New PC Build

[Azzyquemint]

1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc
Gaming, gaming, gaming. If it could do video editing and audio editing too, that would be swell, but I neither need nor expect that.
2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?
2000 USD maximum, tax and shipping included.
3) Where do you live?
California, USA.
4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. The word "Everything" is not a valid answer. Please list out all the parts you'll need.
Case, PSU, motherboard, CPU & heatsink, GPU, memory, HDD, CD/DVD-RW drive
5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.
USB 2.0 keyboard. USB 2.0 mouse. Sennheiser HD280 Pro headphones
6) Will you be overclocking?
Yes. I plan to OC the CPU and the memory (see below).
7) What size monitor do you have and/or plan to have?
I already have a Sceptre X270W-1080P (27").
8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?
This month.
9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? USB 3.0? SATA 6Gb/s? etc.
USB 3.0 and SATA 6Gb/s.
10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license? If so, what OS? Is it 32bit or 64bit?
Maybe, but I am not counting on it. I plan on buying a new OS.


I honestly don't know if I'll be able to swing a new PC this month, but if I can I want to be ready to jump on it. Here's what I have planned.

AMD Phenom II x6 1090T (CPU)
AMD Radeon 6870 (GPU)
ASUS M4A89GTD (Motherboard)
G.Skill Flare DDR3-2000 2x4GB (Memory)
Antec Nine Hundred (Case)
Western Digital 1TB 64MB Cache 7200 RPM SATA 6.0GB/s (HDD)
ASUS 24x CD/DVD-RW (CD/DVD drive)
Windows 7 64-bit Home Premium (Operating System)
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W (Power Supply)
ZALMAN CNPS10X FLEX (CPU heatsink)

All of that from Newegg right now, 1,482.86 USD including tax, shipping and handling.

What I really want is a powerful gaming machine that will last me a while. If could do more with it than just game, that would be fun, but I'm not banking on it. I imagine myself being comfortable with this rig for 2-3 years.

I did a lot of research and put a lot of consideration into CrossFire, SLI and even 3-way-SLI, but for the investment I just don't think it'll be worth it to me. I may yet still be convinced otherwise, if someone would like to advocate.

I plan to overclock this CPU as far as it will hold stable, then drop it 100-200MHz to help insure some longevity. I plan to clock the memory up to its full 2000MHz potential. I don't think I'll be trying to overclock the GPU.

The case comes with 2 120mm fans up front, 1 120mm fan in the rear, 1 200mm fan on top and room for 1 120mm fan on the side panel. I will definitely be adding that extra 120mm fan. While the fans it comes with are nice, I may just go ahead and upgrade all of them, as noise is of little to no issue to me (see above-mentioned Sennheiser HD 280 Pro). I was looking at the 1ST PC CORP. PFB1212UHE-F00 120mm and the NZXT FN-200RB 200mm.

I may add a sound card, another 8GB of RAM, a blu-ray drive, and at least two more HDDs for storage, none of which need be factored into the $2000 maximum I've set for myself, as they would come later with funds I would presumably have later.

EDIT: I also didn't really think about the CPU heatsink much. Should I go with something else? Do I even still need one with all that airflow?
EDIT: It appears as though I didn't investigate GPUs thoroughly. With the extra cash, should I just go ahead and get the Radeon HD 5970?

Thoughts?

 

[Dangman]

Forget the 1090T: It is not worth the extra $40 over the 1055T. You can save additional money by going with this combo:
$300 - AMD Phenom II X6 1055T CPU + Asus M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AMD 890GX ATX Motherboard

Ditch the DDR3 2000 RAM as well, even for a 4GHz OC, all you need is DDR3 1600 RAM. So you can save a ton of money by getting two of this set of RAM:
$79 - G.Skill Ripjaw Series F3-12800CL9S-4GBRL 4GB DDR3 1600 RAM

And no there's no real world performance difference between DDR3 2000 and DDR3 1600 RAM.

Ditch the Antec 900 case: It's cramped, overpriced, and there are better cases for the money out there:
$70 - Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$70 - Cooler Master CM690 II Basic ATX Case
$85 - Cooler Master CM690 II Advance ATX Case
$90 - Cooler Master HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP ATX Case
$90 - Lian Li PC-7B Plus II ATX Case
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Black ATX Case (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Titanium ATX Case (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$105 - Fractal Design Define R3 Silver ATX Case (Fill in the ++++ with "N C I X" without the spaces)
$100 - Lian Li Lancool PC-K7B ATX Case
$110 - Lian Li PC-7FN ATX Case
$120 - Velocity Micro GX2-W Silver Classic Aluminum Case with Side Window

Ditch the WD 1TB drive as well: That SATA 6Gb/s interface doesn't provide it with SATA 6Gb/s FYI. Hell that drive doesn't even go past the limits of SATA 1.5Gb/s. I recommend this significantly faster Samsung drive for less:
$75 - Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Ditch that HSF as well and get this better bang for the buck HSF instead:
$30 - Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus HSF for LGA 1366 and LGA 1156

Don't go for the HD 5970.

 

[Azzyquemint]

Thank you very much. You've given me a lot to look up, read about, and think about.

 

[SOSTrooper]

Now that you've slashed enough money from your initial built proposal, I would invest in getting an SSD as your boot drive. The prices are dropping fast for these; something like a OCZ Vertex 2 or any Sandforce-based SSD.

 

[Azzyquemint]

Now that you've slashed enough money from your initial built proposal, I would invest in getting an SSD as your boot drive. The prices are dropping fast for these; something like a OCZ Vertex 2 or any Sandforce-based SSD.

I appreciate the advice, and your suggestion compelled me to put a little research into SSDs, but I think I'm going to pass for this machine. It would be $180+ on top of what I already have in mind, as I'd still want a 1TB+ storage drive. I don't think I'm going to see a worthwhile return on that kind of investment.

UPDATE: After some advice from a family member and a little thought, I may go ahead and get a 32GB 2.5" SSD and mount it in place. Only another ~$90 as opposed to $180+. Thanks, both of you!

I dug a little into what Danny Bui advised, and eventually took all his advice lock, stock and barrel. Here's what I'm looking at now.

COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory x2 (8GB)
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
NZXT FN-200RB 200mm Case Fan x2 (one front, one top)
1ST PC CORP. PFB1212UHE-F00 120mm Case Fan x3 (one back, two CPU)

I'm aware that those fans are likely more than I'll need. I'm aware they're noisy. I'm also aware I'm probably going to have to put the PC on a leash, lest it fly away.

$1429.47 on newegg, tax and shipping included.

 

[Dangman]

Looks good so far

 

[SOSTrooper]

C'mon, you're spending $150 on fans, but can't fork out $120 on an SSD to go with your beefy gaming rig? At least get something like OCZ Vertex 2 60GB or Mushkin Callisto 60GB. These are rated at 285MB/s read and 275MB/s write, versus 125MB/s and 70MB/s on the Oynx 32GB you chose. You can still use the 1TB drive as your storage drive and to install games on.

That 120mm fan looks to be a beast, an unnecessary beast at that. I'd probably get some 1600RPM or 1900RPM fans instead and save yourself medical bills from going deaf

 

[Azzyquemint]

A big part of it right now is that the rig that iBUYPOWER.com sold me has been "in repair" for a month now. Not only am I tired of waiting, they've straight-up lied to me twice now about it's status to try and placate me. When Monday rolls around I'm going to call them up, raise some hell and demand my money back.

The new machine I'm putting together depends almost entirely on how much they're willing to return. If I have enough left over after all is said and done, I'll happily add an SSD to the rig.

And yes, I would rather go over-kill on the ventilation than get an SSD. Dollar-for-dollar, I'm just not convinced that an SSD would add the same level of performance that a good overclocking will do.

 

[Dangman]

The new machine I'm putting together depends almost entirely on how much they're willing to return. If I have enough left over after all is said and done, I'll happily add an SSD to the rig.

And yes, I would rather go over-kill on the ventilation than get an SSD. Dollar-for-dollar, I'm just not convinced that an SSD would add the same level of performance that a good overclocking will do.

Yeah, an SSD is definitely gonna add a different level of performance than a higher OC will ever get you. The slowest part of the PC will always be the hard drive. In fact, even if you OC that Phenom II 1055T to an impossible 5Ghz, it still wouldn't make your system load or respond as fast, let alone faster than, a good SSD. You can count on that. You're really that much better off spending the extra cash on a SSD than overpriced, overkill, and stupid loud fast fans.

Oh and that Onyx SSD is a terrible terrible choice for a SSD. The SSDs that SOSTrooper are significantly better choices for the money than the Onyx. The Onyx is just a way for OCZ to sucker people to spend money on a "SSD".

 

[Azzyquemint]

In fact, even if you OC that Phenom II 1055T to an impossible 5Ghz, it still wouldn't make your system load or respond as fast, let alone faster than, a good SSD.

Really? I must not have done my SSD homework correctly, then... Well, back to the drawing board.

In a way, I really ought to thank that busted machine I mentioned. If it had never broke, I'd have never been compelled to go seeking solutions, information and answers, I'd never have stumbled across this forum, and I never would have learned any of this stuff. I've learned more about computer hardware in the past month-and-a-half than anyone else in my family and circle of friends.

And, of course, also, thank you both for your help!

 

[Azzyquemint]

Whew. Okay, more homework finished. I once again must bow to superior knowledge.

First, I went ahead and removed the 1ST PC CORP. 120mm fans. You're right, they're ridiculous. I went instead with the recommended 1900rpm, settling with three Scythe S-Flex (again, one for back of the case, two for CPU). I added a third NZXT FN-200RB 200mm fan, as I realized there's a side panel mount on this case. That saves me a little cash while still handily dealing with airflow.

Finally, I saw the light and added an OCZ Vertex 2 60GB, as recommended.

Otherwise, nothing changed:
COOLER MASTER HAF 922 RC-922M-KKN1-GP Black Steel + Plastic and Mesh Bezel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply
AMD Phenom II X6 1055T Thuban 2.8GHz Socket AM3 125W Six-Core Desktop Processor
ASUS M4A89GTD PRO/USB3 AM3 AMD 890GX SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard
HIS H687F1G2M Radeon HD 6870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory x2 (8GB)
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus Intel Core i5 & Intel Core i7 compatible RR-B10-212P-G1 120mm "heatpipe direct contact" Long life sleeve CPU Cooler
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
ASUS DRW-24B1ST/BLK/B/AS Black SATA 24X DVD Burner
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit
NZXT FN-200RB 200mm Case Fan x3 (one front, one top, one side)

1,502.91 USD from Newegg, tax and shipping included.

 

[SOSTrooper]

Now, brother, you got a nice rig right there. Congrats and good luck dealing with ibuypower.

 

[Dangman]

See how many of the parts you listed can be bought from Amazon.com. They don't charge CA residents tax and usually have free shipping on most computer hardware. See if you save enough money that way.

 

[Azzyquemint]

See how many of the parts you listed can be bought from Amazon.com. They don't charge CA residents tax and usually have free shipping on most computer hardware. See if you save enough money that way.

$191.57 Newegg, free shipping (optical drive + RAM)
$1205.14 Amazon, free shipping (everything else)
--------------------
$1396.71

The Newegg free shipping promises to be speedy enough, but the Amazon free shipping's going to be a bit slower. Still...

That's a savings of $106.20 over buying strictly from Newegg.

Mind = blown

 

[Dangman]

Yup, that's what I thought. That's a healthy chunk of change.