Another i7-920 gaming build, please critique

[sakkdaddy]

I am building this in Norway, so prices are in nok.

Processor: Core i7 920 (2375 nok) - d0 stepping
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2, X58, Socket-1366 (2395 nok)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB GDDR5 (1795 nok)
Memory: Crucial DDR3 BallistiX 1600MHz 6GB CL8 (1099 nok) - 8-8-8-24 timings
SSD: intel x25-e ssd, 32GB (3095 nok)
HD: Samsung SpinPoint M7 HM500JI (725 nok)
Case: P182 (1275 nok)
Fan: Xigmatek Achilles S1284 (435 nok)
PSU: Corsair Powersupply TX 850W (1315 nok)
CDROM: Samsung DVD-burner SH-S222L/BEBN (225nok)

Total: 14734 nok


I was hoping for a sanity check, and any pointers you could offer. I do plan on overclocking the processor to about 4.0ghz if possible, and mostly play MMO's that do not offer good multi-gpu support.

Later this year, should Mortal Online release successfully, I will drop in another 4890 for crossfire, as the Unreal3 engine handles this well.

For the memory, I can get Corsair Dominator at 7-7-7-20 timing, but it costs 1.5x the price of the 8-8-8-24 Crucial BallistiX, so for now am leaning towards Crucial.


Thanks for any advice you can offer.

 

[gkay09]

^ That is a good config...but I doubt the value of those intel SSDs...Yes they do offer very good performance but are they worth the price???

Check for better CPU cooler options...
Though that one is good, but you can get better...

 

[sakkdaddy]

Sorry, forgot a couple of things. I won't be playing at higher than 1920x1200 resolution. Also, the sites that I plan to get my parts from are www.komplett.no, www.netshop.no, and maybe a few searches on www.hardware.no.

I would prefer not to go over 15000nok ($2400, 1725€) , but if there is a good argument for spending more on an item or two then I can afford it.


I'm not dropping the SSD though!

 

[gkay09]

^ I did not say to drop the SSD...
I just said about that particular intel SSD...

For the nearly the same price, you can get an OCZ Vertex 120GB, or even better, the latest intel 2x 80GB SSD which you can put in RAID 0, that would give similar or better performance than that SSD...and that too you get 160GB of space too...
So you decide...
http://www.netshop.no/aspx/produkt/prdinfovnet.aspx?plid=129733

And as for the CPU cooler,
TRUE 1366 RT...
http://www.netshop.no/aspx/produkt/prdinfovnet.aspx?plid=125010
And get one more 120MM fan and have it in Push-Pull config, to get better results...

 

[kubes]

Feels sorta like monolopy money looking at those prices in Norway lol .

I know you don't want to drop the SSD drives but assuming this is a gaming rig, they probally would be considerd overkill for this. Personaly I would only consider those drives worth the price in major server type situations. I just wanted to confirm that I as well agree with gkay's note.

I'm assuming ur hd: Samsung SpinPoint M7 is for storage purposes. You might want to look into WD Black series. They are a much better performing drive and imo reliable. It seems that samsung and seagate need to do some catching up to WD in terms of quality and realiblity of their drives (and performance in a lot of benchmarks).

I'd also double check the dimensions of the bottom psu compartment and make sure the psu isn't long enough that it'll get in the way of that fan. (I have a rig using this case and had to remove that fan. Antec 850 + 182p). Edit: taking a quick look it seems the its the corsair 850tx is only 5.9" and the Antec 850 is 7.1" so it'll still be a tight fit but should work.

Overall the build seems to be very solid.

 

[sakkdaddy]

I looked a little more into coolers and think I am going to go with the Cogage True Spirit. Having a quiet machine is almost as important as having a powerful one to me.

Also switching HD's to a WD Caviar Black 1TB.

I know that an SSD is overkill, but that's the one super-luxury item that I wanted to play with. I will look at the alternatives you recommended. If I scrap the SSD then I'm going water cooling instead.

 

[sakkdaddy]

I've decided to go with the Intel x25-m 80gb SSD to save a bit of money and gain a little space after reading http://www.anandtech.com/printarticle.aspx?i=3531 .

Processor: Core i7 920 (2375 nok) - make sure it's d0 stepping
Motherboard: ASUS P6T Deluxe V2, X58, Socket-1366 (2395 nok)
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon HD 4890 1GB GDDR5 (1795 nok)
Memory: Crucial DDR3 BallistiX 1600MHz 6GB CL8 (1099 nok)
SSD: Intel® X25-M SSD 80GB 2,5" (1995 nok)
HD: WD Caviar® Black 1TB 3,5", SATA (850 nok)
Case: P182 (1275 nok)
Fan: Cogage CPU kjøler, TRUE Spirit, m/vifte (295 nok)
PSU: Corsair Powersupply TX 850W (1315 nok)
CDROM: Samsung DVD-burner SH-S222L/BEBN (225nok)

Total: 13619 nok ($2225, 1566€)

 

[kubes]

Totally understandable about the luxary item (i too have a few for my rig as well). I just wanted to make sure you were aware that it was a luxary item. So go for it! I'm behind your descion.

Other than that I think you're rig is pretty much set. Nothing really that I would change at this point.

 

[gkay09]

Just a word of caution about the Cogage cooler...the retention mechanism is very hard to seat it in correct place...Apart from that, it is a very good option...

And the intel SSD that you have selected, is it the older one or the newer one that I had linked...
Though the newer ones are currently not available, they soon will be and make sure you get them as they offer slightly better performance and with WIN 7 releases, a TRIM feature will be released for those newer drives alone, that would improve the performance with WIN 7...

 

[sakkdaddy]

The SSD is available and is Gen2 http://www.komplett.no/k/ki.aspx?sku=485983
I just downgraded from a X25-E to a X25-M to save some money.

After looking at more benchmarks, specifically for Unreal3, and comparing prices again, I think I'm going to switch to the GTX 275 896mb. It was just a hair more expensive, but the performance gains shown for Unreal3 over the 4980 will hopefully be worth it.

 

[redgarl]

Why are you spending money for a stronger cpu if you don't plan to use this extra power?

You can get the same result with an AMD Phenom II cpu if you don't plan to crossfire or SLI at least two 4870 or two 260GTX.

For single graphic card configuration, go with AMD... going with a core i7 doesn`t change anything in games except with a GTX295 or a 2X4870... and the cheapest card cost a minimum of 350$. Even there, the difference is marginal.

 

[sakkdaddy]

Well, MMO's are more CPU dependant than many other games, and that is mostly what I play. I also want to be able to drop in a 2nd GTX275 later this year once the price drops more. Right now though, a 2nd GTX275 would be some serious overkill for WoW.

The games that I am looking ahead to are Mortal Online (MMO using the Unreal3 Engine), maybe trying out Aion, and Starcraft2.