Guys, please tell me if this build looks good - about to buy it!!

Hello guys, after the feedback you gave me yesterday, i have modified my build and priced it up!!
The list is the following:

GPU - Sapphire ATI Radeon HD 4870 512MB GDDR5 TV-Out/Dual DVI/HDMI (PCI-Express) - Retail
Processor - Intel Core 2 Quad Q9550 LGA775 'Yorkfield' 2.83GHz 12MB-cache (1333FSB) Processor - Retail
Monitors - 2X LG L207WT 20" Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black
PSU - Corsair TX 750W ATX2.2 SLI Compliant PSU
Motherboard - Gigabyte GA-X48-DS4 Intel X48 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Optical driver - Asus DRW-2014L1 20x DVD±RW IDE Dual Layer Lightscribe ReWriter (Black) - OEM
Case - Antec Nine Hundred Ultimate Gaming Case
Memory - 2X Corsair 4GB DDR2 XMS2 PC2-6400C5 TwinX (2x2GB) - 8GB total
HD - Western Digital Caviar Blue 640GB SATA-II 16MB Cache - OEM (WD6400AAKS)

Total = £1,271

Please give me your opinions on this guys - damn helpful so far. My main questions that remain are these:

1. Is this motherboard ok for 4x2GB memory sticks? sorry if i'm being a moron
2. The case is obviously quite popular - has anyone put dust filters in it, because i heard a lot about bad dust intake. If so, do they block out the neon lighting!??
3. What should i get - Vista64 home premium , or Vista64 Ultimate? Is Ultimate really worth the money?

Any errors that i have made or improvements that I could make please tell me guys - advice has been class so far..

Thanks as always!

Is the IDE burner intentional, because you want to keep the SATA ports available for lots of future hard disks? If yes then it's smart. If not, make it SATA.

Why 20" and not 22"?

1. yes
2. http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/ [...] tec-owners
3. Probably Home Premium. The Ultimate adds scan/fax software and a few other things that are less likely to be used at home and more for IT admins.
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/w [...] fault.aspx

I'm assuming you'll add another HD 4870 later. That would make the MB/PSU/case excellent choices. If not, you could probably downsize them a bit.

Very nice build...

1) Yes

2) Sorry, don't have the case so I don't know.

3) Ultimate doesn't add a whole lot over home premium. I'd go with home premium.

Other notes:

I'd swap out the dvd player with a SATA model. Also, if you need cd/dvd player or burner software you'll want a retail version of the dvd drive not an OEM version.

That PSU is probably overkill for just 1 4870 unless you're leaving your options open for a 2nd one down the road.

I agree with aevm's comments.
You can always upgrade to ultimate later.
A good alternative to the 900 is the 300.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811129042
It has the front washable filters, and is a bit cheaper.
No "bling" though.

Sata connection for the dvd burner gives you a smaller connection cable instead of the old ribbon cable that must be connected to the ide port. It is a cleaner installation, and much recommended. I like my Samsung 203B, primarily because it is quiet at all times. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151153
I imagine that the 223 models would be equally good, and a bit faster. Do you need litescribe? The function burns printing on Special DVD media.

It would plug into one of the SATA ports instead of the PATA. You don't need anything different other than the drive itself. The reason for going SATA is the smaller cable and keeping the PATA free for installing old hard drives for storage or Linux etc. There are 6 SATA ports on the that mobo but only one IDE (PATA) channel.

Be sure that you get a SATA hard drive if you decide to get a different one.

OEM just means that it wont come with retail packaging...so for the hard drive, its simply gonna be wrapped in bubble wrap...and for vista, its simply gonna include a plastic wrapped cd (it will have the cd key on it so dont worry)

I got a DVD with the Nero 8 freebie. I had an older copy that seemed OK so I did a minimal install. I must have missed something, because it tried to take over my whole computer. I uninstalled it, cleaned up the damage and will never use Nero again. Google it, it's total pigsh!t.

The only software I ever got with a HD was the drive tools that can be downloaded from the manufacturers website.

I have XP and haven't put Nero 7 back in, I'm t00 pissed. I use XP to burn my CDs. I guess I'll have to find other burning software. Too bad because I liked 7.

It seems that all the newer software, of any type, wants to take control of everything. It drives me nutty.

Who calls MS for support? I'd rather stick a pencil in my eye.

I thought that mobo came with 4 SATA cables, my P35-DQ6 did. Newegg says a SATA cable and Gigabyte doesn't say any, although Gigabyte doesn't list any for the P35-DQ6 either.

I think the SATA cables are probably there anyway.

Shopping tips for Vista:
1) Do you qualify for an academic license?
If so, you can get Vista at a discounted price.
2) Look for an upgrade version of home premium instead of OEM.
Upgrade is a retail version which gives you support from microsoft, unlike OEM(AKA system builder),
and allows a more hassel-free ability to transfer the os to a different pc(motherboard).
For $10, microsoft will send you the 64 bit DVD.
I saw Vista home premium upgrade recently at Costco for $85, amazon for $89.
There is a legitimate two step instalation process to install an upgrade version
You install vista from the cd, but do not initially enter the product code.

Just tell the install which version you bought, and do not activate.
After it installs, you have a fully functional vista for 30 days.
Step 2 is to insert the cd again, while running vista and then do an upgrade.
This time, enter your product code, and activate.
After activation. you may delete the initial version which is named windows.old.

3) Do you really need Ultimate? There are very few features that the home user would want.
Check out the differences on the microsoft Vista web site.
If you get a retail or upgrade version, you will still be able to upgrade to ultimate later
With the OEM version, no upgrade is possible.

For what it is worth, I have had good experiences when I have had to call microsoft support. It comes from India, and you have to listen carefully because they have not mastered the American dialect. But..they are good, and know what they are doing.

The newegg photo's will show what is included in the mobo. Gigabyte has always supplied a number of Sata cables.

Thanks I'll check it out.


geofelt, good info on the student edition and upgrade trick. I always forget about the student editions of Vista and Office, huge savings.

As far as calling India, I think I'll pass.

I had a HD fail in my nieces HP a couple of years ago and I needed to get the install disks. Long story short, it was hell explaining to him that the drive was indeed dead and failed SMART, he kept telling me to reboot and press F11 or F10 or something. Yipes, no Indian support for me.

Good to know. Thanks!