Gaming PC ~$1500

[dragon0421]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: tomarrow
BUDGET RANGE: ~$1500, but my friend will pay more if it's worth it. I talked him down from spending 3k.
SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, Internet
PARTS NOT REQUIRED: monitor, speakers, OS
PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg, or whatever is cheapest
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: US
PARTS PREFERENCES: whatever works best
OVERCLOCKING: No, my friend had a bad experience with OCing
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes
MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1200
ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'm making this for a friend. I wanted to double check with you all for compatibility issues I'm not seeing, and for general advice if you see room for improvement. Also, I'm concerned that the mobo PCIex16 slots are too far apart for the free xfire cable. Should I buy a longer one separate? Lastly, will the wireless card fit in there with the GPUs? My friend is reusing his old one in this machine.

CPU: Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor

MOBO: ASUS P7P55 WS SuperComputer with NF200 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard

GPU x2: XFX HD-585A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16

RAM: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V

CASE: Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

HDD: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

MOUSE: Logitech MX518 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Optical 1800 dpi Gaming Mouse

KEYBOARD: LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard

DVD: ASUS Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24X DVD Burner

Thanks!

 

[Alvin Smith]

The core i5-750 and i7-930 are made to safely overclock, on air and the chips step down or shut down when they get too hot. The Old days of fried cpus are gone, from everything I have heard. You only need a decent aftermarket air cooler (HS&Fan).

If you ARE NOT going to OC, then you really SHOULD go with an AMD/AM3 Black Quad at the highest speed. Plenty snappy and the gpus are pullin most of the weight, anyway ... look at the benchmarks and read the reviews. Come 0n in ... the water is fine!

You would do best with a 2nd spinpoint ... one for boot and one for apps/media/etc.

The case and cpu look fine ... just make sure it has FOUR 6 pin connectors (the PSU) .... GUYs? Isn't that the card that needs two connectors/card ??? Confirm!

I like the build you did, but if no OC, you are throwing a good bit of an already pricey system away.

Tomorrow, others will be along to help you out with an appropriate build.

= Al =

 

[dragon0421]

Doesn't overclocking void the warranty?

 

[dragon0421]

I've read some other threads and I'm starting to think I'd be better off getting a single 5870 and shave $200 off the total cost, but keeping a xfire mobo to add a second one in a year. (Would the second one need to be the exact same brand or would any 5870 work?)

Alvin, I looked into the AMD chips and I read that they don't recognize 1600 RAM.

 

[requiemsallure]

Yes, add a second card in about a year, although price for performance i would still recommend a 5850, Catalyst Control Center provides you with the nessessary tools to overclock the card to make it equal to the 5870, it is also cheaper that way.

like was said previously the Processor and Case are good.

the motherboard... I would change this, mainly because it doesn't even have SATA III or USB 3.0 Which vastly better than their predecessors, and at the same time makes the motherboard future proof. here is my recommended board the ASUS P7P55D-E PRO, it's cheaper to boot.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131621&cm_re=asus_p7p55d-e_pro-_-13-131-621-_-Product

the power supply will work perfectly for you.

This is really personal prefrence but, i think this optical drive will do you a bit better, and its free shipping till the 7th.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289

you dont have to get another spinpoint as a storage drive, as storage drives do not have to be as fast as the boot drive. if you can get a cheaper but slightly slower storage drive with the same or more capacity than that would be better. this is the best i can find for you (WD Caviar Green) if you are trying to scrunch your money, otherwise it doesnt make too much of a difference ~10$

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136490

all of this is really just recommendations your setup there is pretty good, if you are really into what you already have listed then it will not do you wrong, I'm just in essence trying to cut a little bit of fat for some muscle. don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

 

[osu43130]

For 1500 you can get a i5-750 and a hd 5970 which would even be better for your friend.


Give me a Sec and Ill put one together if Mad doesnt beat me too it.

 

[Alvin Smith]

Doesn't overclocking void the warranty?

Yup.

. . . So will adding an aftermarket carbuerator to a Ford Mustang ... grow a set!


Seriously, tho, the build looks fine. It is righteous. I'm just sayin', If you are not going to OC, there really isn't any cost/performance reason to go with INTEL ... The *IS* every reason to explore (through benchmarks and testimonials) an AM3 BLACK option. Unless, of course, paying $150 more makes you feel more secure, somehow. Check out the benchmarks ... for specific games. BLACK vs. i5-750 is a very well researched and reported comparison ... plenty of articles and reviews.. search on "x vs. y", etc.

Luckily, your budget allows that whatever choices you make, you will have good performance and satisfaction should be a given so, I really have no personal investment in convincing you of anything. You are already in the ball-park of excellent cost/performance without undue over-kill.


The important thing w gpu/xFire compatibility is that both cards are of the same series ... I believe memory speed and type and clocks might affect performance in some cases (like the slower card dragging on the faster) ... 5700 series should work together ... 5800 series with other 58s, etc..

= enjoy =

 

[osu43130]

Optical $20

HAF 922 $90

Seagate 7200.12 500 GB HD $55

Antec EarthWatts EA650 650W $75

GSKILL CL7 1600 Ram $115

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3P $160

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield $200

Hyper 212 Plus $35

HD5970 $700

This will probably be the best you can do for gaming for less then 1500.

Total is $1450 before MIR. I also did not spend too much time looking for combos.

 

[requiemsallure]

to be honest i wouldn't get the 5970, 2x 5850 is not too much worse than one 5970 and it is 100$ cheaper don't waste your money if you do not have to for instance is he trying to play crysis(haha good example overused as it is) with eyefinity max resolution, otherwise you will do perfectly with the 5850's, though i still recommend buying one 5850 now and one a little later for best results, also keep in mind that when the GF100 aka GTX480/470 comes out the prices of ati's cards will likely drop.

 

[Alvin Smith]

5870 now

5850 later

best of both worlds

 

[osu43130]

You will not get the same performance out of 2 5850's. When in Xfire the board recognizes it as two x's 8 slots. Granted that is only 4 percent you loose but you also double the power used.

On top of that the 5970 will clock to the same as two 5870's very easy.

 

[Alvin Smith]

I DID read an article to support those 5970 claims ... basically, they kept on enabling detail and AA features until everything was turned "on" and the FPS remained the same (i.e. "pegged"). If you have the money, and games are very important to you, then choose the best gpu solution you can, and build the system around that, cutting costs elsewhere, where possible.

= +1 =

 

[requiemsallure]

i just said he wouldnt get the same performance , I was just offering a more than sufficiant alternate with a bit less performance and costing $100 less.

and more or less stating that i wouldn't buy it but then again I'm quite frugal (haha, although a little less so when it comes to computers, otherwise i myself would have gotten 2x 5770's).

 

[Alvin Smith]

FWIW ... I think that (just) one 5870 is the best way to go. Chances are very likely that *I* would be very happy and never go xFire, tho I could always add a 5850 if I felt some compelling need to do so (like, if I was winning tourneys, or sumpin').

Less power ... less initial cost ... yet a VERY respectable and competitive capability, that is not limited from affordable future upgrades.

Besides, ... By the time I get "forced" to upgrade, a card superior to my 5870 will (almost) certainly be available, at an even lower cost than my initial outlay (see Moore's Law).

= Al =

 

[dragon0421]

Yup.

. . . So will adding an aftermarket carbuerator to a Ford Mustang ... grow a set!

lol -I- have no problem OCing. This is going to be my friend's PC and he was very firm about it when I offered to do it. Maybe in a year I can convince him when games might show the difference, but for now there's really not much point anyway.

 

[osu43130]

When you Xfire if you add a second card that is not the same as the first it down clocks to the speed of the second card.

Basically
5870+5850 = 2x5850
5870+5970 = 2x5870

 

[requiemsallure]

Besides, ... By the time I get "forced" to upgrade, a card superior to my 5870 will (almost) certainly be available, at an even lower cost than my initial outlay (see Moore's Law).

5870 is a respectable choice as well, and the quote above is certainly true too. I honestly do not see much of a reason to get a 5970 and if you do get it, you are probably paying too much, unless you are uber hardcore about gaming.

 

[Alvin Smith]

my point?

5870 is the sweetest (discreet) cost/performance "sweet-spot", right now ...

... I 18 months, a 5870 will be going for 50% to 60% of what it costs today. I can prove this with other cards (historically), but I'm too lazy. Feel free to research it, tho.

= Al =

 

[requiemsallure]

Alternative: if you can wait check out the GTX 470 or 480 on march 26th, benchmarks might prove them to be what you want.

 

[osu43130]

I agree that the 5870 is the sweet spot just suggested the 5970 for the best gaming performance with his/her original budget.

I personally went with an AMD 955 and 5870 and I do not see the need to upgrade anytime soon. It pretty much rocks.

So basically if you want the best and have to spend the 1500ish go with the 5970.

If you want a great card that will play any game on max res including Crisis get the 5870.

Just remember when DX11 games come out and you have to XFIRE get a second 5870 not a 5850.

 

[dragon0421]

I'm thinking I'm going to get a 5870 (and tell him to get another 5870 in a year), for the reasons you guys listed, but also because 5970s are impossible to find!

I like the mobo you posted requiemsallure, and I think I'll get a sataIII to take advantage.

mobo

HDD

 

[osu43130]

Those are all good choices.

Still not sure about the Sata 6 drives yet but it is sata 6 and is supposed to use the 500GB platters that the Spinpoint and seagate drives use.

 

[dragon0421]

How big of a PSU do I need to run 2 5870s? I don't want him to have to buy a new one if he xfires later.

 

[cobot]

When you Xfire if you add a second card that is not the same as the first it down clocks to the speed of the second card.

Basically
5870+5850 = 2x5850
5870+5970 = 2x5870

Yes but for the second example, since the 5970 is a twin GPU card (basically 2x5850), wouldn't it be more like:

5870+5970=3x5850

Trifire?

I know that is the case with the 4870x2, but what about the 5970? Anyone?

 

[osu43130]

Everything that I have read still says that they will down clock as a general rule of thumb. But there are wiser people out there than I.

Not to mention it is kinda a moot point because you will never have to worry about xfireing a 5970.