Please Review & Advise for virgin build

[furious fozz]

Any advice or problems you see with this list? Wish to use exclusively for newer games. Currently have Dell DIMENSION 8300 series, Pentium 4, 2.9 Ghz, 1GB 4+ years old. This is fine for home needs. I have struggled with each piece of this build. Also looking for recommendations on LCD widescreen monitors for gaming 20" is fine.

Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: VA8000BWS
Item #: N82E16811133154

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$149.99 -$20.00 Instant $129.99

ASUS Striker Extreme LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX The Ultimate Gaming Motherboard - Retail
Model #: Striker Extreme
Item #: N82E16813131074

In Stock
$299.99 $299.99

ASUS EN8800GTX/HTDP/768M GeForce 8800GTX 768MB 384-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
Model #: EN8800GTX/HTDP/768M
Item #: N82E16814121033

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$534.99 -$60.00 Instant $474.99

Thermaltake W0131RU ATX12V / EPS12V 850W Power Supply - Retail
Model #: W0131RU
Item #: N82E16817153043

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$259.99 -$30.00 Instant $229.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600 - Retail
Model #: BX80562Q6600
Item #: N82E16819115017

In Stock
$279.99 -$5.00 Instant $274.99

G.SKILL 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ - Retail
Model #: F2-6400PHU2-2GBHZ
Item #: N82E16820231065

In Stock
$169.99 $169.99

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
Model #: ST3500320AS
Item #: N82E16822148288

In Stock
$119.99 $119.99



LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06 - Retail
Model #: LH-20A1L-06
Item #: N82E16827106072

In Stock
$37.99 $37.99

Creative 70SB046A00000 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Professional Series - Retail
Model #: 70SB046A00000
Item #: N82E16829102005

In Stock
$135.99 $135.99

Creative G500 310 Watts RMS 5.1 GigaWorks ProGamer Speaker System - Retail
Model #: 51MF4040AA002
Item #: N82E16836116160

In Stock
$214.99 $214.99

Subtotal: $2,628.88

[ExplicitlyLivin]

another route to possible take for 30-50% increase in performance for same price gaming wise; dual 8800gt rather then gtx... or you can save up for another 8800gtx, just a alternate option

also if you can wait a month, the q9000 series is gonna be stocked and its supposed to be the same price as its xeon sibling

[shadowpr]

Looks good.

A few suggestions though. If not going to be using the sli of the mb, then you might consider a different board. P5K series is hightly recommended.

That power supply is way overkill. You could save some money by dropping it down a bit.

A great 20" monitor is the Samsung 206BW. I personally love it.

And don't forget the OS.

[Katreat]

If you are set on an SLI Mobo then I would definately go with an SLI answer. Two 8800 GTs are a rocking combination in SLI, just a tad under the performance of two 8800 GTXs.

Personally I am not a big fan of SLI and would recomend you go for a P5K series board with a single video card of your choice. Video is movnig fast right now and replacing and upgrading one card is half the coast of two, which means you can do it at shorter intervals.

Also, I think Nividea just releasd the 780i and 750i chip sets so you might check that out. The 680i is an older chip set, it existed before the newer 1333 FSB CPUs so I am not sure how it will handle future upgrades to new faster quads.

Finally, I always recommend that people hold off on sound cards until they hear on-board sound. Newer Mobos have great 5.1-7.1 on-board sound and they sound great for gaming and take very few resources. Also, sound cards are easy to snap in after the fact so you dont lose anything giving on-board a try.

If you are going SLI check out this list for certified PSUs. I dont think the one you picked is big enough for two 8800 GTXs. If you are not planning on SLI then as mentioned above I would check out some P35 and X38 Mobos.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

Kat

[David M]

I have to agree that the performance/price ratio of a GTX versus a GT makes the GTX not worth purchasing. I just purchased two GT's for just under $600 and am thrilled with the performance.

[ExplicitlyLivin]

I have to agree that the performance/price ratio of a GTX versus a GT makes the GTX not worth purchasing. I just purchased two GT's for just under $600 and am thrilled with the performance.

http://www.firingsquad.com/hardware/evga_e-geforce_8800_gts_ssc_review/default.asp
gts equal to gtx or close to it? according to this test the gts ssc didnt do much better then the 8800 ko gts and commonly scored under the 8800gt. Not sure if for some reason beyond my knowledge it would perform better in SLI setup more so then an 8800gt sli system would?(which is very possible because I am not claiming to be extremely knowledgable on all this)

I am currently in the process of building a SLI rig with dual GT. I also took into consideration dual GTS setup; but after alot of research i have come to the conclusion I am better off with dual GT on a 780i mobo for the money. Saveing money and also by upgrading form the 680i to 780i i utilize the ability to add add a 3rd later down the line for for just a little more then it would cost to run dual GTS SSC

[furious fozz]

Thanks all. I am going to do some research on the P5K mobo. What OS would you recommend? Does the OS system reco change iif go with P5K vs. Striker Extreme SLI?

I will definitely try the mobo sound first..thanks.

[shadowpr]

Explicity: That's using the older gts, not the new one.

[furious fozz]

What is the difference b/w p5k and p5e? Is intel X38 better than P35? I am not sure if that is the right question to be asking...help.

[ExplicitlyLivin]

Explicity: That's using the older gts, not the new one.


you sure... its the 640mb "SSC" GTS, i thought that was the newest GTS. Compared to the KO GTS

[shadowpr]

you sure... its the 640mb "SSC" GTS, i thought that was the newest GTS. Compared to the KO GTS

The new gts comes in 512mb. It is also labeled as (G92).

[Katreat]

Shadow is right on. The G92 chip is what made the GT so much more powerful than the original GTSs. The new GTS (512) has that chip also. I expect the older GTS (320 & 640) are being phased out and would not be surpised to see a new GTX based on the G92 in the near future. The problem is the new GTS costs alot more than the GT for only a marinal speed increase.

Fozz, I would not say the X38 is better than the P35, it is just newer. Both chips are new and designed for the newer 1333 FSB CPUs. The P35 has been out longer and has performed wonderfully. I think the X38 supports on board video for mATX cases and has added support for the PCIe technology but not really sure. I know the P5K board with the P35 is considered very stable and upgradable so dont think you could go wrong with it.

Kat

[Masaki 7-11]

X38 is high end chipset for motherboards, while the P35 is midrange-performance, and the Q3x and G3x are low end chipsets. Yes, the X38 is faster than the P35, but mostly the only people who notice the difference are those who are maxing out on all the other parts as well, so P35 is best for this type of build.

[Katreat]

Thx for the info Masaki, now I know a little more about it.

Kat

[furious fozz]

You (all) are awesome. This is very helpful.

Would you guys be willing to put a list together for me of your favorite build for mobo, cpu, psu, os, ram, hd(s) & gpu(s) (one or two) that all works together for a good to great gaming system for $2000 to $2300 budget. I am not likely going to take the time to OC a system (as I would have to learn, have no knowledge or experience). Let me know if your think I would need to buy extra aftermarket fans for specific components. I am not sure if I were to buy the Thermaltake Armor Series VA8000BWS Black Aluminum / Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail
Model #: VA8000BWS
Item #: N82E16811133154

In Stock
Mail-in Rebate
$149.99 -$20.00 Instant $129.99

if these case fans would be sufficient to cool system other than what already comes on components?

Or even just your recommendation on a mobo, cpu and gpu compatible combination woud be a big help.

Or which p5k mobo is best?

This is would be a huge favor. Many thanks if you take your time to share you recommendations....

Sorry for the novel.

[Masaki 7-11]

Here's a good reference list, it's got a lot of performance parts, and should last you a really long time (if nothing weird happens):



LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06
$37.99

COOLER MASTER Stacker 830 Evolution RC-830-KKN3-GP Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case
$179.99

Western Digital Raptor X WD1500AHFD 150GB 10,000 RPM Serial ATA150 Hard Drive
$174.99

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD7500AAKS 750GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$154.99

EVGA 512-P3-N841-A3 GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
$699.98
($349.99 each)

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad (Black) EPS12V 750W Power Supply
$169.99

OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Micron D7 Chip Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N1066SR2GK
$99.99

MSI P6N Diamond LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
$214.99

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor Model BX80562Q6600
$274.99

Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD
$109.99

ARCTIC COOLING AF12025 PWM 120mm Case Fan
$39.96
($9.99 each)

Subtotal: $2,157.85


This build is placed in a coolermaster stacker 830 cases, which is one of the best cases since it is really easy to work with, has lot's of good features, and with the addition of the 4 quiet 120mm fans, it will provide and very good amount of circulation through the case.

The motherboard is from MSI, has a 680i chipset with SLI support (has 4 slots for some reason, so possibly could get 4 cards in the future, but won't help much) and built in X-fi sound card.

The processor is a quad core since it's going to be in a position similar to the one dual cores are in now, so quad core is the way to go for future proofing your computer, the processor is also coupled with SLI certified memory running at 1066MHz DDR.

There are two hard drives, a Raptor 150GB which should be used as the main boot drive since it's really fast (10,000 RPM), and a speedy 750GB hard drive to be used for additional storage.

The video cards are based off the G92 core which is very fast, and is factory overclocked to give a strong edge against the 8800GT, running two of these in SLI, should get you very good performance and quality in all games.

Lastly the OS is Vista Premium since it has all the important features like Aero and it doesn't have all the unneccesary extras of ultimate.


Regarding the monitor, I would take a look at a glossy 20 inch widescreen from Samsung.

[furious fozz]

Masaki.....Thank you, I really appreciate your guidance. A couple of quick questions before I purchase. (I am especially fired up b/c stopped by casino on way home and made a quick $800 to help subsidize this purchase.)

Which glossy Samsung do you recommend? is it the Samsung BW206 that Shadowpr recommended?

I was planning to make my purchase through Newegg. Would you recommend somewhere else and/or is it better to split it up between on-line retailers?

[furious fozz]

Also does it matter that HD has PATA vs. SATA...did you select the Western Caviar Raptor w/serial ATA150 because of mobo limitations? Or does it really not matter for a home gaming system?

[Masaki 7-11]

The raptor only comes in SATA150 vs. the caviar which has SATA300, but both are faster than using PATA, and both SATA150 and SATA300 are currently enough for most hard drives. It's recommended to buy everything from newegg since they have good prices, fast shipping and excellent customer support. The Samsung 206BW is the one I recommend, here is a link to it:http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001095

[furious fozz]

Masaki:

These two items are currently out of stock:

1. LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06
$37.99

2. OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Micron D7 Chip Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N1066SR2GK
$99.99

What would you recommend as alternatives (equal or better)?

Thanks,

FF

[Masaki 7-11]

1. LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner With 12X DVD-RAM Write Black SATA Model LH-20A1S -
$32.99

2. OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model OCZ2N800SR4GK
$109.99

The optical drive is almost the same as the first one I recommended, but doesn't have lightscrbe which most people don't use (it burns an image on to the front of special DVDs).

There is a bit of speed difference between the different ram, but it's not a noticeable change, and doubles the amount of ram you get for only $10 more. You should know that the operating system will not be able to use all 4GB of ram, but it won't matter much because you don't normally need more than 2GB. As you'll notice this is also SLI-Ready, so it should work great with your motherboard.

[furious fozz]

I bought all parts as per Masaki's build reco list. I have installed all.

Computer shuts down. I am wondering if I may have an inadequate power supply. Also, I have series connected the 4 Artic Cooling fans these are running through mobo.

First would you agree that perhaps not enough watts? friend states that dual gpus are sucking a lot of power and thinks I should get at least 1000 or 1100 watt psu.

Second is it okay to series wire the 4 fans and have them powered through the mobo?

In trouble shooting further, I had disconnected the fans and tried to install Windows Vista Home Premium. Computer did not power offf, but get blue screen warning stating windows has shut down to prevent damage to computer. This is after making it to the install windows screen where do you want to install...something about not able to locate drivers on either hard drive?

Am I supposed to install other software first/prior to installing OS?

Do I need to format my hdd first or mess with the BIOS first...all I have done so far is turn on the computer w/OS in optical drive?

[flanzig1]

Should run the fans directly from the PSU, could possibly overload the fan header on the motherboard.
When installing Windows, I usually install with the needed parts and if have more than 1 HD/DVD/Video card will install them after I have a stable running unit.
Order of installing software: Windows, then motherboard drivers, then drivers for added cards(video/sound/etc), then security SW, then apps.

[furious fozz]

I used the new egg psu calculator and it show 759 W need as PSU...is it better to have a psu with a little extra w than need?

Do you think this may have something to do with system automatically powering off?

[Masaki 7-11]

Like flanziq suggested, you should run the computer with one optical drive, one hard drive, and one video card. This makes it easier for the computer to boot up without having conflicts, and makes it possible to figure out if there are any power issues. You'll most likely have two fan headers on the motherboard after plugging in the CPU fan, use two fans per header instead of four fans on one header.

I would unplug the Western Digital Caviar, and leave only one video card in the upmost pci-express slot. Your system should boot up fine after doing this, so you can install the operating system. Make sure you install the necessary drivers for the motherboard and video card after the operating system is installed.

After the operating system and drivers are installed, install the remaining components one at a time. Start up the computer each time a new part is installed, and restart the computer, do this until all parts are installed. This way if the computer won't start when the new part is installed, you'll know which part you're having trouble with if there are any parts that are causing trouble.

750W should be enough for your system, the parts you have for your system are very close to the one used by the mag Maximum PC for their computers. The power supplies are the same, but some of the parts used in your computer like the video cards use up less power than the ones in the Maximum PC computers, so not likely you have a video card issue. 1KW or 1.1K is about what you would need for triple or quad SLI, or for Quad Crossfire.

[furious fozz]

Again, very much appreciate the guidance.

FF