I have $1,400 towards a new computer

[msdstc]

It's been a long time since I've kept up to date on all the latest parts- graphics cards, processors, ram, etc. So I'm completely lost right now. My computer is probably about 7 years old now and has seen better days, so I'm going to invest in a new one. The thing is I want the best deal for my money. I feel like I can get a fairly top of the line computer with this amount of cash, and was hoping you guys could point me in the right direction. Any help is greatly appreciated .

 

[Ritwik7]

Here's what I think:


Intel Core i7-930 Bloomfield 2.8GHz - $289.99
ASUS P6X58D-E LGA 1366 Intel X58 - $239.99
G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3 1600 - $149.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W - $109.99
2x MSI N460GTX CYCLONE 1GD5/OC GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi) 1GB - $469.98
SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ 1TB - $59.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690 ATX Mid Tower - $59.99
Sony Optiarc AD-7261S-0B - $20.99

Total - $1400.91

Assuming that your budget does not include a monitor and OS.

 

[LNCPapa]

That rig that Ritwik7 put together there is an awesome gaming machine but I'd drop the optical drive and replace it with a LiteOn or LG for $4-5 more. Hopefully you already have a decent 22" or larger monitor, otherwise this video setup is a bit of a waste.

FYI - you can get a decent 22" monitor for around $130-150

 

[msdstc]

Damn I forgot to mention the new monitor... hmm, what could I do to cut costs and also afford a nice new monitor? Also if I were to put together this setup, what would I be able to max with it?

Edit- also what's the advantage of using SLi over buying one high end card? Just curious.

 

[red1776]

well to start, here is a review of the CPU and the MB i recommended. The MB and the CPU for that matter is made for OC'ing and does nicely and easily. It will outperform the i7 930 easily,and you get six cores. I know this first hand (see my specs) ty also leaves you room for a 24" monitor.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-crosshair-iv-formula-review/1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131644 229.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125317&cm_re=hd_5830-_-14-125-317-_-Product 400.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851 200.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260 100.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 110.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&AID=10446076&PID=3675192&SID=skim951X490024 60.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151216 25.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&AID=10446076&PID=3675192&SID=skim951X490024 60.00

= $1184
+ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009245 210.00

= $1394

 

[Ritwik7]

@ red1776 - How do the HD 5830s in CF compare to the GTX 460 (OC) SLI? I thought that the 1 GB GTX 460s almost match the 5850 in
performance.

Edit- also what's the advantage of using SLi over buying one high end card? Just curious.

Nothing actually. Just that the single card that will give performance comparable to 2x GTX 460 in SLI will be more expensive.

 

[red1776]

@ red1776 - How do the HD 5830s in CF compare to the GTX 460 (OC) SLI? I thought that the 1 GB GTX 460s almost match the 5850 in
performance.

Im not 100% sure,I ended up getting 3 x 5850's for my rig, but I think the 460's have the slight advantage over the 5830's. I suggested then because he ended up short budgeted with his monitor issue. 2x 5830 will provide excellent performance however LOL. It was a way to stay within his budget. now having the X6 /Cosshair IV setup, I would not trade it for an 930 setup if you threw in $500.00. it as they say "tears it up"

 

[Julio Franco]

Mix and match using our buying guide:
https://www.techspot.com/guides/buying/

 

[Leeky]

Im not 100% sure,I ended up getting 3 x 5850's for my rig, but I think the 460's have the slight advantage over the 5830's. I suggested then because he ended up short budgeted with his monitor issue. 2x 5830 will provide excellent performance however LOL. It was a way to stay within his budget. now having the X6 /Cosshair IV setup, I would not trade it for an 930 setup if you threw in $500.00. it as they say "tears it up"

The last time I was playing Crysis, I actually sat there and wondered how much nicer it would be playing it with your setup! LOL.

 

[Ritwik7]

now having the X6 /Cosshair IV setup, I would not trade it for an 930 setup if you threw in $500.00. it as they say "tears it up"

You're also running 8 Gigs of RAM and 3x HD 5850. That will give it a significant performance boost. I think that a system running the Bloomfield would give as good performance if it ran on an identical setup.

The last time I was playing Crysis, I actually sat there and wondered how much nicer it would be playing it with your setup! LOL.

Darn enviable isn't it!!! How I wish...

 

[red1776]

You're also running 8 Gigs of RAM and 3x HD 5850. That will give it a significant performance boost. I think that a system running the Bloomfield would give as good performance if it ran on an identical setup.



Darn enviable isn't it!!! How I wish...

It would Rit, I think your missing my point here I am merely trying to get him stellar performance and solve the 1400.00$ barrier/monitor issue he has.

 

[Leeky]

@Rit
Me too; Its one for when I win the lottery, along with my two Porsches. Until such a time I'll have to dream. lol.

 

[Ritwik7]

It would Rit, I think your missing my point here I am merely trying to get him stellar performance and solve the 1400.00$ barrier/monitor issue he has.

I totally got your point. Not disputing your build. Just saying that you have killer components to complement your CPU...

 

[msdstc]

well to start, here is a review of the CPU and the MB i recommended. The MB and the CPU for that matter is made for OC'ing and does nicely and easily. It will outperform the i7 930 easily,and you get six cores. I know this first hand (see my specs) ty also leaves you room for a 24" monitor.

http://www.guru3d.com/article/asus-crosshair-iv-formula-review/1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131644 229.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814125317&cm_re=hd_5830-_-14-125-317-_-Product 400.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819103851 200.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145260 100.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005 110.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&AID=10446076&PID=3675192&SID=skim951X490024 60.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151216 25.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...a&AID=10446076&PID=3675192&SID=skim951X490024 60.00

= $1184
+ http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009245 210.00

= $1394

This looks really nice. How well would this run Crysis? Also I've never Overclocked... is it difficult?

 

[red1776]

This looks really nice. How well would this run Crysis? Also I've never Overclocked... is it difficult?

Not at all, The Asus Crosshair IV Formula comes with more ways to OC than you can count. I OC for sport however you hit the the 'auto clock feature...or one of many, including 'turbo boost (which will bump you up to 3.3 Ghz) and your done. other wise auto tune will take it to 4.0-4.2 Ghz in about 5 minutes.

as far as crysis, the 2 x HD 5830's will run Cryis on 'Very high' or Crysis warhead on 'enthusiast' smoothly at 1980 x 1020. With 2 5830's you have 2240 SPU's and almost 4 teraflops of processing power, it will be ready for Crysis 2 as well
The formula IV also has 3 PCIE slots (4 actually) but 3 usable) so you could add another card down the road if you wanted to.

@ Rit, wasn't taking a shot at ya buddy, just wanted to make sure msdstc understood I was making room for the monitor he decided he needed

 

[Ritwik7]

@ Rit, wasn't taking a shot at ya buddy, just wanted to make sure msdstc understood I was making room for the monitor he decided he needed

I know that mate.

Just another question. The stock GTX 460 (768 MB) is still much better than the HD 5830 and the same price. Is there no AMD motherboard that will support 2 of them in SLI? That would make a better choice over the HD 5830s.

 

[red1776]

I know that mate.

Just another question. The stock GTX 460 (768 MB) is still much better than the HD 5830 and the same price. Is there no AMD motherboard that will support 2 of them in SLI? That would make a better choice over the HD 5830s.

Oh I sure there are, Its just that the Crosshair IV formula is one of those that is crossfire only. Thr Crosshair IV was an very important part of the system for me for its superior features, chipsets,build quality, and OC abilities. An OC 5830 will perform at the level of a 5850. I have my 5850's working at 5870 levels. I will look up a couple of alternate boards for him. still, 2 x 5830 is a lot of horsepower with room to add another later.

 

[dividebyzero]

HD5770 CFX v HD5830 CFX v GTX460 SLI v HD 5770 3CFX v GTX465 SLI v HD 5850 CF v HD 5970 v GTX 470 SLI v HD 5870 CFX v GTX 480 SLI

That should about cover it

(Catalyst 10.6/Forceware 258.80)

 

[msdstc]

Will overclocking reduce the life of my processor? Sorry for all the noobie questions.

edit- also looking by the numbers it looks like the GTX 480 is Nvidia's top card and the 5870 is ATI's top card. Once again sorry about all of this, it's been a while since I kept up on all of this.

and how much of a difference will it make going with 2 gigs less of ram? I might just spring a little extra and up it to 6.

 

[dividebyzero]

Yes and no.
Depends on the level of overclock and the voltage needed to maintain the overclock.
IF the voltage is within the chip makers maximum specification- 1.40v I believe for the Phenom II X6- and you adequate cooling then the overclock should not impact on CPU lifespan significantly.