Need some input on new computer

FireElements · Feb 2, 2009, 07:06 AM

Finally ordered my parts, what I got was a bit different than my original "vision" but I think I'm happy with it.

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
XFX Radeon HD 4870 XXX 1GB
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz
OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
2xWestern Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (RAID 0)
ASUS Xonar D2X 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card
COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Quote:

Well, here we go. I've decided it's finally time (well, a little past due I'd say) to upgrade my computer. Just for comparison here's what I currently have:

Asus A8R-MVP mobo
AMD Athlon X2 3800+
Sapphire Radeon X1800XT 512MB
2GB some type of OCZ RAM

I've always went exclusively AMD and ATI, would only recommend those brands to people and refused to buy anything from Nvidia or Intel. It does seem at this point though I may have to switch sides, but I'm still debating seriously on what to do for my new computer. This computer will be used primarily for gaming (1680x1050 resolution, possibly will upgrade to larger monitor in future) and normal daily use. I plan to use Vista 64-bit and probably upgrade to Windows 7 whenever it arives. As for overclocking, I plan to do some light over clocking on the CPU (just whatever I can get stable on air) but nothing extreme. Here's the two builds that I've made:

Shared Components (will be used in both builds):
Thermaltake Armor+MX VH8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

Build 1 (Intel/Nvidia):
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
ASUS P6T Deluxe LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel MotherboardEVGA GeForce GTX 295 1792MB
EVGA GeForce GTX 295 1792MB
OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600

Total Cost: $1,631.92

Build 2 (AMD/ATI):
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor
ASUS M3A79-T Deluxe AM2+/AM2 AMD 790FX ATX AMD Motherboard
SAPPHIRE Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066

Total Cost: $1,306.94

I'm leaning towards either way at this point. Core i7 is a beast, the GTX 295 is overall faster than the 4870X2, and I think that build is a little more "future proof". However, it's $300 more which will hurt a lot more than the other build. I've always liked AMD and ATI, plus it's $300 cheaper of a build! The AMD build also has $70 in additional mail-ins, but I don't trust them enough to count towards the price. I feel the difference in RAM isn't that significant enough to go with one over the other, basically it's all about the CPU. I can always put the GTX 295 in the AMD build, too. So here are my follow debating points:

Is the performance difference I'll see from Core i7 vs Phenom II worth the extra $300? Also, keep in mind what I'm currently upgrading from. Eitherway, I'm expecting it to be a pretty significant improvement.
Is Core i7's higher price point also worth it in "future-proofing" myself? I know you can never really future proof yourself, but I'd figure there's a pretty big difference in how future-proof you are in comparison of AM2+ to LGA 1366.
What about the graphic cards? It's a $50 difference up front and an extra $30 if you include the mail-in. Does the price difference make up for the performance difference? What about Nvidia's PhysX? Also, my current card heats my room up like crazy. I doubt either of these newer cards is gonna be better in that aspect, but still, it would be nice... don't care about noise though!
The future! I've heard AM3 is coming soon and also I've read recent rumors about a new ATI card, the 5870 or whatever. I've waited a bit for an upgrade, would it be worth it to wait a "bit" longer for the new technology or should I upgrade now because it's still a while off? Again, this goes back to Core i7's future-proofing, because AM3 will only cause issues should I choose the AMD build.

If anybody has any input or opinions they would be greatly appreciated. Also, if you have any comments on the parts I chose would be appreciated too. Such as if there's a different part I should go with for whatever reason (price, performance, compatibility, etc.) or any other comment.

Well, at this point thanks for reading this and thanks in advance if you give your input

*UPDATE*

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I think at this point I've decided on Core i7 and I may be leaning towards getting just a single 4870 as opposed to the Geforce 295. The 4870 will be able to handle just about everything and when the next generation comes around it won't hurt as bad upgrading a card I paid $200 for vs $500 for.

As for the motherboard, that was one of my more debated on parts if I do go with the i7 build. Another concern is how is onboard sound? I wanted to buy a Creative X-Fi sound card but I heard they have massive problems with 64-bit Vista. So how is onboard audio going to compare to a creative sound card? I'm currently using an Audigy 2 ZS, so I've not dealt with onboard audio. Also, what about the Asus Xonar sound card? Or does the X-Fi really work with Vista 64 if you do enough work?

So any suggestions on the motherboard and the audio?

nicnik · Feb 2, 2009, 08:55 AM

i would go i7, and possibly do some cost cutting in there. Invest in good cooling if you wish to hit the 4ghz mark. Air coolers can do the job but it's hit and miss dependant on the cpu batch you get.

Cow_160483 · Feb 2, 2009, 12:13 PM

I am kind of a fan of AMD/ATI and the review on DH on the Phenom II X4 940 black edition was an awesome but then again the i7 is nothing to frown at, its a really tough choice but am leaning towards build 1!!

**Mousey** · Feb 2, 2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

The future! I've heard AM3 is coming soon and also I've read recent rumors about a new ATI card, the 5870 or whatever. I've waited a bit for an upgrade, would it be worth it to wait a "bit" longer for the new technology or should I upgrade now because it's still a while off? Again, this goes back to Core i7's future-proofing, because AM3 will only cause issues should I choose the AMD build.

Yeah, apparently it was gonna hit us in 2008 as well.
I wouldn't bank on it for a long time yet mate. Just go intel and squeeze the max out of your budget

~~scurvy~~ · Feb 2, 2009, 04:30 PM

I'd go for the Core I7 build, hands down. Its gonna kick some some serious ass.

if I may make a suggestion, go for Asus P6T plain version. its cheaper and can support 3 way SLI while the Deluxe cannot cos of the way the PCI-E slots are placed.

And YES definitely go for the GTX295.

Judas · Feb 2, 2009, 05:22 PM

personally i would got Intel Core i7.... and then cut your video card back to just a hd4870... seriously there isn't any REAL point to get that high end of a video card right now.... it's a waist of money considering what's going to be available here soon and with a i7 running with it, it'll still be a powerhouse.

6gb vs 4.... dual channel vs triple channel, seriously intel i7 is worth it for me... but spending that big of a dollar on the video card isn't.

nicnik · Feb 2, 2009, 06:18 PM

at 1680 resolution you would only need a single core gpu anyway.

Judas · Feb 2, 2009, 06:23 PM

indeed.... and i would also recommend a Gigabyte GA-ex58-UD5 over the asus board....

~~scurvy~~ · Feb 2, 2009, 06:36 PM

on what basis?

blibbax · Feb 2, 2009, 10:55 PM

Well of the shared components, I have that hard drive, and it's great, but you may want to consider raid for such a high end setup. Just a thought - if you don't want it, don't get it.

As for I7 vs Phenom II I'd definitley go for i7. It is dearer, but it's also faster, and the X58 chipset will be usably for some time (look ath p965 or 975x - still compatible with the latest LGA775 processors). Besides, it's a beast, and ou can't not want that.

In the graphics department, I'm something of an Nvidia fanboy myself, but I'd have to say that physx is still some way from being wideley used. Nice for when it's there though. CUDA is good too if you fold, and for a few other things.

In terms of gaming performance though, 4870X2 vs GTX295 varies from game to game, so I'd say just read the reviews on this site and pick the games you like.

I'd question with the GTX295 whether it would be better value for money going with 2 GTX260 216SP 65nm cards - this would work out much cheaper and give very similar performance. Just a thought.

**kris23** · Feb 3, 2009, 12:23 AM

my recommendation....

well i recommend the i7 920 with an EVGA X58 board using either a 55nm GTX 260 Core 216, GTX 285 or 295 if you can afford it.

im really not happy with Asus quality right now, bin through two maximus formulas now... and i just want to get rid of it if possible. id go with EVGA since they have the best RMA in the business of mobos.

as for your shared components. theyre all decent except for the HDD, get the seagate 7200.12, it has some crazy specs

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives

far superior to the SE16 line and even the Blacks

FireElements · Feb 3, 2009, 03:23 AM

I originally planned to get a Seagate similar to that, however I just read about how so many of them are failing due to firmware and didn't want to deal with that. I also thought about RAID, but I dislike the fact that if only one drive goes out you lose everything. Yeah, I know to back up important stuff, but that doesn't make it any less of a hassle if one does go out.

As for the motherboard, that was one of my more debated on parts if I do go with the i7 build. Another concern is how is the onboard sound? I wanted to buy a Creative X-Fi sound card but I heard they have massive problems with 64-bit Vista. So how is onboard audio going to compare to a creative sound card? I'm currently using an Audigy 2 ZS, so I've not dealt with onboard audio. Also, what about the Asus Xonar sound card?

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I think at this point I've decided on Core i7 and I may be leaning towards getting just a single 4870 as opposed to the Geforce 295. The 4870 will be able to handle just about everything and when the next generation comes around it won't hurt as bad upgrading a card I paid $200 for vs $500 for.

And at this point, any more recommendations on the motherboard, audio, and hard drive? Or anything else if you can think of it

**kris23** · Feb 3, 2009, 03:26 AM

GTX 260 core 216 is faster than 4870 just so you know...

and the seagate firmware issues are within the 7200.11 series

far as i know theyre safe

Tipstaff · Feb 3, 2009, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scurvy

on what basis?

On the basis that the Asus board sucks. It doesn't overclock very well, has issues with RAM when trying to overclock, and the layout of the PCI/PCIE slots are bad (sure, you get a free PCI slot, but once you throw in 2nd video card you lose the last PCIE slot, so you can say bye bye to Tri SLI, any sort of 3 way setup, or using a 3rd card for PhysX). Asus dropped the ball on this one.

The Gigabyte board has a better layout, and it is the most stable board for overclocking at the moment.

FireElements · Feb 16, 2009, 05:47 AM

Finally ordered my parts, what I got was a bit different than my original "vision" but I think I'm happy with it.

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
XFX Radeon HD 4870 XXX 1GB
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz
OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
2xWestern Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (RAID 0)
ASUS Xonar D2X 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card
COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler
Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Mac Daddy · Feb 16, 2009, 12:21 PM

That should work well for you

Those WD drives should kick a** in RAID I have the same model here and hope to pick up another soon

blibbax · Feb 16, 2009, 06:34 PM

That's a nice system. Have fun!

Feb 2, 2009, 08:55 AM	#2
nicnik In the Land of Snow Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 569 Rep Power: 46 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer i would go i7, and possibly do some cost cutting in there. Invest in good cooling if you wish to hit the 4ghz mark. Air coolers can do the job but it's hit and miss dependant on the cpu batch you get. __________________ Follow Me on Twitter Battlefield 3 \| youtube \| TwitchTV

Feb 2, 2009, 12:13 PM	#3
Cow_160483 HH's only cow moooooo... Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: BOTSWANA Posts: 6,817 Rep Power: 300 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer I am kind of a fan of AMD/ATI and the review on DH on the Phenom II X4 940 black edition was an awesome but then again the i7 is nothing to frown at, its a really tough choice but am leaning towards build 1!! __________________ Decode! Muhahahahah!

Feb 2, 2009, 04:30 PM	#5
~~scurvy~~ So Cutesy Wootsy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 241 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer I'd go for the Core I7 build, hands down. Its gonna kick some some serious ass. if I may make a suggestion, go for Asus P6T plain version. its cheaper and can support 3 way SLI while the Deluxe cannot cos of the way the PCI-E slots are placed. And YES definitely go for the GTX295.

Feb 2, 2009, 06:18 PM	#7
nicnik In the Land of Snow Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: London, UK Posts: 569 Rep Power: 46 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer at 1680 resolution you would only need a single core gpu anyway. __________________ Follow Me on Twitter Battlefield 3 \| youtube \| TwitchTV

Feb 2, 2009, 06:36 PM	#9
~~scurvy~~ So Cutesy Wootsy Join Date: Sep 2008 Posts: 241 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer on what basis?

Feb 2, 2009, 10:55 PM	#10
blibbax What does this do? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 4,230 Rep Power: 254 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer Well of the shared components, I have that hard drive, and it's great, but you may want to consider raid for such a high end setup. Just a thought - if you don't want it, don't get it. As for I7 vs Phenom II I'd definitley go for i7. It is dearer, but it's also faster, and the X58 chipset will be usably for some time (look ath p965 or 975x - still compatible with the latest LGA775 processors). Besides, it's a beast, and ou can't not want that. In the graphics department, I'm something of an Nvidia fanboy myself, but I'd have to say that physx is still some way from being wideley used. Nice for when it's there though. CUDA is good too if you fold, and for a few other things. In terms of gaming performance though, 4870X2 vs GTX295 varies from game to game, so I'd say just read the reviews on this site and pick the games you like. I'd question with the GTX295 whether it would be better value for money going with 2 GTX260 216SP 65nm cards - this would work out much cheaper and give very similar performance. Just a thought. __________________ Donate the spare computing power of your PC to help to cure Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease and cancer: Fold for HH!

Feb 3, 2009, 12:23 AM	#11
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer my recommendation.... well i recommend the i7 920 with an EVGA X58 board using either a 55nm GTX 260 Core 216, GTX 285 or 295 if you can afford it. im really not happy with Asus quality right now, bin through two maximus formulas now... and i just want to get rid of it if possible. id go with EVGA since they have the best RMA in the business of mobos. as for your shared components. theyre all decent except for the HDD, get the seagate 7200.12, it has some crazy specs Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - Internal Hard Drives far superior to the SE16 line and even the Blacks __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Feb 3, 2009, 03:23 AM	Thread Starter #12
FireElements DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 189 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer I originally planned to get a Seagate similar to that, however I just read about how so many of them are failing due to firmware and didn't want to deal with that. I also thought about RAID, but I dislike the fact that if only one drive goes out you lose everything. Yeah, I know to back up important stuff, but that doesn't make it any less of a hassle if one does go out. As for the motherboard, that was one of my more debated on parts if I do go with the i7 build. Another concern is how is the onboard sound? I wanted to buy a Creative X-Fi sound card but I heard they have massive problems with 64-bit Vista. So how is onboard audio going to compare to a creative sound card? I'm currently using an Audigy 2 ZS, so I've not dealt with onboard audio. Also, what about the Asus Xonar sound card? Thanks for the suggestions so far. I think at this point I've decided on Core i7 and I may be leaning towards getting just a single 4870 as opposed to the Geforce 295. The 4870 will be able to handle just about everything and when the next generation comes around it won't hurt as bad upgrading a card I paid $200 for vs $500 for. And at this point, any more recommendations on the motherboard, audio, and hard drive? Or anything else if you can think of it

Feb 3, 2009, 03:26 AM	#13
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 6,018 Rep Power: 131 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer GTX 260 core 216 is faster than 4870 just so you know... and the seagate firmware issues are within the 7200.11 series far as i know theyre safe __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Feb 16, 2009, 05:47 AM	Thread Starter #15
FireElements DriverHeaven Lover Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 189 Rep Power: 0 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer Finally ordered my parts, what I got was a bit different than my original "vision" but I think I'm happy with it. Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case ASUS P6T LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard XFX Radeon HD 4870 XXX 1GB Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz OCZ XMP Ready Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply 2xWestern Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive (RAID 0) ASUS Xonar D2X 7.1 Channels PCI Express Interface Sound Card COOLER MASTER V8 RR-UV8-XBU1-GP 120mm Rifle CPU Cooler Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 64-bit

Feb 16, 2009, 12:21 PM	#16
Mac Daddy DriverHeaven Extreme Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 7,950 Rep Power: 79 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer That should work well for you Those WD drives should kick a** in RAID I have the same model here and hope to pick up another soon __________________ "My mom said the only reason men are alive is for lawn care and vehicle maintenance." - Tim Allen

Feb 16, 2009, 06:34 PM	#17
blibbax What does this do? Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Oxford, UK Posts: 4,230 Rep Power: 254 System Specs	Re: Need some input on new computer That's a nice system. Have fun! __________________ Donate the spare computing power of your PC to help to cure Alzheimer's, ALS, Huntington's, Parkinson's disease and cancer: Fold for HH!