First Build Advice Appreciated

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weemanbran

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Dec 6, 2007
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Okay, so planning on building my first PC. Let me know what you think!

Thermaltake toughpower W0117RU ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply $189.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 $349.99
EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 $299.99
EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard $259.99
OCZ Flex XLC 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1150 (PC2 9200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory $85.99
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case $209.99
Insert generic DVD/CD combo drive $25
Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card $29.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $79.99

Really wondering about if OCZ is the right ram to go with. I was thinking maybe G.Skill PC2 8500 ram, not really too sure.

Also, wondering if air cooling will be efficient in the CM Cosmos case. I plan to not OC anything to keep things simple.

Also, wondering how easy it is to build a full PC? I have installed a PS, GPU, and ram, which is basically just plugging in. I would say I have a decently high knowledge of PC's and really don't think I will have trouble, but I was also thinking about having a website like www.cyberpowerpc.com building the PC just because I am lazy.

And what about Vista 64bit? I have never been a fan of vista at all, but hoping windows would eventually make it a solid OS. Of course, if I were to go with a 64 bit OS I would get 4-8gb of memory, but how easy is it finding programs for a 64bit OS? I have heard it is difficult to find many programs for 64 bit OS.

PS: This will be a 90% gaming machine. Besides games I will have iTunes, AIM, and MS office.

Thanks for reading.
 
Don't bother with CyperPowerPC. They're not very reputable PC builders around here.

It's not that hard to put together a PC as long as you take things nice and slow and read the manual. If you do run into a problem, do a search first for solutions before asking for help. If you check the stickied GenHard FAQ, you should be able to find some guides on how to build a PC as well as some troubleshooting tips.

Also, most 32bit programs out there will run in 64bit Vista. The problem isn't finding 64bit programs, the problem is finding 64bit drivers. However, Vista 64 bit is pretty well supported so you shouldn't have a problem on that front as long as you use fairly recent hardware.

Please answer these questions:
- Budget?
- What size monitor do you have?
- What features do you need in a motherboard?

Since you're not overclocking, ditch that OCZ RAM. It's total overkill for your needs. All you need for the Q9450 is ANY set of DDR2 800 RAM. I recommend this set:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $75

Drop the sound card. Onboard audio has improved a lot in the last few years so try out the onboard audio first. If it's not to your liking, get a sound card then. However, I think the onboard audio on that motherboard is better than that $30 Creative sound card.
 
Thanks for the informative response!

1) Looking to spend in the area of $1400-1800 for just tower.
2) Right now I am using a 19" 5ms Samung SyncMaster 940BW
3) Really don't plan on using many features of the Mobo besides later on down the road going to SLI.

Would you recommend going for Vista 64 bit in a system like this? If drivers are the main concern I'm sure it wouldn't be too difficult to find drivers as I am buying all relatively new hardware. Also, if I were to go 64 bit what are the difference between 4gb and 8gb of ram and would you still recommend G. Skill pc2 6400 ram?

Wasn't too sure about the sound card. I watch a lot of movies from my PC because I have a 40" Samsung 720p TV running as a second monitor so I was hoping to get a boost in sound quality, but I am sure some new speakers will fix that.

Also, something I forgot in the original post, I was thinking about getting a 150gb WD 10000rpm HD and a 500gb data HD (Also have a 320gb external HD for movies/music). Is the $150 worth it for gaming?

Another note: I have a EVGA 8800gts 320mb GPU on my current PC that I added 5ish months ago, would it be smart to just use that in a new build like this for a while? I feel like if I try to sell my current PC to a friend or keep it as a family PC I won't get the full benefit of the $250 I spent on it.
 
Swap the 9800 GTX for a ~$220 AR 8800 GTS 512MB. Practically the same card, not worth the extra $100+ for the 9800 GTX. Just runs lower clocks, and shouldn't make that much if any difference on your current displays.

Forget the 780i board. Nvidia chipsets simply aren't worth it unless you're running a huge, high resolution (1920x1200+) display and SLI. I recommend the DFI P35-TR2S or pretty much any of the P35 based boards from Gigabyte or Abit, depending on what feature set you're after. ~$90-150.

I agree you should go with Vista 64bit. Home Premium OEM, more specifically. ~$100

Raptors (10K RPM drives) aren't worth it. They're loud, and not substantially faster than modern 7200RPM drives. The price premium is insane for what you're getting... and all they do is improve loading times. That's it. I'd recommend a single 750GB internal, like Samsung's F1 series. I think they're running $119 right now at ZipZoomFly.com. If you stick with Seagate you want the 7200.11 series, not 7200.10.

Yes, that G-Skill kit is a very good deal. Stick with it.

Do you have any particular reason you really want the Q9450? A Q6600 is nearly as fast and can be had for $180 + shipping from Frys.com right now.

The Toughpower PSU is overpriced. I recommend you get the Corsair TX 750 from Buy.com for ~$135 shipped instead. If you wait around a bit they may even have another rebate on it.


Unless you are absolutely certain that a 1920x1200+ display is in your very near future -- the next couple of months, say -- forget about SLI. This is from someone running it. Trust me when I say, you don't want to deal with Nvidia chipsets on your motherboard if you can avoid them. ;)
 
No point of SLI for you unless you're planning on upgrading to a 24" monitor within a year. Good quote on SLI:
Markyip1 said:
Just some info on SLI / Crossfire: It's absolutely not worth considering if a) you're gaming at a resolution under 1920x1200 (as you'll see no performance benefit over a single card,) and b) if you plan to buy one card now and another later. SLI / Crossfire as an upgrade path is usually a very poor idea, as by the time you're ready to get that second card, a new single card solution will likely be available that will outperform two of your older cards in tandem. Furthermore, there really is no cost benefit to the SLI Upgrade Route, as any additional cost in getting the new card can be easily mitigated in most situations by selling the original. By avoiding an SLI / Crossfire solution when it will not be of benefit, you gain a cooler running, simpler to maintain system and more importantly, access to a much better (and broader) selection of motherboards.
Click to expand...

So in your case, I recommend getting a motherboard based on the Intel P35 chipset:
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Intel P35 Motherboard - $90
MSI P35 Neo2-FR Intel P35 Motherboard - $112
DFI BloodIron P35-T2RL Intel P35 Motherboard - $120
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R Intel P35 Motherboard - $125
DFI LanParty DK P35-T2RS Intel P35 Motherboard - $140
Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3P Intel P35 Motherboard - $144
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, check out the DS3L. If you need 5 SATA ports, 2 eSATA ports, and a second PCI-E x16 port, then get the Neo2-Fr. If you want heavy overclocking abilities and six SATA ports, check out the Blood Iron. If you like the BloodIron but want significantly better overclock stability, go for the LanParty. If you want 8 SATA ports, RAID, and legacy ports and high overclocks, 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 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.

I recommend Vista 64bit. It allows you to use 4GB of RAM and more. With that said, you won't notice a performance increase from 4 to 8GB of RAM in gaming. And I will still recommend that G.Skill RAM.

$150 for what? The Raptor? Hell no. Right now, there are a few drives out there that perform on par with Raptors yet offer significantly more storage space and is cheaper:
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $130

The above drive is an excellent choice.

If you're satisfied with the 8800GTS 320MB, then stick with it. If you want something better, than replace it. Simple as that.

EDIT: Man I post slow.
 
Didn't see the note on the 8800 GTS 320MB -- I'm with Danny there too. If it's still doing what you need, keep it. If it isn't, sell it with the machine or separately. Just don't expect to get much more than ~$100-120 for it.
 
If you are "lazy" or just apprehensive about building a computer from scratch, you might be interested in these guys: www.jncs.com.

I had this outfit put together the basics for me back when I was skiddish about the technical stuff and wanted some degree of warranty service with a single vendor.

They will build the barebones for you, test it and warranty the package for 1-3 years. their prices are prety good as well.

You can then build the rest to your liking. Check it out. They are very helpful and stand by their stuff. I used their services to build me a couple of Athlon FX boxes a few years back.

Oh yeah, don't believe all the nay sayers as far as SLI goes. I have had an SLi box since it first came out and I think it cant be beat, period. I use a 24 inch monitor and really enjoy the graphic to be as high as it can be. It works and works well. That said, you might not benefit from SLi with you current monitor. A good 8800 GT 512 might be all you need. Can't beat the prices lately, either.
 
$1500 on this pc setup is too much $ and is a waste for just a little 19". I would not be even satisfied gaming if I had a high end PC with just a little lcd. It's like trying to enjoy a high definition movie on a 27" TV. I would follow what Danny and Silent Circuit just mentioned early. Cut hundreds of $ off your build, then buy a good 24" lcd. $1500 you can with a 24" lcd. I would:

PS - Corsair VX550watt for $85 at Buy.com ($10 off through Google checkout)
CPU - Intel Quad Q6600 for $180 at Frys.com. Save $170 from buying that Q9450 cpu.
Video Card - MSI NX8800GTS 512MB for $225 ($30 MIR) on NewEgg
Mobo - Any of the ones Danny just listed. Lets pick the MSI P35 Neo2-FR for $110 on NewEgg
RAM - G. Skill DDR2 800 2x2gig for $75 on NewEgg.com
Case - COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP for $180 at SVC.com
Optical Drive - SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM for $34 on NewEgg
Audio - Use the built in audio on the mobo. Good enough
HDD - WD 500gig SATA 300 16mb cache for $90
O/S - Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit for $100

Total - $1079 w/o shipping

24" LCD Monitor
BengQ 24" G2400 for $390 at Buy.com ($10 off through google checkout)
Samsung 24" 245BW for $463.26 at Buy.com ($30 rebate and $10 off through google checkout)
Samsung 24" 2493HM for $500 at BestBuy.com (These would go on sale eventually on the Sunday ad)

With BengQ G2400 LCD - $1469 before $50 rebates
With Samsung 245BW LCD - $1542.20 before $80 rebates
With Samsung 2493HM LCD - $1579.00 before $40 rebates

All of this and still within your budget. This is a better gaming experience than a 19" lcd.

weemanbran said:
Thermaltake toughpower W0117RU ATX12V / EPS12V 750W Power Supply $189.99
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9450 Yorkfield 2.66GHz 12MB L2 Cache LGA 775 $349.99
EVGA GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 $299.99
EVGA 132-CK-NF78-A1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 780i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard $259.99
OCZ Flex XLC 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1150 (PC2 9200) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory $85.99
COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP Black/ Silver Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case $209.99
Insert generic DVD/CD combo drive $25
Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card $29.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $79.99
Click to expand...
 
$90 for 2gb of ram is way to much, you should be able to get 2x 2x1gb kits for that much. You could scale your mobo down to a 750i, save a hundred bucks and drop down to a dual core rather than quad core (no notice to gaming performance), save $150 on that. Plus $200 for a case is a lot. Get a $100 case, then use all that extra money and buy a second 9800gtx and have spent the same amount but have more performance.

Good luck.
 
Alright, really want to thank you all for responses!

I think I want to give building an entire PC a shot.

So this is the setup I think I am going with.


PS - Corsair TX 750 from Buy.com for ~$135 shipped
CPU - Intel Quad Q6600 for $180 at Frys.com
Video Card - Going to stick with my EVGA 8800gts 320mb for now
Mobo - GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3P P35 Motherboard - $144 at ewiz.com
RAM - G. Skill DDR2 800 2x2gig for $75 on NewEgg.com
Case - COOLER MASTER COSMOS 1000 RC-1000-KSN1-GP for $180 at SVC.com
Optical Drive - SAMSUNG 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S203N - OEM for $34 on NewEgg
Audio - Going with onboard
HDD - WD 500gig SATA 300 16mb cache for $90
O/S - Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit for $100

Should be around $975 shipped.

If I were to upgrade to a 24" monitor would the 8800gts perform well? I don't think I wouldn't ever go past 1600x1000ish resolution on any games.

Edit: Think I am going with the BenQ G2400W 24" Widescreen LCD for $389.99 at buy.com
 
The only games that could cause the 512MB 8800GTS trouble are Crysis, Flight Simulator X, and Supreme Commander... but only if you leave all graphical settings on High. It should be fine with nearly everything else.
 
That looks alot better than your OP. If you are going to stick with your 19" lcd, that 320mb 8800GTS is plenny for only 1440 x 900 res. As far as a 8800GTS 512, you can play some games at 1920 x 1200. Here are just a few you can. UT3, GOW, TF2. Most of the games you can do high settings with 1680 x 1050 res. You don't have to have every single game be at 1920 x 1200. 1680 x 1050 still looks very good on a 24" display. This is still a better gaming experience than on a 1440 x 900 on a 19".
 
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