First off, thanks to all of you for putting all of this information together. Especially the OP, very helpful.
I am trying to build a computer mainly for gaming. Ability to upgrade is a major concern for me, I want to spend around $1000. Haven't built a computer in a very long time and everything I know I have learned from this thread, or links from this thread, in the last few days.
My main question is the processor, the i7's seems to be getting cheaper and seem to be worth it from what i can tell. I almost want to go with the Phenom II with the AM3, knowing that it will be cheaper now and hopefully they will come out with some really good stuff for the AM3.
Will the i7's continue to be upgradable with the same motherboard or will there be a new socket type or something soon? This is my major concern mostly, as they seem to be getting much cheaper and more worth it.
AFAIK the next class of CPUs from Intel should be i5 which should be fewer cores and cheaper. I also think it uses a different socket.
As for the AM3 socket it probably will support the next gen of AMD procs but that isn't guaranteed by any means and we don't know how worthwhile those will be in any case.
Just keep in mind that i7 motherboards are also pretty expensive. On the other hand if you buy an i7, I'm guessing you won't need to upgrade the processor just for gaming purposes for a long time.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
So for comparing various processors, I found a nice techreport article full of nice scatter plots of CPU benchmark performance vs. price. Based on this I'm thinking of recommending people stick with the i7 920 since it often gets a nice boost over other chips but the higher end i7's are only moderately faster for a lot more money.
Any thoughts?
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
0
Options
thorgotthere is special providencein the fall of a sparrowRegistered Userregular
edited May 2009
This is more of an upgrade question than a building question, but:
Looking for a 1 TB hard drive with decent performance. Finding it hard to tell the difference between drives like this and this, besides the price. Those two are just the first two Newegg came up with in a search for internal 1TB hard drives, though.
Furthermore, is there any chance my motherboard wouldn't support SATA 3.0Gb/s vs SATA 1.5Gb/s?
Quick, probably very basic, question regarding GPU's...
I'm hearing good things about the ATI 4770, so what exactly are the major differences between all the models? I've found Gigabyte ones, Asus, Sapphire...anything to look for? Should I match it up to my Motherboard manufacturer for simplicity?
Quick, probably very basic, question regarding GPU's...
I'm hearing good things about the ATI 4770, so what exactly are the major differences between all the models? I've found Gigabyte ones, Asus, Sapphire...anything to look for? Should I match it up to my Motherboard manufacturer for simplicity?
Main differences might be that some are OCed at the factory and/or come with different (hopefully quieter) coolers. Otherwise look at the price, reviews on newegg, length of the warranty, etc., since they will be basically the same reference design that ATI provided.
And the maker of the motherboard shouldn't matter. Only consideration there is that if you want to reserve the ability to add another GPU later your board should support SLI or Crossfire depending if you are looking at NVidia or ATI. Also you'll want to be able to run both slots at PCI-E 8x or better for that option.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
This is more of an upgrade question than a building question, but:
Looking for a 1 TB hard drive with decent performance. Finding it hard to tell the difference between drives like this and this, besides the price. Those two are just the first two Newegg came up with in a search for internal 1TB hard drives, though.
Furthermore, is there any chance my motherboard wouldn't support SATA 3.0Gb/s vs SATA 1.5Gb/s?
Also has 4gb ram and 25$ DVD drive. Total cost is ~670$ before shipping/tax.
I'm planning on using 64bit Windows 7 (when I can buy a for-reals version), and will probably spend 100$ down the line to get another 4gb of RAM and probably a second harddrive to run in RAID 0 for more space. Any critiques? Should RAID 0 be scratched and just go and get a 1TB drive?
In terms of gaming the rig will probably run things like Left 4 Dead and probably Starcraft 2 once it comes out (which thus far doesn't profess a need for intense GPU requirements, IIRC), so I think the 4850 should do the trick, if not, *shrugs* GPUs can be upgraded pretty easily now-a-days IMO.
mechaThor on
"I sent an e-mail asking why wood elves get +2 Str when other dwarves did not. My response from customer service consisted of five words: 'Wood elves are really strong.' "
Also has 4gb ram and 25$ DVD drive. Total cost is ~670$ before shipping/tax.
I'm planning on using 64bit Windows 7 (when I can buy a for-reals version), and will probably spend 100$ down the line to get another 4gb of RAM and probably a second harddrive to run in RAID 0 for more space. Any critiques? Should RAID 0 be scratched and just go and get a 1TB drive?
In terms of gaming the rig will probably run things like Left 4 Dead and probably Starcraft 2 once it comes out (which thus far doesn't profess a need for intense GPU requirements, IIRC), so I think the 4850 should do the trick, if not, *shrugs* GPUs can be upgraded pretty easily now-a-days IMO.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your build but if you only care about gaming performance you should be able to get better performance for the same price by going to a 3 core Phenom II and upgrade to a 4870 or a GTX 260.
Also this thread would probably scare me off the PSU.
Also has 4gb ram and 25$ DVD drive. Total cost is ~670$ before shipping/tax.
I'm planning on using 64bit Windows 7 (when I can buy a for-reals version), and will probably spend 100$ down the line to get another 4gb of RAM and probably a second harddrive to run in RAID 0 for more space. Any critiques? Should RAID 0 be scratched and just go and get a 1TB drive?
In terms of gaming the rig will probably run things like Left 4 Dead and probably Starcraft 2 once it comes out (which thus far doesn't profess a need for intense GPU requirements, IIRC), so I think the 4850 should do the trick, if not, *shrugs* GPUs can be upgraded pretty easily now-a-days IMO.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your build but if you only care about gaming performance you should be able to get better performance for the same price by going to a 3 core Phenom II and upgrade to a 4870 or a GTX 260.
Also this thread would probably scare me off the PSU.
If you aren't attached to that case I think you could save about $20 with a Sonata III and DVD Drive combo.
Oh and yeah, you should probably go with a 1Tb drive instead of mucking around with RAID 0 but I'm too lazy to go back and change it.
Wow, you are divine. For the same price I upgraded HD to 1tb, got a better GPU and a better CPU. Great praise to you, sir.
mechaThor on
"I sent an e-mail asking why wood elves get +2 Str when other dwarves did not. My response from customer service consisted of five words: 'Wood elves are really strong.' "
Okay, so I have been working on a new pc build for a little while now. I guess my budget is around 700ish not including the monitor. But I am listing the monitor I am getting in case anyone has an opinion on it. Some of these prices might not match what you are seeing them at, but I have coupon codes or cashback on them.
Ok, so I still need a case which I have no idea which one to get. I want to keep this cool and quiet so lots of big fans is nice. Anything else I am forgetting? Am I going overkill on the power supply?
They do make a difference auditorily (not a word ).
But are they worth like a handful of fps?
I don't know.
I would say no to the fps. You're not going to see an appreciable difference in fps with a soundcard on any build worth something, IMO. I would love if someone could comment with firsthand experience only on using the X-Fis or other soundcards in the Windows Vista environment, since it removed hardware calls for the cards. EAX is effectively useless in Vista/7 as far as I know, and A3D is the new thing. The main thing I'm going to buy the X-Fi in my next build for is its ability to ENCODE (not DECODE) surround sound from games into Dolby Digital and output it over the optical. This is important for me since a TV is my monitor and a receiver/speakers are my sound.
I have an X-FI Xtream Music that I purchased for $100 the day the X-FI was released. After taking my rig for a spin and blowing out an old set of speakers my cousin then purchased an X-FI as well. In Vista & Win7 you need to use a program called Alchemy to replace EAX support for games & other software. The cards are powerful.
Let me say this. When my cousin & I purchased these cards onboard audio was very weak. When we plugged them in we also noticed over all system performance improved. Now with threaded multi-core CPUs & modern 1333+ bus speeds it isn't a noticeable performance boost. The current onboard audio chips are more than enough for the average person. If you're an audiophile with a 5.1+ THX sound system spend the money. If you need audio hardware decoding power then it's worth it to spend the money. When I build my i7 system an X-Fi will be the last component I worry about buying.
Ok, so I still need a case which I have no idea which one to get. I want to keep this cool and quiet so lots of big fans is nice. Anything else I am forgetting? Am I going overkill on the power supply?
I have an Antec 900, and its absolutely fantastic if you don't mind blue LED lights. Two front fans, a top fan, plus one in the back to start. You can add a side fan and more in HD bays, so airflow is terrific IMO. With the heatsink that came with my CPU (E8400 Duel Core) it idles at 31c and I've yet to see it go up above 50.
Linky: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Also I'm pretty sure you'll run fine with a 500W PSU, unless you plan on doing schenanigans with duel video cards, etc.
mechaThor on
"I sent an e-mail asking why wood elves get +2 Str when other dwarves did not. My response from customer service consisted of five words: 'Wood elves are really strong.' "
Ok, so I still need a case which I have no idea which one to get. I want to keep this cool and quiet so lots of big fans is nice. Anything else I am forgetting? Am I going overkill on the power supply?
I have an Antec 900, and its absolutely fantastic if you don't mind blue LED lights. Two front fans, a top fan, plus one in the back to start. You can add a side fan and more in HD bays, so airflow is terrific IMO. With the heatsink that came with my CPU (E8400 Duel Core) it idles at 31c and I've yet to see it go up above 50.
Linky: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Also I'm pretty sure you'll run fine with a 500W PSU, unless you plan on doing schenanigans with duel video cards, etc.
Haha, I was hoping that people would recommend cases that weren't Antecs. It's beginning to look like I'm a shill.
Keep the recommendations coming though.
And Yeah, any advantage for going over 500W would be to allow a future upgrade by doubling up your video card. And that's a nice price for that 4890 otherwise I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Also, after some consideration I'm thinking of revamping the PSU section. Originally I kept cases and PSU's together because of the few cases that came with a decent power supply and also because case+PSU combo deals are pretty common on newegg.
But that is just crazy talk, PSUs are one of the more confusing areas and it's important to make things as simple as possible.
Now I think we should list recommended PSUs as being in the following categories:
Suitable for single video cards that take 1 power connector.
Suitable for single video cards that take 2 power connectors or 2 video cards that take 1.
Suitable for 2 video cards that take 2 power connectors.
Now I suspect that for the quality of power supply that we are going to be recommending that this will simply be sorting them out by the number of PCI connectors they actually have but maybe that won't be the case.
Anyway, before I go to town with the power search on newegg, does this seem like a reasonable breakdown? And which brands should I keep an eye out for other than Antec BFG Corsair and Fortron? I'll google around for reviews of any specific supplies before adding them to the list I'd just like a place to start.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
So, have any of you reprobates started adding SSD's to your machines yet then?
I think it's getting closer for me to buy a new pc, when I get a mortgage I'll also be buying a load of new stuff to go into my shiny new apartment. (hopefully in June)
I'm wondering whether to go X25-E or OCZ Vertex. When I also go quad core, lots of RAM etc.
So, have any of you reprobates started adding SSD's to your machines yet then?
I think it's getting closer for me to buy a new pc, when I get a mortgage I'll also be buying a load of new stuff to go into my shiny new apartment. (hopefully in June)
I'm wondering whether to go X25-E or OCZ Vertex. When I also go quad core, lots of RAM etc.
That Corsair might be pretty interesting. It is cheaper and according to throughput numbers slower than the equivalent Vertex. However as Anandtech has taught us it's all about the random access times. And all (well all the good ones) SSDs are super fast compared to regular drives.
Check out this review. Still I'd wait until Anandtech told us if it's a good one to buy.
As for which one to buy, my impression is that the difference between the SSDs is much smaller than the difference between a platter drive and an SSD so I'd be tempted to go with cheaper or more capacity than to go with a faster, more expensive drive.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
So, have any of you reprobates started adding SSD's to your machines yet then?
I think it's getting closer for me to buy a new pc, when I get a mortgage I'll also be buying a load of new stuff to go into my shiny new apartment. (hopefully in June)
I'm wondering whether to go X25-E or OCZ Vertex. When I also go quad core, lots of RAM etc.
That Corsair might be pretty interesting. It is cheaper and according to throughput numbers slower than the equivalent Vertex. However as Anandtech has taught us it's all about the random access times. And all (well all the good ones) SSDs are super fast compared to regular drives.
Check out this review. Still I'd wait until Anandtech told us if it's a good one to buy.
As for which one to buy, my impression is that the difference between the SSDs is much smaller than the difference between a platter drive and an SSD so I'd be tempted to go with cheaper or more capacity than to go with a faster, more expensive drive.
Personally I'm going with the Intel X25-M, but if I was on a lesser budget I'd get the OCZ Vertex.
Also, speaking of cases, I just picked up an Antec 1200 for my build. The case is freaking huge. Does anyone know if a smaller case like the Antec 902 will still have enough room to SLI a GTX285?
So, have any of you reprobates started adding SSD's to your machines yet then?
I think it's getting closer for me to buy a new pc, when I get a mortgage I'll also be buying a load of new stuff to go into my shiny new apartment. (hopefully in June)
I'm wondering whether to go X25-E or OCZ Vertex. When I also go quad core, lots of RAM etc.
That Corsair might be pretty interesting. It is cheaper and according to throughput numbers slower than the equivalent Vertex. However as Anandtech has taught us it's all about the random access times. And all (well all the good ones) SSDs are super fast compared to regular drives.
Check out . Still I'd wait until Anandtech told us if it's a good one to buy.
As for which one to buy, my impression is that the difference between the SSDs is much smaller than the difference between a platter drive and an SSD so I'd be tempted to go with cheaper or more capacity than to go with a faster, more expensive drive.
Personally I'm going with the Intel X25-M, but if I was on a lesser budget I'd get the OCZ Vertex.
Also, speaking of cases, I just picked up an Antec 1200 for my build. The case is freaking huge. Does anyone know if a smaller case like the Antec 902 will still have enough room to SLI a GTX285?
Apparently this dude triple SLI'd GTX285 in an Antec 902, so I think you'll be okay. I can't begin to see why the Antec 1200 was even made, unless they are targetting the demographic of people who want to run 6 HDs, 3 video cards, and still have room for the occasional dead body.
mechaThor on
"I sent an e-mail asking why wood elves get +2 Str when other dwarves did not. My response from customer service consisted of five words: 'Wood elves are really strong.' "
So I'm looking at this thing as a case. Any verdicts? I mostly just dig the color and the lack of fucking LED fan racing stripe spoilers. The weird slot loading design kind of strikes me as silly, though.
So I'm looking at this thing as a case. Any verdicts? I mostly just dig the color and the lack of fucking LED fan racing stripe spoilers. The weird slot loading design kind of strikes me as silly, though.
There is only one review on newegg and it discusses other non-existent reviews. It's certainly unique though. How do you fit optical drives? I don't quite understand.
I sort of agree that you can find plain black cases and blinged out cases but finding something in between is harder.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I already have a 750W PCP&C power supply, any reccomendations on a case? Does it matter beyond look? I bought a cheap case for my last build and it did alright besides a few minor problems.
Just a rough sketch right now, I am going to look into it later.
You have the wrong kind of memory, I think. 4 gigs of the stuff you do want should be $50ish. Also what is that fan for if you don't have a case picked out?
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
What are you planning on doing with this computer?
Overall I'd say if you have to ask you probably don't need an i7.
Its a gaming PC, I want it to last for a while and I want to play all my games on max settings.
Well, it might depend on exactly what games. If you really want to push Crysis to the max then of course the sky is the limit. You'll need 2 powerful GPUs for a start. Even then I don't know if an i7 would be strictly necessary.
If you want to play most games at max settings then your first build would be enough. It could easily half as much money.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Should I follow the OP and modify that then? Or is my build better, with a few adjustments.
Naturally I like the OP builds but they might not be perfect for you. But the Bang for the buck build with your power supply would be a very nice computer with the ability to add a second video card later if it wasn't fast enough. Just make sure whatever motherboard you choose has Xfire or SLI depending on which video card you choose.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Should I follow the OP and modify that then? Or is my build better, with a few adjustments.
Naturally I like the OP builds but they might not be perfect for you. But the Bang for the buck build with your power supply would be a very nice computer with the ability to add a second video card later if it wasn't fast enough. Just make sure whatever motherboard you choose has Xfire or SLI depending on which video card you choose.
Comparing the bang for buck to the powerhouse build right now, the quad core would be a better choice for the long run right?
Should I follow the OP and modify that then? Or is my build better, with a few adjustments.
Naturally I like the OP builds but they might not be perfect for you. But the Bang for the buck build with your power supply would be a very nice computer with the ability to add a second video card later if it wasn't fast enough. Just make sure whatever motherboard you choose has Xfire or SLI depending on which video card you choose.
Comparing the bang for buck to the powerhouse build right now, the quad core would be a better choice for the long run right?
There are two reasons to think it might. If games start using multiple cores more efficiently then the quad cores will have more horsepower and thus last longer. It's also possible that AMD's next generation of CPU would be compatible with the AM3 socket while the i7 and i5 will not be compatible with 775 that Core 2 chipos use.
However if you want to go with an NVidia SLI setup or to be able to add a second NVidia card later there is only like one semi-expensive motherboard with SLI and a AM3 socket.
lowlylowlycook on
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
0
Options
ArtreusI'm a wizardAnd that looks fucked upRegistered Userregular
edited May 2009
Is there any real reason to be running SLI at this point? All I've heard is that it maybe ads a few fps for the cost of an entire other video card.
Posts
AFAIK the next class of CPUs from Intel should be i5 which should be fewer cores and cheaper. I also think it uses a different socket.
As for the AM3 socket it probably will support the next gen of AMD procs but that isn't guaranteed by any means and we don't know how worthwhile those will be in any case.
Just keep in mind that i7 motherboards are also pretty expensive. On the other hand if you buy an i7, I'm guessing you won't need to upgrade the processor just for gaming purposes for a long time.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Any thoughts?
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Are two 4770's better than a single GTX 275?
Well here is a comparison vs. the GTX 280.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Looking for a 1 TB hard drive with decent performance. Finding it hard to tell the difference between drives like this and this, besides the price. Those two are just the first two Newegg came up with in a search for internal 1TB hard drives, though.
Furthermore, is there any chance my motherboard wouldn't support SATA 3.0Gb/s vs SATA 1.5Gb/s?
I'm hearing good things about the ATI 4770, so what exactly are the major differences between all the models? I've found Gigabyte ones, Asus, Sapphire...anything to look for? Should I match it up to my Motherboard manufacturer for simplicity?
Main differences might be that some are OCed at the factory and/or come with different (hopefully quieter) coolers. Otherwise look at the price, reviews on newegg, length of the warranty, etc., since they will be basically the same reference design that ATI provided.
And the maker of the motherboard shouldn't matter. Only consideration there is that if you want to reserve the ability to add another GPU later your board should support SLI or Crossfire depending if you are looking at NVidia or ATI. Also you'll want to be able to run both slots at PCI-E 8x or better for that option.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Make take a look at this guide?
Edit: according to that guide 3.0 vs 1.5 Gb/s isn't important for platter drives.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5 ATX Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068
Mobo: Gigabtye GA-MA790X
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128387
CPU: AMD Phenom II x4 3.0 ghz AM2+
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103471
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 4850 512mb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102824
HDs: Western Digital 640gb AAKS model
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218
PSU: Thermaltake 500W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
Also has 4gb ram and 25$ DVD drive. Total cost is ~670$ before shipping/tax.
I'm planning on using 64bit Windows 7 (when I can buy a for-reals version), and will probably spend 100$ down the line to get another 4gb of RAM and probably a second harddrive to run in RAID 0 for more space. Any critiques? Should RAID 0 be scratched and just go and get a 1TB drive?
In terms of gaming the rig will probably run things like Left 4 Dead and probably Starcraft 2 once it comes out (which thus far doesn't profess a need for intense GPU requirements, IIRC), so I think the 4850 should do the trick, if not, *shrugs* GPUs can be upgraded pretty easily now-a-days IMO.
I don't think there is anything wrong with your build but if you only care about gaming performance you should be able to get better performance for the same price by going to a 3 core Phenom II and upgrade to a 4870 or a GTX 260.
Also this thread would probably scare me off the PSU.
I propose:
Phenom II X3 720 with Motherboard
BFG OCed GTX260
4GB RAM
Antec 500W PS
Hard Drive
Case
DVD Drive
Cost: $647-$20MiR -$626
If you aren't attached to that case I think you could save about $20 with a Sonata III and DVD Drive combo.
Oh and yeah, you should probably go with a 1Tb drive instead of mucking around with RAID 0 but I'm too lazy to go back and change it.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Wow, you are divine. For the same price I upgraded HD to 1tb, got a better GPU and a better CPU. Great praise to you, sir.
Monitor $174.99: SAMSUNG 2233SW High Glossy Black 21.5" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001308
PC Parts
Motherboard $101.99: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359
CPU $159.73: Intel Boxed Core 2 Duo Processor E8400, Picked up local, price includes tax
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0281097
Graphics Card $179.49: Sapphire ATI Radeon HD4890 1GB
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=AT-4890_1G&c=pg&show=p
Ram $46.79: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
Power supply $96.99: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
Total Price so far minus monitor= $584.99 Shipped
Ok, so I still need a case which I have no idea which one to get. I want to keep this cool and quiet so lots of big fans is nice. Anything else I am forgetting? Am I going overkill on the power supply?
I have an X-FI Xtream Music that I purchased for $100 the day the X-FI was released. After taking my rig for a spin and blowing out an old set of speakers my cousin then purchased an X-FI as well. In Vista & Win7 you need to use a program called Alchemy to replace EAX support for games & other software. The cards are powerful.
Let me say this. When my cousin & I purchased these cards onboard audio was very weak. When we plugged them in we also noticed over all system performance improved. Now with threaded multi-core CPUs & modern 1333+ bus speeds it isn't a noticeable performance boost. The current onboard audio chips are more than enough for the average person. If you're an audiophile with a 5.1+ THX sound system spend the money. If you need audio hardware decoding power then it's worth it to spend the money. When I build my i7 system an X-Fi will be the last component I worry about buying.
I have an Antec 900, and its absolutely fantastic if you don't mind blue LED lights. Two front fans, a top fan, plus one in the back to start. You can add a side fan and more in HD bays, so airflow is terrific IMO. With the heatsink that came with my CPU (E8400 Duel Core) it idles at 31c and I've yet to see it go up above 50.
Linky: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Also I'm pretty sure you'll run fine with a 500W PSU, unless you plan on doing schenanigans with duel video cards, etc.
Now for the wait...
Let me be clear and say that flattery will in fact get you somewhere
However if you are buying the CPU I linked to it isn't really better but should still be more than adequate for gaming.
Haha, I was hoping that people would recommend cases that weren't Antecs. It's beginning to look like I'm a shill.
Keep the recommendations coming though.
And Yeah, any advantage for going over 500W would be to allow a future upgrade by doubling up your video card. And that's a nice price for that 4890 otherwise I wouldn't necessarily recommend it.
Also, after some consideration I'm thinking of revamping the PSU section. Originally I kept cases and PSU's together because of the few cases that came with a decent power supply and also because case+PSU combo deals are pretty common on newegg.
But that is just crazy talk, PSUs are one of the more confusing areas and it's important to make things as simple as possible.
Now I think we should list recommended PSUs as being in the following categories:
Now I suspect that for the quality of power supply that we are going to be recommending that this will simply be sorting them out by the number of PCI connectors they actually have but maybe that won't be the case.
Anyway, before I go to town with the power search on newegg, does this seem like a reasonable breakdown? And which brands should I keep an eye out for other than Antec BFG Corsair and Fortron? I'll google around for reviews of any specific supplies before adding them to the list I'd just like a place to start.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
I think it's getting closer for me to buy a new pc, when I get a mortgage I'll also be buying a load of new stuff to go into my shiny new apartment. (hopefully in June)
I'm wondering whether to go X25-E or OCZ Vertex. When I also go quad core, lots of RAM etc.
Oh, Corsair have started releasing SSD's based on a Samsung controller.
---
I've got a spare copy of Portal, if anyone wants it message me.
That Corsair might be pretty interesting. It is cheaper and according to throughput numbers slower than the equivalent Vertex. However as Anandtech has taught us it's all about the random access times. And all (well all the good ones) SSDs are super fast compared to regular drives.
Check out this review. Still I'd wait until Anandtech told us if it's a good one to buy.
As for which one to buy, my impression is that the difference between the SSDs is much smaller than the difference between a platter drive and an SSD so I'd be tempted to go with cheaper or more capacity than to go with a faster, more expensive drive.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Personally I'm going with the Intel X25-M, but if I was on a lesser budget I'd get the OCZ Vertex.
Also, speaking of cases, I just picked up an Antec 1200 for my build. The case is freaking huge. Does anyone know if a smaller case like the Antec 902 will still have enough room to SLI a GTX285?
Apparently this dude triple SLI'd GTX285 in an Antec 902, so I think you'll be okay. I can't begin to see why the Antec 1200 was even made, unless they are targetting the demographic of people who want to run 6 HDs, 3 video cards, and still have room for the occasional dead body.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001308
PC Parts
Motherboard $101.99: GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359
CPU $159.73: Intel Boxed Core 2 Duo Processor E8400, Picked up local, price includes tax
http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0281097
Graphics Card $179.49: Sapphire ATI Radeon HD4890 1GB
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?p=AT-4890_1G&c=pg&show=p
Ram $46.79: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122
Power supply $77.49: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
Case $107.24: Antec Nine Hundred
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
Total Price so far minus monitor= $672.73 Shipped
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
There is only one review on newegg and it discusses other non-existent reviews. It's certainly unique though. How do you fit optical drives? I don't quite understand.
I sort of agree that you can find plain black cases and blinged out cases but finding something in between is harder.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150007
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231047
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009157
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073
Just a rough sketch right now, I am going to look into it later.
GT: Tanky the Tank
Black: 1377 6749 7425
You have the wrong kind of memory, I think. 4 gigs of the stuff you do want should be $50ish. Also what is that fan for if you don't have a case picked out?
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
http://www.anandtech.com/guides/showdoc.aspx?i=3542&p=5
What are you planning on doing with this computer?
Overall I'd say if you have to ask you probably don't need an i7.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
That article recommends it as it is faster but according to charts I am looking at it isn't that much faster.
Well, it might depend on exactly what games. If you really want to push Crysis to the max then of course the sky is the limit. You'll need 2 powerful GPUs for a start. Even then I don't know if an i7 would be strictly necessary.
If you want to play most games at max settings then your first build would be enough. It could easily half as much money.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Naturally I like the OP builds but they might not be perfect for you. But the Bang for the buck build with your power supply would be a very nice computer with the ability to add a second video card later if it wasn't fast enough. Just make sure whatever motherboard you choose has Xfire or SLI depending on which video card you choose.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
Power Supplies suitable for running 2 GTX 260s or 2 4870s or similar.
Power supplies suitable for running 1 GTX 260, 4870 or similar or 2 GTS 250, 4850, 4770 or similar:
Power supplies suitable for GTS 250, 4850, 4770 or similar:
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
There are two reasons to think it might. If games start using multiple cores more efficiently then the quad cores will have more horsepower and thus last longer. It's also possible that AMD's next generation of CPU would be compatible with the AM3 socket while the i7 and i5 will not be compatible with 775 that Core 2 chipos use.
However if you want to go with an NVidia SLI setup or to be able to add a second NVidia card later there is only like one semi-expensive motherboard with SLI and a AM3 socket.
(Please do not gift. My game bank is already full.)
XFX Nvidia 680i LT
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 2.6 GHz
4GB DDR2 PC6400
XFX Nvidia 9800 GTX +
700w ULTRA power supply (modular)
2 x Sony DVD burners
Windows Vista 64-bit Home Premium
Built this on Christmas of 2007. Might upgrade the Motherboard and Processor this summer.
Critical Failures - Havenhold Campaign • August St. Cloud (Human Ranger)