with this is the BenQ XL2420T btw.

[JC]

Good call, I'm a newbie to this kind of stuff so anything helps me at all really thanks for that Sir jay see.

Will the GTX 660 Ti outperform the GTX 670? Specifically, will it out perform that specific gigabyte gtx 670?

Nope, it will be slightly lower performance probably but the performance per dollar is much higher.  It's also important to keep in mind that any FPS over 60 is really irrelevant (unless you're running 3D) as it's widely accepted as that's the highest frame rate an eye detects.

I see the monitor you've picked is a 3D one, if you intend to try 3D gaming I would stick to the GTX 670.... but be prepared that for perfect gameplay you may need more power (eg. SLi'd/two GTX 670's), see comments below about the monitor....

Yeah also good point on Windows 7, made up this "wish list" so i could get the foundation more or less figured out, probably won't be ordering for another month or so alot of stuff is up for change  .

You could always grab the Windows 8 Release Candidate/Release Preview to see whether you like it, then decide which of the two OS' you would like to buy.

What's the difference with the modular PSU?

Modular power supplies are really useful, they allow you to only attach the power supply cables you need (inside the case).  It keeps everything much tidier which normally improves airflow, along with making it much easier to assemble your PC.  These days, a non-modular PSU probably indicates it's either a cheap or old design.

The monitor i plan on running with this is the BenQ XL2420T btw.

Personally I would not bother with a 3D Ready monitor at this point, the technology isn't really at the point where it has become widespread yet so there's a mix of a few well setup 3D games along with a shitload of halfassed attempts which really suck.

That screen isn't too bad in general, but personally I would go for an 'IPS' screen as they (among other benefits) have better, more accurate colours and don't suffer from the same bad viewing angles as 'TN' panels.  Probably the most popular screen of that size/type at the moment is the Dell U2412 which has a better panel tech and a marginally higher resolution $399.

[Reece]

Converting me to switching to dell since I'm not planning on doing much FPS much anyway, atleast not at this stage.

You know much about the catleap IPS monitors and have an opinion whether it's worth the trouble? or just stick to Dell.

Tbh i just want a monitor that's going to make my graphics look beautiful in gaming

[JC]

Converting me to switching to dell since I'm not planning on doing much FPS much anyway, atleast not at this stage.

You know much about the catleap IPS monitors and have an opinion whether it's worth the trouble? or just stick to Dell.

Tbh i just want a monitor that's going to make my graphics look beautiful in gaming

There's a guy on another forum I frequent that has recently purchased one, here's his notes that might help make up your mind:

Quick Impressions:
The monitor is literally an LG panel in a custom housing, depending on the brand. You get what you pay for. The build quality is decent considering the price, but nothing conpared to Dell.

For this particular brand/model, the stand has been criticized for being flimsy and wobbly. However, I have found that it is actually quite solid once you have installed it correctly. Design wise, it may not be everyone's cup of tea. But for me, as long as it is not out of this world nor really stands out (for all the wrong reasons), I am happy.

My unit is working fine with no stuck/dead/bright pixels. It does not seem to have backlight bleeding, only the usual IPS glow which is worsened by not having the anti-glare coating. This particular model: Q270 does not come with the AG coating nor the tempered glass. So, it is glossy which is a good thing considering the dull look the AG on Dell U2312HM gives.

The color looks great as expected from an LG IPS panel. I also use a custom color profile (created by DTP94). When compared to Dell U2312HM (also an IPS panel), the Catleap does give a more vibrant color reproduction.

The refresh rate of these late model catleaps is limited, so don't hope for 120Hz like the 2B rev. I have managed to get it to 65Hz.

Yamakasi Catleap Q270:

+ Price (shipping incl)
+ 2560x1440 Resolution
+ LG IPS Panel
+ Plug and Play

- Housing (material quality)
- Stand (swivel and tilt only)
- Limited Input/Support on non-multi model (DVI-D only)
- No local warranty
- Chance of getting a defective unit (both major and minor)

Personally, I wouldn't take the risk (they're still not that cheap, this guy paid pretty much as much as one of those Dell U2412's.... a big risk for 3 'free' inches).

Realistically, any decent brand at that size will give you 'beautiful' graphics.... IPS will just make them more beautiful!

--Edit--

I should really add, these are sortof what I look for in a screen (in order of importance) as some people might have diffrent priorities (eg. don't care about anything other than it being big..... despite it having a lower resolution than a cell phone screen):

• Resolution/Aspect Ratio - I wouldn't buy a screen with less than 1920*1200, it also has to be 16:10 (Better than 16:9 for a computer, IMO)
• Size - Really, for widescreen anything under 22" is getting a bit too small.
• Price - Yeah this is fairly important
• Technology - The main two are TN & IPS, these days IPS is cheap enough that it's really not worth getting TN
• Brand - I've had screens from Samsung, Dell, HP so far.... but most well known brands are okay
• 3D Capability - Not that important to me, I change my screens every 2-3 years and I don't think that 3D will be that popular until I replace my current set....

[Reece]

Hey JC, appreciate all the advice and help mate! Once i get closer to buying the desktop I'll take notes of all the out of stock advice with the other parts as well as keeping myself up to date from now until then with the new tech as it's always changing 

PS. Dell was at a nice price so I figured i'd snatch it up for 299, it's currently on its way since xl2420t is just a major bitch to get in australia even though BenQ is AUS based... i think?

[RobbieThe1st]

It's also important to keep in mind that any FPS over 60 is really irrelevant (unless you're running 3D) as it's widely accepted as that's the highest frame rate an eye detects.

Bull. Shit. The rate is somewhere over 120FPS, and it all depends on the distance moved per frame. 30fps can appear perfectly smooth if you're only moving 1 pixel per frame. On the other hand, if you whip around in a FPS and half the screen moves between frames, even at 120fps, it'll appear jerky.
This is why they add motion blur to games and movies; to reduce the number of FPS needed to appear smooth.


That being said, you're /right/ overall - Most* LCD monitors today cannot display more than 60fps/hz, so anything above that is basically wasted. What you need is a system able to display 60fps at the most graphically intense scenes in your games.
* The others are either small monitors(17-19") which can often display up to 85hz, or Nvidia 3D Vision monitors which can display 120.