General use/gaming build

[iufan4lifeul]

Alright, I have thought this over for a while and now I have turned to you all to help me sift through the rest of my choices before I start ordering the system!
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
General use(surfing internet, watching movies, watching videos), gaming (I don't play a whole lot now just because I don't have a computer that can play much. I normally like strategy games, MMO's, and FPS.). I love to multitask.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
Fairly flexible, would like to be around a $1000 or a couple hundred over.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
U.S
4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.
Well, I have always loved Intel. I won't write off AMD but the limited use of AMD/Intel's similarly priced products has shifted me towards Intel.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
NONE ( )
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Read them all the time, that is where I got most of my info!
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I have not had much experience with overclocking (2.0GHz AMD to a 2.2Ghz etc.) but will want to moderately overclock, air-cooled, nothing crazy.
8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
I would like to get a 1920x1080 monitor so... yah.
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Late July/Early August (I know this is a bit away but I'm trying to do my homework plenty in advance)


Ok, I am coming from a Core 2 duo on my laptop which has worked great for several years but I need more desktop computer in my life. Recently my computer just cannot multitask to the level I want it to, therefore here is what I'm thinking to build.

Case- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811156063 Or comparable $75

Power Supply- Cooler Master 600 watts http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817171036 $70

CPU/Mobo- (this I am not sure about)
Option 1: 1055t x6 ~280 with mobo
Option 2: i5 750 ~$330 with mobo
Option 3: i7 870 ~$400 with mobo
Option 4: i7 930 ~$500 with mobo

w/ Cooler Master hyper 212 cpu fan $40
I have gotten to play around with the i7 930 and it's very fast and because the 870 is quite a bit cheaper, with similar performance, I am leaning towards Option 3 with a P55 mobo. I like the price and cores of the amd but it just never stacks up to the i7 from what it seems. The i5 seems like a good chip as well but I haven't been sold on it.

GPU- ATI 5850 more than likely, outside chance of the GTX470 but due to overclocking, heat, power, etc. I am liking the ATI. $300-350

Memory- 4GB G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 (unless i7 930 then something 2GBx3) - $110

Hard Drive-Samsung spinpoint F3 1TB- $70

O.S- I have Windows 7 64 bit

Mouse/KB- IDK, will decide when I buy...

DVD RW- $25 (whatever brand)

Monitor- ASUS 1080p 23" http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236052 $200


Total Price:
AMD- $1170
i5- $1220
i78xx- $1290
i79xx- $1390

I will utilize Microcenter and BCB but I put these prices on here merely for comparison's sake.

 

[mfenn]

Why would you go for the i7 870 @ $400 when you can get the i7 860 for $230 at Microcenter?

 

[MisterDonut]

i7-860 @ MC. Take the money saved and bump up the 5850 to a 5870. SSD might be the bigger upgrade, but now would be a good time to wait for Intel's refresh, imo.

Little benefits for you from a hexacore.

Not sure about reliability of CM PSU's. Case is really personal preference, but with regards to ease of use, CM 690II or a Lian-Li K62 are really popular choices. If you want silence, the P183 is your best bet. If you want performance, I've found my Antec 900 to have superb airflow, but this takes a while to dremel holes to hide cables. After modding though, it's airflow is fantastic and can be seen by how much goddamn dust it attracts.

 

[iufan4lifeul]

Ok, so the i7 860 is $229.00 at Microcenter, not including motherboard. Still a good deal for the money? $30 more than the i5 which sounds like its worth it. As far as the graphics card I would like to keep the build as cheap as possible without sacrificing too much performance so I would probably stick to the 5850 overclocked, unless you all think the gtx 470 would be better? I hope this computer can last 2-3 years playing the newest games/applications with only minor upgrades.

I just can't justify the price for the i7 930 seeing as you have to (well, should) buy 6GB of memory, a more expensive motherboard, and come out with not a whole lot to show for it.

So basically:

#1. i7 860 worth it for $220 + mobo in comparison to thuban x6, i5, and i7 930?

#2. 5850 or GTX470 (will overclock eventually, want to run in 1080p)

#3. Is 4GB of ram enough at this point in time?

 

[mfenn]

Ok, so the i7 860 is $229.00 at Microcenter, not including motherboard. Still a good deal for the money? $30 more than the i5 which sounds like its worth it. As far as the graphics card I would like to keep the build as cheap as possible without sacrificing too much performance so I would probably stick to the 5850 overclocked, unless you all think the gtx 470 would be better? I hope this computer can last 2-3 years playing the newest games/applications with only minor upgrades.

I just can't justify the price for the i7 930 seeing as you have to (well, should) buy 6GB of memory, a more expensive motherboard, and come out with not a whole lot to show for it.

So basically:

#1. i7 860 worth it for $220 + mobo in comparison to thuban x6, i5, and i7 930?

#2. 5850 or GTX470 (will overclock eventually, want to run in 1080p)

#3. Is 4GB of ram enough at this point in time?

1. At $220 it's a steal
2. 5850
3. Yes

Hope that helps!

 

[heyheybooboo]

This week there are a multitude of Phenom 955BE C3 combos that look good.

But since it may well be August when you build, there is no telling how the landscape will change before then ---- and I believe ""Q3-10"" is when the AMD next-gen vid cards will start popping up.





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