Advise my build thread (sorry)

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Boardin087

Gawd
Joined
Jul 2, 2003
Messages
689
Just finished putting together this little number on newegg. PC is going to be used for gaming/development and maybe some movies also.

1 Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

$149.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.99

1 GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard - Retail

$119.99 $119.99
1 EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

$239.99 $239.99
1 Thermaltake W0106RU 700W Complies with ATX 12V 2.2 & EPS 12V version Power Supply - Retail

$169.99 -$20.00 Instant $149.99

1 Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9300 - Retail

$274.99 $274.99
1 mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 996593 - Retail

$127.99 $127.99

1 Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

$89.99 -$5.00 Instant $84.99
2 SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail

$319.99 -$20.00 Instant $599.98

1 LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-16D2S-04 - OEM

$17.99 $17.99

1 Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 32-bit English 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM

$189.99 -$10.00 Instant $179.99

1 Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 Max Burst Power: 200 watts @ < 1% THD 2.1 Speaker System - Retail

$169.99 $169.99
Subtotal: $2,105.88


I do not need input devices (well who knows I may end up buying new ones for gaming but satisfied with my copperhead/standard keyboard atm)

The speakers I wasn't sure on if getting a nice set of klipsch's was better than getting a 5.1 system. I mainly use just for music, but would be nice to have 5.1 or 6.1 for movies and some games I guess, but admittedly i spent alot of time with a Headset on.

I'm sure if I use slickdeals I could shave off some money in places, but off the top of all your heads how does this system look, anything missing/unnecessary?
 
The Gigabyte DS3R motherboard probably has more features than you need (RAID and dual LAN). Consider its cheaper brother, the EP35-DS3L.

This G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2-1000 kit is very popular and is cheaper than the Mushkin you selected at only $85 with no rebates.

For gaming, you would be much better off with a faster, cheaper, dual-core processor like the E8400, but quads are nice :)

You probably don't need the extra stuff in Windows Vista Ultimate. Home Premium has most of the important features for less money.

Your power supply selection could possibly be improved. First of all, 700W is more than you need for your build. You could drop down to something around 500W or lower if the PSU is very high quality. If you feel safer having a more powerful PSU, then consider this PCP&C 750W PSU for the exact same price (with the same rebate) as the 700W Thermaltake you chose. I don't really know much about Thermaltake's PSU quality, but PCP&C is excellent. if you're interested in modular cabling, I'm happy with my Antec NeoPower 650 which is currently $105 at newegg with free shipping.
 
700W PSU is overkill and Thermaltake ain't the best name in the business in that department. If you like modular then CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX 520W will more than cover your needs and is a very popular choice due to it's excellent quality and low noise characteristics.

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB is faster, quieter, and sucks down less power as it uses new 320GB platters. Only a few bucks more than that 500GB model you chose.

I really think you'd be happier if at least 1 monitor was a 24" 1920x1200 LCD so you can watch all HD movies at full res.

Choose a 64bit OS so you can address all 4GB of RAM.


Only thing I think you're missing is a good sound card. Take a look at Asus Xonar D2X or Asus Xonar DX
 
Thanks for that input, I will switch to the board you mentioned, Also that drive you mentioned with either the antec or the corsair psu you listed.
I do want a modular psu so I'm going to get one.

I have had the best experiences with mushkin that I really would like to stay with them, thier QS is unmatched IMO.

If i get 1 24 inch monitor I'm getting two. I do not want the awkwardness of two different sized monitors, been there done taht not doing it again. So if you think this is the road to go please list some montiors and thier prices that will be good enough for gaming etc.

And for a nice sound card I'll look into it but may not be what I'm doing initially.

What about the speakers? Should i go 5.1?

And lastly can that vid card power 2x 24"? thanks
 
also, for windows vista the remote feature, does the premium home have the standard remote desktop connection from windows xp pro. I need this to connect to a virtual lab from home.
 
I agree with dhd014 and toaster oven, aside from the soundcard. With the soundcard, find out if onboard HD audio is good enough for you or not. If not, pickup a soundcard later.

A single 8800GTS 512MB would be fine for gaming on a single 24" LCD.

Get the Corsair PSU from buy.com instead, its much cheaper.

With Vista Home Premium, you can connect TO remote computers, but you cannot connect to it FROM remote computers... did that make sense?
 
Boardin087 said:
If i get 1 24 inch monitor I'm getting two. I do not want the awkwardness of two different sized monitors, been there done taht not doing it again. So if you think this is the road to go please list some montiors and thier prices that will be good enough for gaming etc.

And lastly can that vid card power 2x 24"? thanks
Click to expand...

For gaming, just stick with one monitor. SLI doesn't work with multiple monitors -- it will disable all non-primary monitors while active -- and there's not enough information to determine whether or not CrossFire is effective with multiple monitors.

You should check the Display forum here, as well as other forums elsewhere, for ideas on a good gaming monitor. However, people here are really picky about which monitors they recommend, so check out various sources/reviews before deciding upon one.

One 24" monitor covers a lot of real estate... why are you considering two?
 
I made a lot of changes that you all suggested. Here is what I came up with thus far.

1 Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer
$149.99 -$10.00 Instant $139.99

1 GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

$89.99 $89.99
1 EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail


$239.99 $239.99
1 Antec NeoPower 550 550W ATX12V Power Supply - Retail



$109.99 -$20.00 Instant $89.99
1 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail



$194.99 $194.99
1 G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit


$129.99 -$45.00 Instant $84.99
1 Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM



$89.99 -$5.00 Instant $84.99
1 Acer P243WAid Black-Silver 24" 2ms(GTG) HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support -


$399.99 -$10.00 Instant $389.99
1 LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-16D2S-04 - OEM



$17.99 $17.99
1 Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM


$109.99 -$15.00 Instant $94.99
Subtotal: $1,427.90

This is with no speakers. and a 24 inch monitor. Getting better?
 
Drop the Neopower PSU. It is a good PSU but there are better PSUs for the price. If you want to stick to and overspend on newegg, get the Corsair 550VX 550W PSU

If you're willing to buy elsewhere, I highly recommend getting in on this PSU deal:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $101
 
Swap out the Antec NeoPower 500W for the Corsair HX620. If you're willing to forgo the modular cables, the Corsair TX750 is the better choice (especially for its price).

I also recommend spending the bit extra it takes to get the better WD6400AAKS HDD. Or, grab the Samsung F1 750GB HDD while it's still on sale.
 
The two drives tiraides mentioned are both significantly faster than the 500GB WD you chose, so I highly suggest taking his advice. I also agree about the PSU.
 
yea im going to get a new drive and a different psu when i can find out, definatley has to be modular. other than that not the most particular
 
oh btw im not going for newegg for everything, I'm just trying to price out a system and then slickdeal a few components for a week or two then buy the rest from newegg/wherever else is cheap at the time
 
Boardin087 said:
Has anyone here used that acer monitor? I'm probably going to buy the 24 " beforehand
Click to expand...

I suggest checking out the Displays section here on [H]. Just use the Search function to find information on specific monitors. I used to suggest the Soyo 24" monitor that I use, but the manufacturer switched to using TN panels instead of MVA.
 
Boardin087 said:
wouldn't TN be ideal for gaming?
Click to expand...

Yes, but for everything else, it sucks, IMO. However, if you don't mind the qualities of the TN panels for non-gaming activity, then knock yourself out. ;) I only game a few hours at most, per day, while all other time is spent doing other things.
 
define sucks. I'm using the VP191b and thats way older and I feel like as long as this monitor is an improvement in GAMING and real estate and as good in everything else ill be VERY happy
 
The major complaints of TN panels are horrible color reproduction, heavy backlighting "leaking," and poor viewing angles. However, I know of many people who have been happy with their TN panel monitors.
 
tiraides said:
The major complaints of TN panels are horrible color reproduction, heavy backlighting "leaking," and poor viewing angles. However, I know of many people who have been happy with their TN panel monitors.
Click to expand...

Well, problems like you list are dependent on the monitor (except for viewing angles), not the TN panel per se. The monitor I used before this Soyo 24" was a VP191b, and I was very happy with it. It's possible to get a good monitor with a TN panel, it just depends on what all you use your monitor for as to whether a TN is good enough or not.
 
Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't saying that TN panels suck as a whole. However, that's the mentality a lot of people have regarding them.
 
I bought a FHD2400 from gateway yesterday. Very clear picture but I'm afraid that the BLB may increase so I'm likely oging to reutnr it. Can anyone recommend a different 24"?
 
Boardin087 said:
I bought a FHD2400 from gateway yesterday. Very clear picture but I'm afraid that the BLB may increase so I'm likely oging to reutnr it. Can anyone recommend a different 24"?
Click to expand...

Your best bet is to check out the Displays section here on [H]. There are plenty of threads with evaluations of many monitors :)
 
decided to go with a 32 inch Toshiba tv as my monitor :)

Working on buying this system asap. Help me cut my prices more!
 
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

$149.99 -$5.00 Instant $144.99




GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail



$89.99 $89.99




EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail



Save Cancel
$244.99 $244.99



Antec NeoPower 550 550W ATX12V Power Supply - Retail
Model #:NEOHE 550

$109.99 -$20.00 Instant $89.99



Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

$189.99 $189.99



G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail



Save Cancel
$129.99 -$45.00 Instant $84.99




Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM


Save Cancel
$109.99 $109.99





LITE-ON Black SATA DVD-ROM Drive Model DH-16D2S-04 - OEM

$17.99 $17.99
Subtotal: $972.92



Can I get this PC to break the 850-800 barrier? I am thinking a cheaper case(or a deal on that armor cuz I absolutely love them. Should shave off 50 or so. PSU maybe shave off 10 dollars. I can definatley get a deal on a 8800 GTS for cheaper. And I think I saw gskill ram for a little cheaper. Any other input?
 
Whats the resolution on that Toshiba 32" TV you decided on? If its 720P, thats not much real estate for a desktop system. If its 1080P, you might want a better vidcard, so wait for the new releases.
 
Here are a few ideas to reduce the price...
  • Swap out the Thermaltake Armor for the Antec Sonata III ($115 with free shipping). The Sonata III also comes with the Earthwatts 500W PSU, which would eliminate the need for you to buy a separate PSU. That one move would bring you closer to your $850 limit.
  • If you need to go even futher, you could drop the processor down to an E7200 ($132 with free shipping). With those two changes, you would be at just under $800 before shipping.
  • If you aren't planning a major overclock (otherwise, why don't you have an aftermarket CPU cooler in mind?), or if you go with the E7200 instead of the E8400, you could drop down to a cheaper DDR2 800 kit, like the pqi TURBO kit ($76 with free shipping) or the A-DATA kit ($80 with free shipping). This change alone won't do much, but if you need to save every cent possible, you may want to consider it.
You may also want to consider an aftermarket CPU cooler, especially if you plan on overclocking. Get either the HDT-S963 (for the E7200) or the HDT-S1283 (for the E8400), both from Xigmatek -- and don't forget the retention bracket.

The deal you were looking at -- the G.Skill 4GB DDR2 800 kit for $70 -- expired earlier tonight. It's back up to $85 (with free shipping).
 
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