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Final Build: CPU: Intel i7 860 RAM: Corsair XMS3 1600MHz 8-8-8-24 MOBO: ASUS P7P55D Pro PSU: Corsair HX650 GPU: MSI Twin Frozr GTS 250 512MB HDD1: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB HDD2: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB OS: Windows 7 Home Premium 64Bit HSF: Corsair H50 LCD: ASUS 21.5'' 1920x1080 Optical Drive: Some ASUS drive Case: Antec 300
As you can see, a bit changed from my initial build around April as seen here: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?id=118253 Most notably, the removal of the SSD, the addition of the Samsung 1TB, and the upgrading from the ATi HD4670 to the Nvidia GTS 250.
The SSD was removed because A. I could not decide between the new Sandforce controller drives and the older Intel controller drives B. Intel is going to refresh their SSD line later this year
Because the SSD was removed, I had a bit of extra money which was used to upgrade the 4670 to the GTS 250, and increase the storage space. I still intend to add a SSD later on, but as of now I'll live without.
As far as the build, it went fairly well :> (note that the times for the pictures are all completely wrong!). I apologize in advance for the blurry pictures!
Parts laid out on the ground.
Mounting the PSU
Mounting the PSU into the case first is generally good practice since once you plug the PSU into a power outlet (and turn it off), it effectively grounds your computer which is good for those people who are afraid of static shock. Generally you mount the PSU by screwing 4 screws into the back of the PSU. Some cases (Lian Li notably) have tool-less ways of doing it.
I chose a modular PSU so there aren't many cables (only the 24 pin mobo power and the 8 pin CPU power). If you choose a non-modular PSU, there will be a lot more cables attached to your PSU.
CPU and 1 DIMM of RAM installed
Only 1 DIMM since I want the computer to POST before anything else. It actually matters where you plug in your RAM sometimes. Many Intel motherboards have the channels separated so that the 2nd slot from the socket is the 'first' slot. I assume this is because many heatsinks like the Scythe Mugen cover up that first RAM slot. Consult your motherboard instruction booklet to see where to install it.
Motherboard, H50 Radiator and Backplate
I didn't actually get a picture of the backplate, but it's just a plastic piece that you put 4 headers through. The thing on the right is the CPU Cooler. The square thing is the radiator, and the cylinder attached to the tubes is waterblock that goes on the CPU.
I did a bit of research on the Corsair H50 before I actually got it, but apparently the TIM/thermal paste they preapply is high grade Shin-Etsu, which happens to be among the top 10 thermal pastes (That's Corsair for you! <3). So if you're buying the H50, don't take off the thermal paste and add on your AS5 or anything, that'd be a waste!
Anyways as far as the cooler goes it's pretty simple. Water flows through the tubes, takes heat away from the CPU, goes down the radiator where heat is blown away by a fan.
GTS 250, H50, and motherboard installed
This situation is actually a bit un-ideal. Normally I like to try to post for the first time while the motherboard is still out of the case, but with the H50, it seemed like a hassle to attach the radiator, then unattach it again. (A mistake on my part T_T)
I recommend keeping your motherboard out of your computer during your first attempt to post.
Front Panel Connectors and terrible cable management
Not much changed here. That is all you need to have in your computer to post. Motherboard, 1 Stick of RAM, CPU, PSU, Heatsink, GPU (don't even need GPU if your motherboard has onboard graphics). You do not need anything else, and I would recommend against anything else in the case your computer fails to post, it's easier to see what went wrong, and there is less trouble to take things off.
Makeshift Posting Station
Moved from the carpet just for a bit of extra safety. Don't want to invite danger!
The Most Beautiful Screen
This means that none of your core components are DOA, and you didn't fuck anything up. Awesome. This is what you want to see when you press the power button.
Just the HDD I think
Yeah, cables are messy as fuck because I suck at cable management. However, I have fixed a bit since this picture. I think this is partially Corsair's fault since their SATA connectors are geared towards a PSU that is going to be top mounted. In order to get the SATA Power to fit correctly, I had to bring the cables up, and then back down instead of just bringing them up.
Also they decided to add a floppy connector on the ends of each of the molex. That was a bit annoying since the molex cables already had like 4 connections.
I fucking hate molex.
I may have installed the second RAM DIMM here as well.
Windows, any monkey can take it from here
yea!
guts
battlestation
With my ABS M1 Keyboard and Microsoft Sidewinder X3 mouse
In general, this build is completely half-assed and I know it. New GPUs coming out next year so I can't be assed to splurge on an 5850 (also compounded by the fact that Newegg can't stock the ASUS 5850s I've been waiting for). SSDs are awesome, but I can't justify spending $230 on tech that will be EOL'd later this year or early next.
I still love my new computer though :>
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good job ^^ Overall how long did it take for you to get all the components and actually put teh thing together?
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About 2-3 hours. The HDD installation and optical drive installation probably took the longest because of the weird SATA cables.
The H50 was surprisingly painless
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The Antec 300 is a nice looking case, that's what I have. Enjoy the new computer
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hey I have the same case. Do you get interference when using the front panel audio jacks?
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As they say in Death Rally: "That is one hell of a piece of machinery!" Quite impressive. I was going to say "What the hell do you need 2 TBs of space for?!?!" But then I always remember how I manage to easily fill up 120 GB and feel always starved for space. -_-
One question, though. If these pictures are recent, why do they say "2005"?
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Here's the overclocking I ended up doing
upped Base clock to 160mhz, and disabled turbomode for a final clock of 3.37GHz on the i7 860. Mostly to get my memory up to rated speed really.
I found that the GTS 250 didn't have much overclocking headroom. Stock clock is 738MHz on most models. Mine was clocked at 675MHz, but I managed to get the clock to a final of 785MHz. 790MHz caused what I think were artifacts on Furmark so I didn't push it anymore. Got a memory clock of 1200MHz though.
Edit: Blabber I do unfortunately
As for the 2TB, I bought a 1080p monitor and plan on using it to store lots of 1080p anime and movies. :D
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does the antec 300 have a backpanel to feed your cables through (particularily 24 pin and 8 pin mobo connectors)? that being said, then it would only leave the sata HDD connectors and 6/8 pin GPU connector getting in the way
I've used the H50 on a i7 930 1366 CPU, i saw a 2 degree disparity between it and a noctua NH-C12P So i didn't use it, the risk for 2 degrees wasnt worth it imo
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Koltz unfortunately, no. That is my major irk with the Antec 300 which is the lack of cable management holes. They seem to just want you to stick all your cables behind the hard drive cage. However it is an old case, so whatever. I can't really complain about something I got for free :p
As for the H50, I have never heard any issues of it leaking so I just went for it.
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How're you liking the case? I got the same one.
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It wasn't exactly the best case to build in. My friend bought a CM 690 II for a computer I built with him and it was much easier to handle the cases. The case is pretty roomy though, I like it. The only issue I have with it is the interference when using the front microphone jack.
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some benching would be cool :D
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Yah, it was a bit of a cluster for me as well, I got most of my cords tucked into the extra space for more HDD mounting. Also can't say I've come across that mic jack problem (my headset is USB).
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oh damn that's sweet frag :3
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Ive learned my lesson when I bought Earthwatts instead of a modular PSU. Oh well, it still works... Just my tower looks like a explosive device on the inside.
And nice the PSU is on the bottom now.
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Can you go back through and explain all of the acronyms you used?
Otherwise nice computer.
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Baa?21242 Posts
Now build me a computer imo.
<3
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i h8 u lemonwalrus
from my SC2 Computers thread + Show Spoiler [Computer Terms (Newbies Read~)] + CPU/Proc/Processor/Core = Central Processing Unit- It is what makes your computer work. It does most of the work. Probably the most important part of your computer. Produced by Intel and AMD. Mobo/board/ = Motherboard- It is the backbone of your computer. Everything is attached to it, and it supports all of your components. Produced by the Taiwanese OS = Operating System- It is the interface of your computer. Without it allows you to tell your hardware what to do. Many types, most common are Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux. RAM/memory = Random Access Memory- It is what stores what your computer is currently running. Whenever you close an application (or more accurately end a process) the RAM that was allocated for that application is cleared. It is also cleared every single time you turn off your computer. GPU/graphics card/card = Graphics Processing Unit- The secondary processing unit. It helps the CPU process the graphics and when you're playing a game, it is the GPU that is drawing those frames. It can be either integrated or dedicated. Integrated GPUs have no RAM for themselves and have to use System RAM while dedicated GPUs have their own banks of RAM that they access. As such, integrated GPUs are much weaker than dedicated GPUs. HDD/HD = Hard Disk Drive- The permanent storage location. Unlike RAM, the information on the HDD is never cleared unless you clear it yourself. It uses disks called 'platters' to store information. The less platters there are, the faster the drive can access information because the HDD utilizes moving parts. SSD/solid state = Solid State Drive- Newer form of memory storage. Like the HDD it is permanent storage, but unlike the HDD it doesn't use platters or moving parts. As such it is extremely fast when accessing data which allows you to open applications quickly. PSU/power supply = Power Supply Unit- Device that supplies power to your computer. Comes with different rails of different voltages. OCing = Overclocking- The act of pushing a part's performance past its designed usage. Most common to overclock CPU, GPU, and RAM to get higher speeds and better performance. Xfire = ATi CrossFire- Using two ATi Graphics cards in tandem to gain extra performance. Two ATi graphics cards can be 'combined' to give the user better performance. There are limitations to CrossFire, and usually CrossFire works with two of the same cards for best performance. However it is possible to CrossFire different GPUs. SLi = Nvidia SLi- Nvidia version of CrossFire. Same idea, except the GPUs must be the same. FPS = Frames Per Second- Self explanatory name! It's how many frames your GPU can draw in a second at a given resolution. The higher the number, the smoother the 'motion' in the game will look. All games are actually just like slideshows with insane amounts of slides changed insanely quickly. The higher the resolution, the more your GPU has to draw, so that is why higher resolutions require better GPUs!
A RAM 'DIMM' is a stick of RAM. 'HSF' is Heatsink Fan (ie Cooling)
You bring the money I'll build the computer imo CSheep
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Nice build, but cable management -.-;
EDIT: I have that exact keyboard lol
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EOL'd? DOA? You are underestimating the amount of dumb you are dealing with here.
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Wait what, 250, with an i7? Isn't that a little overkill? I thought all you really need for single GPU set ups was an i5 especially with an older card like the 250. Otherwise this looks like nice build .
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EOL = End of Lifetime = no more support. An example would be Windows 2000 or Pentium 4. Usually means the hardware is old.
DOA = Dead on Arrival = part is broken before you open the box.
As for the GTS 250 and the i7, the 860 was only $20 more than the 750 at microcenter so I went for the 860. The GTS 250 was $90 after MIR which I thought was a pretty good deal. I plan on upgrading the GPU eventually though. Just using the GTS 250 to run a monitor or something.
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Yeah, I have the A300 case too, great cheap case but my front audio is a little squeely too....
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Nice build. About the cable management, I've seen much worse, so don't beat yourself up about it ;>. Appreciate the pictures very much, makes it more interesting to read in my opinion. Always been interesting in overclocking but never put any effort into learning about it, but this made me "read up" on overclocking actually.
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I plan on pushing the i7 860 a bit more when I'm not as lazy :p
Still want to try to fix the cable management though. I'm trying to make as much use as possible of the space in the back of the hard drive case. The GTS 250 is a bit wobbly though so I'm really careful around it.
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how much did this puppy end up costing you mate
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hm, around $1.2k including all the peripherals
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Not bad considering this is quite a powerhouse build that isnt overkill. But then you have the expensive SSD still to come...
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I figure the SSD will be around $150-$200 on top of the new build. If Intel surprises me with cheaper prices, that'd be nice too. If it turns out that Intel drives are too expensive or don't perform well, I might just end up going for a 50GB Sandforce drive or a new Indilinx drive.
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i would've gotten a bigger case just because it is not that much more for the antec 902 or 900 and it would be easier than the cramped 300. and asus makes the best lcd screens at the best price... i have a 25.5 inch and it's sexy as hell
edit. and like others said, you can't cable manage in a 300 unless you bring out tools. i hate a cluttered computer. and you should've gotten a silverstone 100% modular psu (decathalon) considering the whole wire management thing.
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On June 20 2010 11:41 FragKrag wrote: EOL = End of Lifetime = no more support. An example would be Windows 2000 or Pentium 4. Usually means the hardware is old.
DOA = Dead on Arrival = part is broken before you open the box.
As for the GTS 250 and the i7, the 860 was only $20 more than the 750 at microcenter so I went for the 860. The GTS 250 was $90 after MIR which I thought was a pretty good deal. I plan on upgrading the GPU eventually though. Just using the GTS 250 to run a monitor or something.
You shoulda got a 930 instead, and then you could just buy another card for SLI and they would both run at X16 instead of X8
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Someone here is very knowledgable about computers, and I am not talking about me in this thread. Nice work.
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Well the Antec 300 was free as a present so I decided to use it. My original plan was a CM HAF 922, which would have made the build much cleaner and better looking :<
The Corsair HX650 is 100% modular except for the 24pin and the 8pin, both of which I would be using anyways.
Koltz: nah, I don't need the X58 platform, and I don't plan on running very powerful cards in crossfire. The i7 930 has a higher TDP which I don't want to deal with, higher power usage, and I would end up spending the extra money on features I don't actually need. Sure, the extra PCIe lanes are awesome and all, but I don't really plan on using them.
Besides, SLI GTS 250 definitely does not need the full PCIe bandwidth :p
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On June 20 2010 14:53 FragKrag wrote: Well the Antec 300 was free as a present so I decided to use it. My original plan was a CM HAF 922, which would have made the build much cleaner and better looking :<
The Corsair HX650 is 100% modular except for the 24pin and the 8pin, both of which I would be using anyways.
Koltz: nah, I don't need the X58 platform, and I don't plan on running very powerful cards in crossfire. The i7 930 has a higher TDP which I don't want to deal with, higher power usage, and I would end up spending the extra money on features I don't actually need. Sure, the extra PCIe lanes are awesome and all, but I don't really plan on using them.
Besides, SLI GTS 250 definitely does not need the full PCIe bandwidth :p
It is not 100% modular if it isn't 100% modular! I learned to appreciate 100% PSUs when I started sleeving cables... Corsair is a great PSU but a bitch to sleeve...
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I don't see the point in having the two cables you will always use as modulars. I don't plan on sleeving cables either. What's the point?
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On June 20 2010 14:58 FragKrag wrote: I don't see the point in having the two cables you will always use as modulars. I don't plan on sleeving cables either. What's the point?
Because some people like to make your computers look really good? For instance murdermod pc's... like this one .. also, 100% modular PSUs are way more convenient when taking apart the computer. Some people build computers and make em look good as a hobby.
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Meh, don't really need cable management with a non windowed case anyways. Nice build!
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lol, cable management to make a computer look good.. I only cable manage for airflow.
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On June 20 2010 08:52 blabber wrote: hey I have the same case. Do you get interference when using the front panel audio jacks? yep my mic apparently makes noises over vent and stuff if i plug into the front audio so i'm stuck plugging it into the back.
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Nice rig. I've just finished my rig so I will probably post some pics later too.
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Nice. TL needs more rig threads :D
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your overclock is weak, beef it up!
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Definitely will when I'm not feeling lazy :>
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H50 cooler i almost bought that when i was randomly in a best buy it was being sold for 40 bucks bah i didn't want to spend money. I have plenty of big air coolers that are pretty silent already.
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Wow I am so jealous. This is very nice! I want to learn how to build computers one day.
Congrats !
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On June 21 2010 09:14 Amnesia wrote: Wow I am so jealous. This is very nice! I want to learn how to build computers one day.
Congrats !
To be honest, building computers is like lego. It's not really hard at all. It just seems challenging because it's a rising trend.
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yeah the building itself is really easy. Since they got rid of all the annoying stuff like IDE cables. If you splurge a bit more on the case (~$70) for CM 690 will make your cable management so much easier.
I easily spent 20-30x the time finding the parts I wanted and going through indecision ;_;
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On June 21 2010 10:19 FragKrag wrote: yeah the building itself is really easy. Since they got rid of all the annoying stuff like IDE cables. If you splurge a bit more on the case (~$70) for CM 690 will make your cable management so much easier.
I easily spent 20-30x the time finding the parts I wanted and going through indecision ;_;
Now this is cable management.
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guy has no talent
took the easy way out of a HAF 922!
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rofl you should see my computer after i replaced my psu it's such a mess
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I remember folding IDE cables then taping them so they hug the case lol that was such a pain.
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I still have ide cables in mine =p I vultured my cd drives from my old computer lol
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On June 21 2010 10:34 semantics wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2010 10:19 FragKrag wrote: yeah the building itself is really easy. Since they got rid of all the annoying stuff like IDE cables. If you splurge a bit more on the case (~$70) for CM 690 will make your cable management so much easier.
I easily spent 20-30x the time finding the parts I wanted and going through indecision ;_; + Show Spoiler +Now this is cable management.
I'm probably gonna feel dumb after this gets answered, but this question has been bugging me ever since I first looked at this pic: where the hell is the CPU power connector? I see that the whole thing is super tidy, but I can find pretty much everything else.
Nice build, FragKrag. Really nice to have the pictures, too, and I'm sure they'll help some people. I'd come to the same conclusion as you on waiting until Intel releases their new SSDs (I'm iffy on them coming through with their claims, but at the very least it should drop down prices on current gen products) but I'm still going back and forth on 1TB Caviar Black or 1 TB Spinpoint F3. Meh, it being a legitimate question is good for everybody in the long run, I guess.
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The 8 pin looks hidden behind that huge ass cooler o_o, god I hate v8/v10's.
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On June 21 2010 13:22 maareek wrote:Show nested quote +On June 21 2010 10:34 semantics wrote:On June 21 2010 10:19 FragKrag wrote: yeah the building itself is really easy. Since they got rid of all the annoying stuff like IDE cables. If you splurge a bit more on the case (~$70) for CM 690 will make your cable management so much easier.
I easily spent 20-30x the time finding the parts I wanted and going through indecision ;_; + Show Spoiler +Now this is cable management. I'm probably gonna feel dumb after this gets answered, but this question has been bugging me ever since I first looked at this pic: where the hell is the CPU power connector? I see that the whole thing is super tidy, but I can find pretty much everything else. Nice build, FragKrag. Really nice to have the pictures, too, and I'm sure they'll help some people. I'd come to the same conclusion as you on waiting until Intel releases their new SSDs (I'm iffy on them coming through with their claims, but at the very least it should drop down prices on current gen products) but I'm still going back and forth on 1TB Caviar Black or 1 TB Spinpoint F3. Meh, it being a legitimate question is good for everybody in the long run, I guess. it's at the top it's being blocked by the fan at that angle.
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I went for the 1TB F3s because they are quieter, run cooler, use less power, cheaper (when I bought them, they were $70) and have better sequential reads/writes than the Caviar Blacks. What the Caviar Blacks have over the F3s is the better access time. Since I intend to use the 1TB F3s as storage drives later it really wasn't much of a decision
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Cable management for most people is just try to shove as many cables as you can to the back panel behind the main board plate lol.
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Here is Mine:
The case is Windowed, and I love it ;D
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CPU: Intel i7 920 RAM: Corsair XMS3 3G + OCZ 6G = 9G MOBO: ASUS P6TD DELUXE PSU: Corsair VX550 GPU: ASUS 5770 Cucore (Will upgrade to 5870 when it's cheaper) HDD: Samsung Spinpoint F3 1TB OS: Windows 7 Pro 64 BIT HSF: NH-D14 LCD: BENQ 24" G2420HDBL Optical Drive: None (who neeeds optical drive lol) Case: Cant remember but it's Lianli, very high quality
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