First time build

[lbautista23]

I'm new here and im interested in building my first computer, but i need some advice on about everything. What do people recommend? im thinking about spending less than 800 on the system not including monitor and input devices. Im mostly using my computer for internet, music, windows office, video, and photo. ocassionally playing some games on it. what do people recommend?

-processor
-hard drive
-ram
-case
-motherboard
- os (xp waiting for 7)

 

[Why_Me]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129042 $59.95
Antec Three Hundred Black Steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703015 $74.99 ($59.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128372 $98.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115207 $189.99 Free Shipping*
Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 2.5GHz 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231122 $45.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL 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=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) 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±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814161259 $139.99 ($129.99 after $10.00 Mail-In Rebate)
HIS Hightech H485FN512P 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=N82E16835186020 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

Total: $721.87 (not including shipping and mail in rebates)

 

[xthekidx]

Corsair 450vx
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139003&Tpk=450vx

Gigabyte EP43 UD3L Mobo
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128380

DDR2 4gb G. skill or Mushkin ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820146731

CM 690
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137

WD Caviar Black 640GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319&Tpk=WD6401aals

E8400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115037

Vista
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116488

HD 4850 1GB
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102802

Total=$802. You could go for this PSU/Case combo to save a little money.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129024

edit-forgot the dvd drive, so add $25 to price and go with that case/psu combo at the bottom. Do you have XP, and not want to use Vista? If so then you can shave $100 off my included price and go for the Q9550 or Q9400

 

[lbautista23]

my friend and i put this build together...let me know what you guys think about it? pros and cons?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156062
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131347
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

 

[xthekidx]

No-no on the seagate, WD is much better. Seagates die all the time.

That system would run much better if it had a GPU and PSU.

XP is fine but you don't get DX10 for new games, and only 3gb of memory, I would have paid $10 more for vista 64.

Other selections are ok.

 

[Why_Me]

my friend and i put this build together...let me know what you guys think about it? pros and cons?

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811156062
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813131347
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115206
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820227289
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116511

Not bad but the raidmax psu is junk, and XP doesn't utilize DX10. Vista 64 (Home Premium ftw) reads all 4 gigs of memory where as 32 bit Windows only reads 3 gigs. Speaking of memory, go with Gskill. If you want to overclock get the Gskill black. As far as hard drives go...Seagate is having alot of issues right now with their firmware...sans the cheap prices for them atm. Read some of these threads on here about that. WD ftw...no issues with them to date. Also I didn't see a video card on that build of yours.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $54.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

 

[lbautista23]

Not bad but the raidmax psu is junk, and XP doesn't utilize DX10. Vista 64 (Home Premium ftw) reads all 4 gigs of memory where as 32 bit Windows only reads 3 gigs. Speaking of memory, go with Gskill. If you want to overclock get the Gskill black. As far as hard drives go...Seagate is having alot of issues right now with their firmware...sans the cheap prices for them atm. Read some of these threads on here about that. WD ftw...no issues with them to date. Also I didn't see a video card on that build of yours.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $54.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

what do you recommend on my build? what psu and what video card? thanks for the input

 

[xthekidx]

Did you look at the two suggested builds above? That would be a good place to start.

If you want to stick with the build you came up with, then go for an antec earthwatts 430w PSU and the Antec 300 case, and a Saphire HD 4850 if you can afford it, although I don't know how much you can spend there. Put as much money into the GPU as you possibly can for the best gaming experience.

 

[aevm]

I'd get Why_Me's build. If you can afford to upgrade the Q8300 to Q9550 (for a total around $812) do it.

 

[Why_Me]

what do you recommend on my build? what psu and what video card? thanks for the input

Ok here's a build using that E7400 wich btw is a great deal...only if you overclock it though. Overclocking isn't that difficult as long as you don't try going for a monster clock that might burn out your cpu. You can do a nice mild overclock with that E7400 to 3.16Ghz @ 1333 fsb by just moving up your fsb to 9.5 x 333 or you can push it even more to 3.4Ghz @ 1333 fsb by moving it up to 10.5 x 333. Both of those are safe clocks as long as you have decent cooling. This memory will clock right along with that cpu. I changed the case...seeing how you like lights and all, I changed up the memory, and I changed the video card to a 4870 and I added a heastsink/fan for that cpu.

btw, I added that case fan for the fact this case is set up to run 3x120mm case fans. It goes up in the front.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119106 $54.99
COOLER MASTER Centurion 534 RC-534-KKN2-GP Black Aluminum & Mesh bezel / SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835150070 $4.99
MASSCOOL FD12025S1L3/4 120mm Case Fan

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703015 $74.99 ($59.99 after $15.00 Mail-In Rebate) Free Shipping
PC Power & Cooling Silencer PPCS500 500W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Power Supply - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128372 $98.99
GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3L LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E168191152062 $119.99 Free Shipping*
Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 Wolfdale 2.8GHz 3MB L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retaill

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835185046 $34.99 Free Shipping*
Scythe SCMNJ-1000 80mm Sleeve "NINJA MINI" CPU Cooler - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231209 $54.99 Free Shipping*
G.SKILL PI Black 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retai

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136319 $79.99 Free Shipping*
Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16827136152 $24.99 Free Shipping*
LG Black 22X (CAV) DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X (CAV) 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±R DVD Burner - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102810 $179.99 Free Shipping*
SAPPHIRE 100259L Radeon HD 4870 512MB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186020 $6.99
ARCTIC COOLING MX-2 Thermal Compound - Retail

Total: $735.89 (not including shipping and mail in rebates)

 

[aevm]

How about this:
Rosewill Conqueror WSL Triple 120mm
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811147105

It's $5 more than the Centurion 534, but it has free shipping and 3 fans instead of two. According to user reviews you can fit a HD 4870 and a HDT-S1283 in it.

And of course, get the HDT-S1283. It's $27 after rebate with free shipping.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835233003

 

[xthekidx]

+1 aevm