Cpu, Gfx card, mobo, and mem for under $1200, suggestions please

I going to build a gaming computer. I haven't kept up on all the newest hardware out, so I'd like you guys to steer me in the right direction and give me some suggestions.

I'm looking for the best bang for the buck... CPU, Video Card, Mobo, and RAM (2 gig) for under $1200. It will go into a large Antec Case with a PC Power and Cooling PSU (Turbo-Cool 510 ATX). I will overclock it, moderately, but won't REALLY push it. It will be air cooled, and the noise has to stay low, so that's why I'm not going to really push the OC.

I've always been an AMD fan, but from what I've been reading lately, Intel may be the way to go now (and I'm not too hard headed to switch if Intel's better now).

Also, I'm interested in going with a dual vid card setup a little later on, so I'd like to keep that option open.

Thanks in advance for the advice!

sli or cf or doesnt matter? you looking for upgradability to a quad core cpu? what kind res you play games at now and is that rig in your sig your main one?

gimmie a min and i will price a system for you. one handed typing lol.

Evilsizer said:

sli or cf or doesnt matter? you looking for upgradability to a quad core cpu? what kind res you play games at now and is that rig in your sig your main one?

gimmie a min and i will price a system for you. one handed typing lol.

Click to expand...

I was going to do the same, but then I was totally thrown aback by the "one handed typing" comment.

jivetrky said:

I was going to do the same, but then I was totally thrown aback by the "one handed typing" comment.

Click to expand...

no no i had surgery on my left hand yesterday with pain add meds = slow. i dont want to know what you were thinking..

Good, I don't want to say what I was thinking

(Or think about it again!)

here is what suggest
cpu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115004
mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813131045
ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231065
video
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814130065
psu
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16817103517

while not asked for i suggest aftermarket cooling
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16835185037

total without hs $1060.96
total with hs $1,100.95

Does that board officially support SLI?

Evilsizer said:

sli or cf or doesnt matter? you looking for upgradability to a quad core cpu? what kind res you play games at now and is that rig in your sig your main one?

gimmie a min and i will price a system for you. one handed typing lol.

Click to expand...

See, I hate the position I am in, because normally I am not a noob with this stuff.

I'm not sure whether I should go with SLI or CF. I guess at this point it doesn't matter, but maybe that will change depending on your suggestions and my continuing research (this is the furthest I've ever been behind)

Upgradability to a quad core would be awesome, but would that place it out of the price range, and if so, by how much? When are quad cores coming along? I've been really pressed for time, and obviously I need to research this more. But mainly I'm looking for direction and suggestions, and then I'll use all of that to formulate my ultimate decision.

Also, I already have the PSU (PC Power and Cooling Turbo-Cool 510 ATX). Would that PSU be compatible with all this stuff? Of course I know as far as power quality/quantity goes it'll work, but what about as far as wierd new connections and whatever else?

Yes, that rig in my sig is my main one (just goes to show you how out of date I am). I like playing my games in relatively low resolutions, but really high quality settings.

EDIT: Btw, I do plan on getting aftermarket cooling. I've actually built and OC'd a lot of rigs, so I already have a pretty good idea what I'll do as far as cooling.

jivetrky said:

I was going to do the same, but then I was totally thrown aback by the "one handed typing" comment.

Click to expand...

Evilsizer said:

no no i had surgery on my left hand yesterday with pain add meds = slow. i dont want to know what you were thinking..

Click to expand...

jivetrky said:

Good, I don't want to say what I was thinking

(Or think about it again!)

Click to expand...

ROFL

Your PSU Specs:
http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=T51ATX

also about sli or cf. your gonna have to choose which you think is best. read reviews about two cards in the same price range you want to spend on a gfx. then look at benchmarks, overclocking, etc... then decide which you feel is the best bang.


your resolution will change with a new setup .. your getting a new monitor i hope .. your rig is pretty old though.. your gonna think your on a new planet when you build the new one jk'ing

i wouldnt even think about qaud core at this point. way to early IMO.

what are your thoughts on what others have suggested ? and how much have you read up on it ? reading is key

Xtreme Barton said:

Your PSU Specs:
http://www.pcpowercooling.com/products/viewproduct.php?show=T51ATX

also about sli or cf. your gonna have to choose which you think is best. read reviews about two cards in the same price range you want to spend on a gfx. then look at benchmarks, overclocking, etc... then decide which you feel is the best bang.


your resolution will change with a new setup .. your getting a new monitor i hope .. your rig is pretty old though.. your gonna think your on a new planet when you build the new one jk'ing

i wouldnt even think about qaud core at this point. way to early IMO.

what are your thoughts on what others have suggested ? and how much have you read up on it ? reading is key

Click to expand...

Yea, I will definately spend a good amount of time reading about SLI vs CF. If you have any links that you think would be especially helpful, they're of course more than welcomed. Definately will be getting a new monitor. I know I'll think I'm on a new planet once I get this thing set up and tweaked. I can't wait. I feel like just buying everything right now I'm so anxious, but my OC'er side coupled with my smart shopper instinct won't allow me to if I don't research every aspect thoroughly in advance.

My thoughts on what others have suggested? Well, I'm getting the feeling that Intel is the way to go right now. At first I was pretty much just looking at AMD (was an AMD for a while, and that's what I always built for my friends), but now I'm mostly just looking at what Intel has. I really like the list Evilsizer gave me. It looks like great start for me to refine (if necessary at all) as I continually research more. But I have actually just seriously started reading up on the finer points of building this specific rig over the passed several days (probably 6-8 hours total). You guys are a just a huge catalyst for me! I totally know that reading is the key, and will spend many more hours on here before actually ordering all of the stuff.

This is probably a stupid question (would I would know the answer to by this time tomorrow) but would the setup Evilsizer recommended be SLI or CF based?

That board is not an SLI board. According to ASUS "black slot is 2x, and blue slot is 16x" notice there is only one blue slot.
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1295&l1=3&l2=11&l3=307

ochungry said:

That board is not an SLI board. According to ASUS "black slot is 2x, and blue slot is 16x" notice there is only one blue slot.
http://usa.asus.com/products4.aspx?modelmenu=2&model=1295&l1=3&l2=11&l3=307

Click to expand...

After doing just a little bit of research, this is the conclusion (maybe wrong) that I've come to concerning SLI or CF. CF is potentially better, but at the moment SLI is more mature/reliable. For that reason I think I'll lean towards SLI at this point. So considering I stick with Asus, I'd have to go with the Wifi-AP board for SLI. Another thing to consider. I might just end up doing that because we also use a wireless router at my house and that'll save me the cost of another wireless card. Are there any reports of compatability issues with the onboard Wifi? I have a Netgear router. I can't stand unrealible wireless connections.

the p5 delux is 16x/2x OR 4x.. Either case... isnt 2x even more BW then any video card uses ATM? I thought 1x was > then AGP and we were just scratching the surface of AGP early this year?

Regardless I would try and hold out for at least a month.

dx10 is coming out so for the same price you are going to get better cards.

novermber releases the DFI RD600 board. Supposed to be very nice

CF is the only way to go right now if you intend on doing any OCing at all. If you DO intend to get something now, rather then wait for 6+ weeks, then grab a 1800GTO, you can graba second in 2 months when they are dirt cheap. Its the most powerful video card you can get that does not require a dongle/ master card to run crossfire.

Just my 2 cents

you can run sli in the board with modded drivers.. the chipsets lack of pic-e lanes limits cf/sli to 8x/4x not 8x/8x like it should for best performance.

since sli is offically supportted by nv chipsets sli will not work on 975/965. however in newer nv drivers you can run quad sli setups on 975/965. now tel me that aint odd. you want ocing which completly takes sli out of the pick since nv+intel=no ocing what so ever.

if you do cf this would then be this setup imo.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16819115004
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16813127014
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231065
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16820231065
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?item=N82E16814103015
$1129.97 (then just wifi)
you said you aleady have the psu but did not say if it affected the amount to spend. the first rig was a rather semi hi-end single card no sli/cf offically cause of the slow 8x/4x setup for such operation. should you choose sli amd is the way to imo for ocing with sli atm.

What do you mean when you say nv + intel = no OC'ing?

So, if I want to do SLI I have to (or it's best) to get an Nvidia chipset, but for CF I can only do that with intel chipsets?

Yes to your last question. Although I'm curious what evil means by 'with new nv drivers you can run quad sli' - do they only support two 7900GX2s? His first list looks nice, except I'd get a scythe ninja+ instead of the mine which has a smaller and harder to replace fan, and you may as well use your current PSU it should be good.

The nvidia Intel chipsets don't overclock well. As far as worrying about SLI/CF...meh imo it's only really worth it if you get two relatively highend cards practically right off the bat. The whole 'add another card later' thing makes sense if you get a second card soon, like within a month, but adding another 6-12+ months down the line with the rate new cards come out you might as well sell the old one and buy a new single card. This is especially true atm because by this time next year DX10 will have picked up.

*nods with madman*
even with the newest 590 nv chipset the highest oc i have seen/read was about 280mhz fsb.

yes the newest drivers only work sli majic when running 7950gx2's or 2 for that matter in 975. like i said though you could get modded drivers for sli but the version is rather old. it does work with 7900's/7600's but not with 7950gx2's or 7950's. nv driver modded version is 85.96. i dled them for link bigsam provided at xs. he has pulled that link now, he hint the newest drivers being modded and having the bugges worked out are 91.xx seires.

I thought I chip in too and give you a good AM2 system.
This 4600 x2 is 65watts uses only 1.20-1.25v vcore and has a good TCaseMax of 72c which means a lot of headroom for overclocking. but moderately OC will not require vcore increase and aa 65w will stay cool (Idle or load). Keep in mind that w/ AM2 you can upgrade to K8L dual or quade core without changing anything (except cpu of course).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103749
http://www.amdcompare.com/us-en/desktop/details.aspx?qsearch=true&opn=ADO4600IAA5CU

This Asus Crosshair is know to be the best AM2 motherboard available today.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131593

With AMD you want to saty w/ low tight timings. So thi PDP below and Supper Talent are among best in DDR2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820220144
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820609026

This evga vid card is among the best out there by Nvidia.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130033
I dont know much about vid cards but have seen a lot of people getting this one below
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130065

or this one if space is a problem:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814143071
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814130061

this one has heatpipe. you can also custom fit a quiet fan blowing on the heatpipe as an added cooling.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814150189

Above pick is less than $1100, you may have noticed.
You can go w/ this 4200 (also 65w) 2.2ghz overclock it to 2.7ghz, save $90, that you can spend on a more powerfull PSU or have enough to buy another vid card now (not later).
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103741
http://www.amdcompare.com/us-en/desktop/details.aspx?opn=ADO4200IAA5CU

I'd read on Tech-report that the low-power A64s don't oc as well. AMD altered the manufacturing to make them low-power, which is good for say HTPC or small enclosures, but has much less OC headroom than the normal x2s. Are there people who are getting the same OCs from the low-wattage CPUs? I don't read the AMD section every day.