Building an i7 ring, need lots of advice

[xwreckless]

I have built one c2q rig before, I dont know how much more difficult/ different this i7 will be. I have never overclocked anything before. I plan on overclocking the i7, hearing how easy it is, and I plan on overclocking my video card. I am not sure about most of these components. While my budget is not low, I still enjoy getting the most bang for my buck. Any help would be appreciated. I will be running vista 64 bit probably. (i have xp pro 32 bit, 64 bit & vista ultimate 32 bit & 64 bit)

I'm planning to use this computer for mostly gaming, watching hd movies, and typing and surfing. I dont need to have crysis at max, but it would be nice to see how close I can get :]. I do not do video editing/ picture editing, so i do not use/need alot of cpu power. (maybe I'm wrong). Anyway, my budget will be under $2200, including monitor. I have not been able to pick out alot of parts yet, mainly because I am unsure about alot of things.

I want a 24 inch 1900x1200 monitor. If anyone thinks its worth getting the dell ultrasharp 2408wfp for gaming, please tell me why.

Monitor:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...E168240013096824001309
samsung 2433bw: $299

or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001280
samsung toc T240HD: $399
vs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16824001263
samsung 2493HM: $399

before I continue, I have my first question:

Why is the T240HD and the 2493HM the same price? the T240 HD has even more features than the 2493. is one of them better than the other? is the T240HD/2493HM worth the extra $100 compared to the 2433bw?

Cases: antec 900 ($110!) vs. cooler master 690 ($80).

with that out of the way, lets get to the CPU.

i7 920 @ $280.

mobo:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131346
ASUS P6T Deluxe LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail :$299.99

ram: which ram should I get Is this good enough? I am sure I want 6 gigs. This is the ram that came with the newegg "combo" where I get a $20 discount.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145222
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600: $200

Hard drives:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136296
WD Raptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$170, used for sys/ program files.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136284
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s
$130, use it for movies, and shows and what not.

Video Card!
I am not sure which: 2x 4870's or one 4870x2
but lets just say for now:

1x 4870x2:
gigabyte: $530
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814125233
or
SAPPHIRE :$490
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814102768
or
asus:$520
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121294

asus and sapphire were recommended in tom'shardware review of 4 different 4870x2's.

PSU:
I am not sure which one to get, as I am not sure which video card to get.

HSF:
I cannot find any compatible i7 ones on newegg


TOTAL(-HSF&PSU&shipping): $1700.93
If you've made it down here, I must thank you for reading through everything.


I can buy from other online sites, (tigerdirect, zipzoomfly) and any lower prices will be nice if you can recommend them. All of the products are priced with newegg prices.

Again, any help would be appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[evilbix]

Your egg links are busted.

For the monitor I highly recommend walking into a retail store and just look at the monitors. Find one you like, and buy it. Egg is a great site, but for monitors it's just too much of a risk IMO. Dead pixels suck, and it's nice to bring it back to a retail store and exchange it until you have one that works. Price premiums aren't too bad on them either if you catch one on sale. So I'd check the local stores and hold out for a sale.

Also, I highly recommend the asus 25.5 inch monitor. It's only like $420, and it's awesome for gaming. I built my father a rig with one of these, I love the way it looks. Also 2ms is great for the gaming thing. Not so sure about DVD/BD color reproduction.

Hard disk - Do not get a raptor. Just get a western digital RE3 if you want insane performance from a HDD. The raptors really are an enthusiast item. They are nice to have, but unless you hate waiting an extra 3-4 seconds over the RE3 for windows to boot, save the money and get another 1tb for "storage" (mp3, movies, etc) and use the RE3 for gaming and os.

Video Card - I'd recommend waiting for gtx295, otherwise go with the SAPPHIRE. I've had 3 or 4 of their cards in my own machines, never had a single problem. Everyone has good and bad stories, but they aren't really known for having problems with their cards. As far as customer service, I have no idea.

PSU - That's a tricky one. I have an OCZ elitexstream 700 from an RMA free upgrade. Despite the original dying after a few weeks, I'm VERY happy with how prompt and helpful they were. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat, solely because it took 5 business days from the original RMA request to having a new PSU in my hand. They aren't too bad when it comes to price either, and hardocp gave their new stuff a good review.

HSF - they exist.. some old ones have new brackets for the chips as well.

RAM/MOBO - good choices, however, i'm sure a lot of people will also recommend gigabyte. might want to check those boards out based on features you're looking for.

Case - Spend more.. seriously. With a rig that's going to produce this much heat (running sli or cf) you will need a case that is meant to handle the hell you're going to put your system through. Cooler Master Stacker 830 is a blessing for high end rigs, it's about $200ish but it's well worth it. Be prepared to buy a few extra fans for the side window as well.. but again, if you overclock and running CF or SLI, it's a worthy investment of an extra $100 to make sure you can pull the most out of it and still run at good temps.

 

[DSF]

I actually don't see a reason for you to spend the $800 on the base of an i7 system when you could get the same gaming performance out of a Core2 base for $400 or less. Your other computer apps just don't stress the PC much at all.

The one valid argument for going Core i7 this early in its development is that you could drop in a CPU upgrade a couple years down the road. However, how many motherboards from three years ago support the latest Core2 chips? Not many I'd wager. Those theoretical future upgrades don't pan out as well in reality anymore.

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: evilbix
Your egg links are busted.

For the monitor I highly recommend walking into a retail store and just look at the monitors. Find one you like, and buy it. Egg is a great site, but for monitors it's just too much of a risk IMO. Dead pixels suck, and it's nice to bring it back to a retail store and exchange it until you have one that works. Price premiums aren't too bad on them either if you catch one on sale. So I'd check the local stores and hold out for a sale.

Also, I highly recommend the asus 25.5 inch monitor. It's only like $420, and it's awesome for gaming. I built my father a rig with one of these, I love the way it looks. Also 2ms is great for the gaming thing. Not so sure about DVD/BD color reproduction.

Hard disk - Do not get a raptor. Just get a western digital RE3 if you want insane performance from a HDD. The raptors really are an enthusiast item. They are nice to have, but unless you hate waiting an extra 3-4 seconds over the RE3 for windows to boot, save the money and get another 1tb for "storage" (mp3, movies, etc) and use the RE3 for gaming and os.

Video Card - I'd recommend waiting for gtx295, otherwise go with the SAPPHIRE. I've had 3 or 4 of their cards in my own machines, never had a single problem. Everyone has good and bad stories, but they aren't really known for having problems with their cards. As far as customer service, I have no idea.

PSU - That's a tricky one. I have an OCZ elitexstream 700 from an RMA free upgrade. Despite the original dying after a few weeks, I'm VERY happy with how prompt and helpful they were. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat, solely because it took 5 business days from the original RMA request to having a new PSU in my hand. They aren't too bad when it comes to price either, and hardocp gave their new stuff a good review.

HSF - they exist.. some old ones have new brackets for the chips as well.

RAM/MOBO - good choices, however, i'm sure a lot of people will also recommend gigabyte. might want to check those boards out based on features you're looking for.

Case - Spend more.. seriously. With a rig that's going to produce this much heat (running sli or cf) you will need a case that is meant to handle the hell you're going to put your system through. Cooler Master Stacker 830 is a blessing for high end rigs, it's about $200ish but it's well worth it. Be prepared to buy a few extra fans for the side window as well.. but again, if you overclock and running CF or SLI, it's a worthy investment of an extra $100 to make sure you can pull the most out of it and still run at good temps.

Monitor:
i just want the 1900x1200 in the smallest space i can get.

HDD:
I will be taking your advice and swapping the raptor for a WD RE3. I've read the new egg reviews, and they are good. I assume you are talking about the RE3 with 32 mg of cache.

Video card:
For the sapphire cards, which ones did you have? Will the 4870x2 be sufficient at 1900x1200?
I plan on having this computer built in a month or so I dont think I will be wiating for the 295, unless it will be coming out soon. And it still will cost extra money.

PSU:
PC Power and Cooling 750W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817341011
This has 60A on the 12v rail. Is it enough?

I've read many reviews on newegg on elitexstreams that have failed and needed to be RMA'd.

MB:
I will stick with the asus p6t

RAM:
What are some other choices?

Case: still undecided. perhaps i'll get a antec 900. I dont want a full tower.

Thanks for the reply and info.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

Don't forget the advantages that the i7's bring to media encoding. :thumbsup:

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

Don't forget the advantages that the i7's bring to media encoding. :thumbsup:

True True

+1

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

you can't lose even if you go with that build, putting in another card will bring somewhere up to a 70% increase or 50% at least

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
you can't lose even if you go with that build, putting in another card will bring somewhere up to a 70% increase or 50% at least

Are'nt those numbers a bit drastic? What PSU would that need?

 

[Blain]

Grab a PC Power & Cooling 610W Silencer. :thumbsup:

 

[xwreckless]

is 610 watts enough for a 4870x2 and a i7 920 if i plan on ocing?

 

[themisfit610]

I would strongly suggest waiting for the GTX 295. It's coming out in less than a month, and will almost certainly take the performance crown for a single card setup.

The 4870x2 is kind of old news at this point.

Don't get me wrong, its a badass card! If you must buy a card today, I'd say get a GTX280.

~MiSfit

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

Core2Quads aren't obsolete. Obsolete means something has been rendered useless by new technology. The horse-drawn carriage is obsolete. Typewriters are obsolete.

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

Core2Quads aren't obsolete. Obsolete means something has been rendered useless by new technology. The horse-drawn carriage is obsolete. Typewriters are obsolete.

when i said obsolete, i meant their whole plat form had no upgrade potential. i guess that doesnt count as obsolete, but why buy something thats older if theres something newer and better?

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

Core2Quads aren't obsolete. Obsolete means something has been rendered useless by new technology. The horse-drawn carriage is obsolete. Typewriters are obsolete.

when i said obsolete, i meant their whole plat form had no upgrade potential. i guess that doesnt count as obsolete, but why buy something thats older if theres something newer and better?

I dunno, I just don't see the Core i7's performance justifying it's price tag except for certain circumstances. In two to three years when you want to upgrade your CPU will your current motherboard support the latest tech? Recent history would say possibly not.

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

Core2Quads aren't obsolete. Obsolete means something has been rendered useless by new technology. The horse-drawn carriage is obsolete. Typewriters are obsolete.

when i said obsolete, i meant their whole plat form had no upgrade potential. i guess that doesnt count as obsolete, but why buy something thats older if theres something newer and better?

I dunno, I just don't see the Core i7's performance justifying it's price tag except for certain circumstances. In two to three years when you want to upgrade your CPU will your current motherboard support the latest tech? Recent history would say possibly not.

WHAT PRICE TAG?! It seems to be the generic attack for Core i7 from Core 2 users. DDR3 dropped $100 from when I bought it. Motherboards start at $220. Let it go guys, Core 2 is gone.

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: DSF

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
i7's are worth it to those ONLY doing SLI or Crossfire other than that, they are at worst on par with the Yorkfields

*sigh. i was hoping someone didnt bring it up. I didnt see a point in getting a c2q when theyre obsolete already. the it ocs well also.

any other comments on this build?

Core2Quads aren't obsolete. Obsolete means something has been rendered useless by new technology. The horse-drawn carriage is obsolete. Typewriters are obsolete.

when i said obsolete, i meant their whole plat form had no upgrade potential. i guess that doesnt count as obsolete, but why buy something thats older if theres something newer and better?

I dunno, I just don't see the Core i7's performance justifying it's price tag except for certain circumstances. In two to three years when you want to upgrade your CPU will your current motherboard support the latest tech? Recent history would say possibly not.

WHAT PRICE TAG?! It seems to be the generic attack for Core i7 from Core 2 users. DDR3 dropped $100 from when I bought it. Motherboards start at $220. Let it go guys, Core 2 is gone.

How does the pc in your sig run? What made you chose the the 260/280 216 core vs. 4870?

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

How does the pc in your sig run? What made you chose the the 260/280 216 core vs. 4870?

It runs fantastic. It really is amazing. It stomps my Pentium 4 that I had before. I chose the 260 Core 216 because at the time it was cheaper, still is faster, runs cooler, tired of ATI's drivers and wanted to try Nvidia, like the warm feeling I get when every game displays the "Best Played on Nvidia", and unlike the 4870 I can overclock it if I want to.

 

[videogames101]

I'd point out Visiontek has the best warranty for the 4870x2, so thats always a good choice.

And I second not getting the raptor, price/gig is just not worth it.

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem

How does the pc in your sig run? What made you chose the the 260/280 216 core vs. 4870?

It runs fantastic. It really is amazing. It stomps my Pentium 4 that I had before. I chose the 260 Core 216 because at the time it was cheaper, still is faster, runs cooler, tired of ATI's drivers and wanted to try Nvidia, like the warm feeling I get when every game displays the "Best Played on Nvidia", and unlike the 4870 I can overclock it if I want to.

the 4870 isnt over clockable?

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem

How does the pc in your sig run? What made you chose the the 260/280 216 core vs. 4870?

It runs fantastic. It really is amazing. It stomps my Pentium 4 that I had before. I chose the 260 Core 216 because at the time it was cheaper, still is faster, runs cooler, tired of ATI's drivers and wanted to try Nvidia, like the warm feeling I get when every game displays the "Best Played on Nvidia", and unlike the 4870 I can overclock it if I want to.

the 4870 isnt over clockable?

It is overclockable, I'm running an OCed 4870 right now.

 

[yh125d]

I'll enter the Antec 300 into consideration for a case. It's not that much different than the 900, same fans/locations so it will have pretty much the same airflow (ok ok so the top fan is 200mm not 140mm, not a huge deal) and I personally prefer it on looks (a tad less "flashy", if you care about that. Some people like flashy). and at only $60 from Egg it's hard to beat

600w+ should be plenty for that rig, even overclocking. It *might* get close to the edge if you're overclocked to 4gHz, have several high power fans, several hard/optical drives, etc... That said, if you're wanting to keep your options open for SLI/CF in the future, I'd look for something 750w+ from Corsair, PCP&C, OCZ, FSP, Silverstone, or Seasonic. Look for something with 4x 6+2 or 8 pin PCI-e connectors to make sure it can support the connectors needed by two GTX cards or 4870x2's

Speaking of GPU's, I would also recommend waiting for the GTX295 to be released soon. it will be priced in the ~$500 range so it will fit in your budget fine, and almost undoubtedly outperform the 4870x2 quite well. If you need to build now and can't wait, then 4870x2 it is

Noctua NH-U12P - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835608007
Thermaltake CL-P0508 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835106124
Two good 1366 compatible coolers that should overclock your rig pretty well. I'll need someone to correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure 775 and 1366 have the same HSF mounting pattern, which makes pretty much any 775 cooler interchangeable with 1366. Don't quote me on this however until someone confirms...



Evilbix, the difference in airflow between a $200 Stacker and a $60 300 or $110 900 is so minimal it can't be worth the cost premium based on airflow alone. Also, it has no front fan as far as I can tell from newegg pictures, which means nothing blowing on your hard drives. Shouldn't be a problem, but hey - it never hurts

All the best and good luck with your build!

 

[WaitingForNehalem]

Originally posted by: xwreckless

Originally posted by: WaitingForNehalem

How does the pc in your sig run? What made you chose the the 260/280 216 core vs. 4870?

It runs fantastic. It really is amazing. It stomps my Pentium 4 that I had before. I chose the 260 Core 216 because at the time it was cheaper, still is faster, runs cooler, tired of ATI's drivers and wanted to try Nvidia, like the warm feeling I get when every game displays the "Best Played on Nvidia", and unlike the 4870 I can overclock it if I want to.

the 4870 isnt over clockable?

Not by much.

 

[xwreckless]

Originally posted by: yh125d
I'll enter the Antec 300 into consideration for a case. It's not that much different than the 900, same fans/locations so it will have pretty much the same airflow (ok ok so the top fan is 200mm not 140mm, not a huge deal) and I personally prefer it on looks (a tad less "flashy", if you care about that. Some people like flashy). and at only $60 from Egg it's hard to beat

600w+ should be plenty for that rig, even overclocking. It *might* get close to the edge if you're overclocked to 4gHz, have several high power fans, several hard/optical drives, etc... That said, if you're wanting to keep your options open for SLI/CF in the future, I'd look for something 750w+ from Corsair, PCP&C, OCZ, FSP, Silverstone, or Seasonic. Look for something with 4x 6+2 or 8 pin PCI-e connectors to make sure it can support the connectors needed by two GTX cards or 4870x2's

Speaking of GPU's, I would also recommend waiting for the GTX295 to be released soon. it will be priced in the ~$500 range so it will fit in your budget fine, and almost undoubtedly outperform the 4870x2 quite well. If you need to build now and can't wait, then 4870x2 it is

Noctua NH-U12P - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835608007
Thermaltake CL-P0508 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16835106124
Two good 1366 compatible coolers that should overclock your rig pretty well. I'll need someone to correct me if I'm wrong on this, but I'm pretty sure 775 and 1366 have the same HSF mounting pattern, which makes pretty much any 775 cooler interchangeable with 1366. Don't quote me on this however until someone confirms...



Evilbix, the difference in airflow between a $200 Stacker and a $60 300 or $110 900 is so minimal it can't be worth the cost premium based on airflow alone. Also, it has no front fan as far as I can tell from newegg pictures, which means nothing blowing on your hard drives. Shouldn't be a problem, but hey - it never hurts

All the best and good luck with your build!

I like the looks of the antec 300 also. :] itll probably be down to the 300 vs the cm 690. I never did plan on spending over $150 for a case.

I will get a 750 watt power supply, will post one that I find with the right conncetions tomorrow. That should give me neough room so that incase i do get SLI (if i wait fo rhte 295) or CF (if I get another 4870x2 down the line). Does it?

I will also probably add the noctua.

Any comments on the ram/ mobo?
Thanks for the reply.