New Gaming Build

Remedy21

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May 13, 2010
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18,510
APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Within the next week BUDGET RANGE: 1200-1400$

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, internet, watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: (e.g.: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS)

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg
PARTS PREFERENCES: by brand or type. anything good

OVERCLOCKING: Yes. SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Yes but will start with one card to keep in my budget

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1920x1080, 1920x1200

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Already have all parts picked out. Was hoping to get some feedback on this build to see if it's alright or if I should change some things. I would like a somewhat silent computer, but really just don't want something really loud.


CPU - Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield
Mobo - ASUS P6X58D Premium LGA 1366 Intel X58
RAM - G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333
CASE - COOLER MASTER HAF 932
HDD - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5"
DVD - some ASUS dvd that has good reviews
GPU - XFX HD-5850 Radeon HD 5850
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W

Wanted a little higher GPU, but might just end up buying another 5850 to crossfire a little bit later. How does this build look to you guys? This comes out to 1,398.92$, best bang for my buck? or should I look into different parts? Thanks for any feedback.
 

jimishtar

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May 15, 2009
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u want 3x2 GB ram (triple channel kit), and think about 5870, it costs more but its a monster. try to keep away from crossfire/sli. also, the HAF is a great case, but a nice CM 690 can also do a great job for half the money.
 

jbakerlent

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Welcome to the forum.

You could get a cheaper motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131641&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=

And yes, you'll want triple channel RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226130&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=

Then you could get a cheaper but still very fast HDD like the Spinpoint F3 or 7200.12
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=

But to answer your question about whether it is the best bang for your buck, the short answer is no, not for gaming. You'd be better off getting an i5 750 or X4 955 instead. You wouldn't sacrifice much gaming performance, but you'd save a good deal of money. If this sounds like an option, I can put together a sample build for you as well.

Finally, there's nothing wrong with Crossfire. It is best not to start off with a Crossfire build from a value/upgrading/power standpoint, but it is fine to add a second card later on.
 

Remedy21

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May 13, 2010
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18,510
Thank for the info. Could you show me a sample build for an i5 750? I'm still a big noob when it comes to hardware performance, so I really don't know the difference between the i5 and i7. It seems some i7's do better benchmark wise, but they are expensive. Is the i5 a safe investment for just gaming? will it last a long time compared to the i7 and not bottleneck future gpu's? sorry if these are noobish questions. I just want something that will last a long time without much upgrades.
 
Crossfire doesnt scale 100%. Two 5850s in crossfire is not twice as fast as a single 5850. Generally you get better performance from a single more expensive card, though that is not always true. Also some older games do not make use of crossfire at all.

My only comment is that if you are looking for the best gaming performance for the $$ then you should drop to an i5 750 and a p55 motherboard and upgrade to a 5870 GPU (and drop the PSU to a 650W).


*sigh* baker posted under me...


ASUS P7P55D-E Pro Motherboard ($190)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131621
i5 750 CPU ($200)
4GB (2x2GB) DDR3-1600 cas7 RAM (~$110)
XFX 5870 GPU ($400)
 

jbakerlent

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+1
 

asteldian

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Apr 23, 2010
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Yes drop to the i5 750, money saved should then allow you to pick up the 5870. Gaming wise the i7 offers next to nothing - the Hyperthreading is no use, the only real difference in aming performance is the slightly faster speed of the CPUs (which is in no way worth the price bump from i5 750...ESPECIALLY when the i5 750 is a great Overclocker)

Due to the negligible difference between the i5 750 and the i7s for gaming performance, when the i5 is bottlenecking future GPUs so will the i7s. But you have a good few years before you have to worry about the CPU dragging you down, even longer if you Overclock