Help with component selection for first build

M

mkaustin

n00b
Joined
Dec 16, 2007
Messages
6
Hey everyone,
This is my first post. I am working on my first build, and like a lot of others here, I am uncertain of all of my component choices and am looking for a little help/reassurance from those of you who are far more advanced than I am in technical expertise.

Here is what I have in my cart at newegg:

Cooler Master Centurion 5
Thermaltake PurePower 500w
Core Duo E6750
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 256MB
Mushkin 2x1g DDR2 800
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s
PHILIPS SATA 20X DVD±R
Vista 64-bit Home Premium OEM

Now here are my needs/limitations:
I will be using the computer for casual gaming and music production. I mostly play SimCity 4, Civ IV, and the like (I dont have the motor skills for fast-paced action games.)
I use Sonar.

I am trying to keep my current budget under $850 so as to save enough for a decent monitor after Christmas.
I want reasoanable upgrade ability, but nothing crazy.

Specific questions and concerns:
Video card - Thought about 8600gts. I feel like the 3850 is superior, but I like nVidia. At any rate, very unsure about my choice.
OS - VERY unsure of this choice. I kind of want Vista because I am sure I want it eventually anyway. Same to be said for 64-bit. But I wont have 64 bit drivers for my audio interface equipment...yet.
PSU - yes, just like all the other newbies, pretty much just went for the most popular, highest customer-rated, and lest DOA PSU. Doesn't mean I am confident in the decision.

I am also open to any and all other input, besides my specific questions. Just keep the budget and expected use in mind.

Thanks in advanced to anyone who gives input...I know there are a lot of these threads and it is great that so many of you are so patient and helpful.
 
Video card: You made the right choice by going with the HD 3850. It simply pwns the 8600GTS:
http://www.anandtech.com/video/showdoc.aspx?i=3151&p=8

OS: Hmm how important is it that you need your audio interface equipment to work with Vista? And what is this equipment anyway? If this equipment is truly vital to you and you're not too sure when the 64bit drivers for it will come out, then stick with Vista 64bit. Though if you're planning to upgrade to 4GB of RAM within a year or so, then keep Vista 64bit as an option.

PSU: The Purepower is pure crap IMO. For the same price as that PSu, you can get this power supply instead:
XClio Goodpower 500W PSU - $50

Remember that wattage doesn't mean as much these days. What matters most is where those watts are being delivered. For current rigs, it's all about how much amps are on the +12V rail since most PC parts draw their power from there. You determine the amperage on the +12V rails by first finding out what's the total combined wattage set aside for the +12V rails alone. So for example, the XClio Goodpower 500W has 360W on the +12V rail. Divide that total wattage for the +12V by 12 and you get how much amps the PSU has on the +12V rail. In this case, 360W divided by 12 is 33A. So the XClio Goodpower 500W PSU has 30A on the +12V Rail. And that's plenty of power for your current system.

For comparison, that Purepower only has 23A on the +12V rail. Considering that the XClio is the same price and offers more power where you need it, the Purepower's 23A is a good sign of that particular Thermaltake PSU's poor quality.

I also recommend ditching that case. The Centurion 5 has a front 80mm fan thats a bit loud IMO, so try to find a case that has two 120mm Fans for quieter cooling. Here's a few good choices:
Cooler Master Elite 330 RC-330-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $25
Cooler Master Centurion 534 ATX Case - $40
Cooler Master Centurion 532 ATX Case - $50
Cooler Master RC-690-KKN1-GP ATX Case - $60

And finally, I recommend going this G.Skill set instead since it's a bit cheaper and it comes with free shipping:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-2GBNQ 2 x 1GB DDR2 800 RAM - $47
 
Thank you silent-circuit and Danny Bui for your replies!

Danny Bui,
thanks for the info on the cases. The Centurion 534 had been in my final pool before, so I think it might be a good idea for me to go with it, since you are familiar with both.

Also thanks for the PSU recommendation. Like a lot of the newbies here, that is the area about witch I know the least.

About the OS, the music gear is critical. I anticipate I will be able to get 64bit drivers at some point. Here is an idea though - I suppose I could use my old HDD as a second in my new system and have XP 32bit, right? A dual-boot system could solve that problem in the short term. I feel like, since the latest version of Sonar is designed for Vista 64, that device drivers for interfaces will follow...but they havent yet.
I would hate to pay for vista 32bit, then, a couple of months later, want to get 4gb RAM and all interface drivers updated.

Question: I understand that going with the OEM will prevent me from installing on more than one system, but if a year from now, I need to reinstall on the same system, can I? How is a system defined? If I get a new hard drive, is that still the same "system?" Maybe I dont understand the difference between retail and OEM precisely.
 
I agree with Danny's and s-c's recommendations.

You don't need a 2nd HDD to dual boot, though you can still use your old HDD if you want. If you want a single drive, just partition it with enough space in each partition. For example, make a 30GB partition for Vista 64bit, a 30GB partition for XP 32bit, and the rest of the space make into a data partition.

This article explains some things about XP WPA, but hasn't been updated for Vista yet. However, it gives you an idea of how Windows keeps track of the "system."
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.php

In the case where a whole system is killed and replacement parts are installed, you'll have to call MS and explain your situation.
 
If patent and motivated several calls to Microsoft can usually get you reactivated regardless... just have to get a helpful tech...
 
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