My Gaming Computer -$1100ish budget-

[Guest]

Okay, this is my first post on these forums =P

I'm building a computer to take with me to school, and aside from normal college stuff, I will be gaming. I looked around, and did some research. Also had some help from a guy on another forum. This is what I got together so far, lemme know what you think!

Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$129.99 ($119.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)

Intel Core 2 Duo E6420 Conroe 2.13GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 Processor
$186.00

GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
$159.99

Crucial Ballistix 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
$114.99 ($69.99 after $45.00 Mail-In Rebate)

ENERMAX Liberty ELT500AWT ATX12V 500W Power Supply 90V~265V (Auto Adjusted) UL, cUL, TUV, CB
$109.99 ($99.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)

EVGA 320-P2-N811-AR GeForce 8800GTS 320MB 320-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 HDCP Video Card
$279.99 ($259.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)

SAMSUNG Black 18X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 18X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X
$32.99

Microsoft Comfort Curve 2000 B2L-00047 Black 105 Normal Keys 9 Function Keys USB Ergonomics Keyboard Mouse Included
$21.99


Still haven't figured out what OS to get, though have been leaning more towards XP because of stability... Also, thinking about investing in a new monitor, a 22" LCD Widescreen, so if anyone has any ideas on a good one, please share!

Any input is appreciated!

 

[skyguy]

Excellent specs there, very well done!! Great job.

As for 22" monitor, the overall best is probably the Samsung 226.....wet dream on a screen Stylish, excellent color rendition, very good refresh rate so no ghosting, good for gaming/movies/graphics/etc. Quite simply a top notch monitor and it won't break the bank either. HIGHLY recommended. I have 2 Samsung 225's (earlier model) and they are amazing. Get the 226 though, it's even better

 

[nvalhalla]

All looks good.

There are few places you could save a little money if you needed to, but nothing is grossly overpriced or wasteful in your build.

Make sure you get the SATA DVD-RW, not IDE. Your list doesn't specify.

 

[Guest]

If you have some ideas on saving money, please share! I'd definitely consider them, as college is expensive lol. And yeah, was gonna get the SATA DVD-RW. Can a DVD-RW play DVD's? I've never had one, to be honest lol.

 

[skyguy]

Yes, a DVD/RW can play DVD movies, as long as you have a DVD viewer program. No biggie, there are plenty out there, many are freeware. PowerDVD, WinDVD, etc, etc.

How to save money? Easy. Get a cheaper case.....Coolermaster 534. Then get a cheaper CPU and overclock it. And get cheaper RAM. And a cheaper 965 mobo. That'll save you easily over $150 no problem and won't sacrifice performance.

 

[nvalhalla]

There shouldn't be any legal free dvd playing software. There is a licensing fee (or whatever) involved. You should be able to "find" one none the less. Chances are you've gotten one at some point. I'm pretty sure Vista comes with some sort of DVD playing software, although I haven't tested that out oddly enough...

Yeah, case is what I was thinking for saving money. The centurion case is popular. http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4991611 -Here's the nine hundred for $90

E4400 after 7-22 (or E4300 now) will also be dirt cheap ($113) and run about the same as the E6420. OCs well too.

P35 shouldn't be necessary, 650i and 965p offer all the same power, just no DDR3 support, which won't be needed until the next socket. DDR2 RAM can keep up 1:1 with FSB past 2000MHz.

Here's a powerful PSU for a little cheaper http://shop3.outpost.com/product/4653878 $80 shipped!

Mind you, none of these are a MUST, the parts you listed are all good, just some cheaper substitutions you could save some money with.

 

[Guest]

I'm gonna check these things out real fast, thanks!

Btw, was looking at the P35 for the DDR3 support, as well as the PCI-e 2.0 support. Seems that'll come in handy when I upgrade.

 

[Guest]

Yes, a DVD/RW can play DVD movies, as long as you have a DVD viewer program. No biggie, there are plenty out there, many are freeware. PowerDVD, WinDVD, etc, etc.

How to save money? Easy. Get a cheaper case.....Coolermaster 534. Then get a cheaper CPU and overclock it. And get cheaper RAM. And a cheaper 965 mobo. That'll save you easily over $150 no problem and won't sacrifice performance.

I might get that 90$ Antec Nine Hundred, mainly because I want my computer to stay cool all the time. I do plan to overclock, and want this puppy to last like, 4 years hehe. (Still on an AMD cpu, runnin at 1.7GHz, with 1gig of RAM and a Radeon 9600XT 128mb card)

 

[nvalhalla]

Again, DDR3 won't be necessary until FSB goes past 2000, which won't be this socket. GA-P35C-DS3R doesn't have PCIe 2.0 either, but I hear it might be unlocked (not sure about that)?? X38 does have it I guess. The one benefit is that P35 will apparently support 45nm Penryn, the 965/650i might not (I'd be surprised if it didn't).

 

[Guest]

Would this be a better choice then, for a MB?

GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128050&Tpk=P35-DS3R

I think I would like to stick with the P35, just in case PCI-E 2.0 can be unlocked, even without DDR3.

Skyguy mentioned cheaper RAM... what kind of RAM would be cheaper, yet isn't crappy? I really have no idea here, but I don't want something that is gonna mess up hehe.

Also curious, what would people recommend, Windows XP Professional, or Vista Home Premium?

EDIT: I am gonna get the SAMSUNG 226 22" I think... but what kind of resolution can I get with that video card? Will I run into trouble?

 

[nvalhalla]

That's a viable compromise on the MB. If it gives you piece of mind, go for it.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146565
Great price if you don't mind the rebate. Awesome performance too.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211174&Tpk=adata%2bddr2-800%2bextreme
Cheaper up-front. Uses fast D9 RAM, so it'll OC too.

I like Vista. You are going to buy Vista, it's only a matter of time. Why have to re-buy your OS? I'd use XP if you were upgrading or already had it, but if you are spending money, why buy an OS you will have to replace soon?

With the 8800 320 vs 640, it depends some on the games. With AA and resolutions over 1600x1200 there is a difference with the extra RAM. If you stay at 1600x1200 or lower and don't use AA, you won't need the 640MB

 

[skyguy]

^^That RAM will work.

That P35 mobo will do fine for you.

The 8800GTS 640 will be needed for a 22" Samsung (check my sig ) if you want to turn up the AA and eye candy a bit.

 

[Guest]

The reccomended resolution for that 22" monitor is 1680 x 1050... Would that be too high with that card? Cause the 640mb is an extra 100$ hehe.

And I think I'll get Vista.. but is there a 64bit version? I've heard alot of stuff about 32bit and 64 bit, but I really dunno what they do differently. I think I read that some games will only run on 64bit...

 

[nvalhalla]

try the 320 mb and see if it's fast enough for you. you can always "step-up" if not. no, no games need 64 bit. get the 32 bit for now. MS will send you a 64bit version for 7 bucks, or something like that, when in the future you upgrade to 4gb of ram.

 

[FallenSniper]

The difference between the 64 bit and the 32 bit is the amount of memory they can support. The 32 bit can only support up to 3.2 gigs or something. The 64 can support a heck of a lot more. 2^32 vs. 2^64. A little difference there