AMD Build for School!

[Salt-City_Slasher]

I got everything ready for my new build. I have been researching and planning since Feb.
Heres a run down of everything I plan on getting. I plan on buying by the end of July, just in time for Fall Semester.

AMD 965 C3 125watt
Crosshair 4
HX750
EAH5870 Version 2
HAF-X w/additional 200mm red led
CM Hyper 212+ w/2x 120mm red led push/pull config.
Crucial Ballistix Tracers 4gb 1600 RED
Windows 7 Home 64bit
Barracuda 7200.12 500gb
Asus DVD Burner
Artic Cooling MX-2 Thermal Compound

Total:1569 w/shipping +30mir
This total is if I bought everything from Newegg, I am going to get the 212+ from frys or microcenter.com so it will 30$ cheaper
There is no store in Utah to go in and buy this stuff, so its going to be online.
Even though I have the majority of the money, I am going to put it on an EGG card so I can just pay monthly from my savings.

My plan is to put the 212+ facing up and down so I would have increased air flow out the top. I will probably lose the front air duct but i might so a mod so I can use it someway or another. I want to get memory cooler, but I am going to wait for the
Ballistix Active Cool whenever it comes out.

So this is what I am getting, I just wanted to make sure there wasn't anything I should change before I buy.

 

[tecmo34]

Build looks good...

I would recommend dropping down to the X4 955 C3 instead, since the X4 965 is just an overclocked version basically.

Why are you going to lose your front air duct? You typically get getter air flow when you have the fan facing vertical, so the air is coming in from the front and out through the back versus pulling air from the GPU area and pushing out the top.

 

[AMW1011]

A few things:

1. I'd drop the 965, the 955 is just as good for a bit less, or the 1055T is damn good and will see more benefits in the future. Shop around and you can get the 1055T for under $180, try ebay.

2. I have a problem recommending a 5870 if you are overclocking. The 5870 tops off at about 1000-1050 MHz, and a good 5850 will get just as high. At those speeds the 5870 will be less than 5% faster making the difference completely unnoticeable. I recommend looking around for the Asus 5850 TOP.

Also, the GTX 470 is almost as fast in current games as the 5870, the difference should be completely unnoticeable, and will be faster when you are playing a game with heavy tessellation. Also the GTX 470 overclocks 200-250 MHz on the core compared to the 5870s 150-200 MHz ceiling and the GTX 4xx series gains more performance per clock than the 5xxx series. In short, the GTX 470 is at least as fast if not faster for $50 less. This one is $330:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130550&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-130-550-_-Product

I can't find anything wrong with the rest, that is a very good system and I can only find some minor gripes.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Well the 955 won't be a big difference, so that will be easy to change.
I have always wanted the EAH5850 DirectCu, but considered the V2 because in a combo deal with the 965(or 955)
I would get an additional 35$ off. So I end up paying 355 for the V2.
But I can look into something different like the Asus 470 Fermi.

The air vent thing is, on youtube videos of the HAF-X no one uses the front air vent, and I thought it was because it wouldn't fit.

The video card has been changed so many times, i just want to make sure I get the best for what I pay.
I prefer Asus products for many reasons but I have considered some of Sapphires cards also.

But I will look threw the video cards again.

The 212+, I thought would work better installed the other way, I read it somewhere, I think hardwareCanuks, they
said CM did that, because of the HAF series because there is a lot pull out top.

 

[AMW1011]

The cooler thing is an easy fix, just test it both ways, you never know.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

For sure, I can look around and see if anyone has posted there results, but I don't know how many people got the HAF-X and the 212+ also.

I can always mess around once I get it setup. I am getting a whole tube of thermal compound so I should have a problem.
Its like a guitar, you make your personal adjustments here and there to your liking.

I heard the NB problem has been fixed, and once i get everything in I just hope nothing has a defect.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Let me ask you, the 5870 V2 w/ mir and combo deal its 354.99. The 5850 DirectCu is 340 where i can still get it.

I thought of considering a 470, but then I wouldn't be able to do SLI. I also considered 2x 5770 but I don't like that route.

IDK I will look over some benchs and reconsider, I always thought the V2 was kinda iffy, cause of the connector position and what not. But it does have a huge fan!!!

 

[AMW1011]

For that price you might as well get the 5870 V2, its not a bad card by any means.

Or you could change your board to a 980a for SLI and go for the GTX 470, its a damn close call at those prices.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

true, I would save hella on the motherboard by changing, I would probably have enuff for a a 470 and a PhsX card.

 

[AMW1011]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131636&cm_re=980a-_-13-131-636-_-Product

It is a decent board.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Here is what I can come up with for an Nvidia setup:

i7 920
HX750
Asus 470
Asus dvd burner
hyper 212+
windows 7 home 64
Rampage 3
Crucial ballistix 3gb ddr3
7200.12 500gb
CM 692 advanced
fans and thermal compund

It would cost a little bit more but still be under 1600

 

[AMW1011]

A better motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188065&cm_re=evga_x58-_-13-188-065-_-Product

The Rampage is an extremely overpriced board with nothing to show for the extra price. That EVGA consistently gets great overclocks and EVGA has been making some really solid boards lately.

The rest looks great.

 

[tecmo34]

For Intel... I would get the i7 930 over the i7 920...

I disagree with AMW1011 on the motherboard selection... (Agree with the decision not to get the Rampage 3 though ). EVGA is a great motherboard (I'm running the X58) but I would go with the ASUS P6X58D-E or Gigabyte GA-X58A UD3R instead....

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

Well I was just checking my options on the Intel thing, and the 920 just happened to have a good combo deal.
But the only reason I would go Intel is because of the graphics card. I am just seeing how much it would cost
instead of my AMD setup.
Right now I just tried doing the AMD NF900 from MSI, the G65, and with it and everything, I could easily do it that way, plus
I could even add a 9800GT for PSyX card to.

I really don't mind Intel, I just thought AMD was more appropriate for me because of price and all. I am able to
get the best case, processor, and graphic card available for AMD and stay with in budget.

I am gona look around some more, but since newegg hooks it up with combos I can get a 5870 for the same price as a
470 or 5850, so I think thats a hella good deal.
And even if the 470 can play BatMan and a few others game just a little better I am not going to lose any sleep over it.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

I have been reading more and more, and the G65 from MSI, wouldn't be that bad of a pick for AMD/Nvidia.
It wouldn't have all the cooler features the crosshair has, but it does have a lot to offer.

So its either Asus V2 and Crosshair 4 or
MSI G65 and GTX 470 w/GTS 250 psyX card

With the extra cash let over from the switching mobos, leaves me with enuff to get a 250 for psyX.

 

[Salt-City_Slasher]

You know what I never considered, is that I could get the GTX 470 with the AM3 board, I just couldn't buy another one or a psyX.

It was a thought, I figured worst case senario is, I get money for another card here in the future, I could just buy whats ever
the sickest card at that time and put the 470 in my parents computer.

But I really don't think I will have much money for another card, cause even if I do, I have other plans for software and
cool new interfaces and studio monitors.