Not sure what Motherboard or CPU to get.

[Betelgeuse]

I am going to upgrade soon, but im not sure whether i should go with socket 1366 of 1155? I'm a bit conflicted. I am really just after a solid gaming machine, my budget is $1800
all i need is PSU,RAM,GPU,CPU and Mobo.

I might get 8GB ddr3 and an eVGA GTX580.
it's just the Mobo type and CPU i am most unsure about.
i was thinking 1366 with i7 980 or 960, that's a $300 price difference, i just don't want to spend more than i have too though.
and then there are the LGA2011's coming later this year, but i think i am going to upgrade now.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Check out this site: http://pcpartpicker.com/

I'd advise against the 960, it is 2+ years old. You should be looking at the sandy bridge i7-2600(k model- if you intend to overclock) or the 980 six core.

Memory is cheap right now, you can get 12gig of 1600 speed ram for under $100.

No new gaming machine would be complete without a SSD. I run a 300gb intel in my machine. I'd recommend an ssd 160gb or larger.

As far as PSU - I would choose either Seasonic or Corsair.

Motherboards - I've had good luck with Asrock brand.

Just a quick go through on partpicker: I didn't include an ssd because their ssd prices were higher than they should have been.
Part list permalink / Part price breakdown by merchant

CPU: Intel Core i7-2600K 3.4GHz Quad-Core Processor ($314.95 @ Amazon)
Motherboard: ASRock P67 Extreme 4 (B3) ATX LGA1155 Motherboard ($158.49 @ Newegg)
Memory: Corsair XMS3 12GB (3 x 4GB) DDR3-1600 Memory ($89.99 @ Newegg)
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 570 1.25GB Video Card ($322.86 @ Newegg)
Power Supply: SeaSonic 850W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply ($222.29 @ Newegg)
Total: $1108.58
(Prices include shipping and discounts when available.)

[Betelgeuse]

Thanks for responding in such detail Inanimate Carbon Rod.
Im going to ditch the 1366 and stick with 1155.
I live in Australia and have made a wishlist over at www.pccasegear.com

Here is what i have gone with so far (i still have a couple of weeks before i buy the parts)

CPU: Intel Core i7 2600K $315.00
Motherboard: ASRock Z68 Extreme4 Gen3 $219.00
Memory: Corsair Vengeance CMZ 2000Mhz 12GB (3x4GB) DDR3 $195.00
Video Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 580 $549.00
Power Supply: Corsair AX850 Gold Power Supply $245.00

Total:$1,523.00 AUD (does that seem like a fair price for what i have chosen?)

I am thinking the Memory And PSU could be exchanged for less expensive types, but im generally happy with what i have listed.

the spare $277 can go towards a SSD i suppose.

thanks again

[Phayzon]

You can get 2 Radeon HD6850's for much cheaper than a single GTX580 and have better performance.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

Here is a review illustrating what Phayzon said. It would still be cheaper for you to go with two 6870's.
http://www.techspot.com/review/386-h...eqx/page7.html

_

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Bridge

The 2600k is designed for DDR3 1333. If you look at most motherboards, including the one you chose, every speed above 1600 is only available if you overclock. You could save a nice chunk of change by going with 1600 speed.

If you go the single gpu route you would be ok with a 650 watt power supply - if you go crossfire or sli you would be just fine with a 750 watt power supply. You would save at least $30.

[Phayzon]

I actually haven't looked at prices recently. Good to know 6870s are also cheaper

[Betelgeuse]

oh man, you guys are the greatest i walked into this only having a half assed idea of what i wanted, blinded by the appeal of having a GTX580, convinced LGA1366 was the way to go.

I haven't been keeping up with the lastest tech and i haven't been looking at any benchmark tests either. But i didn't just want to rush in and buy all the pieces.

I had a feeling that 850W may have been a bit hasty.

So, thanks to the influence of you guys, i decided to go with 2x HIS Radeon HD6870 IceQ X 1GB and switched to the Corsair AX750 Gold Power Supply. I also swapped the Memory around with Corsair Vengeance CMZ 1600 12GB (3x4GB) DDR3 Dropping the total to a nice price of $1,302.00

Also thanks for the wiki link to "Sandy Bridge" architecture. That gave me a little more understanding of what's going on.

on a side note, I have never used SLI/crossfire before, so this is going to be ineresting.

[Inanimate Carbon Rod]

I believe there have been build quality issues with the HIS cards lately - it may be worth it for you to go with either the asus or gigabyte card... they are a bit faster anyway.

Here is a more thorough review of the 6870 crossfire: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/P...6870_X2/6.html

[Ras]

Yeah, I've had issues with HIS cards. I really like the MSI Twin-Frozr cards--they really do stay super cool and they look and feel quality with their metal shell. That IceQ might do the same thing, assuming the HIS cards works out okay. Make sure your mobo has some space between PCI-E slots if you get cards wtih coolers like these, though, as I've heard they heat up quick if the fans are blocked by the second card. The MSIs are pretty compact, though they do use up two expansion slots apiece. Other than that, I'm just about as newbie as you and won't offer any more advice.

[Phayzon]

Majority of the Radeon cards I've used (as well as the 2 HD4870's in my own system) are Sapphire Vapor-X.

[Betelgeuse]

Originally Posted by Inanimate Carbon Rod

I believe there have been build quality issues with the HIS cards lately - it may be worth it for you to go with either the asus or gigabyte card... they are a bit faster anyway.

Here is a more thorough review of the 6870 crossfire: http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/P...6870_X2/6.html

okay, so after reading that, i got little paranoid and decided to swap the 2 HIS cards around with 2x ASUS Radeon 6870 1GB DirectCU.

Originally Posted by Ras

Make sure your mobo has some space between PCI-E slots if you get cards wtih coolers like these, though, as I've heard they heat up quick if the fans are blocked by the second card. The MSIs are pretty compact, though they do use up two expansion slots apiece. Other than that, I'm just about as newbie as you and won't offer any more advice.

I'm hoping my current choice is solid (i Like Asus ) these beasties are certainly going to take up a lot of room, im starting to look into case modding aswell, so i can add 1 or 2 more system fans down the track just incase heating becomes an issue, i'll be keeping a solid eye on temperature for the first few days or week i reckon.

I'm trying to stick with the one Supplier just for convenience and less confusion if postage go's bad at this stage.

thanks for all of your input guys

[Ras]

Yes, I think the Asus is good. I, in fact, had one while RMAing my HIS. I was planning to keep it, but my setup didn't favor a Crossfire and I could use the $200 in my pocket.

[8IronBob]

I've been a good fan of Gigabyte Mobos so far, mine's been holding its own, having had it since Win 7 launched almost two years ago. I'd look into a Sapphire GPU like the HD6870.