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mavruss2k4

n00b
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Feb 19, 2008
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OK, so I am pulling the trigger on this new build. I am upgrading from an AMD 3700+ 939 with dual 7800GTs

CPU: Intel E8400 Duo core 2
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16819115037

Motherboard: Abit IP35-E
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16813127031

RAM: corsair Dominator 2 gig DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16820145043

HDD: 80Gig 7200 RPM WD
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16822135106

Case: Antec P182
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16811129025

Video card: EVGA 8800GTS(g92)
http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16814130325

I have a PSU comming back from RMA. Its an antec earthwatts 550W.
The OS is Vista ultimate. I got a great deal on a copy when our Compusa went out of buisness last fall.

Anyway, my budjet is around $1,200.00

My plan is to play games @ 1680X1050
Let me know what you think!

-Mav
 
Do you have a DVD/CD Drive?

Your Cpu is out of stock.

The case looks ugly as hell but it has a lot of really great reviews. It also seems pricey. I got my case for like $40.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811144001

It's nothing special. It barely fits my 8800GT in. But like I said, it was cheap and i've had it for about 2 years now with no issues. I actually ran their 420w PSU that came with it for about a year with no problems then I decided to upgrade my PSU so I could upgrade my GPU.
 
I have a few comments. First, instead of just posting the links, include the names of the items. That way, we can at least identify what you're getting much faster than by going through all of the links.

The E8400 will be in short supply for a while, so shop around... it's supposed to retail for around $240, but the price has gone up due to high demand. Microcenter has a deal on the E8400 for $200, but it may or may not still be in stock. Otherwise, ZipZoomFly has it for $266. If you're impatient, then you may want to settle for the E6750. Or, since you have the money for it, get yourself a quad-core Q6600. If you go that route, get it from ClubIT, which is one of the few places that guarantees a G0 Q6600 (which runs at a lower voltage level).

You may also want to consider a better CPU cooler, regardless of which processor you choose:

Scythe SCNJ-1100P Ninja HSF - $36
Tuniq Tower 120 HSF - $45
ZEROtherm Nirvana NV120 120mm HSF - $45
Thermalright Ultima-90 HSF - $46 & Panaflo FBA09A12M 92mm Fan - $3
Thermalright Ultra-120 Extreme HSF - $57 & Scythe S-Flex SFF21E 120MM Case Fan - $14

You don't need to get DDR2 1066 RAM, especially if you're not planning on a major overclock. You could purchase several brands of 4GB DDR2 800 kits, like Mushkin or G.Skill, for under $100 per kit. Make sure that you use the 64-bit version of Vista Ultimate, so you have full access to all 4GB of RAM.

You may want to purchase a motherboard with extra features, like the Gigabyte GA-EP35-DS3R, which has eight SATA ports, eSATA, and SATA RAID. If you don't need all of those features, the GA-P35-DS3L is currently available for $80 with most of the same features as the IP35-E.

The case and graphics card are good choices; no complaints there.

I have to ask: Why are you buying such a small capacity hard drive? Do you already have drives that you're transferring over?

Actually, this build seems somewhat incomplete. You have a $1200 budget, yet you have a small hard drive, no CD/DVD drive... and you've made no mention of any parts you're planning on reusing. Are you reusing anything? Do you have any plans on getting more stuff for this computer?
 
tiraides said:
First, instead of just posting the links, include the names of the items. That way, we can at least identify what you're getting much faster than by going through all of the links. ...
Click to expand...

I agree. Please update your post with the part names in addition to your links. Thanks.

Oh, and I've never heard of an Antec Earthwatts 550W. Do you mean the 500W? or do you mean a 550W from another Antec line, like the TruPower TRIO or NeoHE line? The difference between the different model lines will tell you the quality of the PSU. If its a TRIO, its still ok, but the other two are much better quality, and the Neo is modular, which is a plus.
 
I know its not in stock. I can wait unless you guys think a slower quad core would give me better performance in vista?

As far as the PSU its an Antec true powe 2.0 550W. Seems newegg doesnt sell it anymore.
I do have a DVD burner. Forgot to add that to the list. Also, there will be no floppy drive.

As far as the HDD goes, I am doing a role down here and taking one of the old PCs and making a domain controller. the server will have 1T of storage.

As far as the case goes, I was looking at features more than cosmetics. However, I am always open to suggestions. :D

EDIT: Updated original post to give an overview.
 
mavruss2k4 said:
As far as the PSU its an Antec true powe 2.0 550W. Seems newegg doesnt sell it anymore.

EDIT: Updated original post to give an overview.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the update.

The TP2.0 is notorious for failures. Make sure Antec sends you a good unit. Hopefully, they'll send you an Earthwatts or TP3.0 (TRIO) instead. If its another TP2.0, I still wouldn't trust it.

As tiraides already mentioned, ditch that Dominator 1066 RAM. If you want high speed RAM, go for the Ballistix instead, and save yourself a lot of money. If you want 4GB, go for the G.Skill DDR2-1000 kit instead.

I also agree with everything tiraides mentioned.
 
Would I still be running @ 1333 using DD2 800?

Also, the reason I chose that RAM was because they display at Corsair's website that it has been tested and verified to work with that motherboard.

Comments?
 
mavruss2k4 said:
Would I still be running @ 1333 using DD2 800?

Also, the reason I chose that RAM was because they display at Corsair's website that it has been tested and verified to work with that motherboard.
Click to expand...

It'll take far too much time and effort to test and verify whether every single piece of RAM made will be compatible with a motherboard. So with that said, don't worry about compatibility problems. It rarely happens when a stick of RAM is incompatible with a motherboard.

And yes you'll still be running at 1333Mhz FSB when using DDR2 800 RAM. The FSB of Intel CPUs are quad-pumped, meaning that the CPU's actual FSB is 333Mhz (1333Mhz divided by 4). RAM speed is twice that of the actual FSB, so the RAM speed needed in this case would be DDR2 667. So yes DDR2 800 RAM will be fine. I recommend this set:
G.SKILL F2-6400CL5D-4GBPQ 2 x 2GB DDR2 800 RAM - $90
 
OC isnt that important. I might do some but nothing hardcore. Seems I will try the DDR2 800 then!

On a side note, I noticed multiple people are recommending Gigabyte boards over Abit. has Abit's quality gone down hill over the last few years or something or is Gigabyte just the flavor of the month?

-Mav
 
With its prices right now -- plus reported compatibility issues between the E8400 and the Abit IP35 Pro -- Gigabyte's the flavor for this month.
 
Aside from that wolfdale incompatibility problem (which should be fixed with a BIOS update), the IP35 Pro is a great board. abit went downhill a while ago, but they have been getting better the last couple years. Their quality is ok. While they're not a Tier1 mobo manufacturer, the IP35 Pro is probably the most popular P35 board around. Gigabyte has been making great boards for the past couple of years, and they're a Tier1 manufacturer (volume shipped is one of the most). Brands aside, I'd look at the features. If you don't need all the extra features of the IP35 Pro, then drop down to the P35-DS3R instead.
 
I'd just tell you to get a nicer looking case! get something with a window to show your stuff off
 
Im past the stag of bling bling. I like elegant clean lines. Noise control is way more important than neon lights and clear sides.
 
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