Help with building a monster computer.

[Xak4tsevenO 10]

My budget is about 3,500$ Not trying to be demanding, but I would like it to be able to play games on max graphics years from now. One that I would now have to upgrade often. I would prefer to have the items in a cart on Newegg but any other way is fine. Thanks for the help! :)

[Nicholas 5]

Will send you a PM.

[Alex72 1]

I just installed 2 SSD's (OCZ Vertex 3 on 6Gb/s SATA3) yesterday (OS on one and ARMA2 on one) and ARMA2 is flowing like never before. Although the actual performance doesnt go up you sure as hell percieve it as upped. I have no popping textures and the average FPS score of the bench went up 5 FPS. Thats average so it means those parts where the game slows down due to heavy loading (stuttering) that is now gone and the game feels much "lighter".

Im amazed of how smooth the gameplay is, and of course how fast everything loads. :) Definately something to go for for ARMA3.

Now im wondering about the sandy bridge 2600k and a P67 motherboard, but i might wait a little longer to see what happens since ARMA3 is a year away. I usually never buy the absolute top of the line though exept a few parts, and that usually lets me play with high settings and great FPS.

We dont know what ARMA3 will need to be played with high resolution and high settings, but i think the P67, SSD and 2600K will manage pretty well. And it should be sold at pretty fair prices in a year.

[Tankbuster 1746]

but i think the P67, SSD and 2600K will manage pretty well.

It does indeed. :)

[EvenLease 11]

My system spec's are in my sig,

The system run's every game out beautifully. Now only if I knew how to ready my SSD for ISR(Intel Smart Response) I'd be able to put ArmA 2 on there. Still working on that.

But for a $3500 budget, you could up the graphics card to a GTX590, maybe even two of them. And maybe make it 12Gig of ram.

But in the end its your call. I build for the future not the present.

[5LEvEN 11]

I would wait on buying a computer if I was you. AMD is supposed to be releasing their bull dozer chips, which is supposed to kick intels @$$ (but who knows). Also Nvidia is supposed to be releasing their 6 series GPU based on the Kepler architecture. So if your patient you will have an even better computer.... Or get it a little cheaper...

[Kieran 11]

If your building a computer for arma 3 but want to play other games in the mean time. then build yourself a good gaming pc for alot less than that.

then build your computer after arma 3 has been realsed, trust me when all the new hardware comes out you would of wished you had waited.

plus all the stuff you buy now will be alot cheaper then.

but as the saying gose, you can't keep waiting for new hardware just cause its coming out in a few months.

thats happing alot, and you got to stick with somthing or you will be waiting forever, then the next best thing comes, so you decide to wait, then your in a massive loop then a paradox ensures engulfing the whole world.

[lone.wolf 80]

My budget is about 3,500$ Not trying to be demanding, but I would like it to be able to play games on max graphics years from now. One that I would now have to upgrade often. I would prefer to have the items in a cart on Newegg but any other way is fine. Thanks for the help! :)

Hey mate i am in the same situation just have 3000€ (living in EU) for the monster, can you plz tell me your findings and experiences...

Corsair Watercooling is it good or loss of cash, its only 50 euro's..

[Cionara 10]

@Lonewolf

I would invest in a real water cooling system. Not a budget one. And also make your self confident with overclocking. Look at my signature, the new i5 2500k cpus can be overclocked to 4.5-5Ghz when watercooled, costing only 150 bucks. SSD is a must, helped me get stuttering away in ArmA 2 and DCS. I would choose a gtx 580/HD6970 graphics card, you can integrate that into the water cooling circle. Because if you choose a solution with 2 gpus (SLI/Crossfire or gtx590, hd6990) you will have micro stuttering, some people like me find that very annoying.

Search a good 1155 board, take a 2500k (the 2600k is not as good as that one for overcloking). Get 8 gigs ddr3 ram. A >128Gb ssd. A >650watt PSU. A gtx580 graphics card and a proper water cooling system. That will cost you ~1000€. For me Arma 2 runs perfect with such a system. I've been searching a way to improve performance but right now you won't find a cpu with more than 4.8Ghz. And gtx 580 (hd6970) are the best gpus on the market which do not have micro stuttering problems. If they solved this issue someone tell me please :)

sry for my english ^^

Edited June 30, 2011 by Cionara

[onlyrazor 11]

Now im wondering about the sandy bridge 2600k and a P67 motherboard, but i might wait a little longer to see what happens since ARMA3 is a year away.

Now, I'm not exactly good at this stuff, but by 2012, Ivy Bridge should be available. If I were you, I'd wait for that.

[dmarkwick 261]

If this is specifically for ArmA3, then definately don't build or buy anything until it's imminent on release. PC component prices only ever go down, and their performances only ever go up.

[maddogx 13]

Search a good 1155 board

^^ This is indeed very important for overclocking. Definitely do not get a board with an H67 chipset. You'll want a P67 one.

[Cionara 10]

Yea the people are right. I would wait till next year too.

[Tonci87 163]

Go for this

asus p8p67 pro

in combination with an intel i7 2600k. That should be enough for Arma 3

I have them myself and I am very happy :)

[ArmAriffic 10]

I no money for new computer :'(

[rmarduk 10]

Wait a year. Afeter the new AMD and Intel processors and new radeon graphic cards.

[lone.wolf 80]

Can't wait playing Arma for a year..! So i gotta get one now..

Overclocking, i have no idea how to so it should properly not be this solution... What about intels hexa-cores...

Putting HDD in Raid benefits Arma or dont have a effect..:!

[CyclonicTuna 87]

You should definetly go for an Solid State Drive (SSD), improves the speed of your game drastically when using mods etc.

[[frl]myke 14]

EVGA Classified SR-2, Intel 5520, Dual-CPU, CFX/SLI, NF200 1

Intel Xeon E5620, Socket 1366, 2.40GHz, 12MB, 4C/8T (x2)

OCZ RevoDrive X2 240GB, PCI-E x4, MLC

Kingston HyperX, 6x4 GB, DDR3-1600, CL9-9-9-27@1.65V

Western Digital Caviar Green, 32MB, 1TB, SATA-3 2 (x2, RAID)

LG BH10LS, BluRay/DVD Writer, LS, SATA, Retail

Club 3D HD 6990 Dual-GPU, 2x2GB, PCI-E x16 2.0, Mini-DP

Xigmatek Elysium Big-Tower - black

Enermax Modu-87+ Netzteil - 900 Watt

That would be my proposition. ;)

[gossamersolid 155]

There's a fine balance that people have to keep in mind.

I'd say to wait till next year because ArmA 3 comes out in a year, why buy outdated parts for no reason.

But don't have the mindset that "I should wait for this because this new hardware is coming out". If you always think that then you will never end up building the computer.

Since it is being built for A3 though, just wait.

[onlyrazor 11]

I'm gonna have to upgrade this year. I'm also getting BF3 *GASP!!!!! HOW HORRENDOUS!*

[wolfbite 8]

Yeah I gotta say popping in a faster Hard drive has increased performance a lot.... Gonna get a ssd now...

[TimRiceSE 10]

Now, I'm not exactly good at this stuff, but by 2012, Ivy Bridge should be available. If I were you, I'd wait for that.

from what i understand, ivy bridge cpus will be able to be be dropped into p67 mobos

edit: and h67 and z68 etc

[Alex72 1]

But don't have the mindset that "I should wait for this because this new hardware is coming out". If you always think that then you will never end up building the computer.

A classic. :D

To OP:

Of course if money wont be an object then wait and see in a year whats around. I still think P67, 2600K, SSD and a sweet videocard will cut it. I saw they bundle the Sabertooth P67 + 2600K in the shop here for about 400 euro and i think ill go get it. If i need better in a year ill deal with it then. :)

Just baught the Corsair 850W and 2 SSD's (SATA3) so i feel i want to upgrade some more. My HD6970 has served me very well so far, and its my first ATI in a long time. Nothing to complain about. Brute force in this card. For ARMA3 though i will get a new one. Probably Nvidia to get PhysX without bogging the cpu. On the other hand with a 2600K and good cooling i dont think it will be "bogged". :D

[Montanaro 0]

I'm going to hate a bit here.

If I were to spend 3,500 on a PC, my g/f of four years would kick me out of the townhouse...

Hell I'd kick myself out...

but then again, I'm just finishing my degree and don't have money.

But if I did, I'd have to think long and hard before committing 3.5k to something that will be obsolete in 5 years. The only thing I'm looking at now is the new AMD X8 and a mobo to go with it, and that'll be 500-600ish...