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Advice on build needed

T

TechCrazy

n00b
Joined
Nov 11, 2010
Messages
22
Sigh had the perfect i7 build, but now Sandy Bridge has come along and screwed everything up. Here is my new revised build its main purpose will be for gaming:

GPU: 2 x Radeon 6950
CPU: i5-2500K
CPUC: Zalman CNPS10X Performa
MOBO: Asus-p8p67 Pro
RAM: ?
PSU: Corsair GS800 800W
MONITOR: 2 x Philips 234EL
HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB
CASE: AeroCool X-Predator
SSD: OCZ 120GB
Full detail: https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=t-11vi42E3wMRqE9_lH4QAw&authkey=CJu0xZ8L#gid=3

I am not too sure which ram to get seeing that there are hardly any compatible with Sandy Bridge.

Also, do you reckon that the Asus p8p67 pro is good enough or should I get the Asus p8p67 deluxe.

Lastly, I'm slightly over-budget and I was thinking I could save a few bucks by getting a smaller sized SSD instead but I'm not to sure which will be best.

My last PC I got had compatibility issues and constantly gave me BSOD so if you disagree with any of the choices please tell me.

Thanks for the help
 
Sorry about that here are my answers.

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Its complicated seeing that Im from another country, but about 2 600 dollars.
3) Where do you live?
South Africa
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
GPU, CPU, CPUC, MOBO, RAM, PSU, Monitor, HDD, Case, SSD, DVD
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
None.
6) Will you be overclocking?
Not overboardly but yes I will be over-clocking.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
22-24 range
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Hopefully in the next 2-5 days
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
Crossfire, USB 3.0
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
No
 
I am not too sure which ram to get seeing that there are hardly any compatible with Sandy Bridge.
Click to expand...
Any DDR3 that runs at the standard voltage of 1.5V or lower should be fine. I would avoid any ram that asks for a higher voltage (it will likely work but you would be putting extra stress on the memory controller for no good reason).

Also, do you reckon that the Asus p8p67 pro is good enough or should I get the Asus p8p67 deluxe.
Click to expand...
If you just plan to build the machine and keep it for a couple of years without adding any expansion cards then the PRO is fine. If you plan to keep the machine for a long time then bear in mind that the PRO has a lot of limitations on the expansion slots. These won't matter immediately but could be a major PITA if/when some new interface comes along that you want to add a controller for. The deluxe adds a bridge chip to mitigate this.

Lastly, I'm slightly over-budget and I was thinking I could save a few bucks by getting a smaller sized SSD instead
Click to expand...
Any SSD will be much faster at random access (which is what impacts perceived performance of something like windows) than a hard drive. I don't know what local prices in your region are like but when I looked over here (UK) there didn't seem to be much in the way of economical choices between 60GB (which is IMO rather tight) and 120GB.

Afaict if you only plan to overclock lightly then the stock cooler should be adequate.
 
Both of those kits are 1.6V which is not ideal for SB, they also have oversized heatspreaders which can complicate heatsink mounting with some case/motherboard combinations. They are also both out of stock.

http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/gskill-240pin-ddr3-sdram-ddr3-1600-p-6197.html looks like a reasonable choice, the cas latency is a bit higher but it's quite a bit cheaper, runs at the standard 1.5V and doesn't have the overdone heatspreaders. Unfortunately it's also out of stock :(
 
Last edited:
TechCrazy said:
Ok narrowed it down to these two choices,
G.Skill RipJaws 4GB
http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/gskill-ripjaws-240pin-ddr3-sdram-ddr3-1600-p-6204.html

G.Skill Trident 4GB
http://www.landmarkpc.co.za/store/gskill-trident-240pin-ddr3-sdram-ddr3-1600-p-6193.html

Which choice do you think is better or would you recommend a different one.

In regards to the motherboard I think I will stick with the pro one.
Click to expand...

I would recommend against going with the trident. You will run into clearance issues with the Zalman performa. I have ripjaws + performa and I still have some clearance issues, but I positioned the fan higher on the heatsink and it fits.
 
THANKS guys for the help, last thing do you reckon 4GB is enough or should i fork out the extra for 8GB.

I only really surf the web, game and watch stuff.
 
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