kirab's First Gaming Build

[kirab]

Anything I'm missing? Good parts, quality companies, good price, compatible?

All prices are Canadian

Asus A8N-E nForce4 Audio/GB-LAN/USB/PCI-E/SATAII/DDR/ATX 64 939

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=110243&Category_Code=AMD939

$142

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AMD Athlon 64 3200+ 512K 90nm Rev. E Venice (939) (Retail Box-w-Fan)

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=120212&Category_Code=AMD64

$230

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1 GB (2 pcs 512) DDR (400) PC-3200 Corsair (VS1GBKIT400)

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=235775

$92

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Sapphire Radeon X800 PRO 256MB GDDR3 PCI-E w/ VIVO, DVI (OEM)

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=006293&cid=999.243

$344.00
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Western Digital Caviar SATA (WD800JD) 80GB 7200RPM 8MB Buffer (OEM)

http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=004652&cid=HD.96

$73.99

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Cyber Acoustics CA-2014 2-PC Desktop Speakers - Black

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=495615&CatId=0

$20.99

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Lite-on SOHC-5236K / 52x32x52x CD-RW / 16x DVD-ROM / White / Combo Drive

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1482122&Sku=L12-1046

$47.99

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ThermalTake / Silent PurePower / 420-Watt / ATX / Dual 80mm Fan / Power Supply

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=1104458&CatId=0

$67.99

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Lian-Li PC-6083A Aluminum ATX Mid Tower w/ Front USB 2.0 x2, 3X Case Fan

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=720575&Sku=D15-1010

$72.99

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Scanport NF1702 / 17-Inch / Black / Flat CRT Monitor

http://www.tigerdirect.ca/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=881987&CatId=0

$135.99

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HAVE KEYBOARD

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Microsoft Wheel Mouse Optical - White

http://www.futureshop.ca/catalog/proddetail.asp?logon=&langid=EN&sku_id=0665000FS10049796&catid=14265

$14.99

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TOTAL: $1430

Edit: Added PSU and CD/DVD.
Edit2: Changed RAM.

[DonVito]

Do you need a power supply? I dont see one in your list. Also Corsiar Value Select Dual Channell kit has a cas latency of 2.5 over the kingston you picked.

http://www.monarchcomputer.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=M&Product_Code=140443&Category_Code=Unbuffered_Corsair


Theres no need for the high performance ram unless your overclocking.

[kirab]

Thanks for the heads up! You've saved me some money. Also I added a PSU and CD/DVD (I don't have either).

Anything else? I would like to cut back the price to $1200 - 1300CAD as well.

[DonVito]

That is a high quality psu, but you need an ATX 2.0 spec unit. One with a 24pin power connector.

This is a good one-

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817189003

Youll have to find it on a different site though. newegg doesn't ship to canada.

[kirab]

Just wondering, why do I need a PSU with a ATX 2.0 spec unit?

Something like this perhaps?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15489&vpn=W0070&manufacture=THERMALTAKE

[kram 2.0]

Just wondering, why do I need a PSU with a ATX 2.0 spec unit?

Something like this perhaps?

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=15489&vpn=W0070&manufacture=THERMALTAKE
nForce4 chipset with PCI-Express, like the A8N-E, requires the extra power provided in the 24-pin P1 connector.

kram

[glc]

Yes, that NCIX power supply is appropriate.

If you can afford it, get a DVD burner instead of the combo drive.

By the way, NCIX will price match any other Canadian online price on items in stock. It's a lot less hassles getting everything you can from a single vendor.

If you have to cut costs, drop the processor down to a 3000+.

[kirab]

How do you tell them you have a better price from another retailer online?
Also, with NCIX, do I get a discount if I buy all my computer parts from them?

[glc]

The procedure for price matching is on their website, click on the Customer Care link. I doubt you would get a discount but you will probably save a bit on shipping costs. I see you are in TO, you might want to check Canada Computers for pricing, you can pick up stuff at one of their stores for no shipping cost.

[kirab]

How does the Asus x800xl compare to the Sapphire I have listed? (Asus has better specs but cheaper? Is Asus good for GFX cards and is this a good model?)

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14461&vpn=EXTREME%20AX800XL/2DTV&manufacture=ASUS

[kram 2.0]

How does the Asus x800xl compare to the Sapphire I have listed? (Asus has better specs but cheaper? Is Asus good for GFX cards and is this a good model?)

http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14461&vpn=EXTREME%20AX800XL/2DTV&manufacture=ASUS
The Radeon X800 XL chip is better than the Radeon X800 Pro chip.

kram

[kirab]

Yeah, I knew that but I was just wondering if it might not be a good buy because I don't know if Asus is good with video cards (while I know that Sapphire has a good reputation). Can anyone recommend Asus for video cards, especially this model?

[Demento19]

Im assuming your a gamer, being your going for a good gpu and ram? Id suggest getting a higher performance mouse. The mouse you have listed looks pretty basic. Maybe a razer diamondback, copperhead, or a Logitech mx510 or 518. These mice have multiple buttons (nice to free up 2-3 keys on a board) and have much faster speeds.

Just a suggestion.

[glc]

Yes, Asus video cards are good quality.

[kirab]

OK, thanks a lot.

By the way, do I need to buy a seperate LAN/ethernet card to connect to my network/the internet? From what I can see, my mobo has GbE, but I'm not sure if it has the standard ethernet card? Here's a link: http://www.ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=14268&vpn=A8N-E&manufacture=ASUS

Edit: Also, do I need a really good monitor to be able to get the best experience with my video card? I'm looking into this monitor: http://www.factorydirect.ca/catalog/product_spec.php?pcode=SA0755

With the Asus Radeon X800XL PCI-E, what do you guys think? Is the monitor good enough?

[DonVito]

You dont need a extra card. The motherboard has built in LAN/ethernet.


As for the monitor, you could probly find a bigger one for not much more $. That is a 17"monitor CRT, which means the size of the picture is only 16". I have a 19" crt, 18"viewable, and to tell you the truth, i would never go any smaller for gaming. The bigger screen just makes gaming with those nice graphics that so much more enjoyable.