$2000 i7 build advice

S

sikanx

n00b
Joined
Oct 26, 2009
Messages
60
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Primarily gaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$2000 with out tax
3) Where do you live?
Westport, CT
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
CPU, Ram, Case, PSU, Mobo, Video Card, HDD, dvddrive, Monitor,
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
only reusing mouse
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22"
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Next few weeks
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
sli or crossfire for future prof, only a single card atm
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
no

CPU: i7 920
MOBO: EVGA E758-TR 3-Way SLI (x16/x16/x8) LGA 1366
Gpu: Ati Radeon 5850
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V
RAM: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
HDD(2x on Raid0): Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM
Optical
Drive: LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model GH22NP20
Case: Antec 1200
SoundCard: ASUS Xonar DX 7.1 Channels PCI Express x1

$1,563.90 subtotal without HeatSink keyboard speaker

HeatSink: Prolimatech Mega (suggestions? OC to about 4.0 to 4.2ghz)
MOnitor: 2209 WA
keyboard: undecided
speakers: undecided
 
All good parts. However the PC itself is not that good in terms of price to performance:

Dominator RAM is NEVER worth the extra costs. I'd recommend this cheaper RAM set instead:
$140 - G.Skill F3-12800CL8T-6GBRM 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

Or for just $20 more than the Dominator set, get this:
$243 - 3 x G.Skill Ripjaws F3-12800CL8D-4GBRM 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

For gaming though, 6GB of RAM is enough.

PSU wise, ditch the Corsair 650TX and go with this better deal:
$105 - Antec Truepower New TP750 Blue 750W PSU

You can get SATA DVD drive for slightly faster speeds and better cable management:
$28 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner

Case wise, I'd recommend going with a more roomier and easier to cable manage cases like these:
$60 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$100 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$120 - Thermaltake ElementS VK60001N2Z ATX Case
$130 - Cooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Case
$140 - Antec P183 ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$180 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
 
I would probably go with a 750W or even 850W (for some overkill factor ^_^ ) just so in the near future you can drop in another 5850 for CF without a hitch. The Megahalem is definitely a good aircooling solution if you pair with a good 120mm fan.
 
sikanx said:
isnt antec 1200 full tower known for its airflow/room?
Click to expand...

It's known for airflow but not room. If you actually look at pictures with systems inside the Antec 1200, it's quite cramped horizontally.
 
SOSTrooper said:
I would probably go with a 750W or even 850W (for some overkill factor ^_^ ) just so in the near future you can drop in another 5850 for CF without a hitch. The Megahalem is definitely a good aircooling solution if you pair with a good 120mm fan. Other than that, every else looks good.
Click to expand...
thanks, i have done my homework:)

any suggestion on fan that would go with with my megatron?( for anout 4-4.2ghz oc)
i ve heard about scyth s-flex series but i never know which version to pick.
 
I'm also very confused about Scythe fans. I think it really comes down to whether you want PWM, manual fan control, quietness, and/or airflow. I personally have a Noctua NF-P12 in mine and it's been rock solid in terms of both adequate cooling and minimal noise, but I also won't doubt there are better fans out there either. Perhaps this comparison will ease your decision.
 
Most of the latest hardware support x64 Win7, or rather, supported by x64 Win7. I don't think any of your hardware would impose problem in any Win7.
 
looks like you have money left over!! with that kind of budget i would try to squeeze in a solid state drive for just the os but hey thats just me.
 
thanks guys haha,

i was looking at PSUs, and i kind like the kinwin PSU because of the fact that they have blue LED light that gose with antec cases, my question is that how is Kinwin PSU's quality wise?
 
crap............or just pure crap. corsair.........antec........seasonic....pcpower and cooling are some good choices and get a modular one..............you wont regret it.
 
a question form my friend..

is a zalman CNPS9900 enough to handle a i7 OC to 3.6ghz
 
antec1200 is bad ass. I have owned it for about 6 months now and love it still. It is pretty large but very customizeable and extremely cable friendly. I will post you some pics this afternoon since i do need to clean it. I especially like how the side panel can be removed to reveal more cable managment space. My only regret is that the adjustable fan cages on the front of the case do not have an easy remove mechanism. You have to unscrew 8 screws per cage to clean the filter...poor design. Still it keeps it rock solid and your HDD's will never move. I love the airflow "BigBoy" is badass as well as the options for adding water cooling. This was the best case out of all options for me i really did my homework too. i have an open thread on best case here is the link
http://www.hardforums.com/showthread.php?t=1410777
 
The Zalman CPU cooler aren't as good as some of the 120mm tower CPU coolers we often recommend here. Two good, relatively inexpensive choices for the Socket 1366 processors are the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus and the Cogage TRUE Spirit (which is based off the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, aka TRUE). The Hyper 212 Plus is available at NewEgg, but the TRUE Spirit can be found at CrazyPC, Heatsink Factory, and other locations.

Are you seriously going to push the processor to over 4GHz on the first go-round? You may be better off getting one of the above two CPU coolers and going for a more modest 3.2GHz to 3.6GHz overclock; the Core i7 920 outperforms any and all Core 2 and/or AMD processors in most benchmarks.

For the PSU, get the Antec TP-750 while it's still at its current sale price. You've shown no inclination (so far) that you need a dual-card setup right out of the box, and the recently release HD 5-series video cards actually use less power than ATI's previous generation cards.

Cases are a matter of personal taste. That said, Danny's comments about the 1200's comparative lack of horizontal space is a common complaint that I've heard about the case.

Speaking of which, you shouldn't spend a lot of money on case fans. The Noctuas, though they are nice and perform well, are too expensive (IMO) to buy for a case that uses several (more than four) fans. Choose either the Scythe Slipstreams or the Yate Loon D12-series fans -- they perform just as well as some of the more expensive types (and the Yate Loons can be found, though not at NewEgg, for around $4 to $6 per fan).
 
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Yah, for the CPU fan, stick with the slipstream or noctuas.

Personally, I think there should have been more room in the 1200, especially for the price you pay. I'd definitely go for a different case with more room, but cases are subjective, so go with what you like.

The True Spirit and Hyper 212+ can handle a 4GHz OC on a D0 920 chip just fine. ;) Zalmans are typically overpriced -- better to stick with the other options for your money, unless you reeeeeallly like the aesthetics of their coolers.

The Antec TP Blue 750W should fit your Blue LED requirement. :p
 
tiraides said:
The Zalman CPU cooler aren't as good as some of the 120mm tower CPU coolers we often recommend here. Two good, relatively inexpensive choices for the Socket 1366 processors are the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus and the Cogage TRUE Spirit (which is based off the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme, aka TRUE). The Hyper 212 Plus is available at NewEgg, but the TRUE Spirit can be found at CrazyPC, Heatsink Factory, and other locations.
Click to expand...

should i use the stock fan that come with the Cogage TRUE or buy a separate fan?
 
o and.... is a soundcard waste of money ? instead of using my x58 onboard sound?
 
Try onboard HD Audio and see how you like it first, before buying a soundcard.

The stock fan is fine on the true spirit.
 
enginurd said:
Try onboard HD Audio and see how you like it first, before buying a soundcard.

The stock fan is fine on the true spirit.
Click to expand...

I agree with these 2 answers. You can always buy the sound card later if you find the onboard is not good enough for your speakers.
 
thanks everyone for helping me so far!
anyone thinks that antec 1200 is overkill for one card? i am considering 902
 
I'd recommend any of the cases Danny listed instead of the 1200 or 902...

Danny Bui said:
...
Case wise, I'd recommend going with a more roomier and easier to cable manage cases like these:
$60 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$80 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$100 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$120 - Thermaltake ElementS VK60001N2Z ATX Case
$130 - Cooler Master Storm Sniper ATX Case
$140 - Antec P183 ATX Case
$140 - Cooler Master HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$180 - Cooler Master ATCS 840 RC-840-KKN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
Click to expand...
 
thanks, one last concern

would one 120x25mm fan be enough for megatron to help OC 920 to 3.6 GHZ?
what tools and accessories do i need to build pc generally?

Special kind of screw drivers?
Sleeves?
Extra connecters/wires that i have to take into consideration?
Thermal paste gloves?
etc

thanks to everyone once again
 
Last edited:
sikanx said:
thanks, one last concern

would one 120x25mm fan be enough for megatron to help OC 920 to 3.6 GHZ?
what tools and accessories do i need to build pc generally?

Special kind of screw drivers?
Sleeves?
Extra connecters/wires that i have to take into consideration?
Thermal paste gloves?
etc

thanks to everyone once again
Click to expand...

Yes a 120mm fan will be enough. Just need a regular screwdriver really. There's a huge list of PC building guides in the stickied FAQ so I recommend checking that out.
 
Danny Bui said:
Yes a 120mm fan will be enough. Just need a regular screwdriver really. There's a huge list of PC building guides in the stickied FAQ so I recommend checking that out.
Click to expand...

i mean, a 120mmx 25, or do i need a 120mmx38?
 
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