Help Building A Pc!!!

[mtb]

Hi,
I am planning to build my first computer.
I have chosen to use the following and would like to know what you think, is there anything I am missing etc.
I will be using my monitor, hard disk, floppy drive, DVD writer, keyboard & mouse from my old PC.

Case: Antec P180 (or might just use my old one)
Motherboard: ASUS P5W DH Deluxe SKT 775 dual-core Core2Duo
Processor: Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86ghz 2mb Cache
RAM: Ebuyer 1GB DDR2 800MHz PC2-6400 240pin
Graphics Card: Asus Nvidia 7300GS 256M
I don’t know what power supply to get, any suggestions; I don’t want to spend a lot on it.
Do you think I should buy a fan/heatsink or sound card, are the ones with motherboard/processor OK?

THANKS
T

[Jimmy0]

What is the budget for the build, and also what do you plan to do with the computer? (e.g. game, encode videos, hardcore music editor, etc)

RAM: I recommend getting some DDR2 667 Corsair ValueSelect 2x512MB RAM instead of the ebuyer RAM you have currently.

Here is a list of good PSU manufacturers.

Also the stock fan supplied with the processor is fine to cool it down, unless you are doing some overclocking then you may want to think about buying a 3rd party CPU cooler (but in doing so you void the warranty on your processor).

Also unless you are an audiophile, onboard sound should be fine. Obviously if after running it you feel that it is not sufficient, then you can buy a sound card later. But definitely try it with onboard sound first before buying one.

[mtb]

Hi,
Thanks for your quick reply.

My budget is around £400 (without case) as I already have quite a lot stuff, (i.e monitor, hard disk etc).

I would probably use the PC for a bit of everything, gaming, video editing, word processing etc but don’t see myself spending more than £50 on a graphics card.

Would getting one 1GB card be better than 2x512MB? Do you think this RAM would be better Corsair 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR2 667MHz ? The only reason I wanted to get an 800MHz one was because I heard it would much better for over-clocking which I intend to try to do in the future. I don’t intend to straight away so should I leave the fan for now? But would Arctic Cooling Copper Silent 2l be OK?

Is a 380W power supply like this one OK or should I go for one with 500W?
Coolermaster eXtreme Power 380W PSU.

Thanks for your help.
T

[glc]

I'd drop down to an Asus P5B. Using the P5W will eat up a budget fast. You should always get a dual channel ram kit for boards that support it, and I would get 800 speed if you plan on overclocking it any higher than 333 FSB - Corsair XMS2 CAS5 is a good choice. If you are going to be gaming, I would not get any less than a 7600GS. The 380 can handle it fine.

[Jimmy0]

MB: Asus P5B
CPU: C2D E6300
RAM: Corsair XMS2-6400 2x512MB
GFX: 7600GS
PSU: Coolermaster eXtreme Power 380W

Total: roughly 430

You might want to take a look at www.overclockers.co.uk instead of ebuyer. You can piece together the same system for less money.

[newbuilder14]

I'd encourage you to swing for this power supply: http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showpr...odid=CA-006-SK

Fortron power supplies are top quality. I don't think I'd trust the eXtreme Power units unless something is seriously different with them vs. other Coolermaster power supplies.

[mtb]

Could you tell me the differences between Asus P5B and P5W, I don't mind paying more if its worth it.

I may also be tempted to go for the C2D E6400 instead of the C2D E6300.

My RAM will be Corsair XMS2-6400 2x512MB and the best graphics card under £50 I could fiind was the Asus Nvidia 7300GS 256MB.

Finally I'm still unsure what to get out of Coolermaster eXtreme Power 380W and FSP Sparkle ATX-400PNF 400W.
They look very similar to me. I might go for the Coolermaster eXtreme Power 380W because it seems quieter.

Thank You
T

[flanzig1]

With the C2D CPUs, the noticable jump in performace from the E6300 is the E6600.

If you need/want to run two video cards and need WIFI then the P5W has all the bells and whistles. The P5B is the basic board in the P5B series.

You don't want to get too much more video card than the 7300GS with either PSU. May be able to go up to a 7600GS.

[glc]

A clean 400 watter can power any 7600 and even most 7900's just fine. I repeat, for gaming I would not use anything cheaper than a 7600GS. That's one reason I told you to back off on the motherboard - and you can stay with the E6300.

[newbuilder14]

GLC, just a question, but are the eXtreme Power units any good? Perhaps they are manufactured by a quality manufacturer that OEMs units from Antec and such.

[Mr.Ferrari]

The PMSR version extreme powers are Hipro. The one's on ebuyer are the PCAR versions, they are also built by Hipro but they contain dual 12v rails and a 120mm fan instead of a 80mm.

The PCAR's are pretty good, but if you want to go a notch above on the quality scale I suggest you look at the Akasa Paxpower's. They are manufactuered by Enhance, the same people who make Silverstone powersupplies. Also VERY quiet.