First Build

[Fizznab]

I will be going to college in the fall for computer engineering. I figured its about time I start getting familiar with Linux and i'd like to have a nice desktop to last me the 4 years or so of college. My plan is to build a box where I can dual boot Ubuntu and Vista. I will use Ubuntu for multimedia purposes, surfing the web, and I'd like to use Beryl (Its pretty!). My laptop will be for work and have XP.

I will strictly use Vista just for some gaming here and there (I want to play some dx10 games such as bioshock along with some older games I havn't had a chance to play yet). Overall I don't play that many PC games anymore.

That being said I'll need a system capible of decent dx10 gaming, beryl, and ability to work at high resolutions. I plan to have a1920x1200 monitor to watch some HD movies that I may download (Legal ones...). It also needs to last me for awhile. I figure down the line I could upgrade my ram to 4GB and start running a 64bit OS when they become more mainstream. Keep in mind I am not an overclocker as its my first build (though I may consider doing it a little down the line since C2D overclock so well).

So far this is my current configuration:
Case:
LIAN LI PC-60BPLUSII Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
OR
Antec Performance One P180B Black 0.8mm ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Optical:
SAMSUNG 18X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe and Software Black IDE Model SH-S182M/BEBM - OEM

HDDs:
Western Digital Caviar RE2 WD5000YS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Western Digital Raptor WD740ADFD 74GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM

GPU:
BFG Tech BFGR88320GTSOC2E GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

PSU:
SeaSonic S12 Energy Plus SS-650HT ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - Retail

Memory:
WINTEC AMPX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model 3AXT6400SE5-2048K - Retail

Mobo:
ABIT AB9 QuadGT LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
OR
EVGA 122-CK-NF63-TR LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6420 - Retail

I'd really like any feedback about this build (any major things i should wait for?). More specifically I can't decide if I want a board with a 680i chipset incase i want another video card down the line. Also I do not know much about motherboards, or power supplies (would a 600w power supply be good for 2x8800gts's in SLI?). So input there would be good such as any Mobo reccommendations for a SLI and non-SLI configuration. It all comes out to $1400 dollars currently on newegg. I am paying for it myself so any cost saving ideas are welcome. I'm also willing to go higher if need be.

Thanks for your time, and keep in mind I have never built a PC before so tell me if i'm doing something wrong or anything I should watch out for.

 

[Markyip1]

Hi,

It looks like you've done your research, as you have a pretty solid setup there. As for SLI, it's only worth it these days if

(a) you get two 8800 GTX cards, as the price (and heat gain) of two GTS cards isn't worth the small gain over a single GTX card

and

(b) you plan to game at full resolution on a 24inch or larger monitor with at least a 1920x1200 resolution.

Otherwise, SLI is most certainly not worth it.

If you go SLI, then a 680i board is your best bet. If you get an EVGA 680i board, absolutely get the retail A1 model over the OEM TR model, which is an older (and less stable) revision that only comes with a two year warranty. Retail models come with a lifetime warranty, and the A1/T1 revision has proven to iron out all of the kinks people were experiencing.

If you don't go SLI, you might want to consider one of the new P35 boards that are beginning to trickle in, such as the ASUS P5K Deluxe. Preliminary reports show these boards to perform a bit better than P965 boards, plus you have guaranteed Peryn support, which is a BIG deal if you want to keep your computer for four years (Peryn is the codename for Intel's Core 2 revision, which among other things, will feature far more mature quad core processors at cheap(er) prices.) There is no reason to consider 680i if you're not going SLI.

For the PSU, 600Watts is most cases isn't enough for GTX SLI. There is a Corsair 620W model that is known to handle it, but most SLI rigs features high quality 750Watt and up models. Consult www.jonnyguru.com for excellent PSU reviews.

Good luck,

Mark.

 

[Fizznab]

Thanks alot, helpful info. I think i'm going to hold out a couple weeks in hopes of price drops, and of course for the new mobos to trickle in and get tested. Then i'll go the non-sli route. I also am hoping a deal will show up for a 1920x1200 monitor, they are alot more pricey then I had hoped.