Scratch my $1000 build, lets go a little more :D

[elchuchopisado]

Well if some of you remember i had a thread down the line here where i was suggesting a good build for about $900. I said to hell with that idea and since I'm about to get my new job at staples as a PC technician i figure this will bring me in some really good money for the summer (I just turned 18 years old this month). Anyway now I'm thinking something along the lines of a $2000'ish build, and that really excites me.

My approximate build time is gonna be about a month as i gotta get some money. I currently have about $400-500 and if i decide to sell my current computer along with monitor i can probably get it off my hands for $600 (E6550, 2GB RAM, 8800GTS, 520HX, Cooler Master Centurion, Acer 20" Monitor). if that happens i have like $1000 right there and it will take me about a month to get the rest (if i get enough days at staples ). Anyway i want to use this for some heavy gaming and that's really about it. I want to be getting some of the top components here and expandability for the future is a must. I don't really care if I SLI or not so go crazy. I do plan on getting a monitor and i have selected a LG off of newegg, but that is just s a placeholder because i can probably get one from staples. Anyway i made a little build on newegg as a wishlist to show what i was thinking. just needs polishing and i will probably be getting a D0 stepping Core i7 from this place someone suggested in another thread.

Things that i'm pretty confident about are the processor and motherboard and thats about it lol. You guys can suggest SLI build or non-SLI build as long as it performs well and keeps me at or below $2000. you might even be able to just ignore the monitor.

https://secure.newegg.com/WishList/MySavedWishDetail.aspx?ID=11709286

thanks in advance, can't wait to see what you guys have in mind.

 

[Why_Me]

Here's a nice single card set up that doesn't break the bank. For a nice touch the red LED modular psu matches the case.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119196 $97.99
COOLER MASTER Storm Scout SGC-2000-KKN1-GP Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
New Arrival

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341022 $74.99 ($49.99 after $25.00 Mail-In Rebate)
OCZ Fatal1ty OCZ550FTY 550W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Modular Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-EX58U3R Combo Price: $423.99 | w/coupon code: $418.99 Free Shipping
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R Core i7/ Intel X58/ DDR3/ CrossFireX/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU, Retail
Use coupon code: MEMORIAL5 for additonal $5 off.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029 $41.99 Free Shipping*
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154003 $4.99
Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150364 $234.99 Free Shipping*
XFX GX275XADQC GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231247 $94.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $69.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $23.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

Total: $987.93 | $962.93 w/mail in rebates

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145 $159.99 Free Shipping*
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 2500:1 - Retail

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx?ITPID=mscomsc <--- Save yourself some money on an o/s and dl the 64 bit version of Windows 7

http://www.coolermaster-usa.com/product.php?category_id=1665&product_id=2912 <--- more pics, specs, and reviews of the case in this build

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128375 <--- more pics, specs, and customer reviews of the mobo used in this build

http://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-nvidia-sli-motherboard,7463.html <--- Gigabyte: Enable SLI On X58 Boards

 

[fullmetall]

Well he wont be able to sli with a cruddy 550w...

Up some stuff on why_me's build.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194&Tpk=storm%20sniper
Case


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=750tx
750tx


I'd really look into the Asus p6t's but, Gigabytes aren't bad either.


Put you a 24" Asus(with built in webcam) on the rig.


You could even buy the SLI if you wanted already or save your money.


But, i'd go GTX 285 or a 4870x2 and then sli the gtx 285 later on.

 

[Helloworld_98]

^ or add another 4870 X2 if you don't mind the power usage.

 

[elchuchopisado]

hey why_me that doesnt even break $1000. trust me i dont want a budget friendly build. gimme something close to $1800. give me something that i wont have to upgrade for a while. i think there are bettter choices than that UD3R. i think my Asus Rampage II would be better along with the 285, perhaps i will go up to the 275.

oh you have to be logged in to see my wish list by the way.

 

[fullmetall]

I posted some upgrades, piece them together with some of why-me's build and see what you come up with.

the build should cost you $1400 and the monitor an extra $250-$300, reach that limit and you will get you a very nice i7.

 

[kubes]

can you fill this template out first please. I'll be able to help you in much more detail knowing a few things.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

PS: your wishlist does not seem to be working for me?

 

[kubes]

Here's sorta a starter for the price your looking around:

cpu:
i7 $280

MB:
EVGA x58 $300
or
asus p6t Deluxe v2 $280

HD
2 X WD black 1TB $190

Case and PSU
Antec 1200 and Antec 850 sg $340


Heat sink:
Cool Master v8 63

RAM:
OCZ platum 80 after MIR

GPU:
GTX 295 $520 - only one i could find available.

This totals up to about 1773 and gives you the ability to add an extra gtx 295 in the future if you want. I will need to know more info from the template i posted above to get more detailed than this.


1773 + 100 (os) = 1873
meaning you've got about 125 bucks for keyboard mouse ect....

 

[elchuchopisado]

dont need the hard drives as i already have two. and i think im just gonna go with a 285 and that leaves me with a total price of 1600 which is fine. i can add some stuff to it later such as the monitor. any more ideas?

 

[elchuchopisado]

ok i decided to tone it down a bit and now am gonna make it 1600 like i said. here are the parts. looks pretty good to me.

 

[Helloworld_98]

^ go with kubes build minus the hard drives and use 2 GTX 275's or 2 4890's instead of a single GTX 295.

 

[elchuchopisado]

you think so? wouldnt it be better to go with one gtx 295 and then add an extra one later?

 

[Why_Me]

Here's a build that includes two gtx 275's in SLI

Tomshardware did a benchmark test on o/c the i7 920. The most fps in games for the effort per clock was 3.4GHz - 3.8GHz with 3.6GHz being the "sweet spot" so to say. Anything after that was minimal gain. So let me show you a build that will easily get you to 3.6GHz without getting hosed. There's a few items in your build that are a hose job unless your going for 4.0GHz+ which is great for bragging rights, but that's about it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197 $129.99
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
New Arrival

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 $109.99 ($99.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping*
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail

http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=MB-EX58U4P&show=p Combo Price: $494.00 | w/coupon code: $489.00 Free Shipping
Intel Core i7 Processor i7-920 2.66GHz 8MB LGA1366 CPU, Retail
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P Core i7/ Intel X58/ DDR3/ CorssFireX & 3-Way SLI/ A&GbE/ ATX Motherboard
Use coupon code: MEMORIAL5 for additonal $5 off.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029 $41.99 Free Shipping*
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154003 $4.99
Tuniq TX-2 Cooling Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150364 $234.99 Free Shipping*
XFX GX275XADQC GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150364 $234.99 Free Shipping*
XFX GX275XADQC GeForce GTX 275 896MB 448-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Free Call of Duty: World at War w/ purchase, limited offer

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231247 $94.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $23.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

Total: $1,364.92 | $1,354.92 w/mail in rebates

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/dd353205.aspx?ITPID=mscomsc <--- Save yourself some money on an o/s and dl the 64 bit version of Windows 7

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374 <--- more pics, specs, and customer reviews of that Gigabyte UD4P mobo used in this build

 

[elchuchopisado]

looks pretty good i see. i do want to get the D0 stepping version of the processor that i saw you post somewhere else though. and i quite like the Asus Rampage II. anything better about the UD4P or are they about the same in terms of quality and OC ability?

 

[Why_Me]

looks pretty good i see. i do want to get the D0 stepping version of the processor that i saw you post somewhere else though. and i quite like the Asus Rampage II. anything better about the UD4P or are they about the same in terms of quality and OC ability?

That Asus has three PCI-E slots running at 16x and the Gigabyte has two PCI-E slots @ 16x and one @ 8x. So if you plan on running tri SLI than I would go with the Asus even though it wouldn't make all that much of a difference. The Gigabyte has 8 SATA ports, and the Asus has 6. Do you plan on running tri SLI ? Is it worth it to you to spend $165+ more for it? What does the Asus offer you that the Gigabyte doesn't as far as your needs go? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. I see so many people on this board asking for builds, or posting builds and it has hose me written all over it. It's not my money so it's np, but I'm sure a few people on here get a knot in their stomach when they see some of these builds. Yours isn't a bad build at all if your going for a over clock of 4.0GHz or if your rolling in the money and your looking for ways to get rid of it in hurry.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131352 <--- Asus board

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128374 <---Gigabyte board

Check the specs out on each board and ask yourself what fits my needs ?

 

[daship]

Your getting a job as a PC tech, and you come here for advice? Goes to show you they hire anyone these days.

 

[Why_Me]

looks pretty good i see. i do want to get the D0 stepping version of the processor that i saw you post somewhere else though. and i quite like the Asus Rampage II. anything better about the UD4P or are they about the same in terms of quality and OC ability?

https://www.antaresdigital.com/customer/product.php?productid=16135&cat=282&page=1&#034; $ 277.00
Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz LGA 1366 Socket 8MB Cache CPU D0 Stepping

http://www.fudzilla.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=11773&Itemid=1 <--- that's one way you can tell if you have a D0 stepping cpu or not

http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=584 <---short review on that D0 stepping i7. It runs cooler than the older C0 stepping i7's.

 

[elchuchopisado]

Your getting a job as a PC tech, and you come here for advice? Goes to show you they hire anyone these days.

hmm well your ignorant? i just want to know if everyone agrees with me and what they think is best....not everyone knows how to work in the inside of a PC and not everyone know what a processor is or what RAM is. that statement is really retarded. and besides its a starting job in staples, this is where i'm supposed to learn. just because I'm going to be a PC tech doesn't mean i automatically know whats best. you sir are dumb.

 

[kubes]

your right elchuchopisado, everyone needs to start somewhere.

Back on subject:
How high of an overclock are you looking for? I would maybe adjust my build a bit if I knew what your expectations are. Like i said in my first post, filling out that template will really help us get the best custimized rig for your buck. More detials you give us the better rig we can reccomended to ya.

 

[elchuchopisado]

well right now. after reading why_me's post. i really like the configuration hes given me. on the overclock subject I want to get the most i can out of this so I'm going with whatever i can get. hopefully i can get this baby over 3.5GHz and I'm pretty sure its possible especially with D0 stepping on the i7 and with the third party cooler. while I'm on the subject of the third party cooler. Is the one that Why_me has selected better than the Coolermaster V8? I've heard good things about the Coolermaster V8. also i really liked the Antec 1200. looks like a solid case but what do you guys think? yet another question here. Is G.Skill a good brand of RAM? good for overclocking with my mobo and i7?

kubes i thought i explained everything that template said in that one paragraph. im buying it in about one month. what i will be using it for is mostly gaming and internet surfing and movie watching and perhaps some processor heavy work. that's about it. we already know about SLI and the preferred brands don't really matter as it looks like we have a good configuration from Why_me's post. only thing are the questions i asked above

thanks

 

[kubes]

I use G. Skill ram on my current work horse computer. It's not bad, it does the job. I had no problem getting it to the manufacture specs.

The reason why i'm so driven about you filling that template out is i was still asking you question such as how high do you plan on overclocking ect... *shrugs* just saves me from having to repeat coming to the same post over and over to get more information.

Maybe because your wanting to overclock so hard the crosair dominators for the i7 is the way to go. For most people however this is not the case. But if your pushing towards 4ghz, the dominators are designed for overclocking a little bit better than the G. Skill and OCZ.

Remember if you plan on adding graphics cards to your rig later on to buy a strong psu now so you don't have to buy a new one as well as a new graphics card. A lot of this depends on what you want your final graphics card to be however.

For heat sink wise, I like the coolmaster v8, but the Noctua SE in a lot of reviews is a bit stronger than the coolmaster v8 and the dark knight one that why_me has noted above. just another option. All three of these coolers should be able to get you to 4ghz i think

 

[elchuchopisado]

ok. i think im gonna go with why_me's build (so i am gonna do the SLI) and i think i'm gonna go ahead and get the Dominators and probably the Antec 1200. i guess im just gonna keep reading up on those three coolers and see which one i want to use the most.

but yea thanks for the build idea Why_me and thank you for your input kubes!

thread is still open though if anyone wants to add their 2 cents.

 

[sahil]

use coupon Take10 to get $10 off the board @ ewiz.com for that Gigabyte

 

[elchuchopisado]

^thanks i will be sure to do that