My First Build

G4x2 · Mar 19, 2008, 11:07 PM

Hello all
I am considering building my own PC (this will be PC I get to build, yay!)
This PC will be used primarily for gaming (not hardcore gaming...I have no interest in playing games at high resolutions with max settings...due to my budget).
I do not plan on SLI, Crossfire or any other multi GPU config at this time (budget)
I also do not plan on over-clocking this system.
I plan on buying these parts soonish (in 2-3 weeks)
Im curious as to your opinions on these parts:

Monitor: Dell 20" Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor

Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail

Hard Drive: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM

Graphics Card: Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail

PSU: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-650-ACAA-A1 ATX Form Factor 12V V2.3 / SSI Standard EPS 12V V2.91 650W Power Supply 90 - 264 V Nemko / TUV / cUL / CE / BSMI / FCC / CCC / CCC / C-tick / GOST - Retail

Memory: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail

total $1,372.94
my budget limit ~$1,500

Thanks!

Judas · Mar 19, 2008, 11:24 PM

The monitor..... while dells higher end ones are pretty damn good i think you could probably get a much better one through BenQ or even Acer for that size...At most likely the same if not possibly lower cost.... it's worth investigation either way.

Case, excellent choice, the new revision of the 690 cases have resolved a few of my complaints i had with them. they are a nice case indeed.

The hardrive is a good choice... very excellent performance to price ratio....

Graphics card. pretty decent choice...

The powersupply should be more then sufficient.... course 500 watt should be technically more then enough for that system... 600 is a guaranteed solution... so long as it's got 4 12v rails and are rated above 15amps per.

Memory, if i could suggest, check out the 4GB kits.... the dollar value difference is marginal... i can guarantee you that you'd rather have 4gb of PC6400 ram then 2gb of PC8500 ram... but check out the different ones.... as you said.. overclocking was a major concern.. right?

The only thing i woudl suggest "considering" is dropping the EX38-dq6 for a EX38-DS4 (that should save a few pennies and you've mentioned... you aren't overclocking or doing anything over the top)

CPU, hmm, have you considered the Q6600? You'd lose 600mhz on the 2 cores, but then again you've gain another 2 of the 2.4ghz cores as well... the price is beyond marginal. Pretty steller performing chips....

And lastly,

Windows vista, x64, GET IT. home premium is typically MORE then what most people need...

**kris23** · Mar 20, 2008, 02:42 AM

go with everything that Judas said about monitors, he buys them by the buttload and knows more than nearly everyone about them.

heres my hardware recommendation:

just about any Quad Core CPU can beat any Dual Core CPU on the market in overall performance on all cores. the Q6600 is your best bet.
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail

your HDD, PSU, Case, and GPU are all perfect, stick with them.

the Corsair Dominator DDR2 1066 2x1GB sticks are crap but the DDR2 2x2GB sticks are some mad performers, they're my recommendation.
Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail

for OS, i recommend Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition.

lastly, the mobo, you cant go wrong with the GA-X38-DS4
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail

Vikingod · Mar 20, 2008, 01:58 PM

Three things I'd change:

You need a bigger HDD, for a few bucks more you can get one twice that size.

As far as the CPU goes, I'd get the Q6600. Same price, and it's the best deal on the market now, hands-down.

You might want to consider more RAM too. It's pretty cheap now, and worth the investment.

Judas · Mar 20, 2008, 03:29 PM

i wouldn't say i know a buttload about monitors....

swimtech does

**kris23** · Mar 20, 2008, 04:51 PM

i dont see swimtech on that often anymore.....

G4x2 · Mar 20, 2008, 10:11 PM

Thanks for the recommendations everyone I really appreciate it!

These are the changes I've made:
Newegg.com - Acer AL2016WBbd Black 20" 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 800:1 - Retail
Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail
I wanted to get the 4GB memory for Vista 64bit OS but the link that you provided kris23 is currently out of stock

I'll wait since I still have a few weeks (2-3) before purchase.

About the OS: I plan to go Vista 64bit to take advantage of the hardware...the only thing that is holding me back is driver support. (I need to investigate this further...)

About the PSU:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Judas

so long as it's got 4 12v rails and are rated above 15amps per.

Is there a reason why it has to be 4 12V rails?
the PSU im planning to get has 3 12V rails at 19A each(i think):

Should I consider getting a different PSU with 4 12V rails?

Im not so sure about getting more hard drive space now but if I had to I would go with
Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 (Perpendicular Recording) ST3500630AS 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM (still thinking about this)

OldBuzzard · Mar 20, 2008, 10:31 PM

Actually current thinking is saying that a single rail is better.

In that price range (after rebate) you could get the Corsair 750TX, or the 620HX. Both would do a good job for you. 620HX would have the advantage of being modular.

The nice thing about Corsair Power Supplies (at least so far), is that there isn't a loser in the bunch. All of them are about as good as you can get in their respective classes.

**kris23** · Mar 20, 2008, 10:44 PM

lol man, Judas said that about the quad rail PSU, i say single rail all the way man.

and for the hard drive, i highly recommend the seagate 7200.11 500GB as you are going 500Gb now.

Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
its alt faster, i love my set.

i highly suggest the Corsair 750TX if you plan on going with heavy grade equipment in the future (eg. Quad Core OC, 8Gb RAM OC, Quad GPU OC) its also a great deal for the price, i plan on jumping on the 1000w version when newegg gets it

Judas · Mar 20, 2008, 10:57 PM

hmm... i'm not completely sure that specific model of coolermaster does it's splits.. if it's a "shared" solution or not..

I'm not to much of a fan of single rail psu anymore... nor am i really happy with the quad/dual/triple solution as it's very hard to know exactly how they are setup..

i'd rather much have a official quad rail rated psu then a dual or triple... it's much easier to load balance the rated rails.

But typically from what i understood, the first 12v rails are for the motherboards main 24pin connector.. the 2nd for the motherboard 12v+ P4/P8 connections and other interal devices.. and the 3rd would be for PCI-ex ..... but i'm not completely sure..... best look up reference designs for them.

G4x2 · Mar 20, 2008, 10:58 PM

Sorry about the misquote kris23
I dont think ill be going heavy on the upgrades in the future...
The HD thing is still up in the air right now (need to see if i can get it within range of my spending budget... BTW...im used to working with 40GB HD right now on my laptop

so 500GB is a huge and nice improvement in space)

Judas · Mar 20, 2008, 11:07 PM

er..

just a fyi

with the intel chipset board... (which is an excellent board)

you won't be able to run SLI at all.. only specifically nvidia nforce boards support that.

Crossfire however is an option..

but i wouldn't recommend SLI or Crossfire for anyone unless they were really crazy lol.. (i'm NUTZ)

best off with just upgrading the video card rather then buying another similare card for sli.

Mar 19, 2008, 11:07 PM	#1
G4x2 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	My First Build Hello all I am considering building my own PC (this will be PC I get to build, yay!) This PC will be used primarily for gaming (not hardcore gaming...I have no interest in playing games at high resolutions with max settings...due to my budget). I do not plan on SLI, Crossfire or any other multi GPU config at this time (budget) I also do not plan on over-clocking this system. I plan on buying these parts soonish (in 2-3 weeks) Im curious as to your opinions on these parts: Monitor: Dell 20" Widescreen Flat Panel Monitor Case: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKN1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail Hard Drive: Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM Graphics Card: Newegg.com - EVGA 512-P3-N801-AR GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card - Retail PSU: Newegg.com - COOLER MASTER Real Power Pro RS-650-ACAA-A1 ATX Form Factor 12V V2.3 / SSI Standard EPS 12V V2.91 650W Power Supply 90 - 264 V Nemko / TUV / cUL / CE / BSMI / FCC / CCC / CCC / C-tick / GOST - Retail Memory: Newegg.com - CORSAIR Dominator 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail Motherboard: Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DQ6 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail CPU: Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 Conroe 3.0GHz 4M shared L2 Cache LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor - Retail total $1,372.94 my budget limit ~$1,500 Thanks!

Mar 20, 2008, 02:42 AM	#3
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,990 Rep Power: 121 System Specs	go with everything that Judas said about monitors, he buys them by the buttload and knows more than nearly everyone about them. heres my hardware recommendation: just about any Quad Core CPU can beat any Dual Core CPU on the market in overall performance on all cores. the Q6600 is your best bet. Newegg.com - Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor - Retail your HDD, PSU, Case, and GPU are all perfect, stick with them. the Corsair Dominator DDR2 1066 2x1GB sticks are crap but the DDR2 2x2GB sticks are some mad performers, they're my recommendation. Newegg.com - CORSAIR DOMINATOR 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 1066 (PC2 8500) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail for OS, i recommend Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit edition. lastly, the mobo, you cant go wrong with the GA-X38-DS4 Newegg.com - GIGABYTE GA-EX38-DS4 LGA 775 Intel X38 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Mar 20, 2008, 01:58 PM	#4
Vikingod Int'l Fish Liaison Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: By the light of lamp I sit and type... Posts: 16,187 Rep Power: 109 System Specs	Three things I'd change: You need a bigger HDD, for a few bucks more you can get one twice that size. As far as the CPU goes, I'd get the Q6600. Same price, and it's the best deal on the market now, hands-down. You might want to consider more RAM too. It's pretty cheap now, and worth the investment. __________________ *How You Can Help DriverHeaven By Using Digg*

Mar 20, 2008, 04:51 PM	#6
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,990 Rep Power: 121 System Specs	i dont see swimtech on that often anymore..... __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Mar 20, 2008, 10:31 PM	#8
OldBuzzard DH's oldest Geek Join Date: May 2003 Location: Oberlin, OH Posts: 2,781 Rep Power: 141 System Specs	Actually current thinking is saying that a single rail is better. In that price range (after rebate) you could get the Corsair 750TX, or the 620HX. Both would do a good job for you. 620HX would have the advantage of being modular. The nice thing about Corsair Power Supplies (at least so far), is that there isn't a loser in the bunch. All of them are about as good as you can get in their respective classes. __________________ When looking for a reason as to why things go wrong, never rule out sheer STUPIDITY

Mar 20, 2008, 10:44 PM	#9
kris23 Going Insane..... Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 5,990 Rep Power: 121 System Specs	lol man, Judas said that about the quad rail PSU, i say single rail all the way man. and for the hard drive, i highly recommend the seagate 7200.11 500GB as you are going 500Gb now. Newegg.com - Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 ST3500320AS 500GB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM its alt faster, i love my set. i highly suggest the Corsair 750TX if you plan on going with heavy grade equipment in the future (eg. Quad Core OC, 8Gb RAM OC, Quad GPU OC) its also a great deal for the price, i plan on jumping on the 1000w version when newegg gets it __________________ Hardwareheaven Super-Moderator Building a new computer system and not sure where to start? Click Here! last updated (5/18/11) Rosewill FUTURE case replaces CM 690 II with its greater interior length. Building a PC: Step by Step Guide Written by Kristopher Pedemonte and Nathan Marks-Forder Edited by Allan Campbell Questions or Comments? feel free to post them in the forums!

Mar 20, 2008, 10:58 PM	Thread Starter #11
G4x2 DriverHeaven Newbie Join Date: Mar 2008 Posts: 3 Rep Power: 0	Sorry about the misquote kris23 I dont think ill be going heavy on the upgrades in the future... The HD thing is still up in the air right now (need to see if i can get it within range of my spending budget... BTW...im used to working with 40GB HD right now on my laptop so 500GB is a huge and nice improvement in space) Last edited by G4x2; Mar 20, 2008 at 11:27 PM.