Building this for a friend, what are your thoughts?

[vasant56]

Hi Guys,
My friend asked me to build a computer for him. He wants to keep it under $750 CDN and wants it to be used for general purposes and the occasional game. As such, I built him what I could with the budget I had. I want to run these specs by you guys before I build it though.. could I get your input?

CPU
$150.00
Intel Core 2 Duo E7300 Socket LGA775, 2.66 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 3MB L2 Cache, 45nm (Retail Box) (BX80571E7300)
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=019646&cid=CPU.84

OR
$184.99
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Socket LGA775, 3 GHz, 1333 MHz FSB, 6MB L2 Cache, 45nm (Retail Box) (BX80570E8400)
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=017075&cid=CPU.84

OR
$200
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Quad-Core Socket LGA775, 2.40 GHz, 1066 MHz FSB, 8MB L2 Cache, 65nm (Retail Box) (BX80562Q6600)
http://canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=012505&cid=CPU.84

MOBO
$69.99
Gigabyte GA-P35-DS3L Socket 775 Intel P35 + ICH9 Dual-Channel DDR2 1066/800/667/533Mhz GigaLAN 8-Channel Audio Support 1333Mhz FSB
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=018459&cid=MB.157

GRAPHICS
$91.07
EVGA E-GEFORCE 8600GT 540MHZ 256MB 1.4GHZ GDDR3 PCI-E Dual DVI-I HDTV Out DIRECTX10 Video Card http://ncix.com/products/index.php?sku=23715&vpn=256-P2-N751-TR&manufacture=eVGA#CustomerReviews

HARD DRIVE
$71.99
Western Digtial Cavier Green (WD5000AACS) 500GB SATAII 7200RPM 16MB Buffer (OEM)
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=019585&cid=HD.443.877

RAM
$106.99
Corsair XMS2 TWIN2X4096-6400C5 G PC2-6400 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 800 Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=014664&cid=RAM.346.307

DVD
$28.49
LG GH22NS30 Black SATA DVD-Writer 22xDVD+R/-R 8xDVD+RW/6xDVD-RW 16xDVD+R DL 12xDVD-R DL 48x CD-R 32xCD-RW OEM
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=019434&cid=CR.184

CASE
$122.99
Antec Sonata III Quiet Super Mid Tower w/ 500W PSU Metallic Charcoal Color (Canada Computers Exclusive) http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=016276&cid=CS.664



Could I get your input on this.. which cpu do you think is best suited for his needs? Is the performance increase in the different cpus worth the additional cost.. and is the video card a good buy for the basic/moderate gamer given the budget?

Cheers!
Vasant

 

[roadrunner197069]

Check canadian Newegg prices, you will most likely get better deals.

 

[the_one111]

+1 to roadrunner..

You should probably just bite the bullet and get the Q6600 Quad core since you get two more cores for 20 dollars more, if not less on newegg.

While the graphics card is good a 8800gt/9800gt would be like 2x the performance for just a little bit more money..

EDIT: ahhh i see the case has a 500w PSU my bad, your good..

8800gt prices
non-dual slot: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130380
dual slot: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130397

I'd get the dual slot since it has better cooling IMO.. And while it does cost 50 bucks more, it also has a rebate for 30 USD.. on the canadian newegg. (not that i'm saying cross your fingers for it) but EVGA honors rebates very well from my expierences with them..

Hope this helps. And yes i know my spelling sucks but i've not had sleep for 24 hours.

 

[kamkal]

canadacomputers.com is good place to buy, but yea newegg.ca just opened up so check there too, if you live in or around toronto, you can check out spadina and college hehehe

CASE
the sonata III is good, has space for two fans but is super quiet (i have sonata II for older machine)

i would recommend getting another fan for the front since it comes with one only

from personal experience, this fan
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811999614
vantec 120mm, is super quiet and lasts a long time

CPU
if its for general use id just stick with the e7300

VGA CARD
id upgrade the gfx card a for a bit more
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102715
SAPPHIRE 100226L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retai
107.99

MEM
change the mem to this
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820211282
A-DATA Vitesta 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
75.49
The "vitesta" is their gaming/better mem, several sites use it in their test setup for benchmarks

the money saved from the mem can be put towards the better gfx card

MOO
mobo looks good for that price range, i have an asus p5k which has same p35 chipset and its solid and those gigabyte boards are great as well

 

[geofelt]

Looks good.
Save a few bucks, and get the E7300. He does not need a lot of cpu power or a quad.

I like Antec cases, and you might look at the Antec designer 500.
http://www.canadacomputers.com/index.php?do=ShowProduct&cmd=pd&pid=015081&cid=CS.664
Do not be put off by the white color. It is gorgeous!
I had a P150 which was an earlier version and loved it.
It is the same case as the SOLO with a good 500w psu.
It is a very quiet case which I like, and I think it has better cooling than the sonata.
Try to find a review on it or the P150 to get more details.

A very good list in any case.
---good luck---

 

[the_one111]

SAPPHIRE 100226L Radeon HD 3850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card

NOOOO don't lead him on the path to destruction111!!!

lol,

btw nice find its only ten bucks more, while it has less power than a 8800gt i am satisfied.

 

[kamkal]

NOOOO don't lead him on the path to destruction111!!!

lol,

btw nice find its only ten bucks more, while it has less power than a 8800gt i am satisfied.

heheh

well i was gunna suggest the 8800GT but only 500W PSU, not sure if it would hold up

but come on, anything but an 8600

 

[kamkal]

btw how do i get this thing to show the computer specs below the msgs :/

 

[the_one111]

Looks good.
Save a few bucks, and get the E7300. He does not need a lot of cpu power or a quad.

While i would agree if it was 30-60 bucks more its just practically wrong not to get a quad core for only 20 bucks more man..

Plus (even though you may deny it) new games ARE being coded for multithreads, i just checked on crysis today and it was utulizing all four cores of my CPU. and supposedly far cry 2 is also going to be multithreaded.

If you want the system more future proof for only twenty bucks more i'd go with the quad still.. especially with intel and amd both jumping on the quad core bandwagon. If you think applications arent going to take 2 more cores of raw computing power to their advantige your crazy

 

[the_one111]

heheh

well i was gunna suggest the 8800GT but only 500W PSU, not sure if it would hold up

but come on, anything but an 8600

yeah a 9800gt can definitly run on a 500w, and with power to spare.. i would still suggest the 8800 over that for just 30 bucks more but if he decides to go for the 3850 i would be equally satisfied..

Like you said ANYTHING besides a 8600

as to your question on the sigs (i am assuming your talking about the sigs) you have to reply and tick a box that says "show signature".. suprisingly enough they didnt think we needed a no hassle "sig always appears" on this forum

 

[kamkal]

yeah a 9800gt can definitly run on a 500w, and with power to spare.. i would still suggest the 8800 over that for just 30 bucks more but if he decides to go for the 3850 i would be equally satisfied..

Like you said ANYTHING besides a 8600

as to your question on the sigs (i am assuming your talking about the sigs) you have to reply and tick a box that says "show signature".. suprisingly enough they didnt think we needed a no hassle "sig always appears" on this forum

well if it can handle the 8800GT i would def go for that instead

so vasant, get an 8800GT for yer buddy!

HAHA oh **** the check box is right in front of mah face
bah thats lame, i have it set to display sig "YES" in forum options

lol

 

[vasant56]

Thanks a lot for the help guys. I'm definitely tempted to get the quad core, if it fits within the budget i definitely will, but till then i'll stick with the cheap one.

What video card would you guys recommend specifically? Note that the mobo doesn't support pci express 2.0 (i wanted to keep costs down), but I figure he's not going to upgrade the video card anyways..

 

[kamkal]

an 8800 such as this
http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814500006
ZOTAC ZT-88TES3P-FCP GeForce 8800 GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail
136.99

 

[kamkal]

PCIE 2.0 doesnt make much of a diff with the 8800GT, skip the quad, get the better vid card instead, your buddy will be happy

 

[geofelt]

While i would agree if it was 30-60 bucks more its just practically wrong not to get a quad core for only 20 bucks more man..

Plus (even though you may deny it) new games ARE being coded for multithreads, i just checked on crysis today and it was utulizing all four cores of my CPU. and supposedly far cry 2 is also going to be multithreaded.

If you want the system more future proof for only twenty bucks more i'd go with the quad still.. especially with intel and amd both jumping on the quad core bandwagon. If you think applications arent going to take 2 more cores of raw computing power to their advantige your crazy

When you saw all four cores being utilized by Crysis, what was the average cpu utilization?
Windows will distribute computing across all the cores it has. If your cpu utilization was above 50%, then I would agree that more than two cores was being used.

No doubt we will see more multicore games in the future, but if a game requires 4 cores to run well, the developers will not sell very many copies.

 

[the_one111]

PCIE 2.0 doesnt make much of a diff with the 8800GT, skip the quad, get the better vid card instead, your buddy will be happy

While i would disagree skipping the quad in any other instance you make much sense.

Also most boards that have PCI-e support pci-e 2.0 (for instance mine does) and only on the rarest of occasions will they not work so your ok.

And for bandwidth it wont make any noticible difference.

 

[vasant56]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll stick with the cheaper cpu and go with a better video card.

Any way to see if my mobo will support pcie2?

 

[kamkal]

When you saw all four cores being utilized by Crysis, what was the average cpu utilization?
Windows will distribute computing across all the cores it has. If your cpu utilization was above 50%, then I would agree that more than two cores was being used.

No doubt we will see more multicore games in the future, but if a game requires 4 cores to run well, the developers will not sell very many copies.

CryEngine2 is supposedly supposed to have multithreading support, dont know how well its been coded tho, im guessin cryengine2 is mostly gfx card dependent, more so than other games

unreal engine 3 seems to be coded well in terms of multithreading and going form at leas 1 to 2 cores gives a substantial boost in FPS, and both cores are at 100% on my system when playing UT3

 

[the_one111]

When you saw all four cores being utilized by Crysis, what was the average cpu utilization?
Windows will distribute computing across all the cores it has. If your cpu utilization was above 50%, then I would agree that more than two cores was being used.

No doubt we will see more multicore games in the future, but if a game requires 4 cores to run well, the developers will not sell very many copies.

One core WAS noticiblly higher (not by much though i suspect this wad due to the bad coding done on crysis's devs part) than the others but the other 3 were also higher than i had ever seen during any other game so they were being used by crysis (or decided just to look like they were being used during crysis's gameplay lol).. And yes my cpu usage was about 50%.

While i agree with you to some extent i doubt that it would effect games sales. Think of it like this, all of your programs instead on only two cores all being distributed on four. Why wouldnt people want to take advantige of that?

 

[kamkal]

I don't think my motherboard supports PCIe2.. is there any suitable option that's regular pci express (or am I reading the mobo specs wrong?)

the card will work in a PCIE 1.0 board, it is backwards compatible

 

[kamkal]

you can make any app multithreaded, if the system has more logical cpus, the OS will distribute the workload, if not, the same cpu will handle all the threads, time slicing ftw

the hard part is coding effective multithreaded apps that dont f up and crash

 

[the_one111]

Thanks a lot guys! I'll stick with the cheaper cpu and go with a better video card.

Any way to see if my mobo will support pcie2?

That board is basically a copy of mine (mine was made by a different maker (foxconn) but it has the same intergrated chipset as my mobo.

So while that doesnt answer your question exactly it gives the time it was made (near my mobos evidently) which means if it doesn't have PCI-E 1.1 on it that it would be the worst and most cheap mobo i had ever seen.

So with that info i would swear on my life that it would support it.

This is a compatibility chart:

PCI-e 1.1/PCI-e 2.0
PCI
AGP

so you see PCI-e is backwards and forwards compatible.

 

[the_one111]

you can make any app multithreaded, if the system has more logical cpus, the OS will distribute the workload, if not, the same cpu will handle all the threads, time slicing ftw

the hard part is coding effective multithreaded apps that dont f up and crash

yeah, btw i sent you a pm lol

Steam is actually doing mutithreaded beta tests now so they will soon be making the games offered on steam multithread supported.

awesome isn't that?

 

[kamkal]

That board is basically a copy of mine (mine was made by a different maker (foxconn) but it has the same intergrated chipset as my mobo.

So while that doesnt answer your question exactly it gives the time it was made (near my mobos evidently) which means if it doesn't have PCI-E 1.1 on it that it would be the worst and most cheap mobo i had ever seen.

So with that info i would swear on my life that it would support it.

This is a compatibility chart:

PCI-e 1.1/PCI-e 2.0
PCI
AGP

so you see PCI-e is backwards and forwards compatible.

plus 1

here's an overview of the P35 chipset that is on the gigabtye board
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intel_P35

i have an ASUS board with same chipset and my gfx card works fine

the board you have chosen is good, its a common choice from what ive seen on the forums

it has PCIE 1.1 which will work with the 8800GT

 

[the_one111]

This is really ironic because i learned all of this because i just bought an 8800gt (and new quad core comp with 3 gig o ram) not a few months ago..

funny.