Finalizing Build, Looking to order ASAP!

cokenbeer

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I have most of it already figured out but I do need some advice.

Processor - i7 920

My only real option. I don't see any reason to pay for the more expensive options when the 920 OC's to almost the same point.

Mobo - Asus P6T deluxe v2

I'm kind of set on this board based on reviews and forum suggestions, but if people can give me a solid reason to look at another board I'm definitely up for that!

Ram - 6 GB of DDR3.... open for suggestions?

PSU - Corsair HX1000

Already used this in another PC and will use it again. I love modular supplies and it's got enough power for almost any setup I can imagine.

Case - Coolermaster ATCS840

I've considered other cases, but I like the look and setup of this one.

GPU - Option 1 - 2x GTX285

The price I have on these is about 60 dollars more than on the 275 I'd consider. Maybe it's not worth it, but I'm OCD about the 1 GB of ram.

Option 2 - 2x 4890

Less expensive, kind of want to lean Nvidia on this last build but these do seem awesome. Was considering trying the 3D setup from Nvidia but this would obviously make that impossible. I'd probably do dual 4890x2's if they were in the VERY near future.


Option 3 - 2x GTX 295

Hesitant due to the price (more on that below) and the fact that dual cards are iffy. If I go Nvidia it's EVGA, so i could possibly step up in the next 3 months from 285's if the 295 refresh happens.

HDD - Option 1 - 2x OCZ 60GB vertex drives

Absolutely going Raid 0 with SSD's

Option 2 - 2x Intel X-25M 80GB

This would put dual 295's out of the picture.

HDD - 1TB Western Digital Caviar Black

That's mostly it, the few things not here are already decided (Blu Ray drive, Asus Xonar etc.)

Monitor's are Dell 3008's x 2

The PC is used for a intense gaming. Competitive play, and casual. As well as a lot of video editing and graphic design.

Any input and suggestions would be highly appreciated.
 

AKM880

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Do you mean the Asus P6T Deluxe? When I search the term "P8T" in google for Asus motherboards it lead me to a well disturbing site........., anyways thats what its called. What games are you playing and at what resolution? I don't think your going to need 2 295's.
 

cokenbeer

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Thanks for catching that! Yes I did indeed mean P6T.

I play several games, currently playing through GTA4 (Didn't like PS3 version as much), Far Cry 2, DoW 2, TF2.

I game at 2560 x 1600 and will "hopefully" get a second monitor soon for when I'm video editing.
 

g3force

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If your going for the 2x GTX 285 or 2x 4890 route, I suggest dropping your PSU to 750 watts (unless you already own it)
Processor: Good
Motherboard: Good
RAM: Can't really suggest any triple channel kits, as I don't have any experience with them.
Case: Personal preference.
GPU: I'd stay away from the GTX 295 option, mainly because two GTX 285s or two 4890s will be sufficient (unless you plan on running Crysis 24/7)
HDDs: The price premium for SSDs is not worth it IMO. You will get slightly slower speeds with a couple of Western Digital 640 Gb drives in RAID 0 configuration, but at a fraction of the cost.
Sound card: Not worth it. It's very hard to tell the difference between onboard sound vs. a separate sound card. I only recommend sound cards if there is a distinct hum/buzz with onboard sound, or maximum sound quality is needed for a professional sound mixer etc.
 

cokenbeer

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I'm going with the HX1000 for a few reasons, it's not out of budget, it's been rock solid in my other build (now my brothers PC), and I want/need modular cables.

You're probably right about dual 295's, most benchmarks seem to indicate that 285's in SLI are enough. I'd like to hear what other peoples opinions are. Consider that you're not paying for this out of your own pocket :kaola:

I will get SSD's without hesitation. I've compared them to Velociraptors in Raid 0, and it's not even close for so many things. Plus the low failure rate and excellent Raid performance is a huge benefit. The real question is, are the Intel SSD's worth the substantial price premium?

And I always buy a sound card for my personal use PC's. I don't recommend them to everybody, but I'm running Focal speakers as my PC speakers and Sennheiser headphones as well as a Sennheiser gaming headset. Doesn't make sense to skip a sound card :)
 

cokenbeer

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From what I've been reading, it seems that I'd be better off buying the Vertex drives, even buying 4 instead of two since the performance difference between them and the Intel is not worth nearly double the price.

I should be placing my order today, any further thoughts? Possibilities on things I should change?