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Is this a good first build? help needed

Forum Homebuilt Systems : New System Build - Is this a good first build? help needed

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I put together a list of stuff and posted asking for help but found these parts to be very wrong and just about overhauled everything i was gonna buy. I switched from nvidia 8800gt's to ati 4850's for video cards and changed mobos as well as cpus. Since this is going to be my first build and with the very small amount of experience i have with computer hardware, I came here looking for help. Comments are much welcomed. This is what I found for a price I'm ok with but if there are major problems with any of this gear I don't know about, I would love to know.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814121253 $187.99 each.. i might get another later on

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131291 $189.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103773 $112.99

I'm also considering below as my cpu.. which is better.. price is ok for both for what their worth

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103249 $203.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231184 $109.99

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136161 $59.99 each.. i will get two

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006 $119.99


I also have some major cooling in line for this that all will fit and should keep this list nice and cool

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Hey,

Drop the Amd board and CPU!

Get an....

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115018

Asus P5Q Pro P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131299 Room to crossfire in future!

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003

SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102747

CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139005

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166

That is my honest opinion


Message edited by helios2052 on 07-27-2008 at 08:30:07 PM
Reply to helios2052

I agree, but you get a discount if you get the Asus 4850, which is only like $3 more. Also, I'd go with a Q6600, but that's my preference. The E8400 is great as well. I think this RAM is a lot better though: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146731

Reply to thepowerofdonuts

with that motherboard I would only have a two way xfire setup. With the one i chose 3 way xfire is possible and i was hoping to do that in the future. Is 3 video cards even worth it? I'm unsure if doing that is even worth the extra 200 dollars

Reply to ace22

or would switching back to two nvidia 8800 gt's be better?

Reply to ace22

After some searching time I'm considering below.

nvidia 9800gtx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150297

ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131284

Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115036

ARCTIC COOLING Freezer 7 Pro 92mm CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835186134

Reply to ace22

Don't quote me on this but I am pretty sure that crossfire does not scale as well above 2 card, thus why i picked a 2 slot board. Plus the power requirements would be terrible.

I would build the setup i gave you above and perhaps switch the e8400 for a Q6600. Definitely keep the 4850 and add another as needed. and no an 8800GT is roughly 10-20% slower than a 4850.

Reply to helios2052

ok... good to know about the crossfire deal. are u sure your build all works together and has no bugs?

Reply to ace22

Yes, The system I listed above is completely compatible with all the parts and is comprised of some of the most popular parts out right now. This system is fairly inexpensive and will give you amazing performance, especially if you add a second 4850 video card.

The only choice you need to really make is the CPU - If you don't know how to overclock get the E8400, if you know how to overclock or want to try it get the Q6600.

Let me know if you have more questions.

Reply to helios2052

i'm new to overclocking so help with that would be wanted... I need to know the risks vs rewards and how difficult overclocking is.

Reply to ace22

The Q6600 is a very easy and good overclocker, especially with the CPU cooler i listed. The standard Core of a Q6600 is 2.4Ghz with obviously 4 cores running at that speed. The E8400 is 2 cores running at 3.0Ghz. Obviously if you can overclock the Q6600 to 3.2Ghz you get 4Cores running at 3.2 Ghz.

There is almost 0% risk overclocking a Q6600 to 3.2Ghz especially with the stable motherboard, Power Supply, and Cooler I listed. If you do decide to go for this build, I will be more than happy to walk you through overclocking your new computer.

Reply to helios2052

i might change the power supply to http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

would this change anything.. i need the extra power for the fan system i have on my case. I can't replace the case because it was a very special gift I'm not willing to get rid of before I use it.

Reply to ace22

Ok, so here is the final build I humbly propose to you once again, as well as my Hard drive recommendation.
EDIT - Yeah if you have the money go for the better PSU, its the same except 100more watts (4 PCIe and some more amps)

 

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115018

 

Asus P5Q Pro P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131299 Room to crossfire in future!

 

XIGMATEK HDT-S1283 CPU Cooler
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003

 

SAPPHIRE 100242L Radeon HD 4850 512MB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102747

 

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

 

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

 

G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166

 

All parts are compatible, reliable, and great value!


Message edited by helios2052 on 07-27-2008 at 08:37:56 PM
Reply to helios2052

awesome.. i might change the hard drive from the 650 too 2 of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136098

because I'm going to be running games on one and the OS on the other.. whats your recommendation about the version of windows to use... I don't know if vista is worth the problems it has right now or not... should i stick with XP?

Reply to ace22

To tell you the truth, your system will run fine with vista or XP. Vista is fine but still feels a little more sluggish when compared to XP. And remember I have a very similar PC to what you are possible going to build.

I suppose you should go with vista simply because of DX10.

There is also the issue of 32Bit or 64Bit. since you are getting 4GB of ram in order to fully use all of it you will have to get Vista 64Bit.

So...I think this is what you should get....
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit
"http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488"

But please feel free to get other opinions about this issue!

Reply to helios2052

I guess having vista is a way to stay ready for new software coming out but if I'm not going to be running the newest games asap I could use XP. Of coarse, just getting vista is fine but i'm still weary about the the problems people encounter in vista more often then not. I'm thinking I will start with vista but if some really bad problem arises i can go back to xp. Thanks for the help I will get back to u about over clocking when i get this stuff ordered. thanks

Reply to ace22

No Problem, and yeah your logic is absolutely right, try Vista and if it is bad to you.....dump it!

IF you have any questions as to actually assembling the computer just keep posting in this forum and I will monitor it periodically!

Good Luck and Have Fun!!!

Reply to helios2052

after some further thinking I may go with the e8500 3.13 ghz and upgrade to a better quad when the prices lower. What are your thoughts on this?

Reply to ace22

Sounds good. Either way you will be happy.

Reply to helios2052

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811119137 $79.99
COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817341001 $89.99 ($59.99 after $30.00 Mail-In Rebate)
OCZ GameXStream OCZ600GXSSLI 600W ATX12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V CB/CE/CSA/UL/FCC - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115037 $174.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233001 $24.99 ($14.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XIGMATEK HDT-S963 92mm Rifle CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233019 $6.99
XIGMATEK ACK-I7751 Retention Bracket - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131295 $129.99
ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail - EPU w/ 8-Phase power, deluxe OC features

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150287 $189.99 ($169.99 after $20.00 Mail-In Rebate)
XFX PVT98FYDF9 GeForce 9800 GTX(G92) 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146731 $89.99 ($64.99 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/Prod [...] 6822148262 $59.99
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827106263 $26.99
LITE-ON Black 20X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 8X DVD+R DL 20X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 20X DVD±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 0&Tpk=mx-2 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488 $109.99
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM

Your getting some bad advice on this thread. First off if your going to run Crossfire then you want a X38 or a X48 board and not a P45 board. Second, the E8500 is a crap cpu for overclocking. Also the Xigmatek s1283 is about worthless without the retention bracket. The Mushkin memory on this build will do just fine, it has great timings, and it's low voltage.

Take that cpu and move up the FSB to 9 x 400 = 3.60GHz and call it good.


Reply to Why_Me

I am not giving bad advice at all, you just have a slight variation of the system i posted except with a worse GPU and PSU. The e8400 or E8500 will be just fine and so would a Q6600.

 

Your constructive criticism is fine but do not go knocking other peoples suggestions just because it is not exactly as you would pick.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by helios2052 on 07-28-2008 at 03:46:00 PM
Reply to helios2052

If the OP could afford an X38/X48 board then I would have suggested that, but the p5Q Pro is fine for crossfiring two 4850's (if he one day decides to).

And why would you keep the intel chipset but change the card to Nvidia thus limiting his ability to ever add a second video card?

Reply to helios2052

helios2052 wrote :

I am not giving bad advice at all, you just have a sight variation of the system i posted except with a worse GPU and PSU. The e8400 or E8500 will be just fine and so would a Q6600.

Your constructive criticism is fine but do not go knocking other peoples suggestions just because it is not exactly as you would pick.



I didn't single out your name on here, but since you decided to respond to my post, let me clue you in on a few things seeing how your on this forum giving advice to people who are asking for help on here.

The E8500 uses a multiplier of "8", and has been an unstable overclocker since it first came out on the market. Also if a person is going to run Crossfire they wouldn't put out the money for two vid cards only to run them at 8x.



Reply to Why_Me

I appreciate the response but in all due respect the e8400 has a 9X multiplier and the e8500 has a 9.5X multiplier, not an 8X.

 

And yes you were right about the P45 not being quite as good for crossfire, but since he can't afford an X48, a P45 will only loose a very small percentage of performance unless he goes higher than 1920X1080. But yeah a good point.

 

And what about the PSU - I have that PSU and while it has been good to me, It is not going to be competent for current high end offerings or next-gen cards.


Message edited by helios2052 on 07-28-2008 at 04:05:52 PM
Reply to helios2052

Note to everyone:

 

If you are recommending the XIGMATEK s1283 you should also provide the link to the bolt in kit.

 

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233019

 

====================
For PSUs I recommend:

 

Single GPU:
PC Power & Cooling 610
Corsair 650

 

Multi GPU/CrossFire/SLI:
PP&C 750
Corsair 750

  



Message edited by Shadow703793 on 07-28-2008 at 07:52:50 PM
------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

Don't go with the Corsair 550 if you go with single GPU. The 650 is the same price, single rail, 80+ certified, and just great all around.

Reply to thepowerofdonuts

^Agreed.Edited it now.

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

woah... alot of posts in 24 hours and a fight too. Can I get a clear list of what is recommended. Price is not an issue to me. My parents are buying and I'm willing to work for a section if it gets above 11 hundred or so. Please don't trash others builds just give "constructive criticism" ok? I kinda need this asap.

currently picked out for my build but not bought are

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115036

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131299

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814102747

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233003

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231166

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822136218

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6832116488

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835129238

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835888105

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811995016

I have a full sized case with plenty of room.

I need to figure out whats the best setup for gaming with little overclocking. I've never overclocked and I dont want to screw over a bunch of new equipment with a rookie mistake. I want to be able to add another card later on so sli or xfire is needed.


Reply to ace22

Hey,

add the mouning kit for the CPU cooler. It will make things easier.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233019

If you ever plan to get another video card this board would suite you better!
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813128336

Also note that you have the ram listed twice but no Power Supply (Corsair 750 i think...)

Other than that I think it looks good and you won't need to overclock this setup to get great performance...these are excellent choices.

Reply to helios2052

oops yeah i put the memory twice. heres my power supply

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

Reply to ace22

Do you mind putting this on a wish list or posting the parts names? Clicking on the links take too long.

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

yeah i can do that. Hold on

Reply to ace22

http://secure.newegg.com/WishList/ [...] itle=Ace's

heres my wishlist with everything I have changed. I've done a lot too it so it has changed since theses last posts.

Reply to ace22

The following looks good:
E8400
X48-DS4
Antec 900
ATI 4850
Corsair 650TX
WD 640GB
MX-2

I strongly recommend you get the XIGMATEK S1283 (+ bolt in kit) it is much better than the Freezer Pro 7.

Review: http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

S1283 : http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] EK%2bS1283
Bolt in kit: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835233019

Quick question: Why do you have 2 of every thing on the list?

------------------------------ http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2617/3815217176_0a5be7955d_o.gif
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3553/3818083596_1a772f7162_o.gif
Reply to Shadow703793

I screwed up and added the whole list too itself again somehow. I don't remember how and I though I fixed it.

Reply to ace22
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