Another $800 gaming system (including monitor)

[wnb]

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: today or tomorrow BUDGET RANGE: $800 max

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: gaming, watching movies

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: speakers, OS

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: newegg.com, though willing to use other websites as well (the only newegg combo in my current build is the GPU and RAM).

PARTS PREFERENCES: whatever ends up being the best value

OVERCLOCKING: i don't have any previous experience with overclocking, but am willing to experiment (so basically, no hardcore OCing).
SLI OR CROSSFIRE: not right now, but would like to keep option open for the future (crossfire)

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024, would like to take it up to 1440x900, maybe

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: since i'm trying to keep this under $800, i'm only going to be able to afford one 4850 card right now, but am thinking of getting another card down the line and setting up crossfire. i'm also going to be using the boxed HSF for right now, since i'm not in a hurry to overclock stuff, and figured i could cut a few dollars down without getting a HSF right now.

besides general advice and feedback, a few specific questions: would i be able to go with a the OCZ StealthXStream 600W PSU instead of the 700W (or is there a similar PSU to the one I have currently in the build that is slightly less expensive?), and still be able to support crossfire with two 4850 cards? Is going with the cheapest OCZ memory going to make a big difference, overall (i went with it because it's included in a combo deal with the GPU).

The parts:

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223B - OEM $24.99

COOLER MASTER ELITE 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP Black SECC Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail $49.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM $59.99

ASUS VH226H Black 21.5" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail $169.99

GIGABYTE GA-MA790X-UD4P AM3/AM2+/AM2 AMD 790X ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail $109.99

OCZ StealthXStream OCZ700SXS 700W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail $89.99

Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black USB Ergonomics Keyboard and Mouse - OEM $21.99


AMD Phenom II X3 710 2.6GHz Socket AM3 95W Triple-Core Processor Model HDX710WFGIBOX - Retail $119.00


SAPPHIRE 100245HDMI Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

OCZ 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G10664GK - Retail $142.98 (combo RAM + GPU)

subtotal: $788.91
shipping: $12.24
grand total: $801.15
MIR: $65

i'm "overbudget" by $1.15, but taking MIRs into account, i'm doing alright. so i'm pretty tight as far as what i can add or change around. let me know what you think, i appreciate your suggestions and feedback. thanks!

 

[Proximon]

Antec 300 and EA650 combo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.198951

That gets you a higher quality PSU and better case. Nothing wrong with the OCZ, but the two PSUs are similar in real-world wattage and the EA650 is considered the better PSU.

 

[dirtmountain]

Very well done build. Good advice by Proximon.

 

[smithereen]

It's probably worth upgrading to a 720, then you get about an extra 600mHz of free speed under warranted voltage. You can get it in a combo with a Biostar 790GX for what you're paying now, if you're OK with that.

 

[wnb]

cool, going with the combo case and PSU does save me a few bucks (and I could even get the X3 720 without going too much over budget). i first was going to go with antec 300, but read on another thread about how it's hard to fit those big video cards in them, and that generally cooler masters had more space, but after taking a second look at the specific model of cooler master i choose, the antec 300 is actually a little bit roomier... hopefully it will all fit in.

 

[wnb]

It's probably worth upgrading to a 720, then you get about an extra 600mHz of free speed under warranted voltage. You can get it in a combo with a Biostar 790GX for what you're paying now, if you're OK with that.

i think i'll stick with the gigabyte mobo, but switching up the case and PSU has brought me down a little, so i think i'll be able to go for the 720.

 

[smithereen]

You might need a big fan to get to that speed, though. Maybe I should have been a little more conservative in my estimate.

 

[wnb]

though after giving a look at the Biostar 790GX, it doesn't look like too bad of a board (and the combo would bring in a nice discount). anyone have any opinions on the this mobo, especially in comparison with the Gigabyte GA-MA790X-UD4P?

also, this might be a silly question, but would it be possible to crossfire the onboard GPU with the 4850?

 

[wnb]

You might need a big fan to get to that speed, though. Maybe I should have been a little more conservative in my estimate.

what do you have for your system?

 

[Proximon]

No, and hybrid crossfire (as it's called) is pretty much useless anyway.

When choosing between Biostar and Gigabyte, we'll usually recommend Gigabyte as the higher quality board. If the savings are enough, it's OK though. The onboard GPU is not important really, just a nice back-up.

 

[wnb]

No, and hybrid crossfire (as it's called) is pretty much useless anyway.

When choosing between Biostar and Gigabyte, we'll usually recommend Gigabyte as the higher quality board. If the savings are enough, it's OK though. The onboard GPU is not important really, just a nice back-up.

thanks for clarifying that.

also, would you recommend going with the X3 720 instead of the 710 with this overall system?

 

[Proximon]

Absolutely.

 

[smithereen]

I run a Zalmaan 9500a, I got it cheap. It's really quiet, and it keeps my temperatures in the mid 30s.