[Cyrim]

Hello,

I'm building a PC. I read a lot and searched around. I've got a build, but recently i got some serious doubts about it, so i decided to just post it and see what people here think of it....

CPU - i7 3820 (Sandy-E) ~240 euro (will launch halfway february)
PSU - Nexus RX-1k (1kW) ~115 euro
MEM - Corsair Vengeance CMZ16GX3M4A1600C9 (4x4GB QuadChannel) ~85 euro
Audio - Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer ~70 euro
CPU Cooler - Scythe Mugen 3 rev. B ~45 euro
Case - Fractal Design Define R3 USB 3.0 (with one fan extra at side pannel for GPU) ~90 euro
HDD - i still got 3 that i want to put in raid 0

And now i waited on purpose with these 2:

GPU - 2x XFX HD 6870 1024 MB DDR5 DisplayPort (HD-687A-ZDFC) (in crossfire) ~2x 155 = 310 euro
MOBO - Gigabyte GA-X79-UD3 (socket 2011) ~190 euro

total ~1150 euro

I'm not sure yet about the GPU since i read that only 1 GB each card can be the bottleneck quite easy in crossfire.
I was looking at a crossfire setup with 2x HD 6950 2GB to fix that issue, but with ~2x 225 = 450 euro it will greatly go past my budget, and for ~30 euro more i can buy a new HD 7970, with about the same performance as the crossfire 6950, wich will also fix my next problem:

I'm not sure yet about the MOBO since i read on the Gigabyte website that this mobo has 2 PCI-E x16 slots running in x16 mode and 2 PCI-E x16 slots running in x8 mode. And one of the PCI-E x16 slots running in x16 mode is next to the only PCI slot, so if i put one of my GPU's there i can't place my Audio card.
So with this mobo i'll need to use one x8 mode slot.

I rather not go much above my 1200 euro budget.

So what are your thoughts?

Thnx in advance,
Cyrim

 

[Tyree]

Nexus PSU's are not good quality. SeaSonic-XFX-Corsair (not trhe CX-GS-M Series) are top quality.
One better GPU is almost always the best option.

 

[Cyrim]

Based on what you said i changed GPU to one Asus Radeon HD7970 ~490 euro
and my PSU to a XFX proseries 750W XXX edition. ~105 euro
i removed my audio card. Maybe i can buy that at a later time.
total: ~1245 euro.
slightly over budget

 

[Tyree]

Onboard audio is pretty impressive now. If you need a dedicated card you could add one later.

 

[toothman]

There's a small issue with your GPU. It's pci-e 3.0.

It will definitely run in a 2.1 slot, but you won't get its full potential until you pair it with an Ivy Bridge on a motherboard that can support it. Unfortunately, only the P67s and Z68s claim to be able to be updated for Ivy Bridge when the processors come out.

So if you build the computer as listed, your amazing new GPU will be bottlenecked (slightly) by the older 2.1 slot. Until you change to a 3.0-compatible board, this will not be fixable. And even then, you will need one of the yet-to-arrive Ivy Bridge CPUs to enable it.

Ivy Bridge comes out in the 2nd quarter of 2012, so that means April at the soonest and June at the latest.

Note that even in a 2.1 slot, the 7970 is already super awesome when compared to other video cards in its price range. The ability to upgrade it simply by getting a new CPU in 6 months is icing on the cake.

My recommendation, if you're interested in getting Ivy Bridge and the 3.0 functionality, is to get a Z68 and i5 2500k right now, then buying an Ivy Bridge for a nice upgrade when it comes out. You'll improve your processing and graphics simultaneously, and the 2500k can be resold for $200 on ebay if you choose. And the 2500k will not disappoint for the time you have it.

Or you can just go with your build as planned. You won't get 100% of your card's potential, or smooth transition into Ivy Bridge when it comes out, but your pc will still be very strong for its price point.

 

[Cyrim]

The motherboard i chose is a X79 chipset with socket 2011.

on the site of the mobo i read:
"All PCI Express x16 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard"

so, doesn't that mean it has 3.0, or does it mean something else?

 

[Tyree]

From Gigabye's site - GA-X79-UD3 Mobo
Chipset is Intel X79 & all PCI Express x16 slots conform to PCI Express 3.0 standard.

 

[toothman]

ah cool then

my sources fail me

don't forget you can update when ivy bridge comes out