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02-19-2007, 06:22 PM
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#1 |
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Member (4 bit)
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Posts: 13
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Help Building Gaming PC
I'm wanting to build a good gaming PC and stay under 2000$(will go a little over if its worth it). I'm looking for suggestions on what components I should put in it. I'm pretty sure the E6600 processor is the best for the build. Not really sure on everything though so it'd be great if you guys could make suggestions on components.
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02-19-2007, 06:56 PM
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#2 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Location: Boston, MA
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Here is a build I have been working on for myself with a $1,700 budget. I have it as a single card set-up, but you could switch to an SLI or Crossfire motherboard, and move up to the highest end 8800 GTX no problem with your limit. Should be a good starting point at least.
Motherboard: ASUS P5B-E Socket T (LGA 775) Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131070 $150.99 Processor: Intel® Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe Processor Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115003 $316.00 RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Memory – Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145590 $236.00 Video Card: eVGA GeForce 8800GTS 640MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI-E HDCP Video Card - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130071 $399.99 Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V 620W Power Supply - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139002 $169.99 CASE: Antec Performance I P180 Silver ATX Mid Tower Computer Case – Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129154 $129.99 Hard Drive: Seagate 7200.10 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148140 $94.99 Optical Drive: LITE-ON Black 16X 2M Cache SATA DVD Burner - Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106046 $36.99 Card Reader: MITSUMI Black 1.44MB 3.5" Internal USB 2.0 digital card reader with FDD - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16821104104 $18.99 O.S.: Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium DVD - OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tem=32-116-202 $119.99 TOTAL SYSTEM: $1,673.92
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Laptop HP DM4t / i5-560M / 14.1 WXGA Widescreen / 1GB Radeon Mobility 6370 / 4GB RAM / 320 GB 7200rpm HD / DVD-RW / 802.11n & BT wireless First Build Abit IC7-G Max II Motherboard / 2.8C 800mhz P4 / 1024 DDR 3200 (2x 512 in Duel Channel) / Saphire Radeon 9800 Pro 128 / Samsung 120 GB SATA HD / Lite-On 16x DVD-ROM / NEC DVD-RW |
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02-19-2007, 07:15 PM
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#3 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Thanks for the reply. That is very similar to what I had in mind. I did go with the GTX. Is it necessary or could I save some money there? Also I still don't understand how I should pick a motherboard. If anyone could explain to me the basics on the motherboard it would be very helpful.
Someone told me that I should go with 2 hard drives in RAID 0 to increase preformance. Is that a good thing to do and if so how do you do it? The last three things I'm not sure about are sound cards, cases, SLI. I would really appreciate if anyone could give me information on any of these. |
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02-19-2007, 07:44 PM
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#4 |
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Member (11 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2005
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I'd discourage RAID 0; the performance increase is minimal, and by its nature it is riskier. Your data is written alternatively on one and then the other drive (striping), so if one drive fails, you lose ALL your data....
Unless you're an audiophile, you'll be just fine with onboard sound; pretty much all motherboards come with it. Cases: pretty much personal preference. Pay attention to getting one big enough for everything you put in it. DON'T get a case/powersupply combo; most are junk. Stick with the PSU staren linked to. SLI; pretty much the same story as RAID 0 (Except there's no risk; only a ripoff). Basically, 1 7800 can beat two 6800s, 1 8800 can beat two 7800s ,etc. So you're better off saving money on the powersupply, mobo and second card, and putting it towards more frequent upgrades. Can't speak intelligently on mobos, other than to say you can't go wrong with the advice on these forums :-)
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System: ASUS A8N32-SLI Deluxe AMD Opteron Denmark 165 Sapphire Radeon 4850x2 2X1GB G.Skill DDR400 Ram Corsair 850W PSU Thermaltake Soprano case Seagate 7200.10 320GB |
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02-19-2007, 07:58 PM
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#5 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 13
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Thanks for your help lefty. Now I feel pretty good on everything except the motherboard. Still not sure what I need there. Is the one Staren suggested good for me?
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02-19-2007, 08:01 PM
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#6 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Sorry, didn't pay attention to which one he linked to. The P5B is highly recommended on these forums (haven't used one myself, but have heard of no problems w/them). ASUS is a quality manufacturer, and their customer support is great, so I'd say it's a good choice.
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02-19-2007, 08:21 PM
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#7 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Lefty covered exactly what I was going to say. The vast majority of people will be perfectly happy with on-board sound. You could always add a card if you feel you need to, but you probably won't. RAID unless you've done a lot of research and know exactly what you're getting into, not worth the trouble. You'd never notice the difference until something went wrong. As for cases, if it has enough room for you, get what you like.
Motherboards aren't something you can catch up on very quickly. Mainly, watch these forums. You'll pick up pretty quickly which are the known reliable brands and which to watch out for. After that, match the socket type to your processor and look at what the strong chipsets are being used. After that it's all about features. Around here, if you can find an Asus board that you like use it. Very few problems, and those that do crop up they get taken care of. The best of the best Core 2 boards use the Intel 975X northbridge chipset, but those run into money, and really arn't needed unless you're going to do some major overclocking. What most people use are the 965 boards. They have one little glitch. the IDE controller is a bit cheap. That's why the DVD burner I have listed is an SATA connection. Most people aren't going to put 6 hard drives into their computer anyway so using up one isn't that big of a deal. The dffrence between the standard P5B and the P5B-E is pretty much a firewire port. I personally like having them in my systems for the few times I use one. The difference between between the P5B-E and the Deluxe is mostly a second PCI-E x16 slot for Crossfire or a second video card for a quad monitor set-up. I don't really think it's worth it. Last edited by Staren; 02-19-2007 at 08:29 PM. |
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02-19-2007, 08:39 PM
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#8 | |
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Member (11 bit)
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Just read a first hand account from someone with an 8800GTS in another post. Looks like the GTX isn't really practical unless you play on ultra high res or plan to move up to a 6700 or 6800. This latest generation of cards really made a performance jump.
Quote:
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02-19-2007, 08:51 PM
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#9 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 13
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Hmm I'll have to consider that. The reason I picked the GTX was that some other people said I should have it if I was going to play Oblivion. I'm probably going to be playing on a 37 in 1080p monitor if that makes any difference. One more thing: should I get 2 dvd burners so I can burn dvds directly?
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02-19-2007, 08:55 PM
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#10 |
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Member (11 bit)
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If you copy DVDs directly regularly, then yes. I got two and have only ever used one at a time tho.
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02-19-2007, 08:59 PM
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#11 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 80
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I personally use the P5B Deluxe and have no troubles at all. My two optical drives were IDE drives and I had to RMA them because they failed (probably because of the MOBO IDE Controller)...other than that it has been flawless.
I would def. get a SATA Dvd burner preferablyl Lite-on. Get the retail version because it comes with Nero burning software. If you use another burning program then don't worry about it. I wouldn't get two DVD burners though, get one DVD burner and a DVD rom. The SATA drives are hard to find in stock though, at least on newegg.com. |
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02-19-2007, 09:04 PM
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#12 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Now 'that' might be a good argument to go with the GTX.
 As for the dual DVD burners, not sure. I am a fan of dual drives for CD copies if nothing else. Usually when I'm working with DVDs though, I have to move it to the hard drive for some editing anyway so I don't do diresct 1 to 1 copies. If you do home movie DVDs for family or something like that though, dual DVD drives wouldn't hurt.
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02-19-2007, 09:19 PM
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#13 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Just checked newegg and all the Lite-on SATA burners are out of stock. Should I look for another brand?
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02-19-2007, 09:25 PM
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#14 |
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Member (11 bit)
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zipzoomfly.com has a bunch of the LiteOns in stock.
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02-19-2007, 09:33 PM
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#15 |
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Just remembered, what about cooling?
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02-19-2007, 09:42 PM
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#16 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Retail processors come with heat sinks and fans (And using any other than what Intel provides voids your warranty; the one they give you is good enough). As for case cooling, standard setup has an exhaust fan on the back of the case, and often an intake fan in the front. The antec case Staren linked to has plenty of fans. Video cards have cooling built on.
Stuff like water cooling and specialized heat sinks/fans are only necessary if you're doing serious overclocking. Even if you do a bit of OCing, many people report the Core2Duos do fine with just the standard cooling. |
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02-19-2007, 09:48 PM
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#17 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
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How is this motherboard? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131030
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02-19-2007, 09:52 PM
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#18 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Thats the exact same model I linked to minus firewire ports. If that's not a feature you need, the P5B would be fine.
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02-19-2007, 10:02 PM
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#19 |
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I don't even know what firewire is so prob not a big deal there.
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02-19-2007, 10:17 PM
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#20 |
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Actually on the motherboard would there be an advantage to getting the deluxe: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131045
Or possibly getting a 680i for possible SLI in the future? |
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02-19-2007, 10:22 PM
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#21 |
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Ok. The standard P5B should be work perfictly then unless you want to spend th money on SLI. Here is a comparison between the two boards we've been talking about: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131030
The other major difference between the boards is that the P5B has 5 internal SATA ports while the P5B-E has 6. If you don't plan to put more then 3 hard drives in with your two opticals (most people wouldn't) then you're set for a motherboard. The Ethernet chip and sound chip are technicalities really. You could make a case, but really, you wouldn't notice the difference. |
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02-19-2007, 10:32 PM
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#22 |
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Alright thanks everyone for being so helpful. Have everything except case. So many choices. Basically what I want from the case is good cooling and quiet. Wouldn't hurt if it looked good.
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02-19-2007, 10:49 PM
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#23 |
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It's pretty much personal choice, but with an 8800 in there, I would suggest something known to have good air flow, look at the Antec P180, Antec 900, Lian Li PC-7A, Lian Li PC-V600, along those lines. Look at the major brands for cases, Antec, ThermalTake, Lian Li, NZXT, Silverstone, Raidmax first. You probobly want something with 120mm fans. Everything else is up to you.
Last edited by Staren; 02-19-2007 at 10:53 PM. |
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02-19-2007, 10:51 PM
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#24 |
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Member (7 bit)
Join Date: Jun 2005
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what price range are you lookin at for the case? I would recommend a full tower case, especially with the 8800 video cards as they would need the extra room. Although some mid-towers have a surprising amount of room. If you find a case that you like and has at least 3 fans, then you should be okay. You can always add more fans to your liking.
Edit: I would recommend this, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811146029 it has a rediculous amount of fans, and NZXT makes pretty good cases. 1 x 80mm top fan 4 x 120mm side fan 2 x 120mm rear fan 1 x 120mm front fan that should keep your system very cool. Something from Thermaltake, Antec, or Lian-Li ( a bit pricey though) as Staren stated before. Last edited by haggard21; 02-19-2007 at 11:00 PM. |
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02-19-2007, 10:52 PM
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#25 |
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Member (4 bit)
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I'm off to sleep. Thanks again everyone for help especially Staren.
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02-20-2007, 10:23 AM
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#26 |
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NZXT makes very nice cases, but make sure the one you choose comes with no power supply - the ones that do have poor quality units that should be replaced on general principle.
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02-20-2007, 06:17 PM
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#27 |
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Hows it look?
Thermaltake Armor Series VA8003BWS Black Full Tower Case w/ 25CM Fan - Retail Item #: N82E16811133021 $20.00 Mail-in Rebate $174.99 Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Item #: N82E16822148140 $94.99 EVGA 768-P2-N831-AR GeForce 8800GTX 768MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail Item #: N82E16814130072 -$10.00 Instant $30.00 Mail-in Rebate $569.99 $559.99 CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply - Retail Item #: N82E16817139002 -$20.00 Instant $20.00 Mail-in Rebate $189.99 $169.99 CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail Item #: N82E16820145590 $40.00 Mail-in Rebate $204.00 ASUS P5B LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Item #: N82E16813131030 $124.99 Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6600 - Retail Item #: N82E16819115003 $314.00 |
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02-20-2007, 06:31 PM
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#28 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Looks like a plan. Copy of Windows and one optical drive to install everything and you're good to go.
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02-20-2007, 06:34 PM
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#29 |
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Member (4 bit)
Join Date: Feb 2007
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Yea newegg was out of SATA drives so I'm just going to order them from somewhere else.
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02-20-2007, 07:26 PM
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#30 |
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Member (11 bit)
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Zipzoomfly.com had a bunch of SATA optical Lite On drive in stock yesterday.
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