Advice Needed on New Gaming Computer

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-Tenk-

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There is an australian company that is offering prebuilt machines for what seems like good prices. (MSY ONLINE for those that are interested... the Intel Gamer 4 is the prebuilt machine)

I have the following things in mind:
- Performance
I'd like to play whatever I want and do whatever I want without having to worry about what the computer can actually handle.

- Future-proofing (as much as one can)
I don't want to have to buy a new computer in a years time... i'd like my new one to last me 3-5yrs. if possible :) )

- With reference to the above, i'd like to be able to upgrade the machine and push its lifespan as much as I can.

- Networking
I'm going to end up running a network of 3 computers. One crappy PC (running XP) via cable and one laptop via wireless.

- DIY/Prebuilt
Depending on the savings, DIY is an option. I'm not very knowledgeable, but I reckon my enthusiasm often makes up for that :D . Provided there aren't any incredibly advanced steps, I reckon I could build my own and would love to try.

- Budget
$1500 for everything...

Here is the machine they are offering. There are some different options one can get. I've choosen the ones I thought were "good". But I know little :D .

CPU: AMD 1090T
Motherboard: ASUS M4A89TD-Pro-USB3 TurboV DDR3
Cooling: AMD Fan
Memory: 8GB Kit DDR3 1333
HD: 2TB SATA2
Case: ATX Case SHAW Ferra
OS: Windows 7 PRO
Video Card: 1GB ATI 5670 PCI-E

Network: Integrated Fast Network Card
Router: Edimax AR7266WNA Wireless-11N 300M Modem Router
Switch: Edimax ES550G 5 Port Gigabit Switch

Monitor: 21.5" ASUS 2ms HDMI HD LCD
Sound: HD Audio CODEC 6 Channel Sound
Speakers: 5.1 Speaker System
Reader/Writer: Blu-ray Combo (Blu-ray reader, DVD Read/Writer)


Ok, hit me with it. Good parts? Bad parts? Are there some things that aren't needed? Are there better options available for cheaper?

Thanks in advance!
 
hm. i think the hexacore 1090T is a little overkill since most games dont even use up 4 cores, save you some money. i personally got the phenom II x2 555 black edition cuz i could unlock hidden cores, so atm i have 3 cores for the price of 2, and at a very good speed. i didn't check but i dont know if your chosen motherboard has core unlocking abilities.

Your chosen video card... is kinda weak if you ask me.... i would recommend the 6800 series for ATI/AMD but i don't know how much your build costs right now (since i dont know WHERE your buying it, prices could be different)

On the forum graphics performance list, it shows that the 5670 is ranked 44 out of 217 (or 219) while the 5770 is ranked 25. and from waht i hear, the 5770 cross-fired is even more powerful than most other cards, would boost itself up to top 10 or 13 ATLEAST.

and a question for you my friend, are you buying the network, router, switch, monitor, sound, speakers, reader/writer? i am thinking you are.... so that also limits your posibilities of a better GPU...

if you're willing to spend an extra 40-70$, you can buy a very good mid-ranged card, the 5770. i found it really reliable and fast, i had mine for several years before i decided to get a new card.

sorry for poor paragraphing, my thoughts are usually scattered... very scattered... xP
 
hm. i think the hexacore 1090T is a little overkill since most games dont even use up 4 cores, save you some money. i personally got the phenom II x2 555 black edition cuz i could unlock hidden cores, so atm i have 3 cores for the price of 2, and at a very good speed. i didn't check but i dont know if your chosen motherboard has core unlocking abilities.

Yeah, I knew about it being unable to utlize all 6 cores. It was the same a couple of years back when quad core came out.

I'm thinking of future proofing. I daresay one day there will be programs that can utlize 6 cores. And thats what i'm thinking about.

What about Windows 7 ability to ship the load to different cores? How effective is that?

flipp said:
Your chosen video card... is kinda weak if you ask me.... i would recommend the 6800 series for ATI/AMD but i don't know how much your build costs right now (since i dont know WHERE your buying it, prices could be different)

On the forum graphics performance list, it shows that the 5670 is ranked 44 out of 217 (or 219) while the 5770 is ranked 25. and from waht i hear, the 5770 cross-fired is even more powerful than most other cards, would boost itself up to top 10 or 13 ATLEAST.

This is exactly what I was looking for.

Getting a 6800 series would blow the budget (unfortunately) however, the 5770 will only cost me $40 extra.

I'll Cross-fire it in the future. Price should only drop.

What is ATIs capability of mixing different models in the cross-fire setup? In a years time when a 6800 (or something even better) is cheaper, would I be able to install one of them and keep the old 5770 and have it all work?

flipp said:
and a question for you my friend, are you buying the network, router, switch, monitor, sound, speakers, reader/writer? i am thinking you are.... so that also limits your posibilities of a better GPU...

if you're willing to spend an extra 40-70$, you can buy a very good mid-ranged card, the 5770. i found it really reliable and fast, i had mine for several years before i decided to get a new card.

I'm including all that in the build. It doesn't stretch the budget too much and will enable me to use this computer as a "hub" of sorts.

Some of it is free though. That is, included in the cost of the base model.

What about solid state drives? The limited use issue scares me a bit. Are they worth it to have that fast access to hard data?
 
unfortunately, im a noob and cant multiquote, so im just going to say it in paragraphs

i don't have or use windows 7, but ive read on the forums that windows 7 does that automatically and makes it easier. im not too sure about the quality and efficiency of it though.

unfortunately for you, ATI/AMD cannot mix different models in crossfire... its already MEHHhhHH with the same series. like a 6970 + 6950 would work, but its not really tried out/recommended based off of previous attempts, so a 5770 + a 6800 series is out of the question.

solid state drives are obnoxious in both good and bad ways. well, in a good way, everything is accessible SO much faster but the price just blows it for me. i personally don't even want one, i would probably settle with a 10,000 RPM hard drive if i want something fast. i don't think its worth it for the price... and the space is small. the only plus side of it would be placing an OS on it and loading up within 10 seconds... thats nice....
im not too hot with networking, but it could probably assist in networking too, sorting data faster throughout your house, if thats what you're doign with it.
 
i don't have or use windows 7, but ive read on the forums that windows 7 does that automatically and makes it easier. im not too sure about the quality and efficiency of it though.

Hmmm, maybe someone else can help out here then? Anyone have any experience with this? Does Windows7 allow some utlization of extra cores?

unfortunately for you, ATI/AMD cannot mix different models in crossfire... its already MEHHhhHH with the same series. like a 6970 + 6950 would work, but its not really tried out/recommended based off of previous attempts, so a 5770 + a 6800 series is out of the question.

Bugger. I had thought this might be the case. So when it comes to upgrade/crossfire either i'll have to get two new video cards, or get one exactly like the one i've got.

solid state drives are obnoxious in both good and bad ways. well, in a good way, everything is accessible SO much faster but the price just blows it for me. i personally don't even want one, i would probably settle with a 10,000 RPM hard drive if i want something fast. i don't think its worth it for the price... and the space is small. the only plus side of it would be placing an OS on it and loading up within 10 seconds... thats nice....
im not too hot with networking, but it could probably assist in networking too, sorting data faster throughout your house, if thats what you're doign with it.

Yeah, I don't think its worth it. I don't notice the lag using a hard disk.

So my build at the moment:

CPU: AMD 1090T
Motherboard: ASUS M4A89TD-Pro-USB3 TurboV DDR3
Cooling: AMD Fan
Memory: 8GB Kit DDR3 1333
HD: 2TB SATA2
Case: ATX Case SHAW Ferra
OS: Windows 7 PRO
Video Card: 1GB ATI 5770 PCI-E

Anyone have any suggestions on cooling? Also, power supply. What is minimum wattage i'd want? If I was going to cross-fire eventually, i'd need some room to spare. Same goes for the cooling system. I've read cross-fire throws some wicked heat.

Lastly, I can't find anything on the case. Is it any good? With the PSU and cooling in mind, will it do a good job?
 
i found some info on the case, apparantly it sucks... a lot, and very likely to explode, especially with crossfire heats... I'm not entirely sure how much money the case costs, but i would assume its around 50$, like any other case (wishful thinking of my case suggestion)...
i would suggest the Antec 300 which is 55$ atm, or the antec 900 which is close to 100$ (less likely for you to buy). the antec may be notorious for bad wiring, but if you can just have patience and time to just tape excess cables onto the sides and corners, you should be fine. it even gives a space for you're extra wires like Sata cable from your optical and hard drives on the other side. i personally have it and its amazing, it even has a grill in the front to prevent dust collection (its washable) as well as placement of 2 fans to intake air for the hard drives and increase airflow. it can do a darn good job at cooling when you have all 5 fan placements in.
Theres also the Antec 300 illusion, same exact thing as the antec 300 but more fans... ill link you:
Newegg.com - Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
its about 15-20$ more expensive, but you get 4 fans instead of 2 and they have LEDs :p

When i was helpin someone else out, i found a PCI-e case cooler. that could help alot if you're goin to crossfire the 5770 in the future, especially when its going to be so close. You can also buy Thermal Compound to cool down the CPU so the increase of temperature within the case slightly decreases... if it makes any difference at all. you could opt for liquid cooling but thats like 100$... D:

your PSU... on average with underload, a 5770 will typically use just over 250Watts, on full load its about 400 Watts, and i doubt its going to ever reach full load. your cpu would take up about 65, but lets make it 100W. so as a maximum if you hit full load, you should have 500 Watts, and then the fans in your case would make also increase it to about 510-520. then theres the hard drives, and then you also want to Crossfire it, so lets assume another 300W since i doubt its ever gonna hit full load cross fired, so we're lookin at about 800W powersupply, maybe 900W if you can find a better deal. Theres a Link in the forums for recommended brands of power supplies... but it will be pricey, so about 100$ into the powersupply as well...
http://www.techist.com/forums/f76/read-first-updated-power-supply-guide-221778/



so a summary: PCI-e powered cooler, antec 300/antec300 illusion case, Have good wiring to promote airflow, to improve overall temperature of the computer, 800W/900W power supply.
 
When I was looking yesterday I found some similar reviews about the case. I was hoping that I wasn't looking hard enough.

Well, that has shot the prebuilt option completely. They don't offer customization on the case option. Bugger.

Looks like I'm building my own. Kinda wanted to do it this way from the start anyway. I'm going to need some help sorting through the parts. Got some ideas about what I want to start with.

Mods, Should I create a new thread for a dedicated custom build or just continue to post here... Don't want to break forum rules.
 
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