New build; what do ya think?

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SinShiva

Limp Gawd
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Nov 20, 2009
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DcW_SinShiva said:
http://w.zomghi2u.com/etc/pages/adrian_comp.html

that with an ATI 5850, ordering next week as soon as a 5850 shows up on newegg, heh

I'll explain why i chose everything; was aiming to keep the build below 1500usd, but i needed new everything.

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core - i spent an immense amount of time deciding on the cpu. obviously there is a lot to choose from, but i limited myself to the new Intel lineup. Initially, i wanted to do the i7 920. triple channel and hyperthreading. it's a hot processor metaphorically speaking, but the i7 860 is about the same on a die shrink. has no triple channel, though. the i5 is the same as the i7 860, but the i5 has no hyperthreading. (when i say they are the same, this is from an overclocker's point of view. at stock, you are best off with the i7 860, imo. keeps you on the newer socket, too.)

Noctua NH-U12P SE2 120mm SSO CPU Cooler - best cpu hsf i could find that would fit in my case.

ATI 5850 - not on the list, but the thing pretty much speaks for itself. blows away everything short of crossfire or the 5870/5970 cards. at 300usd. can't wait to push this card. Note, for anything less than futureproofing performance, i advise going with the 5770. Multi-GPU support like crossfire in the 5 series provides unparalleled scaling.

OCZ Platinum 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 - tight timings, low voltages. i'll get more later if i feel a need for 8gb.

GIGABYTE GA-P55M-UD2 LGA 1156 Intel P55 Micro ATX Intel - cheap motherboard, dual bios, has a PATA slot

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s - Getting two of these to use for my first personal raid 0.

LIAN LI PC-V351B Black Aluminum MicroATX - it's a sexy case, i'd not get any other for this style of mATX build

Antec BP550 Plus 550W Continuous Power ATX12V V2.2 Modular - this system is relatively low watt. just needed something stable with 500-600 watts, but modular. needed the modularity for my case.

ASUS VW246H Black 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor - splurged a little because i could. otherwise, i'd probably have gone with 21-23" 5ms acer.

and for the most important part!

RAZER Lachesis Phantom White 9 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser Gaming Mouse - love it, don't need the extra dpi, sorry ds ;]

XTRAC PADS Ripper Optical Mouse pad - this was actually a bit of a quick choice. i assume it will work as intended.

TOTAL PRICE: $1480usd with shipping
Note: without the monitor, mouse, mousepad, cpu hsf or hdds: ~1000usd

Note: I have a couple of black dvd-rw's that i will stick in this box, that's why i needed a PATA slot til i find it's time for a sata bdrom

Anyway, i'm pretty excited about this build. :]
Click to expand...

Copy/Pasted my post made elsewhere.
 
On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd rate a 6 mainly due to the PSU and the piss poor RAM. The PSU, while a Delta build, is not suitable of this kind of heavy duty setup. The RAM is NOT low voltage at all. In fact, it's over voltaged at 1.7V. The maximum RAM voltage for the Core i series is 1.65V. Yes that .5V does make a difference. I would have gone with this RAM instead:
$99 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9D-4GBRL 2 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM

I would have downgraded the monitor a little to free up the extra cash for a better modular PSU and a faster CPU:
$240 - Intel Xeon X3440 CPU

Not that much slower than the i7 860 but significantly cheaper yet still has HT.

All in all, it's an all right build for $1500. You could do totally better with that amount of cash but meh.
 
that's why i came here ;)

advice noted, i'll start switching things around now

i actually started off doing an i7 build, then it morphed into this. hence, why i thought the ram would be alright, the ocz plat triple channel kit seemed pretty good for the 1366. didn't think it would be worse for this socket

oh, and i love the processor suggestion. the xeon line didn't even occur to me

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341017 - better psu ? i can't see myself needing more than 600w, i don't plan to crossfire

[Final Edit] http://w.zomghi2u.com/etc/pages/adrian_comp_21nov2009.html - my updated cart. removed a harddrive, going with 8gb of the 4gb gskill kit.
 
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I'm not a big fan of OCZ's XStream PSUs -- the long story short is that better options are available, but you may have to spend a bit more money on them. With the case that you're considering, however, you should have enough space for a non-modular PSU, like the Antec Earthwatts EA650.

You don't need the "best" CPU cooler around. One, "best" is a largely subjective term, as the "best" coolers only have a few degrees' difference amongst each other. Second, some of the "best" coolers available cost less than $50. If it's in stock by the time that you order it, I recommend the Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus instead of the more expensive Noctua.

You never explained what the purpose of this build is. From reading your OP, I'm assuming that you're building a SFF/microATX gaming machine that you want to overclock. Is there anything else that I'm missing?

(Off tangent, but the Core i7 860 wouldn't work on a Socket 1366/X58 board nor would a Core i7 920 work with a Socket 1156/P55 board. For now, IIRC, the 9-series Intel quad cores are Socket 1366 only. Plus, HyperThreading allows the processor to run tasks and processes more efficiently, while "fooling" the system into believing that it has twice the number of CPU cores it actually has. For heavy multitasking and resource-intensive programs, it's an excellent feature... but most games don't benefit from it.)
 
i wanted to use that psu, but i really need modular. nice airflow on that hsf, i'll get it provided it's in stock when i order it
 
switching to the antec earthwatts. i knew it was a good psu; didn't expect that ocz psu to be so mediocre.
 
Just my opinion, but I'd stick w/ the modular OCZ, as I have the 700w and it is really nice. My co-worker was trying to convince me at the time to switch to the Antec earthwatts instead, but changed his tune after two of them failed within a month in builds at work.
 
If you want a modular PSU, check out the Corsair offerings. I am running a 520W modular with a 5870, i860, etc and it has been great (although I haven't tried O/C'ing yet).

Also, I agree about the memory. I went with the Ripjaws and been very happy. The low voltage is a major plus.

Actually, I even used the v351 case, and I will tell you that cable management is a nightmare. It doesn't help that I have a Corsair H50 and a 5870 in there but honestly the mess of cables looks bad enough that I am probably going to get a different case. Just my opinion tho.

Finally, I'd opt for a more conventional mouse. I have a Logitech MX and love it. Very comfy and good for all around use. I never really got the whole "gaming mouse" thing.
 
The OCZ PSUs are mediocre. The FSP Epsilon based units are only good until 500W; anything above that could expose your parts to out of spec ripple; such voltage fluctuations could kill your parts over time. Granted, you may never load the PSU that high, but why buy something that can't properly provide the power it claims?

I agree, stay away from OCZ PSUs. You'll get much better quality power from Corsair. Other alternatives would be: Silverstone Strider, Antec TP-New, Seasonic M12, etc. For your planned build, all you'd need is a good quality 550W - 650W unit.
 
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