Building a new PC

[JLCollier2005]

Hey all, it's been almost 5 years since I built my last PC and since then I haven't done much research into what's good and what's not. Looking around the web/in magazines I've noticed that a lot has changed. When I got my AMD processor, it was awesome, now AMD is going down and Intel is the way to go? I guess what my question is...if I was to be building a new computer right now, wanting to spend around 1000 bucks or less on my parts (this includes mobo, processor, video card, ram, and case...I think my powers supply DVD drive, and other lil components are good) what way would I go in the way of processor? My second question is, if I was to stick with my current Mobo, which I believe is an AM2, what's the best AMD processor to go with? Oh, I should mention I'm building it mainly for gaming and video. Plz dont flame me if this post isn't supposed to be here/there's an easy link to all the info, I'm just overwhelmed and wanted some user opinions.

 

[Mr Fox]

Welcome to AT Forums !!


1,) If you bought it 5 years ago, it is not AM2

2,) Your PSU probably will not be up to the task... the power distribution has become more centered around the 12v Rail, and less on the 3.3v and 5.0v

 

[JLCollier2005]

I'll find out my full specs and post them soon. I'm on my laptop now...what's the best way to find the specs? is CPU-Z good for finding this stuff out?

 

[cusideabelincoln]

There are a few stickies on the General Hardware forums that offer recommendations for a new build. You should check it out. You don't need to make a whole new topic over there, since I'm pretty sure all the users on that forum also visit this one.

In any case with a $1000 budget, Intel would certainly offer you the best overall performance. And like previously mentioned, if your computer is or near 5 years old there is no way you have socket AM2. You may be confusing this with Socket A, which is what the old and very good AMD Athlon XP processors used.

CPU-Z would be perfectly fine in letting you and us know enough information to figure out what kind of system you have running now. However, you would probably be just as well off replacing everything (if the computer is 5 years old), including old optical drives and hard drives.

And by "video" do you mean you're going to use the new computer for video editing? Video rendering? Or just video watching?

 

[DSF]

I would definitely not reuse a 5 year old PSU for a lot of reasons, a very important one of which was mentioned by Mr. Fox.

First, I would read this guide to the current hardware.

Then, I would come back to this thread and answer the list of questions posed here.

Doing that will make it easier to help you.

 

[jjmIII]

mobo - 140
cpu - 195
memory - 79
video - 100
A case is personal preference, but this one has a great power supply included:
case better price here

Since your well under budget, get a new:
hdd - 85
dvd-burner - 30ish

That leaves at least $250 you can send me .

 

[JLCollier2005]

Thanks all, I'll look at those posts and come back and post my current info a little later. As for the question about video...It'll be video watching (high def) and some video editing. Both my DVD drive and HD are newer (HD within the last year and a half, DVD burner within the last 3) so if I was going to buy a new drive, I'd probably buy a blue-ray player/burner...okay, I'll go do some more research and be back =P

 

[JLCollier2005]

Oh how this thread has made me feel good about myself and my knowledge again. It feels like a fun activity instead of a chore after reading what you guys have had to say and the links you've given me! So I've gathered my systems info and used the link from DSF to the thread on current hardware to come up with what I think I want to build. First, I'll answer the questions...

1. Building a gaming and HD video system(with some editing)
2. Want to spend $1000 or less. Hoping for less =P
3. I'm in America and near a Frys electronics (not sure if they're country wide or not) and plan to use them, tigerdirect, and newegg.
5. Plan to use my DVD burner still (possibly upgrade to a Blueray in the future), my Hard drive (have a 300gig, thinking maybe getting a smaller HD for just the operating system) and possibly my powersupply, depending on if it's still good enough
7. I've never overclocked, I know a lot of people recommend it and say it's not hard...so it's a possibility for me to overclock a little
8. When I plan on buying depends on cost. But most likely over the next 6 months.

Now, my current setup is:

AMD Athlon 64 3200+ Socket 939 (how'd I get that confused with AM2? heh)
My Mobo is EPoX 9NPA+Ultra
Current Ram is DDR PC3200 512x2 3-3-7-11
PSU is Antech 500w SmartPower (SP-500)
the hard drive I wanna reuse is a Maxtor DiamondMax 300GB Sata 7200RPM 16MB Buffer (SL300S0)

The system I'm thinking of:

CPU:
Core 2 Duo E8400
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115037

Motherboard:
ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131295

OR (for future crossfire support)

DFI LANPARTY DK X38-T2RB LGA 775 Intel X38
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813136051

RAM:
G.SKILL 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820231122

OR (Not sure what is better or whatever)

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146731

GPU:
ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121253

The reason I picked that video card is bcuz of a possible future upgrade to crossfire and I've heard a lot of good things about it.

As for case, I haven't looked into them yet, I know that they're mainly personal preference, but if anyone has any good recommendations, feel free to let me know =P

 

[DSF]

What do you want in a case? Noise reduction? Good airflow? Flashy or understated? Size?

DDR2-800 will allow you to overclock an E8400 to 3.6GHz if you so choose. Going farther will require either overclocking the RAM or stepping up to DDR2-1000.

Is your PSU as old as the rest of the system?

 

[JLCollier2005]

For a case i'm looking for a mid sized one that looks futuristic (or maybe not like a computer...like the Blackbird case I saw in maximum PC) but something that wont overheat and is quiet (if that's possible) I like alienware cases, altho I wouldn't want something that looked so close that someone would mistake my case for one..

what's the difference between DDR-800 and DDR2 800 (PC26400)?

As for my PSU, yeah, I bought it at the same time...it was actually one of the last things I bought because I did a lot of research on it and found this to be the best for under $100 at the time.

 

[cusideabelincoln]

First, a lot of things will change in 6 months. Prices on some components will go down and new components will hit the market. Everything you've picked out so far is good. However, if you're going to do a crossfire setup it is better to do it off the bat. I.E. you should buy two video cards at the same time rather than buying a single card and waiting months to add another card. You may ask yourself why this is, and the answer is that typically new cards come out that match the performance of dual card setups, all at a reasonable price. There is also no guarantee the card you buy will be available in the future, and while prices may go down over time there is a point when prices flatten out as demand demolishes.

With your budget you should consider the Asus P5Q Pro motherboard. It has two PCI-e X16 slots. While in Crossfire mode those slots only run at x8 speed, they also run at the PCIE 2.0 spec so they have the same bandwidth as PCIE 1.1. This bandwidth is more than enough for one or two Radeon HD4850s, and benchmarks only show that an x8/x8 Crossfire config losing a few FPS compared to an x16/x16 config.

You are also a little off with your age. Your system is probably only about 3 years old, not 5. Don't worry, I lose track of time really easily. Right now I couldn't even tell you exactly how long Athlon X2s or Core 2 Duos have been on the market. There are so many changes and updates that time just takes a back seat.

Your power supply should work with the new system, but I advise getting a newer, more efficient unit. If or when you do decide to do a Crossfire setup, however, you will need to buy a new PSU.

Just an FYI: New motherboards only come with one IDE controller, so you'll only be able to connect (without an PATA->SATA adapter) two IDE/PATA devices. I see your hard drive is in fact SATA, so you really don't have anything to worry about.

So, here's my mock setup:

Motherboard:
Asus P5Q Pro ($139.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131299

RAM:
2x2GB Mushkin DDR2-800 ($59.99 AR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146731

Processor:
Core 2 Duo E8400 ($169.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115037

Video Card:
ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 ($157.99 AR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814121253

Power Supply:
CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W ($89.99 AR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817139005

Hard Drive:
Western Digital Caviar SE16 WD6400AAKS 640GB ($84.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822136218

Cases - Personal preference, here are ones I like that I think you would also like:
Apevia X-Cruiser ($54.99 AR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811144151

Thermaltake Armor+MX ($99 AR)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811133062

Antec P182 Gun Metal Black ($139.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811129025

NZXT Zero Black/Silver ($149.99)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811146029

Cooler Master Cosmos S ($229.99) -I'd never pay this much for a case, even though it looks awesome.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119150

There are literally hundreds of cases, so you have options.

 

[DSF]

The Antec 900 might appeal to you in terms of its looks, but it's a pretty large case, and it isn't necessarily going to be quiet.

DDR2 is simply a newer version of Double Data Rate RAM than DDR, and it's capable of reaching higher speeds. There's no such thing as DDR-800, as DDR only goes up to DDR-500 or so. DDR2 goes up to around DDR2-1200, and after that you're looking at DDR3, the newest version. DDR2-800 is fine for what you're doing though.

However, I should say that planning out a build six months in advance is going to be a waste of time. In six months, Intel's newest processor line will be out, although pricing and availability are still up in the air. If you want to read more about it, do a search in the CPU forum (or on Google) for Nehalem. If you really aren't planning on building until then, your motherboard, RAM, CPU and video card choices are all likely to change. Hard Drive too. About the only things that won't change six months down the road are your case and possibly PSU. (You'll want a new one by the way. Don't use a SmartPower that old.)

 

[Joeydubbs]

I echo the others who mention that if you aren't gonna build for 6 months, don't drive yourself crazy pricing components now. I would recommend garnering up all your cash and buying all the components at once when you are ready to build. About 2 months ago a began pricing components for a new rig. I ultimately decided I want to wait for Nehalem before I build for longevity's sake. I have kept a close eye on components during these last two months and have seen wide market fluctuations on these components. In the last 2 months, Intel processor pricing has fallen greatly (especially mid-high end), nvidia and ATI released new graphics cards which have already had price cuts (especially Nvidia), and RAM seems to just get cheaper. Two months ago ATI was dead, now they provide the cards of choice. This all happened over two months...the only parts which seem stable and you may want to grab if you see a good deal would maybe be a case and possibly a PSU...