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First time builder... Trying to save money on a good pc

N

nickv360

Member
OKay, so right now, I'm using a Dell Dimension 8400, but it's getting old and out-dated, and I want to upgrade. I'm thinking now is the right time to build my first computer. I have a monitor, mouse, and keyboard, which I can bring from the Dell. I want this new computer to be able to last as long as possible. For reasons of longevity, I want to spend the most money on my mobo.

Motherboard - 160
GIGABYTE GA-P35C-DS3R LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813128048
I figure with the ability to upgrade to DDR3, as well as quad core, this will be able to hold its own for a while.


Processor - 140.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16819115014
I figure I can oc this a good amount, and it will last. I want to save money here as much as possible.

Video Card - 125
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814130056
EVGA 256-P2-N624-AR GeForce 7900GS 256MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express x16 KO Video Card - Retail
I don't need to play my games at insane resolutions with 4x aa, but I would like to be able to play demanding games. UT3, Assasin's Creed, Gears of War, and Spore are all upcoming games I'd like to be able to play. This should get the job done right? At mid-level graphics?

Memory - 113
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145590
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail
Now the mobo has four slots for RAM. Here I have a question. In my old Dell I had 1GB DDR2 PC3200 ram. Would I be able to use this in conjunction with the new ram, or would the old ram slow it down? Like I said before, I don't think I need 4gb of ram since I won't be maxing things out, and otherwise my pc is just word and internet.


Case 50.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16811119077
COOLER MASTER Centurion 5 CAC-T05-WW Black/Silver Aluminum Bezel, SECC Chassis ATX Mid Tower Computer Case - Retail
I don't want to spend a lot of money on my case. Simple and spacious. I would want to buy some case fans, because I don't have any ac, so the summer months would be exceptionally warm.


PSU - 50.00
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16817182016
Rosewill RP500-2 ATX 2.01 500W Power Supply 115/230 V CSA, CB, TUV, FCC, UL - Retail
I want to save money here to, so would I really need 500W? I definitely don't want any issues with the PSU, but I do have a 350W PSU in the Dell. Is this salvageable?


Total ~$650
Now, I will take optical drives and HDD from my Dell, as well as a sound card and tv tuner card. This should work smoothly right? I have a 350GB HDD(no idea what brand, but it is SATA). I also have a DVD & CD Burner. Also, I have a 24bit Soundblaster Live! sound card and 5.1 speakers. Have I covered everything? Are there places where I can afford to cut costs?



 
Ok... here's the deal with combo boards... they only support DDR3 1333 right now... so if you want to upgrade to DDR3 you would need something with extremely tight timings. By the time that is available at a reasonable price, it will be about 2 years time...

So if you want a combo board then get one... if you aren't sure... getting a DDR2 board is probably your best bet.

Ok for the proc definitely spend the extra 30$ and get an e6600.

If you use that ram, the corsair ram will run at ddr2-3200.

Get a crucial ballistix from mwave.com, it is the same price after MIR as the corsair and is much better. Especially if you want to overclock.

Case is cool.

I would probably dish out the money for a PSU. Cheaping out on one of the key components of a system is usually not worth it. spend the extra 50$. get the corsair 520HX.

If not that, then a lower wattage fortron or seasonic

if you want more in depth help pm me.
 
PSU is one place where saving money will get you in the end. Spend the money to get a decent 500w PSU so you don't have to worry about it. Get cheaper RAM and put the money saved there into the PSU. Check hot deals daily, you can usually get a decent 2GB set for around $75 or so.
Wait another couple weeks for the price drops to save a little on the CPU or just upgrade to a higher model.
What video card is in your Dell? Also don't forget, you can get some of your money back by selling your current parts.
 
So if you want a combo board then get one... if you aren't sure... getting a DDR2 board is probably your best bet.

Ok for the proc definitely spend the extra 30$ and get an e6600.
Well, the combo is only an extra 10 dollars, so I thought I'd go for it.

If you use that ram, the corsair ram will run at ddr2-3200.
Will 3GB 3200 be faster than 2GB 6200?

Ok for the proc definitely spend the extra 30$ and get an e6600.
I see that you have an e4300. Is there a reason I shouldn't go with the e4400?

I would probably dish out the money for a PSU. Cheaping out on one of the key components of a system is usually not worth it. spend the extra 50$. get the corsair 520HX.
Yeah, I agree, and I've seen some of the bad things that can happen when the PSU is sucky, but the one I listed there looks like it is a good 500w PSU.

EDIT:

I think I like this ram
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820145167
CORSAIR XMS2 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 675 (PC2 5400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory - Retail - $80.00


My Dell had a GeForce 6800.
 
3GB DDR2-3200 will be kinda useless. 2GB should be more than good enough for normal computer use and general gaming.
In a couple of weeks the E4400 will be $113, so you can either save money there or go with the new E4500 for $133. If you are going to spend more, get the E6550 for $163.
I'd stick with the DDR2 P35-DS3R. DDR3 won't be standard for a while and even longer for prices to come down.
This should be the lowest PSU you should be looking at. I didn't lookup reviews to it but its from a good company.
 
Originally posted by: stogez
PSU is one place where saving money will get you in the end. Spend the money to get a decent 500w PSU so you don't have to worry about it. Get cheaper RAM and put the money saved there into the PSU. Check hot deals daily, you can usually get a decent 2GB set for around $75 or so.
Wait another couple weeks for the price drops to save a little on the CPU or just upgrade to a higher model.
What video card is in your Dell? Also don't forget, you can get some of your money back by selling your current parts.
Click to expand...

You are completely right and completely wrong at the same time.

You are correct in that you should not be cutting corners on the PSU but way off base for recommending a 500 watt unit for a machine that will never draw more then 150-200 watts (will people never learn?).

This 300 watt Forton-Source (FSP) is a top-end unit that will easily power your system, last for practical purposes forever, and won't brake the bank.
 
Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: stogez
PSU is one place where saving money will get you in the end. Spend the money to get a decent 500w PSU so you don't have to worry about it. Get cheaper RAM and put the money saved there into the PSU. Check hot deals daily, you can usually get a decent 2GB set for around $75 or so.
Wait another couple weeks for the price drops to save a little on the CPU or just upgrade to a higher model.
What video card is in your Dell? Also don't forget, you can get some of your money back by selling your current parts.
Click to expand...

You are completely right and completely wrong at the same time.

You are correct in that you should not be cutting corners on the PSU but way off base for recommending a 500 watt unit for a machine that will never draw more then 150-200 watts (will people never learn?).

This 300 watt Forton-Source (FSP) is a top-end unit that will easily power your system, last for practical purposes forever, and won't brake the bank.
Click to expand...

He wants to keep the system for a few years. I assumed that might include an upgrade to a 8800 series sometime. 300w just won't cut it for that. Also upgrades to Quad core and a couple more HDDs are never out of the question.
 
Originally posted by: stogez
He wants to keep the system for a few years. I assumed that might include an upgrade to a 8800 series sometime. 300w just won't cut it for that. Also upgrades to Quad core and a couple more HDDs are never out of the question.
Click to expand...

nickv360 never mentioned it, why would you assume it?

Besides within a year 8800 level performance will be available from cards with similar power requirements as the current planned 7900.
 
Actually, he did:

"I want this new computer to be able to last as long as possible."

But I agree that a 500W PSU, let alone a 1KW PSU, is serious overkill. Operandi knows what he's talking about!

[EDIT] Oh I get it, you're wondering why he'd assume that nick would upgrade, not why he assumed that nick wanted it to last a while. Dyur. Huked on foniks werked four mi!
 
Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: stogez
He wants to keep the system for a few years. I assumed that might include an upgrade to a 8800 series sometime. 300w just won't cut it for that. Also upgrades to Quad core and a couple more HDDs are never out of the question.
Click to expand...

nickv360 never mentioned it, why would you assume it?

Besides within a year 8800 level performance will be available from cards with similar power requirements as the current planned 7900.
Click to expand...

Thats why I said that I assumed and not that the OP mentioned it. That by definition means that it was my opinion.
We can argue this all day long but I'll stop now. You're right, I'm wrong.
 
Originally posted by: KungFused
Actually, he did:

"I want this new computer to be able to last as long as possible."

But I agree that a 500W PSU, let alone a 1KW PSU, is serious overkill. Operandi knows what he's talking about!

[EDIT] Oh I get it, you're wondering why he'd assume that nick would upgrade, not why he assumed that nick wanted it to last a while. Dyur. Huked on foniks werked four mi!
Click to expand...

I assume "last awhile means upgrades" but I don't assume dropping $400+ on a graphics card when the entire system only cost $700.

Like I already alluded to GPU performance dose not scale linearly with power consumption.
 
Well, yeah I do want to be able to keep this system for a while. I was thinking that a PSU can essentially be a lifetime investment. I don't really foresee myself every building a rig that would be top of the line. I like to wait for things to settle down in price, so I figure if I get a really solid 500w PSU, it will last as long as this rig and the next one do.


Also, the PSU I originally posted got a lot of great reviews. How come nobody is recommending it?
 
Originally posted by: nickv360
Well, yeah I do want to be able to keep this system for a while. I was thinking that a PSU can essentially be a lifetime investment. I don't really foresee myself every building a rig that would be top of the line. I like to wait for things to settle down in price, so I figure if I get a really solid 500w PSU, it will last as long as this rig and the next one do.
Click to expand...

PSU specifications tend to change a bit every couple of years so even if you over buy on power you won't be able use a PSU you buy now for more than 2-3 years down the road.

Besides a 300-350 watt PSU really is enough for all but the most high-end systems. SPCR has done some great power true DC (most measure AC from the wall) power measurements with various systems, you'd be surprised what a good 300 watt unit will power.
 
Originally posted by: Operandi
you'd be surprised what a good 300 watt unit will power.
Click to expand...

absolutely. i really wish people would understand this more. but electricity is 'magic' to most people so....

 
I'm trying to avoid OEM parts as much as possible. I would really like a box and manual for my products because I want somethign to read if it's not working. (This is my first time).

This is the next available PSU from the same company offered in a retail box:


FSP Group (Fortron Source) AX400-PN, RoHS, 12cm FAN, version 2.2, 2 SATA, 20+ 4 pin, PCI Express, 400W Power Supply - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...ALL&Pagesize=10&Page=1

Would that do the job well?
 
What about a good SeaSonic I've had issues with fans going out on the Fortron's I've used in the past. And you can pick up a "good" 330 for 60 bucks. Or you can splurge for the 380 for 15 more.
 
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