i7 Build Final - Ready to purchase? - New-System-Build

Thanks for all your great help in this thread. Here is the final parts list I have chosen. Any last thoughts before I purchase?

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366
MOBO: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366
RAM: OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
GFX: 2x XFX HD-465X-YAFC Radeon HD 4650 512MB 128-bit GDDR2
Case: Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready
OS Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
DVD Drive: SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe

Anti-Static: Rosewill RTK-002 Anti-Static Wrist Strap

$1,627.98 CANADIAN AFTER TAXES AND SHIPPING via Newegg.ca

Original Post:

Quote :

Any suggestion on this build? I'm trying to make it more affordable without too much sacrifice. The reason I have 2 video cards is because I plan to run 3-4 monitors.

CAD Prices from Newegg.ca

$362.49 - ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

$359.99 - Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

$116.99 - G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ - Retail

$156 x 2 ($312) - EVGA 512-P3-N973-TR GeForce 9800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

$287.49 - Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$129.99 - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail

$179.99 - Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

Message edited by abstracted on 04-01-2009 at 05:07:58 PM

Add a reply

Register or log in to remove.

Make sure u check P6T deluxe has the 2 way SLI bridge provided, i'm using P6T and it only provide 3 way SLI bridge and i'm using a 2 way SLI, lucky i was using a P5N-D last time and i have the bridge

Other than that, the other looks good

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to xyzionz

xyzionz wrote :

Make sure u check P6T deluxe has the 2 way SLI bridge provided, i'm using P6T and it only provide 3 way SLI bridge and i'm using a 2 way SLI, lucky i was using a P5N-D last time and i have the bridge

Other than that, the other looks good

Thanks for the tip. Looking at the pictures on newegg it appears that it does come with the 2-way bridge.

Reply to abstracted

Did you want to sometimes SLI?

2 4850s would be less up front and perform better, both as single cards and in crossfire:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102770

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Did you want to sometimes SLI?

2 4850s would be less up front and perform better, both as single cards and in crossfire:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102770

SLI isn't a big concern to me, I won't be doing much graphic intensive work. Thanks for that tip, I'll update my shopping list.

EDIT: My prices are listed in CAD from newegg.ca, so the card I originally picked is actually cheaper.

Message edited by abstracted on 03-30-2009 at 01:28:42 AM

Reply to abstracted

Aha I'm sure that's fine then, although if you really aren't going to game much you might want to look at something that runs a bit cooler.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] re=Diamond

However, if you are doing some programs such as CAD or Illustrator, they tend to play better with nVidia I think. A 9600GT would be roughly equivalent.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Aha I'm sure that's fine then, although if you really aren't going to game much you might want to look at something that runs a bit cooler.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index [...] re=Diamond

However, if you are doing some programs such as CAD or Illustrator, they tend to play better with nVidia I think. A 9600GT would be roughly equivalent.

Thanks. How does this one look?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814143161

Reply to abstracted

Very nice. And you'll get that lifetime warranty as well. They will be cooler than the 9800GTs. Although your case is excellent, the less you stress the parts with heat the longer they will last.

A 9600GT is enough to play any game on medium to high settings, depending on resolution. It will perform just as well in workstation apps as the 9800GT. The only card that might be better would be a true workstation card:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814133207
But cards like that are very much application-specific. You are really paying for drivers not hardware when you buy one.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Very nice. And you'll get that lifetime warranty as well. They will be cooler than the 9800GTs. Although your case is excellent, the less you stress the parts with heat the longer they will last.

A 9600GT is enough to play any game on medium to high settings, depending on resolution. It will perform just as well in workstation apps as the 9800GT. The only card that might be better would be a true workstation card:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814133207
But cards like that are very much application-specific. You are really paying for drivers not hardware when you buy one.

Your advice is much appreciated!

Can anyone attest to the speed advantage of using the VelociaRaptor HD for the OS vs a regular 7200rpm drive?

Reply to abstracted

They aren't as fast as they once were.

A WD Caviar Black will cost quite a bit less and get you fully booted up something like 2 seconds to .5 seconds slower times than the velociraptor.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136319

http://www.tomshardware.com/charts [...] 6,673.html

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Build looks good. You could get two GTS 250 for sli considering they are almost around the same price range.

Reply to Shadowthor

Well just a thought about the graphics card...
You can go with this
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814161252

Reason is that the 4670 wouldn't require additional power and each card can support 2 monitors as well...But they have only 2 years warranty...but am sure you would upgrade it by then...

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to gkay09

gkay09 wrote :

Well just a thought about the graphics card...
You can go with this
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814161252

Reason is that the 4670 wouldn't require additional power and each card can support 2 monitors as well...But they have only 2 years warranty...but am sure you would upgrade it by then...

How will they perform compared to the 9600 GT? Also what advantage does it give me with them not requiring additional power?

Reply to abstracted

Can anyone recommend a cheaper case? I selected a top rated full-tower case because I wanted plenty of room for expansion and running wires. I probably do not need a full-tower case though. Opinions?

Also, is the 750W power supply overkill?

Another question...can someone outline the differences of these two motherboards and if it is worth spending the extra $70 for the deluxe?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6813131365
vs
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6813131359

Reply to abstracted

^^^ bump

Reply to abstracted

antec sonata case will do you good if you can live with a 500w power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129036

also check out this mobo, could save you $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188046

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to daidalas

daidalas wrote :

antec sonata case will do you good if you can live with a 500w power supply.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129036

also check out this mobo, could save you $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188046

Good looking out on that mobo. It looks nice and will save me about $40. My prices are listed in CAD from Newegg.ca.

The case looks nice, but I'm not sure how I'll be limited with a 500w power supply. Can anyone provide some insight?

Reply to abstracted

Check out the HAF 932, loads of space and cable hiding abilities and pretty cheap.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] =HAF%20932

PSU is fine. Better to have a little extra, than not enough.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Snuffles

Snuffles wrote :

Check out the HAF 932, loads of space and cable hiding abilities and pretty cheap.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] =HAF%20932

PSU is fine. Better to have a little extra, than not enough.

Hey Snuffle, looks like I can't get that case from Newegg.CA -> http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] =HAF%20932

Reply to abstracted

4670 would be more than fine for most applications, but as I mentioned before nVidia drivers tend to play better with certain applications. You haven't really defined what you will be doing and what programs you will be using.

Since your cards need less power than they originally did, you could indeed get by with a smaller PSU.
Corsair 550VX:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] &Tpk=550VX

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

4670 would be more than fine for most applications, but as I mentioned before nVidia drivers tend to play better with certain applications. You haven't really defined what you will be doing and what programs you will be using.

Since your cards need less power than they originally did, you could indeed get by with a smaller PSU.
Corsair 550VX:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] &Tpk=550VX

Thanks. I'm a web programmer, so I mainly use IDE's (java based) and FTP clients, browsers, etc. Now and then I'll do some photoshopping but it's very minor. I don't do anything intensive like 3d rendering, video encoding, CAD, etc.

Reply to abstracted

Bah, you don't even need a 4670 then. 4650 would do just fine. Your processor and RAM will determine the bulk of your performance.

Message quoted 2 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Bah, you don't even need a 4670 then. 4650 would do just fine. Your processor and RAM will determine the bulk of your performance.

Excellent. There are a lot of different 4650 cards, can you recommend a manufacturer?

As far as the power supply, it's only $15 more for the 750w vs 550w. Do you think it's worth it to have the extra power just in case?

Reply to abstracted

Actually no. The 550VX is the better quality PSU, which is more important in this case. If you need 750W, there are not many better PSUs than the 750TX. There are better quality PSUs at other wattages though.

However, check the 650TX. That is equal quality to the 550VX and would fit both needs.

If you would like the absolute best PSU you can buy, then the Antec Signature 650W would be the one.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] &Tpk=650TX
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] &Tpk=SG650

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Bah, you don't even need a 4670 then. 4650 would do just fine. Your processor and RAM will determine the bulk of your performance.

I noticed the 4650's are all DDR2, the 4670 is DDR3 like the rest of my stuff. Does that make a difference?

Reply to abstracted

Only in 3D applications. Otherwise scrolling pages of code is all going to be instant anyway.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Only in 3D applications. Otherwise scrolling pages of code is all going to be instant anyway.

Okay . As far as motherboards go...

What are the differences in the P6T vs P6T Deluxe vs GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P

Reply to abstracted

XFX has the good warranty:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814150346

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

XFX has the good warranty:
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6814150346

So now the only places I think I could save some money without losing too much would be my motherboard and case:

Antec Twelve Hundred

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2

Any suggestions or opinions?

Message edited by abstracted on 03-31-2009 at 03:27:17 AM

Reply to abstracted

I think the MB is a good choice.

The case could be trimmed down if you like. It's a more aesthetic item though.

Have a look through the parts list linked in my signature. There are good quality cases of all price ranges there.

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

bump for final.

see original post.

Reply to abstracted

Rosewill RTK-090 90 Piece Professional Computer Tool Kit

You need maybe a Phillips screw driver and something to snip your cable ties Toenail cutters work great.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

Rosewill RTK-090 90 Piece Professional Computer Tool Kit

You need maybe a Phillips screw driver and something to snip your cable ties Toenail cutters work great.

You're right. Instead I added the anti-static wrist strap separately.

Originally I wanted the kit for the soldering iron, but after reading the reviews the iron isn't very good anyways.

Updated original post.

Reply to abstracted

I had to update my original post. It appears newegg.ca deactivated the G.Skill RAM I had.

G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
Timing: 9-9-9-24

What's the next best RAM?

Message edited by abstracted on 04-01-2009 at 05:15:56 PM

Reply to abstracted

This RAM has slightly different timing but other than that it seems the same. Is it worth or better than the other RAM? (it costs like $2 more)

G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
Timing: 8-8-8-21

Message edited by abstracted on 04-01-2009 at 05:15:43 PM

Reply to abstracted

They're probably very similar. The second kit has better timings but requires more volts. 1.65v is normal though.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to bmuell

bmuell wrote :

They're probably very similar. The second kit has better timings but requires more volts. 1.65v is normal though.

Will that voltage be too much for the i7? Will it limit my overclocking?

Is there a better RAM choice?

Reply to abstracted

bump!

Reply to abstracted

You'll be fine with that. You aren't going to find anything without spending a lot more:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6820231248

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ My Guide to choosing parts
A big list of recommended parts
Troubleshooting Guide w/links
Reply to Proximon

Proximon wrote :

You'll be fine with that. You aren't going to find anything without spending a lot more:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ [...] 6820231248

PURCHASED!

Thanks for all your help throughout this process!

Reply to abstracted

i7 Build Final - Ready to purchase?

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - i7 Build Final - Ready to purchase?

Please mind

Focus On

i7 Build Final - Ready to purchase?

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - i7 Build Final - Ready to purchase?

Please mind