semi-noob opinions on what to get. $2000 max . opinions?

[ask80]

Hi. I'm looking for possibly build a new comp system. my max budget is $2000. I plan on using it for games. I only have a 19in lcd and don't plan to upgrade it. I don't plan on overclocking it. I don't know what specific brand is compatiable with what.

1. CPU = E6600 C2D , what kind of fan cooling do you recommend ($40-$50 range)

2. What motherboard to get? Asus, MSI, Intel?

3. Need advice on case? something normal, with no doors, has external audio,usb,etc. lian ? thermaltake? something easy to upgrade on the inside with good cooling

4. 2 Gb ram, unsure on what specific brand or speed to get? 667? 800? corsair or kingston or OCZ?

5. still debating over GTS or GTX and which brand to get... esp for 1280x1024 resolution.

6. 600 watt PSU, unsure also on brand and specific model. is 600 watt overkill?

7. debating over WD or Seagate HD. 2 160gbs 7200 rpm HD, don't plan on RAID. is WD Raptor better for the price?

opinions and your expert advice would be appreciated. I was going to order from cyberpower but will try to build it on my own. I do have some experience. :lol:

 

[bydesign]

Hi. I'm looking for possibly build a new comp system. my max budget is $2000. I plan on using it for games. I only have a 19in lcd and don't plan to upgrade it. I don't plan on overclocking it. I don't know what specific brand is compatiable with what.

1. CPU = E6600 C2D , what kind of fan cooling do you recommend ($40-$50 range)
tuniq tower w/Zalaman grease brushes on like finger nail polish and is as good or better than AS5. If you don't plan to OC which you most likely will the stock cooler is fine up to 3Ghz and will work beyond that.

2. What motherboard to get? Asus, MSI, Intel?
Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe, pricey but in you budget and will handle the OC you will want to do downt the road.

3. Need advice on case? something normal, with no doors, has external audio,usb,etc. lian ? thermaltake? something easy to upgrade on the inside with good cooling

Coolermaster, one with a removable motherboard trey

4. 2 Gb ram, unsure on what specific brand or speed to get? 667? 800? corsair or kingston or OCZ?

corsair ddr 800 w 4-4-4-12

5. still debating over GTS or GTX and which brand to get... esp for 1280x1024 resolution.

GTS at that res brand doesn't really make a diffence some come with a free game

6. 600 watt PSU, unsure also on brand and specific model. is 600 watt overkill?

I use an evermax liberty 620

7. debating over WD or Seagate HD. 2 160gbs 7200 rpm HD, don't plan on RAID. is WD Raptor better for the price?
no, get one with more capacity though and perpendicular drive are the way to go

opinions and your expert advice would be appreciated. I was going to order from cyberpower but will try to build it on my own. I do have some experience. :lol:

 

[Heyyou27]

How long do you plan on going before a videocard upgrade? At the moment, the 8800GTS is more than enough for every game at 1280x1024, however in the future with the release of UT2007 and Crysis the 8800GTX may be needed if you want to play with all(or more) of the eye candy.

 

[ask80]

i was thinking about just getting the gtx because i want to use this system for the next 2 years before upgrading. i thought the gts could handle that with the 1280x1024 resolution.

well the reason why i'm getting 2-160gb HD is that i have 2-80 gbs for the past 3 years and have never even come close to filling it up, even with video, songs, pictures, etc. what are perpendicular drives? aren't they all the same ?

 

[Valtiel]

I don't plan on overclocking it

Then why are you getting an aftermarket HSF? for noise? if it's for noise a Zalman should do fine but watch out for the sharp edges

Perpendicular recording is hard drive technology that greatly increases the amount of storage that can be on a single drive such as 750Gb but a 320 should do you fine. Correct me if I'm wrong but they also have faster read/write/access times.

Since you aren't planning on overclocking or SLi for that matter I would start with a stable and easy to set up board. I'm not sure about this though as my knowledge of motherboards is based in the more exciting ones :lol: but I would start at newegg and use their search function

 

[darksidedragon]

On the case front, you'll need to get something that would come under "gaming" or "server" class, just because you need a massive case to house the 8800GTX. Make sure you get something with 12cm fans only, as they're much quieter than 80mm fans. If you're not overclocking, just get the cheapest motherboard by a brand name that will support the full C2D FSB1066 and has a 16x PCI-E slot. If you like the sound of onboard Wifi, get the Asus P5B Deluxe. Again, if you're not overclocking, don't get an aftermarket cooler. Stick with the stock HSF.

 

[db101]

1) The E6600 is a good choice, and just use the stock cooler if you aren't going to be overclocking it.

2) The motherboard brand isn't a big deal, just find a nice stable one from a reputable brand (just make sure that the mobo is socket 775 for compability with C2D )

3) Case choice is rather personal. Just make sure you pick out one that looks good to you, and that's big enough to house all your goods with some breathing room. I would also recommend a case that uses 120mm fans instead of 80mm fans for quieter fan operation. Look around, you'll be happy you did!

4) The 800 speed is really only necessary for overclocking, so if you won't be doing that then the 667 is what you should be looking for.

5) If you plan on keeping it for a few years, the GTX would probably be a better choice. Gotta love having the abundance of horsepower.

6) The number one rule for PSU purchasing is: don't cheap out. You're spending good money on your other top-notch products, why get a crappy power supply and let it fry all your parts when you plug them in? I don't think you'll make that mistake, but it's worth saying again. Will 600 watts be enough? I know the GTX is an insane power hog, but I can't remember the actual power requirements for the beast (isn't it something like 400-450 watts for the video card alone?). If that is the case, you would need something more, but I'm not sure if I'm correct in saying this - check it out and make sure the PSU you chose will have enough wattage (and amps!) to power your system safely. (I'm no PSU master, so correct me if I'm wrong on these things, guys.)

 

[darksidedragon]

The 8800GTX uses 140-170W of power. I think SATA drives use quite a bit, but the Hiper 580W is enough for any current single GPU configuration. You'll need at least 700W if you're going for a SLi 8800GTX config though.

 

[ask80]

hey thanks for all the advice.
as for the case i was looking into this one :
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129021

any comments? should i get a cheaper one and save money? will this fit a GTX?

i have an athlon 3000 64 for 2 years with the stock HSF. my temp was in the 50's idle. i replaced it with a $30 thermaltake and now the temp is in the 30's. I just thought getting a new HSF is worth the $40. maybe not?

I'm hoping not to spend more than $150 on the psu

 

[db101]

Thats a nice looking case, and it looks like it'll be able to just squeeze one of them GTX cards into it's belly.

It's cool if you want to get an aftermarket HSF, and it might look nicer than the stock one (since that Antec Nine Hundred has a side panel window). But C2D chips run pretty cool, so it's not necessary to get an aftermarket cooler (even if you do decide to do some moderate overclocking!). But it's up to you if you want to include one in your budget.

$150 for a PSU is a good budget, you won't be skimping on a quality power supply (just get a reputable brand). And apparently 600w would be fine for your system unless you decide to SLI two GTX cards together in the future. (I must have been thinking of an SLI setup for my wattage estimate. )

 

[sps62487]

thermaltake has the nice tough power 700watt, 750, and i think an 850 watt.
nice 12volt total.

also they also make a video card psu where it has the 2 pci16 power connectors on it and will work on a 8800gtx

 

[Valtiel]

thermaltake has the nice tough power 700watt, 750, and i think an 850 watt.
nice 12volt total.

also they also make a video card psu where it has the 2 pci16 power connectors on it and will work on a 8800gtx

although if you had a TT Toughpower 700-850W you wouldn't need another PSU to power the 8800GTX. Those psu's will power an 8800 fine and the 750 and 850 can power two comfortably.

 

[ask80]

i never built a computer before but i'm not a complete noob.

i have installed a new cpu fan, new psu, sata HD, cd/dvd writer, ram, graphics card, pci stuff.

the only thing i'm concerned about is setting up the motherboard, installing a cpujumpers, wires for HD, power lights, etc , and setting up BIOS.

will is still be pretty easy? will i have to mess with the BIOS a lot?

 

[darksidedragon]

You shouldn't have to change much in the BIOS unless you want to overclock components. The only thing you might need to change in the BIOS is the boot order.
As for connecting the power buttons on your case to the motherboard, the manual that comes with the motherboard will tell you how to do that (and it'll tell you how to do pretty much anything you don't know how to do).