First PC that i will make for myself :D Any help please?

[p4rry]

Right, i am building a pc for university in september. I have decided on some major parts but however there is a lot of choice and weighing up the pros and cons of each part is rather overwhelming. Another issue is space, and will it all fit together. My budget is around the £750 mark, but may rise to £800 if needed. All input will be gladly received as i need it, lol.

Here are the current specs:

Case: Coolermaster Mystique 632 Black, i'v read some good reviews on this case and it has adequate cooling and it looks great in my opinion. The only issue i have is that there may not be enough space for all the components.

Coolermaster Mystique 632

CPU: Obviously i have gone with a Core 2 Duo, specifically the E6420, as it is a good price and offers good overclocking. Might be tempted to go for an E6600 if savings are made elsewhere.

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420

Motherboard: Aha, now this is where i run into difficulty. I have gone from p965 to 650i, but am tempted by some of the cheaper new p35 boards. I have chosen the Abit Fatal1ty FP-IN9 SLi nForce 650i though, because of the overclocking headroom and its cheap price. Any recommendations will be a big help.

Abit Fatal1ty FP-IN9 Sli 650i

Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS SuperClocked 320MB. Best card in my budget. Will it fit in case though?

EVGA GeForce 8800 GTS Superclocked 320MB

RAM: GeIL 2GB (2x1GB) PC6400C4 800MHz Ultra Low Latency DDR2. 2 gig, cheap, what is to complain about?

GeIL 2GB RAM

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar RE 250GB 2500YS SATA-II 16MB Cache. Dont need much more than this capacity, and it has been recommended to me this drive. Any cheaper, faster drives? Heard stuff about hitachi being as good as WD?

Western Digital Caviar RE 250GB

CPU Cooler: Zalman CNPS9500-LED Aero Flower. Offers good performance, money is worth it for a quieter cooler machine. Will it fit in case? Is the motherboard big enough? Do i use the stock thermal grease, or get arctic silver?

Zalman CNPS9500-LED

Power Supply: Bit unsure over this aspect, need it to supply the power, unlikely to go SLI so i dont reckon i need much more than 550W. Any cheap reliable ones? Currently looking at Hiper HPU-4M580 Type R 580W and Corsair HX 520W ATX2.2 Modular SLI. Also, is the Antec TruePower any good? Do i need modular cabling and are the power supplies cables long enough to reach all parts?

Corsair HX 520W
Antec TruePower Trio 550W
Hiper Type R 580W

I have spent a long long time researching these parts while im meant to be revising lol, so go easy on me. First post so here is hoping that its a good one and i have given u all the required info. Thanks.

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

Everything looks ok for the most part. Yes, the 8800GTS will fit in the CoolerMaster case. The 8800GTS is only a little longer than a standard ATX motherboard is wide, so it will fit.

For the power supply, I'd recommend not to get the Hiper. The Corsair 520W is a better choice. I currently have the Hiper, and because it only has 30A on the 12V rails, it doesn't have much room for expansion. My X1900XT requires 30A, so I cut it really close. Check mpilchfamily's awesome PSU list, and choose one that has around 36A to be safe. BTW, I'm considering the 620W Corsair unit for my summer upgrade.

Your choice of motherboard and RAM are fine, Abit and GeIL are good manufacturers. Abit boards are good overclockers, as are the C2D CPUs, so no problems there. Personally I like Corsair memory, but that's just my preference. That or Crucial.

Western Digital is a good brand of drive, all three drives in my machine now are WD (two of them are what you're looking at >_>). No experience with Hitachi, but you can't go wrong with WD.

If you're going to do a lot of traveling with this machine, I'd suggest getting a lower-profile CPU cooler. The problem with the one you picked out is that while it cools great, it stands out far from the motherboard, and a sudden bump while you're in the car can leave you with a dangling cooler...not good. if you're not going to overclock, I'd say stick with the stock cooler, just put some Arctic Silver on there and you'll be fine. If you really don't want to use the stock cooler, then something like this would be a better choice because of the lower profile.

This should be an awesome machine, have fun with it!

 

[p4rry]

I did forget to put that i am going to overclock the CPU then. The major travelling it will be doing is every 6moths(ish) to and from uni, this journey is mainly motorway, if i lay it on its side would that affect anything? Thanks for the quick response.
Also, because it is my first time im not looking to overclock the memory or anything, and Corsiar and Crucial are much more expensive.
That PSU list is rather groovy.

 

[jtm33]

Your build seems to be well thought out and you should be pleased with what you get. There doesnt seems to be anything that might hinder performance or that wont work so i think you are good to go!

 

[yakyb]

one question

Do you ever plan on using SLI?
because although the board says its compatible it will only run 8x8x and from what i recall the 8800s need the 16x only a minor point but fairly important in the future

 

[jtm33]

There is very little performance difference in 16x 16x SLI compared to 8x 8x.

 

[andybird123]

if you can stretch it a little I would go for the 640mb GTS rather than a 320, as the DX10 benches starting to come out are highlighting the limitations of the 320 card

 

[bigblack]

If you do not plan to SLI (wisely so in my humble opinion) go for the Gigabyte 965 DS3.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MB-061-GI&groupid=701&catid=5&subcat=565
Nothing against Abit, only it's a newer product with several unresolved issues. If you get it though, it wouldn't be a mistake.

Do NOT get the Hiper. The corsair 520 is an excellent PSU, manufactured by Seasonic. You don't really need it modular, but at that price, it comes as a bonus. Cables reaching everywhere no problem.

If you are going to overclock mildly (say @ 2.8-3.0 Ghz), a good and silent solution is the arctic freezer 7 pro of my sig. (Also light and cheap. No fear of falling off when moving, just as with stock cooler.)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-017-AR&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821
If you are planning to be more aggressive, the Thermalright of the link is the way to go, along with a good speed adjustable 12cm fan.
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HS-039-TR&groupid=701&catid=57&subcat=821

Very good choice of components, especially memory. Most people overdo it when it comes to RAM. You could go for an E4300 to save several quid. You can oc it to 3.0 Ghz without an issue and run it cooler than the e6420 oced at the same freq. Not a problem with the latter though.

Finally, you won't have problems if you travel with the case secured and with the cooler facing upwards.

Good luck.

Edit: details, punctuation, spelling, grammar, syntax!

 

[yourmothersanastronaut]

one question

Do you ever plan on using SLI?
because although the board says its compatible it will only run 8x8x and from what i recall the 8800s need the 16x only a minor point but fairly important in the future

The 8800s work in SLI in either 8x + 8x or 16x+ 16x.

As for the cooler, it's up to you, you'll have to see if you're willing to risk the cooler snapping off. If you lay it on its side you should be fine, it just might make packing up the car difficult.

 

[p4rry]

I have read good reviews on the Gigabyte. I assume it has the same sort of overclocking capabilities as the Abit but is just a more stable platform and BIOS? I will probably go for the Gigabyte because it is saving me 15 quid so .

I dont plan on going for SLi, maybe in a few years when i have money after leaving uni, but not now. Also i can't really afford the 640mb gts. Not much performance on dx9 games and that is what i will be playing. As i am not going to get vista. My total cost at the moment is £780 with all XP and dvd drives etc, therefore anymore and i might not be able to live at uni.

Any reason why you're recommending different CPU coolers? Tbh, i do not like the freezer 7 pro, just doesn't look professional, might be being a bit picky but i want it to look decent in my pc nd that also doesnt inspire confidence in me. The thermalright looks good but a bit expensive, how about the non-extreme version? Does anyone have a Scythe cooler?

I wasn't expecting this amount of replies as fast so cheers guys. I should really be revising :? oh well :lol:

 

[ausch30]

if i lay it on its side would that affect anything?

If you lay it on it's side you still have to worry about lateral movement, I would just remove it before and reinstall it after the move.

 

[bigblack]

I have read good reviews on the Gigabyte. I assume it has the same sort of overclocking capabilities as the Abit but is just a more stable platform and BIOS? I will probably go for the Gigabyte because it is saving me 15 quid so .

It has very good oc capabilities and yes, i think it has less issues than Abit.
If on top it saves you money...

I dont plan on going for SLi, maybe in a few years when i have money after leaving uni, but not now. Also i can't really afford the 640mb gts. Not much performance on dx9 games and that is what i will be playing. As i am not going to get vista. My total cost at the moment is � with all XP and dvd drives etc, therefore anymore and i might not be able to live at uni.

If you won't be playing DX10 games, why don't you get an Nvidia 7950? It is a powerful chip and was the king (of yesterday :lol: ). Or an Ati 1950 for that matter. They won't break the bank either. If you can find any of them significantly cheaper than the 8800 GTS you should consider it.

Any reason why you're recommending different CPU coolers? Tbh, i do not like the freezer 7 pro, just doesn't look professional, might be being a bit picky but i want it to look decent in my pc nd that also doesnt inspire confidence in me. The thermalright looks good but a bit expensive, how about the non-extreme version? Does anyone have a Scythe cooler?

Well, to tell you the truth, for a mild oc you could even use the stock cooler, especially if your ambient temps are not high (higher than say 25C). The Zalman you chose is a solution that will cost you enough money, without giving you the opportunity to overclock near the limit of air cooling. Great looks though. The freezer is a solid solution, light, silent and cheap. It uses the same locking system as the stock cooler so it's easy to install. For medium overclocking i consider it a bargain, that's why i bought it in the first place and it delivers. If you don't like it, well, you don't. Don't go for the thermalright either because of its cost. You will need to add a fan so it goes even higher. If you are sold on the Zalman, go for it, it is not a bad product to say the very least.

I repeat that you really could save money on the processor and that it wouldn't be a compromise but a smart move. You can get an E4300 for ~50 quid less and make it reach 3.0Ghz without any problem, not even raise voltage. Any of the coolers mentioned would do the trick quietly and efficiently. It's your call.

I wasn't expecting this amount of replies as fast so cheers guys. I should really be revising :? oh well :lol:

Cheers mate! Get back to us with your final choice and photos of your rig. It will rock!

 

[bigblack]

if i lay it on its side would that affect anything?

If you lay it on it's side you still have to worry about lateral movement, I would just remove it before and reinstall it after the move.

Yes, AUsch30 is more careful than we are and he is right. Follow his advice, like that you get also to dust the fan and cooler, as well as the interior of the case every six months. The cleaner, the better.

 

[Mousemonkey]

Just to feed you a bit more food for thought http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=642 you may have read this already but if you have not it may be of interest.

 

[p4rry]

I dont want to stick with a stock cooler, mainly because of the hurricane that is sat next to me, but also because i dont want to fry my components after spending this much money.

Im going for 8800gts because it offers better performance and is a bit more expensive but bet value for the money. It also gives me future scope to expand my pc to vista and dx10 if nessecary (who can actually spell that word?). Its the way to go i think.

WOW!!! I didn't know that the E4400 existed, heard about the 4300 but always assumed that it was a cheap and very limited CPU. Reading a few review just now it does seem that it is a very good overclocker, but quite a few comparison reviews are stating about the importance of the 4mb Conroe cache over the 2mb Allendale cache. Does it really make that much difference? In a few older games it seems to do.
This review states that the E4400 is limited by its 800MHz FSB

However, the actual results turned out even worse than we had expected. At the nominal Vcore of 1.2875V, this CPU could only run at 2.93GHz, i.e. at 293MHz FSB taking into account the 10x multiplier. By raising the Vcore to 1.6V, we could only push FSB frequency to 325MHz, not any higher than that. So, the CPU could run stably at 3.25GHz maximum, which doesn’t look very impressive against the background of the previous two models. However, Core 2 Duo E4400 will hardly disappoint you with its performance even at this speed. Therefore, it is definitely far from failure.

They also say this about the E6420 and its overclocking in the same review.

As a result, the overclocked CPU was working stably at 3.72GHz, which is 75% higher than the nominal. This is very good and impressive result, which makes Core 2 Duo E6420 a very attractive choice for overclockers.

http://www.xbitlabs.com/articles/cpu/display/core2duo-e6420.html

That overclock is using the Zalman 9700 which is the bigger brother of 9500. Now im not looking for overclocking that high, but both CPUs would be scaled down. As i am new i feel that a higher starting speed would be beneficial as if it doesn't overclock as planned, i can revert back to good stock settings. Can anyone convince me otherwise?

 

[bigblack]

P4rry, you have already chosen a careful approach, i would say not conservative nor revolutionary. You know what you want and this is very good. If valid arguments and tests can't convince you, it means that either you are very stubborn, or you know better your needs and limits. I would vote for the second option. You have already a balanced, well thought system. If nothing strikes you as a better option, then it means it is not better for you. Sleep on it for a night, revisit once your options and order. I'm sure you will get best bang for your buck and that your system will delight you.

Cheers! As i said, post your final decision, then post photos

 

[grieve]

spend 5$ more and get the 300 GIG HDD, same model.

Hard Drive: Western Digital Caviar RE 250GB 2500YS SATA-II 16MB Cache

 

[p4rry]

BigBlack, yes i am stubborn lol. Thanks for all your help though. Just dont want to regret any choices.

Does anyone have a p35 motherboard? Because these would provide greater future use for a few extra pounds.

In UK the 300gb doesnt exist, its 320gb and is 60 not 45. And i have a 200gb hdd at the moment and i use about 80-100gig of that depending upon the dvds on here, so its unnessecary.

 

[alcattle]

most if not all P35 information is pre-released. I have only found a few tester/reveiwers that have them.

 

[bigblack]

Does anyone have a p35 motherboard? Because these would provide greater future use for a few extra pounds.

A few? The difference between a midrange i965 mobo and a P35 mobo should be at P35 launch around $ 180. In pounds it should be greater than ~100 pounds, all other things being equal. You would have to buy a board with support for both DDR2 and DDR3 because, frankly, you wouldn't want to pay the premium for DDR3 now. Buy what you need now and let other, richer guys pay the premiums and beta test for you...

 

[alcattle]

I am thinking $100 difference, and gigabyte has the dual memory model in the works. That is nice as you can use DDR2 now and then in a year or more try DDR3

 

[bigblack]

I am thinking $100 difference, and gigabyte has the dual memory model in the works. That is nice as you can use DDR2 now and then in a year or more try DDR3

Have you seen an actual price of $230? (The mobo he thinks of buying is the Gigabyte 965 DS3). People report much higher prices for these models and anyway, we would have to see the price difference in British pounds. If the difference is so small though, why not?

 

[p4rry]

OK then i may not go for the p35, as the bottom range price is £100 and my total is exactly £800.00 including p&p. which is a strange coincidence.

Do you guys think that maybe if i go for a stock 8800gts that i can overclock that to the EVGA superclocked speeds? And save £30?

 

[alcattle]

I hear there are a couple programs to o/c an 8800. so sure try it yourself, if it doesn't work for you, use the step up program

 

[p4rry]

Am i correct in thinking that enables you to buy a cheaper card, then can send it back and pay the difference? How does it work? Is it available in the UK?