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2,606 Posts
First off... I'm Matt. Geek and enthusiast like the rest of you. I've recently started this new build out of necessity though... as my old mobo bit the dust.
The "old" system was:
thermaltake armor case
430w cm purepower psu
evga 7800gt
p4 3.4 @ 3.87
3gb ddr2-4300
abit aa8xe fatal1ty motherboard
windows xp pro
so anyway... the motherboard goes out and it's time to upgrade.
After stalking this page, plenty of reviews online, and reviewing the bank account (as well as the crap I can get rid of for cash), I decided to go with an i7 build.
Having a Coolermaster 690 on hand, I decided to go with that case (and subsequently join that club on here). It's a bit smaller/lighter than the huge thermaltake armor case... pretty good airflow, tons of other enthusiasts that that can help out with tips/tricks on here.
After browsing anandtech/tomshardware/newegg reviews.. and having a good history with EVGA, I decided to jump on their x58 motherboard. Am I planning to go up to the classified? Not necessarily, no. After picking out the board, the processor was a given. I was going with the i7-920. Stepping up from the previous setup, I know it's going to be a noticeable change.
Digging around for good deals/good reviews, I matched up 6gb of OCZ xmp dd3-1600 with the components I had picked up previously.
After even more and more reviews, I couldn't settle on a cpu cooler. I looked at the true, xigmatek, the noctua, and others. I was hoping that xigmatek would release their thors hammer... but no dice. With the noctua, I just couldn't get into the color scheme. Yeah, I know... it's probably a great cooler, but aesthetics won out on this. I wound up with the coolermaster v8. Overall good reviews, 1366 ready out of the box, and it isn't a bad looking cooler. As I'm not planning to OC the system much, if at all, I figured that something better than the stock HSF would do.
I needed an engine to run it all too.. and wound up with a corsair tx-850. I was half set to pick up their 1000w version, but decided that I wasn't planning on running 3 gpus, etc... or anything that would require that much juice to run smoothly.
As much as I'd love to wait for a windows7 full release, I'm planning on setting up a dual boot vista ultimate 64 / ubuntu machine.
So I'm left with picking up a GPU. Again with the reviews. I've been an nVidia guy since I started building. I've had nothing but luck with nVidia chipsets... matched up with evga. Fanboy? Not hardly. I just use what I've had good luck with. Wanna run a DFI board, more power to you. XFX video card? Rock on.
I've looked at the 260/core 216, 280 and 285 chipsets... all are appealing, but I'm just weighing out how future-proof I want the rig to be.
As of right now, everything is waiting to be put into the case except for the GPU (which hasn't been ordered), the coolermaster v8 and then ram (which are on the UPS truck as I type this).
So. That being said, what have I done? I've pulled everything out of my case that isn't being painted... and removed some of the honeycomb-style plastic in the front/top of the case to increase a bit of airflow.
As far as looks, I'm going to go a flat black internally, a faux-carbon fiber look and matte black externally... with carbon fiber cable wrapping to match. I plan on stealthing my optical drive, and modding the fan controller as I have seen on the 690 club thread. Really nifty idea. Just the same, stay tuned.
The "old" system was:
thermaltake armor case
430w cm purepower psu
evga 7800gt
p4 3.4 @ 3.87
3gb ddr2-4300
abit aa8xe fatal1ty motherboard
windows xp pro
so anyway... the motherboard goes out and it's time to upgrade.
After stalking this page, plenty of reviews online, and reviewing the bank account (as well as the crap I can get rid of for cash), I decided to go with an i7 build.
Having a Coolermaster 690 on hand, I decided to go with that case (and subsequently join that club on here). It's a bit smaller/lighter than the huge thermaltake armor case... pretty good airflow, tons of other enthusiasts that that can help out with tips/tricks on here.
After browsing anandtech/tomshardware/newegg reviews.. and having a good history with EVGA, I decided to jump on their x58 motherboard. Am I planning to go up to the classified? Not necessarily, no. After picking out the board, the processor was a given. I was going with the i7-920. Stepping up from the previous setup, I know it's going to be a noticeable change.
Digging around for good deals/good reviews, I matched up 6gb of OCZ xmp dd3-1600 with the components I had picked up previously.
After even more and more reviews, I couldn't settle on a cpu cooler. I looked at the true, xigmatek, the noctua, and others. I was hoping that xigmatek would release their thors hammer... but no dice. With the noctua, I just couldn't get into the color scheme. Yeah, I know... it's probably a great cooler, but aesthetics won out on this. I wound up with the coolermaster v8. Overall good reviews, 1366 ready out of the box, and it isn't a bad looking cooler. As I'm not planning to OC the system much, if at all, I figured that something better than the stock HSF would do.
I needed an engine to run it all too.. and wound up with a corsair tx-850. I was half set to pick up their 1000w version, but decided that I wasn't planning on running 3 gpus, etc... or anything that would require that much juice to run smoothly.
As much as I'd love to wait for a windows7 full release, I'm planning on setting up a dual boot vista ultimate 64 / ubuntu machine.
So I'm left with picking up a GPU. Again with the reviews. I've been an nVidia guy since I started building. I've had nothing but luck with nVidia chipsets... matched up with evga. Fanboy? Not hardly. I just use what I've had good luck with. Wanna run a DFI board, more power to you. XFX video card? Rock on.
I've looked at the 260/core 216, 280 and 285 chipsets... all are appealing, but I'm just weighing out how future-proof I want the rig to be.
As of right now, everything is waiting to be put into the case except for the GPU (which hasn't been ordered), the coolermaster v8 and then ram (which are on the UPS truck as I type this).
So. That being said, what have I done? I've pulled everything out of my case that isn't being painted... and removed some of the honeycomb-style plastic in the front/top of the case to increase a bit of airflow.
As far as looks, I'm going to go a flat black internally, a faux-carbon fiber look and matte black externally... with carbon fiber cable wrapping to match. I plan on stealthing my optical drive, and modding the fan controller as I have seen on the 690 club thread. Really nifty idea. Just the same, stay tuned.
