New Gaming Rig 2k or under

[bukkythegnome]

Hey guys, I'm planning on playing on 1900x1200 res but I might upgrade to 2500x1600 in the near future (if those monitors ever get cheaper wtf). I was also gonna try overclocking this time around. I'm going to be mainly playing WoW, and then Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 when they come out. What do you guys think about this not completely finished build? Any ideas for better parts or useful suggestions would be great!

(CASE) HAF 932 full tower case
(MOBO) Asus P6T intel x58
(CPU) 920 i7 2.66
(CPU COOLER) Xigmatek Dark Knight Cooler
(RAM) 6GB OSZ Platinums
(GPU) 2 x gtx 285's (1GB) SLI (not sure about this, maybe just 1 295?)
(PSU) 850W or 1000W Corsair (not sure?)
(HD) 80GB SSD intel and a 1TB drive from Western Digital.

I'm kind of undecided about the last 3. Any advice would be much appreciated!
Thanks
-Bukky

 

[gkay09]

^ Your choice of components are pretty good...

For those last 3 components,

1. Graphics card - I think WoW doesnt support SLI/ Crossfire as of now...So a single card would be the best option...
And dont get the GTX 285s...instead get the GTX 275...they have ~ performance of the GTX 275s for 1920X1200 resolution and cost about $100 less...So if you have planned for upgrading you monitor resolution, for the price of 2 GTX 285s, you can get 2x GTX 275s...and its performance would be better...

2. More than 2 cards, it is better you get higher wattage...For upto 2x GTX 285s, the 850W is more than suffice...
But if you have planned for more than 2 cards, 1000W is safe (But a 850TX can handle 3xGTX 275s but little headroom is better)...

3. That HD setup is very good...go ahead with that...Make sure you get the newer 80GB ones and not the older one...

 

[bukkythegnome]

Ok, thanks for all the feedback . I think I'm still going to get the SLI for when other games come out like D3 and stuff. But, the dual 275's are better than the dual 285's at higher resolutions? That seems really counter intuitive but if I'm understanding you right then that's great. I'm probably never going to get more than 2 cards in SLI but I feel like I should still get the 1000 Watt just for future expansions sake.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167005 is this the new SSD or the old one?

if I were to get a 30 inch monitor I was going to wait for dell to have a sale or something for the 3007WFT monitor or whatever its called (i heard its gone down to 900 bucks a couple times). Any other reputable/cheaper alternatives?

 

[gkay09]

Dual GTX 275s are better value than the dual GTX 285s...
Here is a simple comparison...
2x GTX 275s -> $460
2X GTX 285s -> $660

Performance difference -> For resolutions 1920X1200, maybe Max ~5-10 FPS difference...But you wont notice that difference visually as our eyes cant anything above 30FPS...
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-275,2266.html

The performance difference @ 2560X1600 is some what significant...

But by the time you buy a new 30" monitor, newer more powerful cards will be available for nearly the same price as of now...So for now stick with the cheaper solution and after changing to a 30", you can change the cards to newer one or even add one more GTX 275 in Tri-SLI, that would also be very powerful...

SSD - No that is the older one...
This is the newer one...currently they are not available but are expected by this month 28Th
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167016

There are not many good alternatives to the dell 30"...even if there were, they would cost more...

 

[Yoosty]

Dual GTX 275s are better value than the dual GTX 285s...
Here is a simple comparison...
2x GTX 275s -> $460
2X GTX 285s -> $660

Performance difference -> For resolutions 1920X1200, maybe Max ~5-10 FPS difference...But you wont notice that difference visually as our eyes cant anything above 30FPS...
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/geforce-gtx-275,2266.html

The performance difference @ 2560X1600 is some what significant...

But by the time you buy a new 30" monitor, newer more powerful cards will be available for nearly the same price as of now...So for now stick with the cheaper solution and after changing to a 30", you can change the cards to newer one or even add one more GTX 275 in Tri-SLI, that would also be very powerful...

SSD - No that is the older one...
This is the newer one...currently they are not available but are expected by this month 28Th
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167016

There are not many good alternatives to the dell 30"...even if there were, they would cost more...

+1 for gkay09 on getting single GTX275 card now and waiting to November when newer nVidia cards come out.

Would suggest going with either EVGA or BFG, since they both have a 90 days step-up program. Where you can exchange older card for newer higher price card, all you have to do is pay the difference between ywhat you card cost and new card cost, but only from there main site.

Also would wait until Intel latest SSD comes on market, before getting one. They are running late do to firmware problem. But once they show up, prices will drop on most SSD's that are out.

That is a tough decision on PSU, since they are both great. The difference is one has 150w more but is longer by .7874 inch and cost $30.00 more. Unless you will be going Tri-SLI, I would get the Corsair 850TX or 750HX.

 

[bukkythegnome]

Thanks for the replies!

Ok just a few more questions:

1. Do I have to sign up with the EVGA step-up program or is that just
readily available whenever you want to use it (before 90 days are up)

2. Probably going to get the 30 inch before November, so should I just get 2 gtx 275's in SLI now and then step them both up when the new cards come out? Or will one be easily able to max out WoW and some of the new upcoming games I was talking about?

3. Is the Asus p6t delux v2 board good for OCing and future SLI expansion (the PCI slots seem well spread out for fat graphics cards) or should I rather get one of the EVGA x58 boards?

4. I was thinking about the 850W corsair modular PSU, it seems very reliable and I like the concept of being able to get rid of unnecessary PSU cables to promote good case airflow. Thoughts on that?

Thanks again!

 

[gkay09]

1. Their website should offer the required info...
http://www.evga.com/stepup/default.asp?switch=2

But there is a lot of uncertainty about the Nvidia cards release...Some sites report Q4 of this year whereas others report Q1 of 2010...So 90 days step-up might/ might not be useful...

But if you play WoW mainly, then there is no use going with even 2x GTX 275...As I said before WoW doesnt support multiple cards...

2. You can get the 30" along with the newer cards...that would be perfect timing to buy the monitor...
And WoW is not so graphic intensive...so a single GTX 275 should be able to handle that game @ that resolution...
And as for Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2, they would not as graphics intensive as a FPS/ Racing game...So the GTX 275 should be able to handle them pretty good as well...and anyways by the time those games come out, newer cards also will accompany them...

3. The ASUS Deluxe V2 is a very good board for overclocking...And about the slot spacing, it has sufficient space between a 2 card setup...But maybe for Tri-SLI, there can be space constraints...
And can you give the specific model number of the EVGA board you are talking about...
Other good boards with very good slot placement and are also very good for overclocking ->
Gigabyte UD5P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362
Gigabyte UD4P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374

4. PSU - If you are planning for more than 2 cards, then the 850W maybe a close call...So you would have to look into the 1000HX...But if you are pretty sure of not having more than 2 cards, then the 850HX is more than suffice...

 

[bukkythegnome]

for the mobo I was thinking maybe this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049&Tpk=EVGA%20x58%20LE

thats pretty much all I'm undecided on thanks to you guys!

edit: oh btw I should get this EVGA model right? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475

 

[Yoosty]

for the mobo I was thinking maybe this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188049&Tpk=EVGA%20x58%20LE

thats pretty much all I'm undecided on thanks to you guys!

edit: oh btw I should get this EVGA model right? The]http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130475

The EVGA 141-BL-E757-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX X58 SLI LE is a nice board, but has one drawback whe doing SLI. It runs SLI in 16x8 speed, I would go with this board from EVGA below and use the Comboe deal with the Graphic card that is in this Quote to save some more money.

EVGA Graphic Card/ Mobo Combo
1. EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit: $229.99 Free Shipping*

2. EVGA 121-BL-E756-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 Micro ATX SLI Micro: $209.99

Combo Discount: -$20.00
Combo Price: $419.98
$20.00 Mail-In Rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.230279