My first build, any ideas or suggestions?

[Guest]

Hello everyone,
This is my first post on this forum and also my first PC build. After doing some extensive research etc. I've come up with a products list that I was wondering if you all (being the experts) could look at and give me some ideas or suggestions and let me know of any compatibility issues you think I might have. This system is for intense photo editing as well as gaming (obviously). Trying to keep it around $1,000 US. Thanks again in advance.


-Cooler Master RC-310-BWN1-GP Elite 310 ATX, MATX Mid Tower Case with Window

-Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 Hyper 212 Plus 775/1156/1366/AMD/AM2/AM3 Universal Direct Contact Heat-Pipe 120mm Fan CPU Cooler

-Corsair CMPSU-650TX 650-Watt TX Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply

-Corsair TR3X6G1600C9 XMS3 6 GB 3 X 2 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Tri-Channel Intel Core i7 Memory Kit
(This is for $140 and I don't know if that price reflects well the quality or if you have any suggestions on different 6gb RAM)

-AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8 GHz 6x512 KB L2 Cache Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Processor
(I'm also think of the 1075T but cost is making me think otherwise, what do you think?)

-ASUS Crosshair IV Formula - AM3 - AMD 890FX - DDR3 - Republic of Gamers - ATX Motherboard

or

-Gigabyte Socket AM3/AMD 890FX/SATA3&USB3.0/A&2GbE/ATX Motherboard GA-890FXA-UD5
(I'm debating on these two MOBO. Any suggestions?)

-XFX Radeon HD 5770 1GB DDR5 PCIE Graphics Card HD577AZNFC
(I thought this one was good because of the reviews I've read and I can buy a second later for crossfire. What do you think?)

-Western Digital 750 GB Caviar Black SATA 7200 RPM 32 MB Cache Bulk/OEM Desktop Hard Drive WD7501AALS
(I thought this was a good HDD for now because of the reviews etc. When I have more money I think I'll get an SSD. The other HDD I was thinking of getting was the same one but with 64mb of cache. Again what are your suggestions)

And that's about it other than an optical drive which I'll worry about later. Let me know what you think ideas or suggestions. Thanks so much and AWESOME forum!!

 

[rteames]

Also if I went the intel route this one looked good
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.533953
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131604
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.533948

 

[mosox]

There's no benefit in CF a HD 5870 with a weak onboard GPU and you don't need CF when you have such a powerful card. Here's your combo:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.533857

Wait for more replies for Intel.

 

[rteames]

Thanks mosox for your help. Looks awesome! Are there any ideas out there on the Intel build?

 

[mosox]

Intel:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.534931

For CF you need that ASUS P7P55D-E Pro but also a bigger PSU. But IMO you don't need CF if you get a 5870.

 

[rteames]

Thats not an Pro it's an LX LGA... But I suppose this one will work too right? I've also got this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.514517
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.514361&nm_mc=AFC-C8Junction&cm_mmc=AFC-C8Junction-_-RSSDailyDeals-_-na-_-na&AID=10521304&PID=3463938&SID=
And then the samsung spinpoint

This seems like a pretty good build... what do you think...?

 

[mosox]

You decide if you want crossfire or not. If you don't, the mobo above is good and that 550W PSU. If you want crossfire, the ASUS P7P55D-E Pro and a 750W PSU:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.524664

Here's a free game:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.512706

LE if don't want CF - ASUS P7P55D-E LX and:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.525193

 

[rteames]

Mosox thank you so much for your help. OK... So I think I know what I'd like to do. I think I want to go with the 5850 and do crossfire later so I'll need that ASUS P7P55D-E Pro mobo Because of cost I don't think the 5870 will be in my budget especially because of what I think I want to do. See below. So I found this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.519523
It's the i5-750 which is good but has one less thread than the 760 and the deal isn't that great. But I also found this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231311&cm_re=8gb_ddr3-_-20-231-311-_-Product
With a code I get it for $140 and it 8gb and then thers this PSU with a code it's $60. Here it is.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&nm_mc=AFC-C8JUNCTION&cm_mmc=AFC-C8JUNCTION-_-EMC-100510-Latest-_-PowerSupplies-_-17139005-L0E&PID=3463938&AID=10521304

OK so that leaves finding the CPU 5850 GPU MOBO and case. I'll look again for a combo and see if it comes out good. I really like the 8gb deal. It's a good price as well as the PSU. I think 650watts will be enough for crossfire from what I've read. So my friend I can't tell you how appreciative I am of your help. Thank you. Let me know what you find out and, as always, what you think.

 

[mosox]

You can always get the Phenom II X4 and save some $$. You really don't need 8GB of RAM, you won't use them. Also the new ATI 6 series is about to be in the stores in a couple of weeks so the GPU prices will go down.

 

[rteames]

Well, the promo isn't workin anyway... well... back to square one I guess. My wife is getting sick of me researching this thing out. I need to find something... or I wait... I go the AMD route or I go the intel route. I'm getting a headache here. mosox why don't you just decide for me because I obviously can't and I'm driving myself nuts with this stuff. I have so many amazon, newegg tabs open on my computer it's running at a snails pace trying to compare here save there.

So, heres what I do know...
I want a 5850, I want the samsung spinpoint, windows 7 professional 64 bit, a good quality PSU such as a corsair, Seasonic, or antec most likely 650 watts and above, a motherboard that does supports crossfire, has 6gb SATA and 3.0 USB

The rest is up in the air. I like the performance and price of the i5-760 the cost, I think is on par with an AMD for what I'll be using it for. You've convinced me that 4 gbs of RAM is enough so there you have it. Either the AMD or i5-760 and the case is a toss-up. Whichever is the best cost benefit and all this for $1,000 or less. I don't think this is too much to ask... So here we are. I think the intel is slightly better for me in my mind but then again I'm just a navice at this. So mosox, with these peramiters and that price if this were you what would you do? What would you build? Thanks again friend!!

 

[coldsleep]

If going with AMD allows you to get a better graphics card than a 5850 and still stay within budget, go with an AMD build. Otherwise, go for the i5-760.

They're both relatively equal in performance in gaming, the i5 may have some advantages in specific games, and it will generally perform a little better at other tasks. Probably not super-noticeable, but it does tend to do a little better on benchmarks.

 

[rteames]

That is a good point. After looking at the cost of each the AMD route is $43 cheaper. The other way to bting cost down the AMD route would be getting the X4 655 rather than the X4 665. That would bring it down another $30-40. So... let the debate continue!

 

[mosox]

Wait a few more days, the new ATI 6XXX is to be released Oct 22.

 

[rteames]

OK so I'm waiting to see what prices do in the next few days. IN the mean time I've been doing some more reading about AMD and intel and the motherboards and this is what I've found out. Please if anyone has more info let me know.
First Intel
So the i5-760 kind of kicks the phenom IIx4 655, 665 and even the 670 in bench marks is almost every area but particularly in gaming etc. It's more energy efficient and runs cooler with/out overclocking however it is hotter than the AMD when you overclock but it does have higher overclock potential than the AMD. It is a little more expensive by anywhere from $30-$50 than the AMD X4 6** series. The motherboard it will work on is the 1156 chipset. Now from what I understand is that chipset does not give a lot in the way of bandwidth to 2 x PCI-e if your running crossfire or SLI whereas the newer 1366 chipset has plenty of bandwidth to the two PCI-E so, from what I understand, if your running just 1 GPU with the 1156 than it's no big deal but if your running it in crossfire/ SLI than the newer 1366 is the way to go? Am I right? As far as the AMD motherboards go, I'm not so sure. It seem the 890GX and 890FX have good bandwidth when it comes to dual GPU's. How much of an improvement that is from one another I do not know. If anyone has more info on this could please enlighten me because I'd like to know.

Now for AMD
I won't rehash what I've said above but it seems the AMD route is better in the way of future upgrades with regards to the motherboard. For example, I can buy a phenome II x4 670 now and if say in a year I win the lottory I could then upgrade to the X6 1090T without a problem. This does not seem the case with regarss to intel boards. The newer 1366 is only compatible with i7 and only some i7's at that. So... who's to say when the newer i9's come out they need a new mobo chipset...? SO upgrade ability seems limited there. These are just a few of the factors I've looked into. Perhaps we could dive into this more to not only help me in my decision but also the many other consumers and readers of this forum to help them with their decisions as well. Thanks again for all your help and comments!! This has been very educational and helpful for me.

 

[hogan773]

I'm in full research page as well - going between Phenom II X4, to X6, to i5 760, and all over the place.

My needs are NOT for gaming....I just want a system that can last me another 5 years (currently using 2005 vintage Pentium D) and will be able to do HD video editing. I definitely want SATA 6.0 and USB 3.0 function to help me stay current over those next 5 years.

To the last poster......so you are saying you need to "win the lottery" and then you'll toss out the X4 Phenom for an X6 that today costs $80 more? Just thought that was funny....you'd pay $180 today and then pay again next year.

I keep gravitating to the X6 cause overall cost seems a little lower and I think the 6 cores would be good for video encoding in the future.

Then I keep reading about Bulldozer and Sandy Bridge and then ask myself why I am not waiting for a few more months to see what those have to offer......(yes, I know that in tech there is always something better coming around the corner so you can't wait.....)

This is really tough

 

[rteames]

Hello everyone. I thought you all might like a progress report for those who are following this thread. I'll start by telling you what I've bought for my new rig and I'll give you how much it has all cost. Hopefully you'll be inpressed. If not please don't tell me as I can't take it. LOL! Just kidding please tell me cuz I can always return it. I'm pretty excited about my system. Here is the build list.

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
http://www.amazon.com/Arctic-Silver-5-Thermal-Compound/dp/B0002EQU6C/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I2VCVEZZL29IHS&colid=3CKLYFJ40QCLF

Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-G1 Hyper 212 Plus
http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Master-RR-B10-212P-G1-Universal-Heat-Pipe/dp/B002G1YPH0/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=IWA1RMQUPYGFX&colid=3CKLYFJ40QCLF

LIAN LI Lancool PC-K58W Black 0.8 mm SECC, Plastic + Mesh ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112238&cm_re=lian_li_lancool-_-11-112-238-_-Product

SeaSonic X650 Gold 650W ATX12V V2.3/EPS 12V V2.91
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151088&cm_re=seasonic_650-_-17-151-088-_-Product

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152185&cm_re=samsung_spinpoint-_-22-152-185-_-Product

Mushkin Enhanced Silverline 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model 996770
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226095&cm_re=mushkin_ddr3-_-20-226-095-_-Product

Ok so that's what I've bought so far. And the grand total is... drum role please... $389 with shipping and tax! I'm pretty excited about it! So all I have left to buy is my CPU, GPU, MOBO and a simple DVD drive. Right now I'm waiting for GPU prices to go down and I'm still going back and forth on the i5-760 and the AMD processors. SO tell me what you think so far and any input or advice. Thanks so much for all your help!

 

[mosox]

Good stuff. I would get this combo (futureproof)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.534725
and a HD 6850 (when they're available).

 

[mattimeo005]

If you're planning on going Intel route, I'd strongly suggest waiting until Q1 2011 when the Sandy Bridge processors come out, as the prices on the older tech will inevitably drop when that happens. Though if you absolutely can't wait (but seems you can since you're waiting for GPU prices to go down, anyways), there are good mobo/cpu combos for i5-760s on newegg, and for about the same as the AMD combo above.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.534931

Also future proof, and cheaper.

But yeah, if you can wait, I'd wait for sandy bridge to come out, and try to pick up an i7/mobo combo, hopefully around $350-400.

 

[rteames]

Alright everyone here is my final build minus the processor. Thought you all might like to know.

I have bought all of the above and the new items I've bought are

Radeon HD 6870!!! It's $40 cheaper than the 5850 and it performs better (Works for me)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102909

For my MOBO I got :ASUS P7P55D-E Pro - LGA 1156 - Intel P55 - DDR3 - USB 3.0 SATA 6Gb/s - ATX Motherboard

And then I bought a Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS424-98 as my multipurpose drive.

I am really excited about this build. I found these parts cheaper buying them separately with some coupons etc than in a combo where I had to pay taxes and some very minimal shipping and so I'm stuck with one more purchase which is only moderately important (excuse the sarcasm), the processor.

I've obviously decided on the intel build because of it's superior performance and cost benefit as mentioned earlier. I'm just waiting for a decent price for it the cheapest I've been able to find it is for $195 here http://www.superbiiz.com/detail.php?name=I5-760BOX&show=w I don't know if this is a reputable online store. And I can't find information on the warranty. With newegg it says it's 3 yrs. If anyone has info about this or another good place/ price/ suggestions on this processor then please let me know as it is the LAST thing I need. Thank goodness!

Thanks for all of your help this forum has been immensely helpful

 

[mattimeo005]

Cheapest i5-760 ive been able to find, hands down. Oh, but this only works for you if you have a MicroCenter near you...which sucks.

http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0341729


You can also take a look at some of the i7-800 series, as those are also socket 1156. So if you want hyperthreading (up to 8 threads) then I might suggest you go with i7. But if you're mainly going to be gaming, then the i5-760 is probably best.

 

[rteames]

Well thought I'd give everyone a quick update on my build. I did it!! My first build. I'm using it now to type this message. So I went with the above and even bought the i5-760 from Microcenter (there's one near-by) Saved me about $35. So everything went well with the build. I hit the power switch for the first time and... nothing... a few seconds later I hear the dreaded one long beep and three short beeps. VGA not detected. I saw that light come up on the mobo (This mobo rocks. I love it! It has LED light on it that let you diagnose where the problem is and the MemOK feature is nice.) So I went through the steps of trying to figure out what the deal was. I tried the second PCI slot connected reconnected. I thought it was a DOA mobo or GPU. So after I was about to give up I decided to connect and reconnect the power from the PSU to the GPU. Apparently one the pins didn't line up just right when I plugged it in and wound up knocking that pin lose. So I got my needle nose out fixed it fired it up and VWALA!! Haven't had a problem with it since! I really digging Win 7 pro and the 8 gigs of ram. This new HD 6870 is pretty amazing also. The only other technically challenging thing was getting everything to become compatible with win 7. I had a few issues with my printer and wireless adapter but found some special drivers. So I just wanted to say thank you all to everyone for your help and suggestions. I feel like I got a winner with this rig. I'm pleased with it! The last thing I want to do is some overclocking which I'll do some more reading about. Anyone have any great websites off hand. I also want to install some of those programs that measure your temps and check your ram etc. Are there any other programs/ website anyone would recommend for this? Thanks again! This forum ROCKS!!