Help with new PC (spec related)

oneilldo · 9 Jan 2011 at 16:16

My current set up is getting onto 4 years old now. Its a 2.4Ghz Core 2 Duo (2.4Ghz) with 4Gb of ram and a 8800GTX.
2 HD's in RAID0.
It has served me well but is starting to struggle a bit with HD video editing etc.

I mainly use my computer for games (SC2, team fortress etc but Battlefield 3 when its out) and I already have a 24inch monitor so ideally I want to run games at 1920X1200. I will be handling large image fileds and doing some HD video editing work soon though so it needs to be fast for that. I may also get a 26inch monitor and an SSD within the next 18mths.
Not really interested in blu ray as I have a PS3 for watching movies.

I'm considering the I7 2600k sandybridge, Asus P8P67 motherboard, ATI Radeon 6950 2048MB card
I'm toying with the idea of a SSD but think I'll hold off for a bit.
Is 4GB of RAM enough or should I go for 8GB?

Can you configure your harddrives in RAID on the motherboard as I'm tempted to get 4x Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB
and run them in RAID10 (its not complete overkill as it will be used as a server as well)?

What about a sound card, I have a X-Fi Xtreme Gamer already but is the onboard sound any good?
It needs to be quite as well so I'm after a case where I can fit largish fans to minimise noise but also allow good air flow (as I'll probably overclock the I7 to ~4.5Ghz), any recommendations here?
I think I'll go for the Hydro H70 to cool the CPU.

I need everything apart from keyboard/mouse/monitor and OS.
If anyone could offer what spec they would go for or advice on the above components that would be great.

Thanks

oneilldo · 9 Jan 2011 at 19:55

Hi,

I'm hoping to order today so it would be great if someone who is more clued up can double check this.

Would you recommend swapping any components?
I think the P67 boards do allow for do RAID 10, has anyone had any experience with them? Should I get an additional RAID card instead.

I would also like to use two monitors. My primary monitor has a DVI socket but I think my secondary one only has VGA so I presume I will need some sort of adaptor.

1 x Intel Core i7-2600K 3.40GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor with FREE Lost Planet 2 PC Game - Retail £267.98
1 x Corsair Hydro H70 High-Performance CPU WaterCooler (Socket LGA775/LGA115/LGA1156/LGA1366/AM2/AM3) £81.70
1 x HIS ATI Radeon HD 6950 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £233.99
1 x Asus P8P67 PRO Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) £149.99
1 x Coolermaster HAF X Gaming Tower Case - Black (RC-942) £142.97
1 x GeIL 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz VALUE PLUS Dual Channel (GVP38GB1600C9DC) £91.99
1 x OCZ ModXStream Pro 700w Silent SLI Certified Modular Power Supply £69.43
4 x Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM (HD103SJ) £44.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound (3.5g) £6.73
ArctiClean Thermal Material Remover and Surface Purifier - 60ml Kit

Will the case run fairly silent?
Do I need any additional fans/cables?

Thanks

oneilldo · 9 Jan 2011 at 21:18

Sorrry for the bump, can someone confirm that the components above will be fine as I have an itchy ordering finger

thanks

oneilldo · 10 Jan 2011 at 12:00

I think I might go for the HX 850W ATX Modular PSU instead for a bit of breathing room.
Anything else I am missing?

Thanks

Ast3r · 10 Jan 2011 at 12:09

The spec looks solid and if you have the upgrade itch you should go for it.

The Corsair H70 will be able to handle the i7 @ 4.0ghz+ without problems.

As for the case it will run silent depending on the fans it has on it.

And a fan controller will help a lot if they are too loud.

And I don't think you'll need additional cooling since your hardware will run very cool even in a small case with limited airflow.

M1k3H · 10 Jan 2011 at 12:41

I would go for a nice air cooler instead of the H70 due to less noise and better cooling capabilities.

oneilldo · 10 Jan 2011 at 12:58

Ast3r thanks for the advice, the reviews of the case show the fans to be around 17db so should be ok. I can always replace them later if its too noisy. Apparently the fans are PWM fans so should reduce in speed depending on temps.
I'm hoping temps remain low in the case as the fan on the HD 6950 is apparently fairly loud if it needs to run at around 60%.

M1k3H - What cooler would you recommend? I know some of the air coolers are marginally better but I currently have a tuniq tower 120 on my existing kit and its a big cooler and was a bit of a pain to fit. I like the idea of a smaller cooler actually on the CPU to reduce the strain on the motherboard etc when moving it but also one that offers good cooling so I can try to overclock to ~4.5Ghz.

Whats your view on the PSU?
I might go for the HX 850W ATX Modular PSU as I will have 4 HDDs in and will probably get an SSD and maybe crossfire the cards in the next year or so.

Basill · 10 Jan 2011 at 13:43

Cooler choice would be any of Thermaltake Frio, Akasa Venom or Fenrir evo, all will be more then enough for sandy bridge since heat isnt a issue.

Psu i would go with the corsair.

oneilldo · 10 Jan 2011 at 14:01

Thanks Basil, I'll look into those coolers but if they are large and bulky I might still go with the H70 (but I may swap the fans).
I'll go for the corsair for PSU (I have a 650W one already but want to maintain both PC's)
Thanks for the advice and if I order today it should be here by Wednesday

Marine-RX179 · 10 Jan 2011 at 14:10

Avoid the Thermaltake Frio...that cooler is LOUD, just have a look at something like the Titan Evo or Akasa Nero S.

I really not think the H70 is worth it, when these air-cooler can perform 90-95% (if not the same) of its cooling capability and cost less than half the price.

Ast3r · 10 Jan 2011 at 16:35

oneilldo said:
Thanks Basil, I'll look into those coolers but if they are large and bulky I might still go with the H70 (but I may swap the fans).
I'll go for the corsair for PSU (I have a 650W one already but want to maintain both PC's)
Thanks for the advice and if I order today it should be here by Wednesday

They are quite big and will take a lot more space than the H70.

However if you decide to go with an air cooler over the H50/70 the best choice IMO will be the Titan Fenrir Evo as it will come close or even outperform the more expensive coolers.

Here you can see a comparison with some other coolers. Test @ I7 965 3.8Ghz 1.5v.

Now keep in mind that the new SB i7 will not produce nearly as much heat as the 965 nor will it need more than 1.35-1.38v for 4.0Ghz+.

And to have an idea how big it is here's a pic. (Stantard ATX board).

oneilldo · 10 Jan 2011 at 21:54

lol its big but not quite as big as my tuniq tower.
I was considering going for a full water cooling setup but I dont like the sound of 6 monthly water changes etc (I have enough of water changes with my fish tank). I also don't like the idea of removing the cooling from a new graphics card to fit a water block.

Think I might go for the half way H70 for now, I can always use it in another PC if I go down the full watercooled setup in the future.
Wish me luck when it arrives (hopefully Wednesday)