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Liquidretro

n00b
Joined
Mar 7, 2010
Messages
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First off, Long time lurker, first time poster. Thanks for everyones input.


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

My main uses are processing RAW photos and 1080P video from my new Canon 7D, Some gaming (Driving, Flying, a few FPS, SC2), and general office, web, video compression, music, torretts.

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2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

My budget is probably around $800-1000, its not set in stone but I don’t want this costing a fortune upfront, yet I still want to be very happy with it. This includes taxes, not shipping but like I said I am flexible.

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3) Where do you live?
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Nebraska

4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
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CPU, Case, Optical, MB, HD, GFX, Monitor (At least one, will upgrade to a second in a couple months), CPU Cooler, RAM, Fans?


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
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I have a Power supply I bought on a good sale a few months ago that I am hoping to use if you guys think its good enough, Its a OCZ ModXstreme Pro 600W.


6) Will you be overclocking?
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Yep

7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
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Looking at 24" range I think. I like the design of the Dell UltraSharps in how they are adjustable up/down and rotate. I dont know how important this is to me and would probably rather have a better pannel.


8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
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Within the next month possibly purchasing with in the next week.

9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.

USB 3 would be nice as would SATA 6 but both of these are probably unnecessary

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10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? 32bit or 64bit?
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Yep, Win7 Ultimate 64bit




Other things that are important

I have decided that I basically want an i7 but which one is the question. I do plan on overclocking some since these chips are great for it. I also plan on buying from Microcenter probably just because of their great prices even with sales tax. The 3 i7’s I am considering are
i7 920 for $200,
i7 860 for $230
i7 930 for $250

I know the 9 series chips here use the 1366 socket which is more future proof but I don’t really see upgrading here in the near future unless I can do so for a great price. I ran across this article which really helped to bring out the best performance for the money which is basically where I am at. They seem to suggest the 860 but that’s not taking into account microcenters great prices http://tech.icrontic.com/articles/making-sense-of-lynnfield-is-bloomfield-really-better/

So between the 920 and 930 this article seems to think the 930 is worth the price premium http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cpus/2010/03/01/intel-core-i7-930-cpu-review/1
But they are assuming the prices are the same at $300 where as for me buying at microcenter its cheaper but a $50 difference. It seems the OC potential is better so is it really worth it then in the end result?


For a Hard Drive I figure I would buy a WD Cavalier Black from CDW because I have a gift card that needs to be used so $-50 here. I am thinking either the 750 or 1tb model (maybe 640 too b/c I hear its faster and has less platters) as a main drive and then something else for storage down the line.

I would like the machine to be pretty quite, some noise is ok but this will be in my bedroom for a few months till I move to a new place. I would also like the case to probably not have a window. ! I have friends with Lian Li cases which hare really nice well built units but they tend to be expensive. I have seen some pretty nice ones for around $100 but I guess once I get the other stuff decided we will see how much money is left.

Thanks for the input.
 
lt_shiro said:
monitor isn't in this $1,000 budget?
Click to expand...

Oh to be honest im not real sure. Its not included in the 800, in the 1000 eh maybe. Like I said I am flexible I want something that will be great and last a while so I am flexible in price, but I dont want to spend a fortune.
 
lt_shiro said:
Dell UltraSharp 24 is like $550 alone, that is why i ask the question.
Click to expand...

Ya I know. I am not tied to that specific monitor I just like the style. I have a color calibrator and I am tempted to try a TN panel which is like $225. It will all kind of matter what the price of the computer ends up being and how the next few months are.
 
Liquidretro said:
I have a Power supply I bought on a good sale a few months ago that I am hoping to use if you guys think its good enough, Its a OCZ ModXstreme Pro 600W.
.
Click to expand...

Not good enough. It's mediocre at best. A new PSU will have to be factored in here.
What do you mean by "some gaming?" Do you mean that as you're not gonna playing games that much or you do play games but don't care about the settings?
 
Yeah you can probably sell that PSU and add the $$ to your budget.
IMO the i7 920 for $200 is the best route, considering the three you listed. But if that Dell Ultrasharp choice is set in stone, you'll probably have to consider a Phenom II. Therefore I would decide on your monitor first.. TN or IPS.. and then repost your budget.
 
Danny Bui said:
Not good enough. It's mediocre at best. A new PSU will have to be factored in here.
What do you mean by "some gaming?" Do you mean that as you're not gonna playing games that much or you do play games but don't care about the settings?
Click to expand...

Oh really, thats really disappointing. I was hoping that power supply would work. It means that gaming is not the machines primary function but that I will be gaming on it. Ya it would be nice to crank up the settings but its not necessary. I dont need every game to be running at 150FPS on full settings. I am going for nice and playable.

stephen0983 said:
Yeah you can probably sell that PSU and add the $$ to your budget.
IMO the i7 920 for $200 is the best route, considering the three you listed. But if that Dell Ultrasharp choice is set in stone, you'll probably have to consider a Phenom II. Therefore I would decide on your monitor first.. TN or IPS.. and then repost your budget.
Click to expand...

No if you read the thread you will see that I am not set on the dell ultrasharp by any means, I just like the visual style of that monitor and the features that it offers in terms of adjust-ability. Lets forget the monitor for this point.
 
Liquidretro said:
Oh really, thats really disappointing. I was hoping that power supply would work. It means that gaming is not the machines primary function but that I will be gaming on it. Ya it would be nice to crank up the settings but its not necessary. I dont need every game to be running at 150FPS on full settings. I am going for nice and playable.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, then in that case, a Core i7 build is not possible for $1000. Here's why:
$200 - Intel Core i7 920
$210 - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 ATX Motherboard
$165 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$160 - XFX HD-577X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$20 (when used with your $50 CDW gift card) - Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$25 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner
$80 - Antec Earthwatts 650W PSU
$170 - Acer P235Hbmid Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor
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Total: $1035 plus tax and shipping

Still have to factor in the cost of a quiet case (at least $100) So you're looking at about $1200 total before tax and shipping.
 
Danny Bui said:
Hmmm, then in that case, a Core i7 build is not possible for $1000. Here's why:
$200 - Intel Core i7 920
$210 - Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R Intel X58 ATX Motherboard
$165 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
$160 - XFX HD-577X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5770 1GB PCI-E Video Card
$20 (when used with your $50 CDW gift card) - Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$25 - LG GH22NS50 DVD Burner
$80 - Antec Earthwatts 650W PSU
$170 - Acer P235Hbmid Black 23" Widescreen LCD Monitor
----
Total: $1035 plus tax and shipping

Still have to factor in the cost of a quiet case (at least $100) So you're looking at about $1200 total before tax and shipping.
Click to expand...

Its more than I was looking to spend but its do able. That really looks like the system I am looking to build so I think its a good fit. Possibly add an after market cooler a little later for some more extreme overclocking and another hard drive down the road.

Thanks for your help.
 
Liquidretro said:
Its more than I was looking to spend but its do able. That really looks like the system I am looking to build so I think its a good fit. Possibly add an after market cooler a little later for some more extreme overclocking and another hard drive down the road.

Thanks for your help.
Click to expand...

Yeah NP. But the real kicker is gonna be the case: The quietest case I know of costs about $150 + shipping and dunno if quiet is really worth that much to ya:
$150 - Antec P183 ATX Case
 
Liquidretro said:
I can deal with cramped, Do you think that case will provide enough cooling for OC? I understand I may have to upgrade fans to more powerful and quite choices.
Click to expand...
Should be adequate I guess. Haven't heard or seen an Intel Core i7 build in that case though. Doesn't mean that it can't be done.

Liquidretro said:
I dont like this as well but what do you think?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112249
Click to expand...
That case is pretty good. What don't you like about that case?
 
Danny Bui said:
Should be adequate I guess. Haven't heard or seen an Intel Core i7 build in that case though. Doesn't mean that it can't be done.

That case is pretty good. What don't you like about that case?
Click to expand...

I have seen other i7 builds in it. Even some water cooling with people punching holes in the top of the case to add room for a radiator.


I just dont like the look as well. Its got so many optical bays, who needs that many. It looks kind of LAN party gamerish. I am goig for a more classy look I guess, so fewer holes, no led fans etc
 
unless your planning to run more then 1 GPU that power supply should be plenty.. I Ran a OC phenom 9850 with a OC 260 GTX with 2 optical & 3 HDD off of a 520w.

Now if that was a farmer teds brand 600w I would say it needs to go, but with a name brand decent quality you should be fine.

here is the newegg product review page for that PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017
Search for i7. 2 different people have that PSU with i7's & dual GPU even. So any single GPU solution you will have plenty to spare..
 
Even with a color calibrator, I'd suggest avoiding a TN panel for photo work. ;)
 
bastage said:
here is the newegg product review page for that PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductReview.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017
Search for i7. 2 different people have that PSU with i7's & dual GPU even. So any single GPU solution you will have plenty to spare..
Click to expand...

Newegg reviews are not accurate metrics of PSU quality as the majority of them are written by people with little to no knowledge as to what exactly makes a quality PSU. Their only metric is "I plugged it in and it didn't blow up!"

@ OP
Here's a list of cases that I personally recommend:
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 335 RC-335-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 331 RC-331-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Cooler Master Elite 332 RC-332-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$50 - Thermaltake WingRS 201 VJ60001N2Z ATX Case
$55 - Antec 300 ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$80 - Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B 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 - Lian Li PC-7FN ATX Case
$150 - 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
$180 - Lian Li PC-9 ATX Case
$200 - Cooler Master Cosmos S 1000 RC-1100-KSN1-GP Full Tower ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-V1200A Plus II ATX Case
$230 - Silverstone FT01-B ATX Case
$240 - Lian Li PC-A71B ATX Case
$285 - Silverstone TJ09-B Full Tower ATX Case
$320 - Silverstone TJ10-B Full Tower ATX Case
$330 - Silverstone Temjin SST-TJ07B Full Tower ATX Case
 
I wanted to update everyone with what I ended up with this case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112249 and I like it. It is a little big but nothing too bad, I do wish the power supply cables were a little longer. I also ended up with the 920.

Everything is now assembled and working well. With the stock heatsync Temps are around 40C at idel and around 60C when I am playing a game. I am looking at the aftermarket coolers and replacing the fans in the case because I want to overclock

I have read review after review and am now deciding between these two (#1 & #3) in the review http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.p...k=view&id=432&Itemid=62&limit=1&limitstart=23

So basically
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8...tsink_LGA_77511561366_AM2AM2AM3_Hot_Item.html
or
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/8...iversal_CPU_Cooler_SCMG-2100_Rev_B.html#blank

The first cooler I would add a fan to, and maybe 2. The second cooler people say you can add another fan to if you want.

Whats stopping me on the first one is the money. Your talking $100+ by the time you add 2 nice fans. So I wonder if this is over kill and the second cooler is sufficient and more economical.

I am looking for a quite & cool system that is overclocked. Because of this I need to replace some case fans as well. I need a 120mm and a 140mm and am looking for suggestions. FrozenCPU is good or someplace that I can combine shipping on the CPU cooler and Fans.
 
#1 is a tad overkill and not worth it unless you're trying to reach 5Ghz with that CPU. Personally don't like price of that Scythe Mugen 2 considering that its MSRP is $35.

I'd go with the Coolermaster HSF that Shadowsong talked about.

Personally a fan of these oldie but goodies fans:
$3.60 - 120mm Yate Loon D12SL-12 Case Fan
 
So the Hyper 212+ is really that good even though its old? That big review really talked about how the i7 is such a larger surface area you need one of the newer coolers that is designed this way.

Is 33db considered quite? What about a 140mm fan?
 
Liquidretro said:
So the Hyper 212+ is really that good even though its old? That big review really talked about how the i7 is such a larger surface area you need one of the newer coolers that is designed this way.

Is 33db considered quite? What about a 140mm fan?
Click to expand...

I don't think its even a year old yet, lol. Its basically your best bang for buck cooler around $30. It won't perform as good as the $50+ coolers, but it'll get you a good, moderate OC on the LGA1366 platform. If you're trying to break records, you'll want more exotic cooling. If you're trying to get a higher OC on air, then you'll want something in the $50-$70 range -- which isn't worth it, IMO, though there are some really nice coolers.

Sound is subjective. 33db is loud in my book, if we're talking about fans. However, if the fan is too loud, simply voltmod it to lower its speed. ;) I still use YL for 140mm fans -- they're too cheap to avoid, lol.
 
Could you provide a little more info on doing a voltage mod on the fan?

I got the new cooler and am looking for some good thermal paste, since I kind of screwed up on the first batch and had to use the stock that came with the cooler. Suggestions?
 
Search Google or Bing for "5v fan mod" or "7v fan mod" -- you should see plenty of results.

We often recommend TIMs (or thermal compounds) with no curing time. Two such examples are the OCZ Freeze and Arctic Cooling MX-2/MX-3. I'm personally using Shin-Etsu G751 TIM (which NewEgg lists as MASSCOOL G751), which is considered some of the best TIM available. However, that requires a bit of curing time.
 
tiraides said:
Search Google or Bing for "5v fan mod" or "7v fan mod" -- you should see plenty of results.

We often recommend TIMs (or thermal compounds) with no curing time. Two such examples are the OCZ Freeze and Arctic Cooling MX-2/MX-3. I'm personally using Shin-Etsu G751 TIM (which NewEgg lists as MASSCOOL G751), which is considered some of the best TIM available. However, that requires a bit of curing time.
Click to expand...

What do you think of something like the IC Diamond 7? I have a friend telling me this is really what I should get b/c its so good and the same price as any of the other high end compounds the only negative being its hard to work with.
 
Get either the OCZ Freeze or the MX-3 (the newest version of Arctic Cooling TIM). They're both available for under $10 (not including shipping or taxes), require no curing time, and perform within a few degrees (Celsius) of the best performing TIMs.
 
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