Viceroy
09-10-2009, 09:11 PM
BIG UPDATE: My processor of choice has changed from the i7 920 to the i7 860. First thing's first - what all needs to be changed about my current build, aside from the motherboard? Please recommend some parts conducive to a nice i7 860 build, especially motherboards and RAM.
Succinctly, the purpose of this build is to be a high-end multimedia HTPC. I will spare no expense so long as the return is favorable. I will use an example to illustrate this point. My current processor of choice is the i7 860. It is around 250 dollars. The i7 955 is 550 dollars, and the i7 Extreme 975 is a thousand dollars. Due to the technology being newer, the 955 and 975 are much more expensive than the 860, but their performance is only marginally better. The AMD Phenom II 955 is only 190 dollars, but the minor savings of 60 dollars results in a significant drop in performance for everything but gaming. My choice would be with the one that has the greatest value, the i7 860. This same principle should apply to my choice of every part.
I will go through this by stating my wants and needs for each individual part, and showcasing the currently-seen-as best part. This is subject to change with the opinions I will be denoting in this discussion. Please do not think that just because a part is selected that you should not try and make any changes to it!
CPU - I think the superior Turbo Boost tech of the i7 860 is more important than the i7 920's hyperthreading. I could be wrong, so of course please let me know if you think so.
Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor (http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-i7-860-CPU-Processor-New-in-Retail-Box-_W0QQitemZ160361791490QQcmdZViewItem)
$289.94 shipped
Mobo - I have heard getting a mobo the same brand as the GPU yields benefits. Obviously it needs to be socket 1156 to be compatible with i7 860, and I would appreciate recommendations and suggestions as to how much I should spend on one.
No motherboard selected
RAM - I want the RAM that would ideally run with an i7 860 build. i7 860 is supposed to benefit from 1600MHz+, so if you think I will see real merit from purchasing more powerful and expensive RAM then let me know. More than 6 gigs of DDR3 is probably overkill.
No RAM selected
HDD - Would buying small HDD's in greater quantity reap a better performance than vice versa? I would like to hear opinions on if investing in a small but fast HDD (10-15k or solid state) to store the most frequently-called-upon programs such as the OS would be worth the high cost. About a terrabyte of total memory will be sufficient for now.
No HDD selected.
OS - Not much to say here unless anyone has any objections to Windows-based OS's. If feasible I would simply torrent Windows 7 anyway.
Torrenting shit is free taxed/shipped/jailed
Case - The case must be big enough to hold everything and be conducive to a cool environment. As far as having a slick and baudy case with flashy lights and stuff, I am quite opposed. I would like to have a simple case with a clear window to see inside, but as for lights and out-of-box paintjobs? I would much rather do that sort of customizing myself than have someone else do it for me. COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KKN1-GP Black ABS Bezel, SECC Body ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194&cm_re=cooler_master_storm_sniper-_-11-119-194-_-Product)
$115.99 taxed/shipped
GPU - I don't plan on upgrading to dx11 cards anytime soon, and I found a GTX 285 for 279.99 plus shipping and tax, and BFG, which means I get to trade the card for a newer one and I only pay the price difference between them. BFG - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 OC 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express Graphics Card (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9230049&type=product&id=1218063557108&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9230049)
$300.95 taxed/shipped
PSU - 650w seems to be right where I need it to be. I shouldn't even exceed 400w anyway. I've heard having the case and PSU from the same company is beneficial. Again, I don't mind spending some money to make sure it is a quality part, but again, I don't need it to be fancy. CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006)
$99.99 shipped
CPU cooler - The cooler needs to um... well, you know. Keep things cool, cool like this badass mofo right here --> 8) XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029)
$44.98 shipped
ODD - Needs to be able to burn just about any kind of disc I would want, including but not limited to Blu-Ray Not if it pushes the ODD up in the couple-hundred dollar range. If it doesn't, then um... point me to one. and Dual-layer discs. Also, that Lightscribe concept of lasering pictures onto the disc from the drive sounds cool.
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151188&Tpk=SH-S223L)
$31.99
(Does this one burn dualdisc?)
LG GGW-H20L Blu-Ray Rewriter/HD DVD Drive - OEM (http://cgi.ebay.com/LG-GGW-H20L-LightScribe-6X-Blu-Ray-3X-HD-DVD-ROM-SATA_W0QQitemZ250495855725QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_D rives_Storage_Internal?hash=item3a52b76c6d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_894wt_960)
$174.00 taxed/shipped
(I REEEEALLY don't want to spend this much on one, so unless I can find a sale on one pretty quick I'll probably just buy the Samsung and wait till these things get cheaper)
VDU - Dell UltraSharp U2410 24 inch 1920x1200 6ms 1000:1 HDMI/DVI/VGA/DisplayPort Widescreen LCD Monitor (http://www.urlhasbeenblockeds.com/news_displayItem.cfm/177528)
$505.00 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Audio - I still do not know if I should purchase a stereo system or if I should just buy traditional computer speakers. I have seen different people swear by each one, and after all of my research I have a feeling that the quality difference between two different systems of the same price would be negligible at best, but opinions are, as always, welcome and appreciated. I have heard that older top-end sound systems would bear comparable output to more recent top-end sound systems, at a drastically reduced price. I have heard very positive opinions regarding the Logitech z5500's, but I am not sure if they are worth the high price (300+ dollars). Surround sound with wireless rear speakers would be ideal.
No Audio selected.
Keyboard - Those silly Logitech boards with the silly little screens and 90 extra buttons are dumb. I want a practical and comfortable keyboard with keys that have space between them and have noticeable depression. Laptop-ish keyboards are out-of-the-question. Backlit keys are essential!
Steelseries 7G 64022SS Black 104 Normal Keys USB or PS/2 Wired Standard Professional Gaming Keyboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823239002&Tpk=steelseries%207g)
$71.99 taxed/shipped
Mouse - I've seen endless debate regarding the Razer Lachesis versus the Logitech G9. People raged and raged over which would be better, so I figured, hell, why not just buy both? O3O
RAZER Lachesis Phantom White 9 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser 4000 dpi Gaming Mouse - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153020&cm_re=lachesis-_-26-153-020-_-Product)
$32.49 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Logitech G9 Black 5 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser 3200 dpi Gaming Mouse (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104079&cm_re=g9-_-26-104-079-_-Product)
$54.99 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Remember, everything is negotiable and nothing is ever final. I want to hear every suggestion you have and problem you see until you get sick of me or think my build is perfect. For all the time I and the people who've helped me have spent on this machine, I want it to turn out nothing less!
Thank you! Let's get bouncing.
Succinctly, the purpose of this build is to be a high-end multimedia HTPC. I will spare no expense so long as the return is favorable. I will use an example to illustrate this point. My current processor of choice is the i7 860. It is around 250 dollars. The i7 955 is 550 dollars, and the i7 Extreme 975 is a thousand dollars. Due to the technology being newer, the 955 and 975 are much more expensive than the 860, but their performance is only marginally better. The AMD Phenom II 955 is only 190 dollars, but the minor savings of 60 dollars results in a significant drop in performance for everything but gaming. My choice would be with the one that has the greatest value, the i7 860. This same principle should apply to my choice of every part.
I will go through this by stating my wants and needs for each individual part, and showcasing the currently-seen-as best part. This is subject to change with the opinions I will be denoting in this discussion. Please do not think that just because a part is selected that you should not try and make any changes to it!
CPU - I think the superior Turbo Boost tech of the i7 860 is more important than the i7 920's hyperthreading. I could be wrong, so of course please let me know if you think so.
Intel Core i7 860 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor (http://cgi.ebay.com/Intel-i7-860-CPU-Processor-New-in-Retail-Box-_W0QQitemZ160361791490QQcmdZViewItem)
$289.94 shipped
Mobo - I have heard getting a mobo the same brand as the GPU yields benefits. Obviously it needs to be socket 1156 to be compatible with i7 860, and I would appreciate recommendations and suggestions as to how much I should spend on one.
No motherboard selected
RAM - I want the RAM that would ideally run with an i7 860 build. i7 860 is supposed to benefit from 1600MHz+, so if you think I will see real merit from purchasing more powerful and expensive RAM then let me know. More than 6 gigs of DDR3 is probably overkill.
No RAM selected
HDD - Would buying small HDD's in greater quantity reap a better performance than vice versa? I would like to hear opinions on if investing in a small but fast HDD (10-15k or solid state) to store the most frequently-called-upon programs such as the OS would be worth the high cost. About a terrabyte of total memory will be sufficient for now.
No HDD selected.
OS - Not much to say here unless anyone has any objections to Windows-based OS's. If feasible I would simply torrent Windows 7 anyway.
Torrenting shit is free taxed/shipped/jailed
Case - The case must be big enough to hold everything and be conducive to a cool environment. As far as having a slick and baudy case with flashy lights and stuff, I am quite opposed. I would like to have a simple case with a clear window to see inside, but as for lights and out-of-box paintjobs? I would much rather do that sort of customizing myself than have someone else do it for me. COOLER MASTER Storm Sniper SGC-6000-KKN1-GP Black ABS Bezel, SECC Body ATX Mid Tower Computer Case (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119194&cm_re=cooler_master_storm_sniper-_-11-119-194-_-Product)
$115.99 taxed/shipped
GPU - I don't plan on upgrading to dx11 cards anytime soon, and I found a GTX 285 for 279.99 plus shipping and tax, and BFG, which means I get to trade the card for a newer one and I only pay the price difference between them. BFG - NVIDIA GeForce GTX 285 OC 1GB GDDR3 PCI Express Graphics Card (http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=9230049&type=product&id=1218063557108&ref=06&loc=01&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=9230049)
$300.95 taxed/shipped
PSU - 650w seems to be right where I need it to be. I shouldn't even exceed 400w anyway. I've heard having the case and PSU from the same company is beneficial. Again, I don't mind spending some money to make sure it is a quality part, but again, I don't need it to be fancy. CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006)
$99.99 shipped
CPU cooler - The cooler needs to um... well, you know. Keep things cool, cool like this badass mofo right here --> 8) XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233029)
$44.98 shipped
ODD - Needs to be able to burn just about any kind of disc I would want, including but not limited to Blu-Ray Not if it pushes the ODD up in the couple-hundred dollar range. If it doesn't, then um... point me to one. and Dual-layer discs. Also, that Lightscribe concept of lasering pictures onto the disc from the drive sounds cool.
SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151188&Tpk=SH-S223L)
$31.99
(Does this one burn dualdisc?)
LG GGW-H20L Blu-Ray Rewriter/HD DVD Drive - OEM (http://cgi.ebay.com/LG-GGW-H20L-LightScribe-6X-Blu-Ray-3X-HD-DVD-ROM-SATA_W0QQitemZ250495855725QQcmdZViewItemQQptZPCC_D rives_Storage_Internal?hash=item3a52b76c6d&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14#ht_894wt_960)
$174.00 taxed/shipped
(I REEEEALLY don't want to spend this much on one, so unless I can find a sale on one pretty quick I'll probably just buy the Samsung and wait till these things get cheaper)
VDU - Dell UltraSharp U2410 24 inch 1920x1200 6ms 1000:1 HDMI/DVI/VGA/DisplayPort Widescreen LCD Monitor (http://www.urlhasbeenblockeds.com/news_displayItem.cfm/177528)
$505.00 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Audio - I still do not know if I should purchase a stereo system or if I should just buy traditional computer speakers. I have seen different people swear by each one, and after all of my research I have a feeling that the quality difference between two different systems of the same price would be negligible at best, but opinions are, as always, welcome and appreciated. I have heard that older top-end sound systems would bear comparable output to more recent top-end sound systems, at a drastically reduced price. I have heard very positive opinions regarding the Logitech z5500's, but I am not sure if they are worth the high price (300+ dollars). Surround sound with wireless rear speakers would be ideal.
No Audio selected.
Keyboard - Those silly Logitech boards with the silly little screens and 90 extra buttons are dumb. I want a practical and comfortable keyboard with keys that have space between them and have noticeable depression. Laptop-ish keyboards are out-of-the-question. Backlit keys are essential!
Steelseries 7G 64022SS Black 104 Normal Keys USB or PS/2 Wired Standard Professional Gaming Keyboard (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823239002&Tpk=steelseries%207g)
$71.99 taxed/shipped
Mouse - I've seen endless debate regarding the Razer Lachesis versus the Logitech G9. People raged and raged over which would be better, so I figured, hell, why not just buy both? O3O
RAZER Lachesis Phantom White 9 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB Wired Laser 4000 dpi Gaming Mouse - Retail (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826153020&cm_re=lachesis-_-26-153-020-_-Product)
$32.49 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Logitech G9 Black 5 Buttons Tilt Wheel USB Wired Laser 3200 dpi Gaming Mouse (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104079&cm_re=g9-_-26-104-079-_-Product)
$54.99 taxed/shipped Purchase made
Remember, everything is negotiable and nothing is ever final. I want to hear every suggestion you have and problem you see until you get sick of me or think my build is perfect. For all the time I and the people who've helped me have spent on this machine, I want it to turn out nothing less!
Thank you! Let's get bouncing.