First Build (any suggestions?)

[theramman]

Ok this is my first real build (opened up and messed with PCs before and currently getting my A+ cert in it) but im trying to keep it under 900, dont care about LED colors, Size of Case, not to intrested in over clocking or water cooling unless neccisary, would like to try Crossfire or SLI and other than that im preety open. Im going to use this for some gaming and video editing. Here is what i have so far... Ive got an intel setup and an AMD which do yall think or is there something yall might change?

INTEL Setup
Processor
Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 Wolfdale 3.16GHz 6MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor
$189.99
SITE

MotherBoard
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard, 2 Oz Copper PCB + DualBIOS
$98.99
SITE

RAM
Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
$69.99
SITE

Graphics Card
HIS Hightech H487F512P Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SITE

HDD 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$64.99
Site

Optical Drive
ASUS Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner
$24.99
Site

Power
Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
$64.99
SITE

Case
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
$159.99
SITE

AMD Setup
Proccessor
AMD Phenom II X4 940 Deneb 3.0GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM2+ 125W Quad-Core Black Edition Processor
$229.00
Site

MotherBoard
GIGABYTE GA-MA770-UD3 AM2+/AM2 AMD 770 ATX AMD
$74.99
Site

RAM
Patriot Extreme Performance 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
$69.99
SITE

Graphics
SAPPHIRE 100265L Radeon HD 4830 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP
$94.99
Site

HDD 1
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
$64.99
Site

Optical Drive
ASUS Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 12X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD Burner
$24.99
Site

Power
Rosewill RP550V2-D-SL 550W ATX12V v2.01 SLI Ready CrossFire Ready Power Supply
$64.99
SITE

Case
COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
$159.99
SITE

Thanks Im persoanlly leaning towards the Intel so far its a little cheaper than the AMD and the processor is ranked pretty high on the graphs on here.

Thanks!

-G.B.-
PSN-TheRamMan

 

[aevm]

If you do a lot of video editing then get the Phenom II 940 because it has 4 cores and that sort of thing works much better on quads. I'm assuming you have or will have intelligent software that can use all cores, of course. If the PC is mostly for gaming, then the E8500 is good enough and you don't need a quad.

If you get the E8500, replace the GA-EP45-UD3L with a GA-EP45-UD3P. It's a lot more future-proof and it has Crossfire.

If you get the Phenom, get this combo:
http://secure.newegg.com/Shopping/AddToCart.aspx?Submit=ADD&ItemList=Combo.155232
It gives you the CPU and a very good MB (with Crossfire ability), and the MB comes to only $103 thanks to the combo savings.

Change the HDD to WD6401AALS. Seagate has some technical issues these days.

Change the case to RC-690. It's a lot cheaper. The HAF 932 is very nice, but it makes no sense to get a luxury case and then cut corners on PSU and GPU.

Try to get a HD 4870 1GB instead of the 512MB version.

Get this PSU:
PC Power & Cooling 750W, $80 after rebate
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011&Tpk=S75CF

Compared to the Rosewill 550W, it's more powerful, has the connectors to allow a second video card in Crossfire, it's 1st quality instead of 5th. I think an extra $15 is justified here.

 

[theramman]

Thanks!
Really lookin at that case! Seems just as good and its cheaper
Definatly going with the PSU!
lol i cant find the 1GB GPU card?

But yeah i think ill be doing more gaming and general apps than vid editing (The program i use now is either windows movie maker LOL or Adobe Premire Pro)

Is there any good deals on a TB? or is it better to just get more HD?

ill also probably switch to the Mobo but i must be retarded or something... I cant find DDR2 1333 RAM, 1200 is the highest i see...

 

[blazelet]

Im curious if you've looked at the q6600 as a processor? It is a quad that gives pretty good bang for the bunk.

 

[Mrbumbum]

Thanks!
Really lookin at that case! Seems just as good and its cheaper
Definatly going with the PSU!
lol i cant find the 1GB GPU card?

But yeah i think ill be doing more gaming and general apps than vid editing (The program i use now is either windows movie maker LOL or Adobe Premire Pro)

Is there any good deals on a TB? or is it better to just get more HD?

ill also probably switch to the Mobo but i must be retarded or something... I cant find DDR2 1333 RAM, 1200 is the highest i see...

Sapphire 4870 1gb $224.99

DDR2 800 is all you need, DDR2 1066 is usefull for high fsb, like my E6550 who's max multi is 7. There is no pratical situation where you need anything higher then 1066 for ddr2

 

[theramman]

Im curious if you've looked at the q6600 as a processor? It is a quad that gives pretty good bang for the bunk.

I may upgrade to quad later but here is the stats from here on the 2
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-q3-2008/compare,818.html?prod%5B2184%5D=on&prod%5B2194%5D=on
Just seems like the duel is a tad better for 10 dollars less but i could be wrong

also thanks mrbumbum
Ill probably switch to that graphics card if i get the cheaper case or if i get more money than what i think i am
BTW the only diffrences i see are one has 512 and the other 1GB but the Memory Clock on the 512 is double the 1gb..does that make hugh diff or any at all?

 

[aevm]

+1 for mrbumbum's post above.

This is a good 1TB disk, if you prefer that size.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

It's more expensive per GB than the WD 640 GB (it should have been $120 to keep the same price/GB, not $130), but it's worth it if you need lots of space. The same performance as the 640 GB, it's just that it has 3 platters instead of two.

Yeah, I think E8500+GA-EP45-UD3P would be all right for you.

Are you playing FSX or GTA4? If you play those a lot then it's worth getting a Q6600 or Q9550 rather than the E8500, but for all other games the E8500 will do nicely.

 

[aevm]

I may upgrade to quad later but here is the stats from here on the 2
http://www.tomshardware.com/charts/desktop-cpu-charts-q3-2008/compare,818.html?prod%5B2184%5D=on&prod%5B2194%5D=on
Just seems like the duel is a tad better for 10 dollars less but i could be wrong

also thanks mrbumbum
Ill probably switch to that graphics card if i get the cheaper case or if i get more money than what i think i am
BTW the only diffrences i see are one has 512 and the other 1GB but the Memory Clock on the 512 is double the 1gb..does that make hugh diff or any at all?

Read this, it shows various CPUs in games.
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=770&p=5

Don't worry about that memory clock. It's not really double. All flavors of HD4870 have very similar clocks, it's just that different manufacturers (in this case HIS and Sapphire) report differently. Marketing cluelessness

 

[theramman]

+1 for mrbumbum's post above.

This is a good 1TB disk, if you prefer that size.
Western Digital Caviar Black WD1001FALS $130
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136284

It's more expensive per GB than the WD 640 GB (it should have been $120 to keep the same price/GB, not $130), but it's worth it if you need lots of space. The same performance as the 640 GB, it's just that it has 3 platters instead of two.

Yeah, I think E8500+GA-EP45-UD3P would be all right for you.

Are you playing FSX or GTA4? If you play those a lot then it's worth getting a Q6600 or Q9550 rather than the E8500, but for all other games the E8500 will do nicely.

Yeah I plan on playin more Stratigy games like C&C and Starcraft (and starcraft 2 when it hits) afew FPS like COD4, maybe FC2 ect the more popular ones you might see at a LAN party
For general games like GTA ill use my PS3

but ill probably stick with the 640 for now and just upgrade later when ever i need it

BTW yall are awsome and thx

 

[theramman]

Read this, it shows various CPUs in games.
http://www.legionhardware.com/document.php?id=770&p=5

Don't worry about that memory clock. It's not really double. All flavors of HD4870 have very similar clocks, it's just that different manufacturers (in this case HIS and Sapphire) report differently. Marketing cluelessness

Thanks for clearing up the clock confusion!
But I may just upgrade later to a quad http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115130
Just right now my budget for this is a bit tighter than i wish it was lol and how Tech changes and gets cheaper

 

[aevm]

Good plan. That Q9650 will probably cost $200 in a year or two. You just have to be careful to buy it when they start talking about discontinuing it. That is, if you wait too long it will disappear instead of becoming cheaper.

 

[theramman]

Good plan. That Q9650 will probably cost $200 in a year or two. You just have to be careful to buy it when they start talking about discontinuing it. That is, if you wait too long it will disappear instead of becoming cheaper.

Yeah and by the next year i should be able to afford it and go ahead and upgrade

BTW if yall know where a good PCI video capture card is link it here (it be cool if it had component hookup or HDMI)
I found an HDMI but wwooo talk about a chunk of change! lol

 

[theramman]

OK last question
Im down to deciding on which case and then next month when our bonus comes in ill start the build
But the case is between

COOLER MASTER HAF 932 RC-932-KKN1-GP Black Steel ATX Full Tower Computer Case
$159.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119160&Tpk=haf

OR

COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case
$79.99
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

They both seem really good, but the most thing im worried about is air flow and space to work or wire managment

 

[aevm]

Both are very well cooled and big. If you can afford the HAF 932 without cutting corners on CPU or GPU then it's worth it, IMO. I love the wheels, for example. They're very useful when you have to vacuum in the area.

 

[aevm]

Yeah and by the next year i should be able to afford it and go ahead and upgrade

BTW if yall know where a good PCI video capture card is link it here (it be cool if it had component hookup or HDMI)
I found an HDMI but wwooo talk about a chunk of change! lol

Try www.hauppauge.com and www.ati.com. I have a TV tuner from each of them and both work fine. They are older models though, for standard definition, so I'm not recommending them to you. You need some newer models for HD.

 

[theramman]

Thanks! +20 for Aevm!
So ill go bigger if i can

But if and when i decide to do cross fire can i get a regual PCI graphics and it run just the same? I know in order to run quick they both have to be the same speed and ect or the higher end one will drop down to the lower one, but one on PCIX16 and one on PCI does that make a diffrence and will it actually speed it up that much?

Also a guy i know is willing to sell this case for 70
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129058

 

[aevm]

Whoa, not so fast... Crossfire requires two PCI-E x16 cards. No way you can do it with a PCI card. Sorry... Also, the two cards have to be identical.

(OK, with small exceptions. E.g. a Sapphire HD 4870 1GB with a HIS HD 4830 512MB would work, but it doesn't make sense because the better card will be dumbed down)

Here's the compatibility chart, btw:
http://game.amd.com/us-en/content/images/crossfirex/CF_combo_chart_Nov08.jpg

If you're serious about Crossfire you have to make sure you get a motherboard with two PCI-E x16 slots.

That case is an excellent deal at $70, take it.

 

[theramman]

Thanks!
I just realize ive seen one close to it at bestbuy...

But ima take your word for it and just get it from him instead of ordering one.

Im in collage microsoft server courses so ive order XP Pro 64bit and im getting it for free to use and "experiment" yall say this is a good opt? Not really interested in vista...or should i use just 32bit?

 

[aevm]

Well, it's $70 instead of $160. It's a great deal, if it's not damaged. Check first.

XP Pro 64-bit for free, nice... Compared to Vista Home Premium 64-bit:
- it's $100 less
- it has DirectX 9 instead of 10 - some games will not look quite as good as on Vista, but again this is a minor thing; in some games there's no difference at all
- it's less bloated
- a lot of games will work; some won't

Try it, you've got nothing to lose since it's free. I use it at work and I'm very happy with it, but I don't play games on that box.

If you can get XP 32-bit for free instead, it's probably a good idea. You will lose access to some RAM but it will be easier to find drivers, and all games should work.

 

[theramman]

Ok thx
Yeah I can get about any copy of windows for free since im in those classes form my rteahcers and this program, but i can get XP32bit vista64bit Server2003 ect

 

[aevm]

Lucky guy... You could get both XP 32 and Vista Home Premium 64 and dual-boot.

 

[theramman]

Ok another dumb question!
I see a lot of ppl selection DDR2 800 for there memeory is my DDR2 1066, is it a big diffrence or is there a little diffrence?

 

[aevm]

Little difference for you. It's designed for people who want a very high overclock, and overkill for the others.

 

[theramman]

ok since my MoBo supports DDR2 1066, cant i basically select any 240-Pin DDR2 memory?

 

[aevm]

DDR2-667 or DDR2-800 would be best IMO. Preferably DDR2-800.