First-Time System Builder: Advice?

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KaiserWarrior

Limp Gawd
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Aug 31, 2008
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So I've finally gotten into a situation where it is feasible for me to build my own system from scratch. Having purchased from pre-built system dealers in the past (ugh, Dell) and had to systematically replace every single part in the system that was either underpowered or a lemon, I've decided to dispense with the unpleasantries and do it myself with parts I know I can trust.

So that's a bit of background. This is my first time building a system from scratch, though I've done some research on the process and the considerations going into the parts. I have, at one point or another, installed every piece of hardware in a system, just never from complete scratch; putting a new power supply into an already-working system is somewhat different from doing it from the ground up.

So what I'm looking for is some advice. Mainly sanity-checking myself to make sure I have everything, that everything is compatible with everything else, and that I haven't picked out some horrible part that managed to slip by reviews (mostly from here, Tom's, and NewEgg customer reviews).

The system is primarily a gaming rig. I have no plans to overclock anything by any real significant amount, but see below for some more details on that. I've already got monitor, mouse, keyboard, and an X-Fi platinum soundcard that will be coming over from my old machine. My potential parts list is as follows:

ASUS Striker II Extreme ATX Intel Motherboard -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131274
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036&Tpk=e8500 wolfdale
Patriot Viper 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (x2: total 4GB RAM) -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220330&Tpk=patriot viper DDR3 2000
BFG Tech ES-800 BFGR800WESPSU -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817702007&Tpk=bfgtech es-800
BFG Tech BFGEGTX2801024OC2E GeForce GTX 280 1GB -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814143144&Tpk=BFGEGTX2801024OC2E
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136073&Tpk=WD5000AAKS
ASUS 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Model DRW-2014L1 -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827135163
Antec Three Hundred Black ATX Mid Tower Computer Case -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042&Tpk=Antec Three Hundred Black ATX
ARCTIC COOLING AF12L 120mm Case Fan -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186018&Tpk=AF12L
ARCTIC COOLING AF8025PWM 80mm Case Fan -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186013
ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134&Tpk=arctic freezer 7
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders

Some things to keep in mind with this system: I am not looking to OC anything to any serious degree. I have heard from many sources that the Wolfdale can do 4ghz on air fairly easily, so I might look into bumping it up a tad, but not right off the bat (Trying to keep my $2K+ investment safe). Some of these choices may seem a little odd (The really expensive mobo, for instance), but I'm trying to semi-future-proof myself and keep my options open in the future (like OCing), rather than having to re-buy parts. I know Vista isn't really ideal for gaming, but if I want DX10+ I pretty much have to go with it. Again, this is mostly a "Did I have a stupid moment and forget anything" check, and a double-check to make sure nothing is a dud lurking off the review radar and that everything works with each other. I've tried to ensure all parts are compatible, but as a first-timer I might have made a mistake.

I do have one question about the memory: I know the memory is rated at 2000mhz, and the CPU's FSB is 1333mhz. What I could find on Memory speed settings or overclocking seemed fairly out of date (talking about Athlons and such), and I don't believe I'm going to just plug those sticks into the mobo and have them operating at 2000mhz without some tweaking to the bus speeds. What sort of work am I looking at needing to do to get my memory operating at its rated speed? Can anyone point me in the direction of some good resources to learn about such things?

Thanks for any replies.
 
There is little point in going DDR3, its a lot of expense for little or no gain.
With DDR2 memory, you only need memory that will go as fast as the FSB you intend to use.
So for a 333MHz FSB, you need 666MHz ram.
If you intend on clocking to 400MHz, you need 800MHz.

To reach 4GHz on an E8400, you need to reach 444MHz FSB so you need DDR2 ram that can reach 888MHz.
 
I concur with Nenu: don't bother with DDR3 at all. DDR3 RAM has not shown a noticeable performance increase with current Core 2 Duo systems in real world apps and games, despite the significantly higher RAM speed. Judging from Intel's history, that DDR3 RAM set you buy today may not be usable in Intel's newer chipsets two or even one year from now. (P965 lack of support for DDR2 400 RAM, P35/P45/X38/X48 lack of support for DDR2 400 and DDR2 533 RAM)

So absolutely zero reason to go with DDR3. In addition, every single CPU being released next year will not be compatible with any socket 775 motherboard. So basically, that $440 has as much upgrade room as the $90 Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L motherboard. So I recommend getting DDR2 RAM and a different motherboard. Some recommendations:
Gigabyte GA-EP43-DS3L Intel P43 Motherboard - $90
MSI P45 Neo3-FR Intel P45 Motherboard - $112
Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R Intel P45 Motherboard - $130
Asus P5Q Pro Intel P45 Motherboard - $140
Biostar TPower I45 Intel P45 Motherboard - $150
DFI Lanparty DK X38-T2R Intel X38 Motherboard - $180
Asus P5E Deluxe Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
DFI Lanparty DK X48-T2R Intel X48 Motherboard - $220
Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 Intel X48 Motherboard - $225

Just to help you out: All of these motherboards have PCI-E 2.0 which may be useful for future GPU upgrades. If you don't need RAID, more than 6 SATA ports and only need semi-decent overclocking, check out the DS3L. If you need 8 SATA ports, RAID, 4 PCI slots, and legacy ports, then get the Neo3-Fr. If you don't need more than 6 SATA ports but want RAID, firewire, a second PCI-E x16 port, a second gigabit port, support for 16GB of RAM, optional eSATA, x8/x8 Crossfire, and great overclocks, then get the DS3R. If you like the DS3R but need 8 SATA ports, want an onboard pre-installed fast booting Linux setup, just support for 8GB of RAM, and don't need a second gigabit port, get the Asus P5Q Pro. If you want a motherboard with excellent overclocking capabilities above all else (feature wise), go with the I45. If you want Crossfire with full x16/x16 bandwidth, get the Lanparty DK X38. If you have cash to burn, need x16/x16 Crossfire, and don't give a damn about getting the most value for your money, get the Asus, DFI, or Gigabyte X48 motherboards. Do note that the Asus website can be slow sometimes.

Also, what's with the 80mm case fan? The Antec 300 doesn't have any 80mm fan spots an the AC7 Pro already comes with a fan.

I also recommend spending the extra $10 for a significantly faster and larger drive:
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $85

What size monitor do you have anyway?
 
Mm, I remember reading that the DDR3 had at least a modicum of better performance, but that might have been in synthetic tests now that I think back to it. Thanks for the heads-up on Socket 775 though, with that in mind I'll probably look into the other motherboards. Would something like the Rampage Formula with some Corsair XMS DDR2 800 be serviceable? I'm sort of attached to Asus. Also, Everything you're suggesting is crossfire-enabled, though I don't see any indications as to such on the product pages -- I'd prefer SLI, mostly because I really like BFGTech and their service. Any suggestions in that category?


The 80mm fan was because, as I was double-checking my links, I realized that the two 120mm fans I had were exhaust-only; I'd picked up a second, different one thinking it could also do intake. The 80mm was a "Find something quick and post it" deal, and I'd completely forgotten about the case's mountings. Nice catch there.


The monitor's a 19-inch.
 
For a 19" monitor, you do not need SLI or Crossfire whatsoever. Hell, the GTX280 is actually overkill for a 19" monitor. You only need SLI if you're gaming at 1920x1200 and above at max settings. So forget SLI and the GTX280 altogether unless you're planning on getting a bigger monitor (24" and bigger) within six months. Get the ATI HD4850 from Visiontek.

Oh and SLI is only enabled on motherboards based on Nvidia chipsets. However, Nvidia chipsets are a little bit less stable, reliable and cooler running than their Intel counterparts. However if you are planning on getting a 30" monitor and can afford a second GTX 280 within six months, then I recommend this motherboard:
eVGA 123-YW-E175-A nForce 750i FTW SLI Motherboard - $190

Yes DDR3 RAM will provide increases in synthetic benchmarks but not real world apps and games. IMO, the Asus Rampage Formula is a bit overpriced and overkill. RAM wise, I recommend this:
G.Skill F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $77
 
Ah, understood. Thanks for the tips, I'll definitely consider these other parts. I really have no clue where I'll be six months from now, but we'll see. I appreciate the tips.
 
Six months from now? If you're not going to be building any time soon -- like, within the next 30 days -- take a break from this thread and revisit it around two or three weeks before you plan on building your computer. (Is there anything in particular that you're waiting that long for?)
 
No, I intend to build this within the next couple of weeks. I was referring to the bit about "If you plan to get a 30" monitor and another video card within six months".


With the rate PC technologies are moving these days, planning six months in advance is sort of fruitless, as far as I know. At least if you're trying to stay fairly up-to-date.
 
It's generally a good strategy to time your video card purchase for (around) the same time as the new monitor purchase. But I didn't realize what you were responding to, so I have nothing more to add (as you're already well covered).
 
Yah, I didn't read all that, but it sounds like you're covered, lol. I'd just like to add that if you were going with a dual vidcard setup, I'd go with Crossfire over SLI... simply because of the chipsets. ;) A dual vidcard setup is still a good option for the extremely demanding gamers on a 1920x1080 or higher screen, too.
 
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