Build Advice Noob to PC building with a few questions

I appreciate everyones replies and extensive research. I learned quite a bit from this thread but still unsure with what to go with because there is alot of different suggestions. I am not sure what it all boils down to. Personal preference I suppose. I might have to refine my reasons for building to get a better outlook on what I need.

 

It all boils down to personal preference and a few other details like what size monitor you have; and whether or not you plan on going to a bigger monitor.

As for my comment on the 5870 being decent... Don't get me wrong... That card is one of the top dogs from ATI at the moment... The only more powerful cards from ATI being the 5970 and some 2GB models of the 5870, and there is even a 4GB model of the 5870, but you'll spend $1000 just on the card.

Assuming you are playing your games on a 24" Screen at 1920x1080, that 5870 that I listed will be able to kill pretty much any game out now at maximum settings; or at least give you high enough frames per second that it will look amazing. If you plan on going to a bigger screen, or doing multiple monitor setups then you start getting into issues with it at high settings.

As others have said... Be prepared to come to grips with the fact that the Video Card will probably be the most expensive component of your computer; that is unless you're going with one of the top Intel CPUs that run over $600...

So in recap...
The Gaming Workhorse from the Bit-Tech buyer's guide that I listed is just what the name says... It will allow you to play today's games and even take you into the future a bit.

If as you said you wouldn't mind going over the budget in order to get the best PC possible then perhaps you should be aiming at the 1366 Chipset instead of the 1156 that goes with the i7 860.
Something like this setup would be more than enough; I think:

Case: SILVERSTONE RAVEN RV02-BW - $159.99

CPU: Intel Core i7-950 Bloomfield 3.06GHz - $299.99

Motherboard: EVGA 131-GT-E767-TR LGA 1366 Intel X58 SLI3 - $199.99

Video Card: XFX HD-587X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5870 1GB - $389.99

PSU: CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX - $149.99

RAM: Mushkin Enhanced Blackline 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 - $144.99

Hard Drive: SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s - $74.99

DVD/CD Burner: Lite-On iHAS-324-98 - $19.99

CPU Cooler: Cogage True Spirit - $35.99
Newegg doesn't carry the top of the line CPU Coolers, so I linked to CrazyPC. You can search for one that you like there or go to FrozenCPU, or Xoxide, or Sidewindercomputers... just find the site that has the best price. The one I recommend here, I only recommend it because in reviews I've read around the web this one works just as well as other brands that cost double the money... In fact Cogage is a sub-brand by one of the major manufacturers of CPU Coolers (Thermalright) the are known for the "ThermalRight Ultra Extreme Rev C"... This one retails for around $60 and it's basically the same as the Cogage that I linked to. See the word TRUE in the initials I bolded? Same thing as the Cogage TRUE Spirit.

This setup brings you up to the latest intel chipset and will last you a good while into the future. The grand total for this build is as follows:

Newegg: $1,439.92 + S&H
CrazyPC: $35.99 + S&H
Grand Total: $1,475.91 + S&H

You're still just a bit over the top end of the budget you had mentioned, but now have a much more powerful machine than the one I posted first.

If you wanted to go even further... You could add a SSD (Solid State Drive) for your Operating System...
One like this:

Crucial RealSSD C300 - $269.99

That would bring the total up to $1,709.91 + S&H, but again; you would have an even bigger monster in your hands.

The problem with building computers like this is that no matter what we pick; chances are there will always be something better just around the corner, so we get into a never ending game of chasing technology.
If you can wait a while, just give it a month or so and wait until the 6XXX from ATI comes out. I know I am... even if it's just to see if the new arrivals force the prices on the 5970s down a bit.

As I said before... This is just as much a matter of preference as anything else... You could easily swap the Video Card I linked to for an NVidia GTX460 and save about $100. I'm partial to ATI, so I linked to that one.
Cheers
Sebastian

 

@ xXSebasXx

Thank you sir for this is a mighty fine setup. i looked at the compenents and I like them. As far as screen resolution and screen size. I dont think I will go as big as 24". So if what you said is true about that size then the card will work out perfect. As far as 2 screens maybe one day but not at all now. As a matter of fact I play my games on a 12.1" screen so anything would be a step up.

I applaud you sir and give you 7 thumbs up.

As far as down the line even if i get to play a game 3 years from now on the low settings I would be happy because there are some games I cant even play on my laptop.

 

See my post above this one.

As for the components you list here:
The RAM is more expensive and slower than the Mushkins I listed. The differences are unnoticeable in real world situations (gaming, normal use), so if Corsair Dominators is what you want, by all means go with them.


The Video Card you chose is more than enough... I suggest you check Newegg out... that same card is listed at 389.99 instead of 419.99 at Tigerdirect.

I've done lots of price comparisons between TD and NE and 85% of the time NE has better prices.

As far as buying parts little by little.... I wouldn't recommend it. I suggest you set a budget; save money until you have that budget in hand and then buy the whole lot in one hit. It'll save you money on S&H and you'll have the chance to make last minute adjustments based on Promotions, new arrivals, special deals, combo discounts, etc.

Cheers
Sebastian

 

Quick reply Sebas. I edited my post too late I suppose as you saw it. I looked at your above build and like it. REview my edited post. I will most likey go with your build. As far as saving up and buying at once your right not only for price but just in case I get a DOA too. Thank you a gain kind sir.

 

Hey no problem my friend... I'm just trying to give back a bit... Whatever I've learned about building PCs this way I've learned by reading threads in this site and by getting advice from more experienced members....

In the end that's the name of the game... We all come here wanting to learn something. I'm glad you've found the information I provided useful, bear in mind that what I recommend may not be the same that others might have chosen, but each of the components that I listed for you is there for a number of reasons:

- You can't go wrong with Corsair PSUs
- EVGA Motherboards may not be everyone's choice, but if you're in the US they tend to get the best reviews for customer service.
- XFX Video Cards -> Lifetime Warranty --> Nothing else needs to be said.
- Mushkin Memory -> Yes, Corsair is better known, but as Overclockers and Enthusiasts here or at other sites and they'll vouch for Mushkin.

Happy building and be sure to start a new thread over at the Project Logs once you have the components and show us the new beast on the whole building process.

Cheers
Sebastian

 

Sebas gave you an excellent build, I have only one negative comment about the motherboard, the rest are just neutral comments ^^.

I noticed you were a bit concerned about the motherboard. I did see earlier in the thread that you might be considering doing triple crossfire in the future. You wouldn't be able to do that with the EVGA motherboard because it only has 2 PCIe 2.0 x16 slots. Also note that if you plan to triple crossfire or quad crossfire you'll probably have to upgrade your PSU (900-1200w), but at least if u get a better mobo you won't need to get another mobo too . Also, I notice that the EVGA motherboard only lists memory speed compatibility with 1600MHz. While there's probably more, it would be good if you had a more definitive memory speed cap to know how far you can upgrade in the future. These boards are under $100 more expensive than the EVGA board, and I like them much better.

ASUS P6X58D-E for $230

ASUS Rampage III Formula for $300

I just remembered that ATI is supposed to start releasing their 6000 series cards this month (maybe as early as the 16th, 5 days from now) so, if you're so inclined, you may want to wait and see what new cards are offered, and even if you don't like the new cards there's a chance the old cards will go down in price meaning you may be able to get an even STRONGER card xD. Be careful about getting an extremely high end graphics card though as the things tend to get so long that it won't fit in your case anymore.

As for that extra optional SSD on the end, an SSD will normally be used just for the os and a few select games (in your case WoW would probably be #1) so you really only need a 64gb drive which is significantly cheaper than the 128gb.

Reguarding the screen issue, my friend always tells me this and I give recommendations by it: "I always regret buying my 24" screen instead of the 26" one I was looking at. Bigger really is better for monitors." I suggest 25" or larger.

I recommend this Hanns-G HZ251HPB for $190

Other than that enjoy your build! it's gonna be awesome, you should definitely think about looking up information on overclocking and trying it .

 

Sorry i missed above post earlier. Answer to post #13

It should be enough even with SLI and Physx card Here is the link that i use to calculate power the light version is probably a fair enough guide I think the pro version is much better but it cost$ to use.

I maxed the calculator out with the 930,SLI W/physx 3 120mm HS fans tv tuner card, sound blaster card and 4 extra usb devices and still come out to 712 watts, but you can go there and check for your self. The pro version is what i used to calculate power needs for my system if i maxed everything out.

A lot of this comes with Personal preference, personal experience with company's and customer service / product reputation/reliability. I will pay more for some parts because of the warrenty i.e. almost $400 for my MB because Evga has a life time warranty on it (of course that's if i don't do something stupid to it) and because of the Upgrade possibility in the future i.e. 2 Way SLI, 3 Way SLI & physix to boot. If i want i can OC my MB it has quality parts and is backed by EVGA's rep. I guess what my logic is "if you buy quality/high end parts you have more reliability and longevity" it may be a flawed logic but it hasn't failed me yet.

Hope this helps