Build Optimization?

[bruin101]

Hi guys: I am in the process of putting my first home built computer together. I am building a gaming rig and I was hoping before I purchased all of my parts you could give me some input on how optimized you feel this build is for the money.

What I have purchased so far:
6gb OCZ gold DDR3 1600 ram
Antec 300 illusion case
Antec Earthwatts 650w psu
Seagate Barracuda 1TB 7200 HDD
Samsung 24x DVDRW

What I have NOT yet purchased but I am leaning towards:
Intel i7 930 ($200)
EVGA GTX 465 1GB ($240, after rebate)
EVGA 1366 X58 ATX mobo ($180, after rebate)
Windows 7 Pro (student edition)

I know the three parts I have not yet purchased are essentially the heart of the computer. I am going to be doing everything with this pc like word processing, internet, etc...but also pretty heavy gaming and I may get a little into 3d animation.
So, how would you say this hardware will do for performance? Could I get possibly better performance for the same or less money? I feel this is a good build, but do you?
Any input will be greatly appreciated

 

[batuchka]

I would hit either the GTX 460 or HD 5850 and though academic i would have gone non OCZ RAMs hehe

 

[Lmeow]

^ Agreed, the GTX 465 performs worse than the GTX 460 and uses more power and produces more heat.

As for the motherboard, try to get the EVGA X58 E758 if possible - the EVGA X58 SLI LE E757 (what you're planning to buy, if it's at $180), has a pretty bad layout in terms of PCI-E lanes, and really only works with cases which have at least eight expansion slots.

 

[bruin101]

So the gtx 460 is simply better than the 465? Seems sort of unusual but I guess I can believe it lol. How do you feel right now about ATI vs Nvidia? I have heard in general Nvidia has better drivers...is this true? How about the i7 930? Newegg has nothing but amazing reviews for it. I am getting the H50 Corsair cooler for it and I have heard the i7 overclocks like a beast. And that mobo is supposed to be much easier to use? The E758 over the 757?

 

[coldsleep]

How do you feel right now about ATI vs Nvidia? I have heard in general Nvidia has better drivers...is this true?

No, that's not (or more accurately, no longer) true. ATI and nVidia both offer good performance these days and are good options at different price points. Of interest is that Apple just dumped nVidia and is going with ATI cards for the near future. Pretty sure they wouldn't do that if there were driver issues.

Within the last month, the nVidia 460 claimed the value/performance title from ATI's 5850, by most reviewers standards. However, the 5850 had been the king for most of the last 6-9 months.

It really depends on your budget and what you're planning to do with the machine.

 

[bruin101]

Ok, so sounds like both companies are putting out pretty decent cards and drivers at the moment. That's good for gamers for sure. So, ultimately I want to know how my machine will perform. I know the cpu, gpu, mobo, and ram are the main determining factors on software performance. Will the i7 930, gtx 460, one of the evga mobos, and the 6gb ram run today's games very well? I would be willing to spend a little more if I would get a substantial boost in performance.

 

[bruin101]

^ Agreed, the GTX 465 performs worse than the GTX 460 and uses more power and produces more heat.

As for the motherboard, try to get the EVGA X58 E758 if possible - the EVGA X58 SLI LE E757 (what you're planning to buy, if it's at $180), has a pretty bad layout in terms of PCI-E lanes, and really only works with cases which have at least eight expansion slots.

When you state that the gtx 465 performs worse than the 460, do you mean relative to its price point/energy consumption/heat (relative performance) or straight up its ability to run games (absolute performance)?

 

[Timop]

When you state that the gtx 465 performs worse than the 460, do you mean relative to its price point/energy consumption/heat (relative performance) or straight up its ability to run games (absolute performance)?

The GTX460 1GB performs identical to the GTX465, while the 768 version is 5-10% worse.

The GTX460 is based on a new redesign of Fermi, while the GTX465 is a severely neutered GTX480.

 

[coldsleep]

Will the i7 930, gtx 460, one of the evga mobos, and the 6gb ram run today's games very well? I would be willing to spend a little more if I would get a substantial boost in performance.

The only real factors for gaming are the GPU and what resolution you game at. The 460 should be adequate for most games today at 1920x1080 (Crysis excepted), but you can expect it to slip relatively quickly (probably start to consider SLI within a year to 1.5 years). I would anticipate that a 470, a 480, or an ATI 5870 (or 5970) would last longer before you would need to CrossFire/SLI.

If you game at a lower resolution, then the 460 will be fine for longer. If you game at a higher resolution or you plan on going multi-monitor, the 460 won't be enough.

 

[mrhoshos96]

too bad you orderd those parts

get these
mobo+cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.439924

gpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187113 (i would go with the evga one but it's out of stock)

 

[bruin101]

too bad you orderd those parts

get these
mobo+cpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.439924

gpu: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814187113 (i would go with the evga one but it's out of stock)

I'm already getting an i7 930 for $199 new so that newegg combo is a much higher price. I guess I could look to combo a gpu and mobo. So, what do you guys feel is the most powerful gpu for $250 or less? Or will have the best longevity?

Also, what are the best producers of ATI and Nvidia cards? I know EVGA is supposed to be very good for Nvidia with lifetime warranties. Is there another great Nvidia maker as well as the top ATI guys?

 

[mrhoshos96]

the best $250 card is an evga gtx 460 sc

the top ati guys are sapphire for quality and xfx for double lifetime warranty

 

[Timop]

Though if you can find a HD5850 for $250 its a better deal than the GTX460.
If prices are low HIS/MSI is good too.

 

[mrhoshos96]

the cheapest one is this msi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127500&cm_re=5850-_-14-127-500-_-Product

for $270 after rebate

 

[bruin101]

the cheapest one is this msi http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127500&cm_re=5850-_-14-127-500-_-Product

for $270 after rebate

There is a 1GB Sapphire 5850 1GB for $284. I am concerned though with how they actually run an reliability. Reviews say the EVGA gtx460 1gb runs very smooth and cool. Is the 5850 significantly better? Or worth the risk?

 

[mrhoshos96]

if u oc that gtx 460 it can be slower than a 5850 by 1-5 fps
and if u sli them they can score realy close to a 5970(a $700 card)