Please review my rig

[Orion7]

My notebook recently died so I am going to build myself a gaming rig. I went AMD/ATI for a the Affordability/Performance issue. I don't think the extra 300-400 dollars it would cost to go Intel/Nvidia is worth the marginal performance increase.

Oh, and I already have a gaming mouse but please comment if I am missing anything you think I should have.

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/PublicWishDetail.aspx?WishListNumber=18067967

The total is around 1300 before tax and shipping and that includes a 22" LCD, keyboard, aftermarket CPU heatsink/fan and some thermal compound.

I do not do any video editing, photo manipulation, lots of code compilation (e.g. not many CPU intensive tasks) so I think the Phenom is a good bang for my buck.

I would like to play modern and future FPS's and RPG's at 60+ frames at 1680x1050. I expect to Crossfire eventually but for now just a single GPU.

So please comment. I don't mind solid arguments for/against intel/nvidia but no fanboy crap. I simply want an honest opinion on my build and weather it seems solid and where I could improve for little or no cost increase.

 

[Atomic Rooster]

Very nice.

The only thing I would change is the heatsink. The AC Freezer Pro is decent unit (I'm using one), but I think you would be better served with a XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler. I put one in a friends X4 955 build and it cools really well and is very quiet. If you're planning on doing any overclocking, the XIGMATEK Dark Knight would be your best bet. It cools extremely well and is also very quiet. You really don't need the MX-2 as the standard thermal paste included with the heat sinks works well.

 

[foothead]

Very good build. The only thing I would change is the video card, to a reference model. Then you can flash it to 5870 BIOS to get a large performance boost.

It might also be worth it to get a better case such as the antec 900 or cooer master haf 932.

 

[Orion7]

foothead, I'm sorry but could you explain what a reference model is?

I have updated my newegg order to reflect your changes in the heatsink (because I do plan to overclock) and case (I've been shopping for a full ATX tower because I want all the room I can get for Crossfire and heat issues which is why I didn't take your suggestions. Is there more general room in the case or just extra dvd/hard disk slots? If there isn't an advantage to a full tower vs a mid tower than I will go with one of the cases you suggested.) It only bumped up the price about 70 bucks so no biggie. I'd rather have more room to overclock and a sturdy case is a must.

Thank you both for your very quick replies!

 

[Atomic Rooster]

A full tower is a bit taller and longer which allows for a bit more interior space and airflow. But mid towers offer much of the same cooling benefits of the slightly larger cases while still being roomy. I thought your original case was fine. I was going to suggest the COOLER MASTER Storm Scout. it offers plenty of interior room, great cooling and cable management.

 

[Orion7]

Wow I really like that case Atomic, the price is great and it looks awesome. That dropped it down 70 bucks back to 1300 because you convinced me I don't need a full tower.

I'd still like to know more about reference GPU's as I'd be more than willing to spend $50+ more on a GPU that I could flash to get a large performance boost.

I've made a few updates to the monitor (a 2ms response time ASUS model) as well as the aforementioned heatsink/case modifications. It still hovers around 1300 so right within my budget.

I really appreciate it as I'd hate to drop $1300+ on a system that is junk. Having others tell me my build is solid helps my peace of mind.

 

[foothead]

A reference card is the card with a pcb designed by amd, not the board manufacturer. They are usually cheaper, and they will offere vGPU control, unlike many custom pcb cards.

The easiest way to tell if it is reference oe not is to look at the pci express slot, and see if there is an amd logo. If there is, it is reference. Afaik, the only manufacturers still making refernce 5850s are biostar, visiontek, and diamond.

 

[CBrooks]

Pretty good choices. Correct me if I'm wrong here guys but the 965 is just a 955 clocked higher (which he can do himself and save $20)

I'd go with the case that atomic picked out as well