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Need help with new build!

J

JTsang

n00b
Joined
Sep 22, 2008
Messages
10
Hi all, I'm going to be building a new build soon and want some opinions/help!

I'm currently running a P4 with 512 mbs of RAM and according to GPU-Z, a Nvidia Geforce FX 5200. I recently connected a 24" LCD via VGA to it and I don't think it's enough to power it. Everything renders realllly slowly, and it's impossible to watch HD content.

I will be using the computer for Photoshop and Illustrator work, as well as movies and light gaming (at 1920*1200) and of course the usual word processing and surfing.

This is going to be my first build, and the first time I'll play with overclocking, so I'm not sure if my choice of components are that good. I have some of the components already (got them when they were on sale :p) but I'm still missing the most important parts.

I'm in Canada, and I buy most of my stuff from NCIX.

Already have:
  • Antec Mini P180
  • Corsair HX620W
  • Yate Loon D12SL-12 120mm fans
  • Samsung Spinpoint F1 Series HD103UJ 1TB

Motherboard:
ASUS P5E-VM HDMI mATX LGA775 G35 DDR2 PCI-E16 2PCI-E1 PCI SATA2 RAID Sound HDMI VGA Motherboard ?
or
DFI LP Jr P45-T2RS mATX LGA775 P45 DDR2 2PCI-E16 1PCI CrossFire SATA2 RAID HD Sound GLAN Motherboard ?

Processor:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad Core Processor LGA775 Kentsfield 2.40GHZ 1066FSB 8MB Retail Box

CPU Heatsink:
Xigmatek HDT-S1283 Direct Touch 3 Heatpipe Heatsink AM2 LGA775 S754 S939 S940 W 120MM PWM Fan

RAM:
Mushkin XP PC2-8000 Redline 4GB 2X2GB DDR2-1000 CL5-5-5-12 240PIN Dual Channel Memory Kit

GPU:
???

Optical drive:
Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN Black DVD+RW 22X8X16 DVD-RW 22X6X16 DL16X/12X Lightscribe DVD Writer SATA OEM

Additional cards:
I have a Linksys WRT-310 Wireless N router and would like to get a matching adaptor, but don't know which is better: the PCI card or the USB dongle?

Thanks in advance for any advice. :)
 
looks good but id change:

the memory: id get the gskill kit at the same speed for almost half the price, if you can find it in canada, didnt check ncix (hate their site!)

hard drive: i get an OS drive as having a 1tb drive isnt always the best idea, considering it has 3 or more platters, get the wd6400aaks (fast,quiet, but might be more than you need), if you can fit it in your budget, if not theres cheaper single platters drives (80gb etc.)

gpu: not sure about what fits in your case, but im sure someone knows here.

wifi: id get the dongle, they usually perform better, and look better unless you need to use it on multiple PC's.

as for the mobo: depends on what you need to do, i think they p5e, is the best overclocking matx board, but if you need to have a p45 chipset, and x-fire, etc get the dfi.
 
Looks good. I just built a new system too. I used the DFI LP JR but I'm not terribly impressed and it will be going back, to be replaced. I will probably try the ASUS P5E-VM HDMI tho the Foxconn 45GMX is tempting me.

Parts I used:

I prefer mushkin RAM, tho I'm currenly using slow parts. Their web support is tops.

WD10EACS for storage, WD6400AAKS or AALS for system.

Noctua or Scythe S-Flex fans.

The Mini P180 was my choice as well, got it through [H]otDeals for like $80, which made me very happy. This was before I had plans to build a system, and it sat waiting for like 5 or 6 months in the closet, just begging to be built. :D I'm using the 200mm fan only, I removed the 120mm TriCool from the case and mounted a 120mm S-Flex (slowest they offer, 800RPM?) on the CPU with 1.5mm StretchMagic cord. Works great, and very quiet. Top temp under extended stress testing with a mild OC (E8400 @ 3.5Ghz,) from IntelBurnTest is 61C at the CPU. I'm using a nice little ThermalRight Ultra-90, which are almost gone from the landscape it seems. Only CrazyPC has them left. I bought the K8 model from them, and the T/R 775 mounting kit from SideWinder and it's a great, relatively cheap, no hassle setup. EDIT: I just checked and CrazyPC is out of stock now too. :eek:

I'm using a legacy EAH3850, fits w/ no problems. If you use a larger card you'll lose the bottom drive bay. But there's still plenty of room for more drives, unless you're building a NAS maybe. The top removable bay has silicone-isolated mounting for three drives.

Nice P/S choice, but for such a system I think it's overkill. And overpriced. IMHO. I like these better:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817151057
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817812004

Oh, and if you're running Vista get a 4GB flash drive for ReadyBoost. I like this one:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820220251

Literally the only problem I've had with it is that one of my cats likes to chew on it obsessively, and and some point it (or the cat,) will need to be replaced. :p

Also, for HD viewing checkout the CCCP. And CoreAVC.

Good luck!
 
A mini P180 + your 620HX will allow you to choose any GPU you like. If you buy one of the bigger GPUs (like GTX or X2) you will have to remove of the drive bays. But that still leaves you with 3 or 4 HD slots. More than enough unless you're a storage hog and like RAID 5 arrays. On the other hand you mention light gaming so a 'lowly' 8800GT/9800GT should be enough: Gigabyte has a non-reference design for its factory-overclocked 8/9800GT and is quite a bit shorter than the aforementioned monsters and will fit without a problem while keeping the 2 drive bays available. And it's powerful enough to play UT3 on 1920*1200 with details on highest settings. And it's fairly cheap, so you can swap the GPU cooler for something more quiet.

For the mobo, clearly the P5E-VM. Crossfire would be overkill for your needs, and besides the Asus board has been out for some time and there's a lot more info available on the web regarding it. I'd say it's the safer route. And the cheaper.

I second the WD 6400AAKS recommendation (aka Caviar Blue).

I agree that your PSU is way overkill. But then you already have it. With the OC'd Gigabyte 9800GT and an OC'd Q6600, you shouldn't draw more than 250-300W at the socket (worst case scenario) which would mean a usage of 200-240W max, placing you in the 35-40%-ish load. Your PSU's efficiency won't have peaked but it should be well above 80%. That's acceptable i guess. But idle you will be more like 120-150W (wall socket) and then your PSU won't be very efficient. Personally i'd be tempted to get a GTX260 or 4870 and then you're future-proof for games and your PSU will be more in its comfort zone. Plus I'm sure that a lot of Photoshop tasks will soon be GPU-accelerated so you will make use of your GPU.

Hope that helps.
 
Thanks everyone for the comments. :)

I forgot to mention it in the original post, but I want my computer to be moderately quiet too, which is why I chose the Mini P180 and Samsung F1 drive.

@vertigomhs:
I already have the Samsung drive... is there a problem with having the OS and everything else on the 1TB?? I don't want to get any more HDDs (because 1TB is plenty), and am unfamiliar with setting up RAID. :confused: I guess the USB dongle would be more convenient than the card...

@bing:
I picked up the Mini P180 on sale for ~$78CAD (taxes and everything included) a while back and it's sitting in my closet... I'm in the same situation you were. :p The PSU I already have as well ($~87CAD when I got it) so price doesn't matter now. I already have CCCP, but I'll check out CoreAVC. :)

@NichoTL:
I've been doing some research on GPUs and people seem to recommend the 4850 as a minimum for 1920*1200, but 4870 would be the best choice? I might add another 24" later on, so I wonder if the cards can handle it... I also a quieter card because my current system sounds like an airplane... :p

As for the P5E-HDMI vs. DFI LP Jr... seems like both are able to overclock quiet well. From reviews it seems the P5E-HDMI is more newb-friendly? I'm being drawn to the DFI because of it's colours (I'm a sucker for aesthetics... everything in my case is black and red so far) :D At NCIX the price is almost the same, so I'm not so sure.
 
JTsang said:
Thanks everyone for the comments. :)

I forgot to mention it in the original post, but I want my computer to be moderately quiet too, which is why I chose the Mini P180 and Samsung F1 drive.

@vertigomhs:
I already have the Samsung drive... is there a problem with having the OS and everything else on the 1TB?? I don't want to get any more HDDs (because 1TB is plenty), and am unfamiliar with setting up RAID. :confused: I guess the USB dongle would be more convenient than the card...

@bing:
I picked up the Mini P180 on sale for ~$78CAD (taxes and everything included) a while back and it's sitting in my closet... I'm in the same situation you were. :p The PSU I already have as well ($~87CAD when I got it) so price doesn't matter now. I already have CCCP, but I'll check out CoreAVC. :)

@NichoTL:
I've been doing some research on GPUs and people seem to recommend the 4850 as a minimum for 1920*1200, but 4870 would be the best choice? I might add another 24" later on, so I wonder if the cards can handle it... I also a quieter card because my current system sounds like an airplane... :p

As for the P5E-HDMI vs. DFI LP Jr... seems like both are able to overclock quiet well. From reviews it seems the P5E-HDMI is more newb-friendly? I'm being drawn to the DFI because of it's colours (I'm a sucker for aesthetics... everything in my case is black and red so far) :D At NCIX the price is almost the same, so I'm not so sure.
Click to expand...
well people usually keep storage that big away from being the OS drive because its going to be slwoer considering it has a lot of platters. Also if your recording shows, etc, it will slow your whole system down because you are sharing that one hard drive for both storage and for the OS. the hard drive i recommended is one of the fastest (if not) 7200 RPM hard drives and it comes with a lot of space at a good price.

Also you dont need RAID to have multiple hard drives :p just connect each one to their sata ports, and load windows onto the OS drive, and in windows itll show both hard drives as their own local disk.

for the mobo, id choose the p5e, if all you need is a single card setup, the BIOS will probably be easier than the DFIs (they are known for having more advanced BIOS wih a plethora of options), and it clocks fairly high (500+fsb?), check out the thread for both mobos here at the [H]. also the dfi's nb heatsink is a little taller than usual so that might also come in mind.
 
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