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Building a PC- First Time

R

rash001

Junior Member
Going to try to build my first system to save a little cash. As for what I plan to use it for, I mostly use it for internet, office, viewing images and movies, and I use a few other applications like a Bittorrent app, nothing that's too intensive like gaming. I have played a few games, but the most demanding one I've played is Diablo 2. I do like to multitask a lot, and while none of the applications are that intensive, I regularly run 4 or 5 at a time.

My budget is $1150 and I want to replace everything except the printer and scanner, the old system is going in another room. So I'm looking for a system, monitor, keyboard, mouse, speakers, the whole thing. I plan to get Vista Home Premium and Microsoft Office Home and Student, which it looks like that will run me $120 and $130, leaving me with $900 for hardware.

Here's what I'm currently thinking of getting with what it looks like it'll cost(I forgot to include shipping on some of these):

Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz LGA 775 Processor $187
BIOSTAR TForce965PT LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard $112
OCZ S.O.E 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 667 (PC2 5400) with 4-4-4 timings $192
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s 16MBcache $86
LG Black 18X DVD+R (GSAH22N-BK) $36
SONY Black IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model DDU1615/B2s - OEM $19
Acer AL1916WAbd Black 19" 5ms DVI Widescreen LCD Monitor 300 cd/m2 700:1 - Retail $190
ZOGIS ZO73LE-DLTC GeForce 7300LE 256MB (TurboCache to 512MB) PCI Express x16 $58
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse $10
LITE-ON SK-1788/BS 2-Tone 104 Normal Keys PS/2 Wired Standard Keyboard $7
Logitech R-10 4 Watts 2.0 Speakers - Retail $11
Zonet ZFM5620-CF 56Kbps PCI Bus (Plug & Play) Conexant/Rockwell Modem $7
Rosewill R5604-TBK 0.8mm SECC Screw-less Dual 120mm Fans ATX Mid Tower $40
FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN, 2 SATA, PCI Express, 400W Power Supply $42

This build is putting me about $100 over budget(probably more). I do need a modem, I'm currently on dialup(highspeed unavailable). And I'd be willing to lose the second DVD drive to get it under budget(I put it in to do drive to drive burning and to not have to use the burner to play DVDs).

What I'd like to know is:

Is what I have here going to work(did I screw up)?
Am I missing anything?
Is there anything that looks over/underpowered for what I plan to use it for?
Where can I shave off $100?
Recommendations? Other brands?

Thanks
 
Intel Core 2 Duo E4300 $175
ThermalRight CPU Heatsink/Fan $20
Biostar TForce965 $105
Super Talent 2GB (2x1GB) DDR2 667 $115
Western Digital SE16 250GB $75
Lite-On 20X CD/DVD Burner $34
Samsung 19" Widescreen LCD $180
EVGA 7300GS 256MB PCIE $60
CoolerMaster Centurion W/ 380W PSU $10

All prices are after any rebates, before shipping, and before taxes.
 
Thanks for the help. I used most of those ideas. Here's the adjusted build(shipping added):

Vista Home Premium OEM $120
Microsoft Office Home and Student 2007 $130
Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 Conroe 1.86GHz LGA 775 Processor $187
BIOSTAR TForce965PT LGA 775 Intel P965 Express ATX Intel Motherboard $112
2x STT DDR2-667 1GB/64x8 S-RIGID Memory $130
Western Digital SE16 250GB $75
Lite-On 20X CD/DVD Burner $34
Samsung 19" Widescreen LCD $180
EVGA 7300GS 256MB PCIE $66
Microsoft Basic Optical Mouse $15
LITE-ON SK-1788/BS PS/2 Wired Keyboard $13
Cyber Acoustics Computer Speakers $12
Zonet ZFM5620-CF 56Kbps PCI Bus (Plug & Play) Conexant/Rockwell Modem $12
COOLER MASTER CAC-EC5-UWC SILVER CENTURION 5 TOWER W/ 380W PSU $36
ThermalRight CPU Heatsink/Fan $22
Total $1144

I kept the Conroe proccessor, but if things get tight that should be an easy $12 to shave off. I also dropped the second DVD drive.

With this setup, are there any compatibility issues I need to be worried about? Would there be any if I went with the Core 2 Duo E4300? Is there anything else I need to get to put this together?

Thanks again
 
I would strongly recommend the Gigabyte 9X5P series over the Biostar. They are:
GA-945P-S3 $87+ship
GA-965P-S3 $119+ship
GA-965P-DS3 $133+ship
Which of the above you need depends on the features you require.

The E4300 is actually better for overclocking than the E6300. And I would only get an aftermarket cooler after testing the retail cooler.
 
Well, I don't plan on overclocking, but I'll look into those motherboards.

One other question, is the power supply that comes with my case sufficient or do I need to buy one myself?
 
Originally posted by: jpeyton
CoolerMaster Centurion W/ 380W PSU $10
Click to expand...

That CoolerMaster case PSU combination is hardware failure waiting to happen (anything that cheap should throw up red flags).

InWin make some very solid cases with decent included PSUs. Though I would still replace it with a low range Seasonic or Forton-Source.

Originally posted by: jpeyton
EVGA 7300GS 256MB PCIE $60
Click to expand...

Any 7300GS series should be passively cooled (that is unless you are partial to noise and fan failures). Go with this Gigabyte card instead.
 
If you don't plan on overclocking, then maybe Core 2 Duo isn't right for you. Have you seen the X2 5200+ for $239? It's a bit more expensive than the E6300, but definitely faster--and AM2 motherboards are cheaper than LGA775. The Biostar TForce 550 for socket AM2 is only $79+shipping. Also, if you aren't going to overclock, the bundled heatsink/fan is definitely fine. Spending an extra $20 or more on an aftermarket cooler would only make sense if you were trying to build a silent PC--and then you'd have to spend a heck of a lot more than $20.

As for the PSU in the case you picked out, yes, technically it is enough power. However, it doesn't seem to have any overvoltage protection, and it's not manufactured by any reputable company. You may want to buy a different model and use the bundled PSU as a spare. I think Frys still has an Ultra V-series 500W for $10 after rebate. Otherwise FSP Group makes great but reasonably priced units.
 
As far as that case, it's on sale and there is a rebate and it doesn't include shipping. The case looks alright, but I think you're right about getting a PSU. Do I need a PCI-E Connector in my PSU?

That Gigabyte card looks great, but ouch on the price.
And since I'm not overclocking, do I need the heat sink/fan?
 
I would say ditch the fan either way--especially if you're not overclocking. As for a PCIe connector, I'm pretty sure you don't need one, and I'm also pretty sure most if not all 20+4-pin PSUs have one just in case you do. So it shouldn't be an issue.

Why don't you want to overclock? Are you aware of how easy and safe it is?
 
Well, if I go to an AMD system, that puts me in a different situation. My main reason for building was to save money. I know Dell is generally a ripoff, but they have 25% off the E521s. It seems comparable to the build I've been thinking about.
 
Originally posted by: rash001
As far as that case, it's on sale and there is a rebate and it doesn't include shipping. The case looks alright, but I think you're right about getting a PSU. Do I need a PCI-E Connector in my PSU?

That Gigabyte card looks great, but ouch on the price.
And since I'm not overclocking, do I need the heat sink/fan?
Click to expand...

The Coolermaster case is OK but the InWin is better in my opinion.

You don't need a PCI-E power connector but the Seasonic has one, and the FSP unit most likely dose as well.

If the you want a cheaper card here is a passively cooled cheaper (Gigabyte) X1300.

And no you don't need the Thermalright HS/F, the stock Intel unit will be fine.
 
never tried overclocking, but if I need to add that fan back in it may keep me over budget. My budget's been my biggest enemy here, and I can't really afford to go over.
 
Hmm....not overclocking....never built before....

This might be a good situation for a pre-built. I'd try CompUSA and Best Buy before Dell, though.
 
I think I'm going to give the pre-builts another look. While I generally know my way around a PC and I don't see myself having a problem actually assembling the system, I'm not enough of a hardware guy to know where I can cut corners and where I can't, and with my budget I'd have to cut corners. I'm not completly against overclocking, I may do it in the future. I'm just not getting a system with that in mind.

If I had the money I could get the parts you guys reccomend, but financially I'm not so sound right now. The only reason I'm getting a new PC now is that my old one is so crappy. It's a 6 year old Dell Dimension 4100 with a Pentium 3 866Mhz, 256MB ram running Windows ME, 30GB Hard Drive, No DVD-ROM and a big old CRT. Yes, it's still running, but I know it's on borrowed time. I managed to scrape together some cash and I'm just trying to get as much as I can out of it.

I will build a PC at some point, but it would probably be a lot easier if I didn't have to worry so much about my budget. Maybe in a few years I'll be in a better place financially and can afford to put together a sweet gaming rig.

Thanks for the insight, and I'll make sure to check out CompUSA and Best Buy as well.
 
It's hard to compete with big OEMs for very cheap machines since their margins are so low but as the price increases so do their margins. By the time you reach the $1,000 range HP's and Dell's are almost always vastly over-priced, and the effect is more pronounced beyond that.

$900 is definitely in the range where it makes sense to build it yourself vs. the OEMs.
 
Originally posted by: Operandi
It's hard to compete with big OEMs for very cheap machines since their margins are so low but as the price increases so do their margins. By the time you reach the $1,000 range HP's and Dell's are almost always vastly over-priced, and the effect is more pronounced beyond that.

$900 is definitely in the range where it makes sense to build it yourself vs. the OEMs.
Click to expand...

True, but the margin isn't so far that it doesn't make sense to buy a pre-built. You have to ask yourself these questions:

1. What can I get (or how much can I save) on a custom rig vs. a pre-built?
2. Am I in danger of making mistakes on a custom rig which would cause me to spend more money than planned?
3. Am I willing to accept not just the fun, but also the frustrations of doing it yourself?
4. Do I want to buy a multi-year warranty where if something goes wrong I can just have the rig fixed for free or minimal cost?

You've got to weigh the benefits (price/fun) vs. the cost (inconvenience/hassle/frustration) of doing this yourself before you make your decision.
 
Since you need software (OS/Office), I think a Dell is your best option. Home built systems are really for specialized applications, like gaming, video editing, or CAD. Otherwise, the big OEMs give the best deals on budget systems.
 
Let's see...

If you get a Dell, here's what I'd recommend:
Dimension E521
Athlon X2 3800+
Windows Vista Home Premium
1GB DDR2
250GB HDD
DVD burner
19" LCD
GeForce 6150 GPU (integrated)
7.1 audio (integrated)
A225 speakers (basic stereo)
USB keyboard & optical mouse
3.5" floppy drive
56K modem
MS Office Home & Student
2-year limited warranty & accidental damage protection
PRICE: $1,077.00 + tax (free shipping)
$1,152.39 w/ 7% tax

This would give you a powerful dual-core system with 1GB RAM and the best integrated graphics around. It would also permit the two easiest upgrades in the world: more memory and a video card. And you get two years warranty that covers everything from hardware failure to hardware abuse.
 
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