Gaming PC Build Review + help mb&psu

[iokke]

Hi, I'd like to thank you for your time or any input! This is the summary of what i tried to accomplish

1. Comp used mainly for gaming (and in future for sound
recoding, but i can wait on buying the soundcard)

2. Budget - $1500, but i can go over if it's really worth it
3. Country - USA
4. No brand preference. I do want it to include NVidia
GTX 295 with plans to upgrade to 2x 295s later. This
is unless buying a cheap vid card will allow me to
purchase a better overall rig and I could upgrade to 295
later when the price drops.

5. Intend to use current monitor, keyb, mouse
6. Searched similar builds but could not find much on
rigs with 295s for 1500

7. Probably will oc, will have to learn how to tho=).
8. Plan to build by August 1 2009.

So far this these are the parts that i liked, but i am already at 1340 and still missing the cpu and the motherboard. My preferable range is 1500, I can go up to 1700-1800 if it is really, really worth it. If you can suggest a different build or appropriate motherboard + cpu (that will support 2x gtx 295) that will help alot. Thanks for your time and input, this is what i got so far:

Hard Drives:
$99 + FS
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB

7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal

Hard Drives - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284
$229.99 + FS
Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB

10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5"

Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136322
-----------------329
DVD-R:
$26.99 + FS
Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD/CD Rewritable

Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827118030
------------------357
Case + PSU Combo:
$269.98

$139.99
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP

Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119160
$179.99
COOLER MASTER UCP RS900-AAAAA3 900W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80

PLUS SILVER Certified Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817171033
COMBO DISCOUNT TOTAL: -$90 = $269.98
-----------------627

RAM:
$129.98

OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2

SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit

Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227289
OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2

SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit

Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227289
-------------------756
Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130504
GTX 295 - $529 also on newegg.
----------------1285
CPU HSF:
$31.99
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU

Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835186134
--------------- 1317

also to be noted i do not know much about building pcs, especially about cases and cooling. as i said a completely different build would be appreciated!
Missing Motherboard + CPU and already at 1317.....=/

once again any help is appreciated, thank you for your time!
Jenya

 

[Denithor]

Why would you pick out memory before choosing your CPU & motherboard?

DDR2 memory automatically limits you to AM2+ or S775 chip & motherboard.

GTX 295 is a seriously bad value today. You can get a pair of GTX 260/216 or GTX 275 for $300 - $400 (respectively, after rebates) that will perform the same as GTX 295 and save $100-200. Or just grab a single GTX 285 for $300 and call it good enough.

That is one overpriced case and a 900W PSU? Wow.

 

[iokke]

actually this something a friend of mine recommended, to use gtx 285/75 for the moment. sorry i am really dumb about building pcs Same for the memory, this is what he suggested. Damn now i know im not just bad, im horrible at the building thing

Also I'd like to thank you for such fast response, I'd like nothing more than criticism before I make a mistake and buy something that does not make sense.

 

[Alienwho]

Look at one of the other i7 posts on the forum and build what they come up with.

 

[giantpinkbunnyhead]

If it will help, I'll share an i7 build that I just purchased. The package is due to arrive today actually, so I haven't put this together yet. It's been 3 years since my last build so I'm not up on everything to a HIGH degree but I stumbled through OK. I went for best bang for the buck, instead of ultra-high-end, so there are no $400+ mobo's in this build for example. This is what my invoice has: (keep in mind prices and rebates change CONSTANTLY and some items are now showing out of stock)

1 - Core i7 920 CPU $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202

1 - Asus P6T SE Motherboard $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131386

1 - OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) kit, DDR3 1600 $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227365

2 - MSI Radeon HD 4890 Graphics cards $400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814127427

1 - Samsung DVD Burner $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151176

1 - LG Blu-Ray drive $79
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106270

1 - Samsung 1TB Hard Drive $89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822152102

1 - Tuniq 1000W PSU $159
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817611009

1 - Arctic Silver 5 $9

1 - Zalman CPU cooler $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835118003

1 - Additional 120mm fan for case $10

This all came to $1365 from Newegg, after $37 in combo savings, plus shipping. It also came with $170 in rebates, so if I get those back then the cost drops to $1195.

My case is an Antec 900, which is an EXCELLENT case and is on sale at Best Buy right now for only $99.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...&cp=1&id=1156203597045

So, including the case: This entire i7 build comes to $1294 after rebates; or $1464 without, and that includes a Blu Ray drive and 2 4890 GPU's in crossfire. (Which, according to benchmarks I've seen, slaughter a 295 in high-res, full AA / AF settings and costs way less at the same time). As read in this review: http://www.techpowerup.com/rev..._4890_CrossFire/2.html

Like you, I am using my existing mouse / keyboard / monitor so I didn't purchase any of those. If you want further info feel free to shoot me a message.

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: iokke
actually this something a friend of mine recommended, to use gtx 285/75 for the moment. sorry i am really dumb about building pcs Same for the memory, this is what he suggested. Damn now i know im not just bad, im horrible at the building thing

Also I'd like to thank you for such fast response, I'd like nothing more than criticism before I make a mistake and buy something that does not make sense.

No questions are dumb. We have all been where you are sitting right now, at some point in our building careers. If you don't ask, than you either don't care or your assuming things. This isn't a good way to learn, so ask away!!

Here are some things to consider:
* I'm not sure why you need to SLI 2 x 295's or even 275/285's. Unless you are on some really big display, a 4890 or gtx 275 is about all you should need. You will spend less on alot of parts if you stick with 1 GPU. You than can take the added savings and either upgrade other parts or save the $ for upgrades later, when you feel you need to.
* As stated earlier, by selecting DDR2 your minimizing your upgrade paths later. In this budget range you can afford to spend a bit more $ on DDR3, which is becoming more affordable. This will open you up to the latest and greatest from either Intel or AMD CPU's. With that being said, I'd consider an AMD PhII x4 955 BE CPU or go with an Intel i7 920 CPU. The Intel build wil cost a bit more, but in your budget it shouldn't be a big deal. The Intel build will be a bit faster in most things, but AMD system will be pretty close too. You can decide which way you want to go with the CPU and then we can get onto the mobo selections for your build.

As far as the other parts:
* I like the Cooler Master 690 case. It's usually around $80-100 shipped and is quite roomy. It comes with 3 x 120mm case fans, so you don't have to buy additional fans, unless you start to get a bit extreme!!
* For 1 GPU setups, I like the Corsair series of PSU's. They are usually very well priced and come with plenty of power. I'd generally recommend the $86 - $20 MIR = $66 Corsair 550vx or the $100 - $20 MIR = $80 Corsair 650tx, since they both come with enough PCI-e power connectors for 1 GPU applications, they both are power efficient >80%, and both come with a 5 yr. warranty too!

There are a couple of things I was curious about:
* What resolution of monitor are you going to be using??
* Do you think the Velociraptor drive is needed?? I think they are a bit spendy for the $.

 

[A5]

I would do this build, but get this Heatsink instead of the Zalman:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233029

Originally posted by: giantpinkbunnyhead
If it will help, I'll share an i7 build that I just purchased. The package is due to arrive today actually, so I haven't put this together yet. It's been 3 years since my last build so I'm not up on everything to a HIGH degree but I stumbled through OK. I went for best bang for the buck, instead of ultra-high-end, so there are no $400+ mobo's in this build for example. This is what my invoice has: (keep in mind prices and rebates change CONSTANTLY and some items are now showing out of stock)

1 - Core i7 920 CPU $280
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115202

1 - Asus P6T SE Motherboard $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131386

1 - OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) kit, DDR3 1600 $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820227365

2 - MSI Radeon HD 4890 Graphics cards $400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814127427

1 - Samsung DVD Burner $26
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151176

1 - LG Blu-Ray drive $79
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827106270

1 - Samsung 1TB Hard Drive $89
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822152102

1 - Tuniq 1000W PSU $159
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817611009

1 - Arctic Silver 5 $9

1 - Zalman CPU cooler $40
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835118003

1 - Additional 120mm fan for case $10

This all came to $1365 from Newegg, after $37 in combo savings, plus shipping. It also came with $170 in rebates, so if I get those back then the cost drops to $1195.

My case is an Antec 900, which is an EXCELLENT case and is on sale at Best Buy right now for only $99.
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/ol...&cp=1&id=1156203597045

So, including the case: This entire i7 build comes to $1294 after rebates; or $1464 without, and that includes a Blu Ray drive and 2 4890 GPU's in crossfire. (Which, according to benchmarks I've seen, slaughter a 295 in high-res, full AA / AF settings and costs way less at the same time). As read in this review: http://www.techpowerup.com/rev..._4890_CrossFire/2.html

Like you, I am using my existing mouse / keyboard / monitor so I didn't purchase any of those. If you want further info feel free to shoot me a message.

 

[iokke]

Hello again,

Thank you for all the help, this is great! I guess I will try to go for the DDR3 and Intel i7 920 processor, still deciding between a single 295 and 2x 4890. I did not intend to set up dual 295 cards until later between, the reason that I wanted to go for 295 is because i figured one will last me awhile, and later I can always get a second one (if games etc. catch up and demand more power).

With regards to velociraptor, no i don't think it is necessary (and i can always get one later).
With the monitor, the one I currently have is old, but later on ill probably run at 1920 by 1200 res. But basically at this point i want to build a nice gaming rig that will last and be easy to upgrade (so ye, now i definitely now dd3 is important).

To sum up what I am looking for is a build in which i can get the best possible essential parts, and stuff like new monitor or velociraptor i can add later.

Regarding 2x 4890, i saw single 295 outperform 2x 4870 and a single 4890 by a large margin. At this point I'll probably go for the build you guys suggested, But Ill read some more on 1 295 vs. 2x 4890 and other i7 builds. Between I hope your computer works great giant. Again thanks for all the input!

 

[iokke]

Also could you tell me what the big difference is between these motherboards or which one is better?

ASRock X58 Extereme $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...3&ref=dynamitedata.com

- Asus P6T SE Motherboard $210
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131386

EVGA 141-BL-E757-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX X58 SLI LE Intel Motherboard $240 (read good things about EVGA)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188049

 

[deputc26]

Pink Bunny's build is good but for that money I'd definitely boot and run progs off a 60gb SSD. SSDs have an effect on performance that you will immediately notice more than any other upgrade. I'd also go with this tb drive instead of the one listed, it is faster.

64gb SSD with 10 year warranty and 2.5">3.5" adapter

 

[ICE66]

You could try an AMD system, I mean, I know most people will recommend Intel. This is my current setup:

Asrock k10n780sli MB, this MB will run both nvidia and ATI cards in sli or crossfire
AMD phenomII 720 Triple core 2.8ghz o/c to 3.8ghz (stock voltage)
OCZ DDR2 1066 ram 2 x 2gb gold series
Aerocool ZeroDba power supply + Fortron 450 watt XBooster5 Aux power supply
2 BFG GTX260 MaxOC55 video cards in sli
Raptor 74gb hd for the OS
Seagate 500 gb, 32meg cache for games
Seagate 1tb, 32 meg cache hd for storage
LG 20x DVD drive
Samsung 22x DVD drive
Soundbalster Audigy2 zx soundcard from previous build. great card


I can look up my invoices, but I have less than $1000 in this setup

I play CounterStrike Source, COD4, World at War, Company of Heroes, Left for Dead, and other games and it runs flawless. I even do track mixdown for a friend of ine in NY City with it. I use Cubase, and Protools on it without any issues. I already had a very nice 24inch LG LCD monitor so I did not need to buy one for this build.

 

[jae]

Dont buy a 295, get a 260 or 275 and a 24" monitor. definitely get a SSD drive.

 

[jae]

Originally posted by: jae
Dont buy a 295, get a 260 or 275 and a 24" monitor. definitely get a SSD drive.

LG DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS50 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136167
$25.99

Antec Nine Hundred + EA650 Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 650W Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129064

$140.00

Logitech RX720 910-001050 Black 3 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Advanced 2.4 GHz Wireless Laser Mouse - OEM

$FREE

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136218

$69.99

ASUS VW246H Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
Item #: N82E16824236049

$219.99

OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail
Item #: N82E16820227394

$229.00



EVGA 896-P3-1173-AR GeForce GTX 275 FTW Edition 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail

$317.99

Nvidia Gift Call of duty - World at war - OEM

$FREE

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

$449.98

Subtotal: $1,542.92

plus $80 in MIR. Im sure it can tweaked to be a little less in $$$ put still great performance

 

[deputc26]

Dang Jae! your build is perfectly optimized at that price point save maybe gfx. Cut the monitor which the OP said he didn't need and you're down to $1322.93


Go with Jae's build.

 

[Axon]

AMD has nice performing chips right now, but the real killer is the i7.

If you have a Microcenter near you, you can currently get the i7 920 for $200...a steal.

Otherwise, Jae has it right. That small hard drive he has there, the OCZ Vertex, will make your system faster than any other upgrade. It was like going from a 486 to a Pentium III for me.

 

[jae]

I dont see the point of upgrading to a new monitor, if you can get one included in your budget and not suffer the performance. Its a high-end gaming pc which the op wants to own SLi'ed 295, with a monitor running below 19x12. just see no reason not too.

 

[iokke]

Ill shoot for Jaes build then, or close to it but wait on ssd since it would be easier to buy em later (i dont mind formating). Again thanks to all for your help!

 

[ICE66]

quantity of item 1
PLEXTOR 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model PX-850SA - OEM
Item #: N82E16827249043
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
$48.99

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811129021
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy -$32.50 Instant
$139.99
$107.49

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
Item #: N82E16822136319
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy -$5.00 Instant
$74.99
$69.99

ASUS M4A79T Deluxe AM3 DDR3 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813131363
Return Policy: Limited Replacement Only Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant
$199.99
$179.99

SAPPHIRE 100269SR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814102830
Return Policy: VGA Standard Return Policy



$10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card14-102-830 $399.98
($199.99each)

APEVIA WARLOCK POWER ATX-WA1100W 1100W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817148037
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy




$179.99

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10600) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10600CL8D-4GBHK - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231180

$69.99
$64.99

AMD Phenom II X2 550 Black Edition Callisto 3.1GHz Socket AM3 80W Dual-Core Processor Model HDZ550WFGIBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103680




$99.99

G.SKILL FALCON FM-25S2S-64GBF1 2.5" 64GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - Retail
Item #: N82E16820231255

$205.00
Subtotal: $1,356.41
Calculate ShippingZip Code: $40.56


Grand Total: $1,396.97


***********************************************************************************************************************

This build does not include a monitor since I believe you stated that you already had one. It does include a 64gb SSD and a Pair of Radeon 4890's for crossfire. the power supply is a bit of over kill but that is a good thing.
the motherboard in this setup will unlock the extra cores on the dual core cpu I included providing the cores are good. I have a friend who just done this recently and has all 4 cores running @ 3.5ghz by only increasing the multiplier. it does include 4gigs of ddr3 ram.
the cpu in this build was only $99. if the other 2 cores are unlocked then you have a very nice quad core for $99. there is 1 mir for $10 not included in the price/

Take care,

ICE

 

[iokke]

Thank you Ice, but for $100 wouldn't I7 be a lot better? That's what people are saying on most posts. I liked amd more previously but at this point what other people say convinced me otherwise. Im with you on the power supply, that way if i change something I wont have to buy a different PSU. Funny, I like all the posted builds, so hard to decide which 1 to go with lol

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: ICE66
APEVIA WARLOCK POWER ATX-WA1100W 1100W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Item #: N82E16817148037
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

$179.99

Apevia is crap. For that price you can get a much better PSU. I would recommend Corsair HX750 or 850, plenty of power for 2 GPUs, very good quality, and a 7 year warranty.

 

[ICE66]

well iokke, it depends what you want. I for one, am an AMD user, and I have found nothing that my AMD rig will not run, and I primarily use it for gaming. I do use it for audio mixing for a friend of mine, and it runs great. The i7 intels are good processors also. I used Intel many years ago, and the last Intel used was a early pentium2 that had a clock speed of 233mhz. LOL, man that was back in the middle '90's, jeez, I'm getting old. I switched to AMD shortly after that and have not looked back. It is a personal choice and Intel is not the only choice out there. I was only showing you that there are other options available to you. the system that I posted contained 2 video cards in crossfire and nonne of the other ones had that. In the end, either way you will have great running system. I wish you best of luck in whatever you build.

As for the power supply Animal, I have at least 12 of those brand power supplies, maybe more, in systems that I build for people and have yet to have one fail. I have them in systems ranging from office systems to crossfire gaming systems using both Intel and AMD cpu's. In fact I have a 600watt apevia in my sons system that has been running since 2005, and has yet to fail. I can tell you that I have had to send back a corsiar power supply about 1.5 months ago that failed after 4.5 months of use. they all make some bad ones, and I recommended this apevia unit based on my experience with them.



ICE

 

[iokke]

Thank you both, I think if Ill go for your build ice, ill go with apevia, if i switch to i7 ill do the other psu. Regardless what an upgrade it will be from my 4 yr old system! Cant wait

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: ICE66
As for the power supply Animal, I have at least 12 of those brand power supplies, maybe more, in systems that I build for people and have yet to have one fail. I have them in systems ranging from office systems to crossfire gaming systems using both Intel and AMD cpu's. In fact I have a 600watt apevia in my sons system that has been running since 2005, and has yet to fail. I can tell you that I have had to send back a corsiar power supply about 1.5 months ago that failed after 4.5 months of use. they all make some bad ones, and I recommended this apevia unit based on my experience with them.

Just make sure you keep buying them ridiculously oversized and you probably will be okay.

I'm not really sure what the point is of having only 4 PCIe connectors and 6 SATA connectors on an "1100W" PSU, as well as only 76A on 12V. (By comparison the HX850 has 6 PCIe connectors, 12 SATA, and 70A on 12V.)

 

[theAnimal]

Originally posted by: iokke
Thank you both, I think if Ill go for your build ice, ill go with apevia, if i switch to i7 ill do the other psu. Regardless what an upgrade it will be from my 4 yr old system! Cant wait

The Cooler Master PSU you originally chose is by far the better choice.

 

[Strandwolf]

Iokke, your initial case pick is the best of all mentioned, such as the ANTEC 900 or the CM 690. Perhaps you can find a HAF 932 on combo w/a good PSU or RAM deal. You'll probably be out fiddy more $ than w/the lesser cases but you won't regret it. Look at the NewEgg reviews--the 5 one egg raters all said that it's a fine case; there were just issues with customer service.