new build critique

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FalconSS

[H]ard|Gawd
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Jul 2, 2004
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building a new system. I always enjoy and value my fellow [H]ard readers input. this is my current newegg cart ( Parts may not necessarily be purchased from the egg. )



Case:NZXT CS-NT-PANZER-B PANZERBOX Black Welded Aluminum ATX Mid Tower with Dual 190mm Fans Computer Case - Retail

Power Supply:CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power ... - Retail

MotherBoard: MSI X58 Pro-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - RetailModel #:X58 Pro-E

CPU: Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail

Ram: Crucial Ballistix 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL3KIT25664TB1608 - OEM


Video Card : XFX HD-585A-ZNDC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB XXX Edition 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported ... - Retail

Hard Drive : SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
DVD/RW: Owned (New, Never Used)

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM


Fan Controller: NZXT SEN-001LX Sentry LX Aluminum dual bay fan controller - Retail



Total Cost: ( Minus Shipping ) -- $1521.91

Edit: added Hard Drive and upgraded totals
Edit: Sorry about the formating before, I guess I can't just copy and past from newegg anymore

Edit: Changed Hard Drive and OS. Updated total

Edit: added Fan Controller for 190mm fans.
EDIT: Changed hard drive again
( Quiet is a large concern for me)
 
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Can you ship it to me for um *caugh* testing purposes when your done building it?

I think you can do better on Windows 7 price.
750 single rail Corsair PSU is nice, I have one in my rig but I paid 100 dollars less for mine on the egg.
 
I haven't heard of any quality issues with Corsiar PSUs in general, Leon_Solitario. Then again, I'm not having any problems with the fan on my HX620.

While I agree with what Bona Fide is saying in regards to overclocking the video card, XFX offers a limited lifetime warranty and has (reportedly) better customer service.

Do you need BitLocker drive encryption? Windows XP Mode? Support for 35 languages? If not, stick with Windows 7 Home Premium. While Windows 7 Professional also has Windows XP Mode, Windows XP Mode is designed for programs that won't work at all, even with Windows 7's Compatibility Mode. Oh, and TrueCrypt is the freeware equivalent to BitLocker.

Corsair Ballistix RAM is overpriced; get a cheaper DDR3 1600 kit that runs at 1.5V.

The WD Caviar Green runs at a lower spindle speed (about 5400RPM) than the Caviar Blue and Black series HDDs. If this is going to be the only drive in your system, get one that runs at 7200RPM and uses 320/333GB or 500GB drive platters.

Out of curiosity, which particular optical drive do you have on hand?
 
It would really help if you answered the sticky "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we could help you better. Can't exactly help you if I don't know what size monitor you have, what exactly you'll be using the PC for, etc etc. So please answer those questions in the sticky.

Some additional questions/notes:
- Do you actually need all of the features of Windows 7 Ultimate?

- That WD Green drive is a tad too slow for what I assume is at least a gaming PC. I'd recommend this drive instead for a gaming PC:
$70 - Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

- RAM wise, the Crucial is a not a good considering that you can get similar specced RAM for less:
$155 - Corsair CMX6GX3M3A1600C9 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

EDIT: Me type too slow.
 
I ran across some reviews (wish I remembered the site), but there were several posts of people complaining that the fans on their corsair psus had started to go "out of whack", one case when it had crapped out all together. this was only one site though and the others that I've read reviews from haven't mentioned anything about it. I only bring it up to see if anyone else has had any similar issues because I'm still shuffling through components on my new build, lol.

in any case, I think I'm going to snag a seasonic from newegg.com while the prices are looking good, lol.
 
Leon_Solitario said:
I ran across some reviews (wish I remembered the site), but there were several posts of people complaining that the fans on their corsair psus had started to go "out of whack", one case when it had crapped out all together. this was only one site though and the others that I've read reviews from haven't mentioned anything about it. I only bring it up to see if anyone else has had any similar issues because I'm still shuffling through components on my new build, lol.

in any case, I think I'm going to snag a seasonic from newegg.com while the prices are looking good, lol.
Click to expand...

Nope, haven't heard of any issue like that with the Corsairs we've recommended. And you can easily tell that we recommend a ton of Corsairs every week so something should have come up by now with regards to the fan issue. With that said, those that have issues tends to post more than those without issues.

Oh and Seasonic makes many of Corsair's PSUs.
 
1. Get the Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB to use as the main OS drive and use the Western Digital Green 1.5TB as a storage drive. Or if you want a larger primary hard drive, go for the WD 1TB Black or Samsung F3 1TB.

2. Choose this 6GB G.Skill DDR3 1600 kit.
 
MJZ said:
The good Corsairs are made by CWT, not Seasonic. In fact, I don't know of any high powered Corsairs made by Seasonic (only the lowered wattage ones).

Here are the worthwhile Corsairs to get:

http://forums.hexus.net/1624441-post17.html

I wouldn't get the Seasonic ones.
Click to expand...

The words WTF comes to mind. Corsair's Seasonic PSUs are just as good, if not better than their CWT counterparts. If you meant that Corsair's higher wattage PSUs are all CWT made, that's understandable if you only want higher wattage PSUs.
 
Danny Bui said:
The words WTF comes to mind. Corsair's Seasonic PSUs are just as good, if not better than their CWT counterparts. If you meant that Corsair's higher wattage PSUs are all CWT made, that's understandable if you only want higher wattage PSUs.
Click to expand...

Yup, better wording should be the "high end", rather than "good". They are all good quality. I own the HX650 (which is going to be retiring for a higher powered version).
 
Thanks for the Input guys! Sorry for taking so long to reply I was without internet for a while. I will be addressing individual questions in moments.

Danny Bui said:
It would really help if you answered the sticky "ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS FIRST" so that we could help you better. Can't exactly help you if I don't know what size monitor you have, what exactly you'll be using the PC for, etc etc. So please answer those questions in the sticky.

.
Click to expand...


1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
PC will be mainly used for gaming/ as well as programming, light video editing, and being a media server to my PS3
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
Around $1500 Less is of course better.
3) Where do you live?
East Texas
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
Everything but DVD-RW. I have a keyboard and mouse to use
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Lite-on SATA DVD-RW not sure about model, razer Deathadder Microsoft Ergonomic 4000 Keyboard
6) Will you be overclocking?
YES! but I want to go ahead and build before I get a new cooler ( Thinking of Watercooling )
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
1920x1080 or 1920x1200
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Buying Case in Jan, Power Supply in feb, everything else in march ( looking to get a general idea of cost )
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Good overclocking, Stable, fast, quiet, Raid would be nice as well as USB 3.0, under $250, Crossfire support ( for future options)
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Yes but since building a whole new system I would like a new copy. I don't like upgrade copies because of the hassle.


Bona Fide said:
Just something to consider: the XFX card you picked out is overclocked by a relatively paltry 30MHz core and 125MHz memory. 5800 series cards are remarkably good at overclocking, so you could save about 10% by picking a standard-clocked model and doing the tiny bit of overclocking yourself.

.
Click to expand...


The reason I picked the XFX is more for the warranty then the overclock. My Current 3850 is oc'd+ voltage flashed and my x850pro before that was unlocked and clocked to XTPE speeds. I'm really wanting to just get something "that works" now. hehe maybe i'm getting old.




.
 
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Danny Bui said:
Some additional questions/notes:
- Do you actually need all of the features of Windows 7 Ultimate?

.
Click to expand...

no - fixed

Danny Bui said:
- That WD Green drive is a tad too slow for what I assume is at least a gaming PC. I'd recommend this drive instead for a gaming PC:
$70 - Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Click to expand...

Fixed, Changed to 1 TB WD black. I didn't know the greens ran at 5400, I just thought they were more efficient.

Danny Bui said:
- RAM wise, the Crucial is a not a good considering that you can get similar specced RAM for less:
$155 - Corsair CMX6GX3M3A1600C9 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

.
Click to expand...

I've always used Corsair XMS. I really wanted to try a different brand this time. its been a while since I visited the the memory subforum... is eclipse still there?

also a quick question on the hard drives. Is the Samsung F3 better than the WD Black?

also about the PSU, Is there any comparable mudular PSU's? I would really like a modular one but am uncertain as to what would be a good deal

EDIT/ADD : I'm also trying to get more for my money. what is this Bing cashback? Is the the same as google checkout? any other money saving ideas are most welcome!

Also My current system(in sig) has an antec truepower 550. I have a thermaltake 420 thats currently not being used. would the 420 run my current setup (non overclocked) and would the antec 550
 
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MJZ said:
The good Corsairs are made by CWT, not Seasonic. In fact, I don't know of any high powered Corsairs made by Seasonic (only the lowered wattage ones).

Here are the worthwhile Corsairs to get:

http://forums.hexus.net/1624441-post17.html

I wouldn't get the Seasonic ones.
Click to expand...

I have heard quite the opposite, that I should get a psu that seasonic has made. I currently have 3x 520HX(made by Seasonic) and they all run fine.
 
FalconSS said:
no - fixed

Fixed, Changed to 1 TB WD black. I didn't know the greens ran at 5400, I just thought they were more efficient.

I've always used Corsair XMS. I really wanted to try a different brand this time. its been a while since I visited the the memory subforum... is eclipse still there?

also about the PSU, Is there any comparable mudular PSU's? I would really like a modular one but am uncertain as to what would be a good deal
Click to expand...

Depends what you mean by "efficient". More energy efficient? Yes, good storage drivers.

There are other good memory sticks out there such as G.SKILL Ripjaws and Mushkin Redline.

Comparable to what PSU? A 650HX should be a good choice. All the HX are modular.
 
1. yes more energy efficient but I want a faster drive than 5400 rpm.
2. taking a look at these now
3. the corsair I have on my build now
 
FalconSS said:
I've always used Corsair XMS. I really wanted to try a different brand this time. its been a while since I visited the the memory subforum... is eclipse still there?
Click to expand...
Not in a long time IIRC.

FalconSS said:
also a quick question on the hard drives. Is the Samsung F3 better than the WD Black?
Click to expand...
Yup, waay faster.

FalconSS said:
also about the PSU, Is there any comparable mudular PSU's? I would really like a modular one but am uncertain as to what would be a good deal
Click to expand...
The closest would be the Corsair 750HX in terms of amperage and wattage. IN terms of price however, the 750HX is not a good deal considering that you can get the higher quality and higher wattage/amperage Seasonic for less:
$140 - Seasonic M12D SS-850 850W Modular PSU

Do note that your system will easily run on the 650HX mentioned earlier. However the Seasonic is simply one of the best deals right now for a modular and high quality PSU.

FalconSS said:
Also My current system(in sig) has an antec truepower 550. I have a thermaltake 420 thats currently not being used. would the 420 run my current setup (non overclocked) and would the antec 550
Click to expand...

No for both. The TT 420 does not have enough amperage on the +12V rail. Considering the age of your PC, you probably have one of the old Antec Truepower 550 PSUs. If so, definitely no for the following reason:
The Truepower I and II series as well as the Smartpower series were well known for their above average death rates due to a poor choice in caps and cooling design. In more specific terms, Antec/CWT specified/used caps (Fuhjyyu caps) that did not respond well to heat. Unfortunately, Antec made the decision to have the PSU fan only ramp at really high temps in an effort to keep the PSU quiet. However, just medium to high temps were enough to screw up the caps so really high temps were murderous. Over time, this degraded the quality and performance of those PSU series.

So I recommend replacing the PSU, especially if you hear a squeal, whine, or any odd noise coming from the PSU. Those are usually the first signs of those particular PSU lines dying. However, do note that the Truepower I and II series as well as the Smartpower series had a three year warranty. So if you do hear a squeal, whine, or any odd noise, that's enough grounds to RMA the PSU.
 
hey I think mine is a truepower II, I bought it in 2006 when I switched cases from my huge TT XaserV (which came with the 420 ) to the smaller antec superlanboy. ( I was transferring to an out-of-town University and needed something light... I also bought my first lcd and TV Card in the same order. Big difference from my 19 inch Nokia CRT Monitor at the time )

Changed Hard drives...again

Should I wait on the motherboard? I'm planning on buying in march when I get my commission check+ tax refund. What is an upcoming Mobo that supports USB 3.0? As you can see I don't do new builds often and would like this one to last at least 3-4 years.

Would it be better to go with the I5? as stated above I want it to last a while and through upgrades. I went with socket 1366 because I figured i could swap out to a much faster processor (read 6 core )later.

Yes, I just got through looking through some i5 boards and they seem to have many more features for a lower price.The motherboard will be the heart of my system and i'm torn on which socket to take now. Is anyone coming out with an updated i7/x58 design anytime soon?
 
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The upcoming six-core Intel processors will use the LGA1366 socket, but there's no guarantee that the current X58-based motherboard line-up will support them when they arrive. That said, it's not like quad cores are going to go away any time soon.

Since you're planning on ordering everything in March, take a break from this thread for now and revisit it about a week or two before you plan on buying parts. New components will have arrived by then, and you may have a different idea as to which parts you want to consider.
 
tiraides said:
The upcoming six-core Intel processors will use the LGA1366 socket, but there's no guarantee that the current X58-based motherboard line-up will support them when they arrive.
Click to expand...

Several (such as ASUS and Gigabyte) already do via BIOS updates.
 
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