Please look at this configuration....it is $965

[kartoga]

Since this is my first post P4 build, I would like to make sure that this is a good configuration. Thank you.


ASUS LGA 1366 - Intel X58 - True USB 3.0 & SATA 6Gb/s - ATX Motherboard P6X58D-E -

Intel Core i7 Processor i7-930 2.80GHz 8 MB LGA1366 CPU, Retail BX80601930 -

Cooler Master RC-310-BWN1-GP Elite 310 ATX, MATX Mid Tower Case with Window (Black/Blue) -

Sapphire Radeon HD5750 1 GB DDR5 2DVI/HDMI/DisplayPort PCI-Express Video Card 100284L -

Corsair 6 GB PC3-12800 1600MHz 240-Pin DDR3 Core i7 Triple Channel Memory Kit CMX6GX3M3A1600C9 -

Lite-On LightScribe 24X SATA DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Drive IHAS424-98 - Retail (Black) -

Seagate Barracuda 7200 1 TB 7200RPM SATA 3Gb/s 32MB Cache 3.5 Inch Internal Hard Drive ST31000528AS-Bare Drive

Coolmax 600W 140mm Blue LED Fan Power Supply VL-600B (Black) -

 

[kyle382]

ya did good

 

[Proximon]

Sorry, looks way off. Before I go into specifics you should give us more info though.

http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/261222-31-build-advice

 

[kartoga]

ok proximon....thank you.

APPROXIMATE PURCHASE DATE: This week

BUDGET RANGE:under $1,000 Before rebates

SYSTEM USAGE FROM MOST TO LEAST IMPORTANT: building for the knowledge and fun of it, practical apps, gaming, oc

PARTS NOT REQUIRED: need only system....and all of it...no KB, M, Monitor

PREFERRED WEBSITE(S) FOR PARTS: Amazon, tigerdirect

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

PARTS PREFERENCES: Intel, ATI, brand name for the important stuff

OVERCLOCKING: Yes, but slowly

SLI OR CROSSFIRE: crossfire in future

MONITOR RESOLUTION: 1280x1024

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS: Room to grow, quiet, I just like building. Also I teach compsci at the local community college and this would help though I teach MS apps and basic computer sci, a little programming....no hardware though.

 

[Proximon]

Yes a little HW knowledge helps a lot I got my start many years ago in Advanced DOS and a lil C+ at the local college.

Looking at your build from this new perspective I think I can point to a few things.

i7-930
A great CPU but you are paying extra to support it and nothing you have said leads me to think you need that much power. i7, LGA 1366 systems are powerful. They are good for heavy multi-taskers, video encoding, CAD, 3D rendering... and very high-end gaming.
Maybe you do need or want this. You could have pretty much similar technology with an LGA 1156 system though, and save a bit for other things of interest.

I think a P55 board capable of SLI/Crossfire would do better. It opens up the budget a bit more too.

ATI 5750 - Well, a bit weak really. 5770 is better if possible as a single GPU solution. My experience is that when someone says they will crossfire later it rarely happens. You get a 6 month window when it's practical at most, and 5750 is not new tech at all.
GTX 460 is wonderful bang for the buck if you can swing it.

Coolmax PSUs - NEVER. Well, they did sell one good one. 1350W.
Here is an example of Coolmax quality
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=72

See my PSU guide linked in my sig, which can help you make informed decisions... this is something many seasoned hardware experts still need to learn.

So here:

i5-760 and Gigabyte P55 board UD4P
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboDealDetails.aspx?ItemList=Combo.462212

Mushkin Blackline 4GB DDR3 1600 CL8
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820226075&cm_re=4gb_ddr3_1600-_-20-226-075-_-Product

A very quiet and effective cooler:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835608018
If you want a quiet build but good overclocking, this is it... maybe the Corsair H7O would interest you though:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835181013
(ignore the newegg user review, 5C is HUGE in this category)

Talk to your hardware folks there and then get a WD HDD. Seagate has a bad rep for longevity and Samsung is one of those slave labor shops. I've recommended both recently but I'm putting my foot down.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136533&cm_re=Caviar_Black-_-22-136-533-_-Product

Maybe with the money you save you can get a nice SSD. I recommend 64GB minimum though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820148357

Case: If you are not getting a modular PSU keeping the PSU on the bottom is good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119227

 

[kyle382]

hmmm ya true. Get a good brand psu and better graphics card for extra $20 or so.

Agree that sli is dumb unless ur from the future and own crysis 2 already. (pm me if thats the case...)

one top end card is always fun and practical.



you really don't need to know anything about computer hardware.

ya screw in a motherboard and the rest is similar in difficulty to constructing a box made of legos...except legos don't come with detailed instructions.


about the i5-i7 choice... yeah you might not need it, but how much more does it really cost you. Your already getting an intel so price is not that firm i imagine. Get da i7 n u can haz more tflopz.

haha really thou im so tired of dudes telling ppl not to get the best stuff just because you don't really need it and it costs $20 more....I mean this guys not updating databases or writing essays on this thing. He obviously values computing powwahh...If you really can't shell out an extra 1-2 hundred to get top of the line stuff then you don't care about gaming or rendering, in which case why are you building a custom pc at all.

 

[kartoga]

some good suggestions....

proximon....

swapped to the 5770, the 460 was just too much.

swapped out to the case you suggested, that was my first choice anyway, and took the psu you recommended

i want the 6gb and I want the 930 just because I do

so it adds $45 to the sys and I feel much the better for it...thank you proximan, kyle.

from the sounds of it, the build part doesn't seem to have changed at all....like you said, screw in the mobo and go.

I do have a Q about the cooler though. the intel is a kit or so I remember, with a cooler. I know it is not suitable for OC, but that will come later and I am not sure how much. So that is a future option I guess and by then there might be something else.

I used to OC greatly, taking a P3 500 to 1148, ha! did water cooling to before there were kits. I was a mod on a board called Ninjamicro, a british OC group filled with good 'ol blokes and m8ys

 

[Proximon]

I thought that might be the case on the CPU, but had to say it anyway

Just be very careful with the Intel cooler. The push-pin installation can easily go wrong. Check the bottom of the board after installation of the cooler to verify that the pins are actually all the way engaged.

See tecmo's guide
http://www.tomshardware.com/forum/274745-31-step-step-guide-building

If you get the urge, all the best water cooling happens here these days:
http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=70
Not newbie friendly but a good place for research.

What PSU did I recommend? For your build I would suggest Something like the Seasonic S12II 620, Antec TP-650...

 

[Proximon]

Intel Cooler instructions (what I'm talking about)
http://www.techarp.com/showarticle.aspx?artno=602&pgno=3

 

[kartoga]

Best answer selected by kartoga.

 

[kyle382]

AMD and intel both come with good stock heatsink fan. I really wish I had not bought a gigantic aftermarket HSF for my phenom processor...it even blocks 2 of memory slots on my gigabyte mobo lol.

ooo c'mon no best answer for my rage sessions? I haz the best rage thou. gl n haz'n fun time now wit ur build.