Core i7 PC Build! Help with choices plz

[usernameisvalid]

Hello.

So I'm building a PC for Uni. I will use it for Gaming, general entertainment (movies/music)....and a little uni work hehe.

I'll be installing xp/ubuntu at first, and windows 7 sometime next year. The idea is to buy a really good computer now that will last me 4 years in uni and still be quite nippy. I won't have much money for upgrades.

I will probably overclock it, but only lightly. No voltage changes. (I'm a wimp I know)

I also don't have any money now, so the build has to be around the £1000 mark (and I'm borrowing that). Here is what I have so far:

Mobo: Asus P6t Deluxe V2--------------£185 ish
CPU: Core i7 920-----------------------£195 ish
PSU: Corsair TX 850w------------------ £110 ish
Graphics: Radon 4870 ----------------- £120
Ram: ??????? 6GB DDR3------------<<<<< 'Bout £100???
Case: Lian li PC7FB ----------------------£80
Monitor: Dell Ultrasharp e-ips 2209WA --- £175
Cooler: ????????--------------------- <<<<<<<<

Total = £965 without cooler.

Hard drives (3 total 320 gig) and keyboard/mouse I have. They are crap, but will have to do.

Perhaps for xmas next year I will stick another 4870 in there to keep my FPS up on the latest games.

So RAM and cooler I am not sure about. And is everything else OK??

Or should I give up on the whole thing and buy a laptop hehe.

Thanks guys.

[GSte]

I hate laptops!!!!!

Here's a suggestion for the RAM:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...=8&subcat=1389

The motherboard is great, you can pick up one of those graphics cards for £100 if you look around I think, and personally I'd go for a modular PSU as it makes cable management so much easier, but that up to you.

[Vimeous]

I can't really see the need for an 850W PSU in that build.
Try the Corsair HX 620W instead which is both modular to keep the case tidy and usefully cheaper to put towards something else: http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/620W-...ty-NEW-VERSION!

RAM
I'd try:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/6GB-(...d-CAS-7-7-7-20

Or:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/6GB-(...-CAS-8-DHX-EPP

TBH if you're not planning to OC alot then I'd go for the cheaper


GFX wise I'd try a 4890:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1GB-X...DTV-HDCP-Ready

However you're a student so no doubt it'll be in your room so a 4870 with better fan arrangement may be better:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/1Gb-S...MHz-PCIE-2xDVI

if you can stretch to it a Sapphire Vapor-X is more than you planned to spend but might be just what you need:
http://www.scan.co.uk/Products/2GB-S...ub-DL-DVI-HDMI


As for CPU cooler why not try the standard one. If you don't plan to overclock much then it will probably be fine for now.


Finally case.
Does it need to be light? Does it need to look stunning?
TBH if it looks great and you live in halls someone my try and nick it. In that case I'd go for practical over beautiful. The older Antec 900 fits your budget but it's little brother the Antec 300 or Coolermaster's 590/690 would save alot and still keep your baby cool.
Other choices would be the Coolermaster Storm Scout with its carry handles for all those to and from Uni journeys or Antec's 900-2.

[nightkhaos]

Hi dude.

Here is what I would recommend:



Now if you can find another fan-clip (so far only place I know that sells them is caseking.de in germany) then get another P12 and put it in push pull. The UD5 is a little bit easier to work with when overclocking and the onboard sound is also slightly better.

The Dominator RAM is a bit expensive, but if we got better RAM for cheaper from OCuK, the shipping would mean you pay about the same for the about the same peformance. Just the way it goes I'm sorry.

Personally I would also recommend upgrading to a 4890 if you can spare the cash, and trust me, 620W is MORE than enough.

[nightkhaos]

*pretty much what I just said but with more detail in terms of PSU, RAM and GFX*

Yeah but I have prudy pictures!

[shaithis]

I'd go for the Samsung SM2233BW over the Dell.

[nightkhaos]

I'd go for the Samsung SM2233BW over the Dell.

That's a new one on me! Details, details, is it E-IPS, what is the viewing angle, how good it is at black?

[usernameisvalid]

Thanks guys.

So you reckon 850w too much. Even if in the future I add another graphics card?

Not too bother about modular cables. Without them it's cheaper and i'm not getting a case with a window cause like mentioned above, I don't want it to look too flashy and get stolen.

Ram looks gooooood.

And yeah, my heart is kinda set on the Dell monitor.

[nightkhaos]

Thanks guys.

So you reckon 850w too much. Even if in the future I add another graphics card?

Not too bother about modular cables. Without them it's cheaper and i'm not getting a case with a window cause like mentioned above, I don't want it to look too flashy and get stolen.

Ram looks gooooood.

And yeah, my heart is kinda set on the Dell monitor.

If you wanna upgrade to a second graphics card consider getting 750W... but 850W is WAY too much. I know I can run, if required, two dual GPU cards on my PSU, so I even 620 should be fine if you're sticking too single GPU cards. But sometimes it better to be safe than sorry, don't want to find you don't have enough juice in a few years time after all.

Be bothered with modular. My case is a closed case, and I still get modular, cause it makes it SO much easier to wire. No more stuffying cables down the back of the case!

And yes, that RAM is good. That's why I picked it. Look at my overclocking guide for advice on how your system rock out hard I assure you with that cooler you can get 3.6 GHz with fairly low voltage, 4GHz with slightly above stock, but for 4GHz you must find another fan clip...

I like Dells too, but if you can get a moniter of equal or better quality for less, then do it. That is assuming it is better than the Dell of course, I'll try and read some reviews tonight inbetween specing my system for a cooling upgrade. (you know, measuring cables, counting fans, playing The Sims 3... oh wait ).

Any other questions? I can recommend you some good replacement HDDs, ODDs and cooling upgrades (case fans) if you can afford to add an extra £100 or so onto that build...

[nightkhaos]

Hmm I just had a serious thought. What is the internal heatsink clearance of that case? I know that it is 21 cm wide, but the Megahalems requires 16 cm of clearance from the top of the CPU. Does anyone have a Lian Li PC7FB to check? We may have to recommend a new heatsink...

... if anyone has a TRUE fitted in a Lian Li PC7FB and still has about a centimeter clearance, considering they are about the same height, and accounting for different board and CPU types, that should be a clear enough picture.

EDIT: I have submited a query to Scan Care.

[shaithis]

That's a new one on me! Details, details, is it E-IPS, what is the viewing angle, how good it is at black?

If you search the net you will find a site that compares LCDs, there you can do a direct comparison of the dell and the sumsung.

The Samsung comes out ahead in virtually all tests (images are included) and the only time the Dell comes out ahead is in uncalibrated colour tests.

Based on that a freind of mine bought one only last week, I have used it for a bit as well and must say I was VERY impressed with the screen, especially in games.

[GSte]

And yes, that RAM is good. That's why I picked it.

It's not as good as the Reaper I linked to and will cost him £15 more even with OCUK's extortionate delivery charge.

[nightkhaos]

It's not as good as the Reaper I linked to and will cost him £15 more even with OCUK's extortionate delivery charge.

I actually find from experience that CL7 RAM performs slightly worse than CL8 RAM when run at 1600MHz. To be quite honest I cannot understand why either... Hence why I have CL8 RAM in my rig. I have a feeling it has something to do with the memory controller on the i7 920, but without exhaustive testing and an unlimited budget I cannot test this theory.

[Clunk]

I actually find from experience that CL7 RAM performs slightly worse than CL8 RAM when run at 1600MHz. To be quite honest I cannot understand why either... Hence why I have CL8 RAM in my rig. I have a feeling it has something to do with the memory controller on the i7 920, but without exhaustive testing and an unlimited budget I cannot test this theory.

It sounds like you had the command rate setting on auto when testing, if you do that, then it will drop the command rate to 2T when you hit 1600MHz 7-7-7, that's why you see the small drop in performance. If you set your command rate manually to 1T or 2T for both tests, you should see that the tighter timings give a fractionally better overall performance, but not anything useable, just benchmark stuff.

[nightkhaos]

It sounds like you had the command rate setting on auto when testing, if you do that, then it will drop the command rate to 2T when you hit 1600MHz 7-7-7, that's why you see the small drop in performance. If you set your command rate manually to 1T or 2T for both tests, you should see that the tighter timings give a fractionally better overall performance, but not anything useable, just benchmark stuff.

Command rate was hardcoded to 2T actually.

[Clunk]

Did a few quick runs, it's as I remembered, ever so slightly faster for the CAS 7 runs, but only by a whisker. The 1T setting makes more of a difference than the CAS though.

Corsair Dominator 1600MHz @ 7-7-7-24 - BCLK @ 133 1T.



Corsair Dominator 1600MHz @ 7-7-7-24 - BCLK @ 133 2T.



Corsair Dominator 1600MHz @ 8-8-8-24 - BCLK @ 133 1T.



Corsair Dominator 1600MHz @ 8-8-8-24 - BCLK @ 133 2T.