New build

[reconspartan]

My mom wants to get my dad a computer for christmas so she asked me to put together a parts list for her. She is contemplating between what I put together and just getting a rig from best buy. The budget is $899 so I picked out

case http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811112025

cpu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811112025

ram (two of these) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16820231166

os http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16832116493

hdd http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16822136073

mobo http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16813131340

gpu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16814102770

psu http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817182072

All other parts will be recycled from a previous build. Will be primarily used for RTS games. 1280x1024 is highest res that will be used. Do you think she should buy a cheaper best buy computer and just put in a new gpu or go with my list?

 

[shortstuff_mt]

The link for the CPU doesn't work so I don't know what you were looking at there. Does your dad really need 8GB of RAM and Vista Ultimate? Rosewill PSU's should be avoided at all costs. You can do better for $900.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017 $189.99

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359&Tpk=ga-ep45-ud3r $114.99 - $15.00 MIR

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $49.99

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121272 $169.99 - $30.00 MIR

LIAN LI PC-61 USB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811112025 $89.99

Corsair VX450W ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply - CMPSU-450VX
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-450w-vx-series-12v-atx-80-plus-certified-power-supply-corsair/q/loc/101/205466485.html $69.99 - $10.00 MIR

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 $74.99

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 $99.99

Total - $859.92 - $55.00 MIR's = $804.92

 

[reconspartan]

Is the ddr2 800 4-4-4-12 better than ddr2 1066 5-5-5-15?

 

[Shadow703793]

^ yes. See:

http://www.anandtech.com/memory/showdoc.aspx?i=3476&p=3

The link for the CPU doesn't work so I don't know what you were looking at there. Does your dad really need 8GB of RAM and Vista Ultimate? Rosewill PSU's should be avoided at all costs. You can do better for $900.

Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115017 $189.99

GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359&Tpk=ga-ep45-ud3r $114.99 - $15.00 MIR

G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $49.99

ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814121272 $169.99 - $30.00 MIR

LIAN LI PC-61 USB Black Aluminum ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16811112025 $89.99

Corsair VX450W ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply - CMPSU-450VX
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-450w-vx-series-12v-atx-80-plus-certified-power-supply-corsair/q/loc/101/205466485.html $69.99 - $10.00 MIR

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 $74.99

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 $99.99

Total - $859.92 - $55.00 MIR's = $804.92

+1. Esp. on NOT getting the Rosewill. +1 for 450VX,4850, Q6600, P45UD3R.

@OP: Get ^that build.

Note: If getting any Gigabyte board with DES (ie EP35-DS3L, EP45-DS3R, EP45- UD3R) DO NOT INSTALL THE DES software.

 

[jsc]

In terms of memory timing, they are sort of the same - just the 1066 cost more and there is no guarantee that it will run at 4-4-4-12 at 800 MHz.

DDR2-800 will be running at full speed (400 MHz FSB) with a Q6600 OC'd to 3.6 GHz. Since that's just about the practical limit for a Q6600, you do not need the more expensive memory.

 

[lunyone]

+1 to shortstuff's build, don't forget the ~$30 in shipping charges too. I'd also consider a different case for less (about $30 less):
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
or for about $15 less at Buy.com:
Antec Three Hundred ATX Computer Case
or get the CM 690 case for about the same price of the Lian case:
Cooler Master 690 without Power Supply
Newegg's link to the CM 690 case. Has more info/pics.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

+1 for the Antec 300. I was about to put it in the build, but thought maybe the OP had a good reason for using the Lian Li case. If you need to shave some $ off the build, the case would be the first place to look. The Antec 300 is a great case for a low price.

 

[Shadow703793]

Another +1 for the Antec 300.