# Open suggestion for a computer build.



## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

Hi Everyone! I'm new here to these forums but y'all seemed to have helped a lot of other people so, I thought I'd give it a shot. I'm a fairly big gamer, and i do a lot of editing and animating on my current computer, And I'm starting to find it a bit sluggish. I have about 1500 dollars to spend give or take a bit. I just want the fastest computer that would be available to me. Overclocking is definitely an option, I have a full tower case and a water cooling system i've been dying to try out =) So :

*Overclocking:* Yes
*Storage:* Medium amount, I just want transfers to be quick, Anything above 250 Gb's should be fine, Or maybe suggest a good drive for games? and get a second hard drive for storage, Yes?
*Gaming:* Yes, Lots.
*Brands:* I know i should go with Intel, But if you can suggest a BETTER Amd Computer... I'm open-minded. =)
*Online Stores?:* I prefer newegg, Always have been good to me.
*Multitasking:*Yes, I will be 
*OS:* I want windows seven, home premium, Ultimate, I don't really care, Whatever you guys think will be better. 
*Things i don't need:* I don't need a case or monitor.
*Video card:* I would prefer a 5870 or even a 5970, If you include those in the price it can exceed 1500 a bit. =) Giving y'all a little flexibility. 

Thanks for any help in advance! Again, Feel free to post whatever build you think is best, And argue about it =) By all means, I want opinions.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

A suggested build. I'm not a gamer so perhaps a different GPU would better suit your needs better.

Mobo: ASUS P7P55D LE $135
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131410

CPU: Intel Core i5-750 $200
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR3 1333 $95
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231180

GPU: SAPPHIRE HD 5770 $180
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102858&cm_re=14-102-_-14-102-858-_-Product

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX $108
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006

OS: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade $109 Comes with 32Bit & 64Bit discs.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...116713&cm_re=windoes_7-_-32-116-713-_-Product


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Tyree's build there is pretty solid, perhaps get the 5870 instead of the 5770 and some higher clocked memory. I'll put together an i7 and AM3 equivalent.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

*AMD AM3 build*

CPU: 
AMD Phenom II x4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...727&cm_re=Phenom_II_x4-_-19-103-727-_-Product
$195.99

Mobo:
Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UD4P AMD 790X AM3
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...gabyte_AM3_motherboard-_-13-128-378-_-Product
$124.99

RAM:
OCZ Gold AMD 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...48&cm_re=4GB_DDR3_1600-_-20-227-448-_-Product
$115.99

Total: $436.97
Suggested GPUs: Radeon 5770, 5850, 5870, 5970, CrossFire 5770, GeForce GTX260, GTX275, GTX285, GTX295


*Intel Core i5 build*

CPU:
Intel Core i5 750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215&cm_re=i5_750-_-19-115-215-_-Product
$199.99

Mobo:
Asus P7P55D Intel P55 LGA1156
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3131404&cm_re=Asus_P55-_-13-131-404-_-Product
$149.99

RAM:
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82&cm_re=4GB_DDR3_1600-_-20-227-482-_-Product
$122.99

Total: $472.97
Suggested GPUs: Radeon 5770, 5850, 5870, 5970, CrossFire 5770, GeForce GTX260, GTX275, GTX285, GTX295, SLI GTX260, SLI GTX275


*Intel Core i7 build*

CPU:
Intel Core i7 920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202&cm_re=i7_920-_-19-115-202-_-Product
$288.99

Mobo:
Asus P6T Intel X58 LGA1366
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3131359&cm_re=Asus_P6T-_-13-131-359-_-Product
$239.99

RAM:
Corsair XMS3 6GB (3x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...36&cm_re=6GB_DDR3_1600-_-20-145-236-_-Product
$154.99

Total: $683.97
Suggested GPUs: Radeon 5850, 5870, 5970, CrossFire 5850, CrossFire 5870, GTX285, GTX295, SLI GTX275, SLI GTX285, SLI GTX295



*ON PLATFORM AND GPUS*
Every board I've picked out for you supports CrossFire, and the two Intel boards support SLI. One thing to note is PCIe bandwidth restriction. The AMD board has two PCIe x16 slots, one at x16 and one at x8. If you put a very high end card (like the Radeon 5870) into the x8 slot it will be bottlenecked and perform at less than its optimum speed. Thus CF of any cards more powerful than the Radeon 5770 or 4890 would be unadvized. The same applies to the P55 board; when either slot is used independently it runs at x16, but when both slots are used they both run at x8. The X58 board (i7) is different in that *both* slots will run at x16 at all times, and thus CF/SLI of high end cards, even the 5970, is feasible.

All three of these will be fairly close in performance. The i5 and AM3 setups will be about equivalent, and the i7 will have a slight advantage. I don't really recommend the i7 setup unless you plan to use two high-end GPUs, otherwise it just isn't cost effective. Also, if you go with the i7 setup you should shell out for a 5800 series card, or a GTX285 or higher, or else it's just a waste.

My recommendation would be either the AM3 or i5 build, with a Radeon 5770, 5850, 5870, or CF 5770s.



Power supply:
For any single graphics card I'd recommend the Corsair TX650W or a comparable high-end PSU. For SLI of single GPU cards the TX750W would be good, and for SLI of dual GPU cards I'd call for the TX850W or TX950W. Also consider the Corsair HX series, SeaSOnic S12D and M12D series, CoolerMaster Real Power Pro, Thermaltake Toughpower, PC Power & Cooling Silencer, and Antec TruePower New and Signature. Expect to spend $90-250 on the PSU, depending on what graphics cards you use and what features you want (modularity, higher efficiency, ultra stable voltage, etc.)

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...n_digital_caviar_black-_-22-136-320-_-Product
$69.99
(also comes in 640GB, 750GB, 1TB, and 2TB versions, 1TB is $109.99)

Optical drive:
Lite-On iHAS424 DVD burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=LiteOn_DVD_burner-_-27-106-335-_-Product
$33.99

Case:
Mostly up to you. I like the Antec "hundred" series (200, 300, 600, 900, 902, 1200), but the CoolerMaster Centurion 5 and HAF cases are nice as well, and apparently AzzA is good too. Pick based on what you think looks best, but check in with us so we can comment on its quality and airflow.

Operating system:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=windows_7_oem_64_bit-_-32-116-754-_-Product
$104.99


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Using two graphics cards yields a small increase in performance compared the the substantial increase in costs.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Forgot to mention that.

CF/SLI doesn't scale well with smaller monitors. At 1280x800 you'll get maybe a 5-10% performance boost, 1440x900 maybe 10-15%, 1680x1050 20-25%. But at 1920x1200 and above you can expect a 30-40% performance boost. Game benchmarking has shown that two 5770s can approximately match a single 5870 (sometimes even surpass it, though minimum framerate is always lower), and at the moment two 5770s is cheaper and easier to get than a 5870. 

So if you have a 1920x1200 or larger monitor two 5770s might be a better investment than a 5870, but if it's smaller don't bother with CF/SLI.


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## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

Well that is a lot of information to take in at once, Thanks for taking the time to put it all in there! I really appreciate it. The current monitor i have is in fact at 1920x1200, So Even if i could get my hands on a 5870 or even a 5970 ( I know, High hopes) It would just be better to get two 5770's?

And the CPU--If i'm going to go with the 1156 socket Would the i7-860 Increase the performance enough for the extra 80 dollars?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214

I want to kind of shy away from AMD for now, Intel would be better for over clocking, Since i have the water-cooling for it so i'm sure i should be able to push the system past what i could do with AMD =) That being said i could possibly get a better power supply... If i should go with two 5770's that would probably be a good idea, Maybe the 1000hx from corsair? 
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007


For the OS, I wouldn't be able to get any of the "Upgrade" Packages would i? Considering it's a new computer it wouldn't have vista on it to upgrade from.. which is the package that tyree mentioned. 

You're also saying that the i7 build will be much better with crossfire due to both slots running at x16 rather then x8, correct?!

Sorry for all the questions,And the incessant rambling, Just trying to make sure i'm making the right decisions before i buy things =)

I want the best gaming rig that i can get for ~1500. I have the monitor to run whatever i need, So if you can give me a complete list of what i should get that would be perfect =) Thank you!


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

lolitzhalo said:


> Well that is a lot of information to take in at once, Thanks for taking the time to put it all in there! I really appreciate it. The current monitor i have is in fact at 1920x1200, So Even if i could get my hands on a 5870 or even a 5970 ( I know, High hopes) It would just be better to get two 5770's?


Ehhh... Sometimes dual 5770s can surpass a single 5870 on the average framerate, but the minimum framerate is always much lower, and that's sometimes more important. For instance, a 5870 might get an average of 40fps and 2x5770 might get 45fps, but let's say you run into a real GPU-killer area. The 5870 might drop to 30fps, but the 5770s would drop to ~20fps, which would be really jerky.

It's a tossup, really. Go by what you can find and what has the best price.



> And the CPU--If i'm going to go with the 1156 socket Would the i7-860 Increase the performance enough for the extra 80 dollars?
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115214


Maybe, maybe not. The 860's main advantage over the 750 is hyperthreading, which doesn't benefit games much, though since it has a higher clock speed it will give some gaming benefit. We'll see. Figure out what you're going to spend if you get the 750, then decide if you have $80 to spare.



> I want to kind of shy away from AMD for now, Intel would be better for over clocking, Since i have the water-cooling for it so i'm sure i should be able to push the system past what i could do with AMD =) That being said i could possibly get a better power supply... If i should go with two 5770's that would probably be a good idea, Maybe the 1000hx from corsair?
> http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139007


I personally wouldn't get the HX1000W. If you're going to spend that much on a PSU, better to spend it on a really Grade AA++ PSU of the wattage range you'll be looking at, rather than a Grade A+ PSU that is way overkill. You know what I mean? 

This is probably the best 750W PSU on the market right now:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...51087&cm_re=SeaSonic_x-_-17-151-087-_-Product
This will power two 5770s, or even two 5870s. It's a real top-notch PSU, fully modular with an 80+ Gold certification that it can keep even at 50C.

Also make sure that your CPU water block and mounting bracket are LGA1156 compatible.



> For the OS, I wouldn't be able to get any of the "Upgrade" Packages would i? Considering it's a new computer it wouldn't have vista on it to upgrade from.. which is the package that tyree mentioned.


The upgrade packs only work if you already have Vista. The OEM version is probably the way to go.



> You're also saying that the i7 build will be much better with crossfire due to both slots running at x16 rather then x8, correct?!
> 
> 
> > Yup, though you won't notice any difference except with very high end cards: 4850x2, 4870x2, 5850, 5870, 5970, GTX285, GTX295. The 4870/5770/GTX260 range of cards won't be affected by x8 vs. x16 bandwidth at all, or minimally.
> ...


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## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

Water blocks and brackets are not too terribly hard to attain, But thank you for the reminder. I think i might actually have the 1156 mounting bracket around here somewhere...

Anyways, If you could put together a list of the most cost effective parts i could get-- then maybe some substitute parts-- like if i wanted to go crossfire, Maybe a 1336 build so the cards don't bottleneck at the x8 speeds. 

And the power supply, I looked up on the one you mentioned and it looks good, And you're positive that would run everything i'd need without any complications? I would hate for there to be issues with power shortage when i could have moved a little money around to just get a little more power =)

I'm Also thinking i might wait until i can attain a 5970, would that be a wise decision? My friend has one and it runs anything he can throw at it with no issues at all. 

At any rate, If you could be so kind as to put a list together i would be very grateful! 

Thank you, 
--Michael.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Upgrade packs of 7 (as all Windows Upgrade discs) allow you to do a clean install of 32 or 64 Bit. No need for a previous version of Windows.
The 750W Corsair will be plenty of power.
One 5790 GPU would be a better choice than using two GPU's.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Yeah, a single GPU is always preferable to using CF/SLI. Just with the scarcity of 5800 and 5900 cards and the fact that two 5770s is cheaper than one 5870, it is a valid option, though usually it's pointless.

I'll get a list together for you by this afternoon.

The SeaSonic X750 has more juice than you'd need for anything but CrossFired 5970s.

I'll get on that list for ya'.


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## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

For some reason i feel as thought CrossFired 5970's would be complete overkill for the next few years. So no need to go that far, I think just one will suffice, for now =) I'm going to try to get a hold of a 5870 or a 5970, So if you could include that in the pricing that would be great =) If i can't get a hold of it i might just end up going with a 5850, or something since those are in stock atm. 
Thank you for all of your help! 
--Michael.


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

Here you are:

CPU:
Intel Core i5 750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115215&cm_re=i5_750-_-19-115-215-_-Product
$199.99

Mobo:
Asus P7P55D Intel P55 LGA1156
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...3131404&cm_re=Asus_P55-_-13-131-404-_-Product
$149.99

RAM:
OCZ Platinum 4GB (2x2GB) DDR3 1600 CL7
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...82&cm_re=4GB_DDR3_1600-_-20-227-482-_-Product
$122.99

Graphics card:
[any brand] Radeon HD 5870
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...der=BESTMATCH&Description=Radeon+5870&x=0&y=0
$409.99-439.99
Get whatever is in stock.

Power supply:
SeaSonic X750
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151087&Tpk=SeaSonic X750
$199.99

Hard drive:
Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284&Tpk=Caviar Black 1TB
$109.99

Optical drive:
Lite-On iHAS424 DVD burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...m_re=LiteOn_DVD_burner-_-27-106-335-_-Product
$33.99

Case:
CoolerMaster HAF 932 Full Tower ATX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160&cm_re=HAF_932-_-11-119-160-_-Product
$139.98

Operating system:
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...e=windows_7_oem_64_bit-_-32-116-754-_-Product
$104.99[/QUOTE]

TOTAL: $1471.90


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

The 7 Upgrade I linked to comes with both 32 & 64 Bit discs for the same price.


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## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

What do you guys think i'd be able to overclock that i5 to if i had a sufficient water-cooling system?
Just a quick question =)


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

With good enough cooling 4GHz or higher shouldn't be a problem, just don't push it towards 5GHz, a lot of the LGA1156 motherboard sockets have a design flaw that causes them to burn when they draw enough power to run 5GHz+.


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## lolitzhalo (Dec 1, 2009)

Awesome! Thank you for all the help you two, Ill update this later with the final decision on what i'm actually going to get!

And Arg! I just missed a new shipment of 5870's! Sold out within a few minutes! I was so close! lol.

Anyways, Yeah thanks for everything y'all, I like that build that you put together phae, I miiiiight drop the extra 80$ and just get the i7-860. Only thing i'm debating changing at this point, Thank you!

--michael.


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## jcsx (Dec 6, 2009)

Forgive me for my ignorance, but can someone explain to me why I would pick an i5 at 2.66ghz with 8mb l3 over a phenom II at 3.4ghz with 6mb l3 when they cost the same?

Also, why the Radeon 5870 over the 285gtx?


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## Phædrus241 (Mar 28, 2009)

You can't compare clock speed across processor families. The 2.66GHz i5 750 performs on par with the 3.0GHz Core 2 Quad Q9650 and the 3.4GHz PII X4. 

Intel vs. AMD is user preference.

The Raden 5850 is in the same tier as the GTX285 and to the best of my knowledge is slightly more powerful. The 5870 is a hair faster than the GTX295, and the 5970 tops everything.


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## jcsx (Dec 6, 2009)

Ah, thanks!


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## jcsx (Dec 6, 2009)

Actually I do have another question Phae. You suggest 2 sticks of 2gb of ram, would 1 stick of 4gb work about the same with that motherboard? I ask because I figure later on I could get another stick as an upgrade. Also, would that motherboard be compatible with my current hard drive? Unfortunately I don't know the specifics of my current hard drive I just know it's a 500Gb but I reckon if you really need to know I could look around for the manual.


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