A New Build

[johnjaxs23]

Hi, I am looking to build an i7 build with the 4870x2 for a $1000 or slightly above, any help on this is appreaciated?

Also I already have the hard drives, DVD drives & floppy drives.

 

[Jephph]

$1000 for a Core i7 and a 4870x2 is VERY limiting for other components. The cheapest Core i7 CPU is the 920 for ~$300, and the cheapest 4870x2 is ~$400. The cheapest LGA 1366 mobo is ~$200. So... you're left with $1000-$300-$400-$200= $100 left for a case, power supply, and memory. There's no way you'd be able to add a monitor or operating system, so I'm assuming you already have those, or a free OS like Linux or something.

Anyway, here's the best I could find for keeping within your budget limits.

The aforementioned CPU and Vid Card:
Core i7 920- $300
Powercolor Radeon HD 4870x2- $400 after MIR

Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R motherboard- $185 after MIR
GMC R-2 Toast AZT-GMCR2-BL Case- $25 after MIR
PQI Power series 1GB DDR3 1066 RAM- $23
Raidmax Hybrid 2 RX-530SS 530W PSU- $40 after MIR

Total- $973+shipping
And you have to deal with Mail-In Rebates (MIR) to get that price.

I'm not sure the vid card will even fit in that case. You really would want a full tower case, but they're ~$60+. Also, I'm sure that PSU isn't certified for that vid card, but it should work. You really would want a decent 650W+ PSU, but again, they would be ~$60+.

And remember, this is without a monitor and OS.

It would be much better to have around a $1250+ budget for a Core i7 setup, especially with the 4870x2; $1500 with a monitor.

You can check out my "My i7 Build" post for a decent Core i7 setup for around $1700.

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: Jephph
PQI Power series 1GB DDR3 1066 RAM- $23
Raidmax Hybrid 2 RX-530SS 530W PSU- $40 after MIR

Ok, first - 1GB RAM !?!? Um, only if you want an i7 system that will run slower than a $400 e8400 system...

Second - just don't use a crappy PSU like that, you will regret it eventually. Go for the Corsair 650TX ($70AR), one of the best deals available right now.

Go read the Attention System Builders guide at the top of this forum - that will point you in the right direction. Answer the checklist and we will try to provide some better info.

BTW - welcome to the forums!

 

[Jephph]

Originally posted by: Denithor

Originally posted by: Jephph
PQI Power series 1GB DDR3 1066 RAM- $23
Raidmax Hybrid 2 RX-530SS 530W PSU- $40 after MIR

Ok, first - 1GB RAM !?!? Um, only if you want an i7 system that will run slower than a $400 e8400 system...

Second - just don't use a crappy PSU like that, you will regret it eventually. Go for the Corsair 650TX ($70AR), one of the best deals available right now.

Go read the Attention System Builders guide at the top of this forum - that will point you in the right direction. Answer the checklist and we will try to provide some better info.

BTW - welcome to the forums!

Dude, maybe you should read my whole post before flaming. I was staying within his budget, and I also stated that "You really would want a decent 650W+ PSU, but again, they would be ~$60+."

Read before posting next time, eh?

 

[johnjaxs23]

Originally posted by: Jephph
$1000 for a Core i7 and a 4870x2 is VERY limiting for other components. The cheapest Core i7 CPU is the 920 for ~$300, and the cheapest 4870x2 is ~$400. The cheapest LGA 1366 mobo is ~$200. So... you're left with $1000-$300-$400-$200= $100 left for a case, power supply, and memory. There's no way you'd be able to add a monitor or operating system, so I'm assuming you already have those, or a free OS like Linux or something.

You are correct I do have the monitor & OS.

also I could do up to $1250 but that's not counting MIR's

 

[Jephph]

Originally posted by: johnjaxs23

Originally posted by: Jephph
$1000 for a Core i7 and a 4870x2 is VERY limiting for other components. The cheapest Core i7 CPU is the 920 for ~$300, and the cheapest 4870x2 is ~$400. The cheapest LGA 1366 mobo is ~$200. So... you're left with $1000-$300-$400-$200= $100 left for a case, power supply, and memory. There's no way you'd be able to add a monitor or operating system, so I'm assuming you already have those, or a free OS like Linux or something.

You are correct I do have the monitor & OS.

also I could do up to $1250 but that's not counting MIR's

In that case, definitely go with a better quality PSU, and a better case. Also, I would definitely want at least 3GB of RAM for a Core i7 setup.

I've got to go beat some ice off my roof right now, but I'll be back in a bit with PSU, case, and RAM recommendations.

 

[Jephph]

OK, switch the Raidmax PSU for the Corsair Denithor mentioned- +$30
Switch the GMC case for a Sunbeam Transformer +$20
Switch the 1GB PQI RAM for G.Skill 3GB (3x1GB) DDR3 1333 RAM- +$62

Your new total- $1085 after MIRs, probably around $1150 to $1175 before MIRs.

If you want to spend a bit more, I would go with a better CPU Heatsink if you want to overclock. Otherwise, more RAM would probably be your best upgrade.

 

[Denithor]

Glad to see things cooled down here.

I did read it, understood what you were saying -- but also, don't want a new guy to burn down his $1000 rig with a POS PSU. Saving $30 and losing $1000 doesn't make sense.

:laugh:

Memory - G.Skill 2x2GB DDR3-1333 $80 (free shipping)

These sticks will cost $5 less for 4GB than the 3GB recommended and will run in dual channel mode. And, before you complain, there's no difference between dual channel & triple channel.

EDIT: Now, I just hope you have at least a 1920x1200 24" LCD for gaming, otherwise that $400 4870X2 will be completely wasted.

 

[Jephph]

Originally posted by: Denithor
Glad to see things cooled down here.

I did read it, understood what you were saying -- but also, don't want a new guy to burn down his $1000 rig with a POS PSU. Saving $30 and losing $1000 doesn't make sense.

Fair enough

Yeah, the 4870x2 is a very nice card, but it will be a slightly less very nice card in a few months when Radeon HD 5000 series and GTX 300 series comes out.