my build =/

[Epiic]

Case:http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...8&sku=ULT40182

PSU: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...8&sku=ULT40182

Mobo: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=A455-2824

CPU: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=CP1-DUO-E8400

HDD: 160g from old pc/ hoping to save my music

RAM: 2 gigs from old pc

Pri Optical: ?meaning cd-rom drive? my dvd r/rw from old computer

Sec Optical: none

Sound Card: onboard unless one is needed

Video Card: http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...IN#detailspecs

FDD: none unless needed

Keyboard: got one

Mouse: got one

Modem: got one

Lan: meh?

Monitor: 19in or close to it

Speakers: got it

OS: windowsxp pro 32 bit

Extras: none






k, this is like my first forum post ever. as we all know i am only 15 don't hit me to hard for that. right now i am running my stock dell which is worthless right now to me except the hard drive ram and cd drive. i have been learning as much as i can about building computers and stuff for a while but i still don't know it all thats why i am here. what i don't need to buy for sure is a monitor keyboard mouse speakers. what i need to know is can i move my hard drive into my new setup and somehow keep my 50gig itunes library without using another hard drive or external drive? i have the os. i also need to know about ram and how it will scale with my system. i am also concerned about the soundcard. does the mobo have a good enough onboard soundcard or ill i need one? is everything compatible? i hear people saying that power supply sucks? will any of the parts bottleneck my performance? will the video card work with the mobo and the psu? the video card says it needs 2 6pin cables but it says it comes with a cord for 2 4pin to one 6pin (in the video on the link) will that work? and the terrible Q quad or duo? is 4gigs worth it? will there be enough cooling?


i'm loooking for a good pc around the price range from those links. i primarily play world of warcraft (easy to run, i know) but i hope of playing new games on high or maxed. i am stripping my old pc. suggestions would be nice and links to better parts. tigerdirect is best for me. i know thats a HELL of a lot of questions but i'm alone on this build and just need some Q answered. i probably forgot some stuff and i tried to read the stickkys srry if i messed up=/ thank you for even reading this far.

[Doom]

Here are some thoughts...

- Case/PSU: I'm dubious about being able to get a case and a 600w PSU for only $99 that's going to be good. The case looks fine for the most part... but the PSU is extremely suspect to me. For example, it's only got PCI-e six-pin cord (chedk the detailed specs of the page you linked)... and you'll need two for the card you want. Most good 600w PSU's should be coming with at least six-pin cords.
- CPU / Mobo: Looks like a very good combination.
- HDD / Optical: Check the dell... but I'm betting you have older IDE drives. It can still be used on your mobo... but it's more of a pain to set up. Be sure to check the PC building guide on this site when hooking these up. I'm not 100% sure you can just plug the HDD into a new rig given the level of new hardware it will be connected to. If you don't get an answer in this forumn... try a separate post in the one about storage and drives.
- RAM: 2GB is good... but 4GB is great if you can afford it. For WoW though, 2GB should be just fine.
- Sound: On-board sound is usually just fine. I use it on mine and there's no problem.

If you want to get a new, larger HDD, then you can always place your old one into an external enclosure and use it to backup your music. When plugged in as an external drive... you should be able to access all files and copy them to the new rig. Then format the external and use it as a fresh backup.

Hope this helps.

[HAL9000]

The power supply in that case is a piece of garbage.. spend the money and get a good power suppy.

The motherboard is nice. Just finished building a new machine with the same board.

CPU is good

What brand is the RAM? Is it on the qualified vendors list? If not, it may work, but it could also cause you grief.

The onboard sound on the P5Q is pretty decent.



LAN, the board has onboard gigabit, no need to add anything else.

[Epiic]

saw that coming on the psu
some revisions


case = http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...0&sku=ULT33178

PSU = http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...sku=ULT-LSP550

mobo = http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...&sku=A455-2824

processor = http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...=CP1-DUO-E8400

video card = http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...153&CatId=3585

wondering about the new psu and case, people say bad things about Ultra but that psu got good reviews and has enough 6 pin's to run that video card.

also will that video card run well with this system? any bottlenecking?

video card says ddr3 memory and mobo says supports ddr2 will it still work? also, am i wasting money by buying a sli card even tho i won't be using it?

RAM is 2 (1g) nvidia sli (didn't pull it out and have a good look but saw that on the side)
Could i get 2 more 1g pieces and set them all together in that board?

Found out some more specs on my old computer
- Philips +-RW DVD 8701
- All i could find on hard drive is "Volume Serial Number" D4A02A5C

Any suggestions on fans for that case?

Quad or that Duo for gaming?

i also don't have any idea about buying a video card, i think the one i found was alright, but if anyone find something better under $200 that would be nice. =]

and finally, what games will this system run and which will it max?

Thank you, you already narrowed down my problem list =]

[inflames988]

my rule of thumb on PSUs is Antec, Enlight, or Thermaltake ONLY. Corsairs are supposed to be good too. I have heard bad things about ultra PSU's. Basically, there are VERY few companys that make quality PSU's, and you get what you pay for. If you skimp on the PSU, you risk having it die and take parts of your system with it.

As for the P5Q, all i know is my roomate just bought one (not the green version, though) and it's been a total nightmare. Maybe because he bought open box, ASUS is usually quality.


this may be of interest to you:
http://dealnews.com/ASUS-P5-Q-Intel-...-h/261734.html

[HAL9000]

If you want a kick butt case cheap, take a look at the Antec 300.

I went with a Corsair power suppy and can vouch it is a quality unit. Take a look at the power supply FAQ for recommendations on a decent power supply.

[Doom]

I also have two Corsair power supplies and feel they are very good. Corsair, Patriot and OCZ are also decent RAM brands (Corsair I can speak to personally). You're CPU and Graphics Card are a good combination. They're not the absolute best on the market...but I'm assuming you don't have a $2000 budget. They should run very demanding games at high or highest settings.

You're not wasting money in buying a card that is SLI. Just avoid doing SLI since I don't think it's worth the money (this from a person who did SLI and wan't 100% impressed). The RAM type on the Card and system RAM don't have to match. I just built a DDR2 system with a GTX 260 using DDR3. Runs fine.

Depending on how old your hard drive is... you may want to try to find a newer one (250 GB can be relatively cheap). If you're concerned about keeping your music... then you need a backup media. I use an external drive and Acronis True Image software to back up my entire hard drive every month and recommend it to other users. It's less expensive then having to replace/repurchase all your data later.

[Epiic]

now a question on the hard drive issue,
someone said something about using and enclosure and buying a new hard drive.
If i buy this http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...245&CatId=2777 can i just stick my old hard drive in it and use a USB cord to my new computer and use it as an external drive? that would be nice but seems too simple. and if anyone has good suggestion for a harddrive brand or a link that would be nice. =]

[bucksfanjimj1]

If your old Dell is a laptop that will work fine. A desktop hdd is 3.5". Here is the same thing in a 3.5".

http://www.tigerdirect.com/applicati...265&CatId=2778

[Doom]

Seagate is the preferred HDD on these forums... but Western Digital is the next best thing (it's what I've used and have no problems with so far).

When getting the external drive enclosure, just be sure to make sure whether you have an IDE/PATA or a SATA drive. An older IDE/PATA drive will have the "ribbon" cable coming out the back. The SATA drive will have a smaller "flat cord" style cable.

[Epiic]

wooot, ty!

one mroe thing, your guide says i need a floppy drive. do i really?
and i'm still looking for a graphics card if anyone has any suggestions?

[Studio2LH]

I'd say get a duo, but the core i7's are coming out now. Maybe you should save up and get the latest stuff. It seems pointless to get that stuff when the newest just came out. It's up to you on the money though.

[Doom]

I've built two computers without a floppy drive and haven't needed one.

[Doom]

Oh yeah... the video card you originally posted should be just fine. Check out the charts at www.tomshardware.com to see comparisons of all the mainsteam video cards (both ATI and nVidia) as that usually helps people make a solid decision. I think ATI vs. nVidia is a personal preference. I like nVidia... but that's just me. Go with what your budget and overall performance can agree on.

[Epiic]

thanks so much for the replys!
is there a better video card i can get for around $200?