First ever build for AVCHD video editing/encoding, not gaming. Parts listed.

[DominionSeraph]

And the mobo in your combo seems a little better than the one I had picked out. Is this correct?

Well, it has integrated graphics so if your add-on ever gives out you have that as a backup. And it has eSATA.
The ATX just looks to give you an additional 1x PCIe, a 3rd PCI, and a 6th SATA port.

I'm not sure if I like the Cooler Master case as much as the Antec, although I've never seen either in person. The Antec seems more solid, and better stock cooling for the HDDs. I'm not opposed to saving $35, though. I just need to be talked into the CM case. Sell me!!

It has good reviews, and it looks like you could mount the hard drives right behind the front 120mm. But I've never had a problem with hard drive temps anyway -- I've had 'em stuffed into little boxes with nary but an 80mm exhaust fan since the 486 days and they work just fine. Hell, it's probably better for them if they don't get too much airflow -- keeps them warm when the CPU is downclocked at idle so there isn't as much thermal expansion when the system warms up under load.

The setup you linked to is only $475 after MIR. I've never pieced a system together, but it seems like a steal for the stuff I'm getting. Is it just because of Black Friday, or is it always this much cheaper to build it yourself?

You have no video card. That helps. But the 8GB RAM at $90 is a great price, as is a $25 case.

 

[maddog808]

The Cooler Master is cheaper (price-wise and quality-wise) than the Antec. It's also smaller which means it's more space-efficient, but also more of a pain to work in.

So, assuming the CM case will cool the machine effectively, I don't really mind the fact that it is more of a pain to work in. Maybe I should take the $35 I would save with this case, and get a different mobo. I saw you linked to this Gigabyte one in a different thread. Would I be future-proofing my build more effectively by getting something like this?

Also, do I need to buy any accessories, cables, or hardware to piece all these parts together? Or do all the individual components come with everything I will need?

Nobody has really mentioned anything about potentially overclocking my build in the future. Would you be able to confirm that I will be able to achieve this with the parts listed?

Thanks,
Matt

 

[maddog808]

If I get a mobo with Sata 6Gb/s, then will I have better performance if I go with a HDD that is 6Gb/s? I could get this combo with WD Caviar Black for $20 more than the combo with the Spinpoint F3. Too many choices, but to upgrade the mobo & HDD to 6GB/s for $55 more, I would do it if I could see some benefits while doing the video editing.

 

[DominionSeraph]

So, assuming the CM case will cool the machine effectively,

From Benny:

TONS of fan slots. 1x 120mm in bottom, 2x 120 in top, 120 in side, 120 in rear, and comes with a 140 fan in the front.

I wouldn't worry about your ability to keep things cool.

I don't really mind the fact that it is more of a pain to work in. Maybe I should take the $35 I would save with this case, and get a different mobo. I saw you linked to this Gigabyte one in a different thread. Would I be future-proofing my build more effectively by getting something like this?

Well now, this is nice:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/ComboD...t=Combo.543299

I'm not a motherboard guy so I'll need mfenn to chime in, but this looks considerably better.

Also, do I need to buy any accessories, cables, or hardware to piece all these parts together? Or do all the individual components come with everything I will need?

You'll need a SATA cable. And I believe a power cord.

Nobody has really mentioned anything about potentially overclocking my build in the future. Would you be able to confirm that I will be able to achieve this with the parts listed?

Yes. Overclocking headroom will be limited by the stock heat sink, but you can always swap that out.

If I get a mobo with Sata 6Gb/s, then will I have better performance if I go with a HDD that is 6Gb/s?

No. Hard drives aren't even close to saturating 3Gb/s.

 

[maddog808]

You'll need a SATA cable. And I believe a power cord.

So which SATA cable? Straight or right angle? This one seems to be the most popular one. Is 18" long enough?

Yes. Overclocking headroom will be limited by the stock heat sink, but you can always swap that out.

OK. Let's overclock this thing. Which CPU heatsink/fan should I get? Anything else I need, besides more research?

No. Hard drives aren't even close to saturating 3Gb/s.

I'm sticking with the Spinpoint, then.

From Benny: Quote: TONS of fan slots. 1x 120mm in bottom, 2x 120 in top, 120 in side, 120 in rear, and comes with a 140 fan in the front. I wouldn't worry about your ability to keep things cool.

LOL! OK, the $25 case it is!!

I'm not a motherboard guy so I'll need mfenn to chime in, but this looks considerably better.

mfenn, where you at? Sign off on this mobo, and I'm pulling the trigger.

Let's do this! I'm excited for my first build!

Thanks so much for taking time out to help a newbie, everybody!
Matt

 

[DominionSeraph]

That case just sold out.

 

[maddog808]

That case just sold out.

How bout this one for $40?

 

[DominionSeraph]

How bout this one for $40?

1900 reviews. 5 egg...

 

[mfenn]

Yeah, the M4A88TD-V EVO/USB3 (man, what a mouthful!) is fine. I also like the 690 a lot better than the Elite.

TL;DR: Go for it!

EDIT: It looks like the mobo comes with 2 SATA cables, so as long as you only have 2 drives, those will be sufficient.

 

[maddog808]

TL;DR: Go for it!

Not sure what TL;DR means, but I went for it.

After MIR & Gift Card eventually make their way back into my wallet, this rig cost me $510. Not bad; now I just have to convince my wife that it was a good deal.

I think I'll wait for the prices on SSD to come down a bit before I get one for the OS & apps. How big of difference does it make in the real world, anyway?

I guess I can start reading up on overclocking while I wait for this stuff to ship. Where is a good place to start?

Matt

 

[mfenn]

Not sure what TL;DR means, but I went for it.

After MIR & Gift Card eventually make their way back into my wallet, this rig cost me $510. Not bad; now I just have to convince my wife that it was a good deal.

I think I'll wait for the prices on SSD to come down a bit before I get one for the OS & apps. How big of difference does it make in the real world, anyway?

I guess I can start reading up on overclocking while I wait for this stuff to ship. Where is a good place to start?

Matt

TL;DR stands for Too Long; Didn't Read ie. the short answer :awe:

IMHO an SSD makes a HUGE difference in day to day usage. All programs just pop open instantly. My SSD is easily the best single upgrade that I've ever made.

Check out the CPUs & Overclocking board on this very forum for some tips!

 

[maddog808]

All my stuff from Newegg arrived in two different shipments, yesterday & today. I ended up getting a CM Hyper 212 Plus to replace the stock cooler for the X6 1075T. It came recommended as the best "budget" cooler, and I am definitely on a budget. It was $30, and has a $15 MIR right now. So for $15, I'll give it a shot. Now I have to study up on "cpu burn in". I want to install the Hyper 212 now, and do it right the first time. :thumbsup:

I guess I will be a first time system builder & first time overclocker all at the same time. I started to read this thread over at Extreme Overclocking Forum. Holy crap! I am pretty good at math, but that first post is information overload. I don't even know where to start. As far as I can tell, I need to adjust some voltages in the bios, and maybe download an app to tweak things that can't be tweaked in the bios. But, where do I start? I wish there were a step by step for a complete newbie; just something to get me started. I learn better with hands-on experience, but I don't want to fry any of my new toys, either. I guess I'll keep searching/reading. I'm sure I'll stumble onto something more simplified somewhere. :biggrin:

PS- Thanks a ton to all of you who helped me pick the right parts for this build!!! :awe: I feel really good about everything so far.

 

[mfenn]

Looks sweet!

I would start by just seeing how high I could bump the FSB on stock volts.