Need some basic info...

[lvnewnerd]

Hey everyone,
I'm new to most of the technology when it comes to building my own PC. My old computer (HP 1520y) took a dump and I have always wanted to build my own so I'm super pumped. I have a basic knowledge of things and have been educating myself thru various forums and websites. This one is my definite favorite and I'm definitely ready to get my geek on! So down to business. Here's the low down. I'm not a gamer but I do have my first child (boy) due in June and I'm really into video editing and I'm sure to be using it up once my son arrives. I am looking for speedy web browsing and streaming as well. I am using a few things from my old HP Pavilion 1520y such as: case, cd\dvd burner w/ lightscribe, second dvd drive, phone modem (don't know if I really need this still), and my header USBx2, 6 pin iEEE and audio port, and the ASUS heat sink and fan (pn# 13-075135021H2, built on 01/24/06). The things I have already purchased for the new build are: mobo - Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P, Hard Drive - Western Digital 500gb sata with Windows 7 Ultimate onboard, Power Supply - Antec 430w ATX 12v v2.2 (don't know if this is enough), I still have my old HD - 160gb seagate barracuda 7200.9 (worried about adding it on because I don't know if it was infected or defective in the old PC causing the black screen and request for BIOS reset). I am also set on purchasing the Intel i5 for my CPU as soon as I find a good enough price on ebay (somewhat tight budget, maybe got about $300 for the rest)

I need to know:
1. Is any specific RAM amount or brand I should buy, I know it has to be DDR3 and I know Corsair is a good brand but does it matter for my needs?
2. Do I need a graphics card? I don't mind purchasing one if I have the money left over and I may be adding a Blue Ray player onto the PC down the road. If so what's a solid one for mid range $$?
3. Do I need a PS with more watts?
4. Anything I'm missing component wise?
5. Should I be worried about setting up my BIOS since I've never done it? Any first timer tips?
6. Will I be able to find the stuff from my old hard drive if I set it up as a backup to the WD on this PC?

Thanks for any help you all can give, I sure would appreciate it. I'm super pumped to get it done and fire it up.

[glc]

First off, you have a micro ATX case and you have bought a full size ATX board. No workee! Second, you have to get a video card, that motherboard does not have onboard video.

[lvnewnerd]

Good stuff. That's exactly what I'm looking for here. New case and video card, I'm on it. Any good value for the $$ suggestions?

[glc]

Pick a full size ATX case that you like. A video card for that use will be less than $50, a Radeon 4550 should be sufficient.

You won't need your heatsink, retail boxed processors come with one. Please note that you can have a maximum of 2 IDE devices with that motherboard, the rest have to be SATA, and SATA is preferred anyway.

Get a 2x2gb kit of DDR3-1333 or 1600. If it's cheaper than Corsair, G.skill is an acceptable brand, as is Kingston and Crucial.

Just to get started, you could get a Pentium G6950, verify compatibility on the Gigabyte website. Upgrade to a quad core i5 or i7 when you can afford it.

Be VERY CAREFUL buying components on Ebay, check parts and prices first on Newegg and other reputable online vendors.

[lvnewnerd]

Awesome glc, thanks. I've been checking into some cases and I'll probably be making a final decision by the end of the week. Man there's a lot of bad a** ones out there. I'll also start looking into deals for the RAM, thanks for the suggestions on the brands. I just got my Intel i5 with the heatsink from a friend who bought a Dell but upgraded to the i7 before he even turned it on so he gave it to me for $150, "thanks, I'll take it." I'll let you know what RAM and case I get asap. Also, I'm a bit confused on what you said about the IDE devices. I don't believe I have any IDE devices because both of the HDD I have (WD 500gb and seagate barracuda 160gb) both are sata. Is something else IDE that I need to be aware of? Also, will I be able to recover any files from my old HDD (seagate) if I install it as my backup? And if that HDD was somehow infected on my last PC will it take down my whole system or will I be able to just remove it and press on? Thanks for all of your help, it is crazy appreicated.

[lvnewnerd]

Would this be a good graphics card and price??

nVIDIA GeForce FX5500 256mb AGP 8x card for $35.80 (includes tax+ship)

Does my mobo even support AGP or does it need to be just PCI or PCI express? A bit confused as always.

Thanks for any help

[lvnewnerd]

Or if that doesn't work, how about

GIGABYTE GV-R455D3-512I Radeon HD 4550 512MB for $39.95 otd????

[glc]

^^^

a Radeon 4550 should be sufficient.

No AGP on your board, and that 5500 is 5 generations old.

[lvnewnerd]

Wow, that's old. So for a video editing build instead of a gaming build, is a graphics card still a big priority? I can pull the trigger on the Gigabyte card mentioned above or I could wait a bit longer and spend a little but more money on a better one. Plus, I returned my PS to Staples because I didn't know if 450w was going to be enough and my return date was almost up. How do I figure out how many watts on my PS that I will need or should I just go out and get a 850w just to be safe? I would like to save some money on this as well so that probably means less watts. Thank for all the help.

[lvnewnerd]

Got the graphics card - ASUStek ATI EAH4550/DI/512MD3(LP) for $26 + $5 shipping. So $31 otd, I'm pumped. On to my memory, case and PS and we should be ready to roll

[glc]

A 4550 only needs 300 watts, and Antec is a high quality unit. Go back and get it. For video editing, a 4550 is all you need.

[lvnewnerd]

Well, I went to Fry's today (my first trip there and I wanted to move in), and picked up pretty much everything else I need, I think anyway. So here is what my inventory looks like now:

Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD4P
HDD: Western Digital 500gb AV GP Sata II (GreenPower) Part# wd5000avvs
CPU: Intel Core i5-650 Dual-Core 3.2GHz 4mb L3 Cache LGA115
RAM: Corsair XMS3 4GB (2x2GB) 240-Pin DDR3-1600/PC3 12800 ($104.99 after rebate @ Fry's)
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate
PSU: Raidmax Rhino Panther 450W ATX PS ($24.99 after rebate @ Fry's)
External Drives: 1 cd/dvd drive w/ lightscribe and 1 dvd drive (both from HP Pav 1520y)
Also picked up: Sony 17in1 Internal Card Reader MRW620/U1
Graphics: Asus ATI Radeon HD4550 GPU 512mb DDR3 SDRAM (EAH4550/DI/512MD3(LP))
Case: Antec Two Hundred Gaming Mid Tower ATX (2 different Fry's assoc. said it's work w/ my mobo)

Now, am I missing anything? Did I do good??? I think I'm pretty happy with my components and I'm so excited (and terrified) to put it together. Not worried about the assembly but it's setting up the BIOS that freaks me out. Anyway, just waiting on the mobo and graphics card to come in.

Anyone got an answer to my question about my old 160gb hard drive? I know it has a different OS (windows xp) but is there anyway that if I back up my new PC with it, I could recover and of the files from that hard drive. Also, I don't know if the HD was the reason the old PC took a dump. Can anyone help me with this? Gls?

Thanks

[glc]

Bad power supply, you should have stayed with that Antec. That's an AV duty hard drive, designed for DVR's, not computers. It will work, but it's far from ideal.

[lvnewnerd]

ok. I will return it and go get the Antec back. I was thinking of getting another back up hard drive anyway. So, I can get a new one and just use the AV HD as a backup right?

[glc]

Yes, the AV drive will work well in an external enclosure.

[lvnewnerd]

Cool, thanks. The Antec PS I returned is not on sale anymore so it's back up to 64.99. This is the one that's looking great for the price on newegg and has a 73% 5 star rating out of 2325 reviews.

Thermaltake TR2 W0070RUC 430W ATX12V V2.2 Intel Core i7 Compliant Dual 80mm Fans Full Cable Sleevings Power Supply - Retail
$36.99 w/ free shipping
and it is black unlike my last Antec that was silver. Any suggestions before I pull the trigger or does this look good to go

[lvnewnerd]

Got the TR2 power supply at Fry's for $39.99. Also purchased a new hard drive for my primary:

Western Digital Caviar Black 500gb SATA 7200rpm 32mb Cache

I know you said that my Western Digital 500gb AV GP Sata II would work well as an external hard drive. I'm guessing this would be to back up my hard drive in case of a failure. Would I be able to install it internally to do the same job? I know to mirror your hard drive, ideally you want to have the exact same hard drive to do it with. Would it still be possible this way? If I got another 500gb caviar black to mirror my primary would I be able to install my AV HD for extra storage purposes (files, videos, photos, etc)?

Got my mobo in today so now I'm just waiting for the HD and graphics card to come in before we're ready for installation.

If I buy another 500gb caviar black to mirror my HD, can I set that up later or do I have to set that up with the primary boot settings?

Thanks for any and all help glc!!!

[glc]

Let's not worry about mirroring, keep it simple. Use the AV drive externally for full images and/or selective backups.

[lvnewnerd]

That makes perfect sense. Thanks. I know that AV drive is well suited for all of my videos and editing projects. I did already purchase another wd cav black 500gb drive, exact same as my primary so maybe I will try to mirror since I got the drive anyway. Or if it's not that important maybe I could just take the new drive back but if it would be beneficial to mirror the drive then I will keep it. I'm just making the BIOS and setup process even harder for myself and I'm already terrified of it. One last thing, I found a great deal on some more RAM and so I snagged it even tho I know I probably didn't need it.
I got 2x1gb Crucial# CT12864BA1339.M8FF 1GB x1 DDR3 240PIN 1333MHz

This puts my total RAM at 6gb, is there going to be a problem with having 2 corsair 2gb 1600 and 2 crucial 1gb 1333? Thanks for the help again. It is invaluable to me and I really, really appreciate it.

[glc]

I would not run ram that mismatched, and to install more than 4gb ram requires a 64 bit OS. Drive mirroring only protects against a single drive hard failure, it does not protect against corruption and malware. I much prefer keeping good backups on a separate drive.

[lvnewnerd]

1. I will be running a 64 bit OS, won't I ??? And what are the risk/benefits of having mismatched ram vs having 6gbs over 4gbs??

2. So if I back up on my AV HD, would it be beneficial at all for me to have both WD Cav Blk 500gb hard drives internally? Or should I just return the second cav blk that I purchased?

3. What are the advantages if I got another 4550 graphics card with the ATI crossFire? Advantageous for what I will be using the PC for?

4. What do you guys do with your old computer parts? Sell? Trade in? Throw off a bridge? Just curious what to do with my old functional parts of my old PC (or keep it together and do something with it as a whole unit)?

As always, so very much appreciated

[glc]

1. You tell me? Windows 7 comes in both 32 and 64 bit versions, and there ARE some software compatibility issues with 64 bit. Mismatched ram is going to run at the speed of the slowest module, if it even runs stable at all.

2. It's only beneficial if you use it for additional storage space.

3. None whatsoever. Crossfire is for gamers.

4. Keep it together and find another use for it or sell/donate it to someone who can use it.

[lvnewnerd]

Looks like it would be most beneficial for my to use the 32-bit windows 7 ultimate. I don't want to worry about the 64-bit compatibility issues. Thanks for the heads up. I automatically would have went with the 64-bit just because I thought it would be the most superior. Doesn't seem to be the case, not right now anyway. I can always change it to the 64 in the future when everything catches up. Using more than 4gb may be beneficial considering all of my video editing but we will see.

I am going to use the WD AV drive to back up all of my files/videos/photos but I think I'm going to get a removable/mobile rack for it. I won't be taking it anywhere and I really don't want an enclosure taking up more space in/on my desk (even though the HornetTek Hover was looking pretty sleek in black). I have one more external bay left in my case so I was thinking of just putting in something like Newegg's:

SNT SNT-125B Black 3.5" SATA Hard drive to 5.25" Bay SATA Mobile Rack Removable Hard drive kit - Retail
for $13.99 + $2.99 s/h.

It allows for the sata to sata interface for nice an fast file transfer. Up to 3gb/sec I think.

Any thoughts on that glc? Is it starting to sound like someday I might be able to get this thing going without trying to do way too much with my "extremely" limited knowledge/experience?

I got my graphics card in today so I'm just waiting on one of my Cav Blacks to get in an away we go.

Also, looks like I'll be returning my Crucial ram (since I can't use the 2gb extra with the 32 bit) and the other WD Caviar Black. I was just too caught up and excited about buying all of this stuff and got a little carried away. Didn't need to spend the extra dough at all. I think my remaining budget when I started this blog was like $300 and after returning those items I should be back under that number.

I know I get a bit naive with this stuff but I feel like I'm learning more and more. I know that I've learned a ton more than I did before this thanks to glc. Thanks again for being the brains behind this operation. You're help has truly been invaluable.

[glc]

I can't advise you on removable racks because I've never used one, hence my recommendation for the Apricorn eSATA/USB housing.

http://www.apricorn.com/product_deta...e=family&id=56 (drive not included)

This comes with an OEM version of Acronis True Image for doing full partition backups. You also have the ability to connect it to another computer if needed. You can connect it when needed and store it in a drawer at other times. Your motherboard has 2 rear panel eSATA ports.

[lvnewnerd]

So I just noticed that my case, Antec Two Hundred Mid Tower, has a 3.5 hot swap slot built in the front. I was going to put my sony card reader in this slot so I had forgotten about it. I can just insert my backup HD in there whenever I wanted to back up and it plugs into the port when it is inserted. I would probably just leave it in there instead of taking it in and out.

Once the backup drive is plugged in there I assume I would need to connect the sata cable from my primary HD to the backup in that slot and the backups should be lightning fast. Or would I be connecting the sata cable from the backup port straight into the motherboard sata 3.0 slot? Please let me know.

As for my sony card reader, I figure I can just get a 5.25' rack for my third expansion bay and install the card reader into that like it was a tray (basically making the 5.25' rack an adapter to fit my 3.5' card reader on the front panel).

Will that hot swap port work for what I am trying to use my backup for? If so, what route will the sata cable be connected? Always appreciated

[glc]

You need to connect a SATA data cable from the motherboard and a SATA power cable from the PSU to the hotswap dock.

[lvnewnerd]

Roger that. So no sata cable from HD to HD.

1) Will the PC just recognize the backup HD under my devices, pretty much the same as if I plugged in a flash drive?

2) Will I be able to set up the backup HD so certain files (videos, documents, photos) are automatically saved to it when they are saved to my primary HD?

3) Should I wait until everything is set up and running before I install the backup or should I have it installed already for the first power up and during the BIOS settings?

Thanks as always

[glc]

1. Pretty much. It's a good idea to insert it and remove it with the computer powered off. Treat it like an external hard drive, not a USB flash drive. Hotswap doesn't work all that well with SATA.
2. Not without causing issues if you run it with the drive disconnected, but you can use something like Syncback to sync the 2 drives manually. I'm trying to stress that you do not want to automatically do that - what happens if you pick up some malware? Your backup needs to be CLEAN.
3. Install Windows with only one hard drive connected, then you can add additional drives.

[lvnewnerd]

Makes perfect sense. Thanks. I just the last parts I was waiting for in today. I am so excited to get this thing together. I got things to do for the next few days and I want to leave a whole day aside without distractions to get this thing together and up and running. Looks like Thursday will be the estimated date of assembly. That will also give me plenty of time to research any tips or things not to do during assembly and start up.

Any personal tips would be greatly appreciated, just think back to when you put together your first PC and all the things that you wish you would've known or that people would've told you. That's what I need.

I'll be browsing the web and youtube.com to research all of assembly and start up info as well as going thru all of my parts user manuals extensively. Any sites or online videos you could recommend to help me would be greatly appreciated as well.

I've taken pics of all of the parts spread out and awaiting assembly. I'll be taking intermittent pics throughout the assembly and start up until we are fired up and surfing the web so I can put together a slide show. Hopefully that slide show won't involve any pics of me crying or on fire or something.

I think my biggest concern is making sure that I do not do anything stupid to short out my motherboard before it even gets fired up.

Once again, any and all information and tips possible would be a HUGE help.

Always appreciated, finish line in site

[glc]

Do this before putting anything in the case:

PROBLEMS with a NEW BUILD? Try This!!

This validates the core components. When the motherboard is mounted in the case, do it again before continuing with the assembly for a re-validation.

Note that you mount the CPU and heatsink BEFORE putting the motherboard in the case - and also install the memory.