Hello all, I'm going to build a new PC in the next few months, but one thing keeps bringing me back to the drawing board... What mobo and what graphics card should I get?! Here's my current build... Possible: Motherboards - ASUS P6X58D Premium - has USB 3.0 and SATA 6GBs. Future proofing is ALWAYS good. ASUS ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 - to my knowledge, this is a better quality board with better OCing Video Cards - ASUS ATI 5850 Factory OCed @ 765MHz ASUS Nvidia 470GTX ASUS ATI 5870 CPU Heatsink - Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler Noctua NH-U9B SE2 92mm SSO CPU Cooler Definite: Hard Drive - Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM drive w/ 64mb Cache at SATA 6GB/s Optical Drive - ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS DVD-RW drive Case - LIAN LI PC-A05NB Black Aluminum ATX Mini Tower Computer Case PSU - SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W PSU CPU - Intel Core i7-930 CPU RAM - CORSAIR XMS3 6GB DDR3 1600 RAM Wireless - ASUS PCE-N13 PCI Express Wireless Adapter First, does this all seem compatible? Second, anyone care to weigh in on the mobo/GPU/CPU cooler questions? If I didn't list a part you'd recommend I'd be happy to know what it is (that goes for any component of my build). I've heard the P6T is a better mobo, but the P6X58D just seems to be more future proof/a better investment. Note. If I don't get a 6GB/s mobo I'll replace the WD HD with the Samsung F3 1TB drive. On the GPU front I'm just not sure what to do. The ATI 5850 runs cool, is fast, and is cheap, but for $10 more I can get a Nvidia 470 GTX, but those use a lot more power, run hotter, and are louder. For about $80 more I can get a ATI 5870, which is faster for the most part than the Nvidia 470GTX, quieter, cooler, and uses less power, but is $80 more. Finally, more my CPU cooler, do I save $10 and go for the 92mm cooler or invest in the 120mm tower for maximum cooling? In a word? HELP! Budget: $1,600 - $1,700 Main uses of intended build: Gaming and photo/video editing Parts required: All of 'em Previous build information (list details of parts): None I still have my hands on (thanks CraigsList!) Monitor resolution: 1900x1200 Storage requirements: 1 TB, eventually want to do a JBOD array for redundancy and speed. Will you be overclocking: A mild one. not looking to push any barriers. Any motherboard requirements: I'd really like something that's a good future-safe investment. Otherwise, not really. Intel X58 northbridge. Extra information about desired system: I'll be running Windows 7 64-bit Home. Will it all fit in that LIAN LI case? I've done the math and a bit of layout and I believe it should, but I'm a bit worried. Thanks in advance for all the advice, everyone. Ramzie
Also, I'm considering going the P55/i5-860 route. Any advice or recommendations here vs. sticking with a X58/i7-930 build? Thanks! Ramzie
