New Intel I7 build review

krizak

Junior Member
Aug 31, 2010
2
0
0
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:

  • 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?
Sorry for asking so many questions but I really do hope that I get some good responses to all my concerns. I appreciate all the help I can get and looking forward to the feedback!
 

Chapbass

Diamond Member
May 31, 2004
3,145
93
91
Well, I'll take a stab at a few of them.


The components all look compatible, I haven't used them specifically, so I don't really know, but everything looks to be in order.

As far as the SSD, what I would do in your situation is probably do OS on the SSD, that way you get the best performance out of everyday stuff, even when you aren't gaming. You could do games on the raptors, especially if you have something like Steam where if one of the drives dies and your Raid array gets borked, no big deal as you can just re-download everything. Otherwise reinstalling everything thats already installed and getting it to point to a new directory could get a little...wonky...
 

RaistlinZ

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 2001
7,470
9
91
Ditch the i7-930 and get the i7-950 instead. The 950 is only $10.00 more now than the 930, making it a much better choice.

The mobo is good, I use the same one and am very happy with it and it handles overclocking well.

There are certainly faster SSD's on the market than the Intel drives now. If you just need something for boot it's fine, but if it's top performance you want I'd opt for a Sandforce based drive.
 

krizak

Junior Member
Aug 31, 2010
2
0
0
Ditch the i7-930 and get the i7-950 instead. The 950 is only $10.00 more now than the 930, making it a much better choice.

I am actually having my dad buy the i7-930 from Microcenter for $200.00 and ship it to me (since it is in store pickup only). Everything else I am planning on getting from Newegg except the monitor since I hear they don't have the best return policy when it comes to dead pixels (I hear it must have 8 or more).

There are certainly faster SSD's on the market than the Intel drives now. If you just need something for boot it's fine, but if it's top performance you want I'd opt for a Sandforce based drive.

I am still somewhat hesitant regarding SSD based on from what I read regarding reliability and them dying after a months use. Based on this list which brands would you recommend based on performance/reliability.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...1&PageSize=100

Appreciate the feedback and still hope to hear more regarding my other concerns.
 
Last edited:

mfenn

Elite Member
Jan 17, 2010
22,400
5
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www.mfenn.com
IMHO, the Dominator memory is stupidly expensive for what you get. This Ripjaws is $45 less, doesn't have the tall heatsinks to worry about, and is lower voltage to boot.