I need some help with my first build (kind of)

[KingBernard]

Well, I'll start off by saying that I'm not technically "building" the computer. However, I'm ordering it from cyberpowerpc.com. They let you pick all the parts and put it together for you, but you still have to deal with all of the compatibility issues and such yourself.

So, I think I've put together pretty much the build I want to get, and I need some help making sure that everything is compatible.

While that's my main concern, I also kinda want to make sure that none of the parts I've currently selected would bottleneck the others (or vice versa, that any one part is "too good" for the rest of the system).

Anyway, here's the build:

# CAS: ($20 off Mail-in Rebate) X-Discovery Mid-Tower Case 420W W/ WINDOW & LCD Temperature Display [+5] (Silver Color)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144172

# CPU: (Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T [+69]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115003

# CD: Sony Q170A 18x Double Layer Dual Format DVD+-R/+-RW + CD-R/RW Drive [+6] (SILVER COLOR [+9])
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827131038

# CD2: 16X DVD ROM [+18] (SILVER COLOR [+9])
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827101131

# FLASHMEDIA: INTERNAL 12in1 Flash Media Reader/Writer (BLACK COLOR)
(Specs aren't given on this, so I can't find a link)

# FAN: INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK + 3 EXTRA CASE FANS [+9]
(Once again, can't find a link)

# HDD: Single Hard Drive (250GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 8MB Cache 7200RPM HDD)
(Can't find a link for this one, but it does give some specs:
Performance Specifications
· Rotational Speed 7,200 RPM (nominal)
· Buffer Size 8 MB
· Average Latency 4.20 ms (nominal)
Seek Times
· Read Seek Time 8.9 ms
· Track-To-Track Seek Time 2.0 ms (average)
· Full Stroke Seek 21.0 ms (average)
Transfer Rates
· Buffer To Host (Serial ATA) 300 MB/s (Max)
· Buffer To Disk 748 Mbits/s (Max)
Physical Specifications
· Formatted Capacity 250,059 MB
· Capacity 250 GB
· Interface SATA 300 MB/s
· Bytes Per Sector 512
· User Sectors Per Drive 488,397,168
· Servo Type)

# MONITOR: Hanns·G HW-191APB Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254023

# MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5N-SLI nForce 570 SLI Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1066 DDR2 Mainboard w/GbLAN,USB2.0,&5.1Audio [+3]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131032

# MEMORY: (Req.DDR2 MainBoard)1GB (2x512MB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory (Mushkin Brand [+9])
(Pretty much two of these) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146115

Also, OCZ Gold 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820227124

# POWERSUPPLY: 500 Watts Power Supplies [+49] (($15 off Mail-in Rebate) Xion ATX Power Supply Dual Silent Cooling Fan [+5])
(Almost the same as this, just different specs are given on the output, specifically 17 and 18 amps on the +12v1 and +12v2 rails) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817190011

# SOUND: Creative Labs SB Audigy SE [+30]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102002

# SPEAKERS: (BLACK) Logitech X530 70Watts 5.1 Configuration Speaker System [+49]
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121126

# VIDEO: NEW!!! NVIDIA GeForce 8800 GTS 320MB 16X PCI Express [+216] (Major Brand Powered by NVIDIA)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082

Here's the basic model that I started with, if you're interested: http://www.cyberpowerpc.com/system/sp3.asp?v=d
They give some specs on lots of the parts if you click the blue question marks to the right of said part.

One thing I just noticed, the RAM that comes with the computer is PC6400, while the extra I'm buying separate is PC2-6400. Would that be a problem?

So, once again, I'm mainly worried about compatibility, but would also like any opinions on the build, specifically bottlenecks, but everything's welcome.

Thanks a million.

[Alaron]

Welcome to PCMech. I would highly advise that you build your system yourself. You can probably save a lot of money and make a much higher quality system.

First thing is that Xion power supplies are junk. Check out our list here: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195 We recommend Corsair units for the new 8800 video cards.

Sony drives are ok, but you want one that is SATA, not IDE and comes with burning software. We recommend LiteOn drives.

We recommend Seagate SATA 7200.10 hard drives with 16mb caches.

Go with the Asus P5B motherboard instead. We recommend it often. If you want SLI, the 680i chipset is the only game in town.

You only need DDR2-667 for that setup. Anything higher is useless without overclocking. The two types of RAM you linked to are the same. We recommend Corsair RAM.

[Staren]

The build itself looks good, but I for one stay FAR away from CyberPower. Looks like they changed their domain *again* to beat resellerratings. It was orginally cyberpower.com then cyberpowerinc.com, now it's cyberpowerpc.com.... Their rating has improved in the last few months, but I would not put it past them to be the company spamming, because there was a time when CyberPower was absolute trash. I'm not going to mix words here. They where not to be trusted. They may have improved, but I personally wouldn't risk it.

http://www.resellerratings.com/store/CyberPower

[Duffasaurus]

Sorry Bernard, but you're over-analyzing this. They won't sell you an incompatible combination of parts. The most help we will be is telling you how it will perform for you. If you want the satisfaction of building a pc, you really have to BUILD a pc. Choosing the parts is simply the busy-work of a new computer. Putting it together is what it's all about.

[KingBernard]

I had heard that I would have to take care of compatibility... hmm...

Anyway, after that less than glowing review of cyberpower, I've been looking more seriously into actually building it myself.

I've taken all of your suggestions into consideration and then gone through the checklist that Panama Red made, and I've come across a few questions.

I'm considering the following parts (in the order from the checklist):

Case: APEVIA X-DISCOVERY-AL Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144177

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139001

Mobo: ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2E16813131073R

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115003

HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148140

RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145015

Pri Optical: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106057

Sec Optical: LITE-ON Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model LH-16D1P-185
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106067

Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102003

Video Card: EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082

Keyboard/Mouse: Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black 105 Normal Keys 9 Function Keys USB Ergonomics Keyboard Mouse Included
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823109156

LAN: NETGEAR FA311 10/100Mbps PCI Network Interface Card 1 x RJ45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833122109

Monitor: Hanns·G HW-191APB Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254023

Speakers: Logitech X-530 70 watts RMS 5.1 Black Speaker System
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121126

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116202

Now, as for my questions.

I want to get Vista, but which is the version I've selected the best bet? NewEgg has several different versions of both Home Basic and Home Premium.

I still need a surge protector and some kind of cooling system, and I need suggestions.

Also, would that network card be sufficient for general gaming purposes?

Now, I don't think there'll be any problems with compatibility, but I'm not all that informed, so again, help's appreciated.

Oh, and once again of course, any input or suggestions on any of the parts is welcome.

[minsonngo]

Originally Posted by KingBernard Case: APEVIA X-DISCOVERY-AL Silver Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811144177

That case is fine. Cases are by preference so... just go with what you like.

Originally Posted by KingBernard PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139001

Good choice.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Mobo: ASUS P5N32-E SLI LGA 775 NVIDIA nForce 680i SLI ATX Intel Motherboard http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...2E16813131073R

Go with the regular ASUS P5B instead: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131030

Originally Posted by KingBernard CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 Conroe 2.4GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115003

Good choice.

Originally Posted by KingBernard HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148140

Thats fine.

Originally Posted by KingBernard RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145015

The Corsair ValueSelect line will work just fine too and is cheaper... here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098

Originally Posted by KingBernard Pri Optical: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106057

Good choice.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Sec Optical: LITE-ON Black 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model LH-16D1P-185 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106067

Good choice.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Sound Card: Creative Sound Blaster SB0570 Audigy SE 7.1 Channels 24-bit 96KHz PCI Interface Sound Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829102003

I would just stick with the onboard sound and invest in a nice set of speakers.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Video Card: EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082

Good choice.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Keyboard/Mouse: Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black 105 Normal Keys 9 Function Keys USB Ergonomics Keyboard Mouse Included http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823109156

No opinion.

Originally Posted by KingBernard LAN: NETGEAR FA311 10/100Mbps PCI Network Interface Card 1 x RJ45 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833122109

The motherboard already has a NIC integrated on it... so you don't need this.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Monitor: Hanns·G HW-191APB Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824254023

Take a look at Samsung and Acer LCDs.

Originally Posted by KingBernard Speakers: Logitech X-530 70 watts RMS 5.1 Black Speaker System http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121126

Not bad.

Originally Posted by KingBernard OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116202

Go with whichever version has the features you need. Read about the different ones here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...s/default.mspx

I would go with Windows XP with a coupon to upgrade to Vista down the road... and upgrade it after Microsoft comes out with the 1st service pack for it.

Originally Posted by KingBernard I still need a surge protector and some kind of cooling system, and I need suggestions.

APC and Tripp-Lite are good makers of surge protectors... pick one that suits your needs. As for cooling... the processor already comes with a heatsink & fan... use it... the case also comes with one 80mm fan and one 120mm fan (that is more than enough)... just remember... intake fans in the front and exhaust fans in the back... you don't need anything else really. The PSU also has fans to pull out air.

[KingBernard]

Originally Posted by minsonngo The Corsair ValueSelect line will work just fine too and is cheaper... here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145098

Well, the one I had chosen has free shipping and is dual channel, so the ValueSelect one is really only $1 cheaper and doesn't have dual channel. $1 seems worth it to me.

Originally Posted by minsonngo Take a look at Samsung and Acer LCDs.

Will do

Originally Posted by minsonngo Go with whichever version has the features you need. Read about the different ones here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...s/default.mspx I would go with Windows XP with a coupon to upgrade to Vista down the road... and upgrade it after Microsoft comes out with the 1st service pack for it.

Interesting. How can I tell if it comes with a coupon?

Oh, and either way, both XP and Vista come in many different versions (aside from basic and premium) that vary in price from $99 up to over $200. Is there a good reason to get the more expensive ones?

Originally Posted by minsonngo APC and Tripp-Lite are good makers of surge protectors... pick one that suits your needs. As for cooling... the processor already comes with a heatsink & fan... use it... the case also comes with one 80mm fan and one 120mm fan (that is more than enough)... just remember... intake fans in the front and exhaust fans in the back... you don't need anything else really. The PSU also has fans to pull out air.

Thanks, I'll look into them for the surge protector, and thanks for the info on the cooling, sound card, and the network card. Dropped the price quite a bit

[Alaron]

Your posts were caught in our spam filter KB. I fixed it for you. Please contact a Mod in the future.

[KingBernard]

Thanks Alaron.

Ok, I've got another question to add to the rest: What specs do I need for the surge protector? I'm assuming that it doesn't need to be the same wattage as the PSU (based on just looking around), but what does it need to be?

[minsonngo]

Originally Posted by KingBernard Well, the one I had chosen has free shipping and is dual channel, so the ValueSelect one is really only $1 cheaper and doesn't have dual channel. $1 seems worth it to me.

Its actually the motherboard that has the dual channel capabilities, not the memory itself... so you getting the ValueSelect will still allow it to run dual channel as long as the two sticks are identical (which it is).

But if it is only a one dollar difference... get the one you picked out then.

[KingBernard]

Ah, didn't realize that about dual channel. Good to know.

Now, I've been trying to read up on the different versions of Windows, and I think that I want XP Home OEM. Now, looking for this, Microsoft's website directed me to here: http://www.atomicpark.com/xq/aspx/pr...uctdetail.html as the cheapest option. Now, is there any reason that I shouldn't get this one? If so, please give me some alternatives, because this is becoming the most confusing and annoying problem of this whole process...

Also, I still need to know what specs I need for the surge protector.

[Staren]

That's the retail box. You want oem. All that means is you don't get the pretty box and no free microsoft support. Here's what you want.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116056

[minsonngo]

Anyone of these is fine really...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817106223
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817106221
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16812120307

[XenaWP]

Actually I just picked up a 19" Hanns-G for my old system since I migrated my nice Viewsonic over to the new one. I got the JC-199DPB. Unbelievable quality for $129. Cheezy stand, but great panel for the price, for a general desktop system (not for extreme gaming or high end photo/video work).

[KingBernard]

Thanks Staren. Although I'd like to find XP with that Vista coupon, I haven't been able to find any anywhere, so I guess I might just be S.O.L. on that front.

Thanks Minsonngo, thought I'd have to spent more on the surge protector

@XenaWP: I found an Acer with the same specs for just $10 more, which I'm comfortable with to get a more reputable brand.

So, what's looking to be the final build will be what I outlined before with the following changes:

Acer AL1917WAbd Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 Built in Speakers
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009100

ASUS P5B LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131030

Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116056

APC PF11VT3 10 feet 11 Outlets 2030 joule SurgeArrest
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817106221

Thanks for all of your help, it's very much appreciated.

[Staren]

Ya. sadly I think they stopped the upgrade coupon program a few weeks ago. I haven't been able to find any either.

[minsonngo]

The final build list looks good!