building a new pc

[malik99]

Hi, I am going to build a new pc. I already bought intel Q600 processor. I have decided to use GA - EP45 -DS3R mobo.I will be using it mainly for video editing and burning purposes besides children may use for web surfing etc. Is this GA - EP45 -DS3R mobo will be good with this CPU? As I have gone through, the basic info of this mobo, I think there is no built in video/graphic card in this mobo? Which video card will be compatible with this mobo? Not looking for an expansive one. 16 GB DDR2 ram is maximum for this mobo but up to how much memory will be actually good for XP/VISTA? Please help me in this regard. Tons of thanks in advance.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

4GB of RAM with 64-bit Vista Home Premium is a very good combination.

You didn't say what power supply you plan on using, what the budget is for the GPU, what resolution your monitor runs at, or if anyone will be playing any games on this computer. I highly recommend the ATI 4850 GPU for a good all-around card.

 

[dirtmountain]

The HD4850 is a great card, but since gaming wasn't mentioned in the post i'd be more inclined to go with the HD4670 at about 1/2 the price. $65 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814127383
Agree with shortstuff on the 2x2 GB DDR2 800 RAM. Even though XP or Vista 32 bit will only use 3.5 GB RAM (or so) the cost factor is low enough i'd get 4 GB with either OS if you can afford it.

 

[jpdykes]

Hi Malik99,

- If this build is not going to be used for gaming it would be worth your while looking for a board with intergrated graphics, saves paying for a discrete card as well. With most boards you could add one later.

- 4Gb of DDR2 800 RAM will be ample.

- Try a seagate Barracuda 7200.11 or Western digital hard disk drive.

- Without a discrete graphics card you are only going to need a small power supply. Try corsair, enermax, antec, pc power and cooling - look for something at 400W or less. It is worth investing some money on the power supply, it is the most likely thing that is going to fry your system and you can always move it to your next build.

Hope that is good for a start.
Jeremy

 

[shortstuff_mt]

True, if no games will be played on the computer the 4670 would be a great choice. We could offer more assistance if you post the full specs of your proposed build. The one thing you definitely don't want to go cheap on is the PSU.

 

[aevm]

If you have children, you better support gaming. Go for a Corsair 650TX PSU and a HD 4850. You can save $20 on the PSU and $80 on the video card with a 400W PSU and HD 4670, but the kids will be mad at you when they compare your PC with their friends'. On the bright side, if you do that, they won't hog the PC and might even read good books.

I'm assuming you'll have several hard disks, what with the video editing. That's another reason to get a larger PSU.

 

[bobbknight]

It's good that you are staying away from Asus.
I of late have gone for the P35 chipset motherboards, but a P45 will also work well.
4 Gigs of ram are good.
Vista Ultimate is just a bit better than Home Premium, the 64bit version would be preferred.
Video Editing likes to have through put, this is where raid 0 from and to shines.
Some of the fastest drives with the longest warranty are the Seagate 7200.11 series with 32MB of cache.
Unless your going to do some heavy duty gaming, a moderately priced video card with 512Mb of ram on it will be fine. I like the nVidia 8600GT.
A good case with lots of ventilation and the ability to expand is the Antec 300, and they are not expensive. Couple that with a great PSU like the PCPower Silencer 610watt and you will have a great machine.

 

[dirtmountain]

wat r buks?

 

[malik99]

Dear shortstuff_mt thnks a lot for your quick reply. I planned Antec Sonata
Designer 500 with 500W PSU. Will it be sufficient enough even for future upgarding or I go up to 600/650W?
Proposed:
RAM 2 x2GB RAM 800 MHz.
HD:WD Caviar 500GB SATAII 7200RPM 32MB Cache (OEM)
MOBO: Gigabute EP45-DS3R
Video card: Need advice from you all, thanks
DVD drive:Need advice from you all, thanks ,
OPerating system: XP/Vista? which one will be good?
I would also like one COM port? any advise?
Thanks for all the help.

 

[aevm]

DVD: Samsung SH-S223Q
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827151173&Tpk=SH-S223Q

Windows: Vista Home Premium SP1 64-bit
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488
I'd pick this one because it has DirectX 10, it will keep getting patches for a long time, it supports 4 GB of RAM.

If you get the Antec Sonata forget upgrading to HD 4850 Crossfire, that combination would overheat and blow up.
This means the 500W PSU is enough. You don't need 600/650W.

I'd get the Western Digital 640GB because it's faster and has a better price per GB than the 500GB version.

Video card: HD 4670 if nobody will want to play shooter games on the PC; otherwise HD 4850.

COM port? Why???

 

[malik99]

Dear aevm thanks for reply.
Samsung SH-S223Q is a good choice. thanks. If not Antec Sonata , then which case you suggest for HD 4850. I have some receiver for cable that does not have USB but have com port, only for such purpose wanted to have COM port. My monitor is connected to my tower through VGA port. But As I see in the manual of Gigabyte GA-EP45-DS3R mobo, there is no port like VGA , so in what way I will connect my monitor to this new proposed pc?Any suggestion please?I am not going to have a new monitor with USB or SATA/eSATA etc in near future? Thanks

 

[aevm]

This CoolerMaster RC-690 case is very good for advanced gaming cards because it has great cooling and it's roomy:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

Unlike the Sonata, it doesn't come with a PSU. This Corsair 650TX PSU is high-quality and would make your PC future-proof:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&Tpk=650TX

The GA-EP45-DS3R does not have a VGA port because it does not provide graphics services. The HD 4850 will take care of that very nicely, tens of times better than any motherboard in fact. If your monitor has a DVI input that would be perfect, because then you can use a DVI cable between the HD 4850 and the monitor. If it doesn't, plug a DVI/VGA adapter (the Sapphire HD 4850 includes one, and I'm sure most other manufacturers do too) in the HD 4850, then a VGA cable between the adapter and the monitor.

Monitors don't usually need USB ports, but some do have them anyway. No worries if yours doesn't have them. I've never seen a monitor with eSATA ports, so no worries there either.

I don't know about the COM port. The GA-EP45-DS3R has a serial port header. TBH I'm not sure if that's what you need or not.
http://www.gigabyte.us/Products/Mot...board&ProductID=2842&ProductName=GA-EP45-DS3R

 

[malik99]

aevm, thanks. As per your earlier advice, I bought Video card HD 4670 since not much gamming activity at persent.Hope, I can use DVI/VGA in HD 4670 video card too? Is this HD 4670 video card is compatable with mobo GA-EP45-DS3R ? since I read some where that GA-EP45-DS3R mobo requires ATI crossfire technology compatiable? Thanks again for all help.
Malik

 

[SenthilAnandh]

aevm, thanks. As per your earlier advice, I bought Video card HD 4670 since not much gamming activity at persent.Hope, I can use DVI/VGA in HD 4670 video card too? Is this HD 4670 video card is compatable with mobo GA-EP45-DS3R ? since I read some where that GA-EP45-DS3R mobo requires ATI crossfire technology compatiable? Thanks again for all help.
Malik

YES, 4670 is compatible with your motherboard. Crossfire comes only into picture when you are using two graphics cards. As you are using only one it wont be a problem.

 

[aevm]

Right. Your DS3R does support two video cards, but you don't need to buy two. It will work fine with one. Buy another card (HD 4670 or HD HD 3450) only when/if you ever want to use 3 or 4 monitors.

Yes you can use a DVI to VGA adapter with the HD 4670. If you bought the MSI version linked by dirtmountain I think you will get the adapter in the box, but I can't confirm it from either newegg or MSI's site. If you bought the Sapphire or Powercolor versions you will get the adapter. If you got the Asus you won't. Wait until you get the card. If there's no adapter go buy one, or ask friends if they have a spare one. Lots of people get these adapters with their cards and never use them because their monitors have DVI inputs.

Edit: "go buy one" as in "get it locally". Newegg has one for $8 but adds $7 shipping, which is silly IMO. If you need to buy one get it from a brick-and-mortar, even if it's $10 there instead of $8.

 

[malik99]

Thanks evry one for help.
I have odered/purchased the following items for my proposed pc:
Case:Cool master RC690
CPU:Intel Quad Q6600
Memory: Kingston (2 x2GB) 4GB DDR2 800 MHz.
HD:WD Caviar 500GB SATAII 7200RPM 32MB Cache (OEM)
MOBO: Gigabute EP45-DS3R
Video card: Need advice from you all, thanks
DVD drive:Need advice from you all, thanks ,
OPerating system: XP/Vista? which one will be good
Video Card:Asus EAH4670/DI/512M ATI Radeon HD 4670 Chipset (750MHz ) 512MB (2008Mhz) DDR3 Dual Display PCI-Express 2.0 Graphics Card.
DVD:Samsung SH-S223Q/BEBN SATA LightScribe Black 22X DVD-Writer OEM
Do I need anything else?Do I need to apply thermal grease on processor? Some body told that it comes already applied from manufacturer?
Since it will be my first pc assembly, what are the precautions and how will I go in assembly procedure? please guide me.Thanks a lot.
After the assembly, how I will go for booting and do I have to do some changes in BIOS/CMOS etc? help me please. I do not know much about BIOS/CMOS.

 

[dirtmountain]

There's many guides on assembling the parts, search on the internet. iirc www.tigerdirect.com, www.Corsair.com, here at Toms all have guides. www.hardwaresecrets.com has many short tutorials that might be helpful, take a look at them.
Read all the directions, your motherboard and case manuals. Static electricity is not your friend! Keep yourself grounded by touching bare metal on the case often, be careful how you handle your components. Don't work on carpet, no children eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and large glasses of milk can watch. Liquids and oils and grease are not your friends. Pets can go outside. Work over a clean, dry worksurface. Have all the tools you need ready and clean. Read the directions! Being gender challenged about directions is not a valid excuse. Don't force anything! If something seems to be taking more pressure to connect then you think it should double check to make sure you're making the right connection. Sometimes you run into tight fittings/sockets etc. but double check. Measure twice, cut once.....ooops sorry that's carpentry. It's really not that hard, if you start getting stressed, take a break. The thermal paste will already be on HSF, it'll probably have a piece of clear plastic over it saying "remove this before attaching" or some such. The silica sand in the little packet is not for eating. Good luck.... it's actually a lot of fun to build a system. You should not have any changes to make in BIOS after posting, your motherboard manual should cover anything you need to know. You can always post back here if you run into anything. In terms of making a mistake, i've made more mistakes, some of them incredibly dumb so many times i can't count that high without taking off my shoes. Have fun and good luck.

 

[malik99]

Thank you dirtmaountain for your so meaningfull and nice advice, I will do the rest, I will contact and let the forum know the outcome of my this assembly. Thanks a lot.

 

[malik99]

since I am using only one WD Caviar 500GB SATAII 7200RPM 32MB Cache HD , do I need for SATA configuration? will my HD will be recognised? if I have to configure, what is procedure? How I will be able to make partions in 500GB HD? I have never made partition before? Thanks for all your helps and support

 

[aevm]

Plug the power cable and the SATA cable into the disk. Plug the other end of the SATA cable in a SATA port on the MB. The disk should be recognized after this. Since it's your only hard disk, you won't have Windows and Device Manager yet. Insert the Windows DVD and start the install. It should ask you if you want to make a partition for Windows and how big. Don't give it the full 500GB, Something like 80GB is usually enough.

After Windows is installed, right click My Computer, go to the Device Manager, find the disk in there, and then you can create and format more partitions in the available space.

 

[aevm]

There's many guides on assembling the parts, search on the internet. iirc www.tigerdirect.com, www.Corsair.com, here at Toms all have guides. www.hardwaresecrets.com has many short tutorials that might be helpful, take a look at them.
Read all the directions, your motherboard and case manuals. Static electricity is not your friend! Keep yourself grounded by touching bare metal on the case often, be careful how you handle your components. Don't work on carpet, no children eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and large glasses of milk can watch. Liquids and oils and grease are not your friends. Pets can go outside. Work over a clean, dry worksurface. Have all the tools you need ready and clean. Read the directions! Being gender challenged about directions is not a valid excuse. Don't force anything! If something seems to be taking more pressure to connect then you think it should double check to make sure you're making the right connection. Sometimes you run into tight fittings/sockets etc. but double check. Measure twice, cut once.....ooops sorry that's carpentry. It's really not that hard, if you start getting stressed, take a break. The thermal paste will already be on HSF, it'll probably have a piece of clear plastic over it saying "remove this before attaching" or some such. The silica sand in the little packet is not for eating. Good luck.... it's actually a lot of fun to build a system. You should not have any changes to make in BIOS after posting, your motherboard manual should cover anything you need to know. You can always post back here if you run into anything. In terms of making a mistake, i've made more mistakes, some of them incredibly dumb so many times i can't count that high without taking off my shoes. Have fun and good luck.

Best post of the week!!!

 

[malik99]

Thank you aevm.I gone through mother boards manual which talks abot on configuring a RAID array "The ICH10R controller upports,RAID 0, RAID 1, RAID 5 and RAID 10". I did not understand much. since I am having only one HD, do I have to configurate? If yes to which ?RAID 0 ? Is there any advantage of SATA arry configurations?Thanks in advance.

 

[aevm]

The short answer is forget RAID, don't bother. Long answer follows...

No, you don't need RAID for video editing, web surfing and games. You don't have to configure anything about it. You can't even use RAID anyway unless you have at least two disks, and preferably 3 or more.
Even if you do get more disks later, you still don't have to use RAID.

There are advantages to RAID, sure, otherwise they wouldn't bother supporting it in motherboards. But there are disadvantages too and it's a good idea only for some people, IMO. RAID 0 improves speed but puts the data at increased risk. RAID 1 improves data safety but reduces disk space. Other types of RAID need more than 2 disks, improve speed and safety but reduce space.

If you're curious about details, start with this article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAID

 

[malik99]

Thanks to every one for help. I assembled my pc, it works fine to me so far. Thanks to every one for support/help. aevm, alot thanks to you. I put 4GB(2x2GB=4GB) DDR2 RAM with window XP Professional SP3, but from control panel I double click on to system, there I could see only 3.25 GB of RAM. Why so? And also I put WD Caviar 500GB SATAII 7200RPM 32MB Cache hard drive but I see only 465.2GB of total space. Why ? Did I do any mistake(s)? if so how can I rectify ?Thank you for all the help .

 

[aevm]

I suspect you have the 32-bit version of Windows XP. That version has total address space of 4GB, meaning that the 512MB of video card RAM is hiding an equivalent amount of DDR2 system RAM. That explains a drop to 3.5 GB right away. The rest until 3.25 GB is hidden for similar reasons - other hardware that needs some room. Don't worry about it. It's perfectly normal. My own PC shows 3.25GB too (I have 4GB of RAM, an 8800GTX and XP Media center 32-bit).

If you ever see that 3.25 GB is not enough just upgrade to Vista Home Premium 64-bit or (in 2010) "Windows 7" 64-bit, maybe even add 4 GB more at that time.

The hard disk thing is normal too. They claim 500GB, but in fact that's 500,000,000,000 bytes. A GB on the other hand is not 10^9 bytes, it's 2^32 bytes i.e. 1073741824 bytes. Your hard disk has 5*10^11/2^32 bytes i.e. 465.661 GB. You only see 465.2 because the operating system needs a bit of room for its own file allocation tables and boot sector and so on. Also because they rounded it up a bit, and in fact it doesn't have exactly 500,000,000,000 bytes. Again, no worries.