$900-1300~ Gaming PC

[bladegash00]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within 1 week
BUDGET RANGE: $900-1300 Before Rebates, the closer to 1000 the better

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: High end Gaming

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers/headphones, possibly case

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Comfortable with newegg but any site is fine
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: None really, looking for the best power/stability combo possible

OVERCLOCKING: no
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: not for now, possibly in the future

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1680x1050, If the parts price drops near/under $1k i would possibly upgrade to a 19xx

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: The goal of this build is to create a gaming machine capable of playing current releases on max settings with no problem as well as handling new releases for the forseeable future in the same way. My current love is BF: Bad Company 2, my previous gaming rig (dual 8800gt, dual core e8500) was starting to show its age on max settings.

Ive been working on this build for a few days but ive run into a few big decisions and would like any feedback you guys could provide. Incoming list and questions below it, pre thanks.




Motherboard: ASUS P7P55D LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681313140

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I7860 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214

CPU Cooler: No idea here, looking for ideas on a good CPU fan.

Graphics Card: SAPPHIRE Vapor-X 100281VX-2SR Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102872

Memory: G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231277

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 ... - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319



Windows 7 adds $105
Case adds $50-100


Current Pricing: $1,340ish is what this setup has me at, if possible i would like to drop $100-250 without losing much in the graphics power department.



Questions/Concerns:

CPU wise ive been looking at the i5-750 and the i7-860, from my research i can see that the 860 is only slightly more powerful than the 750. For gaming only, is it worth it to spend the extra $80 for the 860? Are there better AMD CPUs than these two from Intel? I really dont have any experience with AMD lately.

These two bundles are also in the mix for my cpu/mobo combo, would either of these be a better buy?

i5-750 + mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.354339&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=

i7-860 + mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.354337



For my GPU ive been eyeing both the 5850 and 5870, choosing the more expensive 5870 for my current list. Again research shows the 5870 is only 15% or so stronger than the 5850, this brings up three questions.

1. Fermi, supposedly its being released today, when is it going to lower card prices and how much would you expect the 5870 to drop?

2. Would i be better off going with a 5850 for a cheaper price and going crossfire with it when the price drops?

3. Sapphire/HIS/XFX/PowerColor, Which brand should i purchase? I chose the Sapphire based on slightly higher test results but I hear good things about XFX and PowerColor.


Motherboards have me a little uneasy as well. Everyone seems to tell me that the ASUS P7P55 is the one to get yet im a little lost on which version i should purchase. The one i chose appears to be on the lower end of the price range with less high end options, would you recommend a different version based on my purpose of only gaming?



Thanks for any advice you guys can throw my way

 

[batuchka]

1. Forget Fermi
2. For 1680 x 1050 actually a GTX 275/HD 4890/HD 5830 would cut it but ya just the one HD 5850 and for gaming rig GPU upgrade inevitable so....
3. Best way is read reviews w.r.t these data
a Temps at idle/load
b. Noise (dB) at idle/load
c. Whats in the box

 

[Alvin Smith]

yup ... 100%

 

[shortstuff_mt]

You lose no gaming performance by going with the i5 750. The i7 860 is only worth it if you use highly threaded software like AutoCAD, video editing software, etc... You're best off keeping the 5870 to allow you to upgrade your monitor in the future. Here's a nice CPU + motherboard combo to consider:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.350115 $349.98 (Intel i5 750 + Asus P7P55D PRO combo)

Here's a very nice HSF.

COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler - Retail $34.99

 

[Alvin Smith]

all great stuff ... all very true.

= Ed McMahon =

 

[bladegash00]

Thanks for the input guys, really appreciate it


I guess that leaves me with a few side questions before i finalize my setup.


Will the PSU i chose allow me enough headroom to run a 5870 without any problems? For some reason i feel safer with a 750, is that overkill?


With the extra budget space these few changes allow me I would like to try adding in a new monitor, unfortunately i have almost no idea on what to look for. Any ideas on quality monitor that would help me take advantage of a 5870?

 

[Alvin Smith]

Yes ... The PSU will work for 5870

Look at this .

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=28%22+lcd+monitor&searchbtn.x=25&searchbtn.y=7