Help needed / $1800 multi-function build

[sbattisti]

OK folks, I'm new to building my own PC, and I've read through the stickies here, and hopefully I'll post something that makes it easy for you guys to help.

Please bear in mind, I'm moderately technical, but because I'm new to PC building, you may have to speak slowly. :D I don't know much about motherboards and processors and overclocking and stuff.

Here's what I'm looking for:


Budget: $1800 (incl. shipping)
Use: Moderate multitasking, Excel, databases, some video and graphics editing. Some sound editing/recording. Some gaming - I'd like to be able to run new release games, but I'm not going to be playing online real-time FPSs or anything like that. Overall, this doesn't need to be bleeding edge, but I'd like it to be a rock-solid, cutting edge, multifunction machine for some time to come.
Storage: I don't have particularly large storage needs, but it might be nice to get a fast drive for apps and a larger drive for storage.
Operating System: Windows 7
Case: Please recommend. I have no specific size constraints. I'd like the machine to be REASONABLY quiet and well-cooled.
Sound: Would like to get a decent 2.1 sound system with this rig, as well as a decent sound card to go with it. I'm not looking to do high-end sound editing, nor am I looking to blow the neighbors' walls down, but I'd like to have nice sound, for games and for playing music.


Build
Here's what I have come up with so far based on feedback from other forums. I have some specific questions below as well.


CPU Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz 4 x 256KB L2 Cache 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115202 1 $279.99 $279.99
Motherboard GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD5 LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128362 1 $278.99 $278.99
Memory OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Low Voltage Desktop Memory Model OCZ3G1600LV6GK http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227365 1 $129.99 $129.99
Graphics XFX HD-487A-ZWFC Radeon HD 4870 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150436 1 $139.99 $139.99
Storage Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST31000528AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148433 1 $89.99 $89.99
Storage Western Digital VelociRaptor WD1500HLFS 150GB 10000 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136296 1 $179.99 $179.99
Power CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006 1 $119.99 $119.99
DVD LITE-ON Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW SATA CD/DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106289 1 $29.99 $29.99
Case COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160 1 $139.99 $139.99
Monitor Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145 1 $159.99 $159.99
Monitor Stand ERGOTRON 45-179-195 LX Desk Mount LCD Arm (black) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824994007 2 $114.99 $229.98
Sound Logitech X-240 25 Watts 2.1 Speakers http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121010 1 $48.99 $48.99
Wireless EDIMAX EW-7128G IEEE 802.11b/g PCI Wireless Card Up to 54Mbps Wireless Data Rates 64/128-Bit WEP, 802.1x, WPA, AES http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833315041 1 $19.99 $19.99
OS Microsoft Windows 7 Professional 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116758 1 $134.99 $134.99


Questions


Given that I don't need bleeding edge, should I go with the i5? If so, what are the specific processor, motherboard, and memory that I would need to get?
Can I even get Windows 7 at this point? If so, which one should I get? Does the version of Windows 7 affect how much RAM I can get, like it did for Vista?
Someone told me that I don't really need a sound card. If I'm going to be recording stuff
occasionally, in that case would I need a sound card? Is the sound
quality on games good if you don't have a sound card?
Does this build have enough cooling?


Thanks everyone!

Steve

[RickyTick]

Hey Steve, and welcome to MySuperPC forums.

The first thing I noticed is that you're already over your target of $1800. The way you have it listed it totals $1985, but you have the monitor stand listed twice. So back off one stand and you're still at $1870, and you still need a mouse and keyboard.

For someone not looking for a bleeding edge pc, that's pretty much what you have there. Have you considered the i7-860? It's still in the $280 range, but it puts you in a P55 motherboard which performs just as well and is a good bit cheaper. You can also get away with less expensive memory kits.

Do you really need a Velociraptor? That's a real overkill for your needs.

The Windows 7 OS is still a Pre-Order. Vista comes with a free upgrade to Windows 7. You could do that or wait for 7 to come out in about 3 weeks. Personally I would wait for Windows 7 to release.

[sbattisti]

Thanks for the welcome and the feedback! The truth is, this was just a starting point, largely relying on the opinions of people like you, so if you tell me I'm pretty much at the bleeding edge, then I'd love to to scale it back a bit. But, I'd need your help to identify the specific product I should consider . . . NewEgg links, for example, would be ideal for me. :)

Someone else told me the RAM I selected here won't work with the i7.

As far as the Velociraptor goes, nope, I don't necessarily need it. Again, someone suggested it for an apps drive, and the 1TB for storage. I'm totally open to other configurations that would reduce my price point while still performing well. Suggestions?

Oh, I forgot to mention, the 2 monitor stands are on purpose; I have one monitor already, and I'm getting a second one, and I don't have one of those arms for either.

I don't need mouse or keyboard, I have a million lying around for now!

Others also suggested I should be fine with Windows 7 Home, and not Pro (which I guess would be this? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116752). Thoughts on that?

Thanks again for your feedback!

Steve

[sbattisti]

Someone mentioned on another forum...

"Now my best advice to you is stick with the 1366 build cause the 1156 riggs will be a deadend build in 1-2 years and the 1366 is already been scheduled for an upgrade to the 6 core CPU in either 2010 or 2011 which makes it more future proof for at least 2-3 years or more depending on the technology advancement."

Based on that, for now I'm sticking with the 1366. Any thoughts on that?

I've also revised my build to swap out the storage for some cheaper storage:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820139030
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822152181

Fixed the RAM too:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227381

I'm also now planning on going with Windows 7 Home. This brings my build down to just under $1800. OK, so there's shipping on top of it, but I'm still pondering things. :D

Thoughts?

[tofu1998]

Someone mentioned on another forum...

"Now my best advice to you is stick with the 1366 build cause the 1156 riggs will be a deadend build in 1-2 years and the 1366 is already been scheduled for an upgrade to the 6 core CPU in either 2010 or 2011 which makes it more future proof for at least 2-3 years or more depending on the technology advancement."

Based on that, for now I'm sticking with the 1366. Any thoughts on that?


You may want to read this article, which may help you decide. http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/intel-core-i5,review-31674.html

I'm also looking into building a new PC soon. I would go with i7-860 and the 1156 system since all I need is a balanced system for now and I don't plan to upgrade much in 1-2 years.

Yes, next generation 6-core CPU's due in half a year will be a drop-in upgrade to 1336 boards, but I just can't afford to buy an i7-920 now for 6 months of usage and throw it away and switch to a 6-core. Besides, for the time being, I think the i7-860 has a competitive edge over 920 due to its more aggressive "turbo boost".

This is just my thought based on my own needs. Hope it will help you decide which will be the best option for yourself. :)

[RickyTick]

Sorry guys, but I'm at the beach on a much needed vacation. I borrowed a laptop and someone's unsecure wifi to log in and post this. :D

I sure some others here will be glad to help answer a few questions.

Steve, i think your build looks great. I'm kinda partial to Western Digital hard drives, but that's cool. You might consider a Raid-0 set-up and a 3rd drive for storage, and ditch that velociraptor.

[The Wise Monkey]

*shakes fist at Ricky*

It's chucking it down with rain where I am at the moment... :(

I sincerely doubt that the 1156 socket is a "dead end build" - it is the natural replacement to the socket 775s, and that has been around since pentium 4!

You said yourself that you are not interested in the bleeding edge in terms of performance, so the 1366 is probably a bit over the top. Sure, the Gulftown (6 core) CPUs are going to be for that platform, but do you really need 6 cores? The 1156 chipset will be around for a good while yet.

[RickyTick]

*shakes fist at Ricky*

It's chucking it down with rain where I am at the moment... :(


:p:p:p:p:p:p:p

:cool::cool::cool::cool::cool:

[sbattisti]

I have to admit, part of my struggle is that I'm very new to this, and really don't know enough about processor/motherboard wars to be able to make a really intelligent decision on this.

So, if I were to switch to the i7-860 and the 1156, two questions:

1. What would be your recommendation for a specific processor, motherboard, and RAM to go with it?

2. What is the long-term ramification of going with that combination? In X years down the road, what will that mean to me? Just that I can't upgrade to 6 cores?

Thanks,

Steve

[sbattisti]

Updated build here (http://www.battisti.us/stuff/ComputerBuild.pdf). Made some changes to storage and other stuff based on some other recommendations.

[RickyTick]

That's one killer system you got there.