Help me decide on parts for planned mid-range(?) build

[ganymede]

Disclaimer: I have no idea what mid-range means anymore, but I do have a pretty clear idea of what the system should be capable of. Please base your suggestions on the description and parts below, not the word "mid-range" 🙂

I've had a fairly old desktop system for a while, and although it was perfect for most tasks (movies, work, audio creation, old games), recently it has proven inadequate in a couple ways:

• The external soundcard (Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro, SB1095 model) sometimes cracks or stutters, usually during high-res movie playback, which appears to be load-related.
• Streaming Flash video is extremely laggy for high-def
• Saints Row 2 won't run

So, I am planning to upgrade to a new system, reusing some current parts. The rig is based on my brother's computer, which he's built about 3 years ago and had no problems with it (other than Vista being incredibly frustrating). What's important here is that it's a "tried and true" configuration, so I'm using that as a basis. Before we get to the parts, here are the criteria:

1. What YOUR PC will be used for. That means what types of tasks you'll be performing.
Movies, work (MS Office, LaTeX), audio creation (creating, some light editing) and casual, old-school games, the most resource-intensive being UT2k4, Half-Life 2 and Saints Row 2. I am planning to run WinXP.

2. What YOUR budget is. A price range is acceptable as long as it's not more than a 20% spread.
The parts I've planned are around $400, I would prefer to keep it below $450.

3. What country YOU will be buying YOUR parts from.
Hungary. Prices will be given in approximate USD equivalent of local currency.

4. IF YOU have a brand preference. That means, are you an Intel-Fanboy, AMD-Fanboy, ATI-Fanboy, nVidia-Fanboy, Seagate-Fanboy, WD-Fanboy, etc.

• Intel/AMD: I'm planning on buying Intel
• ATi/nVidia: I had to return a HD4670 due to broken OpenGL drivers (both with the factory drivers and the latest Catalyst, GPU-Z reported no OpenGL support whatsoever), so I have a preference towards nVidia.
• Seagate/WD: I am not upgrading HDD at this time

5. If YOU intend on using any of YOUR current parts, and if so, what those parts are.

• Case: Casetek 1026-9
• PSU: CoolerMaster RealPower 450W
• Optical: Samsung SH-S203D
• HDD: Samsung HD7583LJ (750 GB, 7500 rpm, 32 MB SATA, Spinpoint F1)
• Northbridge cooler: Zalman ZM-NB47J or Zalman ZM-NB32K
• Soundcard: Creative X-Fi Surround 5.1 Pro (external, model SB1095, USB 2.0)

6. IF YOU have searched and/or read similar threads.
Every search I've attempted timed out so no.

7. IF YOU plan on overclocking or run the system at default speeds.
I do NOT plan on overclocking.

8. What resolution YOU plan on gaming with.
Native display resolution of 1680x1050 would be preferable.

9. WHEN do you plan to build it?
In the very near future (as in, I'd do it this week if it were up to me 🙂 )


Here are the planned parts:

• Motherboard:
  Asus P5Q SE+ OEM, $85
  Asus P5Q SE2, $100
• CPU:
  Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 2x 3.00GHz, $162
• CPU cooler:
  ?
• Memory:
  Kingston DDR2 PC2-6400 (KVR800D2N6/2G), 800 MHz, 1x2 GB, $27.9
  Samsung DDR2 PC-6400, 800 MHz, 2x1 GB, 2x$14.5=$29
  Kingmax DDR2 1066 MHz, 2x1 GB, 2x$14.1=$28.2
  Kingston DDR2 PC2-8500 HyperX (KHX8500D2/2G), 1066 MHz, 1x2 GB, $37
  Kingston DDR2 PC2-8500 HyperX (KHX8500D2/1G), 1066 MHz, 2x1 GB, 2x$22.7=$45.4
• GPU:
  Gainward Bliss GeForce 9800GT 512MB, PCIe, $86
  Gainward Bliss GeForce GTS250 512MB, PCIe, $97

Lowest cost configuration: $360.9 + CPU cooler
Highest cost coniguration: $404.4 + CPU cooler

Finally, my questions:

1. Motherboard:
   Are there any significant advantages of the SE2 over the SE+?
   Are there any significant disadvantages of the SE+ being OEM?
2. CPU cooler:
   What CPU cooler should I get?
   (should I make a separate thread in Cases & Cooling?)
3. Memory:
   Should I get two 1 GB sticks, or a single 2 GB stick?
   Should I go with Kingston or Samsung even if only the expensive, cooled sticks are available? I.e., are Kingmax or GeIL as good as Samung/Kingston?
4. GPU:
   The GTS250's max. power consumption is listed between 136 and 150 W, the RealPower's 12V1 and 12V2 rails are rated for continuous loads of 12A and 10A respectively (see image below). Do they add up to actually provide 264 W to the PCIe, or is that based on a single rail?
   
   
   
   
   tl;dr 🙂 Can a CoolerMaster RealPower 450W handle a GeForce GTS250?
5. Northbridge cooler:
   Zalman ZM-NB47J or Zalman ZM-NB32K?

Thank you for your time, and fire away! 🙂

 

[Ken g6]

First, Core 2? I don't know about Hungary, but in the USA I could get an i5 2400 + h61 mobo for the price of your CPU+mobo.

If you get an i3-2105, I'm not sure you'd even need a discrete GPU. I happen to know UT2k4 runs pretty well on a Core 2 with G41 onboard graphics. (Well, until the chip overheats and the system locks up D🙂 Llano would be even better this direction, but you don't like AMD. 🙄

I believe the total 12V output of that PSU is 264W. Not a good PSU. But enough for Sandy Bridge, or for Llano. If you want to keep the PSU, currently AMD GPUs are more efficient than nVIDIA.

- No aftermarket CPU cooler needed for Sandy Bridge.
- 4GB DDR3 == 2GB DDR2 (in terms of price)

 

[lehtv]

Don't go with the old Core 2 Duo's. E8400 was released four years ago. You're much better off with a new Intel Sandy Bridge processor.

I'd get these, assuming Hungarian pricing isn't too far off

CPU i3-2100 $120 (or 2120) (compare to E8400)
Mobo H61 or H67 chipset microATX motherboard $60-90
RAM 2x2GB or 2x4GB DDR3 (1333MHz, 1.5V) $25-45

$205-255. Leaves plenty of cash for a decent GPU, even if your local prices are a bit higher.

Comments:
- use the stock cooler, can't OC an i3-2100 anyway
- H61 or H67 depending on whether you want USB3.0 and SATA 6gb/s support (the latter is relevant only to SSD's)
- DDR2 is more expensive and slower, mind you, and won't work with new processors anyway

the RealPower's 12V1 and 12V2 rails are rated for continuous loads of 12A and 10A respectively (see image below). Do they add up to actually provide 264 W to the PCIe, or is that based on a single rail?

It means 264W combined load. 12A + 10A = 22A. 22A * 12V = 264W. It looks like the PSU is a bit old design given how stong the 3.3v and 5v rails are in comparison to the 12v output.

It should be fine for this upgrade (i3-2100 uses <65W). But it wouldn't be a terrible idea to buy a new PSU either. Cooler Master's power supplies aren't that great.

 

[Ken g6]

RAM 2x2GB or 2x4GB DDR3 (1333MHz, 1.5V) $25-45

I think he's using XP 32-bit, so more than 2x2GB RAM may not be worth it. I have seen mention of ways to use a ramdisk in higher memory for the swapfile, using PAE, but I've never tried such a thing.

 

[lehtv]

^ True, 2x2GB it is.

 

[mfenn]

I think he's using XP 32-bit, so more than 2x2GB RAM may not be worth it. I have seen mention of ways to use a ramdisk in higher memory for the swapfile, using PAE, but I've never tried such a thing.

The true solution is to spend the extra money left over in lehtv's build on a Windows 7 license. It doesn't make any sense to cripple a 2012 PC by loading a 2001 OS onto it.