New gaming build, need help and advice

[scythe_god]

I am building a new PC mainly for gaming, I have never built my own PC before and I need all the advice you can give about how to do it etc. I want my system to be very future proof because I don’t think I will be buying a new PC for a long time. I will only need the box for this build because I already have spare mouse, keyboard, speakers and monitor. My budget is around 1100 USD (1250 AUS) but I could probably push it to the low $1300's. I will be buying from a local wholesaler; I just link the parts to newegg because it’s the norm on this forum. Please be critical about my build so far, I want to know what everyone thinks. And finally please help answer all the questions I have, I know it’s a lot but I just don’t want to be leaving anything out. I will be spending over $1200 after all. Thanks a lot.

I have done heaps of research and heres what I have come up with so far:

GPU: EVGA 8800 GT

I plan to play games like Crysis, Bioshock and other such games with specs this high, I want to be able to play high end games like these for a few years too come on med settings at least.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E6750 Conroe 2.66GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor - Retail: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115029
Or
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8400 - Retail

OS: Microsoft Windows Vista 32-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116202
Or
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-Bit Home Premium for System Builders Single Pack DVD - OEM: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116204
Or
Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64Bit SP2C – OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116378
Or
Microsoft Windows XP Home With SP2B 1 Pack – OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16832116056

I plan on adding extra ram later on so I am thinking of future proofing my system with a 64 bit OS but I heard using a 64 bit actually slows down your system, is this true? Do you think I should get vista over XP? Are there any real advantages to it? I’m really stuck on this one.

Motherboard: ASUS P5K SE LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard – Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131189

What is the difference between all of the P35 Motherboards? I don’t need wifi and I don’t need built in video and I need to be able to router my cable internet to my new computer, I only need 1 graphics card slot, but other than that which of the P35 boards would you recommend for the parts I have chosen? Alternatively, is there a completely different chipset I could consider? So that my motherboard will still be compatible with the parts on the market in 2 - 3 years time. Or are the p5ks still the way to go?

Memory: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory – Retail http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145177

Is Ram like video cards in SLI as in do they need to be the same model and speed too work together? I will probably add another 1 or 2 GB of ram in the future, will I have to get the same ram as my first 2 sticks?

HDD: Seagate 250 gig 7200rpm SATA-2 NCQ 16meg Cache 7200.10
Or
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3160815AS 160GB 7200 RPM 8MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive – OEM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148230

The computer I have been using for 3 years has been used by 4 people and we have only used up 120GB of our hard drive and seeing as this PC is just for me I don’t think I Need any more storage than 250GB.

Case

I live in Australia and it can get up to 40 Celsius in summer with no air con, I don’t want my parts to overheat. sometimes i just take the front of my current case completely off and put my desk fan right in front of it. Can you recommend a case that costs under $130 that will provide good enough cooling? I need to get the total price of this list down as much as possible. I’m not too concerned about the looks.

PSU: CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, CE, CB, FCC Class B, TUV, CCC, C-tick – Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139002

How much power does my system need assuming I buy the parts I have listed right now? I plan to upgrade my parts later on and I don’t want to have to get a new PSU as well but at the same time I don’t want to waist my money on a PSU with an amount of power that I will never need.

DVD Drive: LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner – Retail

Total: $1550 - 1600

Extras: I will need a router but have no experience with them. What one do you recommend? I have heard lots of bad stories about faulty routers and want a reliable one to connect the old pc I have and this new one to the internet and the printer. Preferably it would use cords rather than being wireless. (This is not counted in the price.)

I know this list is a lot over my budget but I just wanted to start high and work down however I can while trying to sacrifice as little performance as possible. I need to get this list down to $1250 AUS. For online gaming, which parts affect performance the most? I need to downgrade a couple of these parts so I’m just wondering which ones would have the least affect, while still trying to stay future proofed.

Is everything compatible? I’m pretty sure it is but I would like others advice to be sure. And even if they are compatible and will work with each other are there some parts that will work better with each other so as to get peak performance from my system?

Thanks a heap for your help.
Scythe .

[shadowpr]

Good list.

If you still need to shave a few bucks off, then go with the E6750. It's still a great processor.

All Ram should be the same, there is just the less likelyhood of poblems that way.

What version of witndows is up to you. If getting less then 4gb, then I would get a 32 bit version. XP is supposed to be a little faster then Vista, but it's still a preference. Some like Vista, while others don't.

P5K is the way to go. In a few years there will be a new socket type, so you'll end up getting a new mother board anyway.

Of those hard drives, I would get the 250gb. 16mb of cache is an improvement over the 8mb on the other one.

That power supply should allow you room to upgrade. You can get a lower one, but then you won't have as much headroom.

[Ferrus]

My suggestions are that you get the E8400 if you live somewhere that hot, as it uses the newer 45nm technology apparently it will run a little cooler and be more energy efficient. And if you don't want to be upgrading for a long time its probably a good idea.

And for the case, I suggest this case because of its cooling capabilities:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...Nine%2bHundred

You can add another two 120mm fans to this case for added cooling, one on the side panel, and one in the HD cage I believe.

For example:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835129030

[scythe_god]

ok great, thanks for your replys

[alex530]

I agree with what the others have posted, but there are still some more ways to save a little bit of money. First off, I would recommend getting the 32 bit version of Vista over XP, especially since you are gaming and Vista can support Direct X 10 making it more future proof. Here's where you can save some money:

Motherboard:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...%2bGA-P35-DS3L
This board is highly regarded and very comperable to the P5K. About 10 dollars less.

Case and power supply:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024
Antec makes great cases and power supplies, and this 500W one should do you good for a long time.

DVD burner:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827151153
A few bucks cheaper than the Lite-On, but it doesn't come with nero. It's good and will get the job done and probably quieter than a Lite-on.

Video Card:
If you are willing to save some and money and compromise, the 9 series video cards (some) have just come out. Check out a 9600GT like the EVGA one here. It sits in between the 8600GT and and 8800GT.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130328

Hope this helps.

[alex530]

Oh, and Link Sys routers are great.

[scythe_god]

ok thanks for your advice.

But going back to the vista/xp thing, I heard that 512 mb of ram in XP runs faster than 2gb of ram in Vista, I just dont want to be upgrading my system to see no performance upgrades at all. I dont realy like the look of vista and on my current pc which is running xp i have the visual effects all on "adjust for best performance" rather than for best appearance, if i got vista i would do the same thing. Regarding the DX10, i heared that you can choose to run games in 9.0c if you want anyway, is this right? or will i only be able to play the newer games in 10? if so, i will probably go vista, just because the only reason im upgrading my pc is so that i can play the new games coming out. I would only want to change to vista if i knew there was a performance upgrade from xp or that i had to so that i can play the new games coming out.

With the 32 bit / 64 bit, the way i see it i have a few of options, eventually get the maxed out amount of ram supported win the 32 bit but have the ram either ddr2 1100 or higher, or just get ddr3. OR get the 64 bit and slowly keep adding a lot more the ddr2 800 ram as i need. or i could just max out the ddr2 800 in the 32 bit. but i fear that wont be enough in 3 years time, and i wont be able to upgrade it anymore without either buying a 64 bit OS or replacing all the ddr2 800 with faster stuff.

What do you guys think?

[Dave21]

Um.. you should use more puntuation, it's really hard reading your post.

Even in a few years time, 2 gb of ddr2 ram will be fairly sufficient unless you seriously plan on doing a lot of multitasking.

If you want ddr3 you have to make sure your mobo supports it.

Your computer will only benefit from ddr2-1100 only if you do a lot of overclocking with the existing mobo and processor that you are running. Otherwise ddr2-667 to ddr800 willl be sufficient.

Ultimately in the end, the 32 bit vs 64 bit os is your choice. There are pros and cons of each one and you can surely find them on the net. I say go with 64 bit if you really are concerned with upgradibility and futureproofing. Just make sure all your hardware supports 64 bit.

[Ferrus]

you can choose to run games in 9.0c if you want anyway, is this right?

Yes, alot future games to come will be backwards compatible with DX10. It will take a long time before they phase out DX9 due to the huge amount of people still using XP and DX9 video cards. (A good few years by my reckoning..)

I would just go with Vista if I were you. It doesn't make sense to buy XP if you are building a new PC.

[amdalex]

Wait until the 9800 comes out to build.

[Dave21]

Originally Posted by amdalex Wait until the 9800 comes out to build.

That'll be like half his budget. Lol.

[alex530]

Like Dave said, 2 gb of ddr2 will be sufficient for a while. Even then, with a 32bit OS, you could upgrade to 4 gb and the OS will recognize about 3.2. While not perfect, this still is much better than 2 gb but not much less than 4 gb, so you would probably not even be able to notice a difference between 3.2 and 4.

[scythe_god]

alright, thanks all for your help, i really appreciate it .

I think i will wait till march to to build though, so that i can get the 8800 GT a lot cheaper, because the 9800 would be out. that should get my list down to $1300 at least, seeing as the graphics card is the most expensive part in my system.

[scythe_god]

hey guys,

the place i am buying these parts from doesnt sell the Corsair PSU i listed above, but i have narrowed it down to one of these 2 which they do sell, which are both on the Good part of the PSU list on these forums.

Antec True Power Trio 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371001

or

Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151028

Is one of these generally better quality than the other? which one do you recommend?

My updated part list is as follows:

ASUS P5K – SE

NVIDIA EVGA 8800 GT

Intel E8400

Seagate 250 GB 7200.10 HDD

Windows Vista Premium 32 Bit

Corsair 4 GB DDR2 800

PSU: Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W
Or
Antec True Power Trio 650W

ANTEC NINE HUNDRED

LITE-ON SATA DVD R/W Light scribe

[Masaki 7-11]

If you're looking to make a future-proof computer, you should consider getting quad-core. More and more applications and games are starting to take advantage of quad-core and since it's pretty close in price to a dual-core, it's a better choice in the long-run. Although there aren't all that many applications/games that take advantage of quad-core now, the quad-cores still compare well with dual-cores in applications/games that can't take advantage of quad-cores.

[scythe_god]

ya i was thinking about it, but how long do you think until most new games will be able to support all 4 cores?

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by scythe_god ya i was thinking about it, but how long do you think until most new games will be able to support all 4 cores?

Most new RTS such as Supreme Commander and Sins of a Solar Empire can take advantage of 4 cores, but it will be a while before FPS and RPG games start taking advantage of 4 cores.

[scythe_god]

well i don't play RTS games at all, only RPG and FPS. If i did go Quad, the only one that would be in my price range would be the Q6600, which only has 2.4 GHz and 1066 FSB Compared to 3.0 and 1333. I would only be using 2 of the cores anyway, until FPS and RPG games support 4 cores, which you said would be quite a while. i just don't think its worth it, unless i got one of the Q9000 series, which is way too expensive.

[Masaki 7-11]

You're most likely to have the GPU (Video Card) be the bottleneck for the computer rather than the CPU. Most likely by the time your CPU would be used to the point it would be the bottleneck, quad cores would be supported. Either way you can't really go wrong with a Core 2, be it dual core or quad core. If you are interested in overclocking, it's quite simple to bring up the clock of the Q6600 to 3.0GHz and higher, however the E8400 is even better for overclocking. If you plan on having this computer for more than 2 years, your best bet is a quad core since it's quite fast now and will keep up with new applications/games. If you will use the computer for under 2 years, then a dual core is a better choice.

[scythe_god]

ok, i get what your saying completely. now i just have to figure out how long i want to use this PC for lol. thanks a lot for your advice, its greatly appreciated

[scythe_god]

I have no problem with going quad core. I was just wondering how much performance difference there is between 1066 FSB and 1333? Because i want my new system to perform well right now. not just be future proofed by going a quad. like i said before, all the games i would be playing right now would only support 2 cores. But on the other hand i would probably use this computer for more like 3 years, rather than 2. I can see reasons for and against. I just feel like im downgrading by going the Q6600 is all.

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by scythe_god I have no problem with going quad core. I was just wondering how much performance difference there is between 1066 FSB and 1333? Because i want my new system to perform well right now. not just be future proofed by going a quad. like i said before, all the games i would be playing right now would only support 2 cores. But on the other hand i would probably use this computer for more like 3 years, rather than 2. I can see reasons for and against. I just feel like im downgrading by going the Q6600 is all.

You might want to wait a bit for the Q9000 series if you're worried about FSB, the Q9000 series will have a processor at roughly the same price as the Q6600 but with 1333MHz FSB, clocked higher, and using the same core architecture as the E8400. The Q9000 series (not including extreme) is supposed to be released this month, so it shouldn't be long before it's out.

[scythe_god]

Wow... thats absolutely perfect. I will defiantly wait till then. thats a huge load off lol. thanks a heap man.

[scythe_god]

But back to my original question.

Antec True Power Trio 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371001

or

Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151028

any one of those stand out to you guys as the better of the 2?

[Masaki 7-11]

Originally Posted by scythe_god But back to my original question. Antec True Power Trio 650W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371001 or Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817151028 any one of those stand out to you guys as the better of the 2?

The links aren't working in this post, you'll need to copy link location from your previous post to make these links work.

[shadowpr]

I think I would get the Seasonic.

[Khalil]

Originally Posted by shadowpr I think I would get the Seasonic.

I agree Seasonic is the way to go.

[scythe_god]

alright i will get the seasonic then

[scythe_god]

i will be buying this PC when Nvidia releases their 9800 series cards though i am not sure weather i will buy one or just get a 8800 for a lot cheaper.

The reason i am making this post is because of the motherboard i have picked, the Asus P5K-SE. It seems like its getting a bit on the oldish side now, even when it was new it was the worst of the P5K series. Also i read a lot of bad reviews of it on newegg. Because i need this computer for quite a while, I was thinking of getting a MB that supports DDR3 memory and a 1600 FSB processor, though i only need 1 graphics card. This doesn't leave me which much choice.

I was looking at the GIGABYTE GA-EP35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813128082 Retail
which looks perfect for what i want + all the reviews are saying its amazing. The only thing is that it is GB rather than Asus, which you guys usually recommend. I cant see any Asus boards which are equivalent to this.

I was wondering if you guys could recommed a quality MB which supports DDR3 and a 1600 FSB processor for under $150 with only 1 PCI-e 16 slot? Do you guys even think this kind of MB is necessary or am i going overboard? its just that the MB is the main thing which controls what you can upgrade to i think...

My parts list is as follows:
Motherboard: ???
8800 GT or 9800 GTS (depends how much i can save up by the time it is released and what specs it has)
4 GB DDR2 800 RAM
320 GB Seagate SATA HDD
Antec 900 case
Intel E8400 or new Q9000 quad core which will be released at the end of the month (depending on how much it costs on release and what specs it has.)
Seasonic S12 Energy Plus 650W
Windows Vista Premium 32 Bit
LITE-ON SATA DVD R/W Light scribe

[shadowpr]

Personally, I wouldn't worry about ddr3 until the next socket type comes out. I also don't trust things that can do both types now. I rather it does one, and I know it will work.