Part comparisons

[Ugod]

I know this is what everyone asks, but I'll try to post one or two options for a few parts I need, please let me know which is a better value. If you know of a better deal/more compatible piece, I'd be happy to check into that as well. This is my first new PC in a long time, so I'm a little rusty on the technology.

First off, which CPU is a better deal?:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819103562
or
http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819103531

[rspassey]

I would personally go with the Dual core. While the 3800+ single core would perform slightly better with gaming - I think they are very close in computing power, and the dual core will knock the 3800+'s socks off when it comes to multitasking.

What will the computer be used for?

[Ugod]

Yeah, I was just getting to that...

I will use it about half and half for gaming and basic office use. Obviously the gaming part is more important (using more resources). I did my own research and it DOES look like the single-core one might work better for gaming. It's only slightly cheaper though. If there is no huge difference beyond the "multi-tasking" vs "power" categorization I might just go with the single-core. Any other things I need to worry about between either of these processors? Otherwise I'll move onto picking a motherboard...

[rspassey]

For gaming - you are going to need to look into a more powerful video card. It is becoming more common for games to rely heavier on the video card than the CPU. No matter which you CPU you pick, if you get a powrful video card, you will be able to handle most games very well.

[Ugod]

Originally Posted by ryan124712 For gaming - you are going to need to look into a more powerful video card. It is becoming more common for games to rely heavier on the video card than the CPU. No matter which you CPU you pick, if you get a powrful video card, you will be able to handle most games very well.

Damn, its like you're reading my mind. I think it might make more sense to pick my Video card and Ram and Drives, THEN choose a motherboard. Help me pick a few choices to compare please. So....I'm willing to spend the money for a higher-end video card, I know that they're extremely important for games. I plan on spending approximately $1200-1300 total, so don't get TOO pricey, but give me some options that work well with the AMD cpus. I prefer Nvidia, but I'd be willing to hear other arguments.


P.S. I'll check this thread tomorrow for any replies, thanks for the help so far, I think I've chosen my CPU at least.

[rspassey]

I would go with :

AMD 3800+

ASUS A8N SLI Motherboard (Deluxe Version if possible) as it supports future upgrading to SLI.

eVGA 7800GT

1 (or 2 if possible) GB Corsair Value Select RAM

Drives : Ammount of size is up to you, but 7200RPM 16MB Cache drives would be my suggestion

PSU - SLI Certified for future SLI upgradability

Then a LiteOn DVD Combo drive.

That excludes Case, Keyboard Mouse and Monitor (which I didn't think were included in your budget - if they are we can rearrange parts to fit)

[jayb1234]

Don't choose RAM untill you pick the motherboard. Then check the manufacturers website for the list of approved RAM, or use the RAM makers configurator to be sure you order the right part number. Get the value select line, not the XMS.

The OEM version of Windows XP with SP2 for About $90 will be fine, unless you need some specific feature of XP Pro.

As far as the processor, they are starting to release games that use Dual Core so you might as well go that route.

That ASUS board would be good. If you don't want the option of adding a second video card later, the non-SLI version will save you some cash.

Heatsink/Fan: Get a retail boxed processor and use the stock unit.

Sound Card: None, use the onboard 8 channel sound on the motherboard for a while and get a card later if you aren't satisfied with it.

Floppy Drive: Likely to be needed during setup.

Hard Drive: This would be a good one to start with.

[Ugod]

Damn, those video cards ARE expensive, but I think they still fit into my budget. What is the difference between models like these?

N515-AX Geforce 7800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Desktop PC - Retail
N517-AX Geforce 7800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

There's a difference of about 60-70 dollars....I read one has an aluminum heatsink, and the other is copper...but there has to be some other reason, right?

Actually, given the prices, I think I would prefer to get either the N515 or the N516. They are very close in price, the only difference I see is is in the video-out (one is composite, one is s-video) so I don't know which one is better.


And for RAM, I see that Corsair gets pretty good reviews, but do I need to buy anything more expensive than the ValueSelect? I don't understand any of the pin specs either, what numbers should I be looking for there?

[blue60007]

Unless those have different clock speeds (ie, one's an OC version) I would just get the cheaper one.

Corsair Value Select will be just fine. You are looking for 184-pin DDR 400 to go with the A8N.

[FireByyrd]

N517-AX Geforce 7800GT 256MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 Video Card - Retail

This model has the copper heatsink, AND the overclocked version, this card is the fastest 7800GT series you'll find on the market.

heres the newegg link: 314. http://www.newegg.com/product/Produc...x16+Video+Card

[Ugod]

Allright, so I've got the generic build txt file, and I have picked out parts for everything except the PSU and Case. Anyone else want to chime in with their picks? I would prefer something that keeps things fairly quiet as well as cool, but my current pc is fairly noisy so I can't be too picky. I've got approximately $150 dollars for a case, PSU, and any other accessories you can suggest (extra fans or whatever).


Thanks for all the help thus far.

[blue60007]

I'd suggest the Antec TP-II 550 for a power supply if you are going with SLI (prolly the cheapest SLI-certified power supply that I'd recommend). As for the case, that's really your preference...search around and see what you like. You've got $60 left for a case...Antec has some nice cases in that price range I believe.

[jayb1234]

Antec cases without power supplies.

[Ugod]

Is one 120mm fan going to be enough or should I find a case with more? I don't want my parts to meltdown, but I also want to keep it reasonably quiet....

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Ugod Is one 120mm fan going to be enough or should I find a case with more? I don't want my parts to meltdown, but I also want to keep it reasonably quiet....

One 120mm exhaust fan is usually more than enough to keep a typical system cool.

Cricket

[Ugod]

So all the parts from Newegg are gonna run me approx. $1250. Thanks guys, I really appreciate the help.