Building New Computer

A

andysheen

n00b
Joined
Mar 31, 2007
Messages
21
Hey everyone! To begin, let me just say I haven't built a computer in about 3-4 years and it seems the technology has changed quite a bit, so please bear with me if I'm not really knowledgeable about some of this stuff.

I've already got the peripherals... keyboard, mouse, speakers, disk drives, and an lcd monitor. This computer's mainly going to be running games, downloading, graphics design and possibly some movie editing and rendering. I think I'll also be trying to overclock, so I'll need some hardware to do that. I'm going to be looking at a budget of about $800-$1000 hopefully.

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 Conroe 1.86GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16819115015

Motherboard
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128012

RAM
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ 2 x 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 800 RAM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231098

HDD
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140

PSU
Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W PSU
http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=PS-E5150GH

HSF
Tuniq Tower 120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001
(possibly the Thermalright Ultra120+ depending on release date, price, sound, and performance)

GFX Card


Case
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.asp?item=N82E16811129021

If anyone else has any other suggestions or improvements to this list, they are more than welcome. Thanks!
 
Well with a budget of $800-$1000, you can build a Intel Core 2 Duo machine. Right now Intel Core 2 Duos are the best performing CPUs out there. In addition, on April 22nd, Intel is slashing prices off their Core 2 Duo CPUs making them a hell of a bargain. Then again, AMD is slashing prices on its CPUs on April 9th.

Oh and the 65W moniker next to the AMD CPUs means that they draw only 65W. Regular Athlon X2 draw 84W or so. The benefit of a 65W is that the CPU draw less power and becomes a much better overclocker.

Anyway, for parts recommendations;

Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 (After April 22nd Price drop) - $163
GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express - $123
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ 2 x 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 800 RAM - $123 (Currently OOS but it should be in stock if and when you order after the Intel Price Drops)
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s - $85
Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W PSU - $70
----
$564 plus tax and shipping.

I didn't include the video card because the release of mid-range DX10 cards are so close. Nvidia is apparently releasing their mid-range DX10 cards on April 17th. No one knows exactly when ATI is releasing their DX10 cards but some people are saying around May.
 
I'm trying to look for a chip that has a good stock speed, good overclocking abilities, and a relatively cheap price. Does the Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 do all that? In the past, I've gone with AMD most of the time for their overclocking abilities (i.e. my current computer with an AthlonXP 2600+). As for the AMD Athlon64s I mentioned above, they both are dual cores running at 2.0Ghz and above, so wouldn't they perform better? Just a little confused :D

I'm probably also thinking of putting 2 hdds on RAID. And about RAM, is GSkill a reliable brand? I've been out of the loop for a while, but back when I built this computer, I only knew of like 3 brands... Corsair, Crucial, Buffalo, and some others. For the gfx card, I'm probably not going to go with a top of the line card. I'm assuming that when the new DX10 cards are coming out, they'll be quite expensive. And if I were to overclock, what kind of HSF should I using?
 
AVOID M2N-E motherboard. I have one. List of troubles is too long to post here. VERY VERY BAD board. Can't even believe it is an Asus.
 
andysheen said:
I'm trying to look for a chip that has a good stock speed, good overclocking abilities, and a relatively cheap price. Does the Intel Core 2 Duo E6320 do all that?
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More than likely. Considering that the E6300 has been overclocked to 3GHz to 3.5Ghz, the E6320, which is just an E6300 with an extra 2MB of L2 cache, should be a decent overclocker and has a great stock speed.

As for the AMD Athlon64s I mentioned above, they both are dual cores running at 2.0Ghz and above, so wouldn't they perform better? Just a little confused :D
Click to expand...

Nowadays, it doesn't matter too much about the actual clock speed of the processor. What does matter is how efficient and well designed the CPU's architecture is. The whole "fastest clock speed wins" was hype perputuated by Intel. Intel got bit in the ass because of that when their high clocked Pentium line of CPUs were getting creamed by AMD's lower clocked but still superior Athlon 64 CPUs up until last year. Thats when Intel released their very well designed and relatively lowly clocked Intel Core 2 Duo CPUs that beat AMD's CPUs.

And about RAM, is GSkill a reliable brand?
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Yes they are. Like many RAM manufacturers, G.Skill RAM comes with a lifetime warranty. I've used them myself and I can vouch for their reliability.

For the gfx card, I'm probably not going to go with a top of the line card. I'm assuming that when the new DX10 cards are coming out, they'll be quite expensive.
Click to expand...

The new DX10 cards will be mid-range meaning they'll be less of a pain on your wallet. A few sites have reported that ATI and Nvidia's new range of DX10 cards can be had for about $100 to $180.

And if I were to overclock, what kind of HSF should I using?
Click to expand...

Any of the following would be decent HSF:
Scythe Ninja - $40
Tuniq Tower 120 - $65
 
Sounds like I'm going to be going with an Intel dualcore seeing as how Intel is having a price drop soon and I was willing to shell out $120 for the AMD dualcore.

Oh, and I forgot to ask if Gigabyte was a reliable brand as well. I've heard of it before, but I've never had any experience with it personally and haven't heard much about it either.

Just out of curiosity, are those fans going to be enough to keep an overclocked cpu cool? I've had some trouble with keeping my current cpu cool, so that's a big issue to me. The Tuniq Tower looks like a viable option, but there's no CFM for the fan included in the specs that I can see...
 
andysheen said:
Oh, and I forgot to ask if Gigabyte was a reliable brand as well. I've heard of it before, but I've never had any experience with it personally and haven't heard much about it either.
Click to expand...

Yes they are a reliable brand. In fact the Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3 is one of the best overclocking mobos around.

Just out of curiosity, are those fans going to be enough to keep an overclocked cpu cool? I've had some trouble with keeping my current cpu cool, so that's a big issue to me. The Tuniq Tower looks like a viable option, but there's no CFM for the fan included in the specs that I can see...
Click to expand...

Both of those HSF should be able to cool an overclocked CPU. Here are a few reviews of the Scythe Ninja:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article251-page1.html
http://www.guru3d.com/article/content/333/

Here's a review of the Tuniq Tower 120:
http://anandtech.com/casecooling/showdoc.aspx?i=2906
 
Oh and I've been looking on newegg for the E6320 and haven't had any luck finding it. I wanted to ask if newegg is the cheapest place to buy and if there were any other online retailers with other prices.
 
andysheen said:
Oh and I've been looking on newegg for the E6320 and haven't had any luck finding it. I wanted to ask if newegg is the cheapest place to buy and if there were any other online retailers with other prices.
Click to expand...

e6320 and e6420 are as yet unreleased.
 
Technoob said:
e6320 and e6420 are as yet unreleased.
Click to expand...

Haha, that fact would've been good to know. :p I just updated my first post with my current setup, but it's not completely official yet. I'm still open to other suggestions and such, so please don't hesitate to post!

As for a graphics card, I know you said that the DX10 cards are going to be coming out within the next month, but I just wanted to know what would be suggested as a DX9 card that I could potentially buy right now. I'm looking for one that hopefully can overclock as well as run well at stock speeds.

Oh and I updated my first post with the basic setup for my future computer.
If anyone else has any other suggestions or improvements to this list, they are more than welcome. Thanks!
 
andysheen said:
As for a graphics card, I know you said that the DX10 cards are going to be coming out within the next month, but I just wanted to know what would be suggested as a DX9 card that I could potentially buy right now. I'm looking for one that hopefully can overclock as well as run well at stock speeds.
Click to expand...

Hmm, in terms of stock speed, this SAPPHIRE 100176L Radeon X1950PRO 256MB PCI-Express for $163 is the best bang for your buck. But I'm not too sure about its overclocking potential.
 
I've had some problems with both ATI and nVidia in the past, so the most important thing to me in a gfx card would be performance and reliability. Not sure if ATI or nVidia would be the best choice to go with...
 
Well ATI's and Nvidia's graphics cards are pretty damn reliable. The only problem is the drivers. Well drivers for Windows Vista I mean. Because right now, neither of the two companies have fantastic drivers for Windows Vista. In fact the latest ATI drivers for Vista has been causing BSOD's.

But I'm sure that both companies will rectify their Vista problems soon enough.
 
Thanks for the help. I'm still looking for some more feedback from different people, so anyone out there don't hesitate to post.

For the time being, I'll keep an eye on these parts and look for some good price drops. And btw, do you happen to know of any other good forums to discuss this kinda thing or websites for price comparisons?

Also, regarding the Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W PSU, someone has told me to change to a different brand. He didn't really give a reason as to why and since I've never asked about its reliability, well... I'm wondering about its reliability

They also suggested FSP or Antec for a better brand PSU.
 
FSP: There are better

Antec: Only the newer Seasonic built psu's are worth looking at, and even then, many better choices, like the Enhance, exist.
 
What BBQ said.

Enhance makes some pretty damn decent power supplies.
 
Any other suggestions or feedback on the current setup? It sounds to me like this is a pretty solid setup.
 
andysheen said:
Anyone have any opinions on the Antec Nine Hundred case?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

Seems like the only problems are the amount of dust caught without filters, some noise problems, and the PSU cables not being long enough because of the PSU placement...
Anyone have any other suggestions?
Click to expand...

The Antec 900 is a decent case just like the Antec P180B. Several people here seem to have a preference for Lian-Li cases like the V1000 or V2100. What it comes down to is which case you like. So just look around here on the forums (the Case subforums) or on Newegg and find a case that you personally like.
 
For the case, I recommend goin to your local comp stores and checking them out. I, personally, don't like the quality of Antec's aluminum cases (yes, even the P180). For aluminum, nothing beats a Lian-Li or Silverstone. If you want good quality steel, look at Coolermaster or Antec. Antec's are good at keeping things quiet, too. The case is a personal choice, so go with whichever one you like, as long as it has good airflow and can fit all your parts.

Your parts list as of 4/1/2007, 04:36 PM, is great. That Tsunami is Tt's version of CoolerMaster's WaveMaster, so its pretty good.
 
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