I5 750 Gaming computer parts list

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Octohexite

Octohexite

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: Would like to buy before end of July, but I can wait longer if needed.

BUDGET RANGE: $900 - $1200 Canadian dollars after rebates.

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, surfing the internet, watching movies, editing music.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: keyboard, mouse, monitor, speakers, OS.

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: ncix.com

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: Canada

PARTS PREFERENCES: No preference, just good quality parts for the money.

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe - but not anytime soon.

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: Maybe - likely in the future when prices come down.

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Currently 1440x900

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: If I buy through NCIX, I will have to pay a sales tax of 13% in Ontario. I looked for other sites that would avoid charging sales tax but couldn't find any Canadian ones. If anyone knows of any I would be interested to hear.



CPU:
Intel Core I5 750 Quad Core Processor Lynnfield LGA1156 2.66GHZ 8MB Cache Retail Box
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42499&vpn=BX80605I5750&manufacture=Intel&promoid=1026

MOTHERBOARD:
ASUS P7P55D-E LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=48019&vpn=P7P55D-E&manufacture=ASUS&promoid=1026
-----OR-----
ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI SLI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=48014&vpn=P7P55D-E%20PRO&manufacture=ASUS

RAM:
G.SKILL F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL9-9-9-24 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=30384&vpn=F3-12800CL9D-4GBNQ&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1026

VIDEO CARD:
XFX Radeon HD 5850 HD585XZAFC 725MHZ 1GB 4GHZ GDDR5 2XDVI HDMI DP DIRECTX11 PCI-E Video Card
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=54265&vpn=HD585XZAFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1026

POWER SUPPLY:
Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 140MM Fan
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26415&vpn=CMPSU-750TX&manufacture=Corsair&promoid=1026

CASE:
Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower Gaming Case 300 ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB & Audio
http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=29812#CustomerReviews

HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB 7200RPM 32MB Dual Proc 3.5IN SATA Hard Drive OEM 5YR Mfg Warranty
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&vpn=WD6401AALS&manufacture=Western%20Digital%20WD&promoid=1026
-----OR-----
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 6GB/S 7200RPM 64MB Cache 3.5IN Dual Proc Hard Drive OEM
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=50895&vpn=WD1002FAEX&manufacture=Western%20Digital%20WD&promoid=1026




Questions:

1. For the motherboard, would it be wiser to go with the P7P55D-E PRO, or save $30 and get the standard P7P55D-E? Is it worth it to go for the PRO and if so why?

2. Is the power supply I chose sufficient for if I decide to crossfire the 5850 in the future? Possible CPU overclocking too?

3. Concerning the hard drive, should I stick with a 640GB SATA 32MG cache or go for the 1TB SATA3 64MG cache drive? Besides the 360GB capacity difference, would I notice enough difference to warrant the increased price?

4. For the case, would the Antec 300 be large enough or should I go with a larger case?




Otherwise, I am open to anyone's suggestions on if this is a good setup or any changes it could use.

Thanks in advance!


 
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Deleted member 217926

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That is actually overkill on the power supply even with overclocking / future 5850 Crossfire. You would do fine with the Corsair 650.

The 1TB FAEX WD hard drive is one of the fastest 7200 RPM drives made. It will be faster than the older 640GB design models.

I would spend a few more dollars on this memory with much lower cas latency. : http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=44261&vpn=F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM&manufacture=G.Skill

That HD 5850 is really overkill for 1440 x 900. Unless you plan on upgrading your monitor soon I would look into the HD 5770. Also Nvidia has finally come out with a new card worth recommending the GTX 460. Not sure of prices for you but worth looking into. It is around $200 US.

If you can find the Antec 300 Illusion case it comes with all the fans. The plain 300 does not include the 2 x 120mm intake fans. The 300 Illusion is usually very close in price and one of the best cases for the money in my opinion.

You might check newegg.ca The US newegg site usually has the best deals you can get unless you find a super sale somewhere.



 
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rza

rza

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Hey dude to answer your MOBO question, the PRO version offers more for the video cards.

PRO - 1 GPU @ 16x or 2 GPU @ 8x 8x
Standerd - 1 GPU @16x or 2 GPU 16x 4x

Also I've read alot about the PRO version, they seem to have a pretty good build in audio chipset.
 
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davcon

davcon

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Definitely go with the E-PRO.
I would use this ram
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=46501&vpn=F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1026
Or pricematch this from the Egg
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303
Your better off with a 1tb hdd which is the norm now
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/225675/Samsung/HD103SJ/
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=14120DR5954&vpn=ST31000528AS&manufacture=SEAGATE
Case
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/155716/ANTEC/THREE_HUNDRED/
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=35517
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=48086
Btw i'm from Ontario and you'll pay 12% HST from B.C.
Plus when you buy a i5 750 shipping is free right now at NCIX.
You could also Pricematch this psu or simply go with what you chose(good deal)
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=13220AC1267&vpn=OCZ700MXSP&manufacture=OCZ%20TECHNOLOGY
 
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The WD 1TB FAEX hard drive he orignally was considering is faster than either of the 2 you listed.
 
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Octohexite

Octohexite

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Thanks everyone for the great help so far!

So what I have gathered from everyone is this:

1. Go with the P7P55D-E PRO because it is better for crossfire (8x, 8x) and has better audio.

2. The Corsair 650w is plenty of power for even dual 5850's. (actually, I looked at the price difference at NCIX, and was surprised to see that the 750w is $20 cheaper right now due to a sale. Unless there is a downside to having too large a power supply, it seems to financially make sense to go with the 750w right now.)

3. The 1TB FAUX WD hard drive is worth it for the extra capacity and speed.

4. The Antec 300 case is a good case for the money. (If the only difference between the Illusion and the standard 300 is the addition of two 120mm fans on the front, I think I'll be okay with the standard 300 because I already have an extra 120mm fan. Also, since NCIX doesn't carry the Illusion, it seems to make more sense to just buy another 120mm fan then pay $20 for shipping from Newegg.ca)


RAM: Thanks for the suggestion on RAM latency - I never put much thought into that until now. I looked at the two suggested products and only found two differences.

RAM #1: G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM Ripjaws 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL7-8-7-24 240PIN Dual Channel i5 Memory Kit
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=44261&vpn=F3-12800CL7D-4GBRM&manufacture=G.Skill
Latency: 7-7-7-24
Test Voltage: 1.6 Volts

RAM #2: G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO Eco PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL7-8-7-24 1.35V Memory Kit
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=46501&vpn=F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO&manufacture=G.Skill&promoid=1026
Latency: 7-8-7-24-2N
Test Voltage: 1.35 Volts

Are these differences significant enough to go for the slightly more expensive RAM #1?


Video Card: I looked into the HD 5770 and from everything I read it seems like a great card. However, I have been thinking about upgrading my monitor sometime in the future (early 2011) to a higher resolution one (1920x1080?) and considering this would it still be a good idea to go with the HD 5770? The reason I ask is because almost every selection guide I have read for video cards has suggested getting the best video card you can afford is a worthwhile investment for any gaming computer setup.
 
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If theCorsair 750 is cheaper then go for it. I have one I do not really need for the same reason.....great sale!

RAM option 2 is actually better. That Eco RAM runs at 1.35v and will run cooler. Since both are the same speed and cas latency then go for the one that runs cooler.

That new GTX460 seems to be a great card and will overclock to where it is faster than the HD 5850. Look for the 1GB model. The HD 5850 is still a great card and will overclock quite well too if you want to stick with Ati.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/3810/nvidias-geforce-gtx-460-part-2-the-vendor-cards

The Antec 300 Illusion comes with the extra fans and is worth the extra $20 as the fans are high quality Antec Tri Cool models that are 3 speed and nearly silent and still move quite a bit of air on low. These fans are $17 US each on the US newegg site. They are likely better fans than what you have if it just a generic fan. You want the best cooling you can get.
 
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coldsleep

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Not really.

The Seagate 7200.12, the Samsung Spinpoint F3, and the WD1002FAEX all use 500 GB platters. The WD has slightly faster access times, the Seagate and Samsung have slightly higher throughput.

Given the fact that the WD is more expensive and doesn't actually touch SATA 6 Gb/s, the other two offer better value.
 
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Deleted member 217926

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You are right about value and the F3 is what I normally recommend but the $10 difference was as small as I have seen between the two. The WD is generally quite a bit more expensive even on the US newegg site.
The faster access times translate to faster access to smaller files and that is 99% of what a hard drive does. The higher throughput of the other 2 mean they move larger files faster.
 
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coldsleep

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I still wouldn't pay $10 more to put the WD1002FAEX in my computer, but they're all good drives, and any of them would be a fine choice.

I was mostly just attempting to call attention to the fact that the WD isn't faster across the board, and that it has nothing to do with SATA 6 Gb/s.
 
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davcon

davcon

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You'll be fine with the Antec 300 since the Illusion is an exclusive Newegg offer.
The ECO ram is good and on sale.
If you don't go with the 5850 the 1GB 460 is nice i would buy an Asus.
All comments taken into consideration your build looks very good and nicely balanced.:)
 
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Octohexite

Octohexite

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Alright so I spent some time learning about RAM latencies and voltages, and I completely agree with you anort3 and Davcon; the G.Skill Eco RAM is probably the best to go with for my use.

Now, the only two parts that I am still not settled on is the hard drive and the video card. For the hard drive, I am aiming for getting a 1TB capacity drive, but the one area that still confuses me is the benefit of paying more for a SATA3 capable drive over just having a SATA2 drive. I read up on SATA3 and the main consensus seemed to be that its improvements were only obvious in benchmark tests, but not very apparent in normal applications. This will be primarily a gaming system, so would the SATA3 drive really have any noticeable improvements for this purpose?


For the decision of a video card, I have narrowed the field down to three cards:

CARD #1 - $194.99
XFX Radeon HD 5770 850MHZ 1GB 4.8GHZ GDDR5 2XDVI HDMI Display Port DIRECTX11 PCI-E Video CARD
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=44932&vpn=HD577AZNFC&manufacture=XFX

CARD #2 - $269.99
EVGA GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 675MHZ 1024MB 3.6GHZ GDDR5 Dual DVI MINI-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=54581&vpn=01G-P3-1371-AR&manufacture=eVGA

CARD #3 - $314.99
XFX Radeon HD 5850 HD585XZAFC 725MHZ 1GB 4GHZ GDDR5 2XDVI HDMI DP DIRECTX11 PCI-E Video Card
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=54265&vpn=HD585XZAFC&manufacture=XFX&promoid=1026


After reading many reviews and comparisons, I seem to be caught in a debate between getting the HD 5770 with the option to crossfire it (which should get it slightly better than a single HD 5850), or getting a single HD 5850. I seem to lean somewhat towards the HD 5850 because it seems to offer more longevity due to its ability to crossfire when more performance is needed a few years later. I still like the look of the GTX 460, but am still feeling a little unsure about it based on what I read in reviews. Consider these three options:

Option 1: Purchase one HD 5770 now and buy another one to crossfire when I upgrade my monitor in six months or so.

Option 2: Buy one HD 5850 now and possibly crossfire it in a couple years when prices have come down.

Option 3: Buy one GTX 460 (1GB) now and possibly SLI it in a few years when prices have relaxed.


I usually like to keep my systems for around 5 years average, so my biggest question is: Which one of these options would likely offer the best performance/price ratio in the long term of 4 - 6 years?


 
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SATA 3 is really only for solid state drives no 7200 RPM drives can come close to maxing that much bandwidth. The Spinpoint F3 has been the best "bang for your buck" drive for a while now. The WD 1TB FAEX is a bit faster as I said on smaller files and that is 99% of what your hard drive does. Since there is only a $10 premium on the WD drive in my opinion it would not be a bad choice but the F3 or the Seagate are both very fast. I myself have had some issues with past Seagate drives so I really have a hard time recommending them. I do however have 2 x 160GB Seagates from the first generation of SATA drives ( 2004 or 2005 ) that still run great as storage drives.

As for GPUs the HD 5850 is probably the most powerful choice as it will overclock. But if you read the Anandtech article in my earlier post the GTX 460 will overclock past a stock HD 5850 quite easily. As the Nvidia card is much cheaper than the 5850 that makes it a better buy in my opinion. As soon as newegg gets EVGA 1GB models in I am updating this old 9800GTX+ of mine. ( I just am a sucker for EVGA other brands are just as good )
The HD 5770 is still a strong choice if you Crossfire them but one advantage to the GTX460 is Sli scales better than Crossfire.

At 1440 x 900 any of the 3 cards will run just about any game maxed. At 1920 x 1080 the HD 5770 starts to show it is the weakest of the three.
 
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Octohexite

Octohexite

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So after reading a lot of reviews about the GTX 460 as well as comparisons against the HD 5830 and 5850, it does seem to be the best price/performance card right now at that level. I think I will go with it because it would mean my total would drop $45, and the card performs quite well at the resolutions I would be using it at.


My Build:

CPU:
Intel Core I5 750 Quad Core Processor Lynnfield LGA1156 2.66GHZ 8MB Cache Retail Box - $199.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=42499&promoid=1026

MOTHERBOARD:
ASUS P7P55D-E Pro LGA1156 P55 DDR3 2PCI-E16 3PCI-E1 2PCI SLI CrossFireX USB3.0 SATA 6GB Motherboard - $194.83
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=48014

RAM:
G.SKILL F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO Eco PC3-12800 4GB 2X2GB DDR3-1600 CL7-8-7-24 1.35V Memory Kit - $103.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=46501&promoid=1026

VIDEO CARD:
EVGA GeForce GTX 460 Fermi 675MHZ 1024MB 3.6GHZ GDDR5 Dual DVI MINI-HDMI PCI-E DX11 Video Card - $269.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=54581

POWER SUPPLY:
Corsair TX750W 750W ATX 12V 60A 24PIN ATX Power Supply Active PFC 140MM Fan - $109.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=26415&promoid=1026

CASE:
Antec Three Hundred Mini Tower Gaming Case 300 ATX 3X5.25 6X3.5INT No PS Front USB & Audio - $53.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=29812&promoid=1026

HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 6GB/S 7200RPM 64MB Cache 3.5IN Dual Proc Hard Drive OEM - $87.99
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=50895&promoid=1026

Subtotal: $1020.77
Shipping: Free
Tax: $132.70
Total: $1153.47


So now that I am settled on the build, my last concern is timing. Is right now a good time to be buying a build like this? If it is a wise idea, I could wait until January 2011 to buy if that may be a good financial choice. Otherwise, I need to purchase this build before July 21st to get the free shipping and sale prices that currently exist.
 
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coldsleep

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I wouldn't recommend the build above in 6 months. There are certain to be new products out by then that are either better, or have dropped the price of current products to offer better price/performance. There is supposed to be a new Intel processor & socket out by then, which might be worth waiting for, but there's not really enough info to say for certain. That's the only thing that is on the horizon for the next 6 months that might really shake up your build, aside from more graphics card models.

People are speculating that SSDs will drop in price in the near future, but there's no way to tell for certain. Vendors could just as easily drop current models and keep the prices on the new drives high.

If you really want to wait, come back at that point and ask for more recommendations. If you're ready to buy a computer now, do it now. If you wait for specific tech, you're always going to be waiting for the next new piece of tech that's just another month or two away.
 
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Actually it is a great time although I might wait a week or so because the i5 760 is just available on the US newegg site as of today. The i5 750 actually dropped in price and the 760 is the same price ~$200 as the 750 used to be. It might take a few days for ncix to catch up since I do not see it there as of now.
Also you might want to add a couple of fans to the front of that Antec 300 case. The 300 Illusion is about $15 more on newegg.ca and comes with the 2 front fans. If you stick with the vanilla 300 then add a couple of Antec TriCools to the front. You can get them in LED or not and they are 3 speed just like the fans that come in the case.

Newegg.ca actually does have the i5 760 but it is $214. If you are not overclocking then it is worth the extra $15 for the extra clock speed in my opinion.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067


Edit: I am jealous....no EVGA 1GB GTX 460s in the US that I can find right now. I have been waiting for a week! lol I am going to get one as soon as they become available. It will be my 6th EVGA card in a row.......love them.
 
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Octohexite

Octohexite

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Thanks for reminding me about the fans, I almost forgot. Too bad ncix doesn't carry the Illusion - it really is a better deal.
I'm pretty sure these are the fans you were talking about.

Antec TriCool 120MM Case Fan 3-SPEED 1200/1600/2200RPM 25/28/30DBA 39/56/79CFM 3 & 4PINS
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=17129&vpn=TRICOOL%20120MM&manufacture=Antec


Hmm, that i5 760 does look interesting indeed. 2.8Ghz - with turbo boost that would mean it would hang around 3.0Ghz most the time I would assume. I plan on holding off overclocking for quite some time so this may be a good option. The only other difference I noticed was that it is listed as 32nm instead of the 750's 45nm (typo?). I'll do some reading on it to see what I can find out otherwise.

I am jealous....no EVGA 1GB GTX 460s in the US that I can find right now. I have been waiting for a week! lol I am going to get one as soon as they become available. It will be my 6th EVGA card in a row.......love them.
Click to expand...
Glad to hear the eVGA cards are good - ncix had no reviews for the 460 so far, so I was making an educated guess on the brand. Hope you find one soon, it looks like a great card!
 
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davcon

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Pricematch those TriCools bud
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=10370AC7216&vpn=TriCool 120mm Blue LED&manufacture=ANTEC
 
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Deleted member 217926

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Actually I believe Turbo would put it around 3.4 as the 750 is around 3.2. And yeah that is a typo it is 45nm. Hell the US newegg site even has it listed as 32 nm with hyperthreading! lol

Yeah those are the fans. The Illusion is a newegg only product as far as I know. It looks good with the blue led version of those fans but they cost more than the plain ones. Those are the led versions for $10 in Davcons link though....great deal!

Hopefully in the next week or so EVGA will get some 1GB 460s released here.

Are you staying with stock cooling on the CPU? The Coolermaster Hyper 212 is cheap and performs as well as much more expensive coolers.

http://www.ncix.com/products/?sku=41337&vpn=RR-B10-212P-GP&manufacture=COOLERMASTER

You might also want some thermal paste if you do not have any. Looks like Artic Silver 5 or Ceramique are the best ones they have in stock. I have used both and they both are good. The IC Diamond 7 is much better for only a few dollars more but is out of stock.
 
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