BleepingComputer.com: New build, need opinions and help

Hey guys, my laptop recently broke and I need a computer urgently so I've decided to build my own computer for the first time. Although I've had experience of upgrading/changing few computer parts (Hard-drive, RAM, Videocard, etc) in the past, I've never built one fully by myself.

I gathered a handful of components to suite my needs, I live in Canada so I will be using TigerDirect.ca for all my computer part purchasing. (I could use NCIX.com or newegg.ca as well but I find that TigerDirect.ca has the best pricings for Canadians)
Also, I have a budget limit of $1,300 CND max (About $1,250 USD).

I will be doing a lot of 3D animation, graphic design, video editting etc on this computer (and a little bit of gaming)
I would like to build a computer that would last me for a long time but I don't have a very good budget right now so I'm leaning towards few guidelines:

I would like to upgrade my graphic cards later on to 2 x SLI to run up to 4 Monitor display so I want to buy best bang for buck GFX card for now
I would like to upgrade my RAM to a better quality + larger memory so I want to buy best bang for buck RAM for now
I'm extremely sensitive to computer fan sound and I would like to build a computer that is very very quiet (without having to spend hundreds of dollars for a liquid cooling system)

I haven't picked a CPU Heatsink/Cooler yet, I would like to spend $50~ on this but I couldn't find one with a good review under $50. If you could suggest me a quiet CPU Heatsink/Cooler to replace the stock, I would really appreciate it!

Cooler Master CM690 Nvidia Ed. ATX Case SLI Ready
Link 99.97

MSI X58 Platinum SLI Motherboard - LGA1366, Intel X58, SLI Ready, CrossFireX Ready, Triple Channel DDR3 support, Hyperthreading support
Link 296.99

Or

Asus P6T Motherboard - LGA 1366, Intel X58, SATA, SLI Ready, CrossFireX Ready, Triple Channel DDR3 support, RAID, Hyperthreading support
Link 289.99

Intel Core i7 920 Processor BX80601920 - 2.66GHz, LGA 1366, 4.8GT/s QPI, 8MB L3 Cache, Quad-Core, HyperThreading, Bloomfield, Retail
Link 309.97

Western Digital Caviar Blue Hard Drive - 500GB, 7200rpm, 16MB, SATA-300, OEM
Link 69.97

OCZ ModXStream Pro Power Supply - 700-Watt, Modular, Dual +12V Rails, SATA, 80Plus
Link 108.99

LG GH22NS50 DVD Writer - DVD+R 22x, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6x, DVD-RAM 12x, SATA (OEM)
Link 34.97

BFG GeForce GTS 250 OC Video Card - 512MB GDDR3, PCI Express 2.0, (2) Dual Link DVI, SLI Ready
Link 124.97

Patriot Viper Tri Channel 6GB PC10666 DDR3 Memory - 1333MHz, 6144MB (3 x 2048), CL7
Link 119.97

Feel free to give me suggestions or opinions

Also, what OS do you guys recommend? I was leaning towards Windows 7 64-bit but I wasn't too sure about the compatibility and stability.

Thank you so much!

I tried to use the Tiger direct site to link to, but it was just too slow for some reason. So I used Newegg, and you can crossover part numbers:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...6-319-_-Product
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...6-284-_-Product

Personal preferance. Best platter size, fastest non Raptor WD drives, better warranty. I like these 2 much better vs the 500 and 750 gig WD Blacks.

Patriot memory is generally a very good value, but those extended heatsinks on that RAM could get in the way of your future cooling solution. I have had 2 coolers on my setup (EX58-UD4P/i920), a Xigmatek 1283 and a Scythe Mugen 2. The Xigmatek covered 1 RAM slot, The Scythe covers the first 2 with the fan mounted. Tall RAM sinks will get in the way. Just something to consider for your plans. If you can swing it, RAM rated for 1600 will help your overclocks while keeping your RAM dividers happy. 2 I have used and been happy with:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820227365
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16820231225

I believe that NVidia series of cards is EOL. If you have a preferance for NVidia, so be it, but you might find a better price/performance with one of the later ATI offerings.

Good choice of OS.

That TigerDirect site is horrible. It is just slugging my system everytime I scroll a page.

Thanks so much for the help dpunisher


I'll go for the 640 GB Caviar Black and the G.SKILL 6GB RAM (I've never seen/heard of them before, are G.Skill's RAMs reliable?)

Thanks for pointing out on the graphic card, I would've never known. The only reason why I chose an nVidia card is because I've never had an ATI before, but first time wouldn't hurt especially if it has greater value for my money.
Do you have any suggestion for a great mid range ATI gfx card? (Price around $150~)
I've looked into Radeon 5750 but I'm not sure how good this is.

Also, I found a sweet deal from newegg.ca for a case + psu so I'm switching to this:

http://www.newegg.ca/Product/ComboDealDeta...st=Combo.276132

Thanks again!

The 5770 is roughly equal to the 4870 in some games, it is still far faster than the GTS 250, which is also known as the 9800GTX. A great resource for quiet PC's is Silent PC Review.

Below is an alternate build that will get you a good PC for less, but you can use the graphics card if you wish.

Case: Sunbeam Transformer IC-TR-US-BA-WOPSU Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - You need a large case if you're going to be using the big graphics cards or want to do SLI or Crossfire. If you want quiet, the Antec Nine Hundred Two is suggested, but it is a Mid-ATX and more expensive. You can use Crossfire in a Mid-ATX but it may get a little hot. $99 (Before $25 mail-in rebate)

Motherboard: ASUS M4A77TD Pro AM3 AMD 770 ATX AMD Motherboard - This motherboard allows for Crossfire, DDR3, and the latest AM3 CPU's at a good price from a reliable company. $104 (Before $10 mail-in rebate)

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 965 Black Edition Deneb 3.4GHz - Compared to the i7 920, the 965 is very close to it in terms of performance. This CPU costs less which allows you to put more money into the other components. The higher i7's will easily smack this Phenom II around, but the 920 is very similar. $268

Graphics Card: MSI R5770-PM2D1G Radeon HD 5770 - If you want to use Crossfire, you need two of these. The 5770 in Crossfire is very powerful and cost-effective. $329 ($164 x 2 for two cards)

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W - Two 5770's in Crossfire require 600W, so I added another 150W for extra margin. For reference, a single 5770 requires a 400W PSU. $149 (Before $20 mail-in rebate)

RAM: G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 - Your motherboard requires DDR3 to run. Since you are going to be using many RAM intensive operations, like 3D animation and gaming, you should get as much RAM as you can. $164 ($82 x 2 for two kits)

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB - Plenty of space. $64

Optical Drive: Sony Optiarc 24X DVD/CD Rewritable Drive Black SATA Model AD-7240S-0B - This will read and write most optical media. $32

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit - You need a 64-bit OS to use 4GB or more of RAM. $122

$1,339 (With two RAM kits, two 5770's, and before rebates)