Final thoughts on my Sandy Bridge build...

[xstalkrx]

As I wait for the Sandy Bridge mobo's to come in stock, I wanted to make sure I had all the kinks worked out in my build.

Specifically:
Is this RAID 0 setup more efficient than getting a SSD for a boot drive and then a HDD for data? At a later date, could I theoretically pull everything off my RAID array and onto a large SSD when they become more affordable? Is WD not a dependable brand?

Is this overkill on RAM or is this simply good quality fast RAM that will fill my needs for years to come?

Anything I'm spending way too much money on?

I want to have a powerful, dependable gaming machine that will allow me to play the latest games for at least 4 years or so.

2600K sandy bridge CPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115070

SLI 560 Ti Twin Frozr GPUs
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127565

Mushkin 8 GB ( 2 x 4 GB) DDR3 1600 CAS 7 7-9-8-24 Timing
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226178

Corsair CMPSU-850HX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139011

RAID 0 WD 1TB 7200RPM Caviar Black 64 MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533

ACER GD235HZ 120Hz 1920x1080p LED TFT
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009222

Antec 900 V3 Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129097

$1899 without motherboard. OS and keyboard included.

 

[aznshinobi]

Just to save some money, you should check out my guide for some saving money things.

As for RAID setups, they do increase the performance and the cost of a faster death for your HDDs. But also even if you RAID 0 they may bench high than the SSDs but in the real world stand point their speed will never seem like it is. Meaning RAID 0 F3 1tb can pull higher reads and writes than a single Vertex 2. But the Vertex 2 will always boot faster than the RAID F3's.

So a single SSD and a single HDD would be fine. I think WD Caviar Blacks are stujpid especially since they're not worth the price/gig.

 

[boiler1990]

I don't think the i7-2600K is necessary if you're just gaming. I'd go with the i5-2500K and save ~$100.

Also, if you get 2x560s now, you won't have any upgrade room in the near future. I would consider a 580 or maybe even 2x570s with room for a 3rd at some point down the road.

I feel like your RAM is a bit pricey for what it is. Shop around and see what you can find for a decent price. Remember that Cas Latency should take priority over frequency for the most part.

I agree with aznshinobi on the SSD/HDD. Get an OCZ Vertex 2 or Crucial C300 SATA III SSD and a Samsung F3 1TB. You'll be pairing the fastest SSD with the (practically) fastest HDD.


Also, if you're in no hurry, I would wait for the LGA 2011 socket CPUs to come out later this year. They'll replace the previous i7-900 performance line and will most likely blow the i5s out of the water. Your budget is plenty big enough to handle the price (pretty sure the price point will be where the i7-900s are now).

 

[aznshinobi]

^ +1

Don't forget to get the old 34nm Vertex 2's, the new 25nm ones, although cheaper, are slower and well... just not as good as good as the 34nm ones.
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ocz-vertex-2-25nm-ssd,2867.html