I7 Build... More Research = More Confusion

[chimy]

Hi All - Haven't built a PC in 6(ish) years so I'm trying to catch up with the new tech... Looking to build myself a new gaming rig (mostly MMO, RPG, occasional FPS) with an eye to the future - i.e. upgradable (new cpu, new/additional gpu, more ram, etc). Don't need keyboard, mouse, monitor, etc.

My budget is flexible (but I'd like to keep in @ or under $2000)... Here's what I have so far....


Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Sexy and #1 on Newegg - good enough for me!

CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX - Good reviews and love the modular cables... but I've heard its huge --- Will this FIT in the Antec 900??? or do should I go full tower???

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 - Also considering two others (GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5 or GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P) - any suggestions???

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz - Most bang for the buck - probably just overclock to around 3GHz

COOLER MASTER V8 - Maybe overkill for just minor overclock - also heard its huge - Any better suggestions???

CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) - Was thinking about going 1600 but I feel like its just not worth it right now

EVGA 896-P3-1265-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 - Seem to be bouncing between this and an ATI HD 4870 1GB - Either way I'd like to add a second (in the future) and SLI/Crossfire

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA

SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner


Thanks in advance

 

[nerrawg]

Everything looks pretty good - although you don't really need a 1000W PSU unless you are planning on 3 way SLI or 4 way CF in the future. Corsair is great - but the 750 TX for example might suite your needs better. Also for the video card I would look at a 4890 1 GB or 275 GTX if your budget is $2000 US.

 

[chimy]

Thanks nerrawg - True (guess I've been looking at older benchmarks for GPUs) I'll def read up on the newer cards.

I totally agree - the 1000W is probably overkill and I've looked at 750-850W PSUs but I'm having trouble finding something good with modular cables (which I'm all about).

 

[Helloworld_98]

Hiper's 780w modular offering would probably be good enough for 2 way CF or SLI, heck, you could even get away with Silverstone's 650w modular PSU, 54A on a single 12v rail.

 

[chimy]

Thanks for the alternatives... however, my biggest concern regarding the 1000W PSU is - Will it fit (with enough room to operate) in a Antec 900 (1 or 2) or will i have to go Full Tower (1200?) to fit properly???

Also, don't know much about CPU heatsinks - any suggestions there? I think the one I have listed is serious overkill.

 

[Transmaniacon]

The Corsair is a great PSU, while it is overkill for your needs, there are not a lot of choices of that caliber that are much cheaper. There are some very high quality Antec PSUs; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371009, but then for another $30 after MIR, you can get the Corsair. The Corsair will fit in the Antec 900 fine, you have a lot of space in the Antec 900 and being a bottom-PSU case, you wont need to worry about a top-heavy case with that beast of a PSU.

The CM V8 is a fantastic CPU cooler choice, and will let you push that i7 far. Another good choice is this Xigmatech; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029 , and this one is considerably cheaper.

 

[Kill@dor]

I would keep everything...but 1000W is a lot of power man. 700W will hold you computer for a long time. It will fit in the case if its ATX i believe...

The V8 is not overkill...better safe than not at all ^_^

 

[sailer]

As to the PSU, I put a Thermaltake 850wt in my Antec 900 case and it works well. Actually, a TT 750wt or 700wt would probably be fine. They are all good and are all modular. Main reason I went to the 850wt was because it was on sale at the time and cheaper than the smaller PSUs.

As to the video card, I'd look to a GTX 275 or a 4980. I do have a 260-216 in one of my computers, but if you want something that will last a bit longer, I think the 275 would be a better place to spend the money.

Just my two cents worth