My GPU just died on my seriously aging (mid 2006) system, so I'm taking this opportunity to build another. I've deliberated and compared benchmarks over every damn component, this is what I've come up with:
The machine will be used primarily for gaming and will be hooked up to a 1920x1080 TV and possibly a 1680x1050 monitor.
The 2 main things missing from the spec are a PSU and a case. I already have a Xilence Power 600W PSU that I'm happy to move to the new setup, but I'm not quite sure if it will be sufficient. I plan on doing some decent overclocking to the i7, and I've read conflicting reports on what would be the minimum to power it with. The Antec calculator suggests around 525W as a minimum (based on a 4.2GHz overclock), whereas a lot of people round the forums scoff at anything less than an 850W to power a rig like this. I would like to save by not having to splash out on a new power supply, but I also like having a little overhead to work with. I don't plan on XFire'ing anytime soon, so I think I can get away with it. Thoughts?
I am also looking for a decent case to put it in. I have been eyeing up the NZXT Phantom, but that was when I was going to go with the Rampage III Extreme - a full size board. A friend of mine has the Antec P180 which is perfect for micro ATX boards, I'm just a little concerned about airflow and also space for the CPU cooler. I would prefer something on the quieter end of the spectrum (rig is going fairly near my main TV). Again, thoughts?
Lastly, I've been debating whether to take the plunge now, or wait for the ATI 6 series replacements for the 5850 and 5870 to appear, either going with one of those or taking advantage of the expected price-drop of the 5 series cards. I am not desperate, so waiting is OK, I just don't want to keep on debating and waiting for the "next big thing".
Sorry for rambling!
- Asus Rampage III Gene
- Intel i7 950
- Corsair XMS3 PC3-12800 DDR3 3x2GB CL9
- Prolimatech Megahalems Rev.B Cooler
- Intel X25-M 80GB SSD (boot drive)
- WD Caviar Black 1TB SATA3 (storage)
- Sapphire Radeon HD 5870 Vapor-X 1GB GDDR5
The machine will be used primarily for gaming and will be hooked up to a 1920x1080 TV and possibly a 1680x1050 monitor.
The 2 main things missing from the spec are a PSU and a case. I already have a Xilence Power 600W PSU that I'm happy to move to the new setup, but I'm not quite sure if it will be sufficient. I plan on doing some decent overclocking to the i7, and I've read conflicting reports on what would be the minimum to power it with. The Antec calculator suggests around 525W as a minimum (based on a 4.2GHz overclock), whereas a lot of people round the forums scoff at anything less than an 850W to power a rig like this. I would like to save by not having to splash out on a new power supply, but I also like having a little overhead to work with. I don't plan on XFire'ing anytime soon, so I think I can get away with it. Thoughts?
I am also looking for a decent case to put it in. I have been eyeing up the NZXT Phantom, but that was when I was going to go with the Rampage III Extreme - a full size board. A friend of mine has the Antec P180 which is perfect for micro ATX boards, I'm just a little concerned about airflow and also space for the CPU cooler. I would prefer something on the quieter end of the spectrum (rig is going fairly near my main TV). Again, thoughts?
Lastly, I've been debating whether to take the plunge now, or wait for the ATI 6 series replacements for the 5850 and 5870 to appear, either going with one of those or taking advantage of the expected price-drop of the 5 series cards. I am not desperate, so waiting is OK, I just don't want to keep on debating and waiting for the "next big thing".
Sorry for rambling!
![[TW]Sponge](/styles/overclockers/avatars/6.png){kind=avatar}
