Hi everyone,
Well, I'm thinking of taking the plunge into building my own machine and I'd like to get some thoughts/input from the knowledgeable people on this forum. I've never built a machine before but I've replaced hard drives, video cards and done some minor tinkering with the insides of my comp but nothing so major as building one from scratch. I was hoping for some feedback on some of the research I've been doing as well as some suggestions as to the components I should look into. I'm an animator by profession so I'd like a machine that can run Maya relatively well but I'd also like something that can game which means no Fire GL graphics cards or any other 3D program specific graphics cards. Besides, I plan on doing most of my animating at work but would like the flexibility of working from home from time to time, which means I'm thinking along the lines of the GeForce 8800 GTS. I'm aiming to spend about $1000-$1200 but anything cheaper than that is a major plus. I'm not looking to OC just yet, but it might be nice in the future if I can do it without causing anything to burn up.
Without further ado, here's the list from the research I've done so far as well as my thoughts behind the selection.
CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 - Good price and good bang for the buck. I also figure the more processors I have for rendering animation the better, not to mention good gaming. This also helps me futureproof a bit.
MoBo - ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX - Research says that this is a good mid-level board and one of the ones that support the Quad Core.
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W - Some good reviews by reading some of the other posts on this forum. Enough power for the vid card tho?
RAM - CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 or OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 - I'm looking at the OCZ's because I've read that different namebrands of memory don't really make a difference and the OCZ's are over $30 cheaper. Smart or stupid, please let me know.
Video card - GeForce 8800GTS - I was going to just go with the GT but since the price of the GTS is only $20 more on some sites (after rebate), I figured, why not? Is there a huge difference between the 512mb and the 640mb cards? How about manufacturers?
Optical - 20X DVD Burner w/Lightscribe - PATA? IDE? Argh, too many acronyms! Also, would I need another regular DVD player so as to not to wear out the burner?
HDD - Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB 7200 RPM - Ummm, it's cheaper than the Seagate?
Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 - It's a nice looking case and since this thing will sit on the ground and never leave for a LAN party, I don't need any flashy window on the side. Also, it has the extra ports on top so that allows me to plug in stuff alot easier than if it was on the front or the side. Plus, it's only $70. However, I am open to other options. Any good suggestions out there for cases?
Cooling - Do I need another fan for this setup?
I don't really need a new sound card (unless theres a smoking hot deal somewhere) and I have dual monitors already. I'll throw in a flash media reader for $10 too but I think that's about it. So totaling everything up, It comes to around $1000 before rebates. Pretty darn good but is there better? I'm thinking this is a pretty good comp as I get a pretty good bang for my buck and it won't be obsolete in a year. However, I just know there's something I'm missing and I would appreciate any and all feedback from my fellow forum members. Phew, this turned out a lot longer than I expected. Thanks for reading!
-AK
Well, I'm thinking of taking the plunge into building my own machine and I'd like to get some thoughts/input from the knowledgeable people on this forum. I've never built a machine before but I've replaced hard drives, video cards and done some minor tinkering with the insides of my comp but nothing so major as building one from scratch. I was hoping for some feedback on some of the research I've been doing as well as some suggestions as to the components I should look into. I'm an animator by profession so I'd like a machine that can run Maya relatively well but I'd also like something that can game which means no Fire GL graphics cards or any other 3D program specific graphics cards. Besides, I plan on doing most of my animating at work but would like the flexibility of working from home from time to time, which means I'm thinking along the lines of the GeForce 8800 GTS. I'm aiming to spend about $1000-$1200 but anything cheaper than that is a major plus. I'm not looking to OC just yet, but it might be nice in the future if I can do it without causing anything to burn up.
Without further ado, here's the list from the research I've done so far as well as my thoughts behind the selection.CPU - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 - Good price and good bang for the buck. I also figure the more processors I have for rendering animation the better, not to mention good gaming. This also helps me futureproof a bit.
MoBo - ASUS P5K-E LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX - Research says that this is a good mid-level board and one of the ones that support the Quad Core.
PSU - CORSAIR CMPSU-550VX ATX12V V2.2 550W - Some good reviews by reading some of the other posts on this forum. Enough power for the vid card tho?
RAM - CORSAIR XMS2 DHX 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 or OCZ SLI-Ready Edition 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 - I'm looking at the OCZ's because I've read that different namebrands of memory don't really make a difference and the OCZ's are over $30 cheaper. Smart or stupid, please let me know.
Video card - GeForce 8800GTS - I was going to just go with the GT but since the price of the GTS is only $20 more on some sites (after rebate), I figured, why not? Is there a huge difference between the 512mb and the 640mb cards? How about manufacturers?
Optical - 20X DVD Burner w/Lightscribe - PATA? IDE? Argh, too many acronyms! Also, would I need another regular DVD player so as to not to wear out the burner?
HDD - Western Digital Caviar SE WD5000AAJS 500GB 7200 RPM - Ummm, it's cheaper than the Seagate?
Case - COOLER MASTER Centurion 590 - It's a nice looking case and since this thing will sit on the ground and never leave for a LAN party, I don't need any flashy window on the side. Also, it has the extra ports on top so that allows me to plug in stuff alot easier than if it was on the front or the side. Plus, it's only $70. However, I am open to other options. Any good suggestions out there for cases?
Cooling - Do I need another fan for this setup?
I don't really need a new sound card (unless theres a smoking hot deal somewhere) and I have dual monitors already. I'll throw in a flash media reader for $10 too but I think that's about it. So totaling everything up, It comes to around $1000 before rebates. Pretty darn good but is there better? I'm thinking this is a pretty good comp as I get a pretty good bang for my buck and it won't be obsolete in a year. However, I just know there's something I'm missing and I would appreciate any and all feedback from my fellow forum members. Phew, this turned out a lot longer than I expected. Thanks for reading!
-AK
). The fun continues when the parts arrive. I'm still a newb at the building part of this so it'll be interesting when I turn this sucker on for the first time. Wish me luck!
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