Yet another build up for review

D

Darq Eternal

n00b
Joined
Sep 8, 2003
Messages
26
I'm trying to build a replacement system from scratch to replace my aging P4 2.8 + NV 6800.

Here's what I have so far:

case: LIAN LI PC-7B plus II Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower
PSU: Antec CP-850 850W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS12V V2.91 SLI Certified
CPU: Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Model BX80601920 - Retail
GPU: XFX GX260NADBF GeForce GTX 260 Black Edition Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3
Mobo: ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58
Ram: OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800)
HDD: Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS 1TB
DVD: 2X SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA
LCD:BenQ G2400WD Black 24" 5ms, 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor
Sound: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1
Speakers: Logitech G51 155 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound
OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM

Dont know about the case. I just liked the looks. Wanted something that looked ok but would run cool and quiet.

I'm torn on the CPU and GPU. Been debating if the $$$ is worth bumping these up a bit.

Ram was a good price for decent timings

HDD seems to be a good performer. I was also debating if it would be worth it to buy a small raptor for the OS to keep things zippy.

DVDs. . .meh nothing to say here

LCD was recommended by a friend. Looking for approval here.

Sound and speakers not really neede but hey why not.

Vista never been much of a linux kinda guy. Waiting to see how win7 pans out.

Ok guys what needs to be changed whats ok? Tryin to stick to the egg just to keep it all together.
 
the power supply is overkill...i'd say get a corsair hx620 or 650w depending if you want modular or not. the video card is also over priced and for that i would suggest the evga gtx 260 1255-AR. you can overclock it to the xfx black speeds with the manufacturer provided software without any extra cooling required. the i7 920 is the way to go because it is easily overclockable and yet fairly cheap. if you plan to overclock at all just be sure to get an aftermarket cooler like the noctua nh-u12p (i say this cooler because it is suppose to be very quiet yet very effective).
 
You don't need a better processor as the Core i7 920 will outperform virtually all of the Intel Core 2 processors at stock speeds. Do you plan on overclocking it? If so, you'll also need a decent aftermarket CPU cooler. (You should also be able to get the i7 920 and the P6T together as part of a combo deal.) If you don't plan on overclocking your processor, you could get a DDR3 1333 kit, especially if they cost less. (But stick with a brand that runs on lower voltage, like G.Skill. If you're overclocking, you may have to adjust the voltage in order to maintain the overclock, and the OCZ set is already at the 1.65V limit.)

You don't need a discrete sound card, and you definitely don't need a second optical drive. You can safely omit those. The speakers are up to you.

Cases are a matter of personal taste -- but, speaking from personal experience, I like the Lian Li PC-7B. A good alternate is the Cooler Master RC-590/690 case (but you'll need to pick up a couple of fans for it).

The GTX 260, in general, can produce medium visual settings in some games and high visual settings in others. The GTX 280 can produce high visual settings in more games than the GTX 260, but it also costs more -- IIRC, at least $320. You have to check out the benchmarks yourself and decide whether or not the GTX 280 is worth the extra money. (Or, you could take auceny's advice and pick up one of the easily-overclockable EVGA GTX 260 cards -- and overclock it.)

If you're not planning on going the multi-video card route any time soon, you won't need a 850 watt power supply. But some of the best prices are for 650-750 watt power supplies. In addition to the Corsair TX650 and HX620, there's also the Corsair TX750, the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W PSU, and the Antec Earthwatts EA650 (among others) to consider.

The Caviar Black 1TB HDD is a good choice, but the Caviar Blue and Caviar Black 640GB drives are known to be able to compete with (though they can't beat) the VelociRaptor drives. In most benchmarks, both 640GB drives were only 10% slower -- all for a fraction of the VelociRaptor's price.
 
+1 for the WD Black or Blue 640GB drives. Cost per GB is equal to the 1TB and performance is awfully good for a normal consumer drive.
 
The corsair 620W is currently the same price as the PSU I have listed so no gain from the price.

As for the GPU any suggestions? There's This or I could leave my nv fanboy roots for this I dont really know.

Is there any performance diff between the 1TB black and the 640Gig ?

You guys bring up a good point. Is the stock CPU ok if I'm not planning on OCing or should I still get something beefier?
 
Do you have to have a modular power supply? Some of the better deals available right now are for non-modular power supplies.

The stock CPU cooler is fine if you aren't planning on overclocking. That said, a good aftermarket CPU cooler would perform better and run quieter than the stock cooler. And it's one less thing to get should you change your mind later on.

IIRC, the 640GB HDD is the better performer, but I've forgotten how much better. Likewise, the HD4850X2 is better, but the degree of "how much better" varies by benchmark. Then again, BFG offers a limited lifetime warranty on its cards, and you get a 100-day "step up" policy where you could upgrade your card for a newer/better model and only pay the difference in MSRP.
 
Sorry, I'm lazy... but why wouldn't the Antec PSU work with his case?
 
enginurd said:
Sorry, I'm lazy... but why wouldn't the Antec PSU work with his case?
Click to expand...

I think it's based on a new PSU layout design. It just looks taller than most ATX designs. And finally, from Antec's website on that PSU:
The CP-850 features a unique design with an advanced cooling system, exclusively compatible with some of Antec's most cutting-edge Gamer and Performance One enclosures, including the Twelve Hundred, P183 and P193
Click to expand...
 
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