First Build opinions

[adey103]

Hey guys,

I am hoping to build a new computer around Christmas time, and i was wondering if I could get some more opinions on what I’ve chosen. My budget is around £1000 which includes a monitor. If you think there is anything better available than what I’ve listed, please feel free to post them, as I haven’t actually bought anything yet. Bear in mind that it will mostly be used for gaming and work.

Optical Drive:
Asus DRW-1814BL 18x18 DVD±RW IDE Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CD-028-AS
£19.96

Monitor:
Asus VW193S 19" Widescreen LCD Monitor
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-005-AS
£123.36

HDD:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB SATA-II 16MB Cache
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-120-WD
£65.79

Graphics Card:
OcUK GeForce 8800 GTX 768MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express)
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-051-OK
£278.46

Case:
Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-065-AN
£72.84

Processor / Mobo / Memory:
Intel Core 2 Quad LGA775 Q6600 2.40GHz Retail / Asus P5K / 2GB Corsair PC2-6400C4 DDR2 Dual Channel Kit
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=BU-038-OK
£284.31

PSU:
Corsair HX 520W ATX2.2 Modular SLI Compliant PSU
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-005-CS
£68.14

Floppy:
Sony Floppy Drive
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=HD-001-OK
£5.86

Total: £918.73

Is there anything i have missed? Can you see any problems such as compatibility issues or anything of that nature?
Any help is apreciated.

Adrian.

 

[ibleet]

I would choose a larger LCD to go with that big video card.

 

[akhilles]

^^^ True that. 22" would be the sweet spot.

But if you prefer 19", go with Samsung:

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-052-SA&groupid=703&catid=17&subcat=276

For an 8800gtx pc, a 450W 30A on +12V's is about right. That one you selected is more than plenty. It'll survive a few more video upgrades.

Overall, very good choices. No incompatibility. Very American. UK buyers seem to like Akasa cases.

 

[Andrius]

Save some money and get a 8800GT (if/when available).
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=GX-071-OK&groupid=701&catid=56&subcat=1008
And get a 24" Samsung SM 245B for £260
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=MO-054-SA
Together £410 vs your choice of £402.

The screen will last you at least 3 years (2 graphics card generations).
While the GTX is (still a powerful card) nearing it's end of life.
The new G92 GTS is due to be released around December 13th or 14th.

You could also check out this cheaper case
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-145-CM
with top reviews on
http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=10255
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CoolerMaster/RC_690
EDIT: changed a link and corrected the price

 

[aevm]

Very nice setup. Except for the 19" monitor, of course.

If you get a 24" monitor, try to also get the 8800 GTX. The GT has difficulty at 1920x1200 in some games.

The Caviar 750GB is faster than the Caviar 500GB.

 

[hughyhunter]

Very good choices. Personally i'm using a 22 inch samsung and am very happy with it. I think 22 is the sweet spot like mentioned before. 24 is to big of a price jump and typically has the same resolutions as 22in. Try to not scimp on the monitor as you cant upgrade it without upgrading it... if you know what I mean.

Good choice for mobo too. The P35 chipset should serve you well... However if you arent builidng for a few more weeks then shoot for the 780i nvidia chipset as it will allow you to upgrade to newer penryn processors and go SLI eventually when prices subside on high end cards.

I would really never advise anyone to waist money on an 8800gtx... why would you when the 8800gt performs very close to if not exact on medium resolutions like what you would be playing on a 19-22 inch monitor... and they should be floating around more in the next week or so. The 8800gts on G92 chip will be a good gpu but only if it's around the 279 price range like current GT's.

Coolermaster... You will never go wrong with a purchase from this case manufacturer. Get the one recommended by Andrius.

Make sure that your Q6600 (great buy but watch prices as they should be subsiding) is a G0 stepping... as it will overclock much better than previous ones.

Hope this all helps!

 

[adey103]

Thanks for you advice guys!

I will definatly choose a bigger monitor, I think 22" will be fine for my use but will try and get one from a better brand. After checking out some benchmarks I think i will also swap the graphics card with the gt version, also as suggested.

One final question, would you recommend that I buy vista, or should i stick with xp? has there been much improvement since the initial release?

Thanks

Adrian

 

[akhilles]

If it's a gaming rig, Vista is inevitable. DirectX 10. If you ever want to upgrade to Vista, now would be the time. It's cheaper to buy Vista with a PC.

The P5K is a solid entry board. That cpu/mobo/ram bundle is decent.

 

[hughyhunter]

I agree with the aformentioned about vista. If you have to buy either vista or xp then get vista. However if you already own xp then just continue to use it for a few more months if you'd like. It's all personnel preference. Vista will hamper game performance but like they said it's inevitable and cheaper with a build.