Taking the plunge...First Build, Appreciate any Help!

[VealChop]

First let me just start by saying thanks, having read through most of this forum, I've been able to learn a lot in no time, and narrow down components quite a bit. I had initially planned to build an AMD rig as they have been in most of the computers i've had over the past few years (store bought), but have decided to go with the Intel Core 2 Duo, as it seems to be highly regarded on here. I'm not much of a gamer, i might play a bit, but this comp will mostly be used in a home office, video editing, photoshop, web browsing, office apps....nothing too taxing, but if i'm going to go thru the trouble to build a system, i want it to be relevent for quite some time...so here goes...any suggestions, highly welcomed:

Case: Lian Li PC65B................................$120
PSU: Thermaltake woo93RU 500W..........$60 after rebate
Mobo: Asus P5B Deluxe LGA 775.............$180
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHz.....$318
---(or save a few bucks with the E6300??)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 320Gb 7200.10 SATA......$95
---(idea is to add another later for a RAID 1 setup just to protect personal and work files)
RAM: Corsair XMS2 2 x 1Gb 240 Pin DDR2 800...........$237 after rebate
---(or save a few bucks with 667??)
Pri Opt: Lite-On SATA DVD RW Combo Drive..........$36
Vid Card: GeForce 6600 OC (I know this is weak, but i have it already)
Snd Crd: SoundBlaster X-Fi (Have already)
FDD: Sony MPF 920 (Have already)
OS: Windows XP, Pro or Media Center, haven't decided
Mon: Dell 24 inch Widescreen 1920 x 1200

Was going to stick with stock cooling for the CPU, at least for now, unless there's a good reason not to???
Was going to stick with stock cooling for the rig also, unless it's simply not enough???
Like the Asus P5B Deluxe for the Dual Lan Ports, I'm assuming you hook a cable into each of these and it makes web data traffic faster???

That's what I've got so far, watt dew ewe teenk?

[Alaron]

Welcome to PCM.

That all looks fine. The E6600 is a great CPU. I would stick with it unless you want to cut costs. You can go with DDR2-667 instead of 800, it is a better match. 800 is only necessary

Make sure the LiteOn you chose comes with software. If not, switch to a model that does.

The stock cooling is plenty for a C2D, they run cool. Same with the system, should be fine.

[newbuilder14]

I'd be weary of using that power supply - how about something from Antec, Fortron Source, Seasonic, etc.?

[VealChop]

Yeah I figured if there was a problem with anything, it would start with the PSU. I will look into the brands that you mentioned and see if i can find something.

Is there a certain wattage that I should not go below? Any specific ones you could recommend?

Also, if i go with 667 RAM now, when i want to throw a couple more sticks in the other two bays later, could i mix with 800? Or would I have to stick with 667?? With the rebate the 800's are not much more, but that could change by the time I order...

The Lite-On shows as a retail version, so I'm assuming it will come with software.

As far as the OS, looking online, i see that retail versions are much more than OEM, but the OEM versions say upgrade....am I still getting the same thing? Or would i need to actually be upgrading from something for the OEM version? (Forgive me if that's a stupid question.)

[newbuilder14]

If you want to get a DX10 card the lowest I'd feel comfortable with is 550w.

If you aren't overclocking go for the 667 memory, if you are then get the 800 memory. You can mix them but they will all run at 667.

Yes.

The OEM versions do not come with some of the documentation does - but it comes with a welcome book and all, what else do you need? Pick up an XP Home OEM copy with the Vista upgrade coupon.

[VealChop]

How about this for the PSU??

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817185002

There's a 550@ Antec also, but i'm reading such scattered reviews on Antec PSU's lately in all the Forums. Not much to read on the Scythe, but at least it sounds cool. Any input?

[newbuilder14]

The Corsair 520w has been recommended, but I still think I'd feel more comfortable with the 620w Corsair model here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139002 I'm not quite sure as I don't stay up-to-date with all the requirements so I'd wait for some more suggestions for a power supply.

[VealChop]

Thanks I will keep searching around. I may have settled on a Seasonic 550W PSU that is a bit more costly, but no one has anything bad to say about it.

About the memory, I'm not seeing 667 sticks online, just 675?

---CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-5400c4

Is this correct?

[glc]

The 667 is Value Select, not XMS.

If you are not going to put a DX10 card in for a while, why not just get a $40 XClio 450BL power supply? That will run a 6600 fine - and if you aren't gaming, that card will last you forever.

[VealChop]

Thanks G, found it. Although for the price, which after rebate is the same for both, am i better off going for the XMS2's ? Are they compatible?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145015

And yes i see your point about the PSU, the XCLio you mention only has 2 SATA connections, and I would like at least 4, I'll keep looking.

[newbuilder14]

I would only get XMS memory if you are going with DDR2-800, otherwise you'd get much better value with ValueSelect DDR2-667.

[VealChop]

Ok, here's an updated component list:

Case: Lian Li PC65B................................$120
PSU: Seasonic 430W...............................$90
Mobo: Asus P5B Deluxe LGA 775.............$180
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 2.4 GHz......$318
HDD: 2 x Seagate Barracuda 320Gb 7200.10 SATA......$190
---(RAID 1 setup just to protect personal and work files)
RAM: Corsair ValueSelect 2 x 1Gb 240 Pin DDR2 667...........$208
Pri Opt: Lite-On SATA DVD RW Combo Drive..........$36
Sec Opt: Lite-On DVD CD ROM.............................$20
Vid Card: GeForce 6600 OC (I know this is weak, but i have it already)
Snd Crd: SoundBlaster X-Fi (Have already)
FDD: Sony MPF 920 (Have already)
OS: Windows XP, Pro or Media Center, haven't decided

Holy crepe, that's a lot of money Mr. Sosa. Any thoughts, suggestions, help, i'm all ears...

** Oh, and if i add a second DVD ROM, does it also need to come with software if i'm getting software with the Primary? Or can I go OEM on the secondary? Thanks again!

[newbuilder14]

Looks excellent to me - do you really need an extra CD-ROM? I'd recommend an extra DVD-ROM for just a little bit more. Nice power supply choice.

[VealChop]

A little help please!! I was just looking at other ASUS Mobo offerings, and I'm not sure if i need to be paying for the Deluxe. I thought the dual Gb LAN ports were to speed up web upload and download times, but apparently they have another purpose. So,

ASUS P5B ?
ASUS P5B-VM ?
ASUS P5B-E ?
ASUS P5B Deluxe ?

Can anyone provide any guidance on which to choose and maybe a little about why?

[flanzig1]

Go with the P5B. That has everything you need.
For the second optical drive, get an OEM DVD-rom.

[newbuilder14]

The P5B has firewire and some other features - ultimately it is your choice.

[VealChop]

Thanks guys. Ordered all parts from NewEgg, looks like they shipped same day. I"m sure i'll be back with questions early next week when everything gets here....until then, thanks for the help. Anyone want to buy my HP Pavilion this is going to replace? )

[Mr.Ferrari]

Really why the $90 on a 430w powersupply? I mean thats overkill $ for what your running now, and its not enough for DX10 cards. I would seriously either devote the money to a DX10 upgradeable Corsair HX 520W. This will handle any single card on the market. And its only $30 more then your 430w.

Or do as GLC suggested and spend $40 on a Xclio 450BL that willl last you for the time being, and upgrade when you do DX10.

[newbuilder14]

That would be a feasible option, but he already placed the order.

He can rest assured he got a very high quality power supply, nonetheless.

[VealChop]

Yes i know, good advice all around, and i could have saved a few bucks for now, until i upgrade. But two reasons for the purchase....One is it's my first build, so I'd rather spend a little more to make sure things go smoothly until i know what i'm doing. And two, i'm not a heavy gamer, so i won't be in too much of a rush to upgrade the graphics card. Thanks again all, everything should arrive on Tuesday, if you don't hear from me, everything either went surprisingly well, or i sledgehammered everything to pieces.

[VealChop]

I think it's been too long to simply edit my last posting, sorry...anyway,
Everything has been assembled, succesfuly first boot, waiting for Win XP Pro to come, probably Monday (I had ordered XP media center edition, but I don't think i will use any of it's fancy features, so XP Pro seemed like a better choice for the home office)

Question is, I ordered two Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320 Gb HDDs, so that i could set up a RAID 1 configuration, the purpose being constant and automatic backing up of data, as i use the PC for work. I used to use an external HD for this, but of course that requires more work, so i thought RAID 1 was a perfect alternative. Upon thinking about it, i realized a few things, maybe someone could shed some light on this. If i get a virus with a RAID 1 setup, i'll get it on both drives. If the PSU blows up, i'll fry both drives.....so it is almost as if i'm going to need to back up externally anyway! Is a RAID 1 setup really only good if one of the HDDs fails on its own, then you have another one ready to go, but it's not the best answer to backing up data??? Any input?

Thanks again guys...

[flanzig1]

With your scenario, having an external back-up would be best. The external will be pretty much electrically isolated from a PC power problem. Raid 1 will save your bacon if only ONE drive fails.

[LeftyAce]

Assuming that motherboard works the same as my A8N mobo, you can actually set up a RAID 1 array using an external harddrive plugged into the eSATA port, just make sure to get a HDD enclosure that supports eSATA such as this one.

That won't help you in terms of a virus though. My personal method has always been to just copy big files that don't change much onto an external (music, pictures, videos, downloads, etc) and then periodically copy over documents and other small stuff that changes more often. Over eSATA this won't take any time at all.

Also, that enclosure comes with Acronis TruImage, a harddisk backup and cloning suite that's apparently really good.

[VealChop]

Yes i think i'm going to scrap the RAID 1 setup i had in mind, i'm not sure if it makes as much sense as i originally thought. So if you all don't mind just a few quick questions...

1. Since i have the two HDDs, can anyone maybe give me an idea what would be the best way to use them? Operating System, Program Files and Data on one, and just internal Data backup on the second? If i do it this way, would each HDD have its own letter designation (i.e. drive C and drive D?)

2. In the BIOS, i'm getting temperature readings of about 49c for the CPU and 39c for the mobo. The CPU fan is spinning at about 2500 rpm. Are these normal temperatures? They seem a little high?

3. All Chassis fans are plugged directly into the PSU, so I obviously don't get a reading on their rpm, or any control over their use in BIOS, would it be better to plug them into the mobo? There are four 80mm chassis fans in total, two intake two exhaust. I'm not sure if plugging them into the mobo would overtax the mobo?

4. Also, the two HDDs are seagate 7200.10 320Gb SATA 3.0 Gb/s drives, but i heard that Seagate drives come with a jumper that cuts it to 1.5 Gb/s, and you achieve 3.0 only by removing the jumper? Anyone have any idea about this?

Thanks again, really appreciate the help so far....

[newbuilder14]

1. You could use one for OS and Applications and one for Saved Files. You know, I still think RAID 1 is a feasible option for you.

2. Those temperatures and fan speed are fine, they aren't high and they shouldn't go too much higher under a load thanks to the way Core 2 Duos run. Mine ran around the same temperature with stock cooling. Now, the BIOS gives a different reading than Intel TAT and CoreTemp - you will see that your actual core temperature is probably lower, so don't worry about it.

3. You can't get the RPM if they are plugged into the PSU. You could switch them to the motherboard headers and easily monitor the RPM. The motherboard even has options to automatically adjust their speed.

4. You want to switch the jumper to 3.0gbps. http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.p...wpost&t=173305

[VealChop]

What if i purchased another HDD, maybe just 80Gb just for the OS and program files, such as this one....

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822148148

And used the two Seagate HD's, one for files, and the other for backup....

in fact, maybe a stupid question, but could i have use the proposed 80Gb HD for the OS and program files, and have the OTHER two set up in a raid configuration? Is this possible? As i am only really interested in backing up my personal files, not the entire contents of the HD. I"m confused what the best way to set this up is....stop laughing!

Perhaps a couple of you could give me a couple of examples how you have your HD / storage set up?

[Turbo_Supra]

since you have the two hardrives I don't see a reason not to set them up in RAID1. It is more secure in the sense of physical drive failure. As long as you have virus protection you should be alright.

[LeftyAce]

I would discourage use of RAID 1. It only protects against failure of one harddrive, but if your PSU blows and fries everything, then both drives are gone....also, any virus infection you get is automatically and instantly put on both drives. My suggestion: put one of those drives into an Apricorn enclosure such as this one. I just got one, and the eSATA interface is as fast as connecting the HDD internally (I tried it :-). The enclosure comes with nice backup utils as well.

[VealChop]

Well, just wanted to say thank you to all for your suggestions so far, stumbling upon this forum really helped trememdously. The comp is up and running Windows XP Pro now, still much more to do, updating the OS and drivers. I think if i wanted to set up RAID 1 now, i still could right?

Hopefully the rest will continue to go smoothly, thanks again, i'm sure i'll have many more questions. Next we'll see if i can get online....

[newbuilder14]

You would not be able to setup RAID at this point without losing your current data.