Putting together a system for Wolfgang

[Ghosth]

This is what I have picked out so far just as a starting point. Any thoughts or ideas are appreciated.

I am not ready to buy yet, just trying to get a starting point for discussion.

INTEL Core i5-670 (BX80616I5670) 3.46ghz processor w/4mb cache socket 1156 retail boxed w/cooling fan
Bundle Options:
# GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P
# CORSAIR 4GB KIT CMX4GX3M2A1600C8
# ASSEMBLE/TEST      $610.96
(link to Motherboard review) http://www.pcstats.com/articleview.cfm?articleID=2495


Gigabyte GZ-KF03B Black ATX Micro Mid Tower Computer Case / 550w Power Supply / Samsung SHS223C SATA 22x DVD±RW DL Drive     $79.99

Western Digital WD7501AALS Caviar Black 750GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -Bare Drive with 5 Years warranty    $75.99

Creative Sound Blaster Audigy 30SB057000000 SE Sound Card Audigy SE - PCI - 24 bit - Internal
$25.41

Lite-On iHAS424 24x DVD±RW Drive with LightScribe Double-layer - DVD-RAM/±R/±RW - 24x 8x 16x (DVD) - 48x 32x 48x (CD) - Serial ATA - Internal - Black     $27.99

ASUS EAH5830 DIRECTCU/2DIS/1GD5 Radeon HD 5830 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity    $259.99

OR

XFX HD-587X-ZNFC Radeon HD 5870 1GB 256-bit DDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
$364.81

With 5830 video card   
Sub Total:    $1,080.33
Shipping:    $31.09
Order Total:    $1,111.42

With the 5870  $1215.69
Either is doable, but it comes down to bang for the buck.
At this point we are well within the target budget. Could probably go a few hundred higher if needed. But I'm not sure just how much more would really be worth spending the money on.

Video card is probably the place I am most out of touch as to whats really good and whats not.
I do tend to lean towards ATI/Radeon video cards, I think they have slightly better color on average than Gforce/Nvidia.
But that is just my opinion.

For 100$ more how much faster would the 5870 be than the 5830?

I'm pretty happy with the looks of that Western Digital Hard drive with 5 yr warranty.
I could obviously go with a fancier case, yet from what I can tell he hides it in a desk anyway.
So not much point on spending money on Bling there.

[mrmidi]

I would suggest if you can get the case without a power supply, and then buy a higher watt one for future expantion.
Especially since the vid card supports crossfire. That way if he buys a second down the road there won't be any issues there.

just my 2c

 
midi

[Ghosth]

Midi I don't see Wolfgang expanding or upgrading.

Yes I could pick a case without power supply, and a bigger Power supply.
Just wonder if it is really necessary.

Case/power supply not set in stone. But I'm more concerned about CPU/chipset/Mboard and video.
That being said, I could go this route.

Thermaltake Armor A90 VL90001W2Z Black Gaming Mid-Tower Chassis Case With Cable Management Water Cooling SSD Support And Tool-Less Installation VL90001W2Z w/ 1x120mm front blue LED fan, 1x120mm rear fan & 1x200mm top blue LED fan
Price: $89.99

THERMALTAKE W0318RU 600w 80 plus purepower (black) ATX 12v v2.3 / EPS 12v / Core i7 Ready active pfc power supply
Price: $89.98

Going that route, with the 5870, and separate case and PSU price ends at an even $1300.

Worth it?

I suspect he would only run into power supply problems if 3-4 years from now he wants to upgrade video card.
By the time you have that much time into a power supply, your almost better off saving the money on the first build and buying a new PSU when needed.

[Ghosth]

Here are the specs for the Mage system Wolfgang was looking at. When Tildeath didn't make it to the convention plans got changed.

Processor     Core i5 760  (2.8 ghz quad core)
Motherboard    Gigabyte
Memory    OCZ Gold  2 x 2GB 4GB Total
Hard Drive (s)    Western Digital Caviar Black 1TB 64mb cache 7200rpm SATA 6.0Gb/s
Optical Drive (s)    Samsung 22x DVD+- Combo Drive
Graphics    XFX Radeon HD 5830
Audio    Onboard 8 Channels Realtek ALC888
Ethernet    10/100/1000Mbps
Power Supply    XFX 650W 80 PLUS BRONZE Certified Crossfire / SLI ready
Heatsink    Stock Fan    
Case    Lian Li Lancool

My understand is that would run about 1500$

[Ghosth]

Just found this link, basicly a direct comparison of all existing CPU's.
http://www.cpubenchmark.net/high_end_cpus.html

And video cards
http://www.videocardbenchmark.net/high_end_gpus.html

Based on info found in this I'll be rethinking choices.

[Ghosth]

Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760
    208.99 +  extended waranty 1 year: $25.99

GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
   $139.99

    SAPPHIRE 100315L Radeon HD 6850 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card with Eyefinity        $179.99

    Antec Three Hundred Illusion Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
   -$5.00 Instant
    $15.00 Mail-in Rebate11-129-066        $69.99      $64.99


    CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply.     -$30.00 Instant     $10.00 Mail-in Rebate Card     $119.99      $89.99


    LITE-ON 24X DVD Writer Black SATA Model iHAS424-98 LightScribe Support

       $47.98      ($23.99 each)


    Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
    $89.99

    Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
    $9.99

     Rosewill 18" Serial ATA Black Flat Cable w/ Locking Later Support 6 Gbps, 3 Gbps, and 1.5 Gbps transfer rate Model RC-18"-SA2-90-BK


Grand Total:     $867.32  (not including mail in rebates)

On video card, that is the highest rated Radeon, just barely below the Nvidia GTX470 at a significant savings.

On CPU, the quad core Intel Core i5 760 @ 2.80GHz   rates 4,586 on the CPU benchmarks. Significantly higher than any other i5 or i7 in its price range. I do wish I knew more about how AH will utilize cpu dual core vs quad core.

I took midi's advice and dialed in seperate case and power supply.  "The front panel includes a pair of USB 2.0 inputs, as well as jacks for a headphone and microphone. The front bezel is perforated for maximum air intake and it has a washable filter to reduce dust within the system. Inside, are a total of nine drive bays – six 3.5” internal HDD’s and a trio of 5.25” external drives. Seven expansion card slots let you load up on graphic and other options up to – and including – a full height ATX motherboard.

A rear-mounted 120mm TriCool fan as well as a top-mounted 140mm fan – both with 3-speed switch control – draw air through the case. The case even has mounted an additional pair of 120mm fans behind the front bezel to cool the HDD’s. If you’d rather put your money into what goes inside the case rather than the case itself, the Antec Three Hundred is for you. "

   
   
   

[forHIM]

Ghosth -- I find Tom's Hardware GPU charts helpful also.  They have been running a best card for $$$ monthly article for a while now. 

When I was looking, I was thinking of the 5750 card ( a few months ago) just because I didn't really need top of the line and I usually replace my graphics card every 18 months are so.

I also looked at the i7, but its too much for the performance bang.  The i5 is a really good cpu.

Skuzzy recently indicated AH is still a 2 CPU work horse and the quad really doesn't add much.  So if you had a choice between a higher clocked dual versus a lower clocked quad, take the dual. 

[Ghosth]

TY forhim, will check out the video card lineup's again.

Also I will go back to the INTEL Core i5-670 (BX80616I5670) 3.46ghz processor w/4mb cache socket 1156 retail boxed w/cooling fan.

If Wolfgang was a heavy gamer I suspect the quad core would be a better choice.
But with AH being his main focus I suspect your right that a higher clocked dual core will do better than a lower clocked quad.

Thanks again.