2k Video, Graphics & Gaming PC...

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Niksa

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 8, 2005
Messages
228
Hi folks!

Time for a new build. This time it's for me though! :p I do not want to upgrade any part for at least two years if possible (or until I finish college and get a [good] job...)

Overclock: I don't plan to overclock right now.
TV?: I was thinking about having a blu-ray player and starting the painful conversion to blu-ray disks, and if I have a huge monitor then I may as well... I don't own a PS3 so I figure this might actually be the cheaper route for a blu-ray player right now.
OS: Windows Vista 64bit (which I will be able to purchase at my University for a discount, so this is not included)
Budget: 2000 flexible, not including shipping or the OS.

This computer will be used for:
graphics programming (OpenGL), virtual environment design, video editing, movies and gaming, specifically Everquest 2, perhaps Spore (if the DRM is removed, hah) and Oblivion. I might check out Crysis, hah! And of course all the regular word processing, etc.

Here's what I have been considering:

Monitor: Hanns·G HG-281DPB Black 28" 3ms Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor [460]
Case: XION II XON-102 Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case [80] or [60]
PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply [92]
MOBO: EVGA 123-YW-E175-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 750i FTW SLI ATX Intel Motherboard [170]
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor [325]
Heatsink: ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler [25]
Case Fan #1:[FONT=arial, helvetica][SIZE=-1] Bgears B-cool Fan w/ Temp/RPM Display - 120mm[/SIZE][/FONT] [22]
Case Fan #2: Blue Cold Cathode 120mm Fan [18]
RAM: OCZ Reaper HPC 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR10664GK [98]
HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive [85]
Video: VisionTek 900244 Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card [260]
DVD: LG Black Blu-ray/HD DVD-ROM & 16X DVD±R DVD Burner SATA Model GGC-H20L [160]
Sound: Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card [40]
Keyboard: Ideazon Merc Stealth Illuminated Gaming Keyboard- ZXP-2000 Black USB Wired Ergonomics [58]
Mouse: Logitech 996-000012 Gray 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired TrackBall TrackMan Wheel [27]
Speakers: Logitech G51 155 watts RMS 5.1 Surround Sound Speakers [90]

Total: 2010 (including shipping and rebates.)


Details:
The motherboard is very uncertain with me. I switched it around a few times. Honestly, I am not sure what to get. Spending 300+ on a motherboard is a little iffy to me, but I am not completely against it.. I have had two motherboards croak on me before, so I just want to have a reliable manufacturer (which is why I selected EVGA)...

Video card is very uncertain for me. I have been using NVidia, and my friend has Nvidia 8800s SLI but they give him nothing but trouble. I looked into it, and it seems Radeon is currently the best option. I will SLI if I need to, but I'm not especially looking to do so.

Fans are just selected on noise level, novelty and color. That's about all... I am not particularly attached to them.

Technically I need a printer too, but I haven't even looked into those yet...

In other words, I'm not attached to any of these pieces, so feel free to critique anything... except the trackball. I love the trackballs, man! ;)

Any suggestions?
Thanks for your time!
 
First of all, you can't SLI with ATI cards. So I recommend ditching that 750i mobo and getting a slightly more reliable Intel based motherboard. I recommend these:
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L Intel P43 Motherboard - $85
MSI P45 Neo3-FR Intel P45 Motherboard - $112
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Intel P45 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 Motherboard - $140
Biostar TPower I45 Intel P45 Motherboard - $152
DFI Lanparty DK X38-T2R Intel X38 Motherboard - $180
Asus P5E Deluxe Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
DFI Lanparty DK X48-T2R Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 Intel X48 Motherboard - $225

Just to help you out: All of these motherboards have PCI-E 2.0 which may be useful for future GPU upgrades. If you don't need RAID, more than 6 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 8 SATA ports, RAID, 4 PCI slots, and legacy ports, then get the Neo3-Fr. If you don't need more than 6 SATA ports but want RAID, firewire, a second PCI-E x16 port, a second gigabit port, support for 16GB of RAM, optional eSATA, x8/x8 Crossfire, and great overclocks, then get the DS3R. If you like the DS3R but need 8 SATA ports, want an onboard pre-installed fast booting Linux setup, just support for 8GB of RAM, and don't need a second gigabit port, get the Asus P5Q Pro. If you want a motherboard with excellent overclocking capabilities above all else (feature wise), go with the I45. If you want Crossfire with full x16/x16 bandwidth, get the Lanparty DK X38. If you have cash to burn, need x16/x16 Crossfire, and don't give a damn about getting the most value for your money, get the Asus, DFI, or Gigabyte X48 motherboards. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.

Case wise, these cases are far better for the money:
Cooler Master RC-590-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $70
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $77

Go with this cheaper set of RAM since it's only 66mhz slower but will still offer you overclocking headroom:
G.Skill F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 1000 RAM - $75

Ditch the AC7 Pro HSF and get a much better HSF like these:
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 120mm Rifle HSF - $35 & Retention Bracket - $7
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm HSF - $50

Also, ditch the sound card as well. Onboard sound has improved a lot in the last few years. So I recommend trying out the onboard sound first.
 
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You should really get at least 2 HDDs. For video editing you will really appreciate having source video and output video on different disks, and it helps to have scratch/page file on another disk from your apps/OS drive.
 
I'm gonna make a comment on the Hanns-G monitor 28" I have this and I was happy for it for a few months until it crapped out one morning. I would advise you look at another brand. Because of my bad experience with this monitor dying on me in 4 months, I would suggest you look at buying a 26" lcd locally like at Best Buy. The return policy with NewEgg is not so good. If you have a local Best Buy in your area, you may find a Samsung 2693HM lcd for under $400. A person on Hardforum was able to pick this up for only $285! on clearance. Pretty good monitor and has more inputs with ability to pivot into portrait mode. The Hanns-G 28" advantage is just the 2" extra in size. But, 25.5" is already huge.
 
Don't count the mail-in rebate amounts yet, as you still have to pay the full (before-rebate) prices up front first.

In addition to what everyone else have said -- which I agree with -- I recommend picking switching your case fans out for either the Yate Loon D12-series or the Scythe "Slipstream" series. Both series of fans can be found at various places for under $10 per fan (before shipping). Choose the low-speed models for near-silent operation or the medium-speed models if you want some excellent air cooling.
 
Thanks for the recommendation, guys!

Sorry to be unclear Danny Bui, I meant to say that I was ok with Radeon, but I would SLI 8800's or more recent cards from NVidia if that was more suitable to my needs. Usually I go NVidia, but after my friend's severe NVidia+Vista SLI issues, I was thinking I'd go to Radeon this time. Plus, Radeons seem less expensive right now. But I want a card that will perform well for my needs, and that is the only true criteria that I have..

I will look at the motherboards you recommended, thanks! TBH I don't know how many SATA ports I will need, if I need RAID or Crossfire. I don't plan to overclock simply because it is more trouble than it is worth to me. Legacy ports, eh? I will have to look into these terms... I have rarely given a motherboard much consideration; I typically select it after my CPU and get a compatible one with good user reviews & ratings and call it a day... :eek:

The Linux setup would be nice, and I considered running Linux and then having the Windows system run tandom, but it's not really necessary either. Most of what I do is on Windows, so that will be ok. And with a student rate of $8 for Vista, I may as well, and I have linux on my office PC so that's typically enough for my needs.

For the cases, do you think this system would require such a cooling monster? This one can support like 8 120 mm fans... Is this system going to run that hot to require it? If it is a matter of more fans, how many do you think I should look for? I ask because ... please don't take this personally, but those cases are kinda ugly. HA! I know how it sounds. But I figure I will have to see it every day, so I might as well like how it looks... (I know you picked the case because it is practical and well designed, which are also important to me, and I will absolutely consider these cases because you have never steered me wrong in the past. :cool: )

Also, thanks the RAM & HSF links! Looks like some good options. I'll also give Onboard sound a try this time around... :D

Wildfire - you're probably right. I currently have an external but it's only 80 gb or so and it's a little old. So I might as well get a second HDD.

HardwareGuru & Mati71- That's a bummer about the Hanns. It has some good reviews on Newegg though. I am currently using a Dell 21" that's 3-4 years old and it works wonderfully. I don't really need to upgrade, but i figured I would give this monitor to my sister since she is still using a lethal CRT that seriously, I felt a *shock* when I touched the screen. She said, "Oh yeah, it's been doing that for a year." (!!!) Heh. Well, I might check out another Dell or BestBuy next time I'm near that store... :D

tiraides - Thanks for the fan info. I admit that I really did not look around for them, but picked them solely for ... shiny pretty colors... valuable temperature data. I know I should not count on the rebates, but my budget is flexible (for once) and so it is ok. I am just shooting for an estimate.

Thanks guys! I will research these options and post again when I have another possible build! :cool:
 
Niksa said:
For the cases, do you think this system would require such a cooling monster? This one can support like 8 120 mm fans... Is this system going to run that hot to require it? If it is a matter of more fans, how many do you think I should look for? I ask because ... please don't take this personally, but those cases are kinda ugly. HA! I know how it sounds. But I figure I will have to see it every day, so I might as well like how it looks... (I know you picked the case because it is practical and well designed, which are also important to me, and I will absolutely consider these cases because you have never steered me wrong in the past. :cool: )
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Nah the system won't require like 8 fans or anything like that. Two well placed fans might do a better job than having 8 fans.

And no biggie about the cases. Cases are 90% personal preference. I chose the CM cases, in addition to being well designed and practical, due to their looks. I happen to like the look of those cases. :)
 
I don't want to sound like I am turning you off by not getting this monitor. I was just bummed that it crapped on me as I liked the monitor. But, you may be more fortunate than me and yours may last for years. I was just unfortunate with mine. At least it's cheaper now and it's backed by a 3 year warranty. I still haven't bothered to RMA mines yet. But, buying LCDs from NewEgg is a hassle when it comes to returns. But, check your local store first. Soo many issues can affect a monitor, backlight bleeding, poor color uniformity, stuck or dead pixels. At least if you buy it locally you can exchange it for another one.


Niksa said:
HardwareGuru & Mati71- That's a bummer about the Hanns. It has some good reviews on Newegg though. I am currently using a Dell 21" that's 3-4 years old and it works wonderfully. I don't really need to upgrade, but i figured I would give this monitor to my sister since she is still using a lethal CRT that seriously, I felt a *shock* when I touched the screen. She said, "Oh yeah, it's been doing that for a year." (!!!) Heh. Well, I might check out another Dell or BestBuy next time I'm near that store... :D
Click to expand...
 
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