[Solved] I7-860 Build vs i7-860 Build (Epic Battle Help Please)

So, the list narrows down to the fact that you're deciding between:

Graphics: Radeon HD-5870 vs Radeon HD-5850
PSU: 850W vs 650W
CPU Cooling: Hyper 212 or Stock
RAM: Corsair or G-Skill
HD: Seagate or WD

In terms of graphics, unless you are truly an enthusiast, I don't think that the HD-5870 is worth the extra money. The HD-5850 comes close in performance. You're talking about the difference between 40 and 60fps here. This is a minor luxury.

Since Corsair PSUs are of excellent quality, the 650W PSU will be more than enough for your build. However, if the 850W is within $10 or cheaper, it might be worth it for future upgrade options.

RAM: both brands are excellent, go with whatever is cheaper -- however, I'd look for a deal on DDR3-1333 because you won't be able to use the 1600 without overclocking.

Cooling: get the Hyper 212 -- the stock heatsink is tiny and the fan that comes with it is loud; in contrast, the Hyper 212 is an excellent cooler that will get you at least some quietness

Hard Drive: get whatever is cheaper; the 10K performs better, but it'll mainly contribute to lower loading times

Ok, So I have decided the 5870 is a bit overkill and am going to stick with the 5850. But now I have 110$ to work with would a 30g ssd be a good option in your guys' opinions or is that money better spent elsewhere on the build?

For OS and app loading (if you can get any programs onto the size of SSD that can be afforded for $100.
I don't think there are many SSDs at $100 or below that are worth getting.

A good 650W PSU is plenty for two 5850s. However it is not a simple situation, you should find one that can deliver almost all the 650W on the 12V rail(s) and has enough power connectors for two 5850s, and then is reliable. The only one that is easy to find out is the PCI-E connectors. I'm also not sure if you are going to take advantage of rebates. Here's two good ones: XFX 650W XXX Edition $100
Corsair TX650 $90 ($5.99 shipping, $20 rebate)
All in all it might be wiser to stick with a 750W PSU.

I cannot disagree more here. Even if you arent a true "enthusiast" the difference between 40 and 60 fps is huge, especially in the fact of minimum FPS. Now, I probably am more so of an enthusiast than the OP, being that I have been around the scene for a while, but I cannot say that at any point during my transition from casual/novice to enthusiast did I all of the sudden have a want for more frames. In fact it has diminished a bit over time, but thats a different discussion.

What I am trying to say is, depending on what you are wanting to play (ex: bad company 2), I would recommend getting the 5870 and going with build 1. Just for reference, the build in my sig/config area does not max out bc2. I do run full res (1920x1080, 4xAA, 16xAF), but with HBAO turned off, and that gives me frames from around 40 - 45 minimum to upside of 100 at max, averaging right around 55 - 60 (During normal gameplay, explosions can drop me very much so lower than that). I can easily tell at all times when I am near the minimum of 40 - 45 instead of the average of 60ish.

If you could lock the frames at 40 all of the time, then the 5850 would be a good option, but when the the frames fluctuate the experience is not nearly as enjoyable. Minimum FPS is what matters, not average or max. If it were me, and I were spending a decent chunk of change on the machine as you are, then I would get the 5870 and build 1. Just my two cents.

Best,

3Ball

Yes, that SSD would have to be strictly OS + apps, no games.

However, games don't benefit much from SSD's anyway. It's system response speed, boot speed and reliability(boot sector anyway) that are drastically changed.

Best answer selected by Sykes77.