First i7 rig, flexible budget ($1-1500) Need advice.
Tags:
- New Build
-
Systems
- Product
Last response: in Systems
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 4:58:22 AM
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: January 29th
BUDGET RANGE: 1000-1500
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Monitor, Mouse, PSU, Case, Video card
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg or best deal
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US
PARTS PREFERENCES: Thermaltake/Corsair/Intel/Nvidia/Trusted
OVERCLOCKING: Yes
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Probably going SLI ~ Febuary 4th
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Have quite a few parts picked out looking for input on the rig as a whole and ANY input that can help me make the right decisions.
ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Picked as second best budget CPU on a toms review ~2 days ago
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMG6GX3M3A1600C7
As above, any input would be nice
BUDGET RANGE: 1000-1500
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Monitor, Mouse, PSU, Case, Video card
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg or best deal
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US
PARTS PREFERENCES: Thermaltake/Corsair/Intel/Nvidia/Trusted
OVERCLOCKING: Yes
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Probably going SLI ~ Febuary 4th
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Have quite a few parts picked out looking for input on the rig as a whole and ANY input that can help me make the right decisions.
ASUS Rampage II Extreme LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Picked as second best budget CPU on a toms review ~2 days ago
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
Noctua NH-D14 120mm & 140mm SSO CPU Cooler
CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMG6GX3M3A1600C7
As above, any input would be nice
More about : rig flexible budget 1500 advice
gkay09
January 21, 2010 5:32:09 AM
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 6:08:46 AM
Honestly I have most all the cables I could EVER need here at the house. Newegg has NEVER let me down on an open box to date, and it still has a return policy if I end up getting it and not being ok with it, or REALLY needing the CD (though, that should be an easy work around)
The only REAL thing i was worried about is the backplate honestly lol.
I already have the 260 gtx... just one of the ways to save money, heh, I'm really not THAT into overclocking the video card to much more than it already comes OC'd.
Really thinking more of OCing on the processor/(POSSIBLY)Ram
The only REAL thing i was worried about is the backplate honestly lol.
I already have the 260 gtx... just one of the ways to save money, heh, I'm really not THAT into overclocking the video card to much more than it already comes OC'd.
Really thinking more of OCing on the processor/(POSSIBLY)Ram
m
0
l
Related resources
- Building My New (and First!) Gaming Rig :: Need advice/ opinions. $1600 budget - Forum
- First Rig - Need Advice on a budget PC! (challenge) - Forum
- Gaming rig on strict budget, need component advice. First time builder - Forum
- Advice on First-Time, Low-Budget Gaming Rig - Forum
- Need Advice on My First Gaming Rig (Budget is Between $500 and $800) - Forum
gkay09
January 21, 2010 6:45:47 AM
^ You can take a look at the i7 860...it overclocks very well, at stock it performs better than the 920...
And if you want full badnwidth on the PCIe slots, then check this mobo...
ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer - Will overclock well and will provide x16x16...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
And if you want full badnwidth on the PCIe slots, then check this mobo...
ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer - Will overclock well and will provide x16x16...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 7:43:48 AM
yea, I was comparing the Rampage and the "super computer" a lot... but in the end the Rampage just has better ratings from overclocking forums and has a stable history.... Why change what isint broken?
Also, According to the Toms psu link the other day.... lemme see if i can find a link.... this out preforms the 860
Also, According to the Toms psu link the other day.... lemme see if i can find a link.... this out preforms the 860
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 7:48:01 AM
m
0
l
gkay09
January 21, 2010 8:08:42 AM
^ I do agree about the advantages of the 920, but that is the reason why I suggested that specific mobo - It offers full x16x16 bandwidth with the help of the NF200 unlike other P55 mobos...
But its your call though...
And also are you planning for an overclock of 4GHz+ ? then only get that RAM...upto 4GHz, any standard 1600MHz preferably with CAS 8 can achieve that overclock...
Some other RAM options, which as good as the Dominators -
Mushkin
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
But its your call though...
And also are you planning for an overclock of 4GHz+ ? then only get that RAM...upto 4GHz, any standard 1600MHz preferably with CAS 8 can achieve that overclock...
Some other RAM options, which as good as the Dominators -
Mushkin
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 8:35:06 AM
gkay09
January 21, 2010 9:07:32 AM
^ Only high powered cards like the HD 5870/ GTX 295 and above, the full bandwidth will be advantageous as they will be able to deliver the maximum potential of the graphics card...
And as for the RAM, Corsair is no doubt one of the best...this one is also in the same league as the Dominators and currently they are priced lower than those and also have very good timings...that is the reason why I suggested those...
And as for the RAM, Corsair is no doubt one of the best...this one is also in the same league as the Dominators and currently they are priced lower than those and also have very good timings...that is the reason why I suggested those...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 9:10:21 AM
gkay09
January 21, 2010 9:30:10 AM
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 9:40:26 AM
gkay09
January 21, 2010 9:53:26 AM
^ Yes kinda...and that too only high powered cards like the GTX 295 as a single GTX 295 has 2 chips...so 2 chips sharing x16 would be better than sharing x8...But when running a single GTX 295 on any board, the slot will operate at x16...So that time it wont have any issues...
And GTX 295s are on their way out now...hopefully Nvidia's Fermi lives upto its expectations or else Nvidia will drastically loose its discrete Desktop market share to ATI's HD 5xxx series...
And GTX 295s are on their way out now...hopefully Nvidia's Fermi lives upto its expectations or else Nvidia will drastically loose its discrete Desktop market share to ATI's HD 5xxx series...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 10:59:33 AM
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 11:08:00 AM
Lithnor
January 21, 2010 11:25:47 AM
I also need to find a nice case.....
Preferably something flashy, but it MUST be able to be water cool friendly and have good airflow.
Edit: Thinking maybe this for a case.... Has a decent amount of "could have fixed" reviews.... but I'm OK with modding it a bit and working out the kinks.... If anyone knows a case similar to this, let me in on it please
Preferably something flashy, but it MUST be able to be water cool friendly and have good airflow.
Edit: Thinking maybe this for a case.... Has a decent amount of "could have fixed" reviews.... but I'm OK with modding it a bit and working out the kinks.... If anyone knows a case similar to this, let me in on it please
m
0
l
gkay09
January 22, 2010 3:24:56 AM
^ That Raven case will really stand out from the crowd...but as you have read the customer's review completely you can be ready to deal with the issues that will rise during installation...
But if you want a tried and tested case with lots of room and virtually no issues, then the CM HAF 932
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submi...
Or this Classy looking Lian-Li PC-A70F
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
But if you want a tried and tested case with lots of room and virtually no issues, then the CM HAF 932
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Productcompare.aspx?Submi...
Or this Classy looking Lian-Li PC-A70F
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 22, 2010 6:14:36 AM
Was looking that that HAF before I found the raven....
Dunno, something about it really hits me. Love the HAF aswell though, its beautiful with the window over the massive fan.
Not to big of a fan of the Lian li.... They had an Armor suit back in the day that I LOVED but I can no longer find it....
Really like the idea of the way that mobo seats in the Raven aswell, though I've seen very little data to back up better cooling.
Dunno, something about it really hits me. Love the HAF aswell though, its beautiful with the window over the massive fan.
Not to big of a fan of the Lian li.... They had an Armor suit back in the day that I LOVED but I can no longer find it....
Really like the idea of the way that mobo seats in the Raven aswell, though I've seen very little data to back up better cooling.
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 22, 2010 6:15:54 AM
gkay09
January 22, 2010 6:36:24 AM
^ I dont think it completely uses traditional screw mounting...check the expansion slots and the drive cage...
But the CASE that I would love to use in my build is this one...
Corsair Obsidian Series 800D -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=211822083&lis...
But you can stick with the Raven for its radical design alone...It really stands out...
But the CASE that I would love to use in my build is this one...
Corsair Obsidian Series 800D -
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=211822083&lis...
But you can stick with the Raven for its radical design alone...It really stands out...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 22, 2010 10:17:04 AM
Lithnor
January 22, 2010 7:53:47 PM
hmmm..... Now I need to make a decision. Currently running a
Phenom 9950 Black edition @2.6
Gtx 260 OCX Maxcore (linked in first post)
4 gigs of RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-DS4 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX Ultra Durable II AMD -Horrible By the way -.-
Really need to upgrade honestly while I have the money.... However, I could also afford going Eyefinity with an HD5870(actually, I could probably go HD5970) and buying 2 more Monitors and then slowly buying the parts I listed here.
Only REAL problem with this scenario is that I'm pretty unhappy with the performance of both the CPU and the Mobo. Tons of errors and problems with both. But, Eyefinity is soooo beautiful, heh.
And I realize I could ALMOST do both if I didnt go with so many premium parts... But I honestly want this rig to last awhile and get the best performance out of the money as possible.
Any ideas?
Phenom 9950 Black edition @2.6
Gtx 260 OCX Maxcore (linked in first post)
4 gigs of RAM
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-DS4 AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX Ultra Durable II AMD -Horrible By the way -.-
Really need to upgrade honestly while I have the money.... However, I could also afford going Eyefinity with an HD5870(actually, I could probably go HD5970) and buying 2 more Monitors and then slowly buying the parts I listed here.
Only REAL problem with this scenario is that I'm pretty unhappy with the performance of both the CPU and the Mobo. Tons of errors and problems with both. But, Eyefinity is soooo beautiful, heh.
And I realize I could ALMOST do both if I didnt go with so many premium parts... But I honestly want this rig to last awhile and get the best performance out of the money as possible.
Any ideas?
m
0
l
Best solution
gkay09
January 23, 2010 5:58:15 AM
^ You can still go with a very good rig IMO...
CPU - i7 920
Mobo - Gigabyte X58A UD3R - A very good X58 board that will allow for a decent overclock and comes with USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s too...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
RAM - Any of these are good...you can overclock the 920 say upto 4GHz wiht these ets without any major issues...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
HDD - Samsung F3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
CPU - i7 920
Mobo - Gigabyte X58A UD3R - A very good X58 board that will allow for a decent overclock and comes with USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB/s too...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
RAM - Any of these are good...you can overclock the 920 say upto 4GHz wiht these ets without any major issues...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
HDD - Samsung F3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Share
Lithnor
January 24, 2010 1:57:27 AM
anonymousdude
January 24, 2010 3:12:44 AM
Lithnor
January 24, 2010 4:11:21 AM
gkay09
January 24, 2010 9:57:31 AM
+1 for XFX...and even Sapphire is good too...
And as for the Black Edition ones, there are no major changes other than higher clocks...but have seen info on the net that the chips that are selected are higher binned parts - Which are more stable at higher speeds...but like you said, nearly all the 5970s have a good amount of headroom for a decent overclock...
And as for the Black Edition ones, there are no major changes other than higher clocks...but have seen info on the net that the chips that are selected are higher binned parts - Which are more stable at higher speeds...but like you said, nearly all the 5970s have a good amount of headroom for a decent overclock...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 24, 2010 11:45:00 AM
anonymousdude
January 24, 2010 10:51:59 PM
Lithnor said:
I know Asus makes good.... Everything.... what about their Video cards?Might possibly be able to get my hands on an Asus 5970, Better or worse than XFX/Sapphire?
Also, was told to stay away from diamond, any comments?
I personally prefer XFX, but I know the Asus BIOS is better for overclocking if you have a 5850. I don't know if this applies to the 5970, but regardless all 5970's have headroom for overclocking. Your first choice should still be XFX/Sapphire depending which one you can get. If you can't get either I would go Asus first then diamond.
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 24, 2010 11:34:43 PM
anonymousdude
January 24, 2010 11:46:28 PM
Lithnor said:
Sapphire is really better than Asus? Any reason? Any ideas for where to buy one? Only place I know of only has an asus. EVERYWHERE is out
No real reason. I'm just used to recommending sapphire for ATI cards and I always recommended XFX for nvidia cards and now since they produce ATI cards I recommend them for ATI as well. I've only used sapphire and the occasional visiontek for ATI and I've never had a problem with sapphire, but some minor problems with visiontek. If you need this card now then go for the asus it's still a fine brand. Also if you get and XFX it is usually more expensive because of the double lifetime warranty.
m
0
l
gkay09
January 25, 2010 2:56:04 AM
@Lithnor that is more of a personal choice...
Go with any of these manufacturers -
XFX - Best warranty among the lot...
Sapphire - They have been the partners of ATI for a very long time...so their boards/ coolers are very good...
HIS & Powercolor & Diamond - Similar to Sapphire...And from where did you get the info about the Diamond cards ? I have not seen any major issues being reported on the net...
ASUS / Gigabyter - They have 3 years warranty compared to the 2 years from Sapphire and HIS...and also they are well known for their high qual;ity mobos, so they implement that knowledge to these boards as well...So you can expect high quality products from them too...
MSI - They have improved a lot both with their mobos and graphic cards...So even these are fine...
Go with any of these manufacturers -
XFX - Best warranty among the lot...
Sapphire - They have been the partners of ATI for a very long time...so their boards/ coolers are very good...
HIS & Powercolor & Diamond - Similar to Sapphire...And from where did you get the info about the Diamond cards ? I have not seen any major issues being reported on the net...
ASUS / Gigabyter - They have 3 years warranty compared to the 2 years from Sapphire and HIS...and also they are well known for their high qual;ity mobos, so they implement that knowledge to these boards as well...So you can expect high quality products from them too...
MSI - They have improved a lot both with their mobos and graphic cards...So even these are fine...
m
0
l
Lithnor
January 25, 2010 3:46:52 AM
a few other posts here at toms as well as word of mouth @ diamond.
Was looking at the QVL for the rampage....
How do these stack up against the ones you linked? The only reason I ask is because this is the ONLY ram left alive that is on the QVL.
Was looking at the QVL for the rampage....
How do these stack up against the ones you linked? The only reason I ask is because this is the ONLY ram left alive that is on the QVL.
m
0
l
anonymousdude
January 25, 2010 3:52:28 AM
Lithnor
January 25, 2010 3:54:51 AM
anonymousdude
January 25, 2010 4:00:23 AM
Lithnor
January 25, 2010 4:02:42 AM
I understand triple channel....
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/asus/mb/LGA1366/RampageII_Ext...
Theres a link to the FTP for the pdf.... Am I reading it wrong?
ftp://ftp.asus.com.tw/pub/asus/mb/LGA1366/RampageII_Ext...
Theres a link to the FTP for the pdf.... Am I reading it wrong?
m
0
l
gkay09
January 25, 2010 4:11:45 AM
Lithnor
January 25, 2010 4:13:56 AM
gkay09
January 25, 2010 4:20:48 AM
anonymousdude
January 25, 2010 4:24:49 AM
Lithnor said:
They were worried about that even in the thread I found the link to the QVL in actually.Very odd to see it on the QVL if its possibly instable
I'll stick with the ones you linked, seem to be close to the dominator without the heat sinks.
It seems the QVL is very general as I see a lot of dual channel memory. It might include older rampage boards, but it is still very unusual.
m
0
l
Lithnor
February 4, 2010 1:34:32 AM
Related resources
- First timer building an i7 machine on a budget. Need Advice! Forum
- SolvedBuilding My First Rig, Need Advice! Forum
- My first time building a rig (i7 $1300) Needs Advice Forum
- SolvedMy first gaming rig, with a $2000 AUD budget. Any advice for my current list? Forum
- SolvedFirst time builder - Need a second opinion on budget gaming/protools rig Forum
- SolvedI need some advice/help with a gaming rig on a budget. Forum
- SolvedNeed some advice on my first rig build Forum
- SolvedAdvice on first Gaming/Multimedia/Developer Rig ($1000-$1500 usd budget) Forum
- SolvedNeed Advice on my first budget custom Gaming PC build Forum
- SolvedBuilding first pc £1000 pound budget need advice Forum
- Building a budget gaming rig from scratch for the first time ! Almost done with it. Need motherboard/overall suggestions. Forum
- Solvedfirst gaming rig build €700-€800 need advice Forum
- SolvedBuilding my first gaming rig -- need some advice Forum
- SolvedNeed Advice First build Steam Machine $800 budget Forum
- building new rig first time, need help with compatibility/advice please Forum
- More resources
Read discussions in other Systems categories
!