My $800 build, suggestions or comments?

[gigahertz20]

All parts are listed in this link:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12214505


This build is for a friend and mostly going to be used for gaming, the budget is around $800. I went with the P55 Asus P7P55D Pro motherboard because I needed something that had Crossfire support and will run dual video cards at x8/x8 mode or higher, a bunch of the P55 mobos have the 2nd video card slot run at X4 mode, which is no good for crossfire as the tomshardware article showed.

For the video card, I went with the Radeon 5770, which is the only option for a $800 budget. When games start to have low FPS, I plan on throwing in another Radeon 5770 in the future and do crossfire.

The processor I chose was the Intel Core i3 530 at 2.93GHz and I'm planning to OC it 4GHz, none of the socket 1156 mobos say they support core i3 processors but I'm assuming they all do?


Any suggestions for a better motherboard/processor and still stay within budget? Any big difference between core i3 and i5? From looking at specs on newegg, they seem to be the same.


No monitor/speakers/keyboard/mouse, after adding shipping charges then subtracting the $55 in rebates it comes out to be around $807 final price.

 

[mfenn]

All parts are listed in this link:

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=12214505


This build is for a friend and mostly going to be used for gaming, the budget is around $800. I went with the P55 Asus P7P55D Pro motherboard because I needed something that had Crossfire support and will run dual video cards at x8/x8 mode or higher, a bunch of the P55 mobos have the 2nd video card slot run at X4 mode, which is no good for crossfire as the tomshardware article showed.

For the video card, I went with the Radeon 5770, which is the only option for a $800 budget. When games start to have low FPS, I plan on throwing in another Radeon 5770 in the future and do crossfire.

The processor I chose was the Intel Core i3 530 at 2.93GHz and I'm planning to OC it 4GHz, none of the socket 1156 mobos say they support core i3 processors but I'm assuming they all do?


Any suggestions for a better motherboard/processor and still stay within budget? Any big difference between core i3 and i5? From looking at specs on newegg, they seem to be the same.


No monitor/speakers/keyboard/mouse, after adding shipping charges then subtracting the $55 in rebates it comes out to be around $807 final price.

Crossfire plans don't really work out that way. One of two things will most likely happen when you outgrow the 5770:

1. There will be a single card that is faster than CF 5770s for a decent price
2. 5770s will be so expensive compared to newer cards that they aren't worth it (case in point 4770).

I would shave some from the other parts (mobo esp.) to try to fit an i5 750 into the build. That will give much better longevity for the money.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

I'd get a cheaper P55 motherboard with an i5 750. I'd get a 4860 for $115 instead: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2045920. I'd upgrade to the 1TB for $10 more. Getting a cheaper case would also help.

 

[gigahertz20]

I would shave some from the other parts (mobo esp.) to try to fit an i5 750 into the build. That will give much better longevity for the money.

I was thinking about i5 750, but do you really think a quad core would be that much better for gaming? Hardly any games take advantage of quad core right now and do you think that many games will support it in the next several years? I was thinking a dual core i3 530 at the new 32 nm process overclocked to 4GHz would fly through everything for many years to come.

The Anandtech article on the home page gave me the idea of going with the i3,

"That's because at only $125, the Core i3-530 is not only the fastest dual-core processor available today, but also—with two logical threads per core—performs on par with the best budget quad-cores in most benchmarks. Thanks to its 32nm process and a 22x multiplier, it also overclocks to 4GHz using the stock cooler (YMMV)."

I'd get a 4860 for $115 instead

I don't know about the 4860, it's a pretty shitty video card and no support for DX11 like the 5770 I have chosen. Remember, this is a gaming computer that needs to handle new games coming out for the next couple years. I know the Radeon 5770 I have chosen is not that fast, but when you crossfire 2 of them together they are as fast, and faster in most benchmarks then a Radeon 5850. I'm hoping this summer or so prices will drop farther on the 5770's and I can have my friend pick one up for $130 or so and then crossfire 2 of them. Two 5770's crossfired should handle any game for quite some time.

I agree with the mobo, I might have to find something cheaper that supports crossfire in X8/X8 mode. The case has to stay, my friend is a Kansas City Chiefs fan and loves the red LED's and it's important the case looks good to him even if it is one of the more expensive items.

 

[mfenn]

I was thinking about i5 750, but do you really think a quad core would be that much better for gaming? Hardly any games take advantage of quad core right now and do you think that many games will support it in the next several years? I was thinking a dual core i3 530 at the new 32 nm process overclocked to 4GHz would fly through everything for many years to come.

The Anandtech article on the home page gave me the idea of going with the i3,

"That's because at only $125, the Core i3-530 is not only the fastest dual-core processor available today, but also—with two logical threads per core—performs on par with the best budget quad-cores in most benchmarks. Thanks to its 32nm process and a 22x multiplier, it also overclocks to 4GHz using the stock cooler (YMMV)."

GTAIV, Dragon Age, Mass Effect 2, just off the top of my head. Most games coming down the pike will benefit from a quad-core.

 

[gigahertz20]

I don't know about the i5 750 quad core 45nm processor, I kind of like the thought of the cool running new dual core 32nm i3's that can OC to 4GHz with stock cooler.

We'll see, I'm not sure how much over his $800 budget he can go, and the i5 750 would add $75 more to make it $875 total. I'm thinking it would probably be better to just get the dual core i3, OC it to 4GHz, and when he saves up some more money get a 2nd Radeon 5770 to crossfire. That will do more for gaming performance then getting a quad core over a dual core.