Computer Build help

[Broodwich08]

Building a pc for the first time and want to know what the community thought about it. Please give your opinions. My goal is to be able to play new games for the next 2-4 years.

Also since its my first time building a pc what tips do you wish you knew when you built your first.


Hard drive
Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16822148262

Case
XCLIO A380BK ATX Full Tower Computer Case
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ower%2bComputer%2bCase

CPU
Intel Core 2 Quad Q6700 Kentsfield 2.66GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 95W Quad-Core Processor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115027

Sound Card
Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi XtremeGamer 7.1 Channels PCI Interface Sound Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16829102006

Ram
CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145184

Graphics
EVGA 896-P3-1260-AR GeForce GTX 260 896MB 448-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Supported Video Card
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ce%2bGTX%2b260%2b896MB

PSU-
PC Power & Cooling S75QB 750W ATX12V / EPS12V Power Supply 100 - 240 V UL, ULC, CE, CB, RoHS
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817703009

What motherboard and operating system do you think i should get based on these?

(wanna run duel screen and im thinking of adding a 120mm fan as exhaust to the back of the case)

 

[GaryJohnson]

Just glancing at your list, have you looked at a Q9300 vs the Q6700, and a 9800 GTX+ vs the GTX 260?

You should decide on a chipset first, and that will narrow down your motherboard choices.

 

[Broodwich08]

They look moderatly the same. Im not big on this tech stuff so if you see something that i should be aware of can ya point it out.

 

[GaryJohnson]

The Q9700 is a newer chip that uses a smaller manufacturing process (45nm vs. 65nm) so it should run cooler, other than that they are very similar price/peformance wise.

The 260 does outperform the 9800+, so you should stick with the 260. $ per performance wise I think it's more expensive, but they've come down in price since last I looked.

As for chipsets:
If you want to have the option of SLI down the road then you should go with an nvidia chipset, either 650i/680i or 750i/780i.

Otherwise I would go with an Intel chipset, X38 or X48, as I tend to think they are more stable.

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: GaryJohnson
As for chipsets:
If you want to have the option of SLI down the road then you should go with an nvidia chipset, either 650i/680i or 750i/780i.

He wants to run dual displays, so SLi is out of the question. I disagree with the recommendation of X38/48 only because their main draw - full Crossfire support - is useless to the OP. No reason to pay extra money for a feature you aren't going to use. I'd get a solid P35 or P45 chipset motherboard if you're planning to overclock. If you're not, P43 will have the same stability and PCI-e 2.0 compliance for less money.

Your hard drive is a generation old - the newest Seagates are the 7200.11 series. Right now the best hard drive value out there is the WD Caviar 640 GB:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...16822136218&Tpk=caviar
2.5 times the capacity of the drive you chose and higher performance for only $30 more.

Very hard to recommend the Q6700 when the Q6600 will overclock to 2.66GHz without a problem. That said, if this is a gaming machine you're probably better off with a faster dual core anyway, like the E8400, unless you expect to keep this machine without upgrading for a long time. You're going to have to decide whether this computer is supposed to last you two years or four years.

The power supply is also considerably more than you need for that system, and likely to be noisy with its 80mm fan. 120mm has become the de facto standard in that price range, and you're not getting your money's worth if you're paying top dollar for a PSU with a small, loud fan. (Not to mention that PCP&C tends to be overpriced anyway.) Look at the Corsair 750TX for a PSU that's similar in quality but generally lower in price, and quieter. You'd be fine with a smaller PSU like the 650TX or 620HX though, the latter having the benefit of modular cables.

Personally I'd skip the sound card and try onboard first. If you aren't satisfied, then spend the cash for the discrete card.

 

[GaryJohnson]

You can't run dual displays with SLI?

 

[DSF]

Not from the SLi'ed cards. You can rig up a makeshift work-around by using an additional PCI video card not controlled by the Nvidia drivers, but the short answer is no.