Helping a friend build a computer?

[NoClue]

Hello I am helping a friend build a computer and wanted some advice. Here is what I have put together so far.

MOBO-Abit IP35 Or Pro
PSU-Corsair VX550
CPU-Q6600
RAM-Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB)
DVD Drive-ASUS Black
HSF-Scyth Ninja 120
HDD-SAMSUNG SpinPoint T 320GB
Case Fansx2-YATE LOON 120mm
Video Card-EVGA 8800GT 512mb

The only questions I really have are, will the power supply be ok if he decides to upgrade video cards to say a GTX, and also will he be able to play on his 52" HIDEF tv. Any help is greatly appreciated. I wanted to do all the searching myself for these answers but he wants to order soon.

Thanks Again
NoClue

 

[MWHarrell]

The Corsair VX550 is rated @ 550watts at 50C, so it should easily be able to handle his rig once he upgrades his video card.

Concerning the 52", is it 720p or 1080p?

If it is 1080p, then the resolution is 1920x1080, which might be a little tough for the 8800GT to muster High settings. I would suggest Maybe a 8800GTS 512mb or higher video card for such a high resolution.

Also, on the TV, make sure it has a HDMI or DVI port so he can actually connect his rig to it.

Hopefully someone else will share their wisdom, but hopefully this was a decent starting point.

 

[engiNURD]

On the motherboard, go with whichever one suits his needs. The IP35-E is a basic, no frills board (no RAID/Firewire, only 4 SATA ports). The hard-to-find IP35 has 6 SATA ports along with both RAID and Firewire, as well as heatpipe cooling for the nb/mosfets. The PRO is the crowd favorite, with all the things of the IP35, and adding a 2nd PCI-E 4.16x slot, onboard switches, and uGuru OC'ing tool.

You don't really need Ballistix with the Q6600, but if they're the same price or lower than regular CL5 DDR2-800 2GB kits, then go for them.

What case is he using? Also, make sure that DVDRW drive is SATA.

 

[crhscoog]

I'll agree with MWHarrell and enginurd's post.

At the same price for the Scythe Ninja you can get a Thermalright 120 Extreme w/ Scythe S-Flex 120mm fan or you can go with the cheaper Zerotherm Nirvana NV120 120mm CPU Cooler which has been able to help OC a Q6600 to 3.6ghz and e8400 to 4.0ghz. Just suggestions but the Ninja is a sweet cooler as well.

 

[NoClue]

Thanks to all of you for the input.

MWHARRELl
The TV is I believe 480p 780i and 1080p. I know he gave me those numbers but I always mix up the lettering. The tv does have HDMI input so he is good there.

enginrd
The Pro will probably be the board since it can be had for I believe 129.99 after MIR. For that price it seems like a hard deal to pass up. Same goes for the Ballistix it is like 31.99 after MIR. The DVD drive is a sata drive. The case he will be using is a Cooler Master 533 ammo. That is the case I am using and he likes it.

crhscoog
He is not going to be doing any heavy overclocking. He doesn't even know how right now so I have given him some things to read on the subject. I will throw the idea of the Thermalright and the Nirvana and let him make the decision.

Thanks to all of you guys for the input.

Noclue

 

[ultimateuber]

I say go with something at a reasonable price with a rebate from Newegg. Rebates are good, just don't order from somewhere crap like Tiger Direct.

Get whatever case that has reasonable cooling because I think it's hard to really fault a case...

Keep in mind that very few programs utilize four cores at this time. The only way to justify quad core is if you do a lot of multitasking or if you get it cheap.

 

[tiraides]

Keep in mind that very few programs utilize four cores at this time. The only way to justify quad core is if you do a lot of multitasking or if you get it cheap.

Considering the current price of the E8400, the Q6600 is the better buy. (Comparatively speaking, of course... then again, the E8400 was originally supposed to retail under $200....)

The Pro will probably be the board since it can be had for I believe 129.99 after MIR. For that price it seems like a hard deal to pass up. Same goes for the Ballistix it is like 31.99 after MIR. The DVD drive is a sata drive. The case he will be using is a Cooler Master 533 ammo. That is the case I am using and he likes it.

I'm not a big fan of mail-in rebates, but to each his own. If you feel like you(r friend) don't need the extra PCIe x16 slot that the IP35 Pro provides, you could consider the Gigabyte DS3R/DS3P/DS4 series, the DFI DK P35-T2RS, and the ASUS P5K-E as alternatives. (The Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R can be found for around $120 with no rebates.)

Regardless, buy the Q6600 and the IP35 Pro from ClubIT. In addition to getting a Q6600 with the G0 revision (which runs at a lower voltage), you also receive a $20 instant rebate on the Q6600/Socket 775 motherboard bundle (with the use of a promotion code) and a $25 MIR on the IP35 Pro.

You also don't need faster RAM for the Q6600. Going back to what I was saying earlier about rebates, you could pick up a different 2GB kit, like the A-DATA DDR2 800 kit, and pay less upfront... but they'll perform just as well as the Crucial Ballistix.