New Build from the Ground Up (Suggestions?)

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Ranger Rick

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Jul 12, 2007
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Hey guys. Long time lurker, first time poster. I'm planning on starting from scratch for my new pc build for college in the fall and was wondering if you guys had any suggestions for the rig I was planning on building. I'm looking to build a really solid computer, one which will last me over the next couple years, and one which I should only have to put minimal upgrades in (maybe another stick of ram or something.) Also I'm trying to keep it very close to (or below) $1800 after rebates, taxes, and shipping. Anyway, check it out let me know what you think. Oh, and I am not looking to overclock or go SLI, as I see that usually comes up in these topics. And also I know about the processor cuts on July 22nd, although I'll probably pick one up when it hits $300.

Motherboard: XFX MB-N650-IUL9 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
CPU- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
Video Card- EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Memory: A-DATA 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K - Retail
Hard Drive: Western Digital Raptor WD1500ADFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive - OEM
Power Supply: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power RP-650-PCAR ATX from factor 12V V2.01 650W Power Supply - Retail
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
DVD Drive: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with 12X DVD-RAM write and LightScribe Technology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM
Cooling: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Cooling: Unsure if I need a CPU fan/heatsink. I would like to save money by going with the one that comes with it. but if it's that neccessarry.....
Mouse: Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail
Keyboard: Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
Wireless Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-423PI 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless Adapter - Retail
O/S: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Monitor: BenQ FP222WH Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor - Retail

Thanks for any help. I'm building this rig from the ground up, so just let me know if I'm missing anything, or if you see any problems or incompatibilites. The only thing don't need to buy is speakers and a headset because I just got new ones last month which I plan to use. Also some products I may swap out depending on what's on sale the week I order it. Mainly the RAM, but I'll let you know if I decide to switch anything else.
 
Well I'll throw in my 2cents:

Motherboard: I would've gone with this mobo since EVGA has great support. Also can't find too many reviews of that XFX board:
EVGA NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra Motherboard - $100

Power Supply: You have all these high end parts yet you're cheaping out on the Power supply? Never cheap out on a power supply especially with an high end build like yours. Also, remember that the amount wattage does not matter any more. What matters is where and how that power supply delivers those watts or volts. Any of the following power supplies would be good enough to power your system. Basically the higher the price (in my list anyway), the better quality the power supply is:
Enhance ENP-5150GH 500W PSU - $69
Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU - $90
Corsair HX520 520W PSU - $100
Corsair HX620 620W PSU - $147

DVD Drive: Why go with an IDE burner when an SATA burner costs the same? Although an SATA burner won't be any faster than an IDE burner, it it better for air flow in your PC:
LITE-ON LH-20A1S 20X DVD±R SATA DVD Burner - $31
 
Personally I would drop the Raptop and use some of the money saved to buy the Tuniq Tower 120 of Scythe Ninja.
 
I agree with Danny and RoBo... go with eVGA instead of XFX, get a better PSU, sata dvd burner, and drop the raptor (go with a seagate 7200.10 instead). However, if you're not OC'ing, then you don't need a 3rd party CPU HSF - the stock one will do.
 
Thanks for all the help guys. Went with that SATA dvd drive and swapped to the evga mobo. Also went for the Segate 7200.1 and the Antec TruePower Trio and saw they had a combo discount of $30 and also there's also a $35 MIR on the Power supply :) Well, this should be extremly close to my final build if nothing else changes and if I get the funds. Thanks for the help!
 
I would actually change quite a bit.

1. If you're not planning to go SLI, then I'd get a new Intel P35 chipset board, maybe the Abit IP35.

2. Memory. If you want to overclock, then I'm not sure if i would take the Adata ram. Get some memory from the "known" overclockers, e.g. OCZ, g.skill, Patriot, Mushkin or Corsair.

3. drop that raptor and get a nice 320 or 500gb drive. Raptors are nice but WAY overpriced imho.

4. PSU. Really, the coolermaster is not garbage but also not really good. A Corsair 620W unit will do better for the same price. Overall the much better PSU.

5. DVD drive. Drop that dreaded IDE and get yourself a SATA drive for the same price. There really is NO reason to go IDE on anything anymore.

6. cooling. Do you want to overclock? If yes, drop the intel cooler and get something better. If you don't want to overclock to the max, a Arctic cooling freezer 7 is a good choice for moderate overclocks and it's cheap.

7. better make sure there are drivers for the trendnet for Vista 64. Wireless adapters are (ask me how i know) the hardest to find drivers for in Vista 64.
 
Question - which would be better the

Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU
or the
Corsair HX520 520W PSU

Also do you have any other suggestions for PS's? I'm trying to pick out the best one for my budget (around $100 for a psu). I was set on the Antec but they've dropped the $30 combo discount (with the hard drive I'm getting) and the $35 rebate... basically jacking up my spendings $65. Please help me find a different ps on newegg. Once again, thanks for any help.
 
Ranger Rick said:
Antec TruePower Trio 650W PSU
or the
Corsair HX520 520W PSU
Click to expand...

Either of those would be fine, actually. The 520W Corsair is perfect for your system. If you want more PSU suggestions, check here:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1460
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103

A-Data is fine if you don't plan on OC'ing the RAM. And with a Q6600, there really is no need to OC some DDR2-800 RAM.

Q6600: 9 x 266 = 2.4 Ghz, DDR2-533 << STOCK
Q6600: 9 x 333 = 3.0 Ghz, DDR2-667 << Easy OC
Q6600: 9 x 400 = 3.6 Ghz, DDR2-800 << High OC (you'll need luck to get this high with this chip)

Since quadcores dislike high FSB speeds, there really is no need to go past 400Mhz, therefore no need to get overclockable ram.
 
Hey, thanks for the help. I'll take a look at those psu's when I get back later and have more time. Im just trying to make sure I get enough power for the q6600 and the GTX. Also, I changed my ram to OCZ Gold anyway because it's $63 AR now for 2 gigs. :)
 
Well that Ultra PSU has been recommended by Jonnyguru so it can't be that bad of a PSU.

That X-Finity sounds good to me. The only gripe I have with that power supply is that it isn't modular. I say go for it if your budget is tight.
 
try to find a psu off the forums here. some very good ones go for very cheap. i just bought a brand new enermax infinity 720w for $120 shipped...
 
*Update: Ordered the following last night

Motherboard:EVGA 122-CK-NF66-T1 LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 650i Ultra ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
CPU- *None Purchased Yet
Video Card- EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Memory: OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2G8002GK Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model ADQVE1A16K - Retail
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Power Supply: *None Yet
Case: COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-UW Black Aluminum Bezel, SECC ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
DVD Drive:LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S OEM BK - OEMTechnology Black E-IDE/ATAPI Model LH-20A1H-185 - OEM
Cooling: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
CPU Cooling: Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX 92mm 2 Ball PWM CPU Cooler - Retail
Mouse:Rosewill RM800P Black 3 Buttons 1 x Wheel PS/2 Wired Optical Mouse - OEM Gaming-Grade Mouse - Retail (Have an MX518 at home to use- this is for the other computer)
Keyboard: Saitek PZ30AU Black USB Wired Standard Eclipse Keyboard - Retail
Wireless Adapter: TRENDnet TEW-423PI 32bit PCI2.2 Wireless Adapter - Retail
O/S: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM
Monitor: BenQ FP222WH Black 22" 5ms DVI Widescreen HDMI LCD Monitor - Retail

Total came to $1,464.17 with shipping. Decide to hold off on the Power Supply till I order the q6600. Still looking for some hot deals on a good power supply around $100... let me know if you see anything good when the quad core drops. Should be on my way to reaching my goal of $1,700 build afte taxes + shipping.
 
i am thinking about building a similar comp
but can't decide on mobo
it seems that if i wanna SLI, then i should go for the 650i/680i
however, for me 650i looks like an "old" chipset and 680i seems to have some bugs
if no SLI, then most ppl seem recommend P35 (stability ...low temp...)
i guess it comes down to how much performance boost i can get from two 8800 GTS's SLIed comparing to, say a single 8800GTX Ultra or something like that (and maybe i should leave some room for future upgrade, buy one 8800 for now, get the 2nd one for a much cheaper price when the next gen comes out )


Update:
now i am leaning towards a single 8800 extremely-super-ultra GTX 640MB
 
SLI 8800gts will only be slightly faster than a GTX, get the GTX/ULTRA
 
cLOUDFAn said:
i am thinking about building a similar comp
but can't decide on mobo
it seems that if i wanna SLI, then i should go for the 650i/680i
however, for me 650i looks like an "old" chipset and 680i seems to have some bugs
if no SLI, then most ppl seem recommend P35 (stability ...low temp...)
i guess it comes down to how much performance boost i can get from two 8800 GTS's SLIed comparing to, say a single 8800GTX Ultra or something like that (and maybe i should leave some room for future upgrade, buy one 8800 for now, get the 2nd one for a much cheaper price when the next gen comes out )


Update:
now i am leaning towards a single 8800 extremely-super-ultra GTX 640MB
Click to expand...

Start your own thread. 650i is new, btw, lol. Its not even 6 months old.
 
enginurd: The promo code certainly does work. You have to type it in at the checkout.

RoBo: I didn't post it at first because I wondered about that. But then since someone requested it, AND it's on a MASS mailing list, I figured there wasn't an issue. If there is, I hope an admin edits my post :eek:
 
cLOUDFAn said:
Update:
now i am leaning towards a single 8800 extremely-super-ultra GTX 640MB
Click to expand...

No such thing as a 640MB GTX. (and yes, there's a difference between the GTS and GTX aside from clock speed and memory -- the GTX has 128 stream processors vs. the GTS's 96, and the GTX has more ROPs than the GTS.)
 
The Coolermaster eXtreme power 650w is not 650w. It's a 500w with a 650w label on it.

Ultra is fine. The only ones to be worried about are the Original X-Connect, from way back. You won't find those nowadays.

Try the HX 520.
 
Thanks for all the help guys. The code didn't work for me and I decided to wait a day and it worked out really good. The Antec Truepower Trio went back to free shipping and there's also a weekend special of a $20 price cut. After rebate that puts the power supply at $64.99. Perfect for my budget :) Also went for the q6600 for $300 and that should be all for my build. Here's what I ended up getting, all from the Egg:

Mobo: EVGA 650i Ultra : $99.99 - $20 MIR ($79.99)
Processor: Intel Q6600: $299.99
Memory: OCZ Gold (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800: $97.99 - $35 MIR ($64.99)
Hard Drive: Segate Barracuda 7200.1 320GB: $79.99
DVD Drive: Lite On 20x SATA DVD Burner: $30.99
WIFI Adapter: Abit Airpace PCI Express Wireless Adapter: $25.99 - $20 MIR (5.99)
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5: $5.99
CPU Cooling: Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX CPU Cooler: $34.99
*Video Card: EVGA 8800 GTX: $546.99 - $30 MIR ($516.99)
Power Supply: Antec True Power Trio 650W: $104.99 - 40 MIR ($64.99)
Monitor: BenQ FP222WH 22" LCD Monitor HDMI: $279.99 - $30 MIR ($249.99)
O/S: Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium: $114.99
*Case: Cooler Master Centurion 5: $44.99
Keyboard: Saitek Eclipse Blue LED: $44.99
Mouse: Rosewill RM800P: $3.99
{Will use a Logitec MX518 and a Plantronics Audio 350 for mouse and headset. Didn't need to order either of these because the ones I have are fairly new.}

Total with shipping and after rebates comes to $1694.12. I didn't think I was going to do it (though I might be $20-40 over when planning this a couple weeks ago) but I reached my goal of $1700 or less. Once again, thanks for all the help from all the dudes over here at [H].

* I ordered most of my products last monday and noticed that the EVGA video card has a new savings of $30 and the Cooler Master case now has a $10 MIR that I missed out on. So in reality my build could have been $40 cheaper had I waited till today to order everything, but I ordered most of my products on monday to be safe and I'm glad that I did.
 
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