My $2500 rig (2nd attempt)Post Date: 2008-07-26 |
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ChrisB 
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Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 3 |
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 Topic: My $2500 rig (2nd attempt)Posted: 26 Jul 2008 at 12:57pm |
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This computer is going to be mainly used for MMO's such as Age of Conan, Guild Wars, WoW, or any others that peak my interest. I would also like to play games such as Crysis eventually. All of this will be done originally on a 19inch screen but will soon be updated to a 22-24inch. Any suggestions on the build are very much appreciated.
$2517 Chassis: Antec 900 Exterior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Interior Finish: - Standard Factory Finish Power Supply: 750W Corsair HX (Dual SLI Compatible) (Silent Edition) Processor: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 2.66GHz (1333MHz FSB) (12MB Cache) Motherboard: Asus Rampage Formula (Chipset: Intel X48) (Supports CrossFire) System Memory: 4GB DDR2 OCZ at 1066MHz (SLI-Ready Edition) Card Reader: - No Thanks Hard Drive 1: 320GB Western Digital (16MB Cache) (7200 RPM) (SATA) Hard Drive 2: - No Thanks Raid Option: - No Thanks Hard Drive 3: - No Thanks Optical Drive 1: - No Thanks Optical Drive 2: DVD±R/RW/CD-R/RW (DVD Writer 20x / CD-Writer 48x) Wireless Access: High Speed Network Port (Supports High-Speed Cable / DSL / Network Connections) Video Card: ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB TV Tuner: - No Thanks Sound Card: Integrated Motherboard Audio Extreme Cooling: Liquid Chilled FrostBite CPU Only Internal Lighting: Blizzard Internal Lighting (Green Edition) (Cold Cathode Tubes) Modifications: - No Thanks Boost Processor: Yes, Overclock the processor as much as possible with complete stability Boost Video Card: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my video card(s) Boost Memory: - No Thanks, Please do not overclock my memory Tweak Windows: - No Thanks, Please do not tweak the services on the operating system Windows OS: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium (64-Bit Edition) (For Enthusiasts) Restore Kit: Digital Storm Specialized Recovery System (DVD Image Based) Protection: - No Thanks Office: - No Thanks Benchmarking: - No Thanks Install/Test Game: - No Thanks LCD Display: - No Thanks Surge Shield: - No Thanks Speakers: - No Thanks Keyboard: - No Thanks Mouse: - No Thanks my keyboard comes with a mouse External Storage: - No Thanks Warranty: 3 Year Platinum Care Extended Parts & Labor Warranty |
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Ratbreath
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Joined: 01 Jul 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 24 |
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Posted: 26 Jul 2008 at 1:27pm |
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In any event it'll be easier to add another ATI card later than to add liquid cooling later. I'm biased though--I like quiet, pretty machines.
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jimbos123
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Joined: 20 Jun 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 13 |
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Posted: 26 Jul 2008 at 8:22pm |
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Might want to just wait until August 12th and get the 4870x2 2 gig instead for crysis? People are saying it is a lot stronger then the regular 4870 and the 4870x2 can even outperform the 280x 1 gig nvidia. I ordered the 280x in sli mode anyway though, because no matter what you do your stuff is always going to be outdated in a few months anyway lolol.
Edited by jimbos123 - 26 Jul 2008 at 8:25pm |
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widdlecat
DS Veteran 
Joined: 11 Mar 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 840 |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2008 at 2:02am |
...and if that's not enough graphics power, later you can add a second 4870x2 in crossfireX!  |
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Tyler Lowe
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Joined: 14 May 2008 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0 |
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Posted: 27 Jul 2008 at 3:23am |
I tend to lean towards air cooling myself, however, it depends on exactly where the limit is on budget. The difference between stage 3 air cooling and the CPU only cooling is $170. What I try to do, is to take a look at the intended uses for the computer and see if those uses will be more CPU or GPU intensive, and what benefits if any can be had by applying the $170 elsewhere in the build. In this case, $170 simply is not enough to get a second HD4870.
I don't see where the liquid cooling selection is hurting this build. If this is something you feel strongly about Chris, liquid will get you a better shot at higher clocks. I would not go CPU only liquid cooling for a noise reduction as the GPU fans are going to be quite loud under load, so any advantage gained in reducing the noise of cooling the CPU is going to be lost as soon as the HD4870's fan kicks in. The RAM speed you're paying for is well suited to pushing higher CPU clocks, which again supports the liquid cooling selection.
One thing I am going to suggest is a move to a 500GB HDD. Applications are becoming larger with each passing year, and for the minimal difference in price, I think going from 320GB to 500GB is well worth it.
Aside from that, this seems like a well considered build to me. You may want to see if the Antec case comes with blue LED fans by default. I see you selected green lighting. If you were hoping for an all green themed case, you may need to request a replacement of any stock fans that are otherwise. This is not something I am certain of, but something to definitely ask about when placing your order.
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