sogoboy

Hi there. I'm planning to buy a new PC, so i kindly ask for your evaluation on what i've chosen.
Main purpose - gaming. Monitor atm is 22" Samsung, but in the nearest future planning to purchase 26" 1920x1200 (see below).

CPU : [COLOR=Purple]E8400[/COLOR]
Cooler : [COLOR=Purple]OCZ Vendetta 2 [/COLOR]
Mobo : [COLOR=Purple]Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS4 [/COLOR]
GPU : [COLOR=Purple]Sapphire 4870x2[/COLOR]
RAM : [COLOR=Purple]2x2GB 1066MHz CL5 Kingston[/COLOR]
HDD : [COLOR=Purple]Samsung HD753LJ [/COLOR]
PSU : [COLOR=Purple]Chieftec Turbo 750W[/COLOR]
Case : [COLOR=Purple]Antec Three Hundred[/COLOR]

Monitor that i will probably buy is [COLOR=Purple]ViewSonic VX2640W[/COLOR]
So far not much bad reviews on it. It uses a cheap TN but is very cheap comparing to other screens with 26" (1.5 times cheaper than nearest 26" alternative). Will this be a good decision ? Maybe some1 owns this one already in order to share some experience ?

My main concern is case. It's a unique situation with cases here because almost any branded one costs 3x more than on newegg. And i dont wana risk buying from unknown manufacturer. Neither i want to pay 300+USD for a stell/alu box So my question is - how good is Antec 300 and will i be able to install 4870x2 along with other components in it ?

As for CPU i'm planning to OC this one a bit to a stable 3.4-3.6. Is this a good idea ? Partly because of this i picked up p45. (and Gigabyte seems fine to me).
As for e8600 i see no point in paying +50% more for additional 330MHz.
e8500 is not good either because of the 9.5 multiplier , so if ill ever decide ot oc it may cause some problems.
Neither i see any point in buying Q9XXX, because it's not cheap and there are very few applications and games that gain any boost from 4 cores. Moreover i think that when Nehalem comes out any current cpu's will lose their actuality.
Any clarification on this is welcome.

Also RAM i've chosen has 2.25V ... is this okay ? Im not going to oc memory but 2.25 is somewhat high imo.

This must be it. Any comments and constructive criticism is highly appreciated. Thank you for your attention.

BlueMak

I wouldn't pay any amount of money for a 24" + monitor that uses a TN panel. Go for a PVMA panel at least. Superior image quality, viewing angles, colour reproduction compared to any TN panel. Not as expensive as S-IPS panels either.

Why do you go for the Samsung HDD? I would rather get a Seagate (ES or not) drive than that.

I can't help you about the case.

I don't agree with overclocking in general so I can't suggest anything about that, but as things are now, I would rather get an Intel quad core cpu than any dual core. Few months ago I would tell you different, but not any more.
If you plan on going with the Nehalem train, you might as well get a Q6600.

I am not a fan of Chieftec PSUs.

Looking at the photo of the case, it looks fine (I prefer solid side panels and plain lines myself). The side angle photo where it is open, looking at the position where the mainboard will be in, looks like it is large enough for the 4870x2, but don't take my word for it. All I know is the 4870x2 is about 28cm in length.

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The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

cozumel

Hello Latvia and hi sogoboy, welcome to DH.

My thoughts:

If you want a gaming machine then I would definitely suggest getting a quad core. A Q65600 retils in these parts for the same as an E8400 and many games already will take advantage of the 4 cores and many, many more in the future.

I'm a little concerned about the PSU too. Chieftec (although I do not know them well) is not a name that springs to mind when you think of good and reliable power supplies with rock solid voltages. A PSU is probably the most important component in your rig as if it was too fail then it could take everything with else with it. For that reason I suggest considering Corsair, Enermax or PC Power & Cooling as high quality alternatives.

With the monitor, for quality gaming you may want to think about downsizing to a widescreen 24" but with a better panel so that you get maximum enjoyment from your games.

And finally, on the subject of prices, do not forget that Latvia is part of the EU and the Euro is your friend (I hope). Take a look at etailers outside of your country as some will ship anywhere with the EU. Quietpc and memoryc.com will, I think, both ship to Latvia and that is from the top of my head

Edit: If you can get hold of Cooler Master products then the RC-690 case is cheap all round the world (wherever I've looked anyway). IT is good quality, excellent cooling and I'm 99% certain it will fit the 4870x2. If you like the look of the RC-690 then email Cooler Master and ask them to confirm the card would fit ok. It is very spacious inside the case so I think is okay.

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sogoboy

Hmm, thanks ill consider getting 24" with PVMA. Never had 26" or 24" so i barely know if there will be much of a difference between them.

Actually i had 2 models in mind : already mentioned Samsung or WD7500AACS 750GB (heard somwhere that samsung is rather cool and WD - well, it's WD). Doubtfully my pc will be turned on 24/7 so i think this is not vital.

Nehalem is supposed to use DDR3 and hybrid mobo means nothing good imo (and getting DDR3 now can't be justified by any means except extreme overclocking). But ill think about getting a quad core. Q9300 with OC probably. Thanks.

Wow, thats huge Thought it's about 25-26cm. Guess ill email Antec to be sure.

Hi there ! Thank you

Quote:

Chieftec (although I do not know them well) is not a name that springs to mind when you think of good and reliable power supplies with rock solid voltages. A PSU is probably the most important component in your rig as if it was too fail then it could take everything with else with it. For that reason I suggest considering Corsair, Enermax or PC Power & Cooling as high quality alternatives.

Enermax represented in one i-shop here And the price for a 620W is about 235EUR... So ill look into Corsair . 750W goes for about 145 EUR, which is likely to get status "affordable" after Enermax
Guess ill have to check about buying case somewhere abroad if Antec wont be big enough.


Thank you both for fast replies and valuable info.

PangingJr

.5 CPU multi and the Gigabyte P45 board shouldn't give you a problem on your overclocking needs.

check out Q9400, it cost a little more than Q9300. but it's one of a newer revision/stepping CPU.

Ferret_Style

Check out the thread at the top of the forum. The power supply listed their PC Cooling 750 is a nice one and not too bad on price

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"You might be Eaten by a Grue" MC Frontalot!

OldBuzzard

sogoboy, IF you can get a 4870 X2 in the Antec Three Hundred case, it's going to be a real tight fit.

You would be better off taking cozumel's advice and look for a Cooler Master CM690. It has a lot more room in it for the longer video cards, and being a toolless design, it's real easy to work with when you are installing everything. The CM690 gets that extra bit of room by mounting the HDDs sideways, which also helps for cable management, as it's easier to hide the power and data cables on the HDDs.

I speak from experience as I have one, and my 3870 X2 fits in it with about 4cm clearance between it and the HDD bay. The 3870 X2 and 4070 X2 are very close in size, so you shouldn't have any problem fitting it in the CM690.

Also, a Corsair 620HX (which I'm using) if you want a modular PSU, or 650TX non-modular would be a good choice for the your build.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

BlueMak

Can you use screws for the cards on that CM 690 or do you have to use the tooless thingy?

__________________

The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

OldBuzzard

Not only can you use screws, with my 3870 x2 before I put on the Koolance waterblock I had to use screws, as the shroud on the HSF wouldn't let the "clip" close on the card. I stioll use screws, even tho the clip will close now, just because that card/block is just so danged heavy.

Another thing I had to do b4 water, was take out the 2 screws that were on the PCI mount, as they would hit the side of the PCI slot, and you couldn't seat the card. Those really aren't necessary, as the rest of the shroud has plenty of screws holding it to the card.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

BlueMak

Ah good! I just don't trust any of those little plastic clip ons to hold the graphics card during transit (be it across the flat or the country).
When I bought my current case I had to remove them or else the soundblaster wouldn't fit...weird, plus what I said about the graphics card.
I would keep this case but it is so freaking heavy, it feels like 25 kilos empty. (I am talking about my case, not the CM you mentioned).


BTW, I noticed the CM cases are way heavier than say Thermaltake ones for the same size 50%+ heavier.

Sogo, good luck with your new system and don't forget to ground yourself before/while building it.

__________________

The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

sogoboy

OldBuzzard thank you for commenting !

Quote:

You would be better off taking cozumel's advice and look for a Cooler Master CM690. It has a lot more room in it for the longer video cards, and being a toolless design, it's real easy to work with when you are installing everything. The CM690 gets that extra bit of room by mounting the HDDs sideways, which also helps for cable management, as it's easier to hide the power and data cables on the HDDs.

So far i like the looks of CM690. Bad thing is i wasn't able to find one here in Latvia. Probably will order abroad or try to find alternative available here. Personally i don't mind a heavy case (if it is cool and quiet ) neither do i mind not using screws unless everything is fastened with plastic parts.
Will proceed on my search further.

I'm sure ill go for a modular PSU. But it will probably be 750W because 4870x2 consumes in peak 80W more than 3870x2 (as far as i've seen in reviews).

This one is really useful to me. Thanks.

Not an expert, but i think its about steel and aluminium proportion being used as a chassis material. Steel's much cheaper and heavier, but i dont mind that - at least case feels like something solid.

By grounding you mean anti-static bracelet ? Or touching something grounded before assembling ? Not going to dig my leg into the ground jk

Thank you for your help BlueMak you are far too kind.

temeteus82

Just touch the case before installing the mobo to make sure that you don't have any static charge in you

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cozumel

650W is the specified in the system requirements for the 4870x2 as far as I know. So 650W or over would be ideal for you

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BlueMak

Although in all the PCs I have build I just touched the case before touching anything else, the best thing would be to do that and get a bracelet.

You are welcome

__________________

The people who are regarded as moral luminaries are those who forego ordinary pleasures themselves and find compensation in interfering with the pleasures of others(Bertrand Russell)"You go into Afghanistan, you got guys who slap women around for five years because they didn't wear a veil,You know, guys like that ain't got no manhood left anyway. So it's a hell of a lot of fun to shoot them." - Lt. Gen. James N. Mattis
This is slavery, not to speak one's thought. [Euripides-The Phoenician Women (c.411-409 B.C.)] http://www.macedonia.info/FALLACIESANDFACTS.htm Sic semper tyrannis.

OldBuzzard

Take a look at my system specs. Not a 4870 X2, but the 3870 X2 is on the power hungry side too. Plus I'm running a Koolance Exos watercooling system off of the PSU as well.

The 620HX should run the average system with a 4870 X2 without breaking a sweat.

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When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY