New computer build.

Ok many thanks last few questions just to clear some things up.

Firstly I am going to have 2 monitors connected as well as my TV. However my TV will not be on all the time, it's only when I want to watch movies. I was thinking about this and was thinking that perhaps the Nvidia GTX 570 might be ok for this because I could use the TV as an external display. Is this correct or should I just stick with the 6950 to be sure?

Another thing is the XMS3 RAM that I am choosing:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MY-290-CS
I read on another sight that this RAM is 1.65v. Does this matter, even though the motherboard says 1.5v?

Also I cannot decide if the antec 100 is better than the antec 300?

Lastly the Agility 3 SSD that was recommended earlier, has now gone baack up in price:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-075-OC

Should I go back the previous one:
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-047-OC
I can get this for £82, or does anyone know any alternatives?

This should be everything now! Thanks in advance.
 
The RAM defaults to 1.65V but can operate at lower voltage. The XMP profile will default to 1.65 I believe, but you can manually change the voltage. In any case, that wouldn't worry me.

The Antec 100 is generally considered the better case.

The Vertex 2E is a great drive. I have one :) AG3 is £10 more, so maybe worth shopping around, on the other site you mentioned :) But my opinion of SSDs for OS is that the bandwidth performance doesn't matter as much as the random small file access, and the 2E is very good at that. In any case, the leap between a HD and a SSD such as a Vertex, Vertex 2E, or Vertex 3 (Agility) is much much bigger than the comparative performance between any of those drives.

Secondly, if you plan on using a Z68 board and Intel SRT, you don't really need 60GB. 30/40GB would do. If you want to use the drive as a OS / Program drive, 60GB is a good capacity. Lower, and you will have to worry about managing what goes on it more carefully.

If you can get a Vertex 2E for £80, then go for it. It's still a VERY fast drive. Then you have the choice of using then as HD cache (SRT), or just a standard OS boot drive.

As for monitors, I don't think NVidia cards can handle 3 displays. ATI should have no problem with Eyefinity (up to 6 I believe). Maybe Lucid Virtu on the Z68 allows you to do that, but you'll need to read up on that. But it's all a bit complicated if you ask me.

BTW, if you can find a 6970 for the same price as the 570, then that should be all your problems solved :)

http://www.anandtech.com/bench/Product/292?vs=306

Post here the final components for a last minute check, even the ones you gonna buy off site (no links, or just use OcUK equivalents for those for a complete picture).
 
Last edited:
First of all thanks very much, you have been very helpful.

The RAM defaults to 1.65V but can operate at lower voltage. The XMP profile will default to 1.65 I believe, but you can manually change the voltage. In any case, that wouldn't worry me.
Click to expand...

Well the RAM sounds fine then, just was a bit worried thinking that it won't accept the RAM or something.

The Antec 100 is generally considered the better case.
Click to expand...

This will be the case then, thank you.

The Vertex 2E is a great drive. I have one AG3 is £10 more, so maybe worth shopping around, on the other site you mentioned But my opinion of SSDs for OS is that the bandwidth performance doesn't matter as much as the random small file access, and the 2E is very good at that. In any case, the leap between a HD and a SSD such as a Vertex, Vertex 2E, or Vertex 3 (Agility) is much much bigger than the comparative performance between any of those drives.
Click to expand...

That's what I thought, just as long as I have one! :P

Secondly, if you plan on using a Z68 board and Intel SRT, you don't really need 60GB. 30/40GB would do. If you want to use the drive as a OS / Program drive, 60GB is a good capacity. Lower, and you will have to worry about managing what goes on it more carefully.

If you can get a Vertex 2E for £80, then go for it. It's still a VERY fast drive. Then you have the choice of using then as HD cache (SRT), or just a standard OS boot drive.
Click to expand...

Think you are talking about the other chipset, not sure though. But I am have the P67 chipset. The drive will be used for programs and OS so yer better stick to the 60GB. I will have to decide between the two!

As for monitors, I don't think NVidia cards can handle 3 displays. ATI should have no problem with Eyefinity (up to 6 I believe). Maybe Lucid Virtu on the Z68 allows you to do that, but you'll need to read up on that. But it's all a bit complicated if you ask me.
Click to expand...

I see what you mean, but what I want is to have the TV just connected to the port but then used as an external output, like the windows projector function. This would then turn the two monitors off so that I can watch movies. Would this work on the Nvidia GTX 570 or are you unsure? Was just thinking of this as a way to get around the maximum of 2 displays.

Post here the final components for a last minute check, even the ones you gonna buy off site (no links).
Click to expand...

Yep okay will post the final components. Just the GPU is the problem!

Many thanks as always.
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI ATI Radeon HD 6970 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor - OEM £167.99
1 x MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** £139.99
1 x OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £92.99
1 x Corsair XMS3 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C9 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (CMX8GX3M2A1600C9) £79.99
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 620W Power Supply £59.99
1 x Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £43.99
1 x Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler (Socket AM2/AM2+/AM3/775/1155/1156/1366) £19.99
Total : £865.92 (includes shipping : £12.50).

This is where I am currently at, however I was thinking about changing the P67A-GD65 mobo to the P67A-GD53 model. Its just the only thing that I can see different is that the GD65 has two extra SATAIII ports, which I dont think I even need. This will save me about £20. Do you think that's ok?

For the GPU I have decided to go with the ATI 6970, but still cannot really decide out of the 6950/6970!

And think I am going to get the Vertex 2E SSD but again that might change at some point, although that's not a problem.

Last of all, something I said previously was about the RAM voltage. I was reading some forums that were saying you should only have 1.5v for sandy bridge. But I am assuming this is not correct now?

Thanks.
 
YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI ATI Radeon HD 6970 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £161.99
1 x MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** with FREE Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler £139.99
1 x OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £92.99
1 x G.Skill RipJawsX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) £79.19
1 x XFX Pro 650W Core Edition Power Supply £61.98
1 x Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £43.99
Total : £842.62 (includes shipping : £13.75).



The 2500K retail is actually cheaper than OEM this week, and comes with 3 years warranty.

There's nothing wrong with the XMS3. The voltage is the 'recommended' voltage but they go lower. OcUK uses XMS3 in their SB bundles. The RipJawsX which either fit under the cooler, or be moved to the other channel. They are C8 tested at 1.5V. It is true SB prefers lower voltages.

If you want the 6970, take the proper one imo. For £20, It's under warranty, got the proper VRMs to power the card, and you won't run into the chance of bricking it.

The XFX 650W is the PSU on offer this week. Still a seasonic unit, with loads of juice on 12V. I recon it can still power xfire 6970's. In doubt, take the 750W (extra £15) version if that's something you consider. If it's getting too expensive (going proper 6970 CF is an extra £55), then take a 6950 Twin Frozr III for £205, and the XFX 650W PSU. Then you can add another 6950 later safely if it starts lagging behind.
 
Last edited:
Hi oliver, thanks very much. I did not notice the deal on the processor either! Now the RAM (again) is obviously better? But is it a problem moving it to another channel? Also is this the one you would go with?

I was thinking the same for the 6970, a much safer bet which I would prefer.

The XFX 650W is the PSU on offer this week. Still a seasonic unit, with loads of juice on 12V. I recon it can still power xfire 6970's. In doubt, take the 750W (extra £15) version if that's something you consider. If it's getting too expensive (going proper 6970 CF is an extra £55), then take a 6950 Twin Frozr III for £205, and the XFX 650W PSU. Then you can add another 6950 later safely if it starts lagging behind.
Click to expand...

Is that PSU that you have changed to better than the previous? One thing here though, I presume you are talking about for the future and crossfiring? Do you mean an extra £55 for Xfire? Or just the 6970 compared to the 6950?

Thanks as always, almost there I think!
 
To explain myself better :
XFire 6950 2GB : GD65 + hyper 212 plus, XFX650W.
XFire 6970 2GB : GD65 + hyper 212 plus, XFX750W.
Single GPU (any) : Asrock Pro 3 Z68 + Corsair A50, Antec 620W.

I have changed the PSU as it is now on offer and is better value for money. The Antec is now £10 more expensive than before, while the XFX has gone cheaper.

I would prefer Antec if I needed power for a single GPU. I trust Antec more for customer service and support than XFX, and the 620W is more than capable of powering any single GPU unit, but a bit short for x2 6950's (with the overclocking and all).
 
Last edited:
Many thanks. I am only going to have 1 6970 GPU for the time being, no plans to crossfire for a while yet. So would you say stick with the current mobo I have and the XFX650W or the Antec 620W?

I noticed you mention another mobo, which I presume does not support crossfire.

Just to add the RAM that you changed to, does it effect anything by moving it to another channel? Also is this the one you would choose now compared to the XMS3?

Thanks again. :)
 
6970 2GB.
Antec 620W.
P67-GD65.
Corsair XMS3.

Looking at the manual, so to be 100% compliant, it says use dimm1 (and 3) first. So take XMS3 so it is guaranteed to fit under cooler, run with XMP setup first, then manually tweak to reduce voltage and test, and increase frequency. XMP may default to 1333MHz (and 1.5V).
 
Thanks for the response.

I have changed the PSU back again to the Antec 620W. The one final problem I have is this RAM problem. I understand what your saying, it's just I kind of want RAM that straight out of the box will be OK and will run at the best voltage for SB (1.5v). I can see that the other RAM might not fit, but do you know of any other type I can use that will run at 1.5v and fit?

Thanks a lot.
 
You have a stock cooler with the 2500K retail as a fall back. I would go with RipjawsX, but then again I have a H50. :/

I've read that SB works with Vdimm < Vcore + 0.5V. So you can push Vcore if Vdimm is too high.

You have a lot of options, none of them are 100% (unless someone with actual insight can help you).

- XMS3, chancing it on lowering the voltage to suitable levels. That could mean lowering the clock. It's pretty much a given that you can run the XMS3 well under 1.65V. Depends how low, and how much you will have to compromise the frequency.

You have a lot of fall back options with the rip jaws.
- The retail 2500K comes with stock cooler as backup.
- they may fit under the Hyper 212.
- You may be able to run the ripjaws off dimm 2&4.
- You can move the HSF fan to the 'back'. May be a airflow problem, and may need to reverse the flow from back to front (flip the case back and front fans, which can be a problem since dust filters aren't setup that way), or run the HSF fan in a 'pull' configuration, sucking air through the heatsink rather than blowing air through it. Probably noisier and not as efficient.

I don't think you will be able to return the HSF if nothing is wrong with it per-se, and anyway, it is part of a bundle. You should be able to return the G.Skills, ask OcUK. In fact, ask them about that particular problem. i.e. can you run the XMS3 at lower voltage, or if it is a problem running it at 1.65V, can the RipjawsX fit under the Hyper 212+ cooler and GD65, or can the RipjawX 8GB 12800C8 work on dimm 2&4 at nominal 1.5V.

That's all I can say really. Unless you are ready wait for the Corsair Vengeance Low Profile sticks to come out, and they will be expensive. The HyperX seem to have the same problem of running with higher voltage. In any case, budget memory is budget memory. Unless you scout for Mushkins or some other fancy mem sticks, I think most low profile memories are budget bins. Still no idea why they go with these horrid flashy heat spreaders with the Vengeance and G.SKills.

It's sort of a problems you face when you build custom parts. I had to manually tweak my OCZ reaper to get the best out of them. Would be nice to have someone with similar experience to chime in.
 
Last edited:
Right that's very helpful thanks. I think I am going to go for the G.Skills because it has good timings/voltage and should be better for the CPU. I would just like to add, I have found this as a weekend deal on overclockers.

http://overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-047-OC

Is that any better than the one I have? Lastly this is what the build looks like overall, is everything OK?

YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI ATI Radeon HD 6970 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £161.99
1 x MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** with FREE Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler £124.99
1 x OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £92.99
1 x G.Skill RipJawsX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) £79.19
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 620W Power Supply £59.99
1 x Antec 100 One Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case - Black £43.99
Total : £825.62 (includes shipping : £13.75).

Thanks for all of your help.
 
The case is too small for 6970 (11'' / 280 mm).

It's a very tight squeeze in a Antec 300.

It will fit a CoolerMaster CM 690 II.


It will fit a HAF 912 with the hard drive cage off, leaving you with 2 bottom mounted SSD slots, and bottom mounted 2 Hard drive bays.


I'd stear clear of OCZ's. At least the older ones. They ain't that bad but can't compare in quality, and I wouldn't trust that kind of hardware with it.

If you can stretch, get the CM 690 II.


YOUR BASKET
1 x MSI ATI Radeon HD 6970 2048MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card £245.99
1 x Intel Core i5-2500K 3.30GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor £161.99
1 x MSI P67A-GD65 Intel P67 (socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION ** with FREE Coolermaster Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler £124.99
1 x OCZ Vertex 2E 60GB 2.5" SATA-II Solid State Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE60G) £92.99
1 x G.Skill RipJawsX 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 PC3-12800C8 1600MHz Dual Channel Kit (F3-12800CL8D-8GBXM) £79.19
1 x Cooler Master CM-690 II Lite Dominator Case - Black £59.99
1 x Antec High Current Gamer 620W Power Supply £59.99
Total : £841.62 (includes shipping : £13.75).



to be fair, the whole system looks powerful for the budget (£900 with HDD and optical drive). Hope you can get the SSD at the price you mentioned, otherwise I'd just get the Agility 3 for an extra tenner.

If you still have a little left in the budget, then replace the Antec 620W with a XFX Pro 750W for future XFire 6970. Might as well do it now, or be prepared to sell the Antec because it wont do 6970 CF (nor the XFX 650W imo, too close for comfort).
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom