Lost on choosing a case and psu

[ColdRain451]

So after spending most the day searching I've decided on these specs:

pentium D 830 (I get a discount with intel)
Leadtek PX6600GT (seems to have good ratings for the price tag)
2 512 sticks of ram (not sure about branding, pc2-5400 ddr2-667 though . . and from what I understand a gig is all I'll need in the near future)
AOpen I945Pa-PLF since I don't think I need features
DVD Burner
SATA drive 250~320 gigs (haven't decided)

So all well and good, until I try to look at a case and power supply. I don't care about looks, I just want it to do the job and not be a large chunk of the cost of the system. The key here is price without being a detriment to the machine, and to a small extent noise.

So can someone point me the way to plain but effective? Also I'm not sure what wattage I need. Any other tips for that matter would be appreciated as well.

I'm hoping to go just under top of the line so that I get a system that will last me, but not have me paying a lot more for a whopping 3% speed increase.

Sorry if this doesn't make sense, I'm tired and more than a bit lost from seemingly identical feature lists and product codes.

 

[jokersgrin]

I wouldn't skimp on the PSU, but I recommend seasonic,thermaltake and silverstone. Case wise thermaltake, Lani-lai case's are top quality and they have resonable prices on most

 

[Rugger]

Try this <A HREF="http://www.directron.com/201tblk.html" target="_new">Super Flower SF-201T</A>. Great pricee for that quality case. Match it up with an <A HREF="http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=270402" target="_new">Enermax 535W, EG565P</A> great PSU for that price and is beefy enough for your DC rig.

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[ColdRain451]

I've seen the posts to other people that recommend the lian li and superflower, and I guess it made me wonder it there was a step below that had the same quality (inside) without bothing with the fancy outside. Also, isn't a 535w power suppy overkill? the most I plan to expand to is one extra hard drive.

I get that this might be a bad choice:
http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/ProductDetail.jsp?ProductCode=168100

but really don't care if it's that plain looking

 

[HardWareBoss]

LOL

 

[Cmhone]

If you haven't bought these items already, get yourself an Antec True380. It might cost a little more than other brands but it puts out every watt the specs say it does. And get an acrylic case. I got a nice one for fifty dollars and you can make the case look any way you want.

 

[Renegade87]

Budget for Case & PSU?

If $200-$220 for both is within reason, I'd suggest the Thermaltake Tsunami Case and the Seasonic S-12 430 PSU.

Both are redily availabe @ Newegg.

"The world ends when you're dead. As long as your breathing you got more punishment in store. Stand it like a man and give some back."

 

[wizoforb]

As for PSU below you cant go wrong.

I vote for Seasonic 600W S12. I was searching for a PSU followed the Stress test, and Seasonic S12 was the top choice. (SLI READY)

120mm Double Ball Bearing Fan

+3.3V/30A +5V/30A +12V1/18A +12V218A -12V.8A +5vsb/2A

 

[Rugger]

If he gets an Antec True380, then he might as well get an Antec Sonata - it already has an Antec True380 PSU. Or he could get the Sonata II that has a True430 in it. They can be bought for around $100.

Use this <A HREF="http://www.jscustompcs.com/power_supply/" target="_new">Wattage Calculator</A> to estimate the PSU that you need. Remember that PSUs are not rated to run at max wattage 24/7 - no room for surge requirements and it reduces the PSU lifespan. I would feel safe running it at 60-70% load on a continuous basis. With an Intel system I would go way overboard - they are POWER HOGS. That system should draw somewhere around 325W. For a 70% continuous draw on PSU, you would need somewhere around a 450W+ PSU.

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