Need Advice on New PC

[jasperchc]

CPU: i5-750 @ $270
MOBO: Gigabyte GA-P55M-UD2 / MSI P55-CD53 / MSI P55M-GD45 @ $230 (CPU + mobo @ $500)
RAM: Kingston DDR3 4GB (2x2) @$130
GPU: ATI 4870 1GB @ $260
PSU: OCZ Z Series 650 Watts Silver / OCZ Modxstream-Pro 600 Watts / Cosair HX620W EPS / Antec TP-650W True Power / EnerMax MODU82+ 525W @ $190 - $150
HDD: 1TB x 2 @ $300
Casing: ....... @ $100

Total: (price in Singapore Dollar)
$1480
$1780 (i7-860, ATI 5850)

Been away for a long time, busy with work. Anyway, need some help and inputs with a new rig. Rig is primary for gaming, any idea if i should take i7-860 with ATI 5850 for extra $300?

And for mobo and psu, dunno which one is better, list a few out, anyone has an experience or recommendation for any of them?

[Adrian Wong]

If you ask me, the Core i5-750 is fast enough. Heck, even the good old Core 2 Duo is fast enough for all games!

Spend the money on the Radeon HD 5850 and more RAM (if you can afford it). Otherwise, the $1480 system's really good enough for most games.

Oh, be sure to spend some money on a decent power supply and a good MONITOR!!!

[Chai]

Why are you getting the micro ATX board?

5850 is great, but I don't think it's worth it.

[goldfries]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

If you ask me, the Core i5-750 is fast enough. Heck, even the good old Core 2 Duo is fast enough for all games!

after reading so much about the i5 and seeing it at the launch, I personally tested it and found it not to be any much of an improvement over my Xeon 3320.

I think it's not worth going i5 if your usage doesn't warrant it, or if you already have a fast quad-core.

probably the consolation of going i5 would be the NEW socket.

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

Spend the money on the Radeon HD 5850 and more RAM (if you can afford it). Otherwise, the $1480 system's really good enough for most games.

Oh, be sure to spend some money on a decent power supply and a good MONITOR!!!

MONITOR - wise people will know that IT IS worth spending on that. i love my Dell 2007WFP.

Originally Posted by jasperchc

......
GPU: ATI 4870 1GB @ $260.....

why don't you consider a HD5770 1GB?

[Chai]

It is a no brainer to get i5 IMO. It is definitely the future. Why go for the soon to be outdated C2Q, when i5 setup doesn't cost that much more? Maybe DDR3 is slightly more expensive.

[jasperchc]

Originally Posted by Chai

Why are you getting the micro ATX board?

5850 is great, but I don't think it's worth it.

micro atx? i dont know, arent they all the same?

[jasperchc]

Originally Posted by goldfries

after reading so much about the i5 and seeing it at the launch, I personally tested it and found it not to be any much of an improvement over my Xeon 3320.

I think it's not worth going i5 if your usage doesn't warrant it, or if you already have a fast quad-core.

probably the consolation of going i5 would be the NEW socket.



MONITOR - wise people will know that IT IS worth spending on that. i love my Dell 2007WFP.




why don't you consider a HD5770 1GB?

all the reviews seem to favour the lga-1156 socket, and my last desktop is amd athlon xp, so looking for something better which will last me for a few years after so many years to get back into the game.

and 5770 seems to be inferior to 4870, i mean from the reviews except for dx11 support although they are price the same.

[jasperchc]

Originally Posted by Adrian Wong

If you ask me, the Core i5-750 is fast enough. Heck, even the good old Core 2 Duo is fast enough for all games!

Spend the money on the Radeon HD 5850 and more RAM (if you can afford it). Otherwise, the $1480 system's really good enough for most games.

Oh, be sure to spend some money on a decent power supply and a good MONITOR!!!

4gb of ram arent enough? monitor, hmm... i bought a 22' LG last year, its now sitting back at my hometown collecting dust, so gonna use back that monitor but can only get it when i go back for CNY next year, will just borrow a 19' from a friend in the meantime.

[Chai]

Originally Posted by jasperchc

micro atx? i dont know, arent they all the same?

No they are not the same. Micro ATX is a smaller version of ATX, they are meant for smaller form factor casing.

But it seems like you are buying full ATX casing and PSU, and there is no reason for you to buy a micro ATX board. They usually have less expansion (less PCIE, PCI slots, less room for other chipsets like Firewire, Floppy controller, IDE, other external chipsets tc).

[goldfries]

Originally Posted by Chai

It is a no brainer to get i5 IMO. It is definitely the future. Why go for the soon to be outdated C2Q, when i5 setup doesn't cost that much more? Maybe DDR3 is slightly more expensive.

Originally Posted by jasperchc

all the reviews seem to favour the lga-1156 socket, and my last desktop is amd athlon xp, so looking for something better which will last me for a few years after so many years to get back into the game.

and 5770 seems to be inferior to 4870, i mean from the reviews except for dx11 support although they are price the same.

my browser crashed when i was typing my reply earlier, so the above was a re-draft

anyway about the i5 part - just to clarify - what i'm saying is that if you already have an existing fast system then it's not worth just to jump over. and what i missed out was that i am referring to stock i5 750. I was on P45 X3320 4GB D2 setup, i benched that vs the P55 i5-750 4GB D3 setup and found that if i switched from one to another, it incurs quite some cost with not so much gain.

after OCing - now that i5 750 is really a nice beast. 4.2ghz is awesome CPU-Z Validator 3.1 I was just limited by my RAM (OCZ 1066). it passes all the benchies i threw at it but i can't run Forged Alliance with 4.2ghz.

in your case, yeah i5 is the way to go.

as for the HD5770, do you think it's inferior to HD4870?

I've tested (read my article) the HD5770 and I found it to be really close to the HD4890, I guess you can say it's between HD4870 and HD4890 BUT remember that you're getting DX11 support AND something that consumes less power, which means it generates lesser heat too.