New Build Critique

[majorpain1588]

I am going to be ordering new parts for an entire new system (including monitor and OS) here in about a week. I need to finalize my hardware choices:

Budget: as low as possible, but no more than $2000 (preferabley around $1500)
Uses: Gaming (FPS and RTS)
Moderate Overclocking is a possibility.

Here is where I stand now:

CPU: Q9450 $329.99
HEATSINK: Tuniq Tower 120 $49.99
MOBO: ASUS P5E Deluxe X48 $219.99
RAM: G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1066 $104.99
GPU: 2x VisionTek Radeon 4870 Crossfire 2x $284.99 = $569.98
PSU: Antec True Power Quattro 850W $139.99
HDD: WD 500GB (AAKS) $74.99
CASE: Coolermaster RC-690 $84.99
OPTICAL: Samsung SH-223F SATA DVD Burner $24.99
MONITOR: ACER AL2016Wbd 20in 1680x1050 $199.99
OS: MS Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM $109.99
Keyboard + 3 extra case fans $38.22

Total = $1593.13

Questions:
Q9450 or E8400?
4870 CF or 4850 CF or single 4870?
ACER LCD any good?
Antec PSU any good?
ASUS P5E Deluxe or Rampage Formula?
Any better cheaper heatssinks?

Any input is appreciated.
Cheers

 

[aznguy0028]

in my opinion...

ditch your mobo, get a GA-X48-DS4 instead

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128336

ditch your cooler, Xigmatek S1283

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003&Tpk=xigmatek%2bs1283

as for the PSU, i have the same one, i've read numerous sites and it got really good reviews. its 80+ certified and kick a$$ overall performance if i do say so myself.

i would stick with the Q9450 as most will agree with me its the best quad for your money atm. if you game, people will say get the E8400, but my logic is, you're not gonna game 24/7, but instead you'll be on windows doing other stuff as well, stick with the Q9450.

if you can wait out a little big longer till august, i suggest you getting a 4870x2. save yourself some money over the 4870CF and it will perform better.

 

[Shadow703793]

CPU: Q9450 $329.99
HEATSINK: Tuniq Tower 120 $49.99
MOBO: ASUS P5E Deluxe X48 $219.99
RAM: G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1066 $104.99
GPU: 2x VisionTek Radeon 4870 Crossfire 2x $284.99 = $569.98
PSU: Antec True Power Quattro 850W $139.99
HDD: WD 500GB (AAKS) $74.99
CASE: Coolermaster RC-690 $84.99
OPTICAL: Samsung SH-223F SATA DVD Burner $24.99
MONITOR: ACER AL2016Wbd 20in 1680x1050 $199.99
OS: MS Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM $109.99
Keyboard + 3 extra case fans $38.22

Looks good . Just be aware that DDR2 1066 RAM has some compatibility issues. Consider getting DDR2 800.

 

[shadowthor]

build looks good. switch the hard drive to WD 640.

 

[aevm]

Dump the WD5000AAKS and get the WD6400AAKS instead, it's several generations newer and much faster.

Q9450 or E8400? Q9450, if you have the money.

4870 CF or 4850 CF or single 4870? 4870CF, if you have the money. 4850 CF would be my next choice.

ACER LCD any good? Yes, but I'd get the 22" version, or even a Samsung 245BW. Two HD 4870 cards can handle 1920x1200 all right.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094

Antec PSU any good? Yes.

ASUS P5E Deluxe or Rampage Formula? P5E Deluxe, why spend more than you need...

+1 for the Xigmatek. Get the retention bracket too. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019
Or this cooler: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835207004&Tpk=sunbeam+core+contact

For the extra case fans, I recommend SFF21E.

 

[evan316]

I own 2 asus P5E's, they run ok, but auss tech support is not anything to brag about, actually it is terrible. Were I to do it over again I would probably go gigabyte as they are very helpful and cooperative.

You can get a PCP&C for not much more money and it has a much better rep and is a single bus which reduces headaches of insuring you have equal sharing on multiple buses. I have owned a bunch of Antec PS, had a couple fail and decided I did not need that sort of performance.

I would not go for the cheapest heat sink for your CPU, with all the heat generated in that case you are going to need max cooling. I am using the Thermalright HR-01 Plus. I would use the Ultra 120 Extreme but it is almost 800g weight wise as opposed to 600 for the HR-01 Plus. If you decided to upgrade your CPU down the road you would already be set on the cooling front. Check the heat sink sizing to insure it will fit your M/B.

With all this stuff, you might want to consider the CoolerMaster 830 series, they are very large and the M/B tray slides out which is very handy. It is also pricier, but comes with a herd of places to put 120mm fans which is extra good. My 832 has 5 120mm fans installed and stays nice and cool. I am using 120X38mm silenx fans, they flow around 90 cfm at full blow and only generate about 19db. I don't throttle down any of my fans, full blow is my rule. With 2 4870's you may need all the cooling you can get, depending on whether you 4870's exhaust out the back or into the case. New Egg has the 830 series on sale from time to time, you could get on their email list with a price limit and they will alert you when it goes below that limit, but this would entail waiting. I got all three of my 830 series cases for under 120 dollars. Had to deal with rebates though, pain in the aft section.

On the CPU, you could go either way, go cheaper to start and non quad. A lot of Asus M/B's don't work with a quad until you upgrade to a higher level bios. You could always download the bios for your M/B on your old computer and then load it to bios. I use a thumb drive as their bios for my M/B is 2+meg, bigger then a floppy disk.

Good luck with your build.

Evan

 

[majorpain1588]

This is my new list:

CPU: Q9450 $329.99
Keeping the quad core

HEATSINK: Tuniq Tower 120 $49.99
Keeping the tuniq because I used it in my brothers build and I know it fits the RC-690 and it performs well. The Xigmatek is a bit taller.

MOBO: ASUS P5E Deluxe X48 $219.99
I have had good luck with ASUS in the past so I will stick with the P5E. I looked at the DS4, but it is a little bit more expensive.

RAM: G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1066 $104.99
Does this 1066 ram have any know compatibilty issues with this mobo or should I go with DDR2 800?

GPU: 2x VisionTek Radeon 4870 Crossfire 2x $284.99 = $569.98
Does anyone know a release date for the 4870x2? Cost?
I could wait for early August. I need to have this built and working before I go back out to college on the 13th of Aug.

PSU: Antec True Power Quattro 850W $139.99
Keeping this psu. It got a 9.5 on Johnny Guru.

HDD: WD 640GB (AAKS) $89.99
Swapped the 500 for the 640 AAKS

CASE: Coolermaster RC-690 $84.99
Used this case for my borther and like it a lot. The Coolermaster 830 is way to expensive and I don't have time to wait for sales and rebates.

OPTICAL: Samsung SH-223F SATA DVD Burner $24.99

MONITOR: ACER AL2016Wbd 20in 1680x1050 $199.99
Will stick with the 20in Acer as it is good price. I don't need anything bigger.

OS: MS Vista Home Premium 64bit OEM $109.99

Keyboard + 3 extra case fans $38.22

Total = $1608.13
Thanks for the input thus far!

 

[majorpain1588]

Does the ASUS P5E overclock well?

I think will go with G skill DDR2 800 ram instead.

Does anyone know a release date for the 4870x2? Cost?
I could wait for early August. I need to have this built and working before I go back out to college on the 13th of Aug.