1000 Gaming Build, what do you think?

You would generally get better gaming performance from an AMD 3 core CPU and upping the graphics card to a 5850. If you have a nearby microcenter and can get the i5 for $150 still that eliminates most of the price difference.

There are some differences in GPUs now with different coolers and there is always the issue of whose warranty is best. XFX has that won with a double lifetime (if you are in the US).

You are correct on the RAM - a single 4GB (2*2gb) kit is optimal unless you are doing things you know will exceed that much.

If you do not overclock and you case has good airflow then the stock cooler will suffice. If you overclock then you do need a decent cooler. The most coolers come with enough mediocre thermal goo for one application. If you mess up and have to re-install it or when it wears out in a year or two you will need more.
If you look at the latest Toms CPU article, overclocking the i5 at 3.2 and leaving Turbo boost on may be a good choice to balance power, heat and performance.

For your resolution I would go with a 5850 if you plan to keep this computer for a while and you could go with an AMD Phenom II x3 and upgrade it in the future when you feel like you need to thus freeing up money for the 5850.

How about downgrading the MOBO (saving 80) and upgrading the video card (125 more) for increase in 45 dollars. This MOBO loses the USB 3.0 if you use both PCIE 16x / 8x slots, but as this video card only uses one and I have no plans to crossfire this is a non issue correct?

Would someone comment on the PSU? Every guide I read does not specifically say OCZ is decent but it has a pretty decent combo with the Lian LI which looked cool:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4XCT9yibwQ

($385)
SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail
+
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

and downgrade the MOBO with:


($315)
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750 - Retail
+
GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM : $27
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL - Retail : $94
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM : $105
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
If your a college student you can buy win7 pro for $65
http://www.win741.com/

Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2 - Retail : $40, $15 mail in, $25 (works with am3)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive : $100 (2 platter drive)
Thermaltake BlacX N0028USU External Hard Drive SATA Enclosure Docking Station 2.5" & 3.5" USB 2.0 - Retail $37 (free gift)
Total: $137, -$37 combo = $100
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail : $300
Thermaltake TR2 W0388RU 600W ATX 12V v2.2 Power Supply - Retail : $70 (free PSU, w/free shipping)
Total: $370, combo -$70 = $300
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K62 Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail : $100
OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail : $80
Total $180, combo -$30 = $150, mail in -$25 = $125
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

GIGABYTE GA-790XTA-UD4 AM3 AMD 790X SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail : $140
AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGMBOX - Retail : $170 (with new stepping)
Total: $310, combo -$25 = $285
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

Total: $1,099.90, after mail in -$40 = 1059.99

You can run the components off the free 600watt PSU, but I personally wouldn't feel all that safe doing so if your doing any overclocking. Than you can buy a cheaper case like an Antec 300 or something and save another $100, but if you do some major OC's id recommend using the 700watt with the lian li case. And plus with this build you can always hock the free parts you get on ebay to help off set the cost, which is what I'd do, or save them for future use.

And on the PSU OCZ is ok and same with Thermaltake, but it is not top notch quality. But not something I'd worry about as long as you don't push it to it's limits. The brands i generally recommend are PC Power & Cooling, Antec, and Corsair I hear is quite good as well.

I don't really want to do any crazy OC'ing, just optimize what I have. In that case, the OCZ StealthXStream 700W will be sufficient?

Is it worth trying to save a few bucks there or is it important enough to buy a known superior power supply?


I think I want to go i5 because of some of the home video editing I am interested in doing. What do you think of this MOBO:

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail


As I stated above I want this system to be able to run all games well for the next 2.5 - 3 years. I do not anticipate having to crossfire to do that, what do you think? If I will need to crossfire will that motherboard be a decent option to do so?

Thanks.

If video editing is a concern you'd be better off with the i7-860 or the Xeon X3440 as they are 1156 processors that support Hyperthreading.

I'm personally in the camp that believes you never skimp on psu's. Ever... Seriously, EVER. Of course that may have something to do with having to replace an entire pc from the keyboard to the memory because I decided to save a few bucks on a subpar unit.

I'd include the option to crossfire down the road. You might not plan on it now, but 2 years from now when current gpus are at bargain prices and new games are pushing their limits it'll be an upgrade path that is relatively inexpensive.

So what PSU would you recommend then? Corsair 650 - 750 W ?

If I want to preserve the option to crossfire then:

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Will be insufficient and I should pay another $60 for a 8x/8x dual line MOBO?

No, you need an 8x/8x board.

Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4
134.99

So.. 5 bucks more. Not 60. This is a matx board, it doesn't really matter with 1156. You lose USB/SATA 3... but honestly, who cares? I won't fight this fight again, but E-SATA performs at 90pct USB 3.0 speeds, and SATA 6gb/s will never see its bandwidth met on current boards. Short of ultrafast usb flash sticks(which are typically only for smaller files anyways) neither of these new standards excite me at all.

At 84.99 the Antec 650w 80+is a solid contender. It's more than enough power for xfire 5770's and an overclocked 1156.

Don't bother with the gigabyte USB 3.0/SATA 6.0 boards.

They neuter the PCIE to x8 even with only 1 card installed. Better off just not getting that feature as get the UD4 linked above, or go asus.

$159.99 if you don't plan on xfire
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

$189.99 if you do want that option.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Oh, the stealthxstream 700w is fine for xfire and OCing. No idea why you'd be worried about that one. It's probably one of the few multirail PSU's I'd ever recommend.

I think it's possible to pull together a build with an i5 and 5850 for $1,000 if you don't mind Mail in rebates.

Ok here's a build that will let you get a 5850 and i5 for ~$1050. However, you would need to go through the student offer to get the OS for $65. win741.com as linked above.

Alternatively, buying it combo'd w/ the GPu would cost $20 more.


Optical
Lite On $23.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case
Antec 300 $59.95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

GPU
HD 5850 $299.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

RAM
G Skill Ripjaw DDR3 1600 9-9-9-24 $93.99
I'm not too happy with this 9 CAS latency, but decent timing ones are $20 more >.<

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

MOBO
Asus true USB 3.o/SATA 6.0, not the neutered gigabyte stuff =D $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

PSU/HD
OCZ stealthxstream 700w and 7200.12 500GB $119.98
F3, are sold out again, but the 7200.12 is almost as good, plus it's a great combo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...


CPU/HSF
i5-750 and CM Hyper 212 Plus $221.98
CPU you wanted, and the best price/performance HSF for it. the 212 beats most $60 HSF's in performance for half the price.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

OS from the win741.com student deal $65

Total $1044.84 w/ $25 MIR which should cancel out shipping.

so ends up same cost as your initial build but with a 5850. You could get a mobo w/o USB 3.0 but has xfire potential for $20 cheaper as linked above.

Alternatively forgo xfire and USB 3.0/SATA 6.0 and grab this $99.99 Gigabyte UD3 for the entire build to be under $1000
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

What would you trade for the increased cost of the 5850 to still get a 1000 build?

Technically I need to fit Windows 7 into the budget too  

Ok thanks, sorry we were posting at the same time and I am unable to edit posts at my work computer for some reason...

Yeppers, check the new build I posted.

Re: win7 student deal. Technically, only a student needs to purchase it, but the FINAL user doesn't have to be a student. If you get my drift (also, why you see win 7 being sold on ebay for $40, the deal used to be $29.99).

When building a new system does the $30 windows deal work? I thought you could only upgrade an exisiting OS with it?

It's $65 not $30 now. And yes, you can use it on a clean system.

Don't bother dling the file they link you to. Grab the bootable iso here
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/windows-7-iso-download...

All you're really paying for is the Product Key anyway.

So with

Asus true USB 3.o/SATA 6.0, not the neutered gigabyte stuff =D $159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131620

I could start with one 5850 now and upgrade to two 5850's in crossfire later at 8x/8x? The specs aren't clear about 16x and 4x or 8x/8x.

Second question,

With OCZ stealthxstream 700w will I be able to crossfire 2 x 5850's and OC ?

Another super noob question:

Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD4 is micro ATX, will I need to find a specific micro ATX case or do mose cases accomodate just fine?

Most mid-towers support it. Just make sure to check the specification tab on newegg before you buy. Like this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119216

Almost all ATX cases handle both ATX and microATX motherboards. It should say in the case specs.

The $159 asus is not Xfire. You'll need the $189.99 one if you plan on xfire.

The OCZ PSU will easily run xfire.

Total system power at load for 2 5850 + OC i7 was only 469 W.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5850,2433...

Assuming 90% PSU efficiency, actual use was 422 watts.

So yea, plenty of headroom.


I also wouldn't recommend a microatx for a first build. They have all sorts of headaches with fitting things on them, cabling, and cooling. Go with a ATX and save yourself some trouble.

While I get it, you should realize that it doesn't matter. If you really want to see neutering you should check out Asus' Marvell SATA 6gb/s controller.

I keep trying to tell everyone that all they're getting with this is a marketing ploy. SATA 6gb/s is a joke atm. USB 3.0 is also meh. 4.8gb/s theoretical bandwidth, yet the fastest anyone has gotten barely broke 3gb/s which puts it right back at eSATA speeds.

You're getting ripped off buying either of these boards.

As far as micro atx having heat and wiring issues, I'd have to disagree. While this applies to 1366 boards and their toasty NB, on the 1156 there is nothing to heat up. Lack of NB also means that you get plenty of clearance around the cpu for larger hsf's as well. Short of the lack of pcie connections versus ATX I see no downside to 1156 matx.

Well USB 3.0 is better than eSATA simply because it's must easier to use and is powered. Hard to find eSATA external drives, easy to find USB ones, and boy is it a pain to backup large amounts of data through USB 2.0

On the other hand SATA 6.0 is not fully utilized yet, but SSD's already hit the SATA II limit at read, and the new vertex coming out will his it's limits at write.

It's mostly a future proof concern. Besides, give it a few months and ONLY SATA 6.0 USB 3.0 Mobo's will be made.

It's up to the OP, but we've given him alternatives w/ and w/o support for those. Up to him if it's worth it to go now, or wait till his next build.

I can agree there is some merit to usb 3.0, just not much.

The current SATA III boards will NEVER see 6gb/s. They'll never match the current bandwidth of SATA II for that matter.

Future proof or not, if you buy a mobo today that supports these features all you're getting is a crippled board. Check the link I provided. If it's that big of a deal then you're better off waiting until the controllers mature and buying a new mobo a few months down the road. Until that point you're just throwing good money down the tubes.

Alright here goes let me know what you think:

Mobo: ($135)
GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD4 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

Case & PSU: ($145 for both)
Antec Six Hundred Black
Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

OS + GPU ($385 for both)
Windows Home Premium 64 bit
SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

RAM ($115)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...


CPU and Cooler ($222)
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...

Optical ($23)
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

HD ($90):
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

TOTAL = $1115 + shipping (actually only $18 for shipping!) = 1133



With this setup I can OC the processor and video card and potentially add another 5850 later once the price has dropped as an upgrade correct?

Everything will work together with microATX mobo?

A premium power supply too right?

Thanks again for all your opinions and help!

Yes, Yes and Yes.

Oh and do you experienced guys use clips to stay grounded and antistatic gloves and such? I read some of the how-to guides but most seem excessive.

Last minute catch: will that PSU be able to power 2 5850's in crossfire? In the PSU specs it says "PCI-Express Connector 1 x 6-Pin, 1 x 6+2-Pin" and in the 5850 specs it says "500 Watt or greater power supply with 2x 75W 6-pin PCI Express power connector recommended (600 Watt and four 6-pin connectors for ATI CrossFireX Technology in dual mode)"

So if I want to crossfire the PSU won't have enough 6-pin PCI express power connectors? Am I reading that correctly?

An easy way to stay grounded is to plug the PSU Into the wall but dont turn it on, anytime you are about to touch a part, touch the PSU first.

You won't be able to xfire with that PSU. Not enough 6 pin connectors. You'll need to get a molex to 6 pin adapter.

Technically that PSU should be able to run 2 5850's, just doesn't have the cables to do so.

I keep a forearm touching the case pretty much the entire time I assemble and have gotten away with assembling while sitting on a carpeted floor.

Got the parts ~4 days ago and fired it up the first time with success. It took ~6 hours to put it all together and make sure I didn't do anything wrong though....

I want to say thank you everyone for your help with parts and putting together this build.

Congrats on your new rig.

What were the final build specs, and did you run into any unexpected suprises?