$2000-2500 gaming build

[georgewchubby]

I've spent the last two months reading and researching what to buy, and I'd like a bit of input if possible.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: ASAP

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, 1080p movies, school work, surfing, general use

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Mouse (G500) and case (HAF 932)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: komplett.dk, shg.dk, pricerunner.dk (really it doesn't matter, you can show me stuff on newegg and I'll just find it here in Denmark)

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel i7-930, ATI HD 5870

OVERCLOCKING: At a later point, yes.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Later, yes.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 or 1920x1200, haven't decided yet.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I'll be adding an SSD later, so don't worry about that


Processor:
Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Desktop Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225

Motherboard:
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

Cooler:
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
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103065
or
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler - Retail (with two fans)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010

RAM:
Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 998679 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226030
(Are they worth it? Should I go for the Redline instead?)

PSU:
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

GPU:
XFX HD-587X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150476&cm_re=5870-_-14-150-476-_-Product

HDD:
2xSeagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433

Optical drive:
Would it be worth it going for a bluray drive now, or will they become cheaper within a foreseeable future?

OS:
Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate Full - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116718

Monitor:
Working on that one.


Am I missing anything? What can I do better?

Any comments are very much appreciated!

 

[Emperus]

1. For the optical drive, better to get two.. One with blu-ray read abilities and the other a dvd rw..

2. As for that budget, you can get a single HD 5970 card (if available).. In case you want a 5870 only, sapphire vapor-x is a good option..

3. You can look into these hard drives with SATA 6 Gbps interface..

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

 

[georgewchubby]

1. I already have a dvd rw in my laptop and honestly I never use it, which is why I'm asking
2. I'm getting a monitor and some speakers which is why I'm not going over the 5870
3. Does that HDD have the 500 gb platters?

 

[Silvune]

Yes FEAX uses 500GB platters. Altho I would go for the cheaper drive as the price difference, I doubt is reflected in the performance difference.
I'd probably go for this one XFX 5870 Altho while you are looking consider the fan size, if possible get one with as large a fan as possible without paying too much extra for it.
I think you should wait to buy a BR drive, especially if you don't need one right away.
I also think that you should go for less expensive RAM.

 

[georgewchubby]

Thanks for the advice.

Do you have any recommendations on the RAM? I don't know much about it.

 

[Silvune]

Actually checking the link, that is the sort of RAM you should look for. 1600Mhz, CAS 7, 1.65V. If you can get lower voltage then great. Just don't pay extra for name or heatspreaders.

 

[georgewchubby]

Thanks for all the replies.

I've got most of the build down now.
I'm still trying to decide if the $25 difference between the Seagate and WD is worth it.
I've kinda fallen for a different cooler:
CORSAIR Cooling Hydro Series CWCH50-1 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181010
How's the price/performance of this vs. the 212?

 

[Silvune]

Probably even better at cooling than the 212, but I've heard that the noise of the pump is not very tolerable in a case like the HAF. And you still have to have the noise from the fan attached to the radiator.

 

[georgewchubby]

Good point. I've read good stuff about the Noctua NH-D14. Have you heard much about it?

And how do these: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226116 compare to the RAM I've got above?

 

[Silvune]

Not much really, except that it is probably one of the better air coolers. And that tall heatspreaders on RAM would have some clearance problems. It makes sense to me that if you mounted two fans on it, then it could be a lot slower to achieve the same amount of cooling as a much faster single fan.
One of my favourite coolers is the Scythe Mugen 2.
And here is a good roundup of heatsinks. http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/lga-1156-heatsink,review-31796.html

I like the lower voltage on that set. So you would have more headroom to overclock the RAM. And the tight timings mean that the speed difference between it and a 1600mhz CAS 7 set would be minimal.

 

[georgewchubby]

Thanks for the link. It looks like the Scythe and the Noctua are pretty much even in cooling abilities, and price wise they're close too. Hmm...

I like the RAM too, as they'll let me save some money here which can go towards the monitor

 

[saint19]

Solid build.

1- Don't get he H50, is a junk. You can get the same performance with the Hyper 212+ or even, a better performance with the Thermalright venomous.
2- For monitor I suggest a Samsung or ASUS 23".

 

[georgewchubby]

1. Thanks. From what I can see the Venomous and the D14 are pretty similar, which is pretty good as I can't get the Venomous here in Denmark yet.
2. Thanks. At first I wanted a 24", but recently I've been thinking that I could live with a 23"

 

[saint19]

Hi again, you can buy it from HERE

 

[georgewchubby]

Thanks!

 

[saint19]

Any time, that's why we are here.