$900 Build advice needed ( Wall of Text!!)

[rockyjohn]

With that combo deal you will:
1. Get a lower quality PSU
2. Pay $65 more net (differnce in cost including loss of $15 savings on other combo)
3. Get a much better graphics card that otherwise would cost $120 more than 5770

Thats a choice only you can make.

Thermaltake makes decent CPUs -although this is not one of their better models. Still it is an acceptable quality. Keep in mind that a power supply is one place you don't want to skimp as it affects the rest of the system and a poor power supply can cause a lot of damage. It is also an investment that does not suffer from technological obsolescence so you can keep using it for years. However one respected ranking of power supplies puts it on the same level as the ModXStream I recommended. Personally I would rank the Mod a step higher, but then that list is an amalgation that a lot of reviewers with more knowledge than I contributed to and I also think they did not give much weight to efficiency issues which I do (both are in tier 4):

http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088

So it is a tough choice. I would prefer to have a better PSU - but then the people that put together the list think it is as good as the Mod. And if it enables you to get a better graphics card - putting the money where the performance is - there is a lot to be said for that. In my own system, I would go with a PSU that was a little better then both - but I may not have the same budget constraints you do and can easily see why it might be a wise decision for you. But make sure you ask yourself what that faster card really gets you. Maybe go back and look at the graphics card charts. Will there be any noticeable difference in the games you play - with some consideration for future requirements. And if it might save the need to upgrade later that could be a significant savings. Lots of factors to consider.

 

[Truecrude]

well its is a hard choice but do you think the thermaltake PSU has enough watts to power the entire system with the 5850?

 

[rockyjohn]

Yes, no question about that. If you look on the specifications tab on newegg you will see it says 500w for one card and 600w for two. I am very comfortable with one card - but I would not push two - on any PSU let alone this one - as I noted above about not pushing PSUs to their limit because of the impact on efficiency, heat, and noise.

You need to be concerned about the power on the 12v circuits as well as total wattage, especially with PSUs that are not top quality and often have less on this circuit - which is the primary power for the mobo and video card. But the Thermaltake has plenty of 12v power with one card.

You might want to become familiar with the Power Calculator for future builds and run your current system through it:

http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psucalculatorlite.jsp

That is the lite version that only provides total wattage. When you do your next build I suggest paying the nomial subscription for the Pro version that also calculates the power requirements for the separate 3.5v,5v, and 12v circuits. Also note that the calculator includes some built-in reserve amount, but are not explicit as to the amount and I prefer to have a little more headroom for the reasons discussed above.

 

[Truecrude]

so in your opinion I should stick with the build I have, with the 5770 and 500w PSU, right?

 

[rockyjohn]

No, I am not saying that. You have to decide which is the best option for you with your budget, the games you play, and what you expect in the future - with what monitiors you might grow into and when, what more you might want out of the system, how much your gaming requirements might increase, how long you want to use this system before upgrading or buying a new one, etc.

 

[Truecrude]

Well lets just bump my budget up to 1k and just get a better PSU and stick with 5770. I guess getting a better PSU now or getting it with another 5770 when I xfire wouldn't have a big difference in price.

So I want a PSU that can at least xfire the 5770s and maybe even the 5850s but lets try and stay under 1k total, i'll post back in a min with some PSU links

 

[zoemayne]

Truecrude about the MOBO you selected. Crossfire set ups will operate at 8X's instead of 16X's in dual mode. I'm getting the $199 version of that board to avoid this potential bottle neck, cause long ago I had bought a agp (128MB 9600XT AIW $250) card and for years it operated at 4X instead of 8X and I didnt notice until i switched computers. My notebook plays far cry better than the AGP @ 4X.

 

[zoemayne]

bascically make sure the mobo supports pci express 2.0 16X in dual mode. If you look in the specs many mobos (in that price range) support only 8X's in dual mode.

 

[rockyjohn]

You might want to read:

A review that compares the 5770, 5770 Crossfire, and 5850 - the 5770 in crossfire approximately equals the 5850. And don't get too carried away with the real high FPS performance - you won't notice much difference over 40 FPS - the rest is wasted power - at least not at the current time but it will help futureproof:

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446.html

Then look at this article that addresses balancing CPU and video card. The good news is that the CPU you selected is the fasted used in the comparisons. Unfortunately review uses older model ATI video cards and I only know how the 5000 series compares with nVidia cards shown, but that should be adequate.

On the charts use the GTX 260 as a surrogate for the 5770. The 5770 in crossfire approximately equals the 5850 and the GTX 285, so use the GTX 285 as a surrogate for those two. Again FPS amounts over 40 make little difference - the article discusses that. Since you only expect to move up to a 1920 x 1200 monitor you might stick with that resolution. Most gamers have not gone higher - I am still happy with 1680 x 1050.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/balanced-gaming-pc,2477.html

That will give you some idea of what the different video cards can achieve on your CPU.

 

[Truecrude]

ok so I guess I'll go xfire with 2 5770s since 2 5870s is overkill.
As for the PSU I think this is probably my best bet
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006
Though it may also be a bit overkill for my system

 

[rockyjohn]

For Crossfire, here is the PSU you want, you will see it often recommended for gaming builds here for Crossfire - it is top flight - but adds $50 to buiild cost:

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail $90 with free shipping
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/radeon-hd-5770,2446.html

Coincidentally it is used in the $1250 build in todays THG article which also sports twin 5850s - but it uses an i5 CPU
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/build-own-pc,2503.html

Edit - LOL - I only saw your post after I posted this. Yes it is overkill now but will be just what you comfortably need if you add a second card later. Also, seeing what you have gone through here, I bet within a couple months you decide to try your hand at OC. It is really not hard and you can get a nice bump in speed on your CPU with no danger to the system.

 

[rockyjohn]

Or did I misunderstand - are you planning on going with two 5770s now? If so that I would not do since you can get essentially the same result with one 5850, at a slightly lower cost, and still have the option to slap in a second 5850 if a couple of years from now you want more power.

 

[Truecrude]

as of now, yea I'm planning on 2 5770s because if I get the 5850 now then I've have to get a better PSU then my budget will get around $1100, stupid tax. I'm sure by the time I do crossfire the price of the 5770 will have dropped. I'll stick with this build for a few years and by then tecnology would have gotten much better and I'll just build another PC.
Maybe, just maybe, I may get the 5850 now and xfire it later on, but I decided to wait untill mid Jan. to order everything so how knows I might change my mind.

 

[rockyjohn]

OK - depending on how prices change by January, But what you don't want to do is buy 2 5770s at the same time if they cost more than or even nearly the same as the 5850 since you get almost the same power with it and leave open the option to crossfire later for even better performance. The Corsair 750w will handle either card in crossfire.

nVidia should be coming out with a new series in Q1 next year which also should put some competitive pressure on the ATI cards. I think they have been commanding a premium since nVidia has nothing to compete directly and also because they have been in short supply - although it is getting better.

 

[Truecrude]

Thank you for all the help Rockyjohn.

 

[rockyjohn]

Your welcome.