$2000 Intel Gaming Build

[smf805]

Hello All,
I'm planning on doing my first build. This will be a complete setup including monitor, keyboard, mouse, tower..etc. At first I was browsing newegg looking to spend around $1600 but realized what I wanted added up quickly to just under 2 grand. This computer will be used for gaming, school, streaming video, the usual stuff. Here's what I've picked so far...

ASUS P6T Deluxe V2 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core i7-920 Bloomfield 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
combo: $543.98

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
Antec CP-850 850W Continuous Power CPX SLI Certified CrossFire Ready
combo: $244.98

Microsoft Natural Ergonomic Keyboard 4000
Microsoft Wireless Mouse 5000
combo: $71.98

ASUS MT276HE Black 27" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor
$359.99

XFX HD-585A-ZNFC Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video
$299.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8D
$254.99

LITE-ON Black 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support
$31.99

EDIMAX EW-7128G PCI Wireless Card
$22.98

total: $1805
Please let me know what ya think..any advice appreciated and I would prefer the cost stay below $2000
Scott

[Khalil]

Welcome to pcmech
I would dump the XFX video card, very poor quality and customer support.
I recommend you go with either a Diamond or an Asus.
I prefer the i5 over the older canceled i7 but I will let glc or one of the other Intel fan boys elaborate on that!

[glc]

I'd recommend an Asus P7P55D-E, i7-860, and one or two 2x2gb ram kits. Corsair is good but get the standard XMS3, not the Dominator. 1600 speed is okay but not necessary unless you plan on overclocking, 1333 will be fine.

You are missing a hard drive, get a Western Digital Black.

[triquee]

Are you reusing a hard drive? If not, you'll need one. These guys will most likely recommend a WD Caviar Black.

Edit: LoL, glc, you must have been posting while I was posting

[smf805]

Originally Posted by Khalil Welcome to pcmech I would dump the XFX video card, very poor quality and customer support. I recommend you go with either a Diamond or an Asus. I prefer the i5 over the older canceled i7 but I will let glc or one of the other Intel fan boys elaborate on that!

Ok, I had only chose xfx because they had "2x lifetme warranty". I will switch to Asus. As far as processors go, the i7 was chosen only because it's the newest I guess. I want the best for my money and you guys know what you're talking about so I'll listen. The i5 is quad core correct? What does the i7 do differently?
Also I had forgot to include my hdd, it will most definetly be a wd caviar black.
For my mobo I chose the x58 to match my CPU and I thought it was the best available. I read alot of the reviews on newegg and have been basing my choices on good reviews. I would also like to have the ability to overclock.
Scott

[ryuk999]

The only difference between the i5 and i7 is that the i7 is hyper-threaded, meaning that it can have 8 threads that it toggles between. Think of it as lanes on a highway an i5 has 4 lanes (4 cores) and 4 cars (what it currently is processing) the i7 has 8 lanes and 4 cars that weave in and out of those 8 lanes...alright that's confusing basically it has virtually 8 cores but physically 4 cores...maybe someone else can simplify this

[glc]

My recommendation is an i7, but socket 1156. It's a less fussy platform.

[smf805]

Originally Posted by ryuk999 The only difference between the i5 and i7 is that the i7 is hyper-threaded, meaning that it can have 8 threads that it toggles between. Think of it as lanes on a highway an i5 has 4 lanes (4 cores) and 4 cars (what it currently is processing) the i7 has 8 lanes and 4 cars that weave in and out of those 8 lanes...alright that's confusing basically it has virtually 8 cores but physically 4 cores...maybe someone else can simplify this

This makes sense, perfect analogy. So pretty much the i7 is more processing power than I'll ever need. Zero lag time...sounds good to me.

[smf805]

Originally Posted by glc My recommendation is an i7, but socket 1156. It's a less fussy platform.

Is the difference between the sockets the amount of little bumps on the lga? Is it a hardware issue or something that can be fixed in a driver update or something? Thanks for all the info guys.

[glc]

The socket 1366 and X58 chipset is high end, designed for enthusiasts. The socket 1156 and P55 chipset was designed for the mainstream user. The performance difference is very little. The X58 uses triple channel ram, the P55 uses dual channel ram. Processors are not interchangeable. The 1156/P55 will be an easier build to get running right, and less expensive.

[smf805]

Originally Posted by glc The socket 1366 and X58 chipset is high end, designed for enthusiasts. The socket 1156 and P55 chipset was designed for the mainstream user. The performance difference is very little. The X58 uses triple channel ram, the P55 uses dual channel ram. Processors are not interchangeable. The 1156/P55 will be an easier build to get running right, and less expensive.

So the 1366 is next gen stuff that will soon phase out the 1156? If I wanted to upgrade my processor in three years I would rather not change mobos too to acomodate the new socket. Triple channel does sound better than dual...

[glc]

No, the X58 came first as a high end offering. The P55 came later as mainstream. This is historically how Intel does it, and it's quite likely 1156 will be around longer. There is VERY little difference in performance. It's only measurable with synthetic benchmarks.

It's actually not that likely either socket will still be current in 3 years.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by smf805 Ok, I had only chose xfx because they had "2x lifetme warranty". I will switch to Asus. As far as processors go, the i7 was chosen only because it's the newest I guess. I want the best for my money and you guys know what you're talking about so I'll listen. The i5 is quad core correct? What does the i7 do differently? Also I had forgot to include my hdd, it will most definetly be a wd caviar black. For my mobo I chose the x58 to match my CPU and I thought it was the best available. I read alot of the reviews on newegg and have been basing my choices on good reviews. I would also like to have the ability to overclock. Scott

Glad you are switching to Asus, what good is 2x lifetime warranty if they don't honor it. It is just a selling tool they never honor. glc is familiar with xfx, ecs and pcchips, they are all the same refuse company!

[smf805]

Ok, I think I'll switch to a high end i5 and look for a good mobo. Anybody have any recomendations on a mobo w/ overclocking potential, something with all the bells and whistles? On a side note, I'm taking a server admin/ maintenance class at the local jr college. Our instructor pushed the x58 chipset as being the best of the best. I feel let down by his misinformation and think maybe the curriculm is outdated..
Scott

[ryuk999]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-598-_-Product

[glc]

I feel let down by his misinformation

No, he did not mislead you. I'm just saying that the P55 is second best, but by a very slim margin, and the P55 is way more cost-effective.

I recommended a board and processor for you in post #3. The board is not top of the line, but again, very cost-effective. Newegg links below:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115214
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193

[Hufigyed]

Originally Posted by glc http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115214 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193

glc, he mentioned above that he would like the ability to overclock. Maybe this issue is resolved by now but my Asus board came with Foxconn socket and those were the ones that had a problem with the burn marks when OCing due to misaligned pins or something. A quick check here seems to show it was still happening recently.


On another note smf805, if that's not an issue anymore or you won't be doing any extreme overclocking I highly recommend that board and cpu as well. I have an 860 and an Asus board and it's very quick and responsive with no noticeable lag at all and ever since I got my ram timings and voltage figured out it's been a rock solid system.

[smf805]

Originally Posted by glc No, he did not mislead you. I'm just saying that the P55 is second best, but by a very slim margin, and the P55 is way more cost-effective. I recommended a board and processor for you in post #3. The board is not top of the line, but again, very cost-effective. Newegg links below: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131620 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115214 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193

glc, I noticed that this mobo supports sata 6 and usb 3, yet is $50 cheaper than the "deluxe" and $100 cheaper than "premium". Did Asus steer away from these features for a reason? I read something about the bandwidth being cut in half w/ these features being enabled.
The CPU listed (i7 1156) looks perfect. I'll get multi threading and a cost effective socket w/ this choice. Right now I'm looking at combo prices w/ mobo on newegg...
Scott

[Khalil]

Anytime you see a combo deal on any hardware it should raise a flag, if an item is excellent and is selling well there is no need for them to lose profit and combine it with anything else. This is not 100% the case but I would say the majority of the times whether it is Newegg or any other etailer, if it is combined it is distressed.

[smf805]

Originally Posted by Khalil Anytime you see a combo deal on any hardware it should raise a flag, if an item is excellent and is selling well there is no need for them to lose profit and combine it with anything else. This is not 100% the case but I would say the majority of the times whether it is Newegg or any other etailer, if it is combined it is distressed.

Good point, I didn't think of that.
I was looking at HDD's and noticed that the common bus speed is 3 gb/s through SATA. So a mobo w/ a SATA 6 hookup is useless if the drive is rated at 3 gb/s correct? Is SATA 6 being placed on new mobos in anticipation of drive manufacturers starting to build SATA 6 drives?
Scott

[Khalil]

No not useless at all, the 6GB bus is a lot faster than the 3GB even with current hard drives.