Budget(?) i7 system

[centrik]

Hello, everyone!

I recently decided it's time to update my desktop, as I'm having trouble playing a lot of newer games. Here's the template

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Sometime within the next two weeks. The sooner, the better!

BUDGET RANGE: $1,200

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, watching movies, surfing the web.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor, Hard Drive, Speakers.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: Obviously an i7 processor and compatible motherboard. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions.

OVERCLOCKING: Most likely, yes.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Since I'm open to both ATI and Nvidia cards, I'm considering SLI and Crossfire for the future. Given my current budget, I won't be purchasing two or three cards right now.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: A few friends have told me that DX 11 cards will be coming out by the end of the year, so I'm willing to settle with a cheaper card for now, and upgrade in the future. That being said, I want to be able to play new and upcoming games at max, or very high settings. I know Crysis may be the exception, but I have no intention of playing it. I was told that the 9800GTX+ would be the best "bang for buck" card for my situation, but I'm not completely sure.

Here's what I put together on Newegg.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=15961347

There's an extra $200 that can be spent.

Thanks in advance for your time and consideration, it is much appreciated!

 

[mindless728]

for close to the same price you could have a 4870 512MB ($135) which has about the same performance as a GTX260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150403

 

[centrik]

for close to the same price you could have a 4870 512MB ($135) which has about the same performance as a GTX260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150403

Ah, ok! Guess I'll go with the HD 4870 then. Would it be worth the extra $30 to pick this up? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161265

EDIT: Or would it be worth it going with a GTX 260 Core 216? Price is a little higher, but assuming everything else in my configuration is good, then I can afford it.

 

[computersss]

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319

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

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029

SAPPHIRE 100269SR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.208675

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216036

this build is much much better than your build

edit: don't forget to get a thermal paste the best are Ocz Freeze and arctic MX-2

 

[centrik]

Without the hard drive, which I already have, that build comes out to around $1100. Probably a bit more, but I'm tired, and it's hard to focus right now.

Seems like a great build, but would I spending a little much if I want to upgrade to a DX 11 card when they come out? This is, of course, assuming what I've been told is true, and the DX 11 cards will be coming out by the end of the year.

 

[computersss]

well it's your money,anyway nobody knows when is the release date for the DX11 cards so that they can be delayed at anytime and they won't make a revolution they will be better than the DX10 cards but not that much and IMO you will have to wait month or two for the cards to be widely spread and make sure that they are stable and choose the card that suits your needs

 

[centrik]

well it's your money,anyway nobody knows when is the release date for the DX11 cards so that they can be delayed at anytime and they won't make a revolution they will be better than the DX10 cards but not that much and IMO you will have to wait month or two for the cards to be widely spread and make sure that they are stable and choose the card that suits your needs

Is the 260 core 216 better than the HD 4870?

I suppose I might as well get a high end graphics card now, and SLI/crossfire a few months from now when I have the extra cash.

With that in mind, Is the HD 4870 still the best choice?

 

[dna708]

I think the GTX260 slightly edges out, but a 4870 1gig by XFX should be at least $10 cheaper than and GTX260 216. Either way you'll get similar performance with almost negligible difference except in very demanding games where 1 or 2 fps matter a lot.

 

[astrodudepsu]

computerss build is excellent. personally i would switch out the 900 for a coolermaster 690, but that's purely a personal choice.

at 19x12, the 4870 will be hard pressed to play new games at max settings, crysis or no crysis.

 

[computersss]

Even a single 4890 wouldn't be able to max out all games at 19200x1200 resolution

 

[centrik]

In that case, what would it take to max out games at 1920 x 1200?

 

[computersss]

you need atleast a 4870x2 if you want to max games suggested is to CF 2 4890 for 400$ this would be the best bang for buck and will allow you to max games at 1920x120,you can also get a gtx 295 which contains 2 gtx 275 in one card for 500$ but the 2 4890 would be the best bang for buck if u wanna max out games

edit:for bencmarks on 4890 see http://www.tweaktown.com/articles/2704/ati_radeon_hd_4890_in_crossfire/index6.html

 

[Helloworld_98]

get a build which comes out to around $950 now since the 5870 which comes out in September will cost ~$250.

and don't use the 4870 512MB as the card at the beginning since it literally dies when playing games at 1920x1200.

 

[centrik]

get a build which comes out to around $950 now since the 5870 which comes out in September will cost ~$250.

and don't use the 4870 512MB as the card at the beginning since it literally dies when playing games at 1920x1200.

Has it been confirmed it's coming out in September, or even by the end of the year?

I think I am going to CrossFire two 4890s. May not be able to pick up two right away, but I think I should be fine using one for at most a month.

That being said, here's the new build:

ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216527

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

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

SAPPHIRE 100269SR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102830


I'm a bit concerned that when I decide to Crossfire the 4890s, I won't be able to fit them in the case? Should I step up to a full sized tower, or are my fears unfounded?

 

[computersss]

i really don't know if it is confirmed that they will be released out in September or not,i think you will be good with one 4890 until the release of the DX11 cards,if i were you i would get only one 4890 for now and wait until the DX11 cards are out.also i suggest getting the asus p6t v2 it is the ideal mobo for sli and CF get these combos

asus p6t v2+i7 discount=75$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.216036

ocz gold+sapphire 4890 discount=22$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.208675

the asus p6t v2 is worth the extra money if you are going to CF

edit:you don't need a full tower the 900 will do the job,anyway i will now calculate everything and tell you what is the total price and maybe i fit a HAF 932 in the budget

another edit:with the combos and HAF 932 and arctic mx-2 all comes to total 1162$ without the Hardrive as you have it

 

[jtmoney528]

GO EVGA on the 260's and use the Step Up Program to get the new cards.

 

[tecmo34]

GO EVGA on the 260's and use the Step Up Program to get the new cards.

I would agree with you to a point... but the problem is that Nvidia has not confirmed when their DX11 cards will be out or even if by September like ATI for the most part. This might come back to bit you in the butt if Nvidia cards don't come out in late this year... Just a thought!

 

[jtmoney528]

I would agree with you to a point... but the problem is that Nvidia has not confirmed when their DX11 cards will be out or even if by September like ATI for the most part. This might come back to bit you in the butt if Nvidia cards don't come out in late this year... Just a thought!

That was my thought too, you are taking a risk there but if it works out it would be sweet.

 

[centrik]

What are the chances we will be seeing Nvidia DX 11 cards in September? Are the 260 core 216s much worse than the 4890s?

I think I will stick with the 900 mid tower if it won't be a problem. Will save me a little cash, and will be easier to drag around.

 

[tecmo34]

What are the chances we will be seeing Nvidia DX 11 cards in September? Are the 260 core 216s much worse than the 4890s?

I think I will stick with the 900 mid tower if it won't be a problem. Will save me a little cash, and will be easier to drag around.

The 4890's are a little better than the GTX 260 Core 216's... IMO The 4890's are more inline with the GTX 275's, where the GTX 260's are in line with the 4870's

Here is Tom's Hardware Graphics Card Hierarchy Chart.. it puts them on the same level... http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-graphics-card,2362-6.html
If you look at the Graphics Charts for FarCry 2 at max settings... the GTX260 performs better... http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality/Far-Cry-2,1322.html
If you look at the Graphics Charts for Fallout3 at max settings... the 4890 performs better... http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/gaming-graphics-cards-charts-2009-high-quality/Fallout-3,1318.html

You really need to look at what games you plan on playing most then review the benchmarks for those two cards on those games. Some games prefer ATI, while others prefer Nvidia cards...

 

[centrik]

For an extra $20, I can get the 4850 x2. According to the hierarchy list, it's on par with the GTX 280 and GTX 285, which are better than the HD 4890.

Any reason I shouldn't grab the 4850 x2? Here's the link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102809&Tpk=HD%204850%20X2