Need suggestions for first build

[lloydering]

Hey guys, I'm slowly putting together a shopping list for my first build, and would GREATLY appreciate any and all suggestions. It will be used for some gaming, a little photo and video editing, some occasional CAD work, my primary music source (line out to my stereo), along with the usual word processing and internet surfing.

Here's what I have on the list so far:
(UPDATED on June 4 to reflect most current shopping list)

CPU:
AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2000MHz Dual Core Processor $297

MOTHERBOARD:
EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard $95

VIDEO CARD:
In need of suggestions! Thinking about the MSI Radeon X1800XT RX1800XT-VT2D512E LITE Video Card, but still debating if I want to spend $270. I'd rather be down closer to $200.

RAM:
OCZ EL Platinum Revision 2 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR 400 Dual Channel Memory $128

PSU:
ENERMAX All in One Noisetaker Series EG701AX-VE SFMA(24P) ATX12V 600W PSU $130

HARD DRIVE:
Seagate 160GB 7200RPM SATA-300 OEM Hard Drive $50 (after $40 rebate)

DVD BURNER:
Lite-On SHM-160P6S Dual Layer Internal 16x DVD±RW Drive $30 (after $20 rebate)

VIDEO CAPTURE PCI CARD:
Hauppauge WinTV PVR-350 TV/FM Tuner and Capture PCI card $150

CASE:
Lian Li PC-60BPLUSII Case $130


UPDATED TOTAL COST: $1240 after rebates
...okay, so I'm $400 over my original budget... :lol:

While I'm not totally computer illiterate, I'm not really up-to-date with the differences in technologies, chipsets, etc. and could definitely use some guidance. I'm not sure if everything I've chosen is 100% compatible, so let me know if I've made a mistake in component selection. And feel free to suggest components in place of the ones I've chosen. I've never overclocked before, but I might get into it if my system is capable.

Thanks in advance for the help!

 

[shadowduck]

CPU: Good for a single core CPU, and good for your price range.

Motherboard: Asus A8N-E.

Video Card: Good deal, for an 1800

PSU: No problems

Hard drive: Tiger Direct is hell and never comes through on mail in rebates, don't expect to ever see that $40. Get the drive elsewhere. Good hard drive though.

DVD burner: Same story, especially when Newegg will sell you an NEC drive for $35 (beige) $40(black) with no rebate.

 

[lloydering]

Thanks for the reply, shadowduck. I think I'll end up going with the A8N-E motherboard you suggested.

I lost out on the connect3D X1800GTO deal. The rebate ended last night, and I hadn't bought it yet. Any suggestions for a video card that is somewhere around $170 to $180 after rebates?

Any case suggestions other than the Cooler Master Praetorian PAC-T01-EK I've picked out? I'm also considering the Antec Sonata II and the Lian Li PC-60BPLUSII. I'm looking for a case that's not too complicated for my first build, reasonably quiet, and has space for future hard drive and PCI card upgrades.

And is this OCZ memory compatible with the Asus A8N-E board? I tried looking it up on the Asus website but was having some sort of runtime error and couldn't view the page.

Thanks again for your advice, everyone!

 

[g-paw]

I have the Antec Sonata and it's really easy to work with plus the instructions were ok and Antec's support is good. One of the Antec's I have had the front USB hookup wrong in the manual but the correction was easy to find at Antec Support. Check out the Antec Support site and look at the manual and FAQ. Good idea to do this with any component your buying if you're not familiar with the company. The support web site is important to me because if it looks pretty complete, I figure if I run into a problem, it'll be easier to find the solution.

 

[lloydering]

Great, thanks for the input g-paw. Are you also using the PSU that came with the Sonata? If not, what are you using?

Anyone else have thoughts on my build?

How about a suggestion on a solid graphics card for under $200?

 

[shadowduck]

7600GT is a good performer for under $200.

 

[g-paw]

I'm using the PSU that came with the case and have had no problems. I do video, i.e., capture, burn, and light editing, but don't do games. I'm guessing that unless you're going with SLI, which it doesn't look like you are, the PSU should be fine. Antec makes solid PSUs as well as cases.

 

[lloydering]

What do you guys think about dropping down to 1GB of RAM (instead of 2GB) and upgrading the processor from a Athlon 64 3200+ to a 3500+? Which configuration would likely give me better performance?

And what's the difference between these two Athlon 64 3500+ processors?? Check it out: Processor1 Processor2
Notice they have different model numbers as well as different voltages under tech specs. I don't know the difference.

I'm using the PSU that came with the case and have had no problems....

You're right, I don't plan on doing SLI anytime soon. It looks like I'll probably go with the Antec Sonata II case and PSU assuming that the PSU is reliable and provides enough power for my setup. That will save me a little over $100. Thanks again, g-paw.

7600GT is a good performer for under $200.

Looking up all the choices that NewEgg has to offer on the 7600GT, how should I go about picking the best one? Which brands and features should I look for?

I also noticed there are a few X1800GTO cards for under $200 right now. Are any of them worth considering over the 7600GT? Or are these sub-$200 X1800GTO's cheap for a reason?

 

[g-paw]

2 other suggestions based on the video editing.

1. I'd get a board with 1394 (firewire connections) because almost all digital camcorders use these to connect to the computer. E.g., the EPoX EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra Socket. This EPoX has gotten good revieews and a lot of other people on this board seem to think they make a good board. The advantage of this mobo is that you can have rear connection as well as the one on the front the Sonata II.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813123236

2. If there is anyway you can swing it, I'd get the dual core 3800 CPU.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103562

Given you're saving about $100 on the case, this CPU would increase the price by about $65. I do some video capturing, editing, and burning and capturing and burning take an incredibly long time. The advantage of the dual core is that you'll be able to do other things on the computer when your rendering and burning your videos. I also think you could do with just 1 GB of RAM, which would also save you some money. Between the savings on the case and the RAM you could just about be even on the cost getting the dual core. You can always buy another stick of RAM later when you have the money if you think you need it. I've using Crucial RAM but don't know if it's any cheaper than OCZ. If you're thinking about the Crucial, their web site will tell you what RAM to get for your mobo, don't know if OCZ does but I'd check it out.

 

[baracuda73]

The x1800 is way more card than the 7600 a 7800gt would be more of an equal comparison card. Look around you should be able to find the x1800gto for about 200 or so

 

[lloydering]

Okay, based on everyone's suggestions, my list has changed a bit. Here it is:

Here is what I've chosen so far:

EPoX EP-9NPA+Ultra ATX AMD Motherboard

AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ 2000MHz Dual Core Processor

X1800GTO, 7600GT, or X1800XT, depending on what deal I can find.

Antec LifeStyle SONATA II Case with Antec SmartPower 450W PSU
OR Lian Li PC-60BPLUSII Case and Coolermaster RS-550-ACLY Real Power 550W PSU

OCZ EL Platinum Revision 2 1GB (2 x 512MB) DDR 400 Dual Channel Memory

Seagate 160GB SATA-300 Hard Drive

LiteOn DVD/CD Burner

Hauppauge WinTV-PVR-150 MCE PCI Interface 1042 Tuner Card
OR Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 500 MCE White box Tuner Card
OR ???

g-paw, do you use any sort of video capture card? I need to be able to capture both firewire and composite video along with audio, which is why I'm looking at the three cards above. I don't care so much about capturing a TV signal, but that would certainly be a nice bonus feature. If you (or anyone else) have a suggestion for a capture card, I'd love to hear it!

 

[The_Abyss]

It will be used for some gaming, a little photo and video editing, some occasional CAD work

Bearing that in mind, I really think that just 1gb RAM would be a mistake.

 

[lloydering]

I'm leaning towards the Lian Li case, which means I'll need to buy a PSU.

How do I know what PSU is compatible with the rest of my system?

For example, I saw this PSU on newegg:

ENERMAX All in One Noisetaker Series EG701AX-VE SFMA(24P) ATX12V 600W PSU

And then I saw this one, which appears to be a newer version of the same model:

ENERMAX Noisetaker II EG701AX VE(W) SFMA ATX12V Ver 2.2 600W PSU

It appears as though they are nearly identical, except the newer one is ATX12V Ver 2.2 as opposed to just ATX12V. The "Features" section has different notes as well. I really like this PSU because it has so many connectors, which will come in handy for future upgrades (like more SATA drives). I'm pretty sure I'll never run out of power, either.

So will the cheaper $130 PSU work with my system? What issues do I need to consider for PSU compatibility with my system?

 

[MrsD]

Why would you build a socket 939 system when you can get a AM2 system thats totally upgradeable for the same price?

 

[apache_lives]

Got a month to wait? Conroes comin out soon and will force prices of AMDs down? or take a crack at conroe.

Why would you build a socket 939 system when you can get a AM2 system thats totally upgradeable for the same price?

 

[braves4life]

Hey if you want your computer put together for you check out built4ucomputing.com. they will order, build and ship your computer for you based on your parts list.