help me build my first pc

[dirty elf]

here's the story, short and sweet, then we get to the good stuff..the build

a year plus ago i was looking to build a rig, but i was still in school and money was tight, so it never panned out.. i got as far as picking out components and all but it never got built

now i have graduated, got a full time job, moved downtown, settled in, and need a new computer.. BADLY. I currently own a toshiba satellite A175 laptop and it just doesn't cut it anymore

anyways..... im very open to criticism and ideas as i want this machine to last for a long time

I will start with listing my top three uses, i assume if all of those are taken care of i can get by with the word processing, web surfing, and occasional movie watching..
1. gaming
2. 3d-rendering, CAD modeling
3. photography

here is what I have picked out so far:

Power Supply: CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply
Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

GFX Card: XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card
Newegg.com - XFX HD-485X-ZDFC Radeon HD 4850 1GB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card

Memory: A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD2U800B2G5-DRH
Newegg.com - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD2U800B2G5-DRH

Chipset: Open to Ideas, for some reason this seems to be the hardest to choose for me. (i assume this is mobo?)

CPU: Along the same lines as mobo, plus they need to be compatible with each other.

Case: was thinking antec 900 or 1200 depending on $$$

Remember, I'm open to criticism and ideas as this is my first build. I tried to give as much information as i had. If you have any questions please ask. Also, try to give me a rough estimate of prices if you put together a system for me.

Thanks for all your help. Hopefully within a month I'll have a nice machine built with all your help.

EDITS AFTER READING: i plan on using win 7 OS, buying it new. have a keyboard/mouse and monitor. Trying to keep the budget within $1000 to $1250

[glc]

1. Excellent PSU, but it will be more than you need and kill your budget.
2. I don't recommend XFX. You should be looking at Asus, Diamond, or HIS, and the 5000 series, not the old 4000 series.
3. Picking ram before you pick a motherboard is like putting the cart before the horse.

Here's my suggestion:

Newegg.com - Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

Newegg.com - CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

Newegg.com - ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

Newegg.com - Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870

Newegg.com - A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH

Newegg.com - Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

Newegg.com - Sony Optiarc Black 24X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 24X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA CD/DVD Burner LightScribe Support - CD / DVD Burners

Newegg.com - HIS H585FN1GD Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - Operating Systems

Comes to $1166 shipped after rebates and promo codes.

[dirty elf]

1. yeah, i read the PSU thread and decided i want a corsair.. only question i had is wouldnt a larger PSU lend it self to upgrades down the road? The two we posted were only $20 off, seems worth it to me, but im not an expert.

2. ah yeah, i remember when i was looking for my other PC the 4000 series cards were newer, thats why i was looking there, i was suprised that they were so cheap! makes sense now, thanks for the recomendation

3. oops... heh - first build

4. had a question about the CPU. From reading around i know you are the intel guy so i wont ask you about other AMD CPUs (but im open to anyone else's ideas) but why the i7 quad core? It seems like that may be overkill for what i need.. would a similar dual core processor hurt much? It just seems like I could save some more money here. What was the reasoning behind that choice?

5. i like that mobo, what are some key items to look for when picking one out?

Thanks for the response.

[glc]

The reasoning behind the i7 was for your 3D rendering and CAD, and your stated budget allowed it. You can save 80 bucks and go with an i5-760 and all you lose is hyperthreading. For your uses, I do recommend a quad.

Sure, you can put the 750 in there if you want. You just don't really need it. A 650 will power any single video card system on the planet.

I picked that mobo because for all i3/i5/i7 builds without onboard video I go with Asus P55 boards. That one is the entry level one with SATA 6.0 and USB 3.0. The only reason to go with one more expensive is if it doesn't have enough features for you or if you are planning on installing multiple video cards for a dedicated gaming machine.

[dirty elf]

most of the CAD/3-D stuff I do at work.. i just tinker around with it at home at home and would like to do it comfortably... if the only reason for the more expensive quad core CPU is CAD/3-D, I can live without bringing my work home :-P

i dont know much about processors and how they affect performance, what would a more budget option be? The reason it jumped out at me is because i read the sticky about building a gaming rig, which this machine will mostly be.. should have clarified that better.

Originally Posted by Building a Gaming Rig 101 4. CPU, a dual core CPU is all you need, a base AMD Or Intel dual core will do the job nicely, so don't waste your money on the most expensive i this phenom that, it is all hype and has little to do with how well your machine will game.

Like i said the cad stuff is not a necessity. It almost seems like more of a "should i spend the money on this" feature. This is probably because i dont know all the ins and outs, so please tell me. I love to learn.

if i could save enough money i would like to include a new monitor in that $1000-$1250 but i want the computer to be taken care of first because i already have a monitor i can use for a while and upgrade later

on the power supply, would a 650W power supply leave me room down the road to upgrade at all? you say any single video card rig on the planet, so it sounds like this answer is, yes.

sata is for connecting HDDs and optical drives correct? Onboard sound is fine on most mobo's as well correct?

sorry for all the questions, and thanks for the help.. i really appreciate it

[dirty elf]

did some more reading and put together this build. I'd like to get an AMD perspective, just to see what the other options are but I'm fairly certian I will be building this rig unless anyone see's any problems.

case:Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

hdd:Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive
whats the difference in colors for WD drives? red, blue black? and why is there such a huge price difference in some of the drives with the same storage? I just want a good 1TB drive.

psu:CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

gfx:HIS H585FN1GD Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity
thanks for the suggestion

optical:LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support - Bulk - OEM

mobo:ASUS P7P55D LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard
how does this board differ from the one you picked out?

cpu:Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870
or
Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I5750
not really sure here, do i need the i7, or should i go with i5? will probably end up with the i7 870, but dont want to just spend blindly. dual core or quad core, what are the savings? a couple hundred?

memory:A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH
any reason to get 8 gigs? would be running windows 7

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

total comes to $1,302.75 shipped. No money for a nice monitor.. That's ok for now, i can save up and get one later. If you see anything wrong with this build or anyway to squeeze a monitor into this budget, please let me know. If no problems, i'll be placing this order within the week.

Thanks in advance!

[Nuclear Krusader]

I'd go with the i7 to future-proof it. It's only 100 bucks and should handle better the apps that are going to come later on.

You don't really need an AMD perspective. You seem to have done your research and zoned in on what you want. Why keep torturing yourself with choice?

[dirty elf]

its a disease i have, but perhaps you are right. (talking about making decisions)

it seems like there are very little differences and it mostly comes down to preference, and ive decided that i prefer intel

everything else looks compatible?

[Nuclear Krusader]

The colour coding with WD relates to performance. Green drives are only 5400 rpm, blue and black are 7200 rpm. I honestly don't know what is the difference 'twixt blue and black, I only know that black is the top performer of them all. If this is your PC's only HDD, you choose whichever colour you want, as long as it's Black.

[dirty elf]

kinda what i figured.

also, what can i expect to pay for cables and other things? do i need a static glove or something to put this together? thermal paste? all i need to do is click buy on newegg with these parts listed and i can do the rest?

[Nuclear Krusader]

As long as you're wearing cotton clothes and you touch the PSU casing to ground yourself you're fine. I've never used an antistatic wrist band or anything. Just don't build it in a day/environment with low humidity (40% and above is OK). Handle cards by the edges and don't touch the circuits/chips.

If you're using a boxed CPU (that link you posted points to a boxed CPU), it already comes with a stock HSF which already has thermal compound on it, so you don't need to spend money on additional compound.

[dirty elf]

its the summer in florida, i dont think i need to worry about the humidity dropping below 80% much less 40%

what about cables? should the components come with everything required?

[glc]

The motherboard I suggested comes with SATA 6.0 and USB 3.0, the one you chose does not. You won't need to buy any cables separately.

Black: Premium drive, fast, 5 year warranty. Best for primary drive.
Green: Premium drive, energy efficient, 3 year warranty. Primarily for additional storage drives.
Blue: Budget drive, 3 year warranty. Designed for budget builds.

[dirty elf]

ok so here is the final build, for some reason nobody has said outright that everything is compatible and all looks good. i just want to make sure everything is ALL good before i drop $1,300 with one click

case:Antec Nine Hundred Two Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case

hdd:Western Digital Caviar Black WD1002FAEX 1TB 7200 RPM 64MB Cache SATA 6.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive -Bare Drive

psu:CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply

gfx:HIS H585FN1GD Radeon HD 5850 (Cypress Pro) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.1 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFireX Support Video Card w/ Eyefinity

optical:LG WH10LS30K 10X Blu-ray Burner - LightScribe Support - Bulk - OEM

mobo:ASUS P7P55D-E LX LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard

cpu:Intel Core i7-870 Lynnfield 2.93GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor BX80605I7870

memory:A-DATA 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory Model AD3U1333B2G9-DRH

OS:Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 1-Pack for System Builders - OEM

[glc]

Looks good.

[dirty elf]

thanks!

quick random question so i know what to expect - does this stuff all ship in one box when i order from newegg? i ask because im at an apartment complex and it has an open shipping room... i dont want a box full of $1300 components just sitting there for anyone to grab, if i cant do signature delivery ill have it shipped to my work

[glc]

It all depends on where specific parts are in stock. The case will come in its own box. The rest of the stuff can come in anywhere from 1 to 3 boxes. You can't ship to a different address from your billing address unless you get the bank to add that address as an authorized alternate shipping address, and this will also delay shipping till Newegg can verify that.

[dirty elf]

hmm ill just have to be on top of it...

[dirty elf]

im waiting for my credit application to go through - ive been reading lots of reviews

Newegg.com - CPU Comparison

why would i not get the i7-930? same price? is it because of the lower operating frequency? how much does that play into the speed of the cpu?

[glc]

The 930 is not the same socket.

[dirty elf]

so I would need a different mobo, i gathered that.. but what about the processor is different? i mean, why didnt you pick that cpu originally (its the same price) just because you already had that mobo in mind? or the socket type is not worth the extra money?

i appreciate the answers, if you could explain a little more of the "why" i would feel more satisfied thanks


edit: i know a lot of the time the "why" is mostly just opinions, but you seem like a pretty sharp guy.. i value your opinion

[glc]

Because we do not recommend Socket 1366 builds, they aren't particularly stable and the motherboards are costly. They are for pros who can deal with all the tweaking needed and want the last bit of performance they can get.

[quartet-man]

Even though I trust GLC on all of the questions I ask and this isn't my build, I find the "whys" interesting. It isn't that I am not sure of his answers, but to understand how it works and to learn.

[dirty elf]

Originally Posted by quartet-man Even though I trust GLC on all of the questions I ask and this isn't my build, I find the "whys" interesting. It isn't that I am not sure of his answers, but to understand how it works and to learn.

exactly. i hope you don't think i was trying to be rude, i just want to learn as much as i can

[quartet-man]

I never read it that way. I don't know about anyone else. I didn't really ask why on the build he recommended for me, but find this thread interesting. I did however ask after the fact on an UPS he recommended on what the advantages of having it were.

[dirty elf]

heh, im an engineer.. i MUST know why

anyone have any experience with antec 900 vs other cases, i noticed there were some decent looking ones for about half the price of the one i have picked out

and i was reading the reviews for the mobo i currently have selected and some of the reviews scared me a little... any truth to these reviews? Nothing that you guys here couldn't help me through right?

Originally Posted by newegg.com Cons: Had an issue with first board i received. I could not post. I RMA'd the board but now realize that it was an issue where I had to install only mobo, cpu and psu and turn the system on. then one by one putting the rest of the system into the motherboard, This is the first time i have dealt with or even heard of an issue such as this. I have built many asus boards before but this was a new one on me.

Originally Posted by newegg.com Cons: Enabling USB 3.0 and SATA 6GB switches PCIe 2x16 to 2x8. Didn't realize that when I bought it or I might not have. Not sure if all the boards with new USB / SATA are that way. The BIOS is rev 1.0 and badly needs to be flashed ASAP. Also, there's a firmware update for the USB controller that needs to be applied for much about USB to work properly. Other Thoughts: I've had good success with the 3 ASUS-board systems I've built for myself but this one needed more work than any of them to get something stable. I wouldn't recommend it at all for a novice builder or one that was pressed for time.

Originally Posted by newegg.com Cons: The big limiting factor is, if you decide you want to use USB 3.0 or Sata 6.0 you have to do the IO Power Up which limits the bandwidth on the PCIe x16 slot to x8. In addition, from the sounds of it, you can only use one of the special features. USB 3.0 or Sata 6, can't use both at the same time. Otherwise they will operate at Sata 3.0 or USB 2.0. Other Thoughts: Overall this is a great board, just don't expect to use USB 3/Sata 6 at the same time.

Originally Posted by newegg.com Other Thoughts: Very good board for the price but if you really want to see the benefits of SATA6 and USB 3.0 then get a more expensive board.

[glc]

Compare that board to the P7P55D-E Pro, see if it may be more to your liking (albeit more expensive).

The Antec 900 is an excellent case, but if you want to save a bit of money take a look at the Coolermaster RC690.

[dirty elf]

Newegg.com Motherboard Comparison

maybe i could save some money on the case and upgrade the mobo. For $35 do you think it would be worth it for true usb 3.0 / sata 6? are there any other improvements i would see with the pro board? im leaning towards getting it anyways

[The Other Steve]

Originally Posted by dirty elf anyone have any experience with antec 900 vs other cases, i noticed there were some decent looking ones for about half the price of the one i have picked out

Hi.

I don't have build-experience with the 900, or the Cooler Master RC690. But, for what it's worth, I have a couple of comments:

1. I was very pleased with the Antec 300. If you're an engineer, you might appreciate some of the details, which I am sure one has to pay for. But, for example, as shipped, some of the loose metal parts I needed for assembly were wrapped in corrosion-inhibiting paper. I think that's a nice touch, and indicates the quality. My Antec case included plenty of spare mounting screws, which was very welcome. The case doors are relatively easy to remove, and the screws that hold them are large and easy to spin by hand. There is a front-mounted lint screen that is easy to remove and clean. Nice touches all.

2. You might like to check the size of the Cooler Master case, or whatever case you are considering. After reading reviews, I was sure that the Cooler Master HAF 922 case (which was a great price on sale) was the case for me. But just reading the dimensions did not give me the true sense of the beast. I switched to the Antec 300.

[dirty elf]

yeah after doing some reading and looking i think im going to get the antec 300 and use the extra cash for the upgraded mobo. future proof this thing as much as i can.

waiting on my damn credit card so i can order this stuff