7950 new build

[Leet0nee]

Hey everyone, a few months back I posted for some tips and to review my build I had back then and since the 7950 is out now I have redone it yet again.

I will be using it for gaming, music and streaming. I may overclock later if and when I decide to get a cpu heatsink. Is there any tips or comments that can help me? This is technically my first build.

MOBO-
ASRock Z68 Extreme3 Gen3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard ( http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813157271 )
CPU- Intel Core i5-2500K Sandy Bridge 3.3GHz (3.7GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor = 229.99

RAM- G.SKILL Sniper 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBSR

GPU- SAPPHIRE 11196-00-40G Radeon HD 7950 3GB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 3.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

PSU- CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX750 V2 750W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified

DVD BURNER/READER- ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner

CASE- AZZA Solano 1000R Black / Red Japanese SECC Steel/Metal mesh in front ATX Full Tower Computer Case

HARDDIVE- Seagate Barracuda ST31000524AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

MONITOR- Asus VH238H Black 23" Full HD HDMI LED Backlight LCD Monitor w/Speakers

MOUSE- Cyborg CCB437080002/04/1 Black USB Wired Laser R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse

KEYBOARD- RAZER Black USB Wired BlackWidow Ultimate Mechanical Gaming Keyboard


I have about 2000$ to spend and this brings me right there at 1978$ taxes and shipping in.

 

[Yuriman]

I'm not a fan of the monitor, that mouse drives me nuts (roommate had one and he reverted to his logitech after a few months), and for $2000 you can almost certainly budget in a small SSD. Otherwise it looks good.

 

[Leet0nee]

What was wrong with the mouse? Also could you find a better 1920x1080 23inch monitor / fit a ssd in there? I am new to this .

 

[Zap]

Hey everyone, a few months back I posted for some tips and to review my build I had back then and since the 7950 is out now I have redone it yet again.

This is why many of us always recommend asking right before (1-2 weeks) your purchase, because things can and will change in a few months.

My first recommendation (beyond recommending you ask 1-2 weeks before you place your order, instead of months) is to reconsider your PSU. Will you be running Crossfire? Not a "I might consider it" but "I am 100% sure I will be running dual graphics really soon." If not, then the PSU is overkill and you can get by on a much lower wattage unit, something more like 500W. I'm not saying to skimp on quality, but to drop down closer to the wattage you will be using. Extra wattage is like empty drive bays in your case. Complete waste of empty space if never used.

 

[mfenn]

The concept of your build is decent, but there are plenty of places to save some money:
- HDD : Take a look at 750GB drives. Is the last 250GB worth $35?
- PSU: As Zap said, a 750W is overkill for this machine. $85 gets you a nice Seasonic 620W.
- RAM: There is not much of a difference between DDR3 1333 and DDR3 1600 other than the price. Check out this normal G.Skill DDR3 1333 kit for $35.
- GPU: The one place that you'll see me recommend that you spend more. Anandtech found that the dual-fan Sapphire 7950 is really quite a lot better than the other ones in terms of heat and noise.

 

[Leet0nee]

I will be buying in the next few days.

Ive got an Antec 550w currently, so you're telling me that I can keep the PSU I have now and not have no problems with the new system.

I have changed a few things as well, now getting a

GIGABYTE GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Instead of the Extreme 3 Gen 3 and I picked up a 60gb OCZ SSD. Would 550 be enough to power all that?

If so I could drop out that seasonic and get a WD Caviar Black 1.5tb for 170$ and still save money.




http://classicwebmail.bellaliant.ne...oduct%2FProduct.aspx%3Fitem%3DN82E16813128495

 

[LagunaX]

This ram is the same price and cheaper (free shipping) and can do this:
http://www.techpowerup.com/forums/showthread.php?t=159320

And if you are thinking of overclocking at all which you should then you might as well install a better heatsink while you are building it such as this $35 dollar bang for buck:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835103099

Just my $0.02.

Have fun!

 

[Leet0nee]

I guess I'm not worried about ram or anything like that. If my PSU the Antec 550w could power all of that then I can drop the 750w and save myself some money?

 

[mfenn]

I will be buying in the next few days.

Ive got an Antec 550w currently, so you're telling me that I can keep the PSU I have now and not have no problems with the new system.

I have changed a few things as well, now getting a

GIGABYTE GA-Z68MA-D2H-B3 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard

Instead of the Extreme 3 Gen 3 and I picked up a 60gb OCZ SSD. Would 550 be enough to power all that?

If so I could drop out that seasonic and get a WD Caviar Black 1.5tb for 170$ and still save money.

Depends on the vintage and exact model of the PSU, but most likely yes.

Which SSD are you looking at? OCZ isn't the most reliable and 60GB drives are significantly slower than the bigger ones.