Build Advice

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ClintonKeenan

11 posts

Geek

#63673 1-Jul-2010 20:37

I am going to build me up a new PC, and wanted some advice as I'm a first-timer. I have done my research and think I have found a rather good build list. It's going to be an all rounder (school work, photoshop etc, and probably mostly gaming) so here goes;

Motherboard = Gigabyte GA-890GPA-UD3H
Memory = Kingston HyperX Dual Channel 4GB (2x2GB)
CPU = AMD Phenom II x6 1055t 6 Core 2.80GHZ/3.20GHZ Turbo Core
Optical Drive = LG DVD Writer 22x SATA
PSU = CoolerMaster 700 Watt Extreme Power Plus Silent w/ 120mm Fan
HDD = Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB SATA 3 GB/S 7200RPM
Case = Gigabyte GZ-X7 Black, ATX Mid Tower 120mm Fan
Graphics Card = HiS ATI Radeon HD5830 OR Sapphire ATI Radeon HD5830

I need some help with;
1. If this is a good build list and
2. What Graphics Card to choose as they both come with Call of Duty : Modern Warfare 2 and they both cost the same...

So.... What do I do

Thanks in advance

powerforce

162 posts

Master Geek

#347285 2-Jul-2010 13:47

Looks nice, i would reccomend getting a case with better cooling and changing your power supply to a corsair tx650

ClintonKeenan

11 posts

Geek

#347362 2-Jul-2010 17:10

Done, but what case, and any info on the GPU?

G4m3r

77 posts

Master Geek

#349447 9-Jul-2010 12:36

Hi
looks good. Just want to know how many Mhz is the RAM.
That HDD is fine but you could try this one Western Digital WD1002FAEX Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 6Gb/s 7200RPM 64MB or if your budget allows it you could try a solid state drive with a normal HDD.
As for the case maybe a Raidmax tornado or Antec 300, I've just had a quick look soo there will likely be better other cases you will like more. I've just built a system with the Antec 300 case and it has more than enough places to add fans to it if needed.
The HIS and the Sapphire should be the same as each other but if i remember correctly there is one brand that builds ATI and factory overclocks them slightly but either of them should be fine.

pih

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#350600 13-Jul-2010 12:38

I'm not a big gamer, but in researching for the quad core that I just bought it seemed to me from various forums that most game engines only use two cores. Can anyone confirm this is still the case? If so, you might be able to get a good dual-core (I know it probably sounds like a step back), and it might save you some money without sacrificing performance. In fact it may actually boost gaming performance. Another thing which samwooff pointed out in my thread (which I was oblivious to) is that Intel really has the edge with high-end processors right now (I was looking at an AMD X6, ended up getting an Intel i7 860, and very happy with it). Just something to consider.

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#350666 13-Jul-2010 14:11

Hey there

That's a pretty good build all round, a few things I'd point out though. Pih makes a good point about the majority of games still don't take full advantage of quad cores let alone hexa cores. Applications like photoshop however can do. Intels core i lineup will usually have greater performance at the same clock speed to other CPUs so factor that in too. If it was solely gaming I'd say stick to quad core but your other uses may have some impact too.

Out of those two GPUs I'd go for whichever one had the best warranty as all other specs are the same, failing that whichever one has the prettiest cover :P
If this was my build I'd probably skip the 5830 and just go for a 5850, which gives a lot more performance for not much more money.

As for case, do you have any requirements such as looks, size (full tower/mid tower/shuttle...), number of drives, cooling ability, noise, price?
A few of my favourite cases are the Antec 1200 and the lian li A70B but these might be too big and pricey for you in which case you might be better off with say the coolermaster scout.

Oh and +1 for corsair power supplies, very good units indeed.

Desktop: i7 920, GTX 275, asus P6T, antec 1200, 6gb ram, 1tb spinpoint f1, 1tb spinpoint f3, Logitech Z2300, Zero DAC, Shure SRH440
Laptop: Toshiba satellite, T5300, Go 7300
Home Theatre: 32" loewe CRT, Harmon kardon amp, dvd player, image 418 speakers, rega planar 25 turntable :)

ClintonKeenan

11 posts

Geek

#351383 14-Jul-2010 13:45

Well, after all this advice I have changed plans alot...
I now have;
Memory : Kingston HyperX 1600 Mh/Z 4GB Dual Channel
HDD : Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3 GB/S (planning to upgrade to RAID 0 in future)
CPU : Intel Core i5 750 2.66 Gh/Z (but probably will overclock in future)
GPU : Sapphire HD 5850 1 GB
Optical Drive : BenQ 24x DVD Writer Retail Box
Case : CoolerMaster CM Storm Scout (this case is awesome!!!!)
PSU : Corsair HX 650W Modular PSU

Motherboard : I'm thinking MSI P55-GD65, but I want suggestions for other P55 boards

Mouse : Logitech MX 518
Keyboard : Microsoft Sidewinder x4

So, feel free to suggest replacements, but I need advice on the motherboard.

I have also chosen the i5 over the Phenom II x4 because the 2.66 Gh/Z i5 750 whoops the Phenom II x4 @ 3.4 Gh/z 956's a$$ in gaming...

So thanks for the ongoing help :-)

G4m3r

77 posts

Master Geek

#351546 14-Jul-2010 19:45

Its looking good 1 think i just want to point out is that when you pick your motherboard make sure your RAM is compatible with the motherboard if your not sure e-mail the place your buying the parts from to make sure that they will work together. If you decide to change you RAM and only if the motherboard you pick can support it you could go for 2000Mhz or otherwise try to buy a RAM that is CL7 if possable as it is faster than CL 8 or 9 but before you buy make sure with the place your buying from that the RAM and motherboard are compatible.
Like th IT guy at my school says alot of the time you pick you RAM before you pick the motherboard so if you cant find a board that supporst the RAM you could try any of these
http://www.playtech.co.nz/afawcs0139235/CATID=254/ID=6681/SID=1051025654/productdetails.html
http://www.playtech.co.nz/afawcs0139235/CATID=254/ID=6680/SID=1051025654/productdetails.html
But if you find a borad that supports that RAM it should be a good computer
I havent looked at the RAM specs of the msi board but it looks good.

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samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#351589 14-Jul-2010 21:34

Hey, thats turning into a pretty sweet rig, bet you can't wait lol.

If you're considering overclocking maybe add an aftermarket heatsink into the budget, the stock intel ones are really only designed for standard speeds.

My pick for P55 mobos is the Asus P7P55D E, I think it has a nice range of features for the price. Have a good read on the motherboards you're choosing from, as a good review like the ones at tom's hardware can give you some insight into what it's like to actually use them.
Some things to look out for on motherboards are reliability, hardware support, inputs/outputs, internal connections, placement of components, overclockability, price, looks, even what comes in the box etc

You might find these articles of help when trying to pick your motherboard
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/best-motherboard-guide,2546.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/h55-h57-motherboard,2555.html
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/enthusiast-p55-motherboard,2494.html

ClintonKeenan

11 posts

Geek

#352083 15-Jul-2010 20:31

Memory : Kingston HyperX 1600 Mh/Z 4GB Dual Channel
HDD : Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB 3 GB/S (planning to upgrade to RAID 0 in future)
CPU : Intel Core i5 750 2.66 Gh/Z (but probably will overclock in future)
GPU : Sapphire HD 5850 1 GB
Optical Drive : BenQ 24x DVD Writer Retail Box
Case : CoolerMaster CM Storm Scout (this case is awesome!!!!)
PSU : Corsair HX 750W Modular PSU
Motherboard : Asus P7P55D-E Pro
Mouse : Logitech MX 518

I will keep the standard cooling until I plan to overclock, which will be about a month after I get my rig when my pay day comes. Does anybody know what would be a good aftermarket cooler? I was thinking a Coolermaster V8 to keep it nice and icy. The motherboard I've chosen has a Mem OK function that accepts all Memory and I've double checked that the memory I want works with the board!!
Does anybody know of any good Overclocking guides for the Intel Core i5 750?
Thanks

ClintonKeenan

11 posts

Geek

#352084 15-Jul-2010 20:32

Oh, yes I can't wait!!!

powerforce

162 posts

Master Geek

#352105 15-Jul-2010 21:18

if your budget will allow it the prolimatech megahalems is about the best air cooler you will find.
mine should be arriving friday

research it, you will see

tanivula

991 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#352137 15-Jul-2010 22:15

ClintonKeenan:
I will keep the standard cooling until I plan to overclock, which will be about a month after I get my rig when my pay day comes.

From my experience with aftermarket coolers (big suckers for overclocking or running fanless) is that it's a lot easier to mount while the motherboard is out of your case - sometimes you'll need to put a base plate on behind the mobo to support the weight. It would make sense to either wait till you have your HSF before you assemble everything - do it once, do it right?

samwooff

219 posts

Master Geek

#352173 16-Jul-2010 00:23

Any of the prolimatech range is a safe bet, the coolermaster v8 is more about looks than performance but it's by no means a bad cooler just not quite in the same league as the best from thermalright and prolimatech.
Usually if you go for any of these heatsinks it will require you to take the motherboard out to mount the heatsink, luckily the scout has a hole in the back of the motherboard tray which should enable you to not have to do this but every mounting plate is slightly different.

Generally if you have two reputable brands you shouldn't have any compatibility issues as long as it's the right class of ram.

You won't be after an overclocking guide for the CPU, rather for the motherboard as they all have different BIOS http://www.computerlounge.co.nz/forum/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=1521
This is one for the Asus P7P55 motherboards, if you don't want to push it too hard just choose a slightly different base clock, shown as the QPI frequency. Your stock one is 133, which is multiplied by the multiplier of 20 to give you 2660 mhz. 3ghz for example would be 20 times 150. With your CPU you can't change the multiplier so you're restricted slightly in that you can only change the base clock. Be aware that other changes will usually need to be made to support a faster clock such as a higher voltage which is usually where all your excess heat comes from.