[Solved] Intel i7 920 system for under $1000i

I'm looking for some feedback on a configuration I'm going to build. My old system, god bless it, is a P4 2.0 Ghz Dell from 2002. It has served me well, will be put out to pasture to replace my old man's Packard Bell Windows 95.

Anyway - My main priority is cheap upgradability, and an easy build process for a semi-newb like myself. By that I mean I'm looking for an i7 system, with a solid motherboard chipset, for under $1,000. I will be buying this ASAP, maybe today, probably this week.

I will be doing geospatial analysis (ESRI ArcInfo), various media stuff (web design, misc. audio/video) and some gaming. Mostly Empire:Total War, Battlefield 2, and Civ, at least for now.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: 22" monitor, mouse, keyboard, speakers, 500GB external HDD

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Don't care. Plan to use newegg.

OVERCLOCKING: Unlikely.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Eventually

So here's what I've put together so far:

CPU: Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115202

Mobo: ASRock X58 Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813157163

PSU+Case: Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129024

Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100283L Radeon HD 5770 (Juniper XT) 1GB 128-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102858

Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X3G1333C9 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820145221

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Blue WD3200AAJS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136098

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116754

DVD: LG 22X DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH22LS50 LightScribe Support - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827136168


Subtotal: $994.92

I'm wondering if anyone sees any conflicts, sees any problematic brand names or parts, knows any better configurations, or can think of an intelligent way to knock some $$ off the price without sacrificing too much. I really, really want an 80GB Intel X25 SSD, but I am going to wait until the prices fall a little bit more. I've been debating the issue all day, but they bump this up to about ~$1200.

thank you in advance - Matt

Patience,
I looked it through and If you went with the i7 860 and the 1156 socket you will get very similar performance and a lot cheaper. And it will be under 1000 also...wayy under.

And if you add two dollars to your HDD you can get a 500GB spinpoint which is also considerably faster.

The 5770 is far from a "dud". It performs a bit weaker than a 4870 and GTX 260 (but that is alot better than a 4770). Its even outperforms a GTS 250, 9800 GTX, 4850 which I can personally vouch for as I replaced a 9800 GTX with a 5770. Its not the most value obvious choice at its performance level as you are paying a bit extra for the longevity of having a DX11 compatible card.

On the other hand, if you can afford the 5850 it is an obvious value choice at its performance level.

Nvidia doesnt even have a DX11 card out yet, and may not until next spring. The 260 is a short term price/performance option but the 250 and below are outperformed by the 5770 and the 275 and above are stomped by the 5850.

Well I understand and now completley agree with your reasons for the 1366 so 1366 it is.
-SSD's over 70GB will be 200+ (The Intel SSD 80GB is 299.99 as of now, you can get the OEM for 289.99 but without cables and important parts).
-If I were you, I would scratch the SSD because the SSD will not affect your performance of your applications but rather make them open a couple seconds faster. I would spend money on more RAM, get 6GB<Its going to be much more useful then an SSD.
Also this motherboard (Click Here
will save you some money and will do the same thing the one you mentioned does

i coulda saved u some money on the ram

The more I compared components, the more I decided that having reputable brands was a high priority.

My biggest concern at this point is that I will not be able to fit two 4980's in this motherboard, if I decide I want to in the future.

Yeah that crossed my mind. There's a good chance I would've gone with the 5850, had it been for sale. Same goes with the 80GB Intel SSD.

Truth be told, I don't even own a game that can take advantage of the system I build. I just want to see what Battlefield 2 looks like with this bad boy.

Is it true that DX11 games will not work with a DX10 card like the 4890? I saw someone claim this somewhere on the forums, but it sounds dubious to me. If that's the case, I don't see how it works in the game developer's best interests to develop a DX11 game.

yeah, but going by the trend during the shift from Dx 9 to 10, every game that came out in Dx 10, had a Dx 9 option. As dndhatcher said, it would be suicidal to have only a Dx 11 implementation for the next couple of years.