# Help me on making my dream come true. First time build ($2100)



## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

Hello guys!, im new to the forum but in past few months i have been reading and researching about whats good out there, then i found this website and i will love some help from you guys. my old sony pc is really slow and i always wanted to build my own computer; computer is something that i really like, so now its the time to to this. this is my first build. i want a system that will do anything that i throw at it with no problem, and something that will last me a few years. i want quality parts, the best quality my budget can allow. thank you guys

1 *Case* - Corsair Obsidian Series 800D             
Corsair Obsidian Series 800D CC800DW Black Aluminu...

2 *Mobo* - ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z68        
ASUS P8Z68 Deluxe LGA 1155 Intel Z68 SATA 6Gb/s US...

*OR*

ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3           
ASRock Z68 PROFESSIONAL GEN3 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HD...

3 *CPU* - Core i7-2600K                              
Intel Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge 3.4GHz (3.8GHz Tu...

4 *CPU Cooler* - Corsair H80                     
CORSAIR H80 (CWCH80) High Performance Liquid CPU C...

5 *CPU paste* - Shin-Etsu X23-7783D Thermal Compound   
http://www.petrastechshop.com/shx2thco1gr.html

6 *Power Supply* - Corsair HX850 850W             
CORSAIR Professional Series HX850 (CMPSU-850HX) 85...

7 *Memory* - CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) ** Cas Latency 9            
CORSAIR Vengeance 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRA...

*OR*
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB                                                                      
G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DD... 

8 *HDD* - (*OS*) Crucial M4 CT064M4SSD2 2.5" 64GB SATA III MLC                                                   
                    (*files*)  Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB                                                                             


9- *Video Card* -  MSI R6970 Lightning Radeon HD 6970 2GB                                                          
MSI R6970 Lightning Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDD...

*OR*

EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (Fermi) 1280MB                                
EVGA SuperClocked 012-P3-1572-AR GeForce GTX 570 (...

**** later in 1 month im planning to buy a second one of the one you guys help me choose.****


10 *Blu Ray Drive* - LITE-ON Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-RAM 8X BD-ROM 8MB Cache SATA              
LITE-ON Black 12X BD-R 2X BD-RE 16X DVD+R 12X DVD-...

11* Fans*, (if needed) - 4X Scythe Gentle Typhoon 120mm                                                             
                      - 2X XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1453 140mm LED Orange                                  
                      - 2X CoolerMaster Excalibur 120mm(For H80)
12- *Media Reader* - Koutech IO-RCM630                                                                               

13  *Fan Controller* - NZXT Sentry 2                                                                           
NZXT Sentry-2 5.25" Touch Screen fan controller

** any help or tip will be appreciate. thank you for all your help**

i already have speakers, keyboard and mouse. websites can be newegg, tigerdirect, amazon or any reputable website. later i will buy a second video card from the one you help me choose to do a SLI or crossfire, i will be using my 58inch TV as a monitor once in a while. i will love to learn and overclock this processor. any questions please don't hesitate. thanks


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## Jetster (Oct 14, 2011)

Welcome, Nice parts list. It all looks good. Personally I would get a Gigabyte board just because Ive had good luck with them. I would use the stock HS fan at first and one of the HD6970 would suffice. IMO    What else do you do besides game? What resolutions will you be using?


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## Fourstaff (Oct 14, 2011)

As usual, what do you want to use this computer for? 

If gaming, then:
Drop processor to 2500K
Drop the  H80 to something more sensible (eg Hyper 212+) if you are not heavily overclocking, but if you want quiet its fine
Drop memory to 2x4gb or 2x2gb, you dont need so much
Graphics card is really personal, but I suggest you take a look at GTX580 for single card solution rather than multiple cards, since that this is your first build and it will save you quite a bit of hassle if problems arise 
I personally find the 800D too expensive, but that is personal, and since that cases last practically forever (until ATX gets out of fashion) there is no need to "downgrade" this 

Use money saved for a potential 2nd GTX580 down the line, or lots of beers.


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## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

Jetster said:


> Welcome, Nice parts list. It all looks good. Personally I would get a Gigabyte board just because Ive had good luck with them. I would use the stock HS fan at first and one of the HD6970 would suffice. IMO    What else do you do besides game? What resolutions will you be using?



Thanks for your answer. So, what mobo do you recommend? I like the corsair h80 because is a good water cooling for novice like me and I will overclock the i7 and want a really nice temp for it. My current monitor is a 21.5inch 1080p, nothing fancy. But I will be gaming a few , Also I will use my plasma tv 58inch as a monitor once in a while to watch movies etc.


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## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> As usual, what do you want to use this computer for?
> 
> If gaming, then:
> Drop processor to 2500K
> ...



I want this rig to last a long time. So that's why I went with a i7, I know there is no much difference between the i5 and i7 but just for future proof a little I will stick with the i7. Also I'm planning on oc, I want something around 4 to 4.8Ghz, that's why the corsair H80, water cooling is kind of hard for me and I don't wanna mess something up. Maybe later. Like I said, I want this to last a little, and I will be using a plasma tv 58 inch for blu ray, multitasking, hd streaming, overall I want this rig to do everything like nothing is happening. For the GTX580 that's kind of expensive so that's why I opted for one of those video card and then a second one. But what do you think? Thanks for your help


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## Fourstaff (Oct 14, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> I want this rig to last a long time. So that's why I went with a i7, I know there is no much difference between the i5 and i7 but just for future proof a little I will stick with the i7. Also I'm planning on oc, I want something around 4 to 4.8Ghz, that's why the corsair H80, water cooling is kind of hard for me and I don't wanna mess something up. Maybe later. Like I said, I want this to last a little, and I will be using a plasma tv 58 inch for blu ray, multitasking, hd streaming, overall I want this rig to do everything like nothing is happening. For the GTX580 that's kind of expensive so that's why I opted for one of those video card and then a second one. But what do you think? Thanks for your help



How long do you want your rig to last? 1 year? 5 years? Right now gaming hardly use more than  2 threads, and the only few which does can only load up to 4, in other words, 8 threads are still unnecessary. I can confidently say that this pattern will continue for the next few years, at least as long as the current console generation. If you really want the 2600K there is no point me talking you down, just get it. 

If you want the 6970 its fine, the difference between 580 and 6970 price point wise is somewhat personal. If I am going for 2600K, then I will choose 580, and 2500K 6970. Do note that 58" TV uses the same amount of graphics power as a 13" screen if their resolution is the same, so its pointless to quote your screen size, but rather screen resolution when it comes to choosing graphics card.


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## Jetster (Oct 14, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> Thanks for your answer. So, what mobo do you recommend? I like the corsair h80 because is a good water cooling for novice like me and I will overclock the i7 and want a really nice temp for it. My current monitor is a 21.5inch 1080p, nothing fancy. But I will be gaming a few , Also I will use my plasma tv 58inch as a monitor once in a while to watch movies etc.



GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD5 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA...


GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA...


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## LagunaX (Oct 14, 2011)

Prolimatech PK-1 - short of 1 application Indigo - it's the best widely available thermal paste.
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9119/thr-59/Prolimatech_PK-1_Nano_Aluminum_Thermal_Compound_-_5_Gram.html
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?268741-Skinnee-Labs-The-TIM-Thread...


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## LagunaX (Oct 14, 2011)

I guess this might be just a little bit better:
Phobya HeGrease Extreme Thermal Paste - 3.5g
http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13343/thr-109/Phobya_HeGrease_Extreme_Thermal_Paste_-_35g.html


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## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> How long do you want your rig to last? 1 year? 5 years? Right now gaming hardly use more than  2 threads, and the only few which does can only load up to 4, in other words, 8 threads are still unnecessary. I can confidently say that this pattern will continue for the next few years, at least as long as the current console generation. If you really want the 2600K there is no point me talking you down, just get it.
> 
> If you want the 6970 its fine, the difference between 580 and 6970 price point wise is somewhat personal. If I am going for 2600K, then I will choose 580, and 2500K 6970. Do note that 58" TV uses the same amount of graphics power as a 13" screen if their resolution is the same, so its pointless to quote your screen size, but rather screen resolution when it comes to choosing graphics card.



i want my rig to last at least 5 years, in a good shape. i probably will build another before te 5 years period but im not sure at the moment. i can get the i7 2600K almost at the same price from a close friend. but do you think the i wont see a difference in the long run if i go with the i5, i know everything now will be a big impact because im on a slow Pentium 4.
also if it were you, why would you opted for a GTX580 and no a 6970? i went with the 6970 because i want to CrossFire later and try that new technology. also the GTX is around 500-600 while the 6970 is cheaper and a good competitor in my novice point of view. i will definitely buy a better monitor later on, any recommendation on something really good?
THANK YOU for all your help.


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## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

Jetster said:


> GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD5 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA...
> 
> 
> GIGABYTE GA-Z68XP-UD4 LGA 1155 Intel Z68 HDMI SATA...



Once again, thanks.
i will take a carefully look at those board, i saw a review on one of those so i will goo back to that. also what do you think about one of my board? they are not good or these yours are better in any aspect? thank you


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## Truquitos (Oct 14, 2011)

LagunaX said:


> Prolimatech PK-1 - short of 1 application Indigo - it's the best widely available thermal paste.
> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/9119/thr-59/Prolimatech_PK-1_Nano_Aluminum_Thermal_Compound_-_5_Gram.html
> http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?268741-Skinnee-Labs-The-TIM-Thread...





LagunaX said:


> I guess this might be just a little bit better:
> Phobya HeGrease Extreme Thermal Paste - 3.5g
> http://www.frozencpu.com/products/13343/thr-109/Phobya_HeGrease_Extreme_Thermal_Paste_-_35g.html



ok im a little confused now, so which one you think is a better thermal paste? also i will take a look a those later tonight after work and i will do a research. thank you


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## digibucc (Oct 14, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> i can get the i7 2600K almost at the same price from a close friend. but do you think the i wont see a difference in the long run if i go with the i5.



i say go for it, especially if the price is similar.  Fourstaff is surely right but it's clear how important this is - for anything under $60 difference i would opt for the more powerful one, then you feel confident and happy.  even if the i5 never caused problems the question alone might lessen your experience


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## Fourstaff (Oct 14, 2011)

Thermal paste is really not worth bothering, just get something which is not junk, the application matters more for the temp difference than the different TIM, the temperature difference is less than 3C at most between the best and your average branded ones.

If you want your rig to last for 5 years, 2600K is a fair choice. Also, Newegg price difference between 6970 and 580 is about $100 the last time I checked, $300 for 6970 and $400 for 580. As said earlier, this becomes a personal preference, I am willing to spend the $100 for that extra 10%, not everybody will, just like how you are willing to spend the extra $100 for 2600K over 2500K because of potential future performance gains. 

I would also avoid Gigabyte mobo for the time being, the reviews for their UEFI functionality is not stellar. I would pick MSI Gxx series or AsRock Extreme series instead, but again, this is personal. There is nothing wrong going for other manufacturers, my only problem is with EVGA who somehow have managed to blotch their 1156 and 1155 motherboards despite coming out of 1366 as a reputable motherboard maker.


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> Thermal paste is really not worth bothering, just get something which is not junk, the application matters more for the temp difference than the different TIM, the temperature difference is less than 3C at most between the best and your average branded ones.
> 
> If you want your rig to last for 5 years, 2600K is a fair choice. Also, Newegg price difference between 6970 and 580 is about $100 the last time I checked, $300 for 6970 and $400 for 580. As said earlier, this becomes a personal preference, I am willing to spend the $100 for that extra 10%, not everybody will, just like how you are willing to spend the extra $100 for 2600K over 2500K because of potential future performance gains.
> 
> I would also avoid Gigabyte mobo for the time being, the reviews for their UEFI functionality is not stellar. I would pick MSI Gxx series or AsRock Extreme series instead, but again, this is personal. There is nothing wrong going for other manufacturers, my only problem is with EVGA who somehow have managed to blotch their 1156 and 1155 motherboards despite coming out of 1366 as a reputable motherboard maker.



so i will go with the GTX 580, what vendor do you think is good and 1.5GB of VRAM or what? also from my choices what mobo will you choose, or you got another great mobo recommendation?


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## moumou (Oct 15, 2011)

Nice parts list. :)


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

So guys I will stick with the gtx 580, do you think my corsair hx850 will handle 2 of those? Also what board should I go with? Like I said I want to overclock my CPU, I'm aiming at 4.5 - 4.8GHz.
Also from the memory I will go with 8GB so which one is best, the corsair or the G.skill. Thanks


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## Deleted member 67555 (Oct 15, 2011)

About these
2X XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1453 140mm LED Orange 
They suck...Got 1 (had 2) of em that are turned off cause when they are on they are all I can hear...way louder than the <16 db that is advertised..

Actually come to think of it...Ive pulled all of my Xiggy fans (except the top 140mm fan) and replaced em with Scythe fans that are actually as quite as they are advertised.


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

jmcslob said:


> About these
> 2X XIGMATEK Cooling System XLF XLF-F1453 140mm LED Orange
> They suck...Got 1 (had 2) of em that are turned off cause when they are on they are all I can hear...way louder than the <16 db that is advertised..
> 
> Actually come to think of it...Ive pulled all of my Xiggy fans (except the top 140mm fan) and replaced em with Scythe fans that are actually as quite as they are advertised.



Hi! Thank you for your help. So which fan you think will perform better? I actually pick these 2 because they look cool when ON, almos like red.


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## John Doe (Oct 15, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> So guys I will stick with the gtx 580, do you think my corsair hx850 will handle 2 of those?



If you already have it, yep, it can. As you can see, an OCed i7 Bloomfield system with CCFLs and such *peaked *to 719W from the wall (AC power); running FurMark...

http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-580-sli-review/14

which should equate to say 650W of DC power. Considering FurMark not only gets full multi-GPU scaling, but also loads up cards up to at least 50W more, games will pull less power, especially on a more efficient system. So you are looking at 600W or so continuous power with that system. While a 850W unit can handle it, I would not buy a HX850 anymore. It is based on an older design with no fins on heatsinks. Tops out at 70C, less reliable. I would shoot for an another unit.


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## Fourstaff (Oct 15, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> so i will go with the GTX 580, what vendor do you think is good and 1.5GB of VRAM or what? also from my choices what mobo will you choose, or you got another great mobo recommendation?



1.5GB is enough. 

Either motherboard is fine, but I will probably go for something a bit cheaper because you wouldn't need all those functionality.


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## DrunkenMafia (Oct 15, 2011)

good looking build mate, although if you haven't already bought the psu i would opt for the HX1000.  850 will be working with 2 580's and oc'd cpu.  

To hell with sticking with the stock heatsink, the corsair H series are great and easy to install, a good option.

The asrock boards are good but I am a gb boy, never had a problem with gb but i have heard good things about asrock.  The Z68 is a good chipset.

16gb of ram is a little overkill.  I would go for a better 4gb or 8gb (at most) set of ram.  The i7 will benefit from higher freq ram.  Try to find a good 2000+ mhz kit, for example:

G.SKILL Ripjaws X Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR...

I would also try to budget in a 120gb SSD. 60gb is ok but once you get OS and a couple of games on its full.  120 will give you a bit more breathing space.  

Looking like a sweet build though, should easily come in under budget.


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## Fourstaff (Oct 15, 2011)

Going above 1600Mhz leads to almost negligible gains for Sandy Bridge, so I would not be bothered with 2000Mhz kit. AMD likes their ram fast and tight though, so going that high would be sensible.


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

John Doe said:


> If you already have it, yep, it can. As you can see, an OCed i7 Bloomfield system with CCFLs and such *peaked *to 719W from the wall (AC power); running FurMark...
> 
> http://www.guru3d.com/article/geforce-gtx-580-sli-review/14
> 
> which should equate to say 650W of DC power. Considering FurMark not only gets full multi-GPU scaling, but also loads up cards up to at least 50W more, games will pull less power, especially on a more efficient system. So you are looking at 600W or so continuous power with that system. While a 850W unit can handle it, I would not buy a HX850 anymore. It is based on an older design with no fins on heatsinks. Tops out at 70C, less reliable. I would shoot for an another unit.




I understand. So, what psu do you redommend? Or any list of the newest psu that perform similar to the HX850? Because the HX859 is a excellent psu alot of reviewers said.thanks


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> 1.5GB is enough.
> 
> Either motherboard is fine, but I will probably go for something a bit cheaper because you wouldn't need all those functionality.



Ok, so what mobo do you recommend? I need something reliable that will let me oc my processor to a decent stage and also is great for connectivity, you know, SATA 6gbs etc. Fan connector. Thank you


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## pantherx12 (Oct 15, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> I like the corsair h80 because is a good water cooling for novice like me and I will overclock the i7 and want a really nice temp for it.




Better to get a good air cooler than a one of those pre-built water cooling systems.


The dual tower heatsinks ( Noctua dh14/ Thermalright Silver Arrow etc) cool things better anyway.



Those water cooling units are for OEMS not for enthusiasts IMO.


Also they look cool!


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## John Doe (Oct 15, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> I understand. So, what psu do you redommend? Or any list of the newest psu that perform similar to the HX850? Because the HX859 is a excellent psu alot of reviewers said.thanks



It used to be, however Corsair, or let's say CWT's QC is not so shiny. More of their units like the HX1000 have been failing lately. With that aside, the CWT DSG platform gets too hot. Lack of proper heatsinks thereof; a pair of metal piece does not cool too well. But yes, it still performs good.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story3&reid=170






Personally, I would suggest this one. Regulates right at +3.3v, +5v and +12v in all tests, based on a newer, dual-transformer design. Fully modular, too.

TOPOWER POWERBIRD TOP-900W 900W ATX12V V2.3 / EPS1...

http://enthusiast.hardocp.com/article/2008/10/07/topower_powerbird_series_power_supplies/8


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

Fourstaff said:


> Going above 1600Mhz leads to almost negligible gains for Sandy Bridge, so I would not be bothered with 2000Mhz kit. AMD likes their ram fast and tight though, so going that high would be sensible.



Ok, so from my choices which one is good? I will stick with 8GB of ram. Or if you have a better one. Thank you


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

pantherx12 said:


> Better to get a good air cooler than a one of those pre-built water cooling systems.
> 
> 
> The dual tower heatsinks ( Noctua dh14/ Thermalright Silver Arrow etc) cool things better anyway.
> ...



I went with the corsair h80 because I don't have any issues with the ram slots, tall ram heatsink will maybe cause me problems. But i will look into your choices and decide, if you say they perform better than the h80 I will def go for it. Thanks


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

Thanks John doe, I wil look into that. 
So guys what 120gb ssd would you recommend me? Thanks


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## pantherx12 (Oct 15, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> I went with the corsair h80 because I don't have any issues with the ram slots, tall ram heatsink will maybe cause me problems. But i will look into your choices and decide, if you say they perform better than the h80 I will def go for it. Thanks



Well that's another thing, ddr3 runs cool as hell, those massive heatsinks are gimicky unless your going for ram air cooling world records 

Standard height ram with heat spreaders will do fine, especially since you're only getting ddr3 1600, most kits even with standard heat spreaders will do 1800mhz without any fuss so there's plenty of wiggle room.


All up to you though it's your machine, just throwing some shapes


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## John Doe (Oct 15, 2011)

Oh and BTW, this one is also a very solid unit. 900W is the sweet spot for 580 SLi IMO.

PC Power and Cooling Silencer 910W High Performanc...

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story5&reid=157


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## Truquitos (Oct 15, 2011)

Thank you guys. Keep the tips coming. 
Also any advice on a good ssd 128gb. How to install it with windows 7 and any good tutorial on oc my I7. I don't know what board to go with yet.


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## linoliveira (Oct 15, 2011)

Hello! And grats for your excellent rig 

On the current doubts you have, my advice is:
The power supply: OCZ ZX 850W - Review
The SSD: OCZ Agility 3 120GB

If you want to take a look at AsRock Extreme 4 Gen3, it is a pretty good mobo! I got one with a 2500k and OC'd it to 4.2Ghz with only 1.2v 
I also got one Agility 3, and let me tell you... it is fast like hell! And you save 23$ comparing to a Crucial M4


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## Truquitos (Oct 17, 2011)

thanks for your recommendations. im still reading all the great information here.

one more thing, i see that AMD/ATI has something called Eyefinity for a 3 set up monitor, that looks really cool, maybe in the future i will jump there too, but do NVIDIA has something like that? since im going wit the GTX 580 and later on i will add another one.
also what monitor is a great to best one!  at a good price, less than 400 dollars.


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## digibucc (Oct 17, 2011)

they call it nvidia surround or surround vision.  don't know the specs though, sry


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## Truquitos (Oct 17, 2011)

I will look into it. I just hope that the 1.5Gb of the GTX 580 will be enough to compete with the 2GB of the HD 6970. When crossfire or SLI which one will be the winner? Any good reviews. Thanks


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## linoliveira (Oct 17, 2011)

IMHO you would be better with the 6970 CrossFire than GTX580 SLI, because:
You will save power, that means less money on the electricity bill.
You will also save around 200$ if you go with 2x6970.
And 2GB of memory could avoid bottlenecks of future texture insensitive games (if you play with resolutions of 5k with 3 monitors that could be useful)

With those savings, if you desire a more cooler/silent rig, you can opt to "waste" them and buy cards with after market cooler (like MSI Lightning). Only 20$ more than the reference card!
W1zzard got a review here.

Good Luck finding your favorite parts


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## John Doe (Oct 17, 2011)

linoliveira said:


> IMHO you would be better with the 6970 CrossFire than GTX580 SLI, because:
> You will save power, that means less money on the electricity bill.
> You will also save around 200$ if you go with 2x6970.
> And 2GB of memory could avoid bottlenecks of future texture insensitive games (if you play with resolutions of 5k with 3 monitors that could be useful)
> ...



lol. Both cards pull the same amount of power. nVidia has better SLi profile support where you have to wait for AMD to release a HotFix for CF. Yes, CF does scale better, but at same time the 580 is stronger. Furthermore, the 580 is a cooler running card than the 6970. The 5K resolution does not make sense either. Don't give out crap, sided info please. It's up to the OP to decide on.


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## Truquitos (Oct 18, 2011)

linoliveira said:


> IMHO you would be better with the 6970 CrossFire than GTX580 SLI, because:
> You will save power, that means less money on the electricity bill.
> You will also save around 200$ if you go with 2x6970.
> And 2GB of memory could avoid bottlenecks of future texture insensitive games (if you play with resolutions of 5k with 3 monitors that could be useful)
> ...


well, after reading that review, its clearly that the GTX 580 si a way better card. just look at those graph, the GTX580 was always on top! so i guess ill be fine with 2 of those later on. what you think!




John Doe said:


> lol. Both cards pull the same amount of power. nVidia has better SLi profile support where you have to wait for AMD to release a HotFix for CF. Yes, CF does scale better, but at same time the 580 is stronger. Furthermore, the 580 is a cooler running card than the 6970. The 5K resolution does not make sense either. Don't give out crap, sided info please. It's up to the OP to decide on.



well from that review the gtx 580 seems to be a winner


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## bostonbuddy (Oct 18, 2011)

go w/ a single 580 or 2 6970s.


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## theeldest (Oct 18, 2011)

Truquitos said:


> well, after reading that review, its clearly that the GTX 580 si a way better card. just look at those graph, the GTX580 was always on top! so i guess ill be fine with 2 of those later on. what you think!
> 
> well from that review the gtx 580 seems to be a winner




Generally AMD is going to be a better bet if you plan to use Eyefinity (3 monitors or more). AMD scales very well with higher resolutions, partly due to more memory. 

If you think you'll only do a single monitor then nVidia will generally give better performance.


And the 580 had better give better performance considering the price difference! ;-)


Also, don't let John Doe scare you off the Corsair PSUs. They're still fantastic. Only a few are consistently better (Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, etc)


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## John Doe (Oct 18, 2011)

theeldest said:


> Also, don't let John Doe scare you off the Corsair PSUs. They're still fantastic. Only a few are consistently better (Seasonic, PC Power & Cooling, etc)



Comes down on the model. The AX850 is a SeaSonic X-850 with stronger MOSFETs. It is a great PSU. However HX850 and lower are all based on old CWT platforms. They were never the best units. Even in their prime time, the CM Real Power Pro 850W and over were better PSUs.


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## Truquitos (Oct 18, 2011)

Thank you for your information. I have made my decision and I will go with 2 HD6970. Unless I find a really good special and I can buy it cheaper, it's a 114 dollar difference, I saw a few review with the HD6970 on CrossFire and they beat the GTX580 in SLI.


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## John Doe (Oct 18, 2011)

Yes, they scale significantly better than 580s. If you can find a reference 6970 or a Twin-Frozr, it would be even better. 580s however have a driver advantage.

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-sli-3-way-scaling,2865-10.html


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## theeldest (Oct 18, 2011)

John Doe said:


> Yes, they scale significantly better than 580s. If you can find a reference 6970 or a Twin-Frozr, it would be even better. 580s however have a driver advantage.
> 
> http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/crossfire-sli-3-way-scaling,2865-10.html



Ah, nVidia drivers. I had a nVidia card about 5 years ago and I'm still waiting for AMD's drivers to be as pain free.

But crossfire scaling is quite good and I'll second the recommendation on the MSI Twin-Frozrs (I have two of the 6950s)

I don't think there is a 6970 frozr available but here's the 6950: MSI R6950 Twin Frozr III PE/OC Radeon HD 6950 2GB ...

I've gone through 4 and they've all unlocked.


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## John Doe (Oct 18, 2011)

Yeah, those are unlockable. The TF2 was a reference board with a custom cooler on top of it. IDK if they changed it, but yes, they are solid cards. There is a TF 6970 as well, but if you want to exhaust hot air out of your case, you can also look into a reference card.

VisionTek 900353 Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDDR5 ...


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## Truquitos (Oct 18, 2011)

ATI is the way to go then! Also yes there is a MSI Lighting Edition
MSI R6970 Lightning Radeon HD 6970 2GB 256-bit GDD...


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