Final Build need dvd rom/rw and possibly case

lamagra1913

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I am also looking for a dvd rw/rom, cd rom/writer. Please link or post suggestions.

On a case. The one I have has no fans in it and i have a 550w ultra power supply. Should I just pick up a case that has fans already in it? If so please paste your suggestions. I think I will be fine with the psu but please make sure it will fit in the case or should I upgrade my psu?


Are these all compatible? Any other suggestions?

I am ordering this here in a couple of hours so please let me know what you think.

ty. Product Description Savings Total Price
1

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler - Retail
Item #: N82E16835186134
Return Policy: Standard Return Policy
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$34.99
1

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz LGA 775 Processor Model BX80557E6420 - Retail
Item #: N82E16819115016
Return Policy: Processors (CPUs) Return Policy
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$186.00
1

GIGABYTE GA-965P-DS3 LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Item #: N82E16813128012
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
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$129.99
1

Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound - OEM
Item #: N82E16835100007
Return Policy: Consumable Items Return Policy
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$5.99
1

EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card - Retail
Item #: N82E16814130082
Return Policy: Limited 30-Day Return Policy
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$20.00 Mail-in Rebate
$289.99
Grand Total: $646.96
 

gattsuru

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Cooler : best or second best in the price range, easy to install, quieter and more effective (with normal settings) than stock by a pretty wide range.

CPU : good choice for overclocking or even base use. I would recommend waiting til the 22nd, if possible, as prices are going to drop then, but it's still a very viable choice.

Motherboard : not really recommended. The p965 series has some issues, and it's also not going to be as compatible with the newer hardware coming out. While slightly more expensive, I find the p35 series to be a better choice for the money, particularly since it offers upgrades into the DDR3 standard when that becomes more viable.

Graphics : good available choice. Depending on your situation, you may want to bump up to the 640mb ram version, as newer games are looking to have denser and denser texture requirements, but that cost may be too high for you right now.
 

nvalhalla

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I like Lite-on and NEC for drives, about $40 for either. No fans on a case is fine as long as it has adequate space to put fans. I would rather use my own quality, quiet, name brand fans then the crap that comes with 90% of cases out there. I have a DS3 MB, I've not encountered any problem with compatibility. The new CPUs will work fine in it, DDR3 is still too new and expensive to be worth it right now. If you have the money for a P35 it won't hurt to have it, but if the extra cost requires a downgrade somewhere else in the computer, skip it.
 

lamagra1913

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Ok so it seems like everything is fine but the mobo.

Does anyone have any better suggestions thanthe ds3?


What about monitors? I am looking for two lcd monitors.. One if not both for gaming...
 

foxrocks

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The original motherboard you linked is very highly rated and would no doubt serve you well. It just depends on if you want SLI functionality (probably not), in which case you'd probably be better off with a 650i chipset board; or if you want guaranteed compatibility with Intel's forthcoming processors plus support for DDR3 RAM when it becomes viable in the future, in which case you'd be better off with a P35 chipset board.

If you want guaranteed performance with a mature BIOS etc (965 chipset) then the motherboard you linked originally is a great choice.

If you want new tech that might be slightly more 'future proof' due to DDR3 RAM (P35 chipset) then I'd recommend a Gigabyte P35 DS3R.

As for monitors, how much are you looking to spend? Is there a minimum size?
 

lamagra1913

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I am looking to two lcd monitors. Price less than 250 if possible. 19" or greater


I added some 80 mm cheap case fans that I will sub in and out if they fail and I have added a lite on dvd +- r drive.

I think I will be gtg once I get this monitor thing hammered out.


Thanks for your posts
 

lamagra1913

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I am NOT planning on switching to vista ANYTIME soon.

I do game a good amount (ddo, lotro, vanguard, fps's)

DIRECTX10 is not a priority

Is it more cost efficient and gaming efficient to get the x1950xt, 8800gts 320 or a different vid card?

If the x1950xt the 256 or 512 and which brand? (sapphire, his, etc)



Thanks for all of your help guys/gals

Randy
 

nvalhalla

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If you can afford the 8800GTS 320 DO IT! I suggested the older cards because it looked like that was more your budget. In addition to being DX10, the 8800s just happen to be the fastest DX9 cards too.
 

Leifer

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I am NOT planning on switching to vista ANYTIME soon.

I do game a good amount (ddo, lotro, vanguard, fps's)

DIRECTX10 is not a priority

Is it more cost efficient and gaming efficient to get the x1950xt, 8800gts 320 or a different vid card?

If the x1950xt the 256 or 512 and which brand? (sapphire, his, etc)



Thanks for all of your help guys/gals

Randy

Keep in mind that XP will go out of mainstream support, and Vista will be crowned with incessant updates, upgrades, and so forth. My honest suggestion is just look at it logically; spend $10-30 extra on your parts right now, so they're Vista compatible, and be ready to migrate when the majority of people do. It'll save you a TON of money in the long run, and you'll still have Vista-friendly parts, as opposed to being forced to stick with XP because your stuff isn't Vista-friendly.

On the other hand, you might be lucky and have your hardware be Vista-friendly in the end, because of drivers and updates. I just finished building my computer, and it's all Vista-enabled already. Hope this helped.
 

foxrocks

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May 29, 2007
157
0
18,680
I am NOT planning on switching to vista ANYTIME soon.

I do game a good amount (ddo, lotro, vanguard, fps's)

DIRECTX10 is not a priority

Is it more cost efficient and gaming efficient to get the x1950xt, 8800gts 320 or a different vid card?

If the x1950xt the 256 or 512 and which brand? (sapphire, his, etc)



Thanks for all of your help guys/gals

Randy
Which card you choose depends primarily on whatever budget you set yourself. Anything else is secondary.

If you can afford it then an 8800GTS will get you the best performance by a decent margin. It remains to be seen how well they'll fare with DX10 stuff later in the year, but really their best feature is as a great DX9 card.

If you can't quite stretch to it then the X1950XT is a great second choice with a bit less power. The 512MB version is about $30 more than the 256 by the looks of it, and is possibly too close in price to the 8800GTS to be worth it.
 

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