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Hopefully Final Build (Might need tweaking)

P

PBid412

Member
Okay, here is close to my final build. Tweak as neccessary.

Purchased:

Video Card:

Radeon 5850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102857&cm_re=5850-_-14-102-857-_-Product - $308.49

Case:

Antec 900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021 - $99.99 ($59.99 after MIR)

Power Supply:

Antec Trupower 750w
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371022 - $109.99 ($79.99 after MIR)

Monitor:

Asus VW246H
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049 - $209.99

Memory:

G.Skill Memory DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...-NA&Item=N82E16820231303&ref=dynamitedata.com - $79.99

Still Need:

Motherboard:

Processor:

Hard Drive:

CD ROM:

Looking to get a good blu-ray. Haven't done much research on this.

OS:

Thanks for help again.

***** All prices were taken from newegg *****
 
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Just my opinion, but at this point if you're willing to spend over $1k on a system, why would you NOT consider spending some money on an SSD, even if it's a "small" one for the boot drive?
 
Because a good SSD would push him close to $1500, rivethead




For the HD, spend another $10 for a 1TB samsun or $15 for a 1TB hitachi. Personally I'd skip the coming kingston SSD. It's too small, and I'd wait til I can afford the full intel drive. For PSU, the Antec TPN-750 is $5 cheaper after rebate for a better quality, modular, more powerful unit

That raidmax case is pretty cheap/flimsy and has a couple 80mm fans. An Antec 300 or CM Centurion 590 are better choices imo
 
There are a couple of nice 24" 2ms monitors out there for around $175. You could use that savings to upgrade your optical drive to one with Lightscribe (which I love) or even Blu-Ray. You could also get a much better CoolerMaster case for only a couple more dollars.

Other than that your build looks very close to what I am getting ready to assemble myself.

Have fun!
 
I was looking at LCD screens and I can't seem to find the 175 dollar ones you speak of.

I can't find one cheaper than the one I linked.

As for the cases I was hoping to have something a little fancy looking and the raidmax caught my eye. Those other cases just look plain. I guess Im being picky but not looking at quality. Anything with good quality and different looking is what I was hoping for. Didn't realize Raidmax was that flimsy.

Also saw this combo on newegg.com. Is it worth it?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.280597

With the 20 dollar mail in rebate it would cost 391.97 vs 413.97 if my math is right.
 
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Updated the original post. I finally got my hands on a radeon 5850 which has sprung me into buying stuff and I want to buy some stuff with the deals that are going on right now. I can get half the stuff now and then the rest in two weeks. Just wanted to know what I could pull the trigger on now. I got about $500 to spend now and then will probably have $500 in two more weeks.

Thanks all.
 
I went ahead and made some more purchases. I changed a couple things but I feel they were good. Just want opinions so far. Should have rest done in two weeks. Thanks!

(See OP for purchases).
 
ekoostik said:
For an i5 750, if I was not going to overclock I would spend $70 (shipped) for these G.Skill 1333 CL8's: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231275

If I was going to overclock, I would spend $80 (shipped) on these G.Skill 1600 CL7's: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231303

These are both 'black friday' sales so it's not clear how long they will last. The $50 WD Caviar Black 640GB HDDs are already sold out.
Click to expand...

I went ahead and got the G.Skilll 1600 ... not sure if I'm going to overclock but the option is there. Thanks for the help.

Updated OP.
 
Ok, next friday I'll have about 600 bucks to spend on the following items I need.

Motherboard
Processor
Hard Drive
CD ROM - Looking for blu-ray player.
OS

I have what has been purchased so far in original post and was wanting advice on what I can get within the 600 bucks for the following items that I still need.

I might do crossfire down the road, but was wondering what combo with processor and motherboard would be best with whats already purchased. Not to tech savvy and doing the research is mind boggling for me now that I'm getting into the more technical aspect of the computer. I'm not sure with my budget if I could afford i7 and motherboard or not. Hence why I'm looking to you for advice on the remaining things I need.

Appreciate the help.

Thanks.
 
Do you live near a MicroCenter? They can save you big bucks on the CPU. Or Frys? They often have good deals.

Given your dual channel RAM, I'd say you're looking at an 1156 chip. Probably the i5 750 for around $200. But if you have room after your other components, or live near a MicroCenter or some place else you can get it on a discount, you could step up to an i7 860.

For motherboards, you're probably looking at around $150 and up, if you're planning to CF. You'll want a board with two PCIe x16 slots that run x8,x8. If you're not planning to CF you could consider the mATX Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 for ~$105.

For HDD, check out the Samsung F3 500GB, Western Digital Caviar Black 640 GB, or Seagate 7200.12.

Blu-ray players - don't know much about myself.

OS - Windows 7 Home Premium. Typically around $100 for the upgrde or $125 for OEM if you don't have a valid Vista or XP license.. If you have a valid license, I sold one on eBay coule weeks ago for ~$75. The going price at that time seemed to be $65-80. You might want to keep an eye out there.
 
Dude, I've built a lot of systems, some high end and some on the cheap. I've got one word for you - eBay. Its a great source for a processor. For example, newegg lists an i5 750 for $199.00 with free shipping as of today, 12/1/09. Between 11/19/09 and 12/1/09 ten (10) i5 750's were sold on ebay with prices rangin from $167.50 to $177.00 including shipping.

Its a great way to shave a few bucks off your build. If you look at sellers profiles, you can see that there are a lot of reliable sellers. I know I sell off my old high end hardware all the time so I can afford new stuff. I have bought many items off ebay with great sucess including my current QX9650. If I had to pay retail for a QX9650, I would never have had one!

That being said, I don't personally purchase used memory or motherboards, however I have sold many that were of top quality. IMHO, you pulled the trigger too fast on the memory in that you may (and should have if possible) have gone with a tri-memory channel mobo . . .
 
Well this is my first build so I'm learning. Why I'm leaning on you guys on the forums here.

However, I apprecaite your advice. I was hoping to find the i5 for cheaper so I can get a decent motherboard.

As for the tri-memory, haven't read about that. What would be some examples of mobo that do this and would it be worth it with the i5?
 
If there is anyway I can convince you to drop that case and get the cooler master HAF, let me do it. I have helped built 2 people build their comps and both had that Antec 920. After working with it I suggested returning it and getting the Cooler Master HAF (I have it and LOVE LOVE LOVE it). They both DID return it and both my friends love me to death because of the cooler master haf. The build on this case is perfect and it was like they ook every good thing from other cases and put it in this one. The cabling arrangement alone is worth the money alone. There are so many other things though that I can talk about, but I will just say.....you will thank me as well. heh. Anyways, good luck with your build, send me an email if you need little pieces of help.
 
All of the 1366 mobos for the i7 are tri channel memory. An i7 920 goes for about $200 shipped on ebay right now . . . .
 
PBid412 said:
As for the tri-memory, haven't read about that. What would be some examples of mobo that do this and would it be worth it with the i5?
Click to expand...
The 1366 socket/i7 9xx's run with tri-channel memory. The 1156 socket/i5 750 and i7 8xx chips run dual channel memory. You should be able to find an 1156 motherboard that meets your needs in the $150-160 range. Not much reason to spend $200 when you can get quality for less. And I mentioned before I can recommend the GA-P55M-UD2 for around $105-110 if you don't plan to CF and aren't looking for crazy OCs. If you're near a MicroCenter or Fry's check their prices and watch for sales.
 
Okay, I do plan on doing crossfire eventually. I'm also sticking with an I5 as I see no reason for me to get I7 right now. Therefore, I been looking at the following motherboards:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130239 - MSI $159.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128400 - Gigabyte $169.99

Narrowed down to these two. Both seem to have good reviews but I am leaning towards the MSI board. I do like the idea of the OC genie and plus the layout does look nice. Plus the reviews have been good for this board.

As for the Fry's or Microcenter, I'm not fortunate to have one even close to me. I think the closest one is in Philadelphia and thats about 5 hours away from me.

Thanks all for the help again.
 
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This is my upcoming system build. Maybe u can compare for ideas:

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 - Retail ($290)


Motherboard: GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX - Retail ($185)


Memory: UPDATED: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory 7-7-7-21 @ 1.5v Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBRH - Retail ($100)


Video Card: UPDATED: SAPPHIRE 100296HDMI Radeon HD 4670 1GB 128-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail ($75)

System Drive: Intel X25-M G2 Mainstream SSDSA2M080G2XXX 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD) - OEM ($290)


Storage Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives 5-year warranty - Bare Drive ($109)


Optical: SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner - OEM ($27)


Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail ($90)


Case: Antec P182SE Silver Mirror-finished stainless steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($235)


LCD Monitor: ASUS VK266H Black 25.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor w/Built in Speakers 1920x1200 Resolution 300 cd/m2 1000:1 (ASCR 20000:1 ) w/ Component and SPDIF out Connector - Retail ($300 after $30 MIR)

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM ($140)
 
Ok,

This is what I decided on finally.

CPU: Intel Core I5 750

MOBO: ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard

HARD DRIVE: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5

DVD BURNER: P67-2022 :: Plextor PX-880SA DVD/CD Super Multi Writer - DVD+R 24X, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6X, DVD-RAM 12X, CD-R 48X, CD-RW 32X, SATA, Lightscribe

OS: Window 7 Professional hopefully for thirty bucks through Microsoft Store phone line.

Totals: $484.97
 
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Unless the CavBlack 500GB switched to a single platter, go for the 640GB instead, which uses higher density platters and is therefore faster.

If you don't see yourself going Crossfire in the future, you can drop the board down to the $130 level or less (non Pro or some UD3 gigabyte board).
$135 - ASUS P7P55D LE LGA 1156 Intel P55
$135 - GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0

Paying more than $30 for a DVD burner is a ripoff, IMO. Plextor drives are no longer better quality than most, as they simply use the same parts as the cheaper alternatives but bank on their name brand to justify their higher prices.
$27 - Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B

I agree, an SSD would be best, if you could afford one, but if not, then a Caviar Blue/Black 333GB/platter or Samsung F3 500GB/platter would be the next best thing for the money.
http://ssd.alphaq.org
 
I went through tigerdirect.com with the bing cashback. Might not be instant but I saved 8 percent on the whole order. I read some good reviews on the Plextor and wanted the lightscribe as I did think they were better quality. Case in point.

I did go with the 500GB. Didn't think about the platter. I'll use it for now till I get an SSD down the road.

As for the crossfire, I do plan on doing that. Thats why I went with the motherboard I chose.

Thanks all for the help, just gotta wait for the parts now!

*** The deal for students for full windows 7 professional retail was 30 bucks. Definitely a good deal. Just have to call up the microsoft store and ask them about it. Also good deal for office. ***
 
Wanted to say thank you to everyone who helped me out. I got the computer up and running and must say my first build went pretty easy. I'm installing windows 7 right now and its cruising along.

The only problem I ran into was running the wires but its not to bad for first build. Just glad to have a computer running.

But like I said, thanks again everyone!
 
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