Asking the experts one last time

[woozyM]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: after christmas BUDGET RANGE: 1200-1400 US$

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg, tigerdirect, any canadian online suppliers COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada

PARTS PREFERENCES: i5 or i7

OVERCLOCKING: Yes SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: will be playing @ (1680x1050, 1920x1080, 1920x1200)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
1) include an aftermarket HSF for optimal OC'ing, hoping to be able to stretch to the ~4.2ghz for gaming 3.6-3.8ghz for 24/7 usage
2) would like to see some i7 setup, I know there are more expensive and I will sacrifice in graphic card.
3) would like to see a setup with ati 5870 or 5870 depending on how my budget will let you to do.

my build: http://secure.newegg.ca/WishList/TemporaryWishList.aspx?ChangeQty=0

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail 69.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

ASUS P7P55D EVO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail 219.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131407

XFX HD-585A-ZNDC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB XXX Edition 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 360.49
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150455

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail 109.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail 219.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ - Retail 100.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231193

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive 74.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136320

Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - OEM 32.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827118030

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM 121.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116754

total $1,310.91$CAN or 1285.44 US$

 

[MadAdmiral]

That wishlist is empty...

Switch the WD for a Samsung Spinpoint F3. The F3 is better across the board, and is cheaper. It might not be available on Newegg.ca, but it's worth looking around for. If you can't find it for a good price (it's usually $55 US), the Seagate 7200.12 is a good substitute. The Seagate is a little slower, but it's the same price and still better than the WD.

If you're a student, you can get Windows 7 for $30 US. All you need is an academic email address. I'm not sure if this is worldwide, but it's worth looking into.

i7 setups for gaming is not worth it. You'd have to switch the 5850 for a 5770, which is a drastic cut for gaming.

This RAM (G.Skill Ripjaws 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7) is a little more expensive at $110 CAN, but much better than the ones you've got.

This motherboard is cheaper, has more features than the ASUS one, and has USB 3.0 and SATA 6 GB/s ports: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P.

Here's a slightly more powerful, high quaility PSU for less: OCZ StealthXStream 700W.

I think with my changes, and what's left in your budget, you can afford to get an HD 5870. This will boost your gaming performance, and will be longer lasting.

 

[woozyM]

Was afraid the wishlist wouldn't work so I added the parts separately below it... how do people make the wishlist work?

I very much like the mobo you suggested. The memory u selected is indeed better but I read in the OC forum that memory doesn't really give that much of a boost so that's why I selected the cheaper cas 9 g.skill.

The PSU is a great find, thanks!

What kind of aftermarket HSF should I get if I wanna get 3.6-3.8 ghz running 24/7 and hopefully 4.2-4.4 gaming? Read in many threads about the hyper 212 as the best price/performance, they just all gone tho

 

[MadAdmiral]

The Hyper 212 is a good one. It's also fairly reasonable, and fits all of the current sockets (AM3, LGA1156, LGA1366). It's the one I typically recommend.

As far as the RAM for overclocking, I'm not really certain. I'm not much of an overclocker, so you might want to ask about it over there.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

The Samsung F3 drive isn't available on www.newegg.ca

Here's the Seagate drive MadAdmiral was talking about:

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM It's well worth the extra $5 over that old 250GB platter WD drive.