building a pc for a friend

I

imgneevrythng

Weaksauce
Joined
Jun 5, 2008
Messages
64
hey guys...i wanted to get an opinion or two on a pc i was going to build for a friend of mine. i know how to build em. its been awhile but ive done it before...it's just i havent really been followin all the new updates in products so ive had to do a decent amount of researching. anyways...this is what ive come up with.

oh btw his guidelines were no more then $1200. that excludes monitor/keyboard/mouse/speakers/case

SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM --- $26.99
Seagate SV35.2 ST3320620SV 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM --- $79.99
XFX PVT88PYDE4 GeForce 8800GT Extreme 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail --- $179.99x2
OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W ATX12V Power Supply - Retail $124.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail --- $84.99
XFX MB-N780-ISH9 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI Intel Motherboard - Retail --- $249.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80569Q9450 - Retail --- $344.99

subtotal: $1271.92 ($71 over but its no biggy)

I'm not too sure he needs the q9450, maybe i should go with the q6600 isntead? He just wants to game with it. Hes got a laptop he emails/websurfs with. this system is pure gaming. i might be able to save some cash with another mobo too...but this is why im posting here!

let me know what you think. as far as the case goes, he told me about this one..
http://www.xoxide.com/sunbeam-transformer-case-black.html

if anyones got any suggestions on a case, please do share.
 
Which other games is your friend playing on this computer?

Are you/he planning on overclocking?

Which monitor/resolution is your friend using? Will he be getting a new monitor soon?

How long does he plan on keeping this system for?
 
well first off hes getting Spore when it comes out. But other then that he'll be playing whatever new FPS games come out. Until Spore however, probably just a lot of CS Source even tho I know its not that demanding on the new tech.

as for overclocking i actually havent even thought of it. ill have to ask him about it..

hes planning on goin with a 20" lcd monitor. not sure what res but with 20" im sure hed like to take full advantage of its beauty.

and he plans on keeping the sytem for awhile. i mean hes military so hes got a little bit of cash, and after his next tour he'll have some more so if he wants to upgrade it wouldnt be a problem. but hed definitly like to keep what hes got for atleast a year before the next upgrade.
 
I would get a P35 motherboard and use a single 8800GT, or bump it up a little bit to an 8800GTS or a 9800GTX. I'd also switch the CPU to an E8400 or an E8500 which are both cheaper than the Q9450 and are significantly faster for gaming.

You could probably do better on the power supply as well. There are others here who can suggest parts which will give more power for less money.
 
i read a review the other day, cant remember where, but it showed that 8800gt in SLi was had an edge on the 9800gtx. wouldnt it just be wiser to go dual 8800gt? or is the extra performance not worth it? or am i completely wrong and the article i read was crap?

and thanks for the info on the cpu, thats what i wanted to hear after reading are these forums.

edit: found the article http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/graphics-cards,1942-5.html
 
Nope it would not be wiser to go with 8800GT SLI since your friend is only getting 20" monitors. SLI is only worth it once you start playing at 1920x1200 or basically 24"+ sized monitors. So don't bother with SLI. A single 8800GTS 512MB is more than enough for a 20" monitor.

As a result, drop the SLI mobo and go with the cooler running, more stable and reliable Intel P35 mobos instead. Here are some recommendations:
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $110
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5K-E Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Asus P5K-E/Wifi-AP Intel P35 Motherboard - $150
Abit IP35 Pro Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS4 Intel P35 Motherboard - $170
Gigabyte GA-EX38-DS4 Intel X38 Motherboard - $207

Just to help you out: If you don't need RAID, more than 4 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, slightly better overclocking, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking options and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability and options, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, legacy ports and high overclocks and optional eSATA, than the DS3R is a good choice. If you want the DS3R but need Firewire and a second PCI-E x16 port, then go for the DS3P. If you like the DS3P but need 3 PCI slots instead of the DS3P's 2 PCI slots and like having non-optional eSATA, go for the Asus P5K-E. If you like the P5K-E but need wifi, then go for the P5K-E/Wifi-AP. If you want something that can overclock pretty damn high along with RAID, eSATA ports and firewire connections, than the IP35 Pro. If you like the DS3P but want better cooling for overclocking, then go for the DS4. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.

I recommend ditching that OCZ GameXStream PSU. It's based off the FSP Episilon PSU design which has out of spec ripple, or voltage fluctuations, at high loads that can damage or kill your system. Granted, you may not reach such high loads but why pay for PSU that can kill your system?

So I recommend going with this bettter quality PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $99

Also, now that there's a bit room in the budget if you sweap out the parts, I recommend getting this hard drive instead:
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $110
 
thank you much guys.

i dont think ive ever been to a forum where i get not only quick reponses but very detailed, well informed repliers.

kudos.
 
Alright guys ive revised the build with your help and feel pretty confident about it...


SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model SH-S203B - OEM --- $26.99
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM --- $109.99
EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail --- $244.99
CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Retail $98.99
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ - Retail --- $84.99
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail --- $179.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail --- $189.99

subtotal: $966.93 before monitor/case.
approx total with both: $1270

im actually a litte torn on the motherboard because well i want him to have the ability to overclock down the road because it could help extend the pcs life, but itd also be nice to have a 2nd pci-e slot incase he wants to go SLi.

but like you guys said SLi isnt worth it. would it be better to go for potential overclocking or potential SLi?
any comments?
 
This is something I copy and paste frequently...

SLI is only needed for high resolution 3D rendering. So, if you have or plan on getting a 1920x1080 LCD or higher, and want to game on it at native resolution, then keep SLI as an option. Otherwise, theres no need for it. A single GTX is still fine for a 1920x1080 (or 1920x1200) LCD screen, and more cost effective than an 8800GTS SLI setup. SLI as an upgrade path isn't worth it unless, again, a large LCD is in the future plans. There should always be a better single card solution, and you could sell your old card to help offset the cost.

Also, for better overclock ability with the E8400, get some DDR2-1000 instead:
$85 - G.Skill 4GB (2x2GB) DDR2-1000 F2-8000CL5D-4GBPQ

Another thing I copy and paste frequently...
/*------------- <cut n paste> -------------*/
Formulas for Intel platform @ 1:1 settings: (base FSB speed is SDR, or single data rate)
c x [Base FSB speed] = CPU speed (c = CPU Multiplier)
2 x [Base FSB speed] = RAM speed (DDR: double data rate)
4 x [Base FSB speed] = FSB speed (QDR: quad data rate; Effective FSB speed)

On Intel platforms, running the RAM higher than a 1:1 ratio with the CPU is, for the most part, useless, so don't bother trying to do so. If the BIOS does it for you, just let it. All you need is a 1:1 config, though. Here's some possible clock speeds (as always with OC'ing, your results will vary):

E8400: 9 × 333 = 3.0Ghz, DDR2-667 << STOCK
E8400: 9 × 400 = 3.6Ghz, DDR2-800 << Nice OC
E8400: 9 × 445 = 4.0Ghz, DDR2-890 << Good OC
E8400: 9 × 500 = 4.5Ghz, DDR2-1000 << Great OC (is it even possible?)

You won't notice the difference between CL4 and CL5, unless you're running benchmarks (and even then, its negligible), so don't pay a huge price premium for lower latency.
/*------------- </cut n paste> -------------*/
 
imgneevrythng said:
Alright guys ive revised the build with your help and feel pretty confident about it...

EVGA 512-P3-N841-AR GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail --- $244.99
Click to expand...

I didn't see anyone mention this, although I could've missed it, but the next generation cards from nVidia and ATI will be released in a few weeks. June 18 for nVidia, June 23 for ATI. Rumors have these cards performing very well, so if you want to wait, you might be able to save money and getter a better card at the same time. No guarantees, though... we'll have to see reviews first.

imgneevrythng said:
but like you guys said SLi isnt worth it. would it be better to go for potential overclocking or potential SLi? any comments?
Click to expand...

Actually, the eVGA 750i SLI FTW motherboard is a great board for overclocking, even if you don't use it for SLI, and is only $20 more than the Abit IP35 Pro. [H] did a review on it, if you want to read about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top