Building a gaming computer

[inwood07]

I am trying to build a gaming computer somewhere around $1000. Specifically for games like diablo 3 and starcraft 2. I never built a computer on my own. here are some parts i have in mind.

CPU
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor Model BX80570E8500
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115036

PSU
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC

RAM
CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214

MOBO
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

HD
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218

Case
Antec Nine Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129021

Video Card
POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-DH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731

what do yall think? should i change anything? is it compatible? what do yall recommend?

thanks in advance for your input

 

[kyeana]

please please please dont just give us links, tell us the parts you are going to buy and the link

What res are you playing at?

i would switch out your mobo to this one:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
A better mobo and cheaper after the MIR

I would also change your hard drive to this:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136218&Tpk=WD6400AAKS
20$ more for almost 400 gigs of more space

Good psu, cpu, and ram. Are you planning on overclocking?

 

[inwood07]

sorry, this is my 1st time posting on here and 1st time building a comp. please be patient with me.

 

[inwood07]

i know this might be a stupid question? but i have to ask, what do you mean what res am i playing at? if you mean what type of monitor do i have? i have a ViewSonic VG900b.

 

[kyeana]

the resolution is the amount of pixels on your monitor, signified by the horizontal amount then the vertical amount (ie i am playing on a 1920x1200 resolution monitor, ie 1920 horizontal pixels and 1200 vertical pixels)

Are you using a CRT monitor or a LCD monitor? If you are using a crt then you can change the resolution to practically whatever you want, whereas is you are on a lcd monitor then it has a recomended resolution.

In vista go to control panel > personalize > Display settings and then look at where it says resolution x by x pixels to see what resolution your monitor uses (assuming its an lcd) and post that back here

Edit: hit submit to soon...

 

[kyeana]

sorry, this is my 1st time posting on here and 1st time building a comp. please be patient with me.

Me telling you to post more then just a link wasn't a personal attack, i hope you dont take it as such, it's just a so-you-know for the future It makes it much more easier for us to help when we dont have to search through multiple tabs and it is all just available to us on the forum. Thank you for correcting that

 

[inwood07]

my res is 1280x1024
my monitor is 19' LCD

 

[inwood07]

i didnt take anything personal, thanks for correcting me, after all you are helping me. i understand you clearly.

 

[kyeana]

awesome. a ati 4830 should be able to handle that nicely:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803

Or if you wanted to spend a bit more money you could upgrade to the 4850:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102803

Either way, if you get that mobo that i recommended you would have the option to crossfire in the future if just one card wasn't cutting it.

 

[shortstuff_mt]

With the current price of RAM I'd pick up 4GB. There's really no reason to get DDR2 1066 RAM.

mushkin 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=N82E16820146731 $45.99

You can get the WD6400AAKS cheaper at www.zipzoomfly.com.

Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://search.zipzoomfly.com/?Key=wd6400aaks&Category=00&x=0&y=0 $68.99

+1 for the Gigabyte board posted above.

I don't know what resolution you're gaming at, but this GPU offers great performance for the money:

POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-DH 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=N82E16814131125 $144.99 - $20.00 MIR

You'll also probably want to pick up a 64-bit OS.

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

Edit: You posted your resolution while I was typing this. The 4830 would work at that resolution like kyeana said.

 

[kyeana]

alternetally you could get the nVidia 9800 gt
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150316

Its a good card, should handle whatever you want to throw at it for now and that particular one comes with a free CoD 4 game, however you would lose the option to crossfire in the future if you went with the nVidia card (as p45 mobos don't support sli)

 

[kyeana]

Good call on the ram, i didn't realize that it was a 2x1 kit. Defenatally upgrade to a 2x2 kit, that mushkin one that shortstuff posted is great.

 

[inwood07]

which one is better?
mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820146731 $45.99

CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214

 

[inwood07]

i will go with the

POWERCOLOR AX4850 512MD3-DH Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814131125 $144.99 - $20.00 MIR

thanks all

 

[kyeana]

You wont really notice a difference between the 2 ram. In this case i would say go with the cheaper one (corsair if you use the MIR, or mushkin if you just want cheaper ram).

 

[kyeana]

that is a very good gpu, it should do whatever you need it to.

Out of curiosity are you planning on doing any overclocking

 

[inwood07]

thanks again yall were all very helpful.