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Feedback on Building $1300 Intel i7 860 Gaming PC

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I'm building my first PC for gaming. Please give me advice on what parts I should change.

Purchase Date: Oct. 31, 2009
Budget: Up to $1500
System Usage: Gaming, Schoolwork
Parts I Don't Need: Keyboard, Mouse
Overclocking: Yes, will be my first attempt
Crossfire: Will add second graphics card later
Monitor Resolution: 1920x1080
Comments: Espcially need help on verifying motherboard selection and wondering if I need a heatsink.

Intel Core i7 860 $229.99

[url= http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 835106139] Thermaltake Silent 1156 CLP0552 92mm CPU Cooler For Intel Socket LGA1156 - Retail [/url] $29.99 -- Updated

ASUS Maximus III Formula $244.99

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail $139.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $119.99

XFX HD-585A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail $259.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD7501AALS 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive - OEM $69.99

HP Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM SATA 24X Multiformat DVD Burner LightScribe $33.99

[url= http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 820226074] mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model 996731 - Retail [/url] $119.99 (x2=8GB ) -- Updated

BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail $7.79

ViewSonic X Series VX2260wm Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen Full HD 1080p LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 20000:1(1000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail $199.99

Updated RAM and Heatsink based on advice, please tell me if anymore changes are needed.

Message edited by darren14 on 10-05-2009 at 06:05:25 AM

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All looks good, and you will need an aftermarket heatsink if you plan to OC. I'm not up to date with what the good h/s's are for socket 1156, since there aren't many out, but everything else looks good.

BTW, you don't need an anti-static wrist strap if you ground yourself (i.e. touch something metal (the case, a faucet, etc.)) before you build your comp. However, if you are building in a carpeted or rug room, you might want it.

Reply to pepperman

Thanks! Ill be looking for a suitable heatsink, but if you come across one, remember this thread!

Reply to darren14

Why 6gb? 4 should be enough. And if you want more, go 8. Pros, correct me if I'm wrong but dual-chan memory works better in memory multiples of 8?

Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Message quoted 1 times

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Intel I7 860 @ 2.8Ghz - CM Hyper 212+ - Asus P7P55D Pro - HIS Radeon HD 5850 - WD Caviar 160&320 GB - Samsung SH-S223B - CM 690 MidTower - CM 700 SilentPro
Reply to era86

Sorry, I didn't catch that, but era86 is right; you don't need a triple channel kit for an 1156 i7.
Here's a good 4GB kit- $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231279

if you need 8GB, you should just buy two kits.

Reply to pepperman

If you are planning on crossfire, then consider the X58 chipset which gives you two X16 slots instead of the dual X8 which the P55 chipset does when using two graphic cards.

You would spend $50 more for an i7-920, but the Asus P6T would be $50 less and give you dual X16 pci-e slots.
The I7-920 would be comparable in performance, but would likely be easier to overclock.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202 i7-920 $279.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131386 Asus P6T $189.99 after rebate

The i5/i7 have very good memory controllers so there is little real value in faster ram or better timings. Get a good 6gb kit with the X58, and save enough to make that 5850 a 5870. Patriot viper 1333 $105 after rebate.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820220369
Otherwise, you will have to decide if you want 4gb or 8gb. 6gb seems like the sweet spot. Here is the advantage of 6gb for gaming:
http://www.corsair.com/_appnotes/A [...] vs_3GB.PDF

If you have to save a bit, consider the Antec 300 illusion case at $59.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129066

I would go ahead and get some sort of oem cooler up front. They do not have to cost that much, and it is a pain to add one later. You will be able to OC easier and higher, and your system will run cooler and quieter.
Pick one of the top units from this review:
http://www.frozencpu.com/resource/ [...] d=JqPuITTJ

---good luck---

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to geofelt

geofelt wrote :

There is not much increase in performance with the X58 over the P55. The P55 will give you better performance on most programs other than gaming and performance near equal to X58 in gaming. Your $50 would be better spent on something else (better GPU?).

Read here: http://www.tomshardware.com/review [...] ,2433.html

They compare X58 and P55 and show that there is little increase in X58 over P55 when it comes to those PCI E bandwith.

However, the X58 will give you the option to upgrade to the ~$1000 hex-core chip next year :whistle:

Thanks guys, ill look into it

Reply to darren14

You can save even more money if you switch to this monitor

Hanns·G HH-221HPB Black 21.5" 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 15000:1(1000:1) Built in Speakers - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6824254039

Hanns G makes quality monitors.

$60 savings! Use that to buy a better GPU or CPU.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to KageRyu

era86 wrote :

Why 6gb? 4 should be enough. And if you want more, go 8. Pros, correct me if I'm wrong but dual-chan memory works better in memory multiples of 8?

Other than that, I wouldn't change a thing.

Thanks, I diddn't know that, I updated my original post to 8GB.

Reply to darren14

KageRyu wrote :

The monitor I chose has 2ms, vs the one you said which has 5. Do you think this will make a diffrence?

Plus the one I chose has DVI which I think I will be using later on.

Reply to darren14

The human eye can't tell the difference between 5ms and 2ms.

Reply to pepperman

For $1500 I would try to fit a SSD into your budget because it will offer a noticeable performance increase. Do you really need that motherboard? Seems overkill to me. A board for $150 will overclock probably about the same...also look around for better deals on the ps. I just bought a 700w OCZ modular ps from zipzoomfly for $50 after MIR.

Message edited by cory1234 on 10-05-2009 at 06:49:22 AM

Reply to cory1234

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Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Feedback on Building $1300 Intel i7 860 Gaming PC