Please help me finalize my gaming PC before end of financial year :-)

[ashkon52]

Hi, Im looking to buy a new gaming PC quick

I want something strong in the gaming department, that will last for a bit, and is good for bang for buck (not necessarily best).
I wont be overclocking to be honest.

CPU: Intel Core 2 DUO E8500
GRAPHICS: BFG GTX280
RAM: Corsair TWIN2x4096 6400 C5 DDR 2 800 RAM (2X2GB)
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5Q-PRO P45 LGA775 ATX M/B
HDD: Seagate ST3500320SV 500GB 32MB Cache SATA-II HDD
SOUNDCARD: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro
SPEAKERS: Logitech Z-5500D Digital THX Spaker System
PSU: Corsair TX-750 750W ATX Power Supply
PERIPHERALS: Logitech G9 mouse and Logitech G15 keyboard

So I thought its best to go with the strongest Graphics card.
Does anyone know whether the XIfi sound card is worth the purchase.

Not sure what to do with Casing and cooling. I dont want something that is going to ruin my one night stands.
ANyone got any other ideas.

 

[georgy]

I suggest you take the E8400 cpu.. for only .16 ghz you save money. About the memory i'm not sure but you could take something like Corsair XMS2 DHX TWIN2X4096-6400C4DHX 4GB DDR2 2X2GB PC2-6400 DDR2-800 CL 4-4-4-12 but i have no idea where to check if it is supported by the mobo. I will be doing a similar build it rocks!

 

[evongugg]

Save some cash with the e8400 like he said above.
Go with the Asus Xonar rather than the Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro.
You need a case as you said and Optical drive. I suggest Antec 900 and Samsung SH-203B or N.

 

[evongugg]

Or go with the Antec P182 if you want something silent.

 

[mexpedip]

You might want to check out the GTX280 reviews on TH before buying that video card. Unless you are using a larger 24" and above I would recommend a smaller video card. What monitor are you you using?

I think the biggest mistake most people (me included) make when building their first PC is to go overboard on the graphics card. For example, I use a 20" Acer and had originally planned on going SLI/Crossfire but fortunately for me someone pointed out the obvious and saved me $250 up front. I can still pay Crysis at moderately high levels and the game plays smooth and looks great with my 8800GTS. Worst case scenario is I add another 8800GTS and run everything at the highest levels. 2 x 8800GTS is still significantly lower priced the the GTX280. ($650 for GTX280 and $460 for 2 x 880GTS). Last point to keep in mind is that the new nvidia cards do not support Direct3D 10.1. Honestly, I have no idea if that matters but it sounds important. ;-)

 

[geofelt]

Looks good for what you want, it is about as good as it gets.

Onboard sound is very good these days, so I would try it first. You can always add a sound card later. Some sound cards seem to cause problems with drivers.

If you have the funds, consider the new WD velociraptor. The speed DOES make a difference in everything. If you grow to needing over 300gb, then add a second drive later.

I would second the suggestion of an Antec P182 as a quiet case.

I would get an aftermarket cpu cooler. You don't need it for cooling, but an aftermarket cooler will do the job a lot more quietly. Look for a tower type that has a slow turning 120mm fan that directs the airflow out the back of the case.

 

[Why_Me]

Hi, Im looking to buy a new gaming PC quick

I want something strong in the gaming department, that will last for a bit, and is good for bang for buck (not necessarily best).
I wont be overclocking to be honest.

CPU: Intel Core 2 DUO E8500
GRAPHICS: BFG GTX280
RAM: Corsair TWIN2x4096 6400 C5 DDR 2 800 RAM (2X2GB)
MOTHERBOARD: Asus P5Q-PRO P45 LGA775 ATX M/B
HDD: Seagate ST3500320SV 500GB 32MB Cache SATA-II HDD
SOUNDCARD: Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro
SPEAKERS: Logitech Z-5500D Digital THX Spaker System
PSU: Corsair TX-750 750W ATX Power Supply
PERIPHERALS: Logitech G9 mouse and Logitech G15 keyboard

So I thought its best to go with the strongest Graphics card.
Does anyone know whether the XIfi sound card is worth the purchase.

Not sure what to do with Casing and cooling. I dont want something that is going to ruin my one night stands.
ANyone got any other ideas.

1) you don't plan on running Crossifire, so no need for that motherboard.
2) you aren't going to overclock, so that memory is a waste of money.
3) you aren't going to be running dual vid cards, so 750w psu is not needed.
4) that cpu has almost identical numbers as the 8400. If you do want more out of it, just move up your FSB to 9x400 = 3.60GHz. You will not have to up your voltage for that, and it will take all but a few minutes to do.
5) onboard sound on these new motherboards is on par with alot aftermarket sound cards, + no driver issues.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130180 $119.99
MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731 $89.99 ($74.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037 $189.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137 $84.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005 $109.99 ($89.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, CB, TUV - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

 

[shadowthor]

The E8400 has a 9 multiplier and the E8500 has a 9.5 multiplier, but since you won't be overclocking, you will probably want the E8500 although it might not be the best bang for the buck.

 

[compy386]

If you can wait for the 4870 I'd suggest you get that. There's another forum post showing it getting about 10% less then the GTX280. You'd save about $300 going with that option and you could crossfire and get significantly better performance than the GTX280.

 

[pcgamer12]

MX518 is much cheaper. Or go G5 (Rev. 2.0) if you want the weights and 2000 dpi.

Get Z-2300 for 90 which is much cheaper but is only 2.1. It is THX certified though with tons of bass.

 

[pcgamer12]

1) you don't plan on running Crossifire, so no need for that motherboard.
2) you aren't going to overclock, so that memory is a waste of money.
3) you aren't going to be running dual vid cards, so 750w psu is not needed.
4) that cpu has almost identical numbers as the 8400. If you do want more out of it, just move up your FSB to 9x400 = 3.60GHz. You will not have to up your voltage for that, and it will take all but a few minutes to do.
5) onboard sound on these new motherboards is on par with alot aftermarket sound cards, + no driver issues.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130180 $119.99
MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731 $89.99 ($74.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037 $189.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137 $84.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703005 $109.99 ($89.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W Continuous @ 40°C EPS12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, cUL, CE, CB, TUV - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

BS. X-Fi is much better than on board.

 

[pcgamer12]

Get the X-Fi with your beautiful speakers. On board with those speakers are a waste.

 

[aevm]

I'm using an X-Fi with Logitech Z-5500 and it's a pleasure. But, if you're using Vista, you may want a different kind of sound card, for example an HT Omega. Creative's drivers for Vista are rather bad, from what I hear.

 

[pcgamer12]

I have Vista 32-bit using X-Fi XtremeGamer, the drivers are sexy. I just don't like that my DirectSound games that require Alchemy don't start up in entertainment mode, they give error messages. I have to switch to game mode to start them. It's become a habit so I no longer have a problem with it.

 

[aevm]

That doesn't sound so bad. If that's all then why not... The sound quality is very good.

OK, there are minor issues on XP too. Some times, if I turn on the speakers before Windows XP has loaded, the speakers just make ugly noises. I need to run a little applet that came with the sound card and change from 5.1 speakers to 4.1 and back to solve it.

 

[ashkon52]

thanks for all the advice fellas.... Im changing some specs now.

I do run a 24inch LCD... so I thought the 280 video card is important.

I'll go with E8400 now... (but is my CPu a bottleneck now - is it easy to clock it to e8500 range)

Antec 900 or 182. The 900 is $20 cheaper in my country. Considering the noise level of the video card, is the 182's silence useful?

Xifi.. I do want a card... simply cause Im spending the bucks on the speakers. But is Xi-fi the best card for this?

As advised ... looking at the MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard instead... because I wont be running sli.
Everyone agree... If I cant get the MSI, does anyone know of another ASUS card.

IS the g5 or G9 better? I heard people didnt like G5?

I cant get the samsung optical here... any other suggestions?


thanks heaps everyone

 

[Why_Me]

thanks for all the advice fellas.... Im changing some specs now.

I do run a 24inch LCD... so I thought the 280 video card is important.

I'll go with E8400 now... (but is my CPu a bottleneck now - is it easy to clock it to e8500 range)

Antec 900 or 182. The 900 is $20 cheaper in my country. Considering the noise level of the video card, is the 182's silence useful?

Xifi.. I do want a card... simply cause Im spending the bucks on the speakers. But is Xi-fi the best card for this?

As advised ... looking at the MSI P45 Neo3-FR LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard instead... because I wont be running sli.
Everyone agree... If I cant get the MSI, does anyone know of another ASUS card.

IS the g5 or G9 better? I heard people didnt like G5?

I cant get the samsung optical here... any other suggestions?


thanks heaps everyone

With the E8400 all you have to do is move up your FSB (Front Side Bus) to 9x400 = 3.6GHz. It's a fast easy overclock and it won't require you to up your voltage at all which means no shortened life span for your cpu. I would get an aftermarket heatskink though. One that's easy to install and does a decent job. You won't need a heavy duty one for that overclock.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233001 $24.99 ($14.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019 $6.99
XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

 

[Preclude]

I vote the Logitech G9.

I've owned 2 Microsoft garbage mouses along with an MX510, MX518. I've also used many razor mice and nothing compares to the G9. It's very comfortable, the changeable hand grips are great quality, and the mouse performs very well. I highly recommend it.