Heavy Gaming PC ~$1000

[rider_eragon]

Hi,

I'm building a new computer, and have some queries.

=======================================================================================

Approximate Purchase Date: Before Christmas
Budget: ~$1000
System Usage from Most Important to Least Important: ■Heavy gaming
■Game modding
■Programming
■Surfing the internet
■Document processing
■Watching movies
■Media converting
Parts Not Required: ■Monitor
■Keyboard
■Mouse
■Speakers
■Optical Drives
■Floppy Disc Drive
Parts Preferences: ■Gigabyte
■Antec
■Ati
Overclocking: To be discussed
Crossfire: Initially no, but eventually yes
Monitor Resolution: 1440 x 900
OS: Win XP Pro/7 HP/Ult @ 64-bit

EDIT: I've added prices at my own dollar, which is less than the US dollar. Note that I've rounded to the nearest $5 for each component.

Original Specifications: ■Processor: AMD Phenom 2 x4 955 ~$265
■Motherboard: G-A MA790XT-UD4P ~$180
■RAM: 4GB Patriot-Gaming 1600MHz ~$125
■HDD: 1TB Seagate SATA ~$100
■Video Card: Gigabyte Ati Radeon 4890 ~$240
■PSU: Antec Signature 850W ~$270
■Case: Antc 200 ~$80
■Total: ~$1260

Modified Specs (all still pending - NOTHING changed as of yet): ■Processor: Intel i7 920 ~$365
■Motherboard: G-A EX58-UD3R ~$265
■Video Card: Gigabyte Ati Radeon 5850 ~$400 (not with same supplier)
■PSU: Thermaltake EVO Blue Gaming ~$185

=======================================================================================

OK, I know that I've got an indefinite time, which means that I can be outdated, etc. but I'm still saving (and as prices come down, I won't need to spend nearly as much).

Now I plan on playing games like Crysis at maximum graphics, and I will be buying Crysis 2 when it arrives (hopefully) next year.

Seeing as the i7 920 doesn't have a 3.2GHz processor, or even a 2.8GHz processor, will I need to overclock it, or is Crysis referring to the old dual cores?

=======================================================================================

Just so everyone knows, this computer has been designed to last five years (which is why I'm looking at an expensive graphics card on a small monitor).

Although I've put in a at least a solid week's worth of research (as in more than 168 hours of research - I've been researching for almost two months now), I'm curious to know if I've overlooked anything, such as a configuration issue.

Cheers,

rider_eragon

 

[Niklas_13]

Are you planing to get a no monitor soon ?

 

[rider_eragon]

I'm using the same one that I'm using now.

 

[dragoon190]

Well, if you're staying with the current monitor... a 4870 might actually be able to max out everything for the current Crysis... maybe you can get an i5 with 4870 and use the extra cash to get a monitor that's at least 1680x1050? 5850 would just be a massive overkill for resolution below 1920x1200.

 

[4745454b]

You do have overkill, but on your PSU. Even overclocked I don't see that system pulline more then 500W. I doubt it would pull more then 650W with another 4870/90. There is no reason to spend that much on a PSU if you need a better monitor. Drop down to a 600-650 if you want to CF later on, or just get a good 500W. With the money saved, buy a 22" LCD.

 

[leo2kp]

I think 850watts is reasonable with Crossfire + overclocking.

 

[snakej]

nah 850 its way to much, people often get confuse, and I understand perfectly, because if you remeber a few years ago you needed as much as a 1000w PSU to run a 8800gtx in SLI, I remember that..lol...rather not to though. anyways, thing is now days Cards, Boards and CPU, consume lower wattage, 1 reason could be that board manufatures wants to be more enviormental friendly, like ASUS or Gigabyte.

I recomend this:

CORSAIR CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

I recomend paying a little extra on the modular, it will offer you a better cable managament which will mean better air flow inside your case, also the reason i chose the 750w, its because it will give you a better upgrade path although like some pointed out a 650w will cut it for you, but like i said the 750w will give a longer time before you have to change it again, it will even let you do 5850 in CF.

and last but no least, you should defenily take in consideration to go with an i5 setup even if it means paying a little extra, and keeping a lower video card model like a 4870.

 

[snakej]

Ok here is my list of parts you should consider for $1000

CPU & Motherboard: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Combo Discount: -$20.00
Combo Price: $349.98
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.273251

HSF: XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail
$32.99
Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

Memory Ram: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail
$85.99
Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

GPU: DIAMOND 5850PE51G Radeon HD 5850 1GB GDDR5 PCI Express x16 (2.0v) Video Card Retail
$279.99
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=10011258&prodlist=froogle

HHD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
$54.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
$119.99
($99.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate Card )
Free Shipping
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

Case: Xigmatek MIDGARD-W Black 0.7mm SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
$79.99
($69.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811815001

I dont have a calculator at the moment , but after rebates and all add together i know is less than $1000, with my bad math skills

 

[shortstuff_mt]

The Xigmatek cooler isn't compatible with the LGA 1156 socket. Here's one that is:

COOLER MASTER Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail $29.99

 

[snakej]

Thanks shortstuff, but i think that if thats the case with Xigmatek, they will happily send him the brackets for the LGA 1156, but not to go through all that problems the cooler master HSF isn't a bad choice + is cheaper.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I'm pretty sure Xigmatek doesn't even have LGA 1156 brackets available yet. They certainly aren't on Newegg if they're available.

 

[snakej]

lol they do
http://www.xigmatek.com/product/accessory.php#
scroll down to the mounting kits, they send me one to mount the DK side ways on the 790x-ud4p

they will send to you if you request it.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

It's not worth the hassle IMO. I'd just wait for the new Xigmatek Balder SD1283 to come out.

http://www.xigmatek.com/product/air-balder%20sd1283.php

 

[dndhatcher]

By Christmas the ATI 5700 series cards should be out. Since a 5850 is overkill for that monitor, one of the new cheaper DX11 cards may be a better fit.


The Balder is out, but I havent seen it available at a US site yet. Its a shiny nickel version of the Dark Knight.

 

[rider_eragon]

Whoa! I go to bed for a few hours, and I get all these awesome results! Thanks to all .

I've made a little mistake that I should probably fix: pricing. My supplier is a really cheap supplier (almost at wholesale pricing). I don't like saying my geographical location, so I won't mention the store (but I don't live in the US, so my pricing will be a little different). Just know that the US dollar is > my own dollar. After this post, I'll fix up post #1.

========================================================================================

Well, I'll tackle the monitor issue first. The reason I have a 19" screen is because it's the largest possible monitor that I can fit in my computer area. If it were physically possible for me to fit a 22" monitor in the area, then I'd upgrade, but I just don't have the room at the moment (sadly, as my dream monitor is a 22-5"). In the future, I might be able to upgrade - when I get the space. Sadly, that'll be in a few months - when I actually have space!


In relation to monitors, I've got question regarding the resolution and graphics cards. Why is a 5850, or even a 4870 overkill for such a resolution I'm using?



Now I'll tackle the PSU. I read a different TH thread before assembling the rig, and the guy that had posted was using a ~750W PSU with 2 4890s and was having trouble, and was told to use an 850W. Since reading that, I replaced the 550W PSU that I was originally going to use (which would be a much cheaper option - even a 650W would be a much better option) with the 850W mega-monster. Also, the AMD Dragon used an 850W PSU with 2 4890s, so I figured that that was Gospel.

Now I'd be very happy to return to earth with my PSU, as I do feel 850W is asking for a bit much. If I'm allowed to take off 100W, then I can get the original brand that I wanted at $84 cheaper. Thanks!




The CPU is probably one of the few things I will stand and question till I'm blue in the face. I'd like to know why some of you have chosen the i5 over the i7. If it's monetary, the supplier's i7 CPUs & motherboards are only ~$50 more than the i5. If you're thinking of monetary issues here, it isn't a problem, as the PSU (which I always knew the price was overkill) has probably removed the pricing.

Just FTR I'm more than likely going to repel you on this argument, because CPUs and GPUs are probably the only two hardware components that I could say I get "passionate" about (for want of a better word). But before I do argue, I'd like the facts and opinions, as I was originally an AMD-only man (only owned one Intel and it was a shocker), but a friend explained how Intel worked and what was so special about the i7's hyperthreading. Since then, I've been interested in the i7. So long story short, I'm open to whatever you say.



The case that snakej provided looks nice, but it is a tad more expensive than my own choice, but compared to the Antec 200, is there a benefit? Because I'd be happy to jump ship from the Antec to this Xigmatek, seeing as I have an extra $84 to spend now.



Finally (for this post), the HDD. I chose a 1TB for the amount of programs and games that I'm wanting to install - I've only got two games installed ATM on my two HDDs, and almost both are used up. I'd prefer a Samsung, but none of my suppliers can get me one (how sad and how strange). Perhaps I'll need to go international.




Anyway, thanks for all of your help so far, and hopefully, my pigheaddedness hasn't come out and turned you off - I just love to question EVERYTHING.

Cheers,

rider_eragon

 

[snakej]

wow long post rider, im not reading all that

Lol just kidding read it all

lest see here, oh yah, GPU and monitor issue, thats a easy one, I came up with an equation to describe it, its:

1-)High end GPU + low resolution monitor = Overkill
2-)low end GPU + High end Monitor = game at lower settings
3-)High end GPU + High end Monitor = game crusher

applying equation 1 to you: see you don't want a great GPU on a lower resolution monitor because its likely that you wont use all the power that the GPU board has, therefor you can go with much lower video card and still get great result at a much lower cost.

for the PSU, go with what I recommended, you wont beat the price, how ever if cash isn't a issue go with the modular version, which i also linked in my first post.

i7 its great, but i guess you called the threat the $1000 gaming pc, simply a nice i7 setup don't fit on that budget, why? thanks to Intel they have separated the Pc world with 3 different kinds of consumers, enthusiast, gamer and casual, and they simply market the i7 for enthusiast you will need at least 1,200 for a nice i7 860 setup.

the case I provided isn't only nice looking, but it offers you a variety of things that simply low end cases like the antec 300 cant offer, and all for a little bit more, and as you saw i fit it nicely on your budget.
here is the link for you to check: http://www.xigmatek.com/product/chassis-midgard-w.php

and finally, the im gonna run out of space issue, truly an i pods consumer issue, did you know you can alway buy another one later as space is require or a simply external one will do the job.

 

[dndhatcher]

If money isnt an issue then go for the i7 920, an x58 motherboard and a 3x2GB low voltage DDR3 RAM kit.


For graphics processing 1440x900 ~ 1.3 million but 1920x1200 ~ 2.3 million so your resolution requires only about 56% of the GPU power to achieve the same frame rates as on good widescreen LCD. Depending on the game, at 1920x1200 a 5850 goes anywhere from a pleasantly playable 50 FPS to being processor bottlenecked and the 5870 is 15-20% faster. Your monitor also probably doesnt refresh faster than 60Hz anyway so any FPS over 60 wont do anything for you. Here is a benchmarking that includes lots of GPU models at various resolutions on several games:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/ATI/Radeon_HD_5870_CrossFire/15.html


I dont know of any problems with a seagate 7200.12 1TB HDD. Just dont go for the 1.5TB 7200.11, well or for anything less than a 7200.12. Seagate had some substantial firmware issues with some of those older models.

 

[rider_eragon]

wow long post rider, im not reading all that

Lol just kidding read it all

lest see here, oh yah, GPU and monitor issue, thats a easy one, I came up with an equation to describe it, its:

1-)High end GPU + low resolution monitor = Overkill
2-)low end GPU + High end Monitor = game at lower settings
3-)High end GPU + High end Monitor = game crusher

applying equation 1 to you: see you don't want a great GPU on a lower resolution monitor because its likely that you wont use all the power that the GPU board has, therefor you can go with much lower video card and still get great result at a much lower cost.

for the PSU, go with what I recommended, you wont beat the price, how ever if cash isn't a issue go with the modular version, which i also linked in my first post.

i7 its great, but i guess you called the threat the $1000 gaming pc, simply a nice i7 setup don't fit on that budget, why? thanks to Intel they have separated the Pc world with 3 different kinds of consumers, enthusiast, gamer and casual, and they simply market the i7 for enthusiast you will need at least 1,200 for a nice i7 860 setup.

the case I provided isn't only nice looking, but it offers you a variety of things that simply low end cases like the antec 300 cant offer, and all for a little bit more, and as you saw i fit it nicely on your budget.
here is the link for you to check: http://www.xigmatek.com/product/chassis-midgard-w.php

and finally, the im gonna run out of space issue, truly an i pods consumer issue, did you know you can alway buy another one later as space is require or a simply external one will do the job.

Looks good! This post won't be nearly as long as the second.

You didn't really answer my question about the GPU and resolution (but not to worry - it was answered by DNDHATCHER), but you did clear something up that has been a little thorn in my side for about a month now: the "overkill" bit. So long as overkill is me not being able to use the full grunt of the card, and not the card causing problems with the machine, I'm happy (sometimes, I get paranoid over stuff that I do know the answer to). It doesn't solve the issue about what to get, but at least I know that overkill isn't machinekill too .



Moving on to the PSU, I did the conversion rate, and you are correct - there's a further $50 saving. Thank you for that - this'll help contribute to the Intel CPU & motherboard over the AMD. I've only one question, and that's about international import & export fees. Will this jack up the price from ~$135 to ~$180+? Because I have noticed that hardware is considerably more expensive in my country than in the US . If not, then thanks!



When I say that my budget is ~$1000, I say that because I know that I'm more than likely going to go overboard by ~$200, and if I do go overboard, at least my "grace budget" hasn't been broken. So with that in mind, I think I can squeeze in the i7.

While we're on the topic of enthusiast v.s. gamer, would someone be able to help clarify the difference? I've always pictured a gamer as someone who wants to play games at the best possible settings, but with a reasonable budget, and an enthusiast as someone who likes to overkill the graphics and have an unlimited or an unrealistic budget.




Finally the case. It looks good, and I haven't had a chance to compare the three as of yet, but seeing as I've saved at least $85, possibly up to $135 thanks to the PSU (and you too ), I'll have some cash handy to either:

A) Go towards a better box
B) Go towards a bigger monitor (but the cash will keep growing until I get the room)
C) Just be saved to make my machine cheaper


Oh one last thing: what was your final paragraph in relation to? It kind of confused me. Sorry.

If money isnt an issue then go for the i7 920, an x58 motherboard and a 3x2GB low voltage DDR3 RAM kit.


For graphics processing 1440x900 ~ 1.3 million but 1920x1200 ~ 2.3 million so your resolution requires only about 56% of the GPU power to achieve the same frame rates as on good widescreen LCD. Depending on the game, at 1920x1200 a 5850 goes anywhere from a pleasantly playable 50 FPS to being processor bottlenecked and the 5870 is 15-20% faster. Your monitor also probably doesnt refresh faster than 60Hz anyway so any FPS over 60 wont do anything for you. Here is a benchmarking that includes lots of GPU models at various resolutions on several games:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews [...] re/15.html


I dont know of any problems with a seagate 7200.12 1TB HDD. Just dont go for the 1.5TB 7200.11, well or for anything less than a 7200.12. Seagate had some substantial firmware issues with some of those older models.

Good explanation about the GPU - thanks! While money is an issue, I am flexible (as said above), and am strongly considering the i7 920. Is there any benefit with 6GB RAM over 4GB?

Finally, the only reason I'd rather go with a Samsung over a Seagate is the pricing - Samsung is about $20 cheaper on online stores, but I'm rather skeptical about online stores and hardware (warranty, etc.) and prefer to buy it myself, physically.

Anyway, that's it for now - thanks again to all who've helped!

Cheers,

rider_eragon

 

[snakej]

Looks good! This post won't be nearly as long as the second.

You didn't really answer my question about the GPU and resolution (but not to worry - it was answered by DNDHATCHER), but you did clear something up that has been a little thorn in my side for about a month now: the "overkill" bit. So long as overkill is me not being able to use the full grunt of the card, and not the card causing problems with the machine, I'm happy (sometimes, I get paranoid over stuff that I do know the answer to). It doesn't solve the issue about what to get, but at least I know that overkill isn't machinekill too .



Moving on to the PSU, I did the conversion rate, and you are correct - there's a further $50 saving. Thank you for that - this'll help contribute to the Intel CPU & motherboard over the AMD. I've only one question, and that's about international import & export fees. Will this jack up the price from ~$135 to ~$180+? Because I have noticed that hardware is considerably more expensive in my country than in the US . If not, then thanks!



When I say that my budget is ~$1000, I say that because I know that I'm more than likely going to go overboard by ~$200, and if I do go overboard, at least my "grace budget" hasn't been broken. So with that in mind, I think I can squeeze in the i7.

While we're on the topic of enthusiast v.s. gamer, would someone be able to help clarify the difference? I've always pictured a gamer as someone who wants to play games at the best possible settings, but with a reasonable budget, and an enthusiast as someone who likes to overkill the graphics and have an unlimited or an unrealistic budget.




Finally the case. It looks good, and I haven't had a chance to compare the three as of yet, but seeing as I've saved at least $85, possibly up to $135 thanks to the PSU (and you too ), I'll have some cash handy to either:

A) Go towards a better box
B) Go towards a bigger monitor (but the cash will keep growing until I get the room)
C) Just be saved to make my machine cheaper


Oh one last thing: what was your final paragraph in relation to? It kind of confused me. Sorry.





Good explanation about the GPU - thanks! While money is an issue, I am flexible (as said above), and am strongly considering the i7 920. Is there any benefit with 6GB RAM over 4GB?

Finally, the only reason I'd rather go with a Samsung over a Seagate is the pricing - Samsung is about $20 cheaper on online stores, but I'm rather skeptical about online stores and hardware (warranty, etc.) and prefer to buy it myself, physically.

Anyway, that's it for now - thanks again to all who've helped!

Cheers,

rider_eragon

Oh one last thing: what was your final paragraph in relation to? It kind of confused me. Sorry.

I was talking about this

Finally (for this post), the HDD. I chose a 1TB for the amount of programs and games that I'm wanting to install - I've only got two games installed ATM on my two HDDs, and almost both are used up. I'd prefer a Samsung, but none of my suppliers can get me one (how sad and how strange). Perhaps I'll need to go international.

and I said you could go with the 500gb that i posted on my build now and then buy a external HHD as needed, definitely a much cheaper option.

and last, the machine i build its really good all around,Intel i5 paired wit ATI HD5850, I wish, you dont need more than that, just save the money, or buy a better case,I recomend this ( http://www.crazypc.com/products/pc-k62-81362B.html ) for that price, damn. 1 more thing, actually one more question , Do you think you can get better price performance than the build i posted?, true is you dont need i7 for gaming , it does help if you run heavy rendering programs like MAYA, otherwise the i5 even got better FPS than the PII965 and i7 860 in many tittles plus you can get to 4.00GHz like nothing, what else is there to it, question is what do you want for the less amount of money? if you ask me i5 and 5850 for $1000, bite it.

 

[dndhatcher]

For gaming 4GB is all you really need.

RE gamer vs. enthusiast:
An enthusiast is a gamer who is willing to pay twice as much for a 25% speed increase

 

[micky_lund]

Firstly
i7 920 => lga 1366 => triple channel ram, so therefore 3gb, 6gb, 12gb (6 is best option) - always ddr3 under 1.65v
i7 860, 870, i5 750 => lga 1156 => dual channel ram, so 2gb, 4gb, 8gb (4gb is best, unless ur high scale video encoding) - ddr3, 1.65V

[strike]i7 920:[/strike]
There is no question about an i7 920. You would only get one for the hyperthreading (HT) ability and the extra ram. As you are gaming, you don't need this, especially if u are overclocking, as OC normally turns HT off (saves 10C). I don't know about game creating, but i'm pretty sure i5 will be more than enough.

CPU and GPU:
As snakej said, i5 and 5850 is truly your best option. The processor has no chance of bottlenecking your GPU, and the GPU is extremely overkill for your monitor, but will allow you for a 1920x**** monitor in the close future, with nice high settings.
(If you don't plan on new monitor in the next 1/2-1 years, scrap the 5850 and get a 4870 1GB version)

HDD:
Go with the seagate 7200.12 1TB version, plenty of room for you, and you'll won't need to upgrade for the next 5+ years.

PSU:
hmmmm....depends what your going with:
if ur going i5+4870, then 650w will be enough (corsair, antec), escpecially for XFire and Overclocking
if i5+5850, then i have no clue....what do the experts think here??!! <-------------------------^^^^^<----------------------
Only Question
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

CASE:
This Lian Li that someone linked is awesome....its around 400aud here, so its a bargain wherever you found it (which Aus was this cheap :S)
Lian-Li Lancool Dragon Lord PC-K62 Advanced ATX Mid Tower Case
http://www.crazypc.com/products/pc-k62-81362B.html
much better cooling, and more space than the Antec 200/300....and looks better too

Motherboard:
Gigabyte p55-ud3r => for the i5+5850 = no need for extra sockets which you won't use
Gigabyte p55-ud4p => use this if you are going i5+4870, and will X-Fire in the future. You'll need another faster PCI-E 2.0 slot.
both offer good overclocking capabilities.

RAM:
look for some G.Skill Ripjaw ram if u can find some. It's really cheap here, but if its not there, look for 1600mhz Cl8 (CL7 if not too expensive) dual channel ddr3 ram. make sure its 1.65v or less.

CPU Cooler:
this one has already been recommended. good brand, good reviews for the lga1156 socket
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065


-----------------------------------------------

That took a long time. I really think i5 750 is the way to go, especially in your case. Sorry bout the long post.

MICK

 

[dndhatcher]

A 5850 takes less power than a 4870. Both will run on a 500W power supply and theoretically crossfire two on a 600 (but I would go at least 650 for extra power to overclock with). That assumes a good quality PSU. The amperage on good PSU often makes them as effective as a medoicre PSU 100W bigger. Corsairs PSU in particular seems to be underrated based on wattage alone.

You are comapring that Lian LI Dragon to Antec cases that cost half as much so of course its better. The 900 and 902 are slightly less expensive but larger than the Dragon. It does look like a good case with good airflow, but it just has a high price tag.

 

[micky_lund]

ok....so whatever build you go with,

PSU
corsair 650tx = enough headroom to OC, and crossfire, but it'll need more PCI-E cables for the GPUs.
I think the corsair 750tx is better, but is $30 more, but its up to you. Who would x-fire 5850's anyways
(unless you can find extra cables to connect, i don't know about this. 650w-52A on 12V, 750w-60A on 12V)

Case
Ahhh.....sorry....i thought the cases were around the same price (AUD stuffs up against USD :S)
of course its better, but you still need a good airflow case for the components. i don't think the cheaper antec 200/300 will have that for you
but at $79.99 (with extra $10.00 rebate), the Xigmatek Midgard looks pretty nice. put another 140mm in the top, and your flying. Good find snakej.

Fans
I don't think you'll need them, but there cheap
XIGMATEK XLF-F1453 140mm 4 white LED LED Case Fan - Retail $12.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233031
Fit nicely in with the rest of your case, tho it will pop the price up a bit. Only needed if you want more airflow, which you may if going x-fire.

MICK

 

[dndhatcher]

The antec 300 illusion includes two front 120mm fans in addition to the rear 120 and top 140 (and can have an optional 120mm side fan for the GPU area). You wont get much better at the below $70 price point.

The Midgard looks pretty nice if you add and extra fan or two. The only issue is the side fan/vent is over the CPU not the GPU. A fan there would interfere with a 120mm tower cooler and the GPU is what you really need the side air vent to help cool.

 

[micky_lund]

hmmmm.....you beat me again DND
Definitely go with the antec 300 illusion. 3x 120mm and 1x 140mm fans will cool it well, and antec is renowned for their good cases.

anything else i have wrong DND?