Hi everyone, I'm finally going to build a new rig after using the same computer for like 6 years. I have built a computer before, but I've fallen behind on the hardware news so lately I've been spending literally entire nights reading up on hardware. There's just so much to know about processors, gpus, ram, mobos, etc, even what heatsink paste to use 
Since I will be keeping my old pc for office use, I will need a new monitor as well.
My ~$1200 Gaming Rig
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: After the release of ATI 58XX series (around Sept 25, hopefully)
BUDGET RANGE: US $1200 +/- $100
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Frames Per Second
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: OS (will use Windows 7 RC for now until shutdown)
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: All newegg unless someone suggests a better site.
PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel Lynnfield, GPU a tossup
OVERCLOCKING: Yes, but need a 1156 compatible heatsink, and I am having trouble finding reviews.
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe. A single MSI 4890 OC is looking good at $199, and I was also thinking of crossfiring 4870s, for just a little more money. Not sure how these cards compare to nvidia's. Also, worried about the single x8 PCIe lane with 2 cards. In any case, I will wait until the release of ATI 58XX next gens before deciding.
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920 x 1080
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is just an early build, which still needs lots of adjusting. Furthermore, since I don't know much, I am not even sure if it's all compatible, like if the RAM works with the system, or if the case will hold the motherboard, or if the PSU is the right type, etc. I initially wanted to build this rig right away, then I heard the Lynnfields would come out, and now there's news of next gen 58XX ATis. It never ends does it? Here goes.
Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 - Retail $299.99
MSI P55-CD53 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $119.99 - $20 for Combo
Thoughts: I wanted to save a bit with the i5, but really I would be using this system for many years, so the hyperthreading could come in handy. As for the motherboard, I believe most of the current selections all use solid capacitors, so should be almost equally stable. I was actually thinking of getting the lowest ASUS P7P55 because it appears to use the best quality parts, but then again I am saving some cash with this board.
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro 700 RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active ... - Retail $109.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $69.99 - $25.00 for Combo
Thoughts: One of the better combos I could find, with adequate power in case I decide to crossfire. There's cheaper PSU like Rosewill, but I read some reviews and they said the power fluctuates more, and the power cables are not modularized.
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK - Retail $79.99
Thoughts: This one had me confused. I see two kinds of G.SKILL: this one, and the ripsaw one, for almost the same price. But this one had lower timings, I suppose which is the most important? There are higher PC1600 for sale, etc RAM, but the timings get higher, and I can just overclock this RAM myself, no?
MSI R4890 Cyclone OC Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $199.99
Thoughts: I think this is the best 4890 right now, but still, for about $70 more I could have dual 4870s. Will have to wait and see the price and performance on the 5850s and make a decision.
ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $169.99
Thoughts: This is a good price for a 21.5" LCD, no? On top of that, it's got 2ms response time. The others in this price range all have 5ms. Although this one is explicitly labeled GTG, I hope it's not some sort of advertising gimmick, where in reality it's still 5ms. Comes with speakers, a plus when I am not using headphones.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $64.99
Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM $32.99
Subtotal: $1,102.91
Shipping: $38.98
Bing cashback for newegg 3%, $20 rebate from LCD.
Total: $1088.80
Not Included:
Heatsink, keyboard and mouse.
Heatsink: There's a real lack of reviews right now for socket 1156 heatsinks. Newegg has a CoolerMaster for $29.99, but I'm not sure how much better it is than the stock fan. I wonder how much is the Thermalright MUX 120 that these hardware websites keep using on their test setups?
So there's my build. Please feel free to comment critique. Thanks
Since I will be keeping my old pc for office use, I will need a new monitor as well.
My ~$1200 Gaming Rig
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: After the release of ATI 58XX series (around Sept 25, hopefully)
BUDGET RANGE: US $1200 +/- $100
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Frames Per Second
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: OS (will use Windows 7 RC for now until shutdown)
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: All newegg unless someone suggests a better site.
PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel Lynnfield, GPU a tossup
OVERCLOCKING: Yes, but need a 1156 compatible heatsink, and I am having trouble finding reviews.
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe. A single MSI 4890 OC is looking good at $199, and I was also thinking of crossfiring 4870s, for just a little more money. Not sure how these cards compare to nvidia's. Also, worried about the single x8 PCIe lane with 2 cards. In any case, I will wait until the release of ATI 58XX next gens before deciding.
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920 x 1080
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This is just an early build, which still needs lots of adjusting. Furthermore, since I don't know much, I am not even sure if it's all compatible, like if the RAM works with the system, or if the case will hold the motherboard, or if the PSU is the right type, etc. I initially wanted to build this rig right away, then I heard the Lynnfields would come out, and now there's news of next gen 58XX ATis. It never ends does it? Here goes.
Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 - Retail $299.99
MSI P55-CD53 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail $119.99 - $20 for Combo
Thoughts: I wanted to save a bit with the i5, but really I would be using this system for many years, so the hyperthreading could come in handy. As for the motherboard, I believe most of the current selections all use solid capacitors, so should be almost equally stable. I was actually thinking of getting the lowest ASUS P7P55 because it appears to use the best quality parts, but then again I am saving some cash with this board.
COOLER MASTER Silent Pro 700 RS-700-AMBA-D3 700W ATX12V V2.3 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active ... - Retail $109.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $69.99 - $25.00 for Combo
Thoughts: One of the better combos I could find, with adequate power in case I decide to crossfire. There's cheaper PSU like Rosewill, but I read some reviews and they said the power fluctuates more, and the power cables are not modularized.
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK - Retail $79.99
Thoughts: This one had me confused. I see two kinds of G.SKILL: this one, and the ripsaw one, for almost the same price. But this one had lower timings, I suppose which is the most important? There are higher PC1600 for sale, etc RAM, but the timings get higher, and I can just overclock this RAM myself, no?
MSI R4890 Cyclone OC Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail $199.99
Thoughts: I think this is the best 4890 right now, but still, for about $70 more I could have dual 4870s. Will have to wait and see the price and performance on the 5850s and make a decision.
ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $169.99
Thoughts: This is a good price for a 21.5" LCD, no? On top of that, it's got 2ms response time. The others in this price range all have 5ms. Although this one is explicitly labeled GTG, I hope it's not some sort of advertising gimmick, where in reality it's still 5ms. Comes with speakers, a plus when I am not using headphones.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $64.99
Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM $32.99
Subtotal: $1,102.91
Shipping: $38.98
Bing cashback for newegg 3%, $20 rebate from LCD.
Total: $1088.80
Not Included:
Heatsink, keyboard and mouse.
Heatsink: There's a real lack of reviews right now for socket 1156 heatsinks. Newegg has a CoolerMaster for $29.99, but I'm not sure how much better it is than the stock fan. I wonder how much is the Thermalright MUX 120 that these hardware websites keep using on their test setups?
So there's my build. Please feel free to comment critique. Thanks
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