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i7 Build - $2800ish - starting from scratch

V

vongoetz13

Junior Member
Howdy everybody,

I've been pondering the idea of building a gaming computer. The various BIOS update process is still a bit unsettling, but i've got to learn somehow. Anyways, over the past couple of weeks I've been reading various forums and this is what I've come up with...any thoughts?

My profile:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for: Gaming, really waiting for D3 and starcraft2?want to check out Fallout3 & Crysis. My son is just getting to the age where he is interested in computer games, not just the Playstation2, so I'm sure he will be playing racing games and the milder RTS's in the future.

2. What YOUR budget is: $2750

3. What country: Jackson Hole, USA - It is pretty much mail order out here...plus good tech guys cost an arm & a leg!

4. IF YOU have a brand preference: I'm an Intel kinda guy...for the other stuff I just want good quality parts.

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. Starting from scratch.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads. Lurked for a while?still confused about Nvidia vs ATI and matching the best motherboard...also, how to choose a PSU???

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. Default, but would like to learn how to OC later.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it? Within a month

9. Future thoughts on upgrades: 12/24mb RAM, dual up the video card, add a TV tuner, SSD & BlueRay player. Go to Win 7.

Here are my choices:

COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119138
$179

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151173
$29.99

Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136322
$229.99

HP LP2475w Black-Silver 24" 6 ms (GTG); 12ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor ? Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824176104
$554.99

EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card ? Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130446
$305.00

Antec TruePower Quattro TPQ-1000 1000W Continuous Power ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371012
$199.99

Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 Speaker - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16836121006
$78.99

Logitech G11 Silver & Black USB Standard Gaming Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16823126009
$58.99

Logitech G5 7 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Laser Mouse - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16826104076
$43.99

CyberPower CP1500AVRLCD 1500VA 900W UPS - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16842102048
$139.00

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835100007
$8.99

Rosewill RTK-045 45 Piece Premium Computer Tool Kit - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16899261003
$19.99

XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835233029
$39.99

Combos:
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.182605
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.182605
$398.98

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.192121
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...?ItemList=Combo.192121
$429.99

-----------
$2797.84
$87.50 shipping from newegg

-$50.00 MIRs

$2835.34 ? Grand Total

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. If you can save me any money because I'm overspending on something not needed, that would be even better. Ok, I'm grabbing a :beer:...you guys have fun critiquing this rig. Thanks in advance!
 
looks good to me. EVGA is a great manufacturer, gotta love lifetime warrantys that cover OC and overvolting 🙂 the antec 1kw psu is overkill but it's a very well build unit, I love mine, but might be good to get in case you decide to go SLI later. that and I've been a little out of the loop lately but I've never heard of XIGMATEK but I think that is about the price of a trusty TRUE or TT120 that have a very good reputation. And Tuniq's thermal paste is as good or better than AS5 and is included with the TT120, unless they've gotten cheap.
 
:wine:All top of the line stuff. I love cooler master cases. I personally own alot of the brands your using for this build.
There is a review on benchmarkreviews.com on thermal paste. It had great results with ocz freeze paste.
Maybe springing for a better heatsink so when your ready for that 4.0 ghz overclock you don't have to buy another one.
I will only buy evga cards from now on. Customer service is outstanding and the trade up program was a life saver for me.
I would go with a gigabyte mobo. Just personal preference really. I have had great experiences with gigabyte.
Also would go with a cooler master haf case since you want a serious gaming rig.
Other than that any computer geek would love that rig

Q9400 3.84ghz/domino alc cpu cooler
Gigabyte mb ga-ep45-ud3p
gskill ram 1:1 960mhz
cooler master atcs 840 case
evga gtx 280 oc'ed
creative sound card
blu-ray/hd-dvd drive
antec quattro 850w
 
Pantlegz1: thanks for your feedback...I had a coolermaster V8 listed but switched to the darknight to save a little $$$. I'll check out the Tuniq 120. I did chose the GSU for upgrades later...glad I got that somewhat right...it was a shot in the dark!
 
OILFIELDTRASH:

:wine: right back at you...

Yeah, I have a buddy down in Louisiana that likes Gigabyte MB's too. Any comparable one you would suggest moving from the ASUS P6T Deluxe V2? Also I chose the coolermatster cosmos 1000 off a whim...my wife was talking to me and I was trying to decide which case to get and asked for her opinion...she said the CM C 1000 looked the prettiest...LOL...after getting a green light to build a $3000 rig, I'm choosing my battles wisely!! She thought the HAF was too "industrial looking". Just as an FYI, I?m using your suggestion as the reason to get the HAF...plus, I like it better too!
 
if you're going for something less pretty, maybe the antec 900? they look similar and it's less expensive, I've been happy with both of mine. As far as the motherboard is concerned I would suggest http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188048 anandtech did a review of it not too long ago, they seemed to like it. While it's more expensive it's built to handle anything you can throw at it. I think the only 'issue' is the lack of NF200 Southbridge which I think would only make X2 cards not work properly but you have 3 way sli support with the board. So, unless you feel the need for 6 way sli... Or this http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813188039 is a little more in the ASUS's price range. Again this is personal preference but 3 evga mobo's and not one complaint.

The one thing about evga boards you have to be a little careful of and do a little research on is RAM, sometimes they're a little picky. Or so I've read, from what I can tell as long as you buy decent memory it's not an issue. Just something to keep in mind
 
Lets see... Where do I begin??

Here is what I'd change consider:

The case is nice but for <$100 you could get the Cooler Master 690 case. It's almost tool-less and has plenty of room for upgrades. You can also run some of your wires behind the mobo tray for better airflow in the case!!
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

The PSU is nice, but way overkill for what you need. You could run the system on a Corsair 650tx without any issues, but if you want a bit more upgrade path than the Corsair 750tx would be my first selection. Even the PCP&C 750w PSU would be just fine too. Both are good quality and come with 5 yr. warranties too!!
$120 - $20 MIR = $100!!!
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
$120 - $20 MIR = $100!!! What a steal to have too!!
PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI NVIDIA SLI Certified (Dual 8800 GTX and below) CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply compatible with core i7 - Retail

The Velociraptor HD is nice, but for the $ I'd rather have 2 HD's in RAID 0 or just have a HD for the OS and stuff and a large one (1 TB) for storage and games. Most games these days are 5-15 gb's installed, so keep that in mind when buying.
$70 shipped!! Has plenty of room and doesn't cost alot. Get 2x for a RAID 0 configuration, if you so desire!
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
and for storage needs:
$100 shipped!!
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives - OEM

The monitor you selected should work, but I'd consider something a bit cheaper and will do just as well. There are plenty of options to get in the 24" size, so do some research and get the one you think will do you well.
$230 shipped!!
ASUS VW246H Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 1000:1 (ASCR 20000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail

As far as the OS, Vista Home Premium 64bit is all that I'd get. The Ultimate edition doesn't really make that much of a difference.
$100 shipped!!
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

The RAM is good, but spendy, IMHO.
$95 shipped!! Same speed and same voltage, just cheaper and should be a good performer!
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

I'm not sure if the UPS is needed, but that is up to you. If you have alot of power surges than it's probably a good idea. I just use a basic surge suppressor, but I don't have alot of lightning storms in my neck of the woods either.
Your Keyboard/Mouse/Speaker combo is up to you. I use a headset, because I like to have lots of sound and not disturb the neighbors/wife/kids when gaming. Plus the included built-in microphone helps when I want to communicate with people in the game!!

So.... with the ~$640 in savings that I've proposed above, I'd consider getting a Blue Ray player/burner. The BR ROM (read only) w/DVD burning capabilities would be about $100 and a straight out BR Burner would be about $100 more than the ROM player (~$200 total for the burner). It's up to you, but your system should run just as fast with the proposed adjustments above than the one you proposed. There are other options too, but I thought this matched your initial build quite well. Personally I'd probably build something a little bit different and save more, but it's your system and your $. Hopefully I've helped in some way?
 
Sure is a lot of $ for something that goes obsolete so fast!

If me, i'd consider cutting costs by using extremely high quality, high performing but less expensive thing like:
* less expensive case (maybe you can get a really good one free at your local electronics waste recycling day event),
* less expensive hard drives (difference of 10,000rpm vs. 7,200 rpm is imperceptible to human beings),
* less expensive psu,
* less expensive saitek eclipse keyboard (which is better anyway) instead of logitech,
* skip the ups,
* skip the toolkit, mostly you only need a #2 phillips screwdriver and a bare copper wire wrapped 'round your wrist & fastened to any hole in your case for esd grounding,
* probably 4GB is plenty enough ram (plus what's on the video card),
* maybe a 22" monitor is big enough for now, until some future day when you can have 2 of the 22" monitors side-by-side

Adjustments like these, & maybe others too, could save you around $700 to $800 or so.
 
that monitor is an IPS panel, if anyone hadn't noticed. 12ms is sufficient for gaming, but you may consider a TN panel with a 4-8ms response (2-4gtg) if you want to do a lot of twitch gaming and havn't already been spoiled by an IPS monitor.

the PSU and UPS are both overkill. a 650-750w PSU is plenty and you could get by on an 500w UPS. personally, i just keep my PC plugged into a 250w unit, which does the job of keeping it alive as long as i'm not gaming. i don't bother with the monitor, as our power failures are far between and usually very brief.
 
Originally posted by: scott
Sure is a lot of $ for something that goes obsolete so fast!

If me, i'd consider cutting costs by using extremely high quality, high performing but less expensive thing like:
* less expensive case (maybe you can get a really good one free at your local electronics waste recycling day event),
* less expensive hard drives (difference of 10,000rpm vs. 7,200 rpm is imperceptible to human beings),
* less expensive psu,
* less expensive saitek eclipse keyboard (which is better anyway) instead of logitech,
* skip the ups,
* skip the toolkit, mostly you only need a #2 phillips screwdriver and a bare copper wire wrapped 'round your wrist & fastened to any hole in your case for esd grounding,
* probably 4GB is plenty enough ram (plus what's on the video card),
* maybe a 22" monitor is big enough for now, until some future day when you can have 2 of the 22" monitors side-by-side

Adjustments like these, & maybe others too, could save you around $700 to $800 or so.
Click to expand...

Almost exactly what I was doing with the proposed changes that I listed in my previous post. I think most will agree with us that there are quite a few overkill items that are just too expensive for any minor performance difference.
 
When the wife gives the OK on a 3000 dollar gaming rig you don't ask questions and you don't do cheap!

Also I picked up a ocz vertex 30gb solid state drive on newegg (shell shocker deal for $120
$20 mir) this morning before leaving for work. They will probably be gone soon but if you could pick that up for $100 after rebate and use that drive for OS and a $85 1Tb drive for storage you get the best of both worlds $185.
 
Have you read the reviews on the Enermax Revolutions!? I bought 2 Revo 950's and they are amazing! Even after all the hype, they are a latest and greatest in PSU technology and I love mine 🙂
 
Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
When the wife gives the OK on a 3000 dollar gaming rig you don't ask questions and you don't do cheap!

Also I picked up a ocz vertex 30gb solid state drive on newegg (shell shocker deal for $120
$20 mir) this morning before leaving for work. They will probably be gone soon but if you could pick that up for $100 after rebate and use that drive for OS and a $85 1Tb drive for storage you get the best of both worlds $185.
Click to expand...

while understandable, if you played the new pc correctly, you could add a new monitor or by a projector for a home theatre. or a sick new surround sound. I personaly would look for less expeinsive "bang for your buck" parts and buy some extra stuff with the leftover money. As was stated in an earlier post, that rig will be obsolete in less than three years, while if you get your self a bang for your buck rig, you'll enjoy the fact that you were able to wring some extra toys out of that budget. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: rasczak
Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
When the wife gives the OK on a 3000 dollar gaming rig you don't ask questions and you don't do cheap!

Also I picked up a ocz vertex 30gb solid state drive on newegg (shell shocker deal for $120
$20 mir) this morning before leaving for work. They will probably be gone soon but if you could pick that up for $100 after rebate and use that drive for OS and a $85 1Tb drive for storage you get the best of both worlds $185.
Click to expand...

while understandable, if you played the new pc correctly, you could add a new monitor or by a projector for a home theatre. or a sick new surround sound. I personaly would look for less expeinsive "bang for your buck" parts and buy some extra stuff with the leftover money. As was stated in an earlier post, that rig will be obsolete in less than three years, while if you get your self a bang for your buck rig, you'll enjoy the fact that you were able to wring some extra toys out of that budget. 🙂
Click to expand...

Couldn't have stated it much better myself. I tend to live for bang for the buck and use any extra budget left on more important things, not that buying a new computer isn't a good thing, but you get my point!!
 
Originally posted by: Lunyone
Originally posted by: rasczak
Originally posted by: OILFIELDTRASH
When the wife gives the OK on a 3000 dollar gaming rig you don't ask questions and you don't do cheap!

Also I picked up a ocz vertex 30gb solid state drive on newegg (shell shocker deal for $120
$20 mir) this morning before leaving for work. They will probably be gone soon but if you could pick that up for $100 after rebate and use that drive for OS and a $85 1Tb drive for storage you get the best of both worlds $185.
Click to expand...

while understandable, if you played the new pc correctly, you could add a new monitor or by a projector for a home theatre. or a sick new surround sound. I personaly would look for less expeinsive "bang for your buck" parts and buy some extra stuff with the leftover money. As was stated in an earlier post, that rig will be obsolete in less than three years, while if you get your self a bang for your buck rig, you'll enjoy the fact that you were able to wring some extra toys out of that budget. 🙂
Click to expand...

Couldn't have stated it much better myself. I tend to live for bang for the buck and use any extra budget left on more important things, not that buying a new computer isn't a good thing, but you get my point!!
Click to expand...

These are VERY good points. Unless you have a need for something an i7 will do, 775 offers a much more mature EOL Wolfdale, Yorkfield & the new "S" model Yorkfields that use less power.
 
Good point on the s775 option. You could even go with an AMD setup too and still be about the same as the s775 option too. I'd probably only spend about $1200-1500 at the most now and use the $1500-1800 in savings and put it towards a nice laptop for mobile use. Even a decent Netbook for browsing on the couch or out on the patio would be a good option too!! Heck you could even get matching His/Hers netbooks for just the fun of things!! LOL!! I think you get my point.
 
Thanks for all the great feedback everybody.

On the case issues...when I first started looking building this rig I liked the Antec 900
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129021
and/or the CoolerMaster RC-690,
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119137
but was worried that there was not enough room in these mid sized units for air flow as well as the option to upgrade to a 2x/3x EVGA GTX 285 1GB setup.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130446

Also, I chose te 1000w PSU so I could 2x/3x the GTX 285 later. So the Corsair 750w would be enough?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139006
or maybe this 850w?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139009

I'll go Vista Home Pre 64 to save some $$$, and will look for a smaller UPS - around 500w.

And for HDs i'm leaning towards the WD 1TB HDD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136313
And will wait till the prices come down on the larger SSD's

Also I was under the impression that the HP monitor was the best becasue it was IPS? Would a TN be better for gaming? I've just heard they are cheaper...and you get what you pay for. If I was to chose a TN i'd go with the LG 22" or the BenQ 24"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824005109
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824014173
the ASUS 24" looks good too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236049

Any other thoughts? Thanks again for everybody's input! :thumbsup:
 
Personally if your not going to go X-fire/SLI now, your better off just getting a good single GPU and then upgrading the GPU later. In 6 months to a year from now you'll be able to get a better single GPU card that'll be better than 2x GPU's now. So save your money on the Case/PSU/GPU now and use it for something else. I don't think 3x X-fire/SLI really makes that much of a difference, plus I don't think it's worth the hassle and power price that goes with it. I'd get the Corsair 750tx or even the PCP&C 750w PSU for your needs. Both of these will leave room for upgrades and will easily handle a (2 card) X-fire/SLI setup if you really go with that option.
I think going with the 1 TB HD is a very smart choice. SSD's will come down in price and will become more affordable. I'd probably wait for 64gb SSD's to come down to a manageable level before buying an SSD HD. Windows XP/Vista are already in the 12-20 gb install size, so that would only leave you about 7-12 gb's left for other stuff on a 32 gb SSD. This doesn't leave much room, hence the reason for the 64 gb SSD selection. It's up to you, but that is what I'd consider.

I forgot to ask, but do you really need an i7 build?? You can get a solid build with a s775 or an AMD build for quite a bit less (~$150 less to begin with, CPU/mobo). In 2 to 3 years from now you'll want to upgrade to the latest/greatest and will probably start over again, so getting a good deal now leaves $ available for the next upgrade.
 
IPS has better image quality, measured as higher contrast ratio, better color representation and gamut (accuracy of and range of colors). This is great for Photoshop and the like. IPS "suffers" from ghosting, smearing, slow response times, these are all pretty much the same thing described in different ways.

TN - it's got the fast response time, but less of everything good the IPS has.


All that said I have 2 Dell 24" IPS displays (2807wfp, 2407wfp) at home, and a 2407wfp at work. I've watched tons of movies, and I played lots of Fallout 3. I never noticed the "downside" on my IPS panels.


 
I was thinking of getting an i7 slot because 775s were just about at the end of their run?... 😕

So, I'll need a new motherboard and memory for this option...and a heatsink...and a- crap, my big-rig i7 house of cards is collapsing on me! I haven't looked at 775 slots in a while...time to do some more research!

I'll start with this new chip?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115209

 
😕Whoa man slow down. Now your wanting a power saving chip for your gaming rig? Stick with the core i7. Maybe one year from now they'll have nvidia's latest card a GTX380 (crysis will be smashed by this card) and guess what it will do you no good. Your cpu will not be able to keep up with this beast and your back on here looking for suggestions on a core i7 build. Sure core i7 is a little much right now but thats today. What about the future? Look I love 775 just as much as the next guy but its a dying technology. Its what I own right now and if I hadn't already spent over $2000 last year building my 775 build I'd go core i7. I'm not going to play the $2000 a year gaming rig game and I'm sure you don't want to either. So just bite the bullet go all out and in 1 year from now when that GTX 380 comes out you'll thank me.
 
OILFIELDTRASH:
That is why I chose the i7 to begin with...so I can have more upgrade options later. I'm fine spending a little more for the i7.



 
if you went with that quad, you'd only be saving like 100-150 bucks, all told. might as well go with the i7 920, which can be had with mobo and 6gb of memory for <$600.

one gtx285 should do just fine. a 750w psu or greater and an sli mobo will leave the option for another open, but there's really no point in going for three.
 
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