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Video card built woes

F

FLyGuYyy

Limp Gawd
Joined
Jan 11, 2005
Messages
241
Hey all, its been about a year since i've posted here ;), and a couple years since my last build so i'm a bit out of the loop. After researching and poking around on the forums, i think i've come to my conclusion, just need some assurance from you guys.
I think the build will look something like this, i7 bloomfield, 2.6, not quite sure on the mobo yet so i could use some pointing in a good direction, after looking at the 480's and how hot they get and the availability, i think i've backed down one step to the 5870, i'm only going to be running a 24" monitor ( which i could take suggestions on that also ). As far as the ram, some OCZ 3x2gb sticks. I already own a OCZ gameXstream 700w power supply, so that should do fine power wise correct?
Thanks ahead of time for suggestions :)
 
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As long as you don't overclock whatsoever, the PSU should be fine for a HD 5870 and Core i7 930 CPU + one HDD. I say that because the OCZ GameXStream 700W as well as most PSUs based on the FSP Episilon platform that the OCZ GameXStream 700W used was shown to have pretty wild ripple above 500W or so. So to err on the side of caution, no overclocking.

I recommend this CPU + mobo combo if you don't live near a Microcenter:
$470 - Intel Core i7-930 CPU + Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R X58 ATX Motherboard Combo

EDIT: Also make sure that the OCZ RAM set you're getting have a MAX voltage of 1.65V or so. Any higher and you risk killing the Core i7 CPU. So if the specs say "1.65v to 1.85V" or something to that effect, ditch it. Remember, not a single number above 1.65V.
 
Pardon my spelling on the thread topic lol, rushing to work, and using iPhone ;). What PSU would you recommend I'd rather be on the safer side of things. As for ram, suggestions?
 
Some Recommended psu's are

Corsair
Pc power and cooling
Seasonic
Silverstone

I would think that anything over 600W would be fine.
 
FLyGuYyy said:
Pardon my spelling on the thread topic lol, rushing to work, and using iPhone ;). What PSU would you recommend I'd rather be on the safer side of things. As for ram, suggestions?
Click to expand...

$90 - Corsair 650TX 650W PSU
$170 - G.Skill F3-12800CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1600 RAM
 
Thanks for your quick replies. There's really no reason to go higher then a 5870 card is there? With buying a 24" monitor that should be good enough for most current games? I'm only going to have a single monitor so I need to steer clear of eyefinity cards and just buy msi or xfx etc?
 
FLyGuYyy said:
Thanks for your quick replies. There's really no reason to go higher then a 5870 card is there? With buying a 24" monitor that should be good enough for most current games? I'm only going to have a single monitor so I need to steer clear of eyefinity cards and just buy msi or xfx etc?
Click to expand...

Yeah for most current games on a 24" monitor, a singel HD 5870 is more than enough. Definitely go with XFX for their lifetime warranty and great customer support.
 
That's the thing. I'm kinda behind on the new stuff and new displays hence the reason I created this thread on video cards. Currently I have a 22" samsung 226bw. Should I be buying a diffrent monitor? I think 24" is a good size unless there isnt much noticeable diffrence on the other style LCD you are speaking of? That 28" is awfully tempting though ;), I'm not a real picky, intense gamer, so will the TN displays satisfy my needs? Thanks again for bringing me back up to speed ;).
 
FLyGuYyy said:
i think i've backed down one step to the 5870,
Click to expand...

FLyGuYyy said:
There's really no reason to go higher then a 5870 card is there?
Click to expand...

I hate to be that guy, but its not really fair to say the 5870 is a step down from the GTX480. If you look at all the factors such as heat, power, availability, and price, and compare that to the very small gap in performance between the two, I personally feel the 5870 is a much better buy.

With that said, you will be extremely happy if you purchase an XFX 5870. I have had one for some time now and I love it. I did initially say I was not interested in eyefinity, but then the itch got too great, and I love it.

You may not want it now, but keep in mind to get the same thing on Nvidia, you are looking at TWO cards to get 3 monitors. That means double the cost, power, and cooling.
 
Absolutely 100% agree with you. I've always had nvidia cards. But I looked at price and comparison, and truthfully agree with you. The 480 totally turned me on to these cards and I'm sure I'll get the itch for two monitors hehe. That's why I want to find a monitor to go with and get these parts on order. So is it better to go with a 24" now and add later. Or spring for the 28" for a couple bucks more and another one down the road. Or buy a top of the line non TN( whatever that may be )
panel 24".
 
FLyGuYyy said:
Absolutely 100% agree with you. I've always had nvidia cards. But I looked at price and comparison, and truthfully agree with you. The 480 totally turned me on to these cards and I'm sure I'll get the itch for two monitors hehe. That's why I want to find a monitor to go with and get these parts on order. So is it better to go with a 24" now and add later. Or spring for the 28" for a couple bucks more and another one down the road. Or buy a top of the line non TN( whatever that may be )
panel 24".
Click to expand...

I also was an Nvidia person before this release. I am a firm believer in follow technology, not the company. Sticking to one even when they are not on top just ends up costing you time and a good experience

Well, consider this. with 2 monitors, you will have a lovely split right down the middle of your field of view. I think 3 is optimal. 2 you get a split in the middle, 6 you also get a split in the middle.

If you can swing it, go for 3 smaller ones right off the bat. My roommate has 3 22" and its fantastic. my 24's are almost too big.
 
I do not want to run more then one monitor right now I've decided. Want to get this built, have a solid machine with one monitor with nice size nice quality at a decent price. Just finding the right monitor is my problem. From 24"-28" at the same resolution and probably going to leave some quality behind going with the 28" hanns, thinking i might be better off with
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236047
that at 25.5"
or
Traditional 24" 1920x1080
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824236049
 
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