Oh, and I wouldn't go phase-change. It's loud, it's fussy, it uses a hell of a lot of power, and chances are, will break your components if left on too long. It'll also probably cause condensation, which, if it drips on to your graphics cards, will kill them. If you want a water-cooled Phenom, I'm more than happy to help spec one up with you. For what it's worth, I'd just get a 5870 now (if you can find one), and then swap GPUs later - it's really as easy a clipping one into a slot, and if you've worked in PC repair before, you should have no problems doing it blindfolded. We have a Marketplace section that opens up after 75 posts, so selling it on shouldn't be a problem when you decide to upgrade, or you could Crossfire with another 5870. The options are limitless. Will
I'm really getting the feeling that you made this thread as much to boast as to get advice. You admit that theres zero need for 2x 5970 yet want to get them "just because you can". It says plenty about you.
can some one tell me what the difference is between XFX ATI Radeon 5970 Black Edition Sapphire 2048Mb ATi Radeon HD 5970 Asus ATI Radeon HD 5970 HIS ATI Radeon 5970 i dont get what the difference is
They are different manufacturers. The Chip on all of them is the same, but they come in a different package, the drivers are different, the support, the warranty, and some do not use the same PCB design. I would go for XFX as I personally like their style, their support is good and the black edition is overclocked a bit, which means more speed. I want to say one last time that the 965 you are opting for is only mid-range compared to recent intel processors. I know you have bad experiene with intel, but what do you do when I say I have bad experience with AMD? Maybe I just picked some faulty AMD procs, and you picked some faulty Intel procs, but that doesn't make either of them a bad company. If you REALLY WANT the best out there, go for a i7 920. It really is the best atm. My honest opinion, but also bare facts.
Dude, I've just looked back - you play Counter-Strike, Half-Life 2, and Call Of Duty 4? These are old games, mate. A 4870X2 could probably manage them on a 30" monitor. Heck, the Valve games are based on an engine that's 6 years old! If I were you, I'd take the money you've saved, buy a nice table and chairs, 4 identical badass rigs with the money left, and host a LAN party every night. It's like the dream, dude, and you have the coin to do it.
^ True dat Still, to answer the question: You would need a X58 Chipset motherboard, the Asus P6T Deluxe or V2 or alternatively the Gigabyte GA-EX58 are very good options.
If it's an i7, you get the 920, and the Asus P6T Deluxe. If it's a Phenom, the II 965 and the MSI GD70. Other than that, it's pretty much identical. DDR3 memory - 1600MHz or up (3/6 sticks for the i7, 2/4 for the Phenom, though you could just use 2/4 on the i7) Graphics - 5870/5970 - entirely dependant on availability, tbh. I'd go for the 5870 from Sapphire, with the Vapor-X cooler if I was in your shoes. PSU - something like the Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 850W, Corsair HX/TX 850W (I've got 850W power a W/C i7 and Quadfire, before anyone says it's not enough juice) Case - personal preference, but it's Antec, Silverstone, Lian Li, or Coolermaster, truth be told (I'm sure SOMEONE will disagree) Cooler - a custom water setup on the CPU - 240mm radiator, pump, reservoir, CPU block, tubing, coolant - will set you back £150, but it's worth it at this price point, IMO. You can have your CPU super-powered, and silent. DVD drive - not Blu-ray. You'll want to watch them on a TV, not a monitor, so just a standard DVD-RW. Monitor - depends - I'd say the Dell U2410, but if you want 30", I'm sure there's one (also Dell, I think) that does the job. Their monitors rule. Storage - A Crucial M225 SSD 128GB (for Windows and Steam), and a Samsung Spinpoint F3 for storage. Don't bother with RAID - aside from synthetic tests, it doesn't do much. Keyboard/mouse - try some at a local store to see which works for you. Saitek, Logitech and Razer always get god mentions. Have I missed anything?
I don't think so. Very good list actually! I would go for Corsair PSU over Be Quiet ones. Case - I will not disagree ^__^ DVD Drive - same thought. I would watch out so that it is SATA though, they are much better in my opinion, IDE is kind of old. Monitor - same here. Go for Dell, they own. U2410 is awesome! 30 inch really is too big if you're not a GFX Designer or similar. A 240 mm Rad will not be enough for what you listed though - I would at least say a 360, best would be a 360 and a 240. Will keep it cool and you'll have room for OC'ing. Also, as fans for the Rads, try to get a hold of some Scythe Gentle Typhoons or some Sharkoon Silent Eagle. Go for Feser X-Changers or Thermochills PA Series, they are both great choices. A Laing DDC-1plus or Ultra or even a standard one will be sufficent.
A 240mm rad keeps my i7 nice and chilly when it's plugged in... I'm using XSPC kit - an RS240 rad, the 5.25" res/pump combo, and the Delta v3 block. Temps are always low with a huge overclock, and it's all silent in an Antec 1200 (which, in itself is a miracle). I'm looking towards chipset cooling, myself - there's a slight stability issue to iron out once you get the old C0 to 4GHz and beyond... I might have to buy a D0 unter the pretense that "I need a new recording rig!"...
I'm with Ph4Zed on this one. How bout aim for the basic i7 system then work it up to what you need plus a little more to cover yourslef rather than just buying the best because you can.
Hehe... In all fairness, either of the big rigs will be beastly, but after a few years, they'll look slow. The Phenom will age less gracefully than the i7, but eventually you'll want something bigger and better, no matter what you get now. I'd get the i7-920 rig, but that's because you've got the cash to do so. If money was tighter, I'd suggest a toss-up between Intel i5 and AMD Phenom II, but the i5 would lead slightly, and I'd recommend the best GPU you could get. For a gaming comparison of the processors, check here. Have you decided what to do about graphics yet?
the msi 790fx gd70 is an awesome motherboard, im running my 955be on one and im more than happy with it, check out the bit tech review of the msi 790fx
i dont really no i have been looking trying to find the differences i am leaning towards the sapphire 5970 but i cant find any real difference between all of the 5970 exp in the price i still dont really like the Intel i7-920 but i can see what you are all saying about it being the better chip
You don't like it, yet its the best you can get?! I can only think of one reason for this...And it won't do you any good.
It's all about the little fanboy that's in every single one of us. I'm also a fanboy of many things, but when it comes to PCs I try to keep myself reasonable Try to look for the Vapor-X cards by Sapphire - they are awesome. They offer a much better cooling performance and they are really quiet. Other than that, it's just about the customer support and the looks of the Card which brand you choose. Had a good lough when reading that thread earlier Amazing how it still kept pretty cool But wow, I always thought you needed more for an i7. Btw, will the GFX Cards be WC'ed as well? If so, you need a second rad, or maybe a second loop. (If you got the money.)
