1600 gaming rig advice

[constrainer]

I am going to use a HDTV as a monitor prob a 42" LCD 240hz low ms
I also need to output HDMI to another living room television. So two HDMIs out would be optimal so I could switch outputs using software from my living room instead of going to my pc to hit an HDMI switch or swap a cable.

I do want to overclock this build.

So far I already bought...

mobo: ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 $220
Case: Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower $75
SSD: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2-2VTXE120G 2.5" $230
Power:SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91 SLI Rdy $112

Items I am considering on getting to finish...

CPU: Intel i7-930 $250
GPU: 2 x GeForce GTX 460 1 GB in SLI Configuration $420
Cooling: Scythe’s Mugen-2 Rev. B $50
Ram: 3x 2GB Crucial DDR3-1333 CAS9 CT3KIT25664BA1339 $128
Storage HD:2TB Samsung Spinpoint SATA2 5400rpm 32MB $95

Any advice/tips are much appreciated.

 

[mortonww]

For a $1600 gaming rig, the GPU configuration leaves a bit to be desired. So $637 of the $1600 has already been spent, correct?

For around $1000, I'd get these as the rest of the components: Are you in the USA? Is it okay if I use newegg.com?

CPU: Intel Core i7-950
-$300

GPU: GTX 470
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127501&cm_re=gtx_470-_-14-127-501-_-Product
-$280 after $20 rebate

RAM: G.Skill Pi Series 6 GB, 7-8-7-24, 1600 MHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231335
-$155

Storage: I guess those are fine for storage. You have the budget to get faster storage with Spinpoint F3s, though.

 

[Atotalnoob]

You'll want to find a SATA-3 SSD... it'll help your speed, if you need a SSD so much.
BIGGER PSU!!!! Try this one http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817207001
Wait (if you can) on the 5750's and wait for the price to drop when the 6xxx come out and buy a better quality GPUs.... I don't think there are 2 HDMI ports on ATI's GPUs you can do a DVI-D to HDMI.... and run it through the wall, you put the DVI-D to HDMI right on one side of the wall (they sell through the wall HDMI ports at HomeDepot)....
He is right on the storage comment. I was going to find something if he hadn't have mentioned it....
Hope that helps!
~Atotalnoob

 

[mortonww]

I guess the GPU situation is a bit tricky. Can you return the PSU for a larger one? With your budget, you could go SLI gtx 460 1 GBs. A 650 Watt Seasonic would be able to handle two 460's. So consider that.

 

[constrainer]

I edited my original post. I did mean to put 460's not what I had up there.

 

[constrainer]

From reading the articles on this website it seems like SLI is the way to go.
So I shot myself in the foot with the SSD I got. I should have posted before I bought anything. How much am I slowing myself down? I had planned on using the SSD for my operating system.

 

[mortonww]

Do you mean you should've saved money in the budget for a more powerful PSU and two GPUs? Your PSU will power two 460s, which is a pretty fast configuration right now, but scaling back the SSD would've let you put more money into the GPUs.

 

[constrainer]

I mean I should have gotten a Sata 3.0 instead of 2.5 SSD. I am a sucker for slickdeals.net and usually bite when I see a computer part that I need.

 

[constrainer]

I think 460's would be sufficient for my needs. What couldn't I do with sli 460's that I could with a little better GPUs?

 

[constrainer]

The CPU and the ram I listed I got from articles on this website. From the article on Ram they said the higher end ram isn't worth it.

 

[mortonww]

You can check out this link, which compares some of the most powerful GPU configurations available:

http://techreport.com/articles.x/19404/11

Look through the benchmarks and see how you feel about it. Two of those 460 1 GB cards is faster on average than a 5970 in the benchmarks run, so it's a pretty fast graphics solution.

1600 MHz RAM at CAS 8 is generally considered the "sweet spot" for DDR3 speeds right now (source: some anandtech article). 1333 MHz CAS 9 could be fine, but for less than $30 more, I'd spring for 1600 MHz CAS 7.

Beyond extra performance, you'll have more breathing room should you decide to overclock later.

 

[constrainer]

The 460's looked like a good deal in that article. I will change the Ram based on your recommendation. I am a bit confused on which company to go with for the 460's.

 

[mortonww]

They differ mostly in cooling solution, warranties, and customer service. Some manufacturers factory overclock the chips too. But they are all the same chip.

 

[constrainer]

and recommendations on a 460?

 

[constrainer]

The i7-950 wouldn't be stretching it with my PSU would it?

 

[mortonww]

No, the i7 950 is rated at the same power draw as the i7 930 (130 W). The 950 has to fit inside the same thermal constraints as the 930, it just does it at a higher clock speed and is thus "higher binned".

As for GTX 460's, two of these Gigabyte branded ones are $400 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125333&cm_re=gtx_460_1_gb-_-14-125-333-_-Product

 

[constrainer]

Hey, thank you so much for your help! Be blessed.

 

[collegeguy]

I would recommend the EVGA 460 version because it feature a closed-cooler design that exhausts heat outside of the case, a desirable feature when you have two cards in SLI.Best of all? These cards come with a lifetime warranty. Just make sure to register them with EVGA to benefit from said warranty.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130567&cm_re=evga_460-_-14-130-567-_-Product

 

[collegeguy]

I am not saying that the Gigabyte one is bad,not at all, in fact, if you were going with a single 460,I would definitely recommend the Gigabyte one over EVGA's.But in SLI the one of the Gigabyte cards would block the other making it more hotter and noiser.

 

[constrainer]

thanks for the input

 

[constrainer]

Seems there are many EVGA's at different clock speeds which would you recommend?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=50001402&IsNodeId=1&Description=gtx%20460%201%20gb&name=EVGA

 

[constrainer]

There are 7 to be exact.

 

[Atotalnoob]

College nailed the gigabyte VS Evga =p
The different clockrates is probably due to different factories, I'd say OC, but some are higher clockrates for th same price.... hmmm, odd.
Get the highest clockrate for the money =D your choice

Happy hunting

 

[constrainer]

I was at Evgas site and the 460's with the highest clock speed only have a 2 year limited warranty not a life time. Sneaky.

 

[Atotalnoob]

=o they are(sneaky)! (you don't even need warranties over a few years, this stuff becomes so obsolete by then.)