Good 1680x1050 AMD Build?

[jonyb222]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: [strike]Maybe sometime in May [/strike] If I told you I was buying it this week, would you believe me^
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Internet, and probly Folding@Home on the side to make me feel good about myself
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.ca, ncix.ca
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada

PARTS PREFERENCES: I like AMD and ATI for good performance/price ratio

OVERCLOCKING: Yes
CROSSFIRE: Maybe, I<d prefer to start with 1 card and then go with a second as an upgrade

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Since the estimated date is a ways off rebates do not matter at this time, I plan to pay in and around 1000$ CAD, pretty much enough to get me high performance (DOESN'T need to be 8x/16x AA & AF on everything though) on 1680x1050 and then upgrade later when prices are lower

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBRM - Retail
$90.99
Upgrade path: get a 2nd set later on

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$149.99

Foxconn A7DA-S 3.0 AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
$134.99


POWERCOLOR AX4870 1GBD5 Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
$160.49
Upgrade path: get a 2nd one later on
Or should I go for a 4890?


CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
$199.99


AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor Model HDZ720WFGIBOX - Retail
$138.99


Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 - Retail
$49.99
I want to get an IFX-14, but I can't find one

Subtotal: $920.43


*Edit* I seem to have forgotten to add a Hard Drive, I believe I have 2-3 spare 160 Gb Baracudas at home, also I have a 500Gb portable backup drive, any suggestions?

*Edit2* Other threads seem to suggest this PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

 

[dirtmountain]

Trying to figure out a build 6 months before you need it is like picking out a wedding ring before you have a girlfriend. Too many things will change in that 6 months to make it practical. Keep an eye on new developments and prices and wait until just a few weeks before you buy.

 

[jonyb222]

ok. and what if I told you I was buying it next week?

I mostly like to do these build every few months or so to see how close I am to what is a good build so that I can give others good advice instead of always having to rely on other's advice (kinda like you always want more seeders on a torrent)

 

[dndhatcher]

By next may ATI will have the 5700 series GPUs out which may be the best choice at your price point. Also Nvidia should have the 300 series graphics cards out by then so its way to soon to pick a graphics card.

I thought folding@home only worked on Nvidia GPUs?

By may intel should have dual core i5 CPUs (possibly called i3) and AMD will have a new CPU out. The CPU recommendation is quite possibly going to be different in may also.

I would not go with Powercolor on a GPU. Stick with XFX for the warranty if possible. If not Sapphire, EVGA, ASUS, HIS are all good companies.

That foxconn motherboard seems expensive. I think with the PhIIx3 720 everyone chooses a Gigabyte board so they have a chance at unlocking the 4th core if lucky.