New build

[Nodrog2000]

i posted here before of my first build, but i didn't end up making it...
after looking over the parts again and this is what i came up with

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16811129021

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16819115018

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD5000AAKS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16822136073

Logitech G11 Silver & Black 104 Normal Keys 29 Function Keys USB Standard Gaming Keyboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16823126009

CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16820145184

ASUS P5Q-E LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131296

Antec EA650 650W ATX12V Ver.2.2 / EPS12V version 2.91 Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CUL, FCC, TÜV, CE, CB, C-tick, CCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817371015
or
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, CE, CB, TUV, FCC, CCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817139005

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
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16827106057

for my monitor, i was wanting to get a 22" LCD monitor but i don't know which brands are good and whatnot

for video card, i was looking at the Radeon HD 4850, but i have no idea which brand of that is good either

I was also looking to get good 2.1 speakers....but i have no idea about that either! lol

Also, i think i'm going to try overclocking...anyone have any suggestions for a CPU fan?

I think I have everything else i'll need for my new PC (mouse/software...anything else i'm missing?)

any tips/comments/suggestions are appreciated

[shadowpr]

Not bad.

Look at the seagate 7200.11 500gb sata drives instead. They have more cache.

I like Corsair Power supplies. Have one in each of my builds.

Samsung monitors are really good. I also have a hanns-g (I think that's the spelling) and it's ok. You get what you pay for.

4850: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16814102747

Can't tell you about speakers.

For a heatsink: either a zalman 9700, or get either a thermalright ultra 120-e or ultima 90. The thermalrights are top notch.

[Nodrog2000]

how much does the cache on the HDD affect it?

okay, i'll go with the corsair psu

was wondering, do different brands of the same video card preform/OC differently? or is it just what it looks like and what's included in the box?

for the CPU cooler, i think i'll go with the zalman 9700

SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 DC 8000:1 - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824001268

is that a good monitor? or is it not worth it
(is it better to go to a computer store and just buy a monitor?)

[shadowpr]

Most say go to the store to buy a monitor. Less chance of it getting damaged, and easier to return, plus no shipping charges.

Me, I bought my last two monitors online. So to each their own.

Not sure about oc'ing a video card. I just think sapphire is ati's go to brand.

More cache on a hard drive will increase performance. I believe will make it faster. Is it noticable, not sure, but I believe those are the results of benchmarks.

[cantputt04]

That is a good monitor. However, I recently bought a new monitor. I wanted 22", and it came down to this or the Acer equivalent. I bought the Acer, since it was $50 less and has so many good reviews. I must say, it's an amazing monitor. Crystal clear, sharp as a razor. The stand is slightly flimsy but it's not a big deal unless you experience constant earthquakes.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16824009094

However, you really can't go wrong.

[Nodrog2000]

cool
i think i'll go with that monitor as well then

now, just to find some good 2.1 speakers...

[Nodrog2000]

okay i have a question about video cards....
what's different about different brands of the same video card (ex. - VisionTek Radeon HD 4850 or Sapphire Radeon HD 4850)
what cables and extra things come in the box is different i'm pretty sure
what the card looks like
anything else?
do they preform/cool or overclock better or anything?

[Alaron]

Sometimes the different brands will tweak the core/memory speeds slightly. But for the most part, the general GPU is the same, so performance is going to be equal between brands.

[brizey]

I have a 2253BW. I really like it. I bought it at Frys. These days monitors are packaged really crappy--there is only about an inch of packing all around. Frys gets them stacked on a pallet so they don't get so banged around.

[Nodrog2000]

okay cool
i have a question about the motherboard though...
is it worth getting

ASUS P5Q-E LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131296

or should i just get

ASUS P5Q Pro LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16813131299

[shadowpr]

Personally I would get the Pro. I have no need for the E.

[Nodrog2000]

just wondering, on the motherboard (p5q pro), it says that the memory standard is DDR2 1200...
what exactly does that mean?
can i use a slower memory?
or do i have to use 1200?

[vtfanmv5]

You can use slower.

[Nodrog2000]

ok
thanks
that's what i thought, but i was reading the comments and one guy said something like great board...just had to switch my 800 ram for 1200, worked perfectly

[Nodrog2000]

okay, so if my psu is overkill, will it increase my electricity bill a lot?
don't psu's just use enough power to power your parts? or am i way off the mark?

i was also wondering about my cpu fan
it seems a little expensive...is there a little cheaper one that i could get?

[Alaron]

Correct. PSUs only draw the power the system needs.

This Arctic Freezer is a popular heatsink right now. And easier on the wallet: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186134

[Nodrog2000]

okay cool
cpu fan looks nice

so if i were to get a bigger psu than was needed, it wouldn't increase my electric bill?

[Katreat]

I dont think you would notice any difference in your electric bill. As Alaron pointed out the PSU only supplies the power needed. If anyting, I tend to go larger than I need just to allow for the next generation video cards. Video cards seem to want more and more power with each generation. You have also chosen a MB which supports Crossfire, so if you think you will ever upgrade in that direction be sure to take that into consideration when chosing the size of your PSU.

For monitor I went with a complete off brand and have been very happy with it (see signature). But generally I would recommend at least shopping at a local store and pricing them out. Then if online prices give you a big saving you will have viewed the picture and know what to expect from the different brands. Some people just like the immage on one brand better than another and that is hard to determine on-line.

Kat

[Nodrog2000]

okay
thanks for all the tips/adivce guys!
appreciate it

[Nodrog2000]

alright
i was looking through the BOYOPC and on the first page in the comments, i read that you need a 64 bit operating system to run quad core systems?
is this true?

[Alaron]

No, 32bit XP and Vista will handle a Quad Core no problem.

[Nodrog2000]

i've been hearing that the E8400/8500 is faster than the CPU that i picked out (Q6600)
is this true?
if it is, would it be better to go with the E8400? or the E8500? it is $15 more

[Alaron]

For gaming, the dual cores have the edge yes. The E8500 is a great value right now, the price has dropped considerably.

[Nodrog2000]

will you be able to tell the difference in performance?

[shadowpr]

Depending on the application, you might not really be able to tell the difference when running a single application.

[Nodrog2000]

so which one would be better for the priceerformance?

[shadowpr]

Like Alaron said, the e8400 or e8500 will offer more for gaming.

The q6600 will be better for more multitasking.

[Katreat]

Basically, all three of those processors will game very well. Gaming is so video card dependent that as long as you have a "fast enough" processor you probably will not notice the difference. Still, I would tend to agree with shadow, if you are primairly gaming then go for the faster duel cores but if you like running lots of stuff in the background then the quad might have some advantages.

Kat

[Nodrog2000]

for the radeon HD 4850, i was reading reviews and many people were saying to get
ARCTIC COOLING ACCELS1 Rev 2 VGA Cooler - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16835186016

if i'm not going to overclock, do i need this?

btw, i decided to go with the E8400 because you can get a combo with the sapphire radeon HD 4850