Gaming PC Build Help!

K

Krivicide

n00b
Joined
Nov 30, 2007
Messages
7
Ok folks, I know you've heard this song and dance before. It's been almost 4 years since I purchased my current system, an HP zd8000 laptop, which has treated me faithfully through college. Now that mobility is less important to me, I'm looking at a new, solid desktop to replace my zd8000.

Essentially, my goal is to put something together that will last me the next few years comfortably. It will be used primarily for gaming. It will travel a bit, so case sturdiness is important.

Unfortunately, it's been awhile since I've paid any attention to current computer technology, so I feel like I'm a bit over my head. I've spent a couple days doing some research, and I think I've put together a system that fits my needs.

My goal is to keep it under $2000 if possible, monitor included. This is what I'm looking at currently, using AVA Direct.

INTEL Core 2 Duo E6750 2.66 GHz

(Is the upgrade to the Core 2 Quad Q6600 2.4 GHz worth the $100 jump in price?)

Tuniq Tower 120 CPU Cooler
Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound
Overclocking Service (My overclocking experience is limited, and I feel more comfortable having this done for me)
Abit IP35 Pro
Mushkin 4GB (4 x 1GB) PC2-6400 DDR2 800MHZ
eVGA e-GeForce 8800GT Superclocked 650MHz
320GB Barracuda
Coolermaster Ammo-533 (I like the functionality of the handle for easier lugging around)
Coolermaster eXtreme Power 650W Power Supply
Windows Vista 32-bit
3 year limited parts & labor

This system comes to a little over $1700 before S&H, which leaves me some room to pick up a solid monitor.

Basically, I'm curious if there are any specific thoughts on this build. Are there any things I should avoid? Anything that I'm skimping on that I shouldn't be? Anything to save me money while maintaining similar performance?

Also, some specific questions:

1. I don't understand the prefixes for the GeForce 8800GT. eVGA, Gigabyte, BFG, Asus, Microstar, XFX... Is there a difference in quality to match the slight difference in price? I'm lost on this one.

2. AVA Direct offers an option to use Windows XP instead of Vista. Should I stay away from Vista as a gamer? I've heard horror stories, but I've also heard it's getting more stable too.

Any input is appreciated. Thanks for the help!
 
First and foremost, ditch that PSU. Goddamn, I thought AVA Direct would be a little bit more scrutinizing with their power supply choices. Oh well. Anyway, that PSU is not a good choice. Select a Corsair, Seasonic, Enhance, or PC Power and Cooling if AVA Direct has those available.

Second, why not just build it yourself? It'll be cheaper and you'll learn a few things about PCs.

Now to answer your questions:
1) Those are the manufacturers, not pre-fixes as you think. The main differences between all those cards are whether or not they're factory overclocked, support and warranty.
2) Vista has gotten pretty stable over the past few months. Though I haven't tried it myself but from what I've heard and read, it works pretty well. Also, you'll need a 64bit OS like Vista 64bit in order to use all 4GB of RAM.
 
Agreed, you are going to need Vista 64-bit for Vista to be able to recognize all of your ram. Unless you don't mind buying memory for no reason? I am using Vista Ultimate 64 on the rig below and have had a pretty good experience. The only real problems I have seen are certain games crash sometimes, but they were written before Vista, so I don't hold Vista accountable for that.

I wouldn't pay for an overclocking service. There are many guides on this forum to guide you. It is honestly pretty easy. It just takes time, and as long as you don't go wild and set the voltages to high, there really isn't to much damage you can do. That would save you some cash to get a better monitor. Just a thought though.
 
I would suggest going with the Q6600, especially if you're looking to use the system for a few years, as you state. There are a few games already taking advantage of multiple cores (supcom, UT3 to name a couple) and I expect that number to only increase as time goes by.
 
I agree with Danny and everyone else.

Any reason you don't want to build it yourself? If you're willing to put the time into learning all this stuff, its pretty rewarding in the end. There are a ton of build guides with how-to's and everything, and I'm sure there are some instructional videos on youtube as well. Plus, if you have any questions, you could always ask here.
 
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