Long time reader, first time builder

[havok4567]

Okay so i'm looking at building my very own computer from scratch and i'm going to need a little help from the experts here to make sure I don't completely botch it. So basically for the last few days i've been reading up on different components trying to make a decision about what to buy. I live in New Zealand (as if you know where that is) and I have been using a site called pricespy.co.nz to find the relative prices of parts. I'm looking at spending about $1500-$1800(NZ).

I am looking at something along these lines:
CPU=Intel Core 2 Duo E6600, 2.4GHz, LGA775
MOBO=Gigabyte GA-965P-DS3P, P965 ATX
GFX=GeForce 7950 GT 512MB, PCI-Express
RAM=2 x 1GB DDR2-800 PC6400 SDRAM (Not sure which brand yet)
HDD=Hitachi 200GB 7200rpm SATA HDD
DVD=Samsung SH-W162 16X DL (Anything cheap)

I'm confused about what this sort of system will require in the way of a Power Supply and also what sort of case to get. As far as the case goes I just want something functional not flashy.

So what do you guys think? Any input is welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[alcattle]

I looked on Pricespy for a good but fairly cheap PSU. For $60 you can get a 500W with 28A +12V rail. If you can afford it, look for a better named brand

 

[AeroB1033]

Not much point in getting a 512mb 7950GT when you can have an 8800GTS for only a few more bucks.

 

[havok4567]

Thanks guys. The exchange rate at the moment is about 1NZ = 0.7US. With the parts I listed its about $1800NZ so i'm pretty close to what i'm going to be comfortable spending but then again if I can get a huge performance boost for a little bit more cash then I would go for it.

Over here the Geforce 8800 GTS, 320MB, PCI Express is $100 more than the Geforce 7950 GT (10 hours work). How does the Geforce 8800 320mb compare to other cards? It doesn't seem to be on the VGA charts here just the higher ram models. It looks as though the 8800 640mb is outperformed by the 7950 so is there something i'm missing?

As a general estimate what sort of wattage am I looking at from a powersupply and also how many amps on the +12V rail?

 

[alcattle]

What you are looking at on the charts are 2x7950 that are higher on some benchmarks. Look for SLI on the charts, means 2 of the same card running at one time. For the money, the GTS smokes a 7950.
Off the top of my head, the 8800 series takes 32A.

 

[havok4567]

I'm getting quite confused by the VGA charts..they really don't seem to have much consistency. In some benchmarks the 8800 640mb is quite low compared to other cards, at other times it ranks in at about third and sometimes above the 8800 768mb.

It's almost frustrating trying to compare between so many different things and just not having the money to buy the best of the best. There are so many considerations to make with all the individual parts and each decision seems contingent on another one. And I havn't even considered overclocking yet. Is there an easier way to do this? Basically all I want from my PC is the ability to play games that are out now and that will be coming out soon (especially Assassins Creed) at a reasonable frame rate.

 

[billdcat4]

You also might want to look at the 7900GS. It performs very similar to the 7950GT, but for much cheaper (at least in US). It can OC very well, but doesnt have HDCP support or 512mb.

If you want to save cash (like me), the 7900GS is a good choice. The 320mb 8800GTS performs much like the 640mb at lower resolutions, but drops off dramatically when the res gets higher. What people are predicting is that over time the 640mb will show bigger and bigger performance increases over the 320mb due to the trend of games using more graphics ram.

I would not suggest getting a cheap (under $100) PSU to run any system with an 8xxx series card in it. Im getting a Seasonic S12 550w or a Corsair HX520 ($130 and $110 USD) to run a 7900GS.

Check out the PSU sticky and the reference list. With a 8800GTS you want at least 31a to be safe. Dont forget to account for proper cooling and noise control (noctua )

So good luck with your build, and NZ in general

say hi to the sheep for me :lol: