$1K Build - What do you think?

[DigitalD]

I need a new computer asap and I have about $1000 to spend. I will be using the computer for gaming, graphic/web design, programming, & media. I've spent probably 16 hours in the last two days doing research to find out how I can get the most for my money and here is what I've came up with:

[cpp]
CPU $170 Intel Core 2 Duo E8400
Video $200 XFX GeForce 8800 Ultra 768MB DDR3 SLI
Memory $70 OCZ SLI-Ready Dual Channel 4096 PC6400 DDR2 800MHz
Mobo $150 Asus P5N-D nForce 750i PCIE 2.0
HD $80 Western Digital Caviar SE16 640GB Hard Drive - 7200, 16MB, SATA-300
OS $110 Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit
PSU $100 OCZ GameXStream 600-Watt SLI-Ready
DVD $35 Lite-ON IHAS220-08 SuperAllwrite SATA 20x DVD Burner with Lightscribe
Fan $30 Thermaltake Silent 775D CPU Fan
Reader $10 PowerUp Internal All-in-One Flash/Card Reader
Extra $5 Ultra Serial ATA cable
Extra $6 OCZ Freeze Thermal Extreme Conductivity Compound
[/cpp]

Total: $966
w/ Shipping: $982

My first question is whether or not I've forgotten any components. The last thing I want to happen is to get everything only to realize that I forgot to get something. The only thing I see missing is a case, but I plan on using my old ATX Tower case until I get some more money.

Now as for the components themselves. Any suggestions to improve this build? I'm totally confident in my selection of CPU & Memory. The E8400 rocks and 4096MB of DDR2 800MHz memory with 5-4-4 timings for $40 (after rebate) is a killer deal. I don't think there will be any arguments there.

The GPU I've selected is the GeForce 8800 Ultra, which is priced at only $199 on Tiger. This card seems to perform extremely well according to the charts on this site. On newegg, this same card sells for $520! That's over double the price so this really must be a steal, right? (Newegg link: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814130346)

For the OS I'm pretty sure I want Vista 64-bit Home Premium. This sells for $109 at Tiger. Is this right? Seems kind of cheap compared to the prices I see at retail stores. What is different about this OEM version? Obviously the price difference is a pro, but are there any cons to buying it instead of retail?

The PSU I'm not so sure about. At first, I was thinking of getting a PowerUp power supply because they are so cheap! I could get a 600 Watt PowerUp PSU with a case for $99! But I'm scared that PowerUp PSU's might not be any good. Does anyone know about this brand? I found a tiered listing of PSU's but PowerUp was not on the list. The OCZ GameXStream is rated as a Tier 2 brand so that's why that is my current selection. I'm definitely open to suggestions on this one. (Link to Tiered PSU List: http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=108088)

The mobo I have my eyes on right now is the Asus P5N-D. What draws me to this mobo is the price, the fact that it's SLI ready, and that it supports PCI Express 2.0 (although the 8800 Ultra won't take advantage of that). I would really like some opinions about this.

Also, how about the HD, DVD, and CPU Fan I've chosen?

I would appreciate any input anyone can offer. Just remember that I don't want to exceed $1000 unless it is for a very good reason.

 

[gators1223]

as for the 8800 ultra, it is ok, but quite old as things go right now, i think that the 4850 is almost as powerful for a little less money and much more efficient

 

[Proximon]

The 8800 Ultra won't be around much longer, and will likely come up in price, so I would forget about SLI and get a more stable Intel chipset such as a P43 or P45.

You are right to avoid the PowerUp. Any time a PSU promises so much and costs so little, it is made from very inferior parts and could end up damaging your motherboard. It's made in China.

The OCZ is fine for a single video card, but not enough to SLI.

No on the Thermaltake CPU cooler. Get a Xigmatek S-1283.

 

[gators1223]

oh and get like a p45 mobo there have been some not so good nvidia chipsets out lately

 

[DigitalD]

Thanks for the input so far. I've been looking at the 4850 and I think I am going to go with it instead of the 8800 ultra as has been suggested. It falls only slightly behind the 8800 ultra in most charts but the fact that it's newer, supports PCIe 2.0, and should be easier to locate in the future if I decide to pick up another made me change my mind. Now my question is, which 4850 do I get? TigerDirect has 10 different ones ( http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/search.asp?keywords=4850 ). Does it matter? Is one name brand better than the other?

So with the 4850 I think I need to pick another mobo. I was looking at these two:

Gigabyte EP45-DS3R Motherboard for $139.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3969362&CatId=13

or

Biostar TP45 HP Motherboard - $139.99
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications/SearchTools/item-details.asp?EdpNo=3952222&CatId=1533

Both of these are socket 775, have 2x PCIe 2.0 slots, and take DDR2 ram. Those are the only specs I should really be worried about I think. I've had Gigabyte boards before and have been satisfied with them so I'm leaning towards it rather than the Biostar. What do you think?

 

[DigitalD]

Get a Xigmatek S-1283.

This cooler is not available on TigerDirect. It also looks kind of big which has me worried if it will fit in my case. Any other suggestions? I thought the Thermaltake Silent 775D looked pretty good... is it not?

 

[Proximon]

Was there some reason you had to use tigerdirect? If you are in Canada try newegg.ca

Here is a list of various good coolers:
http://www.frostytech.com/top5heatsinks.cfm

I think the Gigabyte would be fine.

 

[mazda6_stealth]

Seems as though everyone is wanting $1000 builds these days! I just went through all this about 3 weeks ago. Seems like I keep telling people the same thing, but here is what I got, and it looks like you are looking at a very similar rig!

Case: $100 - Antechttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antec 900 (ended up coming with 7 case fans!)
http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=202997579&loc=101

CPU: $135 - E8400 ($35 combo deal with mobo)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

Mobo: $120 - P5Q Pro with $20 rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131299

GPU: $245 - VisionTek 4870 with $25 rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814129113

HDD: $80 - WD 640gb
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

RAM: $58 - 4gb Corsaircorsair XMS2 DDR2 800 with $35 rebate (was $20 rebate when I bought!)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145194

PSU: $84 - Corsair 750W with $20 rebate
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-tx-750w-atx-12v-power-supply-corsair-tx-cmpsu-750tx-atx12v/q/loc/101/206178325.html

CPU Cooler: $49 - Xigmatek S1283 & Bracket & Compound
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233019
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020

Buner: $26 - Samsung Lightscribehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LightScribe x2
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173

Monitor: $200 - Acer 22"
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009094

Total is $1140 with shipping ($50 less than I paid 3 weeks ago)
Only $940 with no monitor, or $850 if you got with a 4850

 

[Proximon]

Yep, great build

I do disagree on the RAM though, 2.1V is way too high for 800Mhz.

 

[mazda6_stealth]

Uh oh! No one said that 3 weeks ago What would you suggest?

 

[mazda6_stealth]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227284
???

 

[mazda6_stealth]

Kinda of a random question, but I left my P4 2.4 ghz rig on basically 24/7 since I built it ~4 yrs ago. Should I do that with my new one? I am out of school now and working, so I don't use it during the day. Any idea what it costs to run for 24 hrs? $.50 or like $3? My monthy power bill is only $80. Or on the terms of my P4 rig, maybe it will cost double to run it?

 

[Proximon]

1.8V is what you want to shoot for. It tends to be more compatible. The OCZ would have been a better choice, or:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731

If you have sleep mode working well it doesn't cost much to leave a computer on. A good PSU will be the biggest power saver you can put into a computer.

I came into computing mostly from the programming side, so I have always been one to power off my PCs, not to save money so much as to have a fresh boot before each use. It's just a very old habit that dates back to the days when software and drivers played badly with one another.

I think I have heard 40W for a hibernating PC and monitor, so similar to a desk lamp.

 

[mazda6_stealth]

Thanks for the info. Maybe I will get those and list my others on eBay.

 

[snake786123]

HI

i am trying to build a new pc i have just over £1000

i want it for gaming only!

i want to be able to play crysis on very high and future games

i already have a raptor and vista x64 permium

please could you tell me the best possible build for the price

thanks in advance

 

[shortstuff_mt]

@ snake786123 - maybe you should try creating your own post instead of hijacking this one.

 

[3lvis]

as for the 8800 ultra, it is ok, but quite old as things go right now, i think that the 4850 is almost as powerful for a little less money and much more efficient

Not even close. The closest ATI card to the 8800 ultra is the 4870 which is $50-70 more. Get the 8800 Ultra and dont listen to the ATI fanboys.

Overall your build looks solid. I would try Microcenter for your OS. I just got the same one for $79.

http://microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=0294708

Also consider B-stock EVGA motherboards for $30 more you could get a 780i. (if your get one of these, get new Sata cables cause theirs have a high rate of being defective). They also have that 8800 ultra for $159 .....its B-stock but you will be hard pressed to find a better deal on a Video card.

http://www.evga.com/products/bstock.asp

Good Luck,
3lvis

 

[gators1223]

Not even close. The closest ATI card to the 8800 ultra is the 4870 which is $50-70 more. Get the 8800 Ultra and dont listen to the ATI fanboys.

um well here are benches
http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/67909965/m/255009914931
http://xtreview.com/addcomment-id-5603-view-Radeon-HD-4850-benchmarks.html

and look at other treads on the topic

 

[Asinger93]

This cooler is not available on TigerDirect. It also looks kind of big which has me worried if it will fit in my case. Any other suggestions? I thought the Thermaltake Silent 775D looked pretty good... is it not?

Looks don't matter. Even so, I'd recommend either the Zalman 9700 or the Cooler Master Hyper 212