What do you guys think of this build I just bought?

[ScorcherDarkly]

Why exactly do you want THAT graphics card so badly? Understanding your motivations for such a thing will help us give you recommendations. My thoughts on the matter:

If you're after performance you could buy 2 ATI 4890s and end up with better performance the the single nVidia card AND save yourself $100.

Regarding the monitor, if I were going to spend $500 on a graphics card I'd darn well buy a 2560x1600 monitor. However, that's going to rock your budget big time, which is another reason to avoid the 295.

ATI is releasing their next generation of video cards on Sept. 10th. The new cards will likely trounce what is currently available, and the introduction will probably cause current card prices to fall a bit. As such, this seems like a terrible time to drop $500 on a graphics card. Your shiny new toy could end up being 2nd best in literally less than a month.

On an different note, I would recommend a Prolimatech Megahelm for your CPU cooler. Its the best on the market right now and only costs $10 more than the V8. The V8 will be adequate, but I don't see any reason to skimp when you're spending this much money.

 

[Sekkai]

Will two 4890's churn whatever I throw at it for a long time to come? That is my motivation. I just want to be able to tear apart any game I play at max settings, and I want to be able to do this for a while. I just graduated college and so this is my gift to myself. I really, really want an overkill system (that is the primary motivation).

Which 4890 on newegg are you referring to here? There are so many X_X

If I were to get two 4890's, I could SLI them in the Gigabyte board, yes?

Also, I think the Prolimatech Megahelm is a better choice from what I see, and I am willing to pay $10 extra for it, but I can't find any on Newegg.

Is this it?
http://www.svc.com/megahalems....qeTespwCFQmbnAodBj1HmQ

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
I have no idea how to build a computer, which is why I have basically just been looking for a place to buy a premade one. But, if I can save a lot of money, I'm okay with learning how to do it myself

Buy a Dell XPS Studio with 22" LCD and ugrade to a 4850 video card and save yourself frustration.

 

[Sekkai]

Thing is, I kinda *want* to put it together now -- seems more satisfying that way to put together a megabeast I can customize down to every last part.

I need to find:

1. Video card... GTX 295 or two ATI 4890's?
2. New monitor that goes well with the video card choice
3. Megahelms for the CPU cooling?
4. Enough room in my case to handle everything... would my Antec 900 be able to hold up to two video cards with enough room? What about with the PSU?
5. Better optical drive choice/comes with burning software?

I think I'm going to stick with my RAM, mobo, wireless, and processor choices (unless anyone has any good reason to cry out against them?)

 

[damage424]

I Honestly would just buy one 4890 now and upgrade to the 5xxx series with DX11 in a few months. If you are worried about the size of Antec 900, check out the Antec 1200 ;p

 

[Sekkai]

Arghhh this video card issue >.<

Is this the proper CPU cooling unit though?http://www.svc.com/megahalems....qeTespwCFQmbnAodBj1HmQ
Still unsure what kind of monitor to get, hm.

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
Arghhh this video card issue >.<

Is this the proper CPU cooling unit though?http://www.svc.com/megahalems....qeTespwCFQmbnAodBj1HmQ
Still unsure what kind of monitor to get, hm.

Yes, thats the heat sink I mentioned.

For the graphics card, I agree with damage424; get one 4890 now (I'd recommend an XFX) and upgrade it to a 5000 series in a couple months when the new cards hit the consumer market. That should handle you for a long time to come.

 

[Sekkai]

When are the new cards being released? Would I just buy two of the 5000 series? Would there be any drawbacks to buying a new card immediately? How is it more cost effective to buy one 4890 now if I would only use it for a short time before tossing it aside for an upgrade?

Alright though, I'll nab that CPU cooler.

As for the monitor, though, would you guys recommend a 24" or should I beef up bigger than that?

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
As for the monitor, though, would you guys recommend a 24" or should I beef up bigger than that?

You'll probably want the Samsung XL30. It's LED backlit and will give you beautiful image quality.

 

[Sekkai]

Hm out of stock but whoa, huge and indeed pretty. Comments say it isn't a gaming monitor though, and holy crap it is expensive.

What do you think of http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824236048

 

[Sekkai]

So is it generally accepted here that the GTX 295 is a waste of money right now? How much better will the 5000 series be? Should I just wait to get all the parts? When are they coming out? Will they be better than the 295? Should I just get two 4890's in SLI, perhaps?

 

[Sekkai]

Would two 4890's be better AND cheaper than one GTX 295 given my system specs? Would they last a while?

 

[Sekkai]

Please, does anyone have any advice on these matters?

 

[yh125d]

Ditto for the Truepower New 750. Mine came in yesterday

 

[ScorcherDarkly]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
So is it generally accepted here that the GTX 295 is a waste of money right now? How much better will the 5000 series be? Should I just wait to get all the parts? When are they coming out? Will they be better than the 295? Should I just get two 4890's in SLI, perhaps?

Dude...Google...go.

Originally posted by: Sekkai
Would two 4890's be better AND cheaper than one GTX 295 given my system specs? Would they last a while?

Yes and yes.

Sept 10 is the official release date for the ATI 5000 series. After that point, we'll know much more about how they stack up against the other cards on the market. I can tell you're super excited about getting your computer together, but I would suggest waiting until then at least so you can be more informed. Buying a card now is fine, but you may be kicking yourself in a few weeks.

 

[Sekkai]

I just don't understand why a GTX would be priced higher than two 4890's if those, together, are better -- unless the extra cost is assumed in the ability to SLI on the mobo

 

[Zap]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
I just don't understand why a GTX would be priced higher than two 4890's if those, together, are better -- unless the extra cost is assumed in the ability to SLI on the mobo

It is arguably the best single graphics card money can buy, so there's a price premium. While you can do two 4890 and get faster performance than a single 295, you can also do two 295 and get better performance than two 4890.

Originally posted by: Sekkai
I have no idea how to build a computer, which is why I have basically just been looking for a place to buy a premade one. But, if I can save a lot of money, I'm okay with learning how to do it myself

Don't listen to all the die-hard system builders around here. If you don't want to build it yourself, then you don't have to. Yes, you can save money building it yourself. however, the extra bit you pay for a pre-built pays for the assembly, warranty, a person to call if it breaks, etc. That Cyberpower has a 3 year warranty on hardware and lifetime tech support.

It's like going to http://forums.changeoilyourself.com and asking, "which quick lube place should I patronize?" You'll get a bunch of, "do it yourself and save $10."

You know what? I don't change my car's oil myself, and I sure as hell wouldn't want to rebuild the transmission or anything like that. Can I learn how and save money? Sure! Do I want to? Hell no!

Pick your poison.

Some people want to build their own, and they should. If they don't want to build their own, then they shouldn't be coerced to.

Just because some people like skinned knuckles and warm oil dripping in their ear doesn't mean the rest of us has to change our own oil in our cars.

If you go back to buying a pre-built, then choose something and then ask before pulling the trigger. That way you can avoid bad choices like Apevia PSUs.

 

[Sekkai]

Thing is, I genuinely want to build it myself. It seems like a fun new challenge to me and I have been putting off learning for eons. I've just been afraid of screwing something up, but I figure better late than never (and I can still be careful about putting things together).

I'm just so torn on the video card issue. The 295 is great but I don't know if I am getting the most out of it (what kind of system WOULD get the most out of it?), but if I can outdo the 295 with two 4890's at a lower price, I'd rather do that... but then I worry if there's enough room/power/cooling/etc, and then I worry about the upcoming 5000 series.

Advice?

 

[Lunyone]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
I just don't understand why a GTX would be priced higher than two 4890's if those, together, are better -- unless the extra cost is assumed in the ability to SLI on the mobo

Just wanted to clarify the SLI statement.
SLI = 2 or more nVidia GPU's on a motherboard.
Cross Fire = 2 or more AMD (ATI) GPU's on a motherboard.

So if you want to take 2 AMD 4890's and put them on a motherboard, it would be called "Crossfiring" them. If you used nVidia GPU's than you would be "SLI'ing" them.

Not all motherboards support Crossfiring (X-fire) or SLI'ing on them. You will need to check the mobo requirements to make sure whether or not your mobo can X-fire or SLI. I think some of the newer mobo's can do both, but you need to make sure when ordering. ** Update ** The mobo you selected in your build DOES allow you to SLI or X-fire, so your covered there. Just thought I'd explain the differences.

My personal reasons why I wouldn't X-fire/SLI a system:
* I don't have a high resolution LCD (too expensive)
* The added costs involved are too much (need higher powered PSU, better cooling, larger case, and the added expense of 2 x GPU's)
* The extra power that you use during operation.
* Some extra tweaking may be needed to get SLI/X-fire to work efficiently.

So here is what I'd consider:
* Go with a single GPU (4890) and upgrade to the latest/greatest in 4-6 months. Still about the same $ (<$200 4890 and <=$300 for newer GPU later = ~$500).
* Go with quality PSU (Corsair, Antec, PCP&C, Seasonic). You would only need a quality 500w PSU, but if you wanted a bit more upgrade room a good 600-650w will do.
* The Antec 900 or even the Cooler Master 690 case would be very nice cases to get. I've personally build a system with the CM690 case and really like it for the space and the build quality.
* Personally I like buying the "Retail" versions of the DVD burners/Blu-Ray drives. The "Retail" version supply the necessary software to read and burn DVD's.

Now these options above are what I'd get and are only my opinion. The selections will save you $ and also allow you to have a good system for quite some time. The i7 CPU should last you quite a bit, so the only thing that might need an upgrade from time to time would be the GPU. This is why I suggest getting the best single GPU solution available, within reason, and just upgrade it when you feel your gaming is getting sluggish.

 

[Sekkai]

Thanks for the response. What kind of monitor would justify these types of GPU selections?

I figure though that with my PSU/cooling/case choices, those should already cover the potential SLI/Crossfiring.

I figure I can't go wrong with a GTX 295, but it *is* expensive, but then again, so are two 4890's. My main goal is to have a system where I can safely run everything at max without even worrying about it. I am willing to pay the premium for the utility of having a beast that'll eat everything I feed it for a long time -- I'm just trying to figure out if I should wait and buy two 5000-series cards or just buy two 4890's now, or just settle for a single GTX 295.


Is it safe, relatively speaking, to get everything else now, at least, and just wait a month and buy two 5000 series?

 

[Lunyone]

I think you buy now and worry about the future. If you wait for the latest and greatest parts, your never going to build your system. I just think spending the money on a GTX 295 doesn't make much sense, but if you want to get it, than just get it. It'll serve you well and shouldn't give you any issues. It just doesn't make financial sense to spend $500 on a GPU that'll probably be only worth $400 in a couple of weeks (maybe less). Like I stated in my previous post, I think your better off with getting a single 4890 (<$200) now and than change it out with the latest and greatest in 4-6 months from now (probably around <=$300). This will give you the best bang for the buck. I'm betting that the "newer" GPU's coming out will be a bit better than the GTX 295 and probably will be around the $300 entry point. I'm not 100% sure that will be the case, but that seems to be the trend right now.

 

[Sekkai]

What about buying everything else now then waiting and then crossfiring two 5000-series when they come out?

I'm also still not sure what monitor to nab

 

[Lunyone]

You can do that if you like. Than you can sell your GPU(s) when you buy your new GPU(s).

As far as the monitor, I'd probably look at a minimum of 24" LCD, if I were you. I personally like ACER monitors, but I haven't researched for the best monitor to buy. ACER is usually a good bargain and I've owned a couple of them, which have been running for >3 years!!

 

[Sekkai]

In terms of everything else, though, good choices for this build? I think I will get two 5000-series in crossfire. Are there any other vital parts that are coming out soon by the time the 5000 series rolls around?

Not sure what a better optical drive would be though that comes with burning software -- i've been checking newegg and it seems uncertain.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: Sekkai
Not sure what a better optical drive would be though that comes with burning software -- i've been checking newegg and it seems uncertain.

I wouldn't put much stock in those Newegg "reviews" (if you can even call them that).