Help me complete my first build

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I've been reading posts since last week... I finally decided to build my first rig... I have 2 other machines but both were pre-built.

This new build will be used for:
- gaming (not hardcore but want to play with max settings games like cod6, crysis, far cry 2, etc)
- work: programming and cs4 (mainly photoshop and dreamweaver)
- general things: office, chatting, browsing, etc

This is what I've come up with so far:

- Core i7 920 D0 Stepping @ 2.66 GHz
- Gigabyte GA-EX58-Extreme
- Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 5870
- Corsair Dominator 6GB DDR3 1600MHz
- Corsair HX 850W PSU
- Samsung SpinPoint F3 1TB SATA-II 32MB Cache
- Antec 1200 case

Notes:

- I have a 20" LG TFT... will probably upgrade to some 22" full HD... so the max resolution I'll be using will be 1920x1080.
- I don't think I will overclock anytime soon, maybe in the future.

Questions:

1) Is the graphics card a good option for my needs? If no, what should I get?
2) Is the psu too much? I want a corsair HX PSU cause it is modular unlike the TX. What wattage should I get the corsair HX?
3) Hard Disk - Should I get the samsung mentioned above or the WD Caviar Black 1TB 7200 RPM? Which one is better in terms of reliability and speed?
4) Do you think I need a CPU cooler?
5) The case comes with 6 fans. I don't think I need more fans do I?
6) Do I need a sound card as well? Or is the one onboard the mobo sufficient?
7) I might need a new keyboard and mouse - Any recommendations?

Any comments ans suggestions for my build are greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
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Hello and welcome do you plan on overclocking? if yes then consider Corsair H50 High-Performance CPU Watercooler (Socket LGA775/1366

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-001-CS

Us for the psu the Corsair HX 750W ATX Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply would be sufficent but for future upgrades etc keep your original choice
and yes stick with samsung i think you have thought about this a lot and picked some very pieces good luck with your build.
 
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Hello and welcome do you plan on overclocking? if yes then consider Corsair H50 High-Performance CPU Watercooler (Socket LGA775/1366

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=WC-001-CS

Us for the psu the Corsair HX 750W ATX Modular SLI Compliant Power Supply would be sufficent but for future upgrades etc keep your original choice
and yes stick with samsung i think you have thought about this a lot and picked some very pieces good luck with your build.

Thanks mate.

Yes I have thought about it a lot...

Regarding overclocking... as I said I won't be overclocking anytime soon... in the future... maybe to increase performance. I want this rig to last as long as possible.

Also, I originally thought about the corsair H50, the only problem is that I read some reviews where it is a pain to install it on an Antec 1200 due to the 2 fans in the back and not enough space (in the back) so they ended up modding the case, something which I don't want... so corsair H50 watercooler is off the list for sure.
 
Soldato
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1) Is the graphics card a good option for my needs? Will do you fine
2) Is the psu too much? a little but at leat you can add more parts and o/c leave it
3) Hard Disk - Should I get the samsung yep will be fine
4) Do you think I need a CPU cooler? yes
5) The case comes with 6 fans. 1200 are great 6 is fine
6) Do I need a sound card as well? on board is fine

Cant stress enough to go for thr UD5 over the extreme. The extreme is more money for a fancy cooler that does nothing

Any comments ans suggestions for my build are greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
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Yes I've been meaning to ask this... it seems the UD5 is preferred over the extreme by some people... Is the cooler the ONLY thing different?

(the difference is £30 between them if i'm not mistaken)

4) Do you think I need a CPU cooler? yes

What cooler should I get? (I wont get the H50 cause of the case as explained above)

Also, can you recommend a good but not over the top gaming keyboard and mouse?
(Don't want to exceed £60-70 for the keyboard and mouse together)

Thanks
 
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I've seen people using a Corsair H50 in Antec 902 / 1200 cases many times... you may want to look into that a bit more! I'm getting one for my 902 case. Watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkdOK_uHMy0

Tbh I think you've gone overboard on your PC, considering what you've said you'll use it for. Motherboards over £150 are aimed at enthusiastic overclockers and benchmarkets, you'll likely not use any of the features designed for said activities.

You can get a motherboard like this: Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD3R Intel X58 This would suit you just fine. Many people overclock to 4GHz and report rock solid stable performance. Do you really want to spend an extra £90 just because something says "Extreme" on it?

For hardcore gaming at 22" on max settings, an ATI HD 5850 will do you absolutely fine. There, I just saved you £100! If, in a few years, games do start to slow down, just get another 5850 which will be worth much less than and Crossfire it. Or buy a new GPU. Either way, your 5870 will also be showing its age by then.

The PSU is overkill- and do you really want to pay more for a Modular PSU (You only attach cables you intend to use) when you can just stick unused cables behind the case in the cable management area where they won't be seen? A Corsair TX 750 will do you just fine.

As for the RAM, you definitely DON'T need to spend £150 for your needs! This will be fine. I just saved you a further £60.

The hard-drive is good, well selected. Getting one myself.

Antec 1200- do you really need such a huge case? It's basically just one hard-drive cage taller than a 902. A 902 offers great air flow. You're only installing one hard-drive and likely only one or two optical drives... the Antec 1200 is good for people who use a lot of drives and stuff. Air flow and temps will be fine in a 902, but it's your call.

So basically, ask yourself if you NEED to spend so much money on "extreme" items when you won't even utilise half their power! You could save yourself about £300-400 using my recommendations and your games will STILL run at max settings and your system will STILL be blisteringly fast.

Donate that £400 to charity! (Or buy yourself a new keyboard / mouse / speakers etc, those are also important additions to your PC enjoyment!)

Trust me, nobody is going to laugh at you for only spending £1000 on a PC instead of £1400. A £1000 PC gives insane performance.
 
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Soldato
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Yes thats only diff beteen UD5/etreme mate
No one can buy 920 D0 and not oc its just not possible withinn a month they will adujst BLCK lol;)
cooler the Try any of these dont forget 2 will need fan

Alpenföhn Nordwand CPU Cooler
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme Rev.C
Prolimatech Megahalems Performance CPU Cooler
 
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@StarSolitude

Well, I want my PC to last at least 6-7 years... (apart from the gfx which I'll crossfire later on). About the HDD and optical drives... I will add more (don't know how much) this same year because of my work and backups and such... Those are the main reasons I will be getting the Antec 1200 (apart from the airflow)

And I decided to go with high specs, due to the length of time I want the pc to last.

About the PSU... I will be overclocking in 1-2 years as well as a new gfx so I think it's futureproof... and I can't stress enough on how much I hate cables lying around doing nothing, that's why I went with the modular.

As you may have noticed I'm not a person that lieks to change his pc often... my current rig is 7 years old and it can't keep up anymore with my work/gaming, so I thought I'd build a new rig top of the range to last me 7 years...
 
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Yes thats only diff beteen UD5/etreme mate
No one can buy 920 D0 and not oc its just not possible withinn a month they will adujst BLCK lol;)
cooler the Try any of these dont forget 2 will need fan

Alpenföhn Nordwand CPU Cooler
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme Rev.C
Prolimatech Megahalems Performance CPU Cooler

So for Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme Rev.C I need a fan as well? (sorry i don't understand a lot about cooling)
 
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And I decided to go with high specs, due to the length of time I want the pc to last.

A lot of the high specs you chose don't offer much of a performance gain. They simply have more features that you will find of no use to you. More features = more money!

Believe me, in 3-4 years, you could buy cheap stuff that will vastly outperform these current "Extreme" components.

New technology will come that will make leaps in speed and old hardware will get left in the dust, like multicore CPU's are leaving single core CPU's in the dust.

A system with the exact same specs but using a £130 motherboard instead of a £230 motherboard will probably get the same benchmark results!

Do what I'm planning to do, make £40 go into a savings bank account each month, and in 3 years (Which is when your PC will start to show its age) you'll have £1440 to spend on a new PC or upgrades. :)

Waiting 7 years between each computer is silly considering the rate at which technology is advancing! The only reason I've waited 4 years to get a new PC is because I'm poor. =P But God, I don't think I could last another week with this hunk of junk that was awesome not too long ago...

Have I convinced you?
 
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Soldato
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people that upgarde every 20 min are the silly ones and i include myself..if someone buys the best parts they can afford and use them for 6/7 years untill they NEED to upgarde rather then WANT fair play to them they are better then me;). The parts he choose will last for his use for over 4 years+ were not talking about better performance in a years time were talking longlivity

Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme Rev.C? yes you need to get a fan for it
 
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@StaR
I see your point... however I don't want to change after only 3 years... I always take the max I can get out of a pc... just imagine my current rig is a single core P4 @ 2.8 ghz with a junk mobo and 3 gb ram... I only changed the video card and added an hdd and optical drive over the last 6 years and I was quite happy with it until the beginning of this year where my work increased and I just couldn't cope with it anymore...

@Big
Thanks for the clarification on the cooler and yes I agree with you... always spending money because something better has come out (which nowadays new technology is being developed everyday) is not the way to go...

That's why when I buy a pc, I buy the best there is and we'll see for how long it will last...
 
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Forgot to ask some questions...

I will probably go with the UD5 mobo since the heatsink of the extreme is not so good (read some reviews about it)

Also can anyone tell me what's the difference between the Antec 902 and Antec 1200 case? (dimensions, airflow, fans, etc)

About the cooler what do you guys think about the Titan Fenrir CPU Cooler or the Noctua NH-U12P SE1366 CPU Cooler

Also no one suggested a keyboard and a mouse yet :p

Sorry for all the questions but I'm trying to figure everything out so that I can order it next week.

Thanks
 
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