$1600 Gaming

[ashkaji]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Very soon, and when parts are availible!

BUDGET RANGE: $1600 after tax/S&H rebaits. Roughly. I can go higher.. but id rather keep it around here or less.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Gaming, Movies, Multitasking machine!

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: Keyboard, Mouse, speakers, ICDiamond 7carat,
COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-750-ACAA-A1 750W ATX12V

I plan to replace mouse/keyboard in the future but have no plans to go out of my way. If its part of a combo tho, thats a bonus (as long as its good :] )

I also already have 2 extra SATA data cables.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com amazon.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: Im pretty sure Im going with these :X
Asus P7P55D-E Pro
Intel I5 750
Case: One of the HAFs, probably Haf 922
or possibly this if it makes the savings worth it. The 500GB drive could be used as main drive :]
Blue Haf 932 + Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB $$185 w/ shipping

CM 212+ is probably more then enuff for my CPU cooling, amazon cheaper yea? :] tho open to suggestions.

and I belive I want a radeon 5850, if budget can be pressed, 5870
heard good things about Asus DIRECTCU models (though there almost always out of stock)

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe Only if temps are good
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe in the future if the prices drop enuff.

MONITOR & RESOLUTION: 1920x1080 atleast 24'' maybe bigger if it doesnt stretch pixels :| would probably prefer a LG.. no more then around $250 for monitor though.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: I also need windows 7, are OEM's good? Home edition will be fine :]

Prefer widescreen monitor probably TN panel is best for my needs. True 1920x1080 16:9. After visiting some stores, all the LG monitors seemed much crisper/brighter. If thats a pattern holds true between most/all models Id definatly like LG :] lol.

Id like to have 2x1TB drives to start. Even if one has to be the main drive. SSD main drive would be great, but is not a priority. I can always buy one down the road when there cheaper. HD load times and file moving is not a big deal to me.

I finally got the loan for this sucker, an excuse to build credit haha. Will likely order tomarrow night.

Ty for any advice and for all the guidance :]

 

[Eliii]

Great MOBO

CPU: Intel Core i7-860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214&cm_re=i7-_-19-115-214-_-Product

Case : Stay with the HAF 922 or you could go with the HAF X (100$ premium) Highly recommend the 922 though.

CPU Cooler: Thermaltake Frio: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150&Tpk=frio

GPU: XFX HD-587X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150490

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5": http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395

SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTX50G 2.5" 50GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227528

Monitors: I would go for 2 x 21" since you have the budget. If you're gaming, don't go bellow 2ms of respond time.

- 24" : http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=2010190020+1309847909+131061713&QksAutoSuggestion=&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Configurator=&Subcategory=20&description=&Ntk=&CFG=&SpeTabStoreType=&srchInDesc=

- 21": http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236050

TOTAL: $1,054.94 without the Monitors

UPDATES ?

 

[ashkaji]

Well if I get a SSD, the rest would just be 1TB storage HDs. No 500gb platter then.
Otherwise probably 1 fast 500GB and 2 1TB storagers

I can wait for prices to drop..

Yea Haf 922 is probably for the best though it would mean buyin a fan for the side. HafX looks sweet and I love the features, but the extra $100 is pricey.

Is the i7 worth the extra money? $80 more then the i5. I suppose tho alittle extra CPU power never hurt.

Im very paranoid picking monitors out online. :[ lol
Thou I think minimum monitor size I want is 24''. I have one right now that will be gifted to family, and getting anything smaller would feel silly lol. But I like the multiple display idea. Maybe I could drop the SSD and put that money twords another 24'' monitor?

Also I've heard neweggs deadpixel policy refuses returns if theres less then 8 dead pixels... Thats crap! Are there any online stores with better? Little things like that would really make me rage, theres no ignoring a dead pixel.

Off to bed for now. Hope I wake up to lots of advice!

 

[Eliii]

No, the SSD we speed up your computer by A LOT. Stay with a 24" if it was your first idea.

 

[Bartendalot]

No, the SSD we speed up your computer by A LOT. Stay with a 24" if it was your first idea.

An SSD used as a boot drive will only speed up the boot process. I use the Intel 40GB SSD as a boot drive for win 7 64 bit and it comes I am up and running in about 30 seconds. For me, that is worth it but it is a misconception that SSD will make your computer faster.

I went with i7 930 and think it is great as I was going for future-proofing but the i5 will be fast and OC's well. One thing to be aware of is if you go for a 1366 bracket (900 series i7), some other components will be a bit more expensive including mobo and ram (DDR3).

I found a dell 24" monitor on special for $200. It's worth checking their website as they have specials often.

Quick edit - http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-1070&~ck=bn&~bk=gr:CategoryRec,g:NextStep,rk:

Dell 24" for $189

 

[Eliii]

An SSD used as a boot drive will only speed up the boot process. I use the Intel 40GB SSD as a boot drive for win 7 64 bit and it comes I am up and running in about 30 seconds. For me, that is worth it but it is a misconception that SSD will make your computer faster.

I went with i7 930 and think it is great as I was going for future-proofing but the i5 will be fast and OC's well. One thing to be aware of is if you go for a 1366 bracket (900 series i7), some other components will be a bit more expensive including mobo and ram (DDR3).

I found a dell 24" monitor on special for $200. It's worth checking their website as they have specials often.

Quick edit - http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/products/Displays/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-1070&~ck=bn&~bk=gr:CategoryRec,g:NextStep,rk:

Dell 24" for $189

It's true. If you only install you're OS on your SSD, it's the only thing your SSD will affect. If you install your programs on it though, it will speed them up too.

 

[ashkaji]

It seems kinda useless to have a SSD if theres no space left over for the programs to fit on it. 80Gb seems minimal. To have roughly 60GB left for all your programs + a game or two. I know it wouldent hold all my games, but it could hold the 1-2 I cherish most at the time ^^ lol. That pushs the SSD price to around $225 if I go with this one.. Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH090G2R5 80GB 2.5''

Getting that plus the 2x 1TB drives(neccesary storage) kinda eats into the GPU/CPU budget. Also threw in a DVD burner, ram, windows 7 OEM.. I droped the CPU down to i5 for now atleast, and from here I can figure out how to balance GPU/CPU with remaining budget. Im not a great bargan buyer. Finding deals and alternative brands etc. If anyone knows comparible parts that are better value please let me know :x

Old List .. (edited)

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$90 Free Shipping

Sony Optiarc 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 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM
$25 $2 shipping

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x2
$130 / $65 ea Free shipping

Intel X25-M Mainstream SSDSA2MH080G2R5 2.5" 80GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
$225 Free Shipping

Combo:
1. Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750
2. ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Discount -$35 $345 Free Shipping

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C7
$135 Free Ship - 109.99 After Rebate

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
$100 Free Ship

Hanns·G HH-251HPB Black 24.6" 2ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 15000:1(800:1) Built-in Speakers
(-$40 till 6/21 ) $199 Free Shipping

Without a videocard.
SubTotal : $1,249.90 + $7.74 Shipping

leaves me about $350 to divy up to CPU, Heatsink, & GPU

trashing the SSD& instead getting a 500GB 7200 WD would save me $156 - giving the build instead $506 for CPU HS GPU.
Im really sceptical about SSD drives and there value to me. The extra $$ could mean another step up on CPU (i7) GPU (5870 instead of 5850) and I could squeeze in a heatsink abit over budget(about $10-20 over with a CM 212+). Would the SSD load times really make up for that?

Though I belive my PSU would be cutting it close if I ever wanted to crossfire 5870s.

Theres a decent deal on this videocard
XFX HD-585X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5850 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
$285
But it seems fishy lol. I cant even find Reviews for this thing on google.

And the Asus DirectCU models have vanished off Newegg. :[

Back to work for me.. I'll check again tonight :] Ty for the input.

 

[ashkaji]

No feedback? Now Im a sad panda..

 

[Bartendalot]

I think SSD's are a bit overpriced for their actual performance gains. Seems like they will be better when the price drops in a year or two. You would be better served to spend the cash on a 5870 (I have the diamond and it works great). Your PSU is fine for now and in a year, when the ATI 6000 series comes out and knocks down the prices on the 5870's, you can pick up another one for xfire and get a 850W psu at that time (should be around $130 for a good one).

It is always better to go for the stronger card now so when you xfire down the road, you will be firing on all cylinders.

Going up to an i7 is going to up your overall price and I think has more to do with preference than performance. I love my i7 930 OC'd to 3.8 but the i5 750 is a beast and for gaming and multi-media, all you really need.

So, yeah... Kill the SSD and upgrade your GPU to 5870 for $115 and get a good heatsink with the rest of your savings.

 

[ashkaji]

List so far..

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$90 Free Shipping

Sony Optiarc 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 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM
$25 $2 shipping

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x2
$130 / 2x $65 Free shipping

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$70 Free Shiping

Combo:
1. Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750
2. ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Discount -$35 $345 Free Shipping

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C7
$135 Free Ship - 109.99 After Rebate

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
$100 Free Ship

Hanns·G HH-251HPB Black 24.6" 2ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 DC 15000:1(800:1) Built-in Speakers
(-$40 till 6/21 ) $199 Free Shipping

XFX HD-587X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$389 $3 Shipping

Total $1,494

Leaves $100 for CPU heatsink.

Im not 100% sure on which 5870 but this one seems good as any.. Wonder why the saphire cards are always so expensive?

 

[Bartendalot]

The major brand 5870 cards are essentially the same, the difference is in the warranty. XFX or HIS have the best warranty. Asus is quality because Asus generally does well. I have heard bad things about Sapphire tech support. I went with Diamond because my friend swears by them and I havent run into any problems so far (3 months in). Be aware that there are a sizable percentage of DOA 5870's, so keep your box until you get a few hours of use after install.

I think the only real "major" brand i've heard is iffy is Powercolor and PNY.

 

[ashkaji]

The XFX and HIS are both $389, XFX comes with a free game .. AVP lol

Can get Gigabyte which claims ''ultra durable VGA materials'' a 2nd fan and slight factory clock for +$10

or an Asus with a sleeve cooler design and a larger back vent for +$20.

I'll sleep on this one.. :X

Would you happen to know a good site, and a good brand for a case fan? I'll need one for my HAF922's side (really, it should just come with it -_- lol)
could just get this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103072

 

[Bartendalot]

I got the same side case fan in blue LED. Beware that the connector is a 3 pin and will not let you turn off the LED light (unless you are the modding-type who is good with a soldering iron)... Its pretty bright.

The other option for the haf 922 is to get 2x120mm fans without LED's (I kinda wish I did this!)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185005


Overclocking the 5870's doesn't really do much as far as performance boost. These cards run hot and you will need to manually raise the fan speed above 60% for gaming which gets pretty loud (like a jet engine). If there is one with improved cooling, I would look seriously at that and read user reviews. Asus is usually pretty spot-on.

 

[ashkaji]

Ill take this advice ernestly. My last videocard a BFG 9800GX2 Bit the dust from overheating (partially due to be throwing it into a dell pre-build with horrible airflow). Which is what prompted this build :]. This will be my first build ground up.
Thats why when I found out Nvidia cards were STILL baking themselfs, I switched to ATI.

are 2x120mm fans better then one 200 or 220mm fans? Are CFM #'s accurate?
for example, 2x120mm 50CFM = 1x220mm 100CFM. Is the benifit just noise level?

And would you have any fan controller recommendations? 5 case fans + HSF

Ty again for all the info. There is still much to be learned for me :]

 

[ashkaji]

parts ordered. final

Hanns·G HZ251HPB Black 25" 2ms X-Celerate OD 1080P Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 X-Contrast 15,000:1 DCR (800:1 typical) Built-in Speakers
$199 Free Shipping

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$90 Free Shipping

Sony Optiarc 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 DVD/CD Rewritable Drive - OEM
$25 $2 shipping

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive x2
$130 / 2x $65 Free shipping

Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
$70 Free Shiping

Combo:
1. Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80605I5750
2. ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
Discount -$35 $345 Free Shipping

CORSAIR XMS3 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMX4GX3M2A1600C7
$135 Free Ship - 109.99 After Rebate

Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM
$100 Free Ship

XFX HD-587X-ZNFV Radeon HD 5870 (Cypress XT) 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$389 $3 Shipping


Sunbeam RHK-EX-BA Rheobus-Extreme Fan Controller
$29.99 $5.99 shipping

Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 Hyper 212 Plus Universal Direct Contact Heat-Pipe 120mm Fan CPU Cooler
$29.99


(for good cable managment)
OKGEAR 18" 3pin Extension Cable W/ Black Sleeved Model FC33-18BKS
$2.99 $2.99 Shipping

NZXT CB-8P 8-Pin Motherboard Power Extension Premium Cable (Black
$7.99 (newegg out of stock)

OKGEAR 18" SATA 6 Gbps Cable
$2.99 $2.99 shipping

OKGEAR 10" SATA 6 Gbps Cable
$2.49 $2.99 shipping


Newegg Order Total $1,555.36
Amazon Order Total: $44.74

Total: $1600.01
Damn that penny!

 

[ashkaji]

Best answer selected by ashkaji.

 

[Bartendalot]

Ill take this advice ernestly. My last videocard a BFG 9800GX2 Bit the dust from overheating (partially due to be throwing it into a dell pre-build with horrible airflow). Which is what prompted this build :]. This will be my first build ground up.
Thats why when I found out Nvidia cards were STILL baking themselfs, I switched to ATI.

are 2x120mm fans better then one 200 or 220mm fans? Are CFM #'s accurate?
for example, 2x120mm 50CFM = 1x220mm 100CFM. Is the benifit just noise level?

And would you have any fan controller recommendations? 5 case fans + HSF

Ty again for all the info. There is still much to be learned for me :]

To the best of my knowledge, the main diff in fan sizes is fan noise with smaller fans generating more (120mm is still pretty big and therefore not so loud). The actual air flow should be the same.

It is always a good idea to take a can of air to tidy up dust every so often (some people on here recommend every week but I shoot for every 6 weeks). Dust really accumulates on heatsinks and will limit their ability to cool.

ATI is just killing Nvidia, so good choice there.

On my build, the fans are automatically controlled by my mobo through BIOS so you might want to research but I have heard people using speedfan.

Good luck - you have great parts there - have fun!

 

[ashkaji]

I ended up just buying another 200mm fan just for the ease of it. Grabbed a fan controller as well, just to have the option. Suprisingly this MB isnt supported by speedfan. So if nothing else I'll have a 100% option by turnin all the knobs to max.

Im half regreating buying the 5870, only because most recommend 5850 for the 'bang for the buck'. But I wont lose sleep :X.

I definatly do the 6 week cleaning. Though im very paranoid and dont use canned air. The thought of any liquid touching anything freaks me out lol. I just blow it out with lung power and Q-tip the case :]. Going to buy some pantyhose to make some makeshift filters.

I can't wait!! I wish the parts were here now :[

 

[ashkaji]

Got most of my parts in, system is built and purring!!

Just waiting on the heatsink and an ext cable for the 8pin MB power. I got a mugen2 rev B OTW with some mx-2.

My first ever 100% build is officially done and successful :] can't wait to test er out with some benchs and temps!

Thanks to everyone on toms for giving me a good crash course on hardware :] and great advice all around.