$993.02 corei7/Gtx275/1tb black/6gb gaming build. [Archive]

sheepdogexpress

May 27th, 2009, 11:54 PM

Blows a dell out of the water, because it has overclocking ability, even on stock heatsink. Also a much much much better videocard(this videocard is 4x times faster on a high enough resolution), a much larger capacity power supply. A faster and larger HD. Better components. So if a 1000 dell core i7 deal pops up, get this instead.

$186.68. x58-udr3
http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11830BD1602&vpn=GA-EX58-UD3R&manufacture=GIGABYTE
$309.79. Core i7 920
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/198010/Intel/BX80601920/
$21.99 samsung 22x burner
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=39427&promoid=1190
$80.00 patriot ddr3 1600 6gb
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220365
$199.99 BFG OC Gtx 275
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=37633&promoid=1190
$99.85 1gb Caviar black
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/177741/Western_Digital/WD1001FALS/
$29.73 logisys tower case
http://www.bestdirect.ca/products/204791/Logisys_Computer/CS206BK/
$64.99 500w seasonic modular
http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=30140&promoid=1190l]
$993.02

Inspired by terrybears thread, but in corei7/NV/AMD flavour.
All the pricematches are there.

Bskll

May 28th, 2009, 06:11 AM

left out the OS.

mysticalinfluence

May 28th, 2009, 06:51 AM

Your ATX case is trash your going have cooling & airflow issues with it. I would get the Coolermaster Elite RC-330 instead for $46.00.

Coolermaster Elite RC-330 : http://www.directcanada.com/products/?sku=11130AC3149&vpn=RC-330-KKN1&manufacture=COOLERMASTER

sheepdogexpress

May 28th, 2009, 07:51 AM

left out the OS.

I am assuming people have a computer with xp(old licence), since that what most people run still. Or running windows 7 beta.

Even then(116 vista home premium), this thing is atleast 3x faster in games, even with a stock heatsink, this thing will OC to 3.3 ghz, which is already faster than the extreme edition. With the dell, your forced to buy an extreme edition if you want faster than 3.2 ghz.

With the dell, your bios doesn't allow for overclocking, your power supply is 360 watts, so you would not want to overclock with a decent videocard because these core i7 are beast for drinking power.

From what I remember, the 999 dell had 6gb ddr3(slower stuff), 640gb hd(a slower series), 4670 videocard, 360 watt ps, none overclockable MB. That a huge downgrade.

When you only have to pay 1 tax, that takes care of the 60 dollar extra this system costs, even if you buy the OS, 116 dollars gets you alot of stuff.

This thing won't likely overheat that badly as there is a front case fan, which is what dell does and all the heat is expelled outside the case looking at the Videocard heatsink design and the airduct over the CPU. Personally I would upgrade the case too but this is RFD and getting bang for your buck. But I am simply taking what a dell offers(the 999 dollar one), and either improving or atleast maintaining that level.

If you look at the dell xps 430.
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/xpsdt_420

There only 1 front case fan and I don't think you can install one on the back.

mr_raider

May 28th, 2009, 11:35 AM

PSU is a bit weak for an i7 + gtx275

sheepdogexpress

May 28th, 2009, 03:16 PM

600w is more than enough.

Theres a reason people can run a corei7 and crossfired 4870s off a hx620.

Heck dell in there studio xps run a core i7 and a 4670 off a 360w ps. 600w should give more than a enough room for a gtx 275.

BlueMax

May 28th, 2009, 03:42 PM

left out the OS.

And the 22-24" LCD monitor!

You gain a video card though.

joepinchpenny

May 28th, 2009, 06:26 PM

Assembly fee.
Dell Warranty.

I'd agree that you build a faster computer for $1000, but for the same reason people buy retail computers with huge markups, sometimes its just more convenient.

sheepdogexpress

May 28th, 2009, 07:13 PM

And the 22-24" LCD monitor!

You gain a video card though.

This is the system I am talking about.

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=738275

It didn't come with a monitor.

Personally I find assembly fun, you also get to customize your system alot more. However, when you want to buy the components you actually want, you usually get carried away. Still those, my system blows most system away because its clocked stablely at 4.5ghz with HT on.

I can bench close to 4.7 ghz(and this is only under water), if I didn't start building pc at some point, I would probably have to pay 4 times the amount at some boutique builder to get this performance and even then they probably wouldn't clock it as high.

The point, if your willing to learn, building your own has a value added effect that pretty much priceless because you can get performance that not even released from a processor manufacturer, or even by a boutique builder.

Or course if your lazy, you could get ncix to assemble it for you, but seeing the trouble some people take to do a pricematch, I say assembly is far lower risk for the time.

You might get a warranty with dell too, but its only a year. Building it yourself, you get much longer warranties component wise. E.g harddrives(5 years), videocard(lifetime) etc.

Silver Bullet

May 28th, 2009, 07:48 PM

sheepdogexpress

May 28th, 2009, 09:29 PM

It's not easy to beat the Dell system if you're not going to play games. Really a 4670 isn't going to play much and good luck upgrading anything.

--

My shot at the 1k i7.

$ 62 - Antec 300
$ 75 - Corsair VX550W
$196 - Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R
$318 - Core i7 920
$ 95 - Mushkin HP HP3-12800 6GB DDR3
$ 79 - WD 640GB Black
$ 25 - Samsung SH-S223F
$249 - EVGA GeForce GTX 275 (896-P3-1170-AR)
------
$1099

Pricecanada as source for all prices. 550W is more than enough (I don't wanna hear anything about it), 640GB same as Dell though sheepdogexpress got away with a TB, I guess depends on your priorities.

--

sheepdogexpress - Not a bad setup, but I won't touch the OCZ PSU with a ten foot clown pole and the ram has a $30 MIR ;)

I would of went with a 5xx watt PS but, honestly, you would get stomped by people suggesting a corsair 750tx.

Personally the best deal is the seasonic 650w, which for 75 dollars is a dream, but ahhh, that special is not running this week.

I noticed you don't like ocz in general silverbullet, bad experience?

Did you try a new d0 yet? I am #2 or 3 in Canada on hwbot, in 3dmark 06,05,03, superpi32m, wprime 32m because I am using one. They are great. However because of it, if you decide to see your current d0, you take a heavy loss. I sold mine for 270.

mr_raider

May 28th, 2009, 10:11 PM

Now that PCP&C has been gobbled up, Seasonic is one of the few OEMs I still trust. Don't get me started on Antec either. As for OCZ, their high stuff is good, but the mid range I wouldn't touch.

bahasad

May 28th, 2009, 10:30 PM

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 12:21 AM

Both builds are great. I wish I saw this before I paid for my AM3 setup >:(.

As for OCZ PSU, I had a 600W StealthXstream which powered an 8600GT SLi setup and an overclocked AMD X2 3800+ for the last two years. The computer was on for many days at a time. I had no problems.

I bought the 600W ModXstream that sheepdogexpress used, and it is pretty convenient because it is modular. It has active PFC and good efficiency. It is a little limited on cables though.

I wouldn't get the 550W...just too low. Although Corsair PSUs are good.

I am curious, how much did you pay for your AM3 setup?

For those curious, only the dell xps 730x allows for overclocking, and a comparable build goes for 2250(although you get an OS, and a nice case).

If I was going to build a 2250 build....

Lets just say you would have one of the fastest 24/7 computer in Canada.

Heck I will say the upgrades for a 2250 build.

Spend 22 dollars, get a d0.
Get a MB like the T power x58 for about $90 more.
Get 3 gtx 275, this is $500 more.
Change the PS to a hx1000, $180 dollars more.
Get a koolance at 350 block $95
Get a thermochill pa120.3 $100
A t line, couple barbs, $10
Masterkleer line $8
Danger den pump $61
6 fans yate loon $ 30
Antec HAF upgrade. $135
Fan controller $20
= 1229
+ 1060
= $2289
= 4.5ghz core i7 + tri SLI gtx 275 = serious beatdown of anything from Dell, alienware, Falcon, Voodoo.
(loading times might not be the best)
4.5 ghz is not guaranteed of course, but at this point I think 4.4 on good water is pretty safe on a d0.

http://service.futuremark.com/resultComparison.action?compareResultId=10925559&compareResultType=14

My 3dmark06 is the second fastest in canada(behind a ln2 cooled processor by a world class overclocker) and this computer above would be faster than that. So I am not bulling anyone.

http://www.hwbot.org/searchResults.do?direction=&applicationId=12&teamId=0&userName=&gpu=&numberOfVideocards=0&cpu=&chipset=&model=&manufacturer=&minScore=&maxScore=&gpuId=0&cpuId=0&chipsetId=0&modelId=0&manufacturerId=0&offset=0&displayAdvanced=true&countryId=39&dateFrom=&dateUntil=&minGpuCoreFreq=&maxGpuCoreFreq=&minGpuMemFreq=&maxGpuMemFreq=&minCpuFreq=&maxCpuFreq=&system=&minTotalPoints=

bahasad

May 29th, 2009, 12:48 AM

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 01:18 AM

CPU: AM3 Phenom II X3 720 - $302
Motherboard: MSI 790GX - (included in above)
Video Card: Evga GTX260 Core 216 SC - $203
Hard drive: Hitachi 1TB - $87
Case: Coolermaster Storm Scout - $138
PSU: OCZ ModXstream 600W - $71
Ram: Haven't got it yet, but leaning towards 2GB DDR3 1333MHz OCZ Reaper - $57
DVDRW: $30

Total: $888

This is with tax, minus rebates, add or subtract a dollar or two. I might add another hard drive, and might get the ram used. Also I might take out the GTX260

I seriously don't trust MSI MB.

I got a x38 MB and it wasn't a great clocker at all. MSI is kind of Taboo in the overclocking community. I think the fx790 are better overclockers too.

One thing I don't like about the phenoms is they don't overclock nearly as well as liquid helium benches show, its rare to see a 4ghz phenom 2 quad, even on water. And when they are significantly slower clock per clock vs a core i7(and overclock worse), they get a serious whooping if your willing to spend 130 dollar more(I am talking about the Phenom II quad black editions).

bahasad

May 29th, 2009, 01:34 AM

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 01:54 AM

Apparently the MSI is good at overclocking, based on various reviews:
http://www.overclockersclub.com/reviews/790gxg65/
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/953/1/
http://www.bjorn3d.com/read.php?cID=1529&pageID=6583
http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/1873_1.html

and more...

I couldn't really find a Good 790 motherboard...and I thought this price was good.

I had a Gigabyte motherboard before, which I was somewhat disappointed with.

You have to get an after market cooler.

http://www.motherboards.org/reviews/motherboards/1873_5.html

In this review, they overclock using the stock cooler the processor from 2.6 to only 2.9 ghz using a phenom II x4 810. Thats brutal.

terrybear

May 29th, 2009, 02:36 AM

I seriously don't trust MSI MB.

I got a x38 MB and it wasn't a great clocker at all. MSI is kind of Taboo in the overclocking community. I think the fx790 are better overclockers too.

One thing I don't like about the phenoms is they don't overclock nearly as well as liquid helium benches show, its rare to see a 4ghz phenom 2 quad, even on water. And when they are significantly slower clock per clock vs a core i7(and overclock worse), they get a serious whooping if your willing to spend 130 dollar more(I am talking about the Phenom II quad black editions).

Let me chime in on this ...... MSI has been one of the more consistant motherboard producers out there. My msi nforce2 motherboard thought the chipset was kinda crappy was a VERY solid board compared to the AsRock & Asus boards I have had over the past several years of my pc's/pc upgrades.

And with that being said EVERY generation of the Intel and AMD platforms has seen a variety of hits, misses & sleeper motherboards. IF there is one company out there that I have to FULLY point a finger at as to being a "bad" motherboard manufactorer for EITHER platform based on support, product quality AND compatibility Asus gets that nod. I just don't base that on my own personal experiences with them (2-3 motherboards) but also a bud whom use to work as one of there business service reps whom said to me two things about the company 1. " where we where doing paid support we where told to purposly make the user stay on the line so we could get the most money from them " and 2. " Yes are motherboards are great ... WHEN you get one that works ". Oh and how about that shipping to the US for RMA replacement ?? Also what about those two three videocards they produced that where not compatible with there own motherboards and only a few others ??:lol:

Just like look at all those peaple whom bought " skulltrain " Intel branded motherboards for $XXX & then one of the other major motherboard manufactorers puts out a better preforming board based on the same chipset for half the cost. Whom should joe consumer be pissed off with then ??

As for your phenom II overclocks coment .... well AGAIN .... all depends on the parts being used & method of cooling. For the most part there are some out there in the public that with realy good air or water cooling DO have phenom's @ 4 or 4.1 ghz. BUT the average is ususaly 3.6 to 3.8 ghz, which if you ask me is insaine as it is to think of cpu's being over 3 ghz as it is. You also have to factor in the one vital aspect of ALL cpu generations that come out. The maturity factor of the process. Early 65nm AMD phenom I's could barley manage a cpu speed of 2.5 ghz and by the time the 65 nm cycle ended those parts where able to go upwards of 3.2-3.4 ghz.

Getting back to your thread/build. Its definatly nice .... BUT knowing not only about the liciencing agreement bs going on between nvidia and intel AND the known preformance bug currently going on with Core i7 archetecture I wouldn't touch a Intel/Nvidia combo for not just technical reasons but also cost reasons as those SLI certified boards cost what up to $75 more ?? And remember this also .... what happen to ati's intel liciencing when AMD bought them up & pissed them off ... Poof ... gone. How good will your "SLI" Intel Core i7 be then ??

Again as much as this posting may have some negative / neutral or amd " fanboyism " I think you have put together a nice build that definatly gives the $1k build some questioning. Good Job :)

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 08:30 AM

Let me chime in on this ...... MSI has been one of the more consistant motherboard producers out there. My msi nforce2 motherboard thought the chipset was kinda crappy was a VERY solid board compared to the AsRock & Asus boards I have had over the past several years of my pc's/pc upgrades.

And with that being said EVERY generation of the Intel and AMD platforms has seen a variety of hits, misses & sleeper motherboards. IF there is one company out there that I have to FULLY point a finger at as to being a "bad" motherboard manufactorer for EITHER platform based on support, product quality AND compatibility Asus gets that nod. I just don't base that on my own personal experiences with them (2-3 motherboards) but also a bud whom use to work as one of there business service reps whom said to me two things about the company 1. " where we where doing paid support we where told to purposly make the user stay on the line so we could get the most money from them " and 2. " Yes are motherboards are great ... WHEN you get one that works ". Oh and how about that shipping to the US for RMA replacement ?? Also what about those two three videocards they produced that where not compatible with there own motherboards and only a few others ??:lol:

Just like look at all those peaple whom bought " skulltrain " Intel branded motherboards for $XXX & then one of the other major motherboard manufactorers puts out a better preforming board based on the same chipset for half the cost. Whom should joe consumer be pissed off with then ??

As for your phenom II overclocks coment .... well AGAIN .... all depends on the parts being used & method of cooling. For the most part there are some out there in the public that with realy good air or water cooling DO have phenom's @ 4 or 4.1 ghz. BUT the average is ususaly 3.6 to 3.8 ghz, which if you ask me is insaine as it is to think of cpu's being over 3 ghz as it is. You also have to factor in the one vital aspect of ALL cpu generations that come out. The maturity factor of the process. Early 65nm AMD phenom I's could barley manage a cpu speed of 2.5 ghz and by the time the 65 nm cycle ended those parts where able to go upwards of 3.2-3.4 ghz.

Getting back to your thread/build. Its definatly nice .... BUT knowing not only about the liciencing agreement bs going on between nvidia and intel AND the known preformance bug currently going on with Core i7 archetecture I wouldn't touch a Intel/Nvidia combo for not just technical reasons but also cost reasons as those SLI certified boards cost what up to $75 more ?? And remember this also .... what happen to ati's intel liciencing when AMD bought them up & pissed them off ... Poof ... gone. How good will your "SLI" Intel Core i7 be then ??

Again as much as this posting may have some negative / neutral or amd " fanboyism " I think you have put together a nice build that definatly gives the $1k build some questioning. Good Job :)

Luckily all gigabyte x58 MB support SLI. Even the cheap ones, through a bios update(not a warranty voiding one, but an official one).

I don't think NV could remove SLI support, they already charged the manufacturer for the certification. If they dropped it, they would be sued up the wazoo because they took the money already. Not only that, they would make an enemy out of every MB manufacturer out there.

One of the reason I went core i7 is because its an intel chipset(stability, compatibility and OCing) that supports both SLI and CF. I have the option of both.

I am not shooting down AMD in this thread, they have there place at builds under 900 dollars. However builds above 1000 I think core i7 is the way to go.

You would be seriously impressed with the OC ability of the core i7 terrybear. I can benchmark at 4.663(where I am limited by a BCLK limit on gigabyte MB), that's 2 ghz essentially over stock. You have to be impressed by the percentage over stock that is. If had a better rad and block like my suggested build(and a mb without the bclk limit) I might make it to 4.8.

Silver Bullet

May 29th, 2009, 09:09 AM

Personally the best deal is the seasonic 650w, which for 75 dollars is a dream, but ahhh, that special is not running this week.

I noticed you don't like ocz in general silverbullet, bad experience?

Did you try a new d0 yet? .

Ya the seasonic last week was a great deal, got one for a client build, should do very well.

For PSU's I'd never get an OCZ model, too much ripple in the power signature. As for ram way to many problems with the P45/x38 motherboards and going for 4/8GB configurations.

No D0 yet, I think I'll be waiting for the new 32nm chips in Q1 '10. I don't need the extra speed at this point. I think SSD for xmas though if the price is right and Win 7 with "TRIM" command is working well.

mr_raider

May 29th, 2009, 09:17 AM

I have nothing but the highest praise for MSI. It's true they may not have all the OCIng options like a DFI board, but the quality of their bords is excellent, and they offer prompt RMA service. My dad is still using a 3 y.o board from MSI now, and I ran an old VIA k8t800 for 4 years with no issues.

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 09:31 AM

Ya the seasonic last week was a great deal, got one for a client build, should do very well.

For PSU's I'd never get an OCZ model, too much ripple in the power signature. As for ram way to many problems with the P45/x38 motherboards and going for 4/8GB configurations.

No D0 yet, I think I'll be waiting for the new 32nm chips in Q1 '10. I don't need the extra speed at this point. I think SSD for xmas though if the price is right and Win 7 with "TRIM" command is working well.

You say that, but what's at the heart of the latest silver bullet. I see a OCZ power supply.

terrybear

May 29th, 2009, 09:58 AM

Luckily all gigabyte x58 MB support SLI. Even the cheap ones, through a bios update(not a warranty voiding one, but an official one).

And thats why there one of the top recomended board makers out there.

I don't think NV could remove SLI support, they already charged the manufacturer for the certification. If they dropped it, they would be sued up the wazoo because they took the money already. Not only that, they would make an enemy out of every MB manufacturer out there.

Yes maybe so but it would be Intel's word saying to do so, not nvidia's and IF they said so do you think a motherboard manufactorers doing to spend R&D money to make SLI work on it as well as pay nvidia for the rights if it jacks the boards cost say another $100-150 ??

One of the reason I went core i7 is because its an intel chipset(stability, compatibility and OCing)
Maybe so BUT intels never been perfect in there chipsets, they have designed & released a few flawed ones. And again I'd like to point out the published on a few sites note of a flaw in current Core i7's chipset that hinders nvidia videocard preformace if you have the time to search it out as I don't at the moment.

I am not shooting down AMD in this thread, they have there place at builds under 900 dollars. However builds above 1000 I think core i7 is the way to go.

I don't think you are at all and I agree if I had upwards of $2,000 to invest into a pc right now I'd have to seriously look at a Core i7 build.

I don't buy or fully support / recomend intel for a few valid reasons:

1. there NOT " perfect " or " the best " you can get for a pc.

2. There underhanded tactics to make sales & push there dominance in the market (how many anti-trust cases have found them guilty now .. 3), I mean c'mon they have made some great chipsets/cpu's but is there a need to offer kickbacks to prevent competing products to be used vs them. Hell that tactic is probly the reason why IBM/Cyrix cpu's went the way of the dodo bird.

And

3. You can argue with me till your blue in the face but I see absolutly no preformance diffrent between a well configured intel solution & a simularly and well configured amd one in general everyday tasks unless you sit there with a stop watch timing everything. And like I have said I have been on both the latest systems & have owned BOTH Intel and AMD build.

And I have to say .... its easy to build a cheap system on BOTH a AMD Phenom II & Intel Core i7 based platforms if you use the cheapest most garbage like parts for them ala MDG does. Like that one joker that I had issues with, remember his "cheap" Core i7 build he posted on here trying to prove core i7 could be done for well under $1k ? That thing would have been lucky enough to load windows before bsoding or cacking !!! :lol::lol: But would they be kick ass preforming ... definatly not.:lol::cheesygri

terrybear

May 29th, 2009, 10:08 AM

You say that, but what's at the heart of the latest silver bullet. I see a OCZ power supply.

Yes he does but if I remember OCZSteve saying in there forums the Elitestreme's where co developed or fully developed by pc power & cooling.

I have to "partialy" agree with the cheaper ps's in the past where suspect. I had a 450 watt OCZ Modstream go kaput on me. They where a moderatly priced mixed bag of preformance on them. I promptly rma'ed mine & the newly returned unit I sold on here to someone for a good price & then purchased this GameXtreme & haven't had one issue with it since then ( knock on wood).

But thats the reality of pc preformance in general you have to pay the most for the best & believe it or not the thing that makes your pc preform the best & optiumist IS good clean pure power & alot of it.

sheepdogexpress

May 29th, 2009, 01:04 PM

Yes he does but if I remember OCZSteve saying in there forums the Elitestreme's where co developed or fully developed by pc power & cooling.

I have to "partialy" agree with the cheaper ps's in the past where suspect. I had a 450 watt OCZ Modstream go kaput on me. They where a moderatly priced mixed bag of preformance on them. I promptly rma'ed mine & the newly returned unit I sold on here to someone for a good price & then purchased this GameXtreme & haven't had one issue with it since then ( knock on wood).

But thats the reality of pc preformance in general you have to pay the most for the best & believe it or not the thing that makes your pc preform the best & optiumist IS good clean pure power & alot of it.

yeah i know that, i am just poking fun at Doug.

bahasad

May 29th, 2009, 01:41 PM

Darn...After hearing the stuff about OCZ PSUs, I am worried with my 600W modxstream.

terrybear

May 29th, 2009, 02:25 PM

Darn...After hearing the stuff about OCZ PSUs, I am worried with my 600W modxstream.

Arn't they just non led gamextreme's anyways if I remember correctly ?

game_fanatic

May 30th, 2009, 06:23 PM

Great post sheepdog, my exact budget for a new computer is $1000, and I have a 23" 1080p all good to go; I'll basically be using it for converting movie and music files, gaming (basically all the great PC-exclusive games, from SC2 to Crysis). I've bounced around four possibilities, being Core 2 Duo, AMD Phenom II Dual Core, Phenom II Quad-Core, and i7. I won't need the computer for another couples of months, so I'm really hoping NCIX makes it possible to build a capable i7 gaming PC in the next couple of months!

mingyang

May 30th, 2009, 06:32 PM

left out the os.

lolwut?

Silver Bullet

May 30th, 2009, 10:51 PM

You say that, but what's at the heart of the latest silver bullet. I see a OCZ power supply.

It's all about which model you choose. Interestingly enough the model have has been discontinued. The new OCZ "Z" models should be out soon. At the time there was no other choice for ~800W, if I was buying now it would by the new Corsair 850W HX

Yes he does but if I remember OCZSteve saying in there forums the Elitestreme's where co developed or fully developed by pc power & cooling.

I have to "partialy" agree with the cheaper ps's in the past where suspect. I had a 450 watt OCZ Modstream go kaput on me. They where a moderatly priced mixed bag of preformance on them. I promptly rma'ed mine & the newly returned unit I sold on here to someone for a good price & then purchased this GameXtreme & haven't had one issue with it since then ( knock on wood).

But thats the reality of pc performance in general you have to pay the most for the best & believe it or not the thing that makes your pc preform the best & optiumist IS good clean pure power & alot of it.

OCZ seems to be luck of the draw for a lot of things, PSU's included. From reading newegg review a lot of people have had trouble with my PSU, but so far it's been rock solid. The secret I think is to have a good UPS/Surge protector, OCZ PSU's seem to be sensitive.

Darn...After hearing the stuff about OCZ PSUs, I am worried with my 600W modxstream.

They're not all bad, but read reviews of any PSU model before you buy. OCZ units for the most part ripple horribly (ripple in the voltage they provide) and that's not good for you computer, especially during high load or oc'ing.

Below is an example ... which would you rather have ....

Example - Good:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules/NDReviews/images/ERV850EWT/Oscope/T4-12V1.jpg
Source: jonnyguru.com - Enermax 850W 85+ (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story3&reid=150)

Example - Bad:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules/NDReviews/images/GameXStream700/Oscope/Test5-12V1.jpg
Source: jonnyguru.com - OCZ GameXstream 700W (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=24)

sheepdogexpress

May 31st, 2009, 01:26 AM

It's all about which model you choose. Interestingly enough the model have has been discontinued. The new OCZ "Z" models should be out soon. At the time there was no other choice for ~800W, if I was buying now it would by the new Corsair 850W HX

OCZ seems to be luck of the draw for a lot of things, PSU's included. From reading newegg review a lot of people have had trouble with my PSU, but so far it's been rock solid. The secret I think is to have a good UPS/Surge protector, OCZ PSU's seem to be sensitive.

They're not all bad, but read reviews of any PSU model before you buy. OCZ units for the most part ripple horribly (ripple in the voltage they provide) and that's not good for you computer, especially during high load or oc'ing.

Below is an example ... which would you rather have ....

Example - Good:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules/NDReviews/images/ERV850EWT/Oscope/T4-12V1.jpg
Source: jonnyguru.com - Enermax 850W 85+ (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story3&reid=150)

Example - Bad:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules/NDReviews/images/GameXStream700/Oscope/Test5-12V1.jpg
Source: jonnyguru.com - OCZ GameXstream 700W (http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=24)

Me too, if I was going to buy a PS again I would buy something much bigger. I honestly would be taking a hard look at a enermax evo 1250. That 104A seems so nice. Overkill? Hardly, I am looking to get a phase if I can find a builder around here or even a used unit. And you know what they say about 5 ghz core i7, there can almost be not enough power. E.g 5 ghz = 400 watts for just the cpu, add overclocked quadfire and your over 1000w.

Times have changed so much, back in the day gamexstreams were winning editors choice and stuff. Now, no chance at that. They are not abominations those like a no name, but your right they are known for their ripple. However, atleast the gamexstream made it to the end of the test before blowing, if you look at some reviews, alot of crappy(and even a brand name too) ps won't even make it to the end of jonny tests.

OCZ has one of the better RMA services around. They actually take care of their customers.

From what I have seen corsair business model seem so close to OCZ, bring innovations, with good RMA, and pretty much do it better in every way.

I was thinking about buying the new corsair case, but 400 dollars for a steel case seems like too much, I would rather buy something that improves performance like a SS(even if its just for benching), than a overpriced piece of steel.

terrybear

May 31st, 2009, 04:01 PM

So by going by the last 2 posts here, if I do any upgrading I should be looking to get a better more efficient powersupply then this gamextreme 700 that I got ? And also it may help with my being to oc more ??

sheepdogexpress

May 31st, 2009, 06:15 PM

I doubt it will help your overclock as your not pushing close to 700w. It might be better for the long term health of your components.

How old is your gamexstream?

The modxstream looks like an improvement over the gamexstream those.
http://benchmarkreviews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=69&Itemid=71&limit=1&limitstart=5
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=644&type=expert&pid=6

Not fantastic ripple suppression, but well below maximum tolerance. So thats a plus.

terrybear

May 31st, 2009, 06:33 PM

elton5354

Jun 1st, 2009, 04:53 PM

sheepdogexpress

Jun 1st, 2009, 05:13 PM

What do you guys think of my new rig i'm going to get?

Intel i7 920 D0 Stepping - $347.06
Asus P6T SE - $238.68
G.SKILL F3-12800CL8T-6GBPI PC3-12800 6GB - $111
EVGA GTX 260 Core 216 896MB - $214 - $20 MIR = $194

$972 ~ Total after tax and shipping.

Any reason you want to go Asus?

The problem with the p6tse and not the P6T, is the SE does not support SLI.

THE UD3R does and is cheaper.

SLI is nice to have when you have a NV videocard. If your willing to change your ram you could probably shave a few bucks. but other than that, make sure you get a aftermarket heatsink and you will be ok.

Some D0 although they produce better overclocks, generate more heat than the c0.

elton5354

Jun 1st, 2009, 05:20 PM

Any reason you want to go Asus?

The problem with the p6tse and not the P6T, is the SE does not support SLI.

THE UD3R does and is cheaper.

SLI is nice to have when you have a NV videocard. If your willing to change your ram you could probably shave a few bucks. but other than that, make sure you get a aftermarket heatsink and you will be ok.

Some D0 although they produce better overclocks, generate more heat than the c0.

No reason at all..since it's popular..i would go for the deluxe but it's too expensive. As for SLi, I doubt i'm going to get 2 VCs. 1 is enough for me lol

I got a HSF from my old rig. The TRUE. Just need to buy a LGA1366 bolt thru kit. =)

Yeah although they generate higher heat, but at a lower vcore than C0 stepping. Lower vcore is more important i think.

enhanced

Jun 1st, 2009, 05:42 PM

Hi guys, I'm just looking for some opinions.

I'm looking to build a budget i7 system too but wouldn't mind paying a tiny bit more to make it futureproof. I am torn between two motherboards and I can't decided which one is better for me.

Gigabyte's EX58-UD3R for ~$200

or

Gigabyte's EX58-UD4P for ~$240

The one feature that is important to me that makes me lean towards the UD4P is the 6 DIMM slots which means I can expand the memory further while still retaining the use of the triple channel setup (can put ram in all 6 slots and it will use the triple channel setup). The UD3R on the other hand has only 4 DIMM slots which means you pretty much only uses 3 DIMM slots to maintain the triple channel setup. SLI and CFX isn't that important to me.

Considering that 3x2GB (6GB) ram seems to be the norm, will they be releasing 3x3GB (9GB) or even 3x4GB (12GB) in the future and even if they do, would it be retardedly expensive? If they do release these kits at a reasonable price somewhere down the line, I wouldn't mind getting the UD3R as I can upgrade ram reasonably down the line but if they don't or its crazy expensive, then it seems like 6GB of ram is max for the UD3R. I would like my computer to last several years so would 6GB of ram last a while? With the UD4P, I can put in 12GB of ram easily (6x2GB) which I'm assuming will not become obsolete and useless for a very very long time.

My question pretty much is if 6 DIMM slots is really worth it or could you get by with 4 DIMM slots for quite a while? If 4 DIMM slots is fine, I would probably get the NCIX combo deal with the UD3R, Core i7 D0 and 3x1GB ram ($599) and save a bit more money. I don't do any crazy video editing or encoding but I do want to play games, maybe popup photoshop and want the system to last a while.

Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of my information as I have never built a rig before and not sure how technology market works.

Thanks.

sheepdogexpress

Jun 1st, 2009, 06:01 PM

Right now 4 gigabyte dimms are retardly expensive. However in time they will go down in price.

But remember this, having six slots of occupied memory effects overclocks because it makes the memory controller work harder.

Honestly, noone needs 12gb of ram. Especially a gamer. Games don't use that much ram and 6gb should be plenty. Photoshop can actually use 6 gb+ of ram, but it sounds like you don't use it that often to justify it.

However it might be not a bad idea to get the ud4p, because it has more phases and more overclocking potential.

I remember seeing on xtremesystems, they overclocked a ud4p, to a bclk of 243 which is up there with the big boys of overclocking.

enhanced

Jun 1st, 2009, 06:31 PM

Well when I got this computer 5 years ago with 512MB ram, I don't think people ever imagined 6GB of ram as even plausible 5 years later as we have it now. What I'm saying is, I don't think 12GB of ram is ridiculous to imagine as new programs developed will continue to increase in resource usage. I know right now, its ridiculous to have 12GB of ram, but I would like the opportunity to upgrade to that once 12GB becomes the norm in 5, 6 or 7 years so I wouldn't have to buy a new motherboard (pretty much buy build a new rig) because all the DIMM slots are filled. Thats kinda what I meant by more futureproofing.

Thanks for the additional info.

mr_raider

Jun 1st, 2009, 06:52 PM

Memory bloat should be levelling off soon, as windows 7 is the first OS that uses less resources than it's predecessor.

sheepdogexpress

Jun 3rd, 2009, 10:12 PM

I updated to reflect updated pricing.

you could probably shave another 10 dollars off and miss a rebate by buying this ram

$89.99
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148247&nm_mc=OTC-Pr1c3canadaCA&cm_mmc=OTC-Pr1c3canadaCA-_-Memory+(Desktop+Memory)-_-Crucial+Technology-_-20148247

Corsair stuff overclocks pretty well so this should hit 1600.

The price of the MB went up as well as the ram. Videocard pricing stayed more or less the same. The processor dropped in price.

If you want to further do this on the cheap, you can get a 4850 videocard for 99.99 which is a great price since its faster than the 4770. This might be better for people who really don't game.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=33156&promoid=1043

Another drop you could do but I wouldn't recommend it is go for the 640gb black caviar.

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=34286&promoid=1043

This would bring the price down of the build down to 886