New build, opinions?

[Tom B]

Firstly answers to questions:

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming mostly, a little Photoshop work but nothing major

2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
£1000 GBP but i don't need a complete system (see below), including tax/shipping.
Would like to order before Jan 1st because the tax goes up here.
3) Where do you live?
UK
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.
CPU, RAM, Motherboard, Graphics card, Headsink, PSU
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
Only things which don't have too much impact. Samsung DVD-RW (not sure about model) Seagate 500gb hard drive and my case is a Coolermaster Stacker 830 which i'm re-using (inclusing all those nice 120mm fans )
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes. Would like to get the CPU up to 4ghz, I've heard this is pretty easy with the i7 920s
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
Currently got 1680x1050 x 2.
I may use Eyefinity (if the bezels dont annoy me) but I know people will say a 5870 is overkill... however, people said that about my 8800gtx... getting a better card means the pc will last longer. My friend got a 8800GT (original 640mb one) and couldn't play GTA IV nearly as well as me when it came out. So i'd rather get a better graphics card for futureproofing.
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
Soon, before Jan 1st. Preferrable this week.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.
Crossfire would be nice for an upgrade option. Other than that, just basics SATA, 1 IDE channel
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?
Got Win 7 ultimate on this PC going to transfer it to the new pc and re-install my Vista Ultimate on this one.



Anyway, the build:

GPU: XFX Radeon 5870
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 D0 Which seems like by far the best bang/buck cpu out there at the moment
HSF: Corsair H50.. Looks interesting, but open to suggestions here. Would take the Tuniq Tower out of my current system if I wasnt taking all my old compents and using them in my other machine.
PSU: Corsair HX 620 Got one of these already and can't fault it at all. Quiet and gets a lot of good reviews so I'll get another for my new build but am open to suggestions
Mobo: Asus P6T SE Really open to suggestions on this. Although seems pointless not getting X58. I don't need SLi (amd card...) and only have basic requirements in terms of features. As long as I get at 1 IDE and SATA nothing else matters.. but will I be able to OC to 4ghz on this board?
RAM: Corsair Dominator 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 Again open to suggestions. This is the item I have least knowledge about, but I would like 6gb going from a 4gb system to another 4gb system doesn't feel like an upgrade

Any comments/suggestions

 

[gwarren007]

Where are you buying from (what store?)

 

[Tom B]

Mostly overclockers.co.uk but some parts might be cheaper on ebuyer.com so i'll but them there.

 

[Dangman]

The Corsair Dominator RAM are total and complete waste of money. RAM wise, just go for the cheapest DDR3 1600 6GB set of RAM with a RAM voltage of 1.65V and below. Thats all you need in terms of RAM. Lower timings do not matter at all.

GPU wise, your argument forgets this basic fact:
There was a $100 price difference between the 8800GTS 640MB and the 8800GTX throughout most of their lifetimes. For a majority of games during that time period when the 8800GTX and GTS reigned supreme, By the time GTA 4 came out for the PC, for $100, your friend or anyone else for that matter, could have gotten a 8800GT or HD 4850, both cards that outperformed the 8800GTX. So by saving $100 or so in the past, you can spend $100 or so in the future on better and faster card.

With that said, the 8800GTX had awesome longevity to the point that it was still a respectable card 3 years later. However, the 8800GTX story rarely happens. So more than likely there will be a card that can outperform the HD 5870 for half the price.

 

[engiNURD]

I agree with Danny. Dominator RAM is a waste of money. G80 had a long run because R600 was not only delayed, it flopped. RV770 changed all that for ATI, which gives GT200 a run for its money. GT300 isn't out yet, while RV870 is top dog for now...

You'll be able to OC to 4Ghz with DDR2-1600 RAM and that P6T SE (SE just doesn't have SLI support). If you must have Corsair, drop it down to their regular XMS3 line instead of the Dominators. A good alternative are the G.Skill Ripjaws DDR3-1600 @ 1.5v, as they'll give you more headroom to OC, should you find the need to increase the vDIMM (1.65v is max for Intel chips). You won't notice the difference between CL9 and CL7, so don't pay a price premium for lower latency.

You'll also be able to reach 4Ghz with a much cheaper cooler, like the CM Hyper 212+ or Xigmatek Dark Knight w/ crossbow.

If your current drive is a Spinpoint T1, I'd suggest replacing it with a Samsung F3 500GB for only $55, or the 1TB for $80, as they're much faster than their older brothers.