First DIY

[RapidSnail]

Usage

School, work, and entertainment.

Budget

Not unlimited, but not really a concern.

Country

United States

Preferences?

None. It's far too silly to exclude good parts based on name.

Current Parts

Creative Fatal1ty FPS

Read and Searched?

Yes.

Overclocking

I would like to take the CPU to around 400 FSB.

Timeframe

Before the end of August. As soon as possible.



Case: Antec P182 $129.99
PSU: Corsair HX620 $154.99 ($30 MIR)
MB: abit IP35 PRO $159.99 ($9.94 Shipping)
CPU: Intel Core 2 Duo E8500 $189.99
HSF: Xigmatek HDT-S1283 $36.99 + $8.25 Shipping + $10.00 MIR AND Nexus Real Silent Case Fan D12SL-12 $14.95 ($4.96 Shipping)
THP: Arctic Silver 5 Thermal Compound $3.99 ($6.66 Shipping)
RAM: G.Skill 4GB DDR2 800 $79.99
HDD: 2 x Western Digital 6400AAKS 640GB $169.98 ($84.99 x 2)
ODD: Samsung SH-S203N $27.99 ($6.99 Shipping)
GPU: VisionTek 90024 Radeon HD4870 $284.99 ($20.00 MIR)
OS: Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 OEM $179.99

Monitor: Gateway FHD2400 24" 1920x1200 $439.99 ($18.24 Shipping)
Mouse: Logitech MX518 1800 DPI $39.99 ($6.99 Shipping)
Keyboard: Logitech G15 $74.99 ($20.00 MIR)

Subtotal: $2,050.83
Luck: $80.00

Total: $1,970.83



System Update #1: Dropped from three HDD's to two. Shaved $89.99 from total cost. New price up front: $2,072.87. After rebates: $2,002.87

System Update #2: Updated pricing. New price upfront: $2,050.83. After rebates: $1,970.83

System Update #3: All items purchased.

 

[Blain]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
Usage

School, work, and entertainment.


HDD: 3 x Western Digital 6400AAKS 640GB $269.97

For permanent storage, I was originally going to buy a VelociRaptor and a 6400AAKS. After some thinking,
...the 6400AAKS is supposed to be the fastest 7200RPM drive in its class. I can buy three of them for less than a VR.

What's your thought process, going for triplets?

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
Usage

School, work, and entertainment.


HDD: 3 x Western Digital 6400AAKS 640GB $269.97

For permanent storage, I was originally going to buy a VelociRaptor and a 6400AAKS. After some thinking,
...the 6400AAKS is supposed to be the fastest 7200RPM drive in its class. I can buy three of them for less than a VR.

What's your thought process, going for triplets?

I'd say more storage for the same money, but its just a wild guess.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN

Originally posted by: Blain

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
Usage

School, work, and entertainment.


HDD: 3 x Western Digital 6400AAKS 640GB $269.97

For permanent storage, I was originally going to buy a VelociRaptor and a 6400AAKS. After some thinking,
...the 6400AAKS is supposed to be the fastest 7200RPM drive in its class. I can buy three of them for less than a VR.

What's your thought process, going for triplets?

I'd say more storage for the same money, but its just a wild guess.

Yes. I like my music lossless and videos and photos take up a lot of space. Also, archiving and backups take space, so I figured I can get more value for less money, and a relatively minor sacrifice in performance. But I could drop to two HDD's to save some money. I just don't know how to estimate space too well.

 

[BTRY B 529th FA BN]

Well, its a good design and just maybe they'll still be around a while down the road. My story to that is, I bought 1 Seagate ST3500630NS a while back, and when 2yrs later I went to buy a second, they were hard to find, but m point is that the 640 is probably a step above my NS drive and will probably be along a while..

 

[DSF]

This RAM would do just as well and save you a bit of money:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146731

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: BTRY B 529th FA BN
Well, its a good design and just maybe they'll still be around a while down the road. My story to that is, I bought 1 Seagate ST3500630NS a while back, and when 2yrs later I went to buy a second, they were hard to find, but m point is that the 640 is probably a step above my NS drive and will probably be along a while..

I don't need to buy the same model if I need an additional harddrive in the future. I think I will drop to two HDD's. Having ~1.2 TB of space should be enough for me for now.

Originally posted by: DSF
This RAM would do just as well and save you a bit of money:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820146731

The mushkin RAM series was actually my first consideration for memory. However, because shipping is $6.99, the total savings over the G.Skill kit is $9 after MIR. I'm just not sure if it's worth $9 in the long run, especially with MIR not being guaranteed.

 

[RapidSnail]

Bumpity bump for advice.

And what about construction? I remember something about static electricity. What tools will I need?

 

[DSF]

There's a sticky at the top of this forum with a build guide linked in it. There are plenty of others at your fingertips via your search engine of choice. I would recommend reading through them and then coming back with questions.

Static electricity is something to be aware of, not necessarily afraid of. A little common sense and diligence goes a long way. Build in an area that isn't going to build up unnecessary static, like a wooden table or workbench rather than a carpeted floor. Before you touch any components, discharge yourself by touching unpainted metal on the case. Don't rub a balloon on your sweater while doing sit-ups on the carpet and you should be fine.

My brother and I used to tinker with the family computer on the carpeted floor and following simple steps nothing ever got fried.

As far as tools, all you really need is a phillips-head screwdriver. I forget the exact size because mine aren't labeled, but find the one that fits. One of those screw-grabber thingies can be helpful if you have one, but it's not strictly necessary.

 

[RapidSnail]

Yeah I've read through mech's sticky. I wasn't sure if anyone else would recommend anything more than an anti-static wristband and a screwdriver. The system will be built on a class table with my feet on a carpeted floor, so I wasn't sure if I would destroy anything during construction. I wasn't asking about how to build the PC.

But do the components look alright? That's the primary issue right now. Will I need more fans?

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
MB: abit IP35 PRO $165.50 ($9.94 Shipping)

While there is nothing wrong with the ABIT IP35 PRO, per se, I personally feel $170+ is too much for a P35 motherboard these days. Not only are there other good P35 motherboards for less, but good P45 motherboards for the same or less. I totally go for previous generation hardware when its clearly cheaper, but not when it costs just as much.

On edit: The exception would be for builds with stable platform and software image requirements that will be relatively intolerant of BIOS and driver updating after being put into service. In which case, I would select more mature hardware that met those requirements, with the price being whatever it costs.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: tcsenter

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
MB: abit IP35 PRO $165.50 ($9.94 Shipping)

While there is nothing wrong with the ABIT IP35 PRO, per se, I personally feel $170+ is too much for a P35 motherboard these days. Not only are there other good P35 motherboards for less, but good P45 motherboards for the same or less. I totally go for previous generation hardware when its clearly cheaper, but not when it costs just as much.

On edit: The exception would be for builds with stable platform and software image requirements that will be relatively intolerant of BIOS and driver updating after being put into service. In which case, I would select more mature hardware that met those requirements, with the price being whatever it costs.

Well I went for the IP35 because I've heard great things about the board from professional reviews (including AnandTech) and end-users. I want something stable, reliable, and tested since this is my first build and will be my first time overclocking. But if you have any other suggestions I'm open. Keep in mind that I'm not exactly looking for the cheapest parts; I'm look for the best quality that I can get for my money.

 

[tcsenter]

Originally posted by: RapidSnail
But if you have any other suggestions I'm open. Keep in mind that I'm not exactly looking for the cheapest parts; I'm look for the best quality that I can get for my money.

I could offer suggestions but they wouldn't be based on first-hand experience. I tend to be cheap and don't mind eschewing premium features to save money. The couple P35 boards I have experience with are entry-level and I suspect would not be as acceptable to you feature-wise. I have used no P45 boards thus far.

So unless you are open to suggestions that aren't based on first-hand experience, I'll have to leave it for others who can recommend premium P35 or P45 boards in the same class as ABIT IP35 PRO based on experience.

 

[faxon]

since no one has mentioned it yet, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD do not buy your video card from asus. i have heard nothing but a world of pain and suffering from the QA and RMA department that handles ASUS GPUs. one person i talked to cited a case in which they had a total of 7 BAD 8800GTs made by asus, and in one case the company tried to replace it with a 9600GT instead, which they INSISTED was better despite the glaringly obvious fact that it wasnt (the cards are made on the same process but the 9600GT has almost half the SPUs). do yourself a favor and get one from BFG, eVga, or XFX. as for the e8500, shell out the extra $20. it is more than worth it, and you will get a higher clock at the same FSB due to the 1x higher multi on the e8500, making each hop in FSB increase more beneficial. the wholfsdales overclock so well you could probably take it to its FSB wall and keep it stable if you buy the right ram and keep it from burning up, which that cooler should do fine.

 

[RapidSnail]

Originally posted by: faxon
since no one has mentioned it yet, FOR THE LOVE OF GOD do not buy your video card from asus. i have heard nothing but a world of pain and suffering from the QA and RMA department that handles ASUS GPUs. one person i talked to cited a case in which they had a total of 7 BAD 8800GTs made by asus, and in one case the company tried to replace it with a 9600GT instead, which they INSISTED was better despite the glaringly obvious fact that it wasnt (the cards are made on the same process but the 9600GT has almost half the SPUs). do yourself a favor and get one from BFG, eVga, or XFX. as for the e8500, shell out the extra $20. it is more than worth it, and you will get a higher clock at the same FSB due to the 1x higher multi on the e8500, making each hop in FSB increase more beneficial. the wholfsdales overclock so well you could probably take it to its FSB wall and keep it stable if you buy the right ram and keep it from burning up, which that cooler should do fine.

Should I buy the VisionTek then? The rebate is only $10 less.

But are you sure ASUS is a bad apple for ATI? Of the twenty-three customer opinions, all of them have been 100% positive, so it seems a little strange. Everything you mentioned is from nVidia, and BFG, eVGA, and XFX do not have cards with an ATI 4870 chipset.

 

[RapidSnail]

Going to try to buy everything tomorrow. Bump for final advice.