Plotting a late Christmas build

**CivilWars** · 01-04-11, 11:24 AM

Seeing all of the upgrade and new rig posts is making me just a little jealous, so I am trying to put a build together to sell to the wife. Here is what I have so far, but feel free to tell me I am stupid, because I am when it comes to picking parts. I already have a case, power supply, monitor, kb, and mouse.

Intel Core i7-950 3.06GHz - If some Houstonian hooks me up I can get it at Microcenter for $229
EVGA SuperClocked GTX 570
ASUS Sabertooth X58
CORSAIR XMS3 6GB
LITE-ON Black 24X DVD

**Kanati** · 01-04-11, 11:32 AM

Looks pretty solid to me.

**Arreo** · 01-04-11, 11:45 AM

The GTX 570 is a massively nice video card if you are willing to spend that money on it.

You might consider the power supply that I got: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Silent Pro Gold Series RS800-80GAD3-US 800W ATX 12V v2.3 / EPS 12V v2.92 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply
It is gold certified as opposed to bronze which adds up when you are paying the electric bills. It also keeps the computer cooler since less power is wasted as heat.

**HeavyG** · 01-04-11, 11:46 AM

What is your final price tag?

**Arreo** · 01-04-11, 11:47 AM

Oh, also the Sabertooth really wants triple channel memory not dual channel.

So: Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8 G

**CivilWars** · 01-04-11, 11:48 AM

I currently have a 650W power supply that I can salvage if it will run everything, and a friend offered me a copy of Win 7, so I am at about a grand total. OP updated.

**CivilWars** · 01-04-11, 11:50 AM

$1020 all from the egg, about $70 cheaper if I can get someone in Houston to go to Microcenter and mail me the i7.

**CivilWars** · 01-04-11, 11:51 AM

Originally Posted by Arreo

Oh, also the Sabertooth really wants triple channel memory not dual channel.

So: Newegg.com - CORSAIR XMS3 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model TR3X6G1600C8 G

And down another 50 we go.

**Arreo** · 01-04-11, 11:56 AM

Just keep in mind that you will need to manually OC the system to make it recognize the fact that you do have DDR3 1600 instead of the stock speed that the Sabertooth recognizes it as (I think DDR3 1066).

But Intel has a very nice program called Intel Extreme Tuning Utility that came with either the CPU or the MoBo that makes overclocking really really easy. It will recognize the faster RAM and adjust it for you once you give it permission to do so.