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$1,000 Intel Build

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within the next 2 weeks. Budget: $1,000

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Internet, Photos

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Hard Drive, KB and Mouse, Optical Drives.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Tigerdirect.com: Because they have a relationship with my Skybox company that means I don't have to pay US taxes, and they'll accept credit cards from my country.

PARTS PREFERENCES: I'd like to go Intel/Nvidia but am open to advice.

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: This PC will replace my current one: q6600 overclocked, XFX 8800 Ultra, 4GB DDR2 800MHz, XFX 680i lt, 750 watt thermaltake PSU. I was looking at:

CPU - q9400
Mobo - EVGA 750i FTW
GPU - 2x GeForce 260's
Mem - 4GB DDR2
Case - NZXT Beta Evo
CPU fan: Gemini II
PSU - Corsair 750W

At Tiger, this comes up to $981.00 I'll be running Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

More about : 000 intel build

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Tad over-budget.

Pros: Great processor, RAM, mobo
Cons: Not-so-good GPU, but if you can spend another $90, and HD5850 will do you good.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
A271-4893 :: Sapphire Radeon Vapor-X HD 4890 1GB PCI-E Video Card - HDMI, DVI-I, VGA (1.8 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
OCZ GameXStream 700-Watt Power Supply - Refurbished, SLI-Ready, Active PFC (5.55 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU Cooler - Socket LGA 775, 754, 939, 940, AM2, AM2+ (2.65 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Asus P6T Intel Core i7 & XION Case Combo - Asus P6T LGA 1366 MOBO, Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz CPU w/ Fan, 6GB Corsair XMS3 PC10666 DDR3, XION ATX Gamer Case (21.25 lbs)

So it all depends on what you want; processing speed with better Ram, or GPU.

Actually, you can simply purchase an HD5870 instead of your two GTX260's, which will put you over-budget somewhat (not much), but it'll give you better graphical power with the ability to crossfire later.

You are buying all sorts of already outdated parts. Intels Q series is dead, you should really consider an i5 CPU with a p55 motherboard and DDR3 RAM.

A single ATI 5870 will perform about as well as twin 260s, use less power and create less heat and has DX11 so in a year or two it will still play the latest games.

shadow187 said:
Tad over-budget.

Pros: Great processor, RAM, mobo
Cons: Not-so-good GPU, but if you can spend another $90, and HD5850 will do you good.

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
A271-4893 :: Sapphire Radeon Vapor-X HD 4890 1GB PCI-E Video Card - HDMI, DVI-I, VGA (1.8 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
OCZ GameXStream 700-Watt Power Supply - Refurbished, SLI-Ready, Active PFC (5.55 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Cooler Master Hyper N520 CPU Cooler - Socket LGA 775, 754, 939, 940, AM2, AM2+ (2.65 lbs)


http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Asus P6T Intel Core i7 & XION Case Combo - Asus P6T LGA 1366 MOBO, Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz CPU w/ Fan, 6GB Corsair XMS3 PC10666 DDR3, XION ATX Gamer Case (21.25 lbs)

So it all depends on what you want; processing speed with better Ram, or GPU.

Actually, you can simply purchase an HD5870 instead of your two GTX260's, which will put you over-budget somewhat (not much), but it'll give you better graphical power with the ability to crossfire later.


A single HD5870 > 2x 260?! Really? I'd have thought for sure the dual 260's would be better than any single card solution... shows what I know :/ 

Also, I note that the PSU is refurbished, should that be a concern? It also only has 2x PCIe connections, won't I need 4x if I want to crossfire or SLI?
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dndhatcher said:
You are buying all sorts of already outdated parts. Intels Q series is dead, you should really consider an i5 CPU with a p55 motherboard and DDR3 RAM.

A single ATI 5870 will perform about as well as twin 260s, use less power and create less heat and has DX11 so in a year or two it will still play the latest games.


Would you recommend a build?

donovands said:
Ok, the build Shadow suggested using a HD5870 will be $1,219, which is a good $200 over budget...

Which is why I said the HD5850, which would put you at $100 over. This is feasibly in range, considering the vastly improved performance from your current build.

I am not a Tigerdirect fan. Selection is weak and the website is clunky.

Case: Coolermaster 690 ($85) - Tiger doesnt carry Antec cases, very sad.
PSU: Corsair 750TX ($110)
GPU: ATI 5870 or 5850

one of the following:

i7 920 ($280)
EVGA motherboard ($220) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Patriot Viper RAM (3x2GB) ($117) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
(Total $617)

i5 750 ($200)
ASUS P7P55D Pro Motherboard ($180)
OCZ Obsidian RAM (2x2GB) ($96) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
(Total $476)

Tiger has no good inexpensive CPU coolers for 1156 or 1366. Look for one of these somewhere. (Tiger has a horrible selection of CPU coolers, RAM and Cases in particular.)
Coolermaster Hyper 212
Xigmatek S1283 Rifle cooler (also called Red Scorpion, Balder or Dark Knight)
Sunbeam Core Contact Freezer

Of the three i5 CPU coolers on tiger the thermaltake spinQ is the best.

For the i7 920 the cheap Vantek 92 or the expensive Noctua are the best of the 10 they carry.

Core i5-750 $199 + Asus Pro Mobo $179 :$370 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

XFX 5770 $180
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

OCZ 4gb DDR3 1600 cas 9 $96 Couldnt find any reasonably priced cas 7
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

Thermaltake M9 Case $70
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

OCZ 700watt $95
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

Thermaltake 1156 cpu cooler $30
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Total: $841 so you can get another card to x-fire but may need a diff psu.

Instead of a 5770, you might consider just keeping the 8800 Ultra and then replacing it next year with a better DX11 GPU. The 5770 is less powerful than a GTX260 and is probably not a cost effective upgrade.

Hey guys im from South Africa and I just bought me a new PC, all im waiting for is for the ATI RADEON HD 5870 to arrive in SA then the bulid would be complete I just want to know how long it will hold for mainly GAMING and LAN'ing??

It's a...

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 2.88GHz LGA1156 (Standerd Cooling Intel Heatsink and FAN)
GPU: XFX ATI RADEON HD5870 1GB DDR5
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (2x2GB Gaming RAM DUAL-Channel)
HDD: Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 (and my old SATA HARDRIVES 250GB & 500GB)
MOBO: Asus P7P55D EVO LGA1156
PSU: Cooler Master Extreme 650W
CASE: Cooler Master HAF922 Black (3x 20cm Chasis FANS)

SCREEN: Samsung HD 23.3" Wide LCD 50000:1 2MS

OS: Windows 7 build 7100 Ultimate

I didnt choose the i7-950 becuase of what i heard it's being Discontinued next year the 1633MHz Socets??

DISCONNECTED_MIND said:
Hey guys im from South Africa and I just bought me a new PC, all im waiting for is for the ATI RADEON HD 5870 to arrive in SA then the bulid would be complete I just want to know how long it will hold for mainly GAMING and LAN'ing??

It's a...

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 2.88GHz LGA1156 (Standerd Cooling Intel Heatsink and FAN)
GPU: XFX ATI RADEON HD5870 1GB DDR5
RAM: 4GB DDR3 1333MHz (2x2GB Gaming RAM DUAL-Channel)
HDD: Seagate 1TB Barracuda 7200.12 (and my old SATA HARDRIVES 250GB & 500GB)
MOBO: Asus P7P55D EVO LGA1156
PSU: Cooler Master Extreme 650W
CASE: Cooler Master HAF922 Black (3x 20cm Chasis FANS)

SCREEN: Samsung HD 23.3" Wide LCD 50000:1 2MS

OS: Windows 7 build 7100 Ultimate

I didnt choose the i7-950 becuase of what i heard it's being Discontinued next year the 1633MHz Socets??

You need to start your own thread instead of hijacking other threads. Your build is very nice and will be a good gaming computer for a while.

sonic-boom said:
Core i5-750 $199 + Asus Pro Mobo $179 :$370 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

XFX 5770 $180
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

OCZ 4gb DDR3 1600 cas 9 $96 Couldnt find any reasonably priced cas 7
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

Thermaltake M9 Case $70
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

OCZ 700watt $95
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...

Thermaltake 1156 cpu cooler $30
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/ite...
Total: $841 so you can get another card to x-fire but may need a diff psu.


Kill the 5770, you have $660 left. That PSU is OP, a $100 PSU could do better. With $660 left a 5870 for $400 will do you great (it might be less). It'll be better than the GTX260SLI or the 5770CF. You might be slightly over-budget, but for gaming you have one of the best machines.

dndhatcher said:
I am not a Tigerdirect fan. Selection is weak and the website is clunky.



*sigh* I know. I'd use newegg but they don't deliver to International destinations, nor will they deliver to a P.O. Box. So I'm stuck with Tiger.

shadow187 said:
Kill the 5770, you have $660 left. That PSU is OP, a $100 PSU could do better. With $660 left a 5870 for $400 will do you great (it might be less). It'll be better than the GTX260SLI or the 5770CF. You might be slightly over-budget, but for gaming you have one of the best machines.


Thanks Shadowdndhatcher and Sonic for the advice. I think I'll go over the budget a tad and go for the 5870. Cheers gents!

The nzxt case has fan PORTs not fans. It only comes with one fan. You will spend $5-$25 per fan plus install time to improve its airflow. Thats why I like the Antec 300 illusion so much. For $50-$70 you get a solid case with 4 fans and great airflow.

shadow187 said:
Not to mentions cases with pre-installed fans probably have airflow planned out.


I hear you. I see some $5 120mm fans on Tiger. Is this a case of you get what you pay for? Will I see a big difference in performance between a $5 fan and a $13? I'm curious though, the Thermaltake case has no side fan to cool the GPU. Is this an issue? I see airflow diagrams all over the place but no consensus on what's best.

shadow187 said:
I'll take your money, :3

On another note; get an expansion-slot fan to cool the GPU. It'll drop it around 10-degrees. For ~$10-20.


I've got one in my current build, under the 8800 ultra, as well as a 80mm chassis fan. I'm not sure how much it helps, as the card routinely runs well over 80C. I have the card in the upper PCIe slot, which meant the expansion slot fan had to go below it. How hot does the 5870 run? Is there a benefit to GPU chassis fans?

shadow187 said:
I'll take your money, :3

On another note; get an expansion-slot fan to cool the GPU. It'll drop it around 10-degrees. For ~$10-20.


I've got one in my current build, under the 8800 ultra, as well as a 80mm chassis fan. I'm not sure how much it helps, as the card routinely runs well over 80C. I have the card in the upper PCIe slot, which meant the expansion slot fan had to go below it. How hot does the 5870 run? Is there a benefit to GPU chassis fans?

The 5870, 5850 and 5770 all have sheaths that divert the air their fans through the heatsink baffles then out the back of the case. It doesnt have nearly as much need for an extra fan as the older cards that just swirled the same hot air around the case.

In general you look at bearings, noise and flow (measured in CFM) when looking at case fans. Cheap fans are generally louder, have cheaper bearings that dont last as long, and/or have lower airflow.
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