Help with finding computer components
greentooth
Hello,
I am considering building a computer but I don't know what components to use. I am trying to find what would be best for 3D Game design. I looked into it a bit and created the list below. I'm not sure if this is all compatible though and I'm not sure about a good graphics card or if I am missing anything else. Could someone let me know if this works or not or if it is overkill for whatI need the computer to do?
list:
CPU: Core i7 960
GPU: N/A
Motherboard: EVGA X58 SLI
RAM: OCZ Gold 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600mhz
PSU(power): CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W
HDDs: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive
Sound Card: Creative 70SB073A00000 Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
CPU cooler: Thermaltake Contac 29 120mm
Case: NZXT M59 - 001BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64
I am considering building a computer but I don't know what components to use. I am trying to find what would be best for 3D Game design. I looked into it a bit and created the list below. I'm not sure if this is all compatible though and I'm not sure about a good graphics card or if I am missing anything else. Could someone let me know if this works or not or if it is overkill for whatI need the computer to do?
list:
CPU: Core i7 960
GPU: N/A
Motherboard: EVGA X58 SLI
RAM: OCZ Gold 6GB DDR3 SDRAM 1600mhz
PSU(power): CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W
HDDs: Western Digital Caviar Green 1TB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Internal Hard Drive
Sound Card: Creative 70SB073A00000 Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer
CPU cooler: Thermaltake Contac 29 120mm
Case: NZXT M59 - 001BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate x64
Replies
Warning about overclock:
Parts have a lifespan they're rated to run at a set speed for a set amount of time then die. When you "overclock" you're just shortening the time it has left to live. It's not enough to just dial it back down when it starts getting buggy, its taken on damage like the titanic and its flooding compartments like crazy. Its on a down hill slide by the time you notice and the only thing left to do is replace it. Better to get a only 100% performance out of it and have it last another 6mo-2years if you ask me.
To top it off, they're boards are super expensive and not really that different from other boards, besides their marketing...
Warning about SLI:
I think SLI is useless for what we do, so 3xSLI is total over kill. Most people use two monitors which you can only run SLI with one.
Even in forced SLI mode most of the apps we use don't take advantage of it so its a waste.
Even if you run SLI selectively (which will allow you to run multiple cards with multiple monitors) but disables SLI until you run an app that makes use of it. Meaning for most of what we do it will never kick on SLI mode.
Sound Card:
I've never had a need for anything other than the sound card that came with the mo-bo. But then I use headphones and have never bothered to wire work or home for an SEXTREME sound experience. So you could save yourself 80 bucks there. The sound card you picked out is kind of low end for doing sound work so its seems more built for gamer bragging rights...
HDD:
Personally I would go with 2 physical hard drives. One smaller super fast drive to house the OS apps I use. One larger probably slower drive for storage since it's hard to get both and it seems a bit smarter to not put all you're eggs in one basket.
RAM
Max out the ram while you can. If you're going to throw money around on a extreme mo-bo and soundcard you might was well save it and dump it in the ram. You might think well I can get more later but it's best to have the same type and from the same batch if you can. Keep in mind that some apps like Zbrush specifically use ram but are stuck in 32bit mode so they only use 3.4gb... This is the case for any app that doesn't have a 64bit version or if you install the old 32bit.
Case:
Just as a matter of personal taste, the case looks like the stealth bomber had a fling with the ugly faerie. But it's a case if you like it and it keeps things cool and quite who cares. If you get a good case it will last you longer than the parts inside, same goes for the power supply, your monitor(s) and your tablet.
Long post short:
Save yourself 200-ish on the mobo, I personally trust ASUS.
Save yourself 80 on the sound card by using on board sound.
Max out the ram while you can.
2 HD's.
1 non-noisy great cooling case.
(HaHA!)
to Vig: So SLI is no good? What would be a good alternative? What would be good in terms of graphics card? Also, I am not sure what mo-bo is. I agree with using a less powerful sound card though. I actually had found a different one but posted the wrong one in my earlier message.
To ZacD: I am not sure about my budget. Mainly I am just seeing what is good at which point I can decide which elements I can cut corners on.
You realize your Karma is going to catch up with you?
I agree with Vig: SLI is a no go, get something rock solid rather than multi-GPU. GTX 285 or 275 are good cards and have excellent performance.
EVGA Is a solid brand, but like it was mentioned before, if you're looking for stability, don't go with something like this for a motherboard. These are for enthusiasts who build machines like Race Horses, lightning fast but unstable as a shit after mexican food.
Some people don't like Intel boards, but if you're not overclocking and aren't looking for feature richness in the BIOS, they're well built and will last.
1600mhz RAM is not worth the extra few dollars, nor the instability. Go with what the motherboard manufacturer suggests in their Qualified Vendor List, and look for Quantity rather than the fastest... You won't notice a difference between 1333 and 1600, but you will notice a difference between 6 and 8 gigs.
Soundcard is irrelevant unless you're doing sound editing too...
HDD, go with the WD Caviar Black series rather than the Green, the slight performance boost here is definitely worth it.
Case sucks, go with a Lian-Li
CPU cooler is alright, but you might find better performance out of a Zalman.
Why Win7 Ultimate? If you're purchasing this at retail or OEM prices, its not worth it either... Home Premium is everything you'd need, but if you insist, don't go above Pro.
I'll also reiterate that if you're only using this machine for 3D and related tasks, SLI isn't that useful or worth the extra money. SLI is 95% for gaming.
EVGA graphics cards are awesome in my experience, and the warranty is good.
1366 Mobo Brand recommendations: Asus, Gigabyte, Intel. The current Intel offering is rated poorly on places like Newegg, but if you read up on it, its generally because people are trying to overclock or do some fancy stuff with it... Intel is not for the fancy stuff, but will be stable if you build it right. ( Qualified Vendor List for Memory!)