first time build! Please review

[30rndmag]

hey all... I am new to the site and to building computers. After my emachines computer bit the dust, I looked around for a while and have decided to build my own. The biggest thing is i just don't want to make a mistake and sink alot of money in something that will never work. The computer will be used mainly for gaming and I want plenty of room for expansions. Here is the list of what i have... https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...shListNumber=8605806&WishListTitle=2008+build

Thank you for ANY input! If there is anything you guys would do different please let me know.

 

[Dangman]

CAn you please just list out all your parts? A newegg wish list just tells us how lazy you are and is a slight pain for us to load.

 

[6foot4geek]

looks very good, however I would recommend different RAM like Crucial ballistic, the SLI ready RAM tends to create more issues then benefits. so regular 800Mhz RAM would be better IMO and the Crucial RAM is great for OC'ing!!

other then that it looks really good, and you better plan on OC'ing the heck outta it!!!

 

[6foot4geek]

or it just tells him (the OP) how lazy YOU are!!!

 

[30rndmag]

1.thermaltake armor series va8003bws black full tower case with 25cm fan $154.99

2.evga 123-yw-e175-a1 lga 775 nvidia nforce 750i sli atx intel motherboard $189.99

3.BFG Tech BFGE88512GTSE GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 $254.99

4.OCZ GameXStream OCZ700GXSSLI 700W ATX12V Power Supply $124.99

5.Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 $214.99

6.OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N800SR4GK $98.99

7.HITACHI Deskstar P7K500 HDP725050GLA360 (0A35415) 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $94.99

8.LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06 $37.99

9.Thermaltake CL-P0401 110mm Full-Range Fan CPU Cooler $54.99

 

[Dangman]

or it just tells him (the OP) how lazy YOU are!!!

That too.

Anyway, 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?

I recommend getting this better quality PSU instead:
Corsair 750TX 750W PSU - $105

Also, if you don't have a 24" monitor or bigger, don't bother with an SLI motherboard. Just go with a mobo based on the P35 chipset. Good quote on SLI:

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.

Here are some recommended motherboards:
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.

For $15 more, you can get an extra 250GB of storage:
Samsung Spinpoint F1 HD753LJ 750GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $110

And I concur with 6foot4geek in that all you need is ANY set of DDR2 800 RAM, even with overclocking in mind. I recommend this set:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $80

 

[tiraides]

Danny mentioned all of the important things, but I noticed that a few of the items you went after have mail-in rebates. I'm personally not a big fan of mail-in rebates... I'd rather save the money up front whenever possible. Don't count the rebate amount in your budget, because you still have to pay the full amount up front. (Plus, it's not 100% guaranteed that you'll receive all of your rebate checks.)

Though the Hitachi HDD isn't a bad drive, the only appealing thing about it is its (after-rebate) price. There are better and/or quieter HDDs around.

Here is a better CPU cooler for less (even after rebate): Xigmatek HDT-S1283

You don't need to pay for a full retail drive... get an OEM DVD burner, like the Samsung SH-S203B. (Your motherboard normally comes with enough cables to attach everything with.)

 

[30rndmag]

thank you all for your input....i am "backing up and punting" now so i'll research the other items you suggested and get back with you. This is all new to me so at times it seems overwhelming. keep posting comments if you guys think of anything else! Again thanks so much already!

 

[Decko]

Q6600 Can get pretty hot without the right cooling... I'm a cold freak when it comes to my CPU's so I usually get a nice Heatsink for my CPU:


http://www.jab-tech.com/Thermalright-Ultima-90-pr-3852.html


That's just the one I have and it works well, I'm not too knowledgeable on the subject so maybe someone else would be willing to give you more recommendations.

 

[tiraides]

The HDT-S1283 that I recommended earlier is considered on par with the Thermalright Ultra 120 Extreme/Scythe S-FLEX SFF21E combo as one of the best CPU coolers around. But the Ultima 90, along with the Panaflo M1A-Z, is a good choice, especially if you're concerned about clearance inside the case.

 

[30rndmag]

ok i have picked out some of the things you guys mentioned....I am still playing around with the motherboard and the processor. I have no clue about overclocking so i don't think i wanna go that route just yet. As far as gaming goes, what would you suggest for a processor around $200-$250? Like I said before all of this seems overwhelming and I just don't wanna build something that's not gonna do what I want it to do....know what i mean?

 

[Mad Machinist]

hey all... I am new to the site and to building computers. After my emachines computer bit the dust, I looked around for a while and have decided to build my own. https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersio...shListNumber=8605806&WishListTitle=2008+build

Thank you for ANY input! If there is anything you guys would do different please let me know.

Just a suggestion...before you spend a wad on relatively high end components...look around for some el cheapo stuff to fix your emachine....the lessons learned will be invaluable when you start building your gaming rig................just a thought.

 

[Dangman]

As far as gaming goes, what would you suggest for a processor around $200-$250? Like I said before all of this seems overwhelming and I just don't wanna build something that's not gonna do what I want it to do....know what i mean?

Either the Q6600 or E8400 are good choices for a gaming PC. However, the E8400 would be faster than the Q6600 in current games. But the 4 cores of Q6600 will help out in future games but it would lose to the E8400 in many current games.

 

[30rndmag]

Just a suggestion...before you spend a wad on relatively high end components...look around for some el cheapo stuff to fix your emachine....the lessons learned will be invaluable when you start building your gaming rig................just a thought.

Man, That is a great idea! Thanks so much! I agree there is no training like experience.

 

[engiNURD]

I agree with Danny. If you don't plan on upgrading for a while, go with the Q6600. If you plan on upgrading your system in a few years, go with the E8400 or E7200.

Since its your first build, take the time to read up on how to build a system. There are a bunch of great build guide links in the GenHard FAQ.

I'll bite...[H]ard|Gawd inbound with n00b question:

Why do you say not to post your wish list?

Many times people link them wrong, which delays responses. Another reason is that its easier for others if you post the parts list instead, so we don't have to click on another tab just to see your list while we're responding. If you'd like us to take the time to respond to your post, please take the time to make it easier for us to respond. You can still post your wishlist if you want... its just preferred that you list everything in the post itself instead.

or it just tells him (the OP) how lazy YOU are!!!

While we may be lazy, we are taking the time to help people. Its a "help me help you" thing.

 

[FoxhoundOp]

It's a sad day when people are too lazy to click on a link.

 

[engiNURD]

It's a sad day when people are too lazy to click on a link.

Its a sad day when people are too lazy to type (or copy and paste, even).

I think its simple... if you want help, make it easier for people to help you... common courtesy. Is it really too much to ask for?

 

[MrWizard6600]

With some of the money saving ideas me and danny have given/are about to give, I suggest you put that money into a Q9450. Smaller, cooler, OCs higher, more L2, just better in every catagory.

Danny's got the motherboard recommendations, which I won't go near since it looks like he's memorized every feature of every motherboard inside and out. I will say that the DFI DK bios will have every feature under the sun and will require some time in front of google to figure out. I also agree that SLI really is out of the question and will be more of a nice idea rather than anything practical. I'll get to why thats true when I adress the graphics card.

Again, I agree with danny on the ditching of the PSU. The OCZ GameXStream and doubally the StealthXStream are powersupplies that push themselves out of the ATX spec when really loaded. Its efficeicy takes a dive, and while it holds tight voltages (to impress the n00b PSU review sites), all three rails are aweful noisy for a psu with such tight vdroop.

I agree with danny a third time on his PSU recomendation if you want to keep the same net power output: the Corsair 750W. While its probably the ugliest of all of corsairs units (and that says something, its exceptionally clean and never push's itself out of spec, yet it is the worst performing of all of the corsairs), at just over $100 its a good buy. Also recommendable is the PC P&C 750W which was going for $130-$140 for a while (ironically, technically this is another OCZ unit, but it shares nothing in common aside from its branding with the ___Xstreams).

SLI isn't really practical as you might think it is. When Nvidia EOLs a graphics card its price doesn't usually go down, it just stagnates until they're all sold by the unfortunate saps who buy them without doing their homework. When a card is EOL'd it will appear on ebay in good numbers for cheap very quickly, but, thats ebay, and that basically limits you to XFX if you want good support. So when the next gen graphics cards are released, and that release is eminent, I don't think you'll be considering SLI.

In regards to the eminent EOL of the 8800s and 9800s, the release date for the Nvidia's next gen code-named the "G200" or "GT200", marketed as the GTX260 and GTX280, is June 18. ATIs next gen, code named RV770 and marketed as the HD4850 and HD4870 while much leaner and cheaper, is two days erlier.

So, SLI is pretty well nothing more than a nice idea and as danny pointed out there are motherboards with better feature sets for cheaper than the 750i FTW (which, while we're on the topic of ragging on this board, is really nothing more than a re-hashed 650i SLI board). Add that to the fact that the next jen is less than a month away, I think its best to sacrifice SLI capabillity.

Even further to the point, with NV and ATIs next gen only a month away, and given that its been almost 2 years since a real ground breaker in performance has been introduced, I think the best Idea is to wait.

RAM is really a crap shoot from what I can tell, if you want to hang around on the memory subforum for a while I'm sure you can get some tips on the latest best memory but every manufacturer makes a gem at a wicked nice price point sooner or later... aside from maybe Adata.

Also, I'm not an aero-engineer, but judging by thermaltakes past and a little common sense, that cooler cant be too good. Get a Thermalright Ultra 120 or Scythe Ninja.

 

[Dangman]

Danny's got the motherboard recommendations, which I won't go near since it looks like he's memorized every feature of every motherboard inside and out.

LOL!. I only memorized a few mobos out there.