First build where I chose the parts myself

[pablo diablo]

Hello All,

I am finalizing the list of parts for my first build. I have built a computer before
but this is the first time I am picking the parts out myself. I have a few questions--
if anyone can help, I'd appreciate it. First, I'll start with an introduction:

What I'm looking for: A stable, reliable, and fast computer mainly for optimal sound quality, business applications (Office 2007), occasional movies/video, occasional video encoding/decoding, working with large (1gb+) files occasionally as well, must be fast. I am not an avid PC gamer however I'd like to at least be able to play some games without problems. I want to dual boot XP/Vista.

This is the setup:

Motherboard:
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813127030

CPU:
Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115028

Memory:
Kingston 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820134582

Video Card:
EVGA 512-P2-N775-AR GeForce 8600GTS 512MB 128-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814130291

Case/Power Supply:
Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129024
Antec TPQ-850 ATX12V / EPS12V 850W Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TUV, CE, C-tick, CCC, CB - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371009

Monitor:
SAMSUNG 226BW Black 22" 2 ms (GTG) Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1(DC 3000:1) - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001096

Sound Card:
AuzenTech Auzen X-Fi Prelude 7.1 7.1 Channels 24-bit 192KHz PCI Interface Sound Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16829156005

Speakers:
BOSE® Companion® 5 multimedia speaker system - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836166004

Hard Drive:
Seagate Barracuda ES.2 ST31000340NS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822148278

Blu-Ray/DVD/CD:
Pioneer Black 12X DVD+R 6X DVD+RW 4X DVD+R DL 12X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 5X DVD-RAM 12X DVD-ROM 24X CD-R 24X CD-RW 32X CD-ROM 4MB Cache SATA Blu-Ray Reader and 12X DVD±R DVD Burner - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827129016

Keyboard/Monitor:
Logitech 920-000264 Black 104 Normal Keys 14 Function Keys USB Cordless Ergonomics Desktop Wave Mouse Included - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126033

---

I will be using 32-bit Windows XP and 32-bit Windows Vista Ultimate.

Do I need the 850W power supply with this setup or should the 500W included with the Antec case be sufficient?
If I do need to replace the 500W power supply with the 850W power supply, is the 850W compatible with the motherboard? Will the power supply fit in the Antec Sonata III case?
Is the video card compatible with the power supply?

Does this seem like a decent, compatible selection? Is there anything else I should know? Is anything not compatible? I'd like to make this as easy as possible for myself once everything arrives.

I know these are a lot of questions but I'd like to figure out all the answers before I go spending all this money

Thank you in advance for any assistance,
Paul

[alex530]

I think the 500W power supply included is fine. If you want some more headroom, look for something from Corsair. 800W would be way overkill. I'd personally wait for the prices to drop before getting a blu ray drive. Also look into the 9600GT for a video card because it has some additional HD benefits. If you plan on adding an extra HDD you might want to upgrade the power supply. In that instance, maybe look for a case that doesn't include a power supply to save some money.

One more thing- Bose makes crappy speakers. They have a huge marketing budget, but for their home theater offerings, it can't hold a candle to many botique brands for the same price. Here's what I would recommend.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16836121120

[Katreat]

MB: I like Abit, but most recommend Asus p5k for a P35 build. I think you will be fine with your choice.

CPU: I think the E6850 is way over priced. It just does not perform that much better than a E6750. If you really want top performance in the price range I would try to find an E8400 but they are in short supply. You might even look into the Q6600 which is more future proof and great for multitasking.

Memory: I have never used Kingston but a lot of people on these boards have had quality problem with them. Generally Corsair is the most highly recommened. I have also had good luck with Crucial, Mushkin, and OCZ.

Video Card: This is a hard one because I always think of video cards in terms of gaming and IMO if you are going to game you need to move up to at least the 9600 GT or the ATI 8750 range or higher. Check out this review and see if it helps you decide. The 8600 is a great card for all around computing needs, just a bit light for true gaming.

http://www.tomshardware.com/2008/01/...ming_graphics/

Case/Power Supply: Excellent chase and PSU. You don’t need the 850 w PSU. The 500w will handle most video cards in the range that you are looking although you might be a bit short of head room if you ever go for a major upgrade.

Monitor: You can not really go wrong with Samsung monitors, great reputation.

Sound Card: Never heard of that brand. Personally I use on-board sound, it is quite good these days. Sound cards are also easy to add after the fact.

Speakers: No help here, I use headphones most of the time.

Hard Drive: Most use the 7200.11 series. I really am not sure of the difference but think the ES series is mainly for servers and a bit slower, wait for others to comment on this one.

Burner: IMO Blu-Ray is still too new and expensive to put in a computer. I would stick to a simple Lite-on burner. But its your choice, they are just so expensive!.

Keyboard/Monitor: Personal choice, I am sure the ones you picked will be great, I love Logitech stuff.

OS: XP is fine but for Vista go with HOME PREMIUM. Ultimate just gives you a bunch of stuff you don’t really need. Again, this is IMO, maybe you want some of that stuff.

Kat

[Doom]

I've got a Samsung 216BW flat screen (bought at Best Buy) and love it.