First Computer Build. Need Suggestions and Second opinions on hardware

R

rayweygant3

New Member
Looking to build a Gaming computer in two weeks. did alot of research. I do have alot of experience putting parts together inside a desktop pc but never put a pcu chip in before. im sure the youtube videos would help me out with that alot... so ive picked out these parts that i would like to add to my Cooler Master CM 690 advanced 2. i have the tower and a 2 tb WD Black edition so all i need is the parts listed below... Since this is my first computer build im not really sure about the compability, just need a second opinion to make sure everything will work together, i dont want to go through a headache returning and ordering something else. and if any suggestions on a different mother board or different ram or maybe even a better graphic card thats better then the one i listed but doesnt cost me a arm and a leg would like to install 2 of the same graphics card. and any suggestions on the cpu cooler, ive read alot of good reviews on newegg for the Prolimatech Megahalems, thought that was my best bet.
i would like to go with the intel motherboard but ive read alot of bad reviews and i really dont want the headache of returning something. the ASUS Rampage III Formula Motherboard has better specs than the intel mobo and better reviews, so i was hoping that would be my best bet. also the asus premium mobo got hella reviews on newegg and is a great buy but i figures the rampage is a bit better then the premium so i might as well get that. any second opinion? also i figured the mobo would have to have hyper threaded tech since the cpu is hyper.

and with the ram ive chosen out a 1333MHz DDR3 but i would love to go with 1600mhz, but not sure if the rampage mobo supports it, it does say 1600MHz DDR3 (OverClocking) so i figured thats only for the overclocking mode not for the ram specs itself.

but on the other hand the asus premium does support 1333MHz DDR3, 2000MHz DDR3, 1600MHz DDR3, so maybe i thought the rampage is better in overclocking the the premium. besides all that i just need a dependable board that would last me for years to come... and with the ram i would love to max out the mobo with 24gb so 4gb sticks is a must

sorry for sounding like such a newbie, but everything i know about computers i taught myself, and im pretty good at fixing computers and diagnostics but the whole putting a computer together from mobo up is pretty new to me...
really apreciate you reading this and thanks for any replys!
right now my budget is about 1400$ will be adding ssd more ram and 2nd graphic card in a few months






Tools = wrist strap $8.99 (buying)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=188581&sku=ULT31418


power supply = ultra x4 1200watt $249.99 (buying)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4143847&sku=ULT40323


Graphics card= Pny Geforce gtx 460 overclocked $199.99 Each (buying)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6623293&sku=P56-0460

Cpu chip = Intel Core i7 950 Processor BX80601950 - 3.06GHz, hyperthreading 1366 $299.99 (buying) http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4777384&sku=I69-0950


cpu cooler = Prolimatech Megahalems $62.00 (buying) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835242001&Tpk=Prolimatech Megahalems

(Fan for Prolimatech) Scythe Slipstream, 120mm, RPM:1900 ±10% RPM, Air Flow:110.31 CFM, Noise Level:37.00 dBA $09.00 (buying)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185060
or
Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler $74.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018&Tpk=Noctua NH-D14 CPU Cooler


Memory Ram= (1333mhz)
OCZ Gold 12GB (3 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $204.99 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227635
or
(1600mhz)
???


Motherboards = top sellers under 300$
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...0007627 4802 4018&IsNodeId=1&name=$200 - $300

Intel DX58SO Motherboard $229.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4240073&sku=I69-2180
or
ASUS P6X58D Premium Motherboard $279.99 http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=5526903&CatId=4070
or
ASUS Rampage III Formula Motherboard $309.99 (would like to buy)
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=6666334&sku=A455-2997
 
Man, don't spend $300 on a 950. Microcenter is selling them for $200 (in store). Also, I'm no expert at all, but If I could get Asus vs. Pny for the same price I'd take Asus every time.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121389

Don't buy OCZ Ram, and don't get 12 gigs... OCZ isn't good for DDR3 and 12 gigs is overkill

Also... for a gaming rig you don't need to spend $280 on a MoBo... an Asus Sabertooth or a Gigabyte UD3R ($200) will meet your needs and free up some cash for the Graphics.

What is your end budget? Do you need an operating system? There are people here who will help you to save money and get a better gaming system than what you've mentioned in your post. You are going to get a better Rig out of this than what you've been expecting.

Also... you don't need 1200 watts to run 1 graphics card. You don't need 1200 watts to run THREE graphics cards... you're going to save money and get a nice system. Expect to spend maybe $120 on a very solid 750/850W PSU.

If it were me, I would at least consider:

Asus x58 Sabertooth & 6GB GSkill 1600 $275

XFX 750W (very well respected PSU, supports double graphics card) $116 after rebate.

i7-950 and Saphire 6870 $530 (I'm listing Newegg for the processor as I don't know if you have a Microcenter in driving distance)

If you want air cooling the Big Dog is the NH D14 which can be had for $75. That's more expensive than others but it already has the 2 fans that many coolers don't include. I understand the thing is huge but would expect the thing to fit in your case. *Correct me if I'm wrong, Forum? linky

From the prices you seem to be willing to pay, you are going to end up with a SWEET Rig.
 
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yea kool thanks for the reply... yea actually theres a microcenter in yonkers and i live in brooklyn, (NYC) i dont drive but i checked google map and i would be able to take the mta train as far as 241 wakefield and it should be like a 20 minute bike ride from there... (i got a nice fixed grear aluminum bike) but definitly if the i7 950 is 200$ then why not get it.

as for the asus graphics card, i compared the asus vs. the PNY and asus is just a little better then PNY in specs... they both have the same technology including the 3D but the asus has a better cooling system. would love to get it. will read all the reviews the asus got when i get some time. really looking foward to playing medal of honor black opps. would you might know of any better graphic cards below $250?

i apreciate all the rest of the suggestions but the thing is besides having a gaming system i would like to experiment with overclock. and i would like to have a system that is awsome. im not looking to go the cheap alternative. Or go for the best. Would like to spend about 1300-400 so i think the asus premium or rampage would be good for that... and i have windows 7 and xp operating cds. so i got that covered.

and why not go for the ocz ram? im going to be using 64bit windows 7 so why not max out to 24gb? WHY NOT? :-) the ram you suggested was gskill1600 and better then the ocz i listed because the ocz was 1333 but over all the ocz still cost more then the gskill (Gskill6gb1600$110x2=12gb$220)=(ocz12gb1333$210) so you would figure you get what you pay for. i dont mind paying a little more for better quality, reliable brand of ram.
so i snooped around and found this
(1600)
OCZ Gold 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 $260
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227615
(2000)
OCZ Platinum 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 $310
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227613

but also i dont know about this part. if the mobo says tripple channel and i get 2 sticks of 4gb then if i plug it in would it work? or would i need 3 sticks for the mobo to read. i mean i plan to max out 6 sticks of 4gb but not immediatly just in a few months. and whats the best ram i can over clock. and is g-skill better then ocz?

like i said im not really looking to go the cheap alternative, just curious on brands vs. brands, better quality and more reliablity, but not all out expensive

and with the cpu cooler i did consider the NH D14 from previous research, but is it good with overclock? i figured with the Prolimatech Megahalems i can be able to choose 2 good fans i can mount on it with 1900rpm and Air Flow of110.31 CFM, which is some pretty big air flow. figured it will definitly cool alot better then the NH D14... sound might be a bit louder then the NH D14 but i dont mind the sound to much, i can always downgrade the fan to 1500rpm

and with the motherboard asus sabertooth. it doesnt support hyper threading technology which is what the i7 950 has. figured with 4 cores the hyperthread makes 1 core read 2 apps which is 8 cores why not take advantage of that technology with a mobo that has hyper. and ontop of that the memory max standard for sabertooth is 1066 so i wouldnt be able to put in either 1333 or 1600 or 2000... what a shame... i would rather go with the
ASUS Rampage III Formula Motherboard $309.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicat...ffiliateID=je6NUbpObpQ-_EgQaFH8G__zfCRO8e_ZQw
but the thing is im still confussed
the rampage spes. say
Memory Supported: 1066MHz DDR3
1333MHz DDR3
1600MHz DDR3 (OverClocking)
1800MHz DDR3 (OverClocking)
2000MHz DDR3 (OverClocking)
2133MHz DDR3 (OverClocking)
2200MHz DDR3 (OverClocking

so what does that mean that the max you can put in is 1333? and that the rest is only a overclocking enabled feature? would suck that i put in 2000mhz of ddr3 and it doesnt read!
 
on the otherhand the asus premium spes. say
Memory Supported: 1066MHz DDR3
1333MHz DDR3
2000MHz DDR3
1600MHz DDR3

which means i can use 1600 and 2000 and it doesnt have (OVerclocking) next to it which really confuses the crap out of me! :-)
 
OCZ is Not a reliable brand for DDR3 Ram. They have a bad reputation for that product to the point that they have discontinued producing it. Mushkin, GSkill, Kingston, Corsair among others are much more respected for quality Ram. As for why not maxing out 24 gigs... because you'll never use it. Also X58 boards are geared to run tri-channel memory, in other words memory in multiples of 3. 6 Gigs is pretty standard and 12 seems to be overkill for most users.

BTW, do you need monitor, speakers, keyboard and mouse within the $1400 budget?

My reason for suggesting the Sabretooth for Overclocking, for your consideration:

[yt]0va89rx1fCw[/yt]
 
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ohh man i went to tigetdirect and saw that the sabertooth does support hyperthreaded technology. which is pretty kool and it does support 1333MHz DDR3, 1600MHz DDR3, 1866MHz DDR3, which is awsome, so yea ill get it.. so just woundering if its such a great mobo why is the premium and rampage more expensive when the sabertooth overclocks better?

by the way i own 3 other pcs but none with ddr3 or i7 and i never built any of them just upgraded them. so yea i got keyboards, mouse and 2 samsung lcd monitors, would love to get a 32" samsung LED in a few months

so i have a tower coolermaster cm 690 2 advanced
i have WD Black Edition 2tb 7200rpm sata
i have cd drive

so all i need is a mobo, cpu, cpu cooler, ram, graphic card, and power supply.
and ive decided to go with corsair ram since i noticed tigerdirect most ram stock is corsair, must be a reliable ram.

so thats

wrist strap $8.99
power supply = ultra x4 1200watt $249.99
ASUS GeForce GTX 460 $210
Intel Core i7 950 Processor at microcenter $220...(tax included)
Noctua NH-D14 $90
ASUS Sabertooth X58 Motherboard $200
CORSAIR DOMINATOR-GT 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1866 $190
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145292

Total = $1169

thanks for all your help and suggestions... by the way was also woundering if you could recomment any good sound cards and ssd?
 
If you just want a step above your regular onboard audio, and to be able to restore hardware accelerated audio in windows vista/7 I'd grab a Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer.

I myself have an X-Fi Xtreme Audio and it's crisper and clearer than the onboard sound, I'm only using Logitech X-230's as well.
 
well the 750watt xfx is only 130$ and its silver 80+ with 5 year limited warrenty

and the Ultra x4 750watt is cheaper at 120$ and its 80+ bronze which is better and its got a lifetime warrenty. which is amazing.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4558896&csid=_21

and when it goes up to 850WATT it shoots up to 200$ and for 50$ more you get a 1200watt which is not bad... they also got a 1600watt but i would need an elcetrician to come in and reconfigure my circuit breaker and install a new outlet. atleast a 850 is amazing and for 50 extra comeon i smoke 50$ in a few weeks :-) ciggs man
 
and with the ram.. corsair should be the best brand right???? so with the motherboard specs. you can top 1866mhz so thats what im going for. and for the price they give me for 6gb... what you pay is what you pay... and thats it! :-)


Cheers dudes! im drinking Brugal Rum! :-)
 
and for the audio card! i really apreciate your imput on the Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer. for 60$ cant go wrong on the sound

but with the asus sabertooth motherboard using 2 ASUS GeForce GTX 460 $210, i think 1 card would take up 2 profiles which would definitly block the pci slot but definitly not planing to use the 3rd pcie slot. maybe theres a sound card that can be put in a pcie slot? idk i would have to extend my reasearch. and its kinda getting late with the buzz i already have! :-)))

and maybe with the power supple say maybe
CORSAIR TX Series CMPSU-950TX 950W ATX12V v2.3/EPS12V v2.91 SLI Ready 80 PLUS BRONZE, its only 150$ with 5 year warranty. i mean by the time 5 years goes by its time to upgrade right? :-)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139013
 
After a mail in rebate the XFX is cheaper at $110. Forums will consistently tell you that a reliable PSU is extremely important to your Rig. The XFX is a Very highly regarded unit for its quality. Ultra is not as highly regarded.

1200 Watts is more than you will use and XFX (Seasonic M12 innards) is better quality than the Ultra.
 
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i was thinking of switching from the
ASUS GTX 460 (Fermi)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...na&AID=10521304&PID=4003003&SID=1fpwpsj7f2jdu
to
EVGA GeForce GTX 460 (Fermi)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130581

the evga card got better specs then the asus i was also thinking of taking it a step higher and going with a gtx 470

Evga Gtx 470
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...554&cm_re=evga_gtx_470-_-14-130-554-_-Product

i sacrifice core clock, shader clock, memory clock, but i get 448 stream processors instead of 336, and i also get 3sli with the gtx470 when the 460 got 2sli and i get a lifetime warrenty with evga
 
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