Need Experience of Others custom comp

[damage145]

Im trying to build a custom desktop for myself in the 800-1000 maybe more range depending on the parts, i have the human interface parts just need to build myself a tower and i am pretty good about most parts of the computer, i dont know to much about motherboards and processors and coolant systems though so if someone could help me with building a comp that would be fantastic
Thanks in advance

 

[endyen]

We could probably come up with better suggestions, if we new what you use your computer for.

 

[yomamafor1]

LIke endyen said, if you can provide us with a little more information, it'll be a lot easier for us to come up with the parts.

 

[damage145]

I plan on using the computer for gaming. most likely age of conan and other games. what other info would you like to know

 

[hamsystem]

What resolution is the monitor you'll be using?

I'll just go ahead and give you the blanket answer that you're most likely to get:

CPU: Intel E8400
Mobo: Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek HDT-S1283
GPU: 8800GT 512 or 8800 GTS 512 OR get one of the new cards from ATI or Nvidia when they're released in the next week or so
PSU: A corsair 550 or 650
RAM: A couple gigs of PC-800 (I like G.Skill, but they're a ton of good options out there)
Case: Personal preference, but the Antec 900 is probably the most widely known and used for gaming

 

[Onus]

Hamsystem offered a good summary. I believe his list will fall within your budget depending on number and size of HDD. Do you need an optical drive? I've used SATA models from Lite-On, Samsung, and Sony without issues.

 

[damage145]

im a moderate gamer i want as much fps as i can get for what i can afford but im not gonna cry over a 1 fps difference or something similar, right now im runnig a lg flatron w1952tq 19inch and 1440 x 900 resolution whichi believe is the native resolution.
i was also told bya friend to get a quad core like a kentsfield but im once again not the most knowledgeable in the processor and mobo field

 

[damage145]

also jtt i have in the comp i have now a dvd and cr drive i could salvage out of them but i would like to get a more reliable dvd drive with burning capabilities for dvds and the like

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

CPU: Intel C2Q Q6600 Quad-Core or C2D E8400 Dual-Core
RAM: 4GB DDR2 800mhz (RAM is so damn cheap get 4gigs)
GPU: ATI Radeon 4870 512mb (they come out real soon) or 8800GTS 512
Mobo: nVidia 750i SLI or Intel P35 (id go with the P35 with option to Xfire, but 750i for SLI. depending on if you go nv or ati)
HD: 500GB (2x250GB) in RAID 0 (im a RAID fan)
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 92mm Rifle Cooler (damn good cooler and is only $27)
PSU: Corsair 650watt
Case: Personal preference really, I like Apevia personally, Antec is also good


Now on deciding wether to go with the Dual-Core (E8400) or the Quad-Core (Q6600) its really a hard decision. The E8400 will give better game performance right now, but when stacked up against a Q6600 on a game that supports 4 cores it will lose to the Q6600, unfortunately not many games are multi-core optimized. The Q6600 will give better general work performance than the E8400 but its not like the E8400 is gonna give bad general performance either. I chose the Q6600 because its more future proof.

If you do decide to go Quad then the Q6600 is nice, but is getting a bit outdated, the Q9300 is nice Quad-core that just came out, but get higher freq. RAM and a good quality motherboard with it if you plan to OC because it has a lower multiplier but higher FSB. Higher FSB will put more stress on your RAM and motherboard to acheive higher clock speeds

 

[hamsystem]

At 1440X900 you won't need to sli/crossfire. Just go with a quality single card solution. For the price, the 8800gt is hard to beat. Also, as far as a DVD drive is concerned, you can get a good SATA drive for ~$30. I got an Asus with lightscribe on it from Newegg and its been great. Unless you absolutely have to recycle an old IDE drive, go with SATA, its so much easier to set up and makes for less clutter in your case.

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

I would get a single card now but get a motherboard that can go for Xfire or SLI. That way down the road if a game comes you cant handle all you have to do is pop another card in.
But im more of a future proof guy.

 

[damage145]

i thought the next gen cards were not slated for release untill january, but they come out in the next month or two?

 

[DXRick]

The biggest issue for my last build was HEAT . The Intel mobo I got has 3 sensors and a program to monitor those sensors. I did not overclock it.

First I had to replace the stock CPU fan (P4 Northwood) with a Zalman 9700. The stock one could not dissipate the heat generated by the CPU fast enough when I played any 3D game, and the temp soared to 70C quickly.

Then, I found that the memory was also overheating quickly. So I added heat spreaders, which helped a little, and then rigged another case fan to blow directly on the memory.

I have not had any issues with the ATI X800XT card. However, the newer ones generate lots of heat. Reading the reviews on NewEgg, I see that picking one with good cooling fan(s) is important, and you may need to run a program to adjust the fan speed.

I am about to build a new computer and will be taking care to ensure everything is air-cooled well as quietly as possible. Games will max out all the components.

 

[damage145]

so far ive been able to refine my needs into
-a mobo that can handle a Intel C2Q Q9300 Quad-Core and also can handle xfire/sli
-antec 900 case unless i can find one that is a little cheaper but of the same quality and form factor
-ATI Radeon 4870 512mb if they come out within the next couple months, i have an old card i can throw into it in the meantime that is on the cusp of handling age of conan
-HD: 500GB (2x250GB) in RAID 0 (im a RAID fan)
-CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 92mm Rifle Cooler (damn good cooler and is only $27)
-PSU: Corsair 650watt
- and 4 gb of ddr 800+ mhz (what is considered a reliable ram manufacturer today)
i also am a future proof kinda guy xpyro, this will be the first quality computer i have built for myself and would like it to last a while and to do pretty well on the performance side. Also xfire do you know how many cores age of conan supports
still not sure which mobo to go with what i need hopefully this post irons out some of the info needed to decide

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

So for CPU you want the Q9300. I think thats a good choice, its running on the new 45nm Yorkfield, with the 1333FSB. I would go with the ASUS P5K Intel P35 chipset motherboard. It has two pcie-e lanes and P35 supports Crossfire (two ati cards). This board is priced well ($120) and is reputable. The Ram id go with would be DDR2 1066mhz. Go with Corsair, G.skill, Crucial, Mushkin, or OCZ id recomend. So;

CPU: Q9300
RAM: DDR2 1066mhz
GPU: 4870 512mb
Mobo: Asus P5K P35

 

[damage145]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131180
is this the board you speak of?
and when does the ATI Radeon 4870 512mb come out?

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Quad-Core @2.5Ghz 45nm---$260
RAM: 4GB (2x2Gb) G.Skill DDR2 1066Mhz 5-5-5-15 -------------$125
Motherboard: ASUS P5K EPU Intel P35 ATX-----------------------$120
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon HD 4870 512mb----------------------$250
Hard Drive: 500GB (2x250Gb) WD SATA in RAID 0---------------$120
Power Supply: Corsair 650watt ATX Power Supply--------------$99
Case: Standard decent ATX Mid Tower case---------------------$70
CPU Cooler: Xigmatek 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler--------------------$27
CD Drive: Lite-On CD/DVD Burner/Reader-------------------------$23

Total: $1094


Pretty Close to your budget and you got upgrade options and a damn fine system here



Also if you want to put out a little more cash you could get a X38 chipset motherboard. This motherboard is more of an enthusiast board so itll do better in overclocking and the pci-e lanes are 2.0 rather than 1.1 so thatll help with bandwidth to your video cards.

 

[damage145]

that was just what i was making was a list just like that update and you got to it before me, did you use newegg for the pricing or something else just curious, also would need a 5 dollar thermal gel most likely and also what is the price difference between the x38 and 35

thank you alot for the help xpyro and others

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

Yeah, I used newegg. and your quite welcome.

The P35 board I recommended is $120 and the X38 board id recommend (also the cheapest, but dont worry there arent any crappy X38 boards) is $185

So its an extra $65 for the X38 DFI board. It'll throw you a little over your budget but I think its worth it.

 

[damage145]

happen to have a link to the x38 board, i try to look them up in newegg but as i said mobo's arent my forte and theres quite alot of choices, also if the board has 4 ram slots is it better to go with the 2 2gb sticks in dual channel or 4 1gb sticks?

 

[Xpyrofuryx]

here you are: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813136045

And its always best to have as few RAM sticks as possible. two 2Gb sticks in Dual channel mode will work best

 

[damage145]

ty for all the help xpyro got me a newegg cart filled with goodies, i just have to wait for the vid card to come out it seems has there been an official release date,

this seems to be the final version of my build:
-LITE-ON 20X DVD±R DVD Burner Black IDE Model DH-20A4P-04 - OEM

-Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

-2x Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD2500AAKS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

-CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply - Retail

-G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop
-Memory Model F2-8500CL5D-4GBPI - Retail

-DFI LANPARTY DK X38-T2R LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

-Intel Core 2 Quad Q9300 Yorkfield 2.5GHz LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor Model BX80580Q9300

-XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

- and an Ati Radeon HD 4870 512mb when it comes out

 

[damage145]

well the only last question i have is i have been thinking about the case and would like to know more about cases and who thinks what are the best and what feautures to look for

 

[Wisecracker]

(whispers) e8400 & GeForce 8800 GT