Building a new computer

[tasmanian]

I have around 2k-2.5k to speand on a new desktop. I currently am undecided on most things.

Power supply

Case

Motherboard

CPU - somthing from intel

Heatsink/fan for the CPU

Memory - 4 gigs

Primary hard drive

Primary optical drive

Video card - was leaning toward an 8800

 

[tasmanian]

Edited with better format.

 

[chinaman1472]

Here's some ideas to get you jump started.

Seasonic, Antec, Enermax, Corsair, there's quite a few good manufacturers. Get something in the 500-600 watt range, it should be enough.
With that budget, I'd probably go SLi with an nVidia chipset, eVGA I think one of the better 680i (and probably 780i soon) boards for SLi. DFI boards are usually good for overclocking and should be available with nVidia chipsets for SLi. The Gigabyte P35-DS3R, ASUS P5K, Abit IP35 are good non-SLi ones using Intel chipsets I believe.
Tuniq Tower for ~$45, Thermalright 120 ~$45-60 for a good heatsink.
Corsair, Crucial, OCZ are good memory brands.
Video Card should be at least dual 8800 GT or 8800 GTS 512. I *think* nVidia is releasing new high end cards in 2-3 months, but don't take my word for it.
You can probably get Raptors so they're faster, but I believe you'll be more limited on space if it's an issue.

 

[BlueBirdTS]

Do you really need to spend that much money? $1500 is more than enough for a gaming PC these days, unless you're one of those people that has to have the ultimate system. If you're looking into such a high-end system, make sure you get an EVGA graphics card so you can step up to the newer ones in February. Also, keep in mind that the new Yorkfields (quadcore Penryns) should be out in a few months, so this isn't the best time to build the "ultimate" machine. However, a Q6600 or an E8400/E8500 are really good CPUs that are relatively cheap.

 

[DSF]

Answer the questions in the sticky thread to give people a better idea what you need.

I could drum up a parts list for you, and it would probably look quite different than chinaman's, but that doesn't mean either of us would really address your needs.

 

[Doclife]

A gaming rig can be had for less than $1K. It makes no sense to spend $2.5K for a rig that would be outdated within, say 2 years.

My suggestion:


CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Dual Core Processor LGA775 3.0GHZ Wolfdale 1333FSB 6MB Retail $189

http://www.ncixus.com/products...84/BX80570E8400/Intel/


Latest Intel 45nm CPU. This processor runs cooler, faster, has larger cache than the 65nm CPU and cost the same. The fact that it runs cooler means that you will not need to buy an aftermarket CPU cooler. Stock cooler is more than adequate and it is quiet, even under load. I'm running a 65nm CPU (E4500), OCing to 3GHz with stock cooler without any problems (see my signature)


MOTHERBOARD: GIGABYTE GA-P35-DS3R Rev. 2.0 LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard $123

http://clubit.com/product_detail.cfm?itemno=A4830711


Superb onboard sound. No need to buy a sound card.


MEMORY: Transcend 4GB(2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) $76

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820208353


Jedec standard memory, so compatibility should not be an issue here.


VIDEO CARD: ECS N8800GT-512MX+ GeForce 8800GT 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express $270

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814134035

Silent operation.


PSU: Antec earthwatts EA430 ATX12V v2.0 430W Power Supply 100 - 240 V $30 (after $30 rebate)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817371006


430W is plenty to power any single video card system nowaday.



HD: SAMSUNG SpinPoint T Series HD501LJ 500GB 7200 RPM 16MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive $110

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822152052



CASE: Antec P182 Super Mid-Tower Case w/ 11 Bays (Gunmetal Black) $87 (after $40 rebate and $10 discount Google checkout)

http://www.buy.com/prod/antec-...loc/101/204356166.html

Best case on the market as far as cooling and quietness is concerned.


CD/DVD BURNER: SAMSUNG Black CD?DVD burner $30

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16827151153



GRAND TOTAL: $915

 

[DSF]

Essentially I'd have recommended something very similar to Doclife, although I might've suggested a slightly smaller case like the Antec Solo. The cooling is still very good, and it's nice and quiet. I don't see the need for a larger case like the P182 when you only have 1 video card, the stock cooler, and 2 drives.

However, an 8800GTX doesn't fit in the Solo if I recall correctly. What that means as far as compatibility with future graphics cards, I'm not sure. It fits an 8800GT or 8800GTS just fine, so I expect it to be ok for at least a few years.

The only thing I'd be worried about with Doclife's 8800GT is that it carries only a one-year warranty. There shouldn't be any problems with the card, but everyone gets a bum card once in a while. If it craps out on day 367, you're SOL. Personally, I'd get a card that has a warranty of at least three years. That way you're covered as long as the card is useful in a gaming machine.

Edit: But again, what are you doing with the PC? Are you planning to overclock? Exactly how much stuff do you need to store?

 

[cozumel]

Originally posted by: Doclife
Superb onboard sound. No need to buy a sound card.

I diagree with anyone saying the on-board is superb. Yes it is far better than on-board used to offer a few years ago, and yes it offers satisfactory sound. It will be blown away however by Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer or Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 in sound reproduction. An old Audigy will beat the the on-board sound quality. When you get your new mobo plug in your old soundcard or borrow one from a friend and see what you think.

As far as the choice of case is concerned, I like ther Cooler Master RC-690. It is a high-quality, well-built, inexpensive and large Mid-Tower that can cope with full-length video cards. The 690 provides you with plenty of room to work with now and in the future and has good ariflow to keep your componenets cool. Far more expensive than the 690 are the CM stacker or Cosmos. Great build quality but extremely big, cooling and upgrading paths. You may need to undertake some minor construction at your home to fit one of these two monsters in your room.

 

[amdfansftw]

i personally think spending 2k on a "gaming" system is stupid. i can put together a great system with two HD, 2 optical drives, all the things you need and an 8800gt for way less than a grand. if you were doing something like video editing or something like that then i could see spending more than 1k but come on. doclife has a good build going on right there you should listen to him

 

[Doclife]

Originally posted by: cozumel

Originally posted by: Doclife
Superb onboard sound. No need to buy a sound card.

I diagree with anyone saying the on-board is superb. Yes it is far better than on-board used to offer a few years ago, and yes it offers satisfactory sound. It will be blown away however by Creative X-Fi Extreme Gamer or Auzentech X-Fi Prelude 7.1 in sound reproduction. An old Audigy will beat the the on-board sound quality. When you get your new mobo plug in your old soundcard or borrow one from a friend and see what you think.

As far as the choice of case is concerned, I like ther Cooler Master RC-690. It is a high-quality, well-built, inexpensive and large Mid-Tower that can cope with full-length video cards. The 690 provides you with plenty of room to work with now and in the future and has good ariflow to keep your componenets cool. Far more expensive than the 690 are the CM stacker or Cosmos. Great build quality but extremely big, cooling and upgrading paths. You may need to undertake some minor construction at your home to fit one of these two monsters in your room.

OP, I suggest you try out the onboard sound with a good pair of speaker for yourself first. If you don't think that it is good enough for you then spend the money to buy a $100 soundcard and see if you like it better. There is no need to spend the money on the sound card now.

The lowest price I can find for the Cooler Master RC-690 is ~$56 including shipping (after $35 rebate). The P182 costs $87 with free shipping. The cost difference is $31, but the P182 is a much much better quality case IMHO. The Antec Solo suggested by DSF is also an excellent choice.

 

[tasmanian]

Thanks for the suggestions guy. I think im going to go with doclife's build except change the graphics card to 2 8800gts. Also a bigger psu.

 

[Roguestar]

http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=40&threadid=2145142
You can find cheaper RAM in this thread in Hot Deals!

Don't SLI two mid-range graphics cards! Especially with your budget, there's no excuse. If you're running a huge monitor or need the best of the best, just get an 8800GTX from EVGA and step up to the latest 9800 series cards in a few months. If you really really have to SLI two mid-range cards (ugh) then don't get the 640MB version of the 8800GTS, get the 512MB version that uses a newer chip revision.

 

[RyanW2050]

Spend the extra money on a nice monitor.

 

[chuckm]

You cannot do SLI on an Intel chipset motherboard, you need a Nvidia chipset for that. Intel boards do crossfire which requires ATI gpu's