i5 Build to Replace i7 System

[notsane]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
All of the above
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Would like to maximize price/performace
3) Where do you live?
Seattle
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
Everything Except OS, Speakers, Keyboard and Mouse
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
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
1920x1200
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Within a month
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Possibly SLI or crossfire
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If yes, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
Windows 7 x64

I feel like I have too much cash into my current system for how much I actually use it. Plan to see how much I can get for it on craigslist if I hold out for a high offer. If I get say $4500 for this system and buy a much cheaper system that does the job, that would save me a big deperciation hit when fermi and clovertown come out.

Thinking of an i5 750 system with 4 or 8GB ram and a 5850 or 5870, an intel x25m G2 boot drive and a WD 640GB data drive. I would move down to a 1920x1200 display like the samsung t260 or similar. Even with the 3 gtx 285s I was never happy with performace at 2560x1600. Is this crazy? Should I just sell the video cards and hope a single fermi can power my display better than my 3 GTX 285s? Should I just leave well enough alone? What about selling it all and getting an ipad? lol

Current System: (see build log in sig)
Display: Samsung 305T 2560x1600 6ms
Motherboard: EVGA E760 CLASSIFIED
Processor : Intel Core i7-920 "DO" Stepping
RAM: CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600
Video Cards: Three EVGA GTX 285 1GB
Solid State Boot Drive: Intel X-25M 80GB
Power Supply: Corsair 1000HX 1000 Watt
Hard Drives: Two Western Digital 640GB Drives
Soundcard: X-FI Titanium Fatal1ty
Case: Cooler Master HAF 932
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master V8
Drive Bays: Icy Dock 3.5" to 2.5" Bay, Two Athena Power Drive Bays
DVD Burner: Samsung SATA DVD Burner
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit


Current System

 

[450]

Not to be rude, but I'm not sure you'll get anywhere around 4500 for that system.

 

[engiNURD]

Do you plan on keeping any of those parts to re-use?

 

[notsane]

Not to be rude, but I'm not sure you'll get anywhere around 4500 for that system.

I totally get that a [H] user would not pay that kind of money for this box and monitor, but craigslist is a different story. People buy things like this because they don't have the knowhow to do it themselves and they want to get something for less than what say digital storm would sell them (their price for this is $4500 w/o the $1200 monitor ). All these parts and monitor from newegg today are $4715 + shipping (no tax). Anyway, I expected/wanted this response so that I can keep my head straight. Thanks!

 

[notsane]

Do you plan on keeping any of those parts to re-use?

I don't know, I am pretty happy with everything and I did put a lot of work into this build with the wire loom and all. It seems a shame to take anything out of here, would rather sell intact and build again. Maybe I should just sell the video cards. Not sure what to do.

 

[ryken]

Why not just sell 2 285's, the SSD, and the monitor? That'll free up the cash, and a 285 plus i7 is still a really nice machine. Hell, you could even ditch that mobo and buy a cheaper x58.

I understand that things go for more on craigslist than here, but I don't know that there is a really big market for $4500 computers that aren't worth anything near that.

 

[notsane]

Why not just sell 2 285's, the SSD, and the monitor? That'll free up the cash, and a 285 plus i7 is still a really nice machine. Hell, you could even ditch that mobo and buy a cheaper x58.

I understand that things go for more on craigslist than here, but I don't know that there is a really big market for $4500 computers that aren't worth anything near that.

I didn't think of selling two gtx 285 and the monitor. I NEED to have an SSD now and there is no way I would go back. I understand your point about the price, and that has always been a big if. Heck at some point you don't get enough to make it worth it to sell. My general rule has always been to take the CURRENT newegg price of the hardware and sell for 90% of that so I suppose that would be more like $4200 as the base asking price (and I have always been very successful with that system, because I do nice build work). Anyway, I really didn't want to make this about the used price of the hardware, more about the "what would you do" or specific reccomendations about an i5 build. Thanks so much for your input.

 

[tiraides]

Ultimately, I believe that you need to scale down your gaming expectations. If that means selling two of your three GTX 285 cards and swapping out your 30" monitor for a 1920x1080/1200 monitor, so be it. But as a whole, I wouldn't recommend a completely new system, as your current machine would outperform any dual-card P55-based system on the same games at the same resolutions.

I like ryken's idea: Sell the parts that you don't believe that you need. But since you'll hardly get back what you're expecting from selling these parts, just keep the core components intact.

 

[notsane]

Ultimately, I believe that you need to scale down your gaming expectations. If that means selling two of your three GTX 285 cards and swapping out your 30" monitor for a 1920x1080/1200 monitor, so be it. But as a whole, I wouldn't recommend a completely new system, as your current machine would outperform any dual-card P55-based system on the same games at the same resolutions.

I like ryken's idea: Sell the parts that you don't believe that you need. But since you'll hardly get back what you're expecting from selling these parts, just keep the core components intact.

Thanks so much for chiming in. I think you are correct in your thinking. Seems like if I sell components I will just be trading down since any price difference between platforms I would just be loosing to depreciation. I may even keep the monitor and just sell the cards and play with the details turned down. Thank you very much for your insight. I am actully super happy with the system as a whole, just seemed like overkill for my amount of gaming lately. Lesson learned, work less game more.