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Building my first Computer - how is this config?

S

someet

Junior Member
I am building a computer for the first time. I am looking forward to your recommendations on how i can improve the config - better value for money and stability while considering what I am going to use it for and what my budget is. I do not intend on over-clocking.


What I have now: A 6 yr old 650Mhz AMD computer that I got from ebay... forgotten the details

What i dont need: I already have the monitor, speakers, mouse, windows and softwares. Also, I attach a lot of accessories using USB ports - calorimeter, printer, webcam, card readers, keyboard, mouse etc.

My budget for the new computer: $1100ish...

What I want to use the new computer for: Doing lots of Photoshop, burning DVD movies and playing Age of Empires, listening to music (a moderate audiophile.... but not overboard - I have a very nice 5.1 system by Cambridge sound works and a nice reciever attached to the computer- would prefer individual channels to travel spearately and have a high S/N ratio - OK - call me an audiophile 😱)

What I would like to have: More than 500Gb hard-drive (more the better), DL DVD-RW, QUIET computer

Kind of components I would like to use:
1. Ones which are good value for money, ones which would depreciate that much or have already gone through the major depreciation phase... basically good value for money
2. Good quality and something which can be used in future as well when I want to further upgrade.
3. Something that meets my needs and dont want to go overboard wrt spending.


The configuration I am considering:

CPU : AMD Athlon 64 X2 4600+ Windsor 2000MHz HT Socket AM2 Dual Core $260

MOBO: Gigabyte GA-M55plus-S3G Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX AMD Motherboard $90

MEMORY: CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) DDR2 800 (4-4-4-12) TWIN2X2048-6400C4 $260

HARD DRIVE: Two Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 320 Gb (perpendicular) $190

VIDEO CARD: eVGA 256-P2-N541-TX Geforce 7600GS 256MB $100

PSU: COOLER MASTER eXtreme Power 713001180 ATX12V 600W Power Supply $50

CASE: COOLER MASTER Centurion 532 RC-532-SKN1 Black Computer Case $45

DVD-RW: BenQ 16X DVD±R DVD Burner With exclusive SolidBurn Technology Black ATA/ATAPI Model DW1650 BK $35

DVD-ROM: LITE-ON Black ATAPI/E-IDE DVD-ROM Drive Model SHD-16P1S $18

SOUND CARD: Creative Sound Blaster Audigy2 ZS Platinum 70SB035000003 7.1 Channels PCI Interface $73 (after $100 MIR)

TOTAL: $1121 + shipping ($25ish) = $1150 (slightly over budget)

I will appreciate anykind of input and suggestions.

Thanks
 
One large hard drive instead of two smaller ones.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822136014

If you want more then that, then get the 750GB Seagate.

Save money on the RAM, with this:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16820227078

Drop the DVD-ROM, your DVD burner is fine.

Get this PSU: http://www.ewiz.com/detail.php?name=PS-E495PVE

The 7600GS uses very little power.

Also, if you want a quiet computer, get a case that has one 120mm intake and one 120mm exhaust.

Then, get two of these: http://xoxide.com/nexus-120mm-fan-black-white.html

Some AS5: http://xoxide.com/arcticsilver5.html

Get this HSF: http://svc.com/cl-p0268.html

And put them all on this fan controller:http://svc.com/pct-fancon-sil.html
 
what speakers are you using?

If you are over budget I'd get a cheaper ram and a cheaper x2 cpu, maybe drop the sound card if the onboard sound has digital out for whatever speakers you may have.
 
You don't need a sound card, the 6100 nForce chipset features very good on board HD audio. Sound cards are waste of money outside of hardcore gaming and professional audio (recording).

You also don't need anywhere near 600 watts, a decent 350-400 watt PSU would be plenty. Seasonic is undisputedly the best low noise PSU, they are also some of the best overall PSUs you can buy. My choice would be the 380 watt Seasonic S12, cheaper alternatives can be found from Enhance and Forton-Source.

For the case I would go with the Lian Li PC-7B with a pair of Yate Loons.

CPU cooling; I would go with the Thermalright SI-97A + AM2 bracket with this 92mm Panaflo.

You will also want to make sure the motherboard chipset is passively cooled. The 7600 is lower power chip so I would also make sure you grab a card that is also passively cooled.
 
first, go with the 3800+ x2. it offers more then enough performance. you only need a DVD Burner unless you are going to be copying DVD's a lot. 2GB of ram is a must for PS, but you don't need such expensive RAM. unless you an audiophile, then i think you might be able to survive without a sound card. i disagree with dBTelos. get two drives and put the PS scratch file on the second disk. this improves performance. also, why this mobo? there are better options. all of this is for an AMD build. but why not go with Conroe? while i am an AMD "fanboy" that is i like AMD better, Conroe has proven to be faster at almost evey test. Even i can spot a winner. Do a search for conroe. there have been thousands (literally, 4K something) thread about this topic.
 
I agree with ForumMaster the nForce 6100 is a bit of an odd choice if you don't intend on using the on board graphics. A better choice would be the ASUS M2N-E.
 
X2-4600 isnt really worth the price. At that price, you should opt for an E6300 or just go down to an X2-3800. In general, I'd recommend an E6300 for what you're doing. RTS games, which are the ones you seem to play, are also CPU heavy as well as GPU heavy. Take Rise of Legends (based off Aoe III engine), for example:

http://www.anandtech.com/cpuchipsets/showdoc.aspx?i=2802&p=10

As for Photoshop, the E6300 is just behind a X2-4600 and faster than a X2-4200. Moreover, Core2's are quieter cause they use less power. Depending on if you want to overclock, the boards range from $80 to $150ish (You don't so either a cheapo $80 board or a nice $120 one). The E6300 should be able to be had for less than $200.

---

Memory: If you dont overclock, no need to pay for the Corsair XMS premium. Even 'Value" memory is good. The performance gain you get from going 5-5-5-15 to 4-4-4-12 isnt even remotely worth the premium you'd spend.

Audio: Depending on motherboard, the onboard is good enough to suit your needs. If you insist on an add-on solution, I'd recommend the X-FI, as its only $20 or so more expensive but miles above the Audigy2 ZS. However, given that you have Cambridge 5.1's, I'm not too sure if you'll even hear much of a differerence between the Onboard/Audigy2 ZS/X-FI.
 
For a new build I'd go with Conroe.

That Corsair RAM is very spendy. You can get a 2G OCZ DDR2 6400 kit for $150 AR
 
Don't buy a cooler master psu, get something from seasonic, enermax, or fortron source. You can get a 400W fortron psu for about $40.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817104953

Also, personally, I'd prefer the X-fi over the Audigy 2 ZS, and the price difference isn't that big. And for the most part, if you have decent speakers, you can tell the difference between onboard sound and sound cards. People that say they can't tell the difference are usually using 10 dollar speakers. (Or they're deaf 😛 )
 
Originally posted by: dexvx

As for Photoshop, the E6300 is just behind a X2-4600 and faster than a X2-4200. Moreover, Core2's are quieter cause they use less power. Depending on if you want to overclock, the boards range from $80 to $150ish (You don't so either a cheapo $80 board or a nice $120 one). The E6300 should be able to be had for less than $200.

Audio: Depending on motherboard, the onboard is good enough to suit your needs. If you insist on an add-on solution, I'd recommend the X-FI, as its only $20 or so more expensive but miles above the Audigy2 ZS. However, given that you have Cambridge 5.1's, I'm not too sure if you'll even hear much of a differerence between the Onboard/Audigy2 ZS/X-FI.
Click to expand...

Thanks 🙂

1. A couple of things.... can you recommend a good mobo for the conroe set up in the price range you mentioned above. - something with enough slots etc. If I go with AMD - then may be I will take the ASUS M2N-E.

2. Guess I will not get a sound card if it does not improve the sound quality over the onboard chip set.

3. Unanimouse decision ... save on RAM - will use the OCZ

4. PSU: Seems to be waay too much of power. But it is at $50. May be I can go for 450W but one that is more reliable. (However, I tend to attach a bunch of accessories using USB ports - calorimeter for callibrating screen temperature, printer, card readers, mouse, keyboard, webcam, USB port Hub etc.)... Any suggestions

5. As I would like to have access to a lot of USB ports... and a quiet computer as well... What would be a good case for this (within budget). Also, would this mean I a particular mother board or powersupply would be better over others.

 
Originally posted by: someet
Originally posted by: dexvx

As for Photoshop, the E6300 is just behind a X2-4600 and faster than a X2-4200. Moreover, Core2's are quieter cause they use less power. Depending on if you want to overclock, the boards range from $80 to $150ish (You don't so either a cheapo $80 board or a nice $120 one). The E6300 should be able to be had for less than $200.

Audio: Depending on motherboard, the onboard is good enough to suit your needs. If you insist on an add-on solution, I'd recommend the X-FI, as its only $20 or so more expensive but miles above the Audigy2 ZS. However, given that you have Cambridge 5.1's, I'm not too sure if you'll even hear much of a differerence between the Onboard/Audigy2 ZS/X-FI.
Click to expand...

Thanks 🙂

1. A couple of things.... can you recommend a good mobo for the conroe set up in the price range you mentioned above. - something with enough slots etc. If I go with AMD - then may be I will take the ASUS M2N-E.

2. Guess I will not get a sound card if it does not improve the sound quality over the onboard chip set.

3. Unanimouse decision ... save on RAM - will use the OCZ

4. PSU: Seems to be waay too much of power. But it is at $50. May be I can go for 450W but one that is more reliable. (However, I tend to attach a bunch of accessories using USB ports - calorimeter for callibrating screen temperature, printer, card readers, mouse, keyboard, webcam, USB port Hub etc.)... Any suggestions

5. As I would like to have access to a lot of USB ports... and a quiet computer as well... What would be a good case for this (within budget). Also, would this mean I a particular mother board or powersupply would be better over others.
Click to expand...
4: Quality is far more important then quantity when it comes to the power in a PSU. A $50 600 watt PSU is not a bargain; it's a cheap PSU which almost always means lower quality.

Your specs are fairly conservative, a good 300 watt PSU would handle your build no problem.

USB peripherals are drop in the bucket compared to what the CPU and GPU will draw so you can discount them altogether.

5: Yes, PSU noise output varies greatly. There are several options, Zalman, some Forton-Sources, and Enhance, but Seasonic is the best.

For the motherboard as long as you avoid a board with active cooling on the chipset your good as far as noise is concerned.
For the case, and case cooling see my original post. I've been building very quiet machines now for over a year now. The PC-7 with Yate Loons will be a near silent box, especially if you undervolt them

3: This may be more of a personal preference but I'd opt for Crucial, Kingston, Corsiar, or Mushkin over OCZ.
 
Originally posted by: someet
1. A couple of things.... can you recommend a good mobo for the conroe set up in the price range you mentioned above. - something with enough slots etc. If I go with AMD - then may be I will take the ASUS M2N-E.
Click to expand...

Cheapest decent Conroe board ($80ish), not really recommended as its a 945 board:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813157096

Cheapest 965 alternative ($120ish), stable but not much BIOS options:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813121035

Higher end 965 ($160ish), 10SATA, dual Gigabit, the works. Placement of Floppy/PATA is odd, so take that into consideration:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813127004

E6300's will be hard to come by for the next week-2weeks, so take that into consideration. Some places are gouging people, but the MSRP for an E6300 is around $190.
 
Do you think that for my needs - Photoshop, ripping DVD movies and Age of Empires, I can stick to onboard video chip in Gigabyte GA-M55plus-S3G Socket AM2 NVIDIA GeForce 6100 ATX AMD Motherboard and not have a Video card? Would there be a significant improvement by adding the video card?

 
You might be able to do it, hell you'd be able to run the games i'm sure. But you might be limited by the resolution you can use and you will be unable to use any of the eyecandy settings. There is a huge improvement with a seperate GPU, even a very cheap one.

Also i'd steer clear of the 6100, the 6150 has dual outputs (DVI and VGA) as well as a few other bells and whistles.
 
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