Curse

Magnantus · Aug 09, 2009, 12:12 AM // 00:12

I'm planning on building my own computer for the first time sometime within the next few months. Since I'm a rookie I've been looking at a lot of pre-made builds, including those stickied here.

Recently I found a build published in a PC magazine which seemed to fit the bill in terms of my desired specs and budget, but I'd be interested in seeing what people with more experience than I think of it. I'll post some stats below, and if people would like to see the article I've taken this from I'll post the link (if that's allowed. I'm a bit hazy on the external link policies).

CPU - Intel 2.66GHz Core i7-920
Mobo - Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R
RAM - Patriot 6GB Viper DDR3/1600
Videocard - Diamond Radeon HD 4870 X2
Hard Drive - Seagate 1.5TB 7200.11 Barracuda
Optical Drive - Samsung SH-S223F
Cooling - Thermalright Ultra 120E-1366
PSU - Corsair 850TX
Case - Thermaltake Element S

I'm particularly interested in what people think of the video card, since the article claims they found it for about $390 and the only new one I've seen is more like $600. Any alternatives?

Also, does anyone have any recommendations for monitors? I'm looking for something smaller (19-22") but have no clue as to the best brands and models.

Thanks

refer · Aug 09, 2009, 12:28 AM // 00:28

I really have no idea how they found that for $390.

moriz · Aug 09, 2009, 12:37 AM // 00:37

there's no way they found that for $390. the processor and motherboard alone adds up to around $400.

Burst Cancel · Aug 09, 2009, 01:22 AM // 01:22

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...&Or der=PRICE

The Sapphire and XFX are both $370 shipped, so if anything, PC Mag's price is a bit conservative. However, that card is complete overkill for the resolutions you're going to be playing at (1680x1050 for monitors in the 19-22" range). The HD4890/GTX275 tier is currently favored for price/perf.

Some comments:
- The Gigabyte UD3R motherboard is a common recommendation for budget X58 builds. At this point, however, people looking to build Intel boxes for cheap should probably wait for P55, which will give you better performance out of the box at equal or lower prices. For those unwilling to wait, there are other budget X58 boards available, such as the EVGA X58 SLI LE (+$35, but gives you 6 RAM slots, better overclocking, and the capability to run tri-sli) and the ASRock X58 Extreme (cheaper even without rebate, 6 RAM slots, better PCIe layout than the Gigabyte).

- The 1.5TB Seagate is more of a storage drive than a system drive. If you can't afford SSD, the recommended system drive is a 500/640GB AAKS (Caviar Blue) or AALS (Caviar Black).

- The Thermalright Ultra trades blows with the Prolimatech Megahalems, but the latter is cheaper, has a better mounting system, and supposedly has less manufacturing variation. The Prolimatech is also optimized for lower fanspeeds (800~1200 rpm), which is better for quiet computing. Of course, if noise reduction is a high priority, the Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 is probably the best choice. It's slightly more costly, but comes with two excellent (low noise) fans and one of the best thermal pastes on the market (NT-H1; no curing period, tends to outperform Arctic Silver 5). The caveat is that the Noctua doesn't cool that well if placed under extreme heat loads and is likely unsuitable for max overclocks.

- The case is a personal decision, obviously, but I would generally stay away from Thermaltake. The Coolermaster CM690 is a popular budget case. Other popular/good manufacturers: Antec, Silverstone, Lian-Li.

- Monitor recommendations depend on intended usage. In general though, the LG L227WT/WTG-PF for timing-sensitive gaming, or the Dell 2209WA for general use. There are a number of interesting monitor choices coming in the next few months, if you're willing to wait.

Magnantus · Aug 09, 2009, 04:19 AM // 04:19

Thanks for the in-depth reply, Burst. I've already gained much from it.

As far as timing goes, though I'm always saying I'm planning to put this thing together "soon," I'm probably going to be holding off until late October at the earliest, but more likely some 5-6 months after that when I can get Windows 7 Ultimate free from my university.

That being the case I'm more than happy to listen to any suggestions/speculations based on that time frame, if people have any.

Burst Cancel · Aug 09, 2009, 06:09 AM // 06:09

I don't mean to be blunt, but with that kind of future timeframe it's very difficult to make credible recommendations. That said, here's a few things to keep in mind:

Intel's mainstream P55/Lynnfield platform should launch sometime in September. Lynnfield processors will have higher stock clockspeeds than similarly priced Bloomfield processors, and have a higher turbo multiplier - though neither of these is really relevant to overclockers. P55 motherboards are also expected to be significantly cheaper than their X58 counterparts. Top-end P55 motherboards will still approach $300, where a number of excellent X58 overclocking motherboards sit, such as the DFI T3EH8 - this makes those top P55 motherboards poor choices.

The P55 platform has a number of limitations compared to X58/Bloomfield, but to be frank, most are unlikely to matter to mainstream users. Perhaps the most important limitation is the effective x16+x4 PCIe 2.0 links, versus x16+x16+x4 PCIe 2.0 links on the X58. Thus, people who want to run a variety of PCIe expansion cards (SLI, raid controllers, capture devices, PCIe soundcards, etc.) will probably need to stick to X58. Note that P55 will be able to run SLI in x8/x8 mode, so if two-way SLI is as far as your ambition goes, P55 is sufficient.

I would recommend budgeting for an SSD if at all possible. The usage difference between a conventional platter drive and an SSD is extremely noticeable, and is widely touted as one of the most significant upgrades one can make. With the new G2 Intel SSDs putting strong downward pressure on prices, the next few months should be an excellent time to grab one.

Zomgyogi · Aug 10, 2009, 12:53 AM // 00:53

The total of that from the article was $690. I would wait until about 2-3 weeks before your purchase to be choosing out parts

Elder III · Aug 10, 2009, 03:42 PM // 15:42

Yeah, if you may be waiting 6 months there's not real benefit in pricing things out now - it will change so much by the time that you puchase things that you are just wasting the time and effort. :/