New PC

M

mj12

n00b
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
31
Hello to the [H] Community, I've been doing a lot of reading on the forums here recently and since it was time for a new system i decided to ask you guys since you seem to be very knowledgeable and experienced so here goes.

The PC will be used for gaming (1024x768-1440x900), Photoshop, Maya, Flash and other productivity, multimedia applications like Sony Vegas. It will also function as a test server i do web site designs, so it will also run Apache, MySql etc. And since im in my final year (Comp. Sci) i will be doing a lot of programming JAVA, .Net etc.

Current Selections:
*CASE: Antec Three Hundred Black - $70

*PS: Corsair VX450W - $70
(Read this: http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid=438&type=expert&pid=1 )

*MOBO: ASUS Maximus II Formula P45 - $270

*CPU: ???
Can't decide between Q9400 - $275 and Q9550 - $320, main reason being the cache sizes, will it make a difference with the applications i use?

*RAM: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 - $70

*VIDEO CARD: ASUS EAH4850 TOP 512MB - $180

*HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB - $65

Possible overclocking to 3Ghz. If i need more my pops wont mind me borrowing his zalman 9500, i also have a QX9650 cooler if needed, noise isn't really a problem.
Will be buying in a couple of weeks.
OS: XP32 / VISTA Ultimate 64
Total (Q9550 and shipping): $1044
Total (Q9400 and shipping): $999

Advice/Comments/Observations Please.....:)
 
Before I go any further I have something to say.

-WTF you thinking about that Motherboard for? drop it, now. Asus P5Q Pro......
 
lol.....i should have seen that one coming, im guessing that besides the eye candy there are no real differences between these two boards. A friend of mine has a 780i what would you say the performance difference is between the P5Q-Pro/E/Deluxe w/ 4850 and eVGA 780i w/ 8800GTX.
 
i fully intend to get the ati card, i just wanted to know how my system would stack up against his
 
It's much harder to keep a 780i SLI motherboard stable, especially while overclocking. Our own motherboard editor, Dan_D, has had a long, painful history with the 780i chipset.

If you're going towards the Asus P5Q, get the Pro model. It has many features plus, unlike the P5Q-E, its 24-pin ATX connection isn't in the middle of the board (where it creates a wiring and cooling nightmare). NewEgg has it for $140 with free shipping and a $20 mail-in rebate. The Maximus II Formula, IMO, is not worth the money compared to the P5Q Pro/Deluxe.

(Are you trying to teach us something with that link? Like, something we didn't already know? Yes, the VX450 would provide enough power for your setup. However, for $10-$20 more, you could also get a quality 550-700 watt power supply that would not only give you more headroom for future upgrades but would also last longer, since it's not running as heavy a load as would the VX450. For example, you could purchase the Antec EA650 for only $80.)

If you're considering overclocking your processor, consider getting faster RAM as well. You could easily purchase the G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1000 kit for around the same price.

The single-platter WD3200AAKS is still being sold with the older two-platter model; getting one is a crapshoot. The Seagate 7200.11 320GB HDD is also a single-platter hard drive.

Out of curiosity: What's the most you can spend on this build? (I have more suggestions, but I want to make sure that they won't burst your budget.)
 
The max i can spend is about $1100.

I just saw the RAM and i think I'll go with that and you guys have made me a believer...P5Q Pro it is. My pops has a corsair 550VX and it works pretty good for him so maybe i'll put that in.

Current Build
CASE: Antec Three Hundred Black- $70
PS: Corsair 550VX- $98
CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 2.83GHz- $320
MOTHERBOARD: ASUS P5Q Pro Intel P45- $140
RAM: G.Skill 2x2GB DDR2 1000 kit- $68
VIDEO CARD: ASUS EAH4850 TOP 512MB- $180
HDD: Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD3200AAKS 320GB- $64

Total: $940 + $0 Shipping :D
Newegg customers report more DOAs with the seagate.

Keep the suggestions coming :)
 
Yah... what RyDawg and tiraides said. If you can find the Q9450 for $285 (eg. if you have a Microcenter near you), save the $35. Zalman? bleh. QXintel stock cooler? bleh. If you can afford it, get the HDT-S1283. :p
 
Tiraides is right about the WD3200AAKS drives. I recommend ditching it and going with the Seagate 7200.11 320GB drive as Tiraides recommended. 100% guarantee that you have a faster drive whereas the WD3200AAKS has a 50% chance of getting the older slower drive.

EDIT: Q9550 is sold out at Frys.com
 
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