Building a new computer

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XxDaRkReAp3rxXdOtCoM

My User Name Is Stoopid
Joined
Jul 27, 2005
Messages
1,574
I'm currently using this computer:

Thermaltake SOPRANO VB1000BWS Black 0.8mm SECC Chassis, Plastic Front Door ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
AMD Athlon 64 3500+ Venice 2.2GHz Socket 939 Single-Core Processor Model ADA3500BPBOX - Retail
DFI LANPARTY UT nF4 SLI-D 939 NVIDIA nForce4 SLI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
OCZ Gold Series 1GB (2 x 512MB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ4001024ELDCGE-K - Retail
G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 184-Pin DDR SDRAM DDR 400 (PC 3200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F1-3200PHU2-2GBNS - Retail
HITACHI Deskstar T7K250 HDT722516DLA380 (0A31637) 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB/CE/CSA/UL/FCC - Retail
EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

I'm going to build a new computer with the following components, and I'd like to know what you guys think about it. Also I don't care too much about overclocking right now. The games I play run pretty good on my current system but could run better. Also I don't do any heavy multitasking or encoding. I'm just looking for something that would last a couple years. Lastly, I'm keeping the power supply and video card to use in my new computer (not the case though, it blows).

GIGABYTE GZ-FA2CA-AJB Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Reason for choosing: It's a full tower which I like, I have plenty of room for everything and it won't be as cluttered as a mid tower. I personally don't mind the tool-less installation. My current case has it for the drives and I actually like it.
Intel Core 2 Duo E7200 Wolfdale 2.53GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80571E7200 - Retail
Reason for choosing: It's a C2D, inexpensive, and I have heard good things about it. Also it's 45nm and produces a lot less heat than my current processor.
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Reason for choosing: It's inexpensive also and I have heard pretty good things about the older P35-DS3L boards. I don't need raid or firewire either and I prefer to use an Intel chipset.
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2RPR800C44GK - Retail
Reason for choosing: It's a good brand I have always liked, it's inexpensive too ($65AR), and 4GB should be enough for a while. Can't go wrong when it's ~$32.50 per stick.
Western Digital Caviar SE WD1600AAJS 160GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Reason for choosing: Good brand that makes quality products. Storage is fine (I really don't use much anyways) and I don't want to use my old Hitachi HD.
Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model DVR-216DBK - OEM
Reason for choosing: My old Lite-on burner stopped writing after I burned 10 cds one day. Overall wasn't too satisfied with Lite-on and I've heard good from Pioneer.

Pretty much I'd like this to be inexpensive but not neccessarily cheap (as in quality). I'd like to hear everyone's suggestions and what you think about it. Thanks for taking the time to read my post
~XxDaRkReAp3rxXdOtCoM
 
Swap out the power supply; the older GameXStream PSUs are based off the FSP Epsilon PSU, which is known to produce out-of-spec fluctuations, or "ripple," at high loads. For a new build, it's not worth the risk. The Corsair VX550 is a good choice for a replacement PSU.

(Though it would help us if you told us your budget.)

Instead of the GA-EP35-DS3L, get the GA-EP43-DS3L. It supports PCI Express 2.0, which may give you more options with future video card purchases.

Though I can't beat the after-rebate price, you'll see no difference performance-wise between the OCZ Reapers and a cheaper set of RAM, like the G.Skill kit. I prefer saving money right away... if you want to save money right away (instead of waiting weeks for a rebate check), I suggest you stick with the G.Skill kit.

If you don't care for Lite On drives, consider a Samsung instead. They're known to perform well, and they run quieter than other brands. Though the SH-S203B/D/N is preferred, the SH-S223F is on sale right now.
 
Looks pretty solid to me. I'd go with the P43 version of the mobo you picked out (model GA-EP43-DS3L) to get the PCI-E 2.0 capability, but aside from that it looks great.
 
I'd like to keep the price around $600 and have this last me about 2 years. I will be using this computer for college work and some gaming in my spare time. tiraides, you said my power supply could fluctuate at high loads; do you think that the parts I have linked you would cause fluctuation/high loads on the psu? I'll take your (and zero's) advice on the P43. It's not much more than the P35 ($10 more) and it's PCI-e 2.0 compatible. For the ram, I'll stick with the OCZ since it's cheaper. I don't mind waiting a month or two for the rebate. For the burner, I'll think about it.
 
I agree with tiraides.

The Reapers aren't cheaper, since mail-in rebates are never guaranteed.

If you do decide to OC later on, with a tower cooler, then the Reapers' heatpipes may get in the way of some really good coolers. FYI, that CPU could reach 3.6+Ghz on that DS3L board.
 
XxDaRkReAp3rxXdOtCoM said:
I'd like to keep the price around $600 and have this last me about 2 years. I will be using this computer for college work and some gaming in my spare time. tiraides, you said my power supply could fluctuate at high loads; do you think that the parts I have linked you would cause fluctuation/high loads on the psu? I'll take your (and zero's) advice on the P43. It's not much more than the P35 ($10 more) and it's PCI-e 2.0 compatible. For the ram, I'll stick with the OCZ since it's cheaper. I don't mind waiting a month or two for the rebate. For the burner, I'll think about it.
Click to expand...

I'd like to say that your new build (with the 8800GT) wouldn't cause the power supply to reach high loads, but I still don't think that you should use that power supply. The thing about ripple is that it kills your parts over time, and you wouldn't be able to recognize the damage right away.

If you want to deal with mail-in rebates, that's fine. However, if you were to purchase both sticks at the same time, the G.Skill RAM would be about $20 cheaper right off the bat. You have to remember that although you do save more money with the MIR, you don't get those savings right away.

As a suggestion, to keep everything under $600, you may want to consider getting a mid-tower case anyways. If you could cut corners on any one thing in your build -- especially since you should include the costs of a new PSU in your list -- a decent quality case can be found for around $60-$90 (with a few of them offering free shipping). Two cases that you may want to consider are the Antec Three Hundred and the Cooler Master RC-590.
 
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