New gaming rig

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pow32193

n00b
Joined
Jun 6, 2009
Messages
13
I'm a newbie when it comes down to buying new parts. Basically, I want this PC to play some of the latest games and to runs basic programs such as Word. I am not planning on doing a SLI setup, I think that one GTX 260 is sufficient for my needs. All the specs I'm about to mention look good to me, but is there a better motherboard alternative? Its a Gigabyte, I took it because of the good ratings but I never heard of them before.
Also, the apevia case can't fit this mobo, it takes ATX but only fits up to 11"x12" and the mobo is 12"x9.6". I guess that if I do stick with the Gigabyte I'll need a new case. So basically I need a case and mobo recommendation and anything else that someone may think needs to change.
Thank you.

Specs: all from newegg.

-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core
-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
--EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video
-APEVIA X-CRUISER-BK Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible
-Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel
-SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model SH-S222A - OEM
-Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders
 
Looks good to me. I'd switchout the hard drive to a 640 gb AAKS or AALS model, but thats about it. As for gigabyte, theyre great mobo makers, and that is a great board you have chosen.

As for a case, I really like cooler master cases. I'd go for a cm590 or cm690.
 
Another thing, How would I know for sure if my mobo will fit into a certain case? Most of the cases on Newegg don't mention the maximum mobo dimensions that will fit into it.
 
The cases should list in the specs area, or in the title. If it says ATX, it will support ATX + MicroATX (usually, there may be a few that dont, but I havent seen one yet). uATX (The u is fancy) is the same as micro.
 
yea, I know about the form factor, but it the case of the apevia case that I had, it was also and ATX form factor but only takes mobo's 11"x12" and the gigabyte is 12"x9.6" over the max.
 
I've got a Gigabyte UD3P which is basically the same board without the second PCI-E slot along with the same CPU you're looking to get and I love it. The board has a ton of features for the price and happily runs the CPU at 3.8GHz.
 
pow32193 said:
yea, I know about the form factor, but it the case of the apevia case that I had, it was also and ATX form factor but only takes mobo's 11"x12" and the gigabyte is 12"x9.6" over the max.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure the 12" on the board also matches the 12" in the case :p Otherwise you dont have an ATX compliant case/board since that's the purpose of the standards.
 
naa, I'm already over budget as it is, I7 would probably cost me another $200 more.

here are the final specs

-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core
-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
--EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video
-COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible
-Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel
-SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
-Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders
 
I recommend this case instead: Coolermaster Centurion 590

It's similar to the Centurion 5, but has a more modern design, better cooling, and more interior space. I own both this case and the Centurion 5, and the 590 is a lot easier to work in with more recent PC components (large video cards, heatsinks, etc.).
 
hey, thanks for that suggestion. It is much better, Up to 8 120mm fans and same price. Thank you.
 
pow32193 said:
naa, I'm already over budget as it is, I7 would probably cost me another $200 more.

here are the final specs

-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 Yorkfield 2.83GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core
-GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
--EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video
-COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible
-Kingston HyperX T1 Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel
-SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
-Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit for System Builders
Click to expand...

What is the point of building a new rig with no upgrade path?
 
Foxconn FlamingBlade GTI LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813186170 $175

Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz & Windows Vista Home Premium 64bt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.197995 $360

OCZ 3GB (3 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227376 $50

Seagate Barracuda 7200.12 ST3500418AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148395 $60

LG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner Black SATA Model GH22NS30 - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24

XFX GX260NADFF GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail (far cry 2 & COD WaW free)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150329 $185

Total before S&H $854
 
Last edited:
how does this i7 build look?

-Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz & Windows Vista Home Premium 64bt
-ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
-EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK
-SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
-COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

$1160 with shipping and with monitor (Samsung 20")

Is the 550W PSU going to be enough?
 
Skip buying Vista right now. Just run the Windows 7 RC for free until release and then purchase it.
 
pow32193 said:
how does this i7 build look?

-Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz & Windows Vista Home Premium 64bt
-ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
-EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL8D-4GBHK
-SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
-COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

$1160 with shipping and with monitor (Samsung 20")

Is the 550W PSU going to be enough?
Click to expand...

Looks great.
I would go for 6gb of ram. But that is just me.
And I wouldn't bother buying Vista at the time, I would just go with Win7 RC right now since it is free. It will save you some money since you are on a budget.
(I have been running vista x64 for the past 2 years. I it's solid but I don't think I would buy it when a new OS is right around the corner.)
 
thanks for the suggestion, that saves me about $90. Is that 550 W going to be enough? I7 is 130W, The GTX260 is in the mid 100w's I believe plus all my other components? that's the only thing I'm worried about.
 
FWIW, the system in my sig only has a Corsair HX620 and I dont have any problems. You shouldnt be too bad off, but if you want to take the $90 saved from OS, look for a 750+ just to make sure you have enough for future expansion. :)
 
OCZ Gold is pretty darn good RAM, I wouldnt really go with anything else unless you have brand preferences. You wouldnt see much difference, but look at some Corsair stuff, I've always loved their RAM for OCing.
 
Should work pretty well, but for the price, you might be able to just pick up a single longer cable from somewhere online. I just looked at PCHcables.com and they have a LOT of choices, I saw at least one Cat6 cable 30 feet for $9. A 50 foot cat5e is showing as $6.75. Shipping from them isnt too bad, it's worth a look there and some other online sites.
 
Thanks for another great suggestion.

Heres how the final system looks.

specs:

-Intel Core i7 920 Nehalem 2.66GHz
-ASUS P6T SE LGA 1366 Intel X58 ATX Intel Motherboard
-EVGA 896-P3-1255-AR GeForce GTX 260 Core 216 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
-Western Digital Caviar Black WD5001AALS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive - OEM
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
-OCZ Gold 6GB (3 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Triple Channel Kit Desktop Memory
-SAMSUNG 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model SH-S223Q - OEM
-COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 RC-590-KKN1-GP Black SECC / ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
-Windows 7 RC from Microsoft

networking
Link Depot C6M-50-WHB 50 ft. Cat 6 White Network Cable

Are there any remaining compatibility issues/suggestions/comments before I place an order?
 
pow32193 said:
-CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX 550W ATX12V V2.2 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power
.....
Are there any remaining compatibility issues/suggestions/comments before I place an order?
Click to expand...
Since you're buying from Newegg, don't bother with the Corsair 550VX. While a good quality PSU, the larger Corsair 650TX is exactly the same price as the Corsair 550VX at newegg.com:
$100 - Corsair 650TX 650W PSU
 
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