First Gaming Computer - Need Help!

[damaster4969]

I've been trying to plan out my first computer build for awhile now and I think I've gotten it pretty close to it's final form. But since this is my first ever build, I figure it would be best to get some feedback from all of you who have built computers before.

This computer will be used primarily for gaming as well as other basic reason (internet, e-mail, movies, etc.). I'm really trying to keep the costs below $2000. This is what I've come up with so far, and I will write a justification for each part as necessary:


Main Components:

Case:
Silverstone TJ10-B Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case ($320)
Just chose this one because it's a large aluminum case which should help with heat dissipation. I've also heard good things about Silverstone. My main concern is whether all of the parts I have chosen will fit comfortably inside of this case. Next would be whether the case will be able to keep all of the parts cool enough. What do you think?

Power Supply (PSU):
Corsair HX1000W ($240)
A 1000W PSU is likely overkill for my current build, but I plan on using Crossfire in the future and this specific PSU has modular cables which should keep the inside of the case orderly.

Processor (CPU):
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz ($190)
I had originally planned on going for the E8600 but I figured it was only marginally superior to the E8500 and it costs much more. I'm not sure if I will overclock anything at this point, so the high GHz should be helpful regardless of my end decision.

Motherboard:
ASUS RAMPAGE FORMULA LGA 775 Intel X48 ATX Intel Motherboard ($290)
Once again, I plan on using a Crossfire setup in the future and I've come to understand that the X48 is better than a P45 for that means.

Memory:
Corsair Dominator 4 GB TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF ($110)
I've just heard that Corsair is a great company for RAM.

Video Card:
VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 ($255)
I first considered going for the new 4870X2, but I figured the 4870 would be sufficient for the time being and much more cost effective. Will this card fit in my case comfortably?

System Drive:
Western Digital Caviar 320GB 7200 RPM SATA Hard Drive (WD3200AAKS) ($65)
I thought about going for the 300GB WD VelociRaptor, but this WD 7200 RPM HDD should be sufficient. It's certainly much cheaper!

Optical Drives:
Samsung 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SH-S223Q ($28)
I just picked one with high ratings from NewEgg. No other real justification aside from that.

Operating System:
Microsoft Windows Vista 64-bit Ultimate ($180)
A 64-bit OS will allow me to utilize more RAM, therefore increasing the effectiveness of my computer, no?

Extras:

Thermal Compound
· Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound ($6)
· Arctic Silver Thermal Material Remover & Surface Purifier ($6)

While I've spent a lot of time trying to learn about the necessities of building my own computer, I still have absolutely not practical skills to do so as of yet. That's why I'm asking everyone here for some help. Any other suggestions or recommendations for alternative/additional parts would be great. Will it be necessary for me to purchase more case fans and another CPU cooler? If so, any suggestions regarding which ones I should buy?

Thanks everyone!

 

[emp]

Well, it's overkill to be honest. Here are my suggestions to make it more affordable without losing performance or quality.

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit English for System Builders 1pk DSP OEI DVD - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129043

Antec TruePower Quattro TPQ-1000 1000W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Certified CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371012

(Make sure to get those two in combo to save $60)

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

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

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

The X48 chips are basically higher binned X38s, so you're paying over $100 for your motherboard to be branded with a "4" instead of a "3". That case as magnificent as it maybe, it was absolute overkill. Vista Ultimate has almost no difference over Home premium, except for a higher price tag. Depending on your monitor resolution, I might consider an HD 4870 X2 instead.

 

[Proximon]

It's a great case if you are sure about the front door. If you need access to the DVD drive a lot just get the TJ09. You'll have lots of room. The Antec 1200 would be the best cooled case though. Also some Coolermaster cases are excellent in that regards.

The 320GB drive is a bit small. Consider the 640Gb.

The RAM is slightly overkill.

 

[damaster4969]

Ok, I'll definitely look into some of the suggestions given to me about the OS, case, and mobo to see if I may want to alter some of the parts. Also, many people may consider 320GB to be small but for my uses it still seems big enough for the time being. Thank you for the suggestions so far, but more feedback is always a good thing. =)

 

[damaster4969]

Ok, I've decided to drop down to the following:

Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit ($100)
ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard ($225)
Silverstone TJ09-B Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case ($290)

Now I've had many recommendations for the Silverstone TJ-09 as well as the Antec Twelve Hundred but I'm not really sure which one will be better at cooling my components. As far as I know, the aluminum Silverstone should be better for that, no?

 

[jeheregh]

Why are you sticking with the X38 chip set? It seems the p45 chip set is ample for your requirements.
Also why pay for the 320 gig hd when you can get a 500 or 640 gig.. If your needing sata slots there's a p45 gigabyte mb that has tons of sata slots.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128346R

Also look up the coolermaster haf thats a interesting looking case.

 

[damaster4969]

Please explain to me how the P45 chipet will be more useful than the X38 for my purposes. As I said before, I plan on utilizing Crossfire in the future when I have enough money to purchase a second GPU. And as I said before, I don't really need anything bigger than a 320GB hard drive because I wouldn't likely even come close to filling it up at any point in the near future.

But, after further investigation the 500 GB hardrive is only $5 more expensive, therefore I will add it to my current build instead of the 320 GB HD.

 

[damaster4969]

Alright, this is my new current build:

Silverstone TJ09-B Black Aluminum ATX Full Tower Computer Case ($290)
Corsair HX1000W ($240)
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz ($190)
ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard ($225)
Corsair Dominator 4 GB TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF ($110)
VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 ($255)
Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB 7200 RPM SATA WD5000AAKS ($70)
Samsung 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SH-S223Q ($27)
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit ($100)

I am considering changing a few more parts due to recommendations from others but I need more justification before I will make any official changes:
Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case ($200)
ASUS P45 Motherboard (Not sure specifically which one.)
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ($65)

I've heard people say the Antec Twelve Hundred will cool my parts better than the TJ-09, but my elementary research has led me to believe the aluminum TJ-09 would actually help more to dissipate heat. I'm not really sure if I will actually setup a Crossfire system in the future, but I figured the X38 would be better for that purpose in case I do decide to do so. Even so, I will consider using a P45 board instead, but I will need recommendations for which particular board I should use. I've been told the Corsair Dominator RAM is "overkill," so I'm considering dropping it down to the OCZ Reaper RAM which has gotten good reviews on NewEgg. What does everyone think of these possible changes (as well as the overall build) at this point?

 

[emp]

The answer is simple, the P45 isn't more useful. It limits Crossfire HD 4850, so you can imagine what it'll do to a HD 4870, you are right on getting an X38 board.

I would go with the 640GB drive I pointed at, since it's only $85, but even if you do go for a 500GB one, it's still a great choice.

 

[hells]

Hey,

I built my first system in may this year and I figure I can chime in and give you a few pointers from the perspective for a semi-new builder.

First off, if you are in any way economy-conscious, drop the budget down to 1k-1,2K$ newegg prices. You can get 80% of the performance for half the dollar, and with the quadratic growth in tech, it doesn't make much sense . (to buy the latest high-end)
I did the same mistake of buying too expensive, and sort of regret it slightly, since it's overkill for all the games that I play. Based on that I here have a few mid-range recommendation that will enable you to play most games in the future at the highest settings while not breaking the bank.

C in case stands for Care. Buy the most portable case you can squeze the hardware into and the avoid the fancy leds and fans. I bought a huge tower, and it's clunky, have little effect and is generally out of sight, so I dont get to enjoy the dollars I spent for looks.

Harddrive: Well, the answer to that stands or falls with whether you download pron or not. I'd recommend the 1,5TB drive from seagate. Harddrives fills FAST (you'd be surprised).

PSU & GPU: Drop the sli, with the rising cost of electricity, using 1KW is crazy! This is more like it:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003, drop GPU down to 4850. It's more than sufficient and you won't notice you're missing a few extra fps.

CPU: You can keep it.

RAM: Get the cheapest 2x2gb 800 suckers you can get. (around 40$)

MB: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131288 nice and cheap, fits with everything. No reason to go overboard (haha, did you get the phun?).

Salvage your previous windows installation, vista doesnt offer anything over XP.


No, it wasn't really what you were getting in the initial post, but it's what you will learn you'll want. There is no reason at all, especially atm, to go expensive. Take advantage of my lessons learned and go mid-range!

 

[emp]

Buddy, PSUs don't consume 1000W just because they are rated to operate up to that amount, they consume as much as your system needs. (i.e. 1200W PSU hooked to a 350W system will only consume around 440W from the outlet given an 80% efficiency level).

You do not want a small case, I repeat you do not want a small case. They are harder to work in and cooling is very inefficient, especially for high end parts like those.

That motherboard you pointed him to is basically junk, not only it has an nvidia chipset, mATX, but also onboard graphics. Avoid it like the plague.

If you're planning on high resolution gaming, then I suggest you get the HD 4870 over the HD 4850, it'll be better in the long run. Basically disregard most if not all of the above post if you want to maintain a high standard of quality in your computer.

 

[damaster4969]

As I said before, I am very new to building computers. But based on what I've learned so far, I'd have to lean more towards emp's recommendations as they are more in line with my own current understanding of what it takes to build a high end gaming computer system.

 

[hells]

Hey buddy

Yes, duh! But since you're buying a 1kw PSU I guess you need that power, if only under load. My point still stand.

Man, you're so prejudiced, it shows in your dissing of the MB and case, THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX MAN!!! (haha, another phun)

May I remind you that it's not so hard to hit newegg and make em list a component after the highest prices, to base one's recommendation of. It takes a champ to list them after the lowest prices

My fit is so cheap that you can make a beowulf cluster out of them.

 

[emp]

Ignorance is bliss.. If a computer requires 500W to run and the PSU has an 80% efficiency, then it will draw from the outlet no more than 600W, it is a FACT, don't argue with it.

Small cases always have the same two herculean failures, everything is very cramped and hard to work on AND they ALWAYS suffer from poor cooling, there's no point in running good hardware on a case with poor cooling, because you will be prone to overheating issues.

If you were a little more educated, I'd actually try to consider in some context the motherboard suggestion, however an IGP nvidia motherboard is a horrible idea.

 

[hells]

Alright, you got my goat.

I'm AWARE OF IT. <--!!! I NEVER said a LARGER PSU uses MORE Power than the components DRAW, DROP IT.

Christ alive.

 

[Proximon]

...

I've heard people say the Antec Twelve Hundred will cool my parts better than the TJ-09, but my elementary research has led me to believe the aluminum TJ-09 would actually help more to dissipate heat. ...

First off, I own a TJ09.

Have a look at the fan set up. Remember, you need to move air through the case, and not across one corner of the MB. On the TJ09 or TJ10, you basically get one intake fan and 4 exhaust fans.

Why? Because 3 of the fans are located in the top rear corner. Making one or two of these fans intake would do no good, as the air would just exit again immediately. The 4th fan is of course the PSU, blowing out.

You need to have a balanced airflow, with similar amounts of air coming in on one side of the MB, as the air going out on the other side.

As far as aluminum goes, it's far less important in the case.

Don't get me wrong, Silverstone makes incredible cases. Solid, beautiful, and very easy to work in. The cooling is adequate, even for SLI or crossfire if the cards are dual slot cooled. The Antec 1200 is like a Hammond keyboard. It will do a lot more than a baby grand piano, it just won't look as good doing it.

 

[damaster4969]

I can see what you're trying to say. I honestly like the sleek simplicity of the Silverstone TJ-09 more than the flashiness of the Antec Twelve Hundred, but if the Antec case will cool the components more efficiently then it makes more sense to go with functionality instead of aesthetics.

 

[emp]

Well if you don't like the flashy fans, then there's always a simple solution to that problem Replace the fans for new ones.

 

[damaster4969]

Good point. =)

So the general consensus is that I should go for the Antec and X38 then?

What about:
OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory ($65)

Does anyone have anything good (or bad) to say about getting this RAM instead of the Corsair Dominator RAM I had posted orginally?

 

[falcodakrzz]

Although im not entirely sure of the differences between the corsair dominator and OCZ reaper ram, im sure theres little difference. I do have the reaper ram, however, and would highly reccomend it for performance and looks; I got the PC8500 kit though.

 

[damaster4969]

Alright, here is my current build:

· Antec Twelve Hundred Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case ($200)
· Corsair HX1000W ($240)
· Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 3.16GHz ($190)
· ASUS P5E LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard ($225)
· Corsair Dominator 4 GB TWIN2X4096-8500C5DF ($105)
· VisionTek Radeon HD 4870 ($255)
· Western Digital Caviar SE16 500GB 7200 RPM SATA WD5000AAKS ($70)
· Samsung 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe SH-S223Q ($27)
· Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-Bit ($100)

Once again, I am thinking about replacing the Corsair Dominator RAM with the following:

· OCZ Reaper HPC Edition 4GB DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) ($65)

Any input? Of course, opinions are still welcome for the rest of the build as well.

 

[damaster4969]

Anyone have any more input on my build? Does it look like everything will work well together? How would you rate my current rig?

As I said before, any more feedback and/or help is greatly appreciated. =)

 

[shortstuff_mt]

The only thing I would recommend is swapping the 500GB drive for the WD 6400AAKS:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218&cm_sp=DailyDeal-_-22-136-218-_-Product

The 6400AAKS will be considerably faster and not much more $.

 

[damaster4969]

Both drives are 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s drives, yet the 640GB drive merely has more space. Can you please explain to me how the storage capacity will effect the speed of the hard drive?

As I said before, I am sure I will not fill even half of the 500GB hard drive as I currently am using only a 150GB hard drive and I still have about 60GB of free space on it right now.

 

[emp]

But can you really go wrong for $5 more? I mean the 500GB drive is $70 and the 640GB is $75 with free shipping, that's a 140GB that can never hurt you for $5 more.