Help Building PC

[comp_amateur]

Hi everybody. I want to build a new, cheap, and relatively small pc, and I have come up with this list of parts:

1. Antec Aria computer case
2. ASUS P5RD2-VM Micro ATX Intel Motherboard
3. Intel Pentium D 805 533MHz FSB LGA 775 Dual Core, EM64T Processor
4. VANTEC AeroFlow VA4-C7040 74mm TMD (Tip-Magnetic Driving) Cooling Fan/Heatsink
5. SAMSUNG 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With 5X DVD-RAM Write and LightScribe Black ATA/ATAPI Model SH-S162L/BEBN
6. SAMSUNG SpinPoint P Series 160GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
7. pqi 1GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM System Memory
8. keyboard
9. mouse
10. 17" lcd monitor with integrated speakers
11. Microsoft Windows XP Home OS

The total cost with shipping and tax included will sum up to $770.
My primary purpose for the computer will be internet surfing and video encoding/processing so I opted for a dual core processor.

I have a few questions:
Will all these parts fit together to form a fully-functional computer?
Do I need a floppy disk drive for installation?
Is the building part easy? ex. Any molding or such?

Thanks in advance for your help.
Do you guys think $770 is cheap for all the parts?

Ideally I would like to assemble a small pc (with monitor) suitable for video encoding and processing for under $600. Is this possible?

[jayb1234]

You don't need the aftermarket cpu heatsink/fan unit if you are buying a boxed processor. The stock unit will be fine and changing it will void the processor warranty.

liteon would be a better choice than samsung for the burner.

A Seagate or Western Digital hard drive would be better (16Mb cache if it fits the budget).

300W power supply might be a bit on the light side.

Asus cpu compatibility list shows that processor as compatable without a bios update. However ATI chipsets don't have a very good reputation, an Intel (preferred)or nvidia chipset would be better

As far as the floppy drive, you might need it during setup.

The only way to know for sure is to download the manuals for the parts you choose and check them. It is also usefull to have one for diagnostics, system recovery etc..

[kram 2.0]

A few notes. To start off with the processor, you will want to look into the Pentium-D 920/820 if you have a little leeway on the budget. An 800Mhz FSB will be noticibly faster than the 533Mhz FSB found in the Pentium-D 805. Additionally, you will not need a heat sink fan if you purchase a retail processor.

I'm not too fond of Samsung drive in general. For your HDD, I would suggest a look at Seagate. For your optical, look into Lite-On. For your memory (RAM), what speed is it? DDR2-533? DDR2-800?

As for your questions, as it is, the build is compatible. It is not absolutely necessary to have a floppy drive in hand for a successful build, but it would be nice to have one especially at the price they're going at. The building is fairly straightforward. Read the motherboard manual and case manual multiple times. If your budget is below 600 USD, purchasing a Dell will give you more than building your own - power of bulk purchasing.

kram

[Cricket]

You might also consider getting a different ASUS motherboard, I heard the motherboards with the ATi/ULI chipset aren't real impressive performers. You might want to look at the P5LD2-VM instead.

And since you're doing video encoding you might want to think about upgrading your RAM to 2GB as soon as you can afford to.

I agree with the others about the Samsung drives, you might want to look at Seagate, Maxtor or Western Digital for the hard drive and Lite-On for the burner. Samsung drives aren't known to be too reliable.

And getting a 800MHz FSB processor will give you much better performance over a 533MHz FSB processor.

Cricket

[comp_amateur]

Thanks everybody for your insightful advice. I will be looking into a Seagate or Western Digital hdd, a motherboard with intel chipsets, a better pentium d cpu, and 2gb DDR2-667 memory.

Is there any difference between Pressler and Smithfield cpu's?

I'm looking at an Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor. Will this suit my needs for fast video encoding/processing and last for a while?

The motherboard specs say it support DDR2-667 memory. Can I use either PC2-5300 or PC2-5400? PC2-5300 and PC2-5400 are the same things just different names from manufacturers, right?

Thanks.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Is there any difference between Pressler and Smithfield cpu's?

Read this article.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur I'm looking at an Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor. Will this suit my needs for fast video encoding/processing and last for a while?

Yes.


Cricket

[comp_amateur]

Thanks a lot Cricket for that info. Pressler is a lot better and newer than Smithfield.

[comp_amateur]

Does Hitachi make reliable hard drives? And would a 16mb cache be necessary for my circumstances?
Does anyone have any objections against getting a Hyundai LCD monitor?
Does a computer enclosure come with a power supply unit?

As of now, my new parts list includes:
1. Antec Aria computer case $95.00
2. ASUS P5LD2-VM Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $112.99
3. Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor $204.81
4. Lite-on SHM-165H6S OEM w/ Lightscribe $43.99
5. Western Digital Caviar RE WD2500YD 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $89.99
6. pqi TURBO 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel $159.99
7. LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard $5.25
8. Logitech Value 953817-0403 Black 3 Buttons 1x Wheel PS/2 Optical Mouse $5.99
9. HYUNDAI N71S Black 17" 8ms LCD Monitor 280 cd/m2 500:1 Built in Speakers 0.264mm Pixel Pitch $169.99

Total (shipping and tax included): $992.54

Does this look good?

Do I need an extra video card and audio card if I play a few 3d games or watch dvds?

[kram 2.0]

If you can afford it, 16MB cache is nice to have on a hard drive. I never really bought into Hitachi - they were marred with bad drives for much of the past few years. As a company as a whole, Hyundai makes very decent low-priced monitors. Whether or not a case comes with a power supply unit varies case to case. Generally speaking, a case with no PSU is a great way to save money. In most cases, you would need to purchase a seperate unit.

Your integrated graphics will work with games, but don't expect the world out of it. If you mean "3D Games" as in Oblivion, Doom 3, BF2, you should seriously look into a graphics card investment. As for watching DVDs, the integrated graphics should get the job done fine.

kram

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Does Hitachi make reliable hard drives?

I don't have any personal experience with Hitachi hard drives but I had almost all the IBM hard drives I installed die prematurely over the years, most just outside the warranty period. Hitachi took over IBM's hard drive division several years ago. Personally I'd stay away from Hitachi and Samsung hard drives.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur And would a 16mb cache be necessary for my circumstances?

Necessary? No. Helpful? Yes.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Does anyone have any objections against getting a Hyundai LCD monitor?

I have no experience with them but I hear they're pretty decent monitors.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Does a computer enclosure come with a power supply unit?

Generally, yes...most cases come with power supplies in them. Are they all good? No, only a few case companies actually sell good quality power supplies with their case. Antec, AOpen and Enlight are three brands I know of that provide good quality power supplies with the cases they sell.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur As of now, my new parts list includes: 1. Antec Aria computer case $95.00 2. ASUS P5LD2-VM Socket T (LGA 775) Intel 945G Micro ATX Intel Motherboard $112.99 3. Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor $204.81 4. Lite-on SHM-165H6S OEM w/ Lightscribe $43.99 5. Western Digital Caviar RE WD2500YD 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $89.99 6. pqi TURBO 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM Unbuffered DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel $159.99 7. LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard $5.25 8. Logitech Value 953817-0403 Black 3 Buttons 1x Wheel PS/2 Optical Mouse $5.99 9. HYUNDAI N71S Black 17" 8ms LCD Monitor 280 cd/m2 500:1 Built in Speakers 0.264mm Pixel Pitch $169.99 Total (shipping and tax included): $992.54 Does this look good?

Looks good to me.

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Do I need an extra video card and audio card if I play a few 3d games or watch dvds?

I don't think you need them for watching DVDs but you will need a better video card if you're going to play the latest computer games. But if you are going to game a lot you might want to think about using a standard mid-tower ATX case instead of a mini/micro-box...the standard mid-tower ATX case will have much better cooling charateristics than a mini/micro-box.

Cricket

[comp_amateur]

Thanks to all who responded, especially Cricket and kram 2.0. I really appreciate the quick and insightful replies. I will come to this forum again if I need any help.

[comp_amateur]

Can anyone suggest AMD alternatives for the ASUS P5LD2-VM motherboard and Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz processor? Is AMD better than Intel in certain aspects?

And any suggestions for a good video card under $50 that will suffice for pc games like F.E.A.R. and Prince of Persia? Should I get a PCI, PCI Express x1, or PCI Express x16 video card? I heard nVidia and ATI make the best cards.

Is it possible to install an OS on a custom pc from a backup dvd from a computer no longer used?

[Alaron]

Comparing AMD and Intel really only invites an argument. Either brand of CPU will get the job done. The setup you have listed will be great for gaming.

For your build, you want a PCI-Express x16 video card. This is the newest standard. Simply put though, you cannot play FEAR on a $50 card. It is too demanding. You'll need a larger budget for a video card if you want to play the latest games. If you want to game on the cheap, the Radeon X800GTO is a great choice, or the Geforce 7600 if you can spare a bit more.

[kram 2.0]

You would probably be looking at either the Athlon 64 3700+ or the Athlon 64 X2 3800+ as an alternative to the 930 Presler. As for a board, the Asus A8N5X is an excellent motherboard. Both Intel and AMD are good - they both get the job done. To pick one over another - that would be up to you.

It would be hard to find a graphics card that can play FEAR and Price of Persia at respectable frame rates, let alone find a 50 USD graphics card that can game. Look into the ATI Radeon X550 - but I would forget about FEAR with a 50 USD budget.

In terms of installing an OS from an unused computer, you want to watch out for liscencing issues. You can only have the OS with the key installed in one system at any given time. If you have a full OS CD (NOT a recovery disk), you can uninstall the OS, then install it on the new system.

kram

[comp_amateur]

I'm probably not going to play any games. I can always buy a gaming video card in the future, right? I think I will get a POWERCOLOR T55E-P03 PCI-Express x1 Interface TV tuner card since I would like to watch TV on the PC with Windows Media Center. Any objections? Does anyone know whether it will fit in the Antec Aria case? I think the motherboard I'm going to buy comes with an I/O shield I believe I can swap with the I/O shield that comes with Antec Aria. Will the video card require me to make a custom I/O shield?

I hope the small case will not allow the parts inside to overheat. However, I do not want to get a bigger case, since I'm space conscious.

Will all these parts function together? I'm assuming 300W will be enough to power everything inside. Could someone explain to me how the power suppy works? What if the parts require less or more than what the power unit that comes in the case supplies? I think the most recent list I made plus the tv tuner video card will be the final list of parts to buy and assemble. I'm worried I'm gonna order all these parts online and not have them fit together. If anyone wants to know the final cost will be about $1100. I think that's a good price for what I'm getting.

[jayb1234]

As far as reusing the OS:

If it is from a build you did yourself and you uninstall it from the old machine, that should work.

If it is a manufacturers load from a name brand computer, you generally can't reuse it since it is tied to the original machine.

The video card will mount in an expansion slot with the connector panel through the rear of the case and wont affect the main I/O shield.

The motherboard will have the appropriate I/O shield to use if it doesn't match the one the case comes with.

[comp_amateur]

So the video card should fit seamlessly?
Should I get an internal or external tv tuner? I'm worried about the heat buildup in the Antec Aria. Also, I'm looking into other pci tv tuner video card brands. Anyone have recommendations? Hauppauge seems popular.

Do graphic video cards affect the pc's speed in encoding video, like from one format to another?

[comp_amateur]

Should I get an
Intel Pentium D 940 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core, EM64T Processor $259.99
or an
Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor $204.81?

Can I run 32bit Windows XP Home on 64bit capable Intel Pentium D?

Should I get a Plextor DVD+/-R burner with an SATA interface instead of a Lite-on burner with an ATAPI/E-IDE interface? Would having an SATA interface make the burner easier to install with my chosen motherboard and cpu, and reduce clutter allowing for more ventilation in the Antec Aria?

If I get a TV tuner card, it will protrude from one of the 4 expansion slot covers in this picture right? http://www.newegg.com/Product/ShowImage.asp?image=11-129-146-12.jpg,11-129-146-03.jpg,11-129-146-06.JPG,11-129-146-07.JPG,11-129-146-05.JPG,11-129-146-04.JPG,11-129-146-02.JPG&CurImage=11-129-146-07.JPG&Description=Antec%20LifeStyle%20ARIA%20Silver/Deep%20blue%20Aluminum%20MicroATX%20Desktop%20Computer%20Case%20300Watt%20SmartPower%20Active%20PFC% 20Power%20Supply%20-%20Retail"

Thanks.

[comp_amateur]

Can someone recommend me a microatx motherboard from a reputable brand with similar or better capabilities than the Asus P5LD2-VM with an IEEE394 port? I want to have IEEE394 capability. Thanks.

[Alaron]

Originally Posted by comp_amateur Should I get an Intel Pentium D 940 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core, EM64T Processor $259.99 or an Intel Pentium D 930 Presler 800MHz FSB 2 x 2MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Dual Core Processor $204.81?

Either one will be fine. If you want to save some cash, go with the 930.

Can I run 32bit Windows XP Home on 64bit capable Intel Pentium D?

Yes.

Should I get a Plextor DVD+/-R burner with an SATA interface instead of a Lite-on burner with an ATAPI/E-IDE interface? Would having an SATA interface make the burner easier to install with my chosen motherboard and cpu, and reduce clutter allowing for more ventilation in the Antec Aria?

The SATA would make it fit easily, yes. But it's not worth the extra expense. Plextor's cost a lot more then a Lite-On, which is just as good.

If I get a TV tuner card, it will protrude from one of the 4 expansion slot covers in this picture right? Thanks.

Yes.


On a side note, the Aria is probably not the best choice for a case. The 300w power supply is a bit too low and it severely limits your upgrade path. Is there a specific need for a miniATX case? It would be much easier to build with the Antec Sonata II. It will have a great power supply with plenty of room for easy upgrades.

[jayb1234]

Can someone recommend me a microatx motherboard from a reputable brand with similar or better capabilities than the Asus P5LD2-VM with an IEEE394 port? I want to have IEEE394 capability. Thanks.

Here are 3 Intel m-atx boards with firewire, Note that they only have 1 IDE channel, so you will be limited two IDE optical drives.