1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Heavy gaming (WoW, modern FPS games like HL2 etc., RTS also). Photoshop / Graphic Design / Web Design. Listening to music. A lot of web-browsing. Possible music recording / editing and video editing (although I understand there are different pieces of hardware desired for "professional" results). Basically, this is going to be my new main system, and I want it to be well rounded and capable.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
I'm shooting for the $1500-$2000 range (including shipping, not including sales tax - I live in California). Really, I want to build a system that is "smart" and that gets the classic "bang for the buck" sweet spot. I'm willing to spend if it's going to be a good return in quality, or I'm willing to cut corners where it won't matter as much. I think the parts I'm currently looking at will show this.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA... probably 99% from Newegg.
4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.
Intel, nVidia.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have a set of 5.1 creative speakers, a Canon Pixma printer, and a Func mousepad that I'll be carrying over... otherwise it'll be a brand new system.
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Extensively...
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I've avoided overclocking on my last two builds, but I think I'm interested in doing some *mild* overclocking this time around. Nothing major or that would necessitate major cooling or limit the PC's lifespan (I'd like to use it for 3-4 years before building another).
8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
As soon as I get some good feedback. So I'd like to order the parts within the next 48 hours.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the items I'm looking at. I'll list what I'm leaning towards and then list the other items that I've considered or researched as other options.
CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115043 ~$284.99
OPTIONS:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017 ~$219.99
OR
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037 ~199.99
**NOTES**: I'm not sure where to go with the CPU. If I decide to future-proof with a quad-core, is the Q9300 worth the money over the Q6600? Is it smarter to just go for the e8400 dual-core? I'm looking for performance... mainly gaming, but in other applications as well (such as photoshop).
MOTHERBOARD:
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128086 ~129.99
OPTIONS:
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030 ~139.99
OR
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196 ~149.99
**NOTES**: The Gigabyte is what I'm leaning towards, although it doesn't have firewire (which isn't an immediate concern, but it's the sort of thing that sucks to not have at the moment when you need it..). Both the Asus and ABIT have great reviews, but also have a number of people claiming compatability issues on their newegg "customer review" section. Any feedback on which to choose?
GRAPHICS CARD:
MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325 ~194.99
**NOTES**: This is the cheapest version of this card on Newegg. Is MSI a solid enough brand?
RAM:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145 ~89.99
**NOTES**: I had never heard of this brand (last PC I built was over three years ago), but I've seen it recommended around these parts many times. Previously I was a Corsair or Crucial buyer. But G.SKILL is quality, right?
HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218 ~109.99
**NOTES**: Seems to be the sweet-spot purchase. May consider buying two, actually, and possibly dual-booting Vista and XP.
OPTICAL DRIVE:
Samsung SH-S203N DVD Burner (OEM) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154 ~33.99
**NOTES**: Would there be a conflict in my system if I decided to purchase and run TWO of the same drive? Someone in the Newegg comments said there would be and it would screw everything up.
CASE:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=Antec%2bNine%2bHundred ~119.99
**NOTES**: Nothing much to say here - I dig the case
MONITOR:
SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001268 ~279.99
OPTIONS:
LG - 22" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor L227WTG-PF - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8739118&type=product&id=1201913867539 ~339.99 (from Best Buy)
OR
SAMSUNG 245BW Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height Adjustment 400 cd/m2 1000:1 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001234 ~419.99
OR
BenQ G2400W Black 24" 5ms DVI HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 1000:1 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014158 ~389.99
**NOTES**: I have a lot of questions here and am pretty much undecided between these four monitors. Should I make the jump to one of the 24" monitors? If so, is my system powerful enough to get good FPS and power a 24" (I'd heard this is a concern) or do I need a better GFX card if so? If I go to 24", is the BenQ a good brand to be trusted? Really up in the air here - any input is very helpful.
KEYBOARD:
Logitech G11 Silver & Black 104 Normal Keys 29 Function Keys USB Standard Gaming Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126009 ~58.99
**NOTES**: I already own two ergonomic Natural Elite keyboards from Microsoft, so I thought I'd try out a gaming keyboard. If I end up not liking it, I could dump it to one of my other two systems and use the Natural Elite on this one (instead of purchasing a THIRD of the same keyboard! haha).
MOUSE:
Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical 1600 dpi Mouse - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104178 ~29.99
**NOTES**: This seems like a solid gaming mouse and what will feel best in my hand, as I've been using Logitech gaming mice for 7 years now.
POWER SUPPLY:
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817139001 ~109.99
OPTIONS:
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002 ~149.99
OR
Antec NeoPower 650 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371011 ~139.99
**NOTES**: This decision simply comes down to how much power I need for this system. How much do I need? Is the corsair 520W plenty? I know not to skimp on a power supply (although in my last system my damn Antec NeoPower died exactly three years and ONE day after I purchased it... thus no warranty!)
SPEAKERS:
Logitech R-20 12 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121128 ~18.99
**NOTES**: These are just cheapy speakers I'm putting on my oldest system so I can shuffle my current 5.1 set to this new build.
COOLING:
Do I need any? I plan to only overclock a little bit. Is the stock CPU cooler quiet? If so, I've heard good things about the XIGAMATEK HDT-S1283 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003 is the way to go? Combined with Artic Silver thermal compound, right?
Also, the Antec 900 has room for another 120mm fan. Would I need one to keep this system running cool?
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I asked most of my questions on the individual parts, so if you read those over you'll see what I'm curious about. I'd like to make sure I'm on the right track, which is why I'm posting this here. Also, what part is this system's bottle-neck for gaming? The graphics card? Would that be the logical upgrade, were I to spend money? If so.. what card would you guys go up to over the 8800 GTS 512 g92?
And finally... what would you guys recommend as an OS? I am an XP Pro user. It's my understanding that if I stay on XP I will not be able to take advantage of my full 4 gb of RAM and also will not be able to use DX10. So... Vista 64? Dual boot of XP and Vista? Can XP 64 use DX10 or 4 GB Ram?
Adding up the parts I have listed puts this system around $1,500. I don't mind spending more (up to $2000 or so) if it's going to be worth it on the individual upgrades.
Thanks in advance for all of your advice! And sorry for the long message - I prefer to be thorough
Heavy gaming (WoW, modern FPS games like HL2 etc., RTS also). Photoshop / Graphic Design / Web Design. Listening to music. A lot of web-browsing. Possible music recording / editing and video editing (although I understand there are different pieces of hardware desired for "professional" results). Basically, this is going to be my new main system, and I want it to be well rounded and capable.
2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread
I'm shooting for the $1500-$2000 range (including shipping, not including sales tax - I live in California). Really, I want to build a system that is "smart" and that gets the classic "bang for the buck" sweet spot. I'm willing to spend if it's going to be a good return in quality, or I'm willing to cut corners where it won't matter as much. I think the parts I'm currently looking at will show this.
3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
USA... probably 99% from Newegg.
4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc, etc, etc, you get the picture.
Intel, nVidia.
5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.
I have a set of 5.1 creative speakers, a Canon Pixma printer, and a Func mousepad that I'll be carrying over... otherwise it'll be a brand new system.
6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Extensively...
7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I've avoided overclocking on my last two builds, but I think I'm interested in doing some *mild* overclocking this time around. Nothing major or that would necessitate major cooling or limit the PC's lifespan (I'd like to use it for 3-4 years before building another).
8. WHEN do you plan to build it?
As soon as I get some good feedback. So I'd like to order the parts within the next 48 hours.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the items I'm looking at. I'll list what I'm leaning towards and then list the other items that I've considered or researched as other options.
CPU:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115043 ~$284.99
OPTIONS:
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017 ~$219.99
OR
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037 ~199.99
**NOTES**: I'm not sure where to go with the CPU. If I decide to future-proof with a quad-core, is the Q9300 worth the money over the Q6600? Is it smarter to just go for the e8400 dual-core? I'm looking for performance... mainly gaming, but in other applications as well (such as photoshop).
MOTHERBOARD:
GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Dynamic Energy Saver Ultra Durable II Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128086 ~129.99
OPTIONS:
ABIT IP35 Pro LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813127030 ~139.99
OR
ASUS P5K-E/WIFI-AP LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131196 ~149.99
**NOTES**: The Gigabyte is what I'm leaning towards, although it doesn't have firewire (which isn't an immediate concern, but it's the sort of thing that sucks to not have at the moment when you need it..). Both the Asus and ABIT have great reviews, but also have a number of people claiming compatability issues on their newegg "customer review" section. Any feedback on which to choose?
GRAPHICS CARD:
MSI NX8800GTS 512M OC GeForce 8800GTS (G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127325 ~194.99
**NOTES**: This is the cheapest version of this card on Newegg. Is MSI a solid enough brand?
RAM:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1000 (PC2 8000) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231145 ~89.99
**NOTES**: I had never heard of this brand (last PC I built was over three years ago), but I've seen it recommended around these parts many times. Previously I was a Corsair or Crucial buyer. But G.SKILL is quality, right?
HARD DRIVE:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218 ~109.99
**NOTES**: Seems to be the sweet-spot purchase. May consider buying two, actually, and possibly dual-booting Vista and XP.
OPTICAL DRIVE:
Samsung SH-S203N DVD Burner (OEM) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151154 ~33.99
**NOTES**: Would there be a conflict in my system if I decided to purchase and run TWO of the same drive? Someone in the Newegg comments said there would be and it would screw everything up.
CASE:
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021&Tpk=Antec%2bNine%2bHundred ~119.99
**NOTES**: Nothing much to say here - I dig the case
MONITOR:
SAMSUNG 2253BW Black 22" 2ms(GTG) DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor with HDCP Support 300 cd/m2 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001268 ~279.99
OPTIONS:
LG - 22" Widescreen Flat-Panel LCD Monitor L227WTG-PF - http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?skuId=8739118&type=product&id=1201913867539 ~339.99 (from Best Buy)
OR
SAMSUNG 245BW Black 24" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor with Height Adjustment 400 cd/m2 1000:1 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824001234 ~419.99
OR
BenQ G2400W Black 24" 5ms DVI HDMI Widescreen LCD Monitor 250 cd/m2 1000:1 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824014158 ~389.99
**NOTES**: I have a lot of questions here and am pretty much undecided between these four monitors. Should I make the jump to one of the 24" monitors? If so, is my system powerful enough to get good FPS and power a 24" (I'd heard this is a concern) or do I need a better GFX card if so? If I go to 24", is the BenQ a good brand to be trusted? Really up in the air here - any input is very helpful.
KEYBOARD:
Logitech G11 Silver & Black 104 Normal Keys 29 Function Keys USB Standard Gaming Keyboard - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16823126009 ~58.99
**NOTES**: I already own two ergonomic Natural Elite keyboards from Microsoft, so I thought I'd try out a gaming keyboard. If I end up not liking it, I could dump it to one of my other two systems and use the Natural Elite on this one (instead of purchasing a THIRD of the same keyboard! haha).
MOUSE:
Logitech MX518 2-Tone 8 Buttons 1 x Wheel USB + PS/2 Wired Optical 1600 dpi Mouse - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16826104178 ~29.99
**NOTES**: This seems like a solid gaming mouse and what will feel best in my hand, as I've been using Logitech gaming mice for 7 years now.
POWER SUPPLY:
CORSAIR CMPSU-520HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 520W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/product/product.aspx?item=N82E16817139001 ~109.99
OPTIONS:
CORSAIR CMPSU-620HX ATX12V v2.2 and EPS12V 2.91 620W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002 ~149.99
OR
Antec NeoPower 650 ATX12V / EPS12V 650W Power Supply - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371011 ~139.99
**NOTES**: This decision simply comes down to how much power I need for this system. How much do I need? Is the corsair 520W plenty? I know not to skimp on a power supply (although in my last system my damn Antec NeoPower died exactly three years and ONE day after I purchased it... thus no warranty!)
SPEAKERS:
Logitech R-20 12 Watts 2.1 Multimedia Speaker System - Retail - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16836121128 ~18.99
**NOTES**: These are just cheapy speakers I'm putting on my oldest system so I can shuffle my current 5.1 set to this new build.
COOLING:
Do I need any? I plan to only overclock a little bit. Is the stock CPU cooler quiet? If so, I've heard good things about the XIGAMATEK HDT-S1283 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003 is the way to go? Combined with Artic Silver thermal compound, right?
Also, the Antec 900 has room for another 120mm fan. Would I need one to keep this system running cool?
FINAL THOUGHTS:
I asked most of my questions on the individual parts, so if you read those over you'll see what I'm curious about. I'd like to make sure I'm on the right track, which is why I'm posting this here. Also, what part is this system's bottle-neck for gaming? The graphics card? Would that be the logical upgrade, were I to spend money? If so.. what card would you guys go up to over the 8800 GTS 512 g92?
And finally... what would you guys recommend as an OS? I am an XP Pro user. It's my understanding that if I stay on XP I will not be able to take advantage of my full 4 gb of RAM and also will not be able to use DX10. So... Vista 64? Dual boot of XP and Vista? Can XP 64 use DX10 or 4 GB Ram?
Adding up the parts I have listed puts this system around $1,500. I don't mind spending more (up to $2000 or so) if it's going to be worth it on the individual upgrades.
Thanks in advance for all of your advice! And sorry for the long message - I prefer to be thorough