$400 new newegg laptop vs $100 ebay. + new build help apprecaited. ty

[toms_hammer]

Hello! I have a question about buying a laptop at the bottom, please. Also included are questions asking for advice on a new build.

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CPU
$210 Intel Core i5-760 Lynnfield 2.8GHz 8MB L3 Cache LGA 1156 95W Quad-Core Desktop Processor BX80605I5760
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16819115067
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MOTHERBOARD, which?
$120 GIGABYTE GA-P55-USB3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$140 GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$160 GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD3P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard
$185 GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD4P LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard w/ USB 3.0 & SATA 6 Gb/s
$210 GIGABYTE GA-P55A-UD6 LGA 1156 Intel P55 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX Intel Motherboard w/ USB 3.0 & SATA 6 Gb/s
newegg link with gigabyte 1156 ATX boards: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007627%2050001314%20600007888%20600009016&IsNodeId=1&bop=And&ShowDeactivatedMark=False&Order=PRICE&PageSize=100
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RAM. want to OC. don't know which speed to get. please see "Which RAM?" question below.
$103 G.SKILL ECO Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1333 (PC3 10666) Desktop Memory Model F3-10666CL7D-4GBECO
1333, 1.35V, 7-7-7-21-2T, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231318
$103 G.SKILL ECO Series 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO
1600, 1.35V, 7-8-7-24-2T http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231321
$140 G.SKILL PI 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory Model F3-12800CL6D-4GBPI
1600, 1.6V, 6-8-6-24, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231351
$103 G.SKILL PIS 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 2000 (PC3 16000) Desktop Memory Model F3-16000CL9D-4GBPIS
2000, 1.65V, 9-9-9-24, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231365
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HARD DRIVE, PRIMARY, which?
$220 Intel X25-M SSDSA2M080G2XX (“OUT OF STOCK”, item N82E16820167027)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167016&cm_re=x25m-_-20-167-016-_-Product
$230 Intel X25-M SSDSA2M080G2XXX (newegg says: “Discontinued, replaced by N82E16820167027”)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820167027&cm_re=x25m-_-20-167-027-_-Product
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HARD DRIVE, SECONDARY
$110 Western Digital 1.5TB Caviar Black Model:WD1501FASS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822136592&Tpk=caviar%20black%201.5tb
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VIDEO CARD. I'm thinking GTX 460. but which?
$230+ so many models on newegg: http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductList.aspx?Submit=ENE&N=100007709%20600007323%20600062521&IsNodeId=1&name=GeForce%20GTX%20460%20(Fermi)
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POWER SUPPLY
$110 Corsair 750W PSU Model:CMPSU-750TX
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139006&Tpk=corsair%20750
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CASE:
$60 Cooler Master 690 Mid Tower ATX case Model:RC-690-KKN1-GP
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119137&cm_re=cm_690-_-11-119-137-_-Product
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OPERATING SYSTEM
XP 32 bit (already own)
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HEATSINK/FAN:
$35? ?????
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Total, with cheapest choice for each: $1198
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Questions:

1. Which motherboard? Gigabyte suggestions only, please. I am interested in overclocking.
Do the more expensive motherboards offer my build any advantage, overclocking or otherwise? OTherwise I'll just go with the cheapest, considering combo deals.
Will the USB 3.0 or Sata 3.0 matter at all for my build?

2. Which RAM? G.skill only, please. I'd like to OC. With an i5/nehalem system, does a faster CPU mean worse RAM timings, and if so, does it make up for worse RAM timings?
If so, I would like as much OC as possible on air cooling. How fast speed should I get? How will I know if the RAM is plug and play? I don't really wanna pay more than about $130 for RAM.
Can I still get a fast CPU speed with 1333 or 1600 RAM? Even if all these RAMs recommend 2t command rate, will they all, especially the more expensive ones, be able to get a 1t command rate?

3. Will I have any problems trying to install windows Xp 32 bit with my build? For example, I do not think these mobos have a connection for a floppy drive.
Will I need a floppy with SATA drivers to install XP onto a SATA drive? Would I have to use an external floppy?

4. Are RAM sticks like this with slightly names manufactured exactly the same, except the higher model ones tested better?
e.g. F3-10666CL7D-4GBECO, F3-10666CL8D-4GBECO, F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO. What does the first F in g.skill's ram models stand for?

5. Is the newer SSD worth waiting like a week+ for? Does anyone know any specific differences between SSDSA2MH080G2C1 / SSDSA2MH080G2R5 and the newer SSDSA2M080G2GC / SSDSA2M080G2GN?

6. Which video card and heatsink/fan should I get?

7. To any overclockers out there, how often does your computer crash? Does firefox crash more with an unstable OC? And is it possible to get a high OC and never fail prime95?

8. If I want to upgrade an LGA 775 build to 1156, could I just format x25m SSD HD(after plugging it into another computer),
swap in a mobo and cpu, and reinstall Windows? Would I run into any problems?

9. Has anyone here ever used a RAMdisk to make use of more than 4 gigs of RAM on a 32 bit OS?
Anyone know a good place to look for info about that?

10. Does anyone have any links to sites that show windows xp significantly beating windows 7 in benchmarks?

11. Is 1 stick of 4 gigs more likely to fail than 2 sticks of 2gb?

12. I'm thinking about a getting a laptop for word processing. Is a $400 new laptop off newegg worth spending more on than a $100-200 dollar one off of ebay?

13. Should I look into getting parts from any other website besides newegg? I live in the US.

14. Anyone here ever gotten recertified or open box stuff off newegg? Anyone ever gotten new PC parts off ebay?

15. I heard Intel makes makes all the CPUs the same, then makes them worse for lower models. Why do they do that?

16. If you got a gigabyte board, and RAM slots 1 and 3 didnt work, and a lot of people were complaining about that problem, but RAM slots 2 and 4 did, and it overclocked stable, would you return/refund the board or just keep it?

 

[buwish]

This topic has been moved from the section Laptops & Notebooks to section Systems by Buwish

 

[Mark Heath]

Wow, lots of questions.

Are you planning to add a 2nd graphics card down the road?

Out of the mobos you've listed, I'd go for the UD4P if you can. It's more feature rich, without being overly expensive. If you are planning to use a second GPU, then you're going to want to use an Asus P7P55D-E PRO (I know you said GB only, but none of the current GB boards support USB3 and SATA3 when you use more than 1 GPU)

For RAM, if you get it with the promo code:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231303&cm_re=g.skill_4GB_DDR3_1600-_-20-231-303-_-Product

Can't help with the SSDs. Not much experience or knowledge with them.

For your case, that's not bad, but here are a few alternatives:
Antec 300 Illusion http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811129066&cm_re=antec_300-_-11-129-066-_-Product has slightly better cooling
Cooler Master HAF 922 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119197&cm_re=cooler_master_HAF_922-_-11-119-197-_-Product slightly better cooling than the Antec, but is roomier

If you're not overclocking your CPU, you'll be fine sticking with the stock heatsink/fan that comes with the CPU.

I'd highly recommend purchasing Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit with your new system. What's the point of a new system if you're running an old OS on it. The extra RAM that a 64-bit will give you is also something you'll want.

Answering questions in the next post to avoid massive wall of text.

 

[Mark Heath]

1. Which motherboard? Gigabyte suggestions only, please. I am interested in overclocking.
Do the more expensive motherboards offer my build any advantage, overclocking or otherwise? OTherwise I'll just go with the cheapest, considering combo deals.
Will the USB 3.0 or Sata 3.0 matter at all for my build?
The cheaper motherboards you've listed aren't as feature rich. For example they lack things like eSATA and SLI or Crossfire compatibility.

USB3 is handy to have, since it's going to become more and more used, but I don't think you'll find much benefit in SATA3. BUt it'll still nice to have.

2. Which RAM? G.skill only, please. I'd like to OC. With an i5/nehalem system, does a faster CPU mean worse RAM timings, and if so, does it make up for worse RAM timings?
If so, I would like as much OC as possible on air cooling. How fast speed should I get? How will I know if the RAM is plug and play? I don't really wanna pay more than about $130 for RAM.
Can I still get a fast CPU speed with 1333 or 1600 RAM? Even if all these RAMs recommend 2t command rate, will they all, especially the more expensive ones, be able to get a 1t command rate?

A fast CPU doesn't mean worse RAM timings. I wouldn't bother trying to overclock the RAM. The RAM I listed is already quiet fast and going further will yield very little benefit, but will have an element of risk.

3. Will I have any problems trying to install windows Xp 32 bit with my build? For example, I do not think these mobos have a connection for a floppy drive.
Will I need a floppy with SATA drivers to install XP onto a SATA drive? Would I have to use an external floppy?

You'll need a floppy for it, but as I said I highly recommend going for Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit here.

4. Are RAM sticks like this with slightly names manufactured exactly the same, except the higher model ones tested better?
e.g. F3-10666CL7D-4GBECO, F3-10666CL8D-4GBECO, F3-12800CL7D-4GBECO. What does the first F in g.skill's ram models stand for?

The different names refer to speed and timings. It's best to stay within these limits under most circumstances. The different speeds and timings come from the RAM passing tests done that show that the RAM can run that fast. I have no idea what the F means.

5. Is the newer SSD worth waiting like a week+ for? Does anyone know any specific differences between SSDSA2MH080G2C1 / SSDSA2MH080G2R5 and the newer SSDSA2M080G2GC / SSDSA2M080G2GN?

I'm not good with SSDs

6. Which video card and heatsink/fan should I get?

I'd a 5850 if you plan to use just a single card and a 1GB GTX 460 if you plan to use 2. A Cooler Master Hyper 212+ is a great cooler and is pretty cheap too. Get that from Amazon or Tiger Direct though, since it's expensive on Newegg

7. To any overclockers out there, how often does your computer crash? Does firefox crash more with an unstable OC? And is it possible to get a high OC and never fail prime95?

It is very possible to achieve a decent overclock and remain completely stable, with no crashes caused due to overclocking and no errors in prime95. For an i5 750/760 This is roughly 3.6Ghz with Turbo Boost disabled, or 3.2 with it on.

8. If I want to upgrade an LGA 775 build to 1156, could I just format x25m SSD HD(after plugging it into another computer),
swap in a mobo and cpu, and reinstall Windows? Would I run into any problems?

What?

9. Has anyone here ever used a RAMdisk to make use of more than 4 gigs of RAM on a 32 bit OS?
Anyone know a good place to look for info about that?

I know people who have. Search the forums here and/or Google it.

10. Does anyone have any links to sites that show windows xp significantly beating windows 7 in benchmarks?

Windows XP isn't significantly faster than Windows 7, but is outdated and more vulnerable to viruses etc. You should get Windows 7 with this build.

11. Is 1 stick of 4 gigs more likely to fail than 2 sticks of 2gb?

I'm pretty sure reliability's about the same

12. I'm thinking about a getting a laptop for word processing. Is a $400 new laptop off newegg worth spending more on than a $100-200 dollar one off of ebay?

I wouldn't go for one off ebay. A cheap laptop or netbook is fine. There could be anything wrong with buying one off ebay.

13. Should I look into getting parts from any other website besides newegg? I live in the US.

Apart from getting the Cooler Master Hyper 212+ from Amazon, everything is generally cheaper one Newegg, so probably don't bother.

14. Anyone here ever gotten recertified or open box stuff off newegg? Anyone ever gotten new PC parts off ebay?

Neither, but I know someone who got either a recertified or open box thing before and it was fine. Again, i wouldn't go for ebay. It's great that it's cheaper , but it's not worth the risk.

15. I heard Intel makes makes all the CPUs the same, then makes them worse for lower models. Why do they do that?

That's not exactly what they do. For example an i7 920 is almost identical to an i7 960. The 960 has just been set to run faster at the factory, but it has been put to heavy testing and has been deemed a better chip, so it gets put as a 960. They can then sell the 960 at a higher price. They do it for the money and for those who don't overclock, but mostly for the money

16. If you got a gigabyte board, and RAM slots 1 and 3 didnt work, and a lot of people were complaining about that problem, but RAM slots 2 and 4 did, and it overclocked stable, would you return/refund the board or just keep it?

Depends what board. Some boards are only made to run RAM on certain slots. If slots 1 and 3 were genuinely faulty and didn't work when they were supposed to, then I'd personally return/refund it, but some people wouldn't bother if they can still get it to work

I sure hope I haven't just wasted a whole heap of time on this........