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[Solved] I7 build, gaming machine.

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Best answer from RIOTinYOURcity.

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acs24   09-13-2009 at 06:12:56 PM

Need a little help completing my build.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: End of October at the latest. BUDGET RANGE: $1500-2000

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, internet usage, movies.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, speakers.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg,com (preferred account, want to take advantage of the no interest for 12 mos.)

PARTS PREFERENCES: i7 build, no other hardcore desires. Pretty open minded.

OVERCLOCKING: Not at first, but in the near future yes. SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Not at first, but in the near future yes.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680 x 1050

Here's what I have so far.

Antec 300 Mid-tower Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042

Acer X223WBD 22" Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824009145

Corsair 1000W PSU (to accomodate SLI in the near future (295 x 2?))
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139007

Intel Core i7 920
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

EVGA E758-TR 3-Way SLI Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813188046

EVGA GeForce GTX 295
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814130504

Corsair DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145224

WD Caviar Black 640GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136319

Sony Optiarc 24x DVD/CD-RW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827118030

Sunbeam Fan Controller
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811998808

Microsoft Vista Home Premium (for the free Windows 7 upgrade)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116677

Scythe 120mm Case Fans x 3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835185054

ZALMAN CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835118046

Looking to spend as little as possible but willing to go pretty far to get a top of the line gaming rig.

Would it be better to wait a few weeks for the new GPUs to come out and see if prices drop (if at all?) on the current GPUs?

Also I believe the Antec 300 case should accomodate that CPU HSF no?

Debating whether I should go for the single 295 now and get another 295 in the future or if I should go SLI now with a lower card. Opinions?

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.


Message edited by acs24 on 09-13-2009 at 06:27:37 PM
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Best answer from RIOTinYOURcity
The Antec 300 will fit everything but its going to be extremely cramped with that 1000W. Honestly, unless your using 3xSLI/CFX you wont need it. If you plan on just dual GPUs get a 750W. This will save you $100 on just the PSU and $150-200 on an additional GPU. In my opinion anything over 2 GPUs is overkill.

The Corsair RAM is expensive and has a high profile which could get in the way of your HSF. I found you some cheaper, quality RAM that will do exactly what you need.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820226030

Everything looks good. You are going to want a full tower case if you plan on using 3xSLI/CFX. And I would also suggest waiting to buy a GPU until the ATI 5870 is released. It will certainly drop prices on current models in time or you can buy the 5870.

5870 is supposed to be insane, like 2 4890's in one card while staying cool. I've read a review, I think on Anandtech, were 1 5870 was powering 4 monitors with ease while playing a single game!

PS: If you plan on watching Blu-Ray in the future you are going to want a better monitor. The Acer brand will not support true 1080p which will handicap Blu-Ray. LG is great, Samsung is nice too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824005129

If your just going to game and surf and have no intentions on Blu-Ray (you have a PS3 or something) stick with the monitor you have chosen. For the price, you can't go wrong. I wouldn't buy a Blu-Ray player for your rig anytime soon though. They need to improve the drives a lot. But this will "future proof" your monitor for quite some time.
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RIOTinYOURcity   09-13-2009 at 06:46:45 PM
Best answer

The Antec 300 will fit everything but its going to be extremely cramped with that 1000W. Honestly, unless your using 3xSLI/CFX you wont need it. If you plan on just dual GPUs get a 750W. This will save you $100 on just the PSU and $150-200 on an additional GPU. In my opinion anything over 2 GPUs is overkill.

The Corsair RAM is expensive and has a high profile which could get in the way of your HSF. I found you some cheaper, quality RAM that will do exactly what you need.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820226030

Everything looks good. You are going to want a full tower case if you plan on using 3xSLI/CFX. And I would also suggest waiting to buy a GPU until the ATI 5870 is released. It will certainly drop prices on current models in time or you can buy the 5870.

5870 is supposed to be insane, like 2 4890's in one card while staying cool. I've read a review, I think on Anandtech, were 1 5870 was powering 4 monitors with ease while playing a single game!

PS: If you plan on watching Blu-Ray in the future you are going to want a better monitor. The Acer brand will not support true 1080p which will handicap Blu-Ray. LG is great, Samsung is nice too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824005129

If your just going to game and surf and have no intentions on Blu-Ray (you have a PS3 or something) stick with the monitor you have chosen. For the price, you can't go wrong. I wouldn't buy a Blu-Ray player for your rig anytime soon though. They need to improve the drives a lot. But this will "future proof" your monitor for quite some time.


Message edited by RIOTinYOURcity on 09-13-2009 at 07:05:43 PM
Reply to RIOTinYOURcity
Bronze Home Brew badge Why_Me   09-13-2009 at 07:14:14 PM

A big +1 for the above post.

------------------------------ "God invented Google so you would stop asking stupid questions."
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stevensl2   09-13-2009 at 08:09:15 PM

^ This

------------------------------ Core I7 920 @ 3.66ghz | Xfx 4870 1gb Tri-Fire | DFI Lanparty x58 UT | G.Skill Trident 3x2gb @1834mhz | Asus Xonar Dx | Coolermaster Ultimate 1100w | Coolermaster Storm Sniper case | BenQ E2400HD 24inch 1920x1080 | Thermalright TRUE Push/Pull Fan |
Reply to stevensl2
acs24   09-13-2009 at 11:24:56 PM

Wow, great suggestions. Thanks for the help.

Any suggestions for power supplies? Obviously I want something SLI ready but I'd also like to get a modular PSU for cable management. Seems like the GTX 295 requires 2 connectors, a 6 pin and 8 pin, and I've read a lot of people saying it should be a DEDICATED 8 pin, no adapters. So does this mean I would need 2 x 6 pin and 2 x 8 pin? I'm having a hard time finding a PSU with enough wattage that fits those requirements. This is my first time considering running SLI so maybe I'm way off base.

Appreciate the answers. I'm looking into a 1080p monitor now. Seems like there are a handful of ASUS monitors on newegg with great reviews at a decent price, but to be honest it's not THAT big of a deal for me. I'm more concerned with playing any game I want at max settings at max resolution.

EDIT: I should mention I currently have an Antec p182 case. It's a great case and the Antec 300 might be a downgrade, but this thing is so damn heavy and large it gets kind of frustrating every time I need to move it. But it does keep my components cool, so maybe I should just stick with this case?


Message edited by acs24 on 09-13-2009 at 11:27:01 PM
Reply to acs24
RIOTinYOURcity   09-14-2009 at 01:00:37 AM

If you like the case you already have I see no need to replace it. I've found a Thermaltake 750W modular for extremely cheap. I've read reviews about it on many sites so its a beast, no need to worry.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817153038

Reply to RIOTinYOURcity
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