Hoping for knowledgeable people to look at a newbie's build =)

[Juked07]

This is my first time building a computer. All I have done so far is read a ton of guides/articles/reviews and done a little shopping. I'm hoping to build an all around computer that can play some games smoothly--but nothing too hardcore. I'll also be doing a lot of normal things like surfing the web/IM/email/watching movies. I don't think these should be taxing for the computer at all, but I don't know if I should consider more RAM to make multitasking smoother. Reliability is very important to me. I am willing to give up some performance in order to ensure this machine can last me at least 3-4 years without having to replace too many parts. I am on somewhat of a budget and I'm aiming for about $700.

Here's what I have so far, and please let me know what kind of compatability issues I may have or if a certain piece is a serious bottleneck and should be upgraded or if some other item can be downgraded to save money without losing much performace.

ASUS P5K PRO LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard
Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz
POWERCOLOR AX3650 512MD3-P Radeon HD 3650 512MB 128-bit
Kingston HyperX 2GB (2 x 1GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800
Seagate Barracuda 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
Sony NEC Optiarc 20X DVD±R

I'm not sure what kind of box to get. Ideally I would like to get a box with 4 USB in front, but if I can only get 2 it's okay. I want one with good airflow and a simple design without a front lid--I think it's a pain to have to open a lid every time I want to change the CD.. I won't be moving the computer a lot, maybe about 5 times a year. Suggestions here would be good.

I'm also not sure on power supply. I tried using some power supply calculators and got varying results. I have an older 400W supply at home that is not in use. Would this be enough?

A lot of people list multiple drives, adding to upwards of 1 TB. What do they need this for? I think I will have a hard time just filling the 250 GB on my primary.. Are there reasons for me to consider getting a secondary?

OFFTOPIC: I have a windows XP Pro retail version product key but no CD (I recovered it from a laptop from 2003 that no one uses anymore). Does anyone know how I can get the CD at a low cost? I don't need to buy a new license, and the license is what we really paid for right?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT: Forgot to mention a few things.. The $700 is to cover just the box and the components inside. I already own the monitors and mouse/keyboard/speaker.

 

[DSF]

Motherboard: Gigabyte EP35-DS3L
You're working on a budget and you don't seem to need any advanced features, so don't spend more on a motherboard than you have to.

Processor: The E8400 is a fine choice, but the E7200 will probably be just as good from the way you described your usage.

Video Card: The HD4850 is going to be worlds better than the 3650 for gaming. Unless you don't intend to play any current or future games, I'd avoid the 3650 in favor of something more powerful. If you don't feel like this will fit into your budget, the 8800GT has become very affordable at $130 after rebate, and you might even be able to find a better deal.

Memory: Don't pay that much for RAM. If 4GB fits into your budget, get this Mushkin kit. If not, 2GB shouldn't cost more than $35, so shop around. This OCZ kit for example is only $14 after rebate. DDR2-667 is fine as long as you aren't planning to overclock.

Hard Drive: If you know you won't need the space, then of course there's no reason for you to pay for 1TB+ of storage. Some people are buying larger drives because that's where the bang for the buck is currently. The WD Caviar 640GB for example offers more than twice the storage space of a 250GB drive for only about 50% more money. If you don't need the space and you're on a budget then don't pay for it, but the 500-750GB range are where the best values are found.

Power Supply: Without knowing more about the PSU it's impossible to say whether or not it's good enough. I would lean towards not using it if it's more than a year old. The Antec Earthwatts 430W is a good PSU that's on sale for $30 and shouldn't have any trouble handling your setup.

Case: The Antec Sonata III is on sale at Newegg, and it includes a good quality Earthwatts 500W power supply, which is nice. It does have a door though, which you said you don't want. Other cases you might want to look at would include Cooler Master's RC-590, RC-690 and Centurion 5 cases. Newegg raised their shipping rates on cases though, and their case prices don't tend to be competitive in the first place, so shop around for this part.

Windows: Since you have a legit key, I'm sure there has to be some way you can get a CD. I'm not we're allowed to suggest having a friend copy a CD for you, so I won't do that.

 

[Juked07]

Thanks a ton DSF.

I made the adjustments, and it looks like I'm actually a little underbudget =D
I may just use this layout (costs about 600), and be very happy with it.

If I do choose to spend a few more bucks to upgrade a little though, what should it be?

EDIT: I was looking at the Antec Sonata III case. Is just the single rear exhaust fan enough to cool the machine? If I bought another fan where would I put it?

 

[modoheo]

Originally posted by: Juked07
Thanks a ton DSF.

I made the adjustments, and it looks like I'm actually a little underbudget =D

I may just use this layout (costs about 600), and be very happy with it.

If I do choose to spend a few more bucks to upgrade a little though, what should it be?

Agree with all DSF's suggestions.

If you want to upgrade a little:

Since you're not overclocking, my vote would be E7200 ---> E8400.

Or you could go earthwatts 430w ----> earthwatts 500w to ensure extra stability.

If you'd prefer a newer mobo (with firewire and extra sata ports), then you could go EP35-DS3L ------> ASUS P5Q LGA 775 Intel P45
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16813131295

 

[DSF]

Originally posted by: Juked07
Thanks a ton DSF.

I made the adjustments, and it looks like I'm actually a little underbudget =D

I may just use this layout (costs about 600), and be very happy with it.

If I do choose to spend a few more bucks to upgrade a little though, what should it be?

Depends on which GPU you chose. If you haven't stepped up to the HD4850 yet, that might be where I'd spend the money. Also, if you're sitting on 2GB of RAM, maybe move to 4. What size screen are you playing on?

 

[Juked07]

Update:

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
What makes this better than the DIAMOND Viper 3850PE3512O Radeon HD 3850 512MB?

Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply (Is the one rear fan good enough? Where should I put an additional fan if i buy one?)

Forgot to mention screen. I'm either going to be using 1 22 inch widescreen monitor or 2 19 inch monitors. I have to decide with my brother who is bring what to school and stuff.. I am probably bringing the 22 inch.

This comes out to about 700 I think.

 

[modoheo]

Originally posted by: Juked07
Update:

GIGABYTE GA-EP35-DS3L LGA 775 Intel P35 ATX Intel Motherboard

Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 Wolfdale 3.0GHz LGA 775 65W Dual-Core Processor

mushkin 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit

Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 ST3250410AS 250GB 7200 RPM SATA 3.0Gb/s

ASUS EAH4850/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16
What makes this better than the DIAMOND Viper 3850PE3512O Radeon HD 3850 512MB?

Antec Sonata III 500 Black 0.8mm cold rolled steel ATX Mid Tower Computer Case 500W Power Supply (Is the one rear fan good enough? Where should I put an additional fan if i buy one?)

This comes out to about 700 I think.

4850>>>>3850 because of totally different architecture and design, which results in a much faster GPU in terms of rendering frame rates for games, video, etc.

Get an extra 120mm fan for that case and mount it next to the hard drive cage (it'll be obvious once you get started).

 

[Juked07]

Thanks for the fan suggestion.

I'm pretty ignorant about vid cards. I guess I'll have to do some more reading. Currently the newest game I play is WC3, which even the 128 mb card in my laptop handles with ease.. I know I will probably play more demanding games in the future, but I'm still hesitant to drop too much on a vid card that I may or may not use.

Is this definitely worth the investment?

 

[DSF]

If the newest game you play is WC3, then you're right that you don't need much power at all.

However, buying a card like an ATI HD3650 or Nvidia 8500 is going to hamstring you in future games when you decide to play them. I suppose you need to ask yourself how soon you expect to play new games. If it's more than a year away, then you may as well not spend the money now for a gaming graphics card. If you plan to play new titles this year though, I'd at least go for a 9600GT or 8800GT.

On the other hand, if you want to dabble in newer games but don't care so much about turning on all of the high-end video options, something like an HD3850 for $80 after rebate might not be a bad buy.
http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16814103051

What size monitor are you playing on, by the way?

 

[Juked07]

22"

I think I'm going to stick with a cheaper vid card. If this hampers me in playing newer games in this upcoming year... hopefully I'll have better grades =D

 

[modoheo]

on newegg the 3870 goes for about 99 bucks after MIR. the 8800GT 512MB goes for about $128 after MIR.

IMHO, that's 30 bucks well-spent, even if you don't plan to play high-end games very much.

 

[DSF]

It might also be worth your while to check your local craigslist listings. Every once in a while you'll find a ridiculous deal from someone who's moving or something similar. I once got a legit copy of Windows XP from a place that was going out of business for $11.

For example, in my area there's a used 8800GT going for $50. You won't have a warranty with a used card though.

 

[Juked07]

I guess I'm somewhat open to getting used parts (my 22" monitor was purchased used). I don't want to give up reliability to save a few bucks though.

What parts of a computer are reliable enough to be worth looking into?