My New High Performance System Build

[tjaisv]

I haven't upgraded my current system in a while, i'm still running an Athlon 64 3200+ on a Socket 939 Abit AV8 motherboard with 512mb of memory and a GeForce 6600GT. I'm not a gamer, so the whole system has suited me well over the years but it's kind of slow now for my needs and i figure it's time to just get a completely whole new system, one that's much faster at everything and that will last me another several years. I will use it for everything from web browsing, office work, etc.. to video editing and heavy multitasking with a number of different apps.

After hours of research on anandtech and plenty of other review sites here's what i've come up with:

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)

Thermal Compound: IC Diamond 7 Carat - 1.5 gram ($12)

Memory: 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: 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: UPDATED SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail ($180)


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


LCD Monitor: UPDATED HP W2408 - 24" Widescreen Glossy TFT Active Matrix LCD Display (TN Panel), w/ Stereo speakers, USB hub, 1920 x 1200, 0.27 mm, 5ms, 400 cd/m2, 1000:1 - Refurbished ($300)


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

Total Price: $1841 + Shipping (prices are mostly from newegg; i plan on searching for the best prices for each item once i'm ready to buy, but i'd really prefer to buy as much as possible at the same place)

All in all I'm sure it's a solid build that will last me a long time, but if u notice any potential hardware conflicts or quality concerns i'd definitely like to know about it. Any comments and suggestions/concerns are welcome in fact. Thanks gents.

 

[redz]

Why are you getting a 5870 if you're not a gamer?

 

[Marty502]

Yup, you might save a few bucks from a more reasonable video card (given your needs) and splurge on the RAM instead, make it 8 GB right away.

 

[Corsairs]

I would agree that what stands out to me is the 5870, which is likely overkill since you're not going to be gaming. Not only are those cards expensive, they're hard to find, thus potentially slowing down the time frame of your system build. I would recommend stepping back a GPU generation to get a card under $300 that's available right now.

I'm also thinking that you could save a little on your memory. You didn't mention any plans to overclock, so DDR3 1333 memory should do you just fine. You should be able to pick up a quality 4 GB kit of DDR3 1333 RAM for under $90.

Those changes should push the total cost of your system down to around $2,000. Overall, I think your build looks quite solid. I'm also about to upgrade from a PC very similar to the one you're using. May we both realize major performance boosts.

 

[tjaisv]

I agree about the video card being overkill for my needs so i've stepped back 2 generations to the Radeon 3870. I also changed the memory to DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666), but i'll stick with 4GB for now as i don't really see myself having a need for anything higher.

Brings my total to $1841 + Shipping. Now just have to wait for my tax refund...

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

ehhh... is a 3870 512MB alot better than a 4670 1GB? Seems questionable. I think I'd rather have 1GB for everyday tasks than 256-bit. The HIS looks like a bad HSF design, whereas this gigabyte has a Zalman cooler (rebate doesn't hurt either). HIS paints their heat sinks copper color - shady IMO. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125277

Why are you getting a cheap PSU and a $235 case??? I mean even I didn't spend that much on a case and I bought a $200 case (ATCS 840 almost got a P193, but it's not as great). I spent $170 on a PSU as well. Get your priorities straight. Everything else looks Kosher.

 

[Marty502]

If anything, the 4670 or even the humble 4350 have the UVD2 features, which means that they will decode hi-def video, offloading the CPU. The 3870 doesn't.

I'm not sure the 3870 is your best bet, either.

 

[tjaisv]

ehhh... is a 3870 512MB alot better than a 4670 1GB? Seems questionable. I think I'd rather have 1GB for everyday tasks than 256-bit. The HIS looks like a bad HSF design, whereas this gigabyte has a Zalman cooler (rebate doesn't hurt either). HIS paints their heat sinks copper color - shady IMO. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125277

Why are you getting a cheap PSU and a $235 case??? I mean even I didn't spend that much on a case and I bought a $200 case (ATCS 840 almost got a P193, but it's not as great). I spent $170 on a PSU as well. Get your priorities straight. Everything else looks Kosher.

What's wrong with the PSU i chose? It has plenty of power on the 12+ volt rail and gets good reviews.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Who cares about reviews. Most people are idiots. I was saying that at this level of system build he should allocate more to the PSU not that it's a terrible PSU. It's a matter of priorities. There are better PSUs available.

 

[Firsttime]

Your PSU is fine. 550W Corsair is plenty for an i7 and low power consumption video card.

 

[snarang100]

consider core i7 920. It sells for $200 at Micro center. Ofcourse that would mean you will need a 1366 mobo.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

Your PSU is fine. 550W Corsair is plenty for an i7 and low power consumption video card.

Doesn't matter about the wattage. Ideally you only want to run your PSU in the range it gets best efficiency in. For example, on mine (750w) that means roughly 40-60% which is like 300-450 watts. Doing this will mean it will stay cooler, more than likely last longer and use less electricity obviously. Also, a better PSU will not send negative or highly positive voltage spikes when you turn it on, nor dirty power that causes problems and failures.

Once again, for a high performance system who gives a rats ass about "fine". The PSU is the cornerstone of the foundation of your system You want balls out jigga watt power that's smooth like buttah and clean like Jesus' RAP sheet.

 

[Firsttime]

With a 4670 and i7 860 PSU calculators give me about 250ish watts at load. Which is about 45% of his PSU rating. That PSU is more then enough, anything more would be overkill. Corsair makes quality power supplies.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

With a 4670 and i7 860 PSU calculators give me about 250ish watts at load. Which is about 45% of his PSU rating. That PSU is more then enough, anything more would be overkill. Corsair makes quality power supplies.

How can you calculate his system if you don't know what all he's using? You can't. It's not overkill it's headroom. Also the VX is the value line of Corsair's lineup. Why put 87 octane in your high performance sports car? Well then that 550 watts would be a fine amount of power, but just for the record Corsair doesn't make PSUs. Channel Well Tech builds the VX550 which is pretty much the same as the Thermaltake ToughPower according to Jonnyguru.com's review.

 

[tjaisv]

So what would u recommend for a better PSU? I am open to getting a larger wattage PSU but my only concern is the extra money i'd be paying for any extra electricity it consumes on average. My electric bill is already pretty high. I'm not usually running any real intensive apps aside from video editing which i don't do very often and i don't game (well actually i can probably expect my younger family members to start using my computer for gaming).

 

[SOSTrooper]

Your original choice of Corsair 550W is perfectly fine. Or you can opt for the Antec TruePower 550W as well. At the end they're both solid and backed by reputable warranty services. No need to get a higher wattage PSU.

 

[fffblackmage]

I also think the Corsair 550W psu is more than just sufficient for that build.

IMO, any case over $120 is a waste of money. There are plenty of quality cases around $100, or even less. Money would be better spent on a high quality non-TN panel LCD monitor.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

So what would u recommend for a better PSU? I am open to getting a larger wattage PSU but my only concern is the extra money i'd be paying for any extra electricity it consumes on average. My electric bill is already pretty high. I'm not usually running any real intensive apps aside from video editing which i don't do very often and i don't game (well actually i can probably expect my younger family members to start using my computer for gaming).

Why don't you read posts about PSUs so you don't sound so ignorant then. It's clear you don't even get it. But, here's the cheat-sheet:

Seasonic X-Series 650w is the best PSU on the market and you WILL use less electricity if you get that one. For sure. Period.

THE END

Thank ya very much, I'll be here all week.
​

 

[tjaisv]

Why don't you read posts about PSUs so you don't sound so ignorant then. It's clear you don't even get it. But, here's the cheat-sheet:

Seasonic X-Series 650w is the best PSU on the market and you WILL use less electricity if you get that one. For sure. Period.

THE END

Thank ya very much, I'll be here all week.
​

That's one heck of a PSU. Newegg doesn't mention that it has a 5 year manufacturer warranty.

I added it to my list. Thanks!

 

[tjaisv]

One more thing. As far as cooling, the retail CPU i'm getting comes with a stock fan, right? And it has the thermal paste too?

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

I would not use the thermal paste they give you. For $12 at most it's cheap insurance. $12 is a high number, it's what I paid for ICD7 ($7 + $5 shipping), which is mostly powdered synthetic diamond. If you don't overclock then the stock cooler is fine, but I also would upgrade that part to lower the temps in general.

 

[dmw16]

I'd opt for a Corsair PSU over the Seasonic, but partly because I am partial to Corsair products. I agree that ~550W is plenty for your build.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

I'd opt for a Corsair PSU over the Seasonic, but partly because I am partial to Corsair products. I agree that ~550W is plenty for your build.

LOL - Seasonic BUILDS Corsair, genius. So does CWT.

 

[dmw16]

LOL - Seasonic BUILDS Corsair, genius. So does CWT.

430 posts old on here and you're already posting rude responses. Nice work.

 

[ChaiBabbaChai]

430 posts old on here and you're already posting rude responses. Nice work.

Ummm that's rude... and I don't see how post count can be correlated to rudeness, experience or knowledge. At least whatever I post isn't totally ignorant like some people.