Well my previous Q9550 that I had overclocked for 3 years might have taken a crapper (still ordering a cheap processor to troubleshoot it though). I figured it was about time I updated my system and did not want to wait around for the Sandy Bridge processors to come out. So I am looking for advice on what I found hardware wise and any suggestions others may have. Without further adieu I will answer all the prelim questions first though:
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
A: Gaming (WoW, SCII and possible FPS), Video Encoding, and a few unique applications.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
A: Around $2000 or so. Going to reuse some parts from my previous system.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
A: USA
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.
A: I've been an Intel fanboy as of recent (AMD lost its crown awhile ago). Also prefer Asus motherboards only because I am familiar with their BIOS and the overclocking options.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
A: Use my creative sound card (forgot the model), 1TB WD for main storage, 2 WD Raptors in Raid 0.
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
A: No but I have been doing my research on various website regarding hardware and recommendations.
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
A: Yes I do plan on overclocking.
8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
A: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 (looking at a new monitor but more on that later)
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
A: Haven't ordered yet but over the next month after all parts have come in.
So here is the list I plan on going with:
1x Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz
1x ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366
2x GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 1GB
1x SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W
1x CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
1x Intel X25-M 2.5" 80GB SATA II (SSD)
1x Noctua NH-D14
1x Asus VG236H 23" Full HD 120Hz 3D multimedia LCD Monitor w/ 3D Kit
And here are my concerns:
1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
A: Gaming (WoW, SCII and possible FPS), Video Encoding, and a few unique applications.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
A: Around $2000 or so. Going to reuse some parts from my previous system.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
A: USA
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.
A: I've been an Intel fanboy as of recent (AMD lost its crown awhile ago). Also prefer Asus motherboards only because I am familiar with their BIOS and the overclocking options.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
A: Use my creative sound card (forgot the model), 1TB WD for main storage, 2 WD Raptors in Raid 0.
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
A: No but I have been doing my research on various website regarding hardware and recommendations.
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
A: Yes I do plan on overclocking.
8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
A: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200 (looking at a new monitor but more on that later)
9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
A: Haven't ordered yet but over the next month after all parts have come in.
So here is the list I plan on going with:
1x Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz
1x ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366
2x GIGABYTE GeForce GTX 460 1GB
1x SeaSonic X750 Gold 750W
1x CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
1x Intel X25-M 2.5" 80GB SATA II (SSD)
1x Noctua NH-D14
1x Asus VG236H 23" Full HD 120Hz 3D multimedia LCD Monitor w/ 3D Kit
And here are my concerns:
- Would this hardware list all be compatible? Where would you see improvements?
- Is the RAM I picked a good choice for overclocking? What other recommendations can you offer for fast RAM.
- Also worried about the Noctua NH-D14 having clearance issues with the Corsair Dominator kit. The Noctua website does state it works with Dominator but the top heatsink has to be removed. Can anyone confirm or deny?
- Is the 750W Power Supply enough juice for 2x GTX460 video cards and an overclocked I7 930 Processor?
- The Asus monitor has really intrigued me with the 120hz refresh rate and from the review I read it really does make gameplay smoother. I really do miss my CRT for this reason and my current monitor does have semi noticable ghosting (And its a TN panel with 2ms response so it was considered the faster one about 2 years ago).
- SSD vs the WD Raptors in Raid 0. I have been reading comparisons and was possible thinking of using both in my new system. The question was should I use the Intel SSD as an OS boot drive and the raptors for games/applications or vice versa? Or should I just ditch the raptors in lieu of the SSD? Also I am unsure if the Intel one really is the best choice. It seems you have to pick the much more bigger and expensive SSD's to get the performance increases. Overall I am unsure in this area even after reading some performance reviews.
- Last question is regarding the motherboard. Like I said before I am an Asus fan because I am familiar with them. My question is regarding the power phasing of a motherboard as I am unfamiliar with what it means. Basically do you have to go with the Asus Rampage Extreme III to really get all the overclocking options or will this board suffice?