Under $2k build, how am I looking?

[gmorrison]

Haven't built a top notch computer in... well ever. My experience has been solely with putting together more humble rigs for people who needed something simple for internet browsing and email etc. Now though I am looking to build a computer for myself, one that can handle modern gaming and 2d graphic rendering (I do alot of graphic design).

I am at a bit of a loss since there just seems to be so many things to go with. I've put together a build but I don't know how well it stands up. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable can help out on that front. Thanks in advance.

Computer Build

[ryuk999]

Drop the GTX 295 and get an ATI 5870.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-084-_-Product

Not 100% sure on the graphic design part of this change...but you could deffinately drop the ram to 4GB for gaming. You could always upgrade to 8 later by adding another 2x2GB. Try this ram with the P55 board.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820231193

You could try the P7P55DE-LX, it's got a more stable chipset than the X58. However the P6Tv2 could potentially be stable enough...someone else can advise you on that matter.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131634

For the P55 board you could try a i7 860.

This is a faster hard drive than the one you selected, also it won't be as fast on the P6Tv2 because that board is only SATA II. This is a SATA III drive.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136533

[gmorrison]

Thanks for the reply, I will give your suggestions a good looking over. The only thing I see is the ATI card. I am sticking with nVidia since in my experience ATI does not like Linux at all. I need the Linux support since I use it as a LAMP testing environment (Dual Boot Win 7/Ubuntu) and really don't want to give that up. Plus it is awesome for recovering stuff when Windows locks up on me. Again thank you though, this looks very helpful.

[glc]

Don't use AV or IDE drives - if you want 2 drives, use a WD Black or a SSD for OS and apps and a WD Green for data. If you can wait just a bit and insist on Nvidia, I'd get one of the new 400 series cards. You can definitely save money and not impact performance with a socket 1156 build.

[gmorrison]

Originally Posted by glc Don't use AV or IDE drives - if you want 2 drives, use a WD Black or a SSD for OS and apps and a WD Green for data. If you can wait just a bit and insist on Nvidia, I'd get one of the new 400 series cards. You can definitely save money and not impact performance with a socket 1156 build.

Thank you very much I will consider that, I agree that those hard drives look much better. Also thank you for pointing out the 400 series.

[Khalil]

The Fermi 470 is a very powerful video card, it is equivalent to the ATI 5850 and drivers seem smooth, not sure about Linux support I have not tested one on a Linux box yet.

[gmorrison]

Thanks a ton guys. You just saved me $500 without a performance hit. Shows how much I know when it comes to modern top of the line computers. Heh. Anyhow here's the list now.

Computer Build

This has me just below $1300 which means I can get some of the extra goodies I want (like another 1tb drive for RAID 1). On that note, what sort of cooling do you think I should go with for this thing. The case I picked has a pretty beastly fan setup/airflow, will that be enough to run this with OC?

[Khalil]

Why do you want Raid 1? No need for anymore cooling!

[gmorrison]

Originally Posted by Khalil Why do you want Raid 1? No need for anymore cooling!

Haha, well data stability mostly. My line of work requires me to be certain that I won't lose the projects I am working on. Currently I do that with web servers but it would be great to know that I can keep important projects on my machine without much worry of data loss.

Oh and thanks for the comment, good to know that it should have enough cooling in it, though I might spring for some nicer fans anyhow (but we will see). Again thanks very much for the help you've given me everyone.

[glc]

I recommend an external backup solution (USB or eSATA) over RAID-1.

[gmorrison]

Hmm, well the motherboard has an eSATA port on the back panel so I suppose I could give that a try.

How does this look for a backup drive: External Hard Drive

[Khalil]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136514

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817145167
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153123


Put it together yourself.

[gmorrison]

Originally Posted by Khalil http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136514 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817145167 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817153123 Put it together yourself.

Awesome, thanks a ton. Think I will go with:

Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB Internal Hard Drive + Thermaltake Silver River II External Enclosure

As an aside I am going with dual monitors, any suggestions?

[Khalil]

Asus and Samsung Monitors are the best with the best warranty and support! Asus however are offering better deals on them at Newegg.com

[gmorrison]

I'm liking this one a bit: ASUS Black 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor

Once again thanks for all the help, you guys have really made this so much easier for me

[Khalil]

This is the one you want http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236050

[gmorrison]

Originally Posted by Khalil This is the one you want http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824236050

Hmm, not sure if I want to go that route since it is more expensive and 2x 22" monitors is more screen real estate than I really need.

[Dave in Houston]

Originally Posted by gmorrison Hmm, not sure if I want to go that route since it is more expensive and 2x 22" monitors is more screen real estate than I really need.

In widescreen format, a 19 inch monitor is smaller than you might assume. I have an old 19 inch 4x3 format (1280x1024) monitor sitting right next to my 24 inch Asus widescreen, and they're the same height. That means a 24 inch widescreen is the same as a 19 inch 4x3, only wider.

I suggest you look in person at monitors for size comparison at your local Best Buy store before you make a final decision.

[gmorrison]

Originally Posted by Dave in Houston In widescreen format, a 19 inch monitor is smaller than you might assume. I have an old 19 inch 4x3 format (1280x1024) monitor sitting right next to my 24 inch Asus widescreen, and they're the same height. That means a 24 inch widescreen is the same as a 19 inch 4x3, only wider. I suggest you look in person at monitors for size comparison at your local Best Buy store before you make a final decision.

I'm actually typing this on a 19" so I have a good reference point. 2x 19-20" monitors is about right for my needs. Width (and cost) is actually what I am concerned about not height. 2x 22" monitors is pushing the limit on how much I am willing to spend.

[Khalil]

Edit: Never Mind!!

[gmorrison]

Thinking about upgrading to this PSU:

CORSAIR 850HX Modular Power Supply

It's $60 more but it apparently runs much cooler, plus it's modular which means cord management will be much easier (especially since my current PSU has an ridiculous number of cords). What do you guys think?

Edit: Found a 650w version here that looks like the best fit.

[glc]

I have a Corsair modular in my main computer. Highly recommended.

[Kidd]

If you're comfortable with 19", great. But I'm with Khalil, I have a 23" (dual w/ a 20") monitor setup at work, and a single 24" at home. You don't know what you'll do with the screen real estate until you have it, then it's easy to appreciate. Also, I don't know anyone who has purchased a large monitor, gotten it set up, and said "man, I wish I had gotten a smaller monitor. This thing is too big."
A quality monitor is also something that will stay with you through the life of this build and onto the next one. When you need to upgrade, you can still use the same monitors.

My $.02

Good looking rig, good luck with the build!

[gmorrison]

Thanks. In regards to the monitors, unless you can point out larger ones that aren't more than about $10 above that 19" I put up I am sticking with it as I'm not willing to pay a bunch extra for just a little bit more in size.

Edit: I might be willing to go with the ASUS Glossy Piano-Black 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor but it's $20 more ($40 more for 2) so I have to question if that extra inch is really worth that much.

[Kidd]

From 19-20", I don't notice a size difference, or from 23-24", for that matter. But from 19-24", it is very noticeable.

This is the one I have at home:

http://www.buy.com/prod/asus-vh242h-...210447662.html

$120 more for two, but just because I would find it well worth it, you may not.

Also, buy.com isn't as reputable as newegg, but I've spent hundreds (maybe $2K) on gps's, laptops and monitors, and I haven't had a single problem, except when I got some incompatible RAM, which the seller refunded my money pretty quickly.

For 23"+ monitors, it's tough to beat their prices.

[gmorrison]

I have actually decided to go with the 20" one I put up above. What actually sold me was the novel stand design combined with what appears to be superior quality. As for the one you posted, it looks really sweet but there's no way I can justify the cost. 2 20" screens is by no means small and should be more than enough for what I need.

Anyhow I think I have my list finalized as such:

Case:
- ENERMAX Uber Chakra Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Case

Motherboard:
- ASUS P7P55D-E 1156 Intel P55 ATX Motherboard

Processor:
- Intel Core i7-860 Quad-Core Processor

Video Card:
- EVGA GeForce GTX 470 Video Card

RAM:
- G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM 1600

Power Supply:
- CORSAIR 750HX 750W Modular Power Supply

Hard Drive:
- Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA Internal Hard Drive (OS/Data)
- Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB SATA Internal Hard Drive (Data)

Extras:
- Western Digital Caviar Green 2TB SATA Internal Hard Drive (Backup) + Thermaltake Silver River II eSATA External Enclosure (Backup Enclosure)
- ASUS Black SATA DVD Burner
- x2 ASUS Glossy Piano-Black 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor

Final cost after shipping is $1833 so a decent chunk under 2 grand. Thank you to everyone who has helped me out with this. I should be ordering this soon, once I get it assembled and set up I'll tell you all how it went (and of course post some pictures... wouldn't be a proper custom rig if I didn't show off ).

[Kidd]

If you were still interested, this went on sale today:

http://www.buy.com/prod/aoc-f22-21-5...tml?adid=17653

I don't have any personal experience with AOC, so you may want to read some reviews.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by Kidd If you were still interested, this went on sale today: http://www.buy.com/prod/aoc-f22-21-5...tml?adid=17653 I don't have any personal experience with AOC, so you may want to read some reviews.

I do, they are about the worst monitors on the market with terrible warranty and customer support!

[Kidd]

Ouch. My bad.

[gmorrison]

Question here, I noticed the Fermi cards can get pretty hot (93 degrees). Are you guys sure that the stock case fans will be enough and that I don't need more cooling?