Building A New Computer

[IsenMike]

For X-Mas my folks have given me a $2,000 computer-building budget. Here is what I have come up with so far

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700
MoBo: Gigabyte GA-965P-S3 (or the DS3 if NewEgg gets it back in stock before I place the order)
Memory: 2 gigs, Patriot eXtreme Performance DDR2 800
Power Supply: Apevia Iceberg 680W
Video Card: Sapphire Radeon X1950XTX
Sound Card: Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer Fatal1ty Pro
Hard Drive: Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 500GB SATA
Case: XCLIO A380BK
CD/DVD Burner: Pioneer Model DVR-111D

I have replaced just about every part in the computer I have currently, but I've never built a machine from scratch, so I'm not 100% confident in my choices here. Is everything going to be compatible? Memory and motherboard, for example? Is that enough of a PSU?

I want a computer that'll be powerful enough that I won't have to upgrade for a while. I use my computer for gaming, watching movies, ripping/encoding DVDs. I have recently begun fooling around with Linux so I'll probably be dual-booting Vista and Ubuntu. I'm not very heavily into overclocking, but I do like to have some basic options open to me so that I'll be able to squeeze out a bit more power in a few years when I'm saving up for the next machine.

Anything missing? Anything that's no good? Anything that could be better? I'm about $150 under budget, though I'm not looking to spend just to spend.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[moosey]

Well if you're gonna try and o/c the thing, I'd maybe opt for an e6600 processor over the e6700 and save some money there.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...0&Submit=ENE&N=0&Ntk=all&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
You still get the 4M cache with that too.

With the saved money, I'd go for a DrectX10 card from nvidia instead of the Radeon (DX9). Look into the GF8800GTS (GTX if you can afford it).

680W is way enough on the PSU (especially since you don't seem to have a dual graphics setup in mind). However, I don't know if Aprevia/Aspire is really a top of the line brand. I'd look at a Seasonic, Silverstone, Enhance or maybe an FSP...something along those lines.
Edit: http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=974240&highlight=aspire

Motherboard looks pretty good, only difference with that and the DS3 is the all solid-state caps on the DS3. I'd also look into the Asus P5B series though.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...t=ENE&Manufactory=1315&SubCategory=280
OR
maybe even a BadAxe2...fast board and real stable
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...item-details.asp?EdpNo=2563503&CatId=0

 

[IsenMike]

For overclocking, I know almost nothing about voltages and timings and all that jazz. About all I can handle is a little slider that says "overclock" or the bios equivalent. Also it's not something I usually do until I feel like the system is starting to get old and I want to squeeze more life out of it.

Given that I probably won't be OC'ing out of the box, do you think I'll see a substantial difference between the e6600 and the e6700?

Re: getting a DX10 card: I tend to be very hesitant about getting the first release of a new generation of hardware, and paying a premium for it, since the likelyhood of them being buggy is higher and they depreciate so much faster. I don't know the details of the new Nvidia cards though. Do you think it's worth it?

Thanks very much for catching me on the PSU. I'll switch that out right away. How much wattage do you think I need for this sort of setup?

I'll have to think a bit more about the mobo. Since I'm not going to be using Crossfire, I don't think the Asus P5B series would give me much in the way of a performance boost, but they do seem to have a lot of those little "make life easier" bells and whistles that the Gigabyte may not have. Unless I'm missing something major?

Unrelated question: does SLI only work with Nvidia cards, and Crossfire with ATI cards?

 

[Roguestar]

E6700 -> E6600 Save the cash, overclock a bit.
X1950XTX -> 8800GTS Or if you don't want to go DX10 until it has proved itself, get an X1950pro to tide you over and save the cash until summer.
X-Fi Xtreme Gamer blah blah -> Vanilla X-Fi or just onboard sound. The S3 had 7.1 surround support anyway so you may not need the marketing hype.

 

[w00t]

your parents gave you 2,000 dollars budget for x-mas ROFL SPOILED

anyways

I'd downgrade to the E6600 not worth the extra cash for the E6700.

I am not a fan of the DS3 or the S3 not reliable for ocing either is good or bad also don't like the 965P chipset.

ram seems pretty good

bit NO on that power supply it's shiet

I'd get a 8800GTS instead of that already support DX-10 and will last longer

get the Xtreme Music that Xtreme Gamer and the Fatality editions are just a waste of money and not needed.

Pretty good HD

that case is insanely lame

burner seems pretty good I'd probably look at NEC or benQ though.

you should make sure this system is going to run okay with ubuntu before hand I know ATi cards tend to be worse than nVidia cards for Linux at least.

 

[moosey]

Originally posted by: IsenMike


Re: getting a DX10 card: I tend to be very hesitant about getting the first release of a new generation of hardware, and paying a premium for it, since the likelyhood of them being buggy is higher and they depreciate so much faster. I don't know the details of the new Nvidia cards though. Do you think it's worth it?

The Radeon card you picked initially was about $380. Newegg has had the BFG and eVGA GF8800GTS for $430 with a $30 rebate. I'd go with that for a $20 price difference. At least you're getting the new technology for roughly the same price.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/ProductLi...1+1067924922&Submit=ENE&SubCategory=48


And yes, SLI=nvidia.....crossfire=ATI

Also, you'll be fine with the e6600 processor.

Also, for the PSU, I don't know an exact wattage you'd need, but get a good brand. You can check various PSU calculators online or something. I'm just about 99% sure you won't need over 600watts like you had.

Any other questions just post 'em.

 

[Roguestar]

Originally posted by: w00t
I am not a fan of the DS3 or the S3 not reliable for ocing either is good or bad also don't like the 965P chipset.

Either I'm reading your broken grammar the wrong way or you're talking crazy. I've got a S3 overclocking my E6300 to 3Ghz with absolutely no problems, and Duvie and Markffw in the CPU/OC forums have five between them, overclocking C2Ds to ~3.5Ghz.

 

[Skott]

With a E6600 or higher proc I'd suggest a 570, 650i, 680i, or the RD600 mobos. I wouldnt buy any psu from Apevia. Stick with a brand name of good quality. Good quality PSU's are not necessarily expensive. I'd forgo the Seagate 7200.9 and go with the 7200.10 models instead. Better performance and quality IMO. The sound card is a personal choice really. I'd go with a regular X-Fi XtremeMusic model. I dont consider anything with 'Fatal1ty' name on it worth much. Its just marketing gimmickery. But thats just a personal opinion.

 

[IsenMike]

I dropped the E6700 for the E6600, dropped the Fatal1ty sound card, and used the money saved to switch out the X1950XTX for an 8800GTX. Switched to a 680i mobo, upgraded from a 7200.9 Seagate HDD to a 7200.10, and switched out the crappy PSU for a Silverstone one. And since I'll be overclocking the E6600, I got a heatsink.

Here's the system now:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
MoBo: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-AR
Memory: 2 gigs, Patriot eXtreme Performance DDR2 800
PSU: Silverstone SST-ST60F 600W
Video Card: BFG Tech 8800GTX
Sound Card: Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (I looked into the XtremeMusic version, but it was actually more expensive)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA
Case: XCLIO A380BK
CD/DVD Burner: Pioneer Model DVR-111D
Heatsink/Fan: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

I'm about $20 over budget, not including shipping, but there's like $110 worth of rebates.

 

[IsenMike]

Originally posted by: w00t
that case is insanely lame

I've been having huge trouble in my current case with airflow, and wanted something bigger, so I figure a giant case with a ridiculously huge jet-turbine of a fan slapped onto it should solve those problems.

 

[Fenixgoon]

Originally posted by: IsenMike

Originally posted by: w00t
that case is insanely lame

I've been having huge trouble in my current case with airflow, and wanted something bigger, so I figure a giant case with a ridiculously huge jet-turbine of a fan slapped onto it should solve those problems.

does the case remind anyone else of "wind man" from mega man?:laugh:

 

[Skott]

It never ceases to amaze me how people equate bigger PC case fan = louder fan. In the PC case fan world bigger fans turn slower so noise isnt going to be an issue. Overall efficiency could be (depending on the entire case setup up) but not noise. It certainly wont be louder than a 120mm fan or two of them in front. Should be quieter in fact since its turning slower. As for looks, well, everyone sees beauty in a different light. IMO working efficiency is more important. In theory this case should move air efficiently and with little noise. Wether it does in practice or not I dont know. Never used one and never read a review of one. I know alot of people have laughed at the looks of it since it came out. By now there should be a professional review of one I would think.

 

[Gautama2]

Just to quell the nay-sayers of the Xtremegamer...

It is the exact same thing as the XtremeMusic. With one or two less connectors which the average user wont use, half the pcb, and a couple less caps. All of the X-Fi's except the XtremeAudio and Elite Pro use the same DAC, so they all have the same sound quality. And I believe, though would like confirmation, t he Gamer and Music have the same software bundle. And, everything cept the XtremeAudio supports the latest version of EAX

 

[IEC]

I'd STRONGLY recommend:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Gigabyte DS3 motherboard
2x1GB DDR2-800, Patriot is fine
PSU: High-watt Seasonic/Silverstone
nVidia 8800GTS or GTX if you can make your budget (owns everything)
Basic X-Fi
2x250GB HDDs
Antec case

 

[hurtstotalktoyou]

Originally posted by: ariafrost
I'd STRONGLY recommend:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Gigabyte DS3 motherboard
2x1GB DDR2-800, Patriot is fine
PSU: High-watt Seasonic/Silverstone
nVidia 8800GTS or GTX if you can make your budget (owns everything)
Basic X-Fi
2x250GB HDDs
Antec case

I agree, except:
*The DS3 is out of stock at Newegg and expensive at other places. The GA-965P-S3 will do just fine.
*DDR2-800 isn't necessary. DDR2-667 is more prudent, in my opinion.
*Seasonic and Silverstone are fairly expensive. FSP Group (Fortron Source) usually offers the best deals on PSUs, and they are very reliable.
*Antec cases are nice, but overrated. A case is a case. It will not add to or detract from performance. You can get a perfectly fine LCT model from supergooddeal for $28.99 flat. Make sure you realize that any more than that spent on a case goes exclusively to looks--and although it's nice to have a good-looking PC, do you really want to spend an extra $50-$100 to that end?

But none of these changes are essential. Whether you get the DS3 or S3, 800 or 667, Seasonic or FSP, Antec or LCT; you will be happy with your purchase.

 

[IsenMike]

Originally posted by: Skott
I know alot of people have laughed at the looks of it since it came out.

I definitely laughed when I first saw it. It's absolutely ridiculous. But then I thought, okay, fine. Ridiculous it will be. A lot of the cases I looked at struck me as just gaudy, overdesigned, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, just boring. This one certainly isn't boring, and I'll take ridiculous over gaudy any day.

Originally posted by: ariafrost
I'd STRONGLY recommend:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Gigabyte DS3 motherboard
2x1GB DDR2-800, Patriot is fine
PSU: High-watt Seasonic/Silverstone
nVidia 8800GTS or GTX if you can make your budget (owns everything)
Basic X-Fi
2x250GB HDDs
Antec case

Everyone else seems to be trying to talk me out of the Gigabyte mobo, and 965P in general. Why do you think I should stick with it?

And why 2x250GB instead of 1x500GB?

 

[Roguestar]

I don't know why people are trying to talk you out of it, or out of 965P. If you're after a cheap motherboard that will overclock well and support quad-core, it's fine. People seem to do better with the E6300 and E6400 with that chipset, too.

 

[sjandrewbsme]

Originally posted by: IsenMike

Here's the system now:

Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
MoBo: EVGA 122-CK-NF68-AR
Memory: 2 gigs, Patriot eXtreme Performance DDR2 800
PSU: Silverstone SST-ST60F 600W
Video Card: BFG Tech 8800GTX
Sound Card: Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer (I looked into the XtremeMusic version, but it was actually more expensive)
HDD: Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 500GB SATA
Case: XCLIO A380BK
CD/DVD Burner: Pioneer Model DVR-111D
Heatsink/Fan: Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro

I'm about $20 over budget, not including shipping, but there's like $110 worth of rebates.

I like everything but the case.

Also, unless you're on a short upgrade cycle or you're starting out with a dual card solution (i.e. building SLI/crossfire now) I don't you need to worry about SLI or Crossfire. When I built my system a couple years back, I chose an SLI motherboard with thoughts of dropping in another 6600GT and running SLI. I have yet to play anything that needs something faster but I've been looking to upgrade over the last few months (mostly out of curiosity). Right now, I can get a 7900gs for about the same price as a 6600GT card (it's hard to find this old card making this point moot pretty soon). The single 7900GS smokes the (2) 6600GT's in SLI.

Granted, this wouldn't be the case if I chose to upgrade about every 6 months to a year. But, this isn't anywhere near necessary for me. So, unless you need the latest/greatest or are on a short (by my terms at least) >1 year upgrade cycle, the dual card solutions probably aren't necessary.

 

[Skott]

There's nothing worng with the 965 mobos. In fact the best OCing 965 is the P5B D and E vserions IMO. The DS3 is pretty damn good too. I'd place it as second place behind the P5B. But they work best in conjunction with the E6300/E6400 procs when it comes to OCing. If you want the best OCing in conjunction with the E6600 or higher procs you'll find better overall performance on the 570s, 650i, 680i, and RD600 mobos. If you want the one of the 965 mobos I'd suggest dropping down to a E6300/E6400 and clock it up. Saves you money too.

 

[Skott]

Originally posted by: IsenMike

Originally posted by: Skott
I know alot of people have laughed at the looks of it since it came out.

I definitely laughed when I first saw it. It's absolutely ridiculous. But then I thought, okay, fine. Ridiculous it will be. A lot of the cases I looked at struck me as just gaudy, overdesigned, or on the opposite end of the spectrum, just boring. This one certainly isn't boring, and I'll take ridiculous over gaudy any day.

Originally posted by: ariafrost
I'd STRONGLY recommend:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600
Gigabyte DS3 motherboard
2x1GB DDR2-800, Patriot is fine
PSU: High-watt Seasonic/Silverstone
nVidia 8800GTS or GTX if you can make your budget (owns everything)
Basic X-Fi
2x250GB HDDs
Antec case

Everyone else seems to be trying to talk me out of the Gigabyte mobo, and 965P in general. Why do you think I should stick with it?

And why 2x250GB instead of 1x500GB?

Yeah, case looks is a personal choice. As long as it performs the way you like thats all that really matters.

 

[benplaut]

maybe look at a antec 900. Insane cooling and similar price. Plus, people actually use it

 

[zeeon2003]

A friend told me that the X-Fi XtremeGamer doesn't even use an X-Fi chip - it's an Audigy processor on-board with X-Fi software running on it... don't know if he's correct; he asked me why does XtremeGamer and XtremeAudio (new, cheaper cards) have a heatsink on the sound chip, while older X-Fi cards have a bold sticker with "X-Fi" on it? Haven't been able to get an Extremegamer and take of teh heatsink to test what lies beneath... nobody's willing me to give their hardware for my experiements .

I'd suggest:

Creative Labs Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeMusic PCI Sound Card
http://www.tigerdirect.com/applications...em-details.asp?EdpNo=1618860&CatId=107

Only $5 more.

 

[IsenMike]

So I ordered the parts from NewEgg today. Big thank you to all of you folks for helping me out here. The AnandTech community is absolutely amazing. Not only do you guys know your stuff, but the fact that you're all so willing to share your knowledge is really awesome. I really appreciate it.

 

[Roguestar]

That's what we're here for! Keep us update on your build and let us know how it goes .