Making a list for my cousin/best bud(need advice)

[jalpaugh1978]

Ok...So I am compiling a list of components for my cousin who will soon be building his first new pc in about 5 years. As of right now he's running an old dell with a Pentium 4 2.8ghz cpu, 1-2gb of memory and an agp 6600gt. What I want to do is make a few list of possible components for him so he has some idea as what to look at and for when buying his components. For a budget I think he said from $600-$700 USD. One of his other friends gave him a BFG 9600gt that he plans to use for now so he doesn't need a GPU at the moment. He uses a lot of multi-threads apps in his work so he's already decided on a quad(he hasn't decided which exact model yet,but is insisting that it's gonna be an Intel). I suggested an i5 750. He also can't wait to have system that can play some of the more current games out right now. He's real big on making this future-proof, but more through future upgrades and not so much right away. For a PSU, he's decided on something between 750w-850w(something that can eventually run dual GPU's). Corsair is the likely brand he'll get. Also, keep in mind, he's not an overclocker(not entirely oposed to it future however). An OS is not an issue(we have that covered), just components. For his budget, I suggested that he go with a P55 board and 4GB DDR3 memory. Also, can some one provide me with some sort of link that will help me convince him that a WD Raptor should not be his desired drive in this build. I really don't want to see him waste his money and without visual proof(benchmarks) it's hard to convince him on this point. Basically, I'm trying to compile a list of the top 5 p55 boards that can run multi gpu's(both at 8x) and what you guys think are the top 5 ddr3 kits for both performance and value. I have made my suggestions to him, but I think it would nice to get him some help from people that actually are using the newer techs as I am still stuck in the LGA 775 era. Also, if someone could come up with a reliable LGA 1366 build within that budget, that would be great. thanks in advance for all your help

Also, I think I convinced him on the CoolerMaster 212 cpu cooler(incuded in the budget), just in case he does decide to to a mild o/c in the future

 

[MadAdmiral]

Ok...follow the guidelines in my signature. That's almost impossible to make sense of.

 

[jalpaugh1978]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: within the next month

BUDGET RANGE: $600-$700 USD

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Mutli-threaded apps(don't know specifics, going on what he said), games, internet

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: GPU, case, OS, Optical drive, Monitor, Speakers, keyboard,& mouse

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg.com

PARTS PREFERENCES: CPU:i5 750
Mobo: a couple different P55 boards(crossfire/sli compatible preferred) he could choose from
Memory: a couple different choices of DDR3 he could look at and decide
PSU: Corsair 750TX
HDD: Want a Raptor, I'm trying to convince him to go with either a Samsung F3 or a Seagate 7200.12 drive
Cooling: possibly a CoolerMaster 212 in case he does decide to O/C

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: All I'm trying to do is compile a couple lists of Motherboards and memory for him to look at and choose from. Since I have no experience with P55 boards and DDR3, I am just asking which ones you guys think are the best and most reliable.

He is going to use a single 9600gt for the time being

He wants something that he can make future-proof, but more so through future upgrades and not so much now

 

[MadAdmiral]

The i5 is good for gaming, but won't be for multi-thread apps. Might want to find out what he really needs the computer for...

Mobo: Asus P7P55D-E Pro $190. You may pay more, but you won't get more.
RAM: G.Skill Ripjaws 2x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 $115. There isn't really a better option.
HDD: The Spinpoints are by far better than the Raptors. Don't let him waste the $100.
PSU: Cheaper, just as quality unit: OCZ StealthXStream 700W for $55 after rebate.


Total with i5: $660. If he's actually using it for the other apps, he'll want an i7, making the total $740.

 

[branflakes71]

I will say the Raptors are a waste. Go with the solid, and reasonable, Spinpoints (or Western Digital Black Caviars). For the money, the Raptors will not give a significant advantage in anything. He can always upgrade to SSD drives in the future, which are a true improvement and investment.

 

[MadAdmiral]

Actually, not the WD Caviars. The next best choice behind the Samsung is the Seagate 7200.12 500 GB or 1 TB drives. They're just about as fast, and are the same price. Right now, WD is really far behind in every benchmark, regardless of the actual models. The F3 and the 7200.12 will even be faster than the VRs.

 

[branflakes71]

Could you point me to some benchmarks? The ones here at Tom's seem to show the Black Caviar as competitive with Samsung, faster in some tests, slower in others. And as for seeing real-world differences between the drives, I wonder if people really see the difference.

Not trying to argue, but when it comes to the build, any major hard drive he picks will do him fine.

Here's one test from Tom's showing the Raptors beat in some tests by other drives. The Raptors just aren't worth the price point anymore.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/2tb-hdd-7200,2430.html

 

[lothdk]

Could you point me to some benchmarks? The ones here at Tom's seem to show the Black Caviar as competitive with Samsung, faster in some tests, slower in others. And as for seeing real-world differences between the drives, I wonder if people really see the difference.

Here is a benchmark for Samsung Spinpoint F3 which include a VelociRaptor 300 GB and a Segate 7200.12 1 TB model.


http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/10/06/samsung-spinpoint-f3-1tb-review/3

 

[blaze15301]

id say a amd quad is good for gaming and apps and it pretty cheap

 

[branflakes71]

Here is a benchmark for Samsung Spinpoint F3 which include a VelociRaptor 300 GB and a Segate 7200.12 1 TB model.


http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/storage/2009/10/06/samsung-spinpoint-f3-1tb-review/3

Thanks for the link! My original thought stands. Spinpoints are good, Caviar Black's are good, and Raptors are overpriced.