$1500 Gaming Rig

[Nexux]

Currently looking at building a new computer since mine is six years old. Any help would be appreciated.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: February or March

BUDGET RANGE: Maximum $1500

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Watching Movies, Programming, Surfing the Web

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Monitor, Speakers, Printer, Mouse, Keyboard, ect. Just the actual computer, no peripherals.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: ATI Graphics Card

OVERCLOCKING: Yes

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Screen currently runs at 1280 x 1024.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Looking for a rig that will last me at least 3 or 4 years with minor upgrades.

-----------------
LOOKING AT:

SAPPHIRE 100281SR Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102856
$410

CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139009
$140 (After $20 Rebate)

Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202
$289

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C9 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260
$95 (After $5 Rebate)

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drives -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
$100 (After $10 Rebate)

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151187
$31

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754
$105

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
$28.83 (After $1.15 Rebate)

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160
$160

TOTAL w/o MoBo: $1358.83

I am unsure about the motherboard.

Thanks!

 

[ares1214]

good build, except use triple channel memory not dual channel, but consider mine:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.309398

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.309270

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231335

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.298043

and then the rest of your stuff. unfortunately, x58 mobos cost 250-350$, so 1600 is about as good as i or you can do.

 

[MadAdmiral]

Those recommendations are solid, but missed one important thing.

The WD Caviar Black is crap compared to the Samsung Spinpoint F3. This is faster, quieter, and cheaper. It's possibly the best HDD out right now.

 

[ares1214]

ohhh yea your right, but didnt see that for sale, it was out of stock, but yea your right.

 

[MadAdmiral]

It's hard to find on Newegg. I think they're the same price on Amazon. You could also check TigerDirect and ZipZoomFly (might be a little more expensive). If none of them have it, or it's significantly more expensive, the Seagate 7200.12 is a decent substitute. This is another 500 GB platter drive that has only slightly lower performance, and is the same price. The WD is a distant third.

 

[ares1214]

yea but i have had bad experiences with seagate, also if you notice on newegg, half of the WD are 5 egg, and a few 4 egg, whereas the seagate are 4 egg at best. also, granted you should take that like a grain of sand, but still, just a little intriguing.

 

[Silmarunya]

NewEgg reviews and ratings often make my grandmother look tech-savvy. As MadAdmiral said, 500GB/platter drives are the best on the market and in that small market segment only the Seagate 7200.12 and the Samsung F3 exist as far as I know.

I'd favor technological superiority over the rating of consumers who believe the ability to use an iPod makes them electronics experts without peer...

 

[ares1214]

like i said, take it like a grain of sand, the samsung f3 is the best choice, but seagates IN MY EXPERIENCE run hotter, die faster, and are all around not as quality.

 

[Silmarunya]

Thank you, I don't like X is always such a constructive point to make. Sorry to say so, but at the moment WD is a VERY distant third to Samsung's and Seagate's offering. WD has a reputation, Samsung has modern technology without the big name tax. Easy choice.

 

[ares1214]

i think that samsung is a fine choice, i also think that WD makes the most reliable drives, and seagate, well they are a distant third in my book. and then theres the hitachi deathstar :lol:

 

[Silmarunya]

There is absolutely nothing that proves WD to be more reliable than Samsung. Just because Samsung is slightly newer it hasn't got the 'old trusty' seal yet, but it's top notch quality.
Seagate screwed up in a lot of people's book, usually because of the 7200.11 fiasco, but with the 7200.12 they've made a comeback in style. Close on the heels of the Samsung and miles ahead of the old tech WD offers.
I won't comment on the Hitachi's

 

[ares1214]

i dont care what they go with, all i am saying is seagate screwed up a lot, and samsung is a better choice.

 

[Silmarunya]

There's no discussion that Samsung is best. But they're sold out, and when you have to pick a second choice, it would be Seagate. A long time ago (in computing that is), WD would have been the clear choice.

 

[ares1214]

long time in computing is a month at best :lol: but i will submit as i have not used the .12 series, but still i would go WD or wait for samsung to come back, then we could stop arguing

 

[Silmarunya]

Waiting for Samsung is what I'd do as well. We agree on the first choice and we'll probably never agree on the second choice

 

[ares1214]

:lol: i will just keep posting until i outrank you but yes we are in agreement, wait for the samsung.

 

[MadAdmiral]

I outrank you both. And I have the charts to prove it. http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2009-3.5-desktop-hard-drive-charts/compare,1010.html?prod%5B3016%5D=on&prod%5B2369%5D=on&prod%5B2365%5D=on

The Samsung is the best in just about everything. If you're going to insist on not following advice about the best parts, then you can build a sub-par computer. There IS one WD drive that uses 500 GB platters, but it's the 2 TB one. The only thing that people don't like about Seagates are the last ones (7200.11) had some problems. However, every tech company has had a part in the past that has sucked. Get over it, and make the best choice for today.

@whoever referred to Newegg reviews: Making a choice based on Newegg reviews is like asking the pot head in junior high English class to give you answers to a graduate level theoretical physics class.

 

[ares1214]

we know the samsung is the best. and how many times do i have to say it, i would take the newegg reviews like a grain of sand, but it is intriguing to see how the seagate drives have more "DOA" and "FAIL" reviews than the WD and samsung.

 

[MadAdmiral]

Keep in mind that the WD are older. That means more reviews, and a longer time to fix problems.

I have yet to see anyone on here come back with real proof that Samsung or the new Seagates are less reliable. I've got 2 Samsungs that work perfectly.

 

[ares1214]

i am not saying anything about samsung, i have only heard good things about them, but never used them. i dont know if there is any benchmarks or proof that the seagates are less quality, but i am basing their quality on my experiences and other peoples experiences:

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/04/13/seagate-1tb-7200-12-review/4

this proves its a fast drive, but not safer.

 

[Nexux]

Thanks everyone, I did not even know the Samsung drive existed. I have always just bought WD because none of mine have failed (Yet).

 

[ares1214]

exactly, WD drives have a history of long lasting fullness.