*** This thread is an Updated replacement of the Oct. post****
If One is looking for the old thread it can be found here.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2194271&enterthread=y
Thanks to mrSHEiK124 for Edited and Updating the info to be current as of March 2009
JackMDS
GHW Moderator.
-------------------------------------
The following is intended to be used as a frame of reference, and reflects prices and availability as of March 2009.
AMD does not currently have a competitive product for high end builds. If you've got cash to burn, a Core i7 920 will outperform AMD's most expensive offering. They do still have great low and mid-end choices though, which is where you'll be seeing a lot of them in this thread.
Please remember that an Intel motherboard is not compatible with an AMD processor, and vice versa. Also, please keep in mind that certain motherboards are designed for DDR2, and others DDR3. This will be indicated clearly.
Intel Core i7 based systems really are considered bleeding edge right now, all parts associated with them will be in their own section
I'm bored and felt like making this since I felt the old thread was rather outdated. Most of the information there is still current though, so I will be reusing bits and pieces.
:beer: Thanks modoheo!
Some quick FAQs:
Dual or Quad Core CPU? What about a Triple? Games are starting to take advantage of multiple cores, and more and more applications are also becoming multi-threaded. At this point, it's rather hard not to recommend a >2core CPU given how cheap some of them are. The AMD Phenom II X3 720 is of notable mention, for price/performance given the extra L3 cache.
RAID 0: Though many swear by setting up two hard drives in RAID 0 to increase performance, many articles suggest the real world performance improvement is not worth the added expense, complexity, and drive failure rate. My advice would be to stick with one big drive in this price range. If you've got the money to spend, an SSD will be faster and more reliable than a RAID 0 setup.
SLI/Crossfire: Unless you intend to play games on a very large monitor (24 inches and up) at very high settings and resolutions (1920X1200 and up), SLI/Crossfire does not offer enough improvement in gaming performance to justify the cost in the opinion of most. It's usually not a great upgrade pathway either. The best single-card solution you can afford will usually give you the most bang for your buck, given how cheap you can get a 4870.
nVIDIA chipsets: Stay far away. nVIDIA's newer chipsets have been plagued with instability, and workarounds exist to get SLI working on non-nVIDIA boards. Also, some X58 boards include an nVIDIA chip that allows SLI. Given that a lot of games will hit a CPU wall (Crysis) before they become GPU limited, this is no big deal as I'd only recommend SLI with a top of the line Core i7 build.
"Future-Proofing": Many people want to build a 'future-proof' system that will allow them to play the newest games at high to max settings for 3-4 years. Unfortunately, this is probably impossible since that length of time is an eternity in computing terms. IMHO, a better strategy is to build a mid-to-high end system every 1-2 years. Usually you'll be able to recycle the monitor and keyboard, often the case and power supply, sometimes even the hard drive or motherboard. For example, today for $1000-1400 you can build a system that'll play all games on high to max settings for the next 1-2 years, and you'll get more bang for your buck than blowing 3k on a bleeding edge system that'll be under performing within 2 years. This way you'll always have a high-performing, cost-effective system. (And building computers is fun!)
Performance/Price: System performance does not scale linearly with price. Computer systems are like sports cars and fine wines in this respect. Once you spend 1000-1400 dollars on the right components, your system will perform at least 90% as well as any desktop system available at any price.
Overclocking: Even if you've never done it before, it's so easy and the performance gain so large with the new 45nm Core 2 Duo chips as well as the 45nm Phenom II's that it'd be a shame not to at least consider doing it. There are fairly simple primers and guides you can read in the overclocking section of this board and others that'll walk you through it.
P35/P43/P45/X38/X48 [Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad]: Yes, it can be confusing, given how cheap P45 based boards are now, it's rather silly to continue recommending a P35 based motherboard. Leave X38/X48 for 16x/16x CrossFire, otherwise use a P45 based board.
Core i7: If you can afford it, go for it. Cost of entry is still rather high due to high motherboard prices as well as high DDR3 prices. We'll leave it for the high end builds, skip to the end if it's all you care to read about.
The idea here is to mix and match components below from different categories depending on your personal preference and budget. This means you can choose any kind of combo you want (example: mid-range CPU, low-end RAM, high-end GPU, low-end Motherboard) and still be OK. You should be capable of selecting components below and ending up with a system ranging in price from around $650 and up. Any system made up of components from the categories below should perform at a relatively high level and run most games at mid-to-high settings, as well as perform solidly at video/photo editing, web, email, cd burning, etc etc.
Please note that for convenience the examples below link to Newegg, a very popular online hardware store. You should shop around before you order to make sure you're getting the best price.
For your convenience, sample builds are included at the end.
Here goes:
Processors
Value/Low-End: For those on a very tight budget (This is for ~$400 builds)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Use DDR2
This is a great choice for HTPC or "office work" use. These chips run extremely cool, and can usually be had on sale or with combo deals. They are fairly decent overclockers, but the idea behind them is low-power scenarios.
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Use DDR2 [Can be used with DDR3 - will not benefit - motherboards are not low-end]
If you're on a tight budget, then you should strongly consider this CPU, but only if you intend to aggressively overclock. The E5200 in particular overclocks extraordinarily well partly due to its very high multiplier (12.5X), and by aggressively pushing it you can match or exceed the stock-speed gaming performance of more expensive chips below, despite the smaller L2 cache.
Mid-Range: Best price/performance ratio
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail
Arguably one of the better price/performance options right now. Can hang with the E8400, Q6600, and lower end Yorkfields when overclocked. This CPU works with AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, but currently you are better off using any AM2+ motherboard with the SB750 southbridge. Once (and if) AMD releases high end AM3 chips, then you may benefit from using AM3/DDR3, until then, enjoy the backwards compatibility.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
Still an overclocker's favorite. 4 GHz on air is possible, and most buy these for bang/buck gaming since games are not as multi-threaded as other applications. If you're doing any video editing, consider a 3 or 4 core processor.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail
You won't be touching any Core i7 rigs in performance with this one, but it will hang tight with most Core 2 processors. Black Edition means easy overclocks, just change the multipliers. Don't expect more than 4 GHz without some phase change cooling.
High-end: Yesterday's bleeding edge, cheaper
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9550 - Retail
Right now these aren't much cheaper than a Core i7 920, usually within $20. However, with a Core i7 build, expect a $250 motherboard and $100+ RAM. The ~$200 savings in platform cost make them a decent alternative if you're tight on cash. If you want the fastest you can get, go with the i7. Changing the FSB from 333 MHz to 400 MHz (3.4 GHz) is possible with minimal overvolting, and getting closer to 4 GHz is possible if you invest in water cooling. Then again, if you've got the money for water cooling, why not buy Core i7?
Motherboards
Low End: (this is still a good performer, overclocks pretty well, fewer bells and whistles, might be less durable than those below)
ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Goes great with the Athlon X2 5050e. Integrated video will decode HD for use as an HTPC, and there's a PCI Express slot if you decide you want to game.
GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Decent budget board. Also great for running a certain fruit inspired operating system
ASUS P5Q SE/R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
It's cheap, and it works. Great choice for budget/overclocking Intel builds. Boards in this price range are rather awkward in that they're not $50 budget boards, but they're not $100 mid-end boards. For those who want more features than a budget mATX board but don't need a monster overclocker.
Mid-Range: (best price/performance ratio, overclock very well, have everything most people want/need)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
The cheapest way to an SB750 AM2+ motherboard. This is a fairly decent overclocker, and Gigabyte has yet to disappoint with their "Ultra Durable" line of motherboards. Higher end AMD boards are very close in price.
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Price/performance favorite, even Anandtech loves it according to Newegg! Great overclocker.
High-End: (overkill for most, overclock very well, lots of bells and whistles)
ASUS M4A78-E AM2+/AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Newer version of ASUS's M3A78-T. Nice board for the Phenom IIs.
DFI LP DK X48-T2RSB PLUS LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
I've included this here for all 3 of you who want to run Crossfire with a Core 2 processor. And only because X48 motherboards have gotten cheap.
RAM/Memory:
DDR2 is cheap nowadays. Really cheap. 4 GB is easily recommended. DDR3 will be covered in the Core i7 section.
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
This has been hovering around at Newegg for $20-$30 after rebate for months now.
Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Slightly higher end, with tighter timings [4-4-4-12]. Also rated to run at 1000 MHz and 5-5-5-15.
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Video Card:
Nothing here is really low end. It would be rather difficult to organize these into classes, especially on the low end, so I'm going to list them in order of performance. Consider pricing/deals when purchasing your graphics card. I will also include 5 specific graphics cards as a recommendation.
Things to keep in mind: A faster single card solution will usually be better than a multi-GPU solution; SLI/Crossfire don't exactly scale linearly. If you're into Folding, an nVIDIA card will be a better choice than an ATI card.
Low-End:
GIGABYTE GV-NX96T512H GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Lower Mid-Range:
XFX GS250XYDFC GeForce GTS 250 512MB Core Edition 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
XFX HD-485X-YDFC Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Mid-Range:
XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Upper Mid-Range:
EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
XFX HD-487A-ZDFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
High-End:
SAPPHIRE 100269SR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Bleeding Edge - These cards require lots of power, get a good power supply:
GIGABYTE GV-R487X2-2GH-B Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130453">EVGA 017-P3-1293-AR GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card w/ Pre-installed ECGA
Backplate - Retail</a>
All Graphics Cards:
nVIDIA GeForce 9600GT
nVIDIA GeForce 9800GT
Welcome to yesteryear. If you have an 8800GT, just reuse it, the 9800GT is identical.
ATI Radeon HD 4830
Good contender to the 9800GT
ATI Radeon HD 4850
ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 (216)
ATI Radeon HD 4870 1 GB
These cards perform rather similarly, and trade places depending on what you're playing. I run Folding@Home's GPU client, so I went with the GTX260.
nVIDIA GeForce GTX285
ATI Radeon HD 4850X2 - Worth mentioning, they are rather cheap now. Buying two 4850s can be cheaper, but some people don't want to run two cards.
ATI Radeon HD 4870X2
nVIDIA GeForce GTX295
Please note that in games/situations that don't benefit from multi-GPU cards, the 4850X2 can lose to the GTX280/285 in certain benchmarks. The nVIDIA GTX295 is a two GPU card; its GPUs are somewhere in between a GTX260 and GTX285 in performance.
Power Supply:
Easily the most overlooked part when building a new computer. You don't want to spend $1000 on shiny new parts only to find out that the no name power supply that came with your case killed everything. Antec, Corsair, Enermax, OCZ, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic are all decent brands.
There isn't a single power supply listed below that isn't "high quality." However, for example, an HTPC built with an Athlon X2 5050e would be fine with a 430W power supply. A gaming build with a quad core and a graphics card would be better served with a 500W-650W power supply.
Lower end: Still solid units, but for lower load scenarios
Antec Neo Power 430 430W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Frequently goes on sale or is available as a combo deal with Antec cases. I would only recommend this for a quad core if using integrated video, otherwise, step up. Worth mentioning because it is one of the cheaper modular power supplies available.
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
This is a favorite around here. Sometimes available on sale, but when it isn't, it's ~$100. If you see a higher-end power supply from this list available for cheaper when you purchase your components, go for the higher-end unit.
Mid-end: Good for just about everyone
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Higher-end: Includes modular power supplies, as well as power supplies better suited for extreme overclockers as well as multiple graphics cards
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
PC Power & Cooling - 750W (These are all the same, just different colors. Very frequently the red one, for example, will be on rebate, but the blue one won't)
Overkill: Mr. Dual GTX295s, or Mr. 10 Hard Drives, these are for you.
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
ENERMAX REVOLUTION85+ ERV1050EWT 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - For those looking to also recharge their Tesla Roadster
Cases:
There are too many options to cover here, so I'll use the old thread as well as add some of my personal recommendations. Sometimes you're better off buying cases from Amazon as they usually have free shipping.
Brands worth mentioning include, but are most certainly not limited to: Antec, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Lian-Li
All In One
Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mini Tower ATX Case (Black)
Includes the Earthwatts 500W Power Supply listed above, and is rather silent. Good choice for a budget/mid-end build.
Lower-end:
Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case
Decent offering from Antec, includes filter for front fans. I built a few systems using these, my only gripe is little to no sound dampening. You'll want to keep it away from your ears, along with the other low end cases.
Rosewill R5604-TBK 0.8mm SECC Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower
A surprisingly solid case at this price level.
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Mid-range:
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower
Very popular. Good air circulation and construction.
Thermaltake V9 Black Edition ATX Computer Gaming Chassis with Dual Oversized 230mm Ultra-Silent Cooling Fans VJ400G1N2Z Mid Tower - Retail
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
My case. Nice and silent when you want it to be, with decent ventilation and holes for water cooling tubes in the back if you decide to go that route. Very sleek design.
High-end:
LIAN LI PC-A10B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
This one's (also the Antec 900) is very popular with some overclockers b/c of all the fans, though I've personally never been convinced tons of fans is the answer to ideal case airflow.
Cooler Master Stacker
People like these. They're gigantic.
Hard Drives:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
One platter version of the WD6400AAKS. Good for a budget build.
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Also a current favorite. Great for an OS drive. Fast, big, and cheap, what more could you ask for?
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Big and fast enough.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Big and faster.
Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Small and really fast.
Optical Drive:
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
This LG is currently the cheapest SATA DVD burner available at Newegg that isn't a Lite-On, so it gets the honor of being recommended here. Plus, I've had the pleasure of using it in two builds, and it's a great drive.
LG Black 6X Blu-ray DVD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Model GGC-H20L - Retail
Blu-Ray drives are getting cheaper and cheaper. Includes PowerDVD for $10-20 more than the OEM version.
CPU Cooler:
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V
The same cooler we all know and love, now with i7 compatibility out of the box as well as the metal backplate for LGA775 users.
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro
Small but effective.
Monitor:
Low-end:
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" Widescreen LCD
Mid-end:
Dell UltraSharp 2209WA 22-inch Black Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
One of the cheapest non-TN panels out there. What does this mean for you? Great viewing angles, better color, and all around awesomeness.
HP LP2275w Black 22" Widescreen LCD
One of the cheapest PVA monitors out there. I have one and I love it.
High-end:
HP LP2475w Black 24" Widescreen LCD
IPS stands for "AWESOME"
Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Hey, just because it's Apple doesn't mean it can't be good.
And now, for the good stuff!
Intel Core i7
The processors are fairly straightforward, there are only three of them. Most people buy the 920 and overclock it. Others buy the 965 and overclock it even more, usually with water cooling or TEC. And the 940 sits awkwardly by itself in the middle. It's advisable to just stick with the 920 and a mid-end board, unless you're crazy.
Intel Core i7 920
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965
Motherboards:
Low-end.....LOL:
MSI X58 Pro
Currently the cheapest board you can buy. Mixed bag.
For 3-way SLI/Crossfire, these are the minimum:
ASUS P6T
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P
Midrange:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2
High-end:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME
ASUS P6T Deluxe/OC Palm
INSANITY:
ASUS Rampage II Extreme
Memory:
Core i7s don't like running RAM much higher than 1.5V.
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Good low voltage memory with decent timings.
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
For the overclocker.
Happy Building!
If One is looking for the old thread it can be found here.
http://forums.anandtech.com/me...=2194271&enterthread=y
Thanks to mrSHEiK124 for Edited and Updating the info to be current as of March 2009
JackMDS
GHW Moderator.
-------------------------------------
The following is intended to be used as a frame of reference, and reflects prices and availability as of March 2009.
AMD does not currently have a competitive product for high end builds. If you've got cash to burn, a Core i7 920 will outperform AMD's most expensive offering. They do still have great low and mid-end choices though, which is where you'll be seeing a lot of them in this thread.
Please remember that an Intel motherboard is not compatible with an AMD processor, and vice versa. Also, please keep in mind that certain motherboards are designed for DDR2, and others DDR3. This will be indicated clearly.
Intel Core i7 based systems really are considered bleeding edge right now, all parts associated with them will be in their own section
I'm bored and felt like making this since I felt the old thread was rather outdated. Most of the information there is still current though, so I will be reusing bits and pieces.
:beer: Thanks modoheo!
Some quick FAQs:
Dual or Quad Core CPU? What about a Triple? Games are starting to take advantage of multiple cores, and more and more applications are also becoming multi-threaded. At this point, it's rather hard not to recommend a >2core CPU given how cheap some of them are. The AMD Phenom II X3 720 is of notable mention, for price/performance given the extra L3 cache.
RAID 0: Though many swear by setting up two hard drives in RAID 0 to increase performance, many articles suggest the real world performance improvement is not worth the added expense, complexity, and drive failure rate. My advice would be to stick with one big drive in this price range. If you've got the money to spend, an SSD will be faster and more reliable than a RAID 0 setup.
SLI/Crossfire: Unless you intend to play games on a very large monitor (24 inches and up) at very high settings and resolutions (1920X1200 and up), SLI/Crossfire does not offer enough improvement in gaming performance to justify the cost in the opinion of most. It's usually not a great upgrade pathway either. The best single-card solution you can afford will usually give you the most bang for your buck, given how cheap you can get a 4870.
nVIDIA chipsets: Stay far away. nVIDIA's newer chipsets have been plagued with instability, and workarounds exist to get SLI working on non-nVIDIA boards. Also, some X58 boards include an nVIDIA chip that allows SLI. Given that a lot of games will hit a CPU wall (Crysis) before they become GPU limited, this is no big deal as I'd only recommend SLI with a top of the line Core i7 build.
"Future-Proofing": Many people want to build a 'future-proof' system that will allow them to play the newest games at high to max settings for 3-4 years. Unfortunately, this is probably impossible since that length of time is an eternity in computing terms. IMHO, a better strategy is to build a mid-to-high end system every 1-2 years. Usually you'll be able to recycle the monitor and keyboard, often the case and power supply, sometimes even the hard drive or motherboard. For example, today for $1000-1400 you can build a system that'll play all games on high to max settings for the next 1-2 years, and you'll get more bang for your buck than blowing 3k on a bleeding edge system that'll be under performing within 2 years. This way you'll always have a high-performing, cost-effective system. (And building computers is fun!)
Performance/Price: System performance does not scale linearly with price. Computer systems are like sports cars and fine wines in this respect. Once you spend 1000-1400 dollars on the right components, your system will perform at least 90% as well as any desktop system available at any price.
Overclocking: Even if you've never done it before, it's so easy and the performance gain so large with the new 45nm Core 2 Duo chips as well as the 45nm Phenom II's that it'd be a shame not to at least consider doing it. There are fairly simple primers and guides you can read in the overclocking section of this board and others that'll walk you through it.
P35/P43/P45/X38/X48 [Intel Core 2 Duo/Quad]: Yes, it can be confusing, given how cheap P45 based boards are now, it's rather silly to continue recommending a P35 based motherboard. Leave X38/X48 for 16x/16x CrossFire, otherwise use a P45 based board.
Core i7: If you can afford it, go for it. Cost of entry is still rather high due to high motherboard prices as well as high DDR3 prices. We'll leave it for the high end builds, skip to the end if it's all you care to read about.
The idea here is to mix and match components below from different categories depending on your personal preference and budget. This means you can choose any kind of combo you want (example: mid-range CPU, low-end RAM, high-end GPU, low-end Motherboard) and still be OK. You should be capable of selecting components below and ending up with a system ranging in price from around $650 and up. Any system made up of components from the categories below should perform at a relatively high level and run most games at mid-to-high settings, as well as perform solidly at video/photo editing, web, email, cd burning, etc etc.
Please note that for convenience the examples below link to Newegg, a very popular online hardware store. You should shop around before you order to make sure you're getting the best price.
For your convenience, sample builds are included at the end.
Here goes:
Processors
Value/Low-End: For those on a very tight budget (This is for ~$400 builds)
AMD Athlon 64 X2 5050e Brisbane 2.6GHz 2 x 512KB L2 Cache Socket AM2 45W Dual-Core Processor Use DDR2
This is a great choice for HTPC or "office work" use. These chips run extremely cool, and can usually be had on sale or with combo deals. They are fairly decent overclockers, but the idea behind them is low-power scenarios.
Intel Pentium E5200 Wolfdale 2.5GHz 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Use DDR2 [Can be used with DDR3 - will not benefit - motherboards are not low-end]
If you're on a tight budget, then you should strongly consider this CPU, but only if you intend to aggressively overclock. The E5200 in particular overclocks extraordinarily well partly due to its very high multiplier (12.5X), and by aggressively pushing it you can match or exceed the stock-speed gaming performance of more expensive chips below, despite the smaller L2 cache.
Mid-Range: Best price/performance ratio
AMD Phenom II X3 720 2.8GHz 3 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Black Processor - Retail
Arguably one of the better price/performance options right now. Can hang with the E8400, Q6600, and lower end Yorkfields when overclocked. This CPU works with AM2+ and AM3 motherboards, but currently you are better off using any AM2+ motherboard with the SB750 southbridge. Once (and if) AMD releases high end AM3 chips, then you may benefit from using AM3/DDR3, until then, enjoy the backwards compatibility.
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail
Still an overclocker's favorite. 4 GHz on air is possible, and most buy these for bang/buck gaming since games are not as multi-threaded as other applications. If you're doing any video editing, consider a 3 or 4 core processor.
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor - Retail
You won't be touching any Core i7 rigs in performance with this one, but it will hang tight with most Core 2 processors. Black Edition means easy overclocks, just change the multipliers. Don't expect more than 4 GHz without some phase change cooling.
High-end: Yesterday's bleeding edge, cheaper
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9550 - Retail
Right now these aren't much cheaper than a Core i7 920, usually within $20. However, with a Core i7 build, expect a $250 motherboard and $100+ RAM. The ~$200 savings in platform cost make them a decent alternative if you're tight on cash. If you want the fastest you can get, go with the i7. Changing the FSB from 333 MHz to 400 MHz (3.4 GHz) is possible with minimal overvolting, and getting closer to 4 GHz is possible if you invest in water cooling. Then again, if you've got the money for water cooling, why not buy Core i7?
Motherboards
Low End: (this is still a good performer, overclocks pretty well, fewer bells and whistles, might be less durable than those below)
ASUS M3A78-EM AM2+/AM2 AMD 780G HDMI Micro ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Goes great with the Athlon X2 5050e. Integrated video will decode HD for use as an HTPC, and there's a PCI Express slot if you decide you want to game.
GIGABYTE GA-G31M-ES2L LGA 775 Intel G31 Micro ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Decent budget board. Also great for running a certain fruit inspired operating system
ASUS P5Q SE/R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
It's cheap, and it works. Great choice for budget/overclocking Intel builds. Boards in this price range are rather awkward in that they're not $50 budget boards, but they're not $100 mid-end boards. For those who want more features than a budget mATX board but don't need a monster overclocker.
Mid-Range: (best price/performance ratio, overclock very well, have everything most people want/need)
GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
The cheapest way to an SB750 AM2+ motherboard. This is a fairly decent overclocker, and Gigabyte has yet to disappoint with their "Ultra Durable" line of motherboards. Higher end AMD boards are very close in price.
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Price/performance favorite, even Anandtech loves it according to Newegg! Great overclocker.
High-End: (overkill for most, overclock very well, lots of bells and whistles)
ASUS M4A78-E AM2+/AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
Newer version of ASUS's M3A78-T. Nice board for the Phenom IIs.
DFI LP DK X48-T2RSB PLUS LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
I've included this here for all 3 of you who want to run Crossfire with a Core 2 processor. And only because X48 motherboards have gotten cheap.
RAM/Memory:
DDR2 is cheap nowadays. Really cheap. 4 GB is easily recommended. DDR3 will be covered in the Core i7 section.
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
This has been hovering around at Newegg for $20-$30 after rebate for months now.
Crucial Ballistix 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Slightly higher end, with tighter timings [4-4-4-12]. Also rated to run at 1000 MHz and 5-5-5-15.
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
Video Card:
Nothing here is really low end. It would be rather difficult to organize these into classes, especially on the low end, so I'm going to list them in order of performance. Consider pricing/deals when purchasing your graphics card. I will also include 5 specific graphics cards as a recommendation.
Things to keep in mind: A faster single card solution will usually be better than a multi-GPU solution; SLI/Crossfire don't exactly scale linearly. If you're into Folding, an nVIDIA card will be a better choice than an ATI card.
Low-End:
GIGABYTE GV-NX96T512H GeForce 9600 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Lower Mid-Range:
XFX GS250XYDFC GeForce GTS 250 512MB Core Edition 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
XFX HD-485X-YDFC Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Mid-Range:
XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Upper Mid-Range:
EVGA 896-P3-1170-AR GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
XFX HD-487A-ZDFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
High-End:
SAPPHIRE 100269SR Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
EVGA 01G-P3-1285-AR GeForce GTX 285 SC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Bleeding Edge - These cards require lots of power, get a good power supply:
GIGABYTE GV-R487X2-2GH-B Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB 512-bit (256-bit x 2) GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
<a target=_blank class=ftalternatingbarlinklarge href="http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130453">EVGA 017-P3-1293-AR GeForce GTX 295 1792MB 896 (448 x 2)-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card w/ Pre-installed ECGA
Backplate - Retail</a>
All Graphics Cards:
nVIDIA GeForce 9600GT
nVIDIA GeForce 9800GT
Welcome to yesteryear. If you have an 8800GT, just reuse it, the 9800GT is identical.
ATI Radeon HD 4830
Good contender to the 9800GT
ATI Radeon HD 4850
ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB
nVIDIA GeForce GTX260 (216)
ATI Radeon HD 4870 1 GB
These cards perform rather similarly, and trade places depending on what you're playing. I run Folding@Home's GPU client, so I went with the GTX260.
nVIDIA GeForce GTX285
ATI Radeon HD 4850X2 - Worth mentioning, they are rather cheap now. Buying two 4850s can be cheaper, but some people don't want to run two cards.
ATI Radeon HD 4870X2
nVIDIA GeForce GTX295
Please note that in games/situations that don't benefit from multi-GPU cards, the 4850X2 can lose to the GTX280/285 in certain benchmarks. The nVIDIA GTX295 is a two GPU card; its GPUs are somewhere in between a GTX260 and GTX285 in performance.
Power Supply:
Easily the most overlooked part when building a new computer. You don't want to spend $1000 on shiny new parts only to find out that the no name power supply that came with your case killed everything. Antec, Corsair, Enermax, OCZ, PC Power & Cooling, and Seasonic are all decent brands.
There isn't a single power supply listed below that isn't "high quality." However, for example, an HTPC built with an Athlon X2 5050e would be fine with a 430W power supply. A gaming build with a quad core and a graphics card would be better served with a 500W-650W power supply.
Lower end: Still solid units, but for lower load scenarios
Antec Neo Power 430 430W ATX12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Frequently goes on sale or is available as a combo deal with Antec cases. I would only recommend this for a quad core if using integrated video, otherwise, step up. Worth mentioning because it is one of the cheaper modular power supplies available.
Antec earthwatts EA500 500W ATX12V v2.0 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
This is a favorite around here. Sometimes available on sale, but when it isn't, it's ~$100. If you see a higher-end power supply from this list available for cheaper when you purchase your components, go for the higher-end unit.
Mid-end: Good for just about everyone
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
Higher-end: Includes modular power supplies, as well as power supplies better suited for extreme overclockers as well as multiple graphics cards
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX 620W ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
PC Power & Cooling - 750W (These are all the same, just different colors. Very frequently the red one, for example, will be on rebate, but the blue one won't)
Overkill: Mr. Dual GTX295s, or Mr. 10 Hard Drives, these are for you.
CORSAIR CMPSU-1000HX 1000W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Modular Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail
ENERMAX REVOLUTION85+ ERV1050EWT 1050W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Certified 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail
PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA 1200W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - For those looking to also recharge their Tesla Roadster
Cases:
There are too many options to cover here, so I'll use the old thread as well as add some of my personal recommendations. Sometimes you're better off buying cases from Amazon as they usually have free shipping.
Brands worth mentioning include, but are most certainly not limited to: Antec, Cooler Master, Thermaltake, Lian-Li
All In One
Antec Sonata III 500 Quiet Super Mini Tower ATX Case (Black)
Includes the Earthwatts 500W Power Supply listed above, and is rather silent. Good choice for a budget/mid-end build.
Lower-end:
Antec Three Hundred Gaming Case
Decent offering from Antec, includes filter for front fans. I built a few systems using these, my only gripe is little to no sound dampening. You'll want to keep it away from your ears, along with the other low end cases.
Rosewill R5604-TBK 0.8mm SECC Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower
A surprisingly solid case at this price level.
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel , SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Mid-range:
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower
Very popular. Good air circulation and construction.
Thermaltake V9 Black Edition ATX Computer Gaming Chassis with Dual Oversized 230mm Ultra-Silent Cooling Fans VJ400G1N2Z Mid Tower - Retail
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
Antec P182 Gun Metal Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
My case. Nice and silent when you want it to be, with decent ventilation and holes for water cooling tubes in the back if you decide to go that route. Very sleek design.
High-end:
LIAN LI PC-A10B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
This one's (also the Antec 900) is very popular with some overclockers b/c of all the fans, though I've personally never been convinced tons of fans is the answer to ideal case airflow.
Cooler Master Stacker
People like these. They're gigantic.
Hard Drives:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
One platter version of the WD6400AAKS. Good for a budget build.
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Also a current favorite. Great for an OS drive. Fast, big, and cheap, what more could you ask for?
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Big and fast enough.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Big and faster.
Western Digital VelociRaptor WD3000HLFS 300GB 10000 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Small and really fast.
Optical Drive:
LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
This LG is currently the cheapest SATA DVD burner available at Newegg that isn't a Lite-On, so it gets the honor of being recommended here. Plus, I've had the pleasure of using it in two builds, and it's a great drive.
LG Black 6X Blu-ray DVD-ROM 16X DVD-ROM 40X CD-ROM SATA Internal Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner Model GGC-H20L - Retail
Blu-Ray drives are getting cheaper and cheaper. Includes PowerDVD for $10-20 more than the OEM version.
CPU Cooler:
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V
The same cooler we all know and love, now with i7 compatibility out of the box as well as the metal backplate for LGA775 users.
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro
Small but effective.
Monitor:
Low-end:
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" Widescreen LCD
Mid-end:
Dell UltraSharp 2209WA 22-inch Black Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor
One of the cheapest non-TN panels out there. What does this mean for you? Great viewing angles, better color, and all around awesomeness.
HP LP2275w Black 22" Widescreen LCD
One of the cheapest PVA monitors out there. I have one and I love it.
High-end:
HP LP2475w Black 24" Widescreen LCD
IPS stands for "AWESOME"
Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Hey, just because it's Apple doesn't mean it can't be good.
And now, for the good stuff!
Intel Core i7
The processors are fairly straightforward, there are only three of them. Most people buy the 920 and overclock it. Others buy the 965 and overclock it even more, usually with water cooling or TEC. And the 940 sits awkwardly by itself in the middle. It's advisable to just stick with the 920 and a mid-end board, unless you're crazy.
Intel Core i7 920
Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 965
Motherboards:
Low-end.....LOL:
MSI X58 Pro
Currently the cheapest board you can buy. Mixed bag.
For 3-way SLI/Crossfire, these are the minimum:
ASUS P6T
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P
Midrange:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5
ASUS P6T Deluxe V2
High-end:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-EXTREME
ASUS P6T Deluxe/OC Palm
INSANITY:
ASUS Rampage II Extreme
Memory:
Core i7s don't like running RAM much higher than 1.5V.
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Good low voltage memory with decent timings.
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
For the overclocker.
Happy Building!