New Build

[superunknown]

Originally Posted by danielson ...it all adds up to $885... Antec P150 comes w/430 power supply. $150 Asus P5B-E $150 Intel E6300 CPU $185 2GB Corsair Value Select PC-5300 Ram $169 7600GT Video Card $120 Seagate 320GB hard drive $88 Lite On CD/DVD Burner $38 Card Reader $10

Greetings, folks...I'm also looking to build a complete system for moderate gaming, music, etc. I didn't see a point in posting a new board, since my specs are almost identical to danielson's. Unfortunately, I can't order from Newegg since I live in Canada. I've shopped around at several local independent stores, and they all seem to be around the same price component-for-component, though it still seems inflated to me. I'm also moving away in less than a week, so time is of the essence, otherwise I'd wait until the end of April as glc suggested. Also because of that, I don't have the time to put it together myself (nor really the confidence/expertise to do so without potentially frying something), so the store will assemble & test it for me. Any suggestions on how I could reduce the cost while maintaining decent performance? Anyhow, here's what I'd like in mine (prices in Canadian Dollars):

Intel C2D E6300 CPU                $226
Asus P5B MoBo                      $147
OCZ DDR2 667Mhz 1GB RAM            $112
Seagate 320GB SATA 7200.10 HDD     $106
XFX 7600GT (590MHz)                $174
LG GSA-H22L 18x DVD+/-R             $45
Sony 1.44MB FDD                     $10
Antec P180 Case                    $140
Antec SmartPower 500 PSU            $81
Win XP Home (OEM)                   $99
Altec Lansing 2320 speakers         $25  (the 2321 includes a sub and is $55)
Samsung 931BW 19" LCD              $269

TOTAL                             $1434

Keep in mind, I don't plan on o/c'ing, no need for RAID, Firewire, WiFi or SLI. I realize that Corsair ValueSelect 667MHz is the recommended RAM for similar builds here in the forum, but the business I'm intending on buying from said he had 2 RMA's for Corsair RAM and said to go with OCZ. I'm also aware of the 965 chipset problem with IDE drives, and I'm pretty sure that LG is an IDE (I haven't seen any SATA available here), and I already have a 200GB IDE for storage. So, is there another Asus board I could/should go with? Or perhaps an Intel or Gigabyte?

I also own a Sony 2.1 400W stereo with L/R RCA inputs, so I could forego getting new speakers altogether if the onboard sound has a stereo output that I could connect to my sound system.

Keyboard & mouse doesn't really matter, I just need the basics...no cordless, no internet keys/function, and just a 3-button scrollwheel. (open to suggestions, either Logitech or MS).

Is there anything else I could downgrade to cut the cost? I realize the importance of the PSU, would a SmartPower 450 still be good? (it's only $10 cheaper anyway). I don't particularly care about the case, I just used that as an example since it was recommended in one of the other topics...I find it kind of pricey. As a last resort, I could step down to a 7600GS or 7300GT, but preferably not.

Also with the video card & monitor combination...i don't mind playing games at lower resolutions (ie., 1024x768) to get better performance, but will there be any issues since it doesn't match the monitor's native res (which i believe is 1440x900)? In that case, should I go with a non-widescreen version (931C, 1280x1024)?

Okay, I know that's a hell of a lot of questions, but I think I've covered it all...input, please!

[freakitchen]

Superunknown, we prefer members to start new threads for individual help. I've moved your post to a new thread, entitled 'New Build' - if you'd like me to change the title, let me know.

FK

[superunknown]

Oops...didn't realize you moved it, I thought it disappeared, so I might have double posted. Thanks for doing so, and you can get rid of the second post i made (tried to edit/shorten it). Heh.

[glc]

Actually your posts got caught in our spam filter due to the terms you used - we approved the first one (this one) and moved it - and I just deleted your repost.

Can you get Corsair Value Select dual channel kit ram and a different brand than XFX on the video card? Those would be my only 2 recommendations. Are you near a Canada Computers store? If you are in the Vancouver area you can also look at NCIX.

[superunknown]

Thanks, glc...my apologies for the mixup.

The Corsair VS ram is definitely available...as I mentioned, it was just the dealer's suggestion not to because of defective sets that were returned to him. But your (collective) positive experiences with it outnumber the problems he's seen with them, so I'll let him know that's my preference.

And the other option on the vidcard was a BFG Tech, though slightly slower (580MHz clock/1.45MHz memory)...but with a $30 mail in rebate, no less. So no complaints here...is XFX generally less reliable?

I also read your other suggestion on the original board about the Sonata II case/PSU combo...it's only $100 here, vs. the $221 for the P180 case and Smartpower 500 PSU, so I think I'll go with the former.

Also, that IDE drive concern with the 965 chipset...any comments on using a different motherboard to get around that?

[glc]

If you can get a eVGA card, that's the best way to go. BFG is okay though. The reason we shy away from XFX is it's a division of ECS. I'd use a SATA optical drive before I'd change motherboards - the P965 chipset is really the best way to go with a C2D. The 975X boards are just too costly and the 945 2.0 boards don't have the headroom for future upgrades.

If you are hesitant about the Corsair, see if you can get another brand that's on the official Asus QVL list for that board. Don't go any slower than 667. With the money you are saving on the case and PSU, consider 2 gigs of ram.

[superunknown]

I'm in Toronto, actually...plenty of Canada Computers around here, though some of the local residents on another message board (that discusses reliability/pricing/customer service of the stores themselves) said that CC is a bit shady for elevated prices and suspect parts. But I'll drop by one of their locations today just to compare.

I actually asked my dealer for an eVGA card to begin with, but he said the BFG had a longer warranty. Methinks he might have some sort of deal/discount with these other brands if he's more inclined to push those ones instead of more reputable brands. I'm starting to think I should look to buy elsewhere, though he came highly recommended by a friend/business associate.

I follow your remarks on the SATA optical, I'll do my best to find one...and roger that on the 667 ram.

Thanks for your (as always) speedy and knowledgeable help.


edit: forgive my ignorance, but ECS? I don't know what company that is...are they involved in unethical business practices or something?

I also left 2GB of ram as an option, but he quoted me an additional $145 (!!) for the upgrade. I figure when it comes time to move over to Vista, I'll swap out for 2GB then.

[glc]

ECS is a large OEM in China who has a reputation for building low quality mass market components. It's not an ethics issue, it's a quality issue.

EVGA offers a lifetime warranty if you register the product within 30 days of purchase.

http://www.evga.com/support/lifetime/

[superunknown]

I should have added that, I figured it had to be one of those two reasons. Heh.

Lifetime?! I'll definitely need to have a word with that dealer if he's giving me erroneous info.

In which case, off I go!

Cheers...