First build, sub $1000 gaming PC

[coreywhite]

Hello everyone. I'm putting together a shopping list for my first ever build. I'd like to buy this stuff in the next couple of days. I'm planning to use the computer for scientific computation (Matlab, Mathematica, image/video processing) and (most importantly!) gaming at 1680x1050 resolution. My budget isn't very flexible, but if there's a small change that can make a big difference, please let me know. I have a couple of components already, which aren't really open to change (unless you tell me that the power supply is complete crap, in which case I'll have to rethink things). I'm least sure about the motherboard and the graphics card. Normally, for the RAM, I'd go with the Value Select, but there's a huge rebate right now on the XMS2.


Already have:


Case: Lian Li PC-60USB B2 Silver Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Power Supply: Enermax EG651P-VE 550W

Operating System: Windows XP Home Retail (from my old PC, which will no longer be used)

Other: Mouse, speakers, monitor (LCD, 1680x1050 native resolution)


Considering buying:


Motherboard: ASUS P5K LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - $136.99

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail - $211.99

RAM: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400C4 - Retail - $67.99 (after rebate)

Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3320620AS (Perpendicular Recording Technology) 320GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM - $79.99

Video Card: SAPPHIRE 100196L Radeon X1950PRO 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported HDCP Video Card - Retail - $152.99

Optical Drive: LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-06 - Retail - $41.99

Keyboard: Microsoft Comfort Curve Black USB Wired Ergonomics Keyboard 2000 - Retail - $12.99

Other: BELKIN F8E093 Anti-Static Wrist Strap - Retail - $7.99

Subtotal (after rebate): $711.93


Let me know what you think! If no one has any suggestions, I'll probably go ahead and order these, and then use this thread for any other questions I have when it comes time to put everything together. Thanks!

[Marke522]

The only thing I would change if it were mine, would be the video card. I had an ATI 9800 PRO earlier, and was not 100% satisfied with it, everything else I have ever used has been nVidia. But Tom's Hardware has said that the X1950 was the best in it's price range. Since you had a Direct X 9 card picked out, I would have suggested this one, BFG Tech BFGR79256GSOCE GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 SLI Supported Video Card $165.99 with a $30.00 MIR. I guess it depends on what games you'll be playing, if you need Open GL, or Direct X. Most, if not all, my games are Open GL, so I've always been more than happy with nVidia cards, but it might be more of a personal thing rather than one of performace. The X1950 might be just as good, if not better than the 7900 GS.

Just found this link on Tom's after surfing a bit more.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphics.html

It actually shows then next nVidia card above yours to be the 7900 GTX, which Newegg has for an amazing price of only $499.99. WOW!! At that price why not get 2 and run SLi. Just kidding The next card up is the 8800 GTS going for $279.99 after the MIR. Looks like you allready all the homework on this.

I also use an Enermax, love it. Great choice there.

NICE price on your ram, couldn't find a better deal anywhere.

I noticed you didn't pick out a sound card, are you planning on using the onboard audio? I know a lot of people are going that way these days, but since you had "gaming PC" in the title, it made me think you might want an Audigy. 7.1 Surround for only 30 bucks? Can't seem to go wrong.

[andper10]

*Don't forget that sending in MIR's voids your Newegg 1 year replacement warranty: (read the Mail In Rebate Policy) http://www.newegg.com/CustomerServic...rnPolicy.asp#1
The bottom line is that you should be sure that it works well before cutting off the UPC Code.

I would get as big of a video card as you can afford. I have the X1950XT and it is a great card. Tom's Hardware consistently says it is the best in the ~$180 range. And it has come down to $168: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102067 . However, I am not sure how well it would handle the resolution that you want to play on. How much more money do you have to spend? I would try to get an 8800GTS if you can afford it. If you like MIR's then the XFX version is only $250 after MIR: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150171
If you don't plan to send in the MIR then EVGA is the recommended brand for 8800's in these forums: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130082 .

It looks like a nice build. I would even consider downgrading your CPU to an E6320 ($165.50 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...5015&Tpk=E6320 ) and upgrading your gfx card to an 8800GTS if you don't have extra money to spend. However, the E6750 seems like a very nice CPU so I would keep it on your list if you can afford it. Enjoy your build!

[jer888]

The X1950 should be fine at that resolution. I run games at the same resolution on medium settings with a 7600GT.

[xraycatj]

the P5K comes with HD audio. Some have said that you need to go through a lot of uninstalling and reinstalling to get the HD audio codec but I guess the problem was fixed; mine installed correctly the first time from the driver CD.

[coreywhite]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I haven't ruled out buying a dedicated sound card, but I'm no audiophile and I would like to at least try the onboard sound.

Regarding the video card: it was a tough choice. The 8800GTS is still more than I want to spend for a first generation DX10 card. If it was $225, I'd be much more tempted. My plan as it stands is to use the computer as is at least until Christmas, and more likely until my birthday in February; at that point, I will upgrade something. It seemed like the easiest, most useful, and least painful upgrade would be the video card. By that point it seems likely that there will be more DX10 games on the horizon, as well as new DX10 cards with better performance than the current ones.

All that said, I haven't totally settled on the x1950pro. Other cards I have considered are the SAPPHIRE 100199L Radeon X1950GT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail , which is only $109.99 after rebate, and the SAPPHIRE 100186L Radeon X1950XT 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail , which is $167.99. It seems like the X1950GT is not too big of a performance drop for the price difference, and given that I want to get a new video card in less than a year, that may make the most sense. On the other hand, if it turns out that I'm happy with the way my PC runs, maybe I won't actually need to make an upgrade for a year or two; with that thought, maybe I'd be best off going with the X1950XT.

I was also concerned that both of those alternatives are 256MB, whereas the X1950PRO I selected is 512MB. For 1680x1050 resolution, on games like Oblivion and Bioshock (the two most intensive games that I know I plan to play), does anyone know how much the 256MB X1950XT would outperform the 512MB X1950PRO? (Note that the Tom's Hardware VGA charts don't list the 512MB X1950PRO, only its 256MB cousin. The $15 price difference between the two is fairly insignificant, but I just thought I wouldn't even see much better performance (and possibly worse).

[andper10]

I think that the X1950XT would probably preform better because of the higher clock speeds over the X1950Pro. From what I have read, the extra memory doesn't have a huge effect. With the resolution that you want to run at it will probably be good to have 512MB on your video card. If you plan to upgrade soon soon, you might want to get the 256MB Version of the X1950GT and see how you like it. It is a great price after rebate. But if you plan to sell your video card on e-bay when you upgrade I believe that the X1950XT has a better resale value.
They also make a 512MB version of the X1950GT: $140 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102094

[coreywhite]

Yeah, I've looked into this some more and it seems like the X1950XT 256MB will significantly outperform the X1950PRO 512MB at 1680x1050, for most games/applications. I guess that's what I'll go for, then. Thanks everyone - unless anyone has any other suggestions, I'm going to order these later tonight or tomorrow.

EDIT: That RAM just increased in price by more than $50. I wasn't planning on overclocking anyway, so I'm replacing it with ValueSelect.

[HaloAddict19]

The RAM only went up $4 from you had posted in your first post. If you plan on doing any overclocking I would suggest that you stay with the XMS. The Core 2s overclock really well, especially the E6750. A lot of sites reviewing them are getting 3.6GHz stock cooler and voltages . "At this speed, the E6750 is the fastest dual-core processor we've ever seen." said The Tech Report (link). That would boost your machines performance considerably and I think a little more on RAM would be worth it, assuming your willing to try overclocking.

[coreywhite]

Weird - actually, now it's back to exactly what it was in my first post. Earlier today, it was dramatically more expensive. Yeah, I'll definitely go with that, since it's actually cheaper than the ValueSelect now.

Well, I just put in the order. Thanks for the help, everyone. The weekend's coming up, but hopefully I'll have everything on Wednesday. I'll post here if I have any problems, or just at the end to let you know how things turned out.

[HaloAddict19]

Probably something with switching MIRs or the like. Good luck with your build.

[coreywhite]

Dumb question, but I looked around quickly and didn't find an answer. Do you guys always do a bare minimum, out-of-the-case build like in HAL9000's guide before building the PC, or only if there's a problem?

[shadowpr]

i did when i built mine. it's just easier to make sure there are no problems before you spend all that time and effort putting it in the case only to realize that you have to take it back out.

[LeftyAce]

I've done it on all 4 I've built, and on 3 of them I had to tweak something or re-seat the heatsink, so I was real glad I had it out of the case.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by coreywhite Dumb question, but I looked around quickly and didn't find an answer. Do you guys always do a bare minimum, out-of-the-case build like in HAL9000's guide before building the PC, or only if there's a problem?

I've been doing that for the past 7 years out of the 10 years I've been building.

Cricket

[coreywhite]

Whoah . . . that's a consensus. I'll definitely do that. My CPU came today . . . everything else ought to be here tomorrow. (Which is a little odd, since I live in Maine and the CPU shipped from California while everything else is coming from New Jersey . . . still, hard to complain about placing an order Friday night and having everything by Tuesday or Wednesday.)

[LeftyAce]

A hunch. Air vs ground shipping.

As far as the consensus, an optimist would say it's because it's the best way to do this. The pessimist would point out that we all learned what to do from PCMech, so of course we all use the same method :-)

But you can't argue, it DOES work.

[coreywhite]

Everything came. Unfortunately, I think there's a problem.

I decided to go with the out-of-case build as suggested above. I opened the motherboard, read the start of the manual, etc. Then I put the motherboard on the motherboard box, lifted the load lever, raised the load plate, and popped out the plastic cap. So far, so good.

I then removed the other plastic cap from the CPU itself, and oriented it properly, then lowered it into the socket. It didn't seem to click into place or anything, but it definitely fit. No pressure was needed or used. I then lowered the load plate back down over the CPU. It definitely doesn't lower as far as it did before placing the CPU there. Note that the notches in the CPU ARE aligned with the little tabs in the socket. The CPU seems to be sitting flat.

When I try to lower the load lever, I can't do it without applying what seems to be significant force. Is this normal? I thought it was Zero Insertion Force?! I haven't pressed hard enough to actually lower the load lever all the way. (In fact, I haven't brought it much past 90 degrees.)

Will I hurt the CPU or the socket if I have to use some force to lower the load lever?

By the way, looking at the load plate, it's not totally flat. Should it be? It has some curvature to it, although it's pretty gentle and uniform enough that it looks like it might be deliberate.

I've attached a photo of a side view of the load plate, currently raised.
IMG_0009-copy_edited.JPG

[Gen.Ben]

When the CPU is in the socket, and it doesn't move, close the bracket, if that goes down all the way fine, you will be fine. The CPU socket retention clip does require alot of force. Just make sure you are working on a solid flat workspace when doing this.

[coreywhite]

It's working!

Yeah, I finished everything Thursday night and went through BIOS setup, then used my spare time yesterday installing Windows and a bunch of free software and customizing the PC. I tried playing a couple of games - it's fantastic! My computer is so fast it's ridiculous.

Some of you may have seen my other thread about the power supply only having a 20-pin connector, not 24-pin like my motherboard requires. I bought a converter at Radioshack and am using that for the time being; the system is extremely stable, but I know this isn't a long-term solution. At some point when I can afford it I'm going to buy a better power supply; probably the 520W modular Corsair one. I'm going to hold off on doing any kind of overclocking or anything until after I get that.

One other thought: I had no idea how much force putting my components together was going to require. The so-called Zero Insertion Force socket required quite a bit of force indeed; installing the heat sink required a Herculean effort (not to mention blind terrified faith that I wasn't destroying something by pressing so hard); and even the RAM was surprisingly difficult to insert. Still, I made it through, and everything's working great.

All in all, I love my new computer, and I had fun (though a lot of stress) planning it and building it. This site has been a fantastic help - thanks everyone!

[shadowpr]

Originally Posted by coreywhite One other thought: I had no idea how much force putting my components together was going to require. The so-called Zero Insertion Force socket required quite a bit of force indeed; installing the heat sink required a Herculean effort (not to mention blind terrified faith that I wasn't destroying something by pressing so hard); and even the RAM was surprisingly difficult to insert. Still, I made it through, and everything's working great.

yeah, i had the same realization. i think i didn't worry about using too much force, just cause i was excited about building it. But that heat sink is a scary thing.

glad it's working....now watch as you fall into the trap of wanting to continue building and opening up your system just so you can play with it.

[Jester]

I have built 4 or 5 systems and I still get a rush of nervousness putting in the heatsink. Custom cpu coolers are even more nerve racking.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by coreywhite One other thought: I had no idea how much force putting my components together was going to require. The so-called Zero Insertion Force socket required quite a bit of force indeed; installing the heat sink required a Herculean effort (not to mention blind terrified faith that I wasn't destroying something by pressing so hard).

The term "zero insertion force" refers to how much effort it takes to install/drop the CPU into the socket...it doesn't refer to the force used to push down the locking bar.

Anyway, congrats on the successful completion of your first build.

Cricket