Finally! Permission to build!

[Bokteelo]

Alright, I'll make a long story short. I came to these forums a few weeks ago and asked for help to put together a budget gaming rig. (Around 800-1000.) I was then told that if I was willing wait until a certain someone's stocks were doing better, I'd have a larger budget!

I asked some people, and almost all of them told me to wait because the extra money could take my future build a lot farther. Well, here I am again, back and ready to build! I learned quite a bit in the first thread I made, and I have some parts in mind.
(Well, I actually spent the last 5-7 hours putting this build together.)

I have yet to go over budget, but I honestly do not want to spend more than $2,000 for a gaming computer. I'm going to overclock this rig and it MUST last me about 5 years. (With incremental upgrades of course.)

So, any opinions/recommendations? If I screwed something up, please do tell me. (I'm still a beginner, this is my first computer so I'm expecting some problems.)

Final Build:

[KBD]

Nice rig, looks like you done your homework. id just get a different HDD, may be a WD Se16 320 or 640 or a Samsung Spinpoint F1. BTW, where is the motherboard?

[Bokteelo]

Oh, did I forget the motherboard? Could've sworn I slapped on the Asus P6T! Thanks for pointing that out.

Edit: Actually, should I go for Asus P6T or P6T Deluxe? The price difference isn't too great, so which one would be the most ideal?

[LittleLizard]

p6t ? that is nice motherboard. you can also go with the dfi dk but its bios is more for the expert overclocker, still nice rig. also exchange the hdd for 2 seagate 7200.12 and put a nice raid setup

[KBD]

Originally Posted by Bokteelo

Oh, did I forget the motherboard? Could've sworn I slapped on the Asus P6T! Thanks for pointing that out.

Im no i7 expert but i thought i heard guys saying bad things about the P6T line. From what i hear, Gigabyte and DFI did a good job with X58. Someone will correct me if i'm wrong

[Bokteelo]

Originally Posted by KBD

Im no i7 expert but i thought i heard guys saying bad things about the P6T line. From what i hear, Gigabyte and DFI did a good job with X58. Someone will correct me if i'm wrong

See, that very issue put me in a dilemma a few hours ago. I'm not sure whether I should go with Asus or Gigabyte. I guess I'll wait for some replies.

[Flyordie]

Sure i7 will last you but you need VERY GOOD water or DICE to get 4Ghz+ 24/7 stable.
i7 when it gets to the 3.8Ghz range produces so much heat even the newer Dtek blocks have trouble keeping the sucker below 80C.

Just be warned, the i7 isn't an OCers friend. However it should last you 3-5 yrs.

On the GPU side of things.. your good there... stick with 1 HD4870 until the HD5870X4 or an X2... ( and yes X4) comes out in Nov 09. You should be pleased with whats in store then. ;-)

[Bokteelo]

Originally Posted by Flyordie

Sure i7 will last you but you need VERY GOOD water or DICE to get 4Ghz+ 24/7 stable.
i7 when it gets to the 3.8Ghz range produces so much heat even the newer Dtek blocks have trouble keeping the sucker below 80C.

Just be warned, the i7 isn't an OCers friend. However it should last you 3-5 yrs.

On the GPU side of things.. your good there... stick with 1 HD4870 until the HD5870X4 or an X2... ( and yes X4) comes out in Nov 09. You should be pleased with whats in store then. ;-)

Hm, should I really? I honestly don't mind having 1 less card in there if it means saving money for huge upgrades later on.

And water cooling... jeez I'm a bit scared. Should I go all out and get a WC system?

[Flyordie]

Well, its what I would do. HD4870 is plenty enough to plow through most if not all games at a respectable frame rate and quality. I just expect there to be a 70-100% increase in GPU power for the next gen from ATI.

--
On water cooling... if your not comfortable with it, you don't have to... just don't expect a 4Ghz OC on that i7 with air. and on what LittleLizard said... not the V8.. the V12! lolz.)

[LittleLizard]

no, watercooling for non expert no, get just very high end air cooling (v8, true, u12P)

[KBD]

Originally Posted by LittleLizard

no, watercooling for non expert no, get just very high end air cooling (v8, true, u12P)

yea, hes already getting a Xigmatek-S1284EE, he is OK.

[Bokteelo]

^Phew! I was on Google and Newegg looking up the V12, I thought my 1284 would be enough. Glad to know it is! And to not being able to reach 4.0, DARN! I honestly wanted to get the i7 running at 4.0... my goal was to get my CPU running at 4.0 on my first custom built computer + overclocking attempt.

And Binge, I tend to do some light gaming, watch lots of videos, and all I'm looking for my computer to do is last me 5 years.

I will consider your monitor.

Could you recommend some memory?

[Binge]

What do you want to do with your computer? What kind of performance do you want to see?

From personal experience when I went i7 I decided I would not skimp on any aspect that had a benefit in going all out. This means motherboard, graphics, and power supply... Memory well DDR3 triple channel is very young and I don't see enough of a variation in performance of the sticks to justify spending more than $100 for 6GB.

Your monitor is a good choice, and I can make a suggestion to look at the ASUS VH222H. It's what I upgraded to from the monitor you're looking at and I must say the difference is noticeable. Hmmm... your PSU is a good one. I've done a lot with that exact PSU it's a lot of power for 750W. Then the last thing I have to point out is that ATi really bit themselves in the junk with the 4870. It's just not good enough to warrant the price tag. 2x4830 if you're a cheapo, a good 4870 like the ASUS matrix edition if you're looking to actually overclock (not suggested for newbies), or 4850 crossfire... but that's if you want to stay with team red. I think the GTX260 192/216/55nm 216 are AMAZING cards for the price and if you can afford it get yourself a 280/285/295. The GTX cards run cool, kill games, and are less noisy than my 4870 ever was. People will argue all sorts of things like I've got too many balls to make that statement, but I just don't play GRID so why the hell should I own a 48XX card? lol flame on guys. Tell me and this guy all about how you compare cards after factoring in tons of AA. Just let this guy know that if he wants to be cool he should sacrifice frames by going ATi then to add insult to injury turn his AA on full blast because then his card would "win" if he were to compare his card to an nV card with the same AA. FLAME ON!!!!

Well so that's it friend... in summary:

• Pick a good x58 motherboard that suits your needs.
• The best memory for a newbie is 1600MHz CAS 8 @ $100. That 1855MHz stuff you will likely never push that hard if you are in fact a newbie.
• Get a less expensive case or one that will give you better watercooling options. You'll eventually want to go water cooling since you have an i7.
• Get a Thermalright TRUE (it's a cpu cooler) instead of that rifle. You'll be doing yourself a favor.
• Ditch the 4870 and get 2x 4850 (which is not so user friendly), or a GTX260/280/285/295

[Binge]

Originally Posted by KBD

Im no i7 expert but i thought i heard guys saying bad things about the P6T line. From what i hear, Gigabyte and DFI did a good job with X58. Someone will correct me if i'm wrong

You are correct sir. The current favorites are DFI, Gigabyte, Foxconn, and MSI.

[KBD]

Originally Posted by Binge

You are correct sir. The current favorites are DFI, Gigabyte, Foxconn, and MSI.

About Foxconn, if they fixed the BIOS on the Bloodrage thats a great board feature-wise. They were just people complaining about it being very buggy, but that was prolly the initial release.

[Bokteelo]

Okay, system overload. Too much information for my rookie brain to process at once. I'll look into new memory, got 2 320GB HDDs for RAID, and am looking into Gigabyte mobos.

Edit: Going to look into the 4850 Crossfire now.

[Binge]

the UD4P is a great one. The cost is right and doesn't have anything extra that you don't need.

Originally Posted by KBD

About Foxconn, if they fixed the BIOS on the Bloodrage thats a great board feature-wise. They were just people complaining about it being very buggy, but that was prolly the initial release.

From what I understand that was a lot of mud slinging by reps from other companies. Go look on XS. They love the bloodrage over there, and have since the initial release.

[KBD]

Originally Posted by Binge

From what I understand that was a lot of mud slinging by reps from other companies. Go look on XS. They love the bloodrage over there, and have since the initial release.

Could be so, i did see the XS thread, but i just wanted to bring out the concerns in case the OP considers it so he can do his own research.

[Bokteelo]

Okay, shoot me if I sound like an idiot. What is the difference between:

4850x2 vs. 4850 Crossfire

They're both two cards aren't they? That's all it is... right? *Bangs head on desk.*

Edit: Yes I am looking to OC... I'm going to overclock every damn thing I can, it's my first rig and I want to juice all the fun out of it!

[KBD]

Originally Posted by Bokteelo

Okay, shoot me if I sound like an idiot. What is the difference between:

4850x2 vs. 4850 Crossfire

They're both two cards aren't they? That's all it is... right? *Bangs head on desk.*

Essentially, yes. the X2 is 2 4850 GPUs on one PCB. But from what i hear the 4850X2 is not very well supported by ATI and 2 4850 in crossfire have been recomended for ages as an excellent combination. I myself would prefer to get 2 single cards vs. an X2 at least in case of ATI cards. But see what 4850X2 owners say.

[Binge]

Originally Posted by Bokteelo

Okay, shoot me if I sound like an idiot. What is the difference between:

4850x2 vs. 4850 Crossfire

They're both two cards aren't they? That's all it is... right? *Bangs head on desk.*

Edit: Yes I am looking to OC... I'm going to overclock every damn thing I can, it's my first rig and I want to juice all the fun out of it!

completely different. If you get into the mindset of the company that makes these cards the 4850 is a single pcb with it's own independent power system. Good. The 4850x2 has one power system to deal with two processors and sets of memory??!?!? Ok so... it takes some real engineering to make that work, and the outcome is that it's not as flexible as a 4850 in crossfire. The 4850x2 has terrible support, and if you hate noise you'll hate the 4850x2... it is LOUD.

[Bokteelo]

Originally Posted by KBD

Essentially, yes. the X2 is 2 4850 GPUs on one PCB. But from what i hear the 4850X2 is not very well supported by ATI and 2 4850 in crossfire have been recomended for ages as an excellent combination. I myself would prefer to get 2 single cards vs. an X2 at least in case of ATI cards. But see what 4850X2 owners say.

Okay... so they're similar but not exactly the same thing? *Gasp*

Originally Posted by Binge

completely different. If you get into the mindset of the company that makes these cards the 4850 is a single pcb with it's own independent power system. Good. The 4850x2 has one power system to deal with two processors and sets of memory??!?!? Ok so... it takes some real engineering to make that work, and the outcome is that it's not as flexible as a 4850 in crossfire. The 4850x2 has terrible support, and if you hate noise you'll hate the 4850x2... it is LOUD.

Thanks for clarifying even more, I think I'll grab myself either 2 4850's or 1 4870. Which would you recommend?

[Paulieg]

Originally Posted by Bokteelo

^Phew! I was on Google and Newegg looking up the V12, I thought my 1284 would be enough. Glad to know it is! And to not being able to reach 4.0, DARN! I honestly wanted to get the i7 running at 4.0... my goal was to get my CPU running at 4.0 on my first custom built computer + overclocking attempt.

And Binge, I tend to do some light gaming, watch lots of videos, and all I'm looking for my computer to do is last me 5 years.

I will consider your monitor.

Could you recommend some memory?

I would agree that water cooling may be a bit much for a first time builder. However, you most likely will NOT be happy with your temps with that Xig cooler. These chips run very hot. If you are planning to shoot for 4.0ghz, you are going to want a TRUE at a minimum, and with a $2000 budget, you could probably get a local enthusiast to help you set up water cooling, if you really want to be safe.

[Bokteelo]

Originally Posted by Paulieg

I would agree that water cooling may be a bit much for a first time builder. However, you most likely will NOT be happy with your temps with that Xig cooler. These chips run very hot. If you are planning to shoot for 4.0ghz, you are going to want a TRUE at a minimum, and with a $2000 budget, you could probably get a local enthusiast to help you set up water cooling, if you really want to be safe.

Was just about to bring up the water cooling issue. What would be a good case for it? (I'm guessing it's going to be a full tower at the very least.)

Edit: And how about recommending some RAM? I'm looking into OCZ/Corsair, but I'm sure there are other brands. Would 4 GB be enough or should I shoot for 6?

Edit2: I might actually go for 2 4870's... it'll be under $100 difference between the 4870 and 4850...

[Paulieg]

Case:HAF 932. Excellent for water cooling, and reasonably priced.

Memory, buy these. These are Micron D9JNM sticks. Best you will find for the price. Get 2x4GB, and keep one stick in case one fails. You really want to run 6GB in triple channel for the best performance.

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=W1333UX4GM

As far as gpu goes. You really should look into the gtx260's right now. In my opinion, they are best bang for the buck.