Is this computer config right for me?

Edited by Diogones - 25 Feb 2010 at 4:21pm

Well that is a good question. It really all depends on what size of monitor I should get. Which resolution do you think would be best for the specs I posted?

Thank you for your opinion. But may I ask, why don't you like the 23 and 25 inch monitors? Is it too difficult to get a good resolution with those sizes?

you don't build a pc and match the monitor to it, you get the monitor and match the gpus to it.

if you got $500 I think manybe one of the members can help you with a coupon so you can get the Dell UltraSharp U2410 which is a good monitor.

however your gpu (250 gts)is not gonna be able to handle that res, that gpu can give you maybe 40 fps at 1200 x 1000 with 4x aa and 16x af.

what is your budget for this pc?

I still don't understand what funky text you guys are talking about, my 24" is perfect as far as that stuff goes.

Edited by DST4ME - 25 Feb 2010 at 2:00pm

Yes, building the graphics to match the monitor certainly makes sense. My budget is about $1500 to $2000, because as I mentioned, if you think it would last me several years, I believe it will be a worthwhile investment.

Alright, well I can certainly get a stronger graphic card then. Which would you recommend for me to match a 22 inch at full resolution and max graphics?

most are 1680x1050, and he won't be able to crank up the eye candy, but still will run most games and on decent settings,  is the 5770 much of a price jump here?

single gpu solution is always better that way you wil avoid any cf bugs and driver problems.

can you tell me how much that config of yours cost?

Edited by DST4ME - 25 Feb 2010 at 2:27pm

if you want 50 to 60 fps for smooth gaming and 8x aa and 16x af then yes the 5850.

a 260 gtx or 275 gtx will do great also but they dont' support dx11.

Edited by DST4ME - 25 Feb 2010 at 2:31pm

if you mean movies and stuff, yes, for movies and etc, res does not matter, for games it does, cause the higher the res to more gpu power you need to run it with the highest settings and aa and af.

I have benchmarks but not for the games he plays. If he just wants to play those games a 5770 will due like justing said but for games like farcry2 a 5850 would be better.

Another thought I have. Since I'm trying to keep costs down, what kind of graphics card could I use with just a 17 or 18 inch monitor? The 5850 may be a bit too expensive for my budget. Would it be easy to upgrade it later?

Edited by Diogones - 25 Feb 2010 at 5:51pm

Thank you for your help, it is much appreciated! However, I am uncertain what you mean when you mentioned high aa and af. Forgive my ignorance, but what does that mean? I will upgrade to an i7, because you are right, it may be a bit much for my needs now, but it will defintely help the longevity of my computer.

Edited by Diogones - 25 Feb 2010 at 7:18pm

In your first post you asked whether you should go with this minimalistic build or whether it was worth it to move up.

It seems like if you choose the lowest end value/budget build configuration that moving up to a slightly better CPU makes sense, since the retail value of those CPU's are more in line with the bottom line cost of the configuration than if you go with the i5-750.  DS penalizes you for choosing the i5-750.  I suppose it is because they aren't profitable selling true budget systems like ibuypower or cyberpower (which I don't recommend).

Thank you both for your replies, they are extremely helpful!

Ok, I see your argument with the i5 750 config, but what if I were to meet you guys halfway and get the i7 860 instead of the i7 920? Would that still support the 6 core CPU upgrade? What's the oc/GHz of the 860? Would it still be better value to just go 920 and forget it?

I noticed a disparity with your RAM suggestions. DST4ME recommended that I get it, so that I might still multi-task (which is very big for me and my purposes). But Monstromo advised that the RAM will not make a performance difference. I emailed DS and their approach was to get the 6GB upgrade and forget about it. So I'm still confused somewhat on the RAM issue, and whether it is worth my while.

Are you sure I don't need don't need liquid cooling Monstromo? I mean on the one hand I'm inclined to agree with you. I don't really know anything about it, and thus wouldn't want to mess with it if something went wrong inside the tower. And of course, if I can cut that cost, it would help my budget. On the other hand, I thought I would need the cooling upgrade to support the free overclocking of my processor, so I'm unsure where that stands. I could just get a fan upgrade, do you guys think that would be a safer bet? If I go with the i7 920 build, however, the air cooling is only compatible with an i5 processor, and the other non liquid cooling option costs a little bit more.

Ok, I'll just stick with the 5850, both of you have convinced me. Speaking of graphics, I noticed your computer specs and your monitor Monstro. Per chance, do you have this particular 22 inch Samsung screen?           
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001345

Because as luck would have it, I'm thinking about getting that. How has this monitor worked for you? But for an even stronger resolution and more screen real estate I might pay a little extra and go with this:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/searchtools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=4938551&csid=ITD&body=MAIN#detailspecs

A 25 inch I-inc monitor. I might have to pay a little more for warranty and service though, so that is still questionable.

What are your opinions on the RAID option? I don't think I'll need either RAID 0 or 1, for two reasons. First, I have an external 500 MB hard drive, so I don't need the extra space. It works very well as a backup for me, and I don't think I should change that. Second, the RAID 0 is probably overkill, since I"m not playing cutting edge, extremely demanding graphic games like Crysis.

What are the advantages to getting a second Optical Drive? Do you think that is necessary for me, or should I just upgrade my single drive and leave it at that? On a side note, does the computer include a PS/2 port for a keyboard? If not, I may upgrade to a USB keyboard, as I think they are better.

You are absolutely right, you can't always be cutting edge. And that's fine, because for my comp uses, that isn't necessary. Just something that will last, has good customer support and service, (read Digital Storm) and can handle games at full speed at max resolution. That is all I really ask. I definitely see your point about Dell though. While I have never personally owned one, I have read several reviews from multiple websites detailing that their customer service isn't exactly first class. Or even third rate. So I will be making a conscious effort to avoid that company, along with HP (shudder). They shoulda stuck with making staplers, as far as I'm concerned.
Thank you again for all your help; at this rate, you guys will have me finding the "perfect comp" (if such a thing exists?) for my needs and budget!


Edited by Diogones - 26 Feb 2010 at 4:11pm

Edited by Monstromo - 26 Feb 2010 at 4:26pm

LOL, trickster posted at 124 and I at 125.,  Nice Ninja, but I agree with him.  I do have a RAID 0 system that was suggested by a DS employee back in 2007 for the speed increase that my OS and programs would load at.  So, I went with two 150GB 10K Raptors.  But that was a different time.  We had just been moving away from 5400 RPM being fast and RAID 0 being a way to get ahead of those excruciating load times before 2007.  Also, I was building an exclusive gaming PC so my data wasn't important to me. But in the present day  a 1TB 7200RPM drive with the components you are getting is damn fast and loading times are not the annoying thing they were in the past.  There is no reason whatsoever to risk your data, even if it is just a gaming system.  Also, you can do something that I even I did back then which is to pair a smaller faster drive with a larger drive and put your OS on the smaller drive.  But again you don't have to and you don't have to do it now.