|
|
|
The (new) Official PC building thread!
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
21. August 2007 @ 05:40 |
Link to this message
|
sammorris,
Quote:
If you're after a good airflow to noise ratio, the Scythe S-Flex fans seem to be the ones to go with. Assuming you have a steel case, most fans will do, but in lightweight or cheap cases, you'll need something that doesn't vibrate much, and the Silverstones aren't so good there.
I don't often outright disagree with someone but the Silverstones move more air at 1400 rpm than the S-Flex do at their maximum of 1600, by almost 10 cfm. At maximum speed the S-Flex is rated at 28 dBA, and it is not ball bearing! I don't know why you got vibrations with the "Stones", but I've been living with mine for several months now and there is no vibration at the speeds I'm running them at, and are extremely quiet below 1600 rpm. Even then you have to up them past 2000 rpm before noise becomes any sort of an issue! Both can be a bit noisy at top rpms, true, but there should never be a need to run them that fast, as mine combined pull about 100cfm of air at my present running speeds. I just installed a pair, the same as mine in the D-940 and it's so much quieter than the Thermaltake Thunderblade the 120 replaced!. Same speeds I'm running on mine keeps the CPU at 34-36C and the MB at 41-43C and the computer is much quieter. The CPU fan dropped about 300 rpm too!
From an engineering standpoint, the Silverstones are the better design! Dual ball bearings assure a longer life and do not cause surge as they get old like Fluid Dynamic, ceramic or any other fancy name for bushings with lubricant baked into them do. They are quieter at the same 1600 rpm than the S-flex and move a lot more air in the process! At 1400 rpm they still move more air and are damn near silent! I sit with my right ear less than 3' away from the 80mm fans outlet and it's not the least bit loud or annoying! I didn't even use the silicone grommets to install them as they are bolted firmly right through the case and side cover with standard fan screws! They do an excellent job of removing the heat from my computer case, and I highly recommend them to anyone looking to do a good job of cooling, without a lot of noise!
Clock On,
theone :>)
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
 |
|
Advertisement
|
 |
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
21. August 2007 @ 06:07 |
Link to this message
|
|
From what I hear, and what seems to make sense to me, is that the thin-bladed Silverstones with 9-blades will push less air at a given speed than the S-Flexes at 7-blades, but give a higher pressure, so they're more suited to heatsinks, radiators, etc.
Have you measured an S-Flex's airflow?
On a tangible scale, it seems to me like the Scythes are better at the same speed, I certainly think they're quieter, and have a lower-pitched noise which helps too. (187Hz at 1600rpm versus the Silverstone's 240Hz). Admittedly, if you don't have or want to use your own fan controller, the FM121s are better since they come with one and the Scythes don't, but the only fans I ever see used in silentPCs these days are Nexus, Yate Loon, Scythe and Papst. You don't see silverstones anywhere, and I honestly think that is why. Besides, in order for the silverstones to be inaudible, whether holding them in my hand or in the case, I have to use my own fan controller to drop the speed all the way down to 500rpm, where they're all but pointless. The Scythes disappear at around 800 for me.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
21. August 2007 @ 08:21 |
Link to this message
|
Sam,
I hear what you are saying and I understand your point of view. I can't agree with you the on the noise level for cfm ratio. At 1400 rpm the Stones move 72-73 cfm. At roughly 10 cfm less, the S-Flex makes 28.0 dBA at 1600 rpm. In fact the noise increases sharply from 1200 up to maximum speed. That's an increase of a hair under 8dBA in only 400 rpm! That's an alarming rate of increase for such a small amount of rpm increase. Add to that at 800 rpm they don't move a hell of a lot of air (33 cfm) but they are quieter than the Stones! Problem is that even at that speed the noise doesn't matter much as 8.7dBA is below the ambient threshold so you can't really hear it anyway until you rise above 22 dBA or so, and that's only in a very quiet room! 25 or 26 dBA would be a more reasonable figure for a typical room!
I've found that my CPU cooler does a great job of cooling the CPU. The biggest problem is getting that hot air out of the case before it can build up anywhere else. With fans in the 33 cfm range, there just isn't enough airflow to do the job well, at least with a case design like mine! Since there are a lot of cases with the same type of fan layout and venting design as mine, anybody with that type would benefit more from the Silverstones than they would with the S-Flex.
Both my Silverstones have gotten quieter since they were installed. This happens with any ball bearing fan as the bearings and races get bedded in so they run quieter. Sort of like a final polish. I can hear airflow! If I strain I can hear something else, but I'm not quite sure what. I think it's the video card fan as it runs at top speed all the time because of the overclock. The variations in fan speed are so slight (10-15 rpm) that the frequency is always the same. Even when the CPU fan kicks up near top speed, the noise level is still quiet enough to hear the vid card fan! In fact, it's the only motor sound you hear at all. If you cover the air vent, all you hear is air moving. It's gotten so quiet that you can't really hear anything across a 12' room! You would certainly not know it was running judging by noise!
As you well know, I don't like any sort of sleeve bearing fans because of the compromises that have to be built into the design. Anything that depends on friction to release lubricant is flawed in it's design! You have to make the tolerances tight enough to accomplish that, yet try to eliminate stiction, which is an inherent problem with all sleeve bearing motors. It's a never ending process as the lubricant wears out and the friction slows down the motor until more lubricant is released which speeds up the motor. It doesn't take a lot of imagination to figure out that the more sleeve bearing fans you have in a computer, the more harmonics come into play! That's why some fans make more surge noise than others. You just can't get them to run at a near constant speed! I haven't touched my fan speeds in quite a while, but I know if I look right now it will be running at 1425 rpm, give or take about 7 rpm either way! OK, I cheated and looked! It's at 1427 rpm, as I knew it would be. I set it to 1425 about a month and a half ago. You just can't get that from a sleeve bearing motor! Not for long, anyway! Ironicly I see Scythe claims some outrageous MTBF on their fans of 150,000 hours. Maybe in a lab under controlled conditions, but not in the real world in a case fan. That's typical of the BS that Sony puts out,as they supply the bearings! They are used in some hard drives and last that long. Hey, they're sealed against dust and moisture. A fan runs in the air around it along with all the dust and dirt and anything else that's in the air. I frankly doubt that it would last 20,000 hours where I live as I've yet to have a sleeve bearing fan last anywhere near that long here, typically a year or less! What drives me nuts is the constant up and down of the rpms after a few months. I especially love the squealing noises they make when you fire up the computer cold, once they've started making noises! You can shoot a little WD-40 in them for a temporary fix, but it's new fan time, for sure! You can get used to and accept a constant quiet sound, but it's hard to get used to constant changes in noise and frequency, and frankly, it's annoying as hell!
Clock On,
Russ :>)
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. August 2007 @ 00:05 |
Link to this message
|
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
Senior Member
|
22. August 2007 @ 01:46 |
Link to this message
|
I'm was thinking of pulling the trigger on that card...I was looking at the MSI as well...the MSI has silent cooling...I was going to use it for a media server...
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
22. August 2007 @ 07:06 |
Link to this message
|
But Russ, you don't own a Scythe fan do you? Manufacturer's ratings vary wildly, as you know from Thermaltake, so you have to take them with a pinch of salt. In fact, all fans speed ratings increase massively from 1200rpm to 1600rpm. The silverstones at 1200 I'd say are around 26dB, and at 1600 are around 33, because they are a similar volume to my Freezer 7 Pro just below full speed.
As far as I was aware, the S-FDB design was not sleeve bearing, it's fluid dynamic, which although similar, is not identical. Note that Samsung and Maxtor hard drives use FDBs, and they don't exhibit the symptoms sleeve bearing fans do.
On the HD2600, that range of cards does seem to have been quite cheap. Fortunate really, given the performance increase, or lack of.
|
Senior Member
|
22. August 2007 @ 11:33 |
Link to this message
|
I know the HD2600XT cards are not for gaming...just want something for a HTCP case...and HD playback...
The Zalman case that I am looking at has a 7" touchscreen that needs an ATI card for proper resolution display...
I have just about everything else to put it together just lying around...I need to do something productive with it all...
DFI CFX3200-DR/G M/B
2GB of Corsair PC-3200
3800 San Diego
OCZ 700Gamestream
80Gb Sata Drive for OS
All I would need is a couple Storage Drives...Case...and Video Card...maybe a Capture Card...so I could use it as a DVR...to burn from...Should be a nice little Media Center...
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
22. August 2007 @ 13:00 |
Link to this message
|
sammorris,
Quote:
The silverstones at 1200 I'd say are around 26dB, and at 1600 are around 33, because they are a similar volume to my Freezer 7 Pro just below full speed.
As far as I was aware, the S-FDB design was not sleeve bearing, it's fluid dynamic, which although similar, is not identical. Note that Samsung and Maxtor hard drives use FDBs, and they don't exhibit the symptoms sleeve bearing fans do.
No matter what you call it, it's still a sleeve and still works by the same principals. In a hard drive, it's all sealed up no dust or anything gets in. A fan is out in the open and has to deal with all the dust an dirt in the air!
You are not even close with your guesstimates. There isn't even a noticeable noise difference between 1200 and 1600. I didn't lower the case fan to 1400 because of noise, I lowered it because it wasn't any cooler at 1600 rpm than it is at 1400! It's much quieter than you give it credit for. While you can hear a slight increase in noise above 1600, it only starts to get loud above 2000 rpm. The speeds I run them at, they are almost silent. 33dBA is a lot of noise and it's no where near that loud! You would have to spin them a lot faster than 1600 rpm to get 33 dBA. The loudest thing in my computer is still the video card fan. You can hear that over everything else in the computer, including the CPU fan at it's highest speed. If an aluminum case makes that much difference in noise, I don't want one! My 32" ceiling fan makes more noise than my computer, and that's just the noise of the air as there's very little mechanical sound at all! If I leave the computer on all night, it's barely noticeable in a dead quiet room! It made a lot more noise with the stock Cooler Master fan!
Clock On,
theone :>}
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
23. August 2007 @ 08:10 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
The Zalman case that I am looking at has a 7" touchscreen that needs an ATI card for proper resolution display...
Favouritism on Zalman's part? :P
Quote:
There isn't even a noticeable noise difference between 1200 and 1600. I didn't lower the case fan to 1400 because of noise, I lowered it because it wasn't any cooler at 1600 rpm than it is at 1400!
Now this is where I disagree, I ran the same test last night, and 1200 I can live with (just), 1600 bugs me a lot.
Even below 1000 it's audible over the frankly ghastly noise of my PSU fan. The Nexus fans, Stock NZXT case fans and the Noctuas were ALL inaudible at 1000rpm to me.
Quote:
You would have to spin them a lot faster than 1600 rpm to get 33 dBA.
. If the Scythe fans are 31dB at 1600, and the Silverstones are louder, that seems about right. In truth, come 5 years time, they'll probably be about equal, if not quieter, but given that one of the silverstones has already started making an additional whine, I wouldn't have kept them that long anyway.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
23. August 2007 @ 12:26 |
Link to this message
|
sammorris,
Quote:
If the Scythe fans are 31dB at 1600, and the Silverstones are louder, that seems about right.
The FM-121 makes 39.5 dBA at 2400 rpm, and you run it 800 rpm slower, it's a good deal quieter than 31dBA. Buy a steel case and you won't have those noise problems. I certainly don't have them!
Clock On,
theone :>}
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
AfterDawn Addict
4 product reviews
|
24. August 2007 @ 03:04 |
Link to this message
|
Quote:
The FM-121 makes 39.5 dBA at 2400 rpm
I wager it's a fair amount more than that!
I dislike arguing like this so I apologise, I've had a stressful week with resit exams and a report, but the fact is, there's no magic bullet with PC case fans, they're all largely similar in the amount of noise they make, separate from vibration issues. Ball bearing fans provide a slightly rougher noise, but as you rightly pointed out, they last longer, and are certainly better at dealing with heat.
I have had Nexus silent case fans for getting on for a year now, and so far no degradation in the noise they put out, likewise with one of the original NZXT case fans, which is sleeve bearing, and has been used constantly for a year, since i gave it to a friend when I got rid of it. Cheap fans do see the end of life too soon after purchase,(look at what happened to my Thermaltake Thunderblade)
but if you make the right decision, sleeve bearing fans last quite a while.
Silentpcreview's numbering system is a little suspect, granted, but with the same types of fan (ignoring those with odd blade types like those of Noctua and Mechatronics) the numbers are pretty consistent so I'm inclined to believe them, and even if you doubt the dB redings they give, the sound recordings are there too, and on comparing those I can tell what's louder and what's quieter. Unfortunately the Silverstones are not on that site (and given it's a site about silent PCs, they probably never will be) but I bet if the Silverstones were on there, they'd be at least 42dB. The Antec Tricool fans were measured at 36dB for 1930rpm on that site, and subjectively they sound rather like the silverstones (although only having 7 blades means they make a much more pleasant, lower frequency noise). If they're 36dB at 1930rpm, then a fan that spins nearly 500rpm faster cannot possibly only make an additional 3dB of noise.
The Freezer 7 Pro cooler, 33-37dB on their site (and that measurement was taken as new at 2400rpm top speed, not 2700 like they seem to like doing) With just one silverstone at full speed, that is utterly inaudible underneath, which must mean they're at least 6dB higher.
I mean no discredit to your hearing Russ, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about in this field, if you suggested at SPCR you could have a near-silent PC using a ball bearing fan with a top speed that high, you'd be laughed at.
To eliminate the vibration factor I removed an FM121 from my case and ran it at the various speeds. At 1600rpm it was obtrusive and easily drowned out all the other components in my PC, at 1200rpm almost all that noise was gone, leaving a hum in the background, but still louder than the rest of the PC, turning it down to 800rpm finally restored silence. I had silence at 1100rpm with the Nexus fans, and no problems as yet.
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
24. August 2007 @ 13:18 |
Link to this message
|
sammorris,
Quote:
I mean no discredit to your hearing Russ, but I like to think I know what I'm talking about in this field, if you suggested at SPCR you could have a near-silent PC using a ball bearing fan with a top speed that high, you'd be laughed at.
First off, The maximum speed has nothing to do with the noise level I get. We both agree they are loud at maximum speed! I run my 120 at 1400 and the 80 at 1300. I'm not the least bit interested in anything but the sound at those speeds! SPRC can drop on by anytime, and they won't be laughing when they leave! I have to turn everything off in the room including the ceiling fan to be able to hear all the noise the computer makes. The first thing everybody notices and comments on when they first see my computer is how much quieter it is than their's. It's the first thing everyone notices!
Quote:
Unfortunately the Silverstones are not on that site (and given it's a site about silent PCs, they probably never will be) but I bet if the Silverstones were on there, they'd be at least 42dB.
Do you realize just how loud 42dBA is? It's about 16dBA above ambient dBA level! That's very loud! I'll have to send you some sound bites, and you will see what I mean. I'll do it late tonight so the ambient noise will be at it's lowest. I only had my hearing checked about 4 months ago and the Audiologist was amazed that I could hear over 21,000 cycles at my age. I have no problem hearing when a tiny ball from a ball bearing from one of my handpiece repairs, hit's the floor, so there's nothing wrong with my hearing!
I'm not the least bit impressed with "SPCR"! I think they are a bunch of fanatics! There testing methods are not the least bit scientific and they seem to favor certain brands, which is very strange given that certain fans that get good marks for low noise never appear on their site. I get the distinct feeling that it all has to do with support! I'll give them a challenge! Find me a 120mm fan that will deliver my present minimum of 72 cfm at 1400 rpm that makes less noise than what I have now and I'll buy it! In other words, put their money where their mouth is! If it doesn't make the same or less noise they can pay for it! One of these days I'm going to haul my console down to Orange and put it in the sound chamber and see exactly how much noise it makes. I don't know whether the results will be valid as there's no ventilation so I can't do it for very long!
Best Regards,
theone :>)
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
|
popol24
Junior Member
|
26. August 2007 @ 03:17 |
Link to this message
|
Ok, i want a new pc and I'm getting it custom built. I'm an extreme newbie when it comes to pc hardware and etc and thus, not even gonna try to build it. I went to the a computer shop today and the bloke there really helped me out. I really wish I wrote down the stuff he was recommending, so I basically forgot what he said. What I do know is what I want in the pc that i'm getting built.
What I want:
LOTS of hard drive space (I'm talking terrabytes here)
1 GB RAM, maybe even 2 GB
A decent motherboard/cpu/whatnot related to it that's easy to upgrade
A DVD burner
LCD screen
Windows Vista
A video card that'll play some games like Battlefield or WoW
This computer is mainly just gonna be for university stuff, watching stuff, playing games every now and then and storage.
The bloke who I asked today said that all that will cost around $2000 Australian Dollars (roughly $1700 US). So, what would you guys recommend? Thanks in advance!!!
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 26. August 2007 @ 03:18
|
|
rick5446
Suspended due to non-functional email address
|
26. August 2007 @ 04:40 |
Link to this message
|
|
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
26. August 2007 @ 20:24 |
Link to this message
|
rick5446,
Quote:
Myself I'm partial to AMD & I went with the 6000+ Dual Core Socket AM2 & Mobo..ASUS Crosshair,even though it has no IDE Plugs
According to the overhead picture on Newegg, there is one IDE right next to the power plug on the MB!
Unless Newegg has the wrong MB displayed, it should be where it is in the picture.
Best Regards,
theone
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
|
|
popol24
Junior Member
|
26. August 2007 @ 22:50 |
Link to this message
|
Thanks rick!
Ok, I went to another shop today and here's what they recommended:
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0 GHz SKT-775 CPU
Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2 SKT-775 MATX Motherboard
2 x Rambo 1024 MB PC-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Memory
Seagate 3.5" SATA 500GB 7200 RPM HDD
Liteon 20 x SATA Dual Layer DVD(+-)RW Drive
ECS GEForce 7200 GS 256 MB PCI - E Video Card
Thermal Take Soprano case with window 430W Black MIDI Case
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OEM
Microsoft CA9-00002 Basic Desktop Bundle OEM
V7 R19W12-A1 19" Widescreen 5MS LCD Monitor
This is the quote they gave me, word for word and it's gonna cost around $1599 Australian Dollars (roughly $1350 US)
Also, would it be wise to use a smaller hard drive, say 80 GB, for Windows Operation System to run on while the other big hard drives for storage?
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 26. August 2007 @ 22:56
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
26. August 2007 @ 23:41 |
Link to this message
|
popol24,
Quote:
Ok, I went to another shop today and here's what they recommended:
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0 GHz SKT-775 CPU
Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2 SKT-775 MATX Motherboard
2 x Rambo 1024 MB PC-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Memory
Seagate 3.5" SATA 500GB 7200 RPM HDD
Liteon 20 x SATA Dual Layer DVD(+-)RW Drive
ECS GEForce 7200 GS 256 MB PCI - E Video Card
Thermal Take Soprano case with window 430W Black MIDI Case
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OEM
Microsoft CA9-00002 Basic Desktop Bundle OEM
V7 R19W12-A1 19" Widescreen 5MS LCD Monitor
I'll start with the CPU. A better choice would be the E6420. The E4400 has a higher multiplier but that doesn't seem to have worked out that well for most that have tried to overclock it! You would benefit much more from the extra 2 MB of L2 cache with the 6420, and it overclocks well!
Motherboard is a terrible choice! the 945 chipset doesn't work all that well with C2Ds, and has only 2 stage power regulation. A couple of better choices would be The GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 v1.33 or v3.3. I have the V1.33 and it was the easiest OC of my life!
Your hard drive choice is OK
If you are springing for new memory then go with PC6400 (800MHz) Corsair, G.Skill, any of the better brands. make sure it's cas4 or better. It's not that expensive!
DVD Burners are kind of a subjective thing. I prefer the Sony Optiarcs for the same money as they have a larger 2 MB cache and are available in both Sata and IDE!
Video card is a poor choice as there are much better choices available at low prices, than the 7200. I have an XFX 7600GT and they can be had for around $100 (USD)!
Your case choice is both good and bad. The Case itself is fine but the power supply is a bit short on wattage. I don't recommend anything less than 500 watts these days, preferably with a 70% or higher efficiency rating. Window cases are all nice and pretty, but I don't know that I've seen any with static air vents to help move cool air inside the case. I went from a window to a non window case, and I can say honestly that the non window case keeps things much cooler and lets less noise out.
Your choice of Vista has me completely puzzled. From what I've read, here and in other forums, Vista is a horror show! It's bugs have bugs! XP-Pro SP2 would be a far better choice, especially since I'm not sure if all of the components you list are Vista compatible!
Your monitor is not a great choice either as the resolutions on a 19" widescreens are not that great. Look around at the 20" or larger ones as you get 1680x1050 rather than 1440x900, or even less with some brands!
I fully realize that someone is hoping to sell you all of this, so they have their interests at heart, not yours. Some of the choices they offered you are poor, at best!
Best Regards
theone :>}
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. August 2007 @ 00:16
|
Senior Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 01:14 |
Link to this message
|
|
@popol24
I second everything theonejrs said about the local shops choices...not very good...
You shouldn't be afraid to build it yourself...You should be able to build something much better for the same price...with a little help...
It is not that difficult...and you can get the help you need...Online...
I like the Idea of seperate HD for the OS...I would recommend something bigger then 80GB tho...
Go with at least 2Gb of Ram...It's cheap right now..and its not going to stay that way...
What's your Realistic Budget on the build?..
|
|
popol24
Junior Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 01:23 |
Link to this message
|
Originally posted by theonejrs:
popol24,
Quote:
Ok, I went to another shop today and here's what they recommended:
Intel Core 2 Duo E4400 2.0 GHz SKT-775 CPU
Gigabyte GA-945GZM-S2 SKT-775 MATX Motherboard
2 x Rambo 1024 MB PC-5300 DDR2 SDRAM Memory
Seagate 3.5" SATA 500GB 7200 RPM HDD
Liteon 20 x SATA Dual Layer DVD(+-)RW Drive
ECS GEForce 7200 GS 256 MB PCI - E Video Card
Thermal Take Soprano case with window 430W Black MIDI Case
Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium OEM
Microsoft CA9-00002 Basic Desktop Bundle OEM
V7 R19W12-A1 19" Widescreen 5MS LCD Monitor
I'll start with the CPU. A better choice would be the E6420. The E4400 has a higher multiplier but that doesn't seem to have worked out that well for most that have tried to overclock it! You would benefit much more from the extra 2 MB of L2 cache with the 6420, and it overclocks well!
Motherboard is a terrible choice! the 945 chipset doesn't work all that well with C2Ds, and has only 2 stage power regulation. A couple of better choices would be The GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 v1.33 or v3.3. I have the V1.33 and it was the easiest OC of my life!
Your hard drive choice is OK
If you are springing for new memory then go with PC6400 (800MHz) Corsair, G.Skill, any of the better brands. make sure it's cas4 or better. It's not that expensive!
DVD Burners are kind of a subjective thing. I prefer the Sony Optiarcs for the same money as they have a larger 2 MB cache and are available in both Sata and IDE!
Video card is a poor choice as there are much better choices available at low prices, than the 7200. I have an XFX 7600GT and they can be had for around $100 (USD)!
Your case choice is both good and bad. The Case itself is fine but the power supply is a bit short on wattage. I don't recommend anything less than 500 watts these days, preferably with a 70% or higher efficiency rating. Window cases are all nice and pretty, but I don't know that I've seen any with static air vents to help move cool air inside the case. I went from a window to a non window case, and I can say honestly that the non window case keeps things much cooler and lets less noise out.
Your choice of Vista has me completely puzzled. From what I've read, here and in other forums, Vista is a horror show! It's bugs have bugs! XP-Pro SP2 would be a far better choice, especially since I'm not sure if all of the components you list are Vista compatible!
Your monitor is not a great choice either as the resolutions on a 19" widescreens are not that great. Look around at the 20" or larger ones as you get 1680x1050 rather than 1440x900, or even less with some brands!
I fully realize that someone is hoping to sell you all of this, so they have their interests at heart, not yours. Some of the choices they offered you are poor, at best!
Best Regards
theone :>}
LOL
First off, that had way too much jargon for me lol and I do appreciate your feedback.
Ok, where to begin...
CPU: I don't plan on overclocking anything, because that is way out of my league. And I really didn't understand much about what you said lol
All that "extra 2 MB of L2 cache with the 6420", "highier multiplier" stuff didn't really make sense. (I am an absolute ignorant fool when it comes to this and I'd really like to have a general knowledge so I don't make a fool of myself next time and also because this is highly interesting for me LOL) So, if I'm not going to overclock the CPU I mentioned, does that mean this will suite me just fine?
Motherboard: "the 945 chipset doesn't work all that well with C2Ds, and has only 2 stage power regulation" No idea what's going on here as well lol Again, I'm not into overclocking
Memory: "make sure it's cas4 or better" No idea what all that means lol (I'm sorry for my ignorance again) Are you saying to just get a good brand?
DVD Burner: "larger 2 MB cache" What does that mean and how does it benefit a DVD Burner?
Case: "short on wattage. I don't recommend anything less than 500 watts these days, preferably with a 70% or higher efficiency rating" So I need a better power supply to power up the whole thing? I did like the look of the case. It looks really flashy lol
Vista: Screw it, I'll go with XP SP2. Vista just looked cool, hence I liked it. I also heard that you can't get viruses with Vista, like a Mac... Not sure about this tho
Monitor/Video Card: I won't be playing much games, mainly video editting. I do like playing counter strike and battlefield lol
Thanks for your feedback again, appreciate it :)
My budget would be around $1500 - $1800 Australian dollars. $2000 would be really pushing it tho. If it's in the price range I mentioned, then it'll be out the door lol
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. August 2007 @ 01:26
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
27. August 2007 @ 02:07 |
Link to this message
|
popol24,
I just did a little on line shopping and came up with a much better system for $1069 (USD). I priced everything from newegg.com.
$100 GigaByte GA-965P-DS3 v3.3 Motherboard. The 945 chipset is at best a kludge as it was never intended for the C2Ds and works poorly with them!
$100 G.Skill F2-6400CL4D 2x1GB cas 4 memory
$186 Intel E6430
$107 Thermaltake Soprano Case. I know the window looks flashy, but it's strictly a case of form vs function! I'll take function any day having had it both ways with the same components!
$ 70 Thermaltake 500 Watt Dual Rail PS
$ 54 Seagate 160 GB Sata 3.0 HD
$120 Seagate 500 GB Sata 3.0 HD
$ 90 Evga 7600GT 256 GB PCI-e x 16 vid card
$ 33 Sony Optiarc 18x Sata DVD Burner
$ 20 Asus DVD Rom Drive
$179 Sceptre 20.1 Naga 1680x1050 LCD monitor
This all comes to $1069 (USD) and would be a much better system than some of the junk they are offering you.
You would come away with a far superior MB, CPU, memory and PS. You would also have a larger Primary hard drive (160 vs 80 GB) as well as your desired 500 GB, a much better video card, a better DVD Burner and a DVD Rom drive. I own a Sceptre 20.1 and at $179, it's a bargain. For your purposes, it would be a fine machine! As far as overclocking goes, it's not that difficult, particularly with the suggested MB and the other components. Even at a comparitively mild overclock, this would be an excellent machine for video editing!
Trust me when I say that you can build it yourself and everyone here will be more than willing to help if you have any problems. In this day and age, it's an easy thing to do and not complicated at all! The above is just a suggestion to show you what you can get for your hard earned money. If you do plan on leaving it stock, then you won't even really need any better cooling than the CPU cooler that comes with the CPU, although I would still recommend an Arctic Freezer 7 Pro or a Zalman 9500, either way. Add another $50 or so for that
Best Regards,
theone
GigaByte 990FXA-UD5 - AMD FX-8320 @4.0GHz @1.312v - Corsair H-60 liquid CPU Cooler - 4x4 GB GSkill RipJaws DDR3/1866 Cas8, 8-9-9-24 - Corsair 400-R Case - OCZ FATAL1TY 550 watt Modular PSU - Intel 330 120GB SATA III SSD - WD Black 500GB SATA III - WD black 1 TB Sata III - WD Black 500GB SATA II - 2 Asus DRW-24B1ST DVD-Burner - Sony 420W 5.1 PL-II Suround Sound - GigaByte GTX550/1GB 970 Mhz Video - Asus VE247H 23.6" HDMI 1080p Monitor
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. August 2007 @ 02:16
|
Senior Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 02:16 |
Link to this message
|
|
popol, i believe the smaller HD to put your operating system to run on would be a raptor drive...a fast harrdrive that runs at 10kRPM i THINK, and they are often much smaller.
SO yeh, if you ran your OS on that, and then had a big SATA or something for storage.
Thanks ireland!![afterdawn legend]
|
AfterDawn Addict
|
27. August 2007 @ 04:36 |
Link to this message
|
|
@popol24,
Lp531 and theone are spot on here. :) I would at least look at building the thing yourself. It's not that difficult and it's fun if you like that sorta thing.
I thought you were looking at TB's of storage. If so you can add 500GB drives all day long for $110USD each. Just a thought.
If you're not confident enough to build this thing yourself then ask a computer "geek" friend how much they would charge to build it for you, while you watched. That's what a buddy did with me but I didn't charge, I'm of the old school; What are friends for? right??? :D
If you want some help choosing components then link us to the sight that you would use for purchasing. Like theone said we would be more than willing to help you in any way that we could.
Best regards,
.....gm
|
|
Jinkazuya
Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 04:59 |
Link to this message
|
Does anybody here use Acronis Image for their backup or restoration for your PC? If you guys do, please tell me how to use it.
|
|
popol24
Junior Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 05:05 |
Link to this message
|
WOW!!!
First thing I have to say is, thank you guys so much!!! You guys have tremendously helped me with this, and it is very very very much appreciated!!! Not only have you guys saved me time and money, you guys have inspired me to actually build it myself lol. So I think I'll start surfing Australian websites where I can buy the stuff that theonejrs listed there, unless someone else suggests better.
The only thing that I fear is that some of the things listed might not be available here in Australia, or even worse, might not ship to where I live (I live in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia; a very very remote capital city and perhaps the most un-advance place in Australia lol). I'll post the webpages where I might potentially buy. I'm open to suggestions on how to get parts to make the PC run better (my limit is around $1300 US).
As for building it, I will get a mate to help me out, so I don't blow it up LOL.
Also, if anyone knows a good Australian website to buy the cheap stuff, posting it here or sending me a pm would be great. I would look around in computer shops here in Darwin, but I doubt I'll find cheap stuff here. They bloody overcharge here!!!
Another question: How many hard drives can that case hold? And how many SATA ports does that motherboard have? And what does C2D and cas4 mean? Cheers :)
Anyways, thanks again guys and keep in touch :)
This message has been edited since posting. Last time this message was edited on 27. August 2007 @ 05:17
|
|
Advertisement
|
|
|
Senior Member
|
27. August 2007 @ 05:14 |
Link to this message
|
Thanks ireland!![afterdawn legend]
|
|
