• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Building New Gaming PC (covering all components)! appreciate any & all help

at80eighty

at80eighty

Senior member
OK! its one of those im-building-a-new-rig-&-i-could-use-all-the-help-i-can-get type threads

Bear in mind, some of the prices are going to make you pity me (where i live components can cost upto 2-3 x what you guys pay) - so in some cases i have to go a generation or two behind :-( I've made all prices as US$ equivalent to make it easier 🙂 I usually build to last atleast 3 cycles (e.g. current GPU is a Ti4200 😛)

Here goes:-

1) CPU - Single or Dual proc? an X2-3800 sells @ $345

2) MoBo ? ASUS A8N32-SLI-Deluxe @ $275

3) GPU - Prefer single slot - So leaning towards a 7900GT. (ATI is insanely priced).

Options are a Gigabyte @ $458.61 / Leadtek @ $447.76 / XFX ($ N/A) . Which is your recommendation?

4) Memory - Closest i can get to a well-known brand is Kingmax (Value RAM KVR400X664C3A @ $86). DDR-2 Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 sells @ $68 (but the Asus MoBo isnt DDR-2 ready right?)

5) HDD - Combination of WD RaptorX @ $360 (150 GB/SATA II - for OS & Apps) and Caviar SE16 @ $185 (400 GB/SATA - for media & backup)

Which leads me to my next question - can i hook a SATA and SATA II drive together? will they work smoothly? Should i be looking at a RAID array? If so which one? Back up is'nt a big priority since i dont have critical data (except for my music collection 🙂

6) PSU - Help! I cant find big names like Enermax & Antec - am i screwed? (since i hear reliability is a big thing in this component)

7) Monitor - Dell 1905 OR BenQ FP93GX? Both are 19". Dell @ $447.76 / BenQ @ $347. But the BenQ does'nt have a DVI input apparently :-/

8) Speakers v/s Headphones - Prefer headphones. Any headphones that are clear and replicate surround sound? Will it be moot if i dont get a sound card - i.e. under the theory that if the source is'nt quality then so isn?t the output)?

9) CD-RW v/s DVD-RW - is a DVDRW extraneous? (it would save me a bunch of $$$ - a BenQ DW1640 sells @ $511) Also, what?s the life of a burnt DVD?

10) Casing: - the closest i can come close to a good casing without ripping my wallet apart is a Lian Li PC-65 @ US$125. But something tells me the above components wont fit though :-/ ...any input?

11) Feel free to let me know what else i should be looking into


Will this be a decent rig to run, say, a game like F.E.A.R. @ about 30-40fps? (random benchmark , no real reason to it)

Your comments are much appreciated in advance

*sniff* I love you guys *sniff*

:shocked:
 
Where do you live? Your profile states you live in the United States in the Carolinas... if that is so you can get some really cheap parts... explain where you live more then we could possibly help more due to the fact that we do not know where you live we do not know what to get because as you know some companies will ship to some stops while others do not... ^_^
 
Originally posted by: at80eighty

1) CPU - Single or Dual proc? an X2-3800 sells @ $345

2) MoBo ? ASUS A8N32-SLI-Deluxe @ $275


4) Memory - Closest i can get to a well-known brand is Kingmax (Value RAM KVR400X664C3A @ $86). DDR-2 Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 sells @ $68 (but the Asus MoBo isnt DDR-2 ready right?)
Click to expand...

AMD does not currently support DDR-2 memory, so no AMD motherboards will be compatible.
In the near future though, AMD will transition to DDR2
 
That system looks good, you'll want a 400/450W PSU for it, more if you want to run SLI in the future.

Alterations:

Motherboard, if you're not going to upgrade the graphics card withing 1 year then you do not need or want SLI, it's just a flat out waste of money you can spend elsewhere.

RAM: You want 2GB of RAM, don't worry about the brands that much, even with overclocking it isn't all that significant.

CPU: 3800X2 is nice, but an opteron 165 is nicer if you are overclocking.

Montior: Keep looking if i were you. Check out the video forum, or post up the websites where you can buy from so we can find good ones.

Other thoughts:

You're getting very expensive HDs, nice and they will work together, but if you want a better gaming expereince then i'd drop the raptor entirely and get a 20" or 24" LCD instead. The motherboard is a total waste of money, almost as much for it as the CPU?!?!? Try without a soundcard to start with, and then upgrade if you've got spare cash lying around. I love my audigy 2 and Grado sr60 headphones.
 
mad0maxx

LOL! im not in the US - just this tinfoilhatty thing i do 😛

im in Dubai , UAE - y'know - that place with the whole they're-taking-over-your-ports-&-security thing? ..but i digress 😛

so yeah - prices are a bitch :disgust:

jlbenedict - got it - thanks!!

Bobthelost

I was just keeping SLI as a future option - guess -i'll hold on then. In that case , any tips on solid single card Mobos?

noted on the sound cards - thanks

as far as the Raptor goes , yeah , im reconsidering if a 2 sec speed bump is worth the extra $$$ 😀

but , its not going to help me in getting any closer to a 2005fpw ...sells @ $976!!! straight f*cking 2x jump for a 1" increase!! (dont even go into 2405 territory!) do you guys know if dell ships internationally?

cheers!
 
for solid motherboards, the epox 9npa+ Ultra is a good one. are you planning on overclocking at all? or are you only looking at stability? ASUS makes some cheaper, stable boards too. i'm not sure exactly what the model number is but it's something like the asus A8N5X or something like that.

the raptor isn't worth the price increase and about your raid question in your original post, if you raid a 150gb and a 400gb drive, each drive will show up as the smallest drive (in your case 150gb each). complete waste for you.

i would still listen to bob's price saving recommendations. even if you won't upgrade to a better monitor, you can save the money for a future upgrade. just cause you have the money doesn't mean you have to spend it.

good luck building 🙂
 
alimoalem


Dude, thanks for the leads - however, im not quite sure if Epox retails here; Asus - yes

Im not too keen on overclocking this particular machine (dont have as much time like in college 🙂 , so stability would be nice i guess...

As far as the RAID thing goes - i never knew that little piece of info! scary thought losing 250 GB

"just cause you have the money doesn't mean you have to spend it. "

Lol - true 🙂


Thanks for the help!


Cheers!
 
Originally posted by: at80eighty

9) CD-RW v/s DVD-RW - is a DVDRW extraneous? (it would save me a bunch of $$$ - a BenQ DW1640 sells @ $511) Also, what?s the life of a burnt DVD?
Click to expand...

US dollars? WTF? I know you're not in the US, but BenQ DW1655 similar drive. That's a HUGE markup if that's US dollars.
 
Don't get A8N32-SLi unless you're really serious about using SLi, and you're not just getting it for the dual PCI-E. If you need dual x16 slots for some reason, then ge tthe A8N-SLi.
 
CPU: 3800 is a fine choice, get optys ONLY ifyou gonna OC, otherwise its a waste

MoBo: A8N32 is overkill, if you only got ASUS boards there, just get a A8N-SLi as mentioned seeing that you want to keep SLi a possible option. The dual PCI-E x16 lanes benefit on the A8N32 is something that you would probably not even notice as compared to dual x8 lanes, and it defintely doesnt warrant that extra price hike.

GPU: go Leadtek if those are your only choices, they are solid and you rarely hear about a Leadtek rma.

RAM: get 2 gigs if you can, 1 gig would be fine I guess, but 2 would make everything a lot smoother

HDD: drop the raptor...waste waste waste

PSU: Silverstone? OCZ? Seasonic? Nothing??? I figured there'd be at least antec around.

FEAR will play just fine on your 7900gt, especially with the new forceware drivers out that significantly increased performance. 30-40 fps should be a given granted that its set at something like 2xAA 8xAF, no soft shadows, some things maxed, others medium. Like I said though, 2 gigs of ram will definitely make this game run smoother.

You other stuff requires more research from yourself to decide, especially monitors, only you can tell what your eyes will enjoy. Burned DVDs supposedly last longer than you will ever live...100 years at least.
 
hey have you ever stayed in that 7 star hotel that is supposed to be the best in the world in UAE? is it as nice as it's made out to be?
 
Originally posted by: at80eighty
mad0maxx

LOL! im not in the US - just this tinfoilhatty thing i do 😛

im in Dubai , UAE - y'know - that place with the whole they're-taking-over-your-ports-&-security thing? ..but i digress 😛

so yeah - prices are a bitch :disgust:
Click to expand...

Well, Aramex offer one service called Shop & Ship I think, where you're given a specific mailing address in the US, you can then buy stuff online and send it to that address, Aramex will then ship it to you. For somethings, I find it cheaper than buying locally, even with the added shipping cost. I have no idea how to deal with returning stuff if they don't work though.
 
josedawg

No...511 in commie dollars. Of course in US$!!!! i told you some of the prices will make you pity me 🙂

OSX & Tig Ol Bitties

I'll look up the A8N-SLi too. thanks!

RAM: - i think i can put down enough for 1gb currently

HDD: - you hinting at something? im'a lil slooow ;-)


PSU:- PSU's dont get the importance that they should out here. I only got educated on their importance after reading stuff on AT & similar sites

Monitors:- I'm sticking with my tired ass LG Flatron 17" CRT for now.. (I can hear the guys with 24" Dells screaming - OH THE HUMANITY!!"


gocubs2k5

I think you are referring to the Burj Al Arab. and LOL!! hell no! that place charges you just to enter the farking place!! (Probably the only hotel I havent visited yet - and we have TONS of hotels here) A place for the super strata of the world - Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie (yummm) stayed here a month ago

but... not my cup of tea.. which incidently costs enough over there to get me a full stomach worth's meal 🙂

Adrenaline: True, but I do deserve to spoil myself when i want to as well.

hmm, thats true too 🙂


Ares

Sweet idea on the Aramex thing! i think i'll look it up.

But can i buy online & ask Aramex to pick directly from the suppliers? e.g. If I purchase from New egg or Dell - can Aramex pick it straight from them & ship to me? It would save on the initial shipping. On second thought , i think i'll just ask Aramex myself 🙂

Also the warranties aspect is scary...i'll look into it more deeply - thanks for the headsup!

Could you give me a list of good online retailers?

I got

1) Newegg
2) Tigerdirect
3) nothing else 🙂
 
Where do you shop? ripmeoffplz.com? Those prices are insanely high!

1) CPU - Single or Dual proc? an X2-3800 sells @ $345

sells for under $300

2) MoBo ? ASUS A8N32-SLI-Deluxe @ $275

sells for under $240, and I don't know why you need that when any $100 sli board would be perfect for you.

3) GPU - Prefer single slot - So leaning towards a 7900GT. (ATI is insanely priced).

Not a bad choice, consider getting two of them.

4) Memory - Closest i can get to a well-known brand is Kingmax (Value RAM KVR400X664C3A @ $86). DDR-2 Kingmax KLCC28F-A8KB5 sells @ $68 (but the Asus MoBo isnt DDR-2 ready right?)

There are ALOT of deals on excellent 2x1gb kits everywhere. Just search. I saw a couple at hot deals (130 AR on G.skill and OCZ kits)

5) HDD - Combination of WD RaptorX @ $360 (150 GB/SATA II - for OS & Apps) and Caviar SE16 @ $185 (400 GB/SATA - for media & backup)

Personally I wouldn't spend so much money on hard drives but whatever.

6) PSU - Help! I cant find big names like Enermax & Antec - am i screwed? (since i hear reliability is a big thing in this component)

Reliability is important here, but power supplys are very often overhyped. Any 500w PSU should be fine (from known names), especially since that video card has extremly low power usage (<50w under load compared to >100w with the x1900xt under load)

7) Monitor - Dell 1905 OR BenQ FP93GX? Both are 19". Dell @ $447.76 / BenQ @ $347. But the BenQ does'nt have a DVI input apparently :-/

Get a nice monitor. ITS WHAT YOU LOOK AT!!! people sometimes fail to see how important this part is. Get a dell 2007fpw or something on the same line as that.

8) Speakers v/s Headphones - Prefer headphones. Any headphones that are clear and replicate surround sound? Will it be moot if i dont get a sound card - i.e. under the theory that if the source is'nt quality then so isn?t the output)?

Get both. Get a nice speaker set and a sony mdr-v150 headset (20 bucks). Do your research and find a good speaker set that won't break the bank. Also just get like a audigy 2zs card for under 50 bucks.

9) CD-RW v/s DVD-RW - is a DVDRW extraneous? (it would save me a bunch of $$$ - a BenQ DW1640 sells @ $511) Also, what?s the life of a burnt DVD?

I don't know what your talking about $511? but a nice dvd burner runs for under 50 bucks and is very important and usefull for you especially since you mentioned "media"

10) Casing: - the closest i can come close to a good casing without ripping my wallet apart is a Lian Li PC-65 @ US$125. But something tells me the above components wont fit though :-/ ...any input?

Those components should fit without a problem in that case, but again you could probably find a cheaper case that would do that job. But cases are a matter of prefrence most of the time.


Ok, from what I see here, it looks like you don't know much about what your buying (please no offense). If this will be used for gaming you should definitly get some more video power in there (2x7900gt like I mentioned before is a great solution) and also take my advice on the monitor issue.

Most importantly I want to urge you do please research before you buy parts. Not only that, but also research prices since it looks like you will get easily ripped off if you don't.

Let me know if there's anything else you need.
 
Where do you shop? ripmeoffplz.com? Those prices are insanely high!

LOL!!! sounds about right 🙂

Like i mentioned earlier , i live outside the US i.e. Dubai, UAE. Here prices are'nt quite what you're used to. General electronics are pretty damn competitively priced - but that doesnt extend to computer parts for some f*cking reason.

All (well, most of) the prices you quoted , im aware of them. But i cant avail of it coz since most dont ship abroad.

HDD: ive reconsidered - im going for a single 7200rpm 500GB WD.

Get a nice monitor. ITS WHAT YOU LOOK AT!!!

I GET IT!!!!

But there's a reason im skimping on the monitor (for now): - Im also shifting to a new house (so im going for a new PC too). I've got costs like rent, furniture, fixtures & fittings blah blah to keep in mind too. So my focus is more on the box right now. I'll get to a good monitor in time. I'll stick with my trusty CRT for now 🙂

Audio: i will look up the sony mdr-v150 headset & audigy 2zs card though.


DVDRW : im looking into cheaper models. yes the BenQ i listed sells exactly at that!!! and yeah - its "media" ..lol! But i wouldnt backup the "media" you have in mind - i live in an Arab country - encrypted data rules 🙂 ... in this case i would use a DVDR to back up TV seasons and movies (the kind i would'nt be sweating if someone else found 'em)

Casing: the reason in going for the Lian Li PC-65 is that it's the cheapest (known) aluminum case. which are supposedly well known to run cooler than most regular cases.


Ok, from what I see here, it looks like you don't know much about what your buying (please no offense)

None taken. Just that i think you're way off. I do know what im buying - and the prices that are available locally in my country. that's kinda the clincher here.

If you know of reliable retailers who ship internationally at fair prices, send the links my way! I just might end up with a rig worth showing off at a LAN party 🙂

thanks for your input


/you have no idea how good a nerd has it in the US 🙂


 
500gbWD drive isn't worth it. The 250gb and 320gb drives are where it's at for cost per gig ratio. But I'm not sure about it in Dubai... eh
 
Ditch the Raptor, please, the performance difference is totally insignificant given the cost. Use the extra $$ to get 2GB of ram.

The only RAID you should consider is RAID 1, say a couple of 250GB 7200rpm drives.
 
Tankguys ships internationally, if i were you i'd drop them an email and see what it would cost to get everything sent out to you. Last time i looked the range was pretty good too (Hell, i almost ordered some stuff from them because it was fractionally cheaper than buying in the UK even with import tax)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top