First ever build - Feedback needed

[wcassell]

I'm looking to build my first PC. Here are some considerations:

1) Looking for system to do web, basic office (spreadsheets, etc), media capture and streaming (would like to do video capture and stream to my Xbox) - Will be doing little to no gaming
2) Budget is $750-$1000 not including OS, Keyboard, Mouse, Monitor
3) Looking for something that will be good for the near future and will allow for upgradeability
4) Will probably try to do some light overclocking, but nothing too extreme. If I keep with the MB listed below it seems to have a pretty straight forward software based OC ability that I would use.
5) Building the system in the US, hopefully in the next 4-6 weeks.

From #1 above, the main thing this system will be used for is a 24/7 video capture system and streaming when needed, but I need to be able to use it for other light tasks as well.

Here's the parts list I have so far:

Component--------Model
Motherboard------------GIGABYTE GA-EP45-UD3P LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel
Processor---------------Intel Core2 Quad Q9400 2.66GHz
Case--------------------LIAN LI Lancool PC-K7B
Power Supply----------CORSAIR CMPSU-650TX 650W
Ram---------------------mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
Video Card-------------SAPPHIRE 100253L Radeon HD 4650 512MB
Hard Drive -------------Western Digital Caviar Black WD6401AALS 640GB
DVD RW----------------Pioneer Black 20X DVD+R
Sound Card------------N/A
OS----------------------N/A
Monitor-----------------N/A
TV Capture------------Hauppauge WinTV-HVR-2250 Dual TV Tuner
CPU Fan--------------- Rosewill RCX-Z775-EX 92mm 2 Ball CPU Cooler

This is currently going to set me back around $900 at newegg. Would love any feedback from the boards. This will be the first PC I've ever built, so I want to make sure this is relatively easy to build.

Questions I have:
1) Any feedback on component list above for what I'm looking to do?
2) Any obvious compatibility issues?
3) Am I putting emphasis on the right components (ex. Have a higher end CPU, but relatively lower end video card)?

 

[videogames101]

WAY overkill for a simple video streaming/capture machine, but it would all work fine, and it would game pretty well.


(Like, HUGE amounts of overkill there, grab a dell outlet desktop for $400 and add the TV tuner....)

 

[wcassell]

VG101,

Thanks for the feedback. Part of this is just an itch on my part to learn how to build, but at the same time I was a little worried about processing power needed to transcode (and then stream) video. Particularly HD video.

If you were to scale this back (but still do a new system build), would you start with the CPU? Is there a good 2 core processor you'd recommend (or something else completely)?

 

[polarbear6]

well all i can say is if u have free time build a gaming pc
cause no human can resist playing games in free time

but as vg101 said
this is a overkill for a streaming and recording machine

 

[krnmastersgt]

If you want a really good encoding/transcoding rig, I'd suggest a Phenom II 920 with a 790GX board, should be a combo deal on the egg. Integrated gpu saves you a bit and that goes towards the PhII, and if the software you use, or for whatever reason not all 4 cores are utilized, you could set the transcoding to certain cores, and other apps like your web browser/media player to another so you won't notice any slow-downs while multi-tasking.

 

[imported_wired247]

I'm tempted to say go with the E8500 ... go for the higher clock...

but if you're really crunching transcodes all the time, then a quad would be better admittedly. Check out the q9550, I think it defines bang for buck.



forget the rosewill CPU cooler. rosewill and quality don't go together. if you want the cheapest solution that is also one of the most effective, sunbeam Core contact freezer works great (plenty of reviews claiming so)


great choice on case!!! those are highly underrated.

 

[videogames101]

Originally posted by: wired247
I'm tempted to say go with the E8500 ... go for the higher clock...

but if you're really crunching transcodes all the time, then a quad would be better admittedly. Check out the q9550, I think it defines bang for buck.



forget the rosewill CPU cooler. rosewill and quality don't go together. if you want the cheapest solution that is also one of the most effective, sunbeam Core contact freezer works great (plenty of reviews claiming so)


great choice on case!!! those are highly underrated.

That cpu is just way more than he needs, and if he was gaming thats what I'd recommend, but a cheap phenom II with an integrated GPU like krnmastersgt said will do transcoding and streaming no problem.

If it were me building it, I'd get an e5200 along with an asus p5q mobo, and would get This video card for some cheap 3d-performance for any games you might want to play. I think the asus/intel platform is solid as a rock.

Example:

Intel e5200 - $70
Asus P5Q Pro - $120
ATI HD4830 - $90
Good 4GB DDR2 800 - ~$40-$50
Corsair 650tx - $100
That Lian Li Case - $80
WD6401AALS - $80
WinTV-HVR-2250 - $100
CPU Cooler - ~$30
DVD Drive - ~$30

Total runs ~$700
w/ lots of OC potential and it'll stream/transcode like a champ (and for $200 less!)

 

[wcassell]

Thanks for all the responses guys . . .it really helps me think this thing through

One question on the PSU I have picked out. Is a 650W too much for what I need? Should I bring it down to a 500W or is it okay to have more than you need in there?

 

[imported_wired247]

the PSU rating is just how much it can deliver, so it can't hurt to have too much.

650W is enough for most dual mid-high end graphics card setups and a quad core CPU.

If you are going to stick to single GPU video cards, 500W is totally fine (quality matters) ... you can even get corsair 520 hx for a nice psu with modular cables.

I'm still not clear on exactly what you want to do with your rig, but if you WILL be transcoding often I have to stand firm on a quad core.

I am not a big fan of the e5200 due to the 2-generations-old 800Mhz FSB and small cache. that CPU would be better for a media server / HTPC machine, rather than something where you'll actually be using big CPU power on occasion.

Since the budget allows , go for the 1333 FSB CPUs which can usually be overclocked to 1600FSB easily and safely.

 

[wcassell]

forget the rosewill CPU cooler. rosewill and quality don't go together. if you want the cheapest solution that is also one of the most effective, sunbeam Core contact freezer works great (plenty of reviews claiming so)

I built my system over the weekend and everything (except one thing) went smoothly. It fired up on the first time, with only the front audio connections mis-matched. I was pretty excited my first build went so well.


The only thing that didn't work out was the CPU cooler. The Sunbeam cooler mentioned would not fit onto my Gigabyte EP45-UD3P motherboard. The way it mounts onto the board, makes it come into contact with the NB heatsinks. It was a pain getting the mount installed (and un-installed), but I just put the stock fan on for now. I won't be doing any OCing until I get another fan.

Any other good recommendations for fans that work well with this motherboard? I'm not going to be doing any serious OCing, but would like to get a little more out of my CPU.