First timer looking to build high end gaming desktop

K

ksot

Weaksauce
Joined
Jan 2, 2009
Messages
113
1) What will you be doing with this PC? Gaming? Photoshop? Web browsing? etc

Gaming mostly. I want something that will run FPS games with no lag.


2) What's your budget? Are tax and shipping included?

The sky is pretty much the limit, but at the same time I don't want to get ripped off. I use my computer constantly and I want to buy for the future, so I want the best technology out there or close to it. But they say at a certain point the price increase greatly outweighs the quality increase, so I would like to buy right around that cutoff. For example, I recently bought a 24" flat screen monitor. I wanted to get a 30" but the difference in price was simply too great to justify it. I assume this is the case with some of the latest video cards/motherboards./etc...


3) Where do you live?

Las Vegas, USA


4) What exact parts do you need for that budget? CPU, RAM, case, etc. Please be very specific.

Everything needed for a desktop setup except a mouse, keyboard and monitor. I would list all the parts needed but I honestly don't know them all. That's why I'm here.


5) If reusing any parts, what parts will you be reusing? Please be especially specific about the power supply. List make and model.

No important parts, just external USB things like mouse, keyboard, printer, etc...


6) Will you be overclocking?

Probably not since I don't know how. Can I get all games to run smoothly without overclocking? If so then definitely not.


7) What size monitor do you have or plan to have?

I have a 24" Sumsung.


8) When do you plan on building/buying the PC?

I want to do it all as soon as possible. I'd order the parts tomorrow if I were confident we found the right ones.


9) What features do you need in a motherboard? RAID? Firewire? Crossfire or SLI support? etc.

Uh oh... I honestly don't know the answer to this one. I've been told an i7 processor is absolutely necessary if I want to buy for the future. I'm not sure what those other terms mean, but I'm guessing you'll all know what's best for me. This does seem like one of the parts I should spare no expense on, I will say that.


10) Do you already have a legit and reusable/transferable OS key/license?

I have Windows XP but I will probably buy Vista for this machine. Vista 64 pro is the best one?


Other than those questions the only things I can say is that I want to go all out on the casing/cooling because I've always had issues with overheating and I want to avoid that for once. From reading around I've gathered that water cooling may be too complicated for me and is probably unnecessary as well, but I'll take the next best thing I can manage, or maybe I should just buy a pre-built case?

I'd also like the supposedly superquick raptor hard drive, but you guys probably know that?

I don't have any experience building a PC from scratch but I've done my fair share od swapping parts in and out of my other machines and I feel I should be able to figure all of this out with minimal help if any, but I am totally lost about which parts to buy and that is why I'm here.

Thanks a LOT for your help everyone!
 
Give us a set budget. Some people here tend to get buck wild with parts selections when you say that you have no set budget. A decent Core i7-based build would run you around $1500-$2500 for the tower (including the operating system), while a Core 2-based build can be built for around $1000-$1500.

Which games do you plan on playing? Do you want high visual settings, with AA and AF active as well? With your monitor's size and resolution, the video card(s) will have more of an impact than the processor would. If you don't plan on making a lot of upgrades for the lifespan of the system, or if you don't want to spend too much money on everything, you could get away with using a Core 2 system.

I personally believe that Raptor hard drives are overrated. Yes, one VelociRaptor is faster than any other SATA hard drive out there, but you're paying a larger premium for its speed. The Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB hard drive is only about 10% slower (in most benchmarks) than the VR yet it can be found for under $100.

There has been several Core i7-based build threads over the past few days. I suggest that you take a look at some of them and see if they have any parts that you want to consider for your build.
 
I vote
i7 965 Extreme
EVGA x58 SLI Classified
3x GTX285 or 2x GTX295 - pick the costlier of the two
2x Intel X25-M SSD in RAID0
6x 2GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1866
Lian Li X2000
2x PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA PSU
 
lowteckh said:
I vote
i7 965 Extreme
EVGA x58 SLI Classified
3x GTX285 or 2x GTX295 - pick the costlier of the two
2x Intel X25-M SSD in RAID0
6x 2GB Corsair Dominator DDR3 1866
Lian Li X2000
2x PC Power & Cooling PPCT1200ESA PSU
Click to expand...

And thats why the OP should always give us a set budget. :D
 
"Give us a set budget. Some people here tend to get buck wild with parts selections when you say that you have no set budget. A decent Core i7-based build would run you around $1500-$2500 for the tower (including the operating system), while a Core 2-based build can be built for around $1000-$1500."

I am willing to spend up to $4,000, but would obviously be happier spending 2k-3k on something if the quality difference isn't too great, as people tell me it isn't.

"Which games do you plan on playing? Do you want high visual settings, with AA and AF active as well? With your monitor's size and resolution, the video card(s) will have more of an impact than the processor would. If you don't plan on making a lot of upgrades for the lifespan of the system, or if you don't want to spend too much money on everything, you could get away with using a Core 2 system."

All of the most recent Command and Conquer games (C&C 3, Red alert 3, etc...), Counter-Strike Source and probably some other games I will buy in the future. I also want to be able to emulate PS2 games which I understand is quite a task for PCs. I do not know what AA and AF are sadly, so I don't know if I want them, but high visual settings sound just like what I want.. My monitor is 24 inches widescreen and the max resolution is 1920/1200. I'm not sure if I will want to upgrade yet, but I do know I want an i7 machine for sure.

"I personally believe that Raptor hard drives are overrated. Yes, one VelociRaptor is faster than any other SATA hard drive out there, but you're paying a larger premium for its speed. The Western Digital Caviar Black 640GB hard drive is only about 10% slower (in most benchmarks) than the VR yet it can be found for under $100."

Thanks a lot for the tip, I will look into the price differences and see if that extra 10% is important enough to me.

"There has been several Core i7-based build threads over the past few days. I suggest that you take a look at some of them and see if they have any parts that you want to consider for your build."

The trouble is that I'm so uninformed that you could say the names of two different video cards and I'd have NO idea which one is better. I'm really just going to have to rely on the suggestions all of you give me and listen to the majority or whoever sounds like they know their stuff the most. I realize this might result in me not getting what I want exactly but I can't imagine any other way to go about it and promise not to blame any of you :p

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.
 
ksot said:
I realize this might result in me not getting what I want exactly but I can't imagine any other way to go about it and promise not to blame any of you :p
Click to expand...

You could always, you know, do your own research perhaps? I mean you are posting on the forums of one of the best hardware review sites out there. Might want to start reading those hardware reviews.

ksot said:
I do not know what AA and AF are sadly, so I don't know if I want them.
Click to expand...

AA and AF explained:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2136956,00.asp

Basically the higher the AA and AF levels are, the better looking the game is. However you do incur a performance decrease when increasing the AA and AF to high levels. Hence why you would want a very very fast video card in order to keep up with AA and AF demands.

Quick and dirty build (adjust as necessary):
Intel Core i7 920 CPU - $295
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4 Intel X58 ATX Motherboard - $260
G.Skill F3-10666CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM - $145
Power Color Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB PCI-E Video Card - $430
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $75
Corsair 1000HX Modular PSU - $225
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366 RT - $75
---
Total: $1271 plus tax and shipping
 
ksot said:
I am willing to spend up to $4,000, but would obviously be happier spending 2k-3k on something if the quality difference isn't too great, as people tell me it isn't....

All of the most recent Command and Conquer games (C&C 3, Red alert 3, etc...), Counter-Strike Source and probably some other games I will buy in the future. I also want to be able to emulate PS2 games which I understand is quite a task for PCs. I do not know what AA and AF are sadly, so I don't know if I want them, but high visual settings sound just like what I want.. My monitor is 24 inches widescreen and the max resolution is 1920/1200. I'm not sure if I will want to upgrade yet, but I do know I want an i7 machine for sure....

The trouble is that I'm so uninformed that you could say the names of two different video cards and I'd have NO idea which one is better. I'm really just going to have to rely on the suggestions all of you give me and listen to the majority or whoever sounds like they know their stuff the most. I realize this might result in me not getting what I want exactly but I can't imagine any other way to go about it and promise not to blame any of you :p

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.
Click to expand...
Here's the thing, you don't need to spend $4K, or $3K, or even $2K on a decent gaming machine. You say you want to get a machine right at the point where the increase in cost starts to outweigh the increase in performance. IMO, that point is somewhere between $1,000 and $1,500. Check out the rig that Danny Bui recommends. That's a $1300 machine that will play any game out there today at maximum settings with ease.

If you want to spend more, then by all means that's your choice. I just want to make sure you know what your dollar will buy you. Most first time builders are used to thinking of gaming PC's as $2K+ machines because PC manufacturers like to put them at the top of their product lineup where profit margins are high. But the truth of the matter is you can build a great machine for much, much less.

It's also important to keep in mind that a computer you build has a much different lifecycle than one you purchase from a manufacturer. With a PC you build yourself, it's oftentimes much more cost effective to build a machine for your needs right now, and upgrade and expand it in the future as your needs increase (as opposed to the mindset of buying a "future proof" machine).

Danny Bui's build is a great place to start for you. But before you go and buy the parts, I think you really should do some more homework, even if it's just browsing around the forums here. Research what different components you need, what's available, and how different components meet your needs.
 
A previous generation video card will handle your said games - C&C, RA, CS:S. Like one of those "lowly" $100 9600GTs or $120 9800GTs, 4850s. But with a budget topping up at $4000, I wholeheartedly recommend my suggested build plus a custom auto-grade paint job on the case with flaming streaks to show how fast it is, because cars go faster with racing stripes so the logic prevails.

Do the GTX295. 4870X2 is SO last couple months. Then again, going back to the CEO-bonus budget, 2x GTX295s is choice. But for practicality, one single GTX260 will handle those games way more than well - aka. save the cash, upgrade when you play more demanding games since you're not really playing current-gen games anyways (games in the future does not count since that gets into futureproofing which is a retarded subject that shouldn't be tread on since you just can't.... anyways....).
 
Well gee, it sounds like you guys hit the nail on the head. I never imagined you could build a top gaming machine for under 3k. All this time I was looking at Alienware machines expecting to HOPEFULLY save 1k off their prices if I built myself. I can't argue with ANYONE who is trying to save me 2k+... especially after the stock market raped my soul...

The problem with me researching is that I normally can't decide between two things even when I know what they are. There's no WAY I'd ever come to conclusions about which parts to get based on reviews alone. It would take forever and I want my new computer sometime this month. I also would not feel anywhere near as comfortable ordering my own choices as I will ordering recommendations from kind experts like yourselves.

That build list danny bui posted looks ok to me. I'm a little worried it won't be lightning quick like I dream of. You guys know best, but MAYBE there are one or two things we could upgrade on it?
 
"Lightning quick" is subjective, but the build that Danny Bui posted would run circles around your earlier build(s). For your needs, there's really no reason to go any further than what Danny recommended. Sure, you could make it faster, or more powerful, but you'll only be throwing away money at this point.

The only thing that he didn't do is recommend a case, but that's because many of us here have different tastes. Which features do you want in a case?
 
Danny Bui's build does it. I'd swap the 4870X2 for a GTX 295 because I am not particularly fond of the 4870X2 or ATI's drivers, but it is otherwise solid. Do /not/ get Tri-SLI 280 GTXs or any i7 but the 920. They just aren't worth it. You should be able to get out under $1500 easy.

Cases? I <3 Lian Li, for a reason. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112099 ($90 shipped. More expensive than some, but a good size, amazing quality, and good airflow. Look at other Lian Lis if you prefer something flashier. Antec's also a good option. The price on the PC7 is hard to beat, though.) I love these too -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112060 -- but $250 is more than many are willing to spend on a case.

Still, a Lian Li will last through /all/ your builds if you take care of it. They never look dated.
 
You guys are SO helpful!

I've actually had problems in the past with ATI cards/drivers so I will listen about the GTX 295.

I'm not really too picky about the case, but I would like something big with a lot of room for ventilation and space for multiple hard drives/USB ports.


A few final questions and I think I will be ready to order!

1 - Aren't there a bunch of minor things I also need like a DVD/R drive, dialup modem, cable modem, wireless modem, etc...? Do I need to buy cables, power cords, extra fans? Is there anything else we haven't mentioned that I need to get this machine up and running?

2 - I'd like to get a second hard drive to use for backup and other things. I shouldn't get the same kind because I don't need it to be super fast right? Any recommendations? Which ones are the most durable? My hard drives have a history of dying early on me...

3 - Is Windows Vista really worth the money if I already have XP?

4 - I'm going to get cable internet soon and I wanted to go "all out" for it like I wanted to the computer, but I was wondering if the price difference is worth the cost. I can get 8 Mbps down/768 kbps up for $45 a month or I can get 12 Mbps/1.5 Mbps for $58. Will I notice a big difference between the two?

Thanks a million guys!
 
1. DVD drives are $20, just look on up on the Egg. Dial up... modem... this isn't a prehistoric museum :D Mobo has your LAN port already; if you are looking for WLAN and router recommendations you need to specify what kind you want - G? N? Dual band? Fans are dependent on what case you get - pick that out first. Cables included in the boxes are usually more than enough to start with.

2. What capacity drive are you looking for? Some people can't fill up 20GB while others require storage that end in TB and not GB. 1TB is usually the de-facto storage capacity - all drives (unsure of Hitachi, and they've been said to be loud) are reliable, though Seagate has been having problems with their crap. Samsung and Western Digital are choice.

3. Refer to the countless other Vista vs XP posts on this and every other forum. If you don't want to play with DX10 and Vista-required games, and like staying in the past, stick with XP. I don't think XP even supports i7 and its added cores, and you'll need a 64bit system to utilize 6GB of ram; 64bit XP is a laughable joke, you're looking at 64bit Vista if you want trouble-free(er) days. So basically you're kinda stuck with Vista.

4. No, those numbers are usually bullshit anyways.
 
1) Well get this DVD drive
Samsung SH-222F 22X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $26

All you really need now is a case which you're gonna have to choose on your own. So go on Newegg, loko for a case you like and post it here to see if there's any glaring problem with the case(s). As for cable modem and wireless router, your cable ISP will provide you with a modem and occasionally a wireless router/cable modem combo. Now will this gaming PC be connected wirelessly or directly connected into the router/modem?

As lowteckh stated, the mobo already comes with all the necessary cables

2) Just gonna go ahead and recommend this drive for storage:
Western Digital Caviar Green WD10EADS 1TB SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $110

3) If you want to be able to more than 3.5GB of RAM, then you will need a 64bit OS. Right now, the best supported 64bit OS is Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit and it's other Vista 64bit brothers.

4) Probably not in every day web usage or online gaming.
 
lowteckh said:
Mobo has your LAN port already; if you are looking for WLAN and router recommendations you need to specify what kind you want - G? N? Dual band?

What capacity drive are you looking for? Some people can't fill up 20GB while others require storage that end in TB and not GB. 1TB is usually the de-facto storage capacity - all drives (unsure of Hitachi, and they've been said to be loud) are reliable, though Seagate has been having problems with their crap. Samsung and Western Digital are choice.

No, those numbers are usually bullshit anyways.
Click to expand...

I won't need wireless right away but I'd imagine It'd be nice to have if I ever move and am on shared internet of some kind. I have no idea what G, N and Dual Band mean sadly. I can't imagine needing anything too fancy though, if that helps?

1tb sounds good as far as hard drive goes. I'll just get the one Danny Bui recommends below your post.

As for the cable internet plan, they even have a lower option for $30 a month that is 1.5MBPS/384KBPS. I wasn't even considering that before, but is that still a dropoff I probably wouldn't notice? One of my main concerns is that I want to be able to access kaillera servers that are on the east coast. I get terrible ping time and lag from here on the west coast and I was hoping faster internet could help. Is that even logical? or does one have nothing to do with the other?

As for the case, how does this look to you guys?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021
 
If you download a lot of torrents, then yes you'll notice a performance difference between the $30 and $45 plan. One of the best consumer routers I've ever worked with and own is the DLink DIR-655 router. It's an excellent quality router and can be foudn for around $100.

As for the case, IMO. the Antec 900 case is not worth any more than $80. It's equal in terms of quality of constuction and cooling capability as the Coolermaster RC-590 and RC-690 cases. Yet the RC-590 and RC-690 cases are significantly cheaper and beetter cable management capability than the Antec 900.
 
Alright then http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137 it is!

Danny could you comment on the edit I put in just as you replied last about why I wanted fast internet? I wanna be able to play smash brothers online but all of the good servers are on the east coast and I lag too much from Vegas, so I was hoping the top tier internet speed might allow me to do that.
 
ksot said:
Danny could you comment on the edit I put in just as you replied last about why I wanted fast internet? I wanna be able to play smash brothers online but all of the good servers are on the east coast and I lag too much from Vegas, so I was hoping the top tier internet speed might allow me to do that.
Click to expand...

Hmm, than the The $45 deal is still the better deal. But ask your cable internet service if you're allowed to upgrade your internet plan should the $45 plan not work out well.
 
Set up your wireless when you decide to hop on. Wireless tech is ever evolving and current stuff still has its inadequacies and flaws.
 
Not sure if your cable company is, or is like, Comcast/TW, but if so, you can typically call them and get the pkg/plan for the next lower price. For example, I have the $40 plan, but I only pay $30. My buddy has the same $40 plan but only pays $25 (but his promo expires every 6mo, so he has to call back every 6 months). Its hit or miss, so you may have to call several times.

Will you notice the difference? You'll never know unless you try both. Also, as mentioned earlier, it depends on the servers you're connecting to.
 
Alright boys, I'm ordering parts now!!!

Hopefully I can figure out the assembly without your help. I'll take pics of the finished package.

Thanks again!
 
Is there any reason I'd want Vista ultimate over Vista home? The only reason I saw said "No support for dual CPU's (2 physical processors) or 128GB of memory" which is here: http://techgage.com/article/windows_vista_version_comparison/

Is that important?


Also, what's the deal with the cheaper versions here for "system builders?"

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produ...N=40000368&SrchInDesc=Vista&Tpk=windows vista

It says they are intended for pre-installation on a new computer for resale? Does that mean it's for manufacturers only? Will they know or care if I use it anyway?


Also, I don't see any warranties listed for some of these items like the motherboard, and others say only limited warranties which I'm sure can't be great. Should I be concerned?


And finally, the very first review for that primary hard drive seems troublesome. It says:

Cons: - Access time is in 17-18ms if AAM is enabled. That's slower than my other two 5 years old drives. You need to disable AAM or change it's value from 128 to 254. WD DOES NOT OFFER SUPPORT to switch/change AAM value! (from their FAQ on WD support website).
- So if I buy this OEM product and I expect access time performance, it's a hit and miss, because if i'm "lucky" and my product comes in with AAM enabled then I'm beat out!? I read some were lucky to get an AAM disabled drive; Congrats!
- I am the buyer and I pick this product based on its performance. Why is WD giving me no choice about this AAM feature?
It is like buying a car that's advertised for 150mph but my version has a default top speed of 70mph to keep it safe and "green" perhaps.
- For some reasons, performance in vista using AHCI mode is very bad! Wasn't supposed to be the other way around?

Does that guy know what he's talking about?


Thanks guys and sorry for the complications.


Oh and Danny, I'm not sure where you pulled that $1271 figure from, the parts you listed in that post alone cost over $1500 :p

It's looking like this will be a 2k project when all is said and done. Certainly a lot better than 4k :)
 
1. No reason to Ultimate unless you want the gmimicks. Windows 7 is near so there's no reason to fork over extra dough for Ultimate unless you can get it at the same price as Home Prem. Check your Craigslist

2. System builder = OEM, just another word to use. Means it's a one time use thing vs. retail's unlimited install (so if you switch mobo/builds, you can reuse the retail key; not so with OEM unless you call them and get a good representative to help out)

3. Warranty is manufacture warranty, newegg isn't a manufacturer so they don't provide factory warranty.

4. *shrugs*
 
ksot said:
Is there any reason I'd want Vista ultimate over Vista home? The only reason I saw said "No support for dual CPU's (2 physical processors) or 128GB of memory" which is here: http://techgage.com/article/windows_vista_version_comparison/

Is that important?
Click to expand...
Not important to you. Like lowteckh said, no reason to go with Vista Ultimate unless you can get it for the same or cheaper price than Home Premium.

ksot said:
Also, I don't see any warranties listed for some of these items like the motherboard, and others say only limited warranties which I'm sure can't be great. Should I be concerned?
Click to expand...
Look at the manufacturer's websites for more accrurate warranties. Newegg does get the warranty statement wrong from time to time. The Parts I chose had the following warranties:
CPU: 3 year warranty
Mobo: 3 year warranty
RAM: Lifetime warranty
Video Card: Two year warranty I think
HDD: 3 year warranty
PSU: 5 year warranty

Limited warranty, in the case of the motherboard, means that the first 2 years or so, parts and labor will be covered with the 3rd year being parts only. Meaning that you will have to pay a fee to get the mobo reparied or processed, etc but the replacement mobo will be free.

Does that guy know what he's talking about?
Click to expand...
Dude is over-reacting. Haven't heard of anyone else having the same problem nor complaning about it. Also, take newegg reviews with a grain of salt. A good majority of them are written by noobs, ignorants, retards, idiots, fanboys, jackasses, and other sorts whose words should not be trusted.

ksot said:
Oh and Danny, I'm not sure where you pulled that $1271 figure from, the parts you listed in that post alone cost over $1500 :p
Click to expand...
Oops, my bad. Can't remember where I got that one from. Anyway, the true total was $1495 plus tax and shipping from the sites I linked to.
 
Ordered! I have 2 DVD drives in my old setup so I figure I'll just swap the newer one into my new machine.

I went with the OEM version of Vista 64-bit home. I figure I probably won't be swapping hardware between now and the time the newer Windows comes out.
 
Ok the last piece of the puzzle arrived today and I just got to work!

I went out and bought some batteries for my old digital camera and when I turned it on I was delighted to see it only shows a gray blur no matter where I point it. Sorry! No pics =/

I installed the power supply without any issues, but I must say the motherboard seems a little intimidating what with all the parts and cords. I already committed a cardinal sin and accidentally touched the CPU pins when removing the cover. Now two of them look SLIGHTLY bent from certain angles, but generally still seem to be in place. God I hope I didn't ruin it before even starting it! How likely would that be based on what I just told you?

Also I have a question about the heatsink I bought. Am I supposed to attach that onto the motherboard on top of the CPU in place of the fan that came with the CPU? Or does it go elsewhere in the computer? If so, is the fan that came with the CPU basically useless?

Got some things to do now, but will be done in a few hours and will get back on the project!
 
ksot said:
I already committed a cardinal sin and accidentally touched the CPU pins when removing the cover. Now two of them look SLIGHTLY bent from certain angles, but generally still seem to be in place. God I hope I didn't ruin it before even starting it! How likely would that be based on what I just told you?
Click to expand...

Can't tell from what you've told us so far.

And yes you're suppose to use that Thermaltake HSF in place of the HSF that came with the Intel CPU.
 
You da man Danny.

I guess we'll only know once I try to turn it on?

Anyway I was reading that you can use playing cards to straighten them if they're too bent so I guess it's not the end of the world. I'm guessing they'll be ok, didn't bend em very much I don't think.
 
I'm officially in over my head! NONE of the manuals say where ANY of the cables go and there are sooooo many of them =/ I figured it would be more detailed.

I figured out a few but some don't look like they go anywhere... I couldn't even get more than half the screws into the motherboard to hold it down, the rest won't reach the holes in the casing >_<
 
ksot said:
Which 3 do I put the RAM sticks into?
Click to expand...
Either all 3 white or blue. Doesn't really matter where as long as you get the colors right.

ksot said:
I'm officially in over my head! NONE of the manuals say where ANY of the cables go and there are sooooo many of them =/ I figured it would be more detailed.

I figured out a few but some don't look like they go anywhere... I couldn't even get more than half the screws into the motherboard to hold it down, the rest won't reach the holes in the casing >_<
Click to expand...

- Make sure you install the standoffs that came with the case. I think thats what you meant by "won't reach the holes in the casing".
- Keep looking at the manuals. In fact, look though all the of the papers provided wtih the mobo and case.
- Go through the How to build a PC guides linked in the FAQ.
 
ksot said:
6) Will you be overclocking?

Probably not since I don't know how. Can I get all games to run smoothly without overclocking? If so then definitely not.
Click to expand...

I think we need to add a new question to the list of questions...

"If no, why not?"

Legitimate reasons to avoid overclocking do exist, but if its simply "I don't know how", these boards will tell you how. It is free performance, sans the extra 20W consumed and 2 hrs you have to put into it.
 
Danny, none of the standoffs reach the holes on the upper left section of the mobo. They don't go down far enough. And I think it's pretty well aligned since all the outlets in the back line up right. Oh well the 3 I got in seem to be holding it down well enough. I had to press the mobo down just to get those in.

You wouldn't believe how little detail there is in these manuals. I think the mobo installation instructions have 7 pics with short descriptions. Not a single thing about all the cables.

I will look at the FAQ you mentioned and I'm also going to take pics of the misc cables with my phone and send em to my friend with a blackberry so he can get them online and I can post them here.

MrWizard... sounds fine to me but let's get the darned thing built first.
 
It's my Core i7 build so far, I figured you might could use it as a reference. I didn't cut any corners except for the keyboard, but that was intentional...I prefer the most basic keyboard. I still have to add an aftermarket heatsink/fan assembly.


Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $109.99

ASUS P6T Deluxe LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $199.99

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz LGA 1366 130W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80601920 - Retail - $294.99

G.SKILL 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7T-6GBPK - Retail - $219.99

EVGA 01G-P3-1287-AR GeForce GTX 285 SSC Edition 1GB 512-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail - $399.99

Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $79.99

CORSAIR CMPSU-850TX 850W ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Active PFC Power Supply - Retail - $139.99

Pioneer 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DVR-116DBK - OEM - $25.99

Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail - $39.99

LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard - Retail - $6.99

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders - OEM - $99.99

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM - $17.99

Subtotal: $1,735.88 + $41.81 shipping

Grand total: $1,777.69
 
Danny Bui said:
You could always, you know, do your own research perhaps? I mean you are posting on the forums of one of the best hardware review sites out there. Might want to start reading those hardware reviews.

AA and AF explained:
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,2845,2136956,00.asp

Basically the higher the AA and AF levels are, the better looking the game is. However you do incur a performance decrease when increasing the AA and AF to high levels. Hence why you would want a very very fast video card in order to keep up with AA and AF demands.
Click to expand...
One of the things I've seen more and more is these TV guys talking about how "the image looks bad until your TV performs AA"... no it doesn't, it runs some pretty smart filters, but AA requires Z (depth).

Anyways, 2X AA and 2X AF offer huge bumps over 0X AA and trilinear filtering. Beyond that it honestly doesnt look that much better. 4XAA and 8X AA are nice, but 16X (and 24X !!!) hit your system so hard for such little gain, its never worth building a system that can handle it.

DanniBui said:
Quick and dirty build (adjust as necessary):
Intel Core i7 920 CPU - $295
Gigabyte GA-EX58-UD4 Intel X58 ATX Motherboard - $260
G.Skill F3-10666CL9T-6GBNQ 3 x 2GB DDR3 1333 RAM - $145
Power Color Radeon HD 4870 X2 2GB PCI-E Video Card - $430
Western Digital WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - $75
Corsair 1000HX Modular PSU - $225
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme 1366 RT - $75
---
Total: $1271 plus tax and shipping
Click to expand...

That looks good to me. The HX1000W is without a doubt overkill but as stated by oklahomawolf, it just might be the last PSU you'll need for the next decade.
[He was actually talking about the TT 1200W, but its on the same platform, and the HX1000 is a better unit].

silent-circuit said:
Danny Bui's build does it. I'd swap the 4870X2 for a GTX 295 because I am not particularly fond of the 4870X2 or ATI's drivers, but it is otherwise solid. Do /not/ get Tri-SLI 280 GTXs or any i7 but the 920. They just aren't worth it. You should be able to get out under $1500 easy.

Cases? I <3 Lian Li, for a reason. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112099 ($90 shipped. More expensive than some, but a good size, amazing quality, and good airflow. Look at other Lian Lis if you prefer something flashier. Antec's also a good option. The price on the PC7 is hard to beat, though.) I love these too -- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811112060 -- but $250 is more than many are willing to spend on a case.

Still, a Lian Li will last through /all/ your builds if you take care of it. They never look dated.
Click to expand...

I just finished working with an HD4870X2 and I had no issues. We plugged in two monitors to see how it did and everything worked just fine. Worked fine out of the box as a matter of fact. nTune is possibly the worst piece of software of the 21st century and ATI's fan control is frequently way too zealous. Both have quirks but I don't think its fair to make blanket statements anymore.

As for bang/buck the GTX 260 and HD4870 take my vote. I'd actually go for the lower end versions, the 512MB HD4870 and the old 65nm GTX 260 192SP because both can be found for around $200. Nvidia board partners are usually a whole lot better than ATI board partners, going the HD4870 route through a respectable board partner ups the cost by $30.

In fact if performance/price is paramount the HD4830 for ~$100 is king.
 
It's too late guys, all of the parts are bought and in my livingroom waiting for me to figure out how to put them together. Actually almost all the parts are in the computer already, I just can't figure out where some of the cables go.
 
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