Seeking Approval Before Build w/ questions

PS this would be for overclock as well

Can you find any P67 you can actually buy now?

well weren't they recalled with the second gen intel chips? I am assuming they will be put back on the market. if not what are good alternatives

"constructed soon"

How soon will you need it?

850W is a good size for the 2x 6850s.
I'm having trouble with your links. Can you edit the post and just paste the plain link? No need to use that fancy stuff... just the link and it should work.

I believe the CPUs themselves are likely sitting in the stores and piling up in the warehouses. It's only the motherboards that are being re-worked.

Working Links

VC: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

RAM: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

OS: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683...

PS: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

DVD: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

case: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

I am in no particular rush. If I have to wait till April to get the new P68 then thats fine with me.
My only concern is, is this build worth the $1600 CDN? and if not, where should there be changes. Also if anyone has any suggestions for minor improvements please advise.

Since it's not my money, I'm not qualified to answer your question.
If you wish to spend less look at the case and PSU choices.

Your HDD choice is out of stock ATM. Chose the less expensive model anyway.
Your PSU is also out of stock.

Antec TruePower New TP-650 650W $100 has enough power and video card power connectors for your system.
CM Haf 922 Case $90

That Motherboard is 8x8 with two video cards isn't it? its a MHO you will not see full speed out of those cards in an 8x slot. and for pocket change more you could get a X58 and I7

Those 8x8 slots are PCI Express ver 2.0, not ver 1.0. He'll be fine.

Thanks for your help WR2, but I'm not done with you yet!  
I was recommended this case, Antec Nine Hundred Mid Tower, the link is below.

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

Is this case good for my parts?

Also, the 6850 says recommended power supply 500. Does that mean 500W for the video card alone, hence, I would need 1000W for two cards? I am rather puzzled by your recommendation for a 650W. I DO* want to overclock this computer, that is why I wanna get the i5 2500k and the P8P67, because the overclock potential is good...right? So wouldn't I need a hefty power supply?

For gaming, if you had $1600CDN, would you buy this computer? Hence, is the dual 6850 a good idea and should I scrap the i5 2500k and P8P67 Deluxe? I know they are on recall, but when they are re-released is it worth getting.

One final question, if you had to work around a $1600 budget, and in respect to the computer I put together, is there any changes you'd make besides the case and power supply?

Thank you!

For the same price as your case / psu you could accomplish a significant step up w/ a Antec DF-85 / CP-850

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

If ya gonna stick w/ that case, the XFX Black Edition 850 is a far better PSU and it's $109. Only the Antec SG , Antec CP and Corsair HX series compete with the black, all getting a 10.0 performance rating at jonnyguru.com

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

Consider one 570 GTX and then have the room to add a 2nd one come XMas.....the 850 watter is big enuff for twin 570's. Twin 6850s is faster than a singe 570 but leaves no room to grow. If sticking w/ twin 6850's, drop the PSU size down.

Thanks Jack,

I really like your recommendations for the case and PSU. What do you think about the P8P67 and i5 2500K? Are they still 'in'. I mean, I want this computer to be overclock a bit (not to max out) and also be able to play games for time to come. I hear mixed things about most i7s. A lot of people believe most are not worth the money when comparing to a i5 2500k overclocked with P8P67 Deluxe.

Antec Dark Fleet DF-85 Case Review
XFX 850 W Black Edition Power Supply Review

I like JN's case and PSU recommendations.

The 500W was a recommendation for a whole entire system that also includes the HD 6850.


Here is a chart of some actual power consumption figures for a Core i7-970 / X-58 system with the various video cards with Crossfire and SLI combinations.

Hmm I am now thinking about getting a 6950, you made me think about future upgrades and having a slot available. I'll post a new build soon

I personally like the single card route.
There are always a few games that don't seem to scale well in Crossfire or SLI.

Quick question, if I go for the 6950 (with the possibility of using crossfire with another one later down the road), what processor, ram and motherboard would you recommend. Price range for all three products around 500-600

Do I have a choice of trying to carve out $150 somewhere else?

$750
6950 $260
i5 2500k $230
P8P67 Deluxe $200

OK, so this is my new build. I want to be able to kick Shogun 2's ass and the next TOTAL war game that comes out.
Please comment on the RAM, Harddrive (maybe even DVD player?). Also WR2, why did you suggest a different tower? I thought element v was rated highly and recommended by Tom's Hardware. The case suggested earlier isn't that much cheaper, so I dunno. I'm not attracted to this case because of it's fancy lights but more so the easy tool-less components, space and ability to organize easily (as well as the amount & positioning of fans).

Most importantly. Does anyone foresee any bottlenecks in this build???

Also, does this set up permit a duel processor? Would I be able to use another 6950 and another i5 2500k later down the road with this build?


$290 ASUS 6950 Radeon 3-Year Warrenty
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

Motherboard: P8P67 Deluxe $200

CPU: Intel i5 2500k $230

$830 including tax
---------------------------------------------------------------
$105 RAM: RipJaws 8Gb Dual Channel 1600mHz 1.5V Designed for i5 and P8p67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

$110 Operating System: Windows 7 Home Edition 64-Bit
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683...

$140 Antec CP-850
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...
$17 Sony DVD-ROM 5.25"
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$160 Thermaltake Element V Full Tower
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

$75 Hard Drive: Samsung 1TB 7200RPM 32MB Cache 3.5"
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$17 Sony DVD-ROM 5.25"
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$700 including tax
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Grand Total: $1530 with tax
Not too bad!

Thanks,

Armd

The Element V IS an excellent tower. No doubt about that.
It was just one place where prices could be trimmed a bit for the 'go fast' parts.

This 1155 P67 motherboards do not have a 2nd CPU socket.
They do however have an upgrade path to the next gen Ivy Bridge CPUs.

Another 6970 will slide right in there nice and easy.
To be honest I think you might need to get a 2560x1600 monitor to really need to do that.

There will always be a bottleneck - but that isn't necessarily bad. As you fix one bottleneck you're creating a new one somewhere else.
This is a really well balanced build. The disk IO / HDD storage is probably the bottleneck but don't stress about it. You'll have a powerful fast system.

For the tower, what do you mean by 'go fast' parts? What kind of features are you referring too?

Also could you expand on this Ivy Bridge CPUs. When are they suppose to come out? I have a feeling this computer is going to get old really fast....

Another question is how important do you think it is to have a slot for a second CPU? Enough to completely change my build? Do you think those kind of options is out of my price range $1600 CDN or so.

Could you also recommend a nice SSD (approx cost $125 or so) to fit this build and replace the harddrive I listed. I won't need to store info on this computer for now, just to have a few games, so maybe SSD is the way to go.

Your monitor comment is interesting. I would most likely be using a 24" or 25" LCD 2ms 1900X1080. I was going to get 6850 intending to use crossfire later on and the single card would keep me going until then. If what you are suggesting is true, that the only real benefit will be on a 2560x1600 monitor, then does the 6850 make sense to purchase in your opinion?

I ask a lot of questions and I want brutally honest answers. I really really appreciate your help WR2, I just don't want to buy something I'll regret.

Thanks.

Go fast stuff is CPU/GPU and RAM.
I'll recommend spending less on things like a case if it can get someone a useful upgrade on something that will help the system perform better.

2nd CPU socket will not be an option for anything you want to build for gaming.

Ivy Bridge will be the new architecture on the 22nm lithography. Think 6 or 8 cores on the same CPU.

You will have no regrets, there really isnt anything better on the near horizon and you have a path that takes you there anyway.

OCZ Vertex 2 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Solid State Drive (SSD) $130

I don't believe we've ever done a system recommendation for a SSD without a HDD as well. At least this is a first for me. You'll want to keep an eye out for a good bargain on a HDD probably sooner than later. SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" HDD $50 would be a good one.

Thanks once again!

Ok for the video card though I still need some clarification due to your monitor suggestion. I have done research on this, but I would like to hear an opinion from someone who knows more about my aspirations (which are sufficiently communicated in this dialogue).

First, would a 6950 be a good buy? I hear it is better value than 6970.

Second, is 6950 good for crossfire later done the road? WR2, you suggested that I would need a 2560X1900 monitor to really show it's results, but is that the case for all top tier video cards? Would there be a point to getting a second 6950 for a monitor with a resolution of 1900 x 1080 or 1900 x 1200?

Third, what are other alternatives for a bit more money? And why would that alternative be better (also in comparison to having crossfire 6950s).

Thank you

PS I can barely even find a monitor with a 2560 x 1600 resolution...
Could you recommend some good 1900 x 1200 monitors and some 2560 x 1600

Actually I was thinking it makes more sense to target 2x 6970s at a 2560X1900 monitor.
Any of the 6xxx series is a good candidate for a future CFX option.

There is one school of thought that says if you're buying a top card now (6950/6970) you might be well advised to upgrade by getting the 2nd next gen top card (mythical 8950) as an upgrade rather than adding a 2nd 6950 18-24 months down the road.
The other school of thought when your current stuff isn't doing 'it' for you anymore - ask around again to see what upgrade makes the most sense at that time.

This just out Best Graphics Cards For The Money: February 2011

You have to look at the 30" class of monitors for 2560 x 1600.
Personally, I'd avoid going that route and think about an EyeFinity 3-monitor ultra-wide setup. It will be less expensive than a single premium 2560x1600 monitor
3x 1920x1080 monitors would get you a virtual 5760x1080 monitor screen.

Ok so, I don't have enough moo-lah in my budget for a 2560 x 1900 or 3 1900x1200, and I won't have enough money to make that kind of switch in the near future (I am a university student, not a working man). That being said, I will be gaming on 1900 x 1200 for years to come. And by the sounds of it, the higher enough graphics cards are geared towards 2560 x 1900.

Also I was looking at some graphics charts and it looks like 2 6850s do really well in 1900 x 1200.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-6970-rade...

Also, what about getting 2 6850s now and having another space for a video card in the future?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

Here it says that the 6850 is capable of 2+ crossfire correct? I don't like trusting websites that explicitly sell things so some confirmation would be well appreciated.
What are some good motherboards compatible with the i5 2500k that can hold 3 AMD cards? It is called PCI-e slots correct?

Looking over your updated parts list I see you have the Element V case matched with the Antec CP-850. You need to swap out the Antec CP-850 since it's matched specifically to some of the Antec cases like the Dark Fleet JN suggested. That other PSU he suggested, the XFX Black Edition 850W unit will do nicely.

I like the HD 6850 option.

Here is the latest edition of theTHG Best Graphics Cards For The Money: February 2011 It confirms your idea about 2x HD 6850 having a lot of merit.
In there you'll see it suggests that:
Radeon HD 6850 gives Great 1920x1200 performance in most games. Thats just for 1 card too.
Same for the GeForce GTX 460.

Radeon HD 6870: Great 1920x1200 performance, 2560x1600 in most games with lowered detail
GeForce GTX 560 Ti

Radeon HD 6950: Excellent 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance in most games with lowered detail
Radeon HD 5870


Best PCIe Card For ~$370: Tie
Exceptional 1920x1200 performance, Good 2560x1600 performance
2 x Radeon HD 6850 in CrossFire
2 x GeForce GTX 460 1 GB in SLI

I do like your concern of future upgrade options, so I looked into trifire motherboards. How do you like this motherboard "P67A UD4"?


http://www.amazon.ca/GIGABYTE-GA-P67A-UD4-ATX-Motherboa...

A few of the boards I know about with Tri-CrossfireX

Asrock P67 Extreme6
http://www.asrock.com/mb/overview.asp?Model=P67%20Extre...

ASUS SABERTOOTH P67
http://www.asus.com/product.aspx?P_ID=ZYgjt71bzlh62Zk9

Gigabyte P67 UD7
http://www.gigabyte.com/products/product-page.aspx?pid=...

But I'm not a big fan of going over 2 cards either in CFX or SLI.

I had to check... but the Gigabyte GA-P67A-UD4 is 2x CFX & 2x SLI

Why are you not a big fan?

1920x1200 gets exceptional performance with 2 cards. Why add a 3rd? What's the point?

True. Well WR2. Here is my new setup with your advice/guidance, which has been much appreciated.

$360 Asus 6850 Radeon HD 1 GB x2
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

Motherboard: P8P67 Deluxe $200

CPU: Intel i5 2500k $230

$910 including tax

$105 RAM: RipJaws 8Gb Dual Channel 1600mHz 1.5V Designed for i5 and P8p67
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...

$110 Operating System: Windows 7 Home Edition 64-Bit
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1683...

$90 Antec Earth Watts EA650W Continuous Power ATX12V
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$120 Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1681...

$50 Samsung Spinpoint 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$120 OCZ Vertex 2 60GB SATA II MLC SSD
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$17 Sony DVD-ROM 5.25"
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E1682...

$705 including tax

Grand Total: $1615 with tax

I got rid of the Element V to make room for a SSD AND the 500GB harddrive. I also saved money on the powersupply by lowering it from 850 to 650.

This machine should be a monster for the time being. Especially at $1600 CDN.

It's looking good to me.

How about closing this topic out and starting a new one to let one or two more look at it and give it another set of eyesm check it over some more.

A lot of people won't take the time to look over the long topics like this had become.

I wouldn't be unhappy if you went with just a single HD 6850 for a while.
Add the 2nd at any time you. Just a thought.

Ok ill post the new specs on a new topic, I dont know how to officially close the topic though, unless you just mean informally