Help with i7 950 gaming system build

[pany]

Hello every1. Im building a new rig and i still havent decided on the memory and ssd for it so i would appreciate your advice! Im looking to make this rig last 5 years as an every day use pc as well for moderate gaming! Here are my pc specs!

Case: Thermaltake VD6000BNS Soprano VX Mirror Black (61.5 euro)
http://www.thermaltake.com/product_..._00000288&id=C_00000289&name=Soprano+VX&ovid=

PSU: THERMALTAKE W0116 TOUGHPOWER 750W CABLE MANAGEMENT ATI CROSSFIRE CERTIFIED (97 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.700420

Fan: THERMALTAKE A2452 CYCLO 80MM RED PATTERN FAN (11 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.650626

Processor: Intel Core i7-950 Processor(8M Cache, 3.06 GHz, 4.80 GT/s IntelR QPI) (310 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.558291

Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH X58 (199 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.522863

Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon HD6870 1GB PCI-E (249 euro)
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/graphics/2010/10/22/ati-radeon-hd-6870-review/11 <--review

Hard Disk 2: SEAGATE BARRACUDA LP ST31500541AS 1.5TB SATA2 32MB cache (108.9 euro)

Screen: LG W2361V-PF 23" TFT 2ms Full HD 1920x1080 HDMI (189 euro)

DVD Writer: SAMSUNG DVD-RW SH-S223L Black (26 euro)
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So far i've spend around 1250 euro and my budget is 1600 euro but im looking for a ssd and some good ram! Now i've done some researching into ssd drives and triple channel memory kits but i would like your opinion on the right ssd and ram kit for a better performance.
Here are some ssd drives that i was interested in and their benchmarks!

http://www.ssdreview.com/ssd-review...5-inch-cjra0202,1,15,12,25,28/conclusion.html

I found the following ssd at the following prices:

KINGSTON SVP100S2B/64GR SSDNOW V+100 64GB UPGRADE KIT (169 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.345801

KINGSTON SVP100S2B/96GR SSDNOW V+100 96GB UPGRADE KIT (209 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.345802

KINGSTON SVP100S2B/128GR SSDNOW V+100 128GB UPGRADE KIT (287 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.345803

Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB Sata 3 2.5" (140 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/08529582/art/crucial/realssd-c300-64gb-2.5-ssd.html

Crucial RealSSD C300 128GB Sata 3 2.5" (280 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/08996440/art/crucial/realssd-c300-128gb-2.5-ssd.html

OCZ SSD Vertex 2e SATA II 2.5" - 60 GΒ (around 120 euro with delivery i guess)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/OCZ-60GB-Vert...K_Computing_HardDrives_RL&hash=item4155c18e6b

OCZ SSD Vertex 2 SATA II 3.5" - 90 GΒ (184 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/07...-δισκος-ssd-vertex-2-sata-ii-3.5---90-gΒ.html

OCZ SSD Vertex 2 SATA II 3.5" - 120 GΒ (206 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/07...δισκος-ssd-vertex-2-sata-ii-3.5---120-gΒ.html

OCZ SSD RevoDrive PCI-Express x4 - 50 GΒ (204 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/07...ος--ssd-revodrive-pci-express-x4---50-gΒ.html

OCZ SSD RevoDrive PCI-Express x4 - 80 GΒ (259 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/07...κος-ssd-revodrive-pci-express-x4---80-gΒ.html

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And here are some ram memories i've been looking at: (i personally prefer 3x4GB kits)

Corsair XMS 12GB 3x 4GB CMX12GX3M3A1333C9 CAS 9 Tri Channel 1333MHz DDR3 (170 euro)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Corsair-12GB-...erComponents_MemoryRAM_JN&hash=item5196f27a01

Corsair Vengeance Performance 3 x 4 GΒ DDR3-1600 - PC3-12800 - CL9 (CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9) (178 euro )
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/08...00---pc3-12800---cl9-(cmz12gx3m3a1600c9).html

PATRIOT VIPER II SECTOR 7 12GB 3x 4GB DDR3 CL7 Tri Channel 1600MHz PV7312G1600LLK (215 euro)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PATRIOT-12GB-...erComponents_MemoryRAM_JN&hash=item1e5f61f50c

KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3K3/6GX DDR3 6GB (3X2GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS TRIPLE CHANNEL KIT (92 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.552601

KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3T1K3/6GX DDR3 6GB (3X2GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS TRIPLE CHANNEL KIT (112 euro)
http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.552628

KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX DDR3 12GB (3X4GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS TRIPLE CHANNEL KIT (180 euro)
http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.552664

KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3K6/12GX DDR3 12GB (6X2GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS KIT (205 euro)
http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.552663

Just to remind you all that the prices from ebay are in english pounds. Since im from Cyprus my 2 cheapest suppliers are e-shop and pixmania but im willing to order from ebay as well if its a good deal! Please write your comments on my build and the best possible combo for ssd and ram memory to get for around 350 euro in total! Keep in mind that i want your advice on the memory size bandwidth and latency! Im not planning to OC now but maybe in the future! And for the ssd i just want fast access time for my OS. I have my 1.5TB Seagate for Data and another 5TB including both internal and external drives!

 

[horik]

I would just get a better video card and look if the CPU is D0 so you can OC better,mine is runing at 4ghz 24/7.

 

[pany]

I think the 6870 will be enough for starcraft 2 for the moment and in case i need a better graphics card when diablo 3 comes out then i might get another 6870 and crossfire later on since my psu supports that! Im hoping this pc will last me for another 5 years thats why im worried about the ram and the ssd is just for fast access times on my os. Any thoughts on the bandwidth of the ram and the latency as well as the size? Should i go for 3x4GB for now in case i need to upgrade later on to 24GB or is 6GB enough?

 

[pany]

Help plz!

So can any1 please tell me what combination of ssd and ram i should use? Should i go for more ram and a cheap ssd or should i go for a better ssd and the 6gb ram i already have or should i go for faster ram with low latency and no ssd? My budget is up to around 350 euro for a good ssd and good ram! Please let me know of your thoughts on which ssd to get and which ram!

 

[pany]

Still waiting!

Excuse me but i've had so many views but no replies. Will some1 plz post something?

 

[n-ster]

as you are gaming, 6GB is enough, but if you want to feel safe for the next five years, take the cheapest 3x4gb that you can find... As for the SSD, I take a 60GB Vertex 2 or anything equivalent to that that is cheaper (ie: A-Data (sandforce version) 64gb)

If you want, add another 6870... Crossfire performance is great

P.S: welcome to TPU and, no bumping in less than 24 hours You just post at dead times of TPU and sometimes it can get lost

 

[pany]

Great Advice

Thanks a lot man. Im new to the forum and sorry if i seemed a bit anxious! Maybe its the time difference! GMT + 2 here! Your advice seems very logical and that was what i was thinking to do as well! As for the 2nd 6870 i might pick one in the future when the prices go down a bit and my balance goes up Any thoughts on my overall system so far? Anything not good that i should change or something thats too much and isnt needed? I hope it will be a solid clean gaming rig!

 

[n-ster]

Apart from the fact that I personally do not like Thermaltake Power supplies and cases it looks fine (Don't worry, nothing wrong with them, just a personal preference)

However, do you have a CPU cooler? I'd get something like a Hyper 212+ and an extra fan if I were you. Unless you will never overclock the CPU, in which case I'm not sure why you'd spend so much on an i7 system when you could have gone cheaper

Oh and thermal paste... something like OCZ freeze, MX-2 or MX-3 are great. My OCZ Freeze tube is great.

 

[pany]

Hehe! Of course i thought about it but at the moment my current budget is 1600 euro that took me a while to save and i spend a little more than calculated during the holidays! Im hoping that in a few months i'll be able to save enough to upgrade the system and have the chance to do some OC for the 1st time! I just wanted to get the main parts now and the upgrades will come later on!

 

[pany]

ok so i've narrowed it down to 3 choices of ssds and 3 choices of ram!

1) Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB Sata 3 2.5" (140 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/085...b-2.5-ssd.html

2) OCZ SSD Vertex 2 SATA II 3.5" - 90 GΒ (184 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/075...0-gΒ.html

3) OCZ SSD RevoDrive PCI-Express x4 - 50 GΒ (204 euro)
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/075...0-gΒ.html

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1) PATRIOT VIPER II SECTOR 7 12GB 3x 4GB DDR3 CL7 Tri Channel 1600MHz PV7312G1600LLK (215 euro)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PATRIOT-12GB-V...item1e5f61f50c

2) KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX DDR3 12GB (3X4GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS TRIPLE CHANNEL KIT (180 euro)
http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.552664

3) Corsair Vengeance Performance 3 x 4 GΒ DDR3-1600 - PC3-12800 - CL9 (CMZ12GX3M3A1600C9) (178 euro )
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/089...1600c9).html


I really like the crucial c 300 for its sata 3 but i read that my mobo's marvel sata 3 controller doesnt support trim! Anyway i hope they'll make an update to fix the problem in the near future! So now what are ur personal choices on the above ssds and 12GB ram kits for my 350 euro budget? Dont forget to check the ssd comparison review i put in the first post!

 

[Smety]

Hey pany,

I would go with the Crucial RealSSD C300 64GB because it is capable of using Sata III.

As for RAM, it's really personal preference, I would go with the Kingston if it was my PC

 

[pany]

Hey man i appreciate your advice! I was thinking the same too but im worried about this issue!
http://www.forums.crucial.com/t5/So...8-amp-Asus-Sabertooth-Questions-and/m-p/29928

Check this out and let me know of your thoughts! A ssd without trim or garbage collection is useless! U'll need to format every month!

 

[HammerON]

I would say go for the OCZ 90GB and the Patriot ram. Just my two cents and good luck with your build
I personally feel that 6GB of ram is the most you will need for a while to come. The money you save can then be used to buy a good cooler for your CPU (which I highly suggest).

 

[pany]

Since im not doing OC at the moment isnt the intel cooler provided with the processor gonna be enough to keep my temperatures low? the reason why i wanted 12GB and not 6GB its not because i need the 12GB but i dont want to overload my memory controller by adding another 3x2GB kit! I can just use a 3x4gb kit now which works better than a 2 x 3x2GB! At least thats what i ve been told

 

[Smety]

Hey man i appreciate your advice! I was thinking the same too but im worried about this issue!
http://www.forums.crucial.com/t5/So...8-amp-Asus-Sabertooth-Questions-and/m-p/29928

Check this out and let me know of your thoughts! A ssd without trim or garbage collection is useless! U'll need to format every month!

Ahhh, I see how this could be an issue. Worst case scenario you could use it in SATA II until an update comes out for your mobo (if one does). But of course, it's your choice

 

[HammerON]

Since im not doing OC at the moment isnt the intel cooler provided with the processor gonna be enough to keep my temperatures low? the reason why i wanted 12GB and not 6GB its not because i need the 12GB but i dont want to overload my memory controller by adding another 3x2GB kit! I can just use a 3x4gb kit now which works better than a 2 x 3x2GB! At least thats what i ve been told

The stock cooler will work if you are not going to overclock. As far as the ram, I am not sure but what the hell go for 12GB

 

[n-ster]

Stock cooler still isn't that great... I'd still get a cooler and thermal paste. extra fan is optional but preferable. With the intel cooler temps can still go up to 80C or more, something like that at least. I get ~75C MAX at 4GHZ with my i7 and hyper 212+ + extra fan

As for RAM, the 178 euro or 180 euro will do great, no need for cl7 at a 35 euro price premium

SSD wise, it depends how much space matters to you. I`d go Vertex 2 if I were you. 60GB or 90GB are both good. I'd go for the 60GB as you can add another one in RAID 0 for cheap to almost double your speed. The Revodrive is unpractical. If you want a revodrive, look into the Revodrive 2

 

[pany]

I guess i'll go for the kingston 12gb ram then! Thought that the low latency was important to the ram efficiency since they are all at 1600Mhz! As for the ssd; one of the reasons i wanted the revodrive is that i have in total of 7 internal hdds (and another 3 external ) and the mobo supports 6! I have a 36GB Western Digital Raptor , 3 x 320GB Seagate Barracuda, 1 x 500GB Seagate Barracuda and 2 x 1.5TB Seagate Barracuda) so i'll need to remove the raptor for sure! Was hoping the pci-e revodrive would help me keep the other 6 since im planning to raid the 3 320 GB and the 2 x 1.5 TB! I still havent decided on the ssd! Why do u see the revodrive as unpractical? Its got the best benchmarks from all i've seen till now except the revodrive X2! As for the cooler and the thermal compound, unfortunately they arent provided from eshopcy so i guess i'll just have to order from somewhere else and do it myself? Never done that b4 so i'll need some guidance again soon lol!
I found some other cpu coolers but dunno if they are any good!

 

[n-ster]

as it takes up a pci-e x4 slot (only if you have one ofc), and it is basically 2 SSDs in RAID 0. So you are paying a premium just because it is RAID 0 internal. You cannot use the 2 SSDs inside in different computers obviously. The speeds aren't that impressive, by buying 2x 60GB Vertex 2, you'll exceed those speeds with OVER 2X the storage for only 30 something euros.

As for other CPU coolers, idk any that offer the same value as the Hyper 212+. I know the Xigmatek S1283 isn't too bad, the Scythe Mugen 2 is OK also. Thermal compound, if not MX-2 or 3 or OCZ freeze, there are a few others like the Shin etsu G751 I think or something like that. The Artic Silver 5 is OK, personally I don't like it but its popular.

3 x 320GB + 2x 1.5TB + 2x 60GB Vertex 2 would be sweet

 

[pany]

Got it will get the 12GB kingston ram and probably order the vertex 2 60 GB from ebay sometime soon. Now that we talked about my hdds another problem arose! The case i chose is a midi tower with 6 3.5 inch bays. I was thinking now that my GPU is quite long 245mm and thus will probably block 1 or 2 of the 3.5 inch bays! And if im going to crossfire in the future then it just won't cut it! Also the case is quite small and with just another fan i think the temperatures will still be at higher levels! So i was thinking about maybe getting a full tower but the difference in price will be from 50 euro to maybe 100! Any suggestions for a nice and affordable solution to this problem?

I was thinking about this case!

http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.650870

 

[n-ster]

I love the K62, hands down the easiest case to work with...

Lian-Li Lancool PC-k62 Dragonlord somethhing of the sort... I had 6870s crossfired in them at some point. 6970s aparently barely fit in but they do fit in.

The K62 only has 4 3.5" slots, but you can use a few of it's 5 5.25" bays, plus you can always fit your SSD on top of one of the HDDs in the 3.5" bays OR on top of all the 5.25" bays. Lads of room. Best part is it is still mid tower! Also, all 4 HDD slots are tool-less.

This also looks good, it might be expensive where you live but may solve your problem without a new case: Thermaltake RC2300101A MAX-2533 5.25" (x2) Bay to ...
OR something cheap like this would work
Rosewill RX-C520 3.5" HDD Mounting Kit for 5.25" D...

 

[pany]

Caught between cases!

I had a word with the technician at e-shop who will set up my system and it seems my current case the thermaltake soprano VX VD6000BNS just wont cut it due to the amount of my hdds so he suggested i go for another full tower case!

Initially he suggested this one
http://www.e-shop.gr/show_per.phtml?id=PER.651116
http://www.thermaltake.com/product_...00001612&name=ARMOR+A90&ov=n&ovid=&parent_cp=
And then he insisted i go for this one
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.650870
http://www.thermaltake.com/product_..._00001516&id=C_00001517&name=Element+V+&ovid=

The Soprano case was 61.5 euro!
The Armor A90 is around 87 or 110 euro from the cyprus shop if i order it so it will be 25 or 50 euro more! (i'll let u know once i know)
The Element V is around 138.80 euro so it will be around 77 euro more!

The guy insisted i go for the more expensive case but im thinking he's just trying to get me to spend more! Here's a comparison of the two products from thermaltake!
http://www.thermaltake.com/product_...00001612&name=ARMOR+A90&ov=n&ovid=&parent_cp=

Any thoughts on this ppl?

 

[pany]

Rig on the way!

Ok guys i got my rig ordered with some minor changes from the initial build!

Case: THERMALTAKE VL90001W2Z ARMOR A90 (90 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.651116

PSU: THERMALTAKE W0116 TOUGHPOWER 750W CABLE MANAGEMENT ATI CROSSFIRE CERTIFIED (97 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.700420

Processor: Intel Core i7-950 Processor(8M Cache, 3.06 GHz, 4.80 GT/s IntelR QPI) (310 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.558291

Motherboard: ASUS SABERTOOTH X58 (199 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.522863

Memory: KINGSTON KHX1600C9D3K3/12GX DDR3 12GB (3X4GB) PC12800 1600MHZ HYPERX GENESIS TRIPLE CHANNEL KIT (180 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.552664

Graphics Card: Sapphire Radeon HD6870 1GB PCI-E (249 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.510754

Hard Disk: SEAGATE BARRACUDA LP ST31500541AS 1.5TB SATA2 32MB cache (109 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.301687

Screen: LG W2361V-PF 23'' TFT 2ms Full HD 1920x1080 with HDMI (189 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.169565

DVD Writer: SAMSUNG DVD-RW SH-S223L Black (26 euro)
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.321020
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Total = 1449 euro

Plus i have the following to add!

1) NEC DVD RW ND-4551A or Optiarc DVD RW AD-5170A (dunno which is best to keep)
2) 3 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 R...
3) 1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.301778
4) 1 x SEAGATE BARRACUDA LP ST31500541AS 1.5TB SATA2 32MB cache
http://www.eshopcy.com.cy/show.phtml?id=PER.301687
5) 2 x External hard discs (1 x 1TB Lacie Bigger Extreme + 1 x 750GB)
6) 1 x Samsung LCD 40 inch LE40B651 to be connected via dvi to hdmi for watching movies
7) Microsoft Wireless Multimedia Keyboard 1.0A and Microsoft Wireless Optical Mouse 2.0A
8) Creative 7.1 Sound System (4 years old but works just great)

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150 euro left on my budget now so will probably order a vertex 2e 60 gb hdd
http://www.pixmania.com.cy/cy/gr/06...-δισκος-ssd-vertex-2-sata-ii-2.5---60-gΒ.html (141 euro)
or
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI....akeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:top:en (150 euro)

 

[Bo$$]

you might want a newer SANDYBRIDGE CPU, they are faster clock for clock
x58 is slightly dated now

 

[pany]

Thought about it but i wont be OCing anytime soon and im not looking to OC to 5.0 GHz either. When i do OC i'll probably take it to 4.0GHz! What did you think of the overall system?