Tell me what you think

[Sparky]

Hello everyone, I am going to be building a new PC in about a month or so. I have all the components picked out and I want to make sure I am getting things that are compatablewith each other and that do not have "issues" with each other. Here is a list of what I am wanting to build. The links are all from Tigerdirect just because they were easy to find there.

Here it is:
CPU: Intel core 2 duo e8400
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=CP1-DUO-E8400

Case: NZXT Apollo
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=A406-1069

Optical Drive: Lite-on Lightscribe dvd burner
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...L12-1124%20OEM

Memory: OCZ PC6400 sli-ready 2gig sticks and I want to put a total of 4 sticks for 8gigs of ram
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=O261-8038

Operating System: Windows Vista Ultimate x86

Video card: EVGA 8800 GTX superclocked 768MB ddr3
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=E145-8826

Motherboard: EVGA nforce 780i sli A1 version
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=E145-2034

Power supply and Hard drive: Ultra X3 1000W modular PSU and Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 750GB Hard Drive.
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=ULT40064%20HD


Well there it is. One of my main concerns was I dont know if Vista Ultimate x86 can support 8 gigs of ram. Let me know what everyone thinks of my new build and what you would change if anything.

thanks

[Dave21]

What is this pc going to be used for? Gaming?

For ram, I suggest getting corsair xms2 ddr2-800 2 gb. You do not need 8 gb of ram. Unless you do crazy multitasking. Even then, 4 gb of ram is sufficient. Otherwise you're just wasting money. I think vista x86 = 32 bit version of windows so it will not even support 4 gb of ram. You need a 64 bit version of Windows. I don't recommend going that route as you will experience a lot of problems with drivers since bost platforms are based on 32 bit currently.

If you're getting your parts in a month. Wait and see if the new 9800 series video cards fit your buidget. At the moment, the GTX is not worth it, you're better off getting a GT or GTS to save some money.

You do not need a 1000 W PSU, a 600 w+ will fit your needs.

Get the new Seagate 7200.11 HDD as it's the newer 32 mb cache models.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Dave21 What is this pc going to be used for? Gaming? For ram, I suggest getting corsair xms2 ddr2-800 2 gb. You do not need 8 gb of ram. Unless you do crazy multitasking. Even then, 4 gb of ram is sufficient. Otherwise you're just wasting money. I think vista x86 = 32 bit version of windows so it will not even support 4 gb of ram. You need a 64 bit version of Windows. I don't recommend going that route as you will experience a lot of problems with drivers since bost platforms are based on 32 bit currently. If you're getting your parts in a month. Wait and see if the new 9800 series video cards fit your buidget. At the moment, the GTX is not worth it, you're better off getting a GT or GTS to save some money. You do not need a 1000 W PSU, a 600 w+ will fit your needs. Get the new Seagate 7200.11 HDD as it's the newer 32 mb cache models.

Does the intel processors support Vista x64? About the PSU I wanted to get something that would support any future upgrades without having to get another PSU. Thanks for your input.

[doubledragon5]

Dump the Ultra psu they are garrbage, pick one from this list http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195

With vista sp1 it will recognize more than 3.2gigs or ram, so the four gigs will be fine.. If your not going sli then pick a board that doesn't support sli it is not worth the maybe 30% increase in performance..

[Dave21]

Originally Posted by Sparky Does the intel processors support Vista x64? About the PSU I wanted to get something that would support any future upgrades without having to get another PSU. Thanks for your input.

Yes it does support vista 64. Make sure you update your bios on your motherboard so it does support your E8400 processor. Like I said, don't go vista 64. You don't need it. You don't even need vista ultimate. Get the home edition. Ultimate is just a bunch of applications added in that you can download from 3rd parties. Save some money.

Go with a corsair power supply. The way I think of it, unless you go 3 way SLI, you don't need 1000 W. But if you have money to spend, go for it.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by doubledragon5 Dump the Ultra psu they are garrbage, pick one from this list http://forum.pcmech.com/showthread.php?t=131195 With vista sp1 it will recognize more than 3.2gigs or ram, so the four gigs will be fine.. If your not going sli then pick a board that doesn't support sli it is not worth the maybe 30% increase in performance..

I will check into some of those PSU's. I did like the modular design though. I am building this rig for gaming mostly and for future upgrades like adding another video card, hard drives, ect.. Will the Vista sp1 read more than 4gigs of ram. Also wanting the ram to be sli ram because I have read some good reviews but I am open to suggestions. Also when are the new Geforce 9800 series coming out. I did here that the first one to come out may be this month but it will be the 9800 GX2. I have heard that those GX2 cards are crap as the 7900 GX2 or whatever was not very good. thanks for the input.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Dave21 Yes it does support vista 64. Make sure you update your bios on your motherboard so it does support your E8400 processor. Like I said, don't go vista 64. You don't need it. You don't even need vista ultimate. Get the home edition. Ultimate is just a bunch of applications added in that you can download from 3rd parties. Save some money. Go with a corsair power supply. The way I think of it, unless you go 3 way SLI, you don't need 1000 W. But if you have money to spend, go for it.

The board i have listed supports the 45nm arcitecture and the frontside bus of 1333Mhz and is sockett775. Is there anything else I should check to make sure it will work. I already have a copy of Vista Ultimate x86 that a friend gave me that he got through work. He also has the x64 version if i want it but from what you all say i will probaly stay with the x86 version. Thanks.

[Dave21]

Originally Posted by Sparky The board i have listed supports the 45nm arcitecture and the frontside bus of 1333Mhz and is sockett775. Is there anything else I should check to make sure it will work. I already have a copy of Vista Ultimate x86 that a friend gave me that he got through work. He also has the x64 version if i want it but from what you all say i will probaly stay with the x86 version. Thanks.

Your board is fine.

I also suggest ncix over tigerdirect. Better deals.

[doubledragon5]

don't use tigerdirect, they have poor, poor, poor, customer service.. They also are known to have DOA parts as well.. Look to newegg, that is what is highly recommended for builds.. for a gaming psu, look to corsair, FSP, PC Power & Cooling, or OCZ.. I believe Vista SP1 will recognize more than 4gigs. Not to sure on the new VC. AS for ram I have always used Corsairs XMS, never had any problesm..

[Katreat]

SLI is a poor upgrade path. History has shown that the next generation Video card always beats two of the last generation video cards. So, you will be money ahead just selling your older card and upgrading to the new one. SLI is all about making the best better. If you can afford two of the best right from the start, then it is faster than one. But it also means that to stay the best you will need to trash both of those cards and buy two new ones when the next generation arrives. It is really toy for the rich when cost is no object. The one exception to this is if you are using very large monitors. I have heard that SLI can really help out on some of the new 28-30 monitors because of the high resolutions those monitors require.

If you are set on SLI then that is a good board but check out this site to determine what size PSU you will need.

http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html

Also, definately heed the advice above. Buy a good quality PSU, it is not just about how many watts they are rated for, you also need quality power for a stable system.

For current video card the 8800 GTS (512) is almost as powerful as the GTX for much less money. The GT is almost as powerful as the new GTS so buyiing a GTX right now is very expensive for very little performance gain. Go to TomsHardware and check out the charts, you are really spending a lot for very little gain.

I would suggest 4 GB of ram and Vista Home Premium. The Premium gives you must of the useful stuff from the ultamate package without all the buisness secruity stuff that you cant really use at home anyway. 4 GB is plenty, I would stick with 2 myself but ram is cheap right now and 4 cant hurt. I seriously doubt that anythiing you do would ever untilize 8. if you are gamaing you usually are doning that much multitasking in the background druiing the game.

Kat

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by Katreat SLI is a poor upgrade path. History has shown that the next generation Video card always beats two of the last generation video cards. So, you will be money ahead just selling your older card and upgrading to the new one. SLI is all about making the best better. If you can afford two of the best right from the start, then it is faster than one. But it also means that to stay the best you will need to trash both of those cards and buy two new ones when the next generation arrives. It is really toy for the rich when cost is no object. The one exception to this is if you are using very large monitors. I have heard that SLI can really help out on some of the new 28-30 monitors because of the high resolutions those monitors require. If you are set on SLI then that is a good board but check out this site to determine what size PSU you will need. http://www.slizone.com/object/slizone_build_psu.html Also, definately heed the advice above. Buy a good quality PSU, it is not just about how many watts they are rated for, you also need quality power for a stable system. For current video card the 8800 GTS (512) is almost as powerful as the GTX for much less money. The GT is almost as powerful as the new GTS so buyiing a GTX right now is very expensive for very little performance gain. Go to TomsHardware and check out the charts, you are really spending a lot for very little gain. I would suggest 4 GB of ram and Vista Home Premium. The Premium gives you must of the useful stuff from the ultamate package without all the buisness secruity stuff that you cant really use at home anyway. 4 GB is plenty, I would stick with 2 myself but ram is cheap right now and 4 cant hurt. I seriously doubt that anythiing you do would ever untilize 8. if you are gamaing you usually are doning that much multitasking in the background druiing the game. Kat

First thanks for the input, but the reason I am set on that board is that I can not afford to buy the latest and greatest everytime a new video card comes out. So I figured if I get that board with an 8800 GTX or Ultra then I can add one later and then even another later for a total of three to keep up with some of the games. By the time I need to get a second one the price of those cards will have dropped alot and wouldn't be as big of a deal as going out and buying the brand new models. Dont take this the wrong way, it is just my line of thinking and the main reason i like this MOBO so much. thanks

[Sparky]

some great input everybody keep it coming

[Katreat]

Originally Posted by Sparky First thanks for the input, but the reason I am set on that board is that I can not afford to buy the latest and greatest everytime a new video card comes out. So I figured if I get that board with an 8800 GTX or Ultra then I can add one later and then even another later for a total of three to keep up with some of the games. By the time I need to get a second one the price of those cards will have dropped alot and wouldn't be as big of a deal as going out and buying the brand new models. Dont take this the wrong way, it is just my line of thinking and the main reason i like this MOBO so much. thanks

Not to worry, if you want SLI by all means go for it, but I still think your lookinig at it the wrong way. Let me give you an example of why you can more eaisly afford the latest and greatest much easier than you can afford the system you are currently planning. It goes something like this:

Asus p5K = $125 which saves you $125
Corsair 550 PSU = $130 which saves you $290
EVGA 8800 GT = $270 which saves you $190

Check out the video card comparison here. As you can see a very small hit in performance for $200 less cash.

http://www23.tomshardware.com/graphi...=706&chart=275

Total upfront savings by not going SLI approximately $600

So, you are already in the hole for $600 and you don’t even have SLI yet.

Six months from now you buy a second 8800 GTX. It should be cheaper then, maybe $350 or so, which puts you $950 in the hole.

That extra card gives you a 30-70% boost in performance, depending on which application you are using. For most games the performance improvement in tests is generally on the low side but to be positive lets assume a 50% average.

Now if you had built the P5K system to keep up you need to upgrade to a new video card. So you would ebay your current 8800 GT and buy yourself a new 9800 GT (or whatever they decide to call it). Each new generation card has out performed two of the last generation cards in SLI so we can assume you will get at least a 50% improvement from the new card also. It will probably be higher and you will probably also get a few other improvements (new technology), but it is all a guess so lets just think of both upgrades as relatively equal in performance to make it easy to compair.

The new card costs you $450 (the price of the GTX today). It could be more or less, but that is probably in the ball park. You already $950 ahead but to keep up you have to upgrade so hear goes:

$950 (saving over your SLI build) - $450 (cost of new card) + $100 (profit from selling old card, which you don’t need, on ebay) = $600.

Yep, you are still $600 ahead. As you can see, you not only can afford buying the latest and greatest, you can still go out and buy yourself a nice new monitor, keyboard, and mouse with the saving.

If you follow all that I think it demonstrates why SLI as an upgrade path is a big Marketing Ploy. They have you locked into buying old technology and in both the short and long run it is going to cost you more for less.

I know there are a lot of assumptions in there. We really don’t know how cheap the 8800 GTX will be next year, but we also don’t know if you will even be able to find one. A lot of people have found it impossible to upgrade to SLI because they stop making the card they used and you cant SLI a GTX with a GT, they have to be the same. We are also guessing at the cost of the next generation card, but technology has tended to be getting cheaper so using the current price seems fair. Also, performance gain is always a guess since SLI works so differently with each program and game so you might see more or less performance, but again, history has shown the new generation card always outperforming the last in SLI so assuming they are equal is being generous.

It is your money and it will be your computer so buy what you want, but if you think you are setting yourself up for future saving and better performance think again, because it does not pencil out. SLI is a great way to make the best better, but it is not a viable upgrade path if you are concerned about cost / performance. There are just too many up-front costs in MB, PSU, and Video cards to ever make it work as a low cost alternative to just buying a new card.

Kat

[Sparky]

What do you guys think of the Xclio cases? I am thinking of getting one of these cases instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103010
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103018
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103017
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811103011

These cases all have manual fan speed controllers located on the case. They also seem to have decent reviews and great stock cooling on the case.

[Sparky]

can you all recomend a good dvd burner with lightscribe, I am confused with all the choices.
thanks

[shadowpr]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106072

[Sparky]

also can you recomend a good PSU that is a 750W or 850W that has a modular cable system

[amdalex]

A corsair 750 watt. Search for it at newegg.com. Doesn't have modular, that just adds to the cost and increases the resistance in the wiring. The corsair is pretty much the best you can buy.

[Sparky]

I was looking at a modular Antec 850W. It is only 20$ more than the corsiar. Antec was on the good PSU list on these forums. Are they as good as Corsair or should I just get the Corsair one?

[Dave21]

It's your call. It's personal preference. I would go with Corsair myself.

[liambl]

I don't use modular, unless the connections are really good quality.

[Fyrstorm]

I also suggest ncix over tigerdirect

I've had nothing but bad experiences with NCIX over Tiger. I've never had problems with replacing/returning items there at Tiger. NCIX gave me a hard time with a product that went on sale the very next day, so that was the last time I delt with them. They lost thousands in purchases from me, over $40. Not a very smart business practice.

[Sparky]

Thanks for everyones input. I have now came up with a revised list for you all to look at.

PSU: Corsair 750TX 750W
MOBO: EVGA 780i SLI
CPU: Intel Core 2 Dou E8400
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500Gb 32Mb cache
RAM: OCZ SLI-ready Dual Channel PC6400 800Mhz 2x2Gbs for a total of 4 Gbs
Optical Drive: Lite-On DVD burner with Lightscribe
Video Card: (2x) EVGA 8800GT Superclocked with 512Mb DDR3 in SLI
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate x86 (I already have this)
Case: Haven't decided yet but it will be a Midtower ATX

Let me know what you guys think of my new list. Also do you guys think I should buy a seperate CPU fan/heatsink combo or do you think the one it comes with should be sufficient? Also I was wondering if the hard drives need some sort of encloser with them or if you can just put them in there as is?(sorry may be a dumb question but I am A noob when it comes to building)

Thanks

[shadowpr]

Might want to wait for the newer 790i that I believe is coming out this month: http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...-heels-unhappy

The hard drives just install into the case as they are. Just 4 screws and your good to go.

And unless you're overclocking, then the stock heatsink will be fine.

[Sparky]

Originally Posted by shadowpr Might want to wait for the newer 790i that I believe is coming out this month: http://www.theinquirer.net/gb/inquir...-heels-unhappy The hard drives just install into the case as they are. Just 4 screws and your good to go. And unless you're overclocking, then the stock heatsink will be fine.

Thanks Shadow, I am also considering on getting a wireless card. Do you all have any recomendations that are good cards that wont break the bank.

thanks