Building a new system (srs thread this time)

[Ratty Sr.]

Hey, guys,

As you might have guessed, my earlier thread was facetious, in more ways than one. Yes, I do think the thread's punchline was funny. And no, I don't actually have a system with those specs. Suckas.

Anyway, let's get serious. Even though I don't own a system with those specs, that doesn't mean I don't plan to. In fact, I'm putting together an ubar-l33t rig that will enable me to pwn ur ass in L4D and CoD4 so suck it down n00b, lawl!11 And as you can probably guess, I could use some advice/input on which parts to get.

To start with, these are the specs I'm going for at the moment:

CPU: Intel Core i7 920, 4x2.66GHz, 1333MHz, 8Mb cache,socket 1366
MBO: Gigabyte EX58-UD5, s1366, Intel® X58 + ICH10R Chipset, 6xDDR3
VGA: Sapphire HD 5850, 1GB GDDR5 256bit, Dual DVI + HDMI, DisplayPort
RAM: DDR3 6GB (3x2GB) Kingston HyperX, 1600MHz, CL9, KHX12800D3K3/6GX
PSU: Corsair 750W, HX Series CMPSU-750HX
Case: Antec P193, Big tower, ATX, µATX
HDD: Western Digital VelociRaptor 150GB, SATA, 10000 rpm, 16MB cache
BD-ROM: LG CH08LS10 SATA, 8x BD-R, SATA, LightScribe
Display: Dell UltraSharp U2410, 24in (16:10), 1920x1200, IPS, 1000:1
Mouse: Razer Lachesis, Phantom White, 4000 dpi, USB
Mouse pad: Razer Destructor Special Edition
Cooling (CPU): SCYTHE Mugen 2 SCMG-2000
Cooling (RAM): Zalman ZM-RHS1
Cooling (HDD): SPIRE flowcooler
Additional fans: 2X SCYTHE Slip Stream, 120mm, 1900 rpm

As you can probably guess from the parts, I'm planning to overclock, though not in excess. Moreover, since 5850 isn't exactly the fastest card in the market, I'm planning to get a second one in 6-12 months, when the price drops. I'm still worried it might turn out to be a bottleneck, as I don't intend to overclock it (OK, maybe just a bit ), so I'm also considering the following 5870 as an alternative:

XFX HD 5870, 1GB DDR5, HDMI, 2xDVI, DisplayPort

Sure, it's more expensive, but not by *that* much, and if I'm going to build a kick-ass rig, I might as well go all the way.

In addition to this, while VelociRaptor is probably the fastest SATA hard-drive in the market, it's still no match for an SSD solution, so I find myself tempted to procure this baby:

Intel X25-M 80.0 GB

On the one hand, it's only 80GB compared to VelociRaptor's 150, and despite being "affordable", its price is almost double that of VelociRaptor. On the other hand, it's an SSD, fucking hell! It's like getting a 10-inch cock, except I can't install Windows 7 on a cock, so it's actually *better* than a 10-inch cock.

Another thing I can't decide on is the case. Antec P193 is a pretty awesome case, but also a bit pricey, so I'm tempted to go with a really nice midi tower instead. Of course, since I'm an aesthete at heart, the alternative case must also look stylish. I'm currently considering this one:

Thermaltake Element S VK60001W2Z

Finally, I wasn't planning on getting a separate sound card, but lately my headset has been acting up and I'm worried it might be on its last throes. So now I'm considering getting a new sound card/headset combo as well. Specifically, I've been looking into these:

Creative Labs X-Fi Xtreme Gamer Fatal1ty PRO
Creative Labs Headset Fatal1ty GAMING

The reason I'm considering those is because the Fatal1ty headset is capable of surround sound when used in combination with the Fatal1ty sound card, which reportedly sounds really awesome.

So that's the way things stand at the moment. Though I'll most likely be going with the specs I posted above, I'm still interested in hearing whatever advice/input you guys can give me. And by "you guys" I mean, of course, SuAside.

Sincerely,

Ratty

PS: J/K regarding that last bit. Y'all are invited to give me advice, even if you aren't SuAside.

 

[Xellos]

It's a load of money you gotta blow on that rig. If I were you and if I had time, I'd wait for new 32nm Intel Cpu which are coming shortlyand wiil clock like hell. Or stick with p55 (Gigabyte ud3 is good)/i5 750. Clock it to 3,5-4 and it will perform almost the same as i7 for 60% price. When it comes to disks, ssd is good , but intel had some firmaware issues lately, so choose wisely. SSD for a system and 500-750gb barracuda 7200.12 or samsung f3 will do just fine. CD-Rom - pioneer is also very good. And 750 PSU is big headroom , but it is rather good if you have budget and want to OC, just be aware that some corsairs have beeping coils, but that is rather an issue of lower models

 

[PlanHex]

I'm still wondering what the hell you think you need a blu-ray drive for.
They're so friggin' expensive that you might as well buy a standalone player or a ps3.

 

[Sander]

Get a larger hard disk, or an additional one if you don't want to sacrifice start-up speed. Large hard disks cost shit-all and somehow I always manage to run into any space limitations really quickly.

Also, I'm fairly sure that the Samsung monitors are cheaper and of equal or better quality than the Dell one.

I'd get one of the cheaper Antec cases(200 or 300), by the way. Cheap, just as reliable, quality stuff.

And keep in mind that those Mugen coolers are huge and can put a strain on your mobo. If you're not going to do a lot of overclocking, they're probably not worth the hassle.

I'm still wondering what the hell you think you need a blu-ray drive for.
They're so friggin' expensive that you might as well buy a standalone player or a ps3.

Que? What ass-backwards country are you living?

 

[OakTable]

Just buy a console. It's a lot more simple than all of this stuff. Unless you like mods a lot or making stuff marginally prettier.

 

[PlanHex]

Ok, seems like it's been a while since I checked out the prices on BDs.
The price of that one is still roughly €100 here and thus around €80 more than a standard DVD-burner.

Doesn't seem too useful to me either.

 

[Verevoof]

Just buy a console. It's a lot more simple than all of this stuff. Unless you like mods a lot or making stuff marginally prettier.

Computers aren't just for multi-platform games, you know.

 

[OakTable]

Just buy a console. It's a lot more simple than all of this stuff. Unless you like mods a lot or making stuff marginally prettier.

Computer aren't just for multi-platform games, you know.

True, but I haven't really seen any PC-only games that intrigue me right now.

 

[Verevoof]

Well, this is about Ratty and his computer desires.

 

[Ratty Sr.]

It's a load of money you gotta blow on that rig.

Yeah, well, I'm probably going to be without a job as of next month, so I must as well live large while I still can.

If I were you and if I had time, I'd wait for new 32nm Intel Cpu which are coming shortlyand wiil clock like hell. Or stick with p55 (Gigabyte ud3 is good)/i5 750. Clock it to 3,5-4 and it will perform almost the same as i7 for 60% price.

I considered that, but I really want that triple channel memory architecture, and reasonably-priced s1156 motherboards with triple channel support are virtually impossible to find in Croatia. Still, I'll keep my eyes open.

When it comes to disks, ssd is good , but intel had some firmaware issues lately, so choose wisely.

Supposedly these are non-existent with X25-M. Anyway, X25-M is the only SSD I'm considering seriously, as all others are either shitty or exorbitantly expensive.

CD-Rom - pioneer is also very good.

Yeah, I was going with Pioneer initially, but for some reason it's now out of stock with every store in Croatia. That's a pretty common issue here, by the way. We are a shithole.

And 750 PSU is big headroom , but it is rather good if you have budget and want to OC, just be aware that some corsairs have beeping coils, but that is rather an issue of lower models

750W is probably over the top, but I was burned several times on mediocre PSUs, so now I'm sparing no expenses.

I'm still wondering what the hell you think you need a blu-ray drive for.
They're so friggin' expensive that you might as well buy a standalone player or a ps3.

I don't do consoles. I don't have a TV, either, so a stand-alone player is out of the question as well.

Get a larger hard disk, or an additional one if you don't want to sacrifice start-up speed. Large hard disks cost shit-all and somehow I always manage to run into any space limitations really quickly.

I already have a 1TB Samsung F1, so I've got that part covered. Still, I want to be able to install a shitload of software on my main disk, and 80GB is indeed quite restrictive in that regard. 150GB should be enough, though.

Also, I'm fairly sure that the Samsung monitors are cheaper and of equal or better quality than the Dell one.

I've checked out the Samsung offerings in the 22"-26" range and they are all cheap-o displays with TN matrix, unless I missed a model.

I'd get one of the cheaper Antec cases(200 or 300), by the way. Cheap, just as reliable, quality stuff.

Thanks, I'm going to look into those.

And keep in mind that those Mugen coolers are huge and can put a strain on your mobo. If you're not going to do a lot of overclocking, they're probably not worth the hassle.

I'm going to look into alternatives. That probably won't take much effort, given the shitty state of Croatian computer parts market.

Just buy a console. It's a lot more simple than all of this stuff. Unless you like mods a lot or making stuff marginally prettier.

I'm a graphics programmer. This system will be used for work as much as gaming, I'm afraid.

--

Alright, thanks for the suggestions so far, guys. Keep 'em coming!

 

[rcorporon]

I'd go for AMD over Intel, but that's just me .

 

[Wooz]

What does the i7 have to offer over a quad-core 775 socket?

Get an S-PVA display. IPS'es fuck up black levels a bit.

SSD drives deteriorate quickly over time, no?

 

[Ratty Sr.]

What does the i7 have to offer over a quad-core 775 socket?

Loads of stuff. Hyper-threading, for one.

Get an S-PVA display. IPS'es fuck up black levels a bit.

I would if I could find one that is similarly priced to the U2410 while offering comparable response time and viewing angles. Got any specific recommendations?

SSD drives deteriorate quickly over time, no?

Current-gen SSDs use wear leveling to substantially extend their lifespans.

 

[Bofast]

Looks pretty good overall.

Intel's firmware issues are actually affecting the X25-M, though only on the second generation drives, and only if you update the firmware (in order to get TRIM support, you need to do so). A new version should be out in a week or two, if I recall correctly.

That 5850 should be good enough for just about any game, so it shouldn't be much of a bottleneck, really. They've been know to reach 900 or so MHz on the core, as well, with decent cooling and perhaps a bit of voltage, so overclocking should work.

 

[Phil the Nuka-Cola Dude]

Make sure you go with a nice aftermarket cooler on your 5850, because those little 80mm fans start sounding like a hair dryer once you get past 50-60%.

 

[Ratty Sr.]

Good news, everybody, I found Logitech G9x (currently the best gaming mouse on the planet) on sale, so I'll be buying it instead of Razer Lachesis. Behold:

Make sure you go with a nice aftermarket cooler on your 5850, because those little 80mm fans start sounding like a hair dryer once you get past 50-60%

I normally don't mind the noise (I use headphones when gaming), but if the problem is as bad as you say, I may indeed get a new cooler. SCYTHE Musashi looks like it might be good.

 

[Serge 13]

HDD: Western Digital VelociRaptor 150GB, SATA, 10000 rpm, 16MB cache

I would go for a Seagate if i were you, but no big difference i guess...WD is also good.

 

[TheWesDude]

fuck sata..

scsi for lyfe!

i only use sata drives for long term and large file storage...

like my asian dramas and game patches and programs i download and want to save a copy...

all my gaming/os happens on my SCSI driveS

 

[Ratty Sr.]

You know, when I saw there was a new reply to my thread and that it was TheWesDude, my first thought was "Okay, if this isn't TheWesDude plugging SCSI hard drives, I'm going to crush my left testicle with a nutcracker." So, thanks for helping me keep both of my testicles, TheWesDude!

On an unrelated note, I just picked up the G9x mouse and am using it right now. It's fucking awesome, though I still couldn't say it's worth the money. Maybe I'll know for sure once I try it out in Crysis and Dragon Age.

 

[TheWesDude]

well ratty, even though people say SATA > SCSI for $ per performance point, i say fuck the points and just go for performance...

after all, HDs are the slowest part of a computer. using 7200 or 5400 RPM drives is just horrible.

and yes, there is a noticeable difference.

and SSDs for sustained read have been found to be lower than SCSI in raid.

but thats probably due to the shitty IDE interface.