i7 Gaming Rig, 5 Basic Questions

[DrGrass1987]

Good Evening All,

I am currently stationed overseas in the US Navy on deployment. Will be returning to the states here in about 2 months or so. Plan on picking back up online gaming (Call of Duty, WoW, Farcry 2) again and would like a solid machine to do so on. I feel my understanding of components is decent and have a good grasp on it all. If you could please review these parts i would greatly appreciate it.

Monitor:
SAMSUNG TOC T240 Rose Black 24'' 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU:
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

GPU:
EVGA 01G-P3-1182-AR GeForce GTX 285 FTW Edition 1GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card

RAM:
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop

PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power

Heat Sink + Cooling:
OCZ OCZTFRZTC Freeze Extreme Thermal Conductivity Compound
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler

OS Hard Drive:
OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)

HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

Disc Drives: x2
HP 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE Model HP 1140i

OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders

Price: $2,071.87

Here are my basic questions:

1. Since i do plan on OCing the 920 to about 3.5GHz will this PSU, Heatsink and Cooling Compound be enough to support it to that clock speed?
2. The tech specifics say my current Mobo only supports "DDR3 2100+/1333" and if i have chosen 1600MHz DDR 3 Ram, i was told it runs at stock speed of 1033MHz and i will have to OC it to get the most out of it. Is this Mobo/RAM combo good meshing?
3. For the games i plan on using it for (MMO's & FPS's) will the GTX 285 and this CPU/RAM be enough to play a majority of them at highest settings once i get my clock speed up high enough?
4. Will my case support ample enough cooling?
5. Any tips on first time building/ocing experience. For example any helpful sites to help walkthrough the virgin experience.

Thanks for any help people provide, i am extremely grateful.

 

[ghettogeddy]

Good Evening All,

I am currently stationed overseas in the US Navy on deployment. Will be returning to the states here in about 2 months or so. Plan on picking back up online gaming (Call of Duty, WoW, Farcry 2) again and would like a solid machine to do so on. I feel my understanding of components is decent and have a good grasp on it all. If you could please review these parts i would greatly appreciate it.

Monitor:
SAMSUNG TOC T240 Rose Black 24'' 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard

CPU:
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor

GPU:
EVGA 01G-P3-1182-AR GeForce GTX 285 FTW Edition 1GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card

RAM:
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop

PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power

Heat Sink + Cooling:
OCZ OCZTFRZTC Freeze Extreme Thermal Conductivity Compound
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler

OS Hard Drive:
OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)

HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive

Disc Drives: x2
HP 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE Model HP 1140i

OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders

Price: $2,071.87

Here are my basic questions:

1. Since i do plan on OCing the 920 to about 3.5GHz will this PSU, Heatsink and Cooling Compound be enough to support it to that clock speed?
2. The tech specifics say my current Mobo only supports "DDR3 2100+/1333" and if i have chosen 1600MHz DDR 3 Ram, i was told it runs at stock speed of 1033MHz and i will have to OC it to get the most out of it. Is this Mobo/RAM combo good meshing?
3. For the games i plan on using it for (MMO's & FPS's) will the GTX 285 and this CPU/RAM be enough to play a majority of them at highest settings once i get my clock speed up high enough?
4. Will my case support ample enough cooling?
5. Any tips on first time building/ocing experience. For example any helpful sites to help walkthrough the virgin experience.

Thanks for any help people provide, i am extremely grateful.

hold off on the cpu and go amd (my opinion)
and hold off on the ssd there gona get real cheap real fast.

 

[DrGrass1987]

hold off on the cpu and go amd (my opinion)
and hold off on the ssd there gona get real cheap real fast.

I won't lie, i don't know much in the ways of AMD, what CPU Socket would you recomend. I'd like to get whatever the newest/best CPU is for gaming purposes. I am more than open to new ideas as long as i can achieve quality gaming experience.

 

[Albaholic]

If you do end up going the i7 route, try to get your hands on a d0 stepping as these tend to clock better. If you got the money and don't mind the fact that you will be paying a premium for the luxury of a good SSD, I don't think you can go wrong getting one now (two would be better). One thing to consider is if 60gb will be enough for your OS, some games and apps. I'll leave the AMD option for someone who would be able advise better.

to the forums

 

[DrGrass1987]

If you do end up going the i7 route, try to get your hands on a d0 stepping as these tend to clock better. If you got the money and don't mind the fact that you will be paying a premium for the luxury of a good SSD, I don't think you can go wrong getting one now (two would be better). One thing to consider is if 60gb will be enough for your OS, some games and apps. I'll leave the AMD option for someone who would be able advise better.

to the forums

Sorry to sound a bit on the slow end, but could you specify on the whole d0 stepping? I can't say i've heard of it before and am interested in it.

I have also been thinking of waiting til SATA III comes out and just switching to a higher quality Raptor 150GB drive someone has shown me.

 

[ou_phidelt]

Good Evening All,

I am currently stationed overseas in the US Navy on deployment. Will be returning to the states here in about 2 months or so. Plan on picking back up online gaming (Call of Duty, WoW, Farcry 2) again and would like a solid machine to do so on. I feel my understanding of components is decent and have a good grasp on it all. If you could please review these parts i would greatly appreciate it.

Monitor:
SAMSUNG TOC T240 Rose Black 24'' 5ms HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Mobo:
GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD4P LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
Take a look at the HAF 932 as well. I am really loving that case right now, awesome cooling and a nice interior design making installs very easy particularly HD's.
CPU:
Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor
DO's should be pretty common place by the time you order but keep that in the back of you mind as the one you want.
GPU:
EVGA 01G-P3-1182-AR GeForce GTX 285 FTW Edition 1GB 512-bit DDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 SLI Supported Video Card
Solid card. AMD is supposed to be dropping new cards in relatively near future so keep an eye on that.
RAM:
OCZ Platinum 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop
Awesome value for the money. The best I have been able to find recently.
PSU:
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
Can't go wrong with a Corsair PSU. Plenty of power even if you wanted to add a second card.
Heat Sink + Cooling:
OCZ OCZTFRZTC Freeze Extreme Thermal Conductivity Compound
XIGMATEK Dark Knight-S1283V 120mm Long Life Bearing CPU Cooler
Good HSF for the money. If you wanted to go a little higher end take a long hard look at the Megalahem.
OS Hard Drive:
OCZ Vertex Series OCZSSD2-1VTX60G 2.5" 60GB SATA II MLC Internal Solid state disk (SSD)
Great choice
HDD:
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
Fast drive. You may want to consider going ahead with the 1TB version for more space. HD video will eat it up quickly.
Disc Drives: x2
HP 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black IDE Model HP 1140i

OS:
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders
Windows 7 is coming out in October so I would hold off for it. Get the Beta to hold you over until the release.
Price: $2,071.87

Here are my basic questions:

1. Since i do plan on OCing the 920 to about 3.5GHz will this PSU, Heatsink and Cooling Compound be enough to support it to that clock speed?Yes
2. The tech specifics say my current Mobo only supports "DDR3 2100+/1333" and if i have chosen 1600MHz DDR 3 Ram, i was told it runs at stock speed of 1033MHz and i will have to OC it to get the most out of it. Is this Mobo/RAM combo good meshing?It's fine. That is typical of motherboard specs. They quarantee it to work up to a specific speed and anything over is a YMMV but you will not have any issues getting that speed unless you get some real duds.
3. For the games i plan on using it for (MMO's & FPS's) will the GTX 285 and this CPU/RAM be enough to play a majority of them at highest settings once i get my clock speed up high enough?Depends on the games. Your resolution is fairly high but wou shouldn't have much issue with it.
4. Will my case support ample enough cooling?
It good but I like the case I mentioned much better in that respect. Another alternative would be the Antec 1200 but I think its a little pricey.
5. Any tips on first time building/ocing experience. For example any helpful sites to help walkthrough the virgin experience.
Its a pretty easy process. Just follow the instructions and go slow. Most important thing is an organized workspace that doesn't involve carpet.
Thanks for any help people provide, i am extremely grateful.

Good luck and thanks for your service.

 

[DrGrass1987]

so is this d0 stepping i7 920's basically a cpu with an unlocked multiplier or is it simply pre-oced? I honestly have never heard anything about them know, i will try googling it and answer some of my own questions, but anyone who could dumby it down or just point me to a good expanation of it i would appreciate it greatly.

 

[Albaholic]

so is this d0 stepping i7 920's basically a cpu with an unlocked multiplier or is it simply pre-oced? I honestly have never heard anything about them know, i will try googling it and answer some of my own questions, but anyone who could dumby it down or just point me to a good expanation of it i would appreciate it greatly.

It's not unlocked. It's a chip revision. There are several glowing anecdotes in the intel cpu subforum. (I just got one myself, will get to clocking it tonight ) Generally they run cooler and clock higher at lower voltages. But of course YMMV

in case you didn't know http://www.tankguys.com/review/product/list/id/169/ is a good place to get a garunteed d0 stepping (there are other places of course)

http://www.anandtech.com/weblog/showpost.aspx?i=584 A quick preview of the D0 stepping. I will refrence other OCF posts if you would like more examples.

 

[ou_phidelt]

DO is just a stepping change. It is nothing radically different, just more refined silicon. Essentially the DO chips will OC higher, at lower volts, and lower temps than their predecessors, again just on average nothing is gaurunteed. Take a look in the CPU section for some reports on how the DO chips are going. This is pretty comon with Intel. Similar things happened with the C2D chips. First chips went out and a bit later a more refined stepping came out. There is no price premium per se but some retailers will charge a bit more for a garunteed DO or you can take your chances with newegg which has both but you take your chances on what you get. That said by the time you get back and order the supply of CO's should be pretty exhausted and you should stand a good chance of getting a DO at random.

 

[A-Dub]

I won't lie, i don't know much in the ways of AMD, what CPU Socket would you recomend. I'd like to get whatever the newest/best CPU is for gaming purposes. I am more than open to new ideas as long as i can achieve quality gaming experience.

I scrolled quickly, so sorry if someone already answered this question. Arguably, AMD Phenom II's are as good as or better than core i7 for gaming. Where AMD wins is price, the best AMD processor (Phenom II x4 955), is cheaper than the lowest priced core i7. Read up on some comparisons/benchmarks to make your decision. The AMD 955 wins in some areas while the i7 wins in others. Socket AM3 is the newest AMD socket, and requires DDR3 ram.

 

[N3buchan3zzar]

Here are my basic questions:

1. Since i do plan on OCing the 920 to about 3.5GHz will this PSU, Heatsink and Cooling Compound be enough to support it to that clock speed?

It should be. Make sure to have a strong/reliable fan for your heatsink.
2. The tech specifics say my current Mobo only supports "DDR3 2100+/1333" and if i have chosen 1600MHz DDR 3 Ram, i was told it runs at stock speed of 1033MHz and i will have to OC it to get the most out of it. Is this Mobo/RAM combo good meshing?

The Ram will not be an issue. You might not end up running exactly at it's rated speed but don't let that worry you too much.
3. For the games i plan on using it for (MMO's & FPS's) will the GTX 285 and this CPU/RAM be enough to play a majority of them at highest settings once i get my clock speed up high enough?

You should be fine for most games out period.
4. Will my case support ample enough cooling?

From what I hear, yes, just fine but I don't own one personally.
5. Any tips on first time building/ocing experience. For example any helpful sites to help walkthrough the virgin experience.

General i7 reading as it's a little different than previous architectures. The basics of OC'n are still the same though.

Thanks for any help people provide, i am extremely grateful.

If you do end up going the i7 route, try to get your hands on a d0 stepping as these tend to clock better. If you got the money and don't mind the fact that you will be paying a premium for the luxury of a good SSD, I don't think you can go wrong getting one now (two would be better). One thing to consider is if 60gb will be enough for your OS, some games and apps. I'll leave the AMD option for someone who would be able advise better.

to the forums

D0 is just another stepping. Most places do NOT let you choose your stepping online or they charge a premium for it. If you are buying at a brick&mortar store like BB or Microcenter than you need to read the box information. SLBEJ=D0 and SLBCH(I think)=C0. IF you aren't pushing past 4.0Ghz though I don't really see the need to nitpick that.

I would also lean towards getting 2-30Gb Vertexs and RAIDing them over a single 60. There's nothing wrong with your choice though and SSD's are amazing in how much they affect your overall computer "feel", the only downside right now is price as most other issues are solved or workable.

The AMD comment is not a bad idea either. It would be a bit cheaper and probably a better cost ratio for just gaming/general use. Not dissing the i7(I own 2) but they are meant for heavy cpu taskloads, almost server stuff. The graphics card is the biggest issue with gaming and the i7 doesn't shine until you get multiple cards running where they use the bandwidth.


Good luck and have fun. Welcome home too, when you get here anyways.