Building a new computer - Help

[NoobUser]

Hello,


I want to build a computer for gaming. I know the specs I want but I don't know what brands are reliable so I'm seeking for some help!

Here are the specs:

Core 2 Quad Q6600
P5K Motherboard
4bg RAM @ 800mhz
500gb HD
8800GT
600W PSU

Here are my questions.
- Is Core 2 Quad necessary? I heard OC'ing a Core 2 Duo is better. So what should I do? (Will OC shorten the working life of my computer?)
- For the motherboard, there are so many types of P5K.. like P5K-E, P5K-X (X stands for any letter). So which one should I get?
- What brand of RAMs are good? I see OCz, Kingston, etc... and what are these numbers? (4-4-4-15)

I did some research and 8800GT seems to be the 'bang for the buck' video card out there.

I want this system to be able to play high graphics game and last for a few years. The 8800Gt supports DX10 so I'm good with that.


Thank-you in advance for any help!

 

[Onus]

Choose your PSU from Tier-3 or better from this list:
http://www.tomswiki.com/page/Tiered+PSU+Listings?t=anon

An O/C can shorten component life if it is too high, or done without sufficient cooling. A mild to moderate O/C, particularly one that does not involve voltage increases, should not endanger your parts.

Bang for the buck seems to favor the new ATI HD3850, but for performance in the latest games the 8800GT is far superior. There are now a lot of benchmarks out on them; threads are available in the forums. Personally either the 8800GT or HD3780 will end up in my system soon, likely whichever is available first.
The numbers on the RAM refer to timing. Lower is better. You should probably look for 4-4-4-12.

 

[aadamszc]

Hello,


I want to build a computer for gaming. I know the specs I want but I don't know what brands are reliable so I'm seeking for some help!

Here are the specs:

Core 2 Quad Q6600 [Intel - Only Choice]
P5K Motherboard [Gigabyte]
4bg RAM @ 800mhz [Corsair - Albeit, most of the brands are good]
500gb HD [Seagate Barracuda, Western Digital]
8800GT [eVga - Step-Up Program/life warranty, XFX - Double Life Warranty, really not much of a difference between the brands. I'll probably be getting an MSI one myself.]
600W PSU [As ^^^ said, check the tier list.]

Here are my questions.
- Is Core 2 Quad necessary? I heard OC'ing a Core 2 Duo is better. So what should I do? (Will OC shorten the working life of my computer?) [It's not necessary. If you have money to spend and want it, go for it, but the E6750 OCs very nicely and is about ~$100 cheaper. In my mind, heat = shorter life span of components. So, if you keep heat down, things should be fine]
- For the motherboard, there are so many types of P5K.. like P5K-E, P5K-X (X stands for any letter). So which one should I get? [Basically they are virtually all the same. The P5K-E might have firewire and the P5K-V(made up) might have raid 5 capabilities. It very much depends on what you need to use the computer for]
- What brand of RAMs are good? I see OCz, Kingston, etc... and what are these numbers? (4-4-4-15)
[I addressed the brands up there. OCZ, Kingston, Corsair are among my personal favorites. As ^^^ the (4-4-4-15) are the timings. I don't really know to much about them, but the lower, the better. Lower also means that it is better for OCing.]
I did some research and 8800GT seems to be the 'bang for the buck' video card out there.
[Yeah, that or the new ATI 3870.]
I want this system to be able to play high graphics game and last for a few years. The 8800Gt supports DX10 so I'm good with that.
[Honestly, with the way that graphics are advancing now-a-days, this card won't last a few years. I mean, even the most high-end graphics card struggles playing crysis.]


Thank-you in advance for any help!

All my answers are inside your post in [ ].

Hope I helped,
-Adam

Edit: Made my answers bold.

 

[Andrius]

Games are not really using a quad core cpu right know. In two years that could change. If you intend to run quad core and overclock it get a good CPU cooler (the stock cooler is pretty pathetic).
For gaming I'd go with a dual core E6750 now overclock it and save $100.

For the motherboard you should choose one that suits your budget.
P5K is a very basic board (no RAID, no heatpipe cooling)
P5KR has RAID but is also basic.
P5KC has DDR2 and DDR3 RAM support but no RAID
P5K-E has better cooling, basic crossfire support, wireless network
P5K-Deluxe/Premium most featureful (almost overkill)
Also check out the Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3x series (you might find a better fit to your needs as I did).

EDIT : for RAM also check out the GEIL Black Dragon series (cheap, 800MHz, 4-4-4-12 @ 1.95V, overclocks well)
I bought a kit last month and I'm very happy with them.

Hard disks : pretty much any 500GB SATA drive will do.
Samsung is cool and quiet running. Seagate just released the 7200.11 series, might be the best.
WD is my personal favourite (I own 6 WD drives).

8800GT is the current <$300 king (but hard to come by).
It is unlikely that it will last (as a high performer) more than 18-24 months (true no matter what graphics card you buy).

If you decide to buy quad core get a quality PSU (like jtt283 said). I also recommend you don't go cheap on the case (maybe get a Coolermaster RC-690 for <$80).

 

[NoobUser]

Alright thanks for the help guys~ I know what I should do now...

And I'm gonna tryout Crysis, since everybody's talking about it =)