Tax Return Came In :D

[jsbailey]

Thanks to the first time homebuyer tax credit, I've got some cash to drop on a new gaming rig. I posted awhile back seeking advice and I think I've got a pretty good idea what I'm looking for, but since then the whole Sandy Bridge motherboard incident occurred (and I seemingly can't find an ASUS or Gigabyte -the brands I'm partial to - P67 board on Newegg except for that $370 ASUS board, which is currently sold out ???).

So, my build is currently looking like this:

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP
EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core
COOLER MASTER Hyper 212 Plus RR-B10-212P-G1 "Heatpipe Direct Contact" Long Life Sleeve 120mm CPU Cooler
OCZ Vertex 2 OCZSSD3-2VTX90G 3.5" 90GB SATA II MLC SSD - (Possibly adding another for a RAID0 depending on where total price comes in at)
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V - (Already installed on current PC, so I'll just carry it over for new build)

Logitech 920-000914 Black USB Wired Ultra-thin Illuminated Keyboard
Logitech G35 USB 2.0 Connector Surround Sound Headset
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

The parts above bring it in at around $1300-1400, so I've got a maximum of around $600 for RAM and a board, but don't see myself needing all of that, I hope. Assuming ~$150 for RAM and ~$250 for a board.

The two obvious missing parts are the board and RAM. The board is missing because, as I stated above, there still don't seem to be many P67 chipset boards to choose from on Newegg. Not sure what the hold up is, I thought I read manufacturers were already sending the "fixed" boards back out a month ago?

RAM is always something I hesitate on because, well, I don't understand it all that well. I'm looking at DDR3 1800 (PC3 14400) RAM but from what I remember, the P67 boards don't even support triple channel? Should I still be looking at the DDR 1800 RAM? How much do I want to shoot for? It's my understand that triple channel should be in groups of 3, so 3x 2 GB sticks for 6GB, but if the motherboard doesn't support it, why not just go with 4GB of DDR3 1800?

I'm looking at a budget under or up to $2k. I'm always welcome for saving money where I can, and I'm hoping to come in closer to the $1500-1700 range, but that's not as important as building the best computer for the money (i.e. I could go for 12GB of RAM and still come in under $2k, but the difference between 12GB and 6GB isn't substantial enough to justify the cost, as I understand it.)

Also, consider I don't think I'll be doing much, if any at all overclocking, if only because I really don't know how to safely do it >.< If it's easy and safe to do, I'm sure I'd do a bit of overclocking.

[Adappy]

Most retailers are still working on replacing the motherboards that people already had before the recall I believe. I'd give it a week or two before they start coming back on the market.

You'll need dual channel DDR3 for that CPU, so 4GB or 8GB are your best options (probably 8GB since you have the money to spend) (I'm using http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-311-_-Product ) Also, it is very easy to overclock a sandy bridge CPU, google "sandy bridge overclocking guide" and there should be several that explain it.

[ayako]

http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-saberto...219503569.html

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231314

[iSythe]

As you are going to go i7(i don't recommend the i7 unless you are doing CPU intensive tasks, the i5 and i7 are equal in terms of gaming performance and i5 is $100 cheaper).
You will want 8GB RAM(2x4GB) 1600MHz 7/8/9 timings, which ever timing fits into your budget. You can usually get 8 timings for near same price as 9, but 7 usually costs a bit more(8GB RAM should only cost you around $100 usually a little less if you just go 1333MHz 9 timings).
The boards should be coming out in the next few weeks. I think tigerdirect has more P67 boards although you can't seem to get to them through their menu on the left hand side.

[llDemonll]

drop to an i5, get 8gb of ram (2x4gb), p8p67 pro motherboard when you can, and use the rest of the cash to get a bigger SSD for os/programs and a hdd for storage

[jsbailey]

Ok, so tossed in 8GB of G.SKILL DDR3 1600 MHz RAM.

Now when I searched Newegg for P67 I found the ASUS SABERTOOTH for $220, tossed that in.

One glitch, my GPU was out of stock. I'm planning on ordering in the next few days, so I started looking at some others. I'm torn between $250 for a GTX 560 Ti Superclock or a GTX 570. Any thoughts?

---------- Post added 2011-03-11 at 06:29 PM ----------

drop to an i5, get 8gb of ram (2x4gb), p8p67 pro motherboard when you can, and use the rest of the cash to get a bigger SSD for os/programs and a hdd for storage

The reason the SSD is only 90GB is because, should there be enough room in the budget, I'd like to add another and run in a RAID 0. Maybe even drop to 60 to afford the double 60 GB SSD. If not, I'll jump to a 120 single SSD. As for HDD's, I've already got 3, I'm probably set there

Biggest issue now is whether I wait for the EVGA SuperClocked 570 to restock, grab a "regular" EVGA 570, or drop to an EVGA 560 Ti.

[Alan1187]

a 570 will out perform a 560 OC'd, not to mention it's piss easy to OC a graphics card honestly. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-564-_-Product I'd recommend this just because i know how well the MSI Twin Frozer performs in terms of cooling. But if you're stuck on EVGA then just get the reg 570 and OC it yourself. No reason to pay the 10 bucks for a OC version when you can do it in probably 40 seconds.

[ayako]

http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Supercloc...9891040&sr=1-6

?

[Cierwyn]

It's really a matter of personal preference man. Out of the box, the 570 does have a distinct advantage over the 560, though it will likely only be noticable if you are running it OC'd highly or in SLI. On the other hand, many choose the 560 and OC it higher than they would the 570 with the reasoning that it has much better performance as far as power consumption and cooling. It's really just a judgment call. You can be a bit safer, and OC further with the 560, or have a bit higher heat/power usage but better speeds with the 570. It's an issue that's often hotly debated. If we were talking the difference between the 560 and the 580, sure, the performance boost is big enough to go 580 instead, no problem, but the 570 is less clear.

Two other thoughts, though: You can get the 560 with higher memory (comes in 2gig now) and instead of getting it Superclocked, you can just overclock it yourself. That will save you some cash right there. On the other hand, you could also get it factory-Superclocked, and register for a lifetime warranty (or so a friend told me) so that's something to consider too.

[Spasx]

if you got 2k to drop on a rig with room to go sli 580's and want the best parts with the best manufactures on the market then go with this build its the best I can think of for 2000, btw go with as many corsair parts as possible they all have 5 year warranty and they all kick ass.


Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC700D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case: $289.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive: $89.99

VisionTek Bigfoot Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card: $77.00

EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card: $519.99

dvd drive: $19.99

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply: $141.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMP8GX3M2A1600C9: $124.99

ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard: $239.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K: $328.99

CORSAIR Hydro H70 CWCH70 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler: $104.81

Corsair Force CSSD-F60GB2-BRKT 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD): $104.99

-----------------

Grand Total:* $2,020.72

[ayako]

Corsair Obsidian Series 700D CC700D Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case: $269.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive: $89.99

VisionTek Bigfoot Killer 2100 Gaming Network Card: $77.00

EVGA SuperClocked 015-P3-1582-AR GeForce GTX 580 (Fermi) 1536MB 384-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card: $519.99

dvd drive: $19.99

CORSAIR HX Series CMPSU-750HX 750W ATX12V 2.3 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS SILVER Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply: $141.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model CMP8GX3M2A1600C9: $124.99

ASUS P8P67 DELUXE (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard: $239.99

Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K: $328.99

CORSAIR Hydro H70 CWCH70 120mm High Performance CPU Cooler: $104.81

Corsair Force CSSD-F60GB2-BRKT 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD): $104.99

-----------------

Grand Total:* $2,020.72

That network card is pretty unnecessary, invest in better monitor or input device instead

[Spasx]

well then fine, dont go with the network card but if you have a monitor keyboard and mouse thats the best setup for around 2k I can manage

---------- Post added 2011-03-11 at 07:17 PM ----------

I meant the 800d

[Asera]

That network card is pretty unnecessary, invest in better monitor or input device instead

Or a UPS, one of the most underestimated parts you can get*.

*depending on how dirty the power is in your house/city.

[BicycleMafioso]

Or a UPS, one of the most underestimated parts you can get*.

*depending on how dirty the power is in your house/city.

I'm unfamiliar with American (continent) standards, but isn't UPS a delivery-firm? >.>

[Dizey]

Just a few notes:

If you buy the i7 2600k and the Corsair h70/h50 cooler at new egg, you can get a combo deal to save $10.

Right now Newegg has the ASUS P8P67 LE, P8P67, P8P67 EVO, Sabertooth P67, and P8P67 Deluxe all in stock. Better hurry, they probably won't be there long.

For memory I would go with one of the 1.5v options. You can probably get away with 1.65v modules, but since you're buying new, there is just no reason too since 1.5v is recommended.

Corsair CMZ8GX3M2A1600C9 Cas 9 for $99.99 or the CMZ8GX3M2A1600C8 Cas 8 for 139.99
G.Skill F3-12800CL9D-8GBXL Cas 9 for 99.99 or F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM Cas 8 for 129.99


They had the Corsair Cas 9 set with heat spreaders to match the ASUS boards available a few days ago when I picked up mine. Unfortunately they are out of stock now. 8(

[iSythe]

I'm unfamiliar with American (continent) standards, but isn't UPS a delivery-firm? >.>

UPS=uninterrupted power supply
its pretty much a power board with a rechargeable battery in it, so that if you do have a blackout or something like that, you will have the battery power to be able to keep running until you finish up and shut down.

[Asera]

UPS=uninterrupted power supply
its pretty much a power board with a rechargeable battery in it, so that if you do have a blackout or something like that, you will have the battery power to be able to keep running until you finish up and shut down.

It does a lot more than that. It filters dirty power from your lines, creating a constant stream of power to the computer reducing strain on the power supply. It works as a surge protector (better than a standard one since it can cut wall power and switch to battery instead of just overloading and shutting everything off), and a brownout protector which could save your components from disaster. Also it can in some cases reduce the amount of power the computer is drawing from the wall for the same power produced from the PSU, reducing your power bill.

[Schmittay]

It does a lot more than that. It filters dirty power from your lines, creating a constant stream of power to the computer reducing strain on the power supply. It works as a surge protector (better than a standard one since it can cut wall power and switch to battery instead of just overloading and shutting everything off), and a brownout protector which could save your components from disaster. Also it can in some cases reduce the amount of power the computer is drawing from the wall for the same power produced from the PSU, reducing your power bill.

Huh?! I gotta get me one of those...

[jsbailey]

I'm trying to decide between a single, larger SSD or two smaller SSD's in a RAID 0. My concern with a RAID 0 is the loss of data should only one of the SSD's fail, so I'm wondering, is it possible to set up two SSD's in a RAID 0 and have a HDD mirror the RAID 0'd SSD's? So in case I ever lose an SSD, I can replace it and pull everything from the "backup" HDD? If not, I may just choose to go with a single larger SSD.

---------- Post added 2011-03-12 at 11:45 AM ----------

Well, unless someone changes my mind about anything, looks like this will be the final setup:

COOLER MASTER HAF X RC-942-KKN1 Black Steel/ Plastic ATX Full Tower Computer Case
ASUS SABERTOOTH P67 (REV 3.0) LGA 1155 Intel P67 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
EVGA 012-P3-1570-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB 320-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
CORSAIR Enthusiast Series TX850 V2 850W ATX12V v2.31/ EPS12V v2.92 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Active PFC High Performance Power ...
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Turbo Boost) LGA 1155 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80623I72600K
Crucial RealSSD C300 CTFDDAC128MAG-1G1 2.5" 128GB SATA III MLC Internal Solid State Drive (SSD)
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL9D-8GBRL
Scythe SCMG-2100 Sleeve CPU Cooler

Logitech 920-000914 Black USB Wired Ultra-thin Illuminated Keyboard
Logitech G35 USB 2.0 Connector Surround Sound Headset
Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

Subtotal: $1,903.89

I think I mentioned before I already have a Corsair 750 TX PSU, but I decided to toss in the 850 for a few reasons. I may be selling my current setup minus HDD's and I imagine it would be easier to sell with the PSU. Also, I'm not sure what the power requirements are, but I expect at some point to add another GTX 570 in SLI, and want to make sure I've got enough juice for it.

I'll also probably grab a UPS in the near future thanks to the comments above. Do you guys have any suggestions on a UPS for this setup?

[Asera]

I'll also probably grab a UPS in the near future thanks to the comments above. Do you guys have any suggestions on a UPS for this setup?

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product...fWinter_030811

This one is a steal with free shipping. We have one of these at work on a dual socket Xeon X3380 server with 6 15k RPM drives and it's only at 1/3 load. I just got one for my home servers myself.

However, it might be overkill.