Is this a good build..?

[in0va3]

I'm thinking of building a modern rig for gaming, watching HD movies, and the usual word documents and music. But wanted to ask you guys if these components are the right choice :

Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two

CPU: Intel Core i5-750

CPU Cooler: CORSAIR CWCH50-1

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD10000LSRTL 1TB

Memory: CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) CMX4GX3M2A1600C8

Monitor: Dell UltraSharp U2410

Motherboard: ASUS P7P55D

Video Card: SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 5850
ATI Radeon X850 XT Platinum Edition*

CD/DVD Burner: Lite-On iHAS424-98

Power Supply: Antec EA-500

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit

I'm probably overclocking it. I'm not too sure because I'm not into the overclocking business so I don't want to do anything to the CPU if I don't know how. I'm thinking of using the Asus TurboV EVO program to overclock it automatically? But I don't know if it's effective in overclocking than doing it manually. (I really need help in overclocking!) And if I change my mind of not OCing, I'm thinking of getting the Zalman CNPS9700 LED instead..

Notice that I put a star on the X850 XT PE. Reason for that is because I had that card for years now and haven't used it. And since I'm kind of in a need for $$$, I'm thinking of using that card for now then upgrading it to the HD 5850 later. Or would that be a problem because the X850 is too old?

I'm kind of in a budget for the price of all this so I can't upgrade to better components unless its cheaper.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Well the whole thing is great but the GPU is no longer supported by Catalyst drivers (the last version to support the X850 series was 10.2 so no new drivers)

http://support.amd.com/us/gpudownload/windows/Legacy/Pages/radeonaiw_vista64.aspx?type=2.4.1&product=2.4.1.3.16&lang=English

Plus the X850 will bottleneck the crap out of that CPU. I have a X850XT PE AGP in my old Pentium 4 system, and it can run TF2 at max for 40FPS but newer games will not work well with it and wont be able to max out.

If you can, get the HD5850. Its a great GPU. If not the HD4870s are still priced pretty well and are great too.

Cheapest HD5850 is $289.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102884&cm_re=HD5850-_-14-102-884-_-Product

Cheapest HD4890 is $209.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150438

Cheapest HD4870 is $170.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161292

The HD4890 is still great but both the HD4870/4890 do not support DX11.

There is the HD5770 if you don't mind losing some performance but its about $169.99 and is DX11 capable. I just don't like the 128Bit memory interface.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102873&cm_re=HD5770-_-14-102-873-_-Product

For GPUs I would suggest the HD5850 first, and then the HD4890.

Look at this:

Tom's Hardware - Benchmark Fallout 3

All 4 cards I listed compared. The HD4890 is behind the HD5850 but ahead of the HD5770.

Also, the Zalman CNPS 9700 LED is great. I have one and the blue LEDs make the system look great. But for that CPU, if you can get the CNPS9900:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835118046

Its 120MM and has better shape for much better cooling.

 

[endyen]

Jimmy has it right. You are loading done on expensive mobo and chip, but sticking with an older gfx card.
You would be better off looking at getting a cheaper chip now, and upgrading that latter. A good gfx chip is much more important to you than cpu power.

 

[Userremoved]

I would go with:
Antec EA650, the Cooler Master HAF 922 or CM II Advance and maybe the Phenom II 965.

 

[in0va3]

I would go with:
Antec EA650, the Cooler Master HAF 922 or CM II Advance and maybe the Phenom II 965.

Could you tell why the EA650? Cause I'm not going to crossfire.

 

[Userremoved]

Well I know 500W is enough but when you will want to upgrade later expect the need to change the PSU.

 

[in0va3]

Thanks for the reply, Jimmysmitty.

I've already tried looking at other coolers and kept thinking of maybe I should get the HD 5770 but what kept bugging me was the 128-bit too. (I guess it makes it look slow.. ) I guess I should get the HD 5770 rather than the 4890 cause it has DX11 then upgrade it later? I do know that there are no more drivers cause the X850 is a legacy product now. The X850 would really bottleneck the CPU..

I've also seen the Zalman CNPS9900 but its about the same price as the Corsair H50 (Liquid cooling) if shipping included! Plus, the review in a website (I forgot what it's called) showed that the 9700 was better at cooling than the 9900 with less noise.

 

[Userremoved]

Maybe you might consider this:

LG DVD Burner - Bulk Black SATA Model GH24NS50 - OEM
Item #: N82E16827136177
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$22.99




COOLER MASTER CM690 II Advanced Black Steel body / Plastic + Mesh bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

COOLER MASTER CM690 II Advanced Black Steel body / Plastic + Mesh bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Item #: N82E16811119216
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$99.99




GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard

GIGABYTE GA-890GPA-UD3H AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128435
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy



$139.99



Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W Continuous Power ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified ... - Retail
Item #: N82E16817371015
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

-$20.00 Instant


$99.99
$79.99




A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH

A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH - Retail
Item #: N82E16820211364
Return Policy: Memory Standard Return Policy

-$5.00 Instant


$98.99
$93.99


AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGMBOX

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor Model HDZ955FBGMBOX - Retail
Item #: N82E16819103808
Return Policy: CPU Replacement Only Return Policy



$159.99



CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler - Retail

CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835181010
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy

Protect Your Investment (expand for options35-181-010|hide options35-181-010)


$79.99

Subtotal: $676.93

Also the video chip is (I think) more powerful then the X850.

 

[in0va3]

Well I know 500W is enough but when you will want to upgrade later expect the need to change the PSU.

I won't be upgrading any major parts like the motherboard or CPU but only the graphic card and maybe some fans but that would be enough in the future? And since the EA500 is enough to power the HD 5850 I think that I should stick with the 500watt in addition, I don't have that much money for upgrade!

 

[in0va3]

I'm just worried about overclocking it since I don't know how, I'm thinking of using Asus TurboV EVO. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it reliable? I don't want to screw up my CPU!

 

[Userremoved]

For the wattage thing i guess i would be good but talk to a pro about that.
Also for overclocking i think it voids the warranty and really the I5 750 and the 955/965 are more than what games require.
Oh! The EA650 is only ten dollars more that the EA500

 

[Pro Llama]

I'm just worried about overclocking it since I don't know how, I'm thinking of using Asus TurboV EVO. Does anyone know anything about it? Is it reliable? I don't want to screw up my CPU!

The asus evo boards are good boards. Asus produces good quality stuff. I would suggest going with the 5770 and a board that can crossfire (8x/8x) if needed. That way if you are not satisfied with the performance you can drop in another and it will outperform a single 5850; it will also cost slightly more than a 5850, but is worth it IMO. I would also look at the boards with the new 890gx chip set.

 

[in0va3]

I wouldn't use crossfire on an 8x/8x board because its performance limited. That's why I wanted to save up on a single 5850 instead. Since the x850 XT PE is too outdated, I should get the 5770 first.

I wanted to get more suggestions on using the TurboV EVO program because I've seen a review saying it messed up someone's Asus motherboard before.

 

[saaiello]

8x 8x will not limit your crossfire by much you will only see a hit in performance if you are running the likes of a HD5970. You only loss about 10% in performance in comparision with 16x 16x.

 

[in0va3]

8x 8x will not limit your crossfire by much you will only see a hit in performance if you are running the likes of a HD5970. You only loss about 10% in performance in comparision with 16x 16x.

Nah, I wouldn't like that. Little details are a big deal to me! The point is that I don't need a crossfire setup. Even if I want to, I would just get a single 5850 then invest for another one at a later time.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Case: Solid Case but no decent combos atm.

CPU: Intel Core i5-750

CPU Cooler: Not impressed w/ that model.....pick one of the top 3 or 4 here:
http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_Heatsinks
http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm#INTELHEATSINK
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=432&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=23

pick a TIM from the top few here:
http://www.hwreviewlabs.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=64%3Amega-44-thermal-paste-round-up&catid=32%3Around-ups&Itemid=47&limitstart=3
http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/coolers/display/thermal-interface-roundup_10.html#sect1
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=138&Itemid=1&limit=1&limitstart=3

Hard Drives - Check out the performance charts and pick whatever 500 GB per platter drive performs best under your usage patterns. The 2 TB WD Black and XT from Seagate are good choice but at smaller capacities, you are limited to the Seagate 7200.12 or the Spinpoint F3. The 7200.12 excels in gaming, multimedia and pictures whereas the F3 wins at music and movie maker. See the comparisons here (copy past link in manually, link won't work in forum):

(http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/2009-3.5-desktop-hard-drive-charts/compare,1006.html?prod[2371]=on&prod[2770]=on)

Look at the tests that reflect your usage and choose accordingly.

Memory: At CAS 8, these are only $105 ($25 savings)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227483

These CAS7's are faster and cheaper
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145285

Monitor: Smokin monitor....watch techbargains.com and fatwallet for specials every 2 or 3 weeks that will get you it for $520 or so.

Power Supply: Antec EA-650 or Corair TC650 whichever is cheaper on buy day

 

[in0va3]

I'm thinking of using the Corsair H50 for CPU cooling. What do you think of that?

And the Memory that I picked used to be cheaper than CAS 9 but I haven't changed my list yet so I'll just check on the memory when I buy it. If its still that expensive, I'll change to a cheaper pair of sticks.

I just don't understand why I would need a 650w PSU rather than a 500w cause I won't be upgrading much except for adding hard drives and upgrading a graphic card but no crossfire. Also, the whole setup wouldn't need much power cause my CPU uses less power than an LGA 1136.

 

[jimmysmitty]

The HD5770 is a tad under the HD4890 in terms of performance and about on par with a stock HD4870. In honesty, DX11 is no reason to choose a GPU since very few games use it yet.

But for pricing, the HD5770 would be a good choice to start and then upgrade to a HD5850/5870 or even a HD6K series later on. Everything else looks fine but yea a better PSU might help for future upgrade.

So right now I would suggest a 650w PSU, mainly from Thermaltake or Corsair, and either a HD5770 or HD4890/HD4870. If you think you will upgrade GPUs in a year, go for the HD5770. If you plan on going a bit longer then the HD4890 might be a better choice for the long run and until DX11 comes out in full swing (probably a year or two away).

BTW, what games do you plan on playing most of the time?

 

[in0va3]

What I meant by the HD 5770 having DX11 was that it is future-proof so I don't have to upgrade so much.. I really don't upgrade that much unless the components are very old (about 3+ years).

I'll be playing Crysis, CoD, NFS, and some other games.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Well look at it this way: The HD5770 is cheaper for a short run. In 3 years I am sure that DX11 will become more popular with game devs and we will be on DX12. So in that case, you might want the HD5770.

But it will be slower in most games than a HD4890, especially Crysis.

 

[in0va3]

... In this situation, I might as well get the 5850 instead of upgrading so much unless its better in performance.

But to talk my point, you don't even know if DX12 is gonna be here that quick too. But since DX11 is going to be the new standard, of course I'd get the one with an updated technology. What I really like about the 5000 series is because it has Display Port/HDMI that's why I picked it instead of the older series. =)

 

[jimmysmitty]

I can understand DisplayPort since it will probably take over DVI, but HDMI is not much faster than DVI. DVI is 7.92Gbps and HDMI is 10.2Gbps.

If you need HDMI for a TV, most places sell a DVI to HDMI cable thats HDCP ready.

I am waiting for Light Peak. 10Gbps to start then up to 100Gbps.....

 

[in0va3]

I've been wondering, why are people still buying the Antec 900? What are the major differences between the 900 and 902 that makes people buy them instead of the 902? I know that the looks are different and the paint is black in the 902. I'm still considering the 900 because it has a deal where the Antec EA650 comes with it.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

If ya look at the performance of the 5770 at your intended resolution (1920 x 1200) in DX11, I think you will wanna move to the 5850 or 470.

As to the Case question, the 902 is the "new and improved model" but it's often outta stock and the 900 usually has the better pricing in combo deals.

 

[Userremoved]

If ya look at the performance of the 5770 at your intended resolution (1920 x 1200) in DX11, I think you will wanna move to the 5850 or 470.

As to the Case 0question, the 902 is the "new and improved model" but it's often outta stock and the 900 usually has the better pricing in combo deals.

He can't afford a 5850 what about the 4890 or 5830.