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A

ability

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1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Media Center, Gaming, Some Graphic design

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
No budget, but I don't want to go crazy here. I want to stay within reason.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
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.
Intel/nVidia

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

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Yes, of course

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
Just plan on OC the CPU and Possibly the ram.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
1680x1050

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
Next Month



Here's what I have come up with:

CPU:
Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

HSU:
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler

Mobo:
ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

PSU:
CORSAIR Professional Series AX850 850W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

Memory:
G.SKILL PI 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Optical Drive:
LG Black 10X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Disc Combo Model UH10LS20 LightScribe Support – OEM

HDDs:
Main (OS) - OCZ Agility 2 OCZSSD2-2AGTE60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Media - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Soundcard:
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional 70SB088600002 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Express x1 Interface Sound Card

Graphics Card:
EVGA 012-P3-1472-AR GeForce GTX 470 (Fermi) SuperClocked 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

Monitor:
Samsung Syncmaster 2233RZ Black 22" 5ms 3D Gaming 120 Hz Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 20000:1 w/ HDCP Support



I need a case, haven't been able to decide on one, I'd like one that I can mount the H50 to without any problems and have plenty of room to make it push/pull, good air flow, etc.

Any suggestions, improvements, replacements, etc.. please let me know. I also might be missing something, haven't built a rig in a while.

Thanks for your help guys!

Andrew
 
ability said:
I need a case, haven't been able to decide on one, I'd like one that I can mount the H50 to without any problems and have plenty of room to make it push/pull, good air flow, etc.

Any suggestions, improvements, replacements, etc.. please let me know. I also might be missing something, haven't built a rig in a while.

Thanks for your help guys!

Andrew
Click to expand...

I'm highly partial to Lian Li cases, but they aren't cheap. Did you already have an OS license you're able to use for this build?
 
No, get the 750. The 860 is made for integrated video. IGP IIRC which will also disable his PhysX unless nVidia has updated that 'issue' yet.
Check out the NZXT Beta Evo.
Don't buy the Agility 2. It has a firmware limitation. . . Either get the Vertex 2 or (my preference) the Phoenix Pro.

Caviar Black 1tB is okay. If you're willing though, get two Samsung F3 500gB (not 1tB) instead, and run them in RAID 0. F3 have a very high data transfer rate.
 
750 = i5
860 = i7

i7 is actually a higher performance processor, but I agree that the i5 is the best gaming processor on the market. Normally though, people with higher budgets go with the i7.
 
I'd only recommend the i7-860 if you have a microcenter nearby; otherwise, that price premium over the i5-760 just isn't worth it.

I know you're getting a 120Hz monitor, but it just seems weird getting a somewhat small and relatively low resolution screen.

And what's "within reason?" It seemed like you want an uber gaming rig, but just a single GTX 470 with a 1680x1050 monitor doesn't seem uber to me. With the PSU you chose, I bet we could fit another GTX470 in there and maybe throw in a couple more monitors for that nvidia surround thing, but I'm guessing that's not quite within reason anymore....

Ruger22C said:
Don't buy the Agility 2. It has a firmware limitation. . . Either get the Vertex 2 or (my preference) the Phoenix Pro.
Click to expand...

The Vertex 2 is also cheaper, for some reason.
 
Ruger22C said:
No, get the 750. The 860 is made for integrated video. IGP IIRC which will also disable his PhysX unless nVidia has updated that 'issue' yet.
Click to expand...
Say what?? None of the 800 series CPUs have an IGP.

Ruger22C said:
Don't buy the Agility 2. It has a firmware limitation. . . Either get the Vertex 2 or (my preference) the Phoenix Pro.
Click to expand...

It's more like the Vertex 2 has a firmware limit removed. Due to OCZ's sweetheart deal with Sandforce, all SF-1200 drives except for the Vertex 2 have their IOPS artificially limited. Not that it really makes a difference, because you aren't going to run into an IOPS limitation unless you are running benchmarks. Though if it's cheaper, you might as well get it.
 
Last edited:
OP, first things first. Overclocking a media center? Are you mad? Unless your definition of media center is vastly different from mine, you don't really want to have all of that noise.

And no, the H50 is not quieter than a quiet air cooler. That heat still has to be removed by fans, its just that they are located approximately 3 inches away from where they normally would be. 😀

Anyway, your build is ridiculously unbalanced for a gaming machine. Besides the CPU and mobo that people have already pointed out, you're spending way too much on the PSU, memory, HDD, and sound card and not enough on the GPU. You're spending $1.8k on a machine with $1k performance. Here's a much better build for you:

i5 760 + GA-P55-USB3 + DF-10 combo $374 - should be good for 3.5GHz+
Noctua U12P $75 DF-10 has an opening behind the mobo which makes mounting very easy
G.Skill DDR3 1600 8GB $180 - 2 DIMM kit to keep the DIMMS away from a big HSF
GTX 480 $430 AR - quite a bit faster than the 470
Agility 2 120GB $206 AR - No need for an adapter since the DF-10 has a dedicated SSD bay, 120GB is big enough to put some games on there as well
Samsung F3 1TB $75
LG BD-Combo drive $85
Corsair 750TX $90 AR
Total: $1590 AR

This build has a faster GPU, bigger SSD and 33% more RAM for over $200 less than your initial one.
 
You didn't include a sound card, Mfenn.. 😉

IMO you should still get that, too. I have an X-Fi (see below), it was worth the money. My biggest complaint for mine is the lack of opt. audio or dig. audio + microphone.
 
Ruger22C said:
You didn't include a sound card, Mfenn.. 😉

IMO you should still get that, too. I have an X-Fi (see below), it was worth the money. My biggest complaint for mine is the lack of opt. audio or dig. audio + microphone.
Click to expand...

I have to disagree with this. I left out the sound card on purpose. Sound cards are completely necessary because people's speakers fall into two categories:

  • Crappy enough that you won't be able to hear the difference between an X-Fi's DAC and an onboard chip's DAC
  • Good enough to have digital input, thus bypassing the computer's DAC altogether
 
fffblackmage said:
I'd only recommend the i7-860 if you have a microcenter nearby; otherwise, that price premium over the i5-760 just isn't worth it.

I know you're getting a 120Hz monitor, but it just seems weird getting a somewhat small and relatively low resolution screen.

And what's "within reason?" It seemed like you want an uber gaming rig, but just a single GTX 470 with a 1680x1050 monitor doesn't seem uber to me. With the PSU you chose, I bet we could fit another GTX470 in there and maybe throw in a couple more monitors for that nvidia surround thing, but I'm guessing that's not quite within reason anymore....



The Vertex 2 is also cheaper, for some reason.
Click to expand...

If you know of a larger 120hz monitor I'm all ears, cause bigger is better.

I understand that "within reason" was very vague and can mean a lot to different people. I don't want to go above $3000.00 and I want a computer I can upgrade easy as the years pass. I usually build a decent setup and upgrade here and there on it for the next few years, so I don't mind building something that's more than I need, cause it will just last me longer.

Would a 750w power supply better fit this setup? I might go SLI, I haven't looked into it really.
 
ability said:
If you know of a larger 120hz monitor I'm all ears, cause bigger is better.

I understand that "within reason" was very vague and can mean a lot to different people. I don't want to go above $3000.00 and I want a computer I can upgrade easy as the years pass. I usually build a decent setup and upgrade here and there on it for the next few years, so I don't mind building something that's more than I need, cause it will just last me longer.

Would a 750w power supply better fit this setup? I might go SLI, I haven't looked into it really.
Click to expand...

Well, both Intel sockets are dead, so you should get the cheaper and equivalently performing 1156. Any significant CPU upgrade is going to need a new mobo anyway.

750W is fine for a GTX 480. The GTX 480 is right at the limits of the PCIe spec as far as power consumption goes, so the PSU would be fine for any new single-card solution. SLI has it's myriad of issues as always, so in a year or so, you'd probably rather have the newest single-card solution than another GTX 480.
 
Last edited:
Both 1156 and 1366 sockets are dead with Sandy Bridge coming out Q1/Q2 next year

The advantages of the 1366 are not utilized by most people (including myself) - I just built my rig before 1156 was released, and, I got one of the famous Microcenter i7 920 $200 CPUs.

The real killer with a 1366 system is the price of the motherboard. If you have no intentions of throwing a 6 core Gulftown in the system, than an 1156 system might let you spend more on other parts.
 
UPDATED

Please rate:

CPU - $208.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115067
Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.microcenter.com/single_pr...uct_id=0341729 - $169.99

Mobo - $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128417
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

SSD Drive - $184.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227601
OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD3-2VTX90G 3.5" 90GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)

Media Drive - $89.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

GPU - $539.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130558
EVGA 015-P3-1485-AR GeForce GTX 480 (Fermi) SuperClocked+ 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card

RAM - $89.99 x 2 = $179.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231313
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)

Optical Drive - $84.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827136183
LG Black 10X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray Disc Combo Model UH10LS20 LightScribe Support – OEM

Monitor - $499.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236092
Asus VG236H 23" 2ms 1920x1080 Full HD 120Hz 3D multimedia Height & Swivel Adjustable WideScreen LCD Monitor w/nVidia 3D Vision Kit hard bundle 400 cd/m2 100,000:1 (ASCR)

PSU - $169.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139016
CORSAIR Professional Series AX750 750W ATX12V v2.31 / EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply

HSU - $79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835181010
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler


Still looking for case suggestions
 
Andrew, the case that mfenn linked in that combo is a REALLY nice case. And that combo is a really nice deal! You are saving $50 by going with the combo. I really like that DF case.
 
crucibelle said:
Andrew, the case that mfenn linked in that combo is a REALLY nice case. And that combo is a really nice deal! You are saving $50 by going with the combo. I really like that DF case.
Click to expand...

I can save around $40 by getting the CPU at microcenter. I also want to have a motherboard with SATA 6GB/s, the one in the bundle doesn't have that. Maybe I'm blowing that out of proportion? Is it not as good as I'm thinking? I have no idea. I'm also not to thrilled about the look of that case.

I'm looking at getting the following case:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119197
 
fffblackmage said:
This Gigabyte GTX480 is $450 with an additional $20 MIR.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that find, I am not sure about a Gigabyte Graphics Card, are they reliable? I noticed the warranty is only 3 years vs lifetime on the EVGA. I've owned EVGA in my past 2 builds and have never had a complaint. It's something to look into though to save practically $100 for the same card with lower clock speeds.
 
ability said:
I'm also not to thrilled about the look of that case.
Click to expand...

What, you mean you don't like rice? 😉

Case aesthetics are purely personal, but I'm with you on the Coolermaster HAF (RC-922). Also check out the CM 690 II (RC-692).

Gigabyte are solid Tier1, and as reliable as any. Warranty beyond 3yrs don't mean much to me (already onto my next card), but those extra EVGA benefits do win a lot of buyers' money for good reason.
 
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