Building my first PC. Please Help

[dildarka]

Hi guys,

Recently decided to built the computer from scratch, but haven't done this before, therefore I am not sure if the components that I have picked do match or even if they will fit into the case that I want to buy. Any help or advice would be really appreciated! Thank you!

Here are the components I have picked:

• 1 NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 580 - 1.5GB GRAPHICS CARD. Wanted a graphics card to be at least 480.
::YoYo Tech::

Was also thinking about EVGA cards, as they do motherboards as well, but not too sure about that one

• Intel Core i7-960 Socket 1366 Quad-Core CPU Retail (BX80601960)

BX80601960 Intel Core i7 960 3.20Ghz (Nehalem) (Socket LGA1366) - Retail Quad Core Technology, 3.20GHz clock speed, 8MB L3 Cache, Triple Channel DDR3 Controller, 4.8GTs QuickPath, 3yr Warranty. : novatech.co.uk

• OCZ 240GB Vertex 2 2.5inch MLC SATA Internal SSD Hard Drive (OCZSSD2-2VTXE240G)

::YoYo Tech::

• Corsair Professional Gold AX1200 High Performance 1200W Power supply (CMPSU-1200AXUK)

Corsair Professional Series™ Gold AX1200 High Performance 1200W Power Supply (CMPSU-1200AXUK) [CMPSU-1200AXUK ]

• YOYOTech Thermaltake Level 10 Black Case

::YoYo Tech::

• Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD7 LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard (or Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD3R LGA 1366 Intel X58 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard or equivalent)

::YoYo Tech::

I was interested in the feasibility of using components based on X58 motherboard and processor i7 and in the combination of processors, memory and motherboards.

I know it missed out on the RAM and the optical drive. Could use any suggestions on that.

Thanks a lot!

[quartet-man]

I'll let those who know more than I check for compatibility. I will say that SSDs are too expensive and not developed enough. OCZ wouldn't be a good brand either as far as I know. Get a Western Digital Black hard drive instead. Although a great brand, the Corsair 1200 power supply is WAY overkill. Wait for someone else to comment, but I am guessing 600 or 750 tops would be a better choice and still leave you room for expansion.

As far as motherboards, you want to avoid the 1366 platform. They are very finicky and hard to get to run stable. Go with an 1156.

[dildarka]

Originally Posted by quartet-man I'll let those who know more than I check for compatibility. I will say that SSDs are too expensive and not developed enough. OCZ wouldn't be a good brand either as far as I know. Get a Western Digital Black hard drive instead. Although a great brand, the Corsair 1200 power supply is WAY overkill. Wait for someone else to comment, but I am guessing 600 or 750 tops would be a better choice and still leave you room for expansion. As far as motherboards, you want to avoid the 1366 platform. They are very finicky and hard to get to run stable. Go with an 1156.

Thanks a lot for the reply!
Yes, I was thinking that 1200 is too much, then I will definitely get something else. Its the first time I am putting a system together, so don't know much.

What would you recommend as an optical drive? Was looking at Samsung Black Sata dvd, but not too sure if I want to use Samsung at all.

Thanks again!
Best,
Di

[David M]

Welcome to PC Mech Di!

Before we can design a computer for you, we need to know how much you would like to spend, which applications you plan on running and however else you plan on using your computer.

[dildarka]

Originally Posted by David M Welcome to PC Mech Di! Before we can design a computer for you, we need to know how much you would like to spend, which applications you plan on running and however else you plan on using your computer.

Thanks! Its actually my first time on a PC forum.

Well, I have managed to write off the PC expenses on a company budget, so I don't have an exact amount that I would like to spend. But I want it to be a beast (as you can see from my initial list, although it was too much).

Mainly I am using Office programs, also I will start working a lot in AutoCad 2D and 3D. I am working for a medical company, which supplies equipment to hospitals, so I have a lot (!) of data to be handle every day. Thus I wanted something reliable, fast and preferably stylish

Thanks a lot,
Di

[quartet-man]

You're welcome. and welcome to the forums.

To answer the optical drive question, may seem to be okay. However, I have used Lite On and Pioneer, but others have good luck with LG and I think Asus. Although one is all that is needed, I chose two. I don't want my computer down as far as burning etc. waiting to get a replacement because a $20 or so drive failed. I burn frequently for my job as Music Director, so you might not need it as much. Things to decide if you want are Lightscribe (or not), Blue Ray (or not), Dual Layer (or not), speed, types of media used etc. Sata is pretty much the standard and since you are building a new one, the motherboard should have more SATA interfaces than IDE (of which it might have one).

[glc]

The X58 platform is not one that I would recommend for a first-time builder. It takes quite a bit of fiddling to make it stable. The P55 platform is more mainstream, and the performance differences are relatively minor.

The new GTX 580 is a gaming card. This is not something I would put in a business workstation that you are using for CAD. You want a professional workstation card such as a Nvidia Quadro or an AMD/ATI Fire series.

I'm not going to recommend a case, but here is a list of recommended components for your needs:

ASUS P7P55D-E P55 Socket 1156 8 Channel Audio ATX.. | Ebuyer.com

Intel Core i7 870 2.93GHz Socket LGA 1156 8MB L3 Cache.. | Ebuyer.com

Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz i5 Memory Kit.. | Ebuyer.com (2 sets)

Intel X25-M Mainstream 160GB 2.5" Solid State.. | Ebuyer.com
Note: You will need a 2.5" to 3.5" bay adapter to mount this in your case. Use this for your operating system and applications only.

Western Digital WD2001FASS 2TB Hard Drive SATAII.. | Ebuyer.com
Data drive.

LiteOn IHAS324 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA.. | Ebuyer.com

Corsair 650W HX Modular PSU | Ebuyer.com

PNY Quadro FX 580 DVI Dual Display Port Out OEM.. | Ebuyer.com

However, if you are also going to be gaming on this computer, I'd get this graphics card:

ASUS HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI Dual Mini Display.. | Ebuyer.com

[quartet-man]

I forgot to mention that I also got 2 drives because it is easier to dub or extract from CDs and I can also keep a listening CD in one and burn in the other if I am listening to music between burns.

[dildarka]

Originally Posted by quartet-man You're welcome. and welcome to the forums. To answer the optical drive question, may seem to be okay. However, I have used Lite On and Pioneer, but others have good luck with LG and I think Asus. Although one is all that is needed, I chose two. I don't want my computer down as far as burning etc. waiting to get a replacement because a $20 or so drive failed. I burn frequently for my job as Music Director, so you might not need it as much. Things to decide if you want are Lightscribe (or not), Blue Ray (or not), Dual Layer (or not), speed, types of media used etc. Sata is pretty much the standard and since you are building a new one, the motherboard should have more SATA interfaces than IDE (of which it might have one).

Thanks a bunch for the advice! I think I want to go for the Blue Ray.
I've been watching videos on youtube on the Thermaltake case and its huge! A guy was standing next to it and it was half of his height, and weighting 24kg, not sure being a girl I can manage to put everything together :S So probably I will start looking for other cases. Any advice?
Thanks again

[dildarka]

Originally Posted by glc The X58 platform is not one that I would recommend for a first-time builder. It takes quite a bit of fiddling to make it stable. The P55 platform is more mainstream, and the performance differences are relatively minor. The new GTX 580 is a gaming card. This is not something I would put in a business workstation that you are using for CAD. You want a professional workstation card such as a Nvidia Quadro or an AMD/ATI Fire series. I'm not going to recommend a case, but here is a list of recommended components for your needs: ASUS P7P55D-E P55 Socket 1156 8 Channel Audio ATX.. | Ebuyer.com Intel Core i7 870 2.93GHz Socket LGA 1156 8MB L3 Cache.. | Ebuyer.com Kingston 8GB (2x4GB) DDR3 1333MHz i5 Memory Kit.. | Ebuyer.com (2 sets) Intel X25-M Mainstream 160GB 2.5" Solid State.. | Ebuyer.com Note: You will need a 2.5" to 3.5" bay adapter to mount this in your case. Use this for your operating system and applications only. Western Digital WD2001FASS 2TB Hard Drive SATAII.. | Ebuyer.com Data drive. LiteOn IHAS324 24x DVD±RW DL & RAM SATA.. | Ebuyer.com Corsair 650W HX Modular PSU | Ebuyer.com PNY Quadro FX 580 DVI Dual Display Port Out OEM.. | Ebuyer.com However, if you are also going to be gaming on this computer, I'd get this graphics card: ASUS HD 6870 1GB GDDR5 Dual DVI HDMI Dual Mini Display.. | Ebuyer.com

Hi,

Thanks a lot for the useful list! So using i7 for P55 makes sense then? Thought that i5 would do, but if i can then its great.

Do you think the Nvidia Quadro will handle all the design work? Don't think I will be playing any games on it, except for Pacman on google, so might as well save money on it

[glc]

Quadros are MADE for design work. There are higher end Quadros if you just want to throw money around!

One of my favorite cases is the Coolermaster RC690.

Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced Mid Tower Case | Ebuyer.com

Blu-Ray:

LG BH10LS30 10x BD-RE with DVD±RW &amp.. | Ebuyer.com

[dildarka]

Originally Posted by glc Quadros are MADE for design work. There are higher end Quadros if you just want to throw money around! One of my favorite cases is the Coolermaster RC690. Coolermaster CM 690 II Advanced Mid Tower Case | Ebuyer.com Blu-Ray: LG BH10LS30 10x BD-RE with DVD±RW &amp.. | Ebuyer.com

Thanks! Case look super cool, might get it instead of the thermaltake

[StykFacE]

GLC is right. I'm a CAD Manager and designer. I run a high end QuadroFX card for AutoCAD MEP and Revit MEP CAD applications. Our company designs fully in 3D due to the demand in pre-construction design techniques that utilize complete modeled buildings for coordination and interference perspectives.

Here is a link to compare the Nvidia workstation level graphics accelerators:
NVIDIA Quadro FX - Product Comparison

The hardware of a gaming card vs. a workstation card are virtually identical in most cases. The real performance difference is that CAD applications require much more OpenGL and Direct3D extensions, thus driving up the royalty cost of the driver extras. Since games only utilize a smaller portion of the full extensions, they package a smaller set in the driver released in gaming cards helping costs.

Having said that, just because you go with a workstation level graphics accelerator doesn't mean it'll be completely night and day difference in live modeling or rendering. Gaming cards do well, and in fact lots of CAD applications are taking advantage of gaming card's capabilities each version that is coming out. I just wouldn't spend $500 on a gaming card. Spend $250 tops, anything beyond that is a waste unless you will actually be using it for gaming.

In other words, if you're going to spend $500 on a gaming card, might as well spend $800 and get far more in performance with a workstation. Hope this helps some.

*EDIT* Wow I just realized how old this thread is. Sorry

[Nuclear Krusader]

No, no. Your post is helpful. I was thinking of replacing my 8800GT in order to speed up Photoshop now that I switched to a higher resolution monitor. So, you're basically saying that I wouldn't see any advantage in upgrading the VC to a 460 or 470, correct?

I was also considering a Quadro, but I can't afford the 4000, much less the FX series.

[Kidd]

A thread from a couple months back regarding workstation cards vs. gaming cards

building a micro atx rig