800-1000 Performance Desktop

Meaty

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Jul 29, 2009
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Approximate Purchase Date: 1-2 weeks
Budget Range: $800-$1000 Before Rebates
System Usage from Most to Least Important: Gaming, Internet
Parts Not Required: Power Supply (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010), HDD, SSD [Boot Drive], CPU
Preferred Website(s) for Parts: newegg.com, taking suggestions
Country of Origin: US
Overclocking: Maybe (Need to do more research; most likely from these forums)
SLI or Crossfire: Maybe in the future
Monitor Resolution: Unsure Honestly. May be getting a new monitor in the near future as well. (Don't have the make/model off hand.)

Additional Comments: I have made some basic purchases already that I don't think will ultimately affect the interaction of components; indicated below. Ultimately, I'm looking for some feedback on the overall system build. I realize that I may have made mistakes during research or misunderstood some compatibilities. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. I would also like it if there are references (to read up on) to the opinions/facts hopefully presented. The following are the components that I am considering purchasing or have bought already:

*Bought* Power Supply: Corsair HX 750W [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139010]
*Bought* CPU: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GH LGA 1366 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115211]
MoBo: ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131641]
GFX Card: 1x EVGA 01G-P3-1561-AR GeForce GTX 560 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130604]
*Bought* HDD Storage: WD Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284]
*Bought* SSD Boot: OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD2 60GB [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227550]
Memory: 2x CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin 1600 [http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145224]
OS: Windows 7

Haven't really researched a disc drive yet. I would gladly take suggestions. Before there are any comments, I had to buy the CPU with the HDD to take advantage of a deal; so the CPU is locked in.

Again, thanks in advance.
 
Solution
For gaming, pretty much anyone who knows what's up on this forum would have recommended the i5-2500K over the older i7-900 CPUs. The new architecture just steamrolls the i7s in games and can overclock much better. That said, the i7 will still hold up well, especially if you start doing more demanding things (i.e. work) on your computer.

If you plan on going to a 1080 monitor, I would suggest the AMD HD6950 over the GTX 560. It performs better at the higher resolutions. I just switched from GTX 470s to a 6950 (first AMD card) and have had great results.
Your PSU will handle both cards.

You really only need one kit of RAM; 6GB will rarely be used in games (really, 4GB is all anyone needs), so the extra 6GB will be a waste.

I would have recommended different storage drives, but you'll get good performance out of those.
 

Meaty

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Thanks for the response Boiler!

I will definitely take your suggestion on the new Video card into account. I do not believe the current monitor that I would be using is 1080, but I will check.

At least I got one thing right, being the power supply... :whistle:

I was considering only getting one kit of RAM, but a friend of mine told me to max out the RAM slots of any new build and I didn't see a problem with it. I didn't really find that maxing out the RAM would be a bad thing, but it might not be necessary as you are suggesting. I'm really only looking to do some minimal gaming, web browsing and some basic document/spreadsheet processing. I don't anticipate doing any hardcore video or graphics rendering that would really tax the machine. (Hence only the one GFX card and no real need for Crossfire/SLI currently.)

I am curious though, what storage drives would you have recommended? Little background, I got the HDD in November, during Black Friday @ what I think is a great price. I knew I wanted 2 drives for storage and booting, but was trying to be somewhat cost efficient.

Any feedback on the Motherboard, I have selected there?

Any who, thanks for the tips.
 

nd_hunter

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A good PSU is one of your most important purchases. Good choice :)

Anywho, the following are my recommendations. Games don't use more than 4GB. I've included a 6GB set, and you can easily double it later.

ASUS X58 Sabertooth
http://www.amazon.com/X58-CrossFireX-SATA3-0-Motherboard-SABERTOOTH/dp/B00407ZUUY/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305836594&sr=1-1
$199.98, free shipping

Thermaltake Frio
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835106150
$57.88, free shipping

Corsair Vengeance 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL8 1.5v
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820233145
$94.99, free shipping

MSI R6950 Twin Frozr II
http://www.amazon.com/MSI-DisplayPort-R6950-TWIN-FROZR/dp/B004MPR1WO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1305836297&sr=8-1
$289.99, free shipping, $25 MIR available

Lite-On 24x DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289
$19.99, free shipping

Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986
$99.99, free shipping

Cooler Master HAF 922
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-Tower-RC-922M-KKN1-GP-Black/dp/B0026FCI2U/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305837056&sr=1-1
$97.99, free shipping

Total: $860.81 shipped.

Here's a great monitor:

ASUS VH238H
http://www.amazon.com/ASUS-VH238H-23-Inch-LED-Monitor/dp/B004J6BIJ8/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1305837164&sr=1-1
$175.99, free shipping, $10 MIR available

EDIT: I'll answer some of your questions...

For mechanical hard drives, the best right now are 1TB Samsung Spinpoint F3s. They are $60 on amazon with free shipping. Can't beat that. Seagate has some 1TB platter drives coming out...they will be faster, but they're not for sale yet.

The board you listed is fine. There are only a few differences: price, PCI-e x16 slots, and warranty. Sabertooth is cheaper and has a better warranty. The x58d-e has one more PCIe slot for 3-way SLI.

re-EDIT: Typos...long day...
 
Solution
I will definitely take your suggestion on the new Video card into account. I do not believe the current monitor that I would be using is 1080, but I will check.
If you're planning on a new monitor, it will probably be 1080p because they're getting really cheap now (as low as ~$150 for a 23"). The MSI 6950 that nd_hunter linked is a great card, and the 2GB VRAM will keep you from having to upgrade for a while. I got the MSI reference 2GB version to unlock to a 6970.

I was considering only getting one kit of RAM, but a friend of mine told me to max out the RAM slots of any new build and I didn't see a problem with it. I didn't really find that maxing out the RAM would be a bad thing, but it might not be necessary as you are suggesting. I'm really only looking to do some minimal gaming, web browsing and some basic document/spreadsheet processing. I don't anticipate doing any hardcore video or graphics rendering that would really tax the machine. (Hence only the one GFX card and no real need for Crossfire/SLI currently.)
More RAM isn't necessarily bad, but you just won't use it and could spend the money better on your system (or a nice mouse, keyboard, etc.)

I am curious though, what storage drives would you have recommended? Little background, I got the HDD in November, during Black Friday @ what I think is a great price. I knew I wanted 2 drives for storage and booting, but was trying to be somewhat cost efficient
.
Had you purchased the drives now, I would have suggested the Samsung F3 1TB as a platter with either an OCZ Vertex 3, Intel 510 or Intel 320 SSD for a boot drive. The F3 is slightly faster than the WD Black, but the more noticeable difference is in the cost (~$55 vs. ~$80, respectively).

Any feedback on the Motherboard, I have selected there?
Pretty much any will do. I'm not sure which boards are good for OCing though. The Sabertooth nd_hunter linked was fairly popular when the X58 just came out since it hit a solid price point. I had a much more expensive board (EVGA FTW3), but that was simply because I wanted 3-way SLI (and I got a little carried away with my summer spending :whistle: )
 

gametstr

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idk I 'd look to RMA the i7 for a i5 2500K.
What kind of deal r u talking about tho? The i5 2500K is cheaper than that i7 950 and performs better. If that deal just saved u a few bucks u 'd 've been better off without it. Also the samsung HDDs are cheaper and better too.
 

Meaty

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Wow! Lots of information.

First of all, I think I will definitely cut back on the RAM to 6 GB. (That was easy.)

As far as MoBos are concerned, I felt the choice was between the ASUS and the EVGA that (boiler1990) mentioned. I'll check out the Sabertooth when I get home. I was leaning toward the ASUS brand, since the boards seemed fairly similar.

The MSI Video Card might be slightly out of my price range, but I'll monitor it closely for deals in the coming weeks. I was thinking of changing to This Card.

Like I mentioned, I didn't do any research on Monitors or Disc Drives, but the suggestions are greatly appreciated.

I also apologize, as I left out that I already have a keyboard, mouse, and case. I tried to read up on how to post a new thread and still got it wrong! :??:



EDIT (was posting when gamestr posted): Since, I feel some background is necessary, here's the short story. I knew I wanted to build a new desktop back in Oct '10, but lacked the funds. My desktop from college finally met it's "end of days". When Black Friday rolled around, there was a sale on the WD 1 TB drive. I had amassed a significant amount of Best Buy reward points (Not looking for trolls, we all make mistakes!) and wanted to use them for 'free' stuff. The caveat was I couldn't spend the RZ certificate on something and have RZ Certificate money left over. Therefore, I bought the CPU with the HDD. Mistake made; lesson learned. It won't happen again. However, I'm dealing with that mistake and finally came to the experts when I had saved the necessary funds. After doing a little updating on CPUs, I regrettably agree that the i5 2500K would've been a better choice...
 

nd_hunter

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Don't CPU purchases come with a replacement only policy?
 

Meaty

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$800 would've been the remaining budget for: GPU, MoBo, Memory, and OS. From what has been suggested so far, I could definitely get these components + a Monitor/Disk Drive easily for $800; thanks to you and boiler1990. I might even have some left over for a burger and fries during the build!
 

nd_hunter

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Lol. Don't forget the wet-naps. I think right now you should go with my build minus the case. Take what's left over and put it towards a monitor when you have some more money to spend. The components you already have are fine. I honestly wouldn't get a different HDD. We're talking about maybe a 2% difference in performance on that front. The build really calls for at least a 6950. I think you'll be sorry later if you go for something less.
 

nd_hunter

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I just checked Newegg's policy.
CPU Replacement Only Return Policy
Return for refund within: non-refundable
Return for replacement within: 30 days
Products that state "This item is covered by Newegg.com's CPU Replacement Only Return Policy", or items labeled as “Non-refundable” (or similar labeling) must be returned to Newegg within 30 days of the invoice date for this policy to apply. Products covered by this return policy may only be returned for a replacement of the same or equivalent item. “Return” constitutes receipt of the product by Newegg, and not the mere issuance of an RMA.

The following conditions are not acceptable for return, and will result in the merchandise being returned to you:
Any CPU that is physically damaged
Improper installation of CPU fans and/or improper clocking may cause CPUs to chip. CPUs that are chipped, burnt or have bent/broken pins are considered physically damaged and cannot be returned for refund or replacement. Physical damage includes (but is not limited to) improper handling and any other type of damage sustained by irregular use.
Source: http://www.newegg.com/HelpInfo/ReturnPolicy.aspx#39

:(
 
NBD about the CPU. I would've kept my i7-930 (never held me back in games) but I was able to sell my X58 platform for the same price as I purchased my P67 setup. You'll be fine, and again the hyperthreading will help if you start running more strenuous work applications on your computer.
 

Meaty

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Thanks a lot for all of the insight and assistance. I'm very happy that I brought this attention to these forums. I think I would've been kicking myself later. I think my final decisions will be:

MoBo: Sabertooth
GPU: MSI 6950 (w/ 2GB)
Memory: Corsair Vengence
Disk Drive: Lite-On that was mentioned

Everything will be bought from newegg for a total of $630. The surplus will be utilized for burgers, wet-naps, and beer.

I'm waiting on the monitor for now. I just want the system up and running before I put the money out for a new monitor.