Need help building new pc

[HydraShok]

Hey all,

A little background. I have the same pc I built 4-5 years ago. I have been playing Xbox 360 mostly and want to get back into primarily pc gaming.


Current system is
P4 3ghz HT
2 gig DDR
6800GT OC (AGP)
XP Home

I have already ordered a 850 watt Corsair PS and a Coolermaster HAF 932.

I have a 22" 1680x1050 monitor I will be using with new build.

I have about a thousand to spend on remaining parts (mobo, cpu, ram, video card).

I still play WoW and I like to play fps, rts, and rpgs. I cannot play anything that is new without turning settings way down. I need some help deciding between Core2Duo, Core2Quad, Phenom II, and Core i7.

I priced a Core i7 system and parts and it is what I am leaning towards.

i7 920 - $288
6 gig mushkin ddr3 - $135
Asus P6t - $249
evga gtx 285 - $350
vigor monsoon iii cooler - $62

total is about $1085.

Any thoughts? Should I change anything? My current rig has lasted me a while and I figure the Core i7 will (probably) let me game for a few years. I was looking at the E8500 but I am torn. I do not do any rendering or anything that absolutely requires 4 cores, but I don't want to have to upgrade real soon and this seems like the most powerful cpu my budget would allow.

 

[TheInternal]

I'd definately go with the Core i7. Supposedly, you can over clock the hell out of them too, but from what I've read, you have no need to do so yet. It's pretty fresh out of the door, so it will last a bit longer than some other technologies. It's also kicking ass and taking names in all the benchies I've seen.
$350 is pretty pricey for a graphics card. Frankly, at the resolution you'll be gaming, I'd say go with a ATI HD 4870 1 GB for $200 or the NVIDIA part that's on par (if NVIDIA is cheaper). If you were running a 30" or bigger monitor, I'd go with the $350 card, but at 1680x1050, it's pretty extreme overkill. Your PSU is also overkill, but Corsair tends to make a good product from my experience. (a solid PSU that actually performs at the wattage it's labeled only needs to be around 625 watts max for a quad GPU system).

 

[heyheybooboo]

Anand:

We set out to answer the question, ?Is the Phenom II competitive with a similar Intel Platform in CrossFireX?? Based on our results today, we would have to answer a resounding yes to that question.

It?s not as balanced as the Core i7 920 or even Core 2 Quad Q9550 in a few games, but it does not embarrass itself either. In fact, we think it put up a very good fight and stood its ground with the Q9550. Compared directly to the Q9550, the Phenom II X4 940 is a strong competitor. It had better average frame rates in CrossFire mode than the Q9550 in three titles, tied in one, and finished behind the Q9550 by about 2%~7% in the other three games.

When it came to actual game play experiences, we thought the Phenom II 940 was clearly the better choice in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and Crysis Warhead due to minimum frame rate advantages and fluidity of game play. In the five other titles, we could not tell any real differences in the quality of game play between the Phenom II 940 and Core 2 Quad Q9550. Except for Far Cry 2 where we could raise the graphic quality settings without affecting game play, the i7 platform was no different than our two other solutions.

Last day for the Phenom II 940 / Foxconn 790FX Combo: $344 (less with rebate)

You could settle (LOL) for the Gigabyte 790x or the Asus 790gx.

It's easy to overspend on a rig these days so being frugal I'd probably stick a Phennom II x3 720 AM3 in that Gigabyte 790x and just be a happy boy.

Snag a Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 for $225 AR and 4Gb of DDR2 1066 and you are in for half of your original budget.

You could get an HD 4850x2 2Gb for another $50 but you don't really need it unless you plan to upgrade to 25x16 - might get a little boost at 19x12 but it really depends on the texture demands of your game.

 

[polarbear6]

Originally posted by: heyheybooboo
Anand:

We set out to answer the question, ?Is the Phenom II competitive with a similar Intel Platform in CrossFireX?? Based on our results today, we would have to answer a resounding yes to that question.

It?s not as balanced as the Core i7 920 or even Core 2 Quad Q9550 in a few games, but it does not embarrass itself either. In fact, we think it put up a very good fight and stood its ground with the Q9550. Compared directly to the Q9550, the Phenom II X4 940 is a strong competitor. It had better average frame rates in CrossFire mode than the Q9550 in three titles, tied in one, and finished behind the Q9550 by about 2%~7% in the other three games.

When it came to actual game play experiences, we thought the Phenom II 940 was clearly the better choice in Company of Heroes: Opposing Fronts and Crysis Warhead due to minimum frame rate advantages and fluidity of game play. In the five other titles, we could not tell any real differences in the quality of game play between the Phenom II 940 and Core 2 Quad Q9550. Except for Far Cry 2 where we could raise the graphic quality settings without affecting game play, the i7 platform was no different than our two other solutions.

i see no point in going for a 285 gtx unless u like single card graphics(some say there r some problems wid double cards but i cant recollect what)

if u want the top of the line card go for a 4870x2
or if on a budget go for a 4850x2

and people even say that what core i7 is to quad core is the same as what core 2 is to dual core
but actually speaking(core 2 ~~~ dual core )
so go for a phenom 2


Last day for the Phenom II 940 / Foxconn 790FX Combo: $344 (less with rebate)

You could settle (LOL) for the Gigabyte 790x or the Asus 790gx.

It's easy to overspend on a rig these days so being frugal I'd probably stick a Phennom II x3 720 AM3 in that Gigabyte 790x and just be a happy boy.

Snag a Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 X2 for $225 AR and 4Gb of DDR2 1066 and you are in for half of your original budget.

You could get an HD 4850x2 2Gb for another $50 but you don't really need it unless you plan to upgrade to 25x16 - might get a little boost at 19x12 but it really depends on the texture demands of your game.

 

[Toadster]

total is about $1085.

Any thoughts? Should I change anything? My current rig has lasted me a while and I figure the Core i7 will (probably) let me game for a few years. I was looking at the E8500 but I am torn. I do not do any rendering or anything that absolutely requires 4 cores, but I don't want to have to upgrade real soon and this seems like the most powerful cpu my budget would allow.

here's a pretty good setup for $1k
The Bareboneasaurus! - just add a video card!

 

[HydraShok]

Originally posted by: Toadster

total is about $1085.

Any thoughts? Should I change anything? My current rig has lasted me a while and I figure the Core i7 will (probably) let me game for a few years. I was looking at the E8500 but I am torn. I do not do any rendering or anything that absolutely requires 4 cores, but I don't want to have to upgrade real soon and this seems like the most powerful cpu my budget would allow.

here's a pretty good setup for $1k
The Bareboneasaurus! - just add a video card!

That's not too bad, but I already have a case and power supply.

 

[Denithor]

I would suggest buying two GTX 260 cards to run in SLI mode instead of one GTX 285. It will cost ~$50 more after rebates and give you about 70% higher performance.

Read this article for more details.

 

[HydraShok]

I have been comparing prices between the Core I7, Phenom II, and Core2Quad and I am coming to the conclusion that there is a maximum of $200 between the three.

I want a Core i7 and I decided that is what I will get. I probably won't update again for approx three years. I am going with 6 gigs of RAM and vista 64. Going to start with probably a single 1 gig 4870. I would prefer to stay with a single gpu solution just to keep things simple, if a world beating card shows up and I need it I will buy it.

I really appreciate all the helpful opinions. I should just get the i7 or I will pay twice. Hopefully Intel will keep releasing 1366 cpu's so I can upgrade later on without buying a new motherboard.

 

[TheInternal]

that's what I'd do, mate. Happy gaming! I'm jealous

 

[HydraShok]

Originally posted by: Denithor
I would suggest buying two GTX 260 cards to run in SLI mode instead of one GTX 285. It will cost ~$50 more after rebates and give you about 70% higher performance.

Read this article for more details.

I read that article and two GTX 260s would be nice. May have to do that, need to do a little more research. Thanks for the link! I will be so glad when I can start ordering parts in about 2 weeks.

 

[Denithor]

You'll definitely want to go i7 then if you're using two GTX 260s.

Another great article to read. Now, if only they would update to show how PhII fits into the picture. I have yet to see anyone else do benching quite like this.

 

[exar333]

Your build looks very nice. I would recommend the NH-U12P SE1366 cooler over the monsoon iii. According to the reviews I have seen, the push/pull Noctua will net you slightly cooler temps over the Monsoon for around the same price.

 

[Toadster]

I'm using the Xigmatek S1283-HDT cooler with 1366 adapter on my setup - running very well!

 

[aigomorla]

im sorry if you can afford an i7, the PHII is not a choice you should consider.

Meaning stay with an i7 op.

Get a giggy board instead of the asus board. Trust me on this.

 

[HydraShok]

ExarKun333n - I will check it out, thanks for the heads up!

Toadster - I will look into the the Xigmatek too toad, I have heard good things.

Everyone else - Would you recommend a single GTX 295 over dual 260s? I can afford it, and some of the benchmarks I have read seem to indicated that the 295 smokes 260s in SLI.

 

[HOOfan 1]

Originally posted by: aigomorla

Get a giggy board instead of the asus board. Trust me on this.

From what you are saying and from what I am reading at various forums around the net, Asus really isn't an option for any product anymore as their customer service seems to have gone missing.

What board would you recommend if stability at stock settings was the utmost priority. A board that will allow one to just plug in their Core i7 without any BIOS tinkering and it will just plain work?....Not necessarily the best overclocking board, but the easiest for a beginner to use.

You recommended EVGA the other day, and I hear their customer support is top notch, but the stability of their 1366 boards is not.

Gigabyte or Intel for stability?

 

[HydraShok]

Originally posted by: aigomorla
im sorry if you can afford an i7, the PHII is not a choice you should consider.

Meaning stay with an i7 op.

Get a giggy board instead of the asus board. Trust me on this.

Thanks aigomorla. Any particular giggy you would recommend?
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME is $100 more than the Asus I posted but I will extend the cheddar a little if need be.

-------------------------------------
Ooops I see that board is more for water cooling which I am not going to be doing.