Time to Build my FIRST computer

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Warsoul

n00b
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
34
Hello All,

I have been saving to build this computer for the past year. I would appreciate any opinions you may have as far as components.

Budget: $4200.00

No Monitor Needed

Needs For: Gaming, and everyday Task (College papers, Watching Movies, etc...)

Thank you for any suggestion that you may have. I plan on using Windows Vista Ultimate for this build.

Also I have no intention to overclock anything
 
Intel Core 2 Quad Kentsfield - $900
eVGA 680i SLI motherboard - $249.99
eVGA 8800GTX SLI (two) - $1100
150GB WD Raptor HDD - boot
750GB Seagate HDD - Data
Coolermaster Stacker 830
Corsair XMS2 Dominator 2x2gb=4GB memory DDR2800
Lite-On DVD Burner (OEM)
Watercooling kit which im not good with or experienced with.
Windows Vista Ultimate x64
 
Thank you for the quick reply....

But i'm confused.. what's the diff. between windows vista ultimate and windows vista ultimate 64?
 
Does it cost more than the regular Windows Vista Ultimate? And can I get all of the stuff you listed for $4200 shipped?

So the most Memory regular Windows Vista Ultimate can recoqnize is 2GB?
 
Warsoul said:
Does it cost more than the regular Windows Vista Ultimate? And can I get all of the stuff you listed for $4200 shipped?

So the most Memory regular Windows Vista Ultimate can recoqnize is 2GB?
Click to expand...

3GB is the most 32bit will see. I believe x32/64 are the same price
 
Thank you AMD for clearing that up for me.

I've been trying to locate the "Corsair XMS2 Dominator 2x2gb=4GB memory DDR2800" you mentioned but haven't found any on Newegg.
 
Skip the PCP&C 1kw.. The Silverstone Olympia 1kw is only $350 or so, and provides more amperage, great quality.. etc
 
Warsoul said:
Budget: $4200.00
No Monitor Needed
Needs For: Gaming, and everyday Task (College papers, Watching Movies, etc...)
Also I have no intention to overclock anything
Click to expand...

For your needs and without needing a monitor, $4200 is too much to spend on a system if you don't have a 30" LCD. You'd be better off building two systems, one now, and another later, when you think the first one is too old. A great system should run you much less.

Also, it would be foolish to not OC a core2duo cpu. They're so easily overclockable and packed with so much potential that you'll actually be wasting valuable clock cycles.

But hey, if you really want to build a quadcore that you'll probably never take full advantage of, thats your prerogative. In which case, go with filthysanchez' build, with some changes. Go with Bbq's PSU suggestion, AMD RULES' CPU suggestion, add in a 150gb raptor, and go with case option 2.
 
Thanks for all the replies people

I will be purchasing a 30" dell monitor so i've already taken out the money for it. Leaves me with $4200 for everything else.

I guess I could look into the overclocking but I've never done anything like that before
 
Overclocking is very easy, and with today's motherboard, it is almost impossible to screw up your components, but it is still good to be careful and not rush anything. There is really no reason NOT to overclock. I have an Athlon XP I have been running overclocked for over 4 years and it is still running strong. With $4200, you can build one badass rig, so have fun with it, and be VERY careful with parts that expensive, it would totally suck to break something. I agree on pretty much all of the parts mentioned, so I can't add much there. Good luck with the build. It is a lot of fun building, and the feeling is great when you are finished. Just take your time and don't rush anything and you should be good.
 
The thing that worries me most is after I order all the parts.. something isn't going to be compatible... So many different options out there it's just really tough to make a decision on things.

If i put is allll together and the thing doesn't work... lol i'm not going to even know where to start looking for a problem...
 
Warsoul said:
The thing that worries me most is after I order all the parts.. something isn't going to be compatible... So many different options out there it's just really tough to make a decision on things.

If i put is allll together and the thing doesn't work... lol i'm not going to even know where to start looking for a problem...
Click to expand...

I wouldn't worry too much. Everything is pretty straight foward. ANd if you run into any problems, just post on here and we can help out. Also, you can go along with the Motherboard manual. It usually has step-by-step instructions on how and what to install in a certain order. Good luck and remember,

HAVE FUN! ;)
 
I just wanted to mention a few more things...

There have been problems with the eVGA 680i board, so don't be surprised if you get a bad one and need to RMA it. Its basically the luck of the draw, whether you get a problematic board or not. Most people have gotten good boards, but there are quite a few out there that need to be RMA'd.

The limitation with OC'ing a quad-core CPU is that since there are 2 more cores, you'll have to get all 4 cores running at a stable OC speed. Whereas with a dual core, you only have to worry about 2 cores reaching that speed. So chances are, you won't reach as high of an OC as you would with a dual core... but we're not talking a dramatic drop, only slight ;) (3.4Ghz instead of 3.6Ghz). Also, there won't be many applications that take advantage of quad-core CPUs until much later. So, you could just pickup a dual core CPU for now, and upgrade to a quadcore once they become more mainstream. Then again, you do have the budget for such a nice CPU, so you might as well go for it if you want it, lol.
 
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