New build

[bendvd]

Hi guys my first post here

I am in the process of my first build, and I have 2 options I can take and I just wanted to know from some more experienced pc builders which would be the better option

My first option is:

case: nzxt phantom

heatsink: noctua nh d14

PSU: hx 750

GPU: xfx 6950

Motherbaord: MSI gd55

Cpu: i7 2600k

Ram: 4gb 2000mhz mushkin blakcline

HDD: 1tb samsung f3 spinpoint

My second option is the same but replacing the 2600k with a i5 2500k and having xfx 6850s in crossfire, my budget is about 1100 pounds, any suggestions are welcome!

 

[alicarve]

Hi guys my first post here

I am in the process of my first build, and I have 2 options I can take and I just wanted to know from some more experienced pc builders which would be the better option

My first option is:

case: nzxt phantom

heatsink: noctua nh d14

PSU: hx 750

GPU: xfx 6950

Motherbaord: MSI gd55

Cpu: i7 2600k

Ram: 4gb 2000mhz mushkin blakcline

HDD: 1tb samsung f3 spinpoint

My second option is the same but replacing the 2600k with a i5 2500k and having xfx 6850s in crossfire, my budget is about 1100 pounds, any suggestions are welcome!

Looks like you have been paying attention to other reccommendations

all good choices, though im sure you could just got for the i7 2500k and oc it just as you have suggested and go for 6950s in xfire

 

[eunoia]

I have a 6850, and it's awesome, but I don't think it's ever advisable to build a new rig with a two-GPU setup. (With the possible exception of two of the very highest-end cards.) Price follows performance very closely, so buy the best single GPU you can currently afford: you'll get the same bang for buck and you'll have room to grow.

 

[bendvd]

Thanks for the quick replies, ive read some reviews and people are suggesting that there is only 3% difference between 2600k and 2500k, is this true?

 

[Ya93sin]

surely it depends on the applications being used. the 2600k has 8threads/4cores, the 2500k has 4threads/4cores. i think that is the major difference

i7-2600K

i5-2500K

EDIT: This is good for comparing them side by side:

Comparison

major differences:

thread number/hyperthreading

diff. default/turbo clock speeds (by 0.1GHz)

i7-2600K has 2MB more cache

higher bus/core ratio (not sure about what this means performance wise)

 

[Stryker64]

Fact is for gaming you probably won't need all 8 threads, and when it comes to performance it pays to save a bit on the CPU to get better graphics, so I would opt for the i5 2500K with crossfire 6950s, but I'm a gamer and that's what I need my computer to do.

 

[bendvd]

I think you guys have misunderstood, my second option is crossfire 6850s, 6950s would be an upgrade later on.

If i follow Eunoias advice, i could afford a gtx 570 if i were to buy a single gpu system, but it is 80 pounds more and if i unlock my 6950 to a 6970 i am not sure that the performance difference is worth it.

 

[thestepster]

there's no guarantee that unlocking a 6950 to a 6970 will be stable as there is as much power gettin to the card unlike with proper card so it might end up being a total fluke if you get one that does

 

[bendvd]

there's no guarantee that unlocking a 6950 to a 6970 will be stable as there is as much power gettin to the card unlike with proper card so it might end up being a total fluke if you get one that does

So would you suggest a 6950 or 6850 crossfire if i dont unlock the card and just overclock it?

 

[e101y7]

there's no guarantee that unlocking a 6950 to a 6970 will be stable as there is as much power gettin to the card unlike with proper card so it might end up being a total fluke if you get one that does

there will be plenty of power as long as you get a good quality psu

the two extra pins on the 6970 are simply grounds for added stability and therefore as long as your psu cables are good quality your 6 pin cables should have no trouble coping with the extra power

 

[thestepster]

do you need to go amd? cause u can get 2 x 768mb asus directcu gtx460's for £120 a pop that will beat a gtx480 (think they match a 570) and u get all the goodies of physx, cuda and sli

the 6900's werent well received at all concidering nvidias offering plus overclocking looked like it made zero difference to there performance cause it looked like reviewers were sayin that the chips were maxed out already just to try and compete with nvidias second top card

 

[bendvd]

do you need to go amd? cause u can get 2 x 768mb asus directcu gtx460's for £120 a pop that will beat a gtx480 (think they match a 570) and u get all the goodies of physx, cuda and sli

the 6900's werent well received at all concidering nvidias offering plus overclocking looked like it made zero difference to there performance cause it looked like reviewers were sayin that the chips were maxed out already just to try and compete with nvidias second top card

No i dont, i am open to anything, but 6850's seemed to have better scaling than 460's in SLI.

 

[thestepster]

the 460's in sli are amazing not to mention they overclock like nothing on earth 675 core (reference stock clock) to 900 VERY easily, then there is about a £60-70 price premium on top for the amd cards with reference designs and coolers unlike the 460's then add in physx and cuda the amd's dont have makes the 460's even more attractive and you will easily max mostly all games 1920x1080 or 19x12 res, one thing u gotta remember here is that ur gonna limited to 60fps cause of vsync so u dont suffer from tearing and if u can spend less money to get the same results without much of a work out y spend more?

or just go for a single 570

 

[bendvd]

The 460s sound like a good deal then, but would it be worth it to move to 1gb rather than the 768 mb version?

Thinking about it more, the 570 would be more future proof as my motherboard doesn't support tri SLI

 

[thestepster]

if ur gonna go to 1gb's mate totally forget about it just get a single 570 mate more than enuff juice for u to play any games and will be similar priced cause the 1gb 460's are priced about £150 depends on brand and cooler

the 768's are stonking little cards and easily get over 30k in vantage just to give u an idea of how powerful they are a gtx480 only gets 24k in reference flav to around 28k super overclocked

 

[bendvd]

Thanks for all your help with this then, ill probably go with the 570, slightly more future proof

 

[thestepster]

yeah mate second fastest single gpu card on earth and it gives u the option to add another one in the future bonus mate