Yes and yes.
I can't wait to upgrade to Bulldozer. When I went from AMD 64 3200+ to Phenom II X4 965, it was like an entire new world. Now I get to jump from the same AMD 64 to an FX-8130...o_O
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Okay, I want to build an amazing desktop. Here is a list of the hardware I have chosen, are these the best parts you can get and are they compatible, I believe they are.
Motherboard
Asus Maximus IV Extreme Intel P67 (Socket 1155) DDR3 Motherboard - (Sandybridge) ** B3 REVISION **
Processor
Intel Core i7-2600 3.40GHz (Sandybridge) Socket LGA1155 Processor
CPU Cooler
Corsair Hydro H60 CPU Cooler with free Akasa Apache Fan
CD Drive
Samsung SH-B123L/BSBP 12x BluRay ROM / 16x DVD±RW Lightscribe SATA-II Optical Drive
Sound Card
Asus Xonar D2 7.1 PCI Sound Card
Power
OcUK Crusade 450W Dual-Rail High Efficiency Power Supply
Hard Drive
Hitachi Deskstar 5K3000 2TB SATA 6Gb/s 32MB Cache 5900RPM
Memory
Corsair Dominator GT 12GB (3x4GB) DDR3 PC3-16000C9 2000MHz Triple Channel Kit with DHX Airflow Fan
Graphics Card
Asus GeForce GTX 590 OC 3072MB GDDR5 PCI-Express Graphics Card
Just need to find a case, I basically want a fucking BEAST computer. :) Comes to £1,793.88 altogether :S - Might have to shop around for cheaper prices or similar parts.
I'd get a Z68 based motherboard, they're newer and as such offer newer and better features... Check out the Gigabyte Z68X-UD7.
For the processor, get an i7-2600k. They have unlocked multipliers thus making them extremely easy to overclock.
CPU Cooler is decent, the H70 is better than the H50 and H60. Some newer air coolers perform just as well also if you want to go that route.
Optical drive, I haven't personally looked into a blu-ray drive for my PC yet really... Do you absolutely need one?
Sound card, well, I'm a fan of just using the integrated sound on your motherboard. It's usually sufficient nowadays, unless you're an audiophile or need the extra inputs/outputs of the sound card then I'd recommend against getting one.
You'll need at least a 750W power supply mostly because of that GTX 590. Corsair makes the best ones and I'd recommend getting one with overhead in-case you want to add an another GTX 590 in the future. I recommend the new Corsair Professional Series AX1200.
Hard drive, why did you chose anything except a Western Digital? Also, the drive you chose is only 5,900 RPM... Anything below 7,200 RPM is useless unless you're just using it for file storage. Western Digital Black drives offer a 5 year warranty as well instead of just 3 years like most other manufacturers. I also recommend getting a smaller hard drive for Windows+Programs and a large hard drive for file storage and stuff.
Western Digital Caviar Black 500GB SATA 6Gb/s 32MB Cache
Western Digital Caviar Black 2TB SATA 6Gb/s 64MB Cache
Memory looks fine to me, stick with Corsair for that regardless.
Graphics card... There are only a couple reasons to pick a GTX 590 over a GTX 580, here they are:
Get a 590 if:
1) You plan on getting a second 590 for SLI.
2) You're running at a resolution over 1920x1200 (includes the use of multiple monitors for gaming).
Get a 580 if:
1) You only use one monitor at 1920x1200 or less.
This is because the power in the GTX 590's will be wasted at anything less than 1920x1200, I currently favor them over the GTX 580's because I'd buy two for SLI and my resolution for gaming is 5760x1200. If you game at a resolution of 1920x1200 or less most of the time then GTX 580's in SLI will likely give you better performance.
Also, if you're buying an Nvidia card you should ALWAYS ALWAYS buy from EVGA. They have the best warranty and track record.
Okay, thanks. What you suggested looks MUCH better. They also physically look amazing.
The graphics card is apparently only £456.46 from here: http://www.evga.com/products/moreInf...s%20Family&sw=
Although it is £700+ on overclockers, is this right? :S
Haha, it probably has something to do with shipping or overclockers supply line.
Since you can't use Newegg (yet, Newegg owns the .co.uk domain name so who knows) I'd recommend checking out Tiger Direct. Play with your prices though, it might be cheaper to get all your core components (motherboard, cpu, memory) from one place and get the GPU's directly from EVGA if they'll ship to you.
What were you planning on using for a case? Some of my personal recommendations:
Mid-tower:
Cooler Master CM 690 II
Antec Nine Hundred II V3
Cooler Master HAF 922
Corsair Obsidian 650D
Full-tower:
Antec Twelve Hundred Gamer Case V3
Cooler Master HAF X
NZXT Phantom
Corsair Obsidian 800D (wicked amazing case, just as wickedly pricy and built for water-cooling)
I added some case suggestions into my last post. For peripherals I'm a huge fan of Logitech, and for your monitor you should get something from Samsung.
Antec Nine Hundred II V3
Cooler Master HAF 922
NZXT Phantom
REALLY hard decision between them top 3. They all look amazing. I'm really liking the NZXT Phantom for the design and layout, but then I like the other two for the materials used and the mesh infront of the fans. lol
The NZXT Phantom in white makes me drool. Have a gander through here and your mind will be made up pretty fast!
Hitachis are solid. I have three of them.