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I7 + 4890 build, can't decide on mobo or cpu cooler

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This is my first attempt at a desktop build and I am in no way an expert with compatibility of parts. I've already bought the case which is a Xclio windtunnel and the peripherals and monitor are already taken care of. My only interest in overclocking would be a mild overclock to give my system a little boost. I do intend on crossfire and maybe SLI in the future if the next generation of cards from nvidia impress me more on price than ATI. Below are the parts I haven't purchased yet but have decided to buy.

video card - SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100269VXLE Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

cpu - Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

hard drive - Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM (might get SSD in the future but could care less at this point)

RAM - OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK - Retail

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

My question is on which motherboard and cpu cooler I should buy. First of all I would like a mobo with room for crossfire 4890s since I might decide to break down and buy a second 4890 a few months after I purchase this build. Second, I'm willing to spend some money on quality but don't want this mobo to go over $250. Third I just want to know anyone's preference on a cpu cooler that would go great with this board and deal with the small amount of overclocking I might do.

More about : 4890 build decide mobo cpu cooler

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for the mobo ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

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

Scythe MUGEN-2 SCMG-2000 120mm Sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail

both coolers are great the scythe is quieter and read somewhere that it performs a very little bit better but people here and i am one of them prefers the xigmatek also don't forget to get a thermal paste OCZ OCZTFRZTC Freeze Extreme Thermal Conductivity Compound - Retail this is one of the best thermal pastes

mindless728 said:
Mobo: Asus P6T SE

CPU Cooler: Sunbeam Cor Contact Freezer (120mm one) + Sunbeam LGA1366 backplate


i really have no idea about the sunbeam but about the asus p6t se what if he decided to sli in the future ?!! unless he is sure that he won't get 2 cards from nvidia in the future then it will be a good choice
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thanks for the quick replies. also does anyone think my psu is overkill even for crossfire or sli? the psu calculator recommends 430 watts with my current build but I know you always want a little headroom especially taking into account overclocking and I would like the psu to last through 3-4 years worth of upgrading at least

computersss said:
well i really don't really trust these calculators but i and all the people usually suggests 750 watts for CF such a GPU



A 750wt PSU will probably be a bit of overkill even with Crossfire, but at the same time, it will give you the headroom for big graphics cards and overclocking without any worry about running out of power. Personally, I'd rather have more than needed than to buy a PSU and then find out I needed something bigger, which did happen to me once in the past.

On my i7 computer, I use a TRUE with two fans. Its still runs a bit hot at 3.6ghz, so I'll be ordering a couple fans with higher cfm before too long, either from Noctua or Scythe.

The ASUS P6T is one of the better mobos out there. If you can afford it, get the Deluxe version. I use the Rampage II Extreme with mine, but I'm not sure if the extra money spent was worth it. Be sure to download the latest BIOS from ASUS when you first set it up. In fact, no matter what brand mobo you get, make sure you get the latest BIOS as some of the boards out there are still shipping with an immature BIOS.

sailer said:
A 750wt PSU will probably be a bit of overkill even with Crossfire, but at the same time, it will give you the headroom for big graphics cards and overclocking without any worry about running out of power. Personally, I'd rather have more than needed than to buy a PSU and then find out I needed something bigger, which did happen to me once in the past.


I agree, plus remember that:
1. The actual power supplied decreases over time
2. New graphic card requirements tend to increase over time
3. The most efficient PSU operating range is not near the ends of its range, but generally peaks in the middle and decreases at both ends. For the Corsair 750w TX, it peaks with about 85% efficiency at about 48% load then decreases in a mostly linear fashion to only 81% efficiency at 100% load.

Efficiency chart
http://www.corsair.com/_images/charts/tx750w_efficiency...

thanks for the tips. I'll be purchasing in a couple of weeks so I'll post again on how it went. Any other suggestions you have for my build or discounts worthy of mentioning, feel free to tell.
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