£650 pre-purchase spec check

[Deific]

My goal is to build the best possible gaming rig for 650 quid right now. I've scrutanised and gone over this spec and changed it massively over the past couple weeks, to something I feel can't be improved upon.

I've gone for a dual-core CPU because it allows me to spend a little more on everything else getting a mobo outdone only by the FX boards, the fastest gskill 4 gig, aswell as the fastest 4890. It would make no sense to me to go for a quad-core and have to skimp on everything else because it's much easier to simply upgrade that one component (the CPU) later on (like I intend on doing) than everything else. I also see no point in spending extra on a tri-core for a marginal amount of difference when I would still end up upgrading to a quad later on.

As for the PSU I've gone for the OCZ 700W for 2 reasons. Firstly because I wanted a modular PSU. And secondly because, like I said, I'll be putting in a quad core when I can afford it, but also a second 4890 in Xfire. A 600W would just be cutting it too close on power consumption.

Anyway, just looking for any comments and advice on this spec before I confirm a purchase. Removing shipping it comes to £647 - I live near ocuk shop.

 

[PermaBanned]

Graphics - why not wait for DX11 and see what happens?
Board - interesting choice, you planning on crossfire or something?
CPU - trying to unlock? I would have gone for the 720 personally, or the Athlon II X4 depending on what it's being used for.
RAM - I would go for the £60 OCZ stuff on at the minute, or the 'blue' ripjaw.
PSU - That cheap BeQuiet 650W looks like a steal at that price...
OS - Dual Boot Linux?
Case - I prefer the NZXT Beta personally.
HDD - have a look at the Samsung F3 or the WD Black
Optical Drive - out of the one's in stock just get the cheapest Samsung one
Fans - Apaches?

 

[cmndr_andi]

There are new graphics cards being launched in 3 days. If I was you, wait for them to arrive before buying the rig- you may be able to stretch for a HD 5850 and if not the prices of DX10 cards will still drop.

Not sure why you went for that Hitachi HDD, this one is cheaper and in stock.

As for the tri core vs Dual core, I agree that in most games the difference will be small. However, there is a small number of games that require multi core CPUs to work well (GTA4, ARMA2), these are exceptions - but if you want to play such games then the X3 is worth a look.

Everything else looks good.

 

[95thrifles]

super: do you not read? lol, he answered most your questions in his post, agree re RAM, not worth the extra, get the blue stuff at £68, and agree re HDD, WDs out of stock atm so F3

 

[Deific]

Graphics - why not wait for DX11 and see what happens?
Board - interesting choice, you planning on crossfire or something?
CPU - trying to unlock? I would have gone for the 720 personally, or the Athlon II X4 depending on what it's being used for.
RAM - I would go for the £60 OCZ stuff on at the minute, or the 'blue' ripjaw.
PSU - That cheap BeQuiet 650W looks like a steal at that price...
OS - Dual Boot Linux?
Case - I prefer the NZXT Beta personally.
HDD - have a look at the Samsung F3 or the WD Black
Optical Drive - out of the one's in stock just get the cheapest Samsung one
Fans - Apaches?

I wont be purchasing a 5850, obviously, but I also wont be purchasing until it's out so it's quite probable it will push down the price of my chosen card, but wont change my choice of card.

Yes I will be going Xfire.

No I wont be OCing the CPU, the PII dual comes out on top of AII quad in real world benchies for games.

The BQ 650W isn't bad. But to spend an extra 3 quid for a modular 700W seems like a steal to me.

For the HDD I scrutanised benchies in timings and determined this to be the best drive for under 40 quid

Apaches, probably a better choice, but what about the glow! haha gota have the glow

 

[zsolmanz]

I'd be wary of that graphics cooler choice - I've a zalman VF-1000 LED (for all intents and purposes, it's the same as the one on that Powercolor card) on my XFX HD4890, and although the card temps are ok (80C furmark @ 0.9GHz core and 1GHz Memory) the cooler is extremely toasty. And that's with the 80mm on 100% and a 120mm case fan fan blowing cool external air straight onto it and my custom-made (by custom I mean home) MOSFET cooler.

Perhaps the powercolor card produces less heat, but there's not a lot of headroom in the Zalman cooler with my OC, let alone the stock one on that card. Admittedly, there's nothing that gets your GPU as warm as furmark does, although F@H GPU gets close, so maybe it's not so much of a problem.

 

[Drake22]