Spec check for first time build please.

John Doe · 25 May 2009 at 19:10

Could you guys please tell me what you think about my proposed build? I have the Silverstone FT01B-W so I have the case covered. I know that the motherboard may be a bit overkill, but I've heard some very good things about it and hope to crossfire it later, which also takes into account the beefy psu. Is that a good idea? I also thought about the GA-MA790XT-UD4P, http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-168-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=1377, but I've heard that large cpu coolers can cover the first two ram slots and make things difficult. Is this the same with a lot of AM3 boards, as the space between the cpu and ram slots seems to be a lot smaller than on i7 boards?

In terms of the cpu cooler, I've heard people mention a push pull fan combination with that cooler, but would I need the two fans if I'm only doing a medium overclock with that chip? Also, would I be better off with the Noctua Vertex control fans? http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=FG-004-NC&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=4. Noise is a major concern for me and I was wondering which would be quieter. Do the Vortex control fans have the option of lowering the volts and rpm like the other Noctuas?

In terms of graphics cards, I was thinking of either the XFX or Asus 4890:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-124-XF

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-195-AS&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1403

I'm not sure which one to opt for? I'm also a little bit worried as I've heard that the fans on the 4890s are very loud, especially when overclocking compared to the 275s. Is this true and are some of the 4890s quieter than others?

Lastly, I've considered i7, but as I will only be gaming and watching movies, not number crunching etc, I can't really see it being worth the extra money. Am I making a big mistake here? I'm still not sure whether I will be gaming on a 22" or 24", but I figured I've still got it covered with the graphics card. Please fell free to tear the proposed build apart or propose others. Many thanks for your time.

skippy2421 · 25 May 2009 at 19:21

looks good mate, i'd go for the xfx 4890 as you get free games and if anything goes wrong you deal with ocuk. As for 4890's being loud i have heard some people say they are however im sure you can always turn the fan down when not in games.

awsomeness · 25 May 2009 at 19:40

i vote the asus 4890 as it has a 100mhz higher clock speed.

cmndr_andi · 25 May 2009 at 19:43

+1 for the ASUS 4890. Unless you REALLY want the included games from the XFX and don't mind 100MHz less core clock.

mjones1 · 25 May 2009 at 19:49

Go for the asus as it has that nice voltage Tweak feature to make your card run faster

goujon945 · 25 May 2009 at 19:51

I'm assuming you have an OS? Very good spec for a first time builder too!

EDIT I didn't mean that to sound so patronising!

John Doe · 25 May 2009 at 20:08

goujon945 said:
I'm assuming you have an OS? Very good spec for a first time builder too!

EDIT I didn't mean that to sound so patronising!

No problems, thanks for the compliment. I've just tried to be a lurker on as many threads as possible so I can I can learn from you guys. Though I've still got a mountain to climb

. Still undecided about which 4890, as there is the voltage tweak vs just dealing with OcUK, but thanks for telling about the pros of both.

Do you guys think it's worth me paying a bit extra for a budget i7 build, or should I stick with my spec? I'm also thinking that the AM3 chip will run cooler and so should help my 'quiet theme'?

John Doe · 25 May 2009 at 20:09

Oops, I forgot to include that the OS is covered.

goujon945 · 25 May 2009 at 20:20

Tbh there isn't going to be much difference between the cards, probs not even noticeable. Not sure who has the better rma procedure as that can be an issue, you never know.

Instead of I7 you could always bump your CPU up to the PII 955, as you said you're not going to be number crunching or encoding too much that could be an option. Either way AM3 and LGA1366 are new sockets so both will be relatively future proof

cmndr_andi · 25 May 2009 at 20:26

Bump up to a PII 955? The consensus is that the 955 is on par with the c2q 9550. Most games will be heavily GPU bound using any of these processors - it just means for any threaded applications the i7 wins by a fair chunk.

shadowake · 25 May 2009 at 20:30

+1 for AMD, stick with the tri core for gaming, if your doing a lot of photoshop etc get the 955 as mentioned. Either 4890 will do, you wont notice much difference TBH so if your not into serious overclocking enjoy some free games!

John Doe · 25 May 2009 at 20:50

Thanks for all the advice guys. I think I will stick with the tri core and the XFX 4890.