I may buy this build tonight!! Criticism welcome! :)

[Guest]

Didn't realize there was a CyberPower build until now! Anyway, I may go with the following build, but I need your help to decide what could be improved or how I can utilize my funds better. Thanks for all the help!!

*BASE_PRICE: [+1685]
BLUETOOTH: USB Bluetooth 2.0 Adapter [+10]
BUNDLE: None
CARE1: Ultra Enhanced Packaging Solution - Protect Your Dream System During Transit [+19]
CARE2: CoolerMaster Thermal Fusion 400 Extreme Performance CPU - Thermal Compound Optimized for Thermal Dissipation [+10]
CARE3: Professional Wiring for All WIRING Inside The System Chassis - Minimize Cable Exposure, Maximize Airflow in Your System [+19]
CAS: Azza Hurrican 2000 Full Tower Gaming Case with 4 Hot Swappable HDD Cage & (4) 230MM Fans
CASUPGRADE: 12in Cold Cathode Neon Light [+10] (Red Color)
CD: Sony 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [+3] (BLACK COLOR)
CD2: None
CPU: [Special] Intel® Core™ i7-950 3.06 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366 [-300]
CS_FAN: Maximum 120MM Color Case Cooling Fans for your selected case [+15] (Red Color)
FA_HDD: Vigor iSURF II Hard Disk Drive Cooling System [+21] (1 x System)
FAN: NZXT Liquid Cooling System 120MM Radiator & Fan (Enhanced Cooling Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer [+10] (BLACK COLOR)
FLOPPY: None
FREEBIE_VC1: Mafia II Full Game Download Coupon with purchase of NVIDIA GTX460 video card or above
GLASSES: None
HDD: 30 GB Kingston 2.5 inch SATA Gaming MLC Solid State Disk (Single Hard Drive)
HDD2: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
IEEE_CARD: None
KEYBOARD: (Keyboard & Mouse Combo) Logitech Wireless Desktop MK300 Keyboard & Mouse Combo [+29]
LANSURGE: None
MB_ADDON: None
MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module [+18] (Corsair or Major Brand)
MONITOR: None
MONITOR2: None
MONITOR3: None
MOTHERBOARD: * (3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 Dolby Audio, eSATA, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID, IEEE1394a, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI
MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
MULTIVIEW: Xtreme Performance in SLI/CrossFireX Gaming Mode Supports Single Monitor
NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
NOISEREDUCE1: Sound Absorbing Foam on Side, Top And Bottom panels [+29]
NOISEREDUCE2: Power Supply Gasket [+5]
NOISEREDUCE3: Anti-Vibration Fan Mounts [+9]
OS: Microsoft® Windows® 7 Home Premium (64-bit Edition)
OVERCLOCK: Pro OC (Performance Overclock 10% or more) [+19]
POWERSUPPLY: * 800 Watts - XtremeGear Gaming Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready
PRINTER: None
PRINTER_CABLE: 10-FT HDMI v1.4 Cable Type-A Male to Male High Speed Cable [+10]
RUSH: NO; READY TO SHIP IN 5~10 BUSINESS DAYS
SERVICE: STANDARD WARRANTY: 3-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY PLUS LIFE-TIME TECHNICAL SUPPORT
SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO
SPEAKERS: None
TEMP: None
TVRC: None
USB: Built-in USB 2.0 Ports
USBFLASH: None
USBHD: None
USBX: None
VC_PHYSX: None
VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+341] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
VIDEO3: None
WNC: None
_PRICE: (+1962)
_view_: d

 

[tecmo34]

Okay... let me breakdown the important stuff..

■CPU: [Special] Intel® Core™ i7-950 3.06 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1366 [-300]
■MOTHERBOARD: * (3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 Dolby Audio, eSATA, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID, IEEE1394a, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI
■HDD: 30 GB Kingston 2.5 inch SATA Gaming MLC Solid State Disk (Single Hard Drive)
■HDD2: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD (Single Hard Drive)
■MEMORY: 6GB (2GBx3) DDR3/1600MHz Triple Channel Memory Module [+18] (Corsair or Major Brand)
■POWERSUPPLY: * 800 Watts - XtremeGear Gaming Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready
■VIDEO: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
■VIDEO2: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 470 1.2GB 16X PCIe Video Card [+341] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)

Comments:
■CPU... GOOD
■Motherboard... Has known issues with SSD and Hard Drive setups. I would recommend going with an ASUS P7P55D-E instead (if available)
■SSD... Not the best of SSD but still much faster than a hard drive
■HDD... What is the manufacturer? You want a new hard drive based on 500GB platters.
■Memory... What is the manufacturer and timings? These are important to know!!
■PSU... I question if the power supply is of acceptable quality to provide a truly stable system.
■GPU's... Can't go wrong with them!!

 

[Guest]

Ah... Thanks tecmo, I guess I got over excited and just posted everything

 

[bdcrlsn]

I'd be careful with that SSD. A modern Windows install can take upwards of 20 GB.

 

[Guest]

Comments:
■CPU... GOOD
■Motherboard... Has known issues with SSD and Hard Drive setups. I would recommend going with an ASUS P7P55D-E instead (if available)
■SSD... Not the best of SSD but still much faster than a hard drive
■HDD... What is the manufacturer? You want a new hard drive based on 500GB platters.
■Memory... What is the manufacturer and timings? These are important to know!!
■PSU... I question if the power supply is of acceptable quality to provide a truly stable system.
■GPU's... Can't go wrong with them!!

-Hmmm, that particular MOBO isn't a choice option. Would the ASUS Rampage III extreme be a good choice?
-I'm not sure about the HDD manufacturer, it isn't listed... I'll see if I can find out. Seems a bit shady. Also, when you say a 500gb platter, does that mean I should stick with a 500gb instead of a 1tb?
-As for the SSD, I'll increase the capacity. Above 60gb work ok?
-For the RAM, it's listed as Corsair or top manufacturer. Should I worry about this?
-When you mention the quality of the PSU, do you mean the brand or the actual watts? Or both?

 

[Guest]

-Hmmm, that particular MOBO isn't a choice option. Would the ASUS Rampage III extreme be a good choice?
-I'm not sure about the HDD manufacturer, it isn't listed... I'll see if I can find out. Seems a bit shady. Also, when you say a 500gb platter, does that mean I should stick with a 500gb instead of a 1tb?
-As for the SSD, I'll increase the capacity. Above 60gb work ok?
-For the RAM, it's listed as Corsair or top manufacturer. Should I worry about this?
-When you mention the quality of the PSU, do you mean the brand or the actual watts? Or both?

■The Rampage III is a great board. I'd recommend the Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R if they have it though.
■Hard drives are made up of different sized "platters" inside. I've forgotten what slower 1TB drives use, but I think it's 250x4 GB. You want one which is 500x2 GB for optimum speeds. Don't ask me anything more in depth, because that's pretty much all I know
■Corsair are great, and it depends if you trust them or not to give you a decent manufacturer if they don't give you Corsair.
■No, the quality of the PSU does not mean the wattage. An 800W unit would be fine for that system, as long as it actually produced that much power. Some cheaper units from unknown manufacturers won't actually output as much power as they say they do. They might only have a total output of 500W, even if it's rated at 800. Sometimes they could be lower as well. I'd trust any PSU made by these companies:
■Antec
■Cooler Master
■Corsair
■XFX
■Seasonic
■ThermalTake

I know there are far more but I can never remember them off the top of my head.

 

[tecmo34]

-Hmmm, that particular MOBO isn't a choice option. Would the ASUS Rampage III extreme be a good choice?
-I'm not sure about the HDD manufacturer, it isn't listed... I'll see if I can find out. Seems a bit shady. Also, when you say a 500gb platter, does that mean I should stick with a 500gb instead of a 1tb?
-As for the SSD, I'll increase the capacity. Above 60gb work ok?
-For the RAM, it's listed as Corsair or top manufacturer. Should I worry about this?
-When you mention the quality of the PSU, do you mean the brand or the actual watts? Or both?

1) Rampage III Extreme is a very nice board & upgrade.

2) No... 1TB drives are fine. You are looking for 1TB drive based on two 500GB platters like the Samsung Spinpoinr F3 or Seagate 7200:12.

3) 60GB is better

4) I'm more concern with your Latency (CAS level) over brand. Ideally, you want the lowest available timings (CAS7 over CAS9 for example)

5) I'm concern with the quality of the brand versus having enough power

 

[Guest]

Cyberpower does not use cheap power supplies. I mean they have to warranty it for 3 years right?

Personally I'd still be wary of getting that PSU. Whilst I know it would be silly for them to use cheap PSUs, they might still do it. Maybe they don't get that many returned on warranty.

Even if you do get a replacement from them, the PSU could cause a surge of power to your hard drives, which could cause loss of data.

 

[redrumzombie]

(3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6X58D-E Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 SATA-III RAID w/ 7.1Audio,GbLAN,IEEE1394a,USB3.0,SATA-III,RAID,3 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI [+48]

(3-Way SLI Support) Asus P6X58D Premium Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3 FCLGA1366 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III, SATA-II RAID, 3 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+150]

(2-Way SLI Support) Asus Sabertooth Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Mainboard Triple-Channel DDR3 FCLGA1366 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III, SATA-II RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+36]

(2-Way SLI Support) Asus Rampage III Gene Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX LGA1366 mATX Mainboard - Overclockable w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, IEEE1394a, USB3.0, SATA-III, RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1, & 1 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+97]

(3-Way SLI Support) Asus Rampage III Extreme Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX LGA1366 ATX Mainboard - Overclockable w/ 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, IEEE1394a, USB3.0, Bluetooth, SATA-III, RAID, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 1 PCIe X1, & 1 PCI [+242]

(3-Way SLI Support) EVGA X58 SLI Classified Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX DDR3 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,IEEE1394a,&7.1Audio (All Venom OC Certified) [+250]

(3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 Dolby Audio, eSATA, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID, IEEE1394a, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+36]

(3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD5 Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 DDR3/1600 ATX Mainboard w/7.1 Dolby Audio,eSATA,Dual GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID,IEEE1394a,4 Gen2 PCIe,2 PCIe X1 &1 PCI [+144]


(3-Way SLI Support) GigaByte GA-X58A-UD7 Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Ultra Durable™3 Triple-Channel DDR3/1600 24 Phase Power ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 HD Dolby Audio, Dual GbLAN, USB3.0, 2 x SATA-III RAID, 4 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 1 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+216]

(3-Way SLI Support) MSI X58 Pro-E Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFire DDR3 Mainboard [-5]

(3-Way SLI Support) MSI X58A-GD65 Intel X58 Chipset SLI/CrossFireX Triple-Channel DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ 7.1 Audio, eSATA, GbLAN, USB3.0, SATA-III, RAID, IEEE1394a, 3 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 2 PCI (All Venom OC Certified) [+0]


OK, here is a list of X58 mobos to choose from. I hear you about your concerns about the Gigabyte (it is Version 1 as well), but I’ve also heard the ASUS have audio issues.

Any suggestions on:
1. The best choice over all (no matter the price)???
2. The best value mobo (performance to price)???

 

[redrumzombie]

450 Watts - Standard Case Power Supply [+0]
(Recommended) 500 Watts - Standard Case Power Supply [+22]
500 Watts - Sigma SP-500AB ESP 80 Plus Power Supply [+26]
600 Watts - XtremeGear Power Supply - SLI/CrossFireX Ready [+26]
* 600 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro 80 Plus Power Supply [+99]
* 650 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-650TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+99]
* 650 Watts - Thermaltake TR2 RX Modular 80 Plus PSU - PN: TRX-650M [+83]
650 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower Grand TPG-650M Gold Modular 80 Plus Power Supply [+157]
* 675 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower XT TPX-675M 80 Plus Power Supply [+113]
700 Watts - XtremeGear SLI/CrossFireX Ready Power Supply [+36]
* 700 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply [+114]
* 750 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-750TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+109]
750 Watts - Corsair Professional Series Gold AX750 80 Plus Power Supply [+165]
750 Watts - NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Power Supply [+138]
* 750 Watts - Thermaltake TR2 RX Modular 80 Plus PSU - PN: TRX-750M [+97]
750 Watts - Thermaltake W0308RU EVO_Blue Series w/ A-PFC [+124]
750 Watts Thermaltake Toughpower Grand TPG-750M Gold Modular 80 Plus Power Supply [+177]
* 775 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower XT TPX-775M Modular 80 Plus Power Supply [+129]
800 Watts - XtremeGear Gaming Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+63]
800 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gold 80 Plus Power Supply (80+ Gold) [+148]
* 850 Watts - Thermaltake TR2 RX Modular 80 Plus PSU - PN: W0319RU [+118]
* 850 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply [+138]
* 850 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-850TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+148]
850 Watts - Corsair Professional Series Gold AX850 80 Plus Power Supply [+189]
850 Watts - NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Power Supply [+158]
* 875 Watts - Thermaltake Toughpower XT TPX-875M Modular 80 Plus Power Supply [+153]
900 Watts - Apevia Warlock Series 80 Plus Power Supply [+148]
950 Watts - CyberPowerPC Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply [+79]
* 950 Watts - Corsair CMPSU-950TX 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+157]
* 1,000 Watts - BFG EX-1000 80 Plus Power Supply [+99]
* 1,000 Watts - Corsair HX1000W 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+238]
1,000 Watts - NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Power Supply [+189]
1,000 Watts - SilverStone ST1000-P ATX 80 Plus Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply [+168]
* 1,000 Watts - Thermaltake W0132RU ToughPower 80 Plus Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+250]
1,000 Watts - Xion PowerReal ATX 80 Plus Power Supply [+114]
* 1,000 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gaming 80 Plus Power Supply [+161]
* 1,000 Watts - Thermaltake TR2 RX Modular 80 Plus PSU - PN: TRX-1000M [+169]
* 1,000 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gold 80 Plus Power Supply ( 80 Plus Gold) [+189]
1200 Watts - Corsair Professional Series Gold AX1200 80 Plus Power Supply [+288]
1,100 Watts - CyberPowerPC Gaming Power Supply SLI/CrossFireX Ready [+120]
1,200 Watts - CoolerMaster Silent Pro Gold 80 Plus Power Supply ( 80 Plus Gold) [+229]
1,200 Watts - SilverStone ST1200 1200W ATX 80 Plus Active PFC 80 Plus Power Supply [+267]
* 1,200 Watts - Thermaltake TR2 RX Modular 80 Plus PSU - PN: TRX-1200M [+199]
* 1,200 Watts - Thermaltake ToughPower 80 Plus Power Supply [+305]
1,500 Watts - SilverStone SST-ST1500 ATX 80 Plus Active PFC Power Supply [+348]

And since the PSU is a concern here is a list of all the PSU that CP currently offers.

Is the 850 Watts - NZXT HALE90 80 Plus Gold Power Supply [+158] a good choice???

 

[helpme3948]

Personally I'd still be wary of getting that PSU. Whilst I know it would be silly for them to use cheap PSUs, they might still do it. Maybe they don't get that many returned on warranty.

Even if you do get a replacement from them, the PSU could cause a surge of power to your hard drives, which could cause loss of data.

With a little advice from Google, I would stay away from that PSU at all costs. As for the warranty, everything I've heard about CyberPower pretty much says the warranty/support is next to useless and is a nightmare. Actually, I've only heard bad things about them... Also, CyberPower owns/IS XtremeGear as far as I know. They don't make the PSU of course, but it is re-branded by them. I wonder who actually makes it?

I feel required to mention that building it yourself is pretty easy and the warranty your individual parts come with will be less of a nightmare than CP's. You'll also be (and get online) better support than you'll get from them. Google some stuff about CyberPower before you buy from them. Please. A smart buyer always educates himself before buying.

BTW, CyberPower doesn't reveal all of the information about the parts they use. For example, as far as I know (I've been on their site a few times), they don't state RAM specs.

 

[Guest]

With a little advice from Google, I would stay away from that PSU at all costs. As for the warranty, everything I've heard about CyberPower pretty much says the warranty/support is next to useless and is a nightmare. Actually, I've only heard bad things about them... Also, CyberPower owns/IS XtremeGear as far as I know. They don't make the PSU of course, but it is re-branded by them. I wonder who actually makes it?

I feel required to mention that building it yourself is pretty easy and the warranty your individual parts come with will be less of a nightmare than CP's. You'll also be (and get online) better support than you'll get from them. Google some stuff about CyberPower before you buy from them. Please. A smart buyer always educates himself before buying.

BTW, CyberPower doesn't reveal all of the information about the parts they use. For example, as far as I know (I've been on their site a few times), they don't state RAM specs.

I can't be bothered to elaborate, so I'll just say +1 to all this.