Core i7|Gaming rig| Price Range - $1,000

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OneFaith

OneFaith

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Probably around summer break, June-August.

BUDGET RANGE: $1,000-$2,000

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, web browsing, music, general tasks.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, mouse and keyboard, and case (Antec 900)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg

PARTS PREFERENCES: None

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Toshiba 26AV500U 1024 x 768 for now.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I would like to have room for possible upgrades and I would like for the computer to last awhile. Most likely I will have time to order most of the parts and possibly begin building the PC over summer break, since I'm a student, that would be the best time. Also this would be my first time building a PC, any and all help is welcomed and appreciated, thanks =). Also I have never bought anything online, but I hear that newegg is a trusted site, plus it has all of the parts I need compared to local shops and cheaper too.

List of Parts:

CPU
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

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

RAM
OCZ 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

CD Drive
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe - OEM

Hard Drive
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

GPU
EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

Motherboard
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail ( Can't really decide between gigabyte x58.)

For the OS, do you think I should wait for windows 7?
 
KrisMRT

KrisMRT

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Power supply is something that holds it's value over time, and with the possibility of you doing SLI / Overclocking in the future. I would recommend the 850w or 1000w PSU models from corsair ( or any other quality PSU maker ) as this is something you will hold onto for your next builds.

There is lots of ddr3 1600 ram for almost the same price, OCZ gold and G.Skill I usualy see on sale for roughly the same price as the 1333.

I'm somewhat a gigabyte fanboi when it comes to boards but from what I hear/read the P6T is an amazing x58 starter board with a simple BIOS for the non-extreme overclockers. So if I had to choose I would go with the the P6T, or giga's UD4P,
-Also the UD3R(Crossfire ver) can now be flashed with a bios which will enable SLI support if your looking for a low cost alternative.

Last thing, prices are probably going to change a lot between now and summer, Don't make any choice and blindly stick with it until then - I would keep researching and follow pricing trends. By summer you should be able to pick out some really good deals and build yourself a monster

Good Luck on your build, I hope my ramblings were somewhat useful to you.
 
sassan

sassan

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Hello, check this out

GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R-SLI LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$209.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128386

OCZ Gold 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV3GK - Retail
$59.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227368

LG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech Black SATA Model GH20NS15 - OEM
$21.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136149

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
$99.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$54.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042

HITACHI 0A38016 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$87.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822145233

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
$288.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-DH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$114.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131125

Total: $938.88 ($61.12 saved going with the Ati video card)


You can also get a better video card for $2's over your $1k budget

BFG Tech BFGEGTX260MC896OCE GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
178.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143155

Your new total is $1002.88
 
sassan

sassan

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Oh in that case get rid of the case in the budget, go for an 850w corsair or a silverstone.

Get the Asus p6t delux v2

Get the Nvidia gtx 285 better for sli and would perform faster then gtx 290

If you want to overclock then get an aftermarket cooler, but you should be fine with the stock cooler, but be warned the i7 runs hot.

Here are the best fans for the 1366

Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme 1366RT Heatpipe Cooler LGA1366 120MM Fan FDB 1600RPM 28.0DBA 63.7CFM
http://ncixus.com/products/?sku=34994&vpn=ULTRA-120-1366RT&manufacture=Thermalright

Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185093&Tpk=mugen%202

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608007

XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103055

The best one in all of this is the Noctua se1366 based on reviews, second is the true 120

And Best one for the price is the Mugen 2 (very close to the true 120 temps) and the Dark knight.
 
E

EABlair03

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Hello there. About a month ago, I posted a topic quite similar to this one (almost exactly the same, except I needed a case). While I still haven't made up my mind and am also very inexperienced, I have two things I'd like to point out with your build.

1. How important is the hard drive to you? The 1TB Caviar Black is $110 (9GB per dollar) while this 640GB Western Digital is only $75 (8.5GB per dollar). Maybe the $40 difference is negligible. (newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319)

2. When I was considering GPUs, I went with a single Radeon 4870. Now, according to this neat chart put out by Tom's (http://preview.tinyurl.com/dn69ms) the GTX 285 falls in a tier below a 4870x2 configuration and above a single 4870. Again, I'll point out that I'm quite the novice, but there are cheaper alternatives to GPUs out there. You mentioned that you'll be running on 1024x768 resolution to begin with, yes? You could probably get by with a cheaper alternative. You might save about a hundred bucks and just have to upgrade in the future. It's also reckoned that the new Radeon 4890 could shake things up price-wise (for both ATI and NVIDIA).

I hope I was helpful. I also wouldn't listen to any of my advice unless it gets verified by someone more experienced, which I'm guessing won't be until too long. Happy trails!
 
Greg_77

Greg_77

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I think a 750 watt power supply would be more than enough. More importantly, when you do upgrade your monitor, what will be its resolution. This will determine at what level your graphics card should be. For your current resolution, an 9800gt (250gt?) would be enough. My ati 4850 gets me through most games fine at 1600X1200, but I'm not a heavy gamer. I like your build, though. Your current choice of power supply is very good, but let me recomend the PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W, which can be had for $15 less with promo code and rebate than your current power supply choice. As for Windows 7, I would wait as long as you have an OS to use in the mean time, such as XP. I am not sure the exact month 7 is supposed to come out. You could always use linux in the mean time as well, just can't play many games.
 
OneFaith

OneFaith

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@EABlair03

Hard drive is pretty important, besides gaming like Crysis and Oblivion, music and photos. I'm going to use it for other programs and files too that I need to transfer and use it for a few work I do. Yeah I chose the GTX 285 because I saw that the power consumption and energy efficiency was low, compared to the 4870 and 4870x2 plus it wasn't a bad card and the price wasn't that bad, but it doesn't really matter much.

@Greg_77

Resolution would be in the 1600x1200-1920x1200 range, but yeah I would be playing graphic heavy games and the like. I still have that vista home premium OS, but only 32 bit. well I'll see what changes as time passes by.

@Proximon & sassan

Thanks for the recommendations on the coolers.



Thanks for the replies guys.








 
H

Helloworld_98

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May I suggest a P2 build?

or slowly upgrading the i7 e.g everything you need to get started but a lower end gfx card like a 4350 to start off which will give you some more money to spend on other things and then getting a more powerful gfx card once you get the money.

imo it's the best way to go i7 on a low budget.
 
OneFaith

OneFaith

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Heh, yeah, but $1000 isn't the limit, it's just the range, so anything from $1000-$2000 is fine. I forgot to add that, so I'll edit the first post.


Adding everything up from the list only comes up to a few thousands, so I'll be able to afford it. I'll probably get the graphics card last, I still have an old graphics card that can be a place holder.
 
sassan

sassan

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Here we go, this is the build I think you should look into for your range, you can subtract the stuff you don't need

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
$289.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131365

OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ3P1600LV6GK - Retail
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381

LG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner w/ SecurDisc Tech Black SATA Model GH20NS15 - OEM
$21.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827136149

CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
$149.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
$109.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284


Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
$288.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - Retail
$76.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608007

BFG Tech BFGEGTX2851024OCPE GeForce GTX 285 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail X2
$329.99 X 2 = 659.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143170

$1867.9 Total
 
OneFaith

OneFaith

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Thanks.
 
H

Helloworld_98

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change the i7 920 to the D0 stepping 920.

They overclock better, they just cost a bit more. 4.2ghz@1.208v which is just over stock voltage.

standard i7's need 1.45v to get 4.2ghz from what I've seen.
 
xthekidx

xthekidx

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Not sure if you were aware Proxi, but the Gigabyte UD3R (non-sli) can support SLI with a bios update from gigabyte.
 
K

knotknut

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It is good that you are planning ahead, getting ideas and possible build configuration.
When you are ready to actually order parts return for a updated list.
This industry changes so fast.

 
OneFaith

OneFaith

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Right I know, tell me about it. Technology improves at a rapid rate.

Almost forgot about thermal paste, so I've decided to use:



ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail
 
sassan

sassan

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The noctua heat sink comes with its own thermal paste which is also good.

By the way the p6t asus can also work with lga775 heatsinks
 
Proximon

Proximon

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I wasn't at the time, but I'm not sure that changes my mind... avoiding the need for a risky BIOS flash is worth about that much to me.
 
xthekidx

xthekidx

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I thought as much, that's why I wasn't sure whether or not you knew.
 
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