Build Advice Building first desktop - i7

Discussion in 'Hardware' started by tomj, 7 May 2009.

  1. tomj

    tomj TomJ

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    Hi,

    New to all this and could really do with some help!

    Bit apprehensive, but seems to make more sense to attempt building my own desktop as cheaper, choose your own components etc. Cons seem to be: no 'insurance', frying all the components, endless problems etc...

    Anyway!Here's my plan:


    Intel Core i7 (920) 2.66GHz
    P6T DELUXE V2
    OCZ DDR3 PC3 4096 MB 1600MHZ..
    XFX/ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB
    Lite-on DVDROM 18X 48X SATA
    HD: WD CAVIAR GREEN POWER 1000GB 5400RP
    Corsair TX 650W Ultra Quiet Power Supply
    Antec THREE HUNDRED EU TOWER CASE


    Queries:
    i) Are there any changes you would make?
    ii) Is the small case size going to be a bit challenging
    iii) I wasn't sure about heatsinks and whether I need one (or thermal paste etc)
    iv) Does £885 seem reasonable for all this?
    v) Have I missed anything major out?!

    Thanks in advance,

    Tom
     
  2. SkiDave

    SkiDave Minimodder

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    Welcome to bit-tech!

    i) I would change the green power HDD for a samsung spinoint f1 1TB; it has much better performance. Also I would perhaps change the PSU for a modular one; corsair HX620

    ii) The case should be fine

    iii) The stock heatsink should be fine but if you want to overclock you might want a better heatsink.

    iv) Im not too sure on pricing but yes.

    v) If it is a completely new build you may need OS, screen, keyboard and mouse?

    Dave
     
  3. Diosjenin

    Diosjenin Thinker, Tweaker, Et Cetera

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    Oooookay...

    - RAM: No no no no no. i7 (in practical terms) only works with sets of RAM that are multiples of 3GB ONLY.

    Here's the deal. Before i7, there was DDR3, sure. But it used almost as much voltage as did DDR2 - around the 2.0v range. The thing about i7 is that its integrated memory controller can't deal with that much juice - it wants a MAXIMUM of 1.65v RAM. And, sorry to tell you, 2-stick sets just don't draw that little power yet. Manufacturers had to design new sticks of DDR3 RAM from the ground up to make it fit that stringent power draw requirement. And they did - but as of right now, those sticks are only available in 3-stick sets right now.

    Long story short: A 2x2GB set of DDR3 RAM would probably not even work with your i7 - and if it did, it would almost certainly fry it. You'll be wanting a 3x2GB set of DDR3 RAM. They're getting to be pretty cheap nowadays anyway. Most anything from OCZ, G-Skill, Mushkin, etc. will do you fine, although I consistently hear the best price-performance praise directed at the OCZ Platinum line.

    Also - it's worth noting that if you're not planning on overclocking that i7 to 4GHz (or higher), you won't be able to take full advantage of DDR3-1600 RAM. The default speed of an i7 920 is 2.66GHz (133MHz base clock [bclk] * 20x multiplier), and to overclock it to 4GHz requires an increase in the base clock (200MHz bclk * 20x).

    Thing is, that base clock drives everything else on the CPU as well - and since it integrates a memory controller, that includes the memory. The highest memory multiplier available to you is 8x, so if you don't overclock, the most you can get out of your RAM is (133MHz bclk * 8x) = 1064MHz, or just about DDR3-1066. In fact, the only way to take full advantage of DDR3-1600 is to push the base clock to at least 200MHz (200MHz * 8x = 1600MHz). So if you're not planning on OCing, save yourself some money and get DDR3-1066 or DDR3-1333.

    However, if you are planning on OCing (and everyone here would highly recommend that you do), you'll want a far beefier cooler than the Intel stock cooler - something which is conspicuously absent from your build plan... more on that in a moment.

    - Hard Drive: It's probably worth going for a slightly less power-conscious hard drive to pair with an i7. The speed benefits will be worth it. Assuming you're sticking with the 1TB capacity: if you can find a Seagate 7200.12 around the same price point as the one you've picked out, go for that, but if not, the Samsung Spinpoint F1 or WD Caviar Black are your best options.

    - Power Supply: It's more than adequate for what you have. If you were to add a second card at some point in the future, it would in all likelihood still be fine, but you would probably be running right up against its upper limits. I would go with a 750W, just to be on the safer side of things. The 750W version of the Corsair TX seems to be only a slight price increase from the 650W version, at least here in the states, so maybe you should shoot for that if you can. Others here may disagree - it's largely my opinion.

    - GPU: If you plan on going multi-GPU in the future, you should at least consider getting a GeForce GTX-260, as two GTX 260s in SLI generally seem to have a slight advantage over two 4870s in Crossfire. Others here might have differing (or more detailed) opinions on that, but I personally think it's something you should at least consider.

    - Heatsink: Most anything that will get you to 4GHz is considered respectable in the i7 world, and none do so more quietly than the Noctua NH-U12P. And apparently, there's a special package available for that cooler that bundles another fan in, which makes it just about the best deal around to me. (It comes with thermal paste, btw).

    - Case: "Small case size"? It's a standard ATX tower. The only way to go up from there is full-tower (like the Cooler Master ATCS) - and while they might have better airflow, they're huge. Unless you can find any problems about fitting an upright 120mm cooler inside the Antec 300, it should be fine. If you can swing the extra cash (which you might not be able to after a heatsink and 6GB of RAM and what not - totally understandable), you might want to look at Antec's 902 or a lower-end Lian-Li. But what you have will serve you fine.


    - Diosjenin -
     
  4. tomj

    tomj TomJ

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    Couple more questions...


    Cheers both for your quick responses. I've already got monitor etc

    Information on memory is especially useful and glad I checked as sounds like would have been bit of disaster!

    Memory: I am planning on OCing, but considering I have little experience prob need to be realistic about what levels I can achieve (although I understand it's relatively easy on i7?). Consequently, would you reccomend I use the 3x2GB DDR3 1333, rather than 1600?

    Power & HD: I'll probably up the PSU as you suggest and look at the HD

    GPU: Does dual GTX 260 perform better because it's SLI (i.e. is crossfire less effective)? From what I've read, I got impression that the 4870 1GB generally performed better than the 260 in a single configuration.

    Heatsink I'll check out prices & see if I can afford it, and maybe wait to OC if I can't

    Case: Couple reviews I read of the Antec 300 said check size of GPU first, and used words like 'compact', & tidy cabling, which made me shiver! But if it's fairly standard size that's cool...


    Generally
    I don't want to drag anyone into what seems like a much discussed debate(!), but quick query about pre-i7 quad cores. Having read that i7s were not noticeably faster than let's say a Q9950 for gaming, I checked out prices for ready-made desktops to see if I could save money to spend on GPU etc, but they didn't seem to be significantly cheaper, if at all.... let's say £50-£100. Clearly that was for a pre-built, so I should check out individual components. Does this sound right?

    I'm using this for gaming as well as moderate graphics work, but not no. crunching (which I understand i7s excel at.) My question: am I better off using an i7 processor considering small price difference and fact that i7 may come increasingly into its own in future for games/graphics?

    I probably should have asked this in my original post, but fairly sure from what I've read, cost, and what I'll be using it for, that i7 is way to go.

    Thanks, Tom
     

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