First build: Help and feedback

[hellborg]

UPDATED 2010-07-20


After lots of help from the ANF's users and more research I'm getting close to push the order-button. This is what the build looks like at the moment and I feel pretty satisfied with it as it is now.

Usage: The main purpose for this rig will be a smooth high-end gaming experience. Some simpler CAD and rendering works will also be done with it but not to the extent that a few minutes gained per hour will matter. It will of course also be used for the usual media playback, web browsing and word processing.

Current parts: I wont use any of my current components in the build except the dvd burner.

Overclocking: I will do some "light" overcloking of the rig.

Build start: Beginning of August.

The rig

Case: Corsair Obsidian 800D

CPU: i7 875k

Motherboard: GA-P55A-UD4

RAM: Corsair 4GB DDR3 XMS3 Intel i5/i7 PC10600 1333MHZ (2X2GB)

GPU: HD5870

Harddrives: 1TB Samsung Spintop F3 + 80GB Intel X25-M SSD

PSU: Corsair HX 850W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V

Display: DELL U2311H ULTRASHARP 23" WIDE TFT BLACK

So if you have any last minute feedback/objections now is the time to let me know

Once again, thanks a lot for the help!

 

[Sp12]

2800 USD for the record, not 25000 (a lot more). Is less better, or are you looking to spend all 2800?

Where are you purchasing from, I can't really get prices for a build unless I know where the parts are being purchased.

Also, that's a 1680 monitor, I might consider spending some of the budget on grabbing a new one, as a 5870 is overkill for that resolution, let alone a 5970.

 

[mfenn]

Here's my thoughts:

• The 1090T is a great chip, but for gaming the 955BE would be just as good
• You don't need anything close to a $260 motherboard. Something like the GA-870A-UD3 would work fine. If you plan to Crossfire, get the GA-890FXA-UD5.
• Don't buy OCZ DDR3. You can search this very board for the horror stories. Get some quality G.Skill or Corsair 1.5V
• As Sp12 said, a 5970 is ludicrous for 1680x1050. You'd be better off getting a 5870 and a new 24" 1080P monitor.
• At your budget, you can't afford not to get an SSD (IMHO). The Intel X25-M 80GB is a great one. Then get something like a 1TB Samsung F3 or WD Black for your bulk storage.
• A 750TX with a 5970 or a 650TX with a 5870 will be more than enough PSU. If you plan to Crossfire/SLI you might want to stick with the 850TX

As for Intel, you can keep the same build except swap the CPU out for a Core i5 750 or i7 860 and the mobo for a GA-P55A-UD3 (UD4P if Crossfire/SLI). The Intel chips are faster, but you won't really notice in gaming as your FPS will be either (a) > 60FPS anyway or (b) GPU-limited.

All of that won't be anywhere near $2800 I don't think. I would put the rest of the money in a savings account to use for upgrades/new rig in 3 years or so.

 

[MisterDonut]

^ bingo. I'd probably go with the i7-860 route. I wouldn't crossfire and just save money for a new 6xxx whenever they're released. At that time, you can probably sell off the 5870 for a decent amount. Maybe even pick up an Eyefinity setup along with it to have a REAL gaming experience 8).

 

[hellborg]

Yes, a typo on the budget. I will order the components from http://www.dustinhome.se/DynamicPage.aspx?groupSet=1&mgroup=4&pageID=1906. When it comes to spending the budget, I've got the money to spend and I want computer thats more high end than midrange. Of course I prefer not to spend all of it.

Yes, thought so about the display as well. Will have to look into a new one.

 

[mfenn]

I'm pretty sure that a rig with AMD's highest end CPU, highest-end single GPU, 8GB of RAM, and an SSD qualifies as high-end.

EDIT: IMHO, if you want a system that can justify a 5970, CFX, or SLI, your first purchase should be a 30" 2560x1600 panel.

 

[hellborg]

Thanks a lot for the help I've gotten so far.

GPU: Think that I will go with 5870 instead of the 5970. Do you reckon I should go with the 2gb http://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010382545.aspx or the 1gb http://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010382545.aspx.

CPU: What is there to gain by taking a 1366 over a 1156 socket? The i7 875k looks like a good 1156 candidate as I would like to have the option to OC.

Motherboard: What should i look after to see if the mobo is suitable for OCing?

Harddrives: I love the idea of SSDs but I'm not sure on that the technique has matured enough.

 

[mfenn]

Thanks a lot for the help I've gotten so far.

GPU: Think that I will go with 5870 instead of the 5970. Do you reckon I should go with the 2gb http://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010382545.aspx or the 1gb http://www.dustinhome.se/pd_5010382545.aspx.

CPU: What is there to gain by taking a 1366 over a 1156 socket? The i7 875k looks like a good 1156 candidate as I would like to have the option to OC.

Motherboard: What should i look after to see if the mobo is suitable for OCing?

Harddrives: I love the idea of SSDs but I'm not sure on that the technique has matured enough.

I would go with the 1GB framebuffer 5870. By the time games need 2GB of VRAM, the 5870 will seem horribly slow anyway.

As for the CPU, the 875K is a good choice in my opinion. Socket 1366 has triple-channel memory (not useful unless you run a high-throughput database or synthetic memory benchmarks) and more PCIe lanes (useful for SLI/CFX). LGA 1366 is also more expensive and has lower turbo frequencies. The great thing about the 875K is that it has unlocked multipliers and you can independently set the base and Turbo multis. That way, you can set the Turbo multiplier to your desired OC and it will only kick in when necessary.

A good overclocking motherboard basically has 3 things: good power delivery, good cooling on the chipset and VRMs, and a lot of BIOS options. You can't really go wrong with any of the ASUS or Gigabyte boards IMO. You also don't need to get the most expensive motherboard as paying $400 for an extreme overclocking mobo seems kind of silly when a $150 mobo would be 95% as good and lets you put the money into improving performance elsewhere.

I think SSDs, as a technology, are mature enough for enthusiasts. The performance improvement is just astonishing. I cringe every time I go back to a machine with an old-fashioned spinning disk.

 

[hellborg]

After reading your advices and even more reviews the pieces are coming together. I still have some things to figure out but this is how it looks atm;

Case: Obsidian 800d

CPU: i7 875k

Motherboard: GA-P55A-UD4

GPU: XFX RADEON HD5870 XXX

Harddrives: Spinpoint F3 1TB + Intel X25-M 80GB

PSU: Corsair TX 850W

RAM: Eventhough I won't go with the OCZ I'm still a bit confused about what to go with. 8/6GB? Speed? Brand?

Cooling: Should I go for some additional cooling right away seeing as I wont OC from the get go.

 

[mfenn]

Looks pretty good, a few comments:

I wouldn't bother with the XXX edition. Just get the cheapest XFX 5870 and overclock it yourself.

You'll want to go with 4GB or 8GB of RAM so that you can have DIMMs in pairs. For gaming you don't really need 8GB, and it's not like memory is hard to upgrade. I'm having a hard time finding 1.5V RAM on your website, but this Corsair kit should work. Just buy 2 if you want 8GB.

As for cooling, the stock will be fine at first. You can take some time to get used to the system and decide how much of an overclock that you want to go for.

 

[hellborg]

bumped