Opinions sought on ~1000 euro build

[cad1729]

Hi,

My first and only build was in 2003, so before I pull the trigger on this purchase, I thought I'd first ask for some expert opinions on the following, given the usages outlined below.

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APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This week

BUDGET RANGE: ~1000 euros

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: Telecommuting (application development), subtitle encoding, watching movies, possible gaming.

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: OS (Linux), Keyboard, Mouse

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: azerty.nl, 4launch.nl

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: The Netherlands

PARTS PREFERENCES:

OVERCLOCKING: Maybe

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: No

MONITOR RESOLUTION: Will be buying a 24 inch monitor (see below)

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

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Here's what I have so far:

Samsung Spinpoint F3 HD103SJ, 1TB (58 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/857/225309/samsung-spinpoint-f3-desktop-class-hd103sj-vaste-schijf-1-tb-intern-3-5-sata-300-7200-tpm-buffer-32-mb.html

LG W2453V-PF (200 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1056/210962/lg-w2453v-pf-lcd-scherm-tft-24-breedscherm-1920-x-1080-1000-1-50000-1-dynamisch-2-ms-0-27675-mm-hdmi-dvi.html

Samsung SH-S223L (19 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/862/226625/samsung-sh-s223l-schijfstation-dvd-rw-r-dl-dvd-ram-22x-22x-12x-serial-ata-intern-5-25-zwart-lightscribe.html

Antec Sonata III 500 (101 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1047/33476/antec-sonata-iii-500-eu-minitowermodel-atx-voeding-500-watt-atx12v-2-2-usb-audio-e-sata.html

Logitech X-540 Speakers (86 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1070/12229/logitech-x-540-5-1-kanaal-pc-multimedia-luidsprekersysteem-voor-een-thuistheater-70-watt-totaal-zwart.html

Intel Core i5 750 (185 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1231/226356/processor-1-x-intel-core-i5-i5-750-2-66-ghz-lga1156-socket-l3-8-mb-doos.html

Kingston ValueRAM KVR1333D3N9K2/4G (106 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/749/80156/kingston-valueram-geheugen-4-gb-2-x-2-gb-dimm-240-pins-ddr3-1333-mhz-pc3-10600-cl9-1-5-v-niet-gebufferd-ni.html

XFX GeForce 250 GTS 1024MB DDR3 Core (GS-250X-ZDFL) (134 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/971/241942/xfx-geforce-gts-250-grafische-adapter-gf-gts-250-pci-express-2-0-x16-1-gb-ddr3-digitale-visuele-interface-dvi-hdcp.htmGigabyte GA-P55A-UD3 (135 EUR)
http://azerty.nl/producten/product_detail/1225/242774/gigabyte-ga-p55a-ud3-rev-1-0-moederbord-atx-ip55-lga1156-socket-udma133-sata-300-raid-sata-600-raid-gigabit.html


This build is based upon the Tech Report Spring 2010 Utility Build, but I went with the Kingston RAM instead. I also replaced the HD5770 with the Nvidia, since I read of people having issues with Radeon's drivers under Linux.

I also wonder whether the X-540 speakers are overindulgent.

I'd like to give myself the option of playing some games (left4dead 2, Modern Warfare 2) in the future, which will also mean moving to a dual boot system, but I will worry about the cost of MS Windows later and we can omit that from the total cost.

A colleague also gave me a 36GB SCSI HDD, which I might incorporate into the build (perhaps use for my OS). I am assuming the PSU given will accommodate that.

If I am miles off with this build, given my anticipated usage, I'd love to hear of other possibilities.

Thanks in advance for any comments/suggestions. They will be much appreciated!

 

[WR2]

Are we missing a motherboard here? ASUS P7P55D or Gigabyte P55-UD3R
You'll need a SCSI PCI adapter card to run the 36GB 10K HDD. LINUX drivers shouldn't be a problem though - its not new tech.
May not be worth the trouble or expense. That Samsung F3 is actually quite good.

Dual boot with Linux and Win7 is a great way to expand your options. Especially in gaming.
Im having good luck with Ubuntu 10.04 Lucid Lynx but most of my hardware is at least 2 years old at the moment.
Good speakers never go to waste IMO.

 

[cad1729]

Many thanks for the reply.

There is a motherboard in there (Gigabyte GA-P55A-UD3), but my formatting got screwed up.

My colleague has also provided me with the SCSI PCI adapter, so that expense can be avoided

Does the graphics card seem reasonable, or should I instead opt for the GTX 260?

Thanks in advance!

 

[WR2]

I saw the motherboard once you said it was there. Good choice.
Having the SCSI PCI adapter smooths the way to using that. Since the SCSI drive is likely to be several years old already you'll want to do as much diagnostic work as possible making sure its healthy before you start depending on it and loading up a dual boot OS. Look for any diagnostic tools on the MFGR's website and maybe download a trial copy of HD Tune. http://www.hdtune.com/

I think the graphics card is reasonable for a casual gamer and a good match for a 1920x1080 monitor. There are games where you might need to dial back from the maximum graphics settings and image quality filters (AA/AF) but overall, you should get a good gaming experience. Performance wise the GTS 250 usually sits between the HD 5770 and HD 5750 in games.

I've always liked the TechReport system guides.

 

[cad1729]

Once again, many thanks for taking the time to respond.

I can now happily proceed with the purchase.