More build advice...

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lerani

n00b
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
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21
Well, it's about time to build a new system, as the old 6800 and Athlon 3000 aren't cutting it anymore, after about 3 or 4 years....

I'll be using the system for nothing too special, but would like to do some gaming, which isn't real feasible for anything new...

So, with that in mind, I'm not looking for a bleeding edge system, just something reasonably powerful but cost-efficient.

Any tips or suggestions are quite welcome, since I haven't been paying too much attention to hardware for a little while...


NewEgg Wish list

TIA

EDIT: Also, I should add I'm planning to keep the 19" LCD I have now.

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail - $119
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $169
EVGA 640-P2-N829-AR GeForce 8800GTS SSC 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail - $229
Antec NeoPower 550 ATX12V 550W Power Supply - Retail - $90
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model EU80570PJ0806M - OEM - $199
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C5DHX - Retail - $58
Western Digital Caviar GP WD7500AACS 750GB 5400 to 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $129
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm 2-ball UFO Bearing / Transparent CPU Cooler - Retail - $50
 
Please put part selection and prices on this page -- having to go back and forth between the Newegg wishlist and this page is annoying.

The Antec 900 is overpriced, has horrible cable management, it's loud, and I personally don't like the look of it. Cases are 99% personal preference though, so if you like it and are willing to pay that much for it, keep it.

What made you choose the IP35-Pro over a less expensive board? It was $150 a couple of weeks ago, so it's difficult for me to recommend at $170. Look to DFI and Gigabyte instead.

The 8800 GTS 640MB SSC is old tech. I strongly recommend an 8800 GTS 512MB instead. It will run cooler and OC better, and should be slightly less expensive, too.

$90 for that PSU is crazy. Look at ZipZoomFly.com, Buy.com, and Clubit.com for PSUs -- I recommend Corsair, Seasonic, and Silverstone. I generally keep clear of Antec branded PSUs due to horrible past experiences with their TruePower and TruePower 2.0 lines.

I'd strongly recommend you go with 4GB (2x2GB) of RAM instead. Price difference should be minimal.

You might want to consider the Samsung F1 750GB drive instead of the WD drive. It should be a bit faster and quieter too.
 
silent-circuit said:
Please put part selection and prices on this page -- having to go back and forth between the Newegg wishlist and this page is annoying.

The Antec 900 is overpriced, has horrible cable management, it's loud, and I personally don't like the look of it. Cases are 99% personal preference though, so if you like it and are willing to pay that much for it, keep it.

What made you choose the IP35-Pro over a less expensive board? It was $150 a couple of weeks ago, so it's difficult for me to recommend at $170. Look to DFI and Gigabyte instead.
The 8800 GTS 640MB SSC is old tech. I strongly recommend an 8800 GTS 512MB instead. It will run cooler and OC better, and should be slightly less expensive, too.

$90 for that PSU is crazy. Look at ZipZoomFly.com, Buy.com, and Clubit.com for PSUs -- I recommend Corsair, Seasonic, and Silverstone. I generally keep clear of Antec branded PSUs due to horrible past experiences with their TruePower and TruePower 2.0 lines.

I'd strongly recommend you go with 4GB (2x2GB) of RAM instead. Price difference should be minimal.

You might want to consider the Samsung F1 750GB drive instead of the WD drive. It should be a bit faster and quieter too.
Click to expand...

a) I picked the IP35-pro mostly because I found one new on eBay from a fairly reliable seller for $100. That's the one part I've bought so far..

b) I didn't know about the GTS, I will try to find a 512 model that looks good. Thanks.

c) I'm not wedded to any PS, so I'll look at those sites. Is 550W too much?

d) I was leaning towards 2gb because I'm not sure I'm ready to go with Vista yet....still on the fence

e) I'll look at the Samsung. I've just got a small WD bias because I've been using them since about 1991, and they've always been reliable for me.

Thanks.
 
I wouldn't recommend the WD GP. The hard drive lowers its spindle speed to 5400RPM when "idle." (I don't know what it uses to indicate when it's idle.) There is the chance (though I don't know how likely) that the hard drive won't speed up quickly enough for certain tasks (after being "idle" for a while), so it's not recommended if it's going to be your only hard drive.

The Corsair brand PSUs are currently better than anything made by Antec at this moment. (But don't mind s-c; Antec has since fixed the problems it had with the TruePower PSUs.) 550 watts is more than enough for your setup; ideally, you'd want a little bit extra "room" for future upgrades, and so the power supply isn't constantly running near its limits.
 
lerani said:
e) I'll look at the Samsung. I've just got a small WD bias because I've been using them since about 1991, and they've always been reliable for me.
Click to expand...

I've got 6+ dead WD Caviar series drives to counter your WD preference. It's all luck in the end -- if you look at failure rates as reported over a long period of time and thousands of drives, all the vendors are about the same.
 
tiraides said:
I wouldn't recommend the WD GP. The hard drive lowers its spindle speed to 5400RPM when "idle." (I don't know what it uses to indicate when it's idle.) There is the chance (though I don't know how likely) that the hard drive won't speed up quickly enough for certain tasks (after being "idle" for a while), so it's not recommended if it's going to be your only hard drive.
Click to expand...

Any good alternatives you recommend?

Thanks.
 
If WD works for you, keep with them. The WD6400AAKS is nice and FAST. Check out this thread:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?p=1032282618#post1032282618
Personally, I have a mix of WD and Seagate drives (and a couple Samsungs), and they all work great for me. I don't think I've had a drive die on me, yet, ever since I got some UPS units :)::knock on wood::: ).

Antec Earthwatts and NeoHEs are made by Seasonic, who is also one of Corsairs OEMs. So if you want Antec, stick to the Earthwatts or NeoHE line -- though, its been said the quality of these Antec rebrands aren't as good as Seasonics and Corsairs.
 
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