New Build

[UWxThree]

This will be my first ever build and I'll be using it for college (I have a laptop but it's out of date and a lot slower than this one will be). College, possibly CAD, then Word, Powerpoint, Excel, Dreamweaver, Photoshop, internet browsing, and all that stuff. Nothing too fancy. No gaming but I want a great computer that's very fast for about $1,000 that I can watch videos and DVD's at great, great resolutions and the graphics to look extremely sharp and nice as possible.

Case: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811144095

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817153023

Motherboard: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813131187

CPU: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115028

Video Card: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814150229

Hard Drive: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822148215

Memory: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820220161

Optical Drive: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827152077

I know that the case won't be in stock for quite some time but I doubt it'll take 2 months to get in at Newegg. Even if it takes that long that's fine because I have to come up with the money anyways.

I'm just making sure everything is compatible with everything else and that I chose the parts from reputable companies so nothing fails. Thanks guys and I look forward to hearing any feedback on this build.

[Alaron]

Welcome to PCMech. I have a few suggestions.

That power supply is old tech. You need an ATX 2.0 unit with dual 12V rails these days. Check out Corsair and Fortron units. There is plenty of info on power here: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

Your RAM is overkill, even for overclocking. Use DDR2-800 instead. We recommend Corsair.

For the optical, go with a LiteOn brand that is SATA and comes with Nero.

[Cricket]

I'd suggest a few changes...

Do you really need a $150 aluminum case? That's taking a chunk out of your $1,000 budget.

And I don't think you really need a E6850, you could get by with a E6750 and save almost $100.

Why are you getting a motherboard with on-board video if you're also getting a video card? It's also a micro-ATX motherboard that will limit upgrades later. Get the P5K SE instead.

Personally, I wouldn't use a Thermaltake power supply. Check out the brands Alaron mentioned.

And I think you really don't need DDR2 1066 RAM, you could use DDR2 800 like this one and still get full performance from your system.

Cricket

[UWxThree]

Thanks for the quick replies but there's a problem with the Optical Drive. It's the only silver one at Newegg and I want a silver one to match the case. I really like the case too. It looks kool and has great reviews on it.

I'll stick with the CPU. I want it future proof too so this is the best Conroe out there for the money I think.

Power Supply: http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817139003

That motherboard you mentioned Cricket, has really bad reviews. Only 5 reviews and 4 eggs on average. I'd like something more reputable but you probably know what you're talking about.

[Cricket]

Don't take those reviews on Newegg too seriously...most of the people making those comments probably don't have much experience building computers and are just venting because they didn't know what they were doing. Many first time builders have problems because they don't read the motherboard manual before they build.

For the E6850 or any of the newer 1333MHz FSB C2D processors, the ASUS P5K motherboard (all variants) would be the motherboard recommended the most on this forum. If you're not interested in the P5K, take a look at the ABIT P35 motherboards...or the INTEL P35 motherboards. Those are the only 3 motherboard brands I would use for a new Intel based computer.

That Corsair PSU is a much better choice than the Thermaltake.

If you're willing to spend that much on the CPU and want something future-proof, then that's the one you should get.

If the case appeals to you and you don't mind spending $150 on it, then that's the one you should get. Personally, I would never buy a APEVIA case, but that's just me.

That Sony/NEC optical drive is fine.

Oh, I forgot...if you're going to be doing more graphic type work and not gaming with this computer then you should look at the ATi video cards as they have better 2D graphic performance than the NVidia video cards.

Cricket