first i5 build for variety of tasks

[eleanor296]

Hey guys,

I'm wanting to build an i5 system used for everything from gaming over CAD/Spice/Video Editing to web surfing, and also a media center for a 42" HD TV.

My budget is around $800 w/o video card (see below)

I don't really have a brand preference, though I really like the performance/$ of the i5. I've thought long and hard about the whole 955 vs i5 thing, and figured I might as well shell out the extra bucks for the i5.

I am thinking about waiting until Fermi comes out/ATI prices stabilize to probably buy a 5850. I have an old Nvidia FX5700 lying around... it should be enough to do non-gaming tasks with a 1920x1080 monitor until I get my hands on something nicer, right?

I am also looking to somewhat future-proof this computer, that's why I chose the USB3.0/SATA 6Gb/s MOBO, and a PSU so that I can add another 5850 down the road when prices come down for the next gen.

I've read a ton of threads about all this, just looking to get some reinforcement.

I would like to fool around with overclocking some, since I view building my own computer as an educational project.

I'd like to build it before the end of Q1 2010, unless there's a good reason to wait.

Here's a link to my newegg wishlist:
https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] D=15700748

Here's what I got for parts so far:

I5-750: nothing much to say here. $200
ASUS P7P55D-E Pro: seems to be a better choice than GIGABYTE for USB 3.0 & 6Gb/s SATA. $190
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666): seems like good RAM, suggestions are welcome. $95
Arctic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound $8
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W: heard it's a good PSU, figured I'd future-proof the system for CrossFire down the road. $110-$20 MIR=$90
AZZA Helios 910 Black case: seems to be a solid case from reviews, with a great price. $80-$30 MIR=$50
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer: Don't really know what to look for there. $32
WD Caviar Black 750GB: I'd rather go with the Samsung F3, seems to be out of stock right now though. Any idea when they'll be back? $80



Thank you guys so much!


I also posted a similar thread at Tom's Hardware, hope that's alright, I don't know how many people regularly visit both boards. Just let me know if there's a problem with that.




Andy

 

[MisterDonut]

I'd go with the Samsung HD. Any plans to CFX/SLI ? Check out the new G.skill ECO series. That line got some great reviews and operate on low voltage.

 

[eleanor296]

I'd go with the Samsung HD. Any plans to CFX/SLI ? Check out the new G.skill ECO series. That line got some great reviews and operate on low voltage.

Yes, I do plan on it. Sorry, I think I should make that a little more obvious... it kinda got lost in my short novel up there lol.

I'll check out the ECO line, thanks!

 

[MisterDonut]

Haven't seen the Helios yet, but I will say the Antec 300 Illusion is a magnificent case for 50 bucks. But AZZA makes some great stuff, so go for it . If you can wait for the ATI price drop, definitely check out the 5850/5870 (Friend got a 5870 for Christmas and near maxed out Crysis @ 1920 smooth as ice). You can even check out the new Fermi, but if you follow Nvidia's habits...it might not be priced as well as ATI. So far, even one 5850 can be overkill for a lot of the games, but I can't speak for the future. Other than that, you got a great basket of parts ! I've used/seen only AS5 around where I live, but is the MX-2 better ? With your budget, I'm assuming that you'll want aircooling, but you should check out the Corsair H50 nevertheless (cools slightly better than most of the best aircoolers). Otherwise, shoot for a TRUE/Megahalem/Noctua UH-12P/CNPS10X Flex/Quiet/ etc. Aftermarket cooler business is boomin'

 

[eleanor296]

switched some stuff around... got a 650W power supply now that should still handle crossfire as per ATI's spec sheet for the 5850. Also switched case for an Antec 300.

As for the MX-2... I've heard that the AS5 can cause shorts or something, and apparently the MX-2 doesn't. Not too knowledgeable about thermal compounds myself.

 

[MisterDonut]

Ahh, that's interesting. Maybe I should stop using AS5 =/...Yeah the TX650 is supposedly a better build compared to the TX750, but I couldn't tell a difference working with both. One of my builds over the summer actually, I used an Antec 300 for the guy. Great case, great room, great flow, great craftsmanship in general. It's similar to my 900, and once modded, the airflow is brilliant. With ambients ~17c, Everest is reporting my Mobo temps ~14c. GPU is reporting ~38c. Cpu temps load ~50c. You won't be disappointed ! Cheers to the build.

 

[eleanor296]

thanks for the encouragement man! Just gotta find a little more dough somewhere.

Andy

 

[Imp]

I say lose the Lite-On DVD and get an LG H22. The 2 Lite-Ons I had were both problematic. One died on me, the other didn't recognize a lot of media, and Lite-On's support is pretty bad.

I plan on picking up an i5 tomorrow with a Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2, WD 500 GB HDD and OCZ Ram. G.Skill should be good, but since everything is more or less the same price, I'm going with something off the "official supported Ram" list.

 

[eleanor296]

thanks, I'll take your suggestion.

 

[betasub]

If you are planning on setting up and testing your system with an old FX5700 graphic card, make sure it is slot compatible. Your motherboard supports PCI-Express and (legacy) PCI, but not AGP (most likely for an FX5700).

 

[eleanor296]

If you are planning on setting up and testing your system with an old FX5700 graphic card, make sure it is slot compatible. Your motherboard supports PCI-Express and (legacy) PCI, but not AGP (most likely for an FX5700).

ouch, you're right... nvm using it as a holdover then. Thanks!

 

[Imp]

Just finished building my own i5 today. Only major issue that came up with me was that I didn't know about the memory voltage limit of 1.6-ish volts (I see 1.65 and 1.6 thrown around), but you should be good with the G.Skills. Got lucky since the store I got it from only stocked the newer "low voltage" stuff.

Also, I got G.Skills after the OCZs I got had 1 defective stick out of 2, and the working stick didn't run at the proper speed (bad SPD info).