First Build Ever, need help choosing parts...kind of a noob
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Random0808
February 3, 2009 12:12:10 AM
Ok
Im trying to decide whether or not to go with a q6600 based build or a PII X4 940 build im pretty torn between the two
I would go for an i7 build, but thats a little out of my price range right now
Basically though, my budget is around $1000 (excluding all postage fees and monitor, so just the computer itself)
- Q660/PII X4 940
- Compatible motherboard (Non-SLI/XFire)
- 4GB RAM (with good OC potential)
- 640GB+ HDD
- 64-Bit Vista Home Premium
- Case with good cooling
- CPU fan (for OC'ing)
- HD 4870/ GTX 260 (i dont plan to SLI/XFire at all)
- PSU that will handle all of that
I would be grateful for all suggestions thrown my way
Also, I would like a good 22" monitor (ive heard Acer are good for those, so i may just get one of those, but if people can find better im all ears)
Thanks,
Random
Im trying to decide whether or not to go with a q6600 based build or a PII X4 940 build im pretty torn between the two
I would go for an i7 build, but thats a little out of my price range right now
Basically though, my budget is around $1000 (excluding all postage fees and monitor, so just the computer itself)
- Q660/PII X4 940
- Compatible motherboard (Non-SLI/XFire)
- 4GB RAM (with good OC potential)
- 640GB+ HDD
- 64-Bit Vista Home Premium
- Case with good cooling
- CPU fan (for OC'ing)
- HD 4870/ GTX 260 (i dont plan to SLI/XFire at all)
- PSU that will handle all of that
I would be grateful for all suggestions thrown my way
Also, I would like a good 22" monitor (ive heard Acer are good for those, so i may just get one of those, but if people can find better im all ears)
Thanks,
Random
More about : build choosing parts kind noob
aevm
February 3, 2009 1:22:44 AM
The PII is better but the Q6600 is pretty good too. My own Q6600 is still doing just fine
Either way you'll be fine.
Get a WD6401AALS disk, or a WD6400AAKS if you can't find the WD6401AALS.
HD 4870 1GB and GTX 260 Core 216 trade blows in benchmarks. You have to be careful which reviews you read, because some will make the HD 4870 look like a complete winner and others will make you believe the GXT 260 is much better. In general, GTX 260 will do great in Crysis while HD 4870 does great in racing games or CoD.
If you care about Physx/Havok, the HD 4870 supports Havok (Diablo 3, etc.) and the GTX 260 supports Physx (Mass Effect, etc.)
If you get the Q6600, I'd recommend GA-EP45-UD3R.
For the Phenom II, get this combo:
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/AddToCart.aspx?Submit=ADD&ItemList=Combo.155232
GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI + Phenom II 940 $329
PSU: Corsair 550VX or 650TX, PC Power & Cooling 610W.
RAM: (for either setup)
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209
Either way you'll be fine.Get a WD6401AALS disk, or a WD6400AAKS if you can't find the WD6401AALS.
HD 4870 1GB and GTX 260 Core 216 trade blows in benchmarks. You have to be careful which reviews you read, because some will make the HD 4870 look like a complete winner and others will make you believe the GXT 260 is much better. In general, GTX 260 will do great in Crysis while HD 4870 does great in racing games or CoD.
If you care about Physx/Havok, the HD 4870 supports Havok (Diablo 3, etc.) and the GTX 260 supports Physx (Mass Effect, etc.)
If you get the Q6600, I'd recommend GA-EP45-UD3R.
For the Phenom II, get this combo:
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/AddToCart.aspx?Submit=ADD&ItemList=Combo.155232
GA-MA790GP-DS4H AM2+/AM2 AMD 790GX HDMI + Phenom II 940 $329
PSU: Corsair 550VX or 650TX, PC Power & Cooling 610W.
RAM: (for either setup)
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209
aevm
February 3, 2009 1:24:50 AM
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aevm
February 3, 2009 1:27:11 AM
This cooler is very good for the price and I know it works well with that Phenom II/GA-MA790GP-DS4H combo. It will fit in the RC-690 too.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835887016&Tpk=ZEROtherm%20ZEN%20FZ120
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835887016&Tpk=ZEROtherm%20ZEN%20FZ120
aevm
February 3, 2009 1:37:56 AM
For the Q6600 setup, consider the Xigmatek Dark Knight cooler.
Monitor:
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145
Monitor:
Acer X223Wbd Black 22" 5ms Widescreen $170
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16824009145
Random0808
February 3, 2009 11:09:07 PM
theAnimal
February 3, 2009 11:25:42 PM
hofstra66
February 3, 2009 11:30:18 PM
Random0808
February 3, 2009 11:43:39 PM
Random0808
February 3, 2009 11:46:30 PM
theAnimal
February 4, 2009 2:09:16 AM
xthekidx
February 4, 2009 5:10:18 AM
theAnimal said:
Antec NSK6580B Mid Tower Case w/EA430 PSU $100GIGABYTE GA-EX58-UD3R combo with
Intel Core i7 920 $480
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 $76
WD Caviar SE16 640GB $75
MSI HD4850 512MB OC $125
MS Vista 64 HP $100
Xigmatech HDT-S1283 $37
Xigmatech 1366 Bracket $10
Total: $1003
Sorry to shoot you down theAnimal, but...
I feel you are cutting too many corners on that mobo. Asus P6t and i7 can be bought in a bundle right now at newegg for $500 and is a much better buy, but even with that cheapest of motherboards, you are over $1000.
4GB doesn't give you triple channel, and you need to make sure that memory is below 1.65V, many dual channel memory kits aren't.
That video card is alright, but already can't keep up with many games that are out on anything larger than 1280x1024 resolution. A 22" monitor will have 1600x900 at least.
That PSU seriously limits your upgrade path as far as video cards go, you wouldn't be able to add another one on, and video cards are getting more and more power hungry, so likely the next card he would want to get when he was upgrading would very likely be too much for that PSU.
Also missing a dvd drive.
I've said it before, and I will again. An i7 on $1000 budget isn't a good idea because you have to sacrifice too much to make it work. At $1000, PII 940 is the best option IMO.
jalpaugh1978
February 4, 2009 9:02:57 AM
the Acer 22" is 1680X1050 max. I would look at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168.... For $170 after MIR that should keep you gaming for a while. For A PSU here's a good one that should handle you gpu and OC'ed CPU and provide plenty of room for upgrade... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspxItem=N82E1681...
Corsair 650TX... Right now you can get it comboed with a Q6600 and save an extra $15 on the combo
Corsair 650TX... Right now you can get it comboed with a Q6600 and save an extra $15 on the combo
theAnimal
February 4, 2009 3:33:14 PM
xthekidx said:
Sorry to shoot you down theAnimal, but...I feel you are cutting too many corners on that mobo. Asus P6t and i7 can be bought in a bundle right now at newegg for $500 and is a much better buy, but even with that cheapest of motherboards, you are over $1000.
4GB doesn't give you triple channel, and you need to make sure that memory is below 1.65V, many dual channel memory kits aren't.
That video card is alright, but already can't keep up with many games that are out on anything larger than 1280x1024 resolution. A 22" monitor will have 1600x900 at least.
That PSU seriously limits your upgrade path as far as video cards go, you wouldn't be able to add another one on, and video cards are getting more and more power hungry, so likely the next card he would want to get when he was upgrading would very likely be too much for that PSU.
Also missing a dvd drive.
I've said it before, and I will again. An i7 on $1000 budget isn't a good idea because you have to sacrifice too much to make it work. At $1000, PII 940 is the best option IMO.
Yeah, I realized that I forgot the DVD, so add $25. And $20 for the P6T, so the total is about $1050.
The RAM is 1.5V, and tri-channel makes very little difference versus dual channel.
The video card is fine for 22", and is one the OP was already looking at.
The PSU is plenty for any card with one PCI-e connector. When the OP can afford a higher power card, he can also upgrade the PSU.
I just wanted to see how close I could get.
Random0808
February 4, 2009 6:37:59 PM
jalpaugh1978 said:
the Acer 22" is 1680X1050 max. I would look at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168.... For $170 after MIR that should keep you gaming for a while. For A PSU here's a good one that should handle you gpu and OC'ed CPU and provide plenty of room for upgrade... http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspxItem=N82E1681... Corsair 650TX... Right now you can get it comboed with a Q6600 and save an extra $15 on the combo
The first link takes me to "related items" i have no idea what card you're talking about.....the other link does not exist apparently
Random
xthekidx
February 4, 2009 11:04:22 PM
theAnimal said:
Yeah, I realized that I forgot the DVD, so add $25. And $20 for the P6T, so the total is about $1050.The RAM is 1.5V, and tri-channel makes very little difference versus dual channel.
The video card is fine for 22", and is one the OP was already looking at.
The PSU is plenty for any card with one PCI-e connector. When the OP can afford a higher power card, he can also upgrade the PSU.
I just wanted to see how close I could get.
The Op was looking at a 4870 or gtx 260+, you found a 4850, a step below both of those cards. Either one of those cards would add $80-100 at least to the $1050 total.
The PII route versus the i7 route at $1050 is much better, you won't have to skimp on the other components nearly as much. The PII build will be much stronger at that price point.
theAnimal
February 4, 2009 11:12:15 PM
xthekidx said:
The Op was looking at a 4870 or gtx 260+, you found a 4850, a step below both of those cards. Either one of those cards would add $80-100 at least to the $1050 total.The PII route versus the i7 route at $1050 is much better, you won't have to skimp on the other components nearly as much. The PII build will be much stronger at that price point.
From the OP (edit: original poster):
I just realised that as im not going to be playing at that high of a resolution, its best to go for maybe a HD4850 or 8800GT/GTS/GTX.....please recommend the best (manufacturer included; HIS, Sapphire, BFG, XFX etc)
Thanks,
Random said:
I just realised that as im not going to be playing at that high of a resolution, its best to go for maybe a HD4850 or 8800GT/GTS/GTX.....please recommend the best (manufacturer included; HIS, Sapphire, BFG, XFX etc)Thanks,
Random said:
Thanks,
Random
Random0808
February 4, 2009 11:17:54 PM
xthekidx
February 4, 2009 11:21:17 PM
well...
I have a gtx 260 core 216 in my rig with an i7 OC to 3.5, and when playing some games, such as Far Cry, I have some stutter at times. It's not bad, but it could run smoother. Granted I do have everything on high with max AA, but I play at 1440x900 resolution. So I think he would want something better than 4850/9800GTX/8800 Ultra.
I have a gtx 260 core 216 in my rig with an i7 OC to 3.5, and when playing some games, such as Far Cry, I have some stutter at times. It's not bad, but it could run smoother. Granted I do have everything on high with max AA, but I play at 1440x900 resolution. So I think he would want something better than 4850/9800GTX/8800 Ultra.
xthekidx
February 4, 2009 11:24:32 PM
Random0808
February 4, 2009 11:25:26 PM
xthekidx said:
well...I have a gtx 260 core 216 in my rig with an i7 OC to 3.5, and when playing some games, such as Far Cry, I have some stutter at times. It's not bad, but it could run smoother. Granted I do have everything on high with max AA, but I play at 1440x900 resolution. So I think he would want something better than 4850/9800GTX/8800 Ultra.
yeah i would want something better, but its my budget though, its holding me back.....if i could i would get a gtx280, but thats not realistic, so i thought at first a hd4870/gtx260 would be ok...anyway, we'll see
xthekidx
February 4, 2009 11:42:24 PM
xthekidx
February 5, 2009 12:10:06 AM
Here is what I think you should do Random:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Total comes to $1007.92 then $40 rebates.
Then if you can convince yourself that you can afford it;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$44 more
I don't think you could get a stronger build for the price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Total comes to $1007.92 then $40 rebates.
Then if you can convince yourself that you can afford it;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$44 more
I don't think you could get a stronger build for the price.
Random0808
February 5, 2009 1:07:50 AM
xthekidx said:
Here is what I think you should do Random:http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?Ite...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
Total comes to $1007.92 then $40 rebates.
Then if you can convince yourself that you can afford it;
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168...
$44 more
I don't think you could get a stronger build for the price.
Yeah I like that build actually
Does the Xigmatek cooler come with a fan though?
Also, do you know if the new ASUS HD4870 Matrix cards have come out?
http://www.firingsquad.com/media/hirez.asp?file=/hardwa...
Thanks,
Random
xthekidx
February 5, 2009 1:13:06 AM
Random0808
February 5, 2009 1:15:51 AM
xthekidx
February 5, 2009 1:25:28 AM
I like the Toxic 1GB. The its cooling solution shoots the hot air out the back of your PC rather than dissipating it into your case like the Matrix card. The matrix card also puts some of the air out the back of your case, but the enclosure of the GPU isn't as good, so more of it escapes than the Toxic. The Heatsink is also better on the Toxic, moving the heat away from the GPU faster. It also has twice the memory, and it is OC'd as well, 10mhz faster than the asus Matrix card. And two fans vs one fan=noisier, don't know how you feel about that. Plus saphire is a better brand than asus when it comes to video cards.
Random0808
February 5, 2009 1:47:00 AM
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lol...well, you guys know more than me (i hope lol), i'll trust your judgement