First Build, Looking for Aid

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Xaeon

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 11, 2004
Messages
453
I would like to again thank everyone that helped me out with this. It has proven to be a huge help with the purchases I have made so far. I am back with a few more things I could use some help with.

This first post is changed significantly. I have preserved most of the original content at the end of the post.

Purchased Components
$219.99 - Intel Core™2 Quad Processor Q6600 2.4GHz w/ 2x4MB Cache – NCIX.com
$139.99 - OCZ Reaper OCZ2RPR800C44GK 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 – NCIX.com - $25.00 MIR
$177.98 - Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB SATA2 7200RPM 16MB Hard Drive x2 – NCIX.com
$45.96 - Samsung SH-S203B 20X SpeedPlus™ DVD-Writer, SATA x2 – NCIX.com
$134.99 - PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Power Supply – NCIX.com
$102.99 - Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium x64 (64-bit) DVD w/ SP1 – NCIX.com
$7.99 - Steelseries Qck Mouse Pad – NCIX.com
$20.99 - OCZ Rally 2 High Performance 4GB USB2.0 Dual Channel Flash Memory Drive – NCIX.com - $4.00 MIR

$850.88 - Total Before Tax
$42.54 - Tax

$33.53 - Shipping

$926.95 - Total Before Rebates
$29.00 - Rebates

$897.95 - Final Total



My budget for this build is up to around $1800 as a final total, including tax, shipping and any other charges that I might incur. Taking the heatsink into account (which I have not purchased yet) I figure I have about $800 left for a motherboard and video card. If there is something really awesome that would take the total to $2000, I would consider it.


Unpurchased Components
$59.99 - Noctua NH-U12P LGA775 AM2 Heatsink Heatpipe Cooler W/ NF-P12 120MM Fan – NCIX.com
$800 - Motherboard and Video Card – NCIX.com or Memory Express



Right now I am leaning towards a motherboard with an Intel chipset and a single GTX280. Of course, I won't know if the GTX280 is the right choice for at least a few more days, but I figure I can get some motherboard recommendations in the meantime.
For motherboard features, I am looking for:
  • At least 6 SATA ports
  • Capable of an eSATA front panel connection
  • Headers for 4 front panel USB ports
  • Header for 1 front panel Firewire port
  • Good and easy overclocker
  • Good onboard audio
  • Preferably quiet cooling for the motherboard components
  • Supports Raid 0 and 1

I think I have covered most of what I am looking for in a motherboard. As always, any advice and recommendations are greatly appreciated.



This is my first ever self-built computer. I have been planning on doing this for over 6 years now and I want to make sure I do it right. I would be very grateful for any input or suggestions you can provide me. I apologize in advance for the long post.


Purpose
This computer is going to be used primarily for gaming. I have been gaming on my Dell 600M for nearly 5 years now and during that time I have collected many games that would not run at playable settings on it. My goal is to be able to play all those games and any new games for the next 2 years or so with minimal upgrades. The game that takes up most of my time right now is WoW, but I really want to get back into the latest and greatest FPS games and push all the settings to the max. Right now I really think SLI is the way to go.
This will also be my computer to use for everything else I do, including school work, Photoshop, movie watching and anything else I might do. This computer will be in my bedroom, so I am planning on keeping it as quiet as possible while also providing excellent gaming performance.

Considerations
I will be purchasing a 32 inch 1080p LCD TV to use as the monitor for this system. That purchase will be made separately from this thread, but I thought it was important to the overall build. I already have a keyboard and mouse and speaker system to use with it.
The case I will be using is a CoolerMaster Cosmos 1000, which I also already have.
My budget for this build, not including the TV, is around $2000. I am flexible on this point up to a couple hundred dollars. I wish to buy all the parts for this computer at either NCIX.com or locally at Memory Express. Newegg is not an option for me because I live in Canada.

Concerns
Motherboard – I have heard good things about the motherboard above, but I am not completely sold on it. I know they are limited by the chipset, but I think the number of USB and SATA ports will limit me. Also, I don’t think the board has an eSATA connector, which I would like to have the option of using. I have considered upgrading to the 780i version, but I haven't done much research on that board.
Video Cards – Is it worth the money for the 9800GTX? The price difference between this and the 8800GTS didn’t seem that great, and with these cards I can also take advantage of the eVGA step up program in the next couple of months if there is a good option for upgrading.
Power Supply – Power supplies still leave me utterly confused after doing a lot of reading. I chose this one because it is a good brand and marketed as a quiet product, but I really have no clue if it will do the job or if it is a good product.

I would also like to know what components are most likely to fail. For anything that I buy at Memory Express I have the option of purchasing a quite reasonable instant product replacement plan where I can get it replaced with no questions asked if I have any problems. For example, this option is $21.95 for the processor for 3 years.


Again, I express my thanks to the [H]ard community. Your efforts to help me will without a doubt prove invaluable.
Click to expand...


Edits:
Changed heatsink from Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 Premium 8 Heatpipe CPU Heatsink Cooler to Noctua NH-U12P LGA775 AM2 Heatsink Heatpipe Cooler W/ NF-P12 120MM Fan.
Totally reworked the entire first post.
 
Looks like a pretty good system to me, but I would buy the parts that c0re suggested, they are cheaper. Also, I would go for just one 9800GTX for now, two is overkill and won't really make a huge difference. The power supply you have chosen is great, one of the best in fact, but I would get something modular, simply because it is easier. A Thermaltake Toughpower 750 is a great choice, and is one of the best power supplies in this range. One of the best in quiet heatsinks is the Noctua NH-U12P. Silent yet still among the best in cooling.

As for the eSATA port, you have a Cosmos, which has an eSATA port on it. That plugs in to one of the SATA ports on the motherboard, so no problems there.
 
c0re, did you even bother reading the OP's post? That little part about him living in Canada...



EVGA Nforce 750I SLI Ftw - HardOCP's review stated "the [northbridge] cooling fan was absurdly loud during testing." Don't think you'd want that in your bedroom

Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 - In Frostytech's review of this cooler it does ok at high fan speed/high noise situations but kinda falls on it's face if you want to keep the noise down. Better choice for emphasis on low noise cooling would be Noctua NH-U12P (review) which you can get at NCIX.

eVGA e-GeForce 9800 GTX 512MB - You're better off waiting till June and picking up an HD4870/4850 or GTX280/260. I think HD4870/4850 is looking like a winner, can't wait to see the reviews.

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Power Supply - No doubt it's a good PSU but I have no idea on how quiet it is. In general high end PSUs from Enermax, Seasonic, and Corsair are all great quality and the quietest at their respective power levels compared to the competition.

Coolermaster Cosmos 1000 - You might want to look into replacing the case fans with a few Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D to cut down on noise even further. Review here

Everything else looks good.


I would also like to know what components are most likely to fail. For anything that I buy at Memory Express I have the option of purchasing a quite reasonable instant product replacement plan where I can get it replaced with no questions asked if I have any problems. For example, this option is $21.95 for the processor for 3 years.
Click to expand...

The only thing I have ever managed to kill on any of my computers is the video card(twice). If an instant replacement plan for it was fairly cheap, I'd consider it.
 
c0re and lamboman, thank you for the recommendations. Unfortunately, I just have to deal with sometimes paying inflated prices for consumer goods. Believe me, I would like the option to buy at Newegg or run down to Fry's.

Toaster Oven, I really appreciate the input.

Regarding the motherboard, I have heard that you can reduce the speed on the northbridge fan to something like 30% in order to reduce the noise. I don't know if anyone has any comments on that.
Any opinions on upgrading to the 780i or other motherboard based on the same chipset? I am now pretty convinced that the features of the 750i will be insufficient for my needs.

Thanks for the recommendation on the HSF Toaster Oven. After reading the review you posted and a couple of others I have decided to switch to it.

I did more looking into power supplies and I think it is a good one for my needs. I am assuming that it will provide enough power for the 9800GTX SLI setup (IF that is the way I end up going), but I do have some doubt after reading the SLI certification site. I am also assuming that the site overstates the requirements because I can't see needing a 1200W supply for my setup.

I have considered replacing the case fans in the Cosmos 1000. I will definitely have to buy at least 1 to cool the hard drive bays, but I was thinking I could wait until I had everything up and running to determine if replacing the rest of the fans needs replacing based on noise. I will definitely consider the Scythe S-FLEX SFF21D. I was also looking at the Scythe Slip Stream (Kaze-Jyuni) 120mm Case Fan, Medium Flow.



What I am still most conflicted on are the video cards. This is exacerbated by the fact that I have found no info on specs, performance or price for any of the new cards coming out next month. I also want to get this system up and running before then. I think I have a few options.

1. Stick with the 9800GTX SLI setup and evaluate when the new cards are available whether I want to upgrade or not through the eVGA step up program.
2. Go with a single 9800GTX and evaluate the new cards when they come out. At that point I can upgrade my single card through step up and buy an additional identical card.
3. Some other solution involving 1 or 2 less expensive cards with the intention to upgrade.

Of course, all 3 of these options hinge completely on eVGA. Luckily, the step up program is available for Canadian customers.
 
The "safest" option for you would be option #2 -- get a single card and wait for the new cards to arrive -- but if you can, hold off the build until after all of the new cards arrive.
 
I think I am focusing in on something final right now, but I also think I need to ask a few more questions in a more direct way than I have been. I apologize for the novels that I have written so far ;)

1. What is a good interim video card solution until the new NVIDIA chips is released in June? Single card or SLI?
2. Is the 780i version of the eVGA board I have linked in the OP a good board? Can the northbridge fan be turned down to output an acceptable level of noise?
3. In your best estimate, will the power supply I chose be enough to power an SLI with two cards featuring NVIDIA's new chip?

I really do have my heart set on an SLI setup, but I am willing to go with a single card for now as long as I can upgrade next month.

Again, I thank everyone for your input and help. I would never trust myself to build my first system without consulting you first.
 
1) The G92 8800GTS is a good holdover card that could play well on its own or in SLI mode. Get the card from EVGA so you can take advantage of its Step Up policy.

2) The EVGA 750i FTW is considered by many to be the SLI board to have right now. However, the stability of all NVIDIA SLI-based boards aren't as good as those using the Intel chipsets. If you want the maximum frame rates possible, SLI would benefit you -- but only if you get everything at once.

3) The PC Power & Cooling 750 Quad would be enough for your build. Good choice.
 
Thanks again for all the help. I have purchased many of my components now.

I have completely reworked the first post and I have some new questions. I would greatly appreciate if you would read over the new (and much shorter!) information and give me some more advice.

Thanks!
 
Out of the P35 motherboards out now, the Asus P5K series are the only ones (I know of) that have onboard eSATA and FireWire. (The majority of those boards have six SATA ports each, but using the front panel eSATA port will result in you losing one of them.) I haven't seen many of the new P45 motherboards yet, but you may want to wait for those to arrive as well.
 
Thanks tiraides. I see some of the new boards are out already... are more expected shortly?
 
They should be trickling in over the next few weeks. However, I haven't heard much about them yet, so I can really say anything more about them.
 
Still looking for a motherboard, but it looks like I have a little extra time to decide considering that I was extremely underwhelmed by the GTX280 reviews.
 
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