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[Solved] All-purpose high-end system

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - [Solved] All-purpose high-end system

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Best answer from BohleyK.

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vavix   11-12-2009 at 04:44:23 AM

Hey I am building a jack-of-all-trades that will stay relatively high-end and up-to-date for 2-3 years. I already bought some parts because of good deals that were going to end soon but for the rest of my planned build, I'd like to have some opinions and suggestions.
I AM planning to overclock when I am comfortable enough with my knowledge.
I will be using ncix.com to order my parts because they can pricematch competitors' prices.
My budget is around 500-600$CAN for the REST of my build.

What I already have right now:
MSI-GD80: I know some don't like socket 1156 but an i7 build is out of my budget.
ASUS VH242H 23.6": Got this one on a lucky sale on ncix.com for only 200$CAN, using it right now and loving it.
XFX HD 5850: Back-ordered it a week ago before prices went up because of high demand (they did by a whooping 30$ on ncix.com).
Samsung SH223B SATA DVD Drive OEM: No brand logo because of OEM lol but hopefully it should do the job.

What I am planning to get:
CoolerMaster CM-690: Very affordable and I like the USB ports on top because I use them A LOT. Would reconsider if there was anything slightly more stylish though.
Intel Core i5 750: I am definitely going with this as it is withing my budget range and has received relatively good reviews.
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro REV.2: The tech-guy on ncix.com recommends it and it has generally good reviews. I heard it's not perfect for OC'ing though but I am willing to invest on another CPU cooler later, if I need to (only like 30$).
Corsair Professional HX650W: Not so sure on this one. I care about good cable management but if someone can convince me that non-modular PSU can have nice cable management, I'll reconsider. Also, Newegg's wattage calculator recommends 577W so I went with 650W to be on the safe side but it's not as detailed as the calculator in this section's guide so let me know if it's way off.
G.SKILL Ripjaws PC3-10666 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1333 CL7-7-7-21 1.5V: WAY not sure about this one. Should I get 1600 speed instead? Should I look for higher voltage (1.65V) sticks? What about the timings? G-SKill seems to be a good choice of ram, but they have so many different kinds I just get confused with all this variety.
Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM: Seems like the best choice when it comes to HDD, but should I wait for SSD to lower their prices or is it not going to happen this holiday season?

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Best answer from BohleyK
Thats a pretty decent build you got going there. I wouldn't call it high-end but it will do the job for everything fairly well. There are a few things you can improve on without increasing cost too much.

For starters, that HSF uses pushpins. Which are a pain in the arse. I checked Newegg.CA and there isn't really any other option for 1156 with out feeling ripped off so that is unfortunate. You could try Amazon or eBay for a easier cooler to work with. The second thing, I would look for is a new HDD. Check out the Samsung F3 500 GB. Its a faster and less expensive HDD.

You have selected some decent RAM. There isn't much difference in 1600 over 1333 and those are pretty good timings. Mushkin has the best timings I've seen and worth taking a look at, perferrably their Redline model. It will cost you a bit more but if your concerned about RAM performance I don't think you will find better set of RAM than the Mushkin Redlines.

Overall you have a good rig!
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vavix   11-12-2009 at 04:43:56 PM

BUMP
Someone please rate it :]

Reply to vavix
BohleyK   11-12-2009 at 05:23:08 PM
Best answer

Thats a pretty decent build you got going there. I wouldn't call it high-end but it will do the job for everything fairly well. There are a few things you can improve on without increasing cost too much.

For starters, that HSF uses pushpins. Which are a pain in the arse. I checked Newegg.CA and there isn't really any other option for 1156 with out feeling ripped off so that is unfortunate. You could try Amazon or eBay for a easier cooler to work with. The second thing, I would look for is a new HDD. Check out the Samsung F3 500 GB. Its a faster and less expensive HDD.

You have selected some decent RAM. There isn't much difference in 1600 over 1333 and those are pretty good timings. Mushkin has the best timings I've seen and worth taking a look at, perferrably their Redline model. It will cost you a bit more but if your concerned about RAM performance I don't think you will find better set of RAM than the Mushkin Redlines.

Overall you have a good rig!

------------------------------ [LG 23' GTG 1080p][Antec 902][PII X4 955][Gigabyte 790FX-UD5P][Sapphire 5770][Mushkin Redline 1600 4GB][Xigmatek S1283][Corsair 650HX]
 Reply to BohleyK
vavix   11-13-2009 at 02:13:17 AM

Thanks!
I'll look into better heatsinks but like you said, it's hard to find one for a reasonable price. I might stick with the stock HSF for a while.
For the HDD, newegg.ca seems to have them but not ncix.com ... I would like to order everything from one e-tailer but if it comes down to it I'll order from newegg.
For the ram I just wanted a green light so I'll stick with that for now because this build is already way beyond the budget I initially planned.

Reply to vavix
BohleyK   11-13-2009 at 03:54:09 AM

Yup. My rig went way over budget as well. LOL

------------------------------ [LG 23' GTG 1080p][Antec 902][PII X4 955][Gigabyte 790FX-UD5P][Sapphire 5770][Mushkin Redline 1600 4GB][Xigmatek S1283][Corsair 650HX]
 Reply to BohleyK
stopthe_bomb   11-13-2009 at 04:20:41 AM

There have been mixed reviews on those HDD's, WD caviar blacks 640GB have great reviews, and my tech buddies (we all share performance and tips and other info) all seem to agree they are both great drives.

The one thing to consider is the WD is double plattered, while the samsung is only 1 platter.

Also, the WD is a little bigger, and better rated for RAID if you ever go there.

Reply to stopthe_bomb
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