Buying today $1200 gaming PC, please double-check for me

[pchampagne]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Today BUDGET RANGE: 1200, after rebates, taxes, shipping (90042)

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, data processing

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, mouse, speakers, graphics card (have an XFX 5850)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Newegg, amazon, microcenter (Orange County)

PARTS PREFERENCES: by brand or type: Intel

OVERCLOCKING No SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes, hope to go to 2x5850

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1080p

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

1. Are these the same?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010&cm_re=corsair_750w_power_supply-_-17-139-010-_-Product

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0029F21LK/ref=ord_cart_shr?_encoding=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&v=glance

If not, is the Newegg better enough that I should spend the extra $10 for it (shipping and taxes)

1b. Is 750w enough for 2 5850s and the below build? Might I be able to drop to 650w to save on energy costs?

2. I am most worried about the motherboard given the "crackling/whining" issue some people are having and wondering if I should get GIGABYTE GA-P55-UD4P LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128400 ) instead. I know the gigabyte does not have USB3 and such, but I figure I could also get a PCI card to do that if I ever need the feature?

3. Is the below build good? How might you improve it?

4. Could someone tell me how I might make sure the ram is going to be compatible with this build or with the gigabyte? Not sure what websites are good for this these days.

Thanks everyone!


From Amazon:
Cooler Master RC-922M-KKN1-GP HAF 922M ATX Mid Tower Case (Black)
$102.44

P7P55D-E Pro P55 LGA1156 MAX-16GB DDR3 Atx 2PCIE16 3PCIE8 - Asus
$194.79

Intel Core i5 Processor 2.66 GHz 8 MB LGA1156 CPU I5-750BOX - Intel
$199.99

Lite-On Super AllWrite 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS124-04 BLACK/BULK (Black) - Lite On
$30.18

ASUS VK246H 24-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black with Webcam - Asus
$239.80

Western Digital 640 GB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 32 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD6401AALS [Amazon Frustration-Free Packaging] - Western Digital
$75.99

Corsair CMPSU-750HX 750-Watt HX Professional Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Core i7 and Core i5 - Corsair
149.99


From NewEgg:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231189&cm_re=gskill_ddr3_1333_4gb-_-20-231-189-_-Product
108.99

Thanks again!


Philippe

 

[Tridec]

Switch the hard drive for a Seagate 7200.12 or Samsung F3 as they are faster and quieter then the WD drives for now.

You build seems to be perfect except for the HDD. Good build.

Oh yeah, the i5 750 should be enough for two 5850's

 

[Tridec]

BTW.

Both PSU's are exactly the same and powerful enough to run your setup and a lot more! However you will need to buy two 12V molex to PCI-e converter cables as the Corsair only has two PCi-e and each 5850 needs two.

 

[MadAdmiral]

1. Yes they are the same. That said, you should get the non-modular version to save some money. The HAF is a bottom mounted case, so the extra cables will sit below the motherboard, keeping them out of the way. What do you mean extra $10 from Newegg? It's the same price, free shipping, and has a $10 rebate.

I wouldn't get a smaller unit if you want to Crossfire later. If the Crossfire was intended to be now, you should get an HD 5970 instead. It's a little more expensive, but at stock speeds it's already 2 HD 5850s. However, the GPUs themselves are actually 5870s, so it can be overclocked to vastly outperform 5850s.

2. I don't think it's as big of an issue as everyone seems to think. If you get a bad board, RMA it. If you don't, then it's all good.

3. Ditch the Caviar Black and pick up a Samsung Spinpoint F3 (500 GB or 1 TB). They'll be faster and cheaper/GB.

You can save a few bucks with a cheaper optical drive. Newegg's cheapest is $25 shipped.

4. That RAM is fine.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

BTW.

Both PSU's are exactly the same and powerful enough to run your setup and a lot more! However you will need to buy two 12V molex to PCI-e converter cables as the Corsair only has two PCi-e and each 5850 needs two.

I'm not sure what specs you're looking at. The 750HX has four 8-pin PCI-E connectors. There's no need for the silly adapters with that PSU. In fact, you could save some money and go with this PSU if you wanted.

Antec TruePower New TP-750 Blue 750W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified PSU $129.99 - $25 MIR