New Build. Critiques appreciated.

[theevilwithin]

Salutations, gentles all.

I?ve been a long time lurker of these forums, and I?ve found the discussions here to be very helpful in preparation for the day when I?d finally be able to buy a new rig.

Now at last, the day has come when due to the old crappy laptop finally popping its clogs, a new purchase is finally at hand. More importantly, I finally have the capability to finance said purchase with my own hard earned money. This means that I get to call the shots on what goes in.

Without further ado?

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.

Gaming and going online. The irony of this being that when I had the time to game I had no money to finance the habit. Now that I finally have the money, I no longer have the time .

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread

I?m trying to keep it under six thousand Malaysian Ringgit, (approximately US$1,700 at current rates of exchange), but I can squeeze a couple of hundred extra if need be. This sum is inclusive of OS and monitor.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.

Malaysia. This means no Newegg links.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.

I?ll spring for whatever gives me the best performance.

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

This will be a completely fresh rig.

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.

Yes I have, including on many other sites. I just need confirmation before I pull the trigger.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.

I like stability since this box needs to last me for a good couple of years, plus I don?t know how to overclock. Stock speeds it is.

8. WHEN do you plan to build it?

By the end of this week at the very latest. Possibly as early as today.

Wishlist

CPU:
Intel Xeon X3110 3.0 GHz RM558 (US$158.53)
or
Intel Core 2 Duo 8400 3.0 GHz RM570 (US$161.94)
(depending on availability)

Motherboard:
Asus P5E (Intel X38 Chipset) RM655 (US$186.07)
or
Asus P5Q Pro RM570 (US$161.94)
(again, depending on availability as the P5E is quite rare)


RAM:
4 sticks of Kingston 2GB DDR2-800 Value Ram RM396 (US$112.50)

Hard Drives:
2 Western Digital 640GB WD6400AAKS drives RM480 (US$136.37)
(NB: Not planning to RAID. One will be for OS and games, the other will be for downloads)

Video Card:
Sapphire Radeon HD4870x2 2GB RM1,730 (US$491.48)

Casing:
Cooler Master RC-690 RM259 (US$73.58)

Power Supply:
Silverstone Olympia OP1000 (1,000 Watts) RM899 (US$255.40)

Optical Drive:
Pioneer DVD-RW 20x (SATA) RM100 (US$28.41)

Monitor:
Samsung 2253BW (22?) RM850 (US$241.48)

OS:
Windows Vista Home Premium (64 bit) RM250 (US$71.03)

TOTAL RM6,177 (US$1,754.83)
(based on Xeon and X38)

OK I?ve busted the budget a bit but it?s ok. That?s what credit cards are for.

My specific queries on the above build are as follows:

Firstly, is the PSU overkill? I am unsure whether I want to Crossfire later on. There?s a strong possibility I might, but the Quadfire numbers for the 4870x2 are less than encouraging. What would be the minimum amount of wattage required for a Quadfire system (the PSU calculator hasn?t added the 4870x2 yet). I may downgrade to a Gigabyte Odin Pro 800W if the Silverstone is excessive.

Secondly, is the stock cooler on the CPU acceptable? I am not overclocking, as has previously been said, however I am worried about stability as my gaming sessions can last for hours (theoretically). On the subject of cooling, I note that there are 4 empty fan slots on the RC-690. With a build like that above, how many fans will I need to add? I?m not anal about noise, but 7 high speed fans PLUS the 4870x2 might get on my nerves eventually, not to mention my family?s.

Thirdly, how is the Logitech MX518? It?s going for below RM100 (US$28.41) now. How does it stack up against other mice at a similar price range? Is it user friendly, etc?

OK, before anybody asks:

I don?t really want a monitor larger than 22? as I find the resolution a bit taxing for my eyes. Plus, there is currently a huge price premium on 24? monitors and I don?t really think it?s worth it.

Ditto on performance RAM. Most kits are going for more than double that of value RAM, and as previously said, I?m not overclocking.

I appreciate your feedback on the above build and I thank you in advance for any advice rendered.

 

[SolMiester]

HI, all looks good to me, if you arent OC'ing, I see no reason to purchase after market cooling. 22" LCD so that will probably be 16 x 10 res, so in all honesty, I dont think you will require a 4870x2, I game casually and the 96GT is ample really except for crysis of course...Perhaps the 4870 1Gb will be a better bet and save you a few hundy......

 

[DSF]

No reason for a 4870x2 on a 22" monitor if you ask me. Just get the 4870 1GB. Definitely no reason to Crossfire the 4870x2s. Step the graphics card down, then step the PSU down. 650W at the most if you're not going to crossfire, a little higher if you expect to add a second graphics card, which I don't really recommend.

 

[theevilwithin]

Dear SolMiester, DSF

Thanks very much for your replies!

I did mull over the possibility of the 4870 1GB, but unfortunately, availability is very much an issue, with next to no shops stocking it. The shop I'm planning to buy from doesn't have it. Plus, I'm in love with the big monster, and getting something that big now will help to slow my upgrade horizon.

That being said however, CF-ing the thing may not be the best idea in the world, so I think I can downgrade the PSU. The choice now is between the Corsair TX750 (RM489/US$138.92) and the modular Gigabyte Odin Pro 800W (RM529/US$150.29). Which is better, and can these support a 4870x2?

Cheers!

 

[Roguestar]

They'll both easily support a 4870X2. I'd pick the Corsair personally as I've heard little about Gigabyte PSUs, plus it's cheaper.

I'd get a P45 based board, like the Asus P5Q or the Gigabyte EP45-DS3L instead of the X38.

The stock cooler is fine, and will definitely be stable for 24/7 or whatever. That's its job.

 

[theevilwithin]

Thanks Roguestar!

How good is the onboard audio on the P5Q/DS3 as compared to the P5E's Supreme FX II? I actually have a spare Audigy Value lying around, but I've heard horrible things about Creative's Vista drivers.

Regarding the PSU question, the fact that the Gigabyte is modular is a plus, as it means that there'll be fewer wires bollocking up the airflow in the case. I think I'll leave it down to the wire when I actually pull the trigger on this thing.

Thanks again for the help

 

[SolMiester]

Do any of your local shops have the 260/216 core, its just as good as the 4870...

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
Do any of your local shops have the 260/216 core, its just as good as the 4870...

Are you saying they're "just as good" taking into account price/performance?
Are you saying they're "just as good" in benchmarks across the board?

 

[theevilwithin]

No, the 260/216 is not available here either. I'm quite happy with getting the 4870 x2, truth be told .

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: SolMiester
Do any of your local shops have the 260/216 core, its just as good as the 4870...

The 4870 1GB is a better card.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Roguestar

Originally posted by: SolMiester
Do any of your local shops have the 260/216 core, its just as good as the 4870...

The 4870 1GB is a better card.

Sorry, but SolMiester said the 260/216 is "just as good".
* Your joined date = 2006, his = 2004. He must know more than you.

 

[betasub]

Originally posted by: Blain
* Your joined date = 2006, his = 2004. He must know more than you.

Says a pre-Y2Ker!

Ignoring old duplicate accounts and banned accounts, of course.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: Roguestar

Originally posted by: SolMiester
Do any of your local shops have the 260/216 core, its just as good as the 4870...

The 4870 1GB is a better card.

Sorry, but SolMiester said the 260/216 is "just as good".
* Your joined date = 2006, his = 2004. He must know more than you.

In that case I'll hand off to DerekWilson who joined in 1999

Originally post by AnandTech 4870 1GB Review - Derek Wilson
the core 216 might also have been anticipating the eventual availability of the Radeon 4870 1GB. In which case, the core 216 falls short.

Well, it isn't just that the GTX 260 falls a little short. The fact is that the extra RAM really does make a significant difference in many high quality high resolution situations when playing current games. We didn't expect the gains we see here, and combined with the original stellar performance of the Radeon HD 4870, we have to say that we are impressed.

Anyway, we mentioned that the GTX 260 core 216 doesn't quite keep up now that the 4870 has twice as much RAM.

The Radeon HD 4870 1GB is a better buy than both the GTX 260 and core 216 variant.

If you don't need the best of the best (or you aren't willing or able to spend the money for it), the 4870 1GB is a very strong solution.

So, what's the bottom line? This is currently the card to get.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Roguestar

In that case I'll hand off to DerekWilson who joined in 1999

Originally post by AnandTech 4870 1GB Review - Derek Wilson
the core 216 might also have been anticipating the eventual availability of the Radeon 4870 1GB. In which case, the core 216 falls short.

Well, it isn't just that the GTX 260 falls a little short. The fact is that the extra RAM really does make a significant difference in many high quality high resolution situations when playing current games. We didn't expect the gains we see here, and combined with the original stellar performance of the Radeon HD 4870, we have to say that we are impressed.

Anyway, we mentioned that the GTX 260 core 216 doesn't quite keep up now that the 4870 has twice as much RAM.

The Radeon HD 4870 1GB is a better buy than both the GTX 260 and core 216 variant.

If you don't need the best of the best (or you aren't willing or able to spend the money for it), the 4870 1GB is a very strong solution.

So, what's the bottom line? This is currently the card to get.

 

[Denithor]

Originally posted by: theevilwithin
Gaming and going online. The irony of this being that when I had the time to game I had no money to finance the habit. Now that I finally have the money, I no longer have the time .

That's how it is for all of us.

Motherboard:
Asus P5E (Intel X38 Chipset) RM655 (US$186.07)
or
Asus P5Q Pro RM570 (US$161.94)

Best bet & save some cash at the same time.

Hard Drives:
2 Western Digital 640GB WD6400AAKS drives RM480 (US$136.37)
(NB: Not planning to RAID. One will be for OS and games, the other will be for downloads)

So glad you threw in that disclaimer.

Video Card:
Sapphire Radeon HD4870x2 2GB RM1,730 (US$491.48)

Major, major overkill for 1680x1050.

At 1680x1050 even the standard GTX 260 or a 4870 512MB will provide excellent performance. There is absolutely no reason to spend $400+ on a graphics card for that resolution.

Go with the Corsair 620HX, a powerful modular PSU that will be more than sufficient for any single GPU setup.

 

[theevilwithin]

Hey all!

I'm typing this message on my brand spanking new rig

It's pretty much as per spec above except for the Gigabyte Odin 800W (the Corsairs were all gone except for the HX1000). Oh, and the Samsung 2253LW was going for RM699 (US$198.58) each so I picked up one of those instead.

I'm regretting having partitioned the C drive now but it's too late for that I guess.

Thanks a lot for your input

 

[betasub]

Glad you are happy with the final build. 4870X2 should be cruising along easy street for gaming at 1680x1050.

As for your HD partitions - well, you did list a second identical drive, so it shouldn't be too difficult to use that to transfer data and set up your C: partition as the whole available space.

 

[theevilwithin]

How would I do that? Would that necessitate reinstalling the OS or anything?

 

[betasub]

No reinstall necesasary. The exact details depend on your current partition set-up, but in general the aim is first to free up your secondary harddrive, format/partition that as you wanted your C: drive to be, and then use WesternDigital's disk tools to copy the contents of your current C: into this new space which will be your new C: Finally your current primary drive then becomes the secondary drive.

 

[theevilwithin]

No such luck for Vista, unfortunately .

However, I did move the virtual memory from the C drive to the D drive. With the newly installed SP1, this leaves me with a good 9GB of free space in C.

I'm just about ready to start gaming the pants off of this thing. Time to hit the shops .

 

[Roguestar]

You've got 8GB of RAM and you're messing about with the page file? Best to just leave it on C: and then less programs and services will cry when it's not where they expect, seeing as you'll pretty much never use it anyway.

 

[theevilwithin]

Only because the page file was sucking up 12GB (default value) of C Drive space that I badly needed to install Vista SP1 with. May put some of it back depending on how much space Office SP1 needs.