Building a new PC

[KoMoDo]

Hey fellas,

haven't posted on this forum for quite a while but i come to you in need of help.
i have the computer in my sig for around 4-5 years so its time to get a new one, i live in israel so my brother who is visiting first week of january will bring the stuff with him on the flight.
the budget is around 1000$ i suppose, lower would obviously be better as my dad's paying it so i dont wanna feel too uncomfortable.
i used to be an AMD and nVidia "fanboy" but i understand Intel's doing better than AMD now but i do think nVidia's doing better than ATI from what i understand.
i like ASUS mobo's with nforce chipsets i guess.
take in mind that everything i wrote above can be countered and i would love some original ideas as to maximizing the effect of what ill get as i want to game quite a lot when i can which is on every 2nd weekend (im in the army) so im looking for a top of the line pc but not bleeding edge as that would cost a fortune.

i basically need everything except for keyboard and mouse, and perhaps ill get a monitor over here - i really like Samsung monitors i think they're probably the best out there, i would still love some newegg links to those aswell especially with DVI / HDMI support aswell as the same interface on the graphics card aswell.

for HD i would like a 10k RPM drive, probably a 150gb one although i can use my WD 160 gb as backups and have all the installs and windows on my 10k drive.

for RAM im guessing some Corsair or the likes of 2x1gb

im not going to OC, too dangerous for me as a matter of fact.

lastly, i suppose my bro can take with him a psu and a case although they can be huge so i might get a case here but i need a good, solid psu that will cover the computer so i need a solid, trustworthy manufacturer - if theres a case+psu deal i might get that and hope that the case will fit inside the suitcase.

thats about it, sorry for the long post but whoever's willing to help me im sure ive made your help that much easier.

Thank you.

[Kilauea]

Here is an attempt which may work for you...

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L 94.99
CPU: Intel Q6600 279.99
RAM: A-Data 2x1gb 42.99
HDD: WD Raptor 150gb 169.99
GFX: EVGA 8800GT 289.99
Case: Antec Sonata III 129.99

All that without an O/S comes to 1007,94. Now, not sure why you wanted the raptor, you could save 90$ going with a WD 7200RPM 320gb, you could also save another 90$ by going with the Intel E6750 instead of the Q6600 and finally, you could also save 110$ by going with a Sapphire Radeon HD 3850 instead of the 8800GT. So if you go with all 3 second choices, it leaves u 290$ more or 283 to spend on other things such as an O/S, keyboard, mouse, monitor.

Edit: forgot the DVD burner, here is a Lite-on one for 27.99

[KoMoDo]

hmm i could still use more advices.
i think an ASUS mobo can be better used than a GIGABYTE mobo but that might be me being biased ?
i also need to add that i need wireless support so i would prefer a mobo that comes with onboard wireless adapter that will work as it should and won't have me buy a pci express card.. and i need advice on perhaps getting a new router(Netgear seems good, thats what i have now but it might be problematic i still need to figure out some network issues) so i understand 802.11g which is what i have now is also outdated already ?

regarding the HD i definitely want a 10k rpm one - i am planning on doing gaming and also a lot of conversions for tv shows to my cellphone so thats a video conversion etc but i think it mainly uses the cpu and ram so im sure that'll come in handy
gfx card is expensive but doable, is it one of the best atm? i want to go close to bleeding edge so how good is that card? able to play games such as CoD4, Crysis, GoW and UT3 all on high ?

as for RAM i would prefer a Kingston / Corsair or the likes as i never heard much about A-Data

does the hsf that comes with the CPU do the job ?

i also need some speakers how does a 4.1 Creative system sound like? i doubt a 5.1 will make a difference but if it does any recommendations will be taken into account aswell. the onboard sound on the mobo (any mobo ill be taking) shall suit the job well enough as ill only be running it on speakers and no advanced headphones or the likes. - for the mobo i also need front usb 2.0 plugs but im sure thats on every mobo aswell - its just that i have this little 3.5'' front with 1 usb slot and a card reader so it can come in handy on the new pc aswell.

all-in-all it does come out a bit overpriced as theres no monitor included but ill look into it a little more. (for example maybe finding or someone here help me find some package deal or the likes.. or going for the ATI gfx card - how good is it aswell ? i might go for a nVidia 8600 or so maybe that's more ideal ?)

lastly, i need a 64 bit-supported O/S right ? i think ill get a Win XP as i don't like Vista atm its not doing too well so it seems. i wonder if games will only work on Vista machines any time soon or is it ok to get a Win XP Pro 64 bit edition ?

Thanks, any further help and different builds can be great aswell - from anyone willing to help

KoMoDo

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by KoMoDo hmm i could still use more advices. i think an ASUS mobo can be better used than a GIGABYTE mobo but that might be me being biased ? i also need to add that i need wireless support so i would prefer a mobo that comes with onboard wireless adapter that will work as it should and won't have me buy a pci express card.

ASUS would be a better choice. If you're going with a Intel C2D or C2Q processor then you'll want to look at the ASUS P5K motherboards.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo i also need to add that i need wireless support so i would prefer a mobo that comes with onboard wireless adapter that will work as it should and won't have me buy a pci express card.

There is a ASUS P5K motherboards with built-in WiFI.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo . and i need advice on perhaps getting a new router(Netgear seems good, thats what i have now but it might be problematic i still need to figure out some network issues) so i understand 802.11g which is what i have now is also outdated already ?

I recommend Linksys network products.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo regarding the HD i definitely want a 10k rpm one - i am planning on doing gaming and also a lot of conversions for tv shows to my cellphone so thats a video conversion etc but i think it mainly uses the cpu and ram so im sure that'll come in handy

Although it has a terrible cost-to-performance ratio, if you want a Raptor then by all means go ahead and get one...it's your money.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo gfx card is expensive but doable, is it one of the best atm? i want to go close to bleeding edge so how good is that card?

It's not even close to bleeding edge...bleeding edge costs about $700 (8800 Ultra). But I understand the 8800 GT isn't that bad.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo able to play games such as CoD4, Crysis, GoW and UT3 all on high ?

That I'm not sure of. Probably won't handle Crysis on high.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo as for RAM i would prefer a Kingston / Corsair or the likes as i never heard much about A-Data

A-DATA is actually pretty decent stuff. Corsair is very good. Kingston is actually not recommended much because of their quality control issues and the many sticks of RAM that arrive DOA or die after a short time in use. I'd recommend Corsair or Crucial.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo does the hsf that comes with the CPU do the job ?

Yes.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo lastly, i need a 64 bit-supported O/S right ?

Only if you're going to run more than 3.2GB of RAM...but for a gaming rig it's not necessary.

Originally Posted by KoMoDo i think ill get a Win XP as i don't like Vista atm its not doing too well so it seems. i wonder if games will only work on Vista machines any time soon or is it ok to get a Win XP Pro 64 bit edition ?

I'm not a gamer so I suggest you wait for a gamer to answer this question...but newer games will be making use of DirectX 10 if they aren't already.

Cricket

[KoMoDo]

woah Cricket <3 i missed you buddy

ASUS it is then, any recommendations ? i suppose C2Q or C2D refers to Dual core or Quad core ? i SHOULD get a quad core as they're the next big thing and whatever ill do will be extra fast am i right ?

regarding Linksys, i do know of their popularity but a neighbour of mine has a router of theirs and its pretty unreliable, if you can refer me to a solid model i would appreciate that aswell

what do you mean regarding the HD, should i stick to 72k RPM hard drives, just get a large cache size ? i know theres some new technology regarding hard drives i can't think of the name right now, i suppose i can get a HD with it thats 72k and still be able to convert, extract etc faster than what i get now with my 72k RPM drive ? i know of the importance of the hard drives speed so i need something solid for this aswell

a 280$ gfx isnt close to being cheap, obviously its not bleeding edge either but when you say a game like crysis which is like 2 months old won't run on high, thats a huge bummer because that basically means this rig thatll cost me around 1000$+ will be extremely outdated and crappy (atleast game-wise) just like my current pc :|

i guess i'd go for Corsair or Crucial indeed, i just need a mobo and then get the right CPU and RAM with the same FSB as the mobo so i need to cover every component

regarding the 64-bit O/S - maybe im mistaken but doesn't it go by the CPU ? new CPU's run on 64 bit so they require 64 bit compatible O/S's ?

regarding DX 10, is it only supported on Vista? all-in-all should i get a Vista 64 bit O/S then ?

im looking around for a monitor, some Samsung 19'' - im obviously liking the Samsungs but if you can recommend of any other manufacturer go right ahead - im looking around and they're all Widescreen, i dont think i'd like them ive seen many WS displays in the shops and maybe i need to get used to them or whatever but it just doesn't seem comfortable. i DO watch a lot of TV shows that come as Widescreen so being able to watch them as "fullscreen" would be ideal - if thats how it works. something like this
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001245

regarding speakers - this is the only one i found (cheapest 5.1 aswell and i cant find any good 4.1 sets)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121006
hopefully they ship the mail-in rebate back because ive had problems with rebates in the past, what do you think ?

lastly, about the gfx card - maybe i should get something the likes of a 8600gt that will run me very well for a year or two and then upgrade, as pci express will stay for quite a while now, its just that my current pc is AGP, if i can get a 150$ gfx card or so, i can just get a new one in a few years i suppose, and stay with the rest of my setup, what do you think ? (not to mention the gfx card linked by Kilauea is out of stock.

edit: how about this RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146565
and i cant choose between the mobo's:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131196
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131025
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131182
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131181

edit2: regarding the monitor, hows this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001100
its cheaper than the one above and it doesn't come with built in speakers which is a total waste as i wont use them and im sure it might cause unneeded hassles

Thats about it, if you or anyone else can link me to some components that obviously offer the best bang for my buck, please do.

Thanks

[wildfire]

Originally Posted by KoMoDo woah Cricket <3 i missed you buddy ASUS it is then, any recommendations ? i suppose C2Q or C2D refers to Dual core or Quad core ? i SHOULD get a quad core as they're the next big thing and whatever ill do will be extra fast am i right ? regarding Linksys, i do know of their popularity but a neighbour of mine has a router of theirs and its pretty unreliable, if you can refer me to a solid model i would appreciate that aswell what do you mean regarding the HD, should i stick to 72k RPM hard drives, just get a large cache size ? i know theres some new technology regarding hard drives i can't think of the name right now, i suppose i can get a HD with it thats 72k and still be able to convert, extract etc faster than what i get now with my 72k RPM drive ? i know of the importance of the hard drives speed so i need something solid for this aswell a 280$ gfx isnt close to being cheap, obviously its not bleeding edge either but when you say a game like crysis which is like 2 months old won't run on high, thats a huge bummer because that basically means this rig thatll cost me around 1000$+ will be extremely outdated and crappy (atleast game-wise) just like my current pc :| i guess i'd go for Corsair or Crucial indeed, i just need a mobo and then get the right CPU and RAM with the same FSB as the mobo so i need to cover every component regarding the 64-bit O/S - maybe im mistaken but doesn't it go by the CPU ? new CPU's run on 64 bit so they require 64 bit compatible O/S's ? regarding DX 10, is it only supported on Vista? all-in-all should i get a Vista 64 bit O/S then ? im looking around for a monitor, some Samsung 19'' - im obviously liking the Samsungs but if you can recommend of any other manufacturer go right ahead - im looking around and they're all Widescreen, i dont think i'd like them ive seen many WS displays in the shops and maybe i need to get used to them or whatever but it just doesn't seem comfortable. i DO watch a lot of TV shows that come as Widescreen so being able to watch them as "fullscreen" would be ideal - if thats how it works. something like this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001245 regarding speakers - this is the only one i found (cheapest 5.1 aswell and i cant find any good 4.1 sets) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121006 hopefully they ship the mail-in rebate back because ive had problems with rebates in the past, what do you think ? lastly, about the gfx card - maybe i should get something the likes of a 8600gt that will run me very well for a year or two and then upgrade, as pci express will stay for quite a while now, its just that my current pc is AGP, if i can get a 150$ gfx card or so, i can just get a new one in a few years i suppose, and stay with the rest of my setup, what do you think ? (not to mention the gfx card linked by Kilauea is out of stock. edit: how about this RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820146565 and i cant choose between the mobo's: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131196 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131025 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131182 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131181 edit2: regarding the monitor, hows this one: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001100 its cheaper than the one above and it doesn't come with built in speakers which is a total waste as i wont use them and im sure it might cause unneeded hassles Thats about it, if you or anyone else can link me to some components that obviously offer the best bang for my buck, please do. Thanks

A quad core won't make MOST games go faster, like almost all games can't utulize 4 cores yet except Crysis I think. A E6750 2.66GHz Dual core for $200 would be better for a $1000 budget. However you plan on playing Crysis so I'd say quad core.

Errr don't know much about routers..

The difference betweek a 10k drive and a 7.2k drive is of minimal difference. The 2.8k speed is not that important and definitely not worth it.

Crysis is what? 2 weeks old now? 2 months pfft... 8800GT can play Crysis probably at VERY DECENT frame rates. Remember that Crysis is a game that's pushing hardware to their limits. Anyways on the benchmarks I'm looking at right now.. A C2D 3Ghz E6850 with an 8800GT scored 49.4 FPS with Crysis on Very High at 1024x768 on 17"(also 2gb ram). So if your rig consists of a quad core and an 8800GT, you'll be fine...

FOr what you're doing, I'd say a P5K, 2GB Corsair Ram 800MHZ and a Q6600 is really good.

I'm not aware of any CPU that is or requires 64Bit OS...

Remember that Vista is the only OS with DX10 but also remember that Vista is still partially unstable and some programs don't work on it. Lastly in Vista, on the same settings in game. XP will run the game faster by about 5-10 FPS. It's really "DX10 Vs. Performance/Stability" to me

I don't know much about speaks and/or monitors.

I say go for an 8800GT.
Benchmarks for Crysis!! http://www.tomshardware.com/2007/11/...00/page16.html

That ram is C4 which GLC says has problems with Intel Chipsets and that ram is at a 2.2V. Best to get C5 and 1.9V or lower. Try this ram.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145590

The first motherboard you listed would be my #1 choice.
#2 is using outdated chipset
#3 is the deluxe version but its 1 or 2 extra features doesn't justify the extra cost from the P5K-E
#4 Uses DDR3 Ram that doesn't show enough performance to justify its hundreds of dollars increase in price.

Again, I don't know much about monitors.

Just consider getting a P5K-E, Stick with the Q6600, Stick with 800GT but change your ram to the one I listed.

[andper10]

If I had ~$1000 to spend on a new gaming PC, this is what I'd get:

$190 E6750 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115029 - Yes the Q6600 is nice but I would NOT get a Q6600 if it means that you will have to drop your video card down to an 8600GT. Currently there aren't any games that I know of that use all four cores at once for the game, so the Q6600 probably won't give you much gaming preformance over an E6750. Bottom line, the Q6600 is a great CPU, but for your budget it isn't worth it.

$290 8800GT http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130303 - This card is about the most you can afford for your budget, and you NEED a great video card if you want to play all the newest games. If you get an 8600GT then your gaming experience won't be nearly as good.

$70 Seagate 7200.10 250GB w/ Perpendicular Recording Technology & 16MB Cache http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148262 - I have heard that the 7200.10 series with PRT preform nearly as well as raptors. IMO save your money and get a 7200.10 hard drive.

$38 LiteOn SATA DVD Burner 20x http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106072 - The retail versions come with free burning software.

$140 Asus P5K-E with WIFI http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131196 - As far as networking goes, if you can run a cable to your PC instead of using wireless it would be more relilable, but I guess that probably isn't possible for you. I use wireless and I game online quite a bit and it doesn't slow the games down noticably. It is just a pain if the wireless router freezes in the middle of a game and you have to go reset it.

$90 OCZ StealthXStream PSU with Quad 18A 12V Rails http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817341010 - This is my current PSU recommendation because of the quad 12V rails and the fairly low price, plus OCZ is listed as Top Quality on the in house PSU list: http://www.forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

$67 Corsair 2GB DDR2 800 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145590

$50 Cooler Master Centurion 5 w/ Side Window http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811119077 - This is the generic "nice" cheap case that I recommend. Look around and find one that you like. Cases are a personal choice.

$90 XP Home OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116056 - Or if you want to you can try Vista Home Premium OEM $105 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116202 - Don't mess with 64bit OS's, I have heard that they don't have good driver support

$1025 Total before shipping, monitor, and speakers. I would really try to get an 8800GT. They are basically the second best mainstream video card out there right now, unless you take the 8800 Ultra (~$800) into consideration, then, the 8800GT is still the 3rd best video card on the market! I think it will do great with current games. Read the reviews for the 8800GT's (newegg and elsewhere, especially tom's hardware) and see what people say.
Enjoy your build!

[KoMoDo]

ok the 140$ mobo is the one ill get then, same for the 67$ memory.
ill get the antec case and the evga gfx card..
im still wondering about the HD and a matter of other things, what about the monitors and a solid router ?
also, im a WD guy, is the Seagate HD linked good? i think a 250gb drive is perfect and even more than what i really need.
regarding the burner, how good is it for burning PS2 backups? i have a NEC 3520A right now and its really good, im not sure about Lite-On, ive seen Nec's now Optiarc or something like that, are they recommended or Lite-on's are supreme atm ?

Think thats about it, ill also go for my Win XP Pro 32 bit then which i have at home already
and im going for the quad core cpu i believe

im going to give the list to my bro within the next couple of days so if someone can cover the dead spots im still unsure about i will be grateful. also a solid 500W PSU or whatever's needed for this machine as opposed to a case that comes with a PSU - just in case he can't take a case with him on the flight - will also be appreciated.

Thanks.

edit: side-note, regarding the RAM, ive never set up RAM as dual channel, do i just plug the kit into the right slots or do i have to go through the BIOS and set it up there before i load windows and whatnot ?

edit2: what do you guys think of downgrading the CPU and gfx card by like 100$ each and then will it be possible to upgrade both within a few years? gfx card obviously since pci-x will stay around, what about the LGA 775 slot for future CPU's ? something like this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130085
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814150229

one of those, and for the CPU go for a good dual core then ? can really cheapen the price, and as i said if the slots remain the same for the next few years i can just upgrade in a few years, im not that much on the machine and as long as every new game will run on High except for games such as Crysis which will run smoothly on Medium i honestly dont mind, will a 8600gt and a dual core cpu do that ? no need going for top-of-the-line for double the price

another edit : this is the same PSU right? http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371007 if my brother will just get a psu without the case that is.

[KoMoDo]

Sorry for double posting but this is what i gathered, let me know what you think and if it will last solidly with newest games for a year or two, then i will upgrade the gfx card and perhaps the CPU - both pci-x x16 and 775 LGA should stay around for quite a while right ?

Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM
SAMSUNG 920NW Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail
EVGA 512-P2-N757-TR GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
ALTEC LANSING VS3251 70 Watts 5.1 Powered Audio System - Retail
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail

if he's not getting the case then this PSU:
PSU which is exactly the same PSU from the Antec Sonata 3 (i think) and look how cheap it is

thats it, sorry the important components are at the bottom heh but it doesnt really matter
either way let me now what you think, best bang for my buck and so on. overall it came out at 1028$ before shipping (i think thats free though ?) and how it will hold up for the coming years etc (gaming + conversions of files and so on)

Thank you

[wildfire]

Originally Posted by KoMoDo Sorry for double posting but this is what i gathered, let me know what you think and if it will last solidly with newest games for a year or two, then i will upgrade the gfx card and perhaps the CPU - both pci-x x16 and 775 LGA should stay around for quite a while right ? Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM SAMSUNG 920NW Black 19" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor - Retail EVGA 512-P2-N757-TR GeForce 8600GT 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail ALTEC LANSING VS3251 70 Watts 5.1 Powered Audio System - Retail CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400 - Retail ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6750 - Retail if he's not getting the case then this PSU: PSU which is exactly the same PSU from the Antec Sonata 3 (i think) and look how cheap it is thats it, sorry the important components are at the bottom heh but it doesnt really matter either way let me now what you think, best bang for my buck and so on. overall it came out at 1028$ before shipping (i think thats free though ?) and how it will hold up for the coming years etc (gaming + conversions of files and so on) Thank you

Everything seems pretty good BUT, that DVD burner you chose out is IDE, Sata is faster, thinner and more future-like. IDE is very very old, I suggest getting this almost exactly same DVD Burner but in Sata.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106072

Also.. The 8600GT won't play current games that well.... From the benchmarks i've seen, if you're planning on Crysis, you can play it on medium settings at 1024x768 at 5 Average FPS if you like... But if your talking about something like lets say Enemy Territory Quake Wars which is a far less demanding graphics game then Crysis but still good graphics and pretty new, you can play at 1024x768, Very High, 4xAA, 16xAF at an average 20FPS. So it really depends what "current" games you're intending on playing

[andper10]

Stick with the E6750 and an 8800GT video card. An 8600GT or 8600GTS just won't cut it for modern games in my opinion. You probably won't notice too much difference between an E6750 and a Q6600 in games, so go with the E6750. The rest looks good to me, I agree with getting the SATA DVD Burner.

[KoMoDo]

alright, do i really need a retail dvd burner though ? i dont need burning software.

also, how's the monitor and the rest of the things? PSU etc ? (considering my bro wont get the case.. especially since the PSU is only 30-40$ with that rebate so its such a big difference)

regarding games, are you guys serious of the difference? a 290$ gfx card is a bit pushing it, the games im planning on playing atm are:
Gears of War, Crysis (i can handle medium details), Unreal Tournament 3, Call of Duty 4 (honestly want this to be played with great detail actually) and the likes. i dont mind playing Crysis on Medium..
lets put it this way, 2 friends of mine have an ATI 1950 (or is it X1950 ?) is the 8600gt better ? if not i will reconsider that eVGA 8800gt even though its way overpriced considering the price it will drop in a year and games wont improve that much so maybe its best to wait ?

edit: btw thanks for confirming most of the stuff i wrote, they will all work on the same FSB and seem like the best bang for my buck atm right ? (except for perhaps an OEM burner and a different gfx card)
also what about the CPU? will i be able to upgrade it to a quad core later on ? it seems they're all using the same slot and hopefully it wont change for a while now

Thanks.

[Katreat]

The 1950, if it is the X1950XT, was the fastest 9X card produced. It is much faster then the 8600. If you dont care about 10X and can find a X1950XT for sell it will play just about any current game. I agree with others, if you want a true gamer then really try to get the 8800 GT. If you can find a X1950XT for a good price it would be an excellent placeholder since you are going with XP. You dont really need the 10X at this time.

Kat

Check out the chart, it looks like even a X1950pro will out perform the 8600 cards. Also, there is an OC'ed XTX out also, so you need to find out what your freinds are actually using.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...1058&chart=279

[flanzig1]

As for the retail versus an OEM DVD, get an OEM drive IF your burning software is a purchased retail package. If the burning software came with a previous drive, it MAY not work with a new OEM burner. Some of the burner software packs that come with a drive may be tied to a particular type or brand of burner.

[wildfire]

Originally Posted by KoMoDo regarding games, are you guys serious of the difference? a 290$ gfx card is a bit pushing it, the games im planning on playing atm are: Gears of War, Crysis (i can handle medium details), Unreal Tournament 3, Call of Duty 4 (honestly want this to be played with great detail actually) and the likes. i dont mind playing Crysis on Medium.. lets put it this way, 2 friends of mine have an ATI 1950 (or is it X1950 ?) is the 8600gt better ? if not i will reconsider that eVGA 8800gt even though its way overpriced considering the price it will drop in a year and games wont improve that much so maybe its best to wait ? Thanks.

I thought I went through this, Call of Duty 4, to get decent FPS as in 30FPS with an 8600GT.. You'd have to play at 1024x768 reso with everything on MEDIUM. Btw, 30FPS is the borderline of being called "playable".

And Crysis.. well I imagine that Crysis is unplayable on an 8600GT but maybe 15FPS if you stuck at like 1024x768 and everything on low. However you'd be sitting next to a frozen computer when you shoot your guns at enemies.
Because on the benchmarks i'm looking at, with everything on high at 1024x768 the 8600GTS got 18FPS with an E6850...

COD4 on an 8800GT scores a average of 60FPS on COD with everything on high, no aa or af, 1280x1024.

Crysis on an 8800GT scores average 50 FPS 1024x768, no aa or af, everything high.

So with what you're planning on doing. Just get an 8800GT.

[KoMoDo]

ok i see what you're saying, i will most likely get that 8800 gt then
for the burner, i have NERO and Alcohol 120% of mine already so i dont need a retail burner if thats the case as opposed to an OEM drive so i will get the OEM version

any other things unmentioned? how is the monitor eventually and the PSU ?
im coming back from the base on Thursday which is the 13th and my bro should arrive here at the beginning of January so if everything will work out with Christmas and all i might tell him to officially buy it on thursday so we have time until then to finalize the list, im looking for advice on every component atm

edit: as an addition, i checked the mobo and its out of stock - the ETA is 12/17 which might be too late if my bro will order it all beforehand..
what about this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131025

if he orders it when the 140$ mobo which is listed on my list atm is in stock, should he go for that one or the new one (link above, the 180$ mobo) ?

Thanks

[KoMoDo]

cant seem to edit my post ? :|

anyway, what about speakers and monitor aswell ?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121006
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836113007

one of these speakers i presume

also, someone just told me eVGA cards sometimes have problems with ASUS boards, is this true? i obviously want it all to work and as best as it could - going as low on the $$$ as possible obviously

Thanks

[shadowpr]

My evga 8800gts works perfectly fine on my asus p5k.

[KoMoDo]

ah.. hope you're right
is the gts better than the gt im getting ?

also guys please take note to the rest of the components i need to make sure what im getting is good, no one mentioned the PSU and the monitor etc.. and i need more views on eVGA support on ASUS boards etc if possible

Thanks

[Kilauea]

Originally Posted by KoMoDo ah.. hope you're right is the gts better than the gt im getting ? Thanks

No, the GT is a newer generation which offers better performance, have a look if you want: http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...1057&chart=318

As for the PSU, the EA series from Antec isn't the best one of them all, it is recommended usually because it comes packaged in the Sonata III and its rare that you actually get a good PSU in a case. You can find a better PSU that is sure, but one in a case, wouldn't be easy. And at that price its quite attractive. Otherwise, you could always go with the Antec NeoHe series, the Corsair HX series, but you'd have to spend a bit more on the PSU, which isn't a bad idea at all... So basicly I am saying, if you are not getting the Sonata III, don't get the Earthwatts.

As for the monitor, well its not bad, but if you can spend a little bit more, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009094 or http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009102 they are 22" and often recommended.

[KoMoDo]

alright, what PSU do you recommend then in case i dont get the Sonata 3 ? something not too pricey obviously.

and i have been tipped by a friend that the monitor i chose isnt even DVI so theres no way im going for that, how about one of these (and which ? )
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001088
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001245
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001094

what else wasn't gone through by you guys? i think everything's covered, just need to make sure on the PSU and the monitor and also which one of those speakers should i pick up? im looking for a good 5.1 so if theres not one in one of those links let me know (something in the range of 50-80$ or so)

Thanks.

[KoMoDo]

hmm sorry to bump this thread up but my bro is planning on buying the stuff on thursday most likely so if i can get an overview by someone and letting me know about the PSU and one of the monitors which is the most bang-for-the-buck.

also, the mobo link is dead so i think they took it off, it was out of stock before but now i think they stopped selling it altogether ? or did they just remove it temporarily cause its out of stock ?
hows this mobo if the other one wont be available by thursday ?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131025

Thanks

[mwhaha]

It looks very similar to the motherboard I have, p5k-e wifi edition, and I love my board. Has room for expansion, had no problems with it and am happy . The reviews seem to indicate it is a very good board as well.

May be a little late, but a 512mb x1950 PRO gets me 100 fps on cod4 on high settings, with 4x aa and anistropic filtering. Its also only 80 pounds, so Im guessing its $160?

For psu, check the forum, a number of high end brands are; corsair, ocz, enermax, and more.

[shadowpr]

Here is a mb: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131225

If you want a different psu, look at the corsair 550.

Of the 3 monitors you linked, I would choose the 906bw.

[KoMoDo]

i suppose thats a good choice, theres a 20$ mail-in rebate aswell.. i would've went with a 5ms response monitor since i am telling you the truth my current monitor is some random manufacturer called Kogi and its at 22 ms if im not mistaken, and honest to god i never get ghost images or whatever its called so im in no pressure of taking the response time drastically down.

i suppose you guys covered everything ?
what about the speakers ? (i gave out 2 links to 5.1 sets)

also, the mobo - the one you gave doesn't look as solid as the one that is out of stock and out of newegg now (so it seems), is it much worse than the 180$ ASUS i linked to or will it suffice (and by suffice i mean perform as good as this build can get, i dont want any bottlenecking)

Thanks

[KoMoDo]

hmm another problem arose.. the gfx card is out of stock i cant find a replacement really, i need a 8800gt or so it seems..
this is what i have so far i just need an equivalent gfx card that will work as good

LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe Black SATA Model LH-20A1L-05

Antec Sonata III Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

SAMSUNG 906BW Black 19" 2 ms (GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor

Logitech X-540 70 watts 5.1 Speaker

CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model TWIN2X2048-6400

ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz LGA 775 Dual-Core Processor Model BX80557E6750

what do you think ? comes out at 817$ with all the rebates just need a gfx card now

edit: lol every single 8800gt is out of stock in newegg.. and it doesnt say when itll re-stock i need a last resort card in the range of the 8800gt i was about to get (that evga one) and maybe my bro will wait until they'll be re-stocked like the coming monday maximum. if theres the XFX available should i go for that or stick with the eVGA? i have an XFX card and its ok but it caused problems in the past

[shadowpr]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814127311

[KoMoDo]

yea im not too sure about the MSI and ASUS cards
edit: reviews seem good so i might pick it up indeed.

hows the build looking up, i might just go for the MSI if my bro needs to buy it today.. is it all set ?

[KoMoDo]

hows this:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage....=1190678470708

i need to find a good 8800gt on local stores perhaps rather than newegg so hows the one above? please answer ASAP as my brother needs to buy it all today.

[shadowpr]

That one you linked to appears to be sold out.

Is there a reason you don't like the msi version from newegg?