While I'm not a first-time system builder, I'm just clever enough to recognize that I don't know nearly as much as I think I do about putting together the best bang-for-your-buck PC. I've done my research - man, have I done my research! - and I've reached a point where I at least feel like I'm not a total ignoramus. Still, I know this community is filled with people far more knowledgeable that I am. Before I make the plunge, I'd like to turn my proposed build over to you to have it picked apart for (the inevitable) flaws.
This new PC is going to be a huge jump up for me. I'm typing this on the last system I built: an Athlon64 1.8 GHz machine, complete with a 7800GT that was shiny and new back in 2005. Yeah... high time for an upgrade. Frankly, I can't wait. But before I get to the build, let me answer the standard questions...
It's tempting to go with the slower 920 and its Socket 1366 platform in order to be better situated for future upgrades (and that platform offers better dual-GPU performance as well, although I'm not planning on installing 2 video cards). However, I tend to feel that the best policy is, "Buy what you need, and buy for the here-and-now." That policy recommends the 860 and that's the way I'll go with it unless I hear a compelling argument otherwise. The remainder of my component choices are made based on the assumption that I purchase the 860.
I gave some thought to the idea of purchasing two 5850s. That option would put me over budget, though. Also, it seems that Crossfire is not always faster than a single 5870 (witness Dawn of War II benchmarks). I know that the 5870 provides enough oomph to power a single 1920x1200 display. What I'm not so clear on is whether it would be enough to power a 5760x1200 mutli-monitor setup (a question I realize depends on the game being played... I'll have an easier time of it with Dragon Age than I will with Crysis).
Availability of this card (all Radeon 5xxx cards, really) is the #1 thing delaying my purchase. I'm scanning for an in-stock Vapor-X daily. I'm willing to spend a little over MSRP, but not too much.
The P7P55D Deluxe has a little gadget that most of you will probably say is worthless but that, for whatever reason , I really dig. It's their TurboV remote. As a noob overclocker, this really speaks to me. I readily admit that overclocking is a bit daunting to me, and while I'm confident I'm up to the task, I wouldn't mind a utility like this that lets me easily change profiles right in Windows.
Of course the P7P55D-E Premium adds "future-proofing" technologies in USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0. There's no question these technologies will eventually become the de facto standards, but it is a question as to whether I will ever utilize them before I build a future system. Is it worth paying $69 for two technologies that may never be of use to me? Probably not. I'm fairly content to stick with the P7P55D Deluxe.
I've switched to the brand-new ECO series from my previous choice, the G.Skill Ripjaws. The new ECOs run at solid 7-8-7-24 timings, but they require only 1.35V to do so. They therefore consume considerably less power and run considerably cooler. I'm intrigued by the ultra-low voltage and am willing to take a shot on them. Using 4 DIMMs may limit my clocks somewhat, but darnit... I was that extra RAM cushion.
I'm in love with the all-around excellence of the U2410 (standard MSRP is $599) and its high-quality H-IPS panel. I prefer the U2410 because it uses a slightly newer version of the LP2475W's panel and it has a little bit better connectivity. As a primary monitor that's going to be doing a lot of work in Photoshop as well as movie watching and gaming, I think it's a real winner.
And now for the mega-splurge. I lust after an Eyefinity setup for gaming. I've read the reviews, seen what it can be... simply amazing. The one area where the U2410 is a bit weaker in is gaming, and that happens to be a strength for the VK246H, so the two seem to compliment each other well.
The problem is that going this route is going to put me over budget. I've decided that for this one area I may be willing to break open the wallet. The big question is, "Given my setup, is Eyefinity worth it?" I'm only going to be running a single 5870; there's no room in the budget to splurge on both the LCDs and two video cards. The good news is that I'm not the kind of gamer who demands crazy FPS from all my games. As long as I can maintain a reasonable play experience without undue stuttering, I'm content. So what do you think... am I a candidate to go the Eyefinity route?
The ATCS seems to be a well-designed case. It stands toe-to-toe with the HAF feature-wise. There are dust filters, the motherboard tray is removable, and the build is entirely aluminum (as opposed to the heavier steel build of the HAF). The ATCS has a much more subdued, classic look that would fit more readily into my redesigned living room. The only thing the ATCS can't do is match the HAF's thermal performance. It's not that the ATCS is a poor cooling case by any means; it's just that the HAF is so darn good at what it does.
So the question is do I go with the undisputed thermal champ, or do I go with the case that sacrifices a little performance but tries to compensate with superior features and looks? Your input would be appreciated.
Everything else will get dumped onto the 1TB WD-1001FALS. Since this drive will be used for storage and not so much for launching programs, it's not as important for it to be fast. Still, the WD-1001FALS is a pretty zippy drive for a traditional 7200RPM model.
TOTAL COST: $2,512
Assumes all primary choices are purchased; mail-in rebates not factored in; Eyefinity setup not factored in
My apologies for the length of this post, but I figure the only way I'll get a meaningful response is to provide you with as much detail as possible. I believe this build could really benefit from this group's insight. I know my confidence in it will certainly benefit, so you have my thanks in advance for your advice.
This new PC is going to be a huge jump up for me. I'm typing this on the last system I built: an Athlon64 1.8 GHz machine, complete with a 7800GT that was shiny and new back in 2005. Yeah... high time for an upgrade. Frankly, I can't wait. But before I get to the build, let me answer the standard questions...
- What YOUR PC will be used for. I do a variety of tasks on my computer. I'll certainly be working a lot with Photoshop, Word and Excel, and also quite a bit with my website. That being said, I'm gearing the components towards gaming. Any and every game is a target, from Torchlight to Crysis.
- What YOUR budget is. My goal coming in was to spend $2,500. However, I may be willing to extend that by as much as $500 for a triple LCD setup (see below).
- What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from. USA.
- IF YOU have a brand preference. Not in the slightest. Consider me a tech mercenary.
- If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are. I will be reusing only my mouse, keyboard and speakers.
- IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads. You better believe it.
- IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds. My goal is to overclock when gaming. I'd term my overclocking goals as "mid-tier". No expectations of setting any records; just solid, sustainable overclocks that won't fry my system.
- What resolution YOU plan on gaming with. 1920x1200 (5760x1200 in Eyefinity?).
- WHEN do you plan to build it? Early December.
- CPU:
- PRIMARY CHOICE: Intel Core i7 860 - $230
- SECONDARY CHOICE: Intel Core i7 920 - $200
It's tempting to go with the slower 920 and its Socket 1366 platform in order to be better situated for future upgrades (and that platform offers better dual-GPU performance as well, although I'm not planning on installing 2 video cards). However, I tend to feel that the best policy is, "Buy what you need, and buy for the here-and-now." That policy recommends the 860 and that's the way I'll go with it unless I hear a compelling argument otherwise. The remainder of my component choices are made based on the assumption that I purchase the 860.
- CPU Cooler:
- Prolimatech Megahalems Rev. B with 2x Kaze Jyuni 120mm fans - $86
- Video Card:
- Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X (currently unavailable - product page) - est. $430
I gave some thought to the idea of purchasing two 5850s. That option would put me over budget, though. Also, it seems that Crossfire is not always faster than a single 5870 (witness Dawn of War II benchmarks). I know that the 5870 provides enough oomph to power a single 1920x1200 display. What I'm not so clear on is whether it would be enough to power a 5760x1200 mutli-monitor setup (a question I realize depends on the game being played... I'll have an easier time of it with Dragon Age than I will with Crysis).
Availability of this card (all Radeon 5xxx cards, really) is the #1 thing delaying my purchase. I'm scanning for an in-stock Vapor-X daily. I'm willing to spend a little over MSRP, but not too much.
- Motherboard:
- PRIMARY CHOICE: Asus P7P55D Deluxe - $219
- SECONDARY CHOICE: ASUS P7P55D-E Premium - $288
The P7P55D Deluxe has a little gadget that most of you will probably say is worthless but that, for whatever reason , I really dig. It's their TurboV remote. As a noob overclocker, this really speaks to me. I readily admit that overclocking is a bit daunting to me, and while I'm confident I'm up to the task, I wouldn't mind a utility like this that lets me easily change profiles right in Windows.
Of course the P7P55D-E Premium adds "future-proofing" technologies in USB 3.0 and SATA 3.0. There's no question these technologies will eventually become the de facto standards, but it is a question as to whether I will ever utilize them before I build a future system. Is it worth paying $69 for two technologies that may never be of use to me? Probably not. I'm fairly content to stick with the P7P55D Deluxe.
- RAM:
- 2x G.SKILL ECO Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) (8GB total) - $248
I've switched to the brand-new ECO series from my previous choice, the G.Skill Ripjaws. The new ECOs run at solid 7-8-7-24 timings, but they require only 1.35V to do so. They therefore consume considerably less power and run considerably cooler. I'm intrigued by the ultra-low voltage and am willing to take a shot on them. Using 4 DIMMs may limit my clocks somewhat, but darnit... I was that extra RAM cushion.
- Monitor:
- PRIMARY CHOICE (Monitor #1): Dell UltraSharp U2410 (24") - $599
- SECONDARY CHOICE (Monitor #1): HP LP2475w (24") - $542
- SPLURGE ALERT - EYEFINITY SETUP (Monitors #2/#3): 2x ASUS VK246H - $454
I'm in love with the all-around excellence of the U2410 (standard MSRP is $599) and its high-quality H-IPS panel. I prefer the U2410 because it uses a slightly newer version of the LP2475W's panel and it has a little bit better connectivity. As a primary monitor that's going to be doing a lot of work in Photoshop as well as movie watching and gaming, I think it's a real winner.
And now for the mega-splurge. I lust after an Eyefinity setup for gaming. I've read the reviews, seen what it can be... simply amazing. The one area where the U2410 is a bit weaker in is gaming, and that happens to be a strength for the VK246H, so the two seem to compliment each other well.
The problem is that going this route is going to put me over budget. I've decided that for this one area I may be willing to break open the wallet. The big question is, "Given my setup, is Eyefinity worth it?" I'm only going to be running a single 5870; there's no room in the budget to splurge on both the LCDs and two video cards. The good news is that I'm not the kind of gamer who demands crazy FPS from all my games. As long as I can maintain a reasonable play experience without undue stuttering, I'm content. So what do you think... am I a candidate to go the Eyefinity route?
- Power Supply:
- PRIMARY CHOICE: Corsair CMPSU-850TX (850-Watt) - $130 + $20 rebate
- SECONDARY CHOICE: Corsair CMPSU-750TX (750-Watt) - $108 + $20 rebate
- Case:
- OPTION #1: Cooler Master ATCS 840 - $189
- OPTION #2: Cooler Master HAF 932 - $140
The ATCS seems to be a well-designed case. It stands toe-to-toe with the HAF feature-wise. There are dust filters, the motherboard tray is removable, and the build is entirely aluminum (as opposed to the heavier steel build of the HAF). The ATCS has a much more subdued, classic look that would fit more readily into my redesigned living room. The only thing the ATCS can't do is match the HAF's thermal performance. It's not that the ATCS is a poor cooling case by any means; it's just that the HAF is so darn good at what it does.
So the question is do I go with the undisputed thermal champ, or do I go with the case that sacrifices a little performance but tries to compensate with superior features and looks? Your input would be appreciated.
- Hard Drives: (NOTE: I'm purchasing both of these)
- SOLID STATE DRIVE: Intel 80GB X25M (Gen. 2) - $250
- TRADITIONAL HARD DRIVE: Western Digital Caviar Black WD10000LSRTL 1TB 7200RPM - $89
Everything else will get dumped onto the 1TB WD-1001FALS. Since this drive will be used for storage and not so much for launching programs, it's not as important for it to be fast. Still, the WD-1001FALS is a pretty zippy drive for a traditional 7200RPM model.
- Optical Drive:
- LITEON iHAS424-08 (24X DVD Burner) - $35
- Operating System:
- Windows 7 Professional (64-bit upgrade version) - Already purchased
- Peripherals:
- Free (porting over from my old system)
TOTAL COST: $2,512
Assumes all primary choices are purchased; mail-in rebates not factored in; Eyefinity setup not factored in
My apologies for the length of this post, but I figure the only way I'll get a meaningful response is to provide you with as much detail as possible. I believe this build could really benefit from this group's insight. I know my confidence in it will certainly benefit, so you have my thanks in advance for your advice.
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