Gaming Computer Setup - Help requested

[iSoldier]

I'm curious what it would cost to build a new computer.

For the main components I was considering:
Radeon X1800XT EAX1800XT/2DHTV/512M Video Card

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131540

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 1GHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547

2x 1gb PC3200 RAM

Antec Performance I P180 Silver Computer Case - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16811129154

SeaSonic S12-500 ATX12V 500W Power Supply 100 - 240V UL, CE, CB, FCC - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151024

Seagate Barracuda 7200.9 300GB 3.5" SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16822148110

I have:
Possible 5200rpm hard drives
19" monitor
keyboard and mouse

I need help with:
Case (Everything I looked at people said expect the PSU to fail and weak and flimsy design)
Power Supply (I don't know anything about power supplies really and which ones are reliable and which are just costly and unreliable)
Making sure I didn't forget anything

I'm thinking 2gb PC3200 should work with all of the above

Thanks for any of your help, I know I'm not the brightest but I do know enough to get this general idea and to put what I get together. =)

 

[smopoim86]

Right on track with 2gb of ram
case depends on if you want silent or looks
PSU, i've always used antec(they work and have a good price point)

 

[Luckyboy1]

What kind of warranty does newegg give on that refurbed card?

 

[Ultralight]

I, too, have had good luck with Antec. My new system has the Truepower 2.0 550 Watt power supply. Enermax and Fortran make good power supplies as well.

Antec p-180 series is a very good case. Thermaltake makes some good ones as well. Others swear by Lia-Lian.

A red flag went up for me about the refurbished card. One because it is refurbished and two because it is an ASUS. There are better video card makers than ASUS (though they do make good solid motherboards) Also, do you need a Sli motherboard and a dual core cpu?

 

[AzNPinkTuv]

Originally posted by: iSoldier
I'm curious what it would cost to build a new computer.

For the main components I was considering:
REFURBISHED: ASUS Radeon X1800XT EAX1800XT/2DHTV/512M Video Card - OEM
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16814121546R

ASUS A8N-SLI Premium ATX AMD Motherboard - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131540

AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 1GHz HT Socket 939 Dual Core Processor - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16819103547

I have:
Sufficient 5200rpm hard drives
19" monitor
keyboard and mouse

I need help with:
Case (Everything I looked at people said expect the PSU to fail and weak and flimsy design)
Power Supply (I don't know anything about power supplies really and which ones are reliable and which are just costly and unreliable)
Making sure I didn't forget anything

I'm thinking 2gb PC3200 should work with all of the above

Thanks for any of your help, I know I'm not the brightest but I do know enough to get this general idea and to put what I get together. =)

5200 rpm???

your gonna seriously be lookin at load times

 

[iSoldier]

The refurbished card is just an idea. I'm looking at something of that power although I haven't quite settled on a 7800GTX or X1800XT or similar products.

I could get a new hard drive, but I'm mainly concerned with how the game runs once it loads and that part is easy to upgrade later. It's accounting for video being compatible with the motherboard and all I'm worried about. I'll make a mock setup and revise a few things and update the main post.

 

[Maximilian]

Case - Antec P180, its a great case, good sound proof design and excellent cooling. Only thing to consider is the PSU location as some PSU cables wont actually stretch because the PSU is located on the bottom of the case for cooling purposes

PSU - Seasonic S12 (Dont get this if you get the P180 it dosent stretch without an extener wire) Seasonic make quiet extremely efficient PSU's and are pretty much what Antec used to be around here. Specifically the S12 500w and 600w as they feature things the lower wattage models dont have.

If you get a P180, just ask around for which PSU will fit. I got an S12 500w and an extender for the 24-pin cable, works for me.

You might wanna look into a 16MB cache 7200RPM SATA2 hdd. Im not sure about their performance in comparison to older 5200RPM drives but they can be had for some pretty decent prices. Specifically 250 and 300GB models, dont bother with the 500GB monsters, theyre a little too expensive at the moment.

 

[SnoMunke]

Cool...you are building a Ferrari with a Yugo engine... :Q

5400 RPM HDD is a joke...at LEAST get a $40 first-gen 40GB 7200 RPM PATA HDD...

 

[Ipno]

Originally posted by: Soviet
Case - Antec P180, its a great case, good sound proof design and excellent cooling. Only thing to consider is the PSU location as some PSU cables wont actually stretch because the PSU is located on the bottom of the case for cooling purposes

PSU - Seasonic S12 (Dont get this if you get the P180 it dosent stretch without an extener wire) Seasonic make quiet extremely efficient PSU's and are pretty much what Antec used to be around here. Specifically the S12 500w and 600w as they feature things the lower wattage models dont have.

If you get a P180, just ask around for which PSU will fit. I got an S12 500w and an extender for the 24-pin cable, works for me.

You might wanna look into a 16MB cache 7200RPM SATA2 hdd. Im not sure about their performance in comparison to older 5200RPM drives but they can be had for some pretty decent prices. Specifically 250 and 300GB models, dont bother with the 500GB monsters, theyre a little too expensive at the moment.

I have a seasonic S12 in an antec P180 and its cables reach just fine for me.

And I wouldn't touch a Maxtor HDD with a pole of any significant length.

 

[Howard]

Are you planning to overclock?

 

[iSoldier]

I plan to overclock if possible, and it sure sounds like the X2 I mentioned can be overclocked quite a bit.

What brand of Hard Drive is better? I haven't built a computer in 3 years so I really don't know that much anymore stuff changes so fast.

 

[Howard]

If you're planning to overclock, you may as well save money on the CPU. If you plan to stick with dual-core, go for an X2 3800+ or an Opteron 165.

Seagate and Western Digital HDs are generally recommended. http://www.storagereview.com/comparison.html

 

[SnoMunke]

Originally posted by: iSoldier
I plan to overclock if possible, and it sure sounds like the X2 I mentioned can be overclocked quite a bit.

What brand of Hard Drive is better? I haven't built a computer in 3 years so I really don't know that much anymore stuff changes so fast.

Here are some good recommendations for gaming PCs...at least a good place to start:

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1781770,00.asp

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1825477,00.asp

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,1939521,00.asp

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: iSoldier
I plan to overclock if possible, and it sure sounds like the X2 I mentioned can be overclocked quite a bit.

What brand of Hard Drive is better? I haven't built a computer in 3 years so I really don't know that much anymore stuff changes so fast.

Seagate and WD as Howard said. WD are faster accross the board, while seagate have a 5 year warranty instead of the more standard 3 year warranty that WD offers.

Another vote for a Opteron 165, they OC to around the same level and you save a few $ doing it.

 

[alimoalem]

i agree, western digital (for performance) and seagate (for warranty). and once again, i agree with the opteron option. for case, it really is a personal preference thing.

for the power supply, maybe the fortron 450w or a 500w psu. it really depens on how much you're willing to spend. 500w PSU's can be had at around $80-100 while the 450w forton is $50

 

[Caecus Veritas]

you probably would want to change the mb to a crossfire mb (or change the video card to nvidia) to make sure you have an upgrade path open for crossfire/SLI.

 

[Bobthelost]

Originally posted by: Caecus Veritas
you probably would want to change the mb to a crossfire mb (or change the video card to nvidia) to make sure you have an upgrade path open for crossfire/SLI.

I'd ditch the dual slot design completely. SLI is rarely a good upgrade path, the exception being when you know you will upgrade within 6 months or so. A single card board saves $50 or so NOW, which will pay for a better graphics card, or faster CPU.