Need to confirm that my build is complete and will work

[mkress65]

Hello all, For the past 20 years or so I've always bought Dell computers and always swore that my next one I'd build myself so I could upgrade components w/o being restricted by their motherboards. Well, it is finally time for my "next" computer.

After looking here and at New Egg and Amazon, I've selected the following components. I just to want to confirm that I'm not doing anything supremely stupid (other than spending too much money). Also, I want to confirm that the x58 motherboard requires the DDR3 RAM to be installed in 3's and won't take pairs. I was hoping for more than 6GB of RAM (for HD Video and large photo file editing.) Also, suggestions on cases would be great, as well as any small things usually forgotten (like cables, screws, hardware) that I need to make sure I get up front.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: by end of March; aiming for sooner, but depends on when I get the taxes done; budget is sub $2K

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Photo editing (RAW files w/ Lightroom and Photoshop) and HD Video editing (with Cyberlink Power Director and others) (files from Canon EOS 5D mk2 so the files are large); gaming that includes WoW, LoTRO, Crysis, etc.)

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, speakers, monitor

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: (newegg.com, Amazon) COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel CPU

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe

MONITOR RESOLUTION: (1920x1200)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Quiet PC would be nice

Here is what I've got earmarked so far:

Main Board: ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614

Graphics: SAPPHIRE 100282SR Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card w/ATI Eyefinity - Retail;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102857

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail ;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
-- but not sure whether to get this or the 750HX

CPU: Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor - Retail;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202

RAM (8GB): CORSAIR DOMINATOR 8GB (4 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMD8GX3M4A1600C8 - Retail;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131614
-- UNLESS I have to use 3 sticks, in which case I'll go w/ the 6GB below

RAM (6GB): CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D - Retail;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224&cm_re=corsair_dominator_ddr3_1600-_-20-145-224-_-Product
-- Or I'd be happy to use the OCZ RAM OCZ 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model OCZ3X1600R2LV6GK - Retail
Compatible with Intel i7 CPU and X58 chipset;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227501&cm_re=ocz_ddr3-_-20-227-501-_-Product which seems to get good marks around here.

Hard Drive: 2X Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284
-- I'm debating going with a smaller drive that may have better access times;
-- I store all my images on external hard drives and will likely use the BD burner below for additional backup.
-- any reason to go w/ an SSD for OS and program files?

BluRay Drive: Pioneer Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 5X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Internal Blu-ray Burner Blu-ray Disc/DVD/CD Writer Model BDR-205BKS - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827129051

2nd optical drive: PLEXTOR Black 8X BD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM SATA Internal BD Combo Model PX-B320SA LightScribe Support - OEM;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827249055

Case:
this: COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=haf_922_case-_-11-119-197-_-Product
or the 932 or I'm wide open to suggestions.

Thanks for taking the time to look and comment (and just broader than my post -- I really appreciate the time and energy the community takes to help folks out -- I learned quite a bit from reading the threads around here.)

Matt

 

[MadAdmiral]

RAM: You need triple channel RAM, and never of those sets are very good. Here's some really good triple channel sticks: G.Skill Pi Series 3x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 for $180.

HDD: Switch those for Seagate 7200.12 1 TB. They're faster and all around better. They're also cheaper. Or get the even better Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TBs if you can find them.

Optical: Do you really need a BR burner AND a reader? You're spending a good $355 on parts that don't actually give you any performance. Do you even need to burn BR? If you just need to burn DVDs and read BRs, get a BR reader and the cheapest SATA DVD burner you can find. It will cost you something like $120 instead of $220

GPU: A little light for playing Crysis at your resolution. I highly suggest rethinking the BR burner and separate reader and uping that to the HD 5870 for another $100. If you can't do that, consider getting an i7-860/Asus P7P55D-E Pro build instead. That will save you $120 on the board and $65 on the RAM.

 

[mkress65]

RAM: You need triple channel RAM, and never of those sets are very good. Here's some really good triple channel sticks: G.Skill Pi Series 3x2 GB 1600 mhz CAS Latency 7 for $180.

HDD: Switch those for Seagate 7200.12 1 TB. They're faster and all around better. They're also cheaper. Or get the even better Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TBs if you can find them.

Optical: Do you really need a BR burner AND a reader? You're spending a good $355 on parts that don't actually give you any performance. Do you even need to burn BR? If you just need to burn DVDs and read BRs, get a BR reader and the cheapest SATA DVD burner you can find. It will cost you something like $120 instead of $220

GPU: A little light for playing Crysis at your resolution. I highly suggest rethinking the BR burner and separate reader and uping that to the HD 5870 for another $100. If you can't do that, consider getting an i7-860/Asus P7P55D-E Pro build instead. That will save you $120 on the board and $65 on the RAM.

RAM: Never heard of G.Skill (of course, I hadn't heard of OCZ either); I'm curious as to what makes the G.Skill better? Lower Latency? Better reliability? I'm always glad to spend less for better performance.

HDD: I'm assuming these are not it, since they don't mention F3 (but thought I'd double check.) Samsung 1 TB Spinpoint 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.5 inch Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive HD103SJ http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Spinpoint-Cache-Desktop-HD103SJ/dp/B001U3S5S0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1265990525&sr=8-1 ? They show as in-stock at Amazon for about $102 each.

-- Or this one at New Egg (2TB F3EG) SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3EG HD203WI 2TB 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s; http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152202

Optical: I need the burner for backup; I was debating about the reader and threw that one in but I'll likely keep the burner and go w/ a DVD combo drive.

GPU: Should I go up to the 5870 or just bite the bullet and x-fire 2 4890's for about the same price? Or is it a toss up?

Thanks,

Matt

 

[MadAdmiral]

RAM: It's cheaper, better specs and actually better quality. In a recent overclocking competition, G.Skill won 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th places (out of 10 total).

HDD: That's the drive on Amazon.

Optical: Much better choice.

GPU: I would go with the 5870 because you keep Crossfire open as an upgrade path, and it's big enough to play everything now. In addition, the DirectX 11 support makes it more current. There are also a lot of other features in the 5xxx series that aren't in the older 4xxx cards (Eyefinity support, bitstreaming, quieter/cooler operation, more energy efficient, better scaling in Crossfire).

 

[shortstuff_mt]

I agree with MadAdmiral. Getting a Blu-Ray burner and a separate Blu-Ray reader is like lighting fire to money. G.Skill makes excellent quality RAM with tight timings and a fair price. I've been using G.Skill RAM exclusively in builds for a couple years now and they haven't given me a reason to go anywhere else.

Here's the Seagate 7200.12 1TB drive mentioned.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $94.99

I would definitely go with a 5870 for your intended use and budget. I don't see a reason to get a previous generation model that uses more power, runs hotter and louder, and doesn't support DX11.

 

[mkress65]

I agree with MadAdmiral. Getting a Blu-Ray burner and a separate Blu-Ray reader is like lighting fire to money. G.Skill makes excellent quality RAM with tight timings and a fair price. I've been using G.Skill RAM exclusively in builds for a couple years now and they haven't given me a reason to go anywhere else.

Here's the Seagate 7200.12 1TB drive mentioned.

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive $94.99

I would definitely go with a 5870 for your intended use and budget. I don't see a reason to get a previous generation model that uses more power, runs hotter and louder, and doesn't support DX11.

Thanks Shortstuff!

Do you think the Seagate is better or just providing a link to it as a backup?

I'm not a fan of setting fire to my money, so I'll go w/ just a DVD combo drive. I was only thinking the extra Blu Ray reader in the event that I needed to dup a Blu Ray disc.

Thanks,

Matt

 

[MadAdmiral]

The Samsung is better, but it's getting hard to find. Really, either one would be great. They're very close in performance and price.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

You can use a single Blu Ray burner to make backups just like you can use a single DVD burner to make backups. It just makes a temporary image on your HD and burns from that.

 

[mkress65]

RAM: It's cheaper, better specs and actually better quality. In a recent overclocking competition, G.Skill won 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th places (out of 10 total).

HDD: That's the drive on Amazon.

Optical: Much better choice.

GPU: I would go with the 5870 because you keep Crossfire open as an upgrade path, and it's big enough to play everything now. In addition, the DirectX 11 support makes it more current. There are also a lot of other features in the 5xxx series that aren't in the older 4xxx cards (Eyefinity support, bitstreaming, quieter/cooler operation, more energy efficient, better scaling in Crossfire).

RAM: good to know; things and players have changed a lot since last I took a serious interest in keeping up w/ the industry.

HDD: Since it didn't mention "F3" anywhere in the description (at Amazon at least), I wasn't sure if it was the right one; glad I asked.

GPU: Interesting; the brief blurb on Tom's "best of" article didn't go into that much detail so I assumed it was comparable to the 5 series; and I like the ability to upgrade in the future to x-fire if needed. Will the PSU handle the x-fire of 2 5870s? Would their be any layout challenges due to either the board or the case? I read somewhere about concerns regarding x-fire configuration blocking access to other slots (but I apologize that I can't remember exactly which board or case -- I've read so many reviews over the past few days that they started blurring together.)

Matt

 

[MadAdmiral]

750W would be enough for Crossfiring.

It might have been referring to the size of the GPU coolers. Which is mostly unavoidable nowdays.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

Yes, the 750TX can handle Crossfire 5870's, but you can get more efficient PSU's for about the same amount of money now.

Antec TruePower New TP-750 750W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC Power Supply $119.90 - $25 MIR

SILVERSTONE ST75F-P 750W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply $129.99

 

[ares1214]

+1, that silverstone is the best i have seen, better than the corsairs and antecs in my humble opinion. and yeah, 750 is all you need for xfiring 5870s. as for a case, i highly recommend you look into the nzxt tempest evo, the thermaltake xaser 6, and the HAF 932, all are great cases... also, +1 to whoever suggested the PI ram, and said do you really need 2 BR drives??? either just get one, or do what madadmiral said and get a BR drive and cheap sata burner...heres my build for you, actually pretty good:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.332636

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.332207

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.339872

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167025

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136181

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433 (this is only until the f3 is in stock)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146062

the final price is 1773.90$, so if you want to make any upgrades (get more ram, get a heat sink, like the 212, get water cooling, get a bigger ssd, or get a raid setup, feel free ) but there you have it...even fit a 5870 (which you can downgrade to a 5850 if you feel you dont need that performance, using this combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.339873

and it has a ssd, which you can get a larger one, and it still has a BR burner...hope this helped

 

[mkress65]

wow... so now I have a problem and some questions.

My problem is, I don't know who to vote for best answer. Surely appreciate all the help/ time/ effort all of you guys took. And thanks for taking all the time to put together links to the combos Ares.

My questions:
- Will the SSD really make a huge difference in OS and application performance? Pretty steep on a $/GB basis.
- the Asus P6X58D has 6 X 240pin memory slots; when I get 3 of the 2 gig memory sticks, that will occupy 3 and leave 3. If I were to add more memory in the future (not if, really when) will I need to add 3 sticks? I'm assuming yes, but I'm also assuming that it won't have to be 3 X 2 gig, is that correct? Would the latency have to be the same? Or will the memory access be constrained by the slowest RAM?
- If I only get 1 of the 1TB disks, I'm assuming that I can add more later and run them in RAID if I want, or is that going to complicate things once I start using the first disk?
- do you recommend a CPU cooler?

I think I'm almost done... and I got the wife's buy off to order this (I think she's having pity on me since I haven't upgraded since 2002 or 2003...)

Oh, and I didn't mention monitor before, but my plan is to get this one: Dell U2410 http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-8277 ; not the best for gaming, but the wider gamut is what I'm interested in (and it's still a damn sght better than my Dell 1901).

Matt

 

[MadAdmiral]

It makes everything seem lightening fast. Games load faster, Windows operates extremely fast. That said, I would wait for a bit because the price.

You should add them in sets of 3. It could be 3x1 GB or 3x2 or 3x4, but it's better to add the same sticks to it for compatibility issues.

RAID only works with absolutely clear drives. So you must either completely reformat the old drive or use 2 new ones. Most people here don't really think RAID is that useful, as if you lose a drive, it's extremely bad.

Only if you're overclocking. I recommend the Coolermaster Hyper 212. It's cheap, but it's one of the best.

 

[ares1214]

1. yes, a ssd will really make a difference, especially loading things, which is most things anyway...boot time will probs be havled at the least...

2.yes, you should add 3 more sticks, but technically, you could add 1 more, but just keep things in triple channel and add 3 more. the ram should be the same, or atleast as close to the same specs as possible, or else one might slow the other set down.

3. yes, you can raid them later, and i am assuming you would do a raid 1, so you jus mirror everything from the one to the other...

4. yes, get the hyper 212

good monitor...bit expensive though...

 

[mkress65]

Monitor is expensive, but I couldn't find anything w/ comparable color gamut in the same price point. A few reviews (just read them) mention pink tint, so that's giving me pause, but I'll keep digging into that.

I wondered if I'd have to clear the disks to do a RAID; figured I would. Oh well, not really a high priority.

I think I'll wait for the SSD. I'm pretty sure that the performance rate will be such an improvement from my existing computer that I won't need it for awhile

I'll cross the RAM bridge when I get to it. Again, I think the performance improvement will be sufficient for awhile.

I'll take a look at the hyper 212.

Thanks all,

Matt

 

[ares1214]

if you want a garunteed good monito, look into a NEC H-IPS panel...btw, no, or almost no programs can take advantage of 1.07 billion colors...

 

[mkress65]

if you want a garunteed good monito, look into a NEC H-IPS panel...btw, no, or almost no programs can take advantage of 1.07 billion colors...

Like this one: NEC Computers LCD2490WUXI-BK 24-Inch Widescreeen LCD Monitor http://www.amazon.com/NEC-Computers-LCD2490WUXI-BK-24-Inch-Widescreeen/dp/B000MT5J7I/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I73HM0F7RVHKR&colid=3UBMJC79D41VR ? It's also about $1K. I'd love to get an Eizo too, but those are generally $1400 - $5K... maybe when business picks up or I start selling a lot of photos and can quit my daytime job

Photoshop is supposed to be able to utilize the entire Adobe RGB gamut. The real gating factor, ultimately, is the printer gamut. But so long as the printer gamut is a complete subset of what the monitor is capable of displaying (and Photoshop/ Lightroom is able to utilize that gamut) then I'll be happy. Or at least happy if Lightroom ever gets soft proofing. But I can always roundtrip from LR to PS and back (or just print from PS) before printing to check the soft proofing, since I have my papers and printer profiled.

Matt

 

[ares1214]

yes, something to that effect...the H-IPS panels are better than the IPS panel of he dell, so as you can probably read from reivews, it gets incredible color accuracy. im not sure about the color though, i dont think enough things utilize 1.07 billion colors (programs, printers, ...) for it to be helpful, but who knows, it might be. you might want to look into other H-IPS panels, and try to find a cheaper one that meets your standards, and so will i

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Hard Drives - It's incorrect to say one HD is "better" than another unless you define exactly "better at what ?" No HD is better "across the board" in all test. it's is important therefore to match your choice to usage patterns that are specific to what YOU will do on your machine.

Check out the performance charts and pick whatever 500 GB per platter drive performs best under your usage patterns. The WD Black 2 TB is a 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.

RAM - It's hard to recommend a particular RAM over any length of time cns till you are looking at 240 pin, 3 x 2GB, DDR3-1600 and see the CAS choices. Start at CAS 6 and rank by lowest price and grab the cheapest one from a brand you are comfortable with. Today that's the Mushkin at $249 ....were $204 few weeks ago. If that's too pricey, hit the back button, "rinse and repeat" as the saying goes choosing CAS 7. The Mushkins again take the title spot at $177
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226104

As for the rest, I'd wait.....new Intel CPU's drop March 6, new cases and PSU's from CES hit store shelves same week, now MoBos will start dropping in next 2-8 weeks, Intel drops prices at end if February and fermi's arrival should drive GFX card prices down.

If ya can't wait, this combo for $244 should be considered as an alternative.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335367

As for displays

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1229341472

 

[ares1214]

heres what ive seen so far:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LARVYK?ie=UTF8&tag=pchahe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002LARVYK

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FS1LLI?ie=UTF8&tag=pchahe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FS1LLI#moreAboutThisProduct

the hp actually looks pretty good, and yeah, i found out that 1.07 billion is supposedly used...

 

[mkress65]

yes, something to that effect...the H-IPS panels are better than the IPS panel of he dell, so as you can probably read from reivews, it gets incredible color accuracy. im not sure about the color though, i dont think enough things utilize 1.07 billion colors (programs, printers, ...) for it to be helpful, but who knows, it might be. you might want to look into other H-IPS panels, and try to find a cheaper one that meets your standards, and so will i

Photoshop can use the aRGB color gamut as well as the larger ProPhoto gamut. I don't have ready access to links that show the 3D wireframe representations (maps) of the gamuts as compared to various output devices (printers or monitors). Lightroom's (and ACR's) colorspace is based on ProPhoto for editing, but you have a choice of changing color space at export.

In the case of Lightroom and Adobe Camera Raw (ACR), the color space is partially based on ProPhoto RGB (Figure 1). This extremely wide-gamut color space is necessary with the enormous color gamut that’s possible with digital capture.

from here: http://www.ppmag.com/reviews/200701_rodneycm.pdf;

Good white paper from Adobe on color spaces: http://www.adobe.com/digitalimag/pdfs/phscs2ip_colspace.pdf

And some older (2007) comments from Andrew Rodney -- but they are still relevant (don't read if you are a Ken Rockwell fan though): http://photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00LyZN

as for monitors... there is always: http://www.amazon.com/LP2475W-24in-LCD-Monitor-1920X1200/dp/B001FS1LLI/ref=cm_cr_pr_pb_t the HP LP 2475W, but the fun thing is they seem to send you either an S-IPS or H-IPS version, but totally at random. It's only $599ish.

Matt

 

[mkress65]

heres what ive seen so far:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002LARVYK?ie=UTF8&tag=pchahe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002LARVYK

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FS1LLI?ie=UTF8&tag=pchahe-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FS1LLI#moreAboutThisProduct

the hp actually looks pretty good, and yeah, i found out that 1.07 billion is supposedly used...

Funny... I was busy typing my response while you posted this, so you already found the HP. I hadn't seen the NEC -- it's a bit slower (14ms vs. 6ms) but a lot cheaper. Appears to have a few minor issues w/ color uniformity (which is annoying) but anymore I tend to print a picture when I get it close and see what needs to be adjusted. Still, I'd really like to be able to rely on what I see on my monitor. But the NEC is definitely intriguing!

Matt

 

[mkress65]

Hard Drives - It's incorrect to say one HD is "better" than another unless you define exactly "better at what ?" No HD is better "across the board" in all test. it's is important therefore to match your choice to usage patterns that are specific to what YOU will do on your machine.

Check out the performance charts and pick whatever 500 GB per platter drive performs best under your usage patterns. The WD Black 2 TB is a 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.

RAM - It's hard to recommend a particular RAM over any length of time cns till you are looking at 240 pin, 3 x 2GB, DDR3-1600 and see the CAS choices. Start at CAS 6 and rank by lowest price and grab the cheapest one from a brand you are comfortable with. Today that's the Mushkin at $249 ....were $204 few weeks ago. If that's too pricey, hit the back button, "rinse and repeat" as the saying goes choosing CAS 7. The Mushkins again take the title spot at $177
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226104

As for the rest, I'd wait.....new Intel CPU's drop March 6, new cases and PSU's from CES hit store shelves same week, now MoBos will start dropping in next 2-8 weeks, Intel drops prices at end if February and fermi's arrival should drive GFX card prices down.

If ya can't wait, this combo for $244 should be considered as an alternative.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.335367

As for displays

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/focus.php?subaction=showfull&id=1229341472

Thanks for the links; I hadn't seen the display web page -- that's nicely organized.

I didn't know that all the price drops were so imminent. I'm eager to get going, but I can probably wait a few weeks and see what happens.

Best,

Matt

 

[ares1214]

what he says is true, but i wouldnt wait... the cpus he talking about are going to be $1000+ 6 core cpus, so thats a bit out of budget. the new cases and psus doesnt really matter so much, as you have great ones now, and the only thing that should even be considered is the price drop of ati cards when fermi comes out, but that might not happen, since by the looks of it, the ati 5xxx cards, might be better than fermi, sooo i would say buy now, and maybe get the ssd, more ram, second video card, better monitor after a while...hope this all helped!