~$1800 Gaming Build Core i7

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: One month from now.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: High-end gaming primarily, running multiple programs, net surfing, watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, and speakers.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, unless there is better

PARTS PREFERENCES: This will be a Core i7 build, and I *prefer* Nvidia GPUs. If someone can suggest something from the other camp, I'd be willing to hear it if they can explain why it's better. No shady manufacturers just because they offer cheaper components. I want quality.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, but I am not experienced.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1980x1080.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: With regards to the noise level, somewhere in between a pin dropping and a hairdryer would be preferred. I think I've got that worked out, though.


Again, I plan on running the latest and greatest. I'm not really concerned with what's out now, because I know I'll be able to run it flawlessly. I'm more concerned with purchasing a system that will last for a good while without upgrades. The question is, could I drop a GPU or tone-down the PSU without sacrificing 1080p performance? Could I save more money with a Crossfire setup over an SLI setup *and* achieve better performance? I know those are pretty general questions...but here it is.

CASE: COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119160

MOBO: EVGA E758-TR 3-Way SLI (x16/x16/x8) LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188046

GPU: EVGA 896-P3-1257-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 Superclocked Edition 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI ... - Retail x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130433

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139009

CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

RAM: OCZ 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820227375

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136319

MONITOR/DISPLAY: LG W2353V-PF Black 23" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Full HD 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824005125

CD/DVD: Sony Optiarc Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1675S - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827118019

CPU COOLER: COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835103055




Basically, there should be no wasted dollars. I'm not exactly the most hardcore enthusiast.

It comes out to $1,736.89 USD with savings, and $1,902.01 with shipping and tax--a bit much in my opinion, but I don't know exactly where to cut knowing what I want to get out of it. If this is the best build for this budget, great, but if you have any suggestions as to how to get the final price down (knowing my needs), let me know how much I can save, and how precisely that will effect the system as a whole. That would be great, too.

Any opinions or comments would be appreciated. Thanks.

Here are some good articles on GPU performance - check them out to see what is the best value and what you expect to get performance wise:

Multi-GPU configurations compared (before the 4770 came out):
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3520

4770 CF performance:
http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2288.html

One question, are you looking to be able to boost the performance in the future or have the best performance now ?

The reason I ask is that getting a single high power GPU now provides the option of doubling the graphics power in the future, while you may get a little more power on day one by getting a dual card setup but there is less scope for improvement in the future.

Since you are going for 1920x1080, you should not need maximum GPU power anyway... any GPU should be a little faster than the testing at 1920x1200 shows.

The 750TX should be sufficient for dual 4870s which use more power than the GeForce options so you should be okay without the 850. Don't get the 650TX because it is too close to the power ceiling you need and it does not have as many PCI-E power connectors as the 750 and above have.

The V8 cooler sounds overpriced from all the reviews I have seen. The Xiggy Dark Knight has uniformly great reviews and is something like half the price. Just remember to install it with the fan on the RAM side of the CPU rather than the other way around... it can be swapped without removing the motherboard entirely, but it is not easy. I'll let you guess how I know this !

As for the Motherboard... I got the standard Asus P6T and it installed and works great. Some of the Gigabyte boards only have 4 memory slots, which I think is a mistake, but they have a good reputation even so. For most builders, any reliable motherboard from Asus, EVGA or Gigabyte will do... if you are a hardcore tweaker, you may have more specific needs, but otherwise they really are all pretty comparable in quality.

Not that you probably care, but if you do intend to install the windows 7 rc, I gather that there are some people with problems using nVidia cards. I'm sure this is temporary but do some research if you care about this. I have a 1GB 4870, but only because it was the sweet spot when I bought, not because I much care about the whole nVidia/ATI rivalry (my laptop has a 6800Go and it's a great system).

Oh, as for the case, I got the Cooler Master RC-690 and it's very nice... only gripes are; no case speaker (and the Asus P6T does NOT have a POST code LED so if it fails to POST you have no help at all) and the side fan is rather noisy.

Best single GPU is probably a 4890 or a GTX 275 overclocked - but best bang for the buck is a GTX 260 or a 4870 1GB

That looks like a decent improvement to my original build, Why_Me. I wasn't aware that there were DDR3 1600 sticks out there with those timings.

I'll weigh this against the single GPU option.

Thanks for all the help guys.