Is this a good build?

[ramble235]

Hello everyone,

This won't be a home-built system, but I was hoping you all would take a look and tell me if everything seems kosher. I apologoze if posting in this forum is a terrible faux pax, let me know

A few of points:

1) This will be a gaming system.

2) I'm going to use a BFG 6800 GT that I already own for now, then upgrade to a non-sli solution later, such as a Nv 8800 GTX.

3) I'm really not sure about the Intel 965 reference MOBO, is it good? The company's other offerings pretty much force a choice between this board and spending another $150 for something better. Since I'm not going to SLI, I didn't want to spend that much.

4) Will the case's standard 420w PS be enough?

Thank you for your help!


Raidmax Sagitta Mid-Tower 420W Gaming Case w/ Side Panel Window

(Sckt775)Intel® Core™ 2 Duo E6600 CPU @ 2.4GHz 1066FSB 2x2MB L2 Cache EM64T

2GB (2x1GB) PC6400 DDR2/800 Dual Channel Memory Corsair XMS2 Xtreme Memory w/ Heat Spreader

Intel DP965LT P965 Chipset LGA775 Supports Core 2 Duo CPU FSB1066 DDR2/800 Mainboard

INTEL LGA775 CERTIFIED CPU FAN & HEATSINK

NEC 7170A 18X DVD+-RW Drive Dual Format Dual Layer

Single Hard Drive 320GB SATA-II 3.0Gb/s 16MB Cache 7200RPM HDD

FLOPPY: 1.44 MB FLOPPY DRIVE

No Operating System

$1127


Thanks again

 

[AMDThunder]

Seems to be a lot of money since it doesn't include a vid card or OS. Who you getting this through?

 

[ramble235]

From Cyberpowerpc.com.

Yeah I'm sure I'm paying a premium since its not DIY, but I have a new a baby and heavy workload so I don't have a lot of xtra time to build one myself. Especially since I've never done it before. Though I would like to try, its just not in the cards right now.

You've piqued my curiosity, though, and will price it out individually to see how much they are screwing me. lol

 

[AMDThunder]

Try ibuypower.com as well. Very similar set up to cyberpower. When using these cites, don't use the custom configurator, it comes out more expensive. Try 2 or 3 of the different custom buids configured the same way. Then pick the cheapest one.

That power supply is fine for the 6800GT, but may not be enough if you upgrade your vid card.

I used both sites quite a bit before deciding to build mine myself. Had it around $1100 shipped with the 6300, they're 500W PSU, 1 dvd burner, 1GB Ram (they charge WAY to much for that 2nd gig, get one and add the other yourself), P5N-SLI mobo, X1950Pro vid, 250GB HDD, XP Pro, and I forget which case.

Both of those sites have good prices. Still more than DIY, but not bad compared to some of the others out there.

 

[Azzdude]

Try mwave.com, put everything you want part-by-part in your shopping cart and then choose the assembly option. It costs 79 bucks, but in your situation, I think it may be best. You also get a warranty.

 

[leo2kp]

They lied to you, you're not getting 2x2mb L2 cache. You're getting a shared 4mb L2 cache. Only AMD offers separate caches for dual-cores right now :-/

 

[AMDThunder]

Try mwave.com, put everything you want part-by-part in your shopping cart and then choose the assembly option. It costs 79 bucks, but in your situation, I think it may be best. You also get a warranty.

Mwave is a good option in that they will build it for you, but I found their selection on some parts to be a bit lacking at times.

 

[drummerdude]

i checked out newegg and for what you listed originally the parts would cost just under $900. thats just about $200 price difference. that kind of money can be puts towards new psu and gpu

 

[Azzdude]

But the selection is waaay better than one of the options he's looking at. I hate the choices in those configurators. Granted, the best would be to shop around and build it yourself, but in the op's situation, mwave might just work out for him.

 

[ramble235]

Thank you everyone for the feedback.

I'm going to check out those other sites right now, great tips.

 

[ramble235]

I just quickly made at rough match on mwave.com which came to ~ $1150.

Using the far greater selection at a site like this definitely seems like the way to go. I should be able to build a better system than on cyberpower.com, given the same budget.

How is the quality of thier build? Do they do a good job?

Thanks

 

[leo2kp]

Newegg.com and build yourself Like, really. It's easier than people think. And all the parts are individually waranted, usually far longer than any manufacturer waranty. Lifetime RAM, 2-3 year processor, lifetime video card, 3-5 year HDD, etc.

 

[kais]

sure its a pretty decent build, only thing that i must say is to ditch the case, imo it looks ugly, and besides the look since you might like it, you might want a little better cooling if you plan on putting that 8800 in there, i had one in my rig i just sold to a friend, and that case got hot as idk... but lol, the psu should be fine for the rig for right now, butinstead of buying a cheap case and having to upgrade your psu later on, just buy a decent case and decent psu now so u dont have to worry about redoing everything, and if you dont take my word for the case, make sure that psu has a six pin molex, i think that card requires it

 

[Azzdude]

How is the quality of thier build?

They do an excellent job. The rig will be tested and you'll have guaranteed compatibility. I think this would be perfect for you considering you don't want to build yourself for whatever reason. If I were in your situation, I would spend the 79 bucks for assembly and just sit back and wait for it to arrive. The only satisfaction you'll lose is the fact that you didn't build it yourself, but at least you'll know what EVERY component is because you picked it yourself.

 

[Azzdude]

Here's a configuration very similar to what you posted:
(I'm not saying this is what you need, or want...Just for comparison.)

ANTEC SONATA II (BLACK) MID TOWER W/SMARTPOWER 2.0 450W ATX POWER SUPPLY
$96.60

GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 INTEL 965 CHIPSET SERIAL ATA300 ATX FORM FACTOR 1xPCI-E(X16)/3xPCI-E(X1)/3xPCI/4xDDR2 W/SATA2 RAID,LAN(Gb),USB 2.0 & AUDIO (CPU TYPE:INTEL - SOCKET 775)
$137.92

INTEL CORE 2 DUO E6600 (BX80557E6600) 2.4GHZ EM64T DUAL CORE W/4MB CACHE 1066MHZ LGA775-PIN RETAIL BOXED W/COOLING FAN (3 YEARS WARRANTY) (*Free Ghost Recon PC Game w/Purchase, While Supplies Last! )
FREE GHOST RECON PC GAME
$319.30

CORSAIR TWIN2X2048-5400C4 2GB KIT (1GB x 2) PC25400 675MHZ MATCHED PAIR 4-4-4-12 240-PIN DDR2 DIMM ($30.00 Mail-In Manufacturer Rebate Available from 12/06/06 till 12/13/06)
$238.00

SEAGATE 320GB ST3320620AS SATA2 7200RPM 16MB (Bare drive)
$99.84

LITE ON 16X SHM-165H6S BLACK OEM LIGHTSCRIBE DUAL DVD REWRITABLE DRIVE w/SW (White box)
$35.90

NEC 1.44MB BLACK FLOPPY FD1231H-302 (Bare drive)
$7.90

ASSEMBLY & TESTING
Assemble your selected configuration
Load necessary software/drivers
Test & check compatibility
$79.99

Total: $1,017.45

 

[gondo]

Your video card is fine since your keeping it.

Nothing wrong with your choice of CPU.

Your RAM is a good choice. 2GB is a good decision. Corsair is supposed to be the best. The cheapest name brand 2gb DDRII 800 kit is what I would buy.

Your motherboard needs to be changed immediately. Stay away from Intel. Go for an Abit. My personal recommendation. Stay from Asus no matter how much you hear they are the best. Abit AW9D or AB9 Pro would be good choices.

Junk the Intel FAN and Heatsink. Get an aftermarket heatsink such as a Zalman and use Artic Silver 3 thermal compound or equivalent.

NEC burner is good. Either NEC or Pioneer are good choices. For a higher price Plextor could be recommended.

Hard Drive is good since it's SATAII and 16MB cache. Make sure its a Seagate. Consider 2x200GB hard drives over a single 320GB. Way more convenient, RAID is an option, and you have a backup when one craches which will eventually happen. If your not building the system make sure they partition your drive. C drive = 20GB or so for window sand desktop usage. D drive = 30-60 GB for isntalled programs and gigs. E drive = the rest for movies, music and crap. This is jsut a basic recommendation but definitely partition it somehow.

The Raidmax cases i've sold in the past were garbage. The plastic rails for holding the 5 1/4" drives would snap and break. It's a good looking case for the money but build quality is absolute garbage. Go for an Antec, Coolermaster, or similar quality case. Get yourself a good Antec NEO power supply. Modular is prefered to keep the clutter out of the case. IF you want a good PSU cheap try one of the lower end Enermaxes. DON't cheap out on the case and get yourself a good PSU. It can mean the difference between a working and buggy computer. Even a cheap case can cause problems with flexing motherboards and wobbly cases.

Buy the parts online from Newegg or someplace like that for cheaper. The money you save will mean the upgrade to a better motherboard, aftermarket heatsink, hard drive of your choice not what they decide to use, and also a better case and power supply. You can also buy a tube of Artic Silver 3 while you're at it. Find some techo geek to build it for you in 30 minutes or so. That's all it takes to build a PC properly if you know what you're doing. Go to a local college and go to the computer networking or programming class and ask them who the big gammer/lanner/PC modder builder is. Give him $50 or $100 to build your system for you and he/she will do a better job than any store will.

I did not give you reasons as to why you should partition, buy seagate, or buy Abit etc. I have 20+ years of experience, reasons, and facts to back up my recommendations. If you have specific questions feel free to ask me. I also recommend you take the hour and build the system yourself. It is an easy and very rewarding experience. I can talk you through the whole process if you like. You might learn a lot in the process. I am an electronics engineer, not a PC technician who knows nothing about electronics and thinks he does. I have been building and selling PCs for 10+ years, I own a computer store selling the big modded tricked out systems in my area. I also run a local LAN with the most hardcore gammers in my area. I know hardware and feel free to ask me any specifics you want. And again, I recommend building it yourself. Very simple process. I've talked my mother through a PC build over the phone and it took her a little over an hour to do it. No problems. And she doesn't know who to lover the volume on the TV.

 

[ramble235]

Thanks again everyone. Some very good information here and generous help. I just might build it myself, afterall.

I'll configure another system from scratch and post it.

Ramble

 

[drummerdude]

... Artic Silver 3 ...

just so you know Artic silver 5 is the new stuff link , as 3 is discontinued

 

[gondo]

I knew that. It's just hard to stop saying Artic Silver 3 since it was on the market for so long. There is actually a product that is supposed to be better, from China or Japan or something, but its not redily available. Artic Silver is cheap and easy to find.

Even if you don't buy a high end thermal compound, make sure to peel of the pink pad on your heatsink if it has one and use a normal white thermal compound. It's free and works wonders.

It's also a good idea to remove, and dust out your heatsink every 6 months or so, whenever required. This is also a good time to scrape off the old compound and apply fresh stuff.

 

[ramble235]

Gondo,

I never properly thanked you for your entensive and very informative post. That's an inexcusable oversight on my part. In fact, it was your post that encouraged me re-consider building it myself. So, Thank You!

Im still working to finalize my part list (stuck on the mobo). But I have decided to build it myself after all. Its something I've always wanted to do and right now may be my last opportunity for a while because of life stuff.

The exceptional knowledge base of this site's forums, populated with people like gondo and others is a real goldmine.

I'll create another post when i've completed my initial build list.

Kudos!

 

[gondo]

Here's an update with some more info.

Asus has a bad website which is frequently down and makes it hard to get drivers and updates form them when you need them. It pisses you off. There BIOS is also not standard. They are however a top quality board and when in doubt choose an Asus.

I think ABit is the best. The uGuru is awesome and they always have updated BIOS on the fly to fix problems fast. THye also have the best ERMA in the industry. Nice to have a good warranty and company support.

Gigabyte is supposed to be good but they are pricey and I have had very bad experience with them.

DFI supposed to be good. I wouldn't be scared to use one.

SOYO is supposed to be a wicked board for a low price. If you absolutely need to cheap out to the max SOYO is supposed ot be the one. They also have all the nice uATX boards and shuttle PCs.

Intel is an OEM board with a 1 year warranty. I hate their boards and have replaced many at the shop.

Over the years I have tried other brands but always came back to an ABit. I love them and have had the best experience with Abit boards.

As for the heatsink. If you buy an OEM CPU you get no heatsink and 1yr warranty. If you buy retail you get them OEM heatsink and a 3 year warranty. I always buy retail since its only a few $ more. I get a Zalman heatsink. WHen I upgrade the CPU the Zalman stays and I have a brand new OEM heatsink fan to give away with the old CPU. Zalman is also good at selling upgrade mounting kits so your heatsink will be compatible with future CPUs. Zalman is good for this and a reason I choose them.

The OEM heatsink included with the CPU will be fine if your not overclocking. But sometimes in the summer it can get really hot and on some boards the OEM heatsink will cause your system to reboot because of overheating. At times like this you need to bring your system in the basement, get air conditioning, or buy an aftermarket heatsink. Otherwise the OEM one will be fine.

I said an Antec NEO power supply. But what I meant was a high quality modular one. OCZ makes a nice one that is modular. I would only go modular now since you want a windowed case and its so nice to use just the cables you want and avoid the clutter. The modular cables are also easier to mod with sleeving and stuff. Avoid the cheapo modulars since their cables are too stiff and don't flex easily, and some PSUs are longer and will come in close contact with the back of the DVD drive and the stiff cables will be a bitch to bend nicely. If in doubt just go Antec, nice 5 year warranty and good quality. Too bad they only go to 550W with the NEO modulars, although its a high quality 550W that can actually handle a full 550w.

I choose Seagate hard drives cause thye have the best warranty on the market. 5 years and quick and easy RMAs. Good hard drives to boot also. I have had many RMAs on Fujitsu and WD, Seagate seems to be the longest lasting hard drives I've used. Get the best GB for the $. I think the 250GB are the best value going now. You'd have to check. 2x250GB will give you a backup drive if one crashed so your not stuck for a week with no computer, although a 400GB+ is nicer to have down the road and easier to sell. You can always get a single 400GB or so now and down the road match it with another for a pair. Its a toss up.

SATA opticle drives would be so nice. Its a shame no one makes them. Thats the only reason I would consider a Plextor DVD-RW is to get SATA.

RAM 2GB is nice like I said, since VISTA will take full advantage of it while XP only seems to take full advantage of 1GB. Cheapest name brand kit like I said will give a lifetime warranty and trouble free usage. I prefer OCZ, nice RMAs again and high quality and good pricing.

You might have noticed a common theme amungst my choices. RMA. Building yourself gives you the option of doing the warranty yourself online and getting a replacement part within a week. Sure beats having to go through a computer store and waiting for them to get their arses in gear. You also have the receipt, box, and all manuals and software for each component you buy. Form a store you get the built system and that's it no boxes. Always tell the store to keep all the boxes and software and papers for each component they use. Its always nice to have those little plastic hard drive cases and cardboard boxes when you want to ship it back for warranty. You also get all the static bags which are nice to have hanging around. And you get all the leftover spare screws which ar enice to have around. Building yourself is definitely the way to go.

 

[ramble235]

Do you have an opinion of the Abit AB9 Pro? I really like the feature set/price point of this board but have 3 big reservations.

One is that I've read that it can be difficult to get it up and running properly, especially for a novice. I not sure exaclty why, just something ive read. This is off-putting for someone in my shoes.

By the way, do you know (or anyone) if it would post properly with 2.0 volt or better RAM? I've heard many 965s don't.

Second, that the board itself is relatively thin and flexible, ie cheap and and easily damaged. I even saw a review with a pic of the I/O ports and could see a definite arc in the board.

Last, that many reviews state that it doesnt overclock nearly as well as its competitors. Im not sure how much I care about this, b/c Im not sure how much I will even try to OC, but it would be nice to know that its capable. I've also read that a BIOS update could solve this, though, and thats Abit is good about those. True?

Again, on paper this really seems like a great board and I know Abit has a reputation for quality. Its just so damned hard to know for sure. It seems to me that every board has its issues, though.

R

 

[gondo]

AB9 Pro is a good board. The RAM should work fine. You can always adjust the voltage to the ram in the BIOS but shouldn't have too. I've used a few of these boards and they work fine no problems.

As far as quality goes. If a board is crap or a lemon you'll find out soon enough. Usually within the first 3 months it will crap out and won't boot. That's what warranty is for. ONce you get past the first year hump then you know the board is good. Of all boards that make it over the 1 year hump Abit's have lasted just as long or longer than any other board I know of. Even boards that are 10 yers old. That's because of the capacitors, diodes, resistors, etc... that they use. They use the highest quality components on the market. I've had leaking capacitors, etc... on other cheaper boards.

The AB9 Pro is interesting since it has 9 SATA and an external SATA. It also has the audiomax so you don't need to spend the $100+ on a sound card right away.

There is also the Aw9D Max and the new NVidia based IN9 32X-MAX. Both of these boards officialy support Intel quad core CPUs. That might be something to chew on.