New Build Component Compatability?

Thank you. Here are my replies:

1. I picked the 1090t because it appeared to be more future proof with 6 cores and all, and i hear it is a hell of an overclocker. And why do you reccomend the 955 instead of the 965?

2. I am re-using a 400GB WD from my old computer for data, and the SSD will be for Windows and my most used applications

3. I was looking at a 5850 before the gtx 470, but i learned that if i got another nVidia card then i could use my old 9800gt as a physx only card. Is that still considered SLI? (Also, i would rather spend an extra 100 on a 5870. Is the performance increase worth it)

4. I am buying my parts from a local store, and they dont have as much a selection as a website like newegg. My choices are:

Cooler Master GX Series 750W ATX Power Supply
Thermaltake TR2 RX 750W Modular Power Supply
Corsair TX750W 750 Watt ATX 12V Power Supply

What do you think? And thank you for your suggestions

Ok, so after making the changes to the processor and PSU that you suggested, i now have a $450 budget for video cards. If i am going with ATI...

Asus Radeon HD 5870 1024MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.1 x16 Graphics Card
HIS Radeon HD 5870 Turbo 1024MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.1 x16 Graphics Card

Or Two Diamond Radeon HD5830 1024MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.0 x16 Graphics Card in crossfire?

I would grab a 470 over a 5850 anyday, but not that 470.

Why not EVGA?

1) Why I said the 955 over the 965, is basically the 965 is an overclocked version of the 955.

2) I would go with the Corsair PSU... IMO

3) If you can afford the 5870, it is the better card. Again, the main reason I recommend an ATI is for a dual card setup, which is more powerful than a single card. If you don't have plans to do so, I would stick with the GTX 470... Yes EVGA, which is the best manufacturer of Nvidia cards!

As for brands of ATI, I would go XFX, Sapphire than everyone else. Since you store doesn't have those two, I go with the ASUS model.

You can run your 9800GT as a dedicated physics card and not be in SLI. I see no real benefit as A GTX 470 is strong enough on its own. You can actually do it with an ATI card to... Just a little harder  

Thanks so much! So my final setup:

CPU - AMD Phenom II X4 955

COOLER - Thermaltake Frio

MOBO - Asus Crosshair IV Formula 890FX

RAM - Patriot Viper II Sector 5 DDR3-1600 4GB (2x 2GB)

SSD - OCZ Agility 2 60GB

GPU - Asus 5870

PSU - Corsair 750TX

CASE - Thermaltake Element S
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And just to clear things up: I can afford 2 Diamond 5830's in Crossfire or 1 Asus 5870. Which do you think would give me higher framerates at max settings? I play at 1920 x 1080.

IMO you're still overspending, but in the wrong places. What's your budget?

What's the point of that 890X mobo compared to the Asrock 870 extreme 3? X16 PCIe slots don't really matter.

Why that Corsair 750 when a nicer XFX black edition 850 can be had for less?

Why the expensive case when the HAF 922 costs less and performs (in terms of airflow) better?

Why the 5870 when the 470 offers 98% of the performance for 240$, and the 6000 series release imminent?

/rant.

Anyhow, I would take a single 5870 over dual 5830s. Less power/noise/heat, no Crossfire BS, and (maybe) an upgrade path when the 6000 series hits and prices drop.

@ap12... I agree with pretty much everything you said (I would go with a 890GX) but the OP is buying from a local store so things are limited. If buying from Newegg, those would be the better choices.

So my budget is 1500, and i am going to stick with the Element S because i want my computer case to not stand out very much. Im a teenager and i will have chicks in my room. LOL. So, i would also prefer the 5870 because my board doesnt support SLI, and as you said, when the 6k series drops, a second 5870 might be within reach.

One more question tho- could i use a 9800gt as a physx card with my 5870? or would that not be compatable. Because i have an old 9800gt that i would like to reuse.

And one more thing- Does 4 ghz on air sound possible if i have the frio? because that would be pretty cool

Yes and Yes...

You can use your 9800GT as a physics card. Just do a little Google research on how to do it.

You should be able to reach 4.0Ghz, if you know what you are doing. It isn't a guarantee but is achievable  

Good luck with the girls in you room... Just better not be my daughter    

hahaha. ok thank you for all your help! i really appreciate it

Best answer selected by eltorodeloco.

from my understanding you can use the 9800 with an ati for just the physx if the mobo will support it. you probably wouldnt need the fx board unless its your only option but if you can drop it thats more money for monitors and you could setup eyefinity   have the girls creaming in their pants if their into nerdy stuff like that haha. the 5870 is a good choice over 2x 5830 imo if you have the money to afford it. alot easier to add 1 5870 when prices drop and you feel you need more power then to dump off 2 5830 and start all over with new cards. im not sure about the size though and that case might wanna make sure they would fit. im no tech pro so you might take another opinion but im very informed since i read around for over a month to build my computer   the 965 can hit 4 if i remember right dunno about the cooling though i kinda skipped the hardcore oc info since it doesnt appeal to me right now

so i checked the measurements and the 5870 will have exactly 1 inch of clearance when installed in the case. Do u think thats enough for the power cables?

Yes, an inch is enough room for the power cables.

Hello again. Sooo..... I am beginning to have second thoughts on an amd system. I have put together a list of an intel system and could someone tell me which would perform in everyday tasks and games better?

Other than the CPU, Mobo, RAM, and GPU, the two systems are the same.


INTEL:

Intel
Core i7 875K Unlocked 2.93GHz LGA 1156 Boxed Processor
Asus P7P55D-E PRO LGA 1156 P55 ATX Motherboard
Corsair 4GB Dominator TW3X4G1600C9D DDR3-1600 (PC-12800) CL9 Memory Kit (Two 2GB Memory Modules)
EVGA GeForce GTX 470 Superclocked 1280MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.0 x16 Graphics Card
EVGA 9800GT (PhysX only card)
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AMD

AMD Phenom II X4 Quad-Core Processor 955 Black Edition Boxed
Asus Crosshair IV Formula Socket AM3 890FX ATX Motherboard
Patriot Viper II Sector 5 Series PVV34G1600LLKB 4GB DDR3-1600
Asus Radeon HD 5870 1024MB GDDR5 PCIe 2.1 x16 Graphics Card

If you want an Intel build, go with the i5-750 and at most the i7-870. It isn't worth it for the i7-875K. As for the two systems, I would only go with the Intel build if equal in price or less. The 955 will perform pretty much on equal with the Intel's in games and the 5870 is more powerful than the 470.

Im sorry, scratch the 470. Because i would ditch the Frio Cpu cooler for the intel, i would get a EVGA 480 Superclocked with a 9800gt in physx. New opinions?

So after thinking, i think i will go with the AMD system because i just like the whole concept of it alot more. A gtx 480 would be nice, but the motherboard leaves little room for upgrades. Thanks for all your help!

I would take an i5-750 with an EVGA GTX 480 over a X4 955 with a 5870, if the prices are equal.

So one last question- Is having a GTX 480 SC for the graphics and a 9800gt for physx considered SLI? I read somewhere that it isnt, and that it works with non-SLI mobos. And since you dont need the sli bridge connector...

You are correct. It is not considered SLI. It is running one card the as the GPU and one as the Physics card. You'll have to enable and set it up that way in the Nvidia Control Panel.

Hmm, your RAM has a higher CAS latency than other RAM products in the market. Perhaps swapping your "Corsair 4G 2x2" for Gskill ripjaws with CAS latency of 7 meaning lower timings. Just a thought

One last question. I decided to go with the Patriot Viper II Sector 5 RAM instead of the Dominator, but it says it is optimized for the p55 platform. Does that mean it will not work as well on my 890fx mobo?

RAM: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml...

Motherboard: http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml...