First Build - looking for feedback on potential hardware

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BlueMoon

n00b
Joined
Apr 3, 2010
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1
Hey everyone. Gonna post my potential build here - just looking for feedback on whether it looks reasonable and if everything is compatible. Any advice or feedback would be much appreciated.

I'll answer the questions just to give an idea of what i'm looking for:
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
- Only intensive use I forsee will be mostly gaming, but I want it to perform very well for current gen of games and hopefully last me a couple years before it needs significant upgrading.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
- Approximately $1500 with a little bit of flexibility. Just looking for a solid build that doesn't break the bank.
3) Where do you live?
- South Florida
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
- Everything, don't want to recycle any parts from my ~5 year old PC.
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
- N/A
6) Will you be overclocking?
- Never have before but if I could do it without burning my processor/GPU up I'd definitely consider it. Don't want to build the rig around being able to OC though.
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
- 21" 1920x1080. Already have it.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
- Newegg mostly unless I can get some components for far cheaper somewhere else.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
- Don't NEED anything. But RAID support and possible Crossfire support if I decide to go dual GPU in the future would be good. I believe the mobo I'm looking at has both.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
- I'll be getting a 64x copy of Win 7 (either home premium or professional) -- hoping to get a student discount.

Okay here's what I'm looking at so far:
Case:Cooler Master ATCS 840 -- little expensive but I like the look and appears to have solid cooling options.
Processor: Core i7-930
Motherboard: Asus P6T
Memory: Corsair DDR3
HDD: Samsung F3 1TB
GPU: XFX HD 5870
PSU: Corsair 850W - Figure this will allow for future expansion if I want to do dual GPU.
Optical Drive: LG DVD

...and that's my current plan. Again any comments or feedback or just well wishes would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
 
Looks like a solid build to me. Only things i would consider differently are a D0 920 instead of a 930...really only if there is a MicroCenter near you...they regularly had 920s for 200. They might be all gone at this point though to make room for the 930s. And a modular power supply.
 
Explain why the Hyper 212 Plus is a piece of crap.

It may not be the best, but it's a hell of a good CPU cooler for a relatively low price. And many people seem to have problems mounting the Cogage TRUE Spirit.
 
Its a piece of crap because of its piss poor cooling ability for its price compared to other coolers...for overclocked i7's according to [H] it beats Megahalems and the TRUE with its supplied fan, and utterly destroys it in the price/performance category, and only loses to the TRUE by 0.3 degrees when using the same high speed fan, and 0.1 degrees to Megahalems. Wasnt intending to shit on your suggestion...but it was pretty bad compared to the other options. :(

I havent heard of any mounting issues, but you only need to mount it once, so whatever...unless your speaking of pins popping out. Are you? Im really curious cause i was considering this cooler for a small build and would like to be aware of any issues. Dont get me wrong im not exactly a fan of push-pins, however it cant be any worse than the intel coolers. The [H] cooler round up even commented on how easy it was to install it...so can you be a little more specific on mounting issues?
 
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less is a lot more.

2 5850s and 2 500gb f3s for raid0. each 500gb is 55usd. you could do this on 750w. :p

oh, get 7 pro. you wont want what ult gives beyond pro, anyway.

+1 on 920 over 930.
 
SinShiva said:
less is a lot more.

2 5850s and 2 500gb f3s for raid0. each 500gb is 55usd. you could do this on 750w. :p

oh, get 7 pro. you wont want what ult gives beyond pro, anyway.

+1 on 920 over 930.
Click to expand...

930 is only $10 and comes with Assassins Creed 2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115225&cm_re=i7_930-_-19-115-225-_-Product

nissanztt90 said:
Looks like a solid build to me. Only things i would consider differently are a D0 920 instead of a 930...really only if there is a MicroCenter near you...they regularly had 920s for 200. They might be all gone at this point though to make room for the 930s. And a modular power supply.
Click to expand...

For one, most MC have the 920 sold out, and it last was $180 for the 920, the 930 is now on sale for $200.

nissanztt90 said:
Or instead of that piece of crap, for a few bucks more you can get the COGAGE Spirit.
Click to expand...

Or instead of randomly starting to post on the gen hard you could show some respect for the people who post here every day helping people.
 
well, i should have added the 920 is easier to shop around for. but i do want ac2 :p
 
nissanztt90 said:
tiraides said:
Explain why the Hyper 212 Plus is a piece of crap.
Click to expand...
Its a piece of crap because of its piss poor cooling ability for its price compared to other coolers...for overclocked i7's according to [H] it beats Megahalems and the TRUE with its supplied fan, and utterly destroys it in the price/performance category, and only loses to the TRUE by 0.3 degrees when using the same high speed fan, and 0.1 degrees to Megahalems. Wasnt intending to shit on your suggestion...but it was pretty bad compared to the other options. :(
Click to expand...

For under $40, the Hyper 212 Plus is pretty good. Granted, the Cogage TRUE Spirit is better, but the Hyper 212 Plus is more than good enough for the first-time overclocker, and (for the lazy one-stop shopper) it's more widely available.

nissanztt90 said:
tiraides said:
It may not be the best, but it's a hell of a good CPU cooler for a relatively low price. And many people seem to have problems mounting the Cogage TRUE Spirit.
Click to expand...
I havent heard of any mounting issues, but you only need to mount it once, so whatever...unless your speaking of pins popping out. Are you? Im really curious cause i was considering this cooler for a small build and would like to be aware of any issues. Dont get me wrong im not exactly a fan of push-pins, however it cant be any worse than the intel coolers. The [H] cooler round up even commented on how easy it was to install it...so can you be a little more specific on mounting issues?
Click to expand...

That's a mistake on my part... the issue, as I remember it, was with the first-gen version of the TRUE Spirit using push-pins. Many users, IIRC, simply replaced them with a mounting kit and/or bought a newer version that did away with the push-pins. In hindsight, I shouldn't have made that comment about "mounting issues."
 
Shadowssong said:
Or instead of randomly starting to post on the gen hard you could show some respect for the people who post here every day helping people.
Click to expand...

Lol...because my first post in General Hardware means im not educated enough to help people out? My first post means its a random post? Guess what, everyone had a first post here. Sorry champ, but I pointed out a far superior product for 5 dollars more.

tiraides said:
For under $40, the Hyper 212 Plus is pretty good. Granted, the Cogage TRUE Spirit is better, but the Hyper 212 Plus is more than good enough for the first-time overclocker, and (for the lazy one-stop shopper) it's more widely available.
Click to expand...

Really not trying to start a debate over this or anything, but for the extra 5 dollars hed be pretty well set for a long time as far as OCing goes and not just for a "first time OC"...spend more now to spend less later.

Good call on the one-stop shopping though...hadnt really thought of that.
 
nissanztt90 said:
Lol...because my first post in General Hardware means im not educated enough to help people out? My first post means its a random post? Guess what, everyone had a first post here. Sorry champ, but I pointed out a far superior product for 5 dollars more.
Click to expand...

Ease up, champ.

I admitted that I was wrong on one area, but my initial point remains accurate. It's up to the OP to decide which CPU cooler he decides to get -- and that's assuming that he's considering buying one.
 
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