New Build

[CentralDogma]

Hey everyone! I?m planning a new build, I haven?t done one in a while (my current rig is based on an Asrock 775Dual-VSTA motherboard). I?m going to be recycling a lot of the parts from my current rig to save some money. So, video card (GeForce 8500 GT Gigabyte GV-NX85T512HP), PSU (XFX P1-650X-CAH9 650W), hard drive & ssd, mouse & keyboard, sound system, and monitor are all taken care of. Here?s what I?m planning on buying:

• Core i7 3820 (when it?s released)
  
• MSI X79A-GD65 (8D) motherboard
  
• Rosewill CHALLENGER Computer Case
  
• Pareema 4GB 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM
  

The challenge I?ve run into is the heatsink. For $30 more, I can pick up a version of the motherboard which comes with the Thermaltake Frio Advanced. However, this is a large heatsink which might not fit in the case and which has been known to block memory slots. Also, it requires a bit of assembly, which I?m not too happy about. The other option is the Dynatron R14 which is around the same price. It?s much smaller and requires no assembly, but it?s cooling capabilities are dubious. I?m not planning on overclocking, so I just need a heatsink to keep the CPU from meltdown.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Thats some nice choices there.

There is nothing to say about CPU, Motherboard and Case, but I would like to point out something about the RAM

Seriously, I've never heard of this company before. Might be just me, but no, I am reading that name for the first time.

And since, the RAM is so dirty cheap these days, why not buy an already established, reliable brand, like Corsair or Kingston or G.Skill.

Here are some recommendations:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220571

and

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145218

You should be fine with either one of them

Also, if you don't plan to overclock, you should be more than fine with the stock cooler. There is nothing really wrong with it.

But if you insist on taking some precautionary measures anyway, there are, unfortunately, not many options.

R14 is your best bet, it looks like.

[Astra.Xtreme]

Since this processor isn't widespread yet, there's a really limited selection of heatsinks. My recommendation would be to wait for Corsair to come out with a Hydro that will fit the 2011 socket. Maybe it will be a simple bracket you can buy along with one of their Hydro coolers.

It will save a ton of room compared to a fin & fan heatsink, so you won't have to worry about ram and pci slots being blocked. Plus they are nice and quiet, which is a plus.

Just an option. :)

Edit: I also agree that you should get better RAM. Since you're already dropping a pretty penny on the other parts, there's no reason to buy the cheapest crappiest RAM. Spend another few pennies and get the good stuff.

[CentralDogma]

I'm definitely open to different RAM. Like you said, it's so cheap. I'm going to shop around when I'm ready to order.

As to the heatsink, unfortunately LGA 2011 CPUs don't come with stock coolers so I'm left with the slim pickings of aftermarket.

[ARchamps]

I lol'd at the RAM. You should go quad-channel since you have the capability.

Out of curioisity, what do you use your PC for?

[Astra.Xtreme]

I just looked at the Corsair website and apparently the Hydro line will fit the LGA 2011 socket (or so they say):

http://www.corsair.com/cpu-cooling-kits/hydro-series-water-cooling-cpu-cooler.html

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Yeah, you should definitely check some offerings from Corsair, G.Skill, Kingston, Patriot e.t.c.

Forgot about that part entirely. My bad.

You should definitely wait for some of the better offerings, from the likes of Corsair and e.t.c

If its really a immediate one, then I'm afraid you don't have a choice.

[CentralDogma]

I use my computer to surf the web and watch videos. I do run some games. My current system is adequate for most tasks, but is severely hampered by the GeForce 8500 GT and 2 GB of RAM (limitations of the motherboard). So, even moderately graphically intense games don?t perform well. Any sort of multitasking where one of the tasks is computationally intensive is basically a no go.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

You should consider Radeon HD 5670 or HD 6670 for that.

~$60, they'll handle most of the games extremely fine upto 1680x1050

[ARchamps]

For that usage, won't a Sandy Bridge i7 system perform those tasks for a fraction of the cost? In addition, Ivy Bridge is right around the corner too..

[CentralDogma]

I?ve looked at LGA1155 systems, but if you start looking at high end boards with features like PCIe 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, USB 3, and SATA 6Gb/s, their prices aren?t that far off from LGA2011 systems. If the i7 3820 comes in around $300, you?re looking at a better value than the i7-2700K. And as far as futureproofing, I found the better choice is a low end LGA2011 system than a high end LGA1155 system.

As far as Intel?s support, they?ve already made comments about Ivy Bridge E, but I don?t plan on updating the CPU, barring some bargain bin updates near the end of it?s life.

Also, I plan on updating the video card somewhere down the road; it?s the next obvious bottleneck. Whether that's 6 months or a year depends how well it handles what I throw at it.

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Yeah, I recommend sticking with i7-3xxx

[Another Canuck]

Nonsense, in my opinion.

I?ve looked at LGA1155 systems, but if you start looking at high end boards with features like PCIe 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, USB 3, and SATA 6Gb/s, their prices aren?t that far off from LGA2011 systems. If the i7 3820 comes in around $300, you?re looking at a better value than the i7-2700K. And as far as futureproofing, I found the better choice is a low end LGA2011 system than a high end LGA1155 system.

This is just not true. Z68 boards are much cheaper than comparable X79 boards.

I have an ASRock Extreme3 Gen3. It has PCIe 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, USB 3.0, SATA III, the works, and it only costs $122 at Newegg. The cheapest X79 board available is $210, and that's a barebones Intel board.

Next up, you simply do not need an i7 for "surfing the web and watching videos". Most hardened gamers only buy the i5 2500K, which is only $230 at Newegg, let alone an i7.

Now, since Z68 only requires dual channel, you wouldn't need to spend as much on RAM.

If you're following, this is already hundreds of dollars in savings.

There are also far more LGA1155 processors on the horizon (Ivy Bridge) than LGA2011 (Ivy Bridge-E), providing you with more options for upgrades in the future, making LGA1155 the smarter choice for the mythical "futureproof computer".

LGA2011 is designed for and targeted towards hardcore enthusiasts, which you've made it clear you are not. However, with all of that said, I'm not going to tell you not to build an LGA2011 system. Sometimes it's fun to spend money (crazy, I know) and build extravagant, beastly computers. But be honest with your intentions; don't tell people it's the more cost-effective option.

[ARchamps]

Nonsense, in my opinion.

This is just not true. Z68 boards are much cheaper than comparable X79 boards.

I have an ASRock Extreme3 Gen3. It has PCIe 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, USB 3.0, SATA III, the works, and it only costs $122 at Newegg. The cheapest X79 board available is $210, and that's a barebones Intel board.

Next up, you simply do not need an i7 for "surfing the web and watching videos". Most hardened gamers only buy the i5 2500K, which is only $230 at Newegg, let alone an i7.

Now, since Z68 only requires dual channel, you wouldn't need to spend as much on RAM.

If you're following, this is already hundreds of dollars in savings.

There are also far more LGA1155 processors on the horizon (Ivy Bridge) than LGA2011 (Ivy Bridge-E), providing you with more options for upgrades in the future, making LGA1155 the smarter choice for the mythical "futureproof computer".

LGA2011 is designed for and targeted towards hardcore enthusiasts, which you've made it clear you are not. However, with all of that said, I'm not going to tell you not to build an LGA2011 system. Sometimes it's fun to spend money (crazy, I know) and build extravagant, beastly computers. But be honest with your intentions; don't tell people it's the more cost-effective option.

100% Agreed!

[CentralDogma]

Nonsense, in my opinion.

This is just not true. Z68 boards are much cheaper than comparable X79 boards.

I have an ASRock Extreme3 Gen3. It has PCIe 3.0, SLI/Crossfire, USB 3.0, SATA III, the works, and it only costs $122 at Newegg. The cheapest X79 board available is $210, and that's a barebones Intel board.

Next up, you simply do not need an i7 for "surfing the web and watching videos". Most hardened gamers only buy the i5 2500K, which is only $230 at Newegg, let alone an i7.

Now, since Z68 only requires dual channel, you wouldn't need to spend as much on RAM.

If you're following, this is already hundreds of dollars in savings.

There are also far more LGA1155 processors on the horizon (Ivy Bridge) than LGA2011 (Ivy Bridge-E), providing you with more options for upgrades in the future, making LGA1155 the smarter choice for the mythical "futureproof computer".

LGA2011 is designed for and targeted towards hardcore enthusiasts, which you've made it clear you are not. However, with all of that said, I'm not going to tell you not to build an LGA2011 system. Sometimes it's fun to spend money (crazy, I know) and build extravagant, beastly computers. But be honest with your intentions; don't tell people it's the more cost-effective option.

The LGA1155 system I was considering was the ASRock P67 EXTREME4 GEN3 (which goes for about $160 shipped) if you add the cost of a comparable CPU (i7-2600k) the difference is only $100.

I can understand saying my build is overpowered if I was building a new PC annually or biannually or with Intel?s tick-tock cycle. That?s not the case; the PC will last until it is not able to accomplish the tasks I require of it. If I manage to build a PC that I never overutilize, it will make me quite happy as I will never have to do another rebuild as I am right now. But the fact of the matter is, technology advances, and eventually this build won?t be able to handle the tasks I through at it. That could be 6, 8, 10 years down the road. IMO, paying the extra $100 to get a system that can stand an extra few years is worth it, because that?s one less build I have to do.

A LGA2011 system can run dual channel ram, there is no cost savings there.

I don?t plan on updating the CPU, barring some bargain bin updates near the end of it?s life. But, your right, there is something to be said for having access to low cost i5?s and i3?s. But if I go that route it?s really a guessing game of will I get bottlenecked by the CPU before the i7?s start to come down in price. You run the risk of paying more when trying to save money initially (the cost of an i3/i5 plus the cost of an i7) than just going with a higher end CPU and sticking with it. For reference, I looked at the i5-2500K, which would drop the price another $100 and would provided the performance I need for now, but when it starts to bottleneck, where are i7 prices going to be?

I would definitely encourage people who upgrade every Intel generation to look at LGA1155 systems (and I can even provide a pretty decent shopping list for one). But I think if you?re someone like me who builds a system and just upgrades it until it?s no longer able to do what you want, the better choice is LGA2011.

[ARchamps]

In my opinion, an 1155 socket system will last just as long as a socket 2011 system. the performance gain over an i7 is minimal (unless you are talking about the high end $1000 SB-E processor). Plus you are paying a premium.

Anyways, seems like you are set on your choice :) Best of luck!

[CentralDogma]

Thanks. Hopefully the 3820 will be out next week and I can get this show on the road.

[ARchamps]

Does it have an unlocked multiplier?

[CentralDogma]

Doesn't have the "K" suffix, so I assume no.

Edit: It's "Partially Unlocked".

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Its partially unnlocked, which means that there will be some room for overclocking

[a1ien]

Yeah dude, I too think you're making a mistake.

The obvious reasons to go with LGA 2011 are the 40 PCI-Express channels and the 8x memory slots. Now unless you plan on using some of those resources (eg, 6x cores OR at least 2 graphics cards OR at least 32GB of memory) you should go with LGA1155, get a 2500K, overclock it a-little (stay comfortable/low if you're new to OC! But Sandy Bridge on either platform demands it IMO!). Use the saved money to get a 28nm graphics card as soon as there is one you like on the market. The 2011 and 1155 are both Ivy bridge capable and neither will be haswell capable if you're thinking about that.

Your concerns about bottlenecking are useless unless you can think of spending $500+ for a six core when the price comes down. Unless you want 6 cores (or the other features), both platforms will be similar until Ivy Bridge. Actually, Ivy Bridge looks like it will come to 1155 6 months before LGA 2011 and that is some advantage.

[abysal]

For that usage, won't a Sandy Bridge i7 system perform those tasks for a fraction of the cost? In addition, Ivy Bridge is right around the corner too..

I'd agree; socket 2011 isn't all that impressive unless you must have six cores, and pcie gen 3 now.

[TEX4S]

Is s2011 Ivy Bridge ? Or are they all considered Sandy Bridge E ?

[abysal]

Is s2011 Ivy Bridge ? Or are they all considered Sandy Bridge E ?

Socket 2011 currently only accepts Sandy Bridge-E CPUs. Socket 1155 will be the first to get Ivy Bridge CPUs (April - May?).

[Muhammad Farrukh]

Not April. Not May.

March. :p