My new rig!

[mraquinn]

Any thoughts?

Intel i7 920 D0
Gigabyte X58 UD3R
Crucial 6GB DDR3
Sapphire HD 4890
Corsair TX 650W
Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB
Akasa Nero
CoolerMaster 690 V2 Dominator

Not overly sure about the CPU cooler - but it has good reviews and won't break the bank.

[staffsMike]

Nice and well rounded, the PSU is a bit overkill but a good one none the less.

Is it the vapor x HD4890, if not I suggest getting it

I would change the cooler to a scythe, xigmatek or Thermalright from experience and preference.

With one of those coolers and the vapor-x you're looking at a very quiet and fast build

[Champman99]

Is it not worth getting a 5800 series GPU instead of 4890? I know it will add a little extra but will be far more futureproof. I'd equate it to something like an 8800GTX which I think was the best lasting graphics card since the 9700 Pro.

If you need to keep your budget constant maybe you could skimp slightly on the PSU as suggested above. As long as you get a quality brand 450-550 should be enough. The 5800 series actually consumes less power than 4800 series I beleive.

Just what I would do, all in all a nice build you've suggested though.

[mraquinn]

That's an interesting idea - any thoughts on which PSU? I thought I might be pushing it with 650W if I want to overclock.

[Champman99]

I know the OCZ ModXstream 500W is well reviewed. OCZ PSU's werent that well thought of for a while but this new series has it back on track. It has the 2x 6 pin PCI-E things that a 5800 needs and should be fine. For a while it seemed like everyone was using far too cheap and low PSU's in their builds, and now it seems to have shifted the other way, with people using 1KW PSU's to power their little home theatre media centre.

I'm not an expert, but I think stability and voltage regulation are more important than outright power output when overclocking, although of course if you over tax your PSU then those things suffer.

Im not necessarily recommending you cut back on the PSU the Corsair is a quality unit, and will give you more scope to upgrade. But if you plan on leaving the PC "as-is" for a while the OCZ unit will be able to hack I reckon, and will save you £15-20 I beleive - depending on where you are buying from.

There are also the 5770 and 5750 announced, obviously lower priced 5 series DX 11 cards. The 4890 is a great card and will give you performance in todays games. Its just it looks like you are assembling a real quality build, and I think the 5 series is a better bet for machine balance.

Someone once told me they have a kind of "rule" when it comes to balancing their hardware for gaming, 'spend twice on the GPU what you do on the CPU'.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

I would also look at the Core i5 750 too.

[oolon]

There is a lot of premium in a DX11 card at the moment. Personally I would (and have) gone with an HD4890 for the moment as they are dirt cheap IMHO. Seems little point in buying hardware for software that does not exist yet. £300 for a graphics card is too much for me, as they drop in price at warp speed. Also I would want to see what nvida's offering is before paying the premium. After Mithras 2010 is when I will be looking out for them.

[Blaineoliver]

True Black in push pull, amazing cooler!

[mraquinn]

There is a lot of premium in a DX11 card at the moment. Personally I would (and have) gone with an HD4890 for the moment as they are dirt cheap IMHO. Seems little point in buying hardware for software that does not exist yet. £300 for a graphics card is too much for me, as they drop in price at warp speed. Also I would want to see what nvida's offering is before paying the premium. After Mithras 2010 is when I will be looking out for them.

This is what I was thinking. I know I'd get a good boost by going for a 5800 series but the price is just too high at the moment. I like the twice on GPU as on CPU but at a £200 CPU, that's not going to happen sadly!!

Have thought about i5 but for the sake of £100 it seems better to get in on i7.

[Phage]

Looks familar ! Check my rig on the left.

[Terbinator]

Change to a 5850, for the extra your going to be future-proofed and get extra performance anyway.

[mraquinn]

Change to a 5850, for the extra your going to be future-proofed and get extra performance anyway.

But as I said that adds a fair chunk to my total price - and at the moment I don't think it's worth it. There are new cards to come out next year which will undoubtedly affect the price so I'll hang on.

Anyone use the Cogage True Spirit though - getting good reviews all over the place?

[nightkhaos]

Pretty solid build in my opinion. I agree with the assessment that you would be better off with a 5850 instead of a 5870.