Case - mobo - cpu - ram suggestions for desktop upgrade?

[Black Panther]

I plan to get a new system by early October (just in time for my b'day )

Please check my system specs for Black Panther (not Guenhwyvar since that's the laptop).

The only stuff I plan to keep from the desktop are the graphics card (5970) and the PSU (HX 850W) and for now the peripherals ie keyboard, mouse and sound.

I'm planning to upgrade the monitor to a 32" later on..

The rest of my rig ie case, cpu, ram, mobo, hdd, odd I plan to pass on to my kid.
However, I might keep my current case if I find a 'pretty pink' one for her...

So what I really need primarily is advice for a good cpu to get come October. I intend good as good value mainly for overclockability and secondly value for money. I don't tend to change cpu's that often - hadn't it been for an opportunity to 'sell' my E4300 to my company and get an E8400 (which I instantly oc'd to 4.2GHz) in return I'd still be stuck with my E4300 at 3Ghz.
What's important for me is that the system is good for overclocking. i.e. the cpu must be a good oc'er, the mobo must be a good one as well and so has the ram so I can unleash the full potential of the system. Budget is quite flexible at the moment..
And the mobo has to have 2 pci-e slots and support crossfire. If it can support SLI too then that'd be a "just in case" bonus

I don't plan to WC, (I wish but the very thought of water potentially squirting all over everything terrifies me for now!)... so I want a system with the best potential overclocking on air. And while you're at it, you can share what is the best air coolers recommended, especially for the cpu...

Thanks beforehand!

 

[AlienIsGOD]

Well 1 question is are u going to be doing WCG on it? If so a 1055T AMD setup would be nice IMO or a 6 core i7.

 

[Black Panther]

Well, let's start on processor first - as pointed out I'd be using this processor both for crunching and for gaming (coupled with the 850W Corsair TX and the 5970). Should I already decide on a 6 core or wait perhaps something else might get released (or enjoy significant price drops) within 2 months time? I'd really appreciate if advantages/disadvantages of one 6 core over another were pointed out, (without getting into any intel/amd flamewars obviously!), after all there are several models available from both manufacturers.

I'd be passing on my present E8400 @ 4Ghz complete with mobo, cpu cooler and ram to my daughter. If she doesn't use it I'll just leave it crunching WCG.

So for the processor I'll also be needing a good cooler. I definitely plan to overclock (in my opinion not doing so is just abdicating from using potential power).

Anyway, let's just suggest processors for now, and a good air cooler.

For the rest we'll see later after I've decided on the processor.

 

[Millennium]

I'm loving my i750 at 4ghz. Can't get it to 4.2 but still. I bet it would be stable for folding.

Otherwise maybe superclock an i3 I see them going upto 4.5ghz+

 

[(FIH) The Don]

i would go P55 or X58

P55 i would take either EVGA P55 FTW, gigabyte UD6, or ASUS maximus III

cpu, def a i7 860 or maybe even a 875K with the unlocked multiplier

memory, some g-skill 2000mhz should be good overclockingwise

good aircooler, Noctua D14 or thermalright silver arrow, or thermaltake Frio

X58 i would go with a ASUS P6X58D-E
or gigabyte x58A-UD7, or the RIIIE from asus

and then some g.skill trident 2000mhz again

same cooler

and a i7 920/30, OR 980X if youre totally nuts

 

[ebolamonkey3]

By "quite flexible" I'll just assume that you have $2500 to spend

So once you decide on a socket, we can get more specific

For X58:
Hmmm... you can always grab a used 980X or 970 for around $650 - $775, that'll be the best you can do unless you get a dual socket mobo like the SR-2. Otherwise get a i7 930 and OC it to 4ghz+, this would be the most logical option for X58

Mobo wise I'd get an Asus Rampage III Formula. Or a Gigabyte X58 UD5. Don't think the extra cash for the RIIIE or the UD7 is justifiable.

For P55:
Definitely get the i7 860 for $200 at MC if you can, best bang for the buck period. If not, still get an i7 860

Mobo wise I'd get the P55-UD7. Probably the most decked out mobo for the P55 chipset, but it'd also be overkill Otherwise anything from one of the big manufactures will be fine.

For AM3:
If you decide to go w/ AMD definitely get the 1055T. If you're going to keep the computer for a while, might as well go with 890FX for the SATA3 and USB3, or if you want to save 785G or 790FX will be fine.

Mobo wise the Gigabyte 890FXA-UD5 is a great choice, especially with F3 bios. The Crosshair IV Formula is another choice, but the UD5 offers everything it does for less, unless you have to have the sexy red/black heatsinks

RAM wise, grab a nice set of Dominators or G.Skill Sector 5/7. I'm no expert on ram but I think G.Skill works better w/ AMD and Corsair better for Intel.

I would definitely get a 60gb or larger SSD for a boot drive. Grab a Sandforce one, you can probably find a 60gb Agility 2 for less than $120 in October, and even less in November. Then just use 1tb or 2tb drives for storage, they are cheap now. $60 for 1tb and $100 for 2tb, no rebates

DVD writer - any generic one will work, Newegg has them for $20 shipped all the time. You can probably add a Bluray writer too if you want.

So... that's CPU, RAM, Mobo, GPU, PSU, and HDD all taken care of. You just need a case and CPU cooler now.

Let's start w/ the easy one: CPU cooler. You can find used Megahalems that are practically brand new for $50 shipped on forums, that'd be your best bet I think, for Intel. For AMD a Veno X is a pretty good choice. Noctual NH-D14 will block out at least 1 or 2 memory slots on any mobo, so if you're going to use memory with tall heat spreaders that's something to keep in mind. Other options are Hyper 212+ or a TT Frio, but those are loud, at least to me. So I suggest you get a Mega or Veno X and slap on a pair of Scythe GTs, those are great. *Edit, also check out the HR-02, it's huge and doesn't block any ram slots, but it's also new so it's expensive ($80 for just the heatsink).

Now for the case, don't know how big you want it to be (mid or full tower), how quiet you want it to be, and what kind of looks you like. Since you will be air cooling (no liquid as meaning no H50 either, correct?), definitely get a case w/ great airflow like the Silverstone FT02. I think the newer ones are supposed to come w/ the new AP fans, starting in late Oct or early Nov. Actually, now that I think of it, don't know if the FT02 can fit a 5970 (height wise). This would be the case to get IMO if the 5970 can fit.

Hmm... don't know your sense of aesthetics either. The HAF X has excellent cooling, but it's a love it or hate it thing. Maybe the CM ATCS 840? Honestly though, depending on how much you are willing to spend on a case, I'd go for a Lian Li. I've got my eyes on the PC-9F myself, but if you want something bigger the A70 series are pretty good.

Actually, SneekyPeet's got a X1000 for $200 shipped on here, that'd be a great case for that price.

 

[ebolamonkey3]

Price Estimates:

RAM ($110 - $220)
-4gb = $150~ for a great set, $110 for a decent set.
-6gb = $150 for a good set, $220~ for a great set.

HDD ($160 - $220)
-60gb SSD = $100-$120
-1tb HD = $60, 2tb = $100

DVDRW - $20
Bluray - $100

CPU cooler and fans - $80 ($50 for Mega, 30 for a pair of GTs)

Mobo ($150 - $300)
-P55 - $220~, rough estimate assuming you went semi-high end.
-X58 - $300~, the RIIIF shouldn't be too far from that, UD5 is $280~
-AM3 - $150~ for a lower end one, $180 for the UD5, and $220 for the CHIV Formula.

CPU ($200 - $999)
-P55 = $200 to $230 for an i7 860, MC or used.
-X58 = $200 for i7 930, to $800~ for i7 980X, again MC or used, no sense buying new.
-AM3 = $200 for 1055T, or $170~ for used.

Case ($90 - $250)
Depends on how crazy you want to get here. On the one hand a CM 690 II Advanced for $90 will be a solid case. On the other that X1000 for $200 or a FT02 for $225~ will be awesome

Random stuff like fans and wires ~ $50 - $100.
-They add up so fast, especially if you want silence


So all out X58/980x build: ~$2000
P55/860 build: ~$1100 - $1200 high, $900 - $1000 low.
AM3/1055T build: ~$1000 high, ~$850 low.

 

[Black Panther]

Thanks for the feedback, I'll definitley be studying this thread and researching your suggestions and browsing shops/etailers etc during the next month or so.

As regards the case, I was going for the Obsidian 800D - it's full tower, got cable management and a side window (these 3 features are what I was looking for), plus plenty of other features like the HDD cage is comfortable to swap, air-flow seems excellent etc... What do you think?

 

[(FIH) The Don]

air flow is NOT excellent in 800D

it is MADE for water, not air

it IS a great case, no doubt, but dont rely on that for good airflow imo

 

[Black Panther]

Oh

I guess this video impressed me too much. It shows the airflow (towards the end of the video at 7 minutes) and how it's got 3 compartments so that each section has its own intake and exhaust..

 

[(FIH) The Don]

ever trust those videos, talk to people who owns it or have owned it

try talking to SneekyPeet, he has one

and he uses aircooler on the cpu

but if you get it i strongly recommen 3 good fans on the top to get as much hot air out as possible

 

[Black Panther]

It's mid-September and my upgrade-bug is ticking furiously now

I changed my priorities - first thing will be a new 28" - 32" monitor, which will be a good improvement over my present 22" 1680x1050.

Budget for monitor is ~ €800 ($1000). The budget is high since I wouldn't intend to change my monitor for another 2 or 3 years, so might as well spend something extra and get a good one.

I had been thinking of going for a high res one - I'm spoiled since my 17" laptop's got 1920x1200 - but then these LED emerged... and then there's 3D...

I wasn't too eager for LED them being new and very expensive at least locally.
3D I haven't got a clue have to spend some time on google to check whether there are any advantages apart from the low power consumption..

High resolution... I'd prefer that over everything I think..

 

[Millennium]

My
LED is great ... G2420HDBL

 

[(FIH) The Don]

if youre gonna spend 800€ on monitor, why not 3 27" 1080P for some eyefinity now that you have that 5970?

 

[n-ster]

17"1920x1200 is a very nice pixel pitch, You WILL want a 27"-30" 2560x1600 or 1440p

at 800 euros, I would think that you can only find 27" 1440p

I hate eyeinfinity because of bezels lol, unless you wish to do some bezel modding...

 

[Black Panther]

why not 3 27" 1080P for some eyefinity now that you have that 5970?

I hate eyeinfinity because of bezels

Yes I forgot to add that eyefinity is out of the question, I can barely stand bad pixels let alone solid bezels in the middle of the picture

 

[(FIH) The Don]

then i would go with a 27" 2560x1440/1600

example (danish site ) http://www.edbpriser.dk/Product/Details.aspx?pid=4230444 thats around your budget

 

[Black Panther]

I'm thinking my first priority should be a good monitor...

Just received this from a local supplier:

Can get you the Dell TFT 69 cm (27") 16:9 DELL U2711 6ms,The best possible price is 1015Eur incl vat and eco.Free delivery.Available within 7-10 days from order.

:shadedshu

sucks.. from Danish shop FIH quoted above it's €842.51

Lol I replied to this supplier that I'll be buying the monitor for €850

 

[(FIH) The Don]

whaaaaat

that is freaking insane

dont you have a site like newegg, scan, og overclockers in malta?

 

[Black Panther]

whaaaaat

that is freaking insane

dont you have a site like newegg, scan, og overclockers in malta?

Lol you're right.
After I sent the pm telling him I'll buy for €850 I got this reply:

From: simark
To: BlackPanther
Sent: 20-Sep-10 09:26:28
Subject: re: Dell


I m sorry, but i already have given you my best possible price.My cost price excl shipping is already beyond 850Eur.If this danish supplier can ship to Malta at 850Eur, I really suuggest you to get it from him .They might have prices specifically for their market only like the USA, however.

Well, he's exagerating. If his cost price excluding shipping is already beyond €850 he should be changing supplier and start buying from the guy you linked me to Lol I'm an importer myself so prolly if I order 20 or 30 U2711's I'd be having the cheapest prices in the country and break the local market....

Edit: We do have scan but on their website there's no Dell Ultrasharp.
I'll send them and email to check.........

 

[crazyeyesreaper]

well i know for gaming i7 860 and even the i5 750 do better then the 920/930 cant say much on intel and ram but for AMD i prefer mushkin for DDR3 and gskill for DDR2 i got some nice 1333mhz cl7 sticks which were cheap and will do 676 1333 for some nice latency which helps tremendously with high nb clocks.

id suggest i7 860 + w.e board tickles your fancy for huge monitors ive no idea someone around here can point you in the right direction tho and i bet can find a good price.

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/108?vs=100

for reference with the same GPU the i7 860 stock beats out the i7 950 even tho the the 950 has a 200mhz + triple channel memory advantage

 

[pantherx12]

I offer my services as a buyer for parts again if you need them BP.

 

[Black Panther]

Just emailed scan malta

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm looking to purchase a Dell Ultrasharp, 27" minimum.

I didn't see any in stock, however your UK counterparts have the U2711 and the 3008WFP.

Is there any chance that I can buy them locally?
If so kindly quote price and pickup date.

#rant# I wish I wasn't isolated on an island!

 

[(FIH) The Don]

if you need anything i can ship it to you.

have you tried www.hoh.de ?

i think they ship to most of Europe

but...why go through all this trouble just to get 500 pixels extra?

id rather get a regular 27" or 26" and then spend money on some watercooling, or similar

 

[pantherx12]

but...why go through all this trouble just to get 500 pixels extra?

What is it your referring to here?

Could be missing the point completely but surely not?

2073600 1920x1080
2304000 1920x1200
4096000 2560 x 1600

Quite a fare difference in pixels!