Mid-Range-Rig, does this list look sane?

MatzoBoard

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Yup, another random newcomer asking the same question again, but you guys seem to enjoy it anyway :D

Anyway, down to "business", I'm planning on building a mid ranged gaming rig, and most hardware was chosen based on 2 factors. I forget the first, but the second one would be availability of major components at LOL, Frys Electronics, and I mean just a plain regular Frys, not an actual LOL FRYS, whatever that may be. I was planning on sticking with the socket LGA 775 and using a q9400, for want of a quad core that seems to be on par with an e8400 for running games, but, you know, with 4 cores. For this build, I was thinking around 1,200 clams to be the limit of my spending, that including a monitor (22inch, 1680x1050) hovering around 160-200 cannolis and a copy of Vista Home premium 64 bit at 100.

And just to make things harder for myself, after a little messing around with popping things in and out of my newegg cart, not much more bread would get me an i7 920 rig, though it looks like it's 300+ for an x58 mobo or bust, but that is not a big problem. Some... info to keep in mind, I am going to be using this primarily to game, for very unreasonable amounts of time, listen to Stan Rogers, for possibly just as long, and wank, for, yes, just as an unreasonable amount of time as the gaming amount, and to top it off, quite possibly, all the above at once, for possibly silly amounts of time, enough jibba jabba, I'll just get on with the list, gentlemen...


CPU - Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66ghz - Can be found at Frys

Mother Board - Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3P - Frys has em

RAM - OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066

HDD - Open, as long as it's WD

Video Card - HD 4890 1gb OR HD 4850 x2 1gb

PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W - Frys has em, and :pt1cable:

Cooling - STOCK!!1, naa, maybe a ZALMAN CNPS9700 110mm? Thoughts?



So how does that smell... or taste... or both, as for more on my part choices, I know I'll only need 500 watt PSU at most, but, on top of the usual reasons for overshooting, the the 750tx I hears is pretty darned stable for the price, specs, amperage and such are good, and again, Frys LOL! The system memory I'll just grab off newegg, since it'll be cheaper, NOT patriot, and I get OCZ, which is a brand that has just simply worked for me in the past. So there. As for the Vid Cards, Frys has HD 4890s from Diamond, apparently ATi themselves, and like, from XFX for about THIRTY cheeseburgers more, that is NOT the OC version.

Something I took notice too at Frys, 1 out of like 4 of the Diamond cards are NOT returned and re shelved, so... that is just peachy to see there. FE do NOT carry the 4850 x2, but does anyone have a clear verdict on the 4890 vs 4850 x2? If not, I'll just be going with the 4890. And another ting, Frys has Diamond and ATi cards that are designated "XOC", and are listed with a 1050 MHz for ATis and 925 MHz for Diamonds. ATi's as you can see has the higher stock clock, comes with a copy of HAWX LOL, and is on sale for 250 bananas, I'd say buy that one if I were me.

And there ya have it, random passerby guy's "build", so, what do the denizens of Tom's Hardware think? Would that be a sensible gaggle of parts to stick together and prove sufficient for around 2+ years, or should I just suck it up and spend the extra 400 ducats and go with an i7 920 setup? The performance difference between the q9400 ans the i7 920 are LOL at best, but going with the cheaper i7 would be to just to have the 1366 socket, of course future proofing get?
 

fullmetall

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Wouldn't go for a LGA 775 as they are burning out. They wont make anymore cpu's.

So, saying that, your spending $1200. Dude, get an i7 machine.


Ill set one up real quick.
 

MatzoBoard

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I know, it would a better move to hit up that sweet, sweet LGA 1366, but hey, anything I should watch out for that might need and be able to take advantage of a 6-8 core monster later on? So what's the word, besides bird, on a EVGA 132-BL-E758-A1? It has a gold cup next to it on newegg, har har! I've seen EVGA MBs behave sorta flakey though, I forget the model, they were LGA 775, and had "FTW" in their name, but anyway, would you or anyone have a recommendation for a mobo/memory combo to go with an i7 920 that is known to work well, hopefully without becoming self aware and trying to kill me in my sleep?
 

fullmetall

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Asus P6t Deluxe v2 FTW.

The EVGA Board is often used aswell for the x58 mobo's.

I'd go with either

A simple GTX 260 or a 4870 1gb will do on GPU

i7 920 CPU

Ocz Platinum ddr3 1600 3x2gb kit at CL:7-7-7-24
or OCZ DDR3 1333 3x2gb kit at CL:7-7-7-20

WD Black 640gb HDD

RC-690 Case/Antec 900

LG x22/Samsung x22 DVD drive Optical

650tx for 1 card, later on sli & Crossfire 750tx

S1283v Heatsink + Arctic silver 5 compound

Should be about it for a $1200 i7 Rig to blow you away.


If you get the GTX 260 216 core you can get COD 5 for free :)


 


I Agree, the LGA775 is great and will be good IF that is what you are currently running. Anything new needs new architechture, especially since you have $1200 to burn. An Asus P6T, i7 920, and 6GB of DDR3 will run you about $650 on Newegg. I'd throw in (2) 4850's or GTS 250's and be the other essentials. Or get a single good card, but the x58 has the ability to run SLI OR Crossfire...... IT'S THE WAY TO GO.