Please review my selections

[Burd]

So I've been doing a load of research lately and I guess this is pretty much the basic list of parts for a decent system on a budget:

https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=6525888&WishListTitle=Computational+device

(forgot to add DVD burner to list: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827106057)


I'm ready to buy but I would like to know if I made a smart choice with all the parts, and if anyone has suggestions for alternatives or any other advice.

Also it turned out cheaper than I thought. I have about $40-50 to spare... any suggestions?


Thanks

[Freakitchen]

Welcome to the forums. I believe you need to make your newegg list 'public' before the rest of us can see it!

[Burd]

Oh, of course.


https://secure.newegg.com/NewVersion/Wishlist/PublicWishDetail.asp?WishListNumber=6525888&WishListTitle=Computational+device

How about now?

[LeftyAce]

Looks like a solid list. What are you planning on using this computer for? That video card won't stand up to serious gaming, but it'll be fine otherwise.

[Alaron]

That list looks excellent to me. You can bump up to a 320GB hard drive for only $10 more: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148140

Welcome to PCMech. :)

[kmillerusaf]

Well... I am no expert but I have a few questions/suggestions... For one, are you an avid gamer? What kind of games do you play? Are you expecting to switch to Vista and DX10 games in the near future? If you answered "yes" to any of those questions, you may want to consider looking into the nVidia's 8X00 series... More specifically the 8800GTS 320mb which is their mid range GPU and best bang for buck in my opinion and mostly everyone's opinion around here and hardware sites. It's approximately $275 after a $20 rebate which may be out of reach for you price wise but just a suggestion. Pay now for what you may need later as opposed to buying the older card now and then upgrading later.



Also I am not very familiar with the brand name PSU selected but I do know for a fact that for $50-70 more you can get a quality Corsair 520 watt or Enermax/OCZ power supply. The PSU is one of the most important components in your computer so quality is key in this department.

You can get a Kingston dual channel kit for 5 dollars more than the Corsair Value select (nothing wrong with it besides the fact it doesnt say whether or not its a dual channel kit)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820134046

Your hard drive, processor, and mobo seem fine.

If color isn't a big deal, I would suggest the case below. It has an extra 80mm fan for better cooling, but also has the same features as the one you already had AND SAME PRICE.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119068


Last but not least, I am assuming you already have a monitor???

[LeftyAce]

The corsair ram kit is dual channel capable.

Good quesition on the monitor.

[andper10]

Your list looks great. You could look at upgrading the video card to an X1950Pro if you are a gamer since you said you have some extra money to spend:
$145.99 - SAPPHIRE 100176L Radeon X1950PRO 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102061
Like Alaron said, the 320GB version of that HD is only $10 more, that would be a worthwile investment if you plan to store lots of stuff. The AX450-PN is a great choice for the PSU. Enjoy your build!

[kmillerusaf]

Lefty, sorry about that, it usually has it in the specs or listed at the top of the product description but I didn't see either. With the 250gb drive, you are paying roughly $3.57/gb and the 320gb drive is $4/gb. If you aren't going to touch that much space, I would say invest that extra 10 into a better video card. I am assuming the FSP group PSU are quality PSUs then and will keep that in mind for the future. If you do upgrade the video card, make sure its rated to have enough power on the 12v rail for the card.

[Burd]

Thanks for all the help so far guys.

Most of the parts I picked were recommended in various threads on this site so I figured they would all be good.

I've never been an avid gamer, at least not on PC. I'm sure if I had a capable system I'd definately play games but I don't think I'd be extreme about it. I'd don't think I really do any very intensive activities on the computer; mostly just internet, photoshop, music, video editing, and microsoft office stuff. But like I said I do plan on playing some games with the newer system

So a better video card is probably the best choice?

And I don't have a monitor yet, but I have a gift card for Circuit City so I plan on using it to buy a monitor there. I was thinking probably a 19" either widescreen or regular (can't decide). Any suggestions for certain brands?

[stevek11290]

I have a very similar build (this link http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=180893) that I just finished last night although with the 6600 and a XCLIO 500W PSU.

Great, easy build however, I would get a better mouse than the one you listed. I have the same one and while the keyboard is good the mouse is not up to par with the previous optical MS mouse that I had. This one is smaller and not nearly as comfortable in my hand. Will be getting another one or go back to using the older one and putting this one back in the box.

[LeftyAce]

If you're not sure whether you'll be getting more into PC gaming with the new build, I'd stick with the video card you have right now, but upgrade the PSU.

The 7600 can handle most games on good settings, and a beefier PSU will allow you the option to upgrade the video card later if you decide you'd like some more power.
Something like this would work: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

Or, just go with what you have, and if you decide you want to upgrade, be prepared to get a PSU and video card.

[Burd]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I've got all my parts now and have them pretty much completely assembled, of course there are alwasy problems I guess.

I got it up an running and installed Windows XP yesterday and it seemed to be working fine. But this morning when I turned it on I found the mouse and keyboard not working. Both are USB and worked fine yesterday. When I go into the BIOS it recognizes that they are connected, and the lights on the keyboard and mouse are lit. But as soon as I exit and Windows starts loading the lights go off and I can't do anything. It does this whether I'm connected to the USB ports on the case or the motherboard. What gives?