i5 Build Advice Requested----Thanks!

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PinkFloyd

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Apr 29, 2007
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1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, web browsing

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
$1000 for hardware, plus monitor and Win 7

3) Where do you live?
Texas

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
The case and all that goes inside. (I'm handing-down my old, reliable E6400 system to my wife)

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?
Yes, likely a mild to moderate OC

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Current is 22" which the wife wants. Probable upgrade is to a 23"-24"

8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
In the next 30-60 days.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Crossfire/SLI for future upgrade, if desired.

10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
No.


Here's my current proposed parts list:

CASE- Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case $99

MOBO- MSI P55-CD53 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard $120

CPU- Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core $200

PSU- ABS DARK BERET series DB850-M-BRZ 850W Continuous @50°C,80 PLUS BRONZE Certified,Modular Cable Design,Active PFC $150
.
RAM- Mushkin Enhanced 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model 996679 $115 w/ $20 MIR
.
Graphics Card- MSI R4850-2D1G OC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported $120 w/ $15 MIR

HDD- Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5 $110

OPTICAL DRIVE- SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223B $31

CPU COOLER- ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro $34



The stuff listed above totals up to $980 at Newegg, before figuring in any combo discounts and/or MIRs. I'll also check ZZF before I finalize since they may have a few things a bit cheaper.

Thanks for your helpful advice.
 
x3440 is great option if you need HT but for pure gaming rig. i5 750 is better option as it can overclock little better than the xenon.
 
Thanks guys.

I now remember seeing that Antec 900/750Wpsu combo on Newegg, but had forgotten about it. Thanks for suggesting that - it'll knock $55 off my final cost.

I'll give some serious thought to the 4850 vs. 5750 issue. I'd appreciate any other opinions/rationale on that. I may even decide to push the budget a bit and try to get the 5850 if that will help to significantly boost the future-proofness of this build. I tend to keep/use my desktops for about 3 years or so.
 
I generally don't suggest the 900 as it has bad cable management.

Have you check out the Antec 300 or Coolermaster HAF 922?
 
well if you like the looks of the 900, 902 fixes many of the issues from the 900.
 
Cases are subjective, so go with what you like. Personally, I prefer the CM RC-690 or 590 instead of the Antec Gamer series -- more room to work with, good cable management, and good airflow.

If you'll be gaming at 1920x1080 or higher, I'd highly suggest getting the HD5850. Just look at reviews for the card on the games you'll be playing at the proper resolutions to see the performance difference.

Ditch the Freezer 7 Pro, since it costs more than $20 (what it should cost). For $35, you'd be better off with a Hyper 212 or Xigmatek:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-GP 120mm
$37 - XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler ($10MIR)
$8 - XIGMATEK ACK-I5361 Intel Core i7/Core i5 compatible Bracket Set

The 850W and 750W PSUs are overkill, but at $115, the TP-750 is hard to beat, especially if you get that case/psu combo g linked.

The Seagate 7200.12 and Samsung F3 1TB drives use 500GB-platters, making them faster than the Cav.Black (333GB-platters).
$80 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA300 32MB Cache
$90 - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM SATA300 32MB Cache
 
Thanks guys. This is the sort of useful advice that I can use and appreciate.

I have:

1) Switched HDD from WD to Seagate (Samsung out of stock at Newegg, but I'll opt for it if available when I buy)

2) Switched PSU to Antec TP-750 750W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371025

3) Switched CPU cooler to the XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle + adapter

I'm still checking out the specs and reviews on the cases mentioned here. Good suggestions all.

The more I consider it, the better the 5850 looks for what I want to do now and for the future. If anyone knows a good place to snag one of the better brands (like an XFX) of this card, please let me know. It would be nice if someone would go ahead and put out one with a nicer cooling setup already on it. It seems that several stores are currently out-of-stock on it at the moment. :(
 
lt_shiro said:
I generally don't suggest the 900 as it has bad cable management.

Have you check out the Antec 300 or Coolermaster HAF 922?
Click to expand...

After taking a good look at the HAF922 and reading the reviews, it's the front-runner now. :cool:

My revise parts list is now:



CASE- Coolermaster HAF922 $99

MOBO- MSI P55-CD53 LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard $120

CPU- Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core $200

PSU- Antec TP-750, 750W $115
.
RAM- G.Skill Ripjaws 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) $81
.
Graphics Card- ATI Radeon 5850 -- about $270

HDD- Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM $90

OPTICAL DRIVE- SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S223B $31

CPU COOLER- XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler $45 w/ bracket


There's a combo deal at the Egg (save $25) if you get the HAF922 and this Coolermaster 700W PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171037 or $20 off with this OCZ 700W PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341018

My only question is whether or not a good quality 700W PSU will be all that's needed if I eventually add another 5850 card. I'm not all that savvy when it comes to the whole total power consumption issue. Any thoughts?
 
Last edited:
I ran this configuration through a couple of power consumption calculators with a core voltage bump to 1.45V for a 3.2GHz OC (which may or may not be needed). . For future upgradability,I added to the equation a second 5850 in CF and another 4GB of memory (total 8GB).

What I keep coming up with is a minimum PSU wattage of 750W. If I'm going to err on this, I'd rather it be on the side of extra, extra caution, so I'll probably get the Antec TPQ-850 unit - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371009
 
Which isn't any better than the 750 watt unit as the 12v rail is still a quad 25A.
 
Good point. I did note that similarity when looking at the specs on these 2 units.

Why is one of these rated @ 750W while the other is rated @ 850W? I'm honestly trying to get a handle on this.
 
Don't bother with the OCZ MXS700. The TPN 750W has A LOT more power and is of better quality. The TPQ 850W is an older design, skip it.

Modern systems mainly draw from the +12V rails. Older system drew more power from the +3.3V and +5V rails, but these days, its mostly drawn from the +12V rail. So, newer designs are skewed to power more off of the +12V rail.

Check out the PSU FAQ over at http://www.jonnyguru.com forums.
 
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