Building a PC!! Help!

[Rukahs]

Just seen that other guy's build so it reminded me that I have a build of my own which I hope to have done by Jan 07. Never built my own PC. I'm thinking of putting this thing together except I'm not sure if its a good build and if all the parts fit.. Any input is greatly appreciated. :)


Motherboard: Asus P5N32-SLI SE Deluxe Socket 775 $259.99 Canadacomputers.com

CPU: Intel® Core™2 Duo E6600, 2.40-GHz $399.99 pccanada.com

HardDrive: 250GB Western Digital® Caviar® SE16 SATAII-300 7200RPM 16Mb $94.99 pccanada.com

Ram: OCZ 2Gb PC6400 DDR2 Dual Channel Platinum XTC Revision 2 Edition $354.99 pccanada.com

Video Card: Asus® Extreme AX1600PRO/TD - Radeon™ X1600PRO $129.99 pccanada.com

SoundCard: SoundBlaster® X-Fi XtremeMusic $124.99 pccanada.com

Floppy Drive: Mitsumi 7 in 1 Internal USB2.0 & Flash Media $24.99 pccanada.com

Monitor: LG L194WTX 19" 8ms DVI/VGA Widescreen LCD $264.10 extreme-pc.ca

Keyboard/Mouse: Logitech Cordless Desktop MX 3000 $85.09 extreme-pc.ca

CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive: Sony 16X DVD-ROM Drive OEM, Beige $24.99 pccanada.com

CDRW/DVDRW ROM Drive: LG GSA-H10L Lightscribe Dual Layer DVD±R/RW $44.99 pccanada.com

Power Supply: OCZ GameXStream 700W SLI ATX 12V Ver 2.2 $169.99 pccanada.com

Speakers: Creative Labs® Inspire™ P7800 Speaker System $99.99 pccanada.com

Computer Case/Tower: Thermaltake® Shark VA7000SWA Aluminum Silver $174.99 pccanada.com

OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 (OEM) $166.00 canadacomputers.com

[MrDisco]

CD-ROM/DVD-ROM Drive: Sony 16X DVD-ROM Drive OEM, Beige $24.99 pccanada.com

CDRW/DVDRW ROM Drive: LG GSA-H10L Lightscribe Dual Layer DVD±R/RW $44.99 pccanada.com


you dont need both. a dvd writer alone is sufficient for most people's needs


Power Supply: OCZ GameXStream 700W SLI ATX 12V Ver 2.2 $169.99 pccanada.com


my bias is Seasonic. either way 700W is pure overkill. even 500W is more than enough for you. key point is buy a quality unit.


OS: Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64 (OEM) $166.00 canadacomputers.com

you sure about that? you're going to have a lot of headaches running x64. you're far better off with xp pro.

other components are decent. i recommend you cross-reference all the prices with directcanada.

edit: as always, people need to post their budget and computing goals when asking for recommendations.

[Mistersprinkles]

that video card is an insult to that motherboard...

[mrfrostyman]

also dont even bother starting now if you need it done by jan 07. If you need it in jan make it in january(or boxing day sales) prices will drop and new stuff will come out.

[Rukahs]

you dont need both. a dvd writer alone is sufficient for most people's needs



my bias is Seasonic. either way 700W is pure overkill. even 500W is more than enough for you. key point is buy a quality unit.



you sure about that? you're going to have a lot of headaches running x64. you're far better off with xp pro.

other components are decent. i recommend you cross-reference all the prices with directcanada.


Thanks! Im not getting both, just DVD writer. I guess I went a bit overboard on PS so I'll take your advice. I also wasn't sure about the Windows so I'll go with your advice and get XP pro. I plan on getting better video card a bit later too.

Glad to hear everything else is ok, thanks!!

[Rukahs]

that video card is an insult to that motherboard...

hehe, i know, will get better one later.

[Rukahs]

also dont even bother starting now if you need it done by jan 07. If you need it in jan make it in january(or boxing day sales) prices will drop and new stuff will come out.

Naw, im sort of putting away now and in january ill buy everything at once. Thanks for the tip.

[MrDisco]

Naw, im sort of putting away now and in january ill buy everything at once. Thanks for the tip.

oh i missed that part. forget about asking for advice now if you're buying in january. heck by then ram prices will have changed, new mobos will be out (hopefully), and probably cpu price adjustments (since Core 2 Quadro is set to launch).

[mrfrostyman]

if you are putting away now i would recommend about 1300 to 1500 to put away for the new computer in january since with that amount you should be able to get the newest everything(albeit the lower end models) as well as you might want to wait to buy your xp and wait for vista if that is the case. That way you cant put your xp money towards the next os.

[Rukahs]

oh i missed that part. forget about asking for advice now if you're buying in january. heck by then ram prices will have changed, new mobos will be out (hopefully), and probably cpu price adjustments (since Core 2 Quadro is set to launch).

Core 2 Quadro, damn!!! Should be pretty pricey huh? You're right though, by January a few things will change.. If the price is right, maybe even go for the E6700 by then.

[Rukahs]

if you are putting away now i would recommend about 1300 to 1500 to put away for the new computer in january since with that amount you should be able to get the newest everything(albeit the lower end models) as well as you might want to wait to buy your xp and wait for vista if that is the case. That way you cant put your xp money towards the next os.

I already have about a $1000 saved up towards it, I'm thinking of saving up another 1000-1500.. You're right though, if Vista is out, might get it instead.

[mrfrostyman]

are you also going to need a tv tuner? As well a router?

[Rukahs]

Just the router.

[BaconMunch]

ur budget makes mine look like peanuts :) good luck with your build

[xwar]

Why do you need a 700 watt PSU for a x1600? Why get such high-end PSU, ram, MB, etc with a shoddy video card like that?

[Rukahs]

I will get a better GPU later. For now, I just need a lightning fast rig. From the looks of it, im going in the right direction..

[Sarc]

Are you ever considering SLI? You picked an ATI card when that requires a Crossfire mobo and vid card. Depending on the video card(s) you do choose, 700W may be required. Definitely read up on some PSU reviews. Seasonic is good but 500W is not enough for a multiple video card rig.

[Rukahs]

Are you ever considering SLI? You picked an ATI card when that requires a Crossfire mobo and vid card. Depending on the video card(s) you do choose, 700W may be required. Definitely read up on some PSU reviews. Seasonic is good but 500W is not enough for a multiple video card rig.

This is just a start card for now, I am thinking of either going SLI with NVID or Crossfire with ATI.. Though I heard that Crossfire wouldn't work for some reason, the motherboard doesn't support it or something??? Not sure..I'm a noob lol. Or is it the CPU??

[MrDisco]

Are you ever considering SLI? You picked an ATI card when that requires a Crossfire mobo and vid card. Depending on the video card(s) you do choose, 700W may be required. Definitely read up on some PSU reviews. Seasonic is good but 500W is not enough for a multiple video card rig.

no way. even with two video cards 500W will do. if it didn't why would they certify the S12-500W on the SLI list on the nvidia site? if you're really paranoid you can get the S12-600W, but 700W? Not a chance. at 700W you're looking at a fully loaded setup with drives galore and the most power hungry vid cards you can find.

[Rukahs]

Cool, then I guess the best thing is to go for 550-600W PS..

[Forsaken_Angel]

id say to put most of the money into stuff your not going to need to upgrade for years. such as monitor and speakers. for $2000-$2500 you should be able to get a top of the line tower with a high end vid card. but like most people said even considering what your going to put in now is useless. alot of new hardware is going to come out in the next 4 months, and even if not prices will drop by atleast 10-20% on most items id say. are you planning on overclocking? if not you could go with cheaper memory. and if your planning on upgrading the video card later save yourself a bunch of money and buy a second hand one. if you dont have a problem buying stuff off the forums you could save probably $600 or so on that system. i havnt bought anything retail since i had amd k2 350.

[MrDisco]

This is just a start card for now, I am thinking of either going SLI with NVID or Crossfire with ATI.. Though I heard that Crossfire wouldn't work for some reason, the motherboard doesn't support it or something??? Not sure..I'm a noob lol. Or is it the CPU??

For SLI or Crossfire you need:
-2 video cards of that technology (i.e. 2 support nvidia cards for SLI, or 2 support ati cards for Crossfire)
-A motherboard which has the chipset supporting either technology. i.e. Intel's 975 chipset for Crossfire (in most cases) or nvidia nforce chipset for SLI.
-the cpu is irrelevant in terms of support for either technology

Frankly if you're thinking about multiple video cards i would get the Asus P5WDH board and go the Crossfire route. The P5WDH is a 975 board and support Crossfire. It's also received a number of favourable reviews as well. If you dont want all the gimmicks, you can also get the Intel "Bad Axe" motherboard which is also 975/Crossfire.

The P5N SLI is based on the older nvidia nforce 4 chipset and was hacked together to support Conroe. The newer nvidia 570/590 chipsets (which do SLI as well) should be released later this month.

Also coming is ATI's RD600 chipset which (as you can imagine) will support Crossfire. However aside from DFI, its sketchy as to who else will support it and release boards using it.

edit: yeah like the guy above me points out, i think its pointless to dump money on an SLI/Crossfire video card setup right now. Direct X version 10 is coming and you'll need a video card that supports DX10 to take advantage. or in otherwords current cards (which are DX9) will not use the full feature set of DX10 with a simple driver upgrade. you'll need to buy new video cards.

[Rukahs]

Yah ill prob go with an E6700 if price comes down by Jan and no I don't plan to overclock.. I heard that reduces the lifespan of the CPU?? Myth or fact. I will look around into the 2nd hand vid card.. No need for a fancy one yet. Just need a fast rig.. I hear nothing but good stuff about the CPU/mobo in combo with RAM and that's all I can ask for come Jan.

Thanks for the tips!

[Rukahs]

Be back in a bit, have to go pick up my bro.

[MrDisco]

considering the e6700 is $630 right now, i'm not sure how much savings you're expecting. sure it will drop but i doubt it would be that much lower.

i haven't read of anyone who's cpu died out due to overclocking, but then again those type of people upgrade after 2 years or so who knows. with proper cooling you should be able to run the chip just fine.

if you're buying in jan come back in december and ask for parts.

[Sarc]

no way. even with two video cards 500W will do. if it didn't why would they certify the S12-500W on the SLI list on the nvidia site? if you're really paranoid you can get the S12-600W, but 700W? Not a chance. at 700W you're looking at a fully loaded setup with drives galore and the most power hungry vid cards you can find.
I guess you don't buy into the Extremetech article about PSU's failing in SLI/Crossfire setups.

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1932958,00.asp

The SLI Zone website only rates the Seasonic S12 500W for low end SLI setups. It's not certified for 7950GX2 setups. Also, it's unknown what future video cards will require.

[Mistersprinkles]

Why do you need a 700 watt PSU for a x1600? Why get such high-end PSU, ram, MB, etc with a shoddy video card like that?

EXAAAACTLY!!!

[champ91]

picked the wrong time to do it, the ram prices have recently sky rocketed up almost 70 bucks for 2 gbs.

[Mistersprinkles]

picked the wrong time to do it, the ram prices have recently sky rocketed up almost 70 bucks for 2 gbs.

I noticed that too when I picked up some DDR2 sticks the other day... I was like "HOW MUCH!!!???"

When you check prices often you notice this kinda stuff...

That's why Im terrified of brand name systems with like 2 Gigs of memory in a $400 tower... its like OH ok... and what brand is that? Hyundai?

[MrDisco]

I guess you don't buy into the Extremetech article about PSU's failing in SLI/Crossfire setups.


lol no i don't. i have much more faith in spcr and other review sites - or more to the point i don't put all my decisions based on what just one website says. many people on other web forums have said that for an average system 500W is more than enough power. even at peak useage you still have plenty of room. if 500W is too low there is the S12-600W model. But 700-1K? that's just crazy.

Also he's not running a 7950GX2 (which at last count was a $700+ video card). and he's also not running a $1000 AMD chip either (which pulls in more power than mid range models at 127W). Further the issue is really when two power hungry cards like a pair of 7800GTX (or a single 7850GX2) is being used. Nvidia's official position is to use a PSU with at least 30A on the 12V1/2 rails, which in the S12-500 case it meets (it has 33A). Granted this is close for comfort, but again how likely is he going to spend that much money on video cards now? further the industry trend is performance/watt. it will be a matter of time when future cards meet up with the cpu and power useage is brought back in line.

edit: and further to backup the original point of using a quality PSU, the very article you site states "We were able to successfully run all tests using a PC Power and Cooling TurboCool 510 SLI, which is only rated for 510W" whereas a TT psu at 680W failed their test.

[Mistersprinkles]

no way. even with two video cards 500W will do. if it didn't why would they certify the S12-500W on the SLI list on the nvidia site? if you're really paranoid you can get the S12-600W, but 700W? Not a chance. at 700W you're looking at a fully loaded setup with drives galore and the most power hungry vid cards you can find.

I was actually reading an article today where they were saying the new 1000W PSU's (thats rediculous) were for people who would throw a fit at the mere thought of a dropped frame :P

The guy was saying they're aimed at people running rediculous stuff like 2 rediculously over clocked 2 core CPU's with 2 high end videocards on SLI, high end soundcard, expansion cards up the wazoo, four hard drives , four optical drives... essentially a frankencomputer...

[champ91]

I noticed that too when I picked up some DDR2 sticks the other day... I was like "HOW MUCH!!!???"

When you check prices often you notice this kinda stuff...

That's why Im terrified of brand name systems with like 2 Gigs of memory in a $400 tower... its like OH ok... and what brand is that? Hyundai?

i've read that the prices will remain high for the next several months.... :mad:

which sucks cuz I really need it.

[MrDisco]

I was actually reading an article today where they were saying the new 1000W PSU's (thats rediculous) were for people who would throw a fit at the mere thought of a dropped frame :P


to continue the discussion, this thread is an example of why you shouldn't go by the W rating

http://forum.ncix.com/forums/topic.php?id=1171814

its the amps on the power rails that is a more important measure to look at

[Sarc]

I'm not putting down the Enermax that the OP has picked. I think it's a good brand. It would be good for the OP to read reviews of it to be sure it will meet his current and future requirements. He is picking a SLI motherboard so it seems he's expecting to upgrade to dual cards in the future.