New here... Recommended parts

[Spiritofliberty]

I'm very new to building own PC's so I would like to have some opinions on the parts to choose that will go along fine with an intel core 2 duo. Just read the 23 steps on PC building but it doesn't have recommendations for parts and I'm very afraid of incompatibility issues, so thanks a lot everyone...

[perkster]

Firstly, welcome to the forums.

To help you with that we need to know your budget and what you plan to use the comp for..

heres a starter:

mobo: asus P5b
processor: Intel Core2Duo E6600
Memory: Corsair value select 2x1gb 667ghz RAM
hard drive: Seagate 7200.10 320gb SATA 3.0 hard drive (16mb cache)
PSU: Corsair 520W
DVD: Lite-on SATA DVD burner 20x
GPU: (depends on budget and how much you play games) if a gamer go for the NVIDIA 8600 or 8800, else maybe a 7900GT may be better for your budget, go for EVGA or asus or good brand.
OS: your choice between XP and Vista
Case: your choice
do you need keyboards, monitors etc

if that comes in higher than your budget you can put in a lower priced C2D chip like the 6420 and cheaper GPU to bring price down.

[Spiritofliberty]

My budget will be about $1000. So what is the pricing like for the one above? Anyway, thanks for the recommendations...

[Spiritofliberty]

One more thing I don't really plan to build it now but maybe in a few months later so is it wise to wait? And yeah i need a keyboard, monitor, soundcard, videocard etc, good enough to run AutoCAD 2008 3d..

[perkster]

yeah if you can wait, do as intel are having price cuts late july which may increase your options within your budget.

[LeftyAce]

In a few months prices will be enough different that it's hard to say what you will be able to get, but, the Intel Quad core cpus are dropping in price in 1 month....that alone is worth waiting for, especially if you want to run CAD.

The 1000 to 1200 range is a good guess for a performance pc, although needing a monitor will take a bite out of the budget.

[Spiritofliberty]

Well, I'm not sure about my country here. Cause I'm not in US or in UK but in Malaysia, so till now quad core has not really arrived here LOL. So hopefully, they will slash prices here. And any recommendations for affordable and quality keyboard & monitor & I think I need a wireless modem too.

[LeftyAce]

Ah, not sure what the pricing plan is in Malaysia, sorry :-)

The e6600 is a very powerful chip, so if it's what you can get, you're doing fine.
In my opinion any old cheap-o keyboard is fine, but I'm not picky in the keyboard area. Mice on the other hand, I like high sensitivity which tends to be more expensive.

A number of people on these forums use HannsG monitors, and I can vouch for Acer. Samsung is good, but expensive.

Can't help you with the wireless, sorry....all I know is you want a PCI card and not a USB version.
Actually, some of the ASUS motherboards come with built in wireless LAN cards....if you need one, that might make sense; it'd let you save your pci slots for something else.

[jer888]

You mean a wireless network interface card? Do you have Wifi in your area/ your own router? I've never heard of a wireless modem.

[Spiritofliberty]

Sorry, I mean a wireless router like D-link. Or something else to connect to a Wifi network in my campus? Is a network card ok? Its cheaper right...

Anyway, I'll wait and I am hoping for more recommendations like what Perkster has wonderfully done like:

motherboard:
processor: dual/quad core
Memory: 2gb i think
hard drive: should I have two separate ones?
PSU:
DVD: (dual layer?)
GPU:
Soundcard:
Mouse/Keyboard:

Cause what i'm not sure now, what is the brand to use and how compatible it would be. I'm aiming for some value buy I guess. Btw, will there be a DDR-3 ram?

p.s. Those with blank spaces are those I know nothing about sigh...

[Spiritofliberty]

I have read some forums and there are usually sentences like listed under good... listed under bad... Where can I get that list if there is one And does Newegg ship overseas?

[LeftyAce]

If you are trying to connect to a wireless network on campus, you need a wireless network card. (big brands are d-link, linksys, etc, but I haven't used any so I'll let someone else cover what's good quality) A router will NOT work, it's for something else.

As far as 'listed under good/bad' we maintain a list of good/bad powersupplies here: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

Motherboard:
is determined by which processor you are going to use, which kind of depends on what the pricing is in a month or so. We recommend ASUS motherboards, as they are very reliable. The board Perkster recommended is compatible with the C2D chips, and possibly the Core 2 Quad, but I'm not sure. I know the P5K is compatible with the quad core. There are a couple different P5B models; the only difference is what 'extras' they have. One has onboard firewire, another adds a built-in wireless card, etc. Those options are totally determined by what you will use.

RAM:
2GB of memory is plenty for most applications right now (including serious gaming). If you get an intel processor, DDR2 667 is the ram you need. Corsair Value Select is good value and quite reliable. (And their customer support rocks...I had 1 stick die on me and they overnighted a replacement out)

DDR3 is on the horizon, but won't be 'main stream' for at least 6 months, maybe more.

Hard Drive:
Some people recommend 2 harddrives so the OS is on 1 and all your data is on the other; that way if you have to reinstall windows, you just unplug the data harddrive and don't risk losing anything. Personally, I've always had 1 internal drive and 1 external for backups.

PSU: See the good/bad list above. The wattage you'll need is largely determined by which video card you get. A top of the line DX10 card such as the 8800GTX will work fine with a quality 520W psu such as the Corsair HX520 (or 520hx, I always mess that up :-)

DVD:
Lite On is a consistently reliable brand....With a modern build you'll want an optical drive with SATA interface (not IDE/ATA). Get a lite-on retail version because they come with burning software. (don't get an OEM version). The first one I found on newegg had DL support, so it seems it's not too hard to get (might even be standard everywhere, I'm not sure).

GPU: Depends on what you want to do and how much you can spend.

Soundcard: Unnecessary unless you're a serious audio nut or do lots of sound recording. For everyone else the onboard sound on the motherboard is fine.

Mouse/KB: Personal preference. You might want to head over to a 'real' store and try some out; see what's comfortable. Personally I use a RAZER mouse (Very sensitive; I love it :-) and a crappy Dell KB.

Sadly newegg.com does not ship overseas (Heck, they don't even ship to Canada...)

Sorry this is so long, just wanted to help out with the areas you 'know nothing about.'

[Spiritofliberty]

Thanks it helped a lot. The longer the better(more info for me) .
I'm not really into sounds so maybe even the speakers will be a cheap pair... As for monitors those LCDs ones are expensive right?

2 GB of Ram does it mean in a single stick or a pair? Which is better?

Very sorry if I am asking a lot of questions for all this while I thought of buying a ready made PC, till now, I realise that by building my own PC it will be fun, it will let me know my PC even better and allows me to perform upgrade easily. Self build pc rocks...

[LeftyAce]

Newegg has Acer monitors starting at $140....higher end samsungs got closer to $250, but the cheapest CRT monitor I see on newegg is $130.

Get a 2X1GB kit (2 matched sticks) of ram to take advantage of dual channel operation (faster data transfer).

Don't worry about asking questions, it's the only way to learn. And yes, a self-built pc is awesome :-)

[jer888]

Yeah, unless you WANT a CRT, there is no reason not to get a LCD.

DDR2 is at rock bottom prices right now, and DDR3 is extremely expensive, has bad timings, and high latency. Don't worry about it yet.

Also, are you using the computer for gaming, or what else?

[Spiritofliberty]

Not really for gaming but actually, I would like a PC which is still powerful after a few years with just a little upgrade. I think i will get a flat panel one, CRT is too bulky. Is there any good article btw about how to choose the right parts without having to pay a monstrous amount just for that slight bit of extra performance.

Eg. Part A is 10% better than part B but cost 100% more. Then, I would choose part B something like that...

[LeftyAce]

Prices change so often that I'm not sure there's an article on what makes the most sense 'right now', however with some knowledge of your intended use (you've given us that) and your budget (you've given us that) we can recommend a good combination of power/$.

An example of your part A vs part B is the intel C2D e6600 vs the e6700. The $100 price jump doesn't translate into that much better performance.

If you're not gaming (right now) you can save a fair amount of money on the graphics card (And graphics cards are easy to upgrade later, and the current slot will be standard for a while).

I would wait until Intel drops their prices in a month and see what that does to the market in Malaysia.

At that point, an Asus P5B, 2GB of valueselect DDR2 667 ram, Seagate 320GB harddrive, Corsair 520HX PSU (or another from the 'good' list that you can get shipped to your location), some video card, some case, and an OS, and all that is easily within the $1000 budget. Might even be able to fit the monitor in under $1000 too, but why don't you wait and see what Intel's prices do on July 22nd.

[ConceptSoul11]

well,i`m interested too and i happened to be in malaysia.

so i do some research:
mobo: asus P5b-RM400
processor: Intel Core2Duo E6600-RM795
Memory: Corsair value select 2x1gb 667ghz RAM-RM280
PSU: Corsair 520W- 290
OS: your choice between XP and Vista-XP,499

=RM 2264.

left graphic card,dvd burner,and hard drive. : )

too bad my budget is 2000 for all that item.

[Spiritofliberty]

Conceptsoul, where can we buy those parts? Its rather cheap compared to the price in local stores here(Melaka)

And yes Leftyace, I think I will wait about 3-4 months and by the time will the price drop? Hopefully One more thing, why did u advise against Wifi USB adapter is PCI better?

And issit enough by just reading the 23 steps because I am very worried that I won't be able to fix the wires correctly... I have not bought a hardware before (usually just upgrade through the technician) so I am wondering will the motherboard come with a manual that is easy to decipher(user-friendly), will reading those manuals be enough? Do I need to know more?

More questions to come... so pls bear with me

[LeftyAce]

The price drop is scheduled for July 22, so you shouldn't have to wait much longer than that.

PCI wifi adapter takes up fewer system resources to run (And saves a USB slot to be used for something else).

Putting the computer together isn't too difficult if you take your time. Most of the parts only fit in one place anyway :-) Be sure to read the motherboard manual from start to finish first, then begin building, and you should be fine. We're always here if you have issues.

[ConceptSoul11]

C-ZONE SDN BHD ( 613133 V ) WWW.COMPU-ZONE.COM
LOT 2-57 , SECOND FLOOR, LOW YAT PLAZA, KUALA LUMPUR ( MONDAY TO SUNDAY : 11 AM TO 9 PM ) ( DEALER PRICES )
TEL : 603 21458841 / 8842 FAX : 603 21458845 ( JUNE WEEK 4 07 )

here you are.

try to check this out at lowyat.com,u might find some useful information.

[Spiritofliberty]

Ok thanks. I am waiting because I do not need the PC now, and I haven't got the money(under a scholarship ) Maybe by the time I have enough for quad core?? I have just seen a diy live demo video which comes together with my asrock motherboard in my PC now, it seems rather straight forward(thank God). Hopefully asus comes with something like that.

I read about static, so if I accidentally damage the CPU because of the static will the warranty cover it?

Do i need to but those anti static wrist thingy, or will i be grounded by ocassionally touching a metal pipe?

DDR 2 667 or 800? I read neweggs description of the P5B and it mentioned 800, can it overclock?

Anyway conceptsoul11 do u know the shop owner lol maybe I can get a discount

[LeftyAce]

I don't think the ASUS boards come with a video, but the procedure is the same for any brand (the boards are standardized to fit in ATX cases and have similar sets of slots, after all).

I doubt the warranty will cover accidental static killing the cpu, but the question then arises: how would they know it was static that killed it?

I used a wrist strap for my first build, but not for my other two. I've read that touching the case is sufficient grounding, but I always grab a nearby pipe. When you're handling parts, don't touch the pins, hold things by the sides of the boards, which don't conduct anyway.

The P5B can handle 800 speed ram, and can overclock. The C2D proecssors only 'talk' to the ram at 533, and somehow benefit from the extra overhead provided by 667 ram. So if you want to OC your cpu, you'd want 800 speed ram. Otherwise the ram will just turn itself down to 667 speed anyway.

[Spiritofliberty]

I guess they won't know what causes it to fry... ROFL.
Wat's the difference between Asus P5B/P5B E-plus/P5B MX/P5B MX WiFi/P5K Deluxe??

And with WiFi adapters some are PCI and PCIMIA?

[LeftyAce]

P5B-E has firewire, p5b deluxe wifi has wifi, the others I don't know; check the features. No substantive difference though.

You want PCI. PCMCIA is a slot that laptops have. Although you could get the wifi mobo....

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by Spiritofliberty Ok thanks. I am waiting because I do not need the PC now, and I haven't got the money(under a scholarship ) Maybe by the time I have enough for quad core?? I have just seen a diy live demo video which comes together with my asrock motherboard in my PC now, it seems rather straight forward(thank God). Hopefully asus comes with something like that. I read about static, so if I accidentally damage the CPU because of the static will the warranty cover it? Do i need to but those anti static wrist thingy, or will i be grounded by ocassionally touching a metal pipe? DDR 2 667 or 800? I read neweggs description of the P5B and it mentioned 800, can it overclock? Anyway conceptsoul11 do u know the shop owner lol maybe I can get a discount

Hi there,

Most of the computer parts obtained are from the Kuala Lumpur's Low Yat Plaza.

Okay, about the board, just try to grab the Asus' P5B variants wherever possible. Quad-core support for motherboards are overpriced, and not really recommended.

For the discharging static - just touch the unpainted metal part on your case, like the screw, or any metal part somewhere outside your computer.

And yes Leftyace, I think I will wait about 3-4 months and by the time will the price drop? Hopefully One more thing, why did u advise against Wifi USB adapter is PCI better?

If you happen to have a wireless connection at your home and if you happen not to feel like buying a WiFi stick, that the P5B-WiFi for you.

[Spiritofliberty]

Is the onboard WiFi better or should I buy another wifi card from brands like D-link or Linksys?

And the gel that is used on top of the CPU do I need to use a good one or can I just get the shop to put a bit for me (my cousin told me they usually have leftovers and since i'm buying so much from them no need to buy the full tube?) The pricelist also has some heatsinks for sale, do i need that?

[Spiritofliberty]

Thanks...

[LeftyAce]

The onboard wifi is fine, and takes up less space than a PCI card would. If you know you're going to use it, you might as well get it.

The CPU comes with a heatsink and thermal paste which is already applied to the heatsink. You must use the supplied heatsink and paste or you void your warranty.

[The_YongGrand]

Originally Posted by Spiritofliberty Is the onboard WiFi better or should I buy another wifi card from brands like D-link or Linksys? And the gel that is used on top of the CPU do I need to use a good one or can I just get the shop to put a bit for me (my cousin told me they usually have leftovers and since i'm buying so much from them no need to buy the full tube?) The pricelist also has some heatsinks for sale, do i need that?

The quality of an onboard WiFi and a seperate card is just all the same.

For the processor, just use the heatsink provided. It comes with the material too so don't bother to put another paste inside it or it'll just void the warranty or have heating issues.

Just a story, one of my dealer just assembled an Athlon XP pc back in 04 and he apparently put another cheap paste ON TOP of the thermal material provided on the bottom of the heatsink... imagine that the worst consequences done to my PC.

And SpiritofLiberty - if you happened to be in LowYat plaza, grab these pricelists first, then think about which one to buy. Sometimes, impulse buying could happen...