User User name Password  
   
Monday 8.9.2025 / 23:02
Search AfterDawn Forums:        In English   Suomeksi   På svenska
afterdawn.com > forums > pc hardware > building a new pc > components i'm looking at
Show topics
 
Forums
Forums
Components I'm looking at
  Jump to:
 
Posted Message
eztarget
Newbie
_
3. January 2009 @ 11:20 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
This is a first time build for me, and the number of times I've changed this list is starting to get to me. This is the "final" list that I've come up with, but I'm still open for suggestions. The concerns I'm having are with the CPU (Dual vs Quad) and the MOBO (775 vs 1366). Are they worth the upgrade? The primary use will be for gaming and watching HD movies. I'm looking for something that's capable, not necessarily over the top, and that I won't have to upgrade in a year or so, but is scalable.

CPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...15054&Tpk=e8600
MOBO - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188031
PSU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...6044&Tpk=da1000
GPU - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...=896-p3-1262-ar
DVD Drive - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...33&Tpk=ggc-h20l
Hard Drive(s) - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
Memory - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231177
Case - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138

Even though this is my "final" list, I'm still open to suggestions.
Thanks.
Advertisement
_
__
dragnandy
Senior Member
_
3. January 2009 @ 15:29 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
since your mainly using this to watch HD movies, i would stay with 775 because its cheaper, and will be more than sufficient to do your stuff. right now, i would think the i7's are good for like extreme video-editors or people who can just afford them.

also, for the cpu i would suggest the q6600 or q9400. its a lot cheaper than the one you posted, and is quad-core. the ghz isnt as high, but you can always OC it easily to that speed.

for the motherboard, are you going to use SLI? because you said your getting the gtx260, but are you getting two of them? if not, you do not need to spend that much on a motherboard. if you do consider going SLI, i would recommend you take a look at the gtx280 before going SLI with 2x gtx260's. this should be adequate.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358

for the PSU, that is WAY too much power. your running originally a C2D and a gtx260 videocard. the corsair 650tx would be considered overkill too. you should either get the Corsair 520HX or 650TX, but i think the 650 is unnecessary.

this hard drive is only $5 more for 140gb more. no complaints on the one you posted though, i have the exact same one.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148335

for the ram, i still recommend staying with DDR2 instead of DDR3, and with the motherboard i posted, this ram is great and a lot cheaper.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231166
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214

the case, i would say its a little expensive, but i really have no objection to its quality and build. the parts i suggested wouldnt make your computer that much slower or anything, but you will be saving a lot of money(especially from the ram, cpu,PSU, and motherboard)

these are just my suggestions, though. thanks!

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. January 2009 @ 15:32

eztarget
Newbie
_
3. January 2009 @ 16:02 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Thanks for the info. It appears that more research is in order. I remember there used to be spec for comparing CPUs that I haven't seen anywhere (operations per second or something similar). Since this will be used for gaming as well, I don't want to rule out SLI. As far as the PSU, I went off of nvidia's web site recommendation. With everything you've listed, will this set up be "extinct" in a years time? Thanks again for the help.
Senior Member
_
3. January 2009 @ 19:37 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I was thinking the same thing dragnandy,i thought it was overkill when i saw the price of the 790i chipset motherboard, DDR3 memory, and the PSU.. I've got the same motherboard and memory dragnandy suggested and i couldn't be happier with my setup..I built my entire rig with the exception of my 4870 X2 which was a recent uprade for $857.00. That motherboard,PSU,and memory combo you have almost costs as much as my entire build.. With what dragnandy suggested you will have a build that will last you several years and you'll be to play any of the latest pc games out right now with no problems... I would also consider the Q9550, with a good cooler you can pretty easily reach 4ghz on air..I'm assuming you are planning to overclock right??

Q9550@4.0ghz,Gigabyte EP45-UD3P,OCZ Vendetta 2 cooler,VisionTek 4870X2,1TB Samsung Spinpoint SATA/3GB,4GB G.Skill DDR2 1066,LG Blu-ray/HDDVD combo drive,Corsair HX-1000 Modular,Hannspree 28" LCD,Coolermaster Cosmos S
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=473095

2 Xbox 360 Jaspers(flashed w/Ixtreme LT), PS3, Wii
Samsung 4071,Samsung 4095, Samsung 245BW LCD Displays

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 3. January 2009 @ 19:50

dragnandy
Senior Member
_
4. January 2009 @ 04:24 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
what resolution are you planning on using eztarget? if your gaming at resolutions 1680x1050 and lower, then SLI would not really do you good. you might find some improvements, i think 10-15% (correct me if im wrong). you said you plan on watching HD movies, so i assume you have an 1080p monitor?

if so, SLI would be debatable. if you certainly have enough money, then by all means go ahead. if you dont plan on doing serious video editing or any sorts, then an OC quad-core cpu will last you awhile. the problem then would be the video card.

how much money do you plan on spending? on the video card?

also, i would suggest getting a fan/heatsink for your cpu. something like the 120mm tuniq tower one, or the arctic cooling. if your not overclocking, then you can live without these, but with them, your cpu temps would drop noticeably.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835186134
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16835154001

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 4. January 2009 @ 04:29

eztarget
Newbie
_
4. January 2009 @ 15:01 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Elusiv1-
To answer your question about OC, the truth is that I've never messed with it. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was concerned about going too far and turning my system into a paperweight. If you could recommend a reliable source/tutorial for me to read up on, I'd appreciate it.

Dragnandy-
I haven't put that much thought towards the resolution, but was shooting towards 1920 x 1200. I'm still shopping for the monitor, but I have some specs I was looking for. Min 22", 1080p and HDMI. Some things that I would perfer not be on the display, but won't necesarily rule options out are USB ports and speakers. I wanted to stay under ~$400 for the video card. I know that at that budget, the gtx280 is also included in the decision. I just wasn't sure if the extra performance was worth the extra cost. The other thought was to add another gtx260 in the future sometime. I looked at the MOBO you suggested, http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358 , and it looks good. Typically the deciding factor for me is customer/technical support from the manufacturer. Dealing ASUS's website, has completely ruled them out for any future products. With that in mind, I was looking at this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813188026 . I called EVGA with a question, and I was off the phone with my answer in under 3 minutes.
eztarget
Newbie
_
4. January 2009 @ 15:19 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Some things I forgot to list
Memory for the board came from EVGA's Qualified Vendor List
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214
I know the PSU is still overkill, but if you could point me in the direction of a modular version that isn't. I'd like to keep the inside of the case as neat as possible. Also, what's the benefit/drawback to a single rail system?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...56017&Tpk=da750
dragnandy
Senior Member
_
4. January 2009 @ 18:07 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
i dont really know much about sli and nvidia boards, so i cant comment on that, but this psu is good.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002
eztarget
Newbie
_
4. January 2009 @ 18:18 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Is there any benefit of using a single rail 12v supply over multiple rail version? Will it make installation any harder/easier?

This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 4. January 2009 @ 18:23

JaguarGod
Senior Member
_
4. January 2009 @ 20:39 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Taken from PC Power & Cooling website:

Quote:
A large, single 12-volt rail (without a 240VA limit) can transfer 100% of the 12-volt output from the PSU to the computer, while a multi-rail 12-volt design has distribution losses of up to 30% of the power supply's rating. Those losses occur because power literally gets "trapped" on under-utilized rails. For example, if the 12-volt rail that powers the CPU is rated for 17 amps and the CPU only uses 7A, the remaining 10A is unusable, since it is isolated from the rest of the system.

Since the maximum current from any one 12-volt rail of a multiple-rail PSU is limited to 20 amps (240VA / 12 volts = 20 amps), PCs with high-performance components that draw over 20 amps from the same rail are subject to over-current shutdowns. With power requirements for multiple processors and graphics cards continuing to grow, the multiple-rail design, with its 240VA limit per rail, is basically obsolete.
The Corsair is a very good PSU.

For the Video card, I would recommend an HD 4870 over the GTX 260. It is cheaper and performs better:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814102810

If you want a GTX 260, get a Core 216 version:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814150330

The Dominator RAM is great. The UD3P will read the profile and it will operate at 1066MHz, so no overclocking necessary to get to 1066 MHz.
dragnandy
Senior Member
_
5. January 2009 @ 01:55 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Originally posted by eztarget:
Is there any benefit of using a single rail 12v supply over multiple rail version? Will it make installation any harder/easier?
no it will not make installation any harder or easier.

i read somewhere that multiple rails do lose some power, just as jaguar quotes, but it does have its own pros and cons. but, the efficiency on multiple rails have come far enough that the power loss is not that big.

Quote:
One reason to have multiple separate 12 volt rails is to improve the load regulation and noise on the rail. When you connect an active load to a voltage rail you tend to end up with a noisy rail which jumps around a lot. It's not a nice flat voltage. It varies. The more active loads you hook to a rail the messier it gets. So building a PSU with independent 12 volt rails improves the "cleanness" of the power on each rail. Normally this is only done if you have some circuitry which is extremely picky about the quality of its voltage rails because separate rails cost more money than a single rail.
thats also a quick quote i find about the pros of multiple railings. personally, i think that deciding other single and multiple railings shouldn't be that big of a deal. either way, if you getting a corsair PSU you wont be disappointed.
AfterDawn Addict

4 product reviews
_
5. January 2009 @ 12:37 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
EVGA's motherboards are terrible, you are strongly advised not to buy one.
I would recommend the following board instead:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128359
For a build of this budget, there is no reason to consider SLI, so there is no reason to get a horrific nforce chipset motherboard.





Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
Senior Member
_
5. January 2009 @ 18:03 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
Amen, that motherboard is simply the best... Long live the UD3R!!

Q9550@4.0ghz,Gigabyte EP45-UD3P,OCZ Vendetta 2 cooler,VisionTek 4870X2,1TB Samsung Spinpoint SATA/3GB,4GB G.Skill DDR2 1066,LG Blu-ray/HDDVD combo drive,Corsair HX-1000 Modular,Hannspree 28" LCD,Coolermaster Cosmos S
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=473095

2 Xbox 360 Jaspers(flashed w/Ixtreme LT), PS3, Wii
Samsung 4071,Samsung 4095, Samsung 245BW LCD Displays
dragnandy
Senior Member
_
5. January 2009 @ 18:15 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
if hes going to be playing and watching movies at high resolutions, i wouldn't shoot down the option of SLI so quickly. maybe on his budget now, he might only get a gtx260, but perhaps in the near future, he can purchase another. maybe just stay away from EVGA boards, i have no comment on them because i've never used one.

the UD3R is definitely a great alternative though, and just get one HD4870, gtx260 or gtx280 if you can squeeze it in.
AfterDawn Addict

4 product reviews
_
5. January 2009 @ 19:05 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
SLI for watching movies is ridiculous. Gaming it's certainly understandable, but note the caveat 'on this budget' - you aren't going to experience much gain right now without a big monitor, i.e. big budget build. Main reason I say to avoid it is the almost nil reliability of nforce boards beyond the 1 year mark. The only way to use SLI without one is to use i7.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
eztarget
Newbie
_
6. January 2009 @ 00:04 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
First off, let me thank everyone for their input. It's nice to see that your recommendations aren't to simply buy the most expensive part, but are backed with solid reasoning or personal experiences. With that being said, this is what I'm looking at.

MOBO http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813128358
CPU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...15054&Tpk=e8600
PSU http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139002
DVD http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...33&Tpk=ggc-h20l
Hard Drive http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822148288
RAM http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820145214
GPU (This is still up in the air, but leaning towards a single card vs SLI/Cross Fire for now) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.as...7&Tpk=4870PE51G
Case (again, still up in the air.) http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811119138
CPU Fan Probably going to wait until all the parts arive, so I know how much room I have to work with. That is unless you can recommend one, seeing as most of you are using the same MOBO.
I'm sure that I'm gonna' hear it for not moving up to the quad series CPUs. But being as how I'm new to all of this, I'd rather save over clocking for the future (when I understand it), and stick with stock speeds.

As before, all recommendations are greatly appreciated.
Senior Member
_
6. January 2009 @ 01:48 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
I have to give you an A+ if that's your final build, as for your video card that's a very good card there..You did manage to save some bucks by changing that EVGA motherboard(wise move) the DDR3 memory and the 1000 watt silverstone psu so now you have some headroom for your video card selection.. I must say i really like the Coolermaster Cosmos case, that thing is sweet... Have fun putting her all together and if you need any help with anything just give us a holler and we'll help you out..

Q9550@4.0ghz,Gigabyte EP45-UD3P,OCZ Vendetta 2 cooler,VisionTek 4870X2,1TB Samsung Spinpoint SATA/3GB,4GB G.Skill DDR2 1066,LG Blu-ray/HDDVD combo drive,Corsair HX-1000 Modular,Hannspree 28" LCD,Coolermaster Cosmos S
http://valid.canardpc.com/show_oc.php?id=473095

2 Xbox 360 Jaspers(flashed w/Ixtreme LT), PS3, Wii
Samsung 4071,Samsung 4095, Samsung 245BW LCD Displays
Advertisement
_
__
 
_
AfterDawn Addict

4 product reviews
_
6. January 2009 @ 06:47 _ Link to this message    Send private message to this user   
The Coolermaster Cosmos is a very nice (if very expensive) case, and fits those components with absolute ease. The only thing I'm curious about is the E8600. It's the fastest CPU at stock, but ironically, that's not really of much help unless you overclock it (the high multiplier makes it easy to exceed 4Ghz). You could save a lot of money by using an E8500 or even E8400 and just changing the speed to 3.3Ghz yourself, you wouldn't need to change the voltages or anything.



Afterdawn Addict // Silent PC enthusiast // PC Build advisor // LANGamer Alias:Ratmanscoop
PC Specs page -- http://my.afterdawn.com/sammorris/blog_entry.cfm/11247
updated 10-Dec-13
afterdawn.com > forums > pc hardware > building a new pc > components i'm looking at
 

Digital video: AfterDawn.com | AfterDawn Forums
Music: MP3Lizard.com
Gaming: Blasteroids.com | Blasteroids Forums | Compare game prices
Software: Software downloads
Blogs: User profile pages
RSS feeds: AfterDawn.com News | Software updates | AfterDawn Forums
International: AfterDawn in Finnish | AfterDawn in Swedish | AfterDawn in Norwegian | download.fi
Navigate: Search | Site map
About us: About AfterDawn Ltd | Advertise on our sites | Rules, Restrictions, Legal disclaimer & Privacy policy
Contact us: Send feedback | Contact our media sales team
 
  © 1999-2025 by AfterDawn Ltd.

  IDG TechNetwork