First time Build

[Southwolfga]

Here is my shopping list for my new pc:

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16811233003

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128059

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16814133214

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817182074

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115030

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820231122

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822136062

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827136126

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827136134

I am looking for advice. this will be the my first time building a pc from scratch. I've upgraded PCs before so I know a little bit. Major specs I am looking to accomplish are, 2 to 4 gigs of RAM, Core 2 Duo processer, and a decent vid card. I would also like to have room for expansion later if needed or desired. My spending limit is 1000 dollars. This is primarily going to be used for gaming and will have XP on it. Not looking for a super computer, just a decent one.

[Southwolfga]

Fixed links to actual items, instead of list. (didn't realize it would make you login)

[shadowpr]

I would change the power supply. Look for something from this list: http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

Look at this HD: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148144

Make your dvd drives both sata connections. If you get a retail Lite-On, it comes with Nero.

Make sure your copy of XP isn't from a dell or something, since that's connected to the Mb, it won't be good for this build.

Also be aware that windows will only see from 3.25 to 2.75 (I think) of your 4gb of ram unless you get a 64 bit OS.

[Southwolfga]

I didn't know that about the RAM and XP, I suppose I'll be looking for copy of Vista 64 bit. I definitely was unsure about the power supply. I felt I might need something bigger.One more thing, I've noticed some of the things on my list a little pricey but I'm very wary of ordering some things at too cheap of a price (get what you pay for thing) If you were going to lower the cost of this, what would you cut corners on? First thing I think about is the case, but I like how it is set up. Thanks again for any advise.

[Cricket]

Originally Posted by Southwolfga I didn't know that about the RAM and XP, I suppose I'll be looking for copy of Vista 64 bit.

You could get WinXP 64 since it's the 64bit OS that supports RAM over 4GB.

Originally Posted by Southwolfga I definitely was unsure about the power supply. I felt I might need something bigger.

The amount of watts isn't what's in question, it's the quality of the unit. Rosewill just rebadges other brands of power supplies and you really don't know what you're getting. For your specs I would get at least a minimum of 450 watts from a company like Fortron Source or Sparkle Power if you're looking to save a few bucks. But if you're planning to upgrade in the near future it might be better to get at least 500 to 550 watts just to get the extra head room.

Originally Posted by Southwolfga One more thing, I've noticed some of the things on my list a little pricey but I'm very wary of ordering some things at too cheap of a price (get what you pay for thing) If you were going to lower the cost of this, what would you cut corners on? First thing I think about is the case, but I like how it is set up.

Do you need a $140 case? I don't think so...there are lots of cases out there that cost a lot less.

Another area to save is to use just one optical drive. You only need two if you're going to do disc-to-disc burns. Just get a DVD burner and you'll be set.

And you could just get 2GB of RAM for now and maybe add more later if necessary. 2GB of RAM will be enough for all current games.

Since this is to be a gaming rig you really can't cut corners on the video card.

Don't forget to include the cost of the OS in your total budget. Get a OEM OS and you'll save some more.

Cricket

[Southwolfga]

OK, here is what I've got so far after making some changes from your suggestions. Keep in mind, while my current setup listed may not need "everything" I'm putting in this, I am trying to stay prepared for future expansion with some of it. So some things may seem like a little overkill.


http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129021
(After rebates and special promo, this is only 50 dollars. I already purchased this to take advantage)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814125065
(Switched to a fanless card from the same maker as the MoBo since my case has so much airflow)

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817139003
(Better brand plus more wattage. I think I need to move up to a 500w to make sure I have enough for future expansion)

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16819115030
(I can switch this to a 2.66GHz for another 20 dollars. Is it worth it?)

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16820231128
(Switched from 4g to 2g of RAM but the speed went from 800 to 1033 to match the Min. FSB speed on MoBo. Good Move?)

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16822148144
(Glad I was shown this sweet deal)

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16827106070
(Will add more optical drives later. Not really needed for now though.)


After all this, I'm sitting at about 700 dollars w/out an OS or a Monitor. I think I am gonna put linux on this machine to use less resources and save cash. All I am going to do is play games, browse the Web and occasionally burn some CDs/DVDs. I may switch to XP64 but I really want to avoid vista if I can. At least untill some more of the compatability issues are worked out. So does this appear to be a promising build. Anything you would change or any mistakes I'm making please let me know. I don't have a lot of money to make mistakes with, so I want this to be set before I order everything.

[Southwolfga]

I'm thinking of using one of these P/S instead of the one listied in my last update.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371010

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371007

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103941



Which one would you guys recommend, or would you go with another alltogether. I'm pretty worried about making the right power supply choice after all the disasters I've read about from making the wrong one.

[Masaki 7-11]

You are getting a really bad video card if you go with a 8500gt, the performance is terrible for it as it is a low end card. 8600gts is an ok card, but there are many that are better than if at that price point, especially because you will be running xp so directx 10 will not be of importance.

Two good video cards at the price range of a 8600gts that support directx 10 (10.1 actually) are the HD 3850 and HD 3870, both of these good for gaming and the current flagship cards for ATI/AMD:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814103049 for the HD 3850
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102713 for the HD 3870

The X1950Pro and 7900GS are also good cards and are less expensive but they lack directx 10 and are slower than the above 2.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814241038 for the X1950Pro
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814186013 for the 7900GS

Lastly you might want to take a look at the 7950GT if you want a card similar to the last two cards but faster and still in that price range. Newegg has the 7950GT at $189.99, but it can be found elsewhere for a decent amount less. I've come across one at BestBuy for $149.99 with factory overclock.

[Masaki 7-11]

Regarding the power supplies, all of them should be fine since you are not using SLI, crossfire, or really power hungry cards like the 8800 GTX, 8800 Ultra, or HD 2900XT. I've used the 550W in my system with good results, but you should buy depending on whether you want to upgrade your system in the future and continue to use the same power supply or not, either way all of those power supplies are good quality and will provide enough power for your system.

[hitchface]

Earthwatts...good unit. Maybe check out the Corsair selection. PC Power and Cooling, Fortron Source, Sparkle are also all good brands. Not to make life difficult

[Southwolfga]

I changed out the MoBo so I can SLI two PCIx16 cards in future

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16813128067

and what about this PSU and Vid card

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

http://www.newegg.com/product/produc...82E16817814006

[hitchface]

Gigabyte mobos aren't the greatest. Asus is your best bet. And, SLI is a waste...at least that's what you'll hear from us. Bang for buck, go for a high end card. The 8800GT and the HD 3800 series are quite cheap right now, and will serve you well.

Never heard of the PSU before, meaning it is either of poor quality, or I am clueless One of the brands I mentioned would be a good choice. Antec is ok, the others are quite good.

[Masaki 7-11]

SLI is a huge waste when using mid-range cards like the 8600 series and 7600 series, you can get a card faster than two midrange cards, but a decent amount cheaper. Also 800 watts is overkill for your system unless you are planning to run two 8800GTX or 8800Ultra in SLI, don't get it. For running two 8600's in SLI you only need about 550W. Like I said before, the new midrange cards like the 8600 and HD 2600 are bad for gaming, especially when compared to the cards I mentioned above. A HD 3800 series can get you DOUBLE the performance of 8600GTs in SLI.

Also your motherboard cannot run SLI, it's Crossfire compatible only, meaning you can run a two video card system using only ATI cards. You can still use the motherboard for one Nvidia card, but it ruins the point of getting a motherboard with two PCI-Express slots. Read some reviews about the cards I mentioned, they are much better than ATI or Nvidia mid-range series, and you can get them at comparable prices if you go for something like the X1950GT or 7900GS.

[Southwolfga]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIvo9...&Sku=P450-8650

that review is what turned me onto that card

[hitchface]

The 8600GT is by no stretch a bad card. Actually it is quite good considering the price. If you can swing it, the 8800GT is in fact one of the best bang for buck cards out there. The ATI Radeon HD 3850 and 3870 are also both quite good, ranking close with the 8800GT and having a price under 200 bucks.

[Devastator]

That tagan PSU you picked out is of good quality. Mines been brilliant since I got it.

[Masaki 7-11]

Since this computer will run xp, it makes no sense to get a 8600gt when you can easily get a x1950gt for about the same price. The x1950gt will give a huge increase in performance over the 8600gt, here is a link from newegg:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102034