Yes? No? Maybe? $1700 everyday computer

[mar100]

So I have been reading various threads and really been thinking about what I want in my new computer. I would be using it to play FSX, and for everyday school use which in my case is using programs like sketch up, photoshop, powerpoint, and Word. Other uses would include surfing the web and watching movies. I have come up with the following parts.

Cpu: Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz - $290

Mobo: ASUS P6X58D-E - $230

Ram: Mushkin Enhanced Redline 6GB - $190

Because I do plan on overclocking, this is the cooling I was suggested and chose
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus -$30

HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache - $ 90 x 2 = $180

GPU: Radeon HD 5870 - $390

optical: SAMSUNG 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 4X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 24x DVD Burner - $25

Psu: XFX Black Edition P1-750B-CAG9 750W - $130

Case: LIAN LI PC-7FN Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower - $100

Monitor: ASUS VK222H Black 22" 2 ms - $180

A grand total of : $1,764.89 However it will be about 1700 because some of these were bundles and I didn't put that here, just listed everything separately.

My questions about this are will my motherboard function/work (not melt) if I overclock the cpu to 3.5-4Ghz range.
Is the Psu overkill for this build? I used a "Wattage calculator" on newegg and found that all this uses about 611 W, however the psu is @ 750 W. Overclocking might raise that no?
Is the cooling for this sufficient?
Does the ram work well with this board?
Any suggestions regarding better ram (to board), or anything that might be better than what I have chosen would be great. Thanks in advance.

 

[MadAdmiral]

I've got some changes.

CPU/Mobo: i7-930 and Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R $484. A combo to save money. Also, the Gigabyte actually beat out that Asus in Tom's review. It's better AND cheaper.
RAM: Corsair XMS3 3x2 GB 2000 mhz CAS Latency 9 $175. Faster at 1600 mhz and cheaper.
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1 TB $75 each. Cheaper and just as fast.
GPU/PSU: HD 5870 and XFX 750W $480. Combo.
Monitor: Asus 23.6" 1080p $180 after rebate. Slightly bigger for the same price.
HSF: The Hyper 212+ is good, but only at $30. I'd also take a look at the Sycthe SCMG-2100. It's quite a bit better than the Hyper, but a bit more expensive
Optical: A SATA DVD burner can usually be had for around $18. Get the cheapest you can find.
Case: The one you picked is fine

Total: $1,617 (I think)

Still digging for more combos. These might interest you:

PSU/Case: XFX 750W and Lian Li PC-K62 $190
CPU/GPU: i7-930 and HD 5870 $625
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R $210
Keep the other changes from above

Total: $1,510

750W is just right. Newegg's calculator is always off. 750W would be needed for both Crossfire and overclocking.

I believe I've answered the other questions.

 

[gordon_81]

i agree with mad admiral

 

[Onus]

Not to suggest those aren't good choices, but that's a lot of money to spend for the stated purposes.
A core-i5, LGA1156 mobo, and 4GB RAM will each save $100. A GTX460 will save another $175. A smaller (but still quality) PSU is another $30, and using a faster 500GB Samsung F3 for the boot drive saves $35. Even cheaper is possible, using an AMD PII X4 955 with either the GTX460 or a pair of Crossfired HD5770s (also using a 650W PSU).

 

[MadAdmiral]

^Agree with that. You could easily get something to fit your needs for under half what you're spending now.

 

[Emperus]

I'd recommend the following -

Motherboard - Asus P7P55D Pro

CPU - Intel i7 875k

Memory - 4GB (2 x 2GB) G-Skill PC312800 CAS7

GPU - EVGA GTX 470

Hard Drive - Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB

PSU - XFX Black Edition 750W

Case - CoolerMaster Storm Sniper Black Edition

CPU Cooler - Noctua NH D-14

As for the monitor, go for a >22" display.. The Samsung XL2370 will be good if it fits in your price bracket..

 

[sp12]

IMO, I would minimize your expenditure on gaming components like high speed ram/enthusiast CPU/mobo choices, and take that money to use on an SSD/nice IPS monitor. FSX is the only game you have listed, and really is more CPU dependent than anything.

 

[MadAdmiral]

@Emperus: There is absolutely no reason to waste money on the i7-8xx series, especially the "k" variety. That's a good $200 better spend elsewhere. Also, I find the 470 is a terrible buy right now. The 5850 can be had for substantially less with combos, and they're fairly similar in performance. The Storm series of cases is vastly overpriced. I'd avoid spending good money on them. Finally, the NH D-14, while one of the best coolers, is completely unnecessary. No reason to spend $90 on a cooler if you're not trying to set a record.

@sp: The cutbacks from a lower CPU, RAM and motherboard wouldn't save enough for both a SSD and an IPS monitor. You'd likely only save $250 dropping the i7 to an X4 955, which would hurt the other non-gaming activities.

 

[Emperus]

The i7 875k is not that overpriced when compared to the i7 930.. It has all the features of the i7 930 and a few extra also.. The stock clock speed is higher and an unlocked multiplier count helps OP with his overclocking needs (makes it that much easier).. I don't find any issues with the RAM being faster.. The prices are not that high and furthermore, it again helps OP with his overclock plans.. The clock speeds can be brought down for tighter timings or extra stability.. Case selection is more of a perspective issue.. I personnely find the Sniper, with its awesome build quality and an exhaustive feature set, every bit worth its 140$ price tag.. As for the cooler, i just suggested the best available within the price bracket.. The Thermaltake Frio is another good option.. I too Would've loved to squeeze in an IPS panel monitor but the 24" HP LP2475W (the best IPS panel monitor i know with the most decent price tag) will definitely overshoot the budget margin..

 

[MadAdmiral]

Faster RAM allows you to overclock higher. That's the point of it. The base speed is 1333 mhz, which means you're not overclocking very far.

And you're not going to get many (if any at all) to agree with the i7-8xx recommendation. The 8xx series is considered one of the worst buys in CPUs. Couple that with Intel's horrible pricing scheme and you've got the worst of both worlds right there.

 

[sp12]

I would buy an 870 over a 930 anyday (same price). 860 and 875K aren't as attractive, but I'd still take either over a 930.

Not to say either an 800 or 900 series is a good buy, but that the 8XX offers stronger price/performance.

Faster ram does not mean faster overclocking. You can adjust the multiplier in BIOS to keep your ram running at it's stated speed. 1600 generally has the best multipliers (closest to 1600 speeds at a majority of overclocking Blck speeds).

 

[mar100]

But if I did get those parts wouldn't that also make my computer less competitive in the long run and would mean that it would become obsolete much quicker?

 

[sp12]

No....? The i7-870 is outright faster than the 930. Ram speed has very minimal impact on your performance, and if you need more ram later you have room in any decent mobo for 4 sticks total.

 

[mar100]

Sorry about that I quoted the wrong person...

 

[mar100]

Not to suggest those aren't good choices, but that's a lot of money to spend for the stated purposes.
A core-i5, LGA1156 mobo, and 4GB RAM will each save $100. A GTX460 will save another $175. A smaller (but still quality) PSU is another $30, and using a faster 500GB Samsung F3 for the boot drive saves $35. Even cheaper is possible, using an AMD PII X4 955 with either the GTX460 or a pair of Crossfired HD5770s (also using a 650W PSU).

Won't these cheaper parts mean that my computer will be obsolete faster, or in need of an upgrade sooner?

 

[gordon_81]

The i7 875k is not that overpriced when compared to the i7 930.. It has all the features of the i7 930 and a few extra also.. The stock clock speed is higher and an unlocked multiplier count helps OP with his overclocking needs (makes it that much easier).. I don't find any issues with the RAM being faster.. The prices are not that high and furthermore, it again helps OP with his overclock plans.. The clock speeds can be brought down for tighter timings or extra stability.. Case selection is more of a perspective issue.. I personnely find the Sniper, with its awesome build quality and an exhaustive feature set, every bit worth its 140$ price tag.. As for the cooler, i just suggested the best available within the price bracket.. The Thermaltake Frio is another good option.. I too Would've loved to squeeze in an IPS panel monitor but the 24" HP LP2475W (the best IPS panel monitor i know with the most decent price tag) will definitely overshoot the budget margin..

no i would not go for an i7 8xx series as an i5 750 will do just as well in gaming and so on, if you want to go lga 1156 go for an i5 750, i would take an i7 930 over the i7 8xx series as lga 1366 has a better upgrade path

 

[gordon_81]

also when it comes to cpu coolers how much do you want to spend on 1? is it going to be a mild overclock or what? best price vs performance cpu cooler is the hyper 212+, which would be perfect unless you want to overclock your cpu to around 4ghz

 

[gordon_81]

so if you want to go for an lga 1156 build go for an i5 750 unless you need HT which i doubt

 

[mar100]

also when it comes to cpu coolers how much do you want to spend on 1? is it going to be a mild overclock or what? best price vs performance cpu cooler is the hyper 212+, which would be perfect unless you want to overclock your cpu to around 4ghz

I was thinking to start in the 3.5ghz range and see if I need to go up.