1st build suggestions

A

artisan

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Sep 13, 2007
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Alright so I'm going to be building my own PC here in the near future. I would like to spend 1000.00 - $1,200.00.
Already have: LCD that i will be using for this. DVD/RW Drive that i will be putting in it.

Been reading Faqs, building guides all over the internet for a little bit now, and wanted some feedback on my priliminary build. Any tips you have for me would be very helpful, for this is my first time...


Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail -$99.99
GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $159.99
EVGA 640-P2-N821-AR GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail - $384.99
Antec True Power Trio TP3-650 ATX12V 650W Power Supply with Three 12V Rails - Retail -$129.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail -$194.99
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail -$94.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM -$109.99

Total comes out to $1,134.93

I'm also going to have to purchase an OS.

I pretty much am just aiming for the best possible computer i can build for around $1200.
Now, I've read that the video card i've choosen runs pretty hot, am i going to want to get additional fans? I would like this PC to run as quietly as possible.
I only have a 17" LCD for the time being, but i plan on upgrading to a 21"-23" soon after the purchase.
I would like to get into trying to overclock this system.

Any more q's you guys/gals have for me ask away, i'm sure i'll have plenty of qs throughout this exciting process
 
I just built a similar system with a similar budget and here's what I chose and why:

C2D E4500 - it's a 2m cache chip but it has an 800mhz bus so it's easier to overclock. You could get the E4400 if you desired since you won't really need an 11x multiplier, but AFAIK the E4500 is all M0 stepping (a good thing). I was able to hit 3.2ghz on stock volts, 3.4 with a minor voltage increase and could probably do 3.6 if I wanted to turn my fans up. All with a ~$20 AC Freezer 7 Pro w/o the thermal paste even completely setting in yet.

I got the same motherboard as you, but if you don't need RAID you could probably get away with the cheaper DS3L version. The DS3R has solid caps which is supposedly better in some way, but it's not a necessity and the DS3L is a great overclocker as well. Just something to think about. EDIT: I just realized you chose the P35C. I wouldn't bother with that board. I've heard it has problems overclocking and by the time DDR3 drops to a reasonable price and starts offering performance gains, you'll want a better motherboard anyway.

As far as video goes, I opted to get the EVGA 8800GTS 320mb, because Nvidia should be releasing new cards within the next 3 months and I want to step up when that happens. I didn't get the 640mb because I didn't want to drop $350+ to find out that a ~$275 card will come out and be faster than what I just bought. This may or may not matter to you, but if you're using a 17" monitor I can tell you that you won't see the difference between the 320 and 640mb versions, so you might as well get the cheaper one now and step up later. Either way if you go with EVGA you get a free copy of Quake Wars ET with it.

For the power supply, I chose the Corsair HX520. It's strongly recommended, probably the best value at it's price point (I paid $99AR) and it is QUIET. I mean whisper quiet. You don't need more than 520w unless you're running SLI.

The Ballistix is a great choice AR, and if you can afford the up front cost, I would stick with it but go for 4gb of it instead of 2gb. May as well future proof while the stuff is so cheap. However, if you go with an 800mhz FSB chip like the E4xxx series, you could get away with using something more attainable if you're on a budget. There are plenty of 2gb kits in the $60 range that would suit you well. I am using the A-Data kit off of Newegg in a 4x1gb configuration and it's working well, although I cannot overclock it very far. Still with an 11x multiplier, I don't need to. Right now I'm running 8x400 in sync with my RAM's stock speed, and with the ram at 2.0v I'm at 4-4-4-12 timings. I would have went with the Ballistix but for once I decided to get a legit license for Windows and the money I saved went towards that.

Everything else looks good. I chose a different case but the look of a case is a personal preference and I don't know enough about the Antec Solo to say good or bad things about it. Don't forget about your optical drive! And if you want a good deal on a mouse, Newegg has a Logitech G5 that comes with a free copy of BF2142 for $50.
 
Looks good to me but ditch the GA-P35C-DS3R. DDR3 RAM isn't worth it at the moment and by the DDR3 prices drop and performance increases, there will probably a new chipset/CPU that will take advantage of DDR3 RAM.

Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $130

Also, since you're overclocking, be sure to pick up a new HSF. Any of these will do:
Scythe SCNJ-1100P Ninja HSF - $36
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $55
 
Ok- Just updated things a little bit. Decided to go with a 320 gb hdd, already have an external and don't need the 500.
Hows the E6750's overclockability?? Reviews on newegg said it was good, anyone else have first hand experience?

Antec Solo Black/Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail -$99.99
GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail-$129.99
EVGA 320-P2-N815-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail -$294.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply - Retail -$139.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail -$194.99
Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model BL2KIT12864AA804 - Retail -$94.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $79.99
Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM -$111.99
(Really wish i didn't have to pay this or i'de buy a new monitor, but budget is pretty tight for this one..)

Total comes out to $1,116.92 after rebates.

I will probably purchase a HSF later, just want to get the build under my belt before i start worrying about OC'ing.

So yea, i guess my only questions now are: Does this combo of parts blend well to make a good running computer? Hows the overall potential overclockability of the comp i have here?
 
artisan said:
Ok- Just updated things a little bit. Decided to go with a 320 gb hdd, already have an external and don't need the 500.
Hows the E6750's overclockability?? Reviews on newegg said it was good, anyone else have first hand experience?
Click to expand...

From what I've read so far, the E6750 is an excellent overclocker, provided it has a good set of RAM as well. It's actually possible to hit 4.0Ghz with the E6750! Check out the Intel OC Database here to get an idea of how weel the E6750 OCs:
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h90/videomasterz/database.gif

So yea, i guess my only questions now are: Does this combo of parts blend well to make a good running computer? Hows the overall potential overclockability of the comp i have here?
Click to expand...

It blends pretty well. Though the Antec TruepowerTrio that you originally chose was a pretty decent PSU but the Corsair is of better quality IMO. Anyway, you can get the Corsair PSU for cheaper here and with free shipping:
Corsair HX520 520W PSU - $104

Though since you were willing to spend $140 to get a Corsair PSU, for $5 more, you can get the 620W version which will give you some headroom for future upgrades. Free shipping as well:
Corsair HX620 620W PSU - $145

And while you're at ZZF.com, pick up the OS from there as well:
Windows Vista Home Premium OEM - $104

Other than what I've recommended above, it looks good to me.
 
I got a HX520 from Buy.com for $90. I would suggest you replace that and go for the 8800GTX. Get rid of that gigabyte board and clone my system hehe.
 
Is the Corsair 550W PSU better than the 520W? It has 41A and is quite a bit cheaper than the 520W, which is why I was asking. Also, if you're getting a cooler, get the Thermalright Ultra 120 with a Yate Loon DS12M-12 for maximum OCing.
 
Rage_3k_Moiz said:
Is the Corsair 550W PSU better than the 520W? It has 41A and is quite a bit cheaper than the 520W, which is why I was asking. Also, if you're getting a cooler, get the Thermalright 120 Ultra with a Yate Loon DS12M-12 for maximum OCing.
Click to expand...

Well, first of all, you got the name wrong. It's called the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme.

And second, the Corsair 550VX and 520HX are both solid and excellent PSUs. You really can't go wrong with either PSU. However, the 520HX is a modular PSU and for $100, it's not a bad buy for those who care about airflow inside their case since you don't have excess cables lying around inside the system. But if you have a particularly large case with a lot of room to hide cables in, then the 550VX is a good choice.
 
Well, there are two versions of it, the Ultra 120 and the Ultra 120 Extreme. The Extreme version has two more heatpipes than the vanilla version. I recommended the Ultra 120 because the Extreme version's for $20 more and IMO paying that much more for two more heatpipes is not that sound a buy. I'm not very knowledgeable about OCing hardware anyways so someone might disagree.
 
Nemik8800 said:
I got a HX520 from Buy.com for $90. I would suggest you replace that and go for the 8800GTX. Get rid of that gigabyte board and clone my system hehe.
Click to expand...

Why? The gigabyte board has RAID, the P5K doesn't. :p It really depends on what the OP needs. If he needs RAID without Firewire, stick with the DS3R. If he needs Firewire but no RAID, then the P5K is good. If he needs both RAID and Firewire, the Abit IP35 is good. All of those boards will most likely reach 500+, so they're all good OCers.

Rage_3k_Moiz said:
Well, there are two versions of it, the Ultra 120 and the Ultra 120 Extreme. The Extreme version has two more heatpipes than the vanilla version. I recommended the Ultra 120 because the Extreme version's for $20 more and IMO paying that much more for two more heatpipes is not that sound a buy. I'm not very knowledgeable about OCing hardware anyways so someone might disagree.
Click to expand...

While I agree that the price of the Ultra120 eXtreme is a bit extreme itself, thats what you must pay to get the best air cooler. Cheaper alternatives that would perform similarly would be the Tuniq Tower 120 or Thermalright Ultima90. I have both (Tuniq and Ultima90) and they perform nearly identical, but the Ultima90 is much smaller/lighter, so its the better buy, IMO.

$45 - Tuniq Tower 120 CPU HSF
$46 - Thermalright Ultima 90 CPU HS + Panaflo Hydrowave 92mm Fan FBA09A12M - Z ($3)

Reviews:
http://anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=2943
http://anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=2981
http://anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3068

Skim all three of those reviews. :p
 
Yes the Tuniq 120 and Ultima90 are excellent alternatives. However, as far as the fan is concerned, the Yate Loon D12SM-12 offers 71CFM of airflow at a slightly higher noise level of 33dBA compared to the Panaflo fan. At about $0.5 more, it's a superb deal IMO. Here is a link to it.
 
Rage_3k_Moiz said:
Yes the Tuniq 120 and Ultima90 are excellent alternatives. However, as far as the fan is concerned, the Yate Loon D12SM-12 offers 71CFM of airflow at a slightly higher noise level of 33dBA compared to the Panaflo fan. At about $0.5 more, it's a superb deal IMO. Here is a link to it.
Click to expand...

Sound is subjective and its often an exponential graph, instead of linear. In other words, 33dBA sounds A LOT louder than 28dBA. While the rating may seem slightly louder, since sound is subjective, that could be a huge difference in audibility. So, in general, any fan you get can easily be quieted down by using a simple volt mod. Of course, when you lower the voltage, you lower the RPMs, which in turn lower the CFM and loudness.
 
After doing more reading up on my options, i'm leaning towards waiting for nvidia to release their new gpus to see what my options are then, since im not in too much of a hurry.
Also, i'm thinking about downgrading the case to save some $. Would i be sacrificing anything other than a sturdier, and perhaps an easier build with this case--?
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $54.99

I mean all i really need from the case is enough room to fit everything in it, and i just want it to be quiet with good decent airflow (although i know i can alter this to my likings..)

EDIT: Also, thanks for all the good info on the coolers, lots of good advice
 
The Centurion 532 and 534 are better choices, IMO, since they have 120mm intake fans instead of 80mm (on the C5). You can also put a fan on the size panel as additional intake.

Also, check svc.com for the case... it may be cheaper than newegg depending on where you need it shipped to.
 
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