Which system should I build?

[krazeephil]

First things first I'm in Australia, so that kinda limits my options to local retailers as far as I know without paying exorbitant delivery fees.

The two possible systems that I am considering building at the moment have a fair few similarities, one has more immediate gains in terms of gaming power, one I'm deluding myself into the idea of possible upgrades down the track.

possible build 1.
core i7 920
gigabyte ga ex58-ds4 Motherboard
1x seagate 500gb with 32mb cache HDD
MSI 512mb 4850
Antec three hundred case
Antec neopower 650 blue PSU
G Skill 3G(3x1G) DDR3 PC10666(F3-10666CL9T-3GBNQ) OR
Corsair TR3X3G1333C9 3GB (3 x XMS3 1GB) PC-10600 (1333MHz) XMP DDR3 RAM 3x240-pin DIMMs Triple Kit


OR


possible build 2.
intel e8500 OR intel Q6600
DFI LANPARTY-UT X48-T3RS LGA775 M/B DDR3
2x seagate 500gb with 32mb cache HDD (in RAID 0)
2x MSI 512mb 4850
Antec three hundred case
Antec neopower 650 blue PSU
Kingston DDR2 4(2x2G)PC6400 800Mhz HyperX(KHX6400D2LLK2/4)

It comes up around the 1700aud mark for either system. What are u guys critiques/oppinions on the systems and which one i should chose to build?

 

[jlannon]

both respectable builds, but i wouldnt start out with a two card configuration, its more of an upgrade later on down the road, especially with a card as powerfull as the 4850

 

[3lvis]

What size monitor are you going to be playing? What applications are you planning on using? Do you plan on overclocking?

I would go with i7 and the gigabyte x58 motherboard, or scale back your 775 socket build to a E7200 with a P45 motherboard if i7 proves to be too expensive.

If you go with the i7 I would consider a 3 x 2GB memory kit. Like this Gskill kit.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231230

From what I've read at Anandtech there have been some bios problems with populating all 6 memory slots on some of the x58 motherboards, which is why I recommend the 3 x 2GB kit.

The i7 build offers the best flexability with both SLI and crossfire, has more CPU power then the 775 socket build, but comes at a premium price and with new hardware comes new bugs that need to be worked out....that said if you go with the socket 775 build you will always wonder....what if I had gone with that i7. If you go with the i7 you will never question gee what if I went with the socket 775 build.

 

[krazeephil]

currently i'm running a 22" CMV monitor but also looking to output 1080p to my tv. Been using a 3ghz P4 with a gb ddr ram and 6600gt agp for the last 4.5 years so pretty much anything is an upgrade. Will be used for WoW, audio and video apps, gaming in general. Going up to 6gig of ram on the i7 build is a little out of my price range atm, + i only have 32bit XP atm, and again buying a new O/S when I would rather wait till windows 7 is an expense i can do without. Ideally I would rather not be buying right b4 christmas, but it's getting pretty tired to be pedalling all the time to keep my current box running...

 

[englandr753]

Id select a ddr2 motherboard to help cut costs. I totally believe you would have your breath taken away using the Q6600 or higher cpu on a 775 platform coming from a P4. If money is an issue then scale back to the cheaper and proven gaming setup. It will get you another 4 years of use like your first system and is lightyears ahead of the P4 architecture.

 

[krazeephil]

thanks guys, i decided to order the i7 system. Went up to 6gig of ram though.
in 2 weeks i'll prolly get a second hard drive for a raid and the 4850 should last me till i have some cash in the pocket for a second one... i've got a mate who is a company IT guy so he has spare xp and vista 64 licences so looks like i won't have to spend there. Rock on!

 

[englandr753]

Good to have friends in high places!

You will be happy either system. Ultimately you have to choose what system you can afford so enjoy!

 

[Winly]

i wil def go for the i7

 

[3lvis]

audio and video apps? Do you plan on transcoding a lot of video?

If your not looking to buy a new OS then you might consider pedaling faster with your existing system. Here's my pedal faster suggestions: A new heat sink and an overclock, 2 GB of DDR2 ram, 3870 AGP videocard.

Otherwise, I would get a Vista 64 bit premium OEM OS. (windows media center is quite good if you pick up a TV tuner card.)

Either system will meet your needs. The real question is what do you value more? Bang for your buck or future proofing? There are some tweaks I might change in your builds though... like the 3x2GB DDR3 for the i7.

The antec 300 is a great case with terrific airflow. You will need 3 120mm fans and 1 120mm dust filter to complete it.

Intel E8500 or Q6600 both are great CPUs and excel at what they do. E8500 is great for most games, Q6600 is better for RTS games, transcoding video, and multitasking.

DFI 48x lan party mobo is an enthusiast board with more overclocking features then most people will use, while being considerably more expensive then a more mainstream P45 motherboard that has similar performance.

MSI 4850 ....the only bad thing I can say about this is it doesn't include a crossfire bridge connector. If your going to run 2 of them you will need to order a bridge connector separately. Other then that, this is the 4850 to get MSI has good customer support.

Antec neopower 650 blue PSU. Antec makes solid PSU's, but this one is a little underpowered for the price. Consider a corsair 750 watt PSU.

 

[krazeephil]

alright cool, i'll make sure i look into switching that psu