Maximum PC

Hey guys..

In your opinion, for some of us who's been itching to upgrade our system for the past 2 years..

[Question 1] Should we wait for the Intel's much anticipated Sandy Bridge architecture ? and its probably gonna drag for many months before a new batch of motherboards and RAM catches up to create a new system for consumers. Correct ?

This past Christmas, I was already itching to order a Cyberpower's Mini Evo
http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/LAN_Party_EVO_Mini/

but all these upcoming news has kept me holding back on my orders ! As of now, I'm still on my built of nearly 2 years:
* Asus M3A78-CM
* AMD athlon Phenom II x4 940
* 2GB x 2, DDR2 (4GB)
* GTX 260 - 896MB
* win7 64-bit

[Question 2] Back to the Cyberpower Mini Evo (if I decided to really really get it).. what processor is recommended ?
1) Intel® Core™ i7-875K 2.93 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA 1156 [+130]
2) Intel® Core™ i7-870 2.93 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1156 [+74]
3) Intel® Core™ i5-760 2.80 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1156 [-10]
4) Intel® Core™ i5-680 3.60 GHz 4M Intel Smart Cache LGA1156 [+74]
5) Intel® Core™ i5-661 3.33 GHz 4M Intel Smart Cache LGA1156 [-10]
6) Intel® Core™ i5-660 3.33 GHz 4M Intel Smart Cache LGA1156 [-10]
7) Intel® Core™ i5-655K 3.20 GHz 4M Intel Smart Cache LGA 1156 [0] --- the default

[Question 3] is this motherboard good ?:
GigaByte GA-H55N-USB3 Intel H55 Chipset DDR3 LGA1156 Ultra Durable™3 Mini-ITX w/ Onboard Graphic, HDMI, DVI, VGA, 7.1 HD Audio,
GbLAN, USB 3.0, SATA-II, 1 Gen2 PCIe

[Question 4] and finally, is it worth to upgrade to RAM to 8GB from the default 4GB ?
4GB (2GBx2) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module

Basically I only need it for playing games, nothing else.

Thanks !

Yes, you should wait. There is (virtually) no reson at all to build an 1156/1366 system right now (unless you fall into the very small minority of people that run 12+ threaded applications or tri-SLI graphics). Especially when launch is less than a week away. So, to answer your following questions: Don't buy any of those CPUs or motherboards.

When building my new system, I decided to get 8GB of RAM as I normally keep my systems for 2-4 years and I expect I will see a benefit from having 8GB withing 1-2 years. RAM prices are stupidly low right now, so my reasoning is get it now while it's cheap, instead of waiting a year and seeing what prices are like.

I forgot to mention, because I can read your mind and know what your next questions will be:

The Sandy Bride CPU you will be looking for is the 2500K. The K means it has an unlocked multiplier and will be very easy to overclock. This is an i5 chip with no HT. If for some reason you decide you need hyperthreading (you don't for games) or want slightly faster perfomance from a larger cache, you can spend $100 more and get the i7 2600K.

Motherboards, the go-to manufacturers are out in force with great mobos. Depending on your needs, look at either the Gigabye UD4, UD7 or an Asus P867. There's lots of good mainstream to enthusiast level boards out there.

Hey Travatron,

Thank you so much for the reply and your great info I shall wait then for i7 2600k and the supporting mobo
And who knows.. maybe these system will be using DDR4 or DDR5 and thereby making DDR3 obsolete ! My system is still on DDR2 !

These systems still use DDR3 and their performance is astounding. Sandy Bridge destroys and for the price, you're getting unparalled performance.

at this moment in time.. theres just way too many choices !
but i think i'll opt for a micro-atx (theres a recent review from the expo of a micro-atx with sandy bridge support and usb3.. i remember the guy saying it will be available next month for about $180). Then I'll get the cyberpower mini evo case !

update...

yea I think I got confused between micro-atx and mini ITX (which is related to the cyberpower lan party mini evo)

Hey guys,

I've been itching to upgrade for the past 3 years !! I've listened to all of your advice to dump the Cyberpower mini evo because you told me to wait for the Sandybridge stuffs. It's here and cyberpower got em too.

So please see if this configuration is a OK. I picked the cheapest GPU from the list, because for now I wanna use my GTX260 into this new system (will get better video card around summer).
All for $954 (had to take advantage of the 5% off when the total is $999) by manipulating the HDD1/HDD2...

# CAS: Xion Predator 970 Gaming Series Mid Tower Case w/ 2 External Removable HDD Bays
# CASUPGRADE: None
# CD: 24X Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive (BLACK COLOR)
# CPU: Intel® Core™ i7-2600K 3.40 GHz 8M Intel Smart Cache LGA1155 (All Venom OC Certified)
# CS_FAN: Default case fans
# FAN: Asetek 570LX Liquid Cooling system w/ 240MM Radiator and Dual Fans (Extreme Overclocking Performance + Extreme Silent at 20dBA)
# FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
# HDD: 64 GB A-DATA S599 Gaming MLC Solid State Disk [+36] (Single Hard Drive)
# HDD2: 1TB SATA-III 6.0Gb/s 64MB Cache 7200RPM HDD [+93] (Single Hard Drive)
# KEYBOARD: Xtreme Gear (Black Color) Multimedia/Internet USB Keyboard
# MEMORY: 8GB (2GBx4) DDR3/1600MHz Dual Channel Memory Module (Corsair or Major Brand)
# MOTHERBOARD: [CrossFireX] Asus P8P67 LE Intel P67 Chipset DDR3 ATX Mainboard w/ UEFI, 7.1 HD Audio, GbLAN, USB3.0, 2x SATA-III RAID, 2 Gen2 PCIe, 2 PCIe X1 & 3 PCI [+18]
# MOUSE: XtremeGear Optical USB 3 Buttons Gaming Mouse
# NETWORK: Onboard Gigabit LAN Network
# OS: None - FORMAT HARD DRIVE ONLY [-83]
# OVERCLOCK: Pro OC (Performance Overclock 10% or more)
# POWERSUPPLY: 800 Watts - XtremeGear Gaming Power Supply - Quad SLI Ready [+27]
# RUSH: 5% Instant Rebate for Non-Rush Delivery Order over $999 - Ships within 3 Weeks - Must Enter Coupon Code "NORUSH" during checkout
# SOUND: HIGH DEFINITION ON-BOARD 7.1 AUDIO

Thanks guys

I moved the topic to Help Me Buy / Build.

If you're not building your own machine, you won't have as many choices. A quick glance at that list tells me that:
* the power supply is suspect
* you're paying for a GPU you don't want
* the A-DATA SSD HDD is not a great choice and is quite small for a boot drive
* 8GB of RAM is overkill for most uses
* they don't specify the TB HDD type .. could be shite
* the price is decent

Overall, that is not a rig that I would buy.

Hey Jipstyle...
Thanks for your feedback.. I'll skip this rig and look around for some more. Do you recommend any site for rigs /or combo deals ? Is NEWEGG still the recommended place ? Thanks again !

In the US, newegg seems to be top of the heap ... in Canada, ncix is my personal favourite.

Stick with a reputable builder and be sure not to skimp on the following:
* power supply
* motherboard
* hdd

Hey lookie.. i just happened to check out avadirect and they seem to have much much more customizable built.

This one here comes out to $1128 shipping included...
Took me a while to pick the RAM / PSU / Case (they have quite a bit of choices !)...

# Intel Core™ i7-2600K Quad-Core 3.4GHz, HD Graphics 3000, LGA1155, 8MB L3 Cache, 32nm, 95W, EM64T EIST HT TB VT-x XD, Retail
# ASUS P8P67-M PRO, LGA1155, Intel® P67, DDR3-2200 (O.C.) 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 6 Gb/s /3, USB 3.0 /4, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, mATX, Retail
# ADATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) X PC3-16000 DDR3 2000MHz CL9 (9-9-9-24) 1.6-1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
# SEAGATE 1TB Barracuda® 7200.12, SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB cache
# SONY AD-7261S Black 24x DVD±R/RW Dual-Layer Burner w/ Lightscribe, SATA, OEM
# SILVERSTONE Sugo SG01-F Black Compact Cube Case, mATX, No PSU
# KINGWIN Lazer LZ-850 Power Supply w/ Modular Cables, 850W, 80 PLUS® Bronze, 24-pin ATX12V V2.2 EPS12V V2.91, 6x +12V Rails, 2x 6-pin PCIe, 2x 8/6-pin PCIe, Retail
# NONE No Operating System (Choose OS or subject to Limited Support)

what do you think ? worth it ? I'll temporarily slap-in my GTX-260 until summertime when GTX580 or 575 becomes cheaper. This SILVERSTONE Sugo SG01-F Black Compact Cube Case can handle video card up to 14.5" long according to the spec.

My personal dislikes:

AData ram
Haven't been a fan of Seagate for a while
Kingwin PSU

Then again, you're never going to get a perfect pre-built system. There are just to many opinions and preferences that each person holds individually.

Thanks 4 the reply

oh the reason why i selected the ADATA is because this brand got the cheapest 4GB PC3-16000 DDR3 2000MHz.
same deal for the Kingwin PSU (on the second thought, I might pick the 750 watts to save $26). 750 watts will still be good for single GPU solution (GTX570 or 580)... I'm guessing.

I hear you about the Seagate HDD.. I've had two 500GB failed on me already. Thanks for reminding me ! so now I've edited it out for HITACHI 1TB DeskStar® 7K1000.C (HDS721010CLA332), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB cache, OEM ($4.xx more).

on that same list, I also eliminated the DVD drive so the total comes out to be $1051 (shipping included)..

# Intel Core™ i7-2600K Quad-Core 3.4GHz, HD Graphics 3000, LGA1155, 8MB L3 Cache, 32nm, 95W, EM64T EIST HT TB VT-x XD, Retail
# ASUS P8P67-M PRO, LGA1155, Intel® P67, DDR3-2200 (O.C.) 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 6 Gb/s /3, USB 3.0 /4, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, mATX, Retail
# ADATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) X PC3-16000 DDR3 2000MHz CL9 (9-9-9-24) 1.6-1.8V SDRAM DIMM, Non-ECC
# HITACHI 1TB DeskStar® 7K1000.C (HDS721010CLA332), SATA 3 Gb/s, 7200 RPM, 32MB cache, OEM
# SILVERSTONE Sugo SG01-F Black Compact Cube Case, mATX, No PSU
# KINGWIN Lazer LZ-750 Power Supply w/ Modular Cables, 750W, 80 PLUS®, 24-pin ATX12V V2.2 EPS12V V2.91, 4x +12V Rails, 2x 6-pin PCIe, 2x 8/6-pin PCIe, Retail


not bad huh ? I just don't know WHEN is the right tme to buy this because the prices of mobo/ram might be going up soon ? and then there might be some special sale during Valentines day ? hmmm ....

You don't need 2000MHz RAM, get some 1600MHz and save yourself some cash. Then put that extra cash into a better power supply. Trust us on this one, you don't want a cheap PSU to take out your entire computer 2 months after the warranty expires.

hi Travatron and all,

Thanks for your comments.. i really appreciate it

Oh the reason why i picked that 2000 ram instead of 1600 is because the mobo got the number 2200
ASUS P8P67-M PRO, LGA1155, Intel® P67, DDR3-2200 (O.C.). So I thought I have to get a ram that is rated close to this number.

And 4GB should be good enough for Win7-64bit thats intended for PC-Gaming ONLY, right ? 8GB will be overkill ?

I'll edit out the power supply for a better one, but do you think 750w is good enough to power this tiny mobo and a SINGLE GPU card ?

Thanks again

Even if you're planning to OC, that RAM is overkill. Your CPU is rated for DDR3 1066/1333 RAM and the new boards are locked down .. you won't get close to 1600, much less 2000. OCing will be accomplished by multiplier now rather than bus speed.

750w is far more power than you need. For what you've chosen, 500w is adequate and 600w gives you room to grow.

Hey Jipstyle,

Thanks again 4 the tips I never knew the i7-2600k CPU is rated for DDR3 1066/1333 RAM.

Does that mean my chosen motherboard is overkill ?
ASUS P8P67-M PRO, LGA1155, Intel® P67, DDR3-2200 (O.C.) 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 6 Gb/s /3, USB 3.0 /4, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, mATX

I can step down the motherboard and save $18 by switching to the other only option for this setup..
ASUS P8H67-M EVO, LGA1155, Intel® H67, DDR3-1333 32GB /4, PCIe x16 SLI CF /2, SATA 3 Gb/s RAID 5 /4, 6 Gb/s /2, VGA+DVI, HDMI, DP, USB 3.0 /2, HDA, GbLAN, FW /2, mATX

Thanks for all of your feedbacks and comments !

First, I removed the [size] tags on your post so that it is legible.

Second, unless you're planning to OC, I see no reason not to buy the cheaper board. It has the advantage of onboard video ports .. these may be helpful for diagnosing problems if your GPU ever fails and it will give you something to fall back to if the GPU craps out for any reason.

The only advantage that I see with the PRO board is that it has 4 USB 3.0 headers rather than just the two on the EVO board.

Finally, I would search for reviews of those boards and read up on what people who've used them think.

updated (final edit)

Jipstyle.. i'm still reviewing those boards

Back to the motherboard.. I MIGHT HAVE A CHANGE OF HEART !! I just realized the 2 ASUS mobo that I've mentioned is mATX and not MINI ITX , so it won't fit the Silverstone mini evo case (like the ones in cyberpowerpc's lan party mini evo).

I just found a MINI ITX that support i7-2600k --- Foxconn H67S LGA 1155 Intel H67 HDMI SATA 6Gb/s Mini ITX Intel Motherboard ($74)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813186211

but because it is fairly new, there are almost no review (yet) on the foxconn mini itx mobo + i7-2600k combo, and how it perform.

any ideas ? if not.. I'm defaulting to the bigger mATX build (ASUS P8P67-M PRO) because its a proven cpu/mobo performance. Then I'll just pick a sexy mAtx computer case.

*bump*

sorry ! I've completely re-edited my last reply. I didn't want to create a new Topic about Mini ITX, or should I ?