Buildin' folks' computer

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veritas7

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Nov 7, 2007
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I put together this computer primarily for my folks. I'm pretty sure everything here is A-OK as for compatibility, I am just unsure whether 1) the PSU is rated fine by [H] standards, 2) is the IP35 reliable together with the new E8400s or should I aim for a different motherboard?

Primary uses for this computer will be finances, browsing, occasional ad design. My parents don't and will never game (except for that darn Wii). Also, they'll want Vista. Don't know if they want x64 or not, wanting opinions whether I should with this planned hardware or not.

The list:
+ COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - I prefer Lian Li cases but I heard this is a decent and somewhat silent case for the price.
+ ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Been impressed with my own IP35 Pro so I thought going down the same route would leave me in a comfortable area for my second build
+ EVGA 256-P2-N751-TR GeForce 8600 GT 256MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card - Folk's don't need that powerful of a card, but enough for perhaps for when I convince them that a 24" or dual widescreens is the way to go :p
+ PC Power & Cooling S610EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V Power Supply - PC P&C been completely stable and I've heard nothing but great things about their products.
+ Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Need a fast and cool chip, and certainly not a quad.
+ G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Memory, duh, needing 4 GB for their excessive amount of crap they'll have running in the background when I'm not around to clean up after them.
+ Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - All my seagates have so far survived, still banking on them to be as reliable as before D:
+ SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM

+ Vista Ultimate + 2007 Small Business Office (looking for places to get cheap licenses or the best price, currently NewEgging still...) + silent Scythe/Loon fans for the CM case.

Any flaws in my plan? Suggestions?

Price isn't an issue, just trying to convince them I'm better than Dell :p and I'm already saving them $600 by building this myself, even including Microsoft's software pricing.
 
That system is probably way overkill for their needs, but hey, it looks good. ;)

I just got a Dell Vostro 200 for my uncle. Its a Pentium Dual Core E2200 2.2Ghz, 1GB DDR2-667, Intel GMA3100, 160GB HDD, DVDRW, 305W PSU, microATX case, 20" LCD, and Windows for $450 shipped. All he needs the system for is to browse the web, check email, and run iTunes for his iPod, lol.
 
I concur with enginurd. That system is ridiculously overkill for your parents.

But to answer your questions:
1) PSU is a good choice but for that price, you can get a better Corsair 750W PSU:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $101
2) It's reliable now. All of the bugs have been ironed out.
3) Don't bother with a 64bit OS. Your parents won't need it.
4) Biggest flaw is that it is ridiculously overkill.

If you insist on building it yourself, drop the PSU and case down to this quiet Case/PSU combo:
Antec NSK6580 ATX Case with Antec Earthwatts 430W PSU - $100

Drop the IP35 Pro down to the DS3L:
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90

Drop the GPU down to this:
HIS Hightech H260PRF256EDDN-R Radeon HD 2600PRO 256MB - $50

Drop the CPU down to this:
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 CPU - $132
 
learn from my mistakes: dont build a computer for family or friends. the constant nagging for tech support is a pain in the ass, and for simple stuff that is a total waste of time. my dad accused me of building him a "paperweight" when the issue was .iso didn't have the normal icon, but the winrar book icon.

dont do it, have them get a dell.
 
Case - If you want a quiet case you can't beat the Antec Solo

Mobo - I can understand why you picked the IP35 Pro even though it is overkill. Seeing as you're familiar with it, providing tech support in case anything goes wrong should be a simple matter for you.

Vid Card - Absolutely no reason they need that 8600GT. SAPPHIRE 100234L Radeon HD 3450 512MB dual DVI for $28 is all they need even for dual 24" LCDs.

PSU - Is complete overkill. CORSAIR CMPSU-450VX 450W is all you need and is a very quiet PSU as well.

HD - That Seagate runs hot and has noisy seek. Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB runs quiet, cool, and is faster due to the new 320GB platters.


CPU + DVD Burner looks good. Might want to think about getting them a quiet HSF even if you're not going to overclock to really make it a silent computer.
 
Thanks Toaster and Danny.

I think I'll go with the WD perhaps this time - I've always liked Seagates and honestly don't hear the seeking of the heads (but I have only 250s).

The CPU and mobo I think I'll keep as I like Abit's mobos so far (and recently just solved a bricked BIOS that I borked in the first place lol) and the E8400 for his maybe random spurt of video processing, as also he's going to be keeping this computer for the next 4-6 years.

I might upgrade to that Corsair 750W... I don't know if he will want more hard drives in the future, how much do 500/750GB hard drives take in power?

Any other cheaper nVidia cards out there? I've had zero experience with ATi cards, I've always been an nVidia and know my way around them.
 
veritas7 said:
Any other cheaper nVidia cards out there? I've had zero experience with ATi cards, I've always been an nVidia and know my way around them.
Click to expand...

There are but none of them support dual DVI.
 
Hate to dredge this up, but I have one more question: How's SATA optical drive support in Vista during install? OK? I hate to buy an IDE drive just for installation.
 
veritas7 said:
Hate to dredge this up, but I have one more question: How's SATA optical drive support in Vista during install? OK? I hate to buy an IDE drive just for installation.
Click to expand...

It's OK.
 
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