Help! My first custom computer! Need Suggestions / Support

Hey guys, I'm looking to make my first custom computer. I was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions or tips before i actually buy all the parts and i assemble it. Here is what i got so far:
Ok well after final tweaks, this is the list i have come up with. What do you guys think?

UPDATED LIST :

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=A79-0955
Processor ^ $200.00

----- For the overclocked Processer -----
http://www.compusa.com/application [...] No=4950641
Heat Sink ^ $22

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] &CatId=503
Thermal paste ^ $15

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A455-2903
Motherboard ^ - $130

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8098
4gb Ram ^ - $112

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] tresources
Computer Case ^ - $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM
DVD Burner ^ $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-4894
Video Card ^ $200

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] TSD-750AS3
Hard Drives ^ $70 x2 = $140

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-2006
Power Supply ^ $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] C184-26911
Dual DVI for TV ^ - $20

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 5&CatId=84
Serial-ATA Cables $10 x3 = $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] CatId=4748
Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap ^ 7$

TOTAL: $1106

Note: I am using the sound card from my current rig because it works just fine, also i am just getting a cheap dvd rom because i got a nice sony DL burner via usb.

Thanks!!
-Fahey

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by Fahey on 10-05-2009 at 11:16:56 PM

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well looks good but its a bad time to go with a 775 build id suggest tht i5 or amd 955x4 route but cant find the i5 there

XFX Radeon HD 4890 Video Card - 1024MB DDR5, PCI Express 2.0 x16, CrossFireX Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-4894

NZXT Tempest ATX Mid-Tower Case - Clear Sides, Front USB, eSATA Ports

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A406-1101

Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap

and sata and DVI cables same as yours

OCZ / GameXStream / 850-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA-Ready / SLI-Ready / Active PFC / Power Supply

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-2006

LG GH22NS50 DVD Writer - DVD+R 22x, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6x, DVD-RAM 12x, SATA (OEM)

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM

OCZ Dual Channel Platinum 4096MB PC12800 DDR3 1600MHz DDR3 Memory (2x2048MB)

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8098

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core Processor - 3.20GHz, Socket AM3, 6MB Cache, 2000MHz (4000 MT/s) FSB, Retail, Processor

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=A79-0955

Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard - ATX, PCIe 2.0, 12x USB 2.0

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A455-2903

$1,068.83 for an extra $54
you get a faster cpu better and ddr3 ram and the am3 platform for future upgradability

but since the 955 is a chip made for overclocking i'd add this

Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-GP Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler - 120mm, LGA 1366, 1156, 775, AMD AM3, AM2+, AM2

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] No=4950641

and http://www.compusa.com/application [...] &CatId=503

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by obsidian86 on 09-27-2009 at 01:41:13 PM

Reply to obsidian86

$10 for a SATA cable! seems like rather a lot to me.
Also I agree with the above, go for a PhenomII or i5/i7. And a good GPU is better than two not so good ones.

------------------------------ CPU: PhenomII X4 955 BE ; RAM: 8GiB
OS: BSD, Linux, Solaris & Windows (use VirtualBox)
Reply to Devastator_uk

obsidian86 wrote :

well looks good but its a bad time to go with a 775 build id suggest tht i5 or amd 955x4 route but cant find the i5 there

XFX Radeon HD 4890 Video Card - 1024MB DDR5, PCI Express 2.0 x16, CrossFireX Ready, (Dual Link) Dual DVI, HDTV

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-4894

NZXT Tempest ATX Mid-Tower Case - Clear Sides, Front USB, eSATA Ports

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A406-1101

Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap

and sata and DVI cables same as yours

OCZ / GameXStream / 850-Watt / ATX / 120mm Fan / SATA-Ready / SLI-Ready / Active PFC / Power Supply

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-2006

LG GH22NS50 DVD Writer - DVD+R 22x, DVD+RW 8X, DVD-RW 6x, DVD-RAM 12x, SATA (OEM)

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM

OCZ Dual Channel Platinum 4096MB PC12800 DDR3 1600MHz DDR3 Memory (2x2048MB)

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8098

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Quad Core Processor - 3.20GHz, Socket AM3, 6MB Cache, 2000MHz (4000 MT/s) FSB, Retail, Processor

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=A79-0955

Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard - ATX, PCIe 2.0, 12x USB 2.0

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A455-2903

$1,068.83 for an extra $54
you get a faster cpu better and ddr3 ram and the am3 platform for future upgradability

but since the 955 is a chip made for overclocking i'd add this

Cooler Master RR-B10-212P-GP Hyper 212 Plus CPU Cooler - 120mm, LGA 1366, 1156, 775, AMD AM3, AM2+, AM2

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] No=4950641

and http://www.compusa.com/application [...] &CatId=503

Thanks a ton for this! Just a few quick questions. You said that 775 is a bad build right now and amd is better, why is that? Also I'm guessing this is because the processor is much better. Second, if in the future i wanted to use crossfire, is that motherboard capable, i couldn't see anything that said crossfire ready. Finally, my power unit says SLI ready on it, i assume this wont affect if it runs crossfire or not for if i ever buy a second GPU?

Once again thanks a ton!!

-Fahey

Reply to Fahey

ok intel stopped making 775 sockets so you wont be able to upgrade using the same board and ram in future,the am3 platform is newer and will last a few yrs with newer tech coming out and the board is a crossfire board all 790 boards are,sli/crossfire ready only means your power supply can support 2 graphics cards doesn matter if its sli or crossfire

Reply to obsidian86

For your first build, checkout the propus 620 quad core at newegg for $99, and a 785 chipset motherboard. Newegg has a combo special with ecs 785 board and propus 620 for around $175 with rebate. Some of the amd boards use ddr2, some ddr3, so check your board specs carefully before ordering memory. All am3 boards use ddr3 only, but am2+ boards work with either am2 or am3 cpus and use ddr2. For your first build, I would not plan on overclocking or using an sli setup. Just getting everything working smoothly will be a challenge. I remember my first build with a pentium 100 cpu. It was not a pleasant experience.

Message edited by o1die on 09-27-2009 at 03:58:21 PM

Reply to o1die

After you settle on a motherboard go to the manufacture's site and check the QVL (qualified vendor list) to make sure you get memory that has been tested for compatibility. On initial boot-up I recommend using only 1 stick, then after Posting or loading an Op-Sys shutting down and add another.

Message quoted 1 times

------------------------------ Case :Antec SLK 1650B /PC Power&Cooling Silencer 610w /ASUS M3A79-T DeLuxe /AMD 940 PII @3830 1.4625v/Zalman 9700 LED /OCZ Reaper 8500 4x1 @1100 4-5-5-15 /EVGA 260 core 55nm 648/1404/1044 / Creative X-Fi Elite Pro - Logitech Z-5500 /Mon:
Reply to unclefester

unclefester wrote :

After you settle on a motherboard go to the manufacture's site and check the QVL (qualified vendor list) to make sure you get memory that has been tested for compatibility. On initial boot-up I recommend using only 1 stick, then after Posting or loading an Op-Sys shutting down and add another.

Thanks for the tip. May i ask why you recommend using only 1 stick at first?

Reply to Fahey

Also, i was looking at the QVL for the Asus M4A79XTD EVO AMD 790X Socket AM3 Motherboard - ATX, PCIe 2.0, 12x USB 2.0 and the Ram i had selected: OCZ Dual Channel Platinum 4096MB PC12800 DDR3 1600MHz DDR3 Memory (2x2048MB)
was not on the list. Will it still work?
Also, i was looking at the part numbers of the ones of the QVL and none of them were on comp usa. Does the ram i buy need to have the same part number or does it just need to be like the same vendor and have the same timing lables?
Thanks.
Note: here is QVL http://usa.asus.com/product.aspx?P [...] templete=2

Message edited by Fahey on 09-27-2009 at 08:44:20 PM

Reply to Fahey

The reason I recommend adding 1 stick at a time is on a previous platform I up-graded the memory slammed both sticks at once and killed the MoBo. And recently I did a BIOS up-grade with 4 stick in and killed a stick.

On an uneducated guess on my part I would have to say there's over 80% chance that they will work. But to be on the safe side go to OCZ' forum and post the question. They seem to respond in a timely manor, as ASUS doesn't up-date their list as often as they should.

Message edited by unclefester on 09-27-2009 at 11:28:37 PM

------------------------------ Case :Antec SLK 1650B /PC Power&Cooling Silencer 610w /ASUS M3A79-T DeLuxe /AMD 940 PII @3830 1.4625v/Zalman 9700 LED /OCZ Reaper 8500 4x1 @1100 4-5-5-15 /EVGA 260 core 55nm 648/1404/1044 / Creative X-Fi Elite Pro - Logitech Z-5500 /Mon:
Reply to unclefester

i used that same ram on that board and worked fine you just need to manaully set voltage and timings

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to obsidian86

obsidian86 wrote :

i used that same ram on that board and worked fine you just need to manaully set voltage and timings

sounds kind of hard.. Is there a guide anywhere?

Reply to Fahey

You can try to boot with both sticks, but it the memory is of a type that needs more than standard voltage, then it will likely only boot with 1 stick. You boot, go into the BIOS, set the correct voltage for the memory you have, shut down and install the 2 nd stick. Of course, if it boots fine with both sticks, then just ignore this.

Guide? Yeah, it is called a motherboard manual, you know, usually found in the box with the motherboard.........

Message edited by jitpublisher on 09-28-2009 at 01:01:46 AM

Reply to jitpublisher

Reply to Fahey

Fahley, that builds pretty good, but the 955 BE is on newegg for $180 dollars i thinks. Saving $20 on the same thing never hurt anyone

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to yannifb

yannifb wrote :

Fahley, that builds pretty good, but the 955 BE is on newegg for $180 dollars i thinks. Saving $20 on the same thing never hurt anyone

ah thanks for that

Reply to Fahey

Finally, do you guys think i should extend the manufacturer warranty on any of the computer parts? Thanks

Reply to Fahey

Fahey wrote :

Hey guys, I'm looking to make my first custom computer. I was wondering if you guys could give me some suggestions or tips before i actually buy all the parts and i assemble it. Here is what i got so far:

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] etailspecs
Processor ^ $219.99

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-9124
Motherboard ^ - $109

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8038
4gb Ram ^ - $69

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] tresources
Computer Case ^ - $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM
DVD Burner ^ $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=B52-9814
Video Card ^ $95 x 2 = $190

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] TSD-750AS3
Hard Drives ^ $70 x2 = $140

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] CatId=2036
Power Supply ^ $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] C184-26911
Dual DVI for TV ^ - $20

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 5&CatId=84
Serial-ATA Cables ^ $10 x3 = $30

And ofcourse Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap haha
http://www.compusa.com/application [...] CatId=4748
Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap ^ 7$

TOTAL: $1014

Note: I am using the sound card from my current rig because it works just fine, also i am just getting a cheap dvd rom because i got a nice sony DL burner via usb.

Thanks!!
-Fahey

i have to ask you first of all , what do u need ur computer for?
is it just for internet and office apps?
do you plan to play games on it?
is it a gaming rig?
what r ur needs , first and foremost? after we get that covered we can get into the budget and then see what u can get for it.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to elasticman

elasticman wrote :

i have to ask you first of all , what do u need ur computer for?
is it just for internet and office apps?
do you plan to play games on it?
is it a gaming rig?
what r ur needs , first and foremost? after we get that covered we can get into the budget and then see what u can get for it.

Well i already have a final list: it is for gaming

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=A79-0955
Processor ^ $200.00

----- For the overclocked Processer -----
http://www.compusa.com/application [...] No=4950641
Heat Sink ^ $22

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] &CatId=503
Thermal paste ^ $15

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A455-2903
Motherboard ^ - $130

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8098
4gb Ram ^ - $112

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] tresources
Computer Case ^ - $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM
DVD Burner ^ $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-4894
Video Card ^ $200

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] TSD-750AS3
Hard Drives ^ $70 x2 = $140

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-2006
Power Supply ^ $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] C184-26911
Dual DVI for TV ^ - $20

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 5&CatId=84
Serial-ATA Cables $10 x3 = $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] CatId=4748
Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap ^ 7$

TOTAL: $1106

At the moment i am just wondering if/what i should get the extended warranty on some things.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to Fahey

the ram has a life time warranty cpu,board 3 yrs and xfx has double lifetime warranty power supply i think it may be 5 yrs but most manufactures offer 3 yrs

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by obsidian86 on 10-05-2009 at 10:31:59 PM

Reply to obsidian86

obsidian86 wrote :

the ram has a life time warranty cpu,board 3 yrs and xfx has double lifetime warranty power supply i think it may be 5 yrs but most manufactures offer 3 yrs

so would you recommend i extend anything?

Reply to Fahey

i would suggest this power supply its better quality http://www.zipzoomfly.com/jsp/Prod [...] e=10009821

Reply to obsidian86

this has been going on a while i think i can make my build better

hold on a sec

Reply to obsidian86

Fahey wrote :

Well i already have a final list: it is for gaming

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] u=A79-0955
Processor ^ $200.00

----- For the overclocked Processer -----
http://www.compusa.com/application [...] No=4950641
Heat Sink ^ $22

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] &CatId=503
Thermal paste ^ $15

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =A455-2903
Motherboard ^ - $130

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-8098
4gb Ram ^ - $112

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] tresources
Computer Case ^ - $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 1028%20OEM
DVD Burner ^ $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =P450-4894
Video Card ^ $200

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] TSD-750AS3
Hard Drives ^ $70 x2 = $140

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] =O261-2006
Power Supply ^ $100

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] C184-26911
Dual DVI for TV ^ - $20

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] 5&CatId=84
Serial-ATA Cables $10 x3 = $30

http://www.compusa.com/application [...] CatId=4748
Ultra Antistatic Wrist Strap ^ 7$

TOTAL: $1106

At the moment i am just wondering if/what i should get the extended warranty on some things.

there are problems with the links you have posted.
cannot see them,but if you are already sure of what youre getting than it doesnt really matter

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to elasticman

elasticman wrote :

there are problems with the links you have posted.
cannot see them,but if you are already sure of what youre getting than it doesnt really matter

its because of the [...] in them. just look up a few posts from where you posted without reading previous posts -_-

Reply to Fahey

if your buying that c2q you might as well get an i5. Overall a bit more for the mobo and ddr3 ram, but worth it imo

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to naidor

No to EVER buying an extended warranty. Period. Period. Period.

Reply to Newf

naidor wrote :

if your buying that c2q you might as well get an i5. Overall a bit more for the mobo and ddr3 ram, but worth it imo

Just updated the first list since a lot of people aren't checking posts below it. I am thinking your post refers to the first build.

Message quoted 1 times
Message edited by Fahey on 10-05-2009 at 11:08:08 PM

Reply to Fahey

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151188

NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146047

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive(the fastest non ssd hdd out right now)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152181

Seagate Barracuda LP ST31000520AS 1TB 5900 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148411

ASUS M4A78T-E AM3 AMD 790GX HDMI ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
(cant seem to find the 790xtd anymore)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131366

XFX HD-489A-ZDFC Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Double Lifetime Manufacture Warranty

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150359

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
(enough for 2 cards)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBRH - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231279

AMD Phenom II X4 955 Black Edition Deneb 3.2GHz 4 x 512KB L2 Cache 6MB L3 Cache Socket AM3 125W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819103674

Sunbeam CR-CCTF 120 mm Core-Contact Freezer CPU Cooler W/TX-2

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835207004

$1,040.91 add $50 for cables and wrist strap

Message edited by obsidian86 on 10-05-2009 at 11:30:15 PM

Reply to obsidian86

or this

SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 22X DVD-R 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA DVD Burner LightScribe Support - OEM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6827151188

NZXT TEMPEST Crafted Series CS-NT-TEM-B Black Steel / Plastic ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6811146047

SAMSUNG Spinpoint F3 HD502HJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Internal Hard Drive(the fastest non ssd hdd out right now)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822152181

Seagate Barracuda LP ST31000520AS 1TB 5900 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s 3.5" Hard Drive -

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6822148411

ASUS P7P55D PRO LGA 1156 Intel P55 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6813131405

hsf http://www.amazon.com/Cooler-Maste [...] 749&sr=1-1

thermal compound http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6835154007

XFX HD-489A-ZDFC Radeon HD 4890 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video Card - Retail
Double Lifetime Manufacture Warranty

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6814150359

CORSAIR CMPSU-750TX 750W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI Ready CrossFire Ready 80 PLUS Certified Active PFC Compatible with Core i7 Power Supply
(enough for 2 cards)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817139006

G.SKILL Ripjaws Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBRH - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6820231279

Intel Core i5-750 Lynnfield 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Processor - Retail

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6819115215

$1103 add $50 for cables and wrist strap

Reply to obsidian86

Fahey wrote :

Just updated the first list since a lot of people aren't checking posts below it. I am thinking your post refers to the first build.

sorry yea i only saw your old post when i responded... then after i respond i see like 10 more posts in betwen as well as your edit... the 955 is definitely on par with i5.

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to naidor

naidor wrote :

sorry yea i only saw your old post when i responded... then after i respond i see like 10 more posts in betwen as well as your edit... the 955 is definitely on par with i5.

I agree the 955 is on par with the i5, but does get kinda beat by the i7s (but there is a $100 diff in price).

Reply to yannifb

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