Advice & recommendations on a Build

[fliptrip]

Hello everyone, long time listener first time caller.

I am thinking of putting together a new machine in order to play upcoming games on highish settings at a decent framerate e.g COD MW2, borderlands, etc as well as existing games I haven't attempted to play with my existing setup e.g Crysis, NFS Shift, Burnout paradise, Batman & Resident Evil 5.

The rig will be left on 24/7 in our room so needs to be somewhat quiet, power efficiency would be an advantage. Primarily to run the games I mentioned at 1680x1050 (possibly 1900x1200/1080 if I acquire a new monitor) but also general Photoshop, Illustrator & InDesign editing as well as word processing etc. Windows 7 64 bit.

It will hopefully keep me somewhat up to date for at least 2 years, with a GPU upgrade during that time probably being the most important factor for keeping me current with gaming requirements (maybe a 300 series in a years times when they've dropped in price or once they start releasing the 400 series).

Existing setup: AMD 64 5600, MSI K9N NEO-F board, 2gb Kingston ValueRam, 4x1TB WD HDD, ASUS Nvidia 7900GS.

I'm not an avid overclocker so really want performance out of the box, unless it's an easy overclock that you would be silly not to do but can still keep the chip cool & quiet and would be able to handle being overclocked for 2 years 24/7. I'm in New Zealand so Pricespy.co.nz is the newegg equivalent here in NZ.

* CPU:Intel Core i5 750 2.66GHz 8MB Cache 95W TDP LGA1156 - NZD$330
OR i7 920 NZD$440 OR i7 860 NZD$460? Bearing in mind I haven't been with Intel since my Pentium II MMX 200mhz. OR stick with AMD and go for a Phenom X4 945 NZD$270 or 955 for NZD$300?
- What would you recommend based on my requirements?

* MOBO:
Especially need advice here depending on Intel or AMD recommendations. Don't need Xfire or SLI support. Bluetooth would be cool but not necessary. Just need the solid basics. Need 4 sata connectors.

* HSF: Was looking at either the Scythe Mugen 2, Xigmatek Achilles or Noctua NHU12P with 1 or 2 fans. These seems to favour quiet over a slightly increased temp but not much.
What can you guys recommend here. As mentioned earlier, I'm not sure if I'll be overclocking, just want something that is nice and quiet and will keep temps cool (especially in summer). Bear in mind here in NZ (pricespy) we don't have as much choice in this dept so not every product you mention will be available or will be ridiculously overpriced.

* RAM: 4 or 6gb of something. Most likely 4gb Kingston value ram or G.SKILL ripjaw 1333. NZD$150
- Will I notice a difference between the valueram and G.SKill or Corsair if I'm not overclocking? would you recommend 4 or 6gb?

* GPU: Gigabyte GV-N26OC-896I GTX 260 PCIE Video Card 896MB DDR3 NZD$280
- This thing is comparable to a 275 so hovers around the 4890 & 5770 in terms of performance and price - agreed? Mainly sticking with Nvidia as I've never had a problem with one and never owned an ATi card - got nothing against them but if the 260 is on par with them the little less performance + price difference I'm willing to pay.

* HDD: Intel X25-M 80GB SATA SSD 2 5" MLC - NZD$484 (GEE!)
- I want an SSD for the OS, probably doesn't need to be this big as already have 3 conventional 1TB drives for storage (not raid). But I have read the X25-M is pretty amazing (but 80gb is the smallest) and with 2nd generation ones support upcoming TRIMS. By having this as the OS drive + applications & a few games and the others just for storage is a good way to go right?
OR is SSD just not even worth it for my setup and requirements?
EDIT - I could wait for the Kingston 40GB V Series Boot Drive SSD to hit stores but Not sure when that would be here in NZ and at what price.

* CASE: Antec 300 - NZD$114
- I'll grab some rubber grommet mounts for the HDDs. How would I mount the SSD, would I purchase a 3.5 - 2.5 converter bay?

* PSU: Corsair HX 620w - Had it for the past year (still a good capable PSU?)


Further thoughts: Will 1 SSD + 3 HDDs + GTX 260 fit in the 300?


Thoughts/recommendations on everything? What would you recommend, what would you advise against? What have I overlooked? Cheers everyone in advance, your advice is very much appreciated.

 

[dank69]

Originally posted by: fliptrip... How would I mount the SSD, would I purchase a 3.5 - 2.5 converter bay?...

The retail boxed version of the x25-m comes with the 2.5->3.5 adapter.

 

[Patrickz0rs]

Here is a really sweet Combo I pulled the trigger on:

955 Black Edition + ASUS M4A79XTD EVO = $255

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.273337

You could throw in some 1333 or 1600 DDR3 in that AM3 motherboard and be set!

 

[fliptrip]

@dank - Not sure what you mean by retail, but do you think http://www.pricespy.co.nz/pno_14565.html">the ones listed here</a> would include an adapter?

@Patrick - I can't use newegg but our equivalent here in NZ is pricespy. That board retails for $230 here.

Which would everyone choose out of

• Microstar 790GX-G65 790GX DD3 AM3 ATX motherboard - $200
  Gigabyte GA-MA790GPT-UD3H AM3 790GX ATX motherboard - $220
  Asustek M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X DDR3 ATX motherboard - $230
  Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P AM3 AMD790X DDR3 - $240

And what are the main differences between these boards? But are these overkill considering I will never run Xfire? and I may not overclock?

What's the benefit/disadvantage of the 945's 95wattage VS 955's 125wattage?

Thanks again guys - sort of leaning back to AMD at this stage unless someone can give me some good excuses for Intel.

 

[ChuckyP83]

I would go for the Gigabyte GA-MA790GPT. I think the solid caps it uses are pretty reliable and I think it has the best blend of features and price. I am a bit partial to asus, but they tend to be pricier and as of late I dont think the quality is there as much.

I would also splash out for a Black Edition CPU as it makes casual overclocking a lot easier. You also don't have to get really fast RAM to support an overclock because you can just crank up the multiplier on the CPU instead of the whole bus. The 955 is the best choice from a bang for your buck perspective.

A few months ago I would have said 8 gigs of Corsair ram but since prices have risen so dramatically, you might want to get a 2x2gb kit and when prices come back down get another. I am partial to corsair and kingston, but I would pick on price. Just keep an eye on what voltage it requires to reach its rated speed, because that reflects on the quality of the module and futzing with voltages is a real pain on some mobos.

I would also stay away from Nvidia right now as AMD's GPUs are FAR better for the price. Now that the 5xxx series is out, I would spring for a 5850 or 5770 over a 260. they are much more energy efficient (thus less heat/noise) and beat Nvidia in performance per dollar but a good margin. of course if you dont mind being a gen behind, a 4870 or 4890 is always a good bet, though they do run a bit hot and suck a bit of juice.

I wouldn't touch an intel SSD given the problems they keep having, especially with the recall they just did on their new firmware for the G2 disks. I would stick with Vertex, or even an Agility SSD from OCZ. I think having an SSD really helps make your computer be responsive, thus you can be more productive and wait less for your computer while it "thinks."

The Antec 300 is a good choice as is the corsair PSU (If it works, dont fix it eh?). As long as you dont live in a dusty environment, the 300 provides a ton of airflow so you can keep the fans cranked down and not have to constantly hear you machine.

Anyway hope this was helpful.

 

[fliptrip]

Thanks Chucky for the really comprehensive reply. You brought up quite a few interesting points - especially regarding the Intel SSD G2 recalls. This is news to me. I will have to look into it.

It seems the only version available of the 955 here in NZ is the black edition which starts at $297
Regardless of CPU I'll just grab the G.SKILL Ripjaw 4GB kit DDR3-1333 PC10666 CL8-8-8-21 MEMORY RETAIL F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM 2GB x 2 (does it look ok?)

FINE! I'll go 5770 - and in a years time I'll upgrade to something beefier. Regardless if I had a 955 or i5 750 - The cpu won't bottleneck me in a years time in games will it? It would still be the GPU right?

You mention the dusty environment scenario - In all honesty, somehow our room is quite dusty. Would you recommend a different case? Bearing in mind I would place some sort of air filter over the side intake of the 300 (the front 2 fans have a dust filter and I believe the back & top fan blow air out?)

In all honesty after reading so many reviews and other posts I'm still undecided on whether to go i5 750 or X4 955 BE - I've calculated the total cost difference being the i5 is NZD$50 more expensive. If I'm not planning on over clocking and want the most/best performance straight out of the box which would you push me towards? REALLY need the push (kick) to get me out of this decisional rut!

Cheers for all the help

 

[yh125d]

Meh, personally I don't consider dust a factor when I buy cases. A can of air costs like $3 and is a lot more effective than any dust filter you can buy

 

[ChuckyP83]

Yea dust isn't really an issue, I am just a bit anal about that sort of thing so it bothers me! That memory looks good. Honestly memory is a bit of a commodity nowadays, and that stuff has a lifetime warranty so I would just go ahead and get it. I don't think the CPU would bottleneck you too much, and AMD is good about giving you upgrade options down the line, unlike Intel which seems to introduce a new socket every year. I would imagine that your 955 black ed. will have some legs down the line, and they are decently close to intro-ing 6 core chips in the next year or so. Also games are getting better at using multiple cores so the 955 being a quad should actually run newer games faster as they utilize all 4 cores much better. The only knock I can think of on AMD CPUs is that they are more power hungry than Intel, so if power consumption is a concern got with intel. Its not going to make up the difference in price on your electricity bill, but some people like the peace of mind of having a "green" product.

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: ChuckyP83
AMD is good about giving you upgrade options down the line, unlike Intel which seems to introduce a new socket every year.

Like skt754, skt939 & LGA775?